DISCLAIMER: JUST BORROWNG THEM, AND WILLING TO SHARE.

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NOTES:

* Another slightly early update - May be a slight delay on the next chapter as I'm going to see family this weekend, and not sure if I'll be taking my laptop with me.

* Hope you enjoy and reviews are welcome. :)

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Chapter 43: Emotions.

Both Scott and Gordon had spent the last 45 minutes in silence, watching over Virgil with deep concern as he lay with his eyes shut, clinging tightly onto his sick bowl. The intensity of his migraines had grown, the vomiting had become more frequent, and due to the lack of sleep he was getting, the normally peace keeping artist had become extremely moody,

"Scotty," Virgil mumbled, after he had finished vomiting once more.

"Yes bro, can I get you something?" Scott asked.

"Please don't let Alan or Gordon see me like this."

"Err, sorry Virg. Gordon's already here," Scott pointed out, signalling to where he was sitting.

"Hey," Gordon smiled, when Virgil looked at him groggily, "as for Alan, I don't think you'll be able to drag him away."

"No control anymore!" Virgil stated before crumpling himself over the bowl and vomiting again.

Gordon and Scott exhaled at the state their brother was in, both desperate to help or soothe him in some way.

When Virgil had finished the nurse quickly swapped the bowl. "Try and drink some more water." She said, pouring some into a cup.

"Virg, please... Let me help you, you're going to drop it," Scott cautioned, noticing Virgil's hand shaking.

"No!" Virgil snapped, taking a hold of the cup and sipping some.

"Try and drink some more," the nurse ordered, when Virgil had placed the cup back down.

Virgil huffed to himself and muttered under his breath before taking hold of the cup.

"Come on Virgil, let us help you," Gordon begged, when he saw Virgil's hand was shaking even more than before.

"No!" Virgil snapped again. Gordon and Scott glanced at each other knowing the inevitable was going to happen. Sure enough, Virgil's hand began shaking and the water went all over him. "God damn it!" Virgil exploded. Throwing the plastic cup across the room. "Can't do anything!"

The nurse half-smiled at Gordon and Scott, who both looked shocked and saddened by Virgil's outburst. "Don't worry, It's just the drugs. As soon as they are out of his system he'll be back to his normal self… It may be best if we had just one person at a time while his migraines and sickness are this bad," she suggested, "it may also help him emotionally as well… If you can give us about 10 minutes, I'll get this cleaned up."

"Okay," Scott and Gordon agreed, both trudging out the room and outside to the hospital gardens where their grandma, John and Alan were enjoying some fresh air.

"Is everything okay with Virgil?" John asked with concern, when he saw Gordon and Scott.

Scott and Gordon despondently relayed what had happened. Detailed their concern over Virgil's emotional state becoming worse, and the advice the nurse had given.

"The nurse is probably right," Alan stated, "it's just the drugs, he'll be okay in a few days."

"I don't think so," Gordon replied, "he seemed so angry and frustrated."

Scott nodded. "I think the drugs are displaying the pent-up frustrations he's been trying to hide since we found him."

"Mm…" Ruth pondered. "Alan, John, I know you were both due to go in, but because it's now one at a time, I think it may be best if I go next… I believe this may need a grandma's touch!" Ruth smiled at Gordon and Scott. "How long did the nurse say she would be?"

"About 10 minutes," Gordon answered.

"Right, then I'll make my way up now," she smiled, "will you boys be okay, while I'm gone?"

"Yes grandma," Scott grinned, "I don't know about the others, but I need a coffee."

"Count me in," John, Alan and Gordon echoed.

"You boys and your coffee," Ruth laughed, "I'll see you all in the canteen when I come out!"

… …

Auckland Prison:

Jeff and Penelope glanced at each other and smirked as the Hood's eyes now changed from a piercing yellow to an intense gold. "I really think you need your eyes tested," Jeff mocked.

"Why is it not working?" The Hood shrieked.

"Oh, dear, what's wrong?" Penny questioned with fake concern.

"I think it's his powers," Jeff answered, "for some reason, they don't seem to be working."

"What have you done?" The Hood demanded.

Penny pulled out a small box from an inner pocket, opened it, and then placed it on the table in front of the Hood, displaying a pair of contacts which were inside. "The reason your powers are not working is because myself and Jeff are both wearing contacts which are just like these prototypes. You see they were invented by a colleague of ours, they work by protecting the retina from receiving the hypnotic suggestions you are sending out."

The Hood growled and brought his chained hands down onto the contacts smashing them into bits.

"Oh, how clumsy of you!" Jeff taunted. "Now, don't worry… Our colleague was quite confident that these would work. In fact, he was so confident that he's already made several of them in advance, and thankfully they've already been given to anyone who has the displeasure of dealing with you. Of course, now we know they do work, he will be making plenty more of them… Which means, that you're not going anywhere!"

… …

Ruth had quietly entered the ICU room, and taken a seat next to Virgil's bed. Softly stroking his head while he dosed. After five minutes, with his eyes remaining shut, Virgil clutched onto the sick bowl which had been resting next to him and vomited. The nurse swapped the bowl over and handed him some more tissues, while Ruth poured some water into a cup. "Right, are you going to let me help you?" She questioned, holding the cup firmly. "Or are you going to throw another cup across the room?"

Virgil blearily opened his eyes and looked at his grandma. "Sorry," he stuttered, excepting the help from her.

"You know, it's perfectly okay to get angry, scared, and emotional after what's happened to you," she said, placing the cup down when he had finished. Ruth turned back to face Virgil and noticed the tears that were beginning to well up in his eyes. "Oh, sweetheart," Ruth exclaimed, gently holding Virgil in her arms as best she could with all the wires that were attached. "It's okay, everything is going to be okay."

"I want to feel like me again," Virgil wept.

"You will. Maybe not the old you, but a new you will emerge from all of this, one who is stronger than before… It may take some time, but you know that we are all here to help you along the way," Ruth soothed, continuing to hold onto Virgil as he openly sobbed into her shoulders.

After Virgil had fallen asleep in her arms, Ruth placed him gently back on his bed, and returned to her four other grandsons who were in the canteen, having been joined by Doctor Gerry Sylvia. She happily greeted the doctor and then began filling them all in on what had happened.

"Is there anything we can do for him?" Alan questioned.

"He's emotionally exhausted… He's frustrated, angry, and scared, not that he'll admit that last part," Ruth observed, "the best thing you can do, is to make sure he receives the much-needed support he will require when he returns home!"

"Of course!" All the boys replied.

"Good! Just maybe try to hold back on the smothering, okay?" Ruth said, staring straight at Scott.

"What?" Scott commented. "I think you've got the wrong grandson, I never smother!"

"Ah!" Gordon, Alan and John retorted.

"Okay, okay," Scott grinned, "I'll try… No promises though!" Everyone laughed, except John who was staring across the room. "Hey, what's up?" Scott asked.

"What are they doing here?" John growled, pointing across the room at Maria Andrews and Emily Sanderson, who had not long entered the canteen, and were both trying desperately to not catch their eyes.

"They're here for a meeting to discuss everything that's happened," Doctor Sylvia answered.

"And what will happen?" Gordon asked.

"Unfortunately, it's up to them," Gerry responded, "no charges have been made, and unless new evidence surfaces, or Virgil remembers something, neither of them will be taken back in for questioning. So, as far as the hospital directors are concerned they are innocent and welcome to return to work."

"Well, one of them is guilty and she certainly doesn't belong here!" Scott stated, rising from the chair.

Ruth immediately pulled her grandson back down. "Scott, one of those two women is completely innocent in all of this, and she doesn't deserve a tirade."

"No, but the other one certainly does!" Scott muttered.

