A Sacrifice too Far?
Disclaimer: Nope six chapters in and they still don't belong to me.
Thanks for the reviews all. I'm so sorry this has taken so long to update but life has just been so crazy lately. This chapter is a very belated birthday present to Loopsta, enjoy honey.
Chapter 6: A Reunion.
Jeff approached the Nurse's station unsure of which direction his son had taken. There was a door ahead, which seemed to lead to some stairs, there was a bank of elevators to his right and to his left there was another door.
"Angry man with brown hair?" questioned a voice. Jeff turned to see a nurse behind the desk and nodded. "He went down the stairs and I would guess to the garden at the bottom," she replied.
"Thanks," replied Jeff, smiling at her and then headed towards the doors to the stairs.
As he jogged down the stairs, he thought about his middle son and the words he had uttered before storming out. As Jeff reached the bottom step, he knew what Virgil had meant. Opening the door he could see that the sun had finally set but the moon was full and shining down on the garden. It seemed so peaceful and tranquil here after the bustle of the hospital. He approached Virgil who stood close to a small fountain.
Virgil sensed rather then heard his father's presence. He had been expecting at least one of them to come down but assumed it would be John. "You should be with Scott," he muttered, keeping his attention focused away from his father.
"He has your brothers to look after him. My place is here with you," replied Jeff.
Virgil made no reply to this and Jeff could see that this could be a hard conversation. "I wondered how long it would take Scott to question International Rescue," he said not surprised when Virgil swung round to look at him. "It was only a matter of time. The rest of you all have at some point or another," he added.
"Really?" questioned Virgil. He could understand John and he knew he had himself but Alan and Gordon. They had always seemed so sure of the good work that International Rescue did.
"Well, John questioned the worth of what you do a couple of years ago. It was after a long week of rescues and a young girl had called him asking for help. She was trapped in the basement of her house after an earthquake hit her town," explained Jeff.
"I remember that now, John stayed in touch with her as she was all alone but she died before we could reach her," said Virgil softly. That had been hard for all of them but it had hit John the hardest, as he had been the last person to ever talk to her.
"It was Scott that finally got through to John in the same way that he did to you," replied Jeff, knowing that Scott had helped both his brothers to see the worth of what they did.
Virgil thought back to his own moment of doubt. It had been in the early days of International Rescue when they were still just getting used to it all. It was their first rescue where more had died then they were able to save. He had found it so hard that night to really see the point in what they did but Scott helped him through that. He had reminded Virgil about all the lives they had saved and would go on to save. Virgil wondered about his other two brothers and what had caused them to doubt it.
Jeff seemed to sense what his son was thinking and answered the question before it was asked. "Alan doubted it all after he and your Grandmother were stuck on the San Miguel Bridge. He couldn't accept that even International Rescue was unable to stop what had happened to them."
"But there was nothing we could have done. No one had any idea that Victor Gomez would do anything so stupid," replied Virgil. He could still remember seeing Alan about to fall off that bridge. They had literally got there just in time. A fellow driver had gone after Alan and their Grandmother. He had forced them onto the bridge leaving them with a bomb beneath them, activated by either movement or when the time ran out.
"That's true but it took your brother a long time to accept that."
"Who got through to him in the end? Was it Gordon?" asked Virgil. He had a pretty good idea it wasn't Scott as he was guilt ridden from that day too but he seemed to get over it. However, now Virgil was beginning to wonder if his brother truly had dealt with that guilt.
"Nope it was me but more by default than anything else," Jeff replied then off Virgil's confused look added, "I found him on the beach." Jeff's mind instantly remembered hearing his son angrily yelling at the sky then falling to the sand, tears streaming from his eyes. They had sat on the beach for hours talking things through but in the end, Jeff got through to his youngest son.
"And Gordon?" queried Virgil, bringing Jeff back to the present.
Jeff took a deep breath before answering. "It was because of you, Son," he said gently.
If Virgil had felt shocked before then it was nothing compared to how he felt now. "Me?"
"It was when you were shot down by the Sentinel. It killed your brother being stuck on the Island unable to help you. It was the first time he ever truly felt helpless as we waited for you to land," explained Jeff. He understood his son's helplessness as that was how he felt whenever something had happened to the boys whilst on a rescue. For Gordon this had been the first time he had been stuck on the Island waiting for them to return. Alan had at least some understanding of this from being on Thunderbird Five but Gordon didn't.
