Whumpay Day 10: Screaming/Silence
Snow. He hated the snow with a passion. He hid it from his brothers (he hoped, unwilling to show even the smallest of weakness) but it was there. Occasionally it would rear its ugly head in the middle of a snow rescue, but he could usually countermand it.
Not today.
Today he had almost lost all three of his earthbound brothers to it. Thank goodness for Brains and his over-engineered safety mechanisms, for without them it would almost certainly have left just him and John. As it was, it still meant time spent digging in the snow to free them. Thankfully they had already completed the rescue, so at least he only had three people to dig out, not the additional five.
He knew no-one would get any sleep tonight, and he'd be really surprised if John wasn't down by the time they made it home. It was eerily silent in the cockpit of both 'birds on the way home, everyone still caught in the icy grip of the snow. Snow that smothers, that crushes. That kills.
Shaking himself, he watched carefully. They had stayed on the mountain far longer than anyone wanted, making sure there were no hidden injuries and that everyone was warmed through before One and Two set off together, the experience meaning no-one wanted to be left alone.
As predicted, John was home by the time they arrived. He'd prepared mugs of hot chocolate and there were plates of warm cookies. Everyone smiled, and if those smiles were a little thin, a little fake, well everyone understood and no-one was called out. They carried their bounty to the den, where a movie was put on and they all pretended that for a while they were normal people who hadn't just almost lost half their family to the snow.
Again.
No-one really wanted to be the first to leave and go to bed. But eventually Scott picked Alan up and the two made their way, and then everyone followed behind. Soon everyone was asleep, and the silence, this time, was restful.
It didn't last long.
A scream rent the air, so piercing that it woke even Virgil. Within minutes a very sleepy Alan found himself surrounded by his brothers. It was just as Gordon thought. No-one was going to sleep much tonight. There was no need to ask what the nightmare was because everyone knew what it would be.
Alan dreamed of snowmen eating him.
Every one of them had their own version. Scott dreamt that he was trapped and suffocating while listening to his brothers calling for help. Virgil's nightmare was finding them all frozen solid, eyes open and accusing him of being too late. Gordon wasn't too sure about Johnny's but he could hazard a guess that it was along the lines of being the only one left.
His? Gordon dreamt of drowning in the stuff.
They settled around the youngest, all touching for comfort. As they eventually drifted off Gordon reflected on the day. His dad had set up International Rescue to save people who couldn't be reached in time by conventional methods. That had unwittingly put him and his brothers in danger time and time again. But they wouldn't have it any other way.
Rescuing people trapped in the snow, just as their mom, Scott and Alan had been, had been a cathartic release at first. But days like today, well, yesterday, brought home how close things really could get.
Gordon was the last to drop off, hugging Alan and in turn being hugged by Virgil. And his last thought was of how lucky they had been.
And how much he hated the snow.