Day Thirteen: It Never Gets Any Easier

Drileyf asks for Kayo. Have some Jeff as well.

Trope: Medical professionals and others who work with human life and death day in and day out always seem notably emotional, sometimes to the point of breakdown.

Often, in reality, although people might have some problems the first few times, they quickly grow used to what is, after all, part of their profession.

Even if the characters are normally professional (such as in police procedurals, where someone dies horribly in every episode), you can expect to see tears and barely controlled rage if children are involved.

The trope is named for the phrase that will be uttered to the Naïve Newcomer who is experiencing this kind of sorrow for the first time. It can be Truth in Television, as even the most jaded of these people probably have a story of a time when they'd been at the job for a while and something about a scene they were called to hit them incredibly hard. Nine times out of ten, it involves children or infants.


Characters: Kayo, Jeff

Warnings: Mentions of failed rescue, Mentions of death.


Jeff had sat Kayo and Scott down before they had begun operating, Kyrano standing behind him supporting him as always. Looking back Kayo often thought of this meeting as the fathers handing down to their children the advice they would need to achieve the collective dream called International Rescue.

The four had had a frank discussion about how rescues would work. The risks to all. How Kayo, as the on-site security specialist, would not only help them on rescues but be there to make sure they were safe from any threats. Jeff and Kyrano had been training Scott and Kayo for all sorts of security issues on top of International Rescue business.

IR went live.

As time passed demand for IR services increased. With that increase came some very close calls.

But then came their first failure.

They tried. God, how they had all tried. But the information John had been given was old and useless and John had tried but even he couldn't magic information.

Sixteen saved. Three dead.

Scott and Gordon had experienced loss, not that it didn't hurt them, but Virgil, Alan and Kayo had not. So Jeff and his two military boys comforted the three untrained members of their family.

Jeff took Kayo as Kyrano was away from the Island, Scott took Alan and Gordon Virgil, each pair secluding themselves away somewhere private.

Kayo sat in her father's garden. It was a sanctuary of peace to the chaos that was Tracy Island, and that was just the villa. Her Ayah spent every spare second out here cultivating all manner of flowers, using gardening to teach her to control her fire. She was getting better, certainly in fighting, and with him off the island she turned to the next best place.

Jeff found her curled up on the small marble bench under the arch of hibiscus. She wasn't crying, just staring ahead, so he sat down beside her and waited.

She didn't want to close her eyes. When she did Kayo was sure she'd see the young teen who'd fallen from her grasp, their fingertips just brushing. And although she wanted to cry, to scream, somehow the tears wouldn't come. Her stomach hurt from it all.

Kayo wasn't sure how long Jeff had been sitting beside her, but she shivered despite the warmth and found herself suddenly covered by a jacket that smelt of sandalwood and just a hint of lavender. She clutched the lapels and drew them in tight as Jeff's hand rested gently on her shoulder. In response Kayo shifted so that her head rested on his thigh. He moved his hand onto her head.

'I failed, Pakcik.'

'No, sweetheart. No, you didn't.'

'I did. I did. I couldn't save her.'

'Remember what we told you and Scott, that first meeting?'

'You can't save them all.'

'You can't. You can't save everyone.'

'Why?'

The 'why' was wailed and at last the tears fell. Jeff pulled her up onto his lap and cradled her as he had done when she was eight and he had just found her and her father, fleeing from the death of her mother and the tyranny of her uncle.

Jeff didn't need to answer her, he knew she wasn't asking for that. He just held her as she struggled to get herself under control.

'You have never failed, Tan. Not failed me, not your brothers and certainly not International Rescue. We are but six people fighting to save the world. There is no way to save everybody every time.'

'I understand, Pakcik.'

'But you also need to understand that it never gets any easier. Scott and Gordon, they've lived this before, losing comrades, and although they're helping your brothers, they will be feeling it just the same.'

'So I'll always feel like this?'

'I'd be worried if you didn't feel bad after a rescue where people die. It may never get easier, but you'll develop coping mechanisms and abilities to compartmentalise.'

'Like Scott and Gordon?'

'Yes. Scott uses the gym, Gordon his sense of humour. You'll find yours, as will Virgil and Alan.'

'Jeff?'

'Yes, Tan?'

'Thank you.'

She hugged the man who was like a second father to her and Jeff returned the hold. He'd always known the first time would be hard on them, but they were resilient and they truly believed that what they did would make a difference.

They saved lives, and they would endure the rough times so that they could continue to save as many as they could.