All rights belong to ITV, Weta and the Andersons. Thunderbirds are not mine, they are just fun to play with.
Set the morning after Extraction because Gordon must have hurt his back after that fall.
The Morning After
Gordon opened his eyes, remembering the successful rescue mission from the day before. Aiden Williams and his father, who had been trapped in the cave in, had seemed to be in a precarious position, and without International Rescue's help, the ending to their story would have been very different. Also if any of those falling rock had hit Gordon, or if he or Virgil had caused a spark when surrounded by all that methane gas, then they would all have been toast! Thankfully none of that had happened, and the major explosion only occurred, just as Virgil got them away.
The night before, after Brains had shown Aiden around his lab, Virgil had taken Mr Williams and his son home. While Gordon had gone for a late evening swim, before heading to bed, pleased with another successful day for International Rescue.
The dawn light just starting to shimmer on the ocean outside his room, reflected on the ceiling above him. For a moment Gordon lay watching the light dance above, feeling warm and comfortable in his bed. But the day was beginning, and there was just time for a morning swim, before the rest of the house woke up. Though Gordon reckoned Scott was probably already be up, starting his morning run around the island.
Lying on his back, Gordon stretched out his arms and legs, yawning, before beginning to pull himself upright. As he moved, a searing pain shot up from the base of his spine and up to his shoulders.
"OWWWWWW! THAT HURT" Gordon cried out, as he fell back down, struggling to suck in a sharp breath. Wincing as the muscles across his back went into spasm, his nerves feeling like they were on fire. "What the..." but his words were lost as he fell back down, the painful spasms continuing.
Taking a moment to breathe and clear his mind, Gordon tried to not panic. Panicking was not going to help him right now; staying calm, his number one rule, was what he needed to do right now. Since his recovery from his Hydrofoil crash all those years ago, the muscles in his back remained very sensitive, and had never fully healed. It meant he had to be careful how he moved, and balanced himself. His health had always been a concern for his father and brothers, with his work for International Rescue, but Gordon never let his back problems stop him. He just learned how to look after himself.
Over the years his back had gone into spasm several times. Most of the time, all it took to recover from the pain was stretching, a good swim in the pool, or Virgil massaging his muscles to release the tension in them. Once one of those three tasks were done, he would be right as rain again. It was only on very rare occasions that his back became so painful that he couldn't get up off the floor, or in this case, out of bed.
"Okay so getting out of bed doesn't seem to be an option today." Gordon summarised, as he tried to move, but the pain was unrelenting. He didn't like to admit to himself that he needed help, because it usually meant he was heading for some serious smothering, from either Scott or Virgil, and he really, really didn't want that today.
Taking another breath, he tried once more to move. Surely he hadn't hurt himself that much yesterday. But as he gasped, finally realising he was not going anywhere; his mind went back to the rescue the day before. He again saw the large boulder crashing down from above him, snagging on his line and pulling out the grappling hook, causing him to free fall to the crater bottom. Thank goodness he carried a spare grapple pack with him.
Reaching around, he'd grabbed hold of a new line, attached it to his shooter and fired! The line flew through the air, as its hooks smashing into the rocks above him. For a heart stopping moment Gordon thought he saw a spark as the metal hook struck the rocks, gripping tight. It then seemed to take a lifetime for the new line to go from slack to taught, as it took his weight, halting his decent, inches above the crater floor, his finger tips and heels just brushing the ground as he stopped. At that exact moment he tried to make his body go slack, his back arched with the sudden movement, jarring his spine as the line took his weight and pulled against him. Gritting his teeth as pain shot through his spine and muscles, he struggled to hold back words that would have made Grandma Tracy blush. Thankfully the pain had been brief, and he managed to refocus his mind on going back to work, helping Mr Williams and his son escape the falling rocks, that were raining down all around them.
Luckily for Gordon, for the rest of the mission, the journey home, and the evening, there had been no more pain. He hoped that he had done nothing more than just pulled the muscles a bit, and maybe gained a bit of rope burn. He also felt his evening swim would have helped to ease his muscles.
However this morning though, his back had other ideas. Lying on his mattress, panting with agony, Gordon knew, against his will, he was going to need help. He knew he needed to get to the pool, the water would help to take his weight, he'd be able to stretch out, but getting there was the problem. He was going to needed his brothers help.
Raising his arm, he hit the comms button on his wrist watch, hoping to contact the only other brother who might just help get him to the pool, without a smothering. Hoping he was awake, though he doubted it, and really, he wasn't expecting him to be in bed as he rarely slept in it, he waited for him to respond.
"What?" Alan's annoyed, yet sleepy voice came out of his comms.
"Good morning to you too!"
"What do you want, Gordon? I'm sleeping."
Gordon rolled his eyes, as the sound of a yawn was included at the end of the sentence. He had obviously just woken him, and Alan sounded about 9 when disturbed. Gordon's back twinged again, but as it did so, a grin swept over his face as an idea suddenly formed. His back might be extremely painful, and he needed help, but that didn't mean he could have some fun too. Taking a breath he spoke again. "Oh.. Let's just say, that there is a rescue mission your needed on, and the victim is being kept waiting because your still in bed."
"WHAT!" Gordon tried to not laugh, as the sounds of frantic shuffling could be heard through his watch. Alan had obliviously suddenly jumped up, run to his bedroom door, and come tearing down the corridor. Hearing Alan's distinctly heavy foot fall heading down the corridor that would take him past his room, on route towards the lounge, Gordon called into his comms again. "Oh Alan wait!"
The sound of Alan's feet, stopped right outside his bedroom room door.
"I forgot to say the mission destination. Johnny says the rescue is on the island."
"Pardon?"
"The rescue is on the island." He repeated trying not to chuckle, though laughing would of hurt, "first though you need to go to the infirmary. You need to get pain killers."
"F.A.B." The footsteps outside the door continued on their way, on route to the other side of the house.
A few moments later, Alan called down the comms again
"Okay, in infirmary, which painkillers do I need?"
"Pills should do it." Gordon did wonder if he should ask for the stronger stuff, but that would make him drowsy, which would be dangerous in the water. "Next head to the kitchen and get a few bottles of water, and bring a bagel or two." Alan might as well bring them some breakfast. They will be hungry after a swim.
"Bagels?"
"Uh-huh"
"Okay then?" Alan's voice was starting to sound suspicious.
"Oh and don't forget swimming trunks!"
A pause, as if Alan was taking a moment to realise what he had just heard. "Wait a minute! A rescue mission involving painkillers, water, bagels and swimming trunks?" Another pause, "Gordon are you alright?"
"Not really, no," he signed
Silence for another moment. "I'll be right over"
"Thanks Alan" Gordon smiled, he wondered how long it would take Alan to figure out it would be him that needed rescuing. Trying to relax as best he could, the muscles in his back, continuing to spasm, he waited for the sound of his brother's footsteps coming back. Soon he would be in the pool, he'd be able to stretch his back out fully, and hopefully not have two smother brothers chasing after him. He hoped.