Disclaimer: I do not own Thunderbirds. I do not own any of the original characters. The girl with the memory problem is mine though. The nickname Virge-the-Surge belongs to Little Miss Bump (Read her stories, they're good!)
Please review! If you want the story to get better, reviews help me to do that! Thanx for reading!
AlanThe beach was quiet and peaceful. If it wasn't for the fallen trees, you wouldn't have thought that a rather violent storm had just swept through, Alan mused. The blond sixteen year old boy was checking for any debris that could have been tossed upon the beach. So far, it was just the usual ocean litter. This he had put into a garbage bag to dispose of back at the villa. No one on the island would stand for a dirty beach. As he was bending down to pick up another plastic bottle, he caught sight of a bundle of cloth near the edge of the jungle. Weird, he thought. The teen put the bag down and jogged over to the shape, his stride one of a trained athlete. As he got closer, he realized that what had seemed like a bundle of cloth was really a pile of clothes….worn by a person! Alan immediately started to sprint while reaching for his watch. As soon as he pressed a button on the side, the device beeped and the face became a screen. A middle-aged man appeared, sitting behind a desk.
"Alan? What is it?" The man sounded tired as he raised a mug of coffee. Alan smiled inwardly. His father never could give up coffee.
"Well, I was combing the beach, seeing what turned up in the storm, and I found someone!" Alan was now almost at the person's side. He turned the watch toward the person to show Jeff Tracy what he meant. He dropped to his knees and shook the person's shoulder. No response. He shook again. Once again, no response. As he turned the person over, he gasped. The unconscious person was a girl, who looked no older than him. What caught his eye though, was the bloody gash on her forehead. He quickly checked her pulse. It was there, slow and steady, but Alan feared it might not be for long.
"Dad! We need Virgil to get the infirmary ready and fast. I'll bring her back on the hover bike."
"Alright son. Be careful! We'll have everything ready once you get here. Do you need any help?"
"No, I got her." Lowering the watch, he pressed the button and the monitor switched off. Turning back to the girl, he contemplated how to carry her over to the bike. She didn't look very heavy, so he scooped her up with one arm under her knees and the other supporting her head. While she wasn't a light weight, Alan had no problem with carrying her. As he traversed the beach, he wondered what she was doing here. There had been no accidents in the region. Thankfully, all boats that would have been in the area had been alerted of the incoming storm and had cleared out. It was as if she had been dropped out of the sky. The boy shook his head. He would get answers once the girl woke up.
Tin Tin
"TinTin! Could you help Virgil get a bed ready in the infirmary? Alan's bringing a girl in. Seems like she was washed up on the beach." Jeff looked at the delicate Malaysian girl. She nodded quickly and darted off. Ever since the Hood incident, she had started looking for ways to become more useful to the Tracys and International Rescue and… well Alan. Learning the ins and outs of medicine seemed like a good start, seeing how often the Tracys managed to get hurt. As she jogged toward the infirmary, she wondered how the girl got there. The Thunderbirds hadn't been called out to a rescue in the area, so where had the girl come from? As the doors to the pristine room swished open, she pushed such thoughts from her mind and focussed on the job at hand. Virgil was already there, taking out gauze, a stethoscope, IV line, needles and other tools. Tin Tin hoped they wouldn't need all of them.
"Hey Tin. Why don't you grab some gloves before the mermaid gets here." Virgil quipped. Tin Tin raised an eyebrow at the comment but didn't say anything. She grabbed the gloves and pulled them on while watching Virgil. His movements were smooth and practiced. Watching him helped the girl learn just as much as listening to him did. When she first asked him to teach her, she hadn't known what to expect. Now, it was all part of the routine. As she was just putting new sheets on the bed, the doors swished open and Alan strode in, carrying a very wet, dirty and bedraggled girl in. Tin Tin observed how limp the girl was and knew that she was out cold.
"So Sprout, what do we have here?" inquired Virgil as Alan lay the girl down on the bed. There was a nasty looking gash on her forehead, but she didn't seem to be hurt in any other way. Virgil took one look at the wound and motioned for Tin Tin to clean it. She already had a wet cloth in her hand.
