Calm
It had been one of the toughest rescues Alan had been on for a long time. It had taken the best part of a day to get those people out from under the rubble, help put up support structures to keep any more buildings from collapsing, and to clear away the mess.
The fires had blazed so fiercely, Alan swore he was melting even through the protective suit he was wearing. Scott had flown again and again over the site, spraying the fires in an attempt to quell them. It had paid off in the end, but only after a few agonizing hours.
There had been a tense moment when Gordon had almost been crushed by an unstable building; he and the team he'd been helping with the support beam had barely made it away in time.
Then there had been the people. For some, it was far too late. Some were so trapped they had to be left for last, whilst they removed as much of the rubble as possible. Others had been relatively easy to get to, but so badly injured that they had to be moved cautiously, as slowly as possible.
Alan let out a huge sigh, flopping into the hammock by the pool. It was almost dawn, and his brothers had gone straight to their rooms, intent on spending some quality time with their beds. Jeff had been kind enough to spare them the debriefing until later.
But Alan couldn't sleep. He supposed there could still be a bit of adrenaline floating about somewhere, but perhaps it was more likely that it was because he'd managed to grab a few hours on the flight back home. Either way, going to his bed just didn't appeal to him.
He'd had a shower certainly; his damp hair was quickly drying in the warm air, although the odd droplet of water still trickled down the back of his neck. He stuck out a leg and pushed lazily, so the hammock swung gently, and he gazed out to sea as the sun poked its forehead over the horizon.
Virgil would just love to paint this, Alan thought, pulling out his phone and taking a few photos. The sea was so still, there was a gentle cool breeze playing across his face, and the birds were only just beginning to wake up. Alan closed his eyes and concentrated on the rocking motion. He was so comfortable, so peaceful, so...
Calm.