Twenty
He was in a world of blackness. No light, no shapes, the odd sound, but nothing to tell him where he was or what was happening around him. He couldn't move his arms, couldn't open his eyes. He was cold, so cold. So cold he felt as if his very bones had frozen solid. Maybe that was why he couldn't move.
He heard a voice. A voice in the distance calling him, beckoning him nearer. He struggled towards that voice, somehow knowing that it represented safety.
He became aware that the voice was calling his name...
"Scott. Can you hear me Scott?"
Gordon! Was it Gordon? Yes! Gordon was calling him. Good old Gordon wouldn't let him down. He opened his mouth to let Gordon know that he could hear him, but no sounds came out.
"He's c-coming round!"
Brains? Was that's Brains' voice? If anyone could think of a way of rescuing him from wherever he was it was Brains.
"Come on Scott. Say something!"
Alan! Alan was here too. Family and friends were nearby. It felt good. But he felt there was someone missing. Someone he had to find. But who?
He struggled to move.
"Don't fight the blankets Scott." A feminine voice said.
Tin-Tin! It felt so good to hear her voice.
"We'll l-loosen them a bit." That was Brains again.
He could move his arms. He raised one to his head and all conscious thought seemed to coming rushing back. "W-Where am I?"
He heard a collective sigh. "You're in The Mole, Scott." Gordon's voice was accompanied by a touch on his arm.
"Why's it so dark?" Scott asked thickly.
"Your eyes are b-bandaged." Brains said quietly. "You were c-caught in an explosion, r-remember?"
Scott felt the bandages. "Oh yeah." He shivered. "What's happened to the heating?"
"We've got it on full." Alan's voice said. "If we turn it up any more we'll all cook!"
"Put your arm back under the blanket." Tin-Tin said. "You'll be warmer then." Scott allowed her to place it back under the thermostatically controlled blanket. "Do you feel up to having a warm drink?"
"Yes." He said weakly and was assisted into a semi-sitting position as a cup of warm sweet liquid was held to his lips. He drank what he could before being laid back down again.
He lay there a moment trying to recollect what had happened to get him into this situation. He still had a nagging feeling that he was forgetting something, or someone, important.
"We'd better radio base." Alan's said. "Let them know how they are."
"After w-we've got them into Th-Thunderbird Two." Brains advised.
Scott heard the door to The Mole open. Last time he'd heard that sound they'd been about to set out on a rescue. A rescue at Regnad Corp. He'd been with...
"Virgil!" Scott sat up suddenly. "Where's Virgil?"
"Shush Scott." It was Tin-Tin's voice, but he had a feeling it was Gordon's hands encouraging him to lie back down again.
"Gordon!" Scott submitted weakly. "Where's Virgil?"
"He's here with us." Something in Gordon's voice didn't sound right to Scott. "Just lie back and keep warm."
"H-How is he?"
"Don't worry. Just..."
"Gordon!" Scott was in full command mode. "How is he?"
"He's still unconscious, Scott. He was so cold when I pulled him out of the water. You both were."
"Is he going to be alright?"
"Brains thinks so. He's started shivering so he's warming up. It's like an earthquake going on in his cot. What happened to his arm?"
"He fell. It was when he lost the communicator. He didn't realise he'd lost it until he got back to the top."
"Okay Scott. Just relax. You can give us a full debriefing later. Now we want to get you into Thunderbird Two's sickbay."
Scott felt himself being lifted and carried on a stretcher out of The Mole and into Thunderbird Two's lift. The ride up to the sickbay was smooth and soon Tin-Tin was tucking him into one of the cots. He was starting to feel warmer now.
"How's it going Scott?" He heard Alan say as Virgil was brought into the sickbay.
"I'll be better once I know he's conscious." As if in response Scott heard a groan from off to his left. "Virgil?"
"C'mon Virgil open your eyes." Gordon said.
"Yeah Virgil. Say something." Alan added hopefully.
Virgil started coughing up water. Tin-Tin grabbed a bowl for him. "Don't let him roll onto his back!" she ordered.
