Thunderbirds and the Tracy boys belong to Sylvia & Gerry Anderson
Author's Note: I think our boy has had a long enough sleep, don't you? Time to wake him up!
Chapter 11
"Why isn't he waking up yet, Jenna?" Virgil asked with some concern. "It's been 2 days."
It was a question the rest of the family had wanted to know. Virgil, John and their father had come back down to the infirmary for a second evening hoping for more encouraging news after being in and out at various times of the day expecting Scott to be awake. Jenna tried to reassure them that there was no medical reason for Scott not to wake up and that he would do so in his own good time.
"Do you mind if I ask you something?" she said cautiously, turning to Jeff. "Has Scott been working very hard lately? Does he have a lot of responsibility in the work he does for you?"
Jeff shifted uneasily and glancing at Virgil and John thought of the punishing workload Scott had set for himself over the last few months. Apart from his insistence that he be involved with the new prototype aircraft he had designed for Tracy Aerospace there had been quite a lot of rescues to contend with. Some of them had been pretty bad and exhausting and, of course, he does have a lot of responsibility; being International Rescue's Field Commander but then, Jeff couldn't tell her that part. He was beginning to feel guilty about that, as he had become fond of her; she had obviously taken very good care of his son and was a very dedicated and perceptive young woman.
"Yes, I guess he has been working long hours and he does have a lot of responsibility," Jeff offered but would not give any more information and he was grateful that Jenna didn't ask. "Why?" he asked, wondering what difference it could make.
Jenna just nodded and smiled as if, now, she knew the answer to why Scott hadn't woken up. "Scott's in a very peaceful and comforting place right now," she said softly, looking down at him and wondering just where in his mind he was. "It may be he just wants to stay there a little while; free from all responsibility," she added, hoping they would understand. She mused for a few moments trying to think how she could explain better. "Think of it like this," she continued, "imagine yourselves living on a beautiful tropical island and …," Jenna stopped short, noticing the smiles of amusement and then she realised what she had just said. "But of course, you all do, don't you?" she said laughing lightly. "OK, imagine this; you come from a colder part of the world, live in a big city and work long hours, then you get a chance to go stay on a beautiful tropical island for a while. Now, where would you rather be?" Jenna asked.
"Yeah, I can understand that," John replied immediately, being able to relate the analogy to his stint in the cold of space on TB5 to when he would come home to his tropical island home. He hadn't always found it easy to leave when it was his turn for duty again.
"Well, that's where Scott is now but he will wake up," Jenna assured them. "He's already been showing signs of stirring."
Jeff nodded his understanding. She always seemed to be able to put them at their ease and make things easier for them to understand.
Scott had indeed being showing signs of stirring, apart from when she had bathed and massaged him. Earlier that afternoon, just after lunch, Jenna had had an idea. On finding out from the rest of the family that Scott had a fondness for his Grandma's apple pies she had asked Grandma if she would make him one; not for him to eat, of course, but to see if the tempting aroma might not, somehow, prove too much. Grandma, not surprisingly, was delighted and eager to do something for her eldest grandson got to baking right away. As soon as it was out of the oven she brought it down to him. "I put some extra cinnamon in to give it a stronger smell," Grandma said proudly, knowing it would stimulate his senses.
"It smells delicious," Jenna enthused, "no wonder Scott has a fondness for your pies."
Grandma was flattered and laughingly told her as she reminisced, "That boy has a fondness all right, he never could wait until they were out of the oven. Why, I've had to smack his wrists more times than I care to remember."
Jenna had to bite her lip to stifle a smile. The thought of Scott as a little boy getting his wrists smacked by his Grandma she found both amusing and cute. But Grandma continued, "Why, it was just the other week I caught him sneaking into my kitchen. I smacked his wrists good and proper." It was only then that Jenna realised Grandma was not talking about a naughty little boy but a rather naughty grown man. She had to turn away to stifle an even bigger smile, though the thought of Scott Tracy being a naughty boy had a certain appeal.
After Grandma left four eager faces had appeared around the door; which was unusual, as the afternoon seemed to be when chores were done. "Now let me see, did you come to see your brother," Jenna mused, "or was it the lure of your Grandma's apple pie?"
Gordon grinned, "A bit of both."
Jenna, smiling and shaking her head, retired to her desk to do a bit of reading, leaving the boys to sit and talk with their brother. The temptation was, however, proving too much.
"Seems a shame to waste it," Alan finally said. "You don't mind, do you Jen? And Scotty here doesn't mind." he added, feeling sure of himself.
"You wouldn't say that if he wasn't sleeping," Virgil replied with a grin, knowing his brother would very much mind and would not give up his apple pie so easily.
"Just don't take it all," Jenna said, smiling with amusement as she watched them tuck in like four hungry little boys. "Would you like coffee with that as well, guys?" she asked with amused sarcasm. Four stuffed mouths all nodded. "Well, you know where the coffee maker is," she added laughing, "oh and while you're at it you could make me one as well."
With the aroma of apple and cinnamon pie filling the room and the good-natured banter from his brothers Scott did start to stir but much to their disappointment he did not wake.
The rest of the evening, after Virgil, John and their father had left, she spent reading to him, then, after seeing him settled for the night Jenna grabbed a few hours sleep. She awoke in the middle of the night to find him restless and agitated, perspiration having formed on his brow and his breathing becoming more rapid. After taking a brain pressure readout to make sure everything was normal she realised he was having a bad dream, perhaps about his accident she surmised.
Wiping the perspiration from him, she sat on his bed talking softly to him and gently stroking his forehead in an effort to comfort him, as you would do for a child. Eventually he fell back into a peaceful sleep.
"Well Mr Tracy, are we going to see you awake today?" Jenna asked as she prepared to bathe him the next morning. "There are some anxious faces who would like to see you." "And I wouldn't mind seeing those blue eyes again myself," she found herself thinking.
Another suitably relaxing piece of music was chosen as she gently washed his face, his hair and gave him a shave. She knew, he was not far off waking, when, under her touch as she bathed him, he began to toss and turn.
By afternoon Virgil, Gordon, John and Alan once again came down to the infirmary, determined to have had completed all their chores in the morning. Surely, today he would wake up they thought.
"Would you be in a hurry to wake up if you were getting looked after by a beautiful girl?" Gordon asked teasingly, remembering how he had basked in the attention of many pretty nurses after his accident.
"I would if I wanted to know what she looked like," Alan replied with a broad grin.
"Wouldn't let Tin-Tin hear you say that," Virgil retorted, causing Alan to frown.
"Hey guys, aren't we forgetting something?" John interrupted. John, being the down-to-earth, deep-thinker that he was, could always be relied on to be practical. "This is Scott we're talking about."
"Oh yeah," Alan replied with relish. "Whadaya think he's gonna do when he finds out what she's been doin' for him," he added with equal relish.
"Probably go ballistic," Virgil answered matter-of-factly, with the ease of someone who knows his brother very well.
"Do you think we should warn her?" John asked concerned as he looked in the direction of where Jenna was sitting at her desk unaware of the conversation.
"Naw. I'd say Jenna can look after herself," Gordon grinned impishly and then added, "Maybe it's Scott we should feel sorry for."
Almost unheard by them Scott gave a deep sigh and slowly opened his eyes to try and focus on where he was. He turned to the sound of familiar voices and stared blankly at his brothers. Virgil called over to where Jenna was reading some of Brains' journals at her desk and grinning broadly said.
"He's awake."
Author's Note: Hey, I didn't say I was going to wake him up at the beginning of the chapter or even the middle.
