Chapter 9

"He's not breathing!?" Mike ran out of John's ICU room and into Virgil's room. Scott was right, Virgil was pale and blue around his lips. Mike grabbed a yellow oxygen bag and placed it over Virgil's mouth and manually breathed for him. Time was critical. Jeff stood in the doorway, in complete shock. What was going on with his sons?

I told you John, that I would kill Virgil next.

He's dying, John

You can stop it.

"What the hell happened Scott?" Scott shook his head, eyes wide, searching for words.

"He had a pain in his head, like John, then…. " Mike shot Jeff a look of 'something bad is happening'

"Scott, I want you to keep an eye on John for me please. If he wakes, then just talk to him." Scott nodded and ran past his father and into John's room. He looked so peaceful, like nothing was going on. Scott took John's hand and squeezed it tight.

"What's happening to you, Johnny? The same thing is happening to Virgil now. Please tell me what's happening. I beg of you."

"Sc… Scott?" Scott smiled at John as he tried to wake up.

"I'm here buddy." Scott put his hand through John's hair, bringing comfort to John.

"Is Virgil dead?" Scotts eyes went wide, how did John know?

"He's not good John, how do you know about Virge?"

"The man…. He said…. Kill Virge"

I will kill Virgil

You can stop it John

All you have to do is say the word and I'll stop.

John nodded slowly.

"Kill me…. Not Virge" John said to himself. Scotts eyebrows knitted together with worry.

"No one is going to kill you John, I promise."

"Thunderbird 5, blown up." John's eyes started closing again as the tiredness hit him. Scott slumped back into his chair, not knowing what to say or do. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He startled back to reality as his watch started beeping. It was Jeff.

"Dad, how's Virgil? Is he alive?"

"He's back with us, Scott. He suddenly gasped for breath. He's awake, and has no idea what's going on." Scott sighed in relief and smiled as he could hear Virgil telling Mike to leave him alone and to stop prodding him. "He's going for a head CT to rule out any head injury then he'll be moved into the ICU room with John."

"Ok dad, I'll stay with John and see you here in a bit." Scott disconnected the call and went back to thinking about John. He remembered the day John was born.

Scott was carried down the hospital corridor by his grandfather. He was excited to meet his new baby brother. He was going to be the bestest brother ever.

"Ok Scott, we're going to see your mom and dad and new baby." Scott's face lit up with excitement. He saw his dad standing at the door, a smile beaming across his face.

"Hey buddy, are you ready to meet your little brother?" Scott nodded happily. Jeff took Scott from his father's arms and carried him into the room where his mother was and an incubator containing his new baby brother. Scott pointed at the box and looked at his dad with a confused expression.

"Baby?" Jeff nodded and chuckled.

"Yes Son, your baby brother is in there." Jeff took Scott over to Lucille and placed him on her lap, overlooking the incubator where a tiny baby John was lying.

"Baby!" Scott clapped excitedly.

"That's right honey, this is John, you're new baby brother" Lucille stroked Scott's hair as Scott looked at his mom. Scott leant closer to the incubator.

"I look after 'onny'' Jeff and Lucille smiled at each other knowing John would always be in safe hands.

"I promised I'll look after you then Johnny and it's still the same now!"

Jeff and Mike entered John's room with a stressed out looking Virgil, being wheeled in a bed. Scott rolled his eyes as Virgil was protesting about wasting resources.

"Hear that Johnny? Virgil is very much alive and protesting as per usual. You've got nothing to worry about. No one's going to kill you."

"Has he woken up at all, Scott?" Mike asked.

"He did, he said, 'the man will kill Virge' and 'Thunderbird 5 blown up'" Mike sighed and looked at Jeff.

"I would like to get a psychiatrist down here to see John. I think his recent brush with death has maybe caused post traumatic stress disorder. This is the only thing I can think of." Jeff shook his head.

"It has to be physical, Mike. What happened to Virgil? Why did he suddenly stop breathing? It has to be something during that rescue!" Virgil rolled his eyes at his father. He felt fine.

Hello again John

It's time for you to help me

I want international rescue

Or you will die, slowly and painfully

You decide

John bolted up in his bed and let out an earth shattering cry. Jeff and Scott grabbed onto John with Jeff rubbing John's back, trying to calm him down. Mike ran a torch past John's eyes.

"The man, he will kill me!" John cried out. "He will kill Virgil. He will kill me!"

John slumped back into the bed, he could feel his throat getting restricted. He gasped for breath. His vision went red.

Slow and Painful death, John