Wow, thank you so much for all of those of you who reviewed, that made me very happy girl seeing all those messages waiting for me in my inbox! Here comes the next chapter...
"Thunderbird Two, this is Thunderbird One. What's taking so long, Virg? Troublesome patients?"
Lifting his head from his hands, Virgil glanced up at the numerous screens surrounding the cockpit to see Alan smirking down at him from one. The younger man's eyes were giving away how he was truly feeling though, for they were strained with the worry and stress of everything that had happened.
"Something like that. Hey, I thought you were bad, Sprout. Scott? He's in a whole league of his own when it comes to being injured! Everything seems to turn into a battle with him."
"He takes after Dad, you know that. Come on, I want to get home. I've already told Base that we are on the way. You ready?"
"Yeah, I guess. Alright, bro, lets get this show on the road, I want the other two properly checked out when we get home. Gordon should be fine once his leg has been set properly, but Scott?" He shook his head.
Flicking a switch, Virgil disconnected himself from Alan and began to run through the pre-flight checks. The Sprout was right; it was time to go home. Within a matter of moments, the giant machine was roaring to life, the immense power that it held trembling with anticipation as he deftly lifted it into the air, glad to be leaving this scene of devastation. It had been a tough rescue, regardless of the injuries that had been sustained. One thing the artist had in common with his biggest brother was a hatred for earthquakes and the complete and utter chaos that was caused.
A shrill beeping noise resonated throughout the cockpit as Virgil steered his 'bird over the rocky terrain with an ease that only came with practice. Casually flicking a switch, a screen smoothly morphed into John's concerned face.
"Hey," the blond stated softly, looking almost as bad as Alan. Watching Virgil carefully, John sighed to himself. The fact that both Alan and Virgil were flying alone and the medic was looking so worn could only mean one thing. Gordon was no longer the only one in need of attention.
"They didn't clear it?" he continued, still not able to shake the feeling that had emerged with the discovery of the strange shocks. He may be in control of the most sophisticated piece of technology the planet had ever seen, yet for all the diagnostics he had run, the astronaut was still unable to explain what on earth had taken place. There was only one thing he was certain of, and that was the biggest worry of them all. The shocks were not natural, someone had caused them deliberately. But was it just a coincidence that they affected the very area where the Thunderbirds were?
"Not quite. I think both are going to be fine. Gords is out of it at the moment, but he only bumped his head lightly. No signs of concussion as of yet, but I'll keep a close eye on him. Think it was more the shock of everything to do with the shocks and his leg sent him spiralling over the edge. We all seem to forget that he and Alan are little more than kids really."
"And Scott?" John prompted when Virgil fell silently. For the first time since the rescue had begun, John was glad that he was thousands of miles above the earth. He didn't envy the earthbound Tracy's in the slightest if they had to deal with Scott as a patient, his reputation was somewhat legendary.
"Being a pain in the arse, as normal. He's sustained some cuts from where the rocks hit him, some of which look quite nasty. He also nearly went into shock at the site, meaning that there was no way I was going to let him fly home. But somehow, our dearly beloved big brother didn't like hearing that."
"I'll talk to him now," John promised, already flicking switches that would send him through to Scott's watch. The pilot was no doubt sulking, another habit he seemed to have picked up from their father when he didn't get his own way. Sometimes, the responsible team leader who had helped raise his four younger brothers could be such a toddler. Situated beyond even Scott's annoyance, John's calm demeanour was nearly always effective in calming any of them down. It was the least that he could do.
Virgil sighed softly as the blond turned away from the screen. Although he was glad that John had kept him involved in the conversation he was about to have with Scott, the exhausted man was not so sure that he wanted to hear what was being said. All Virgil could admit to wanting at this moment in time was a nice shower and then to fall into bed and sleep for about a week. Zoning out slightly, Virgil didn't notice John begin to tense up, nor the fact that the conversation was very one sided. Absent mindedly flicking switches on the control panel that would keep the giant of a machine steady, Virgil scrubbed his hand wearily over his face, determined to keep himself focused. It was occasions like this that was the very reason that Jeff had decided that there needed to be co-pilots, someone to keep the boys focused after such an exhausting rescue. Having two of the four earthbound boys out of action threw that idea out of the window.
"Virg, I think we have a problem!" John's sharp tones made Virgil jerk back into reality. Staring at the image of his brother, the medic's heart sank when he saw the expression on his face. The tension that had been present earlier had returned, coupled with an added dose of concern. Something was wrong, Virgil just knew.
"Scott?" He asked quietly, his heart filling with dread. He should have realised that it was too quiet in the sick bay. Scott always tries something, especially if he knew that Virgil was flying alone. His stubbornness normally would mean that he would be out here, arguing with his brother to let him help. Virgil should have known. Scott never does what he is told if he can help it, Jeff was the only one that had the power over the eldest brother. At John's nod, the artist cursed dramatically and quickly switched his 'bird onto automatic. He knew the terrain well enough in this area to know that there wouldn't be any problems with letting Thunderbird Two fly herself for a little bit.
Scrambling out of his seat, Virgil set off at a jog towards the medical bay, flicking a button on his watch so that he could keep John in the loop. He knew without having to ask that the blond would already be informing both Alan and Base that something was wrong, saving Virgil precious time. Slamming his palm on the button that allowed the doors to swish silently open, Virgil sped into the sick bay and skidded to a stop, his heart plummeting.
Scott had definitely not done as he was told and stayed in bed. Spread between Gordon's and his own bed, the pilot had collapsed half way across to his brother's bed. His eyes shut and his breathing far too shallow for Virgil's liking, Scott lay not moving, his watch still beeping from where John had tried to contact him. Heaving his brother's still form over onto his back, Virgil frantically checked his pulse and breathing. The heartbeat beneath his hand was racing, the skin feeling unusually warm. Staring at his brother in confusion, Virgil frowned. He knew that Scott had received some cuts from the shocks and had been pretty worked up about the whole thing, but nothing should have given this reaction. The uncertainty was worse than knowing, for the medic had no idea what he was supposed to do.
"Virgil, report. What is going on?" Jeff's voice cut through the air like a knife, the worry evident even through the small speakers on the watches.
"I…I don't know, Dad. Scott's burning up; it's as if he has a fever. But nothing happened at the rescue that accounts for this. I don't know what to do!"
"Hang on, son. I'm putting Brains on; he should be able to help."
The small pause seemed to stretch on for a lifetime as Virgil waited for the genius to help him. He had never felt this helpless before, he always had an idea of what to do to help one of them if something happened. But nothing like this had ever happened before; it didn't seem to make any sense. Scott's irregular breathing echoed throughout the sick bay, rivalled only by Gordon's uneasiness. With a quick glance at Scott, Virgil stood up again and crouched by Gordon's bed. Something was haunting the red head; his restlessness made it all too apparent. Thinking quickly, Virgil reached into a locker above the bed and pulled out something that he seemed to be always threatening his brothers with. Holding Gordon's unresponsive arm tightly with one hand, Virgil quickly plunged the needle into his arm. Letting out a small cry, Gordon stirred again, before the sedation took hold and he slowly exhaled, sinking into a deep sleep.