Seventy Eight - BF
"Blood in the ear canal..." Bunny Bunsen straightened up and reached for an otoscope.
"Ruptured Tympanum?" Brains suggested.
"Looks like it." The professor grunted. "But that doesn't explain the severity of the tinnitus or the hearing loss. I want to check him out with a cat scan..."
Virgil lay quietly, aware that these two men were trying to help him, willing them to do something to enable him to hear something, anything! Anything rather than that annoying roar.
***
Thunderbird's One and Two had arrived at Tracy Island almost simultaneously.
Bunny Bunsen had leapt out of his seat and had tried to open the door to Thunderbird One's hatch. Alan told him to wait until firstly Thunderbird One and then the travelling gantry arrived into position and the door could be opened. The Professor had rushed out onto the platform and had only just been saved from plummeting the 100 odd feet to the hanger's floor by Alan's quick reactions.
Scott and Gordon had wheeled the gurney containing Virgil into the infirmary and had then been banished to the hallway by the Professor.
At a loss to do anything else, Gordon and Alan had returned to Thunderbird One and Two's hangers to prepare the craft for the next time they would be needed.
Grandma Tracy sat in the lounge, her needles clacking together as she knitted frantically, concern for her grandson etched onto her face.
Kyrano and Tin-Tin set about making a meal for anyone who would feel like eating.
Jeff and Scott stood on the patio leaning on the railing.
"I'll want a full debriefing later." Jeff said quietly.
Scott nodded. "Just the five of us, or do you want to wait until Virg. can join us?"
"We'll see what the Professor says. I'd rather if you all were there."
"So would I."
Jeff frowned. "Could he hear anything?"
"No... Scott sighed. "Gordon made the comment that if this hearing loss is permanent it would kill him. I said it wouldn't, but I don't know... He'd take it pretty hard."
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Jeff looked about to see if anyone was within earshot. "How'd you get on with your talk?"
Scott grimaced. "I talked and he said nothing... and then we had this callout." He gave an ironic laugh. "Do you know what the last thing I said to him was? Before we left my room? That he hadn't heard everything that I wanted to say to him. Prophetic or what?"
"It may not be. At least you boys can all use sign language. It's the rest of us that are likely to have problems communicating."
"I told you you should learn."
"I didn't think I'd need it, especially not for one of my own sons." Jeff thumped his hands on the balcony rail. "No. I'm not going to think like that! He'll be fine."
"I think he did want to talk." Scott said. "He suggested that I travel with him and Gordon go with Alan, just before Mobile Control's alarm went off. He said it was so that I could reacquaint myself with Thunderbird Two, and Gordon with Thunderbird One."
"But you don't think that was the real reason."
Scott shook his head.
They looked out over the calm Pacific.
"I've decided on one thing." Scott suddenly said. "I've decided that it's not Regnad that's jinxed against us. It's Doctor Hughes."
Jeff raised an eyebrow in query.
"He was at Regnad Corp. and I was blinded. He was at the collapsed hospital and Alan gets delayed concussion. And then I meet him again today! If I ever meet him again I'm getting back into Thunderbird One and leaving."
"If you're going to get superstitious then remember these things happen in threes." Jeff said wryly. "His spell's broken. Besides if it wasn't for him you would never have met Professor Bunsen and would never have regained your sight."
"You know, I was going to suggest that we retain the modified Mobile Control." Scott said. "I WAS going to suggest that we train the others up on it."
"Was?"
"You'll have to check it out once we know how Virgil is. But it's been totalled. The explosion wrecked it. We're going to have to go back to the original model."
Jeff looked at his oldest in concern. "Didn't you say you two were trying to get it away from the refinery. How come you're unhurt, Virgil's... well... hopefully not badly hurt... and Mobile Control was 'totalled'."
Scott shrugged. "Just lucky I guess. We'd both decided to leave it and get out of there when the explosion happened. Maybe I was a fraction quicker than Virgil and he had Mobile Control between him and the explosion. Maybe he'll be able to enlighten us later."
A beeping from the lounge drew them back indoors. John's concerned face looked down on them. "How's Virgil?"
"We haven't had any news yet." Jeff was saying as both Alan and Gordon re-entered the lounge.
"How long is it going to take them?" Alan grumbled as he flopped down onto the sofa.
His question was answered by both Bunny Bunsen and Brains entering the lounge.
