Disclaimer - No own, no way.
Chapter Twenty – Tending to the Wounded
Virgil Tracy looked like he wanted to be sick. Seeing how pale and shaky her old friend was, Sarah Woodbury helped guide him into a chair. Realizing the doctor was still watching him, Virgil responded. "Are you trying to say someone did this on purpose? Someone hurt my little brother and left him in the middle of a fire?" As the doctor said nothing, the older brother looked over at Alan, stood and steeled himself. "No, doctor, my seventeen year old brother is not in the habit of making enemies. He is a popular, athletic, outgoing student at his school. Besides the other boys from his school, he really didn't know anyone in Boston." Virgil returned to his chair and brushed back Alan's hair from his face. At the gentle strokes, Alan suddenly began to stir.
At the movement, the ER doctor returned to Alan's side. "Alan? Alan, can you hear me? I am Dr. Ramirez, you are in the hospital." Alan's hand reached up to pull off his oxygen mask but the doctor stopped him. "Alan, I will remove the mask and put on an oxygen caudle if you will open your eyes." With a show of effort, the youngest Tracy son's eyes flickered opened, sweeping the room until they landed on his brother. A weak smile came to his face and his hand shakily rose until Virgil reached out and grabbed it. Satisfied, Dr. Ramirez changed out the O2 sources and began to make arrangements to move Alan to the pediatric wing. As Alan was being prepped for the move, he pulled Virgil and Sarah aside. "At seventeen, I would usually put him in an adult room, but our pediatric wing has better security, requiring key card access. Until I have an explanation for that head injury, I think your brother needs to be protected. We can't call in any extra police for protection; Boston PD is stretched too thin by the hurricane. After you fill out his paperwork, you can check on him in his room, but he'll probably sleep most of the night. Maybe you can get a hotel room nearby. And no, I'm sorry, you can't stay with him."
Virgil looked frustrated. Sarah touched his arm before turning to the doctor. "The local hotels will all be filled between the relocated fire victims and the cancelled flights out of Logan. But Virgil can stay with me, I have an extra room and my condo is only two miles from here." Suddenly she turned back to Virgil. "Umm, that is, if you are OK with that?"
"I would rather stay with my kid brother, but if I can't," Dr. Ramirez shook his head, "then that would be fine. Thanks Sarah."
As Ramirez bit out instructions to the nurse and orderly, seeing to Alan's transfer Virgil looked over at the paramedic, "You really OK with this?"
Sarah smiled. "I moved here to live with my aunt years ago, she died back around Christmas. It gets kind of lonely at times. Besides, if you are staying there, I can make sure my partner, captain and the others won't be calling or "just happening" to drop by. I can actually get some sleep." At that, Virgil was able to smile for the first time in hours.
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Virgil's smile would have faded once more had known what was going on with the rest of the Thunderbirds. Called to save people on a sinking ferry in New York Harbor, all but one person had been pulled up into Thunderbird Two when the last victim fell into the water. Without a second thought, Gordon Tracy had dove into the churning ocean after her. Kate, who had been on the platform with him called out on the radio, "Gordy is in the water!" Scott and Jeff froze in the air above the scene. Damn, could this day get any worse?
Lowering the platform until water was splashing onto the surface; Kate knelt down, grasping the sides, desperately looking for her brother-in-law. Just then, Gordon broke through to the top, clutching the terrified woman in one arm while using his other to try and stay afloat. As waves battered their bodies, Kate reached out and pulled the young woman onto the platform before grabbing Gordon's hands. Luckily, the fourth Tracy son was slightly built and Kate was able to pull him up. Leaving both the woman and Gordon panting on the floor of the platform, Kate began to maneuver it back into Thunderbird Two. There had better not be any more rescues tonight, Kate thought darkly. I don't think our nerves could handle it
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If the Thunderbirds in the field were breathing a sigh of relief, the others were making up for it. Emily, John and Brains had been horrified to hear Virgil's report. Boston Police would be opening an investigation, but early indications were that someone had struck Alan and left the teenager to die in the fire. A quick call to Lady Penelope in London assured them that the Hood and his cronies were still secure in jail. But there was no one else who would want the youth dead, right?
