The Tracy Boys and International Rescue are the wonderful creation of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson
Chapter 10
As the days grew nearer to take Scott off the ventilator so the tension in the villa grew. It was another one of those anxious times of waiting; wondering would he be able to breathe on his own. Jenna had tried to prepare the family; telling them not to be too disappointed if he didn't at first succeed. "After all," she told them, "a machine has been breathing for Scott these past few days and he may, well, just be lazy," but she promised she would do everything she could to encourage him. She had also tried to make sure that they stayed positive, especially when they came to visit and not to put any of their anxieties onto him.
The day after Mike had gone back to the hospital, Jenna had to ask Tin-Tin and John to take Alan out for a while after he had broken down. It had all gotten too much for him. Alan had said he would sit with Scott a while, allowing Jenna to go up to the kitchen to get fresh water for the coffee maker. She took the portable monitor with her and while in the kitchen she became alerted to his rapidly rising heartbeat and pulse rate. Without waiting to get the water Jenna hurried back down to the infirmary to find Alan crying over his eldest brother, begging him to wake up, telling him how much they all needed him.
She had started to reduce the sedation to begin the waking up process, although it was still enough to keep him comfortable, but such was Alan's distress that Scott was becoming agitated and fighting it, in order to wake up to comfort his youngest brother, driven by his fierce instinct of responsibility. It took her a while to calm Scott down, as she hadn't wanted to heavily sedate him; instead, with the head of the bed raised, she sat close to him and talked softly as she gently massaged his temples in an effort to soothe him.
After Scott had come through the critical 2-day period without any major incident, Mike had gone back to the hospital to reschedule the rest of his appointments. Mike was at that stage of his career when he could pick and choose what time he had off and since he hadn't taken any leave in over a year he felt entitled to take this time to help his good friend.
Virgil had flown him back, promising to bring back the things that Jenna needed from her house. Tin-Tin however, had gone with him to pack for her saying that you couldn't trust a man to pack everything a woman would need. Virgil was glad as he became embarrassed when Jenna handed him a list of the things she wanted.
Jenna had set a good routine for Scott. His father was always first in to see him before breakfast. Then mid morning was spent bathing him with warm water followed by a relaxing massaging using aromatherapy oils. After lunch she would read to him. In the evenings his brothers, father and Grandma would come and see him, although there was no hard and fixed rule in this very relaxed atmosphere, except when it came to his morning bathe; that was strictly private.
Jenna, too, had been feeling the tension mounting and she couldn't help feeling things were about to change. Not that she was worried something might go wrong but, because, instead of dealing with a sleeping patient she would have to deal with a wakened Scott Tracy.
It was the morning of the big day and Mike was due to fly in that afternoon. Jenna tried to keep everything as relaxed and normal as possible, following her usual routine. She checked his monitors then changed his dressings. "These are healing up nicely," she said softly as she replaced them. She talked to him, telling him what was going to happen and not to worry. "We'll have to get you looking your best today," she added as she prepared to bathe him. Once that was done she said she would wash his hair. "I'm afraid it'll have to be a dry wash until we can get you into the shower," she continued. This was a great new product that nurses found useful to use on immobile patients. It was a spray mousse that could be massaged into your hair then simply brushed out, giving the appearance and feel of freshly washed hair. She gently massaged it into his thick, dark hair taking care to avoid his wound and then combed it out.
Sitting on the bed she sat back and studied him. "Hmm, designer stubble may suit you Mr Tracy," she said stroking his face, "but I think we'll give you a shave just the same." Hitting the comlink on the panel above his bed she called for Virgil.
"Yeah, what can I do for you?" he replied.
"Virgil, can you get me some shaving things, you know, the old-fashioned kind; razor, gel?" Jenna inquired. "We're going to have a freshen up for Scott's big day."
"You don't look like you need to shave, Jen," Virgil quickly retorted laughing.
"It's not for me, silly, it's for Scott. I'm going to give him a shave," she answered, smiling and shaking her head with mock exasperation.
"He's got the latest, up-to-date shaver, you know. I brought it down to you," he replied, slightly puzzled.
"I know," she said. "But it's not the same. My dad used to say 'for a good, smooth finish you need a proper shave'."
"All right, if you say so," he replied, still laughing. "I think Dad still uses those sometimes. I'll go and get them for you."
Virgil brought her the things she asked for. Walking over to his brother's bed he laughingly joked, "Hey Scott, don't let Gordy catch you using those or he really will be piling on all the 'old man' jokes."
"Don't listen to him Scott. He's just jealous he doesn't have anybody to do it for him," she said soothingly.
"Ain't that the truth," Virgil thought light-heartedly to himself as he left the infirmary.
Jenna applied warm towels to his face then went to change the music that had just finished. Looking through his collection she came across one that didn't seem to fit. It was in a plain, disc case with no album cover to indicate the artist. Just the initials V. T. and piano instrumentals adorned the front. "Obviously something that somebody has put together themselves, she thought to herself. Puzzled, she thought over the initials…
V. T. and recalled seeing a white baby grand when she first came into the lounge. "I wonder …," she thought again as she looked towards the door that Virgil Tracy had not long exited.
Putting it on, the room was filled with the strains of beautiful, well-played music. "You Tracy's are a pretty talented bunch," Jenna enthused. "I'm beginning to feel a bit underachieved," she added, knowing that Tin-Tin was a highly qualified engineer; Gordon had won an Olympic swimming medal and Alan, the Parola Sands Motor Racing Trophy. On talking with John she had gotten to know of his interest in Astronomy and the number of books he had written and discoveries he had made and then there was Brains, well, Brains was in a league of his own, wasn't he?
Sitting on his bed she removed the towels and applied the gel to the part of his face she was going to shave. "I used to watch my dad do this when I was a little girl," she told him. "I didn't think he could see me peeping round the bathroom door but he was watching me in the mirror," she said, smiling at the fond remembrance. "Though he used white foam instead of gel. I used to think it made him look like Santa Claus," Jenna added laughing.
Carefully she stroked the razor down his face and under his chin telling Scott how her father would lift her up in his arms and rub his rough face on her cheek and how she would make a face telling him his face was like sandpaper and needed to shave. "When he had finished shaving he would lift me up in his arms again," she told Scott, "and rub his smooth face against my cheek and say, 'There honey, that's kissable smooth. Want to test it for me' and I would always give him a big kiss." She went on to tell Scott how her dad would then go up to her mom, put his arms around her, laughing and get her to test it for him. She smiled to herself as she thought of the open affection her parents showed each other and knew that was how she wanted to be with the man she would care deeply for.
She finished shaving him and patting him dry she applied his favourite scent. Pleased with herself she sat back to admire her handiwork. Tracing her fingers along the outline of his face she said, "There, Mr Tracy, that's 'kissable smooth'," and just for a brief moment she was sorely tempted.
Jenna finished off his mid-morning session with a relaxing massage and by then it was time for lunch.
The family had gathered in the infirmary amidst great expectation and Jenna gently reminded them again not to be too disappointed if Scott didn't breathe on his own the first time the ventilator was turned off. Mike had examined him first before allowing anyone in and now explained what was going to happen. He promised; once he had turned the machine off, that he would not leave it too long, if Scott was not going to make an attempt to breathe, before switching it back on. He would not leave him to become distressed.
Jeff sat on his eldest son's bed, held his hand and talked encouragingly to him; giving Mike a nod to switch the machine off. A few moments of everyone holding their breath and … nothing. Mike switched the ventilator back on to give Scott a few more breaths. Mike tried again with the same result. No response.
"Son, I know you can do this," urged Jeff encouragingly in a strong commanding voice. He bent down and whispered something else in his son's ear but no one knew what it was.
(Authors Note – Hey, don't ask me. I don't know what it was either.)
Again the machine was turned off. There were anxious moments of waiting and again Scott didn't make an attempt. By now the tension in the room was rising and Jenna could feel the disappointment growing. "Do you mind if I try something, Mike?" Jenna asked gently. Mike smiled, gesturing her to give it a try, whatever it was.
Jenna put a comforting hand on Jeff's shoulder, said something to him and he got up to allow her to take his place. He then stood back with the rest of his sons to watch what would happen. She placed her hands on Scott's waist and gave Mike the nod to turn the ventilator off. Immediately she slid her hands up his body to under his diaphragm and pulled them back down again. A small amount of air was drawn into his lungs. She pushed her hands back up his body under his diaphragm to expel the air and drew them back down again. He took a larger breath. Jenna talked to him all the time encouraging him to breath with her. Again the process was repeated and he took in another breath, which she helped him expel by pushing up under his diaphragm. She continued this rhythmic motion, encouraging him to breathe, until she was sure he would keep it going for himself. At last Scott Tracy was breathing.
Mike could only smile and shake his head at her ingenuity; Jeff nodded an approving thank-you and the rest of the family breathed a sigh of relief. Mike then asked the family to leave for the short while it took him to remove the venting tube, as it was liable to prove distressing. Jenna held Scott's hand, stroking him reassuringly and talking to him throughout the process.
Scott Tracy had just taken his first step on the road to recovery.
