Jeff knows he can't stay here forever. He doesn't even know where here is. Pain shoots up his leg when he tries to stand. Knowing that he needs water more than anything, he starts to stumble through the undergrowth of the jungle, blindly.
Twelve hours he keeps going for, there are blisters covering every inch if both his feet, and the heat from the humidity is causing sweat to pour down his face, dripping into his eyes and mouth. The short sleeved t-shirt he is wearing is sticking to his back, and he would love to peel it off and throw it on the ground but it is protecting the skin on his back from the relentless burning of the sun still beating down on his head.
Exhausted, and unable to physically move any further, Jeff collapses to his knees before lying his head down on his outstretched arm and is unconscious within minutes.
*TB*
"GORDON! Are you even getting up?" John calls from his doorway, finding the young red head curled up under a thin, fluffy blanket snoring loudly.
"I am up" he calls back, groaning just as loudly as he had been snoring.
John grins, sneaking up to the bed and pulling the blanket off him, breaking out into laughter when Gordon blindly reaches out to grab it back. "Johnnnnnnnnnny!" he whines, "What time is it?"
"Half five" John tells him.
"I slept all day?" Gordon replies, sitting up in shock.
"No! half five in the morning. Virgil has been up for hours and we won't let him open his birthday presents until everyone is there. Atlanta has made coffee, you need to keep her Gordon she is lot more domesticated than you are!"
"Okay fine, do I have to get dressed?" Gordon asks. His pyjama top has twisted around his upper body, and two of the buttons have come undone.
"No, none of us have bothered getting dressed, but this is the first birthday we have celebrated all together for years, and we promised Virgil a good time so get your lazy little butt out of bed" John tells him, but he is smiling to let Gordon know that the order is in jest.
Gordon, used to following orders, both from his father and at W.A.S.P does as he is told and follows John out of the room yawning and stretching his arms above his head.
Johns apartment is crowded with the six of them, Alan has given up his sofa bed for Virgil and Scott claiming that the old men can't sleep on the floor, which earns him a good natured smack round the back of his head by Scott, who happily takes him up on the offer though. Which is home to the coffee maker, which keeps Gordon happy.
It is small and cramped, but the boys are so pleased to be together again that they don't care.
Gordon joins his brothers and fiancé in the crowded living room sitting on the table which has been shoved up against one wall. Squeezing his way into a small gap between Scott and Alan having to cling on to his eldest brother to stop him from falling off.
None of the presents Virgil unwraps are expensive, no fast cars or private jets this year. Instead he unwraps small heartfelt presents. Paint sets and sketchbooks from John, a gift voucher from Scott for the music store they found on a trip to the city centre, the most hideous shirt Gordon could find with matching socks from Atlanta, and a book about the greatest modern engineering feats from Alan. Virgil is thrilled, these gifts were bought for him, by people who love him and want to celebrate his life with him.
Eyeing up the neon pink shirt covered in purple and orange spots from Gordon Virgil knows that he has done this to wind him up and hopes that he is not actually expecting him to wear this?! Looking into his younger brothers rapidly falling face, Virgil realises that he is fully expecting him to wear the shirt when they go out for lunch later. "I love it Gords" Virgil tells him smiling.
Gordons face goes from about to cry too lighting up the room again, as he pulls out a bag that the has kept hidden for days. "Oh good because I got everyone one! Put them on boys. We can be twins!"
Virgil laughs at the looks of horror on his brothers faces, but they pull the shirts on anyway. "Much better!" Gordon tells them appreciatively. "Here is your real present by the way bro" Gordon hands him a neatly wrapped gift.
Virgil chokes on the coffee he has just taken a gulp out of as he unwraps the box. "Gordon you can't be serious?" he asks incredulously at the golden disc in a custom-made display box.
Gordon nods happily. "Polishing it was a pain in the neck!" He tells him
"But this is your Olympic gold medal" Virgil tells him.
"I want you to have it, you saved my life Virg" Gordon reminds him. "And you know you're my favourite!"
"I promise you, I will cherish it forever" Virgil tells him, his eyes swimming with tears.
"Don't get all soppy on me!" Gordon warns.
"I love you guys" Virgil replies, standing up and holding his arms out for his brothers who all pile into them for a hug.
*TB*
The next time Jeff opens his eyes he is on the back of a flat bed truck. He tries to move, but there are thick heavy straps across his chest, arms and legs pinning him to the hot hard surface underneath his back. "W-w-water" he stutters weakly. The scenarios buzzing through his mind include that he has been kidnapped by pirates or cannibals. This is the end of his life, destined to die alone and afraid.
To his surprise one of his captors holds a straw to his lips. "Small sips please". The voice sounds veneered and gentle, and he finds himself trusting this strange man. Even though his eyes are bandaged to protect them from further harm. Surely if they were going to kill, cook and eat him they wouldn't have taken such care to keep him safe?
