Saving the day one patient at a time

Eleven years old Jensen is hiding in the darkest corner of the laundry detergent aisle, sitting on the floor. He is hugging his knees and trying not to cry, because he is a big boy now, but he can already feel the fat tears rolling down his cheeks.

Lance Davids and his group of friends have been making fun of him ever since he has started the UFO club, but so far Jensen had managed to not pay attention. He is a Tracy, and Tracys just ignore bullies and go on with their lives. That’s what Jeff and Jack always do, and that’s what dad always says, and Jensen has tried to be a good Tracy too.

But this time they have stolen his favorite UFO poster, a Vintage X-files thing that has cost him a good part of his savings, and Jensen is devastated. He feels ashamed and ridiculous, because his brothers never let that sort of things get to them. But Jensen is not strong enough apparently, which is why he has now found refuge in the grocery store located next to the school. He wants to calm down before he can face his family. Otherwise they will all be terribly disappointed in him.

He went right for the candy isle, but only an old lady buying a big bag of those pastel chalky things that tasted nasty. Then he tried to chip isle, but no one. Finally he went down every isle looking for any sign of his brother finally finding his shoes poking out from behind a pillar. 

therichesttracy:

jensen-tracy:

Jensen chuckled a bit. “Yeah, well I wish you were here. I’m really glad he’s back, honestly, but…”

He looked pensively at Jeff, who was lying asleep a few meters from there. “I don’t know, Jack. Seems that he has much more important things to worry about than the problems of his stupid baby brother.”

He realized what he had just said, and hurriedly added. “I- I don’t mean that you have nothing better to do, Jack - it’s just… well, at least you seem to have a stable life. I mean - ”

“Oh boy.” He brought his palm to his face. He was even more prone to blunders when he was this tired. “Sorry. I did not mean to disturb you with all that stuff. We’ll be fine.”

“Jensen.” Jack couldn’t help but shake his head at his brother. “Jeff’s been gone for two years and now he’s back. His sons have done an excellent job keeping IR and his company running smoothly. The only thing Jeff needs to worry about right now is himself and his family. And you are part of his family. Reconnecting with you will help him reconnect with his life after being away, I’m sure of it. Now get some sleep, or you’re going to be in a right state when you find Melinda.” 

Jensen shrugged. He knew that he was not going to sleep much, but he nodded anyway. “Fine,” he said. “Thanks for listening, bro. I’ll go to bed. Well. If you can call that a bed.”

“Bye Jack. Have a good day. Be safe.”

He hung up and went back to stand vigil over Jeff.

Jensen chuckled a bit. “Yeah, well I wish you were here. I’m really glad he’s back, honestly, but…”

He looked pensively at Jeff, who was lying asleep a few meters from there. “I don’t know, Jack. Seems that he has much more important things to worry about than the problems of his stupid baby brother.”

He realized what he had just said, and hurriedly added. “I- I don’t mean that you have nothing better to do, Jack - it’s just… well, at least you seem to have a stable life. I mean - ”

“Oh boy.” He brought his palm to his face. He was even more prone to blunders when he was this tired. “Sorry. I did not mean to disturb you with all that stuff. We’ll be fine.”

therichesttracy:

jensen-tracy:

Jensen frowned suspiciously. Jack sounded like he had been preparing this talk for quite some time. Jack was generally quite insightful, but this - this sounded like he had been having this conversation before. Jensen sighed. Had he and Jeff given Jack that much to worry about over the years?

“Yeah, it helps. Thanks, Jack… I know it’s not going to be easy, and I want to help him, be there for him. I just… I suppose, now is not the best time for me either. I’m so worried about Melinda, and - hearing Chelsea again, after all these years, well… it brought back some stuff I’d rather not think about again…”

He rarely talked about that time, when Chelsea had left. It had been hard on him and, he realized it now, on his family too. He did not want to relive any of these days.

Jack sighed when his brother sounded a little more calm, but then sat up straight at his mention of his daughter. “What’s wrong with Melinda? Jensen, why are you in Topeka at 1 in the morning?” 

Jensen suddenly came to the realization that he had not talked to Jack since New York. “I met Melinda a few weeks ago, Jack. In New York. I had told you that she had contacted me? Well, I went to meet her in a café over there. Somehow Alan had contacted her, and somehow he sent her the papers from the court decisions, so she wanted to talk.”

He closes his eyes. “It didn’t go too well. She left saying she didn’t want me to contact her again.”

There was a moment of silence, and then he went on. “Then she went back home, I suppose. I don’t know. Three days ago, Chelsea called me to tell me that Melinda had left, that it was all because of me… and that’s when Jeff suddenly reappeared.”

“I asked John for help. He located her in Kansas. That’s why I left. Anything could have happened to her, Jack. She’s… she’s only eighteen for heaven’s sake! What if she’s not safe?”

It was driving Jensen absolutely crazy, and he could not wait to find her, even though he had no idea what he would do once he did. “It’s all because of me, I know it. If anything happens to her… I’ll never forgive myself.”

It seemed that, even after so many years, Chelsea was still that good at making Jensen feel guilty.

“Okay, slow down, and breath. You’re getting all hyped up again.” Jack paused for a moment to take what his brother had said in. “I’m glad you got to meet her, even if it didn’t turn out like you had hoped. However, I doubt she left because of you, that wouldn’t make any sense. If she left home it was probably because of Chelsea. Possibly learned how much lying she’d been doing all her life.” Jack hissed the last part under his breath. “But you’re right to be worried. She’s young and alone. But don’t push her, she has to make her own decisions. If you need help with money, or she needs help with money just let me know. I hope you find her, and I’m glad Jeff is with you. Otherwise I’d be on a flight right now.”  

Jensen frowned suspiciously. Jack sounded like he had been preparing this talk for quite some time. Jack was generally quite insightful, but this - this sounded like he had been having this conversation before. Jensen sighed. Had he and Jeff given Jack that much to worry about over the years?

“Yeah, it helps. Thanks, Jack… I know it’s not going to be easy, and I want to help him, be there for him. I just… I suppose, now is not the best time for me either. I’m so worried about Melinda, and - hearing Chelsea again, after all these years, well… it brought back some stuff I’d rather not think about again…”

He rarely talked about that time, when Chelsea had left. It had been hard on him and, he realized it now, on his family too. He did not want to relive any of these days.

Jensen took a few deep breaths as he was told, and realized that, indeed, he may not have been that clear in the first round.

He tried to speak more slowly this time. “I’m in Topeka. We are sleeping under the stars because being locked into a motel room makes Jeff anxious. And he’s all - gosh he so different, Jack. He scares me. I- I wanna kill whoever did that to him.”

And he truly did, and it partly was why Jensen was so panicked. This was a feeling that was entirely foreign to him, and something he really did not like.

“I don’t know what to do, Jack. It’s like - it’s like he’s a bomb constantly about to explode. It’s freaking me out.”

“Okay.” Well, some things explained. Though why he was in Topeka with Jeff was still a bit of a mystery, as well as the mentions of Jensen’s ex-wife and daughter. 

“Jeff is going to be different and it’s not a bad thing. He’s got a lot of healing to do. It’s-It’s not an exact comparison by any means, but the way you’re talking reminds me of when I found you just after Chelsea left. You were broken and even after you decided to get better--well, I never wanted to punch a girl so bad in my life.” Jack sighed as he sat down at his table. 

“You just have to be patient with him. He’s still Jeff, still your brother, but you’re going to have to feel him out again, you can’t assume everything is going to be the same. It’s kinda of like when he came back after his first deployment. He was different, though at that time it was kind of good. But he didn’t find the same things quite as funny anymore, we had to feel him out, see who this new more mature Jeff was. You remember that?” 

“Jack! Oh thank God you’re still here,” Jensen whispered.

He was so relieved to hear his brother’s voice that suddenly, everything came out, really quickly, and in no logical order. “I- I can’t talk too loud but… Oh man, Jack, we’re in Kansas, but things are… my God, Jack, it’s scary - Jeff is not - he’s not okay at all, and… I didn’t even know he was back until that day Chelsea called - Mum had tried to call me, but I was in New York, and - Jack, man, I need your help. I don’t- I honestly don’t know what to do. And I don’t think I can face Melinda tomorrow.”

He took a deep breath. It was as if he was on the verge of hyperventilating.

Jack opened his mouth and then shut it. He didn’t even know where to start. His brother was practically hyperventilating about something and he rambled so fast Jack was only able to catch a word or two at a time. 

@therichesttracy

🙁 Worst memory of your muse 

“Without a doubt that time I came back from school and you were in your room with that girl… what was her name? Mindy?”

Jensen shudders at the memory of what he saw that day. He had been 11 at the time, Jack maybe 14 and. Well. Jensen will never be able to unsee this, and it is a really, really tragic thing.

therichesttracy:

Raises an eyebrow at his brother. “What the heck are you talking about? Mindy? The only Mindy I remember is a girl I had to do a science project with. What did you see exactly?” 

Jensen does not really know what to answer. He knows what he thinks he saw. Granted, he was 11 at the time so maybe, maybe it was not that, but … Oh well.

Making Jack fret by spreading crazy rumours about him is part of Jensen’s job description, so…

“Don’t you go denying it. I know what I saw and Jeff saw it too. Sort of. You’re lucky I never told Mom.”

“I have no idea what you are even talking about? I’m not sure I can even remember what that science project was about? Was it the year we did the effects of video games on the body or the year we did the science behind hover craft?”  

🙁 Worst memory of your muse 

“Without a doubt that time I came back from school and you were in your room with that girl… what was her name? Mindy?”

Jensen shudders at the memory of what he saw that day. He had been 11 at the time, Jack maybe 14 and. Well. Jensen will never be able to unsee this, and it is a really, really tragic thing.