"You know, I've never been so glad to listen to someone being sick." Scott commented. "It's probably Alan's edible transmitter that did it. He said it made him feel ill."
Alan turned red.
"W-Well he hasn't got to w-worry about it now." Brains said. He took the bowl away and knelt next to Virgil's head. "H-How do you feel Virgil?"
"Brains." Virgil groaned, his eyes still closed. "Can't you just let me die in peace?"
"My dear V-Virgil. I have no intention of l-letting you die."
Virgil squinted at him briefly with a half smile, "Thanks." He closed his eyes again in pain, before he once again began vomiting.
Brains was a little slow getting the bowl back up.
"Yuck" Gordon commented.
"Alan had better be responsible for cleaning out Thunderbird Two." Scott ordered.
"I don't believe this! Incapacitated and Scott's still ordering us about." Was Alan's only reply.
Virgil's retching ceased. "Scott? Is that you? Are you alright?"
"I think I'm in better shape than you at the moment."
Brains stood up. "Tin-Tin. Do what you c-can about c-cleaning him up." He instructed. "I-I'm going to t-talk to Mr Tracy."
Gordon followed him to the door. "I'll come with you Brains. Time we got this show on the road. Are you okay with getting Mobile Control and Thunderbird One sorted Alan?"
"Not a problem" Alan replied.
***
In Thunderbird Two's cockpit Gordon opened the link to Thunderbird Five. He couldn't help but smile when he saw the relief on John's face.
"What happened to you guys?" John asked.
"Put me through to Dad and stay on the line." Gordon instructed. "No point in repeating ourselves."
"F-A-B."
Jeff's relief at seeing Gordon was palpable. "Virgil and Scott..."
"They're both alive. Both injured but alive. You know about Scott, but Virgil's broken his left forearm. Brains is here, he'll give you the run down."
Brains' image replaced Gordon's. "M-Mr Tracy. I believe both V-Virgil and S-Scott require specialist treatment. Scott for his b-burns and eyes, and Virgil has s-serious s-soft tissue damage at the site of the break. Both have hypothermia. I-I'd like to recommend that Thunderbird Two head straight to Saint Michael's Hospital."
Jeff's face expressed concern. He'd been looking forward to seeing all his family again, no matter how briefly. "How are you going to explain Thunderbird Two Brains?"
"I-I believe we should keep as close to the t-truth as possible. The b-boys were examining a g-generator on Tracy Island when it exploded. Virgil f-fell rescuing Scott. They were b-both trapped in a cave with an underground stream and nearly drowned."
"Drowned!"
"We'll explain later Dad." Gordon chimed in.
"B-Being so far from conventional rescue services and m-medical care, y-you decided to c-call in International Rescue, who rescued them both from the cave and took them st-straight to the hospital. St Michael's has an excellent burns and opthmology unit and is c-close to home. We've r-removed their clothing, so there's n-nothing to link them to I-International Rescue. If you leave in 15 minutes, you'll arrive a reasonable time after Th-Thunderbird Two. Tin-Tin and I will t-take care of the transfer and Gordon's identity can remain secret. He can fly home in Thunderbird T-Two, meet up with Alan and then fly to the hospital, having been c-called home after being away on b-business."
"You've thought of everything Brains." Jeff said with gratitude. He knew that both Brains and Tin-Tin regarded all the Tracy's as family and also knew that they were sacrificing any chance of visiting the hospital. "Thank you."
"J-Just doing my job, Mr Tracy."
"It's more than that and you know it Brains. The whole family appreciates what you're doing. You got that Gordon? We'll meet you at the hospital."
"Right Dad. See you soon. Out." He turned to Brains. "You'd better get out of those clothes," He screwed up his nose in distaste "and get into uniform."
***
Jeff stood up "MOTHER!" he yelled.
"I'm right here Jeff. No need to yell."
"Oh, sorry. Go get ready. We'll head off to the hospital to meet the boys."
"I'm already ready."
"You're already..." Jeff stared at a collection of bags at her feet. "How long are you planning on staying?"
