He knew he had to keep absolutely still.
At least, that's what his training was telling him. His head was in fact saying something completely different.
Another wave slammed into him, the water attempting to force him off the slimy rock-face he was clinging to.
Ultimately his head was right. He had to get out of here. The question was, how? There was no way he would get up the outcrop looming above him, it was too unstable, and he had no plans to go back into the stormy sea; he had been barely lucky enough to be washed up here, he wasn't about to test his fate a second time.
He slipped again, swearing loudly as the jagged surface beneath him cut into the soles of his bare feet; he had long since lost his shoes in the water. Jamming his fingers into a small crack, he stopped himself just in time for another deluge of cold, salty water to crash into him. He should have never gone out kayaking. He had known there was a storm rolling in, but had been sure that it wouldn't hit for many more hours yet. How wrong he had been. His determination to pack as much as he could into his short few days of leave had blinded him to the dangers he was putting himself in.
Had any of his younger brothers even considered doing such a stupid thing, he would have at least relegated them to 'Bird washing duty for at the next month, if not longer. Even Gordon, experienced as he was on, and under, the water. After all, he was Scott Tracy, Field Commander of International Rescue, he had to set an example. Which just made this whole situation ironic. None of them would let him forget this whole thing for a very long time.
He would have to call them. There was no way he was getting out of this on his own. Even if he did still have his kayak, the storm would mean he would never make it back to shore, and it was very unlikely anybody would come across him any time soon. He thankfully still had his watch, engineered by Brains to be practically indestructible, which had an emergency function. A half-twist and a pull of one of the buttons would immediately put him straight through to the lounge back on Tracy Island, where he would have to explain the situation to his father.
His father. He had forgotten about him. Jeff was going to go mad once he found out what he had done. Yes, he would be worried, and most likely send out the whole fleet to come and rescue him, but once he was home there would be endless lectures about safety and responsibility for days on end, not to mention he would most likely be demoted, or even lose his 'Bird. And, above all else, he decided, that was one thing he really didn't want to happen.
But, it didn't look like he had much choice in the matter. He was stuck, soaked to the skin, and with little hope of rescue otherwise.
Unless...
Digging the fingers of his left hand as far as they would go into the rock, he slowly inched his right hand towards his watch. He keyed in the sequence he needed to contact the one person he knew may be able to help him. He clung on for dear life as it dialled, willing it to connect. After an agonising few seconds, it did, and he sheepishly grinned at the face that had appeared on the screen.
"Virgil, I need you to do me a favour..."
The storm was still raging and night had started to fall when his salvation finally roared over the horizon. It was big, it was green, and right now, the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. It was none other than Thunderbird 2 herself.
Her engines changed in pitch and he watched as she started to slow, coming to a stop to hover right over him. The downdraught pressed down upon him and he gripped to the crumbling rock as best he could, his arm muscles sore and shaking from the effort of holding him upright for so long. After a minute the large doors in her underbelly opened and the rescue platform inside started to descend down towards him.
He sagged with relief as it came to a halt next to him and the gate opened, revealing that it was not empty. The pilot of Thunderbird 2 himself was also along for the ride, with a smug grin plastered on his face, along with his hair as the spray kicked up.
Allowing himself to be hauled in, he collapsed in a shivering, panting heap on the cold metal floor. Virgil activated the controls and the platform started to move upwards once again. As they passed into the belly of the aircraft, the doors shut behind them, shutting out the noise and the weather as well, leaving their ears ringing in the relative quietness.
"Am I glad to see you!" Scott gasped. "I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life clinging on there!"
Virgil laughed as he wrapped a thick blanket around his brother. "You almost did. You would not believe the trouble I had getting off the island!"
"Dad eventually let you go though, didn't he?"
"Not exactly..." Virgil admitted. "I had to, erm, sneak out instead. He's probably not going to be too happy once he's realised what's happened. You never know, I may be the one getting demoted, not you."
"Aw, man, Virg, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."
"Let's not worry about that right now, ok? Let's worry about you instead." He heaved Scott back onto his feet, supporting most of his weight, aware that the soles of his brother's feet were cut to shreds. "Come on, let's get you to sickbay. We need to get you into some dry clothes and warmed up."
"No, no. Not sickbay." Scott protested. "Cockpit, I want to go to the cockpit."
"Scott, I really don't think..."
"Cockpit."
Virgil sighed in defeat. He never did win against his older brother. "Fine. We'll go to the cockpit. Let me grab a med kit and some clothes on the way and I'll patch you up up there."
"Thanks Virg."
They started the slow and painful walk up to the cockpit, Scott muttering curses all the way. Even the tiniest movements hurt in some way or another.
