Fifty - BF
The rumbling sound stopped and rubble stopped falling. Gordon got to his feet and peered through the dust that still floated in the air. He could hear someone calling.
"Help me! Help him! Please!"
Gordon became aware of a dusty blue coloured figure lying still in the gloom. He ran over. "Alan!"
He was more than a little relieved when Alan groaned.
"He's alright!" The man Alan had tried to protect sounded just as relieved. "When I saw that lump hit him I thought the worst."
"Take it easy Alan." Gordon assisted his younger brother so that his weight was no longer on the trapped man. "Are you okay?"
Alan coughed. "Yeah. I think so."
"Were you knocked out?"
Alan seemed a touch confused. "I don't know. Maybe."
Gordon held up his hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Three." Alan said correctly. "I'm okay Gordon. Just a slight headache. Don't worry, just help me get this guy out of here."
"Okay." Gordon handed him a jack and watched him closely. Alan had no trouble positioning the jack and then waited for Gordon to position his so they could be operated in tandem.
In no time the last victim was freed. They assisted him back to The Mole. He sank gratefully into one of the seats and Alan assisted him with his safety harness. "Thank you." He said simply.
The trip back to the surface was uneventful. "We're clear, Virgil." Gordon radioed.
"F-A-B." Virgil relaxed his grip on The Domo's controls. The remaining suction cups slipped away and the wall fell forwards crushing everything beneath it.
Scott heard the crash of the falling wall and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Whew!" Doctor Hughes echoed his thoughts. "Thank heavens your machine held!"
Scott was already mentally preparing what needed to be done before they returned home. "Do you need our help anywhere else?"
"No that's all." Doctor Hughes said as he watched Virgil steer The Domo into the pod. "Once we've got the victims out of your 'Mole' machine you can head home. With our thanks."
"It's our pleasure." Scott's attention was arrested by a voice coming out of Mobile Control.
"'Mole' to Mobile Control."
"Go ahead Gordon."
"We're about to surface. No real injuries, but it wouldn't hurt for the asthma victim to get checked over."
"Good thanks Gordon."
"Just one thing Scott..."
Scott frowned. Gordon had lowered his voice so that it wasn't so easily heard. "Yeah?"
"A chunk of concrete hit Alan on the head. He says he's fine, but I think he was knocked out briefly."
"Does he seem to be okay?"
"Seems fine. Claims he's got a bit of a headache, but his reflexes are okay and he seems to be thinking clearly."
"Okay Gordon. We'll see how he is when you've got everything packed away."
Virgil had made his way over to Mobile Control. Scott didn't see him rubbing his forearm. "Trouble?" he asked.
"I don't know." Scott admitted. "Gordon thinks Alan was knocked out briefly. But he seems to be okay."
Virgil grinned. "You never know. You might have to fly Thunderbird One home!"
Scott chuckled. "I wish."
"How about you?" Virgil asked. "Things seemed to go okay here. Any problems?"
"No. Things went well."
"I knew you could do it."
Doctor Hughes cleared his throat, and Scott remembered that the doctor was still there. "Virgil. This is Doctor Hughes. He's the Chief Medical Officer here." Scott paused. "He was also in charge of the medical team at Regnad Corp."
Virgil had stretched his hand out in greeting when he froze. "Regnad Corp?"
"Yes." Doctor Hughes said embarrassedly.
"Virgil was the other operative I was telling you about." Scott said casually.
"Oh! I'm so sorry." The Doctor said apologetically.
Virgil dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand. "These things happen."
"I wish I could make it up to you... Wait a minute!" Then the doctor started ferreting about in his pockets. He pulled out a personal digital assistant and a pen and paper. "This is the name and number of a Professor," he said slowly as he scribbled from the PDA onto the paper, "who has done a lot of research into retinal burns. No guarantee's mind you." He added as he passed the piece of paper to Virgil.
"We've tried everywhere." Scott said.
"I'm sure you've tried all the mainstream medical establishments." Doctor Hughes told him. "But Professor Bunsen shuns the mainstream. Don't let his, ah, eccentricities put you off. He's a genius. If anyone can help you he can. I promise that I won't mention this to him or anyone else."
"Thanks." Scott said, not sure what to think.
"I'd better get back, but I have to say thank you. To you and all your team." Doctor Hughes said. "At least talk to Professor Bunsen. Goodbye." He finished awkwardly and then hurried away.
Virgil looked at the paper and then pressed it into Scott's hand. "What do you reckon?" he asked.
Scott gripped the paper tightly for a moment and then shoved it into his pocket. "I don't know. I've kinda got used to being blind. I don't know if I want to go through all the hope, fear and pain again."