"What do you think I've been doing these last few hours? As soon as I heard that Scott was hurt I knew he'd need hospital treatment, so I packed my bag so I can visit him. I knew he'd need a few things, so I packed a bag for him. When we lost contact with Virgil I thought he might end up in hospital, so I packed his bag."
"That's three." There were seven bags at her feet.
"Well Gordon, Alan and John are going to want to visit..."
"John!" Jeff started to protest.
She folded her arms. "Now don't tell me you were going to leave that poor boy all alone in Thunderbird Five while his two brothers are in hospital." She said sternly.
"But International Rescue..."
"Will be out of action for a day or so anyway, if we're all at St Michael's. He may as well be here with us."
Jeff sighed his grudging acknowledgement. "Fine. But who's going to get him? Alan?"
"Why not. The boy's a trained astronaut. He's put in more time in Thunderbird Three than any of the others. He's even got more space time than you Jeff."
"But we always double crew Thunderbird Three."
"Then he can wait until Gordon gets back in Thunderbird Two... or you can wait until he arrives back and go with him yourself."
"No I'm needed at the hospital now." Jeff grudgingly had to admit that his mother was right. "But you've got one bag extra."
"It's yours. I knew you'd never find time to pack. You'd just grab a few things and throw them into the bag. You'd get there and they'd be all creased and you wouldn't have what you wanted anyway. You've always been the same. Lucille always had to pack for you, and that was on top of packing for your five sons. I swear that if the Space Agency didn't have someone looking after all your gear you would have left your spacesuit back on Earth! I know you Jeff Tracy."
"Mother!" Jeff protested.
"In everything else you are orderly, methodical and neat, but when it comes to packing you're a typical man. No idea!
"Mother!" Jeff protested again.
"So I got together the things you'll need so that you can worry about your boys and forget everything else."
"Mother. Why are you hassling me like this?"
She looked at her watch. "Well that's five out of the fifteen minutes gone..."
Jeff chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. "You're a treasure Mother."
He was in a world of blackness. No light, no shapes, the odd sound, but nothing to tell him where he was or what was happening around him. He couldn't move his arms, couldn't open his eyes. He was cold, so cold. So cold he felt as if his very bones had frozen solid. Maybe that was why he couldn't move.
He heard a voice. A voice in the distance calling him, beckoning him nearer. He struggled towards that voice, somehow knowing that it represented safety.
He became aware that the voice was calling his name...
"Scott. Can you hear me Scott?"
Gordon! Was it Gordon? Yes! Gordon was calling him. Good old Gordon wouldn't let him down. He opened his mouth to let Gordon know that he could hear him, but no sounds came out.
"He's c-coming round!"
Brains? Was that's Brains' voice? If anyone could think of a way of rescuing him from wherever he was it was Brains.
"Come on Scott. Say something!"
Alan! Alan was here too. Family and friends were nearby. It felt good. But he felt there was someone missing. Someone he had to find. But who?
He struggled to move.
"Don't fight the blankets Scott." A feminine voice said.
Tin-Tin! It felt so good to hear her voice.
"We'll l-loosen them a bit." That was Brains again.
He could move his arms. He raised one to his head and all conscious thought seemed to coming rushing back. "W-Where am I?"
He heard a collective sigh. "You're in The Mole, Scott." Gordon's voice was accompanied by a touch on his arm.
"Why's it so dark?" Scott asked thickly.
"Your eyes are b-bandaged." Brains said quietly. "You were c-caught in an explosion, r-remember?"
Scott felt the bandages. "Oh yeah." He shivered. "What's happened to the heating?"
"We've got it on full." Alan's voice said. "If we turn it up any more we'll all cook!"
"Put your arm back under the blanket." Tin-Tin said. "You'll be warmer then." Scott allowed her to place it back under the thermostatically controlled blanket. "Do you feel up to having a warm drink?"
"Yes." He said weakly and was assisted into a semi-sitting position as a cup of warm sweet liquid was held to his lips. He drank what he could before being laid back down again.
