Home » The Archives » Chapter 9 » Regrouping and Recouperation
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #222 is a reply to message #221] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:22   |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Jeff peered in as the door to the sick room opened, then smiled as he saw Dianne glance his way. She put down the note she was reading, and held out a hand to him.
"How are you doing, love?" he asked as he kissed her, and sat on the edge of the bed facing her.
"I'm okay. The leg is a bit sore today... more than usual. Looks a tad inflamed, too. I'll have Brains do a swab and see if we've got a bacterial infection or what." She shook her head slowly and indicated her leg with a hand. "This thing is ugly enough as it is. I don't need some big open wound to be cleaned and packed several times a day. I want to get back on my feet!"
"You will, Di," Maggie said as she came out of the restroom, drying her hands. She looked cheery in a pink flowered scrub top and coordinating solid pants. "Just wait until Drew gets here. Then he'll start putting you through the wringer with physical therapy!" She sighed contentedly. "I knew I should never have given up nursing full-time. But someone's got to keep the house together and the grandkids mollified."
"I'm glad you're here, Maggie," Jeff said. "I'm afraid to call on our nurses quite yet. I want to give them some more time to recover... in more ways than just physical." He hesitated, then sighed. "You might as well hear this, too, Maggie." Turning to Dianne, he said, "Tyler's been vomiting again."
Dianne sighed and sagged against the bed. "I should have known something was wrong."
"And exactly how should you have known?" Maggie said, hands on hips.
"He never came to see me in the hospital," Dianne replied softly. "I wondered why, but never pressed the issue." She turned to her husband. "I -- I can't deal with this now, Jeff."
"I know, love. I know." Jeff took her hand and squeezed it gently. "I called Drew; he'll leave Tuesday from Los Angeles and get here Wednesday. I asked him what to do, and he suggested that I call the counselor you'd interviewed, Mrs. Hanson. So I did. She'll be out here in the morning. I'll need to volunteer a couple of people to fly over and pick her up, then file a flight plan."
Dianne nodded. "Oh, thank you, love. That really takes a weight from my shoulders." She glanced down and pulled up her blanket a little. "We really need a counselor... all of us do." Looking up again, she asked, "What will you tell her about IR? She needs to know the whole picture."
"I'll know when I get a better idea whether or not she'll work out."
"Jeff," Dianne began to protest, but Jeff held up a hand.
"I trust your judgment, Dianne, I really do, but I have to feel sure for myself. Drew said that there are sometimes reasons why good counselors don't work out." He smiled a little. "I promise I won't wait six weeks. Once I meet her, and see that she'll be good for us, I'll tell her. Promise."
Dianne sighed again. "All right." Her face cleared and a sly smile crossed her face. "Y'know, you might want to volunteer Gordon for this little jaunt. I'm sure he'd appreciate getting out of Scott's line of fire."
Jeff nodded slowly, a smile beginning to spread across his face as well. "That's a very good idea. I think I'll go tell him right now that he's been volunteered, then file the flight plan." He stood, and leaned over to kiss Dianne once more. "I'll be back later."
"I'll look forward to it," Dianne said as she stroked a hand along his face. He took the hand, kissed the palm, and gently curled her fingers over the kiss. Then he turned and left, stopping at the door to give her a farewell wave.
Maggie sniffed a little chuckle. "Y'know something? I think Drew could take a few lessons from that man."
Post by Tikatu On 1/12/2007
  
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #223 is a reply to message #222] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:22 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tracy Island, Sunday, August 12th afternoon
Once again Kat was seated in the pilot's seat; she was feeling more confident this time. In a firm voice she asked, "Clear for takeoff?"
Alan's voice came over the radio. "You're clear for takeoff, Kat. Have a good lesson."
She taxied the little plane to the runway. Increasing power, she released the brake. The jet sped down the runway until it reached takeoff speed. Then she pulled back on the yoke, and the Ladybird rose up into the sky.
She visibly relaxed. Holding the plane steady, she began the circuit of the island.
"This time, Kat, we're going further," Tin-Tin said "I want you to head for the island of Moyla, circle over the island and then return to Tracy Island."
Setting a course for Moyla, the young mechanic settled at the controls. A bit of turbulence affected the plane and she had to compensate. But she didn't feel completely out of control, as she did several lessons ago. Spying Moyla ahead, she aimed for the island and sweeping round, headed once more back in the direction of Tracy Island.
Before she knew it, Tracy Island was ahead and she carefully landed the plane. Sitting back in her seat she let out a sigh of relief.
"That was so much better," Tin-Tin said.
The two young women got out of the plane. After thanking her instructor, Kat began work on the post-flight checks, whilst the young Malaysian headed for the Villa. When Tin-Tin entered the lounge, Jeff asked, "How did she do?"
Tin-Tin smiled. "She's improving, but she needs more lessons. I would like to give her a longer lesson. With your permission, I'd like to take her to Christchurch to give her the experience of landing and taking off from an airport."
"That shouldn't be a problem," Jeff replied. "Just let me know when you think she'll be ready."
"Thank you, Mr Tracy."
Post by Tawnyangel22 on 1/13/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #224 is a reply to message #223] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:23 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tracy Island, Monday, 12th August, evening
Kat was sitting at her computer, reading through her emails. The first one was from Melanie, her brother's fiancée.
Hi Kat,
I'm having your bridesmaid's dress made by the same dressmaker who is making my wedding dress. Therefore, if you send me your measurements now, when you come for the wedding, we can have a fitting. Hopefully it shouldn't need too many alterations. The attachment shows you the design of the dress. Suzi is making Estelle's dress as she is only tiny, and the way kids grow, she will probably have outgrown the one that I would have had made for her.
Our barn conversion is really coming along and will be ready in good time for us to move in after the honeymoon. We're spending it in Thailand. I can hardly wait; I've always wanted to visit that country.
Anyway, I think that's all for now. Andy sends his love and says he can't wait to see you in November, and of course, neither can I.
Love Melly and Andy
p.s. Do you remember my cousin Toby? He says he can't wait to see you again either.
Kat sighed at that last sentence. Oh, yes, I remember Toby. A very intense young man a couple of years younger than she was. On the occasions that they had met, he was always asking if she would go out with him. But his idea of going out was to a museum or an art gallery. She may have been more willing if he had offered to take her to see a show or something slightly more interesting. Putting Toby to the back of her mind, she focused her attention back to the computer screen, and opened the attachment. The picture was of an empire style dress in pale aquamarine velvet, with a sweetheart neckline and long sleeves. The skirt was split down the front to reveal a white lacy underskirt. It looks lovely, she thought.
Kat began to write a reply.
Hi Melly,
Thanks for sending me a picture of the bridesmaid dress; it looks lovely. I agree that Estelle is growing so fast, but I expect she'll look cute. Tim says that being a bridesmaid is all that she talks about. I do hope that Suzi can make the wedding; it would be such a shame if she can't.
I'm glad that the your new home will be ready for you. That must be such a relief. I remember when we went to look at it on my birthday; you didn't think it would be ready in time. Lucky you, going to Thailand, you'll enjoy it. I went there a few years ago and absolutely adored it; I'd love to go again.
Yes, I do remember Toby, is he still wearing those glasses with heavy black frames?
I have some other emails to reply to this evening. Look forward to seeing you in November.
Love Kat
Kat then opened her most recent email from John, and smiling at the contents, she started to reply.
Dear John,
I'm glad you enjoyed our evening together. I wasn't too sure whether you would like a totally vegetarian meal. But as you remarked, they can be incredibly tasty.
I've finished the Secret of Atlantis. That was such an interesting book. There are so many myths and legends surrounding the lost city. But in this book it's so easy to visualise the people and their way of life, and the cataclysm that ended the civilisation. I would love to read the books you have on the Pharaohs and the Aztecs and will ask either Scott or Virgil when I want to borrow some more books. I enjoyed that evening we spent together when you were teaching me Spanish and I am trying to practice a little every day, so I hope you'll notice an improvement when you return.
I had another flying lesson this afternoon, and I certainly felt more confident this time. I was hoping that maybe you could give me a lesson when you are back at base, but Tin-Tin says that it's best to have just one instructor.
I've had an email from Melanie, my brother's fiancée. She sent me a picture of the bridesmaid's dress. It's really lovely. I'm sending it on for you to look at.
That's all my news for now. Look forward to hearing from you soon.
Love Kat
Satisfied that the message read okay, she pressed SEND.
Post by Tawnyangel22 On 1/13/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #225 is a reply to message #224] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:23 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Sunday Evening, August 12th, 2068. Tracy Island.
Virgil rubbed his hand as he walked towards the sick bay to visit Dianne. She'd arrived home Friday and although he'd wanted to see her, he knew Alex, Cherie and Tyler would want their mother to themselves for a while. He also wanted Dianne to get some rest before the other family members, including him, descended on her for a visit.
He winced as his hand throbbed again and he remembered why. He'd stopped in to see his Grandma on the way to visiting Dianne. He'd given her a hug and a kiss on the cheek and asked her how the new felines were doing.
While she'd been telling him, one of the fur balls had boldly walked up to Virgil. He'd hunkered down to pet the little thing and was laughing as the kitten playfully batted a paw at him. But as soon as Virgil's attention went back to his grandmother, the little monster attached itself to Virgil's hand with all of its sharp little claws and sank it's teeth into his skin! Virgil had yelled in pain and it took Grandma some effort to extricate the little tiger and put him back with his mother!
After some fussing and first aid, Virgil left and made his way to the sick bay, firmly deciding that he would not be offering to adopt any of the kittens!
Dianne was awake when he gently knocked on the door. She smiled at Virgil as he entered.
"Hey, Mom."
Dianne held out her hand. "Virgil!"
He gently took her hand and sat on the edge of her bed. They talked for a while, each glad to see the other. He didn't stay long, noticing that she was tiring easily and gently hugged her telling her he'd be back later.
After closing the door behind him, he paused in thought for a few minutes, then, with a decision made, he went in search of his father.
Jeff had been in the lounge briefly going over some papers on his desk but was distracted thinking of Dianne and, putting them aside, he stood and began walking towards the sick bay.
"Dad! I was just on my way to see you."
Jeff smiled, acknowledging Virgil as they met. "Really? Well, what do you need, son?"
"Can we go to your study and talk? I need to ask you something."
Jeff looked puzzled. Virgil sounded serious and it wasn't often he needed to talk in private with 'dear old dad'. "Sure, Virgil. When do you want to have this talk?"
"Well, the sooner the better, I guess."
Brown eyes met blue and even though Jeff wanted to see Dianne at this moment, he could see the worry in his son's eyes. "How about now? Would that work?" Jeff asked.
"Sure, thanks." A sudden thought crossed Virgil's mind, "Unless you were on your way to see Mom, then I can...."
"I was, but I can see that something's on your mind. Virgil, if you need to talk, I'm here," Jeff smiled.
Virgil perched himself on the edge of the desk as his father made himself comfortable in his chair. "So what's this all about, Virgil?" Jeff asked, looking at his second son and thinking how different his questioning would have been if either Gordon or Alan had been sitting in front of him. He smiled slightly at the thought. "Okay, son, what have you done and how much is it going to cost me?" Thank goodness my sons are so different!
Virgil took a deep breath, knowing his father wasn't going to like what he had to say. "I want to cancel my birthday party at Paradise Peaks." The statement was short and straight to the point.
Jeff looked at his boy and merely said, "What?"
Oh boy, here it comes!
Virgil repeated himself and this time Jeff replied, "That's what I thought you'd said. May I ask why?"
Although he seemed calm on the outside, Virgil knew by the stern tone of his father's voice that all was not calm on the inside.
"I just don't think it's the right time for a party. After everything this family has just been through, I think the last thing people want to do is party."
Jeff digested this information and said, "Son, I think a chance to relax and enjoy themselves away from here is just what some of us need. Besides, I know a number of people are looking forward to it."
Virgil sighed. In a way, Jeff was right, but Virgil knew he couldn't go through with it. "Dad, listen, I see where you're coming from but I've also seen how much damage that last rescue did to our family as well as everything else it damaged. Grandma's putting on a brave front, but Dad, I was there at the farm. I saw her face. John did, too."
Jeff saw the sadness in Virgil's face and felt the same sadness when thinking how his mother must have felt standing in the rubble of what was once her home. His home too, for that matter.
Virgil continued on, "Plus, Mom's just got home and she's in no condition to party. To be honest, Dad, I want you both to be there."
"I know, son," Jeff said quietly; he wanted Dianne to be there, too.
"I really feel what we all need is some downtime away from the world and the press and just be here, at home, together. We can still celebrate my birthday, just keep it low key and relaxed."
Virgil looked at Jeff hopefully. The Tracy patriarch remained silent for a few moments then answered, "All right, son if this is what you really want I'll cancel the reservations at Paradise Peaks and we'll do this your way."
"Thanks, Dad!" Virgil said, hopping down of the desk corner.
"Wait just a second, son. You'll need to make arrangements for catering. Then there's the decorations and music and don't forget a photographer..."
"Dad! I'm on it. I'll enlist Kyrano's help with the caterers, Gordon can help rig up a sound system, and I'll find someone to take a few photos."
Jeff laughed a little at Virgil's enthusiasm. "Okay Virgil. I'll let everyone know by e-mail but don't be surprised if there's more than one unhappy person."
"I won't be, and I'll be happy to talk to them if they want." He winked at Jeff as he turned and left the room.
Jeff smiled, then sighed and turned on his computer. He had some e-mails to send.
Post by FrankieCTB2 On 1/13/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #226 is a reply to message #225] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:24 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tracy Island, Sunday evening
A journal entry
[i]August 12
We are all finally all home and settling in again, but things will never go back to the way it was. And I don't know what to do about this empty space in my heart.
The farmhouse is gone.
The home where Grant and I spent our married life, and raised our son, the home that belonged to his parents, his grandparents, and great-grandparents --a tornado took it and left only bits and pieces. It was so hard to be there and see the aftermath.
I know I told John that I'd said goodbye to the place some time ago, and there was nothing left for me there, but seeing the place in that condition... there are no words. We brought back little -- a teddy bear, a leather jacket and hat -- also a cat and her kittens. I couldn't leave them behind. I don't know how they managed to survive the tornado that hit the place, although the barn they were in was mostly intact. I guess it's a miracle.
Tornadoes are unforgiving things. They also don't discriminate. My daughter-in-law is in the hospital because of them. My son is with her, and has been since he was able to get to her at the hospital in Los Angeles. Thank God she is recovering, but for a while we didn't know if she would. And the two nurses with her, they will be fine, too.
I'm so glad Lisa is here. And Maggie; it's good to be able to get to know some of Dianne's relatives better. I wish the circumstances were more pleasant, though.
That leads me to another worry. Poor Tyler, to have so many frightening things happening to people he cares about in his short life... He's feeling the effects of it all. And it seems that Jeff has decided to call in a counselor for him, a psychologist. In all my born days, I never thought any member of this family would need one. But, when I think about it, I suppose it was inevitable. With all the trauma the team encounters and endures, it was only a matter of time. And I can't fix everything.
I can't fix everything.
There! I've written it twice. I used to heal all those scrapes with Neosporin and a kiss, or a cold with medicine, or an upset stomach and so on, but I have to admit now that I can't heal everything they go through. I can only be there for them and love them, as I always have. And I know Jeff would tell me that it's enough. But I don't feel it is.
I'm getting old. But I refuse to become useless.
Post by Hobbeth On 1/13/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #227 is a reply to message #226] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:24 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tracy Island, Sunday evening...
"I don't know how I let myself get talked into this," Alan grumbled.
"Hey, nobody held a gun to you head," Gordon retorted.
Alan glared, then sighed. "You'd think I would have learned by now!"
"Must be a blond thing." Gordon ducked as Alan threw the scraper at him. "Hey, watch it! You could put an eye out that way."
"Yeah, like I could be so lucky," Alan mumbled as he retrieved the scraper.
The two brothers were on the floor in Scott's room, attempting to unstick Scott's bureau drawers. Alan had a paint scraper that he was trying to pry between the wood, and Gordon was at the opposite end using a chisel.
Finally Gordon sat back and sighed. "This isn't working. We're going to have to use the steamer.
Alan looked up in horror. "We can't! If we use the steamer, all the paint'll come off and we'll have to refinish the thing too!"
"Let's not forget re-washing all his clothes..." Gordon sighed again.
Alan got up and stretched. "This had to be one of your dumber ideas, Gordon."
Gordon nodded in agreement, then smiled. "Yeah, but you got to admit, it was pretty good. You should have seen him running through the house in nothing but a towel. And when he got to the kitchen and ran into Grandma and dropped said towel...." Gordon dissolved into a fit of laughter.
Alan joined in a moment later. "Man, I wish we could have gotten pictures. Something to show his kids someday."
Gordon merely grinned. "Who said I didn't?"
Post by lillehafrue On 1/14/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #228 is a reply to message #227] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:25 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Monday, August 13, 7:30am Christchurch, New Zealand
"Mrs. Hanson?" The red haired young man walked towards Anna. When Anna nodded, he went on. "I'm Gordon Tracy. Are these your bags?"
"Mr. Tracy," Anna held out her hand and Gordon shook it. "Your father said to pack for up to a week." There was a small bag and a medium sized suitcase at her feet. She had a computer case over her shoulder.
"Right. My co-pilot is doing the preflight checks right now. I'll load these and we should be ready to go. If you'll follow me." Gordon picked up both bags and headed towards one of the doors leading to the runway. Anna moved ahead of him and held the door open. "What's this, women's lib?"
Anna looked at him. "If I were carrying something heavy and you had something light I would assume you would open the door for me. There is nothing 'lib' about it, just common politeness. Now if neither of us was carrying anything, I would let you open the door for me." She grinned wryly. "I'm known as 'Anna the immensely practical' in some quarters. This just seems to me to be the most practical way to do things."
"So I don't get a lecture on how women can do things for themselves?" Gordon was amused in spite of himself.
"Why, do you need one? I can probably give you one if you want, but I can think of several things I'd rather talk about." They had reached the plane by this time and Gordon quickly loaded the luggage. The steps were already lowered and he gestured for Anna to precede him.
Alan looked out from the cockpit. "Everything's ready to go."
"Great. Let's get this show on the road. Oh, Mrs. Hanson? This is my brother, Alan." He started to slip into the copilot's seat then looked back at Anna. "I understand you have a pilot's license. Would you like to fly part of the way? Or at least sit up front?" He grinned. "Common politeness says I should ask."
"No, thank you. I know how to fly but I don't enjoy it much." Anna kept her face perfectly straight. "Besides, I'd hate to deprive you of your fun. That wouldn't be polite." Her innocent look could match the best one Gordon could put on. But then her face grew thoughtful. "I would, however, like to talk to you after we've taken off. How long will we be in the air?"
"About 30 minutes. I'll be back in a minute." They had been taxiing toward the runway and they were next in line to take-off.
Anna unzipped her computer case and opened her laptop. She plugged in a mouse (she hated trackballs) and clicked on a file. She was still studying it when Gordon returned a few minutes later.
He looked down at an old newspaper article about his Dad and Dianne's marriage. "You're about to lose your internet connection. In fact, I'm surprised you still have it."
"This computer doesn't have a connection to the net." Anna closed the file and then the computer. "I got this article off the net at home last night and copied it to disc."
Gordon looked surprised. "I thought that model of computer had a built in wireless connection."
"It did. I had them disable it. In fact, I had them physically take the wireless card out."
Gordon's eyebrows went up at this. "Why?"
"Any computer, no matter how secure, can be hacked into. I knew too many people who got into 'impenetrable' systems in college. If a human wrote it, another human will find a way around it." Anna looked up at him. "Most of the people I worked with valued confidentiality. And in a child abuse or child custody case there can be a lot at stake. Not to mention defense attorneys trying to discredit a witness. Or civil wrongful death suits. My private files never go near the net. I have to update the city files in some cases, but that can be a summary of how I feel the patient is doing. But what goes on in my office, stays in my office."
"Please, sit down." She indicated the seat next to her. "What can you tell me about Tyler? I understand this has been a very upsetting year for him. Are you close to him?"
