Title: Shiver
Disclaimer: I do not own the Thunderbirds or any of the characters mentioned, Gerry Anderson does!
Summary: When one of the Thunderbirds is infecting with something deadly, will the rest of the Tracys be able to save one of their own? Or are they about to be torn apart by grief again?
Huge thank you to Piratemoose for beta-ing this for me and being generally amazing! Thank you *hug*
Hey can you hear my body falling on the floor
Hey can you see it's not what I was looking for
Oh brother I'm wearing way too thin, what's this box I'm living in?
My body is broken
Oh what do we do now?
Do we wait and sweat it out?
Do we focus on the shiver?
Elliot Minor – Shiver
***
"Alright, Mobile Control, we're coming back out again. Looks like everyone is clear."
Flicking a quick switch on the vast panel of the machinery in front of him, Scott sat back with a sigh of relief. He hated earthquakes. Hated them with a passion. Everything was so unpredictable when the ground let lose its full fury and caused the Tracy family major chaos. They had been out here for at least 36 hours, taking it in turns to man mobile control so that there was always a fresh set of eyes scanning the area for life, and following the flashing signals from their equipment in the hope that they would be able to save one more person. But for now, it was over, another job complete, although it had been far from easy.
"How's the leg, Gords?" Sending the transmission through the life saving watches, Scott couldn't stop a tired grin spreading over his ash covered face as he heard Gordon grumble back at him. A tinny laugh echoing in the background was a clear indication that the aquanaut was having to receive the aid of his little brother to clear the zone and was not happy about it.
"I've learnt one thing, Scott. Never try and use a three storey building as a diving board and expect to walk away from it." The humour was present as always in Gordon's voice, but it wasn't enough to fool the oldest mother hen. The red-head's voice was lined with pain and fatigue, the only good thing being that he seemed to have escaped from shock. The same couldn't necessarily be said for the older brother. Hearing Gordon's cry of alarm as the building that he was searching crumbled under his feet with an unexpected aftershock echoed through Scott's mind, along with the agonising scream as the impact caused his leg to break. Luckily, Virgil had been near by and the team medic had been by his brother's side before Scott could as much as blink. A shot of pain killers and a splint later and Gordon could barely feel a thing, only needing Alan's support to navigate the unstable terrain.
Letting his mind drift over the rescue, Scott couldn't stop the normal chills from shooting down his spine as he recalled how many close calls the brothers had had with this rescue alone. It wasn't just Gordon; another building had almost collapsed on Alan, Scott himself had been forced to tunnel through a huge amount of rubble to pull Virgil free and all the while John was nearly having a break down out in Thunderbird 5 because he was unable to help his brothers. International Rescue certainly knew how to age a guy. Thinking about John, Scott hit another button on his watch and sent the transmission beaming up into space, connecting him with the brother closest in age, but furthest away in distance.
"Please tell me that that is it, Johnny. No more aftershocks, no more rescues, just a nice hot shower and Ohana's muffins."
"Think you're in luck, Scott. Readings appear to be clear, the ground has stabilised as the plates shifted back to their original positions. That shower is waiting for you, dude."
This time, the sigh of relief was more like an explosion in itself as the welcoming news washed over the tired pilot; his brothers walking, or in Gordon's case, limping, back into his eye sight at the same time. Virgil may be the medic, but Scott was the one who was anxiously running his eyes over the dishevelled boys, making sure that there were no injuries that he didn't already know about. Gordon half heartedly raised his hand in a mock salute, the movement made clumsy by his weariness, causing another small smile to line Scott's face. Trust Gordon to make him smile in a situation like this.
The remaining Tracy's had almost reached mobile control when Scott felt a series of vibrations shoot through his arm as John frantically tried to contact him. Frowning slightly, Scott lifted his eyes to see Virgil, Gordon and Alan all look towards their watches at the same time.
"Go ahead, John," Scott ordered anxiously, immediately back on full alert, scanning the area for anything that might provide a danger in the event of further aftershocks.
"Scott, I'm not sure…what the hell..?"
"John?"
"…"
"John, talk to me buddy, what is going on?"
"Get out of there now! I've got recordings of some shock waves coming through from the mountain. They're not aftershocks, they seem to be some electro-pulse thing, but they are heading directly your way. All of you move, NOW!"
With a frantic glance towards his brothers, Scott realised at the same time as Virgil that there was no way that Alan would be able to clear Gordon of the area that John had indicated. Slamming his fist onto a button, Scott raced towards his brothers as Mobile Control shut itself down, Virgil sprinting the same direction. The elder Tracys reached their brothers at the same time, Alan desperately trying to help Gordon along. The shocks that John had promised were heading their way fast, the ground was already beginning to tremble, causing the already unstable Gordon to wobble even more. Catching Gordon as he fell, Scott yelled at Virgil and Alan to run. Adrenaline taking over at the prospect of his brothers' lives being in danger, Scott did the only thing that he could think of. Grabbing Gordon's arm with one hand and his good leg with the other, Scott slung his younger brother over his back and sprinted full speed towards the disappearing backs of the other two. Whether or not Gordon was simply too stunned to say anything, Scott wasn't sure, but the younger man kept perfectly still as Scott urged his legs to move faster and faster. The ground was shaking harder now, making it hard for the pilot to keep moving, but still Scott pushed on. Virgil and Alan had just cleared the area when the full impact of the shocks screamed through the ground, sending the remaining brothers flying as it gave way beneath Scott's feet.
