Sixty Five - BF
Virgil was frantically trying to think of something he could say to Gordon. It had to be something relevant to the rescue, but he didn't want to worry Gordon any more than necessary. "Come on, Virgil. Think!" he said impatiently.
At that moment Gordon was concentrating on trying to maintain his footing and listening out for Scott's directions. Something gave way under his foot and he slipped, dropping his end of the stretcher.
"Are you okay, Gordon?" Scott asked anxiously.
"Yep." Gordon said through gritted teeth. "I'm just going to have a whacking great bruise on my leg, that's all. How's Percy?"
Scott hadn't let go of his end of the stretcher. "How's Percy, Alan?"
"No change."
"Good." Gordon grunted as he found his feet and then the stretcher handles again. "I'm ready, Scott. Move on."
"You're getting close, fellas." Virgil reassured them. "You're nearly to the door and then you'll be on the home straight."
"How far?" Gordon asked.
"Five metres maybe."
"That far!"
"Relax Gordon. You'll be there before you know it. Tell you what, what say we organise an obstacle course when we get home. You can challenge Scott to a race. I'd bet you'd give him a run for his money."
"No thanks, Virgil. I aim to hang onto my sight for as long as possible. Sorry Scott."
"That's okay, Gordon. I aim to take care of mine after tomorrow. There's a bit of a beam here you'll have to climb over."
Gordon tried to estimate where this beam was but still managed to bang his shins on it. Gingerly he stepped over. "How far now, Virgil?"
"Two metres."
"We seem to have a clear run here. Must be where we cleared the debris away." Scott announced. "I think I've got a reading on the door. We'll put Percy down here and swap ends. Hang on. I'll come and get you."
Gordon resisted the temptation to throw his arms around Scott when he felt his brother reach him. The sensory deprivation was really getting to him and the touch of another human was the only thing that stopped him feeling that he was going mad. "It's going to be easy from here on isn't it?" he asked eagerly.
"Sure." Scott said confidently. "No sweat."
"Nothing to it." Virgil confirmed. "You'll be able to do twice the speed you did getting in from here on."
They managed to twist the stretcher around so that they were able to get it through the door. They were finally in the clear hallway.
"Do you want me to lead again, Gordon?" Scott asked.
"Uh. Yes please."
"Start talking, Virgil." Scott instructed.
"What's the first thing you're going to do when you get back to base, Gordon?" Virgil asked.
"Something that involves a lot of light. I don't know, maybe just sit on the beach and watch the ocean."
"That's a surprise." Virgil said with a slight trace of sarcasm in his voice.
"Well, why'd you ask me then?"
Whatever reply Virgil had in mind was cut off.
Cut off by the explosion that rocked the very room they were in...
Virgil was frantically trying to think of something he could say to Gordon. It had to be something relevant to the rescue, but he didn't want to worry Gordon any more than necessary. "Come on, Virgil. Think!" he said impatiently.
At that moment Gordon was concentrating on trying to maintain his footing and listening out for Scott's directions. Something gave way under his foot and he slipped, dropping his end of the stretcher.
"Are you okay, Gordon?" Scott asked anxiously.
"Yep." Gordon said through gritted teeth. "I'm just going to have a whacking great bruise on my leg, that's all. How's Percy?"
Scott hadn't let go of his end of the stretcher. "How's Percy, Alan?"
"No change."
"Good." Gordon grunted as he found his feet and then the stretcher handles again. "I'm ready, Scott. Move on."
"You're getting close, fellas." Virgil reassured them. "You're nearly to the door and then you'll be on the home straight."
"How far?" Gordon asked.
"Five metres maybe."
"That far!"
"Relax Gordon. You'll be there before you know it. Tell you what, what say we organise an obstacle course when we get home. You can challenge Scott to a race. I'd bet you'd give him a run for his money."
"No thanks, Virgil. I aim to hang onto my sight for as long as possible. Sorry Scott."
"That's okay, Gordon. I aim to take care of mine after tomorrow. There's a bit of a beam here you'll have to climb over."
Gordon tried to estimate where this beam was but still managed to bang his shins on it. Gingerly he stepped over. "How far now, Virgil?"
"Two metres."
"We seem to have a clear run here. Must be where we cleared the debris away." Scott announced. "I think I've got a reading on the door. We'll put Percy down here and swap ends. Hang on. I'll come and get you."
Gordon resisted the temptation to throw his arms around Scott when he felt his brother reach him. The sensory deprivation was really getting to him and the touch of another human was the only thing that stopped him feeling that he was going mad. "It's going to be easy from here on isn't it?" he asked eagerly.
"Sure." Scott said confidently. "No sweat."
"Nothing to it." Virgil confirmed. "You'll be able to do twice the speed you did getting in from here on."
They managed to twist the stretcher around so that they were able to get it through the door. They were finally in the clear hallway.
"Do you want me to lead again, Gordon?" Scott asked.
"Uh. Yes please."
"Start talking, Virgil." Scott instructed.
"What's the first thing you're going to do when you get back to base, Gordon?" Virgil asked.
"Something that involves a lot of light. I don't know, maybe just sit on the beach and watch the ocean."
"That's a surprise." Virgil said with a slight trace of sarcasm in his voice.
"Well, why'd you ask me then?"
Whatever reply Virgil had in mind was cut off.
Cut off by the explosion that rocked the very room they were in...