"We're close, but he's closer to John. Unfortunately, John now has a girlfriend and Tyler is not handling it very well." Gordon hesitated for a minute.
Anna broke in. "Gordon, it's very important that I know everything I can in order to help Tyler. But it is even more important for Tyler to have people he feels he can trust around him. If he told you something in confidence, don't tell me. If you think I should know something, tell Tyler that you think he should tell me. On the other hand, I am not going to pass anything about Tyler on that is told to me in confidence, unless I have to. So unless someone is hurting Tyler in any way, your secrets are safe here. If he has made any accusations though, I need to know."
"No nothing like that. Although he did accuse Kat of making 'goo-goo eyes' at John." Gordon seemed lost in thought for a minute. Anna waited patiently, knowing he would continue when he was ready.
"Right after my mom died my dad was, well, not doing very well."
Anna nodded. "That would be Lucy, his first wife."
Gordon went on. "Grandma came and took care of us. She took us in to see the pastor at our church, a couple of times. He helped us a lot and we told him how Dad was doing. Including the fact that Dad wasn't home much and that when he was, he was drinking a lot. We didn't find this out until much later, but he wasn't the one to complained to Child Protective Services. His secretary had been reading his notes and listening in on some of the sessions. She told a friend of hers who was a social worker. The friend called CPS. They investigated, and found no evidence of abuse. But the investigation was hard on Dad and then the press heard rumors about it and they started hounding us kids. We couldn't go out on the playground at school, we had to give up some extra activities, Dad finally had to hire security people for anything we wanted to do. I was still pretty young, but both Scott and Virgil almost had to give up Scouts. After about a year things settled down. That's when Dad decided to move us all back to Kansas."
Anna let out a breath. "So your father doesn't trust counselors much. He must be really worried about Tyler to have called me then."
"Yeah. This is scaring him. And me, too. Tyler has always been a picky eater but nothing like this. And now he's throwing up again. He was sick right after the tsunami, but we thought he was better. Dad just doesn't know where to start and neither do any of the rest of us."
"Gordon, what other changes have happened in Tyler's life recently?"
"A lot of new people have moved to the Island recently. That should be good though."
"Change, good or bad, can be upsetting. How did he handle your dad's accident? Did he go see him in the hospital?"
"Fairly well, I thought. All three of the younger kids saw dad as soon as the hospital permitted them to visit. We didn't really notice any problems until after the tsunami."
"You said 'the younger kids'. Do you feel like they are two separate families? And, more importantly, does Tyler?" The voice Anna used was so matter-of-fact that is was impossible for Gordon to resent the question.
"Dad adopted all three of Dianne's kids. We are one family. I won't say 'one big happy family' because we're human and have the normal problems. But, other than the 'you're older and get to do neat stuff' there's nothing major." Gordon thought for a second. "At least none that I know of. It's kind of neat to have a little sister and to no longer be one of the 'terrible two youngest'."
"Is there anything else you think I should know about? Even if it seems like no big deal?"
Gordon opened his mouth to answer but Alan's voice cut in before he could. "We're approaching Tracy Island and are clear to land. Fasten your seatbelts, everyone. And before you ask, no, I don't need you up here Gordon. What you were talking about back there was more important than help on a 30 minute flight." Gordon nodded and fastened his seat belt.
Post by susanmartha On 1/14/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #229 is a reply to message #228] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:25 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
**Sunday, Aug 12, Opp, Alabama; 1 p.m. (Monday, Aug 13; 5 a.m. on Tracy Island)**
Callie and her family entered their home after attending the church service and having lunch there. "That was a good sermon," said Lorraine.
"You're right," said Brian. "Hopefully we'll be able to apply it a lot this week, since we got Sis home for her birthday."
"Oh, stop it, Brian," Callie stated as her face started turning red. "You're embarrassing me."
Richard smiled at the fact his daughter was home. "I can't believe Tracy Industries allows people to visit family after being on the job for only six months. You've must've worked your way up the ranks fast."
"No, Dad. Some of the TI employees have family not that far away in Honolulu. Mr. Tracy believes that every employee should have a chance to spend quality time with loved ones. Besides, there's enough people in the engineering division there that it's no serious loss if I'm not there for a few days." Although she kept up a brave front, deep down she was shaking. I hope Doc's doing all right. It's hard for me to be here while she's still recovering. As for me, I'm just glad to be at home. I just hope they don't start asking too many questions.
Joseph shook his head. "I bet the toughest change for you is having to go backwards by about...what, seven hours?"
With a chuckle, she answered, "Oh, yeah. It's taken me the whole time I've been with TI to adjust my meal times. When I started back in February, people in Honolulu would have lunch at 12 noon, but my body was thinking, 'I should've already had dinner by now!'"
This caused everyone to laugh hard.
Lorraine asked, "Is there anything special you want to do before your birthday tomorrow, honey?"
"No, not really. I just want to take a nice shower, sit back, and relax."
"Oh, come on, Sis," said Brian. "Tomorrow's your birthday. You need to do something for yourself."
"Bri, I really want to relax today. With many of the stores closed on Sundays anyway, I don't have any reason to go out. I can wait until tomorrow."
"Brian," said Richard sternly, "leave Callie alone. She's barely had any time to herself since she got home. If she wants to relax, let her."
With a defeated sigh, Brian complied. "Yes, Dad. Sorry, Sis. I didn't mean to be so pushy."
"It's okay. I just need a little time to get adjusted here. Of course, heat and humidity aren't a problem, since it's the same in Honolulu."
After another hearty laugh, Callie added, "I'm gonna take myself a shower and slip into something more comfortable."
"Of course, dear," Lorraine said. "We'll let you have the rest of the day to yourself. I'll start cooking up the red beans and rice, along with some pork chops."
"Mmm, sounds good, Mom," said Joseph. "Lookin' forward to that."
Callie went into her bedroom and got undressed before going into the bathroom to take her shower. When she started the warm water, she immediately felt relaxed. Every drop across her body gave her a feeling of being massaged at a spa. Ah...this warm water feels so good right now. It's just what I needed to get some tension out of these muscles. I know Brian means well, but I really need some "me" time. I hope tomorrow I'll get to do something really fun, maybe fish at the nearby lake or go on a shopping spree at the mall in Andalusia.
Joseph knocked on her bedroom door. "Sis? Can I talk to you for a minute?" Not hearing her, he stepped into her room. "Oh, she must've gotten straight into the shower. I'll leave her alone--" He stopped mid-sentence because the sun reflected off something on the nightstand next to her bed. Walking up to the nightstand, he picked up the object. "What's this...a prescription...for sleeping pills? And it has Callie's name on it, too. Why on Earth does she need sleeping pills?" He noticed two other key pieces of information. "Dr. Dianne Tracy? Christchurch, New Zealand? What the heck's going on here?"
Getting out of the shower, she slipped into a comfortable t-shirt and knee-length capri pants. She stepped out of the bathroom and was surprised to find Joseph there. "Hey, Joe, what's going...on?" Upon seeing what he had in his hand, she tried to take it from him. "What are you doing with my prescription?"
He quickly stood up and held the prescription bottle tight. "Sis, you've got some serious explaining to do. What's with these sleeping pills, why do they come from Dr. Dianne Tracy, and why do they come from New Zealand? Don't you work in Honolulu?"
"Of course I do," she answered. "I was in Christchurch on assignment for a week and was having trouble sleeping. Going there subtracted another three hours, screwing up my body clock. And I really don't want to go on about passing the International Date Line over and over again."
"Yeah, I guess all that time changing and going everywhere can mess around with you."
"Right. Dr. Dianne Tracy was also there at the time. She's Mr. Tracy's wife and the family doctor. When she noticed how tired I had been from the constant jet lag and time changes, she gave me a ten-day prescription to help me sleep better."
Joseph put the bottle back on the nightstand and slowly walked up to his sister. "Aw, Sis, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to jump to the wrong conclusion. The moment I found the prescription, I just thought something was wrong."
"I understand, Joe. No harm done." She hugged him tightly. "Sorry for worrying you like that." After letting him go, she said, "By the way, what did you want to see me about?"
"I just wanted to check in on you. You know, make sure you're okay. I mean, I haven't seen you in over six months."
Callie smiled. "I appreciate it, Joe. I really do, but I'm a big girl now. I'll be okay."
"All right. I just wish you could go to the Hall of Fame Game in Canton next weekend. Alabama's playing Penn State."
"What?" she gasped. "Aw, geez! Now I wish my birthday were next week instead of this week."
Joseph laughed. "Yeah, I know. When Mom was bringing you into the world, she actually wanted to hold off for a couple of weeks so you would be born at the beginning of football season."
"Sorry, but when nature says it's time...." She laughed. "Oh, well, I can't always be lucky in life."
"Yeah. Hey, that was all I wanted to tell you. I'll leave you alone, at least until it's dinner time."
"Thanks, Joe. I'll see you later." When he left the room, she breathed a sigh of relief. Whew, it's a good thing I practiced what to say if I ever got into this situation, but I didn't expect him to find the medication. I'd better hide my prescriptions in the nightstand drawer. She looked outside the window and sighed. I wish I didn't have to lie to my family about what really happened to me, but I'm still insecure. The last thing I need is a lot more questions. Maybe while I'm here I'll be able to have a more decent sleep and not have to take the pills. She then got into her bed and listened to a mini-disc of nature sounds, which helped her fall asleep after 20 minutes.
Post by TracyFan4Ever On 1/14/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #230 is a reply to message #229] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:26 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Sunday, August 12, late morning, Tracy Island
As she laid in her bed, the sunlight woke her. Somehow the color was different. It caused her to sit up. She got up, walking over to push the sheers aside and find a distant ocean in the background, a beach in the middle and a runway in the foreground. She pushed her hair out of her face, laughing to herself. "No, Heather Marie, you're no longer in Kansas."
Continuing to talk to herself, she replied, "No, this is quite the opposite. Instead of a dry plain, I've got water-water everywhere."
Flopping back in the bed, she looked at herself lying there in the wide vanity mirror that sat opposite of her bed, beginning to remember the early morning hours when she'd flown in with Tin-Tin - with whom she'd become fast friends - as her co-pilot
Sunday morning, August 12, 2:30 a.m.
After a very comfortable three and a half hour trip from the Tracy Industries Testing Grounds - where Heather could now be called a former test pilot - they arrived at Tracy Island with a smooth landing. The metallic scream of the engines died away as Heather parked the Blue Streak into its new berth.
"Well, here we are," Tin-Tin said with a smile. "Now that your plane is put to bed, I have a question to ask. Do you want to go to your apartment right away? Or would a guest room in the Round House be better?" She paused. "The guest room would only be until you got some rest."
Heather yawned inadvertently. "Well, I'm beat. I'd say let's go with the easiest move. What would be easiest for you?"
"I guess the apartment would," Tin-Tin replied. "We're closest to the Cliff House right now."
"Let's do that then. Are there others sleeping in here?"
"Yes, the others are probably asleep, but your neighbor, Brandon is away. We shouldn't disturb anyone. The apartments are well soundproofed."
"That works for me. What are you going to be doing tomorrow?"
Tin-Tin yawned and stretched. "I'm not sure yet. Depends on if I get some sleep. All this time zone hopping messes me up!" She gave Heather a smile. "Are you hungry? I know we can get something from the Villa kitchen. I don't think there'll be anything in your fridge just yet."
Heather smiled. "Sure. I'm tired, but more hungry than anything else."
"Okay, then. Let's get your luggage up to your apartment, and go raid the fridge!" Tin-Tin said with a grin.
As Tin-Tin led them to the nearest service elevator, Heather shook her head. "Maybe you really do need a family pilot!"
Tin-Tin laughed as she pulled the antigravity float behind her, piled with Heather's luggage. The service elevator brought them to a wide catwalk within the cavernous hangar. "We'll get to the lobby of your apartment quickest this way," she explained. "Then I can show you the elevator system. It's really unique."
They found themselves at a wide glass door that slid open to Tin-Tin's key card. Dragging the float in, she activated the elevator, pushed the float in, and beckoned Heather to join her. "This is a keypad locking system. I'll enter my code, then you can enter one for yourself. The door to your apartment will only open from the inside, or if you punch in your code."
Heather nodded, and reached over to enter her own code. The door slid open, giving them direct access to the apartment. The lights automatically turned on. Walking in, Heather's delighted eyes swung from one end of the condominium to the other. She had never seen such comfortable surroundings with its sumptuous living room, well thought out kitchen, and a lovely, elegant bedroom.
"What do you think? Tin-Tin asked with a self-satisfied grin. "Let's put your luggage in your room," she added, "then I'll show you the monorail."
"Lead on, McDuff," Heather replied.
"You read Shakespeare?" Tin-Tin asked with delight.
"Some of it. MacBeth, Othello, Midsummer's Night Dream..."
"I enjoy reading Shakespeare," Tin-Tin said, as she led Heather to the monorail. "If I hadn't been so wrapped up in the sciences, I might have studied drama." They stepped aboard the monorail car. "This is a direct branch line to the Villa elevators. You'll need to remember that for when you start working rescues."
Heather nodded. "So what's on the menu this early in the morning?"
Tin-Tin laughed. "Well, we'll see who is up and about... someone nearly always is, as you heard when you requested landing clearance. Then we'll see what's available. I make a mean omelet in record time, and we always have fixings for sandwiches. My father may have even left us portions of the evening meal; he knew I'd be home sometime today... yesterday..." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Whatever."
As Heather glanced down at the world that seemed to be moving underneath her, she said, "I've crossed time zones often, but not across the IDL. Everyone must really depend on you."
Tin-Tin smiled softly as the monorail came to a halt at the small elevator lobby. "We all depend on each other here." She gestured to Heather. "This will take us up to the Villa."
They walked into the elevator. "So how did you get caught up in all this? How did you find your way here?"
"Through my father. When Mr. Tracy needed to move to a city and away from Kansas because of his business, his mother stayed on the family farm. He needed someone to take care of the house and prepare meals, and called my father on the strength of their friendship. I came with him and grew up in the Tracy home. It was only natural that I become part of International Rescue." She sighed. "I could have taken my skills anywhere, but I knew they were most needed here. I haven't regretted it."
The elevator deposited them on the lower floor of the Villa. As they walked, Tin-Tin said, "Looks like it's dark in the sick room; there's no light under the door. It's a good sign, I guess."
"How's Dr. Tracy doing now? Does she better being home now? How are the kids doing in all this?"
"I'm not sure. I know she's home, but it's only been a day or so. I guess I'll find out later today." She lead Heather into the dining room with its long table and sideboards.
"After I get up and get my inner clock reset, I'd like to go see how she's doing. Would you like me to help set the table?"
"No, I can do it while the food is heating. Father left us portions of the meal. Won't take a moment to heat up," Tin-Tin said as she opened one of the huge double refrigerators. "Besides, it'd take longer for me to tell you where everything is than to do it myself." She smiled at Heather. "But thanks for the offer; I appreciate it."
"You're welcome." With that, Heather dropped tiredly into her seat. Tin-Tin brought both dishes over to the kitchen table and they ate quietly, saying little. Soon, their repast was finished, and Tin-Tin escorted Heather one more time to her new apartment. As soon as the door closed behind her, Heather searched her largest bag and found one of Andrea's choices of radical nightwear. She shed her daywear, slipped on the delicate piece of lingerie, and crawled into bed.
Now she looked at herself in the vanity mirror. She was dressed in clean, casual clothes, smelling of her favorite perfume. Her reverie had taken her all the way through her shower and getting dressed. "Now I'm ready to face the day... and whatever adventures this new place brings," she said to herself with a smile.
There was a chiming at the door, and Heather hastened to open it. Tin-Tin stood in the elevator, smiling widely. "Are you ready to go?"
"Lead on, MacDuff!" Heather smiled back. She was feeling a little bit more comfortable.
--Heather arrives for good by AmandaTracy and Tikatu on 1/14/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #231 is a reply to message #230] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:27 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Monday afternoon, August 13.
Anna had spent the morning talking to Jeff, Lisa, Maggie and the rest of the family about Tyler. After lunch she spent an hour talking to Dianne. She kept getting the feeling people were hiding something, but she was used to that. Most families had something they didn't want to talk about. She didn't feel any menace or that they were hiding anything bad, and she trusted her instincts on that. Now she decided it was time to see what Tyler felt. She found Jeff in his office. "I would like to meet Tyler now. This will be more of a 'get to know you' visit but I do want it in a formal setting. Where would be a good place? Would your office work or would it be too intimidating?"
"My study might be better. He's in and out of there all the time, and it's more private." Jeff thought for a moment. "The schoolroom might also work."
"No, not the schoolroom. I don't want to make him associate the school room with something upsetting. I don't want to use the sick room for the same reason. And if I use your wife's office, he might feel I was trying to take his mother's place. Your study might be best. Formal but not intimidating. Somewhere he feels safe."
"All right, I'll find him and bring him up here. But I will be staying with him for this."
"Good. I want you in here for my first talk with Tyler. This won't be keeping you from something important?"
"Right now Tyler is the most important thing."
He cares enough to put aside his company and anything else. Good. He really does see Tyler as his son, not a just stepson or an encumbrance. And he's not just doing this for Dianne's sake.
Jeff noticed Gordon in the lounge. "Gordon, can you find Tyler and bring him here? I think he's still in his bedroom."
"Sure, Dad." Gordon gave Anna a quick look. She nodded back at him. He headed towards the bedrooms.
"I also want to meet with John later."
"To ask him about quitting NASA?" Jeff sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk.
Anna gave him a look, then grinned slightly. "Partly. But Gordon said John is the adult son closest to Tyler. I want his impressions of what's happening with Tyler, see if he's noticed anything we've missed. You say the problems started after the tsunami?"
"And John was home then." Jeff frowned. "How important is it that you meet him face to face? He's away on family business right now. I can set up a call, but it would take a couple of days to get him physically back here."
"Lets see how things go with Tyler first." Just then the door opened and Tyler walked through. Jeff gestured for him to sit in the chair next to him. "Tyler, I want you to meet Anna Hanson. She's a friend of your mom's."
"Are you a doctor too?" He looked at her, inquiringly.
"No, I'm a counselor. I talk to people who just had something bad happen to them and help them through it."
His face immediately clouded up. "Mom called a shrink about me." He scowled.
"Tyler! That is not polite!"
Anna waved Jeff to silence. "Considering some of the shrinks out there, I don't blame him. No, Tyler, I'm not actually here just about you. I'm here mostly for your mother."
"But you're not a doctor?"
"No, I work with firefighters and police who have been hurt while at work." Tyler darted a surprised look at his dad. Anna continued, "I'm here to see she doesn't need to worry about anything while she recovers. I'd like to talk to you and your dad about how to do that."
"Well, Dad's with her almost all the time. And Grandma Emily, Grandma Lisa and Kyrano are taking care of everything."
"Oh good. Someone other than your dad is doing the cooking. In my experience, dads usually aren't very good cooks when mom is sick. The kids tend to eat a lot of pizza and macaroni and cheese."
"I like macaroni and cheese," Tyler said indignantly. "It's my favorite!"
"I like it too. It's just not so good when you have it every night." Anna thought for a second and decided on a sideways approach. She turned toward Jeff. "What do the doctors say about her? Will she be ok?"
Jeff knew that Anna already knew what Dianne's prognosis was. He didn't know what she was up to but decided to play along. "She's going to be ok, but it will be a while before she's back to normal."
"Are you worried about her?" Anna's voice remained calm, as if she were only mildly interested in the answer.
"Yes, of course I'm worried about her. I know she'll be ok but..." He shrugged.
Anna turned back to Tyler. "Tyler, when your dad was sick last spring, how much did your mom worry about him?"
"A lot, I guess. She stayed in New York instead of coming back to get us. Scott and Grandma Lisa flew us to New York."
"And how soon did you get to see him?"
"When they let him out of the ICU. He wanted to see us but they wouldn't let us in the ICU."
"They wouldn't let me see my dad when he was in the ICU either. Were you the very first people to get to see him?" Anna's matter-of-fact tone seemed to relax Tyler a bit.
"Mom, Scott and Grandma Emily saw him first."
"But they could be in the ICU." She turned toward Jeff. "Mr. Tracy, why did you want to see Tyler and your other kids as soon as you could?"