"Has she been unconscious all this time?" the girl asked. Alan nodded. She wiped the girl's forehead, cleaning away the sand, blood and grime. Once she was done, the teen moved back and let Virgil take over. The gash did not seem to be as serious as it had looked before, but Virgil would be able to judge. As he bandaged the wound, Tin Tin went to stand by her friend.
"She'll be fine. She's got Virge the Surge." She whispered, knowing that it would reassure him, if only slightly. Alan was very protective with every person he rescued. This girl would be no different. His tense shoulders relaxed slightly and he nodded.
"Well, she'll have a nasty headache when she wakes up, but I think she'll be ok." Virgil spoke up. Trust him to have heard her. He and John had the best hearing of the Tracys. "Right now, she just needs to be cleaned up and allowed to sleep comfortably. Tin Tin, could you help with that?"
"Of course."
???
"How…she…?" Huh? Who was that?
"Breathing….pulse…steady…wake…soon." Was I in a hospital?
"Have…found…anything…her?" Who is this 'her'? Is that me he's talking about? As my thoughts started to swirl, I could feel the fog in my head lifting … somewhat. I could also feel my forehead twinging with each heart beat. Ow, ow, ow, ow….
"N-no, she doesn't have any I-I-I-D and her fingerprints do not appear to be in any system. I'll look in m-m-missing per- per-people but that's going to take a while. I'll start checking now." This voice sounded hesitant and …nerdish. A computer geek? There was a swish as he left the room.
"Sprout, you didn't find anything near her that might be hers, like a backpack or a bag?" This voice sounded young, and a bit commanding. Who was this 'Sprout'?
"I told you to stop calling me that Scotty. And no I didn't find anything near her. Could have washed up on another beach I suppose." Ahhh…so sprout was a nickname. Suddenly, I felt someone touch my forehead. I jumped. So much for seeming asleep. There was silence and then…
"Hey, can you hear me? Try to open your eyes." The boy was urging me. Well, the voice sounded cute. Maybe I should see if the face matched it. I tried opening my eyes. It felt like they were being weighted down. After a moment or two of struggling with the weights, I forced them open. Everything was blurry. I blinked a couple of times. A few shapes close to me cleared enough for me to see that they were people, but anything beyond them was still blurry.
"Is my vision supposed to be blurry?" I thought aloud. It came out slightly raspy. I cleared my throat. One of the people close to me moved closer, a penlight in one hand. I could see him clearly now.
"Your vision's blurry?" I nodded. "can you keep still for me while I check your eyes?" The guy had a doctor's voice, soothing and firm. He was also very hot. With brown hair, warm brown eyes and a handsome face, I was very content to keep still.
"Well, your pupils are even and are reacting to the light, and you don't have a fever-"
"So, no brain damage and no fever cooking my brain?" I clapped a hand over my mouth. Why was I so rude? The brunette looked at me with a surprised look.
"Ummm..yes. That's correct. Do you wear glasses?" The doctor switched the penlight off and waited for my answer. I probed my mind. Did I wear glasses? I… didn't know. I couldn't find the answer. I must have had a look of confusion on my face as the doctor's face became slightly pinched with worry.
"I…don't know." I shook my head, as if trying to dislodge the elusive thoughts. I rubbed my eyes in frustration. "I can see you clearly, everything else is just….fuzzy." The doctor frowned slightly as he fiddled with the penlight. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"Alan, how about you go get Fermat for me. I've got an idea." A shape detached itself from the shapes behind the doctor and went away with a swish of doors. "Now, is it just that you can't remember, or you really don't know?"
"I think I just can't remember. It feels like I should know, but… " I trailed off and bit my lip. Owowowowowowowow! I winced slightly as the throbbing in my head reappeared. I didn't make a sound though. I didn't want to seem like a little girl.