… …

Auckland Prison:

After a long period of silence. the Hood leaned in closer to Penelope and Jeff. "I know all of your secrets Jeff… Everything about you, from your family life to International Rescue. If you don't let me go, then I will make sure the whole world knows exactly who runs International Rescue!"

Jeff smirked. "Do you really think I would let you go, just so you could leave here and hurt my son again? No! Your threats are not going to work on me… I would gladly sacrifice the secrecy of International Rescue for any of my boys… So, you can tell whoever you want… However, let's face it, no one would believe you, and even if they did… Well, I would make sure they didn't find a single piece of evidence… So, if you want to tell people then go right ahead, tell everyone who we are. Shout it from behind your prison walls… Because Balah Gaat, you won't be leaving them for a very long time!"

"God damn you Jeff Tracy!" The Hood shrieked, throwing himself into a fit of rage.

Four prison officers rushed in the room and constrained the Hood, while he continued to yell obscenities at both Jeff and Penny. They were about to pull him out of the room and escort him back to his cell, stopping when the Hood screamed. "If I'm going to prison then that damn woman is coming with me!"

… …

Scott continued to stare at the two women, as they both sat separately on the opposite side of the canteen. Eventually his continuous glare was broken when his grandmothers phone began to ring. "It's your father," Ruth observed, when she looked at the caller ID, "hi son."

"Hi mom, how's Virgil?" Jeff immediately asked.

"Not great I'm afraid, his sickness and migraines have gotten worse, and he's been very emotional as well."

"Oh," Jeff sighed, "well, I'll be back as soon as I can."

So, what happened with this invention?" Ruth questioned.

"They work!" Jeff happily reported.

"That's great news Jeff," Ruth beamed, passing on the news to the others.

"And did the Hood reveal anything useful?" Ruth queried.

"Can the boys here me?" Jeff asked.

They're sitting next to me, with Gerry Sylvia," Ruth replied, "I could put you on speaker if you want me too? But we are in the canteen, and those two women have just shown up!"

"What," Jeff gasped, "they're in there right now?"

"Unfortunately, they are." Ruth confirmed.

Jeff exhaled. "Please put me on speaker, but keep the volume low." As soon as Ruth had done what Jeff had asked, he continued to speak. "The police have just called the hospital to find out where they both were, and are probably on their way now."

"Why?" Alan asked.

"The Hood named one them," Jeff reported.

"What… Who?" Scott questioned.

Jeff released a heavy breath. "With them both in the room with you, I don't think I should say, and to be honest, none of us are sure if Hood was even telling the truth… At first when he went to name her, he was angry and wanted her to suffer as much as him… But he then grew quiet, and when we pushed him for the name he seemed to take pleasure from seeing everyone wanting to know, especially me. Even though he hates her, he detests me more, and I'm sure he would love knowing that we have the wrong one. That way she would still be a threat to Virgil."

"Dad… Please, she's here right now. Which one did he name?" Scott demanded.

"Scott, I'm not saying. The police will be coming to take her in for more questioning."

"Well, it looks like we're about to find out anyway. Security are here now." Scott jumped to his feet and stared at the security who were now talking to one of the women. "You," he growled, storming over to Emily Sanderson, when it became apparent from her shocked reaction that she had been blamed.

"I haven't done anything!" She stressed, looking from security to all the Tracy boys who were now standing next to Scott.

"Then prove it!" Scott countered.

"I will! I'm going to the police station now, and I will clear my name," She promised him.

Scott seethed to himself as he watched her leaving the canteen with the security. "I hope she doesn't get away with this!"

"Scott, dad said the Hood may have been lying," John reminded him, "they may have the wrong woman!"

Scott exhaled and stared at Maria Andrews, who was looking utterly shocked by what had taken place. Glancing up from where she was sitting, she caught the stares of all of them. Looking quickly away, with her head down, she stood and left the canteen, making sure not to catch any more of their glares.