"Because I missed them." Jeff hesitated. "And because I was worried about them and wanted to be sure they were ok."
"Did seeing them help? Even if you were still scared?"
Tyler jumped up. "My Dad's not scared. He's the bravest man in the whole world! He'd never be scared!"
Jeff was beginning to see where she was going with all this. "Of course I was scared, Tyler. I was scared I would die; I was scared I might not be able to walk again." Jeff hesitated. "I was afraid your mom might not love me anymore." Well, that hadn't been it exactly, but he wasn't going to go into that right now. Anna's mouth twitched, as if she knew exactly what he had been afraid of.
He went on. "Tyler, a brave man isn't someone who is never scared. A brave man is someone who goes ahead even though he's scared. Ask Scott. I know he's been scared sometimes."
"Scott's never scared! He's always in charge!" Tyler started to add something then hesitated and looked at his dad. Did this lady know about IR? He wasn't sure.
Anna noticed the hesitation and spoke up. "Everybody is afraid when something like this happens. It's ok to be scared, Tyler. What I'm here to do is help your mom deal with the things she's scared of." She crouched forward in her chair a bit so she was looking into Tyler's eyes. "And the biggest thing she's scared of is that you might be angry at her. Or," Anna's voice became very gentle, "she's afraid you might not love her any more."
Tyler looked like he was in shock. "She thinks I don't love her? Is that why she's going to leave? Like Daddy did?" A tear started to run down his cheek.
Anna turned to Jeff. "You left?"
"I think he means his biological father. He died 5 years ago in the Greenville Customs office bombing."
"I was mad at him and I didn't give him a hug and he went away and didn't come back. He must've thought I didn't love him either." Tyler was obviously trying not to cry.
"And last spring your second dad went away and got hurt and almost didn't come back. And now your mom went away and came back hurt." Tyler was shaking now. Anna continued, "And in a way, John is going away too. Everyone's leaving you and getting hurt."
Jeff went over and picked up his youngest son. Tyler buried his head in Jeff's chest and sobbed. Jeff held him close and stroked his hair. "Shh, shh, Tyler. I'm not going to leave you and neither is your mom." He rocked him gently and looked at Anna.
"Just let him cry. He needs that now. Is there somewhere I can get a damp washcloth and some water?"
"Ask Gordon. He's probably still out there." Jeff nodded toward the lounge.
Anna moved to the door and saw Gordon in the lounge reading a magazine. "Gordon." He looked up. "Could you get me a glass of water and a damp wash cloth? " He nodded and headed toward the kitchen. She came back to sit down next to Tyler and Jeff. "I didn't expect this to happen so soon. I didn't want to push him too hard."
"It's been a tough year for him. Maybe more than we realized."
Tyler's tears had wound down. Gordon came in with a damp washcloth and a bottle of water and handed both to Jeff. Jeff wiped Tyler's face then made him drink some water. Gordon leaned back against the wall but didn't leave. After a long drink, Tyler sagged against his father's chest.
"A young child, or for that matter any kid, thinks he is the center of the universe. Everything happens because of him. If someone dies or is hurt, it's his fault. Tyler, you have no idea how many firemen's kids have told me it was their fault the roof fell on their dad. Or policemen's kids who think the man who shot their parent did it because they were bad and God is mad at them. Sometimes even grown police officers feel that way. That's why they come and talk to me. I'll tell you what I tell them."
"The scariest thing in the world is watching when your parent, or anyone you love, is hurt. It's normal to feel it's your fault. But that's not true. Can you make a storm like the one that blew your dad's helijet down?"
"No."
"Can you blow up a building?"
Tyler blinked. "I could ask Brains how to."
"Were you driving the car when your mom had her accident?"
Headshake. "I'm too small to drive yet. 'Cept my bike."
"Is there anyone who is mad at you? Or do you think God is?"
"Kat's mad at me. I don't like her." Tyler snuggled a bit closer to his dad.
"Kat? Is she the one making goo-goo eyes at John?"
Tyler nodded. Jeff looked at Tyler in surprise but held his tongue. Anna continued, "Was she driving when your mom was hurt?"
Tyler looked at his dad again. "No. She was somewhere else."
"So, she couldn't have hurt your mom because of anything you did. Is anyone else mad at you?"
Tyler shook his head.
"Jeff, are you mad at Tyler?"
"Hmm, let me think. No, he hasn't pushed anyone in the pool recently. He's eating his vegetables, mostly. And his school work's been ok. No, I'm not mad at him right now. In fact, I hardly ever am." Jeff looked down at him and grinned.
"I don't think God is mad at you for anything. If you want, I can ask him about it." A snort came from Jeff at this. Tyler looked up at him.
Anna continued. "So your Mom's accident is not your fault. But it's ok to feel scared. It's even ok to be angry. What's not ok is to pretend you're ok when you're not." She looked at Jeff. "I'm surprised you didn't go through this after your first wife died."
Jeff sighed. "I think the boys did to a certain extent. I know I blamed myself. But I was pretty out of it for a while. I buried myself in my work. I don't think I let myself feel anything for a year. The boys' grandmother might have dealt with something like this. I know the pastor of our church spent a lot of time with her and the boys. She went to her own pastor for grief counseling after my dad died."
"Dad?"
"Yes, Tyler?"
"Did you blame yourself when your dad died?"
"I didn't blame myself for his death. I did blame myself for not spending more time with him. Come to think about it, I was angry at myself over that."
"Did you blame yourself when," Tyler hesitated, "John's first mom died?"
"For a long time I did. I don't anymore." He sighed. "But it took me a long time to stop feeling angry that she'd died."
After that, they both were quiet for a while. When she felt enough time had passed for both of them to recover, Anna spoke up. "Tyler, do you remember what I said about your mom? How I was here to help her?"
"Yeah."
"She is really worried about you. I don't think right now is the best time to tell her about all this. We can tell her later. But right now we need to show her you are all right. Do you think you could go see her and tell her what you've been up to? Can you think of a funny thing that happened? Did you go swimming yesterday?" Tyler nodded. "Did you splash anyone?" Tyler gave a quick head shake. He was beginning to look more interested. "Hm, too bad. Swimming is no fun if you don't splash someone." Tyler grinned at this. So did Gordon, still watching from the doorway, unnoticed by Jeff and Tyler. "Did someone get a big surprise yesterday? Something exciting to tell your mom about?" Tyler shook his head again.
"Hmm, your mom already knows about Gordon's latest joke, so we can't tell your mom about that." Jeff looked down at his son thoughtfully.
"Should we ask him to play another one?" Tyler was beginning to look interested.
"I don't think I really want to give Gordon any encouragement. He gets into enough trouble without any help."
A "Rats!" came from the door. Gordon looked like he was pouting. "I never get to have any fun." He looked at Tyler and grinned. Tyler grinned back, a little uncertainly.
An unholy gleam came into Jeff's eyes. "You know Tyler, Mrs. Hanson wanted to know why John quit the space program. Why don't we show her?"
Tyler looked at him in surprise. "She doesn't know about...?"
"No, your mom didn't get a chance to tell her. So why don't we show her what I gave John to make him willing to leave NASA." A grin slowly grew on Tyler's face to match the one on his father's.
Anna looked at both of them quizzically. "You gave him something that made him quit?"
"Yeah. But he won't mind us showing you part of it." Tyler jumped out of his dad's lap and ran to the door. "Come on, follow me." He raced out the door.
Anna looked at Jeff, inquiringly. Jeff was trying to keep a straight face.
Gordon didn't even try. "I'll come with you."
Anna looked at both of them. She knew something was up but had no idea what. Jeff gestured for her to precede them down to the elevators where Tyler was waiting impatiently. To her surprise, Jeff pressed his hand against something she couldn't see and a second elevator appeared. They took it down a level to a monorail car. Tyler ran ahead, grinning.
"What is down here?" All three of the Tracys grinned. I don't feel any menace, but they are definitely up to something. They're more amused than anything.
"A short cut to the hangers," Jeff answered. "Also the waste treatment plant, the power plant, the water desalination equipment, the boat pen... and a few other things we've been working on."
"That young man is enjoying this entirely too much. And so are you two." Anna began to think she might be in trouble. "The last time my family looked like you three do, they'd planned a surprise party for my fiftieth birthday. Complete with black balloons and a male stripper."
Jeff tried to look innocent. He didn't manage it very well. "Oh, I don't think you need to worry about any balloons here," he said as he ushered her into the waiting car. "It's just a quick look at something we've been working on." He pressed the buttons to send the car on its way.
She looked at all three of them. "You all look entirely too innocent." She shook her head. "I don't trust any of you for a second." Gordon put on his best 'I am sweet and innocent' look and Tyler was practically bouncing in anticipation. Whatever this is, it's distracted him enough to calm him down.
The monorail car came out from a short tunnel. "Why don't you just turn around and see what we've got?" Jeff's tone was highly amused.
Anna looked at him and raised an eyebrow. She turned around to look out the window behind her.
There was something big and red in front of her. As the monorail car continued to move, she could see support struts going down to what looked like thrusters. And the big white letters spelling "Thunderbird 3" on the side.
"Oh." She stood there for a second. Then she took a deep breath and let it out. Then a second. And a third. "Yes, I think that would be a good excuse for leaving NASA."
==========================================================
"Mom, you should have seen her. She looked like she couldn't move. She kept opening her mouth like a fish!" Tyler was sitting on his mother's bed. He was already in his pj's but wanted to tell her about his big surprise. "Then she looked at Dad and said, 'I hope it has a telescope.' Dad told here that it didn't, there was one on Thunderbird 5 for John. That's what he used to discover the Tracy Quasar!" Tyler was trying hard not to bounce in excitement. His grandma Lisa watched from the door. She'd already heard this, twice.
His mother laughed. "And what did she say then?"
Jeff answered. "She looked at me and said 'Company business, huh.'" He grinned. "I told her, 'No, this is family business. Tracy Industries just finances things.'"
"She was pretty quiet during dinner for some reason." Tyler smirked. "I can't wait to see how she looks when Thunderbird 1 launches through the swimming pool!"
Dianne laughed. "Hopefully, I'll be up by then. I want to watch her reaction, too. Now off to bed with you. I need my sleep even more than you right now. Can I get a good night hug?"
"Sure. Do you want me to tuck you in, too?" Tyler hugged his mom gently.
"No, I get to do that," Jeff interrupted. "Now shoo. I'll stop by and check on you later."
Tyler grabbed his Grandma Lisa's hand. "Okay. See you tomorrow." Lisa and he walked down toward his room.
Jeff sat down next to his wife. "You were right. She is just what we need."
"I gather the initial session went well? He likes her?"
"The initial session was hell. Tyler broke down. Apparently he's been hiding his feelings since his first dad died."
"What!!"
"Calm down, love. Anna was surprised it happened so fast. She told me later that he must have been close to breaking down. She wants to see him every day this week and once a week after that. Sometimes with you and me there. She also wants to him to talk with John about how he felt when Lucy died." Jeff paused for a second.
"She also wants to talk to Mom about how the boys handled it. I wasn't there for them much."
"Jefferson Tracy, don't you go feeling guilty. I have enough to worry about with Tyler." Dianne glared at him.
"I wouldn't dare. She said she'd talk both of us later about the other kids."
"My mom might know better than me." Dianne signed. "I sure missed it with Tyler."
"Now who's feeling guilty? Hypocrite." He hesitated. "I want to talk to her about Callie and Elise tomorrow. I need to fill her in, especially about the Hood."
"I don't want to just hand over my files on either of them. In fact, I can't tell her anything more than I already have without their permission. I can talk to her for a bit in the morning and give her some information. You can introduce her to Brains and Tin-Tin in the afternoon." She looked up at him coyly. "Now what was that about tucking me in?"
Post by susanmartha on 1/14/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #232 is a reply to message #231] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:28 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tracy Island, earlier that day...
"What's this I hear about you wanting to cancel Paradise Peaks?" As usual, Scott wasted no time in getting straight to the point.
Virgil continued opening the refrigerator while he answered, "I just didn't think the time was right, what with everything that's going on around here."
"Grab me a soda while you're in there."
Virgil kicked the door shut and carried two sodas to the kitchen table. "'Please' and 'thank you' go along way sometimes!" He smirked, handing Scott a soda and sitting down opposite him.
Scott ignored the remark, instead saying, "Yeah, I guess I can see your point, but I know some people were looking forward to the ski resort party."
"Now you sound just like Dad!"
Scott laughed.
"Seriously, Scott, you can see it too. Dad's worried about Mom and the younger kids and I know Grandma's devastated about the farmhouse. I've seen how tired some of the others look too, and I just..."
Scott held up and hand, cutting Virgil off and said, "Virgil, I do see it and I get it! It's your choice and I respect that. Let's hope the others see it your way, too." He gulped down some soda as Virgil wondered about some of the reactions to the e-mails Jeff had sent out.
"Hey, Brains, how's things going?" Elise asked the engineer as he fumbled about with something in TB2's lab. It still amazed Elise how a lab could be set up inside one of the pods and transported to wherever it was needed.
"Oh, hi, Elise. I'll be done here in just a few minutes if you need to start working on Two."
"Oh, no hurry; besides, it's not like we have to be rushing off anywhere in a day or so."
Brains stopped what he was doing and looked at Elise. "Oh, you must mean the e-mail from Mr. Tracy about Paradise Peaks being canceled."
"Yeah. Oh well, I guess I can see Mr. Tracy's point. This entire organization has had it rough recently. I don't blame Virgil for canceling." They both smiled slightly, a little down that there would be no trip, but understanding why it was canceled.
"Thanks, Kyrano, I don't know what we'd all do without you. Just let me know what else you need help with."
"It is my pleasure to help, Mr. Virgil." The retainer nodded gracefully.
"Father! You are so calm under all this stress!" Tin-Tin teased as she entered the kitchen.
"Daughter, your presence always calms me and I hope you will be able to help this old man to stay calm over the next few days!" Tin-Tin and Virgil laughed out loud.
"Virgil, I'm sorry you had to cancel your birthday party. I want you to know I do understand and want to help you with the preparations for having it here, at home." She smiled sweetly. She was like a sister to the Tracy boys and right that second, Virgil couldn't have wished for a finer one as he gave her a hug.
"Thanks, Tin-Tin."
"So, you and my father have made arrangements for the food?" Virgil filled her in on the details and explained that Kyrano was going to enlist the help of some of the ladies in residence with the preparations, as well as have some of it catered.
With that done, Virgil went to find Gordon. He didn't have to look far; Gordon was in Alan's room and the two of them didn't look happy.
"Dude! I can't believe you canceled your own birthday party!" Gordon started in before Virgil had fully entered the room.
"Yeah, what's with that? Feeling old or what?" Alan cheekily added.
Virgil shot him a warning look. "Look, guys, I had my reasons. Besides, you weren't even going to go, Gordon, were you?" Virgil had forgotten who'd arranged to stay and who was going to go.
"Yes, I was going to try and go! I was looking forward to seeing the other half of our team in dresses!"
"Well, just stick a dress on Alan and use your imagination!" Virgil replied, followed by, "Ow! Hey watch it!" as a pillow hit him square in the back of the head. "We're still going to have a party, just not on the scale it had originally been planned, which is why I came to ask you, Gordon, if you'd rig up a sound system to pipe music into the lounge?"
Gordon's demeanor changed and a smile appeared. "Sure, I'm on it! Hey squirt?" Gordon looked at Alan. "Wanna help?"
Alan merely rolled his eyes, which usually meant 'yes' to Gordon.
Virgil then had a second thought on the subject. "Do you two think you could hook up a camcorder of some sort, so we can video the whole thing?"
Gordon's grin got wider. "Not a problem, bro; leave it all to me!"
"Thanks guys!" Virgil walked out.
"Guess we'd better go find some electrical stuff!" Alan announced, then added as an afterthought, "Shame about those dresses I'd heard the girls were ordering."
"Yeah, now that's a real shame," Gordon stated.
Cherie had heard the news and was disappointed at first. She'd been so looking forward to wearing the dress she'd picked out, but then didn't want to wear it if her mother and father weren't going to be there. Now, she was worried about Tyler and so when Virgil came to talk to her about the party, she hugged him and told him she understood his reasons. Virgil was impressed at how mature his little sister was becoming. Cherie also told him that she was glad they were still going to celebrate with all the family there.
Well, overall, the reactions haven't been that bad, I'm glad I did the right thing, Virgil thought to himself as he set his mind to finding a photographer to take the still photos.
Post by FrankieCTB2 on 1/15/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #233 is a reply to message #232] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:28 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Monday, August 13, 10pm
Jeff sat down at his desk with a sigh. It had been a long day. But there was one last chore he needed to do tonight. He pressed the button to activate Lady Penelope's picture. After a moment the painting disappeared to be replaced by the lady herself.
"Hello, Jeff," she said. "I see you made it home safely. Is everything all right? How is Dianne?"
"Dianne is fine. She just went to sleep. I'm about to do the same, but I wanted to talk to you first."
Penelope raised an elegant eyebrow. "Is anything wrong? Any security problems?"
"No, actually everything is beginning to be right. But I do have a security concern for you."
"Oh?"
"We have a new agent. I need you to do a background check."
"This person is already an agent and you want me to do a check after the fact?"
Jeff grimaced. "It kind of had to be this way. I don't know if Dianne talked to you about hiring a counselor before her 'accident'."
"No, she hadn't. A counselor for Callie?"
"Callie, Elise, Dom and," here Jeff hesitated for a second, "Tyler."
"Oh, dear. More trouble like after the tsunami?"
Jeff nodded. "We found him throwing up on the way home. He hadn't been eating all week. I was getting desperate. Dianne had interviewed Anna and liked her. She came out to the island to see Tyler today."
Penelope blinked in surprise. "She came to the island?"
"She felt it would upset Tyler less. And I agreed. I didn't tell her about International Rescue then, though."
"Then. She knows now?"
Jeff nodded and told her about Tyler's breakdown and the 'funny story' to tell his mom.
"You like her and trust her already." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes," Jeff replied. "But I still want a background check on her and her husband. I don't expect any problems about her, but if there might be problems, I want to know about them. And anything about her husband. I haven't discussed becoming an agent with her, but I think she'd be a good one."
Penny looked thoughtful. "Give me the particulars and I'll get started. Have you considered putting Tracy Industries security on this also? It would be reasonable to check up on her since she will be working with your child and your employees."
"True. I'll put them on it." Jeff gave her all the information he had then seemed to change the subject. "When do you plan on visiting the island?"
"In a few days. I have a few things to do here first."
Jeff grinned again. He knew Penelope very well. "Anna will be here for a week, if you want to meet her."
"I do. In fact, I'm looking forward to it."
Post by susanmartha on 1/15/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #234 is a reply to message #233] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:29 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Monday, Aug 13, Opp, Alabama; 5:00 PM (9 AM the next morning on Tracy Island)
The Spencer family gathered around the dining room table and were prepared to have supper together. After Richard said a prayer, blessing both his family and the food, everyone took turns passing sweet potato pie, fried chicken, and collard greens.
"Mmm," said Callie after taking a bite of her chicken. "Mom, it's as good as ever. I need to come home more often."
Lorraine giggled. "I take it Honolulu doesn't really have that much on chicken, does it?"
"Checking stores out there, I do see the occasional chicken, but they take much bigger stock in pigs, since there are so many luaus. I think someone told me there can be as many as 20 different luaus per week."
"Wow!" said Richard excitedly. "Have you been to a luau yet, honey?"
The daughter shook her head. "No, not yet. I have heard there's supposed to be a big luau for everyone in the Honolulu office on Labor Day. That's gonna be a lot of fun." I'm not sure if that's really going to happen, she thought. Oh, well, maybe I can ask for a luau before I head back up to Thunderbird Five next month.
Brian said, "Sis, you really went all out in shopping at the Andalusia Mall. I haven't seen shopping bags that big in a long time!"
"What did you expect, Bri?" she said with a smirk. "It is my birthday after all."
"Got someone you like out there already?"
Callie put her fork down and stared straight at him. "Brian, that's not funny. You know I'm never comfortable with that subject."
