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				GENESIS by Katie Oliver Chapter Two: Tragedy       Elizabeth resumed her painting on the return to the island. A talented musician and artist, she had let her gifts lie idle while she concentrated on her young family. Now with Rachel playing with the older boys and baby Virgil in his chair beside her she rediscovered her pleasure in these pursuits.       Elizabeth got her own way; Jeff could deny his young wife nothing! On Valentines Day when Scott was four years old the Tracy's fourth son arrived. Elizabeth had wanted a girl, but took one look at her red-haired son and fell in love. She recovered quickly from the birth, and laughed at the worries of the doctors. They had persuaded her to have the baby at a major hospital on the mainland because of the complications that had followed Virgil's birth. Jeff named the new baby Gordon and he was loved and welcomed by the whole family, on their return to Tracy Island.       With a new baby in the house, two-year-old Virgil increasingly joined his older brothers and Rachel on their daily outings around the island. It was an idyllic life for the three young boys. The island had beautiful sandy beaches and rocky coves with caves to explore. Rock pools were investigated and boulders climbed. It was clear all the Tracy boys were exceptionally bright for their age. Scott could already read and John knew all his letters. They quickly learnt the simple lessons Rachel taught them and developed interests of their own. In particular three-year-old John was fascinated by the moon, and would stand at the balcony watching it night after night, until Rachel or Elizabeth chased him off to bed.       It was a surprise to Elizabeth to find, four months after Gordon's birth, she was expecting again. Jeff had just left on a business trip when the familiar nausea of morning sickness made her suspect another young Tracy was on the way. She was delighted, and so was Jeff on his return. After Gordon's easy birth neither parent expected any problems this time and looked forward to the new baby. Towards the end of the pregnancy Elizabeth felt very tired, but surely that was to be expected with four lively young boys to look after, even with Rachel's capable assistance.       Two weeks before the baby was due Jeff and Elizabeth moved into a flat on the mainland, and when the labour started went to the same hospital Gordon had been born in. This time however things were very different, after a long and tiring labour things began to go wrong. An emergency operation followed, and the doctor came out to talk to Jeff. He was carrying a tiny baby in his arms.       "It's a boy, Jeff, but we're not out of the woods yet. You know that Elizabeth was very ill after Virgil's birth and it looks like the same trouble again. She's going to need another operation." The doctor turned handed over the baby, turned, and walked back towards the operating theatre. Jeff tore his eyes away from the tiny blond haired scrap in his arms.       "Dr Robinson, she is going to be alright, isn't she?" The doctor looked grave.       "It's too early to say, but if she pulls through then this is the last baby. I mean it Jeff. No more babies." Jeff nodded.       "Just save her doctor. Please."       The doctors did all they could. A nurse came and took the baby to the hospital nursery, where he was bathed and fed. Jeff waited, alone, outside the operating theatre. At last Dr Robinson came out.       "I'm sorry Jeff... she didn't make it. I'm so sorry"       The next few days were a blur to Jeff Tracy. He arranged for the funeral, and broke the news to Rachel. He asked her not to tell the boys. He would do that himself on his return. Rachel, fighting back the tears asked,       "Jeff, the baby? Did the baby die too?"       "Oh, the baby. No it lived. It's a boy," and with that Jeff hung up.       The day he was due to fly back to Tracy Island Jeff returned to the hospital. He collected his youngest son from the nurses and went straight to the airport. He stowed the cot carefully in the light jet, and took off for the short flight home. The baby slept through the whole trip. After landing Jeff carried the baby to Tracy Villa and handed him to the waiting Rachel. She looked at the two-week-old baby.       "Oh Jeff, he's gorgeous! What have you called him?" Jeff glanced at the basket.       "You name him, Rachel", and he walked towards the house and his waiting sons. To tell them the news their mother would never come home again.       Rachel named the baby Alan after her brother, and took over his care. Gordon was too young to grieve for long although for several agonizing weeks he called for Mama. The three older boys however missed their mother terribly. Scott, only five years old, seemed to grow up overnight and began looking after his brothers in a way that he was to for the rest of his life. John became withdrawn and introspective. A quiet blond ghost drifting around the house, but it was Virgil who missed her the most. Closest to his mother because of his early ill health, he had also inherited her musical ability. Whilst his brothers were off playing on the beach, he could often be found curled up in an armchair listening to his mother play the piano. Now he would sit there, listening to nothing.       Jeff devoted his time to his sons. He employed managers for his successful engineering companies and stayed at home. Yet he would not spend any time with baby Alan. While he knew the child was not responsible for his mother's death he could not bring himself to forgive the infant. If it wasn't for Alan, Elizabeth would still be alive. Rachel cared for the baby, a happy, bonnie child, who was easy to look after, but she could not interest his father in him at all. It took a bout of chicken pox to change his mind.       Alan was the only one of the boys not to get chicken pox. Rachel was relieved as she and Jeff were already stretched to the limit with four sick children. One night both Gordon and Virgil woke crying. Rachel sponged Gordon with calamine lotion and then handed him to Jeff who walked with him until he fell asleep. Meanwhile Rachel cared for Virgil. Then John woke too and Rachel put both boys in the same bed and started to read to them. It was at this moment young Alan woke and started to cry for his feed. Scott, young as he was, understood that his father did not do anything for the baby of the family. He began to get up to find and give the baby his bottle. Suddenly his father lifted him and carried him back to bed.       "Give me the bottle son. I'll do it." He took the bottle of milk and walked into Alan's nursery. The baby saw the bottle coming and stopped crying. A huge baby smile came over his face as his father approached and he raised his arms to be lifted.       The magic of baby smiles worked its usual spell. When Rachel came into the nursery after settling the other boys she found father and son happily playing. Jeff never looked back. In fact, although he would never have admitted it, Alan became his favorite son. On to Chapter Three: School Days.