Disclaimer: How I wish the boys were mine. But nope; they belong to someone else. Thank you all for reading! You won't believe how much I enjoy it to see that you like it. A huge thanks to my beta Darkflame's Pyre!
The next day, Sherry was up and dressed before anyone else. She slipped out of her room and moved along the hallway, brushing her fingers along the wood of each of her brothers' doors to feel what Brains had put on them. Gordon had a fish, Alan a car, Virgil a piano, John a telescope, Scott a fighter jet, and even their father had one; a man with six children around him.
Sherry couldn't help but smile. Leaning against the door she let out a slight yelp as she fell head first into the room as the door opened beneath her weight. Getting up she went to step out again, but felt a warm pair of arms wrap her in an embrace. Sherry didn't think that her dad would be in his room. He was usually up well before the rest of the house.
Letting her go, Jeff smiled. "Good morning to you." He patted her on the shoulder and she walked beside him as she headed towards the kitchen.
"Dad did you see the cute things on our doors?"
Jeff nodded. "Yes, mine had a bit of a problem last night."
"I think its because that man on the door has to many kids around him."
Jeff grinned as he retrieved a few cups and placed them on the counter. "Would you mind making me a coffee Sherry?"
Sherry paused, unsure. "Um, Dad? Where would I find my pot and everything else without breaking something or hurting myself and send the house into a flat spin?"
Wincing a little at the uncertainty in his daughter's voice, Jeff took Sherry's hand. "This corner where we are standing now has all your things. With in a week or so the boys are going to help turn this corner into a blind friendly corner for you."
Smiling as she looked for the things she would need to make coffee Sherry spoke quietly. "Dad. I know that you all care about me. But please don't buy me all the gadgets. If I go to the school for the blind I should and have to be able to cope without them."
There was silence as the drinks were poured. By the time the drinks were done, Scott had joined them. Not long after that, Jess came in with Gordon behind her.
Still a bit sleepy, Jess wondered how she had ended back in her room last night. She remembered going to John and that he had hugged her. After that? Well, she couldn't remember what had transpired. She just hoped that she hadn't embarrassed herself in any way.
Grabbing Sherry from behind Gordon said: "Well, I see that I can't have my morning swim today. Some sort of platform has taken over the pool."
Smiling at the distaste Gordon was showing, Jeff shook his head. "Didn't you all decide on a rescue last night? Or did the rest of us hear something else?"
"I didn't think that you would put up a rescue site so fast and early in the morning. Where did you get that platform from anyway Dad?"
"I've got a new contract from a new company. They are the ones making the platforms. They've sent me one to test out. What's a better way to test its safety than getting you lot to check it out?"
After having some coffee and later breakfast they all gathered in the lounge. When everyone had sat themselves down or had found a spot to stand Jeff said, "Here's the brief for the rescue. You boys will 'rescue' three girls from a platform which has broken off a cliff house. Normal rescue personnel are unable to reach them because half of their men are on another rescue, and the time restraints are definitely smaller than desired. You have some small problems though. One girl can't walk, one is deaf, and the last can't see. Your mission will be to get the girls off safely without them ending up falling to there deaths which is the pool, in this case."
Smiling to herself Sherry wondered how they would go about it all. Deaf people they could handle because all of them new how to communicate with them. As for someone who couldn't walk? Well, they had dealt with someone like that once before.
Sherry nearly fell of her chair when her dad spoke again. "Before we start, Virgil wants to take your bandages off Sherry. Then you three girls will be put on the platform. John will do communications from the lounge and the rest of you will be 'on site'. Brains and I will be watching from the side lines. Tin-Tin." Jeff addressed the Malay girl. "You're the deaf girl. Jessica? You'll be getting in the wheelchair. Sherry you will be under a loose peace of mettle. You're stuck and can't get free." Sherry noticed that her Dad deliberately hadn't mentioned that she was the blind girl.
Smiling at the girls dismayed looks Jeff said, "Right. Off you go."
Everyone moved off to get ready for what was about to take place. Sherry went with Virgil and Jessica with Tin-Tin to get a small radio to call for help and the rest of the boys got ready to lift the girls into the 'danger zone'. However, no-one saw that one of the support beams was beginning to buckle from the weight it was going to have to withstand.
When all three girls were stationed on the platform, Tin-Tin gave Jessica the radio and called out, rather convincingly; "Oh, no! The balcony is splitting off from the house! What do we do?"
Flinching at her new friend's loud voice, Jess took the radio and looked over at Sherry, who tried to get out from her trapped position. "Who do I call? What do I say?"
Pretending to cry Sherry said, "Call International Rescue. Don't worry about the channel you're calling on. Just call them and hurry!" Sherry fell back on her back and gave up getting out of her little brother-made prison.
Giving a soft sigh and wondering for a moment what John was going to sound like when he took her 'call' Jess looked for the on switch and then the call button. Finding it she looked at where Tin-Tin was hopping around and said shyly, "Um, calling International Rescue? Calling International Rescue. Please help us?" She nearly dropped the radio when John's soft but calm voice came through. "This is International Rescue. What is your emergency?" Calming herself down after the startling sound, Jess began. "My friends and I are trapped on the balcony of our house. It's come loose from the wall and we're hanging above the pool! My friends and I are disabled." For a moment Jess wondered if she had talked too fast, because John had gone silent. When John did speak again Jess was amazed to hear how calm he was. She knew that if this was for real she wouldn't be panicking.
"Did you call the local rescue services?" Looking to where Tin-Tin was sitting next to Sherry she said: "Um, yes, we did. They can't help us. They got called out somewhere and won't be able to help us. They said that we should call you guys."
Silence followed and when John spoke again Jess had no idea what to say.
"Can you tell me where you are?" Looking to Tin-Tin and Sherry again she said: "Um, a holiday home of a friend?" She could see John smiling at her in her minds' eye. Mr. Tracy hadn't given her a name or anything that she could use. Thinking fast she said: "We're home alone on Tracy Island!"
When John spoke again she could hear the smile in his voice. "Alright. Got your location. Just hold on. Help is on the way.
Switching the radio off Jess wheeled the chair that she was sitting in over to Tin-Tin and Sherry. They were prepared to sit for a while and wait for their 'rescue' but then all three girls felt something shift beneath them.
Tin-Tin gave Jess a searching look. "Uh, is that supposed to happen?"
Feeling a cold sensation run down her back Sherry said slowly, "What ever you do… Don't move."
Hearing the cliff face near the far side of the house open Tin-Tin and Jess turned their eyes to where Thunderbird Two was coming out, the airspace around the island obviously clear enough for launch. Tin-Tin had turned when Jessica had turned her eyes to the left. She grinned despite the bad feeling she had. This was the first time the young girl would see one of the 'Birds launch.
As soon as Thunderbird Two was above the platform, a hatch opened and the rescue platform came down with Gordon, Alan and Scott on board. Knowing that the 'balcony' might give way without warning, Sherry yelled out frantically to her brothers. "Stop the platform!" Sherry could hear that it was still coming down. Turning her head to where she thought Jess was, she cried out. "Jessica! Tell them to stop!"
Disregarding the whole idea of the wheelchair for the time being, Jess ran to the edge and screamed. "Stop!"
The platform slowed, but it was too late. The platform was down and before the boys knew it they could do nothing but watch as the supports gave way, dropping both the girls and the broken platform into the pool below.
Jess tried to dodge the wheelchair, but it had slipped from where she had left it, and she went head first into the water. Right before she hit her left leg smashed into a broken beam. Everyone heard the sound of a bone snapping, before chaos broke loose.
Not able to dodge out of the way when she hit the water Tin-Tin was dragged down with the mass of twisted steel that was the platform.
Without thinking what he was doing, Scott dived out of the rescue basket into a perfect racing dive, and straight into the water.
Turning to Alan, Gordon rapidly showed Alan where he should jump and then followed Scott into the pool. Soon after that Alan had jumped after them.