"What's wrong with you?" asked Lorraine as she swatted Brian over the head. "Why shouldn't she be able to buy some new clothes just because she wants to?"
"Sorry, I just thought that--"
With a sigh, Callie said, "Brian, I understand, but since that awful relationship I had at Alabama, I'd rather stay single until I'm at least 40."
"Okay, Sis. I'll drop the matter. I shouldn't have brought that up. Can you forgive me?"
"Hey, I'm only gonna be here for three more days. I'd better forgive you now before I forget to do it."
Everyone laughed at her comment, and they went on to finish dinner.
Afterward, Lorraine went to the kitchen and returned with the birthday cake. "Happy birthday, dear."
"Oh, Mom, the cake's beautiful. I'm almost afraid to cut it."
"Well," said Joseph, "you've got to blow out the candles first."
Closing her eyes, she thought carefully about her wish and then blew out the candles. As her family applauded, she thought about the wish she had made. I wish my family safety and comfort, and I pray that I'll never have to respond to a rescue call for them. They're the most important people in my life, along with all the friends I've gained being a part of IR. I also hope I can either overcome or come to terms with my Hood encounter. Thank goodness being here has really helped me cast that creep from my mind and my soul, even if it's just temporary. "Okay, the candles are out. Let us eat cake!"
Her mother gave her the knife to cut the cake into slices. "Perfect," said Lorraine. "Just enough for all of us."
"Hey, Mom," Callie said. "Can I ask a favor?"
"Sure."
"Can we make another cake? Just for the employees in the front office?"
Richard nodded and smiled. "Honey, that's a wonderful idea. They'll be excited to know they'll get a cake from you. Why don't you come with Joe, Brian, and me in the morning and we'll deliver the cake."
"I'll be ready bright and early, Dad," she said with a giggle. "Of course, I could be up at 12 midnight because my body clock still hasn't adjusted that well yet."
"Do you need anything that'll help you sleep better?"
"No, Dad. I'm okay. I'm getting adjusted here with help from a nature sounds mini-disc. I'll be fine in the morning." Yeah, I will be fine in the morning, and every day to come as long as I've got my family's love and support on my side, no matter how far apart we are.
Post by TracyFan4Ever on 1/15/2007 6:10 PM
[Updated on: Mon, 23 July 2012 15:41] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #235 is a reply to message #234] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:29 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tuesday, August 14, about 9:30am
"Dr. Tracy? Are you ready to talk to me?" Anna stood outside the sick room door and looked in.
"No. Until I can sit at my desk and get out of this stupid hospital bed, I don't want to talk to anyone. But come in anyway." Dianne pushed the bedside table away.
Anna pulled a chair closer to the bed. She opened her portable computer and looked up. "I assume Jeff told you about my first session with Tyler yesterday?"
"Tyler spent 15 minutes in here last night telling me all about showing you Thunderbird 3. I'm afraid he's already planning to see if he can surprise you with anything else. Then Jeff spent some time telling me about your talk with Tyler."
"As long as he doesn't put a snake in my bed, he can plan all the surprises he wants. Right now he needs the outlet. I want to talk with you about him some more but that can wait until you're stronger. I've already talked to your mother and I'll be talking with Drew when he gets here. From what your mother said you seem to have moved on."
"Yes, but I wasn't very together the first two years after the bombing." Dianne grimaced. "Apparently, I didn't do too good of a job with the kids."
"I think you did an excellent job. All four of you are still alive, nobody is alcoholic or an addict, your kids seem fairly happy and not brats -- or at least not any more than any other kids their age." Anna looked up at her. "I do hope you realize this won't be a 'one hour soap opera' solution?"
"A what?"
"A 'one hour soap opera' solution," Anna grinned. "That's my name for it, at least. All the TV shows where something is bothering someone. We finally find out what it is in the last 15 minutes. Somehow this releases all the tension and solves all the problems. Whatever the problem was, it's never mentioned again."
Dianne snorted. "Do I look that stupid?"
"No. Neither does your husband. But you'd be amazed at the number of otherwise intelligent people who can't figure out why their kid isn't better within a couple of weeks. Apparently I'm supposed to have a magic wand. But that isn't what I came down here to talk to you about." Anna looked at something on her computer.
"According to your husband, you're worried abut Callie and, let me see, Elise. Is that right?" said Anna, looking up from her computer.
"Yes. Also Dominic. Although, that may be simpler. He has arachnophobia and had a run in with a spider recently. A tarantula, to be exact. He freaked. And I think Scott and Alex may have made things worse." She told Anna what Alex had told her about Dom's initial run-in with the spider and his and Scott's later conversation with Dom about spiders.
"Hmm. That's not my specialty, but I should be able to help." She typed something else into the computer and looked up. "I made an appointment with Elise for this afternoon. I understand Callie is away right now. And that she was unsure about talking to me. Jeff said I should talk to Brains, Tin-Tin and Kyrano before I talked to her. Can you tell me why?"
Dianne took a deep breath. "Remember I asked you about 'odd religious beliefs'?" Anna nodded. "There is this character called 'The Hood'. He's wanted by Interpol for industrial espionage. He is also Kyrano's half-brother. Jeff arranged to see his Interpol file after he found out about him. The file talks about his 'glowing eyes' and 'strange hypnotic powers'. They don't seem to know quite what to make of him. Unfortunately, we do. He can get into your mind somehow and take it over. Both Tin-Tin and Brains have had encounters with him. So has Kyrano, much more frequently and with greater depth. Last month so did Callie. She's pretty shook up, and I don't blame her. I also think she is blaming herself for not being able to resist him. Although, as far as I'm concerned, she did resist him. She didn't give him any of the information he wanted. At my suggestion she talked to Tin-Tin and Brains about their encounters with him. I do know she is still having nightmares about it. I have her on antidepressants and sleeping pills, but they don't seem to be helping and I'm in no condition to help her right now. And even if I was, I wouldn't know where to start." Dianne was clearly getting upset. "I tried to talk to the head of the psychiatric department at the Christchurch School of Medicine. He offered to have her committed as schizophrenic."
"I've meet the head of the psychiatric department. He's ok as long as a patient fits an established pattern. But it better be the pattern he's decided the patient fits into. He's actually very good at figuring out what medications to use and what dosage. I've worked with him a couple times. But forget about telling him about anything not in a medical textbook or journal." Anna stopped typing and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Have you talked to Callie about talking to me?"
"Yes, and I have her permission to talk to you about it."
"Good. How long has she been on the sleeping pills?"
"Longer than I like. Although I don't know if she's been taking them every night."
"I'll try to talk to Kyrano, Brains and Tin-Tin this afternoon or tomorrow. I'll catch Dominic and ask him if he wants help. How do you handle the prescriptions here?" Anna was staring at her computer screen.
"I keep a small supply of medications here. I can order anything from Christchurch and have it mailed if I'm running low."
"How big of a supply did you give Callie?"
Dianne thought for a moment.
"I gave her a week's worth of the sleeping pills and a months worth of antidepressants just before my accident. She asked Brains for a refill of the sleeping pills before she left to visit her family."
"I'll set up my first appointment with Callie just to ask her if the pills are helping." She entered something in her computer and looked up.
"You know, your uncle Drew is a terrific liar. He told me everything I needed to know and at the same time had me convinced you had actually had a car accident."
"You called him?"
Anna snorted. "I wasn't getting into a plane with two strangers going I don't know where without doing some checking. I also ran a police check for any citations, domestic violence reports or possible abuse reports. The police report came back pretty empty. One public drunkenness warning, one speeding ticket."
Dianne looked at her in surprise. Anna noticed the look. "I suppose that does sound a bit paranoid but in my old job I was one of the people who could take someone's kids away from them. I also know where some battered wives are currently living. I have had death threats before." Anna paused for a second. When she resumed talking her voice was a lot quieter. "And a colleague of mine was killed while helping a battered wife. I have some very good reasons to take precautions."
She closed her computer and stood up. "You look like you're about ready to fall back asleep. I'll talk to you again tomorrow. Right now, I have an appointment with Tyler. He wants to show me the gardens. Hopefully, he hasn't planted a snake or something there."
"No, he wouldn't. Now Gordon might. You have problems with snakes?"
"Only if I have to touch them." She smiled at Dianne and walked briskly from the room.
Post by susanmartha on 1/15/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #236 is a reply to message #235] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:30 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tuesday, August 14, 2068, 10:30 a.m., Tracy Island
"Delta Zebra Zebra two-five-three-eight, to Tracy Island. Requesting permission to land."
"Andy!" Jeff cried as he headed to the radio. "This is Tracy Island. Permission granted, and welcome!" He turned to the intercom and flicked a switch. "Lisa? Maggie? Andy's here!" He glanced over at Virgil, who had a data pad in his hands, going over his birthday party plans again. "Come on, son. Let's go down and meet him!"
They met Maggie and Lisa coming from the kitchen, where they'd been helping Kyrano with some of the party preparations. "It's about time the man got here," Maggie said, irritably. "I love Dianne dearly, but she is not the best of patients!"
"Do you know a doctor who is?" Virgil asked good-humoredly.
They took the elevator down to the hangar level, and the monorail over to the Cliff House. Maggie shook her head in awe as they passed over Thunderbird Two. "I still can't believe it," she said, her voice sounding awed. "All of this... it's amazing."
Jeff gave a distracted, "Um hm," which had Virgil looking at him with a frown. He huffed out a breath through his nose, and turned to Maggie with a smile.
"So, Aunt Maggie, which Thunderbird impresses you the most?"
Lisa chuckled as Maggie raised an eyebrow. "Would you be terribly disappointed if I said Thunderbird Six?"
Virgil dramatically put both hands over his heart, throwing his head back. "Oh, you wound me!"
"You've been taking acting lessons from Gordon, I see," Lisa said dryly, shaking her head. "And I thought only Alex was becoming as big a ham."
"Oh, but he is, Grandma," Virgil said, as the monorail deposited them at the Cliff House and they started across the catwalk to the freight elevator. "You should have seen him at Scott's paintball party!"
The ride down to the hangar floor was quieter, and Jeff seemed lost in thought. He looked straight ahead as they passed the family jets and the newest addtiion, Heather's Blue Streak. He steadfastly refused to look to the right, but the others did, their faces sobering as they caught glimpses of the battered pieces of Thunderbird Seven in the pod vehicle repair bay. Then they reached the small aircraft door, built within Thunderbird Two's huge, camouflaged portal. "Virgil? Get the float, please?"
"Sure, Dad." Virgil strode off briskly to find one of the antigravity luggage carriers.
"Stand over there, ladies," Jeff said. He pulled noise reducing headphones from a chest, and passed them to the two women, then motioned them to one side as he picked up a pair for himself, and a couple of fluorescent sticks. He donned the headphones, activated the sticks, then pressed the button that opened the door. Little by little the gray light of the overcast day flowed in, the outline of Drew's jet briefly showing in shadow as the sun was uncovered and covered once again. Jeff used the lighted sticks to guide Drew into the hangar and motion him to an empty berth. Virgil stood well away; the backdraft of the barely-powered engines whipped his hair around, and made the women's clothes rustle and sway.
Finally the sleek jet was in position, and the engines powered down all the way. Maggie took off her headphones, sighed, and smiled. Virgil pulled the float along behind him, and offered to take the headphones from the women when they reached the plane. Jeff handed him the equipment he had used, and took over the float until Virgil returned. The side door swung down, revealing the stairs, and a rumpled Drew Carmichael descended. He shook hands with Jeff, gave Lisa a quick squeeze and a kiss on the cheek, then enveloped Maggie in his arms and kissed her long and hard.
"I have missed you, woman," he said when the kiss ended.
She pulled his head down toward her again for another kiss. "I've missed you, too."
When this one was over, Drew looked around. "I always wondered what your hangars looked like, Jeff. As I recall, you had just about everyone flown over from Christchurch and Wellington for the wedding." He saw Virgil pulling luggage from the cargo hold. "Oh, hey, Virgil! Thanks for getting that!"
"No problem, Uncle Drew," Virgil replied. "You don't have much."
Drew smiled, then his eyes were drawn to the open end of the hangar, where the nose and pods of Thunderbird Two was just visible. "Wow." He shook his head. "I never thought I'd be involved in this."
"I'll give you the grand tour later, Andy," Jeff promised, clapping a hand on Drew's shoulder. "Right now, let's get you and your luggage upstairs. Dianne was sleeping last I looked, but I know she's looking forward to being allowed out of the sick room."
As they headed for the freight elevator, Drew and Jeff dropped back a little. "How did things go with Mrs. Hanson? Will you need someone else?"
"She's good. I like her and she's developed a rapport with Tyler already. And I've already let her in on the family secret." Jeff rubbed his neck. "As for whether or not we'll need another recommendation, I hope not. It all depends on what Penny finds on her background check." He shook his head. "I feel like we're doing this backwards in a way, but necessity demanded it."
"'Necessity is a mother'," Drew said with a small smile. "I'll talk to her, too. I need to apologize for a few fibs I told, if nothing else."
Post by Tikatu on 1/16/2007
[Updated on: Mon, 23 July 2012 15:41] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #237 is a reply to message #236] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:30 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tuesday, August 14, 11:15 a.m., Tracy Island
Brains slid his hands around the data pad he was clutching as he waited. I should have done this sooner, while their recollections were fresh, but... it didn't seem right. He was sitting in the lounge on the left hand side of the Cliff House apartments, waiting for Dom and Nikki to arrive. I hope talking to them together will help me get some of the answers I need.
Nikki came down first, still favoring her ankle. She gave him a slight, unsteady smile and a murmured "Good morning," as she sat down in one of the comfortable chairs.
Dom arrived a few moments later, a diaper bag over one shoulder, a basket of toys in the same hand, and clutching Josh's hand with the other. He no longer wore his cervical collar, but Brains's practiced eye could see that he was still feeling the physical effects of the whole situation. I'm glad Dr. Carmichael is here; his words will hold more clout than mine would.
Dom gave him a short nod, and said, "Mornin', Brains, Nikki." He moved gracefully to sit on the floor, assuming the lotus position, and handing a couple of blocks to his son. "So, what do you need to talk about?"
Brains looked down at his data pad. "First, thanks for coming. I know you've been feeling the repercussions of the... the crash for a bit now, and I probably should have come to you sooner, while the memories were fresher, but..," he shrugged, "it didn't seem like the right time."
Nikki moistened her lips with her tongue, and Dom nodded solemnly, so Brains continued. "I'm trying to figure out just how Thunderbird Seven separated. So... if you're comfortable with it, tell me what happened when the tornado... when the tornado picked you up."
The two nurses exchanged glances, and Dom nodded as if to say, "I'll go first." "Well," he said, thinking over his words, "Dr. Tracy was holding on hard, trying to keep us upright. Still, it wasn't but a few moments before the power failed on the magnetic couplings. I tried to reroute power, but it didn't work."
"The cabin was vibrating at first, then started shaking badly," Nikki added. "Then the two parts separated and we went tumbling about." She shuddered. "A big clump of... of something slammed up against the windscreen, but it just slid off..."
"Was this before the sections separated, or after?" Brains asked, taking notes.
"Definitely after," Nikki replied, twining her fingers together.
"Hmm." Brains paused for a long time. Joshua toddled up and pulled on the data pad; gamely, Brains showed him the notes.
"Wead!" the boy demanded, starting to climb into Brains's lap. Brains, at a loss, raised wide eyes to Dom, who untangled himself and reached across to his son.
"Ah, come on now, wee man. I have just the book for you over here," he said as he retrieved the boy and fished around in the toy basket to find a board book more to Josh's liking.
The pair settled down, and Brains, relieved, went over his notes again. After a moment, he asked, "Was there anything else? Anything you saw, or heard, or felt?"
Dom paused in his reading, looked up, and shook his head slowly. "'Twas hard to hear anything above those winds," he said with a shrug. At Josh's loud insistence, he went back to reading the book, a story Josh knew well, judging by the toddler's delighted responses.
But Nikki sat up straighter. She cocked her head to one side, and said haltingly, "I think... I remember hearing a..." she turned toward Brains, "a scratching noise. It wasn't loud, but it was right over my head. Sort of like a... a branch, scratching on a window pane, or on the roof of a car. I didn't remember it before, but since you mentioned hearing..." Her voice trailed off, and she smiled sheepishly. "I don't know that it's of any help, though."
"Anything you tell me is of help," Brains said, looking up from his notes to flash a brief smile at her. "Did either of you hear when the magnets let go?"
Dom stopped reading again, and both nurses shook their heads. Dom said, "We could feel it, though. The shaking stopped very abruptly."
Brains tapped his stylus on his chin. "That means the failure wasn't catastrophic. Thunderbird Seven's electrical system was trying to reinitialize the magnets, but there was some sort of overload..." He realized he was theorizing aloud, and stopped. Smiling at the pair, he nodded. "Thank you both." He cleared his throat. "I'm sure this has been difficult for you. I wish it wasn't necessary."
"I just hope it helps," Nikki said softly.
"I'm sure it will," Brains assured her. "If you remember anything else, even if you think it may be insignificant, please tell me."
"We will," Dom replied, glancing quickly up from the book.
"I need to get back to the lab," Brains said, rising. "I'll talk to you later. Have a good afternoon."
"You, too, Brains," Nikki said.
The scientist walked off, glancing back to give the nurses a wave. Nikki looked down at Dom and Josh, and smiled a little.
"What are you two doing for lunch?" she asked.
Post by Tikatu on 1/16/2007
[Updated on: Mon, 23 July 2012 15:41] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #238 is a reply to message #237] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:31 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tuesday, August 14, 2:30 p.m., Tracy Island
The lab door slid open, and Virgil leaned a raised forearm on the side of the doorway, pressing his forehead into the arm and letting out a sigh. Brains looked up from his computer screen and smiled a little. "Thanks for coming," he said.
"You're welcome," Virgil replied as he entered the room. "I need a break from all the party arrangements. You would not believe all the work that has to be done, especially since we're having it here and we have to do a lot of stuff ourselves. Fortunately, some of the food will be catered. I'm flying out with Kyrano in the morning to pick it up." He shook his head. "Gordon and Alan are threatening to set up the karaoke machine."
Brains shook his head. "Just as long as I don't have to sing," he commented. Beckoning to Virgil, he turned the computer screen around a little so that the other man could see the images on it.
"What are you looking for?" Virgil asked as he pulled up a lab stool.
"I've gone through the black box, and talked with Dom and Nikki. I suppose I should talk with Dianne, too, but I'm not sure how to broach the subject." Brains tapped the screen gently with his stylus. "All I can figure is that there was a power surge of some sort. It centered around the magnets, and though the failsafes tried to reinitialize them, they let loose." He shook his head. "I just can't see where the power surge came from!"
Virgil had picked up Brains's notes from the morning. "Hm. Nikki said there was a scratching noise." He looked up and nodded toward the screen. "Show me the footage."
Brains tapped a button or two, and the close-up footage of the tornado rolled. Virgil, even knowing what to expect, still winced when the two portions separated, but when the piece was over, he asked Brains to run it again. This time he got closer to the screen. "Is this the original distance for the film, or have you zoomed in?"
"I zoomed in quite a bit," Brains replied.
"Can you do it some more?"
Nodding, Brains complied. Now the picture was tight on Thunderbird Seven, its white hull partially obscured by the gray-brown of the cyclone. Virgil watched carefully, then called, "Freeze it!" There was a pause, then, "Now back it up, just a little."
The cyclone inched backwards, and Virgil said, "There!"
"Where?" Brains peered at the frozen picture.
"Here!" Virgil took the stylus, and pointed to two bright points. "And here!"
"Blue-white flashes." Brains glanced up at his companion. "What could they be?"
"I think I know," Virgil said. "Zoom out now, way out."
Frowning, the engineer did as Virgil asked, then sat back heavily in his chair. "Of course. That makes perfect sense." He shook his head. "High tension wires. The tornado tore them up, or Thunderbird Seven did when it was pushed into them. Why didn't I see it?"
"You were too close to it, in a way," Virgil told him, clapping a hand on the thin shoulder. "You weren't looking at the bigger picture." He glanced around the room, and spied the door to the pod vehicle repair bay. "I bet we can get further proof, too."