"If i-initial re-reports are c-correct, this may be a-arson. Wh-what if the f-firebug had s-snuck into the boys room w-with the others, hiding and waiting to get out? He may h-have thought everyone was g-gone and panicked, hitting A-Alan to make g-good his escape." Brains' theory made more sense than anything else. Alan had been known to frustrate people but even people he drove nuts still liked the personable teenager. But they were not looking forward to explaining to Jeff that someone had tried to kill his youngest son.
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Having spoken with two Boston Police detectives and assuring himself that Alan was as secure as he could be, Virgil escorted Sarah from Mass General Hospital. He noted that the wind and rain were beginning to die down; Hurricane Meg was beginning to pass to the north. They would have to wait twenty four hours to take Alan home due to neuro checks. Virgil had already heard from Wharton's. The other six boys and their chaperone, Alan's track coach, had been checked into another hotel and would drive back to the school in the morning. Coach Michaels had also called Virgil, assuring him that as soon as Alan was up to returning to school, his position as Track Team Captain would be waiting for him. Virgil didn't let either caller know about the police theory that Alan had been intentionally hurt and left in the fire. He would let his father determine how much to tell the school but Virgil felt confident that his brother would be almost as safe at school as he would be at home.
Following his companion's directions, a few minutes after leaving the hospital, the rental car was pulling into a fire station. Walking into the station, Sarah froze when she heard a loud voice boom out "Woody!" Turning, she looked to see Captain Goya, her partner Stan Tomlinson and the rest of the members of the shift glaring at her. "Woodbury, Doctor Brackett said you were to go home and rest. That you had given your word if he would release you that you would go home."
Sarah shrugged. "I will. And you can back off; Virg here is an old friend from Kansas. His brother was the one I pulled out the room with the Thunderbirds' help. He will be staying in the spare room and will follow me home, OK?" Grabbing her keys from a locker, she glared at her co-workers. "And yes, I trust him; I've known his family since I was six. But I don't trust you guys with my car." Virgil smiled at the uncomfortable shifting the firefighters began under Sarah's harsh look. Shrugging at the rest of the station, Virgil followed her to the parking lot only to freeze as he saw the car she was unlocking. A broad grin spread across his face and then he began to laugh. At Sarah's puzzled glance, he waved her into her vehicle, jumping into his rental car and beginning the brief drive to her condo, closely following the paramedic and her 1955 Ford Thunderbird convertible. No wonder Dad had always liked the girl.
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Having dropped the ferry disaster victims at New York Hospital, Kate tried to make herself small as Jeff tossed glares at his second youngest. "As if I didn't have enough to worry about with Alan in the hospital, do you want to be his roommate? That stunt was insane, you could have drowned." As Gordon began to say something, Jeff continued. "And don't you dare point out you were an Olympic swimmer! That was not a pool, it was the Atlantic Ocean and this wasn't a meet it was a category three hurricane!" Gordon leaned over to Kate, both still wrapped in blankets, trying to warm themselves. "Is he going to keep this up all the way home?" only to glare at her as she nodded and tried not to laugh.
But Gordon found an unlikely salvation. The Thunderbird Commander had not said anymore to his son as he listened to a report from base. "We have to go back to the island now. John just heard from Virgil. It is beginning to look like someone was in the room with Alan – the head injury may not have been accidental."
Kate looked at her father-in-law, eyes huge with shock. "Are you saying that someone tried to kill Alan?" At his nod, Kate sat back and drew in a deep breath. OK, list priorities. First, make sure Alan was safe. Second get him home and then start investigation. Finally, kick the ass of whoever is responsible. Alan was family and Kate had been raised with one hard and fast rule. NO ONE messes with family. It was a belief that the Tracys shared wholeheartedly.
a/n - see? Gordy lived, Alan is awake and Virgil has met a girl who drives a T-Bird. I may be mean but their suffering comes with a reward... I am winding down, one more chapter then an epilogue. I know there are loose ends, but never fear, Sequel Woman is here... Alan gets his own one-shot next then Virgil and Sarah get their own story. and hang on, because the phrase the road to true love never ran smoothly will apply to them. fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride...