Disclaimer: I don't own them, I'm not lucky enough.
A/N: Forgot to put this in the last chapter, silly me. The song that Virgil mentioned (the one he was trying to recreate) called Existentialism on Prom Night is by a band called Straylight Run. Yet another thing I wish I owned.
I hope everyone likes this latest tidbit. Thank you so much for the reviews!
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Scott saw one of the paramedics tear into a package. A large needle was taken out, and that scared Scott. The needle was plunged into Virgil's heart and emptied.
"What is that?" Alan asked anxiously.
"I don't know," Scott admitted.
"We've got to go!" the paramedic called to Scott.
"Which hospital?" Scott asked since the three couldn't all go with him.
"Saint Ray's."
"We'll be right behind you. Go!"
They watched as the paramedics rushed Virgil out of the coliseum. And then they stared at each other.
"Where's the hospital?" Gordon finally asked, barely above a whisper.
"Hospital of Saint Raphael's. It's isn't too far from here," Scott answered.
"How will we get there?" Gordon asked.
"Let's see if there's a police officer who'll help us out," Scott suggested. "But first we need to close up Mobile Control and get the 'Birds set. And I've got to call Dad."
The three brothers hurried out of the coliseum, and they made quick work of Mobile Control. After a quick word with the police commissioner, who'd been at the scene, they had a ride there, officers who'll keep the press and public at bay, and he'd personally make sure their 'Birds were safe. Just before setting off for the hospital, Scott called in and told his Dad everything.
"Virgil," Jeff sighed. "Keep me updated. Unfortunately, I can't be there. I'm a security risk we don't need right now."
Scott nodded. Jeff Tracy was just too well known and it would be easily connected that the members of International Rescue were his sons.
Not a word was said on the way to the hospital. Once there, they were ushered to a private room in the emergency room.
"Unfortunately, our waiting room won't work well once the press find out that your associate is here," the nurse said.
"This will be fine. Thank you," Scott replied.
"If you need anything, just press the call button and I'll be right in. I'll let you know as soon as I know something."
She left the three alone. Alan and Gordon propped themselves up on one bed while Scott took the other. No one knew what to say.
Jeff paced the command area. Brains and Tin-Tin had been listening, and neither one said a word to Jeff. What could they say to a man who was so close to losing a son?
On Thunderbird Five, all John could do was wait. He wasn't one to pace, so he remained sitting. His eyes were directed at the screens in front of him, but he didn't see one. After a minute, leaned back and closed his eyes. He was desperately trying to remember one of Virgil's piano recitals, or one of his art exhibits. He just wanted to remember something positive.
Virgil was near-death. He just didn't know it. Contrary to some beliefs, there was nothing. Virgil wasn't dreaming of his mother, or anything for that matter. There was no mind-body separation, no out of body experience. Only Virgil's body on a table, various drugs being pumped into him, as well as a blood transfusion. A blood pressure cuff was on one arm, and there was a doctor with his hand inside of Virgil's chest. This doctor was doing what Virgil could not do for himself, this doctor was beating his heart.
The doctors and nurses in that room knew who this man was. They knew he was a member of International Rescue. They knew that he was there because of the roof collapse at the Coliseum. But none of that mattered, to them, all that was important was that he was a man so close to death that it could come the following second.
But what they didn't know was just how much of a fighter Virgil was. He wanted to make sure that he said what he felt was necessary just in case, he usually thought of the 'just in case' scenarios. When the debris pile came in on him, he knew it was bad. But he managed to get a signal to John. He knew that was his only chance at living.
Scott, Gordon and Alan had been sitting in absolute silence for fifteen minutes when Gordon jumped off the bed. Alan and Scott both looked at him, but said nothing.
"I can't take this," Gordon muttered.
Scott, who was in his own world of self-blame, could think of nothing to say.
"We have to let them work," Alan said. "There's nothing we can do now."
Gordon appeared to have settled down a little and rejoined Alan, sitting on the bed.
"I should've made him wait at Mobile Control," Scott said softly a while later.
"Then it would be you in there," Gordon replied.
"Should be me in there," Scott said.
"Bullshit!" Gordon exclaimed. "Don't you start blaming yourself for this. We know the risks when we go out on rescues."
"Dad said to be extra careful…" Scott began.
"And we were. This isn't about the Hood, this was about an unsteady debris pile," Gordon interrupted.
The nurse came in soon after with three bottles of water.