"Where?" Brains asked, frowning again.
"C'mon," Virgil said, already heading toward the door. Brains got up and followed him, clambering noisily down the metal stairs to the repair bay floor.
Virgil grabbed one of the motorized scaffolds, and guided it over to the side of Thunderbird Seven's cockpit. He climbed aboard, pulled Brains up onto the platform, and with the push of a button, sent it moving slowly into the air. They passed the roof of the cockpit, and gained enough height that they could see the whole roof at once.
"Hm. Maybe I'd better get down there with a cloth or something," Virgil said, thoughtful. "I'd forgotten there was so much dirt up here." He turned to Brains. "Let's lower this a bit and climb on the roof; it's stable enough, isn't it?"
Brains nodded. "It should be."
Virgil brought the scaffold down to just above the level of the roof, and leaped out onto the dirty, scraped cockpit. Brains followed, with Virgil catching his arm to keep him from falling backwards.
"Hm. Let's see. Nikki was sitting to Mom's left," Virgil murmured as he faced front. "That would put the scratching sound she heard over... here." He took a few steps, then squatted down to brush some of the dirt away and out of the scratched paint.
"I see it!" Brains cried as he squatted down beside Virgil. "There... and there! Scorch marks on the paint where the wire sort of dragged along the surface."
"And look," Virgil said, pointing off toward the medical cabin. "More marks there, It must have whipped along here, very likely in that direction, and gotten caught long enough to zap the magnets." He glanced at Brains, sober-faced. "Just think what might have happened if you hadn't built her so well and protected the cabins against this kind of thing." He put a hand on Brains's shoulder. "The magnets were a weak link, true, but if you hadn't been so meticulous in preparing Seven for possible electrical shock, things would have be a whole lot worse."
Brains sighed and nodded. "I guess you're right, Virgil. Still, I can't help but feel responsible..."
"You're responsible for Mom and Dom and Nikki being alive," Virgil told him firmly. "And now that you've seen the weak link, you can redesign things with this scenario in mind. And not only Seven, but you can look at the other vehicles and see what might happen if they were caught up in this situation." He smiled. "I'll give you a hand with it, Brains... after the party."
Post by Tikatu on 1/19/2007
[Updated on: Mon, 23 July 2012 15:41] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #239 is a reply to message #238] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:32 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tuesday, August 14, 2068, 4:30 p.m., Tracy Island
"Well, how's my celebrity patient?" Drew said as he followed Jeff into the sick room.
"Peevish," Maggie snapped as Lisa followed the men in.
"It's about time you got here," Dianne grumbled. "I want out."
Jeff snorted a laugh. "Well, now, the tables are turned, aren't they? A few months ago, I was the one who wanted out and who wouldn't let me?" He pointed a finger at Dianne, brushing it lightly across the tip of her nose. She pretended to snap at the finger with her teeth, and he drew it back hastily, shaking his hand. "My, my, you're not peevish, you're positively snappish!"
Dianne rolled her eyes, while Lisa groaned and shook her head. Drew chuckled. "Do you two do this all the time?"
"No," Dianne said emphatically, raising a haughty eyebrow.
"Just let me take a look at these charts," Drew said, taking the data pad that Maggie handed him. "Hm. Okay. You have a scanner. So let's get you in there and have a look-see."
Dianne sighed, and began to swing her legs over the side of the bed. Maggie stood by, ready to support her niece for the short hobble to the scanner room. However, her aid wasn't needed this time as Jeff came in on the other side and picked Dianne up bodily.
"Jeff!" she cried. "You're going to hurt yourself!"
"I'm lifting with my knees," Jeff said mildly. "But I do believe you're gaining weight, Mrs. Tracy."
He carefully took the dozen or so steps from Dianne's bed, past the office and storage room, and into the surgery, where he set his wife on the scanner. Stepping back, he rubbed his hands together, with an audible, "Whew!" It was then that he noticed his wife biting her lower lip and the first fat tear start coursing down her cheek.
"Oh, love, I didn't mean it!" he said, returning to the table and cupping her cheek with one hand. She leaned into him, sniffing mightily, trying not to break into sobs. He gently kissed her on the head, murmuring, "I'm sorry." She took his hand, and kissed his palm, then curled his fingers over it as her silent token of forgiveness.
"Are you ready?" Drew asked, smiling a little. Dianne sniffed and nodded. Maggie presented her with a tissue to wipe her eyes; Dianne did so, and blew her nose noisily, then Jeff helped ease her back onto the table. Drew adjusted the screen and other equipment to his liking, and the scan began.
Jeff slipped his fingers under Dianne's hand, and ran his thumb over her bare ring finger. "Drew?"
"Hm?" Drew was focused on the screen, a small frown creasing his forehead between the brows.
"Did you ever find Dianne's rings?"
"Jeff," Dianne said softly. "I left them in my locker, on... on Seven."
There was a moment of silence, then Jeff drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He smiled a little, and squeezed his wife's hand. "Then, I guess I'll have to go down and get them."
The scan took a good twenty minutes and Drew made a number of humming noises, but didn't say much. Finally, he sighed, and gave his niece permission to sit up.
"Well, you've definitely got some infection in that leg, but it seems to be clearing. Did you self-prescribe some antibiotic?"
Dianne nodded. "Yes. It's in the notes. Brains took a swab and looked at it; he concurred with my choice." She paused. "How's the muscle?"
"Healing, but you'll need therapy to stretch it out and get it working properly again. We can talk about who and how much once the infection has cleared up."
"The bruising? The lacerations? The ribs?"
"The bruising is well on its way out. I'd give it two or three more days. The lacerations look good, too." He huffed out a breath. "Dianne, I know you want out, but I'd like you here at least until the infection clears. Then you should be able to safely bear some weight on that leg. I don't want you on crutches because of your ribs... which are healing, but they're not strong enough yet for that and won't be for at least another two weeks."
"Can I at least have meals with the family? I feel so... isolated here."
Drew glanced up at Jeff, whose face was full of cautious hope, then back at Dianne, whose resigned-sounding plea was echoed in her weary face. He sighed heavily, then nodded. "But right back here afterward, understand?"
"Understood... Doctor."
"Well, now," Maggie said, moving in. "Let's get you back into the sick room. Lisa? Do you have those sheets changed?"
"Of course I have, Maggie. I'm not one to sit around and twiddle my thumbs," Lisa said, popping into the room with a smile. "C'mon, let's get our girl back to bed." Before Jeff could move in again, Lisa and Maggie were on either side of Dianne, supporting her as she hobbled back to bed. Jeff followed, while Drew stayed to transfer the scanner's results to Dianne's chart.
"All settled now?" Jeff asked as he moved in to tweak the blankets just that little bit.
"Yeah," Dianne said quietly. "I'm settled."
"In that case," Jeff told her, "I'm going downstairs to find your rings." He kissed her quickly on the forehead, and was gone before she could call him back.
Lisa and Maggie exchanged concerned glances with each other as they watched Dianne reach futilely for her husband, a cry of, "Jeff!" cut off by the closing door.
"Drew!" Maggie called, ducking her head into the surgery. Dianne's face went from fearful to hopeful in a blink as Drew came hustling out of the other room.
"What's wrong?"
"Jeff's gone down to Seven to get Dianne's rings," Lisa explained. "He hasn't been down there since we got home. In fact, he's been avoiding it."
"Please, Uncle Drew, go aftuh him," Dianne pleaded, beginning to cry again. "He's gonna need someone..."
"How do I get there?" Drew asked, heading for the door.
"Ah'll take you," Lisa said, slipping by her brother to guide him, "but he'll probably respond better t' you than t' me. C'mon."
Post by Tikatu on 1/19/2007
[Updated on: Mon, 23 July 2012 15:40] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #240 is a reply to message #239] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:32 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tuesday, August 14, 5:15 p.m., Tracy Island
On the way down in the elevator, Drew asked his sister, "How long have you known about all this?"
She waved a hand. "Ah snooped it out th' first or second time Ah came. You know how Ah am about findin' things out."
"I also know how you are about keeping secrets."
Lisa folded her arms and raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Well, Ah kept this one. In fact, they didn't even know Ah knew... until they decided t' bring me intuh the loop. Then Ah told 'em."
"I'm impressed," Drew said, and left it at that.
They had to wait for a monorail car as both main cars were elsewhere on the track. "So, where are we going?" Drew asked.
"T' the lab. The vehicle repair bay is off of it." Lisa sighed, and wrapped her arms around herself tightly. "Ah don' get down heah much, really no reason t' do so. But Ah remembuh where things are."
Drew looked at his watch. "Jeff's had a good head start."
Lisa nodded. "Ah know. But y'all still might be of some help."
Meanwhile, Jeff had entered the lab. "Brains?" he called. "Are you here?" When there was no answer, he checked his watch and shrugged. Must have called it quits for the day.
He opened the door leading to the repair bay. It was dark; only a safety light or two struggled against the natural blackness that the caverns usually held. He reached back into the lab and fumbled for the lights with one hand. At his touch, the room was illuminated, one portion at a time, until finally Jeff could see for himself what he'd come to face.
He thought he knew what to expect, but the reality of it drove all coherent thought from his mind. He couldn't take his eyes from the vehicle until he found himself standing on the repair bay floor, his body having taken him down the stairs without his realizing. The dent in the medical cabin's rear corner was clearly visible and close to him; Seven's paint was scratched and scored by tornado-driven debris. He reached up hesitantly to run his hand along the side, swiping a slightly lighter path through the dirt, then looking blankly at what had accumulated on his fingers. He did the same to the dent, tracing the edges and exploring the depths of the indentation. Tiny flakes of paint came off; he ran a thumb over the gritty particles, then brushed his hands clear and continued around behind the medical cabin.
The rear door won't work; it's crumpled beyond opening. I'll have to try the side doors.
This other side was dirtier, and more scratched up from its landing in the field, but the doors stood open. There were signs that a power pry bar had been used. He climbed inside using the ladder rungs. The repair bay's bright overhead lights illuminated much of the cabin, but work lights had been strung up inside as well. Some of the biobeds were in the open position, dropped down as if ready to receive a patient. One of the antigravity stretchers hung from it's mooring, another lay on the floor in the far corner. There was a strong smell of disinfectant, and Jeff noticed streaks on the decking where something had spilled. Probably from the rear storage compartments.
He moved toward the back, but found his way to the surgery blocked by the indentation. We'll have to take the storage cabinets out to get into the surgery... and all the meds in the refrigerator will be ruined. He shook his head. This is going to be a big job.
Peering back, he tried to see what storage was in the rear. Were the lockers back here? I don't remember... but I don't think so. And I know they weren't in the surgery. He closed his eyes and swallowed. Oh, God, I remember now. They're in the cockpit.
"So, this is the lab? Brains works here?" Drew asked as Lisa punched in a code to the lock.
"Uh huh," she said as she waited for the green light. "Ah've got Kyrano's code, which'll get us in." She rounded on her brother. "But Jeff's not t' know that Ah do." The light turned green and the door slid aside. "Ah'm sure he won't mind, with us gettin' married soon and all, but still, Ah'd rathuh be th' one t' tell him."
"All right, all right," he said, as they walked into the lab. "I get the picture." He stopped in his tracks and let out a low whistle. "Wow. I had no idea." He slowly turned in place. "What does all this stuff do?"
"Ah dunno!" Lisa replied irritably. "He pushes the buttons; the lights flash, the machines beep..." Pulling on her brother's arm, she dragged him over to the door to the repair bay. "Jeff's in there."
"Aren't you coming?" Drew asked, stopping just before he opened the door.
Lisa suddenly sobered. "Not yet. When Dianne goes. Ah'll come then."
Taking a deep breath, Drew let it out slowly and nodded. "Wish me luck." Then he was through the door and into the repair bay.
"Ah wish you a whole lot moah than that, Drew, 'cause yoah gonna need it," Lisa murmured.
Post by Tikatu on 1/19/2007
[Updated on: Mon, 23 July 2012 15:40] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #241 is a reply to message #240] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:33 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Bozeman, Montana, Monday, late afternoon, August 13th (Tuesday August 14th, Tracy Island)
Luke let out a sigh of relief as he pulled into his parent's driveway. He usually didn't mind the ten-hour drive, but this time he couldn't wait to get there. He opened the door and Rommel went scrambling over him to reach the outside. "Oof! Rom!" Luke groaned as the dog's foot crushed a sensitive part of his anatomy. He followed Rommel out of the jeep and stretched.
"Luke!" A tall, auburn haired woman, dressed casually in jeans and a plaid shirt, waved from the porch.
Luke broke into a grin and waved back. He turned back to the jeep, pulling out his duffel bag, then strode up the steps and enveloped his mother in a bear hug. "Mom, it's great to see you."
"It's been a long time." Melisa hooked her arm through his and led him into the house. Rommel trotted along in front of them. "I made Thai chicken for you."
Luke grinned. "My favorite. Thanks, Mom." Luke dropped his bag on the stairs and followed his mother into the kitchen. "Dad still at the store?"
Melisa was at the counter, busily chopping vegetables. "Yes. The hockey shipment got delayed."
Luke winced. Hockey practices started early in Bozeman, and the delay of equipment would not make anyone in town happy. "Does he need any help?"
"I'm not there, am I?" Melisa shot back, not looking up.
Luke laughed. He walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a Guinness. "Wow, Thai chicken, good beer, I may never leave!" He leaned against the counter and snagged a carrot.
"As long as Rommel stays, you can. Sit. I have this." Melisa waved him away.
Luke sat down at the kitchen table, then looking around, sighed in contentment. Other than new curtains and a different shade of paint on the walls, the room looked no different than when he was young. Rommel flopped down at Melisa's feet and gazed up at her in adoration. "Rom, you're pathetic," Luke chuckled. The dog merely wagged his tail.
"Leave him alone." Melisa wiped her hands on her jeans and reached into a cupboard. Rommel's ears perked up and he sat up quickly. She knelt in front of him and handed him a cookie, then took his face in her hands and ruffled it. "That's my good boy. Want to come live with me? Do you?" Rommel whined, nudging her for more pats. Melisa laughed.
"Mom, you spoil him," Luke told her with a grin.
"Grandmother's prerogative." She looked over at Luke. "Honey, why are you really here? Is it because of Barry?"
The smile faded from Luke's face and he became very interested in his beer can. Finally, he sighed. "Yeah, partly anyway. I've been feeling kind of... disjointed about things lately. Between Barry leaving, work being a nightmare... I just needed to get away for a while I guess."
Melisa came and sat down next to him. "What's going on at work?"
"You know my boss, Derek?" Melisa nodded. "Well, he suggested I take a few weeks' vacation. Apparently my conduct on the last rescue was inappropriate." Luke crushed the can in his hands. Melisa sat patiently, waiting for her son to continue. "I have a job interview in L.A. on Friday."
Melisa frowned. "Luke, what kind of job?"
"It's for Tracy Industries. They're looking for an Environmental Specialist," he replied.
"And what does that mean?"
Luke shrugged. "I'll be studying the environmental impact on some of their proposed projects, probably acting as liaison between the company and the towns involved, things like that."
"An office job?" Melisa arched an eyebrow up in surprise.
He shook his head. "Not really. I'll be in the office some, but mostly field work."
"I see." Melisa looked thoughtful. "And you'll be based in Los Angeles?"
"Yeah, I think so, but I'll be traveling a lot too."
Melisa got up and walked back to the counter. After a few moments, she put the knife down and turned to her son. "Luke, are you doing this because you want to, or because you're hoping it will bring Barry back into your life?" She held up her hand. "Don't answer yet, but think about it." She paused as they heard a truck pull up outside. "Your father's home. Go say hello and tell him dinner will be ready in twenty minutes." She turned back to her cooking.
Luke watched her for a minute, then, his thoughts troubled, went outside to greet his father.
Richard Morel stepped out of the pickup and broke into a broad grin at the sight of his son. "Luke! You're earlier than I thought you'd be."
"Traffic wasn't that bad once I got going." Luke gave his father a hug. "Good to see you, Dad."
"You too, son." Richard was a tad shorter than his son, but his eyes were the same bluish-gray. "Where's Rommel?"
Luke rolled his eyes. "Where do you think?"
"I should have known." Richard looked closely at his son. "You look tired, Luke. Everything all right?"
Luke shrugged. "I'm fine. Did you get the hockey stuff all straightened out?"
"Yes, put the fear of God into that supplier, let me tell you." Richard led his way into the house. "Your mother making dinner?"
"Yeah, it'll be ready in about twenty minutes." Luke grabbed his bag off the steps and went up to his room. He flopped down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Was Mom right? Am I doing this to get Barry back? He frowned to himself. No, I'm not. At least, I don't think I am. He sighed. What am I even worrying about? I haven't even been on the interview yet. He lay there, listening to the murmur of his parent's voices downstairs. "OK, Morel, enough moping. Time to take charge of your life again." With that, Luke got up and went down to dinner.
Post by lillehafrue on 1/19/2007
[Updated on: Mon, 23 July 2012 15:40] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #242 is a reply to message #241] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:33 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Jeff climbed out of the medical cabin, backing up to see the whole thing as he reached the floor. Then his eyes turned toward the cockpit standing a few meters away, uncoupled from the larger section. The open doorway, framed by the wavy remainders of the door itself, looked like the portal to another place or time. He shivered despite himself, then squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and climbed in.
The air was tinged with an odor both slightly sour and metallic. Jeff untangled one from the other, recognizing them as being the remaining scents of blood and vomit. There were only a couple of work lights in the cockpit, but both were turned off. Might as well see what I'm doing, he thought as he reached over to turn on the nearest one. He turned his head away from the sudden brightness, his eyes closing tight for a moment. They slowly adjusted... and he stopped in his tracks.
"Damn."
He stepped forward haltingly toward the pilot's seat. He took in the crumpled front end, the cracked and broken windshield, the splintered control panels, the dark stains on the ceiling, and the steering yoke, pushed far into the cabin, still too close to the reclined chair. He tried for a moment to imagine what it looked like that day; there was a brief, vivid flash, then his mind refused to go any farther. His hand caressed the back of the chair, feeling not just the slight pebbling of the faux leather surface, but spots of something crusty that turned to powder beneath his touch. He drew his fingers up to see the brownish-red dust; the metallic smell got stronger as he examined the stuff... and it hit him like a sledgehammer.
"Oh, God!" He wiped his hands frantically on his slacks as he backpedaled, stumbling into the cooler, one elbow slamming into a locker door with a loud clang! He stared, wide-eyed, at the pilot's seat for a long moment, then he took in a deep, shuddery breath, letting it out slowly as he regained control.
The bang alerted Drew, who had walked slowly around the medical cabin much like Jeff had done. He moved over to the cockpit, but hesitated, deciding to listen before climbing inside.
Jeff rubbed his tingling elbow and grimaced. "Damn funny bone," he muttered. "Nothing funny about it." He turned to examine the lockers; tall, thin metal containers that looked like they'd be more at home in a high school hallway than a high-tech ambulance. The lockers were marked with name plates, plain metal rectangles carrying the names of the operatives. Jeff saw that Dom's was still marked as "Dak", and had already made a mental note to change it when he realized that it would probably be months before these were used again... If they ever are. He took a key card from his pocket; a master one that he always carried when at home, and slid it into the lock on the door marked "Doc".
A familiar fragrance wafted out, faint but still detectable by a nose that found it irresistible. Jeff reached in, pulling out first the parts of Dianne's uniform. Jacket, vest, deep crimson shirt, pants... he felt all the pockets before draping each piece over the back of the nearby copilot's chair. He reached in again; this time his hand encountered something soft and silky, light as gossamer. He drew it out, then held it to his nose, closing his eyes and sniffing deeply.
He sighed, murmuring, "I wonder if she'll ever want to wear this again," as he added her nightgown to the pile. One more foray into the locker, and her favorite dressing gown - the dark green one with the embroidered peacock that swept across the back, from shoulder to hem - came out in his hands. He stared at it, tracing the delicate, satiny stitching with a light fingertip. His eyes burned and he closed them tight, then wiped his fingers across them, removing the moisture. Carefully draping her prized possession over the other clothes, he leaned down to take out her slippers, which lay haphazardly on her boots, crammed into the bottom of the narrow locker. He tipped each boot up with a hand, the other cupped to catch anything that might fall out. But both were empty.
