I first started this story in June 2021. It was never meant to be anything more than a one-shot but it just kept growing…and I am happy to announce this Part Two of Old Enemies and New Friends is now complete!
With much thanks to Sineater and MariaShadow
They planned to keep Scott sedated for a full two days to give his body a chance to utilise the liquid nutrients to the full.
His newest injury, the broken fingers, had been immediately treated. Not wanting to leave anything to chance they had surgically reset them, putting temporary pins into four fingers and splinting the rest.
The injuries were documented and discussed during the MDT meeting with Sally and Virgil, along with Scott's severe nutritional needs. If it had come as a surprise that the extent of Scott's injuries was not as bad as could be bearing in mind he'd been missing and most likely tortured for ten months, no one said anything. The evidence of systematic starvation and the knowledge that most of Scott's injuries were going to be mental kept them focussed.
Scott's immediate future was going to be a long, long rehab. While Sally and Virgil wanted him home as soon as possible they also recognised that the kind of specialist care he would need necessitated a stay in a specialist clinic in the short term.
Refeeding Syndrome was the biggest concern of the MDT. If they introduced nutrition into Scott too quickly there were several complications that would delay his rehab. Low levels of calcium or potassium were the classic results of refeeding syndrome and both had severe consequences. Normally reintroducing nutrition would take place over around 10 days, but the team were talking about doubling that.
Alongside that were treatments for adrenal insufficiency. With the prolonged stress coupled with starvation, his adrenal glands weren't working properly. They were going to treat him with cortisol and aldosterone and hope that the treatments would kickstart the glands to begin working again or else Scott could be on these hormone replacements for life.
But the longest part of the discussion was around Scott's mental health. None of them could predict how he would react to being imprisoned in Bereznik for a second, much longer time. Discussions centred on what kind of issues could be expected. Hypervigilance for sure, potentially agoraphobia and sensory hypersensitivity. The reality of flashbacks and how that had affected the family last time.
By the time Virgil and Grandma made it back to the suite John and Alan had set everything up and were in discussion with Kayo, Penny and Parker. The smell of decent coffee had Virgil's stomach growling and there was a small round of laughter. It broke the tension nicely, though, and Virgil gave Kayo a look-over before folding her into a gentle hug.
'Don't do that again.'
'I'll try not to, Virgil.'
There was amusement dancing in Kayo's eyes, and the black bruising did nothing to hide that, and she laid a hand on his bicep. He read the unspoken words in the gesture. Kayo would try her best and that's all she could promise.
Virgil released her and Sally took his place, briefly hugging Kayo before accepting a coffee from Parker.
Just as they sat down to discuss what had happened to each other a knock on the door heralded the nurse with the news that Scott was out of recovery and in his room. The discussion was put on hold as they all trouped into the room to lay eyes on their missing brother, to reassure themselves that he was really there, that they had really rescued him.
That their nightmare was over.
Or as over as it could be right now.
Alan offered to sit with Scott while the others talked things through. He knew he wouldn't be included in any plans they had going forward, and for once he was alright with that. He wanted nothing more than to be with Scott and never let his big brother out of his sight ever, ever again.
The discussion lasted long into the night. By the time rough plans had been made and Sally went to relieve Alan at Scott's side her youngest grandson was fast asleep, head pillowed on the bed and an arm flung over his brother's stomach.
She smiled. Already healing had started, each family member a little lighter than they had been for months. And while she knew there were many months of pain and rehab in Scott's future, and the plans that John and Kayo, Gordon and Penelope were about to set in motion would also take months to come to fruition.
Sally pulled up a chair and sat down beside Alan, placing a hand on his back and contemplated the events of the last ten months and what they had uncovered in their search for Scott and the implications of that information.
The next few months were going to be…interesting.