In the lounge John had jumped up at the sound of screeching metal. Running to the doors in the lounge, he could only watch as his little sister and her friends plunged into the water. Before he could move he saw Scott, Gordon and Alan jump in. Grandma Ruth grabbed his good arm and spoke to him firmly. "Stay here John. They'll get the girls out. You're hurt; you'll only end up being in the way.
" Sitting down on the nearest chair John clenched his hands into fists as Thunderbird Two retracted the rescue platform and whirled around to make a rough landing on the runway. He knew that Virgil would be running towards the pool as fast as he possibly could.
Scott dove down into the water, keeping his eyes open despite the stinging of the chlorine towards Jess' sinking form. He placed his arm around her and pulled her up, kicking with all the force he could eke out of his legs.
As soon as her head broke the surface of the water, Jess gave an agonised cry and gasped for air. Pulling her to the side of the pool in the recovery stroke, Scott was so glad that they had Virgil as a medic. Lifting Jess just a bit, he let Virgil lift her up and out of the water into his strong embrace. Her left leg was twisted, and it was already bruising a frightening plum colour. Climbing out himself he saw that Virgil had already fetched three hover stretchers and a medical kit together with all the speed of the rescuer he was.
Turning at the sound of sprinting footsteps, Scott saw his dad run up to them. Looking back to the water, as he followed Jeff's gaze Scott saw that Alan was helping a crying Tin-Tin out of the pool and into her own father's arms. Glad that Tin-Tin didn't appear to be hurt, Scott looked around for his redheaded brother, and his little sister. Only seeing Gordon come up for air, he sprinted over to his brother, who cried out in desperation.
"Scott! I can't get Sherry free. She's trapped under some of the scaffolding! Go get those special masks of Brains' The new ones! Hurry!" Without stopping to think about it, Scott sprinted off towards the huge bulk of Thunderbird Two and the storage locker where the diving gear was kept.
When Sherry had gone down she knew that she was in big trouble. Her head felt like it was bursting, and her ears and lungs were hurting. She knew that she was getting short of air by the way her heart was pounding in her chest as she tried to prevent herself from breathing in water.
How did this rescue go so horribly wrong? She thought frantically as she tried to somehow slide herself from beneath her prison. As she felt the ripples from the splashing that was going on above her head, Sherry hoped that Jess and Tin-Tin had gotten out okay. She would hate herself for the rest of her life if they got hurt or killed. She nearly opened her mouth to yell when a warm hand touched her face, then joining its partner in moving around her, presumably to take stock of the situation. Something told her that it was Gordon. Only he would have been able to dive down to the bottom of the pool without feeling if his head was going to split right open. His hand went away and she could feel him swim up again. No doubt for some more air after getting the shock of his life.
Sherry felt like crying. She was feeling panicky and she knew for sure that in a few short seconds she would have to open her mouth, and then she would drown. Why am I holding on? I'm going to die down here today.
Just then she felt two hands push her head back and before she new it she felt her brother put his mouth over hers and that's when she new what he wanted to do. Opening her mouth just a bit she felt air push itself into her screaming lungs. Grateful, she tried to grab for her brother, but then she squirmed as she felt Gordon swim away from her. She felt something drag off her legs. Again Gordon had to swim up for air. Not completely scared now, Sherry wondered how long her water loving brother would be able to do this. As Sherry waited for Gordon to return something heavy came down hard on her left arm.
Letting out some of the air her body so desperately needed, Sherry wrenched her arm free, clamping her mouth shut as she tried to take a reflexive breath. Realizing what she had done, Sherry once again was terrified that she was going to die. She felt her brother's hands on her face and when she let him give her the air she needed she grabbed at his arm with her now free hand and felt him touch her face. She knew that he was telling her to hold on. That he'd do this forever if that was what she needed. Sherry was scared though. She remembered Jess and Tin-Tin, and she realized that she'd rather her brother let her die and got her friends out instead.
The next time her brother reached her, Sherry tried to shake him off, using her hands to push roughly against his chest. She knew from some part of her brain that she wasn't thinking straight any more. Gordon was having none of it and she felt him kick his legs out to keep himself down. Feeling him gripping her face hard she wanted to scream at him to let her go. Once again she felt her brothers mouth over hers and she knew that he would force her to take the air and wouldn't take no for an answer. Feeling Gordon let go of her she felt his hand taking her own for a moment. She didn't have to see the fear he was showing on his face. She knew that he was scared as well.
When Gordon came down again Sherry felt him put something on her face. She felt him lift her head and felt him pull something down at the back. The next thing she felt was the water leaving her face where the mask was now resting. Feeling her brother's hand touching her chest, she knew that it was Gordon telling her that it was safe to take a breath. Somehow she had forgotten how to do that.
She didn't completely understand how to do it. Feeling her brother's hands come down on her chest and forcing what little air was still in her lungs out, she somehow remembered how to do it. Gasping and feeling herself shaking as she tried to get as much of the new found air into her body as she could, she felt Gordon hold her still. She realized that he was talking to her. There was a waterlogged murmuring in her ear, but she knew that he was telling her to take it easy and to try and calm herself down.
Putting her hand out, Sherry felt his arm and feeling him come a bit closer she felt the straps holding the tanks to his back. Letting go of his arm, she found his hand instead, and holding it to her chest she spoke with her breath still hitching from time to time. "Thank you."
She knew that now he was getting one of the tanks off his back. Feeling a strap being put around her hand she held on to it with all her strength. Feeling Gordon touch her face to let her know that he wanted her to listen to him she turned her head a bit. "Sherry. Hold on to that for me. I have to leave you for a moment to get the others to help me get you out of here."
Feeling him swim back up again Sherry felt herself smile. She was safe. Letting her head rest against the bottom of the pool, she relaxed as her lungs were saturated with the blessedly cool oxygen.
Topside, things was moving fast. Somehow, despite the young girl's panic over Sherry, Virgil had gotten Jess to stay flat out on her back while he had a good look at her leg. Jeff had come over and to prevent Jess from knowing what Virgil was doing he started to ask her a few questions. "Do you hurt anywhere else Jess?" Shaking her head, Jess breathed in sharply as Virgil's fingers ghosted across one of the more tender parts of her leg. She new that the medic would try not to hurt her and that some pain couldn't be helped.
Holding Jess down so that she wouldn't hurt herself any further, Jeff asked quietly, "Do you know what happened?"
Giving a soft moan at the pain shooting up her leg, she turned her head. "The platform was shifting about. We tried to get the boys to stop the basket. Guess that Thunderbird Two made it hard for them to hear."
Giving a sigh when Virgil got up, Jess shot him a grateful smile.
"Dad? Would you be able to get Jessica inside to the sickroom? Brains is already there and waiting." Virgil asked, smiling at the girl in response. "I know that you'll feel embarrassed, Jess but Brains and my dad have to get you out of those wet clothes."
Jess blushed when she realized that she's going to be undressing herself in front of men. Before Virgil went over to the pool he said seriously. "Jess. My father and Brains won't look. If they do then tell me and I'll make sure they don't look ever again." Jess smiled, trustingly at that and let Jeff push the hover stretcher off to the sickroom. She wondered where poor John was.
Alan had somehow found his way to John and Grandma Ruth. Wet and shaking he had stumbled through the glass doors and straight into John, who had quickly gotten up to catch him before he could crash to the ground. Turning John said quietly, "Grandma. I'm going to take Alan to his room to get out of these clothes and then I'll take him down to the sickroom. If you see Kyrano please tell him to bring Tin-Tin there to."
Turning again, John helped Alan out of the lounge and up the ramp to his room. The poor kid was shaking like a leaf, not just from the water streaming off of him either.
When Gordon came up from under the water for the umpteenth time, he saw Scott getting his now soggy shoes off before he plunged into the water next to his brother. "Scott. Do you have a rope or something?"