"Is your head bothering you?" A person behind the doctor moved to the other side of the bed, close enough for me to make out her face. The girl was very pretty and had golden skin and long black hair…. South American? Peruvian? Her voice sounded kind.
"It's fine…why do I have a headache though?" I raised a hand to my forehead. I frowned as my hand touched a bandage that was taped over the right part of my forehead. Had I been in an accident?
"We were hoping that you could tell us that." This voice was the commanding one that I had heard earlier. I squinted to try and see him, but he was at the back of the room. I could only see a tall shape with brown hair. I bit my lip again. I didn't know exactly what he looked like, but he sounded very intimidating.
"How about you start by telling us who you are?" the doctor seemed to notice my unease and had made his voice even more soothing. I thought hard. Who was I? What was my name? Nothing. Breathing faster, I tried again. There was only fog and nothingness where my memories should be. I was now fully hyperventilating.
"I..can't remember!" I choked out. Tears gathered in my eyes. I wiped them away quickly. I couldn't break down now. What would they think of me?
"Ok..What is the year?" The doctor now had a slightly concerned expression on his face.
"Ummm…2020." That came to my mind immediately.
"Good. What month is it?"
"July."
"Good. One last question. Do you know where you are?"
"Uhhh.. in an infirmary?" How was I supposed to know where I was? I just woke up here! I didn't say that though. I was saved from any more questions when the doors swished open and two shapes entered. I tried squinting again, but to no avail. The doctor looked up with a smile.
"Fermat, do you have a spare pair of glasses? I think this girl here is going to need them."
"Y-Yeah, I have them r-right here." This person sounded a lot like the computer geek who had been in earlier, except younger. The doctor walked away from the bed to get the glasses, his shape blurring as he did so. He came back quickly with a pair of thick glasses with blue frames.
"Well, I think that you may be used to wearing glasses or contacts from the way you keep squinting. Try these…they might not be the right prescription, but they may help." He passed me the glasses. I took them with a slightly shaking hand. Pull yourself together girl! I scolded inwardly. As I put them on, the world immediately sharpened. I could see clearly all the way to the back of the room and I could see everyone in watching me closely. I gulped. I felt like a mouse being watched by a bunch of hawks.
"Well, I can see now. I guess this means that I do in fact wear glasses. Thank you uhhh…" What was the boy's name? Oh yeah! "Thank you Fermat." A boy near the foot of the bed blushed. He definitely looked like a nerd. He had glasses like the ones I had on, except the frames were brown. His brown hair was short and combed to a side part. He seemed to be in the middle of a growth spurt, and was a bit on the thin side. He was kinda adorable.
"Well, we have one question answered… you're nearsighted. But as for your memory loss… it might have been the head wound you came in with." The doctor was speaking again, his eyes never leaving my face. The head wound you came in with…where had I come from? How did I get here?
"Uhhh..how did I get here, eh? And who are you people?" I truly wanted to know. Maybe these people could help me remember who I was. A blond boy next to Fermat came forward. While the doctor was hot in the way that men over 20 can be hot, this boy would have many teenage girls swarming him. With blond hair and blue eyes, he seemed to have an angelic smile just waiting to be let out. However, I saw how the girl looked at him. He was taken. Oh well.
"I found you washed up on the beach. You sure you don't remember how you got there?" This was the voice I heard earlier. The one who had been called sprout.
"Wait a second! Washed up on a beach?! What the ---" I clapped a hand over my mouth before I could swear. It seemed instinctual to do that. I guess I didn't swear that much. I swallowed and tried to speak again without being hysterical. "Where exactly am I? And don't say an infirmary." I fought to sit up, thinking that would make me look less pathetic. The doctor and the girl pushed me back down on the bed.
"Let me up! I hate lying down!" I pushed with my hands, and to my surprise I was able to break free. Glaring at the doctor, I asked the question again.
"Who are you and where am I?" The doctor looked at me with a very firm and determined look. I met his eyes and didn't look away. As if I was going to be intimidated by a stare.