He glanced up at the locker's top shelf. Two blue, vacuum-packed bundles were piled there; clean scrubs, ready to wear at a moment's notice. Perched on them was her uniform hat, the deep red reminding him of blood now more than ever. He pulled out the hat... and scrambled to catch the velvet jeweler's box that fell from the shelf. It was the one he'd brought to her that evening in Paris, when he'd gotten down on one knee to ask her to marry him. Now as then, his hands shook when he opened the box, and he sighed audibly to find the rings inside, intact. He gazed at the rings; a large, Ascher-cut diamond, two sides of its octagonal outline flanked by emerald baguettes, set in platinum... and the plain platinum band that Dianne had insisted on. He traced the outline of the wedding band, then closed the box gently. One hand tightened convulsively on it, and he felt his throat constrict. His eyes burned again; he squeezed them shut, heaving in ragged gulps of air. The anger, the unfairness of it all, swelled up and he gritted his teeth, his breath hissing through them.
"Damn it all to hell!" he shouted, smashing his empty hand on the closed lockers, denting Nikki's slightly, then with a swipe of the same hand, slamming the door to Dianne's locker to. It didn't catch and sprang back open; he pushed it shut with a hard, savage shove, and kicked it for good measure. The tears he'd been trying to ignore began coursing down his cheeks. He angrily brushed them away with the back of his hand, then banged his hand against the lockers once more before leaning to put his forehead on the cold metal. "How the hell could I let this happen?"
"Let it happen?"
The voice startled Jeff and his head snapped up and around to find Drew sitting calmly in the other co-pilot's seat. "Andy?" Jeff asked, frowning deeply, his voice ragged. "What in God's name are you doing here?"
"Dianne sent me; she seemed to think you'd need mah help." Drew's slight drawl became noticeable, and he shrugged a little. He took a minute to glance around. "Sure is an awful mess, isn't it?" He nodded toward the center seat. "Ah was sittin' right heah and Dianne was sittin' theyah with her back t' me that day in Samoa." He shook his head and snorted air through his nose. "Little did Ah know what Ah was gettin' into."
"Well, thanks for coming down, but I'm fine," Jeff said as he tucked the box in his pocket and began to pick up Dianne's clothes, draping them over an arm.
"Not so fast, Jeff," Drew said, rising from his seat. "Dianne was right; you do need some help." When Jeff didn't respond, he continued, "Ah know what you're goin' through..."
"Do you?" Jeff said, turning to Drew, his eyes flashing and his voice low and rough. "I nearly lost my wife because of this... this..." he waved his free hand at the cockpit, "this dream of mine." He looked away now, opening the locker again to see if there was anything he'd missed. "And she's not the only one. All of my boys have been hurt, and some nearly killed for this. Even Brains and Tin-Tin. Now the new recruits, too." His hand dropped and he sighed. "I felt... I feel so helpless. And angry that I can't do anything about it."
"Ah know, Ah've been theyah." Drew's drawl got a little stronger. "Felt pretty helpless watchin' mah sistuh suffah while she was married t' that piece o' crap, Garrett. Felt pretty helpless when he beat on Dianne, an' latuh, when Rick died." His voice dropped and became softer. "Felt really helpless when Maggie discovered that lump in her breast..."
Jeff glanced back up at Drew, his face troubled. "Cancer?"
"Yep." A small, rueful smile appeared on Drew's face. "Here Ah was, a great and renowned surgeon, but unable t' keep mah wife from gettin' ill. Unable t' deal with the thought o' losin' her. Mah life came to a crashing halt, and suddenly, Ah was angry an' frustrated an' helpless as a baby. And too damn stubborn to admit it." He shook his head. "Got myself an ulcer, and began to drink." He chuckled. "You should have seen Lisa when she came out t' help aftuh Maggie's surgery. She snatched that glass out o' mah hand, poured the liquor down the drain, an' told me in no uncertain terms that she wasn't gonna let me go down that road."
Drew approached and put a hand on Jeff's shoulder. Jeff stiffened a little. "Lisa made me get help, so I could vent my feelings and not destroy myself or my family. I didn't want to admit I needed it; I was supposed to be the rock, the support, the strong anchor. But for my family's sake -- for Maggie's sake -- I did. It made all the difference in the world." He dropped his hand. "We didn't know each other when Lucille died, but I'm sure you learned a few things... perhaps made some mistakes you'd rather not repeat..."
Jeff nodded slightly. "I did. I made a lot of mistakes. But the situation is different... no one has died."
"Somewhat different, yes," Drew admitted. "But you still have a lot of emotional trauma from this near miss. And the coping strategy is the same: don't bottle it up. It's okay to feel the way you do, and it's okay to express it."
"But I have to be strong... especially for Tyler."
"He'll learn more about how to deal with his own feelings if he sees you admitting to yours, and dealing with them appropriately," Drew said bluntly. He smiled a little. "And you're fortunate to have help close to hand."
Jeff made a face. "Mrs. Hanson?"
"Yes. Mrs. Hanson."
"I don't know, Andy," Jeff said, shaking his head. "I don't know if I can talk to a stranger."
Drew rolled his eyes. "Then talk to me, talk to Kyrano, talk to your mother... hell, talk to Lisa -- but in her case, be prepared to hear her dig up some things you didn't know she knew and you'd wish stayed buried!" He paused, and gave Jeff a very serious look. "And for the record..."
"Yes?"
"You didn't 'let' that tornado do what it did, any more than I 'let' Maggie have breast cancer. There wasn't a blessed thing either of us could have done to stop it."
"I could have stopped Dianne from going out on rescues in the first place."
Drew folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "You really think so? Listen, bud, I've known your wife a lot longer than you have, and when she gets an idea in her head, she's nigh on impossible to stop." He paused, and a thoughtful look crossed his face. "Come to think of it, that's gotten her into a heap of trouble on occasion."
Jeff chuckled a little, and Drew smiled wryly. "Did you find the rings?"
"Yes. I did." Jeff pulled the velvet box from his trouser pocket and showed Drew.
"Then let's get out of here," Drew said, motioning with his head toward the doorway. "The womenfolk will be wondering and worrying and you do want to have dinner with your wife in the dining room, don't you?"
"Yeah," Jeff said with a sigh. He glanced around the cockpit once more. "I think this will have to be totally redesigned and rebuilt."
"And when you rebuild it, you will be adding airbags," Drew said firmly as he followed Jeff out.
Post by Tikatu on 1/19/2007
[Updated on: Mon, 23 July 2012 15:40] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #243 is a reply to message #242] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:34 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tuesday, August 14, 2:30 PM; Denver General Hospital (8:30 AM Wednesday on Tracy Island)
"Well, Mrs. Matumbo. Your latest scans show no signs of any further trouble, so I am signing your discharge papers. And I see you are already set to leave us."
Lena was dressed in a pantsuit that Joy'd had the foresight to pack. Although her overnight bag had been found, along with her laptop and purse, her things had been damaged. She was grateful for her daughter's thoughtfulness.
She and Naomi were sitting on the bed, while the others occupied the chairs in the room. She grinned. "Doctor Sloan, you've taken such good care of me, I knew dere could be no otter result. And, of course, I'm anxious to get back to de familiarity of my own home."
"I hope you have someone to be with you. You will need help, at least until your collarbone heals."
"After her first night home, she'll be staying with Matthew and his wife until her doctor in Maryland says she is well enough to live by herself again," Joy answered.
"Ah, good." Dr. Sloan held out a folder. "Here are all the medical records for him. I took the liberty of calling him and you have an appointment to see him on Thursday morning. He'll want to check you over himself." He turned as there was a noise in the doorway. "And here is the nurse with the wheelchair to take you to the entrance. I hope that if I meet any of you again, it'll be under better circumstances."
Lena had taken the folder and put it in her bag. She smiled at him as she got off the bed, and held her hand out. As the doctor shook it, she said, "Dat is my hope, too. Tank you for your excellent care."
The nurse brought the wheelchair closer and Lena sat down. Naomi asked to be able to push the chair, and the nurse looked over at the doctor. He nodded and, with a smile, she relinquished the chair to the young girl. They left the room and headed to the elevator, where the doctor bid them goodbye and continued on his rounds.
When they finally reached the lobby, they saw a limousine waiting outside, the driver standing by the rear door. Lena looked up at her son, who said, "I know. It seems that Mr. Tracy or someone there paid our hotel bill, and put this limo at our disposal."
"And guess what, Nyanya," interrupted Naomi. "We're going home in one of the Tracy Industries private jets! It seems that he decided it would be more comfortable for you. Isn't that cool?"
"I would have called him if I could have and told him it was unnecessary to do all this, but I had no way to get in touch with him."
"He would have told you it was necessary. He's dat kind of man, Mattew. So we'll take him up on his generosity and tank him for it when we get home -- all of us," she answered, looking at the children in turn, as the chauffeur opened the door and she stood up to enter the vehicle. She paused to thank the nurse, who smiled and took the wheelchair back from Naomi, then headed back into the hospital. Lena got into the limo, followed by her family, and they soon were heading to the airport.
Post by Hobbeth on 1/20/2007
[Updated on: Mon, 23 July 2012 15:39] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #244 is a reply to message #243] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:34 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tuesday, August 14, 7:15 p.m., Tracy Island, just after dinner
"Hello, Dr. Carmichael"
"Hello, Ms. Hanson. How are you finding your retirement?"
"So far, it has been a lot more interesting than I expected. And call me Anna. We're not working."
"Then it's Drew. Interesting as in, 'may you live in interesting times'?"
"Yeah, that's it. " She grinned at him. "I'm sure Tyler will want to tell you all about his showing me Thunderbird Three."
"Actually, I may ask him for a tour. I haven't seen the sights yet."
Anna raised an eyebrow. "No one's given you a tour before? And you've been an agent for how long?"
"Since the tsunami. Dianne and I surprised each other when I went to coordinate with them."
"I bet Jeff freaked."
"To put it mildly, I hear." Drew hesitated. "A quick heads up. Jeff went down to tour Thunderbird Seven."
"He hadn't seen her since the accident?"
"No. And he handled it better than I expected. Among other things, I convinced him to talk to someone about it, not necessarily you."
"I would be very surprised if he talked to me about it first. He doesn't trust counselors. With good reason." Drew looked a question at her. She told him the story Gordon had told her about the pastor and the leak to CPS.
Drew gave a low whistle. Anna nodded. "Yeah. Between that and the normal military 'I can beat this if I have enough self discipline' mindset, I figure he must have been pretty desperate to call me at all. It's actually pretty impressive. He really does put family before everything."
Anna changed the subject. "So, you looked over Dianne, and she's well enough to eat dinner with the family. Do you think she's up to much strain yet? I want to talk to her about Tyler, but not until she has her strength back."
Drew thought for a second. "Give her at least another week before you drop any major problems or subject her to any major emotional upheaval. Her leg has a mild infection and she's stressed enough right now. Reassure her as much as you can about Tyler but add as little stress as possible."
"What about talking to her about other patients? There are at least two other people on the island she wanted me to see. It also might take her mind off of things to talk about them. And has anyone talked to the two other people that were in Thunderbird Seven? For that matter, are you planning on helping Dianne deal with her own reactions?"
Drew shook his head. "I can start but I won't be here long enough to handle it all. I will try to lay down a good foundation for you."
Post by susanmartha on 1/23/2007
[Updated on: Mon, 23 July 2012 15:39] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #245 is a reply to message #244] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:35 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tracy Island, Wednesday, August 15, 8:30 AM
Heather pressed the button that opened the door to the elevator and stepped inside. She was about to hit the "down" button when the door opened on the other side.
"Oh, hello. You must be Heather." A short, sandy brown haired woman smiled at her and held out her hand. "I'm Kat Williamson."
"Hi. Yes, I'm Heather Kennedy." She took Kat's hand and shook it. "I guess we're almost roommates then, huh?" Heather smiled.
"I suppose you could put it that way. There is no one above us except Brandon, but he is out of town for the moment. He lives on the other side anyway." Kat pressed the button and the elevator started down.
"Kat, I heard that there's a party or something tonight," Heather began.
Kat nodded. "Yes, for Virgil. Mr. Tracy's second oldest son. It's his birthday. We're all of us going. It's going to be a fancy sort of party. The girls all have red dresses and the boys will be going in tuxedos."
Heather sighed. "That's what I heard. Do you mind if you and I go together? I have to fly to Christchurch today and won't really have the time to meet any of the others."
Kat smiled. "Of course, Heather. I would love to. And I shall make sure to introduce you to the others as well."
Heather let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Kat." The doors opened and both women stepped out. "I guess I'll catch you later then."
"Have a good flight." With a wave, they set off in their different directions.
Post by lillehafrue on 1/25/2007
[Updated on: Mon, 23 July 2012 15:38] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #246 is a reply to message #245] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:36 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Wednesday, August 15, 11:00 a.m., Tracy Island
Dianne sat back in the hospital bed. The sickroom was quiet; Maggie had just helped her to shower for the day and had gone off to see to her own needs -- and Drew's. Though Dianne had eaten breakfast with the family, she still felt isolated. The leg didn't hurt as much, unless she overused it; the infection was clearing up. She put down the data pad holding the book she'd been reading. Somehow a romance wasn't as much fun as usual. Normally, she could imagine herself and Jeff in the parts of hero and heroine, but at the moment, she couldn't.
There were plenty of other things to occupy her; the televid, a number of word puzzles that Tyler had brought for her, Cherie's handheld computer game, the newspaper which had been printed off fresh that morning in the lab. But none of them held her interest. What she wanted was conversation, and at the moment, there was no one around. She knew Penelope was due in that morning; Jeff had told her at breakfast before heading off to the study for a conference call. Her mother was busy helping Emily with party preparations, and the children were helping where possible.
"Wonder if I should wear that red dress tonight," she murmured aloud. "Probably not. It's not like I'm going to be dancing or anything." The thought made her even more depressed, and she sighed. Then she reached out for the data pad on the bedside table, and drew it to her. Saving her place on the story she'd been reading, she cleared the screen, and used her stylus to write.
I am bored.
Tremendously, utterly bored.
I've gone past the point where Jeff was when he got home. He had family in and out all the time, but with this party going on, everyone else's focus is elsewhere.
Not that I begrudge Virgil his fun. I don't, and I'm thankful he thought of the family - and of me - first. He deserves a special time, and the celebration will do us all a world of good. I'll be happy to be out there mingling as much as I can, though dancing is definitely out. Makes me a little sad, though. I love dancing, especially with Jeff. Rick and I never had the chance to do it much.
The family feels like it's in limbo, and not just because I'm here in the sickroom. We're missing two members of the extended family, and though you'd think it wouldn't matter, it does. On top of that, two others are sort of missing in action, so to speak. Drew is scheduled to see Dom and Nikki tomorrow and determine if they're fit to go back to duty. They probably need as much rest as I do, though how Dom's going to get it with Josh around is anyone's guess. Hopefully some of the gals -- and maybe even a couple of guys - have pulled together to give him some respite. We also have a few extra people floating around, and that always puts things off-kilter. Not always a bad thing, but still noticeable.
No one's talked to me much about the crash yet. I don't know if it's from fear of upsetting me or because they don't think I'm ready. Wise of them, really. I'm not ready. Jeff going down to see the wreck -- that scared me witless. I was so relieved when Drew followed him down. Ma told me they seemed to be okay when they came out. Jeff was a little red-eyed when they came back, she said, and he had a pile of my clothes with him. I still don't know if he found what he went down there for; Ma couldn't tell me either. I'd hate to lose the rings, but... they are replaceable. Not like my family.
My poor babies. I know they're hurting, especially Tyler. I wish I could kiss them and make things better, I really do. Just like sometimes I wish Ma -- or Jeff - could do for me. But there are no shortcuts. There's no magic that can make it go away. We can't go back, we can only go forward. God knows I learned that lesson the hard way and I'm still learning it. I can't ignore or pretend that the tornado didn't happen, any more than I can pretend the bombing didn't happen. None of us can. It happened. They happened. All I have to do is look at that bandage on my leg to know the one. All I have to do is look at my children, and my husband, to know the other.
I wish there was something I could do to reward Dom and Nikki. I owe them my life. Cutting me out, God, that must have been hard. I almost wish I couldn't remember everything so clearly; things didn't get hazy until I was on the way to the hospital. I owe Scott, too. He was the rock, for everyone. He kept it all together.
I'm not looking forward to facing Seven. I know I have to, just like Em had to see the house. God, the farmhouse. Jeff -- that was home to him, in some ways more than this place is. It's like Ma's place... which will be gone, too, soon. Someone else will be living in it. Someone else will call it home. And I'll mourn, too.
Seven. The lucky number. Not for us. Not that day. Maybe never again.
Sighing, she looked at what she'd written, contemplating dumping the text completely. No, I think I'd better save it. I need to remember. Touching a few buttons with her stylus, she saved the entry and put down her tools. Glancing at all the things she had to occupy her, she decided on the newspaper. It was a compilation of world news, selected especially by Tracy Industries as being of particular interest to the family. One of those particular interests was International Rescue, so any and all stories relating to them were added. Emily clipped and saved them in her scrapbooks.
Dianne folded the paper for easier scanning and her eyes skimmed over the front page headlines. Flipping the paper over, she scanned the stories there, but suddenly stopped at a particular headline.
"Orthopedist who worked on IR's doc accused of malpractice?" She read the article through once, then her hand scrabbled for the call buzzer, and she pressed it hard. "Maggie?" she said, her tone urgent. "I need to see Drew -- and Jeff -- as soon as possible!"
Post by Tikatu on 1/25/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #247 is a reply to message #246] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:36 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
(Early Wednesday morning; August 15, 2068; Tracy Island)
Early that morning at breakfast, Virgil suggested that Heather come with him. "Kyrano and I are going to the mainland to check out the orders he's put in and bring them back. Why don't you come with us? That'll give you a chance to pick up some groceries and some things you need." Readily agreeing, Heather made out a considerable list. Maybe I should just get things I need right now and order by computer any other more non-essential items. Now I know why I dislike moving. There's so much to set up in the beginning, she mused.
Insisting on doing the piloting due to the fact she was hired as a family pilot in the first place, Virgil relented finally after Kyrano sighed and said in a strong, firm voice, "Mr. Virgil, the orders for your party await us. Please decide quickly between you who will fly."
Virgil suggested they first stop for the wines and liquor supplies first, while Kyrano checked his order with the vendor. Heather chose ten bottles of different local area sherries and wines, enjoying the prospect of sampling Australia's varieties. She treated herself to a 70-year-old sherry that had Virgil raising his eyebrows. "I'm coming over to try that, you know."
"My door is--almost--open anytime," she said, giving him the eye. She added a strong European cherry liquor to her basket to make non-virgin Sherry Temples.
"What we're going to do is when Kyrano's satisfied with the orders and they are sent to the plane to take back, your order will go with it," Virgil explained. "You won't have to carry it."
Next, the trio moved over to a local cheese shop and, while Virgil and Kyrano were making their choices for the party, odors of Gouda, feta, and Parmesan teased Heather's nose. She picked up small bricks of mozzarella, mild and sharp cheddars, and one spreadable cheddar with garlic and poppy seed that the portly vendor suggested was wonderful on toasted bagels. She bought a pound tub.
"You look like you're going to have a party of your own. Can I come?" Virgil asked as he peeked at the basket as she moved up to the counter.
"This is for when you come over to try that 70-year-old sherry."
"I'm looking forward to it. How do you like your apartment?" he asked as she finished paying the vendor who put her order in with Kyrano's to be sent to the plane.
"It's very beautiful," she answered with a rueful smile. "I'm still adjusting to my surroundings, but that will come with time."
"You must be adjusting to your whole life. You go to an interview you think will be a simple, boring--" His words caused a guilty look to mold her expression. "--family pilot job, and find out about the 'family business'. You go and lose your home, decide to join us here, and it's no wonder you're 'still adjusting'. You've got a lot of guts, lady." Taking her hand in brotherly fashion, he looked at her. "I'm really hoping my party tonight will help with that. Just relax and enjoy yourself."