"I figured you could use something," she said, handing them out. "You up for some coffee?"
The three nodded. "I'll be back in a few minutes," she said before ducking out.
Scott just stared at the bottle, Gordon opened his and took a sip and Alan just put it next to him.
"I wonder what he said to John," Scott wondered aloud.
"What?" Gordon asked.
"Once, when John called, he said that Virgil was talking like he was going to die. I just wonder what he said," Scott explained.
"Probably that he loves us," Alan mused. "He's always been the sentimental one."
"Comes from being an artist," Gordon replied.
"He's been working on some musical thing for a few days now. It's been driving me crazy since he wouldn't tell me what it is," Scott said.
"Did you see his mural idea?" Gordon asked, and Scott nodded.
"I haven't," Alan answered. "Then again, I really haven't seen much of him since I've been back from school."
"It's cool," Gordon replied, briefly describing it.
"But he was always playing it down," Scott said.
The nurse returned then, handing out the coffees. "I also managed to check on your associate," she said.
"What's happening?" Scott asked, doing his best to keep all of the anxiety from his voice.
She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but it doesn't look good. I don't have details since they're still working on him, but it didn't look good in there. I wish I had better news."
"Does he have a chance?" Alan asked softly.
"Yes, he does," was all she answered. "If I find anything else out, I'll let you know right away."
After she left, Scott called his father and relayed the tidbit of information.
"He's a Tracy," his father said. "He's a fighter."
"Dad, do you know what he said to John?" Scott asked.
"Yes, John had patched me in," Jeff answered.
"And?"
"He loves us," Jeff answered after a deep breath. "He told John that he might find him in the stars. And that he wants us to listen to the song he was trying to recreate. And that they are a couple things he'd like Gordon to see."
"What?" Gordon asked.
"He said something about his sketchpad, and your birthday present," Jeff answered. "I tried getting him to stay awake by telling us a story as well. Scott, remember the baseball game where he got hit by a homerun?"
"Yeah, you said he was paying more attention to what he was drawing and didn't see it coming. After, we all got ice cream. But he didn't get anything…I forget why."
"All he wanted was chocolate chip, and they didn't have anymore. He didn't want anything else," Jeff supplied. "After dinner he'd gone up to his room. I really thought he felt bad because he was the only one who didn't get ice cream. Turns out I was wrong."
"Why?" Scott asked.
"It seems he somehow got a cookie stash from your grandmother. He was up there raiding it," Jeff sadly smiled.
"No wonder he took the no ice cream bit so well. He knew he had cookies and we didn't," Gordon pouted.
"Did he say anything else?" Scott asked.
"That was it. The last thing he said to us was 'I love you'."
They signed off so Jeff could relay Scott's information to John. And they sat, and they waited.
Back on Tracy Island, Jeff signed off from talking with John. He couldn't stand the silence any longer, he couldn't stand the waiting and the uncertainty. So he left the command area and went up the stairs. He went into Virgil's studio, found his son's music player and found the song Virgil had mentioned.
It took several listenings to finally understand why Virgil wanted to redo it. And then he looked at Gordon's present sketches again, and the tears that Jeff had been fighting made their way down his face.
At the hospital, Scott laid down on one of the beds, his hands clasped behind his head. He was remembering moments he'd shared with Virgil, ranging from their childhood up to the present time. Gordon was sitting on the other, doing the same as Scott. And Alan stood at the window, staring out over the parking lot. All he knew was that he didn't want to know what it was like to lose a family member since he didn't remember his mother's death.
"Scared," he muttered, leaning his forehead against the window.
"What?" Scott asked, looking over at Alan.
But Alan didn't move, he didn't even hear Scott. It wasn't until a felt a hand to his shoulder that Alan moved. Scott was next to him, and Scott was looking at him, concern in his eyes.
"I don't remember what it was like when mom died," Alan admitted, although it something everyone knew. "I don't want to know what it's like to lose someone you love. Someone who's a part of your family. I don't want to know what it's like to lose a brother!"
Scott pulled Alan against him, and Alan clung to the sides of Scott's uniform. Gordon watched with concern, unshed tears in his own eyes. He was thinking the same thing.
Once Alan had calmed down, Scott got him to sit on the bed next to him and drink some water. Alan had tried to mumble an apology, but Scott had quickly hushed him. The three brothers sat next to one another in silence until the nurse returned an hour later.