Jeff straightened up. "Well?"
"We've currently got him under sedation. He has ruptured both tympanum, and the cat scan is inconclusive as to what other damage has been done. There may be some damage to the utricle, which could causing the nausea, but there are many factors which may cause this reaction. There's possibly some damage to the cochlea, the auditory nerve or maybe the organ of corti. Any of which could explain the hearing loss. The tinnitus is most likely caused by the inner ear damage, coupled with the ruptured tympanum, although we can't rule out some other factor or indeed damage to the middle ear. It may also have been caused by the head trauma. Or it has been known to occur after some emotional, physical or social disruption in the sufferer's life. You people would have a better idea if that's a possibility than I would. I've taken some tests, which I'll study more closely at home. Your equipment here is too antiquated."
Brains reddened in anger.
"Alan! You can take me home in Thunderbird One now and then I can get started on my analysis straight away."
"Ah, right!" Alan said nonplussed. He looked to his father for confirmation.
"Go on." Jeff acknowledged. "The sooner you're there, the sooner you'll be back again."
"Okay." Reluctantly Alan led the Professor back into Thunderbird One.
Once the door had closed behind them Jeff turned back to Brains. "Now would you mind translating that for us?"
"V-Virgil has burst both eardrums. There is a small ch-chamber in the inner ear called the utricle which possibly has suffered some minor d-damage. If so it would probably upset h-his sense of balance and coordination for a day or two. It looked as though th-there was some damage to the structures of the inner ear, which could cause the deafness. It's this that is p-probably causing the tinnitus, although it c-could be as a result of hitting his head on Mobile Control."
"I think I understood the words emotional, physical or social disruption." Scott said. "Such as?" he glanced sideways at his father.
Brains shrugged. "I don't know. It sounded to me as if B-Bunny was covering all bases."
"Never mind all that." Gordon said impatiently. "What's the prognosis?"
"I don't know th-that either. The r-ruptured eardrum may take up to three to six months to heal. As for any other injuries... th-that's what Bunny is going to attempt to ascertain."
"So we don't know if it could be temporary or permanent." Grandma Tracy brought the topic back down to a level that they could all understand.
Brains nodded sadly. "Yes."
"Blood in the ear canal..." Bunny Bunsen straightened up and reached for an otoscope.
"Ruptured Tympanum?" Brains suggested.
"Looks like it." The professor grunted. "But that doesn't explain the severity of the tinnitus or the hearing loss. I want to check him out with a cat scan..."
Virgil lay quietly, aware that these two men were trying to help him, willing them to do something to enable him to hear something, anything! Anything rather than that annoying roar.
***
Thunderbird's One and Two had arrived at Tracy Island almost simultaneously.
Bunny Bunsen had leapt out of his seat and had tried to open the door to Thunderbird One's hatch. Alan told him to wait until firstly Thunderbird One and then the travelling gantry arrived into position and the door could be opened. The Professor had rushed out onto the platform and had only just been saved from plummeting the 100 odd feet to the hanger's floor by Alan's quick reactions.
Scott and Gordon had wheeled the gurney containing Virgil into the infirmary and had then been banished to the hallway by the Professor.
At a loss to do anything else, Gordon and Alan had returned to Thunderbird One and Two's hangers to prepare the craft for the next time they would be needed.
Grandma Tracy sat in the lounge, her needles clacking together as she knitted frantically, concern for her grandson etched onto her face.
Kyrano and Tin-Tin set about making a meal for anyone who would feel like eating.
Jeff and Scott stood on the patio leaning on the railing.
"I'll want a full debriefing later." Jeff said quietly.
Scott nodded. "Just the five of us, or do you want to wait until Virg. can join us?"
"We'll see what the Professor says. I'd rather if you all were there."
"So would I."
Jeff frowned. "Could he hear anything?"
"No... Scott sighed. "Gordon made the comment that if this hearing loss is permanent it would kill him. I said it wouldn't, but I don't know... He'd take it pretty hard."
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Jeff looked about to see if anyone was within earshot. "How'd you get on with your talk?"
Scott grimaced. "I talked and he said nothing... and then we had this callout." He gave an ironic laugh. "Do you know what the last thing I said to him was? Before we left my room? That he hadn't heard everything that I wanted to say to him. Prophetic or what?"
"It may not be. At least you boys can all use sign language. It's the rest of us that are likely to have problems communicating."