He lay there a moment trying to recollect what had happened to get him into this situation. He still had a nagging feeling that he was forgetting something, or someone, important.
"We'd better radio base." Alan's said. "Let them know how they are."
"After w-we've got them into Th-Thunderbird Two." Brains advised.
Scott heard the door to The Mole open. Last time he'd heard that sound they'd been about to set out on a rescue. A rescue at Regnad Corp. He'd been with...
"Virgil!" Scott sat up suddenly. "Where's Virgil?"
"Shush Scott." It was Tin-Tin's voice, but he had a feeling it was Gordon's hands encouraging him to lie back down again.
"Gordon!" Scott submitted weakly. "Where's Virgil?"
"He's here with us." Something in Gordon's voice didn't sound right to Scott. "Just lie back and keep warm."
"H-How is he?"
"Don't worry. Just..."
"Gordon!" Scott was in full command mode. "How is he?"
"He's still unconscious, Scott. He was so cold when I pulled him out of the water. You both were."
"Is he going to be alright?"
"Brains thinks so. He's started shivering so he's warming up. It's like an earthquake going on in his cot. What happened to his arm?"
"He fell. It was when he lost the communicator. He didn't realise he'd lost it until he got back to the top."
"Okay Scott. Just relax. You can give us a full debriefing later. Now we want to get you into Thunderbird Two's sickbay."
Scott felt himself being lifted and carried on a stretcher out of The Mole and into Thunderbird Two's lift. The ride up to the sickbay was smooth and soon Tin-Tin was tucking him into one of the cots. He was starting to feel warmer now.
"How's it going Scott?" He heard Alan say as Virgil was brought into the sickbay.
"I'll be better once I know he's conscious." As if in response Scott heard a groan from off to his left. "Virgil?"
"C'mon Virgil open your eyes." Gordon said.
"Yeah Virgil. Say something." Alan added hopefully.
Virgil started coughing up water. Tin-Tin grabbed a bowl for him. "Don't let him roll onto his back!" she ordered.
"You know, I've never been so glad to listen to someone being sick." Scott commented. "It's probably Alan's edible transmitter that did it. He said it made him feel ill."
Alan turned red.
"W-Well he hasn't got to w-worry about it now." Brains said. He took the bowl away and knelt next to Virgil's head. "H-How do you feel Virgil?"
"Brains." Virgil groaned, his eyes still closed. "Can't you just let me die in peace?"
"My dear V-Virgil. I have no intention of l-letting you die."
Virgil squinted at him briefly with a half smile, "Thanks." He closed his eyes again in pain, before he once again began vomiting.
Brains was a little slow getting the bowl back up.
"Yuck" Gordon commented.
"Alan had better be responsible for cleaning out Thunderbird Two." Scott ordered.
"I don't believe this! Incapacitated and Scott's still ordering us about." Was Alan's only reply.
Virgil's retching ceased. "Scott? Is that you? Are you alright?"
"I think I'm in better shape than you at the moment."
Brains stood up. "Tin-Tin. Do what you c-can about c-cleaning him up." He instructed. "I-I'm going to t-talk to Mr Tracy."
Gordon followed him to the door. "I'll come with you Brains. Time we got this show on the road. Are you okay with getting Mobile Control and Thunderbird One sorted Alan?"
"Not a problem" Alan replied.
***
In Thunderbird Two's cockpit Gordon opened the link to Thunderbird Five. He couldn't help but smile when he saw the relief on John's face.
"What happened to you guys?" John asked.
"Put me through to Dad and stay on the line." Gordon instructed. "No point in repeating ourselves."
"F-A-B."
Jeff's relief at seeing Gordon was palpable. "Virgil and Scott..."
"They're both alive. Both injured but alive. You know about Scott, but Virgil's broken his left forearm. Brains is here, he'll give you the run down."
Brains' image replaced Gordon's. "M-Mr Tracy. I believe both V-Virgil and S-Scott require specialist treatment. Scott for his b-burns and eyes, and Virgil has s-serious s-soft tissue damage at the site of the break. Both have hypothermia. I-I'd like to recommend that Thunderbird Two head straight to Saint Michael's Hospital."