"I guess then having to travel on the Sentinel didn't help much either," replied Virgil, his own mind going back to that day. He could still remember seeing those missiles coming straight at him and knowing he couldn't escape.
"No, it didn't but your brother did me proud by not losing it. His break down happened later that night, long after the rest of us were in bed."
Virgil knew instantly that Gordon's break down would have begun in the pool. He would have swum furiously up and down until he could swim no more then climbed out and collapsed on the edge. Something his Father had said suddenly came back to him. "Was he all alone?"
"No, because I knew it was coming and was just waiting for the splash," replied Jeff but he didn't say anymore. He knew Gordon wouldn't want his brothers to know how badly it had affected him.
They moved over to a nearby bench and sat down. Virgil gazed up at the star lit sky and sighed. Jeff could see that his son was still very troubled by his brother's doubt. Before Jeff could reassure his son, Virgil spoke.
"Scott's right though, it's not worth all the sacrifices."
"Do you really believe that, Virgil? Are all the lives you have saved since International Rescue begun not worth it?" asked Jeff, realizing this was going to be even harder then he thought.
Virgil turned away from his father before responding. "Of course they are, Dad but look at today. Scott was kidnapped, shot, and almost died because of what we do."
"There was always a risk that one of you could be hurt doing the job that you do," replied Jeff, placing his hand on his son's shoulder.
Virgil shrugged him off and stood up. "Yeah, during a rescue not at the hands of a psycho with a gun."
"He's still with us though. I know you all had to make many sacrifices when you agreed to join like giving up promising careers and friends," admitted Jeff. It hadn't been an easy decision to use his family to operate his creation but he knew they were perfect for it.
"And love," muttered Virgil.
"You were in love?" questioned Jeff.
Virgil turned back to look at him, shaking his head. "Not me."
"Scott was in love?" he questioned but before Virgil could answer, he spoke again. "That explains a lot," he added but didn't elaborate further.
"Explains what?" queried Virgil, having no clue what his Father was on about.
"There's something Scott and I haven't told you. When I first came up with International Rescue and realized it was actually a possibility. I had second thoughts, could I really ask you boys to risk your lives for strangers. I decided to talk to Scott first and see what he thought," Jeff paused allowing Virgil to take in everything he had just said.
"What did he say?" asked Virgil still feeling confused.
"He said it was an amazing idea and he could see all the benefits to it but he also said he needed time to think. I have to admit that I was a little surprised. I assumed Scott would jump at the chance especially after seeing his face when he saw the sketches for Thunderbird One. I just wrote it off as reluctance to leave his job and life behind," explained Jeff.
Virgil understood now and he could also see the bigger reason for Scott's reluctance. "You're wondering if Emma was the real reason now aren't you?"
"Yes, I am. Could she also be responsible for his doubts now as well?" he asked, realizing that Virgil had brought up love for a reason.
"Scott received a letter from Emma's sister announcing that she was getting married but still loved Scott. She told him to come and stop it if he still loved her," explained Virgil, sitting back down on the bench.
"Why didn't he say anything about the letter?" asked Jeff. He was beginning to realize that he knew less about his oldest son then he thought he did.
"He didn't get it in time. She was already married by the time he read it."
Jeff nodded in understanding. It wasn't uncommon for mail to arrive late on the Island; he had missed many important letters because of it. "Did he still have feelings for her?"
Virgil hesitated and thought it over for a moment. He had sounded like it the other night but was that how he actually felt? "I think he thinks he does," he replied, finally.
"You don't?" queried Jeff, knowing that Virgil was the one most likely to know how Scott felt. Those two were so close and connected.
"I'm not sure. It's been a long time since they last saw each other and people can change. Plus the letter came from her sister so it doesn't mean she actually does still love Scott."
Before anything more could be said, Jeff's watch began to bleep. He activated the screen to see Gordon's face before him. His son looked pale and very worried. Before he could speak, though Gordon interrupted him.
"Dad, you gotta get up here now, we have a problem."
"On our way," replied Jeff, ending the transmission. He didn't want to waste valuable time asking what was wrong. His son's face was enough to tell him it was bad.
