DISCLAIMMER: THEY STILL BELONG TO OTHERS.
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NOTES:
* Thank you for all the comments on the last chapter. Really appreciate it, and hope you enjoy Chapter 41.
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Chapter 41: Woken.
After sitting for several minutes in silence, Scott decided to speak. "Okay, let's look at the facts… We have Doctor Emily Sanderson, she's had a very bad childhood, but ended up coming out of it a lot stronger. The only motive we can find so far, is that her father was reported by dad to the police… Then we have Nurse Maria Andrews, she lost both parents at Crest Valley, plus her two youngest brothers were horrifically injured. So, her motive is possible revenge against International Rescue, and possible monetary gain."
"So, you think it's Maria then?" Alan questioned.
"I'm really not sure," Scott frowned, "as I've said before, she's stepped up and took on the parenting role to her three younger brothers. If I was her, then I'd just be grateful that you were alive, and I still feel like there's more that we don't know about Emily."
"I agree Scott," Jeff sighed, "John, can you do further checks into the backgrounds of Emily's brother and aunt?"
"Of course!" John confirmed.
"Maybe look at Maria's other brother as well?" Gordon suggested.
Jeff smiled. "That's a good idea Gordon… Penny, can you call your Police Commissioner friend, and see if he knows what's going on with those two women?"
"No problem Jeff, I'll get on it straight away."
"Good, then I suggest that once you've all seen Virgil, and we know what's happening at the station, then you should all return to the hotel and see if you can help John," Jeff stated, "we'll meet back in the canteen tomorrow morning, and go through everything we have found"
"FAB!" They all chimed.
… …
After each of the boys had spent a short amount of time with Virgil, Penny had informed them that the commissioner had revealed that, because of an 'anonymous tip-off,' the Hood's former hideout had been found. Due to this development, the police had decided to hold both women overnight for further questioning. However, they had all been warned that unless further evidence presented itself, or if upon waking Virgil remembered one of them being there, they would both be released the following day. Upon hearing this their grandmother, alongside both Parker and Penny had returned with the rest of the boys to their hotel, while Jeff had remained at Virgil's side. All of them determined to help John with the additional background checks on the two women. Hoping that it would yield something that would point them to the correct offender.
… …
The next morning: 7am.
Nurse Carrie Greggs, who was on duty for the day shift, gently shook Jeff's shoulders to waken him. "Good morning," she greeted, when Jeff finally opened his eyes.
"Hello," Jeff yawned.
"I'm sorry to disturb you," she smiled, "I'm just about to take Virgil of the sedatives."
"What… You are?" Jeff responded in surprise.
"Yes," the nurse replied, "his readouts have been good during the night. So, we'd like to give this a try now."
Jeff pulled himself up into a more comfortable position. "How will this work?"
"We will start by switching his infusion off," Carrie explained, "because Virgil was on Propofol, he should start waking up soon. We will then check his breathing and see how he's doing. If he's still needing support, then we will keep him on a lower dowse of sedation so that he can interact with you. If he can breathe on his own, then we will have to ask you to stay in the waiting room while we remove the tube. Once that's done we will provide him with some oxygen until he's feeling a bit stronger."
"I just hope he's more with it today," Jeff grimaced.
Carrie smiled sympathetically. "Just be prepared. Even if he his sensible, the tubes will make him cough!"
"Okay," Jeff replied, gently holding Virgil's hand in his.
After a short time, Carrie began to speak. "Okay, Virgil is starting to wake. Mr Tracy, we're going to ask Virgil to squeeze your hand. Please let me know if he does.
Jeff nodded. "Come on Virg, you can do it!" He quietly willed.
"Virgil, can you hear me?" Carrie asked. "If you can, then I want you to squeeze your dad's hand," Carrie glanced at Jeff, but he shook his head to confirm that there was no reaction. "Come on Virgil, I know you can hear my voice. Please squeeze your father's hand for me."
"He did it!" Jeff grinned, when he received a response. However, his heart immediately sunk when Virgil's head began shaking from side to side, like it had done the day before.
Carrie immediately took Virgil's other hand in hers and held it, so he couldn't pull at the tubes. "Talk to him. Let him know you're here." She said.
Jeff nodded and leaned closer to Virgil. "Everything is going to be okay Virg."
"Keep going," Carrie said, when Virgil didn't respond.
"Please son, open your eyes for me," Jeff pleaded.
Virgil's eyes, unfocused, slightly cracked open, as he began coughing against the tube.
"Virgil, look at me… You're in intensive care. There's a tube in your mouth helping you to breathe. Do you want us to take it out?" Virgil nodded his head, turning red from the amount he was coughing. Nurse Greggs pressed a few buttons on the monitors. "Virgil, I want you to try and take a deep breath for me?" Virgil responded to her command. "Well done, that's it!"
A doctor, followed by another nurse entered the room and observed the ventilator readouts. "Okay, he's breathing on his own," the doctor confirmed, "we can go ahead and remove the tube."
The new nurse started gathering up equipment, while Carrie addressed Jeff. "As I explained, you will have to leave the room while we extubate. I promise it won't take long, and as soon as we are done then you'll be able to return."
Jeff nodded. "I'll see you in a bit," he whispered in Virgil's ear, before leaving the room.
Virgil, stared at the door watching his dad leave, his focus being brought back by the nurse's voice who had been in the room with his father.
