"Alan, calm down. It was an accident."
It was said through gritted teeth. This was not something he expected to have to weather when training his youngest brother in basic mountain climbing.
But then there had been the incident with the hammer with Gordon...and John, while extremely athletic had absolutely terrified Scott with the mild hypothermia incident.
Virgil...well, Uncle Lee had taught Virgil with Scott so big brother escaped that.
Though come to think of it, Uncle Lee did have a scar.
But it wasn't as big as this one was going to be.
"I'm sorry, Scott. I'm so sorry!"
He drew in a breath and let it out ever so slowly. "Calm down. We will handle this like any emergency. Scout's oath, Alan?"
And he made his little brother recite it, thankful that it seemed to focus the fourteen-year-old.
"Accidents happen, it's how we respond to the accidents that matters, now secure yourself and contact John."
Scott did his best to attach himself to the ice face as well. It took him a few extra moments working through pain and the inability to move without it.
An ice pick through his calf did that.
It was an accident. Scott had moved unexpectedly and Alan had picked at the ice at just the wrong moment in time.
"Thunderbird Five, we need help."
A simple, but concise message.
"Alan? What's wrong?"
The tremor in Alan's voice as he reported the incident hurt Scott more than the ice axe.
"It's going to be okay, Allie. I'm fine."
"You're bleeding." It was a wail.
"It happens. I'll be fine." Looking down was awkward, and yes, his climbing pants were an uncomfortable shade of red, but he had confidence in his brothers. They would be off this mountain in no time.
Fortunately, Virgil and Gordon had stayed back on the Island while Scott both took a break on Aotearoa's South Island and began some basic training for his youngest brother.
Apparently, he would be off rota longer than expected.
"Should I try to bandage it."
"No." Scott shifted a little and regretted it. "Virgil will be here soon." It wasn't like his brother was far away at Thunderbird speeds. He could imagine Virgil flying down that ridiculous chute of his this very moment. Five minutes, maybe.
"I'm sorry, Scott."
"Allie, it happens." A swallow. "Did I ever tell you about how I learnt to drive?" Distraction was the key.
"No? Didn't Parker teach you? Gordon still raves about his lessons."
Another swallow. "Yeah, he did. Had to repair a lot of pink paintwork for his efforts."
"What? You smashed up FAB1?!"
"Kinda." Yeah, now it was really starting to hurt. hanging from the side of a mountain with blood dripping into the abyss wasn't his favourite past time. C'mon, Virg, hurry up. "Parker was not impressed." Scott flexed his own axe in one hand and dug into the ice and secured an extra piton which he then looped into his harness.
Didn't hurt to be extra secure.
"How? Did Parker actually let you drive FAB1?"
"Kinda. Not really. He has another pink car." A grimace. "Still goes fast." And it had hit that tree rather hard. Sometimes he swore he could still hear the echoes of the lecture he received from both Parker and his father about driving too fast.
Cars were not planes and did not respond quite the same way.
Didn't help that England drove on the wrong side of the road. It was all cack-handed.
He tightened his fist and loosened his shoulders.
"Scott, you okay?" That tremor still hurt.
"Virgil will be here any moment." And as if summoned, a streak of green tore into the sky above them.
And planes weren't Thunderbirds. The sight of the big green behemoth was such a relief.
His comms. "Hey, Virg. Need a hand."
"Coming down." Two spun slowly midair and opened her bay doors. A moment and the rescue rig, complete with two frowning brothers descended from her belly.
"He's going to kill me."
Another sigh. "No, he won't. He's Virgil. He will just run you through climbing safety ad nauseam."
"Gordon is never going to let me live it down."
A blink. "Yeah, you may be right about that."
"I'm sorry, Scott. I really am."
"I know, Allie, I know."
-o-o-o-