Gordon paced up and down beside his brother's bed watching the doctors and nurses work on John. Luckily, there had been a spare bed in Scott's room so they hadn't had to take John away. He didn't know what was wrong with his brother but it was clearly more serious than he had first thought. He had hesitated from calling his Dad in case John had just fainted. He knew his older brother would have hated everyone making a fuss because he had just fainted. However, when John refused to wake up and the nurse who was with them raced out for a Doctor, Gordon knew it was serious. Once they had him on the bed, he had called his Dad. His eyes dropped to the floor where his star gazing old brother had fallen. His skin had been so pale and just for a moment, Gordon had honestly thought he was dead. He staggered back at the thought of losing two brothers in one day. Suddenly, he felt something hit the back of his legs and a firm hand push him down into it. He realized that a chair had been pushed behind him and a nurse now stood before him.
"Don't you go passing out on me, too. I only have two beds in here," she said, kneeling down in front of him.
Gordon took a few deep breaths and looked up at her. "I'm okay now."
"Are you okay to answer a few questions about your brother?" she asked. Gordon nodded and glanced over at the brother in question. "Has he been ill over the last couple of days?"
"Yeah, he has been," replied Gordon, wondering how long John had actually been ill before he was brought down. He hadn't looked great all day really but John always looked pale so it wasn't always easy to see the difference. Gordon suddenly felt guilty for not realizing that his brother wasn't as well as he had claimed. They should never have let him go on the rescue.
"Do you know when he last had anything to eat or drink and has he taken anything at all to ease the symptoms?" she asked, breaking into his thoughts.
"He hasn't eaten since this morning and he had a bottle of water earlier but I never saw him drink it. He took some painkillers a few hours ago but that's all I know," he replied, wishing he had paid more attention to John. He was being completely useless.
The door suddenly opened and in walked Jeff and Virgil. They instantly came over to Gordon and then noticed there was a face missing. Virgil was the first to realize that the other bed was now occupied.
"What's wrong with John?" he asked, turning back to look at his younger brother.
Jeff then noticed that it was John lying in the bed and walked over. Virgil and Gordon quickly followed him. Jeff turned to the Doctor who was standing at his son's bed asking, "What's wrong with my son?"
"He is seriously dehydrated which is what caused him to pass out. It looks like he has been suffering from a virus, which caused the dehydration so we are pumping fluids into him. He is also running a fever so we have given him something to bring that down as well," explained the doctor. He then saw the worried look on their faces and quickly added. "He is going to be fine though. By tomorrow morning he should be feeling a lot better."
Jeff couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as the Doctor walked over to the nurse. He couldn't believe he now had two sons in the hospital, thankfully, John wasn't seriously ill but he still shouldn't be there. He glanced over at his other two sons and caught Gordon yawning. He could see that both of them looked exhausted and clearly needed a few hours sleep.
"You know there is a hotel just a two minute walk from here," said a voice and Jeff turned to see the nurse standing just behind him.
"Boys, I want you to go to that hotel and get a few hours rest," he said, smiling at the young nurse.
"But Dad….," began Virgil before he was interrupted.
"No buts just go. You both need sleep or you will end up in a bed like your brothers. I promise if there is any news I will call you."
"Okay Dad," replied Gordon before Virgil could argue anymore. As much as Gordon didn't want to leave his brothers here, he knew he needed to. Virgil looked just as exhausted as he felt and he knew his Dad couldn't take any more of them getting ill.
"Make sure you have something to eat then, Dad," said Virgil, knowing it would be futile to argue back.
"You, too," replied Jeff, smiling at his sons.
With a reluctant look at both of his brothers, Virgil walked to the door. Gordon wandered over to John and whispered something before following his brother out the door. Jeff placed a seat between both beds and sat down. His thoughts moved to Lucy, "Thank you for looking after them and bringing Scott back to us," he whispered softly.
John awoke to find himself in a strange bed, in a room he didn't recognize. It looked like a hospital but what was he doing in a hospital. It was then he remembered the previous day and his eyes quickly focused on the other bed in the room. His only older brother lay peacefully on the bed and he felt relieved. He then spotted his Dad sat on a chair between them, watching Scott. "Dad," he croaked out, wondering why his voice suddenly sounded so hoarse.
Jeff spun round to see groggy blue eyes looking at him and he smiled. "How are you feeling son?" he asked.
"Okay, I think. Why am I in a hospital bed?" he asked.
"You collapsed yesterday because you were very dehydrated," replied Jeff before adding. "You should have said you weren't feeling right."
John looked guiltily at his father. "I'm sorry, Dad but I didn't want to stress you out any further. Guess I did that anyway."
"Well, you certainly scared Gordon."
"Who scared me?" called a familiar voice from the doorway. John looked up to see his youngest brothers entering the room. Alan was with them too now, having finally arrived.
