"I'm so sorry," Cammy said as Gordon knelt down and hugged Scott.
The three of them sat in the silence for what seemed like a long time, broken only by the quiet crying of Scott. Virgil stood behind everyone, looking at the remains, sadness quickly passing over his face. He hunched over as if to cry, but started laughing instead, starting softly, and gradually growing in volume. Turning, everyone watched as Virgil's laughter changed to crying, then back to laughter again.
"He's completely snapped," Cammy whispered as Virgil walked over to the remains.
Virgil picked up the sash and held it at arms length laughing then holding it close as he cried.
"Stop it. Stop it! STOP IT!!" Scott yelled as he stood up and confronted Virgil. When Virgil didn't stop, Scott punched him, sending him to the floor.
Virgil just lay there in shock, still holding the sash in one hand and rubbing his jaw with the other.
"You think this is funny? Huh? Well do you?" Scott screamed at Virgil, walking over to his fallen brother. He kicked Virgil a couple of times before Gordon pulled him back.
"Scott, Virgil's sick! He…"
"And John's dead! Dead, Gordon, dead!" Scott interrupted, fresh tears running down his face.
"I know, Scott. I know. There's nothing we can do about that now. It's too late to save John, but it's not too late to save Virgil."
"Don't you care at all? Don't you care that John, OUR brother, has been horribly killed?"
Gordon sighed. "Yes, Scott, I do. It hurts me very much, but now is not the time to grieve. We're stuck in a creepy town where weird creatures are out to kill us. We have to get out. That should be our first priority. Once we're safely away from here, then we can properly grieve, but right now we need to be able to think clearly so that the rest of us don't end up like John."
Cammy was helping Virgil up when Scott suddenly turned around and started walking away.
"Let's go," he said, without looking back.
Cammy and Gordon helped Virgil along while trying to keep Scott in sight. They went back down to the first floor and ran as quickly as possible out into the courtyard to avoid any more monstrosities. When they got there, they stopped. On the ground in the middle of the courtyard was the strange symbol Cammy and John had seen earlier. As they got closer to the symbol, the clock tower began to chime.
Hearing a moan, Gordon turned just in time to see Cammy collapse onto the ground in a faint. As the clock tower chimed again, Scott fell, then Virgil. Gordon, in a panic, tried to think of what to do as he ran from one person to the next, trying to revive them. He heard the clock chime again and felt himself fall to the ground. He closed his eyes as a sudden urge to sleep overcame him. The last thing he thought he heard before passing out was John's voice saying it was going to be all right, and what sounded like an air raid siren in the background.
*****
"Are you awake?" a familiar voice said. Gordon groaned and held his head which was pounding like a bad hangover.
"What happened? Where are we?" Gordon asked as he slowly opened his eyes. Grey light was filtering from outside through the dust and grime covered windows of the room. Getting help, he sat up and looked around. "Where am I?" he repeated.
"We don't know yet," the voice said before coming into his line of sight. It was Scott with a very relieved look on his face.
"Scott!" Gordon cried out happily. Scott walked over and hugged his brother. "Where's Virgil?"
Scott pointed to the chair where Virgil was propped.
"He's not…Is he?" Gordon asked.
"No. He's fine. Just sleeping. He was awake and taking care of us when Cammy and I came to."
"Where are we?" Gordon asked again, looking around.
"School infirmary. Well, the not so creepy and dark school infirmary," Cammy said walking back into the room.
Gordon got off the single bed in the room and just looked at her. "How did we get here?"
"That's another part of this grand mystery. The last thing Cammy and I remember is walking out into the courtyard, hearing the clock tower then waking up here," Scott said, helping Gordon.
"What about John? Surely it must have all been a bad dream…" Gordon stopped as Scott turned away and Cammy slowly shook her head and pointed to the windowsill where the remnant of John's blood splattered sash lay.
Gordon bowed his head in sorrow and sighed. 'Poor John,' he thought. 'Kept up on Thunderbird 5 without much reprieve and when he gets a chance for a rescue it ends up killing him. I wish we could have spent more time together.'
The three stayed there in silence, not knowing what to do or say when Virgil suddenly jumped up. He grabbed the piece of sash and headed for the door, surprising everyone.
"Where are you going, Virg?" Scott asked, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder.
"The hospital. John's hurt and needs our help. He's waiting for us in the hospital. We have to hurry!"
Everyone just looked at each other, silently agreeing with their eyes what they thought all along – Virgil had finally completely snapped.
"Virgil, we can't go to the hospital. John's dead. Don't you remember seeing what was left of him upstairs?" Gordon asked, his voice growing heavy with sadness at the memory.
"But he's not dead! He escaped! He's alive! I know he is!" Virgil exclaimed.
"Virg..." Scott started, but stopped as Virgil broke from his grasp and ran out into the hall.
The others took off after him as he left the school and began running down the street. Scott was soon able to catch up to him and got into a scuffle as Virgil struggled to get away. Gordon arrived soon after and helped pull Virgil off and held him as Scott and Virgil glared at each other. Cammy came up behind Gordon and just stood there. Nobody said or did anything for what seemed the longest time, when Virgil wrenched an arm free from Gordon's grip and pointed at Scott.
"You know John's not dead. You can feel it, I know you can."
Scott just looked at him, then to Gordon who had looked away. Scott closed his eyes and slowly nodded. They all had a special connection with each other. Almost like an extra sense. And even with what could be considered overwhelming evidence against them, they could still feel that their brother was somehow alive. Hurt, but alive.
"We have to get to the hospital. He's waiting for us there. I don't know how long he can stay hidden from the dark forces running amok, but we have to hurry, or next time he really will be gone," Virgil said calmly.
Scott and Gordon just looked at each other.
"I can take you to the hospital, if that's where you need to go," Cammy said quietly, reminding the boys of her presence.