"W-who are y-y-you?" he asks, his voice parched despite the water.
"You can call me Kyrano" The stranger replies. "We saw your plane go down, it has taken us hours to find you. What is your name?"
Jeff thinks about it for a while. Can he trust this man? Deciding that he has no choice he answers him croakily "Jeff Tracy"
Kyrano is non-plussed and has clearly never heard of him. Which both surprises Jeff and insults him. Surely he is famous enough for the whole world to have heard of him?
They lapse into an uncomfortable silence as the truck bounces across the rough terrain, jarring his leg again with every bump. The pain is intensifying with every jolt, and he finds himself passing out from the combination of pain and exhaustion.
Waking up hours later it is dark now, but the air is still oppressively humid and dense. he appears to be in some sort of hospital. His ankle strapped up under a lightweight blanket. Looking around at his surroundings the building is primitive, and he is the only patient in the room as the other seven beds are all empty.
"Welcome back sir" A voice from somewhere on his right, this is a different voice. More light-hearted, and definitely female. "Can I get you anything?"
"Where am I?" Jeff asks.
"Back in the village" is the response.
Frustration is now growing, as no one will tell him where this village is, and he desperately wants to go home. "And where exactly is this village?"
"We are two hours away from Kuala Lumpur" is the reply.
Malaysia, Jeff thinks. "I wish to go to the airport so I can fly home" he tells her.
"I am afraid that won't be possible, you are suffered extensive heat exhaustion from being exposed to the sun out there for hours and you can not walk on that leg" he is told.
"Well how long will it be before I can get out of this mud hut?" Jeff asks in frustration.
"Well you will need to be monitored, and we are waiting for the doctor to come from the nearest village" she is struggling to remain polite to his grumpy, ungrateful and frankly rude individual. She had plans to go out to the local bar with one of the boys from her school this evening, and was asked by her father to shelve her plans to keep an eye on this man, he hasn't even asked her name or even uttered a single word of thank you.
"That is ridiculous, how can you possibly stay here in this backwards primitive country?" Jeff asks.
The girl is more insulted than ever, they may not have much money here in the village, her uncle having seen to the family fortune when he ran away after organising the murders of her grandparents, but they care for their people in a way that she suspects he has no idea how to do.
"Do you need anything Sir?" she asks, manners have been instilled on her since the moment she learned to talk.
"Yes" he snaps back angrily. "I want to get out of here you silly little girl"
She doesn't bother to reply. Hoping that he falls asleep soon.
*TB*
The meal turns into a party, and this day has been so perfect that Virgil never wants it to end. He finally has the only family he has ever wanted back, his brothers, and they are all healthy and happy. Virgil does not miss his father and has barely given him a moment's thought since his mom's funeral. He doesn't even mind the weird looks they get with their matching outfits as he stands to the side of the dance floor watching Gordon with Atlanta. The song playing has a fast beat, but they are twirling slowly, her head rested on his shoulder and they are both completely oblivious to the world around them.
Scott rounds them up just before midnight and they all go back to the apartment, Scott has made sure none of them are drunk and has even managed to not have a drink all evening himself finding that he would rather remember this one perfect day and not let the alcohol destroy the first happy memory he has had in a long time.
They all sleep late the following morning, ignoring the phone ringing of their phones for extra sleep, until Scott can ignore it no more, "Hello?" he asks sleepily.
"Scott?" a female voice greets him. "It is Mrs Webber"
Scott groans, his fathers lackey. He loves Mrs Webber, she used to look after him and his brothers when they were children, but he wants nothing to do with his father.
"Hi Mrs Webber, how can I help" He asks politely.
"Finally. I have been trying to contact you for hours." She tells him.
Scott picks up on how frantic her voice sounds. "Sorry Mrs Webber, I have been asleep I had a long day yesterday. What's wrong?"
"Your father didn't show up for work this morning, he took some vacation days and was due back this morning. He has never not shown up for work before. We can't contact him" Mrs Webber informs him.
Scott is sorely tempted to tell her that he does not care, that this man stopped being his responsibility a long time ago, but Mrs Webber has always been so good to him and his brothers. "I will see what I can find out" Scott promises her, hanging up the phone.
Virgil is stirring on the sofa next to him. "Who was that?" he asks.
"Mrs Webber, apparently dad hasn't shown up for work and she can't contact him" Scott tells him.
"Is that all? Wake me up when breakfast is ready!" Virgil replies.
Scott slips off the sofa and into Johns room, to check for their opinions. Waking John first. "Is the house on fire?" John asks, opening one eye and glancing at his eldest brother.
"No, Mrs Webber called to advise that dad is missing" Scott tells him.
"But the house isn't on fire?" John confirms.
"No" Scott reiterates.
"Oh good, wake me up in a few hours then" John replies turning over onto his other side and starting to snore.
Scott approaches Alan, who he knows is grumpy as hell when he has not had enough sleep and just grunts at him when he tries to tell him.
Scott knocks on Gordons door, not wanting to walk in on something he would rather not see. But it is Atlanta who calls him in, and he finds them both sitting up on their bed sipping coffee. "Sup Scott"? Gordon asks.
"Mrs Webber called, dad hasn't shown up for work and she can't contact him" Scott tells him.
"And what does she want me to do about it?" Gordon asks indifferently.
"Look for him, I said we would have a look later, when we are all awake." Scott replies. "John, Alan and Virgil all know and have gone back to bed, and I am going too. I promised her I would let you know and that we would try to contact him. Never told her when"
Gordon grins back at him, "So we are united here, we don't care?"
Scott nods. "No we don't I have done my job and I will see you in a few hours"
"Good night Scott" Gordon replies with a smile.
The boys don't make it to Kansas to look for their father for two days, as they were too tired the day after Virgils birthday and the day after Alan and John wanted to show them the plans for Johns trip to the space station at the beginning of next year.
The farmhouse when they arrive has an air of abandonment. The rooms are dark and have a musty unused smell, apart from their father's office and bedroom. These are the only two rooms that look like they have been used.
Scott starts by taking the post into his father's office and starting to open and read it. Sorting the letters into categories of importance. Making a few half-hearted calls to make enquiries into his fathers' whereabouts. But no one has heard from him.
Scott starts to rummage through draws for clues, taking out the brush their father would use to beat them with and throwing it in the bin in disgust, wishing it was cold enough to start a fire so he could burn his fathers torture instruments.
His fingers pause on a letter that has been hidden in the draw underneath where he found the brush. Lifting it up Scott reads its contents with interest. His eyes filling with tears as his brain drinks in the words on the page. Heart broken he is tempted to rip the letter to shreds but he doesn't. putting it back in the draw Scott slams it shut in disgust. All thoughts of finding his father gone with the revelations in the letter.
He joins his brothers, who are dusting off their rooms, if they are going to stay for a few days they may as well live in comfort. Scott finds tackling the cleaning of his room therapeutic as he aggressively removes surface dust and shoves the nozzle of the hoover into the corners of the room to get rid of the cobwebs. One he is happy with the room he collapses on the bed and starts to cry.
*TB*
Jeff has now been in the village for three days, the young lady he has learned is named Tintin and she is the daughter of the man who rescued him. The village is made up of a number of small buildings, homes and shops and a small school which Tintin attends during the mornings, before spending the afternoons helping her father with chores in the village. She is an intelligent young woman, but the family don't have the money or the resources to send her onto higher education. Jeff knows that it is a shame, but it is not his responsibility to save the world.
"Mr Tracy?" Kyrano approaches him, three days and he is already aware that this man is volatile and cruel and he can't wait until he is well enough to be taken to the nearest airport and exiled from the country. He has done a lot of complaining, about his accommodation, about the humidity, about the noise, about the food, and especially about the bugs. Jeff told him his worries that they were cannibals and he was destined to be his meal, Kyrano is beginning to wish that were true as he would at least then be rid of him!
"What?" He growls. Jeff is bored, and he is in pain. Happy to take it out on anyone who will listen.
"I was wandering if you would like to join us for some dinner, we have a campfire. It is a tradition at this time of year that my great grand parents started a hundred years who" Kyrano asks him.
Jeff shrugs, it is not like he has anything better to do he thinks. "Sure" he replies.
It is a shock to both men, as neither can believe he has said yes, but Jeff gets up and follows Kyrano to the clearing where there is a roaring fire burning in the middle. Adults happily gossiping and eating while they watch their children playing. It is a happy relaxing evening, and Jeff finds himself enjoying the friendly atmosphere.
The days drag into a full week, and Jeff starts to make friends with some of the villagers. Realising that they are hardworking, and loyal. One week becomes two, and he finds excuses to not leave. There was the irrigation project, the fence that needed to be mended, the harvesting that needed to be done. Every time it was mentioned that he was healthy enough to leave, he stayed. Before even he realised it, this was home now.
*TB*
Scott has no idea if he should tell his brothers the awful secret he found in the draw. Keeping quiet while they all enjoyed the last days of their leave, before they got back to their lives. Alan having to be in Belgium for the resumption of his formula one championship challenge, Gordon and Atlanta back to California to oversee the hydrofoil testing, Virgil back to his own apartment to continue the designs on the shopping mall, John back to Nasa and Scott back to his own air base.
The guilt of not telling them Jeffs most terrible secret is hurting Scott, and he finds himself unable to sleep at night, tossing and turning struggling to cope with the burden of what he has found out.