The rumbling sound stopped and rubble stopped falling. Gordon got to his feet and peered through the dust that still floated in the air. He could hear someone calling.
"Help me! Help him! Please!"
Gordon became aware of a dusty blue coloured figure lying still in the gloom. He ran over. "Alan!"
He was more than a little relieved when Alan groaned.
"He's alright!" The man Alan had tried to protect sounded just as relieved. "When I saw that lump hit him I thought the worst."
"Take it easy Alan." Gordon assisted his younger brother so that his weight was no longer on the trapped man. "Are you okay?"
Alan coughed. "Yeah. I think so."
"Were you knocked out?"
Alan seemed a touch confused. "I don't know. Maybe."
Gordon held up his hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Three." Alan said correctly. "I'm okay Gordon. Just a slight headache. Don't worry, just help me get this guy out of here."
"Okay." Gordon handed him a jack and watched him closely. Alan had no trouble positioning the jack and then waited for Gordon to position his so they could be operated in tandem.
In no time the last victim was freed. They assisted him back to The Mole. He sank gratefully into one of the seats and Alan assisted him with his safety harness. "Thank you." He said simply.
The trip back to the surface was uneventful. "We're clear, Virgil." Gordon radioed.
"F-A-B." Virgil relaxed his grip on The Domo's controls. The remaining suction cups slipped away and the wall fell forwards crushing everything beneath it.
Scott heard the crash of the falling wall and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Whew!" Doctor Hughes echoed his thoughts. "Thank heavens your machine held!"
Scott was already mentally preparing what needed to be done before they returned home. "Do you need our help anywhere else?"
"No that's all." Doctor Hughes said as he watched Virgil steer The Domo into the pod. "Once we've got the victims out of your 'Mole' machine you can head home. With our thanks."
"It's our pleasure." Scott's attention was arrested by a voice coming out of Mobile Control.
"'Mole' to Mobile Control."
"Go ahead Gordon."
"We're about to surface. No real injuries, but it wouldn't hurt for the asthma victim to get checked over."
"Good thanks Gordon."
"Just one thing Scott..."
Scott frowned. Gordon had lowered his voice so that it wasn't so easily heard. "Yeah?"
"A chunk of concrete hit Alan on the head. He says he's fine, but I think he was knocked out briefly."
"Does he seem to be okay?"
"Seems fine. Claims he's got a bit of a headache, but his reflexes are okay and he seems to be thinking clearly."
"Okay Gordon. We'll see how he is when you've got everything packed away."
Virgil had made his way over to Mobile Control. Scott didn't see him rubbing his forearm. "Trouble?" he asked.
"I don't know." Scott admitted. "Gordon thinks Alan was knocked out briefly. But he seems to be okay."
Virgil grinned. "You never know. You might have to fly Thunderbird One home!"
Scott chuckled. "I wish."
"How about you?" Virgil asked. "Things seemed to go okay here. Any problems?"
"No. Things went well."
"I knew you could do it."
Doctor Hughes cleared his throat, and Scott remembered that the doctor was still there. "Virgil. This is Doctor Hughes. He's the Chief Medical Officer here." Scott paused. "He was also in charge of the medical team at Regnad Corp."
Virgil had stretched his hand out in greeting when he froze. "Regnad Corp?"
"Yes." Doctor Hughes said embarrassedly.
"Virgil was the other operative I was telling you about." Scott said casually.
"Oh! I'm so sorry." The Doctor said apologetically.
Virgil dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand. "These things happen."
"I wish I could make it up to you... Wait a minute!" Then the doctor started ferreting about in his pockets. He pulled out a personal digital assistant and a pen and paper. "This is the name and number of a Professor," he said slowly as he scribbled from the PDA onto the paper, "who has done a lot of research into retinal burns. No guarantee's mind you." He added as he passed the piece of paper to Virgil.
"We've tried everywhere." Scott said.
"I'm sure you've tried all the mainstream medical establishments." Doctor Hughes told him. "But Professor Bunsen shuns the mainstream. Don't let his, ah, eccentricities put you off. He's a genius. If anyone can help you he can. I promise that I won't mention this to him or anyone else."
"Thanks." Scott said, not sure what to think.
"I'd better get back, but I have to say thank you. To you and all your team." Doctor Hughes said. "At least talk to Professor Bunsen. Goodbye." He finished awkwardly and then hurried away.
Virgil looked at the paper and then pressed it into Scott's hand. "What do you reckon?" he asked.
Scott gripped the paper tightly for a moment and then shoved it into his pocket. "I don't know. I've kinda got used to being blind. I don't know if I want to go through all the hope, fear and pain again."