"Virgil, we're going to take the tube out now, okay? Come on Virgil, look at me." Carrie soothed, as the panic and desperation grew more evident on his face. "Everything is going to be okay!" Virgil locked his eyes onto the nurses, as she continued to reassure him that he was indeed safe and secure. "That's it." She continued, while the doctor and the other nurse worked together to pull the tube. "You're doing really well. It will all be over soon." Carrie smiled at him when they had finished pulling the tube. "There we go, all done now!"
The other nurse placed an oxygen mask over Virgil's mouth and then adjusted the bed, so he was now in a slightly raised position. While the doctor observed his monitor readouts. After a few more checks they both smiled at Virgil. "Can you say Hello for me?" The doctor asked.
"Hello," Virgil croaked.
"Well done!" He replied. "Your throat will be sore, you can have some ice chips in a bit, okay?"
"Okay," Virgil slightly coughed, "where's my dad?"
"Your father is in the waiting room," the other nurse replied, "we just need to do a few more checks and we'll bring him back in. Just try and get some rest for now."
Virgil nodded and closed his eyes.
… …
Even though Jeff knew the nurses were all doing the best job possible for his son, he had still apprehensively left the room, wanting to remain at Virgil's side through the extubating process. However, as he had no choice but to leave, to relieve his tension Jeff had gone into the corridor outside of the ICU, and called the hotel. Scott had been the one to answer. His relief at Virgil being awake obvious. He quickly passed on the information to the rest of the family who were in the room with him, and declared that they would all be there as soon as possible. After finishing the call, Jeff anxiously returned to the waiting room, hoping that someone would return for him soon, and he would once more be able to be with his boy. After another five minutes, which had felt like hours, Carrie opened the door and signalled for Jeff to follow her.
"How is he?" Jeff asked as they made their way back towards Virgil's private room.
Carrie smiled. "Good! The tubes out, he's breathing well, and he's able to talk."
"If there are any side-effects, when will they show," Jeff questioned.
"Any side-effects should be apparent already. However, because of the sedation he isn't aware of them yet. As soon as the sedation is out of his system they will hit him. Given the size of the overdose, that's most likely going to be sooner rather than later!"
Jeff exhaled after taking all this information in. Once Carrie was satisfied that Jeff was ready, she opened the door and allowed him to enter the room. "Hey Virg," he said softly, gently squeezing his hand.
Virgil opened his eyes and smiled weakly at his father. "Hey," he mouthed, squeezing his dads hand back.
Jeff stroked his hand through Virgil's hair. "You gave us all quite a scare!"
"What happened?" Virgil croaked.
"Do you not remember?" Jeff asked.
"Alan gave me my chain," Virgil muttered.
"And that's the last thing you recall?" Jeff questioned.
Virgil furrowed his brow in concentration. "Yes… Sorry."
"Not your fault son... Not your fault at all!" Jeff responded, before looking towards the nurse with understandable concern. "Is that normal?"
"It has been known to happen with Rynax," Carrie replied, "It sometimes stops the brain laying down a new memory."
"Any chance they won't come back?" Jeff questioned.
"Occasionally," she answered, "give him a bit longer, and once the sedation as worn off, see if anything comes through then."
Jeff sighed, hoping that now Virgil didn't remember which woman it was, his brothers had uncovered something in their search.
"Dad," Virgil muttered, "what did happen?"
Jeff looked towards Virgil who was looking perplexed. "You had a really bad reaction to some drugs you were given… I promise I will explain more later, for now I want you to try and get some rest for me."
Virgil frowned not wanting to rest, but finding his eyes were naturally shutting as he drifted off to sleep.
… …
A few hours later:
Over 24 hours she had been held for questioning. Over 24 hours, in which, somehow, she had managed to keep her cool, and answer all the questions that had been fired at her. It had been extremely difficult to maintain the façade. Especially when the police had revealed that they had discovered the Hood's hideout, and had somehow managed to get the computers working. 'No doubt because of the Tracy's,' she inwardly scowled. Knowing, because of information divulged to her by the Hood that they were also International Rescue. Thankfully though, the recorded imagery hadn't been retrieved, thanks to the help she had received. Plus, when no other evidence had presented itself, and luckily Virgil had woken and not remembered anything, the police had eventually believed that she was an innocent victim, who had been dragged into all this business by the Hood's insidious lies.
Now as she stood outside of the police station, she beamed an inner smile. It felt amazing knowing that despite the bad luck she had been having she had so far gotten away with everything! All she needed to do now was to make sure that it stayed that way. Plus, she still wanted and needed revenge against Virgil, and his family. She breathed in the fresh air that freedom brought her. Firstly, she needed to go home, shower, and make sure the damn bite that Virgil had inflicted on her hand was healing. Secondly, later that afternoon she would make her way to the hospital for a meeting she and her colleague, who had also been accused, had been asked to attend. Thirdly, she would need to gain access to Virgil Tracy, just in case his memories did come flooding back to him, and silence him once and for all!
Then finally, she would need to make sure that she did continue to look like an innocent victim, not only to the police, but also to her work colleagues. Pondering her thoughts on how to do this, she smiled to herself, maybe the way forward was to make sure the blame was firmly placed onto the other woman. She knew that she could arrange that, she just needed to make sure that the wheels were firmly in motion!
