Eighty Six - BF
Thunderbird Two's hanger was a big cavern. The tiniest sound would echo and reflect off the walls, magnifying and being magnified 100 times.