"Do you promise to remain still and not jump off the bed?" I nodded. The doctor sighed and glanced back at the guy with the commanding voice. Now that I could see him, I could see that like the doctor, he was good-looking. Did I land on the island of hunks? However, he seemed slightly forbidding and authoritative. Here was a person used to being in charge. He stepped forward and cleared his throat.
"Well, for starters, you just happened to wash up on Tracy Island." He paused looking intently at my face. Tracy Island…. I had heard of the name before…
"Kinda sounds familiar…" I mused aloud. I heard a snort and saw the blond boy struggling not to laugh. I glared at him.
"What's so funny?" I was peeved. Did he think that I was ignorant because I couldn't remember what this island was?
"Nothing. Anyways, I'm Scott, this is Alan," he said pointing at the blond boy, "that's Virgil" He pointed at the doctor, "her name's Tin Tin," he nodded toward the pretty girl who grinned, "and you already know Fermat." The boy blushed again. I guessed he didn't like being the centre of attention.
"Ok. Cool, I know your names…what's mine going to be, eh? Like until I remember who I am and such?" This was met with a silence. I guess these people hadn't dealt with an amnesiac before. But I had to be called something. I didn't feel like going around being called "you" or something like that.
"H-how ab-bout Renee?" Fermat said nervously. "I th-think it means reborn." Everyone in the room turned to stare at the teen. I had a feeling that this sort of thing wasn't Fermat's usual behaviour. He looked at me with a slightly pleading expression, as if hoping I would like it. I grinned.
"That sounds cool. I like it! So for now I am Renee." My smile faded. "if I can remember that much…" I muttered. I sighed, wondering what I was going to do. I didn't know anyone, I didn't know who I was, I still didn't really know where I was. Not exactly a good day. As I was about to ask more about this 'Tracy Island' I was on, my stomach growled and much to my horror, growled rather loudly. I felt my face burn with mortification. I was just realizing how hungry I was. I think my stomach was in the process of eating itself.
"Uhhh… do you have any food that you can spare?" I asked, still blushing. The two teens, Alan and Fermat started grinning. Virgil chuckled and Scott allowed a ghost of a smile to creep upon his face.
"Of course. I'll help Mother make something up. Anything that you would like?" Tin Tin seemed to really want to help me. Unfortunately, her question wasn't one I could answer.
"I don't remember what I like either." I said mournfully. I sighed. This was going to be a long day.
Fermat
As Tin Tin reassured Renee that she would like whatever her mother cooked up, Fermat's heart seemed to be stuttering slightly. He couldn't keep his eyes off her. For someone who had just woken up with no memory, she had a lot of spirit. He didn't think Virgil had expected her to be able to push him aside enough to sit up. She had the makings of a bad patient. However, Fermat liked this girl. She hadn't seemed put off by his stuttering and she had even remembered his name when thanking him for the glasses! The way she spoke was interesting as well. It was like she was focussed on saying each word correctly, giving her a very precise accent. However, she didn't sound American. The way she occasionally said eh… Was she Canadian? Canada was a long way away from Tracy Island. Then again, so was everything else. Maybe he should suggest to hid dad to start looking for missing people from Canada. That might narrow the search a bit.
"Fermat?" Renee had finished speaking with Tin Tin and was looking at him. A blush crept to his face.
"Y-yeah?" Silently cursing his stuttering, he hoped he didn't look as dorkish as he sounded. While he had grown in the two years since the Hood's attack, he knew he still looked like a kid next to Alan.
"Thanks again for giving me a name." Then she grinned broadly like a little girl. Fermat froze up. When she had asked about a name earlier, Renee was the first thing that came to mind. He had been looking up the meanings of names for a random school assignment, and Renee had popped up. He figured that since this amnesiac girl had no memories of her former self, it was like she was being born again. He had thought that she would turn it down politely. Never had he thought that she would like it.
"Y-y-y-no problem!" He saw Alan and Tin Tin look curiously at him. Why?
"Say, Virgil…any chance I could walk to this food? I really think it would do me some good like…" Renee thought for a moment, chewing her lip. She seemed to do that whenever she was contemplating something to say. "like jog my memory!" She looked pleadingly up at Virgil. Fermat raised an eyebrow. It was going to take a lot more than that to sway Virge-the-Surge. Virgil was just starting to shake his head when Renee quickly swung her legs off the bed and stood up. Fermat felt his eyes go wide. She should have a pounding headache right now! While she hadn't complained of any pain, a head wound like that would certainly smart. Could she not feel pain at all?
"I can stand up fine. See? Now could someone show me to the kitchen-" She started to walk toward the door when she suddenly swayed slightly. Fermat moved without thinking and managed to catch her before she fell. While Renee was a little on the short side, it took a bit of effort to hold her up.
"Y-you were saying?" Fermat had to grin as she glared at him. Her glare consisted of narrowed eyes and a pout. Not exactly terrifying. Not that he would say that. If she got any more riled up, who knows what this strange girl would do. With a 'hmph' she straightened and walked away from Fermat and back to the bed where she sat down on the edge. Fermat looked up to see Scott, Virgil, Alan and Tin Tin staring at Renee.
"I guess this means I'll have to eat in here eh." She grumbled. Alan made a strangled sound and rushed out of the infirmary. Before the doors swished shut, Fermat could hear Alan killing himself with laughter. Renee raised an eyebrow.
"What's his problem?"
"Oh, he just watched an injured amnesiac girl defy his older brother and try to walk out of the infirmary, that's all." Tin Tin looked amused.
"I suppose it is safe to say that that doesn't happen everyday?… Wait a minute… you two are brothers?!" Renee pointed at Virgil and then at the doors. Virgil nodded. She frowned in confusion.
"Umm…Scott, are you their brother as well then?" Scott also nodded, a small smile forcing the corners of his mouth up.
"Let's see…Alan, Virgil, Scott…. Oh!" Fermat struggled not to laugh again as her face brightened like a light bulb. Her face was very expressive.
"You're the Tracy brothers!" Renee looked triumphant at figuring this out. "Right?" she added in a slightly nervous voice. Fermat realized that like himself, Renee didn't like to be wrong.
"That's correct. Now would you lie back down before I sedate you." Renee gaped slightly when she heard Virgil's threat. Then her face tightened.
"No way am I lying back down. I will sit, but I've had enough lying down." Her voice was hard and firm. "Now how did I know about you Tracys…?" She mused. As she bit her lip again to think, Fermat thought of something.
"Well, I've h-heard that most am-am-people with no memeory will remember things th-that they've heard or kn-kn-learned before they lost their memory. So, you probably h-h-knew of the Tracys before you lost your m-memory." Fermat winced inwardly as he realized how much he sounded like a know-it-all. Maybe she wouldn't mind?
"That makes sense." Renee said slowly. "Uhhh, Fermat, Tin Tin? Virgil wouldn't really sedate me would he?" She looked very nervous at the thought. Virgil chuckled.
"I will if you start running around ok. If you still feel ok in an hour, we'll see about you walking around. But don't push it. You probably knocked your head pretty hard. It's a wonder you were able to stand up, let alone walk." Virgil's doctor voice kicked in. Renee visibly relaxed. Then her face crumpled.
"Why are you guys being so nice to me?" Her large blue eyes moistened behind the blue-framed glasses. "You don't even know me. Ha! I don't even know myself!" She sniffed and rubbed her eyes furiously. Another person who hates to cry, Fermat thought. He wanted to help her, but emotional girls were terrifying to him. He was debating what to do when Tin Tin wrapped the distraught girl in a hug. Renee stiffened slightly and then relaxed, leaning her head on Tin Tin's shoulder, still forcing the tears back. Tin Tin looked at the remaining guys and jerked her head toward the door. Her message was clear. Fermat reluctantly headed out of the infirmary, hoping that Tin Tin would be able comfort Renee. There was something about this strange girl that made her someone he wanted to get to know better. That didn't happen often. Maybe he could help her get her memories back.