The three of them sat in the silence for what seemed like a long time, broken only by the quiet crying of Scott. Virgil stood behind everyone, looking at the remains, sadness quickly passing over his face. He hunched over as if to cry, but started laughing instead, starting softly, and gradually growing in volume. Turning, everyone watched as Virgil's laughter changed to crying, then back to laughter again.
"He's completely snapped," Cammy whispered as Virgil walked over to the remains.
Virgil picked up the sash and held it at arms length laughing then holding it close as he cried.
"Stop it. Stop it! STOP IT!!" Scott yelled as he stood up and confronted Virgil. When Virgil didn't stop, Scott punched him, sending him to the floor.
Virgil just lay there in shock, still holding the sash in one hand and rubbing his jaw with the other.
"You think this is funny? Huh? Well do you?" Scott screamed at Virgil, walking over to his fallen brother. He kicked Virgil a couple of times before Gordon pulled him back.
"Scott, Virgil's sick! He…"
"And John's dead! Dead, Gordon, dead!" Scott interrupted, fresh tears running down his face.
"I know, Scott. I know. There's nothing we can do about that now. It's too late to save John, but it's not too late to save Virgil."
"Don't you care at all? Don't you care that John, OUR brother, has been horribly killed?"
Gordon sighed. "Yes, Scott, I do. It hurts me very much, but now is not the time to grieve. We're stuck in a creepy town where weird creatures are out to kill us. We have to get out. That should be our first priority. Once we're safely away from here, then we can properly grieve, but right now we need to be able to think clearly so that the rest of us don't end up like John."
Cammy was helping Virgil up when Scott suddenly turned around and started walking away.
"Let's go," he said, without looking back.
Cammy and Gordon helped Virgil along while trying to keep Scott in sight. They went back down to the first floor and ran as quickly as possible out into the courtyard to avoid any more monstrosities. When they got there, they stopped. On the ground in the middle of the courtyard was the strange symbol Cammy and John had seen earlier. As they got closer to the symbol, the clock tower began to chime.
Hearing a moan, Gordon turned just in time to see Cammy collapse onto the ground in a faint. As the clock tower chimed again, Scott fell, then Virgil. Gordon, in a panic, tried to think of what to do as he ran from one person to the next, trying to revive them. He heard the clock chime again and felt himself fall to the ground. He closed his eyes as a sudden urge to sleep overcame him. The last thing he thought he heard before passing out was John's voice saying it was going to be all right, and what sounded like an air raid siren in the background.
*****
"Are you awake?" a familiar voice said. Gordon groaned and held his head which was pounding like a bad hangover.
"What happened? Where are we?" Gordon asked as he slowly opened his eyes. Grey light was filtering from outside through the dust and grime covered windows of the room. Getting help, he sat up and looked around. "Where am I?" he repeated.
"We don't know yet," the voice said before coming into his line of sight. It was Scott with a very relieved look on his face.
"Scott!" Gordon cried out happily. Scott walked over and hugged his brother. "Where's Virgil?"
Scott pointed to the chair where Virgil was propped.
"He's not…Is he?" Gordon asked.
"No. He's fine. Just sleeping. He was awake and taking care of us when Cammy and I came to."
"Where are we?" Gordon asked again, looking around.
"School infirmary. Well, the not so creepy and dark school infirmary," Cammy said walking back into the room.
Gordon got off the single bed in the room and just looked at her. "How did we get here?"
"That's another part of this grand mystery. The last thing Cammy and I remember is walking out into the courtyard, hearing the clock tower then waking up here," Scott said, helping Gordon.
"What about John? Surely it must have all been a bad dream…" Gordon stopped as Scott turned away and Cammy slowly shook her head and pointed to the windowsill where the remnant of John's blood splattered sash lay.
Gordon bowed his head in sorrow and sighed. 'Poor John,' he thought. 'Kept up on Thunderbird 5 without much reprieve and when he gets a chance for a rescue it ends up killing him. I wish we could have spent more time together.'
The three stayed there in silence, not knowing what to do or say when Virgil suddenly jumped up. He grabbed the piece of sash and headed for the door, surprising everyone.
"Where are you going, Virg?" Scott asked, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder.
"The hospital. John's hurt and needs our help. He's waiting for us in the hospital. We have to hurry!"
Everyone just looked at each other, silently agreeing with their eyes what they thought all along – Virgil had finally completely snapped.
"Virgil, we can't go to the hospital. John's dead. Don't you remember seeing what was left of him upstairs?" Gordon asked, his voice growing heavy with sadness at the memory.
"But he's not dead! He escaped! He's alive! I know he is!" Virgil exclaimed.
"Virg..." Scott started, but stopped as Virgil broke from his grasp and ran out into the hall.
The others took off after him as he left the school and began running down the street. Scott was soon able to catch up to him and got into a scuffle as Virgil struggled to get away. Gordon arrived soon after and helped pull Virgil off and held him as Scott and Virgil glared at each other. Cammy came up behind Gordon and just stood there. Nobody said or did anything for what seemed the longest time, when Virgil wrenched an arm free from Gordon's grip and pointed at Scott.
"You know John's not dead. You can feel it, I know you can."
Scott just looked at him, then to Gordon who had looked away. Scott closed his eyes and slowly nodded. They all had a special connection with each other. Almost like an extra sense. And even with what could be considered overwhelming evidence against them, they could still feel that their brother was somehow alive. Hurt, but alive.
"We have to get to the hospital. He's waiting for us there. I don't know how long he can stay hidden from the dark forces running amok, but we have to hurry, or next time he really will be gone," Virgil said calmly.
Scott and Gordon just looked at each other.
"I can take you to the hospital, if that's where you need to go," Cammy said quietly, reminding the boys of her presence.