When they eventually made it up there, he took one look inside, relief flooding into him when he saw that no-one was in there.
"Thank God! She's on auto."
"Of course she's on auto!" Virgil said, helping Scott into the empty co-pilot's seat. He paused. "Hang on, you're telling me you wanted to come all the way up here just to make sure that she was on auto-pilot?"
"Well...yes. Sorry, I just wanted to make sure."
"Scott, I promised I would come alone. And that's exactly what I did. You know that I don't break my promises."
"Yes, I know..." Scott replied sheepishly.
"Yes, now, feet up." He patted the edge of the console, indicating for his brother to put his feet up on it.
"There?"
"Yes, there!" He insisted. "I need to get a good look at you. You're in a right state."
"But you never let anyone put their feet up on the consoles, ever!"
"Well, this time I'm making an exception! Even though you are bleeding everywhere."
Scott convinced his sore muscles to work and eventually managed to prop his feet up. Virgil popped open the med kit he had grabbed on the way and got to work.
"So, how are you going to explain this to Dad?" He asked. "I mean, he's going to want to know why I've brought you home after all."
"Ah, well, I was hoping you could drop me off at the hangar- Aargh!" He cried out as Virgil started to clean his feet up with the antiseptic wipes, which stung like hell. "That way I can follow you back in Tracy One and it won't look suspicious at all."
"Apart from the fact that you just so happen to arrive back with me, a day before you're expected home, with one hell of a limp."
"It'll be the middle of the night once we get back, everyone will be asleep. The bedroom's are soundproofed so they won't hear the engines. We'll be able to sneak back in!"
"I hope so..." Virgil muttered as he applied the dressings. "Otherwise we're both doomed...
It was the early hours of the morning back on Tracy Island and outside the villa, all was quiet and peaceful. Sadly, the same could not be said for the inside...
"I don't care what your excuse is!" Jeff roared. "Under no circumstance does a member of my organisation take one of the Thunderbirds without my permission and go gallivanting off across the ocean! Not to mention not answering any communications either from me, or John, and then returning in the middle of the night with no rhyme or reason for your disappearance. It is simply just not done. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes sir." Virgil replied dejectedly, his head bowed low. He had hoped that everyone would have been asleep as Scott had said, but unfortunately his father had been waiting up for him.
"Really, I expected so much more from you. I thought were mature and responsible, that's why I gave you your own 'Bird, but after tonight, I may have to rethink this situation. After all, if you can't be trusted not to take a top secret aircraft off to God knows where without telling anyone, you evidently cannot be trusted to adhere to the security that is necessary for this organisation to work!"
"Sir, honestly, it's not like-"
"I don't want to hear it!"
A whirring sound from the secret entrance to Thunderbird 1 hangar made him look around, just in time to see his eldest son swing into the room.
"Scott? You're home early. We weren't expecting you back for another day at least."
Scott silently cursed as he saw the two of them standing there. He hadn't planned for his father to still be up, and it looked like Virgil had been caught sneaking back in. Time for some good, old-fashioned making-something-up-on-the-spot. "Yes, I know. But there's a large storm that's battering the mainland. I'd just thought it'd be best if I came back. You know me, in case any rescues come in." He smiled sweetly, ignoring the death glare that Virgil was sending him, unbeknownst to their father.
"I see..." Jeff pondered, thoroughly confused. Even if Scott had only come back to man his post, it was a very strange time to do so. Surely he could have waited a few more hours until morning? "Very well." He shrugged. In the end, if it was going to end up being a busy time due to the storm, the more hands the better, especially as there was no way he was going to let Virgil back out any time soon.
Scott breathed a sigh of relief, glad his deception seemed to have worked. Giving Virgil a supportive pat on the shoulder, he turned and made his way out of the lounge, doing his best to hide his limp. He had almost got out of the door, and was thinking of nothing else but his bed, when Jeff called him back.
"Ah, Scott, there's just one more thing I need to know before you go."
He turned back, expecting to be asked something mundane. "Yes?"
"Would you care to remind me of the procedure that we have in place for when one of our members gets themselves into some sort of trouble? For instance, when they get washed up onto a rocky outcrop in the middle of nowhere?"
Scott's heart filled with dread. Virgil looked like a rabbit caught in headlights.
"Did you really think I wouldn't know?" He asked calmly. "Now, would either you and Virgil care to explain what exactly you were doing that necessitated Thunderbird 2 having to come and rescue you in the middle of the night, or would you just like me for to get it over and done with and kick you both right back to cadets this instance?"
"Ah."
"Well, now, you see..."
So much for that plan!