"I told you you should learn."
"I didn't think I'd need it, especially not for one of my own sons." Jeff thumped his hands on the balcony rail. "No. I'm not going to think like that! He'll be fine."
"I think he did want to talk." Scott said. "He suggested that I travel with him and Gordon go with Alan, just before Mobile Control's alarm went off. He said it was so that I could reacquaint myself with Thunderbird Two, and Gordon with Thunderbird One."
"But you don't think that was the real reason."
Scott shook his head.
They looked out over the calm Pacific.
"I've decided on one thing." Scott suddenly said. "I've decided that it's not Regnad that's jinxed against us. It's Doctor Hughes."
Jeff raised an eyebrow in query.
"He was at Regnad Corp. and I was blinded. He was at the collapsed hospital and Alan gets delayed concussion. And then I meet him again today! If I ever meet him again I'm getting back into Thunderbird One and leaving."
"If you're going to get superstitious then remember these things happen in threes." Jeff said wryly. "His spell's broken. Besides if it wasn't for him you would never have met Professor Bunsen and would never have regained your sight."
"You know, I was going to suggest that we retain the modified Mobile Control." Scott said. "I WAS going to suggest that we train the others up on it."
"Was?"
"You'll have to check it out once we know how Virgil is. But it's been totalled. The explosion wrecked it. We're going to have to go back to the original model."
Jeff looked at his oldest in concern. "Didn't you say you two were trying to get it away from the refinery. How come you're unhurt, Virgil's... well... hopefully not badly hurt... and Mobile Control was 'totalled'."
Scott shrugged. "Just lucky I guess. We'd both decided to leave it and get out of there when the explosion happened. Maybe I was a fraction quicker than Virgil and he had Mobile Control between him and the explosion. Maybe he'll be able to enlighten us later."
A beeping from the lounge drew them back indoors. John's concerned face looked down on them. "How's Virgil?"
"We haven't had any news yet." Jeff was saying as both Alan and Gordon re-entered the lounge.
"How long is it going to take them?" Alan grumbled as he flopped down onto the sofa.
His question was answered by both Bunny Bunsen and Brains entering the lounge.
Jeff straightened up. "Well?"
"We've currently got him under sedation. He has ruptured both tympanum, and the cat scan is inconclusive as to what other damage has been done. There may be some damage to the utricle, which could causing the nausea, but there are many factors which may cause this reaction. There's possibly some damage to the cochlea, the auditory nerve or maybe the organ of corti. Any of which could explain the hearing loss. The tinnitus is most likely caused by the inner ear damage, coupled with the ruptured tympanum, although we can't rule out some other factor or indeed damage to the middle ear. It may also have been caused by the head trauma. Or it has been known to occur after some emotional, physical or social disruption in the sufferer's life. You people would have a better idea if that's a possibility than I would. I've taken some tests, which I'll study more closely at home. Your equipment here is too antiquated."
Brains reddened in anger.
"Alan! You can take me home in Thunderbird One now and then I can get started on my analysis straight away."
"Ah, right!" Alan said nonplussed. He looked to his father for confirmation.
"Go on." Jeff acknowledged. "The sooner you're there, the sooner you'll be back again."
"Okay." Reluctantly Alan led the Professor back into Thunderbird One.
Once the door had closed behind them Jeff turned back to Brains. "Now would you mind translating that for us?"
"V-Virgil has burst both eardrums. There is a small ch-chamber in the inner ear called the utricle which possibly has suffered some minor d-damage. If so it would probably upset h-his sense of balance and coordination for a day or two. It looked as though th-there was some damage to the structures of the inner ear, which could cause the deafness. It's this that is p-probably causing the tinnitus, although it c-could be as a result of hitting his head on Mobile Control."
"I think I understood the words emotional, physical or social disruption." Scott said. "Such as?" he glanced sideways at his father.
Brains shrugged. "I don't know. It sounded to me as if B-Bunny was covering all bases."
"Never mind all that." Gordon said impatiently. "What's the prognosis?"
"I don't know th-that either. The r-ruptured eardrum may take up to three to six months to heal. As for any other injuries... th-that's what Bunny is going to attempt to ascertain."
"So we don't know if it could be temporary or permanent." Grandma Tracy brought the topic back down to a level that they could all understand.
Brains nodded sadly. "Yes."