With a chuckle and a mischievous glance aimed in his direction, she whispered loudly, "You must think you're utterly charming!"
The comment set Virgil back on his heels, but he recovered smoothly. "But of course! And you must think you're utterly immune to all male attempts to be charming!"
"But of course!" she answered back.
Unable to avoid the conversation between the kids, Kyrano just shook his head and smiled.
Their final stop was at the local General Food Service Center. While Kyrano made his last check of the day, sampling the exquisite hors d'oeuvre, Virgil walked with Heather as she examined the Australian selections of cake mixes, coffees and teas, fish, fruits and vegetables, much of it going into her basket. As they went through the canned goods aisle, she noticed a bottle that resembled tomatoes made into jam in a dark wine sauce. The label read Vegemite. "Virgil," she asked, not sure if she wanted to know. "What is this?"
Virgil looked at the raised eyebrow, reacting to the texture they could see through the clear glass bottle. "Do you like really salty things?" Long auburn hair swung across her back as she shook her head. "It's like a very salty, jellied fish spread. It's kind of a national joke. Don't want to try it?" Virgil asked, chuckling once again as she wrinkled her nose at the suggestion.
"Oh, I think I'll pass." They walked past a refrigerator full of trays of sushi. "Oh, this is wonderful!"
"I know Kyrano's ordered a platter of this, although most of the family will probably avoid it. We had a recent incident involving some bad fish." There were packages of smaller amounts of sushi and she bought up six small trays for herself.
Kyrano walked over to them with a satisfied smile. "All is in readiness, Mr. Virgil. All we need to do is get Miss Heather's orders together to be sent to the plane." Quickly, they helped her take her groceries to be rung up, charged, and sent to accompany Kyrano's orders which were then sent to the airport. When they made their way back to the airport, the many orders of wines, champagnes, and several bottles of liquor, cheeses of all kinds, maraschino cherries, and club sodas arrived. Cold packages contained the kids' favorite ice creams, chocolate syrup, bananas, and peanuts. Some contained various snack crackers, olives and and fancy ribboned toothpicks. There were pounds of filet mignon and several well packed party trays that only needed to be put into the oven. Once the food was packed, the trio climbed into the jet and soared again for the trip home.
With Virgil piloting, they arrived back on Tracy Island. Antigrav floats were brought forward to deliver the party supplies to the cooler in the Villa's kitchen. Heather shook her head as she floated her groceries home. "That's enough food to feed at least two platoons of men. Whew! Hope everyone's going to be hungry tonight."
Post by AmandaTracy on 1/27/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #248 is a reply to message #247] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:37 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Wednesday, August 15, 2068, 11:50 a.m., Tracy Island
"Dianne! What the hell are you doing?" Drew walked into the sick room to find his niece sitting with her calf drawn up toward her body, prodding at her leg wound with both thumbs and examining it minutely. The bandage was cast aside at her feet. Maggie, who followed him, hustled forward, tsking under her breath. She took the bandage off to dispose of it, then washed her hands and began pulling down gauze and other supplies.
"What the hell took you so long?! As t' what Ah'm doin'... " She looked up and glared at him, grabbing the newspaper on the bedside table. She turned it toward him and jabbed at the offending article with a finger. "What the hell is this all about?"
Drew took the paper from her hand, then turned as Jeff came in. "What's going on?" the latecomer asked.
"That's what Ah wanna know," Dianne said as she folded her arms belligerently. "Ah was readin' the papuh an' saw an article..."
"Here." Drew, who had finished reading, handed the paper over to Jeff and indicated the article. As Jeff read, Drew headed over to the wash basin, saying, "Di, there's nothing to worry about."
"Really?" Dianne's arms went from folded in belligerence to wrapped around herself in concern. Drew dried his hands, then put on a pair of sterile gloves. "Ah'm afraid Ah'm havin' trouble believin' that."
"So am I, Drew," Jeff said as he dropped the paper back on the bedside table. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"
"Because it wasn't really any of your business," Drew said sharply without looking up from where he was bandaging Dianne's leg again. "It was hospital business. It was being dealt with, in-house. In fact," he paused to ask Maggie for another piece of gauze, "I'm surprised it's in the news. I guess the investigation turned up some other iffy cases." He finished the job, stripped off his gloves, and sat on the edge of the bed, his arms folded. "I was in the surgical suite the whole time, Di. Yes, Dr. Willis left some fragments of metal in your leg..."
"What!?" "No!" Jeff and Dianne's cries of incredulity and distress sounded out in unison, but before they could say anything more, Drew put up a hand.
"Yes, he left the metal in there, but -- and this is important -- he also left the closing to Dr. Singh, who found the other fragments and removed them. All of them." He dropped his arms and gently put a hand on Dianne's ankle. "We scanned the leg again before we left the theater. There were no fragments left. The scan I did the other day showed no fragments. I'll be happy to redo it, or bring you the results on a laptop if it'll make you feel better." He cocked his head to one side, and raised his eyebrows. "You know very well, Di, that I'd never, ever have let you out of surgery with even the tiniest detail unaccounted for."
Dianne's head drooped; her eyes were closed and she nodded slightly. Jeff glanced back and forth between doctor and patient, then picked up the paper. "So, this Willis... he's done this before? To other patients? Left himself an opening for more surgery?"
Drew sighed heavily and shrugged. "So it seems. Dianne's surgery was the first solid evidence of it we've had... though trying to prove that he does this on purpose will be the hard part."
"Where will IR fit in all this?" Maggie asked, looking up from the article. "I mean, Di's surgery is probably the most recent incident and it's the catalyst for investigating his other cases." She indicated the paper in her hand. "But IR can't exactly come out and sue him for malpractice."
"I know," Drew replied. "But even so, the incident can be entered into evidence... there were plenty of witnesses this time, myself included. However..." he sighed again, "this won't do the hospital any good. Though they can't confirm that it happened to Dianne due to patient confidentiality, the fact that he was announced as the one working on her will give the hospital a black eye." He glanced over at Jeff. "Unless IR was to issue a statement..."
Jeff rubbed at his chin. "What kind of statement?"
"A statement of confidence in the hospital's handling of their case," Drew said hopefully.
There was a long silence as Jeff mulled over the possibilities. "I'll see what I can do. Check with our legal people and try to figure out a way to make a statement that will stick." He sighed. "I wish I'd known about this sooner, though."
"As I said, it was hospital business," Drew repeated firmly. He glanced at Dianne, gently squeezed her ankle and said, "I'm sorry you learned about it through the news, Di, but I had no idea that they'd found other cases and the whole sorry story had been leaked. If I'd known..." He let his words trail off as he shrugged.
"Don't worry about it, Andy," Jeff said wearily. "What's done is done. We just have to go on from here." He turned to his wife taking her hand and squeezing it a bit. "Are you going to be all right, love?"
"I guess so," Dianne said quietly. She waved a hand in the direction of her freshly-bandaged calf. "I was just so... concerned about it. Especially with this infection. I had antibiotics in the hospital to stop infection, and I still got one. Thought that any fragments left inside might have caused it."
"Ah, I see," Drew replied, nodding. "I don't know where you picked up this infection, but it's not from the surgery. Please believe me; we got them all."
"Okay."
There was another long moment of silence, then Maggie glanced at her watch. "It's time for lunch. How about we get you out of here and down to the dining room. I think a change of scenery would do you good, Di."
"That sounds like a good idea," Dianne said, brightening a bit. "I was bored... before I read that damned article. Then I sort of... panicked."
"Then definitely a change of scenery is prescribed," Drew said, smiling. He stood. "I'll head down to the dining room and let you three deal with the details." Besides, I might be able to corner Mrs. Hanson and give her a heads up on this latest development.
"We'll see you in a few minutes," Maggie said. "C'mon, Jeff, let's get this woman out of bed."
Post by Tikatu on 1/28/2007
[Updated on: Mon, 23 July 2012 15:38] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #249 is a reply to message #248] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:37 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
[size=2] Wednesday Morning, August 15th, Tracy Island. 9:00 am.
Elise knocked on the French doors to Nikki's apartment, having come up the stairs leading to the second floor balcony.
"Do you have to be so loud?" Nikki stated, opening the door and motioning a smiling Elise inside.
"Yep!" the blonde replied, stepping inside. "So what's up?"
"I was just curious to know what you're planning on wearing tonight?"
To tell the truth, Elise hadn't give it much thought. As the trip to Paradise Peaks had been canceled, she'd assumed Virgil was just going to have an informal get together instead. "Umm, I guess casual attire. Dress jeans and a shirt?"
"What! You can't wear that."
"Why not?" Elise was offended.
Because, I'm wearing this, and I want your opinion on what shoes to wear." As they were talking, Elise had followed Nikki into her bedroom where the red dress that Nikki had ordered lay spread out on the bed. On the floor were three different pairs of dress shoes.
"You're seriously wearing your dress tonight?"
Now it was Nikki's turn to look offended. "Yes! Absolutely! I'm making sure I get my money's worth out of this outfit. Besides, I think it'll help me feel a little more chipper than I have been."
Elise knew Nikki was referring to the tornado crash. Sighing, she conceded. "Okay, if you're wearing yours, then I'll wear mine."
Nikki grinned. "Great! Let's call the others and then you can help me pick out shoes."
"Whatever!" Elise laughed. "I just hope the guys don't show up in jeans and polos!"
Post by FrankieCTB2 on 1/28/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #250 is a reply to message #249] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:38 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tracy Island, August 15th. 2:00p.m.
"Well, I think that should do it," Tin-Tin announced, climbing down from the stepladder. She joined Cherie who was standing back admiring the handiwork.
"It looks great, Tin-Tin! I think we've done a really good job with decorating." Cherie smiled as Tin-Tin gave her a squeeze.
"Maybe when you're a little older we could start our own party co-coordinating/decorating business."
Cherie giggled as she helped clean up the decoration leftovers. "It may not be Paradise Peaks, but I think Virgil will like it."
"I'm sure he will, Cherie." They had not gone overboard with the party decorations, instead settling for the 'less is more' theme. Tin-Tin had picked some exotic flowers from her fathers' garden and arranged them in vases on the buffet table as well as placing a couple of vases around the room.
Cherie had placed ivory linens on the buffet tables and carefully arranged ivory ribbon as a decorative edge around the table rims. "I hope these tables can hold all the food. I heard there is going to be an enormous amount," she said, carefully putting the last piece of ribbon in place.
"I think it will be okay. Besides, it won't last long, not with Gordon and Scott in here!" Tin-Tin replied. They both laughed as they took one last look at the room then sighed with satisfaction.
Post by FrankieCTB2 on 1/28/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #251 is a reply to message #250] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:42 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Wednesday, August 15, 2:30
"Jeff, how good to see you again. I must say, you do look better without the beard."
"I feel better without it too." Jeff stood up and gave Penelope a kiss on the check. "I don't know how anyone can stand one of those things. You, of course, look lovely, as always." Jeff sat down behind his desk. Lady Penelope reached across the desk and gave him a data card.
"Here are the results of the background check of Mr. and Mrs. Hanson. You might want to read the summary. Then we can talk."
Jeff slid the card into place and started reading. About three minutes in, he looked up at Penny. "Breakdown in 2046?"
"I'm not sure. She took time off from work. She did nothing for 6 months, then went back to school and earned her second masters degree. She returned to her old job with Social Services but soon transferred to the Christchurch Police Department as a victim advocate and counselor, specializing in domestic violence. She worked her way up to working with uniformed officers who needed help. She took another year long sabbatical in '56 but that was planned well in advance."
"And the first one wasn't?"
Penelope crossed her legs. "I can find no reason for it in her personnel file -- or at least the ones I can find. There was no pre-approval by the department. The only reason given was 'medical'. She did apply for leave to go back to school after 4 months and it was approved without any problems. She even received a scholarship. But -- she was seeing a counselor herself during the period involved. The city was paying for it. And I was unable to get into part of her personnel file."
"Gordon said she was almost paranoid about computer security." Jeff skimmed the rest of the file. "So, can you find out anything more?"
"I have already started to. I should have the results back in a few days."
"Fair enough. What about her husband?"
"Ryan Hanson. He works for Boeing in the satellite division. He designs both civilian and military satellites, manned and unmanned. He has a medium high security clearance. He has turned down several chances to work in management. He has also turned down several promotions that would have required him to move to Boeing headquarters. Even figuring the difference in cost of living he could have doubled his salary. He has always been polite but his private comments about the intelligence level of anyone who thought he would move to Chicago, and about the stupidity of Boeing moving its headquarters from Seattle to Chicago have been, hmm, shall we say, extremely imaginative.
"They are both well liked, active in their church and in volunteering. He restores antique car and planes for a hobby. She practices archery and they both belong to a medieval reenactment group.
"She has been back to see her family in the States twice since her marriage. Her great aunt left her the library and several other items when she died. Anna and Ryan returned to the States to pack them up. And she returned for her father's funeral. She did not return for her mother's second marriage. No one in her family has made any effort to visit her. I have not found any specific reason for the rift.
"They have three children and one grandchild. The oldest son, Terry, is 31 and married with 1 child. The second son, David, is 25 and works with computers. He is gay and has a domestic partnership. They had a church wedding with Anna officiating."
Jeff looked surprised. "I didn't think she could do that."
"She can't, officially. The Church outside of the States still does not condone marriage between same sex couples. But it is fairly common for the couple to have a civil ceremony and then have a willing pastor do a church ceremony. In this case, Anna as a lay minister could not perform a legally binding ceremony but could give the blessing to the union. Her pastor approved and the bishop turned a blind eye to the proceedings. He often does in cases like this. Since the Father Seaman didn't perform the wedding, the bishop can ignore it. Anna has married several couples that way.
"The youngest, Mary, is starting her second year in Uni, and doing is well. She is going to school in town but prefers to live on campus. She is considering spending a year as a student in the States." Penny looked at Jeff. "The entire family comes up clean except for Anna's unexpected hiatus and her split with her family. I am checking into those more thoroughly, but this was all I could do in the limited time."
Jeff frowned. "Those are big holes, but..." he hesitated, "do you feel she is a security risk?"
"I am uneasy about the hiatus because it is unexplained. Every source I checked with spoke highly of her intelligence and discretion. She is both well-liked and respected. I could wish you had asked me about her before but I understand these last weeks have been a bit hectic. How bad was Tyler?"
"Bad." Jeff grimaced. "And it won't be a quick fix. Both Drew and Dianne like her. And I couldn't afford to wait, both for Tyler's sake and Dianne's. I would like you to talk with her and give me your impressions. I think I can trust her to do what's the best for Tyler. I want your opinion on how far I can trust her with the rest of International Rescue."
Post by susanmartha on 1/28/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #252 is a reply to message #251] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:43 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tracy Island, Wednesday, August 15th, 4:30 PM
Alan peered around the doorway leading into the kitchen. Grandma, Lisa, Kyrano, even Maggie were running around trying to get all the food ready. They were so busy, Alan figured they'd never notice one canapé missing from the platter.
He thought wrong.
"Alan! Keep your hands away from those! They're for the party and you know it!" Grandma frowned at him.
Alan took one look at the wooden spoon in her hand and backed off. "I was just going to carry it out into the other room, Grandma."
"Humph, sure you were. Now, get out of here so we can finish up." She turned back to the stove. "And keep away from that cake too!"
Alan quickly pulled his finger away from the edge of the cake and wondered, not for the first time, if his grandmother had eyes in the back of her head. Muttering under his breath, he wandered back out into the hallway. I'm starving here. Why'd we have to do this all fancy anyway? I would have been happy with burgers on the grill.
"Hey, Al. What's up?" Gordon sauntered up to his brother, a grin on his face.
Alan took a step back. "What?"
"'What?' what?"
"Don't give me that innocent look. What are you up to?" Alan asked.
Gordon batted his eyes. "Me? Up to something?"
"Gordon," Alan said warningly.
"I need your help."
Alan shook his head. "No way. Look what happened the last time I 'helped' you." He held up his hands. "You're on your own this time."
"Alan, you wound me."
"Good."
Gordon chuckled. "Seriously; Virgil asked me to film the party. I could use an assistant."
"No funny business?" Alan asked doubtfully.
Gordon made an X across his chest. "I swear." Alan still looked dubious. "C'mon, Alan, please!!" Gordon pleaded.
"Please what?" Scott marched over to them. "What's going on? You'd better not be planning something. This is Virgil's birthday."
"I'm not planning anything, Scott." Gordon glared at his older brother. "I merely asked Alan for help filming tonight. Why do you always jump to conclusions?"
Scott arched one eyebrow. "Oh, I don't know, Gordon; you tell me." Then he broke into a grin. "By the way, Dad told me to order new furniture for my room."
Gordon looked confused. "And this concerns me, how?"
Scott grinned wolfishly. "Because I get to use your money." He laughed evilly at the stunned look on his brother's face. "Enjoy the party, Gords." He walked back down the hallway.
Gordon glared after him, then turned to Alan with a nasty smile of his own. "Alan, my friend, I think it's time we took matters into our own hands."
"No way! Not again!" Alan backed away in fear. "You do anything at this party and not only will Scott kill us, but there's Dad and Virgil, too!"
Gordon shook his head. "I didn't mean the party."
"Then what?"
"I still have those pictures of Scott. The ones from the other day." Gordon grinned. "Those'll knock him down a few pegs."
Alan burst out laughing. "That's for sure! Blackmail at its best."
"Right! So, are you going to help me tonight or what?" Gordon asked.
"Sure. Let's go get ready and grab the cameras." Together they set off down the hallway.
Post by lillehafrue on 1/28/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #253 is a reply to message #252] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:43 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Wednesday, August 15, 5:15 p.m., Tracy Island
Virgil inhaled a deep breath in an effort to calm his nerves. He never got this nervous out on a rescue, but this party had him on edge. Maybe I should have had this at Paradise Peaks after all! he thought as he mentally tried to check off what had been done and if there was anything he'd missed.
Scott and he had brought up the bottles of wine and champagne from the cellar and storage area a few minutes ago, so that was taken care of. The food was almost done, despite the somewhat chaotic scene in the kitchen. Kyrano, Grandma and Grandma Lisa, along with Parker's help, had outdone themselves.
What next? Oh yeah, the 'squirts' He must have gone over things with Alan and Gordon one too many times, judging by the fed-up looks they had both given him when he'd made sure the camera, video and karaoke equipment were ready to go.
"Relax, will ya! We got it!" Gordon had all but yelled at him.
Surely they're going to behave themselves? Virgil questioned himself, then shook his head realizing what he was doing. Going to his closet he got out the tux, shoes and shirt and laid them out on his bed. He was sure he was forgetting something.
Decorations? No, Tin-Tin and Cherie took care of that. We brought back everything we needed this morning from the mainland; Dad's going to help get Mom ready... His train of thought changed suddenly when he started thinking of people getting ready. He'd heard a rumor from Gordon the other day that the women team members were going to all wear the same color dresses! This thought led to others of a more pleasing nature that brought a smile to his face!
Yep! This is going to be one night to remember! Satisfied he'd thought of everything, he pulled off his shirt and headed towards the shower.
--mental checklist by FrankieCTB2 on 1/28/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #254 is a reply to message #253] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:44 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tracy Island, August 15th, 5:30pm
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Anna looked into the kitchen at the chaos surrounding the party preparations.
"No, I think we have it under control here," Emily replied. "Besides, you're company. You should be out enjoying yourself, with everyone else."
"I'm company who doesn't know people well yet and who doesn't have the appropriate clothing. I also don't dance. And I am a very experienced server at church suppers and wedding receptions. If nothing else I can put food on plates and watch the level of the punch bowls."
"Em, right now we need all the help we can get," Lisa commented. "Besides, we need to go get changed soon and we really can't get do much in the kitchen after we've changed."
"Let me help Parker - it is Parker, isn't it -- finish things up while you get ready. What else needs to be done?"