Vaguely aware of Virgil yelling something, Scott felt like he was hearing his brother through water as he switched into automatic. Flinging himself over Gordon's worryingly still form, Scott used his body as a shield for the younger man, wincing as pieces of rock were torn from the ground and jabbed him in the arms and the back. How long he lay in that position, his only thought to protect Gordon, Scott could not have said. It felt like a lifetime, and yet at the same time, it was as if it had all taken place in a matter of seconds until he felt Virgil carefully manoeuvring him away from Gordon, Alan crouched nearby, concern and worry radiating out of both of them.
Lying on the ground gazing up at the amazingly blue sky, Scott felt as if he was in a dream. He could dimly hear voices shouting around him, perhaps calling his name, although he could not be certain. Soft hands were deftly cleaning the cuts from where the rocks had hit him, their voice low and soft. But Scott couldn't place it; it was as if he was listening from far away.
Suddenly, he felt himself being dragged back to consciousness, only to find himself looking up at his youngest brother, who grinned back, the empty water bag still in his outstretched hand.
"Told you that would work."
"You've been around Gordon too much, Al. That may work in the mornings, but I wouldn't recommend it as a regular treatment to stop someone going into shock."
"Gordon?" Scott croaked as his brain kicked fully back into gear. Gordon, hurt, not moving. Sitting bolt upright, the eldest Tracy paused for a moment as the world spun sickeningly around him before going to stand up, only to be stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Don't you dare, Scott. Gordon's fine, he had a little bump on the head, but is already being as annoying as ever. And unfortunately for you, mate, you're the one who now gets the pleasure of riding home with him. There is no way that you are flying in the state that you're in."
Groaning, Scott realised the full implications of what Virgil was saying. There is only one place that the medic would put a sick brother, and from what he seemed to be implying, two sick brothers. It was a place that Scott did not like in the slightest.
"I'm fine, Virg," Putting on fake smile, Scott climbed to his feet, trying to look like he was focused and ready to go, despite the fact that the world had once again rotated faster than normal. Trying desperately to walk in a straight line, Scott headed back the way that he believed Thunderbird One to be waiting for him, only to frown in confusion when it wasn't there. Believing that someone must have moved it, Scott turned back to his brothers to find them wearing identical expressions. Small smiles of amusement flickered across their mouths as the eyebrows identically disappeared into the hairline. They were not buying his act for a moment.
"Alan is flying home, Scott, end of story. You are going to co-operate and ride home in the sick bay with Gordon; I want to keep an eye on you. And don't pull that face either, you know the rules. Hell, you're the first to remind us of the rules when something like this happens to one of us."
"Honest, Virg, I'm fine. What if I promise to let Alan do most of the flying and I'll just be there to make sure that he doesn't hurt my baby?" Scott's eyes were big and pleading as he sent his brother the most pathetic look he could manage. Yeah, he hurt and was stiff, but he was normally like that after a rescue, no matter what. And besides, he really hated the sick bay.
"Ok, Scott, you can fly home. Now, remind me again, where exactly is Thunderbird One?" Scott frowned at Virgil's mocking tone and the amused smile on Alan's face. He would show them! Spinning back to face the way in which he thought to find his 'bird, Scott spun a little too quickly and the whole world faded quite suddenly to black. Lurching alarmingly, Scott was vaguely aware of a hand steadying his elbow, keeping him upright as his surroundings once more shifted back into view.
"Don't make this hard on yourself, dude. I'll use force if I have too, now come on, just get into Thunderbird two. Alan is perfectly capable of flying One home without scratching her paintwork. And if he does, well then, you can have the honour of thinking up something to get him back with. No pressure, Sprout."
Adding the last bit on the end to a suddenly worried looking Alan, Virgil carefully steered his older brother towards his own baby, ignoring the feeble protests that came too. Out of all of them, Scott was the most difficult patient Virgil had ever had the misfortune to treat, his over protectiveness of his brothers making him a real pain in the ass. Alan stood for a moment watching them walk away, concern flitting onto his face now that he no longer had a brother watching him. It was so unlike Scott to be hurt, it was unnerving for the youngest to see his childhood hero acting so weak. Shaking his head sadly, Alan turned back to Thunderbird One, heading in the same direction Scott had almost been taking, only slightly over to the left.
Scott must have been bad if he had managed to miss the gleaming paintwork of his most prized possession sitting just out of his eye line.
Manoeuvring Scott onto a bed, Virgil glared down at his older brother, annoyed at how stubborn he was being. He thought Alan was bad at listening to the medic's advice when it came to being ill or injured, but he was nothing compared to Scott. The man hadn't stopped complaining the whole way over, adamant that he was fine and that Virgil was overreacting. How he thought that Virgil was going to listen when he had stumbled at least five times and almost blacked out again, the artist had no idea, but he was beginning to get really ticked off. It was only a blessing Gordon had fallen asleep, pain and exhaustion overcoming his normal never-ending energy supply. Virgil had no idea how he would have dealt with them both if he was awake.
"Stay there, Scott. I mean it, stay put. You're hurt and certainly in no state to be walking around, let alone flying. Please, I'm begging you, stay put."
Scott simply rolled his eyes at his brother, but obliged and lay obediently back. Inside, however, the pilot was fuming; Virgil was treating him as if he was Alan! Watching the retreating back, Scott turned his glare onto the ceiling, before a low moan made him shift it to another younger brother. Gordon was definitely asleep, there could be no uncertainty about it, but the younger man was clearly suffering. Watching his brother sleep, Scott frowned as he let out another low moan, tension flickering across his sleeping face, causing him to turn from Scott restlessly. With a quick glance towards the doorway to make sure that Virgil was not going to mysteriously reappear in the annoying way that he possessed, Scott silently swung his legs out of the bed.