Jeff's face expressed concern. He'd been looking forward to seeing all his family again, no matter how briefly. "How are you going to explain Thunderbird Two Brains?"
"I-I believe we should keep as close to the t-truth as possible. The b-boys were examining a g-generator on Tracy Island when it exploded. Virgil f-fell rescuing Scott. They were b-both trapped in a cave with an underground stream and nearly drowned."
"Drowned!"
"We'll explain later Dad." Gordon chimed in.
"B-Being so far from conventional rescue services and m-medical care, y-you decided to c-call in International Rescue, who rescued them both from the cave and took them st-straight to the hospital. St Michael's has an excellent burns and opthmology unit and is c-close to home. We've r-removed their clothing, so there's n-nothing to link them to I-International Rescue. If you leave in 15 minutes, you'll arrive a reasonable time after Th-Thunderbird Two. Tin-Tin and I will t-take care of the transfer and Gordon's identity can remain secret. He can fly home in Thunderbird T-Two, meet up with Alan and then fly to the hospital, having been c-called home after being away on b-business."
"You've thought of everything Brains." Jeff said with gratitude. He knew that both Brains and Tin-Tin regarded all the Tracy's as family and also knew that they were sacrificing any chance of visiting the hospital. "Thank you."
"J-Just doing my job, Mr Tracy."
"It's more than that and you know it Brains. The whole family appreciates what you're doing. You got that Gordon? We'll meet you at the hospital."
"Right Dad. See you soon. Out." He turned to Brains. "You'd better get out of those clothes," He screwed up his nose in distaste "and get into uniform."
***
Jeff stood up "MOTHER!" he yelled.
"I'm right here Jeff. No need to yell."
"Oh, sorry. Go get ready. We'll head off to the hospital to meet the boys."
"I'm already ready."
"You're already..." Jeff stared at a collection of bags at her feet. "How long are you planning on staying?"
"What do you think I've been doing these last few hours? As soon as I heard that Scott was hurt I knew he'd need hospital treatment, so I packed my bag so I can visit him. I knew he'd need a few things, so I packed a bag for him. When we lost contact with Virgil I thought he might end up in hospital, so I packed his bag."
"That's three." There were seven bags at her feet.
"Well Gordon, Alan and John are going to want to visit..."
"John!" Jeff started to protest.
She folded her arms. "Now don't tell me you were going to leave that poor boy all alone in Thunderbird Five while his two brothers are in hospital." She said sternly.
"But International Rescue..."
"Will be out of action for a day or so anyway, if we're all at St Michael's. He may as well be here with us."
Jeff sighed his grudging acknowledgement. "Fine. But who's going to get him? Alan?"
"Why not. The boy's a trained astronaut. He's put in more time in Thunderbird Three than any of the others. He's even got more space time than you Jeff."
"But we always double crew Thunderbird Three."
"Then he can wait until Gordon gets back in Thunderbird Two... or you can wait until he arrives back and go with him yourself."
"No I'm needed at the hospital now." Jeff grudgingly had to admit that his mother was right. "But you've got one bag extra."
"It's yours. I knew you'd never find time to pack. You'd just grab a few things and throw them into the bag. You'd get there and they'd be all creased and you wouldn't have what you wanted anyway. You've always been the same. Lucille always had to pack for you, and that was on top of packing for your five sons. I swear that if the Space Agency didn't have someone looking after all your gear you would have left your spacesuit back on Earth! I know you Jeff Tracy."
"Mother!" Jeff protested.
"In everything else you are orderly, methodical and neat, but when it comes to packing you're a typical man. No idea!
"Mother!" Jeff protested again.
"So I got together the things you'll need so that you can worry about your boys and forget everything else."
"Mother. Why are you hassling me like this?"
She looked at her watch. "Well that's five out of the fifteen minutes gone..."
Jeff chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. "You're a treasure Mother."