Kyrano smiled at her. "These need to be put on serving plates. I will get the plates out for you. Then the olives need to go in bowls, with a bowl on each table. The bowls are right here, next to the plates. The marinated vegetables need to be drained and have toothpicks inserted into them, then put on these serving platters," he added, getting out some smaller serving plates with slightly higher sides. "There are some hors d'oeuvres in the oven now; take them out when the timer rings. Let them cool for a moment, then move them to platters also. I should be back in time to put the other hot hors d'oeuvres in the oven. They came on cooking platters so when the platters start to run low, you can just slide another batch into the oven. Cooking instructions are here." He pointed to several sheets of paper sitting next to the oven.
"The other oven contains the 2 main dish trays. I will put them out when I get back. The heating racks for them are already out on the buffet table along with the side dishes. I will not start grilling the steaks until people have arrived. Everything else is on plates in the refrigerator already." He pointed at the large, walk in fridge.
Kyrano then turned toward Parker. "Mr. Parker, I believe you know where everything is. Can you finish setting up the buffet table?"
"Right, Mr. Kyrano. Forks only?"
"No, we shall have rolls, so we will require regular knives as well as steak knives. And butter at each table. The coffee and tea will require spoons."
Anna spoke up. "Serving spoons?"
"I knew I was forgetting something. In that drawer, along with the other serving silverware." Kyrano pointed toward a set of drawers.
"Is there any special food for the kids? Non-alcoholic punch?"
"All of the punch is non-alcoholic, in case there is a call out. The champagne is being chilled along with sparkling grape juice for the non-drinkers."
"All right, I think that's it. Now, shoo. Get ready, then come back and tell me what I did wrong. Shoo, scat, out." She waved her hands at the departing people, and the three ladies and Kyrano headed out the door.
"Let me go put the punch out, then I'll come back and help here." Parker picked up a large punch bowl from the counter.
"Fine," replied Anna as she looked into the fridge. "You may as well do the silverware and plates now, too. It looks like most everything is ready, so we can put out the cold food as soon as the buffet tables are ready. In the meantime, I'll fix everything that needs to go on individual tables, so we can get them set up before people start drifting in. Will we need sugar and creamer for each table? What about water pitchers?"
"I'll be refilling coffee and tea at the tables, so we'd better 'ave sugar and creamer 'at each table. The sugar and creamer sets are over there along with the butter dishes." Parker nodded toward the linen closet. "I'll need a pitcher for each table and water goblets."
"OK. I'll have them ready when you get back." Parker moved outside as Anna muttered to herself, "Now, if I were a slotted spoon where would I hide?"
Post by susanmartha on 1/28/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #255 is a reply to message #254] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:44 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Wednesday, August 15, 2068, 5:30 p.m.
"What's this?" Dianne sat up further on the bed as Jeff came in, a long garment bag draped over one arm, his tuxedo jacket over the other. "I didn't know you were going to dress up."
"We are going to dress up, love," Jeff said firmly. Cherie came in on Jeff's heels, wearing her red dress, her honey brown locks pulled back and curled in long strands.
Dianne smiled and clapped her hands together once as Cherie pirouetted, showing off her outfit. "Oh, Cherie, you look so grown up. Just beautiful!"
"Thanks, Mom! So will you," Cherie said, grinning. "Dad's brought your dress with all the essentials and I've got your shoes and jewelry." She gave her mother a pleading look. "All of us girls are wearing our dresses, and Dad and the boys are wearing their tuxedos and dressy clothes... you just can't be left out."
Jeff pulled the dress out of the bag with a flourish and laid it across the bed. The alternating strands of red velvet and satin gleamed even in the bright lights of the sick room. Dianne ran a hand gently over the velvet, then gazed up at her husband and daughter. "I... you really want me to wear this? Now?"
He reached over to cup her face. "We couldn't go to Paradise Peaks, love, so we're bringing a little taste of it to the island. You were going to wear it there, dear heart; please, wear it here." He leaned in and kissed her softly. "You'll be beautiful no matter what you wear, love, but... well... this will be the icing on the cake, so to speak."
Dianne stretched up a little to kiss him back. "All right. I'll wear it. But I'm going to need help in getting it on."
"That's what we're here for, Mom!" Cherie exclaimed. "Let's rock and roll!"
Post by Tikatu on 1/29/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #256 is a reply to message #255] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:45 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Wednesday, August 15, 2068, 5.30pm
"Right, little man, let's get ourselves ready for the party."
Joshua looked up from his toy cars for a moment, before returning to his play. Dominic sighed.
"Vvvroom... Vvvroom vvvroom..."
"Come on, Jak, we've got to dress up for the party."
Joshua's head shot up this time, and he abandoned the cars as he got to his feet.
"Dwess up?"
"Yeeeeess," Dominic said, grinning as he bent to pick the child up. "We've got to look extra nice for Virgil's birthday."
"Josh dwess up fireman!"
Dominic shook his head as he carried Joshua into the bathroom.
"No, not like a fireman, like a handsome young man. You want to look nice for the girls, don't you?"
"Fireman! Fireman! Fireman!"
Dominic began to run a bath for the toddler and sighed.
"You can go as a fireman dressed in nice clothes."
Joshua's face scrunched up for a moment, and Dominic lifted the child's glasses from his nose. After a few moments, the child brightened.
"Fireman! Fireman!"
"Okay then, fireman in nice clothes. And you have to be a clean fireman too."
"Fireman!"
Dominic tested the water's temperature, before undressing Joshua and placing him in the lukewarm bath.
"Fireman water! Fire water!"
"Jak, no!"
In a matter of seconds the majority of the water was no longer in the bath, but on the floor, and drenching a very tired daddy.
"Joshua! Sit still!"
"Fire water!"
"Sit still or there'll be no fireman and no party!"
Joshua quieted, before his bottom lip began to tremble, and he started wailing.
"Party fireman! Firemaaaaaan!"
Dominic dropped his head for a moment, and took a deep breath. One of these days will be a good one... And he turned his attention back to his now red-faced child.
-- Toddler Trouble, a brief emergence from hiatus by ArtisticRainey on 1/30/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #257 is a reply to message #256] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:45 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Elise pulled down her dress and fidgeted with it until she was satisfied it looked right. Taking a final look and a half twirl in the mirror, she smiled, satisfied with the outcome. She gave her hair one final fluff with her fingers, glad now that she had decided to leave it down instead of fussing with an up-do.
You look pretty good, Elise Collins! I hope the birthday boy appreciates the effort! She flicked off the lights, and grabbing up her purse from the sofa headed out the door to meet with Nikki.
The two of them had decided to make an entrance to the soirée together, hoping the dresses would make more of an impact. Nikki had talked to Kat and Cherie, who was then supposed to tell Tin-Tin that she and Elise were wearing the gowns and it would be great if they could too.
"Wow! You look great!"
"You too!" They both laughed excitedly.
"I hope the others decided to wear their gowns," said Nikki.
"It would definitely be an impact, that's for sure!" laughed Elise.
"Well, are you ready to go and find out?"
Elise sighed nervously, "I guess."
"Are you nervous?"
"A little. I usually go out looking more casual. The last time I wore something this fancy I skated in it!"
"You skate?" Nikki's question led to an entirely different conversation as the pair headed towards the villa.
"For the tenth time, Virgil, you look fine." Scott flicked imaginary lint off his brother's collar and then turned to look at himself in the mirror to adjust his bow tie. "I still can't see why we couldn't have just worn casual dress pants and shirts to this thing."
Virgil looked into the mirror at his brother. "Because it's my party and I felt like dressing up! Besides, we don't get to dress like penguins much and it's makes Grandma happy!"
Scott smiled fondly at the mention of their grandmother. It was just like Virgil to be thinking of doing something for someone else. "Yeah, Grandma could use a smile right now."
"Then let's go give her one!" The two chuckled as they left Virgil's room.
--four get ready, by FrankieCTB2 on 2/3/2007
[Updated on: Mon, 23 July 2012 15:46] Report message to a moderator |
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #258 is a reply to message #257] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:47 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Tracy Island, August 15th
Kat pirouetted, feeling the soft fabric swish against her knees. I wish I had a full-length mirror, she thought, as she stopped and slipped her feet into the low-heeled strappy shoes. Glancing one more time in the small mirror, and satisfied that her hair and make-up were okay, she picked up a small package wrapped in navy and gold paper, and left her apartment, intent on calling on Heather.
When Heather opened the door, Kat remarked, "Hi there. Are you ready for the party?"
Heather nodded. "Yep, just about," and closing the door behind her, joined Kat in the elevator. Arriving down in the lobby, they then headed for the monorail to take them to the villa.
"You look nice," Kat commented.
"Thank you, so do you," Heather replied.
Arriving at the lounge the two young women were met by Gordon pointing a camcorder at them. "And just arriving are the delectable Miss Heather Kennedy and the lovely Miss Kat Williamson."
Kat rolled her eyes at Heather. "I'm sure you've already met Gordon, the clown prince of International Rescue. Oh, there's Lady Penelope. Will you excuse me?"
"You know her?" Heather commented.
"Oh yes, I was her mechanic before I joined International Rescue," Kat replied. "Shall I introduce you?"
But Heather shook her head. "Maybe later," she replied as she headed over to the bar to get herself a drink.
"Lady Penelope, how nice to see you again," Kat said, as she approached the other woman.
The young aristocrat turned and faced Kat. She was dressed in a long, slim fitting, halter style black dress with diamante beads scattered around the hem. Around her shoulders was a black pashmina. Her blonde hair was drawn back into a stylish chignon, with a few loose curls framing her face.
"Kat! It's lovely to see you again. That colour really suits you; you look very pretty."
"Thank you," Kat acknowledged, and then added shyly, "so do you." She then went on to explain. "When we girls were selecting our dresses, we knew that the men would be dressed in their black suits, so we decided to have one colour scheme, hence all the girls are dressed in red."
Lady Penelope laughed at this. "What a good idea. I did wonder why there were so many red dresses. I thought that maybe red was a new fashion colour."
"Oh, yes," Kat replied jokingly. "Red is this year's black on Tracy Island."
Virgil walked over to greet them. "Happy Birthday, Virgil," Lady Penelope said and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you," he replied.
"Happy Birthday, Virgil," Kat said, as she offered him the small package.
"Thanks, Kat," he said. "I'll put this with the others." Grinning, he remarked, "If you can get away from the movie maker over there," and he nodded to where Gordon was trying to film Elise and Cherie, "there is karaoke, and there will be dancing later on." He walked away to place his present with some others on a small table.
Kat and Lady Penelope nodded their heads, and headed towards the karaoke. "Are you going to sing?" Penelope asked Kat.
"Er, um, I don't know. I'm not very good at singing," she replied.
However, Gordon, tired of trying to film Elise and Cherie, noticed Kat by the karaoke, and headed towards her. "Are you going to sing?" he said looking hopefully at her, camcorder raised.
"Not if you're going to point that thing at me," she remarked.
"Aw, come on, Kat, it's only a bit of fun."
Kat sighed. "Oh, very well," and she began thumbing through the list of songs and decided on The Closest Thing to Crazy
.
Somehow she managed to get through the song without too many flat notes. Everyone cheered and laughed, and a very red faced Kat bowed to them as she finished.
I'm going to hide away, now, she thought. Aloud she remarked, "I'm never doing that again." And she headed to where Heather was standing chatting to Tin-Tin.
--Kat's entrance by TawnyAngel22 on 2/3/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #259 is a reply to message #258] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:47 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
Gordon panned the camera around the room, pausing briefly on all of the faces. He was panning back the other way when he started to hear something in the distance. He swung the camera in the direction it was coming from as it got louder.
"Nee-naw, nee-naw, nee-naw!"
He laughed when Joshua ran into the room, dressed in a fireman's hat and coat, with a pair of bright yellow rain boots. He had brought along Horsey. The boy stopped and looked around, and grinned widely when he saw Gordon.
"Godon! Goooooodon! Fireman! Josh fireman!"
Gordon zoomed in on Joshua's beaming face, and the child began to giggle.
"And what does a fireman do, Josh?"
"Water fire! Fireman water fire!"
Joshua began demonstrating, using Horsey as a hose, and Gordon zoomed out again.
"There's a future fire and rescue expert if ever I saw one," he commented. "And here is his clearly negligent father, having let him arrive at a party thoroughly unescorted, Nurse Dominic Kelly, who is also clearly negligent in the fashion department." He walked over to the dark-haired man, who had rolled his eyes at the cheeky comment. "Did the lights blow in your apartment, man? And have you gone back in time to your teens or something?"
He took a full length shot of Dom, who had folded his arms. Joshua looked up, then over at Gordon, and began to laugh again. Dominic was wearing a pair of black canvas trousers and a black blazer. Underneath was a purple t-shirt with a smiley face on it. He also had a black silk tie loose around his neck, and a pair of basketball shoes. His nose, lip and ears were all adorned with simple silver jewellery.
"'Least I don't look like I escaped from the zoo," he commented.
Gordon gasped in fake shock.
"How rude!" He said, and whipped the camera away.
A hand appeared on the lens, and after a brief struggle, Gordon found himself on the receiving end of the filming. Joshua was doubled over in laughter. Horsey looked as if he could easily pop his seams.
"See? Looks like a penguin," Dom said in a dead-pan voice.
Gordon crossed his eyes and began doing an impression of the animal, before snatching at the camera, and reclaiming control of it. Dominic chuckled, and reached one hand down to Joshua.
"Want to go get some food, Jak?"
Joshua promptly shook his head and ran off in the direction a few of the ladies. Dominic glanced sideways at the camera, and gave Gordon a stern look.
"He shot you down, bang-bang..." Gordon sang.
Dominic shook his head, and went after his wayward son. Gordon shook the camera from side to side, and watched as Dominic tried to catch Joshua.
"Clueless," he said. "Utterly clueless. I'm just kiddin' folks. And now, to pester the Birthday Boy some more..."
-- Another venture from hiatus by ArtisticRainey on 2/3/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #260 is a reply to message #259] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:48 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
A half hour before Virgil's party was to commence, Heather put on the dark red ruby necklace that came with her dress. Other than the diamond necklace she'd rescued from basement of her home, it was all she had. Looking in the mirror in her bedroom, she mused that if it had been a party put on by her mother or one of her mother's high society friends, she'd be dripping in diamonds from her ears, her neck, and on her wrist and fingers. Martha had told her over and over how the women of her circle would judge her by the wealth she wore. It was one of the things that had pushed Heather to leave her mother's influence, but it still seemed strange to wear so little when she was used to wearing so much. Surely this was going to be an entirely upscale party. Well, they'll have to simply accept me as I come. I don't think they would judge me by what I wore anyway, she thought to herself.
Heather recognized Jeff Tracy talking with a woman with perfectly coiffed, platinum blonde hair. Fascinated, Heather appreciated the black satiny floor length dress with a black pashmina wrap around her shoulders. Kat identified her as Lady Penelope. So she's Lady Penelope. What a beautiful wrap. They're so hard to get, and they're so soft and warm. I'm envious! Heather sighed to herself. First chance I get I'm ordering at least two of those. Perhaps Lady Penelope will tell me what store she purchased that from. Even with the windows closed, she felt chilled all the same.
After Kat excused herself to talk to the exquisitely dressed woman with the pashmina and Gordon continued on with his video reporting, Heather was left on her own. Looking around carefully, she eyed the wet bar. Walking over to it, passing pockets of happy partygoers, Heather met an odd looking gentleman, dressed in a tuxedo with tails.
"M' name is Parker, Miss," he said in a thick English accent. "What's your pleasure?"
"My name is Heather, Parker, and I'd like a seltzer with lemon and a little bit of sugar."
Parker bowed politely and went to put the ingredients in a tall empty glass. "Ice, Miss Heather?"
"Yes, please," she answered. As Parker put all the ingredients in a shaker, she took a few moments to study the loosely gathered pockets of people. Accepting the glass, she walked outside to the balcony to observe the rest of the party out on the patio. Gordon was slipping in and out of the small groups while firing his camcorder. He was easy to follow from her vantage point.
As she heard Kat's voice singing a tune, the bubbly aquanaut aimed the camera first at Virgil whose thick brown waves rippled in the breeze. He waved at the camera with practiced grace. "Oh, come on, Virgil! Do something--spontaneous!"
Virgil shook his head, saying something that had everyone laughing. Gordon continued on until Scott became his next target. Scott stood straight and tall with a strong, confident stance. His arms were folded and his gaze was intent on the speaker.
He looks pretty darn good in that tuxedo, too. Then again, they all do. As one of the guests that Heather didn't know left Scott's side, he suddenly turned and looked her way. When their eyes met, he smiled at her which warmed her. She raised her glass to him. He waved for her to come down. Mindful of her dress, she stepped onto the stairway with glass in one hand and her other hand on the railing.
Looking up at her, he became nervous of her tripping and Scott moved quickly to the stairway, taking the steps two at a time until he reached her. Taking her drink in his right hand, he took her hand in his left and supported her down the steps until they reached the patio. With an inward sigh, he gave her the glass back.
"I saw that alarmed look on your face. Honestly, if men didn't insist on women dressing to the nines, we wouldn't have this problem." Heather laughed.
"But then we wouldn't have any desire to come to your rescue. You ladies have to understand that we men need to feel needed."
Having taken all the pictures Gordon felt he wanted at the moment, he walked over to where Scott and Heather stood. "Mind if I cut in?" he asked. "Hi, Heather."
"Hi, Gordon," said Heather. Excusing himself, Scott went off to talk to someone else, while Gordon took over.
"You look mau-ve-lous!" he said, giving her an appreciative look. She had a strange urge to search for a pair of shears as his free hand slipped into his ginger colored hair to comb it off his face. "I love the dress!"
"I love your tux!" she responded with her most winning smile.
"Marry me!"
"Give me a call, and we'll set the date."
"I'm buying an island," he replied.
"I'm buying a bikini!"
As Gordon began to realize he had discovered a friend with a temperament much like his own, or someone who at least understood him, Tin-Tin appeared.
"Heather! I'm so glad you decided to come. I wasn't sure you would since you haven't been here that long." Tin-Tin wore an intense red dress with what looked like the brush work of Chinese calligraphy down the right side. "What is it you're drinking? It looks good."
Laughing, she answered, "Nothing but a seltzered lemonade. It looks flashy, makes everyone I'm talking to comfortable, and I don't get drunk. I save the real drinking for near the end of the party."
"Shall I take you around for introductions?"
"Right with you."
Post by AmandaTracy on 2/5/2007
|
|
|
|
| Re: Regrouping and Recouperation [message #261 is a reply to message #260] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 15:48 |
artisticrainey
Messages: 1228
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma: 2
|
Field Commander
Switzerland |
|
|
After spending some time conversing with Elise, Nikki politely excused herself from her company when she spotted Alan talking with Gordon.
Nikki's smile grew as she approached Alan. She felt like she was a teenager again attending a dance event back at school.
Alan paused his conversation with Gordon when he noticed Nikki walking towards him.
The ginger haired Tracy nudged his younger brother to remind him that he was still there. He gave a slight laugh. "Here comes one of the Cinderellas. Now remember, play it cool."
Alan gave his brother a look as if to say, 'what are you talking about?'.
Gordon, picking up on the look, laughed again. "I'll leave you to it." He was about to walk away when he added, "And don't mess up." He lifted the camera in his hand and smiled at Nikki when she arrived. "I'm liking the red idea you ladies have got going on tonight. I'll be looking forward to my birthday since you all did this for Virgil's. Mermaids come to mind."
"Mermaids? Keep on dreaming," Nikki said as she shook her head.
"Don't worry, I will." With that, Gordon walked off to film and mingle with the others.
Alan's mouth opened and then closed before he found the words he wanted to say. "Nikki, you look great. I mean you all do, but..."
"Thanks. You're looking pretty good yourself," Nikki replied.
"How's the ankle?"
"Not 100%, but it's getting there."
"Well, hopefully you'll able to have at least one dance."
"Maybe. It depends."
"On what?"
"Are you asking?" Nikki gave a sly smile.
Alan matched it. "Maybe." He guided Nikki to a seat.
Post by Nikki-browneyes1 on 2/5/2007
|
|
|
|
| Pages (4): [ 3 ] |
  |
Goto Forum:
Current Time: Thu May 02 17:17:47 EDT 2024
Total time taken to generate the page: 0.02879 seconds
|
International Rescue: The Next Phase
Search
Help
Members
Login
Home