"I did apparently," replied John, smiling at them all.
"Nah, I thought you were just trying to steal Scott's thunder," retorted Gordon, with his trademark grin.
Alan walked over and gave his big brother a hug. He had been so worried when he had heard that John was ill too so, it was a relief to see him smiling.
"How are you feeling, John?" asked Virgil.
"I feel okay well actually I feel a little hungry," he admitted, trying to remember the last time he had actually eaten something.
The nurse who had remained quiet in the background suddenly came up to the bed. "Do you feel dizzy or nauseous at all?" she asked, checking his chart and then his vital signs.
"Nope just hungry," he replied.
"Have the rest of you eaten yet?" she asked, turning to the others already knowing that Jeff hadn't. He hadn't left his sons bedsides all night and she could imagine that he needed a little break from it. They all shook their heads at her. "Well, why don't you all go down to the café on the ground floor and have some breakfast. That includes you John as long as you behave yourself and come straight back up here afterwards," she said giving him a stern look.
John nodded in agreement but Jeff looked very reluctant to leave his oldest son alone. "Perhaps I should stay here," he said and was met with the same stern look.
"Scott will be fine and I can soon page you if anything changes. You all need to eat and trust me the food down there is much nicer then it is up here."
"Come on, Dad. You know better than to argue with a woman in uniform," said Gordon with a cheeky grin.
Jeff finally relented and the family all left. The nurse looked down at her patient and sighed. "Why do I get the feeling you are just as bad as them?"
"Nurse Fisher to Room Three, Nurse Fisher to room Three," came a voice over the speaker system and she stood up. "What now," she muttered before leaving the room. Normally, she wouldn't leave her patient but there was urgency in the voice that said she had to. What she didn't notice as she ran off were two people in the corridor. One hovered in the background whereas the other approached the room she had just left.
The door opened and the figure entered. They stopped at the foot of the bed and studied the young man before them. He looked much better than the last time she had seen him. He seemed to resting peacefully now and that was all she needed to know.
"Get better soon," she said softly and turned to the door, not noticing the flickering eyes of the patient. As she reached the door, a voice called out to her.
"Who are you?" it asked and she turned round to see the young man watching her.
"I'm, um, uh, well it doesn't really matter. I need to be going now, bye," she said quickly, grabbing hold of the door handle.
"Wait. You're the one who saved my life aren't you?" asked Scott, suddenly realizing who was trying to leave. He recognized the voice that had offered him comfort when he thought he was going to die. The young woman just nodded at him but didn't move. "Don't leave. I don't even know your name yet. At least give me a chance to say thanks," he asked, hoping she would stay.
After a short pause, the young woman turned round and approached the bed. "My name is Kate and you don't need to thank me. I was just doing what any good person would do," she replied.
"I'm not so sure about that," muttered Scott. Lately people just didn't seem to care anymore.
"Well, it was actually my dog that found you but there was no way I could leave you like that. I have to admit though I thought you were in fancy dress. It wasn't until the Police arrived that I realized you really were a member of International Rescue."
"I remember your dog. It was a big and black one and I remember being licked," he said as his mind went back over those moments of realizing he wasn't going to die.
"Yeah, she does that a lot," replied the young woman.
Neither had noticed a man approaching the door or the handle slowly turning. Suddenly, the door swung open with enough force it smashed against the wall and a man ran in. He grabbed hold of Kate and forced a knife to her throat before turning his attention to Scott.
"Make any moves and she is dead," he said angrily and Scott recognized the voice of the man who had shot him. "Push the call button onto the floor now," added the man.
Scott complied knowing that the man could slit the young woman's throat long before anyone could get to them.
The man then dragged the woman backwards so that he could shut the door and then pushed her towards Scott again.
"We are all alone now and this time you are not getting out alive," he said, glaring at Scott. "Neither is she as she is the one responsible for getting you here."
"No, she isn't," replied Scott quickly, wanting to do something to save her life.
"So who is she then?" he asked, pressing the knife tighter on her throat causing a trickle of blood to run down her neck.
"She's my girlfriend. She had nothing to do with me getting here so you can let her go," he replied, hoping this would work. He knew she had to be someone close to him or this knife-wielding maniac would never buy it.
But will he? Has Scott saved her or just condemned her to death too. Will the rest of the family make it back up in time or can Scott save his own life? Find out soon, I swear I will try to update quicker. Thanks for reading.