Nodding as he held up the item in question, he took a large breath and followed Gordon down. What he saw nearly made him swim back up again as the air choked in his lungs. Feeling Gordon tap him on the arm he turned his head to listen to what his brother was going to say. "She's okay Scott. Give me the rope and I'll get it around the platform. Take one end with you and when I tug at it you and Virgil can pull. As soon as it has lifted enough for me to reach Sherry I'll get her out and up."
It was strange to hear Gordon talk underwater. Although Scott was used to it, it still felt strange. Yes, Gordon had a mask on and he didn't. But still it was odd to hear him talk. Nodding his head in understanding he took his end of the rope, and swam back up again. Getting out of the water Scott said to a worried Virgil. "Sherry's okay. Gordon's going to put the rope around the part of the platform that's pinning her down. When he gives the signal, we have to pull it up and wait for him to get her out."
Swimming to where Sherry was, Gordon found that there was a large metal support beam laying across Sherry's middle. Sherry Gordon touched her hand which was still holding tightly to the air tank and said, "Sherry. I'm going to move some of the smaller things off you. Okay? And then I'm going to put a rope around the beam. As soon as Scott and Virgil pull, it should lift right up. When it does I'll help you out from under it. Do you understand?"
Once he'd removed all of the debris that was covering Sherry and the beam that was pinning her, Gordon looped the rope around it, and he waited for the beam to lift. Watching it closely, Gordon took Sherry's hand and when the beam had cleared her body somewhat he swam back and pulled Sherry out from under it. Feeling her legs trailing behind her Sherry started to kick. Still holding on to her hand Gordon wrapped his other arm around her waist, and pulled them both back up to the surface.
As soon as they broke through the water Sherry took her mask off rapidly. Yanking Gordon close to her Sherry hugged him tightly. At first Gordon didn't do anything but tread water to keep them both above the surface. Then letting his head down he let a few tears fall down his face and into his sisters hair.
Feeling the warm tears hit her head, Sherry looked up to where she knew Scott and Virgil were standing on the side. "I'm okay guys." She told them quietly. "Will you two leave me alone with Gordon for a while?" Hearing Scott and Virgil move off and taking everything with them Sherry waited until they were gone before reaching out behind her and grabbing the side, pulled herself along with Gordon to the edge.
Lifting Sherry up and waiting for her to get a few steps away from the water's edge Gordon got out and when he took her hand again Sherry hugged him once more. Finding the first step leading up to the house Sherry sat down on it with Gordon next to her. Turning her head and waiting for Gordon to look at her she said: "I'm sorry for scaring you Gordon. I'm sorry for trying to push you away when…. When…" Shaking her head she began once more. "When you tried to give me air, I thought that you were leaving Jessica and Tin-Tin somewhere in the water." Before she knew it she found herself being hugged tight. Swaying gently from side to side Gordon said, "You don't have to say sorry Sherry. We should have checked the platform before letting you girls on it." Lifting Sherry's chin, Gordon said: "If I had to do what I did underwater again to save your life I would do it. I knew that you weren't thinking straight any more. I was prepared to force you to let me breathe for you if I had to."
Freeing herself from Gordon Sherry asked quietly, "If Tin-Tin and Jessica were next to me, would you have left me to save them if I pulled away from your attempts to help me?"
For a moment, Gordon didn't say a word but when he did Sherry could hear that he was crying. "If that was your wish. Then yes, I would have done it for you."
Finding Gordon again Sherry hugged him and while she let him cry his heart out she said: "I would have done the same for you. And Gordon? I wouldn't have been mad at you if you did let me drown to save my friends. I would have smiled and died happy. Knowing that my friends were safe because you got them out and had let me go instead."
Hugging Gordon a bit tighter Sherry promised herself that she wouldn't tell anyone of Gordon's break down. She knew that all his training in WASP and International Rescue had never prepared him for what had almost happened there that day.
Feeling Gordon move away from her, Sherry knew that he was going to be okay now.
Helping Sherry up, Gordon let her take his arm and while they walked slowly up to the house to allow for Sherry's shaking limbs, he said, "Let's forget that this happened okay?"
Smiling a sad smile Sherry answered nonetheless. "That what happened?"
Gordon grinned back.