The pain was piercing. Stabbing. And sudden.
John awoke with a cry, confused and shocked. The dull ache in his back had gone, replaced by the needle sharp pain that was ripping through him. He sat up and as a wave of even greater pain hit him he tumbled off the bed.
"John! What's wrong?" For an AI EOS could replicate the sound of concern very well.
John tried to answer but he could barely breathe. The pounding, stabbing, piercing he could feel took overall other functions: movement, thought, speech.
"John! Respond." EOS sounded more urgent.
John tried to gather himself. What did he know? EOS was guiding Thunderbird 5 back to it's usual position. He had been out on a rescue earlier that day. He had been been hit by comet debris that hurt, but nothing that compared to this. He needed more information. He gathered himself, forcing out the words as he knelt on the floor of the station clutching at his back.
"EOS" he managed to gasp, "where... where are...we?"
"We will be in position in 23 minutes John. Your suit data informs me that your heart rate, respiration rate and blood pressure has increased: what is your status?"
They were close. Good. This was far beyond the aches and pains of a normal rescue. Worse even than the time he had broken his arm at seven years old. Another wave hit him, and he cried out again.
"It hurts EOS. Here." He gestured to his back. "I can't..." Deep breath. "When we are in position I'm going straight down." His words shuddered to a stop.
"Are you sure John? The capsule may have been damaged during the rescue."
"m'sure." Was all he could manage in reply.
"Shall I inform Tracy Island of your situation?"
John nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
"This is EOS to Tracy Island, come in please."
The comm link flashed to life - this time it was Virgil who appeared as a hologram in front of him.
"EOS? Where's John? What's wrong?"
"John is currently experiencing a medical emergency. He will be descending in the space elevator in 19 minutes. I am sending all relevant data to you now."
"John, are you there? Can you hear me? Please speak to me." Virgil's voice was calm, yet the concern was palpable. His hologram glanced down, reading the information EOS had sent him. "How long has this been going on? Scott said you would call if anything changed." Anger and, yes fear were creeping in to his usually stoic brothers voice.
"Just now," John forced out. "It... was sudden."
John wanted to explain, to give more detail, to give Virgil a proper brief - that was his role in International Rescue after all. He wanted to speak to his brother but couldn't get his thoughts together.
Another wave hit and chased any thoughts he did have away. It took a few moments before John could make sense of her surroundings again, and realised that Virgil will have heard him this time. How humiliating.
"Stay with me John, take deep breathes OK? I know Brains didn't want you in that space elevator just yet, but you are right to come down straight away. I really don't like the look of these readings." The last was said under his breath, but John could still make it out. "I want you to get to the space elevator now, so you are ready as soon as Thunderbird 5 is in place, can you do that for me?" Virgil was now in rescue mode, something that gave John confidence.
"I ... I don't know." John's vision was fading round the edges and his stomach contracting. Please no, he thought to himself. I really don't want to puke up here.
"Come on brother, I'm right here. Listen to me, you got this. Get up, start walking, easy does it. EOS, can you speed up at all?"
"Affirmative. Thunderbird 5 will now be in stable synchronous orbit in 12 minutes."
"Great, thanks EOS. Hear that John? 12 minutes. It takes longer to cook a pizza."
John struggled to his feet. The stabbing pain had not lessened, and he was now swimming in sweat and trembling. He had to use his bunk to steady himself as he took a few unsteady steps.
"That's right, good, keep going." Virgil encouraged him along as he slowly moved out of his sleeping area. Virgil's hologram turned to one side, but John was so intent on the mammoth task of moving that he didn't pay much attention to the quiet conversation he was having with someone just out of sight.
"It's John, I don't know Gordon. Something from earlier maybe. He'll be here in ten and he's coming right down. Get Scott and Alan and head to the landing pad. And grab Brains as well - we might need him to secure the elevator."
John made it out of the bedroom and into the corridor.
"Good job. I'm right here, keep going, not far now, just a few more steps." Virgil kept up his encouraging monologue as John inched his way through the space station. He kept it up as John cried out and fell twice more. He kept it up as John collapsed the last few meters when John's legs would not hold him. He kept it up as EOS announced their safe arrival above the island. He kept it up when John crawled into the elevator and it began it's descent. He kept it up even when the pain was too much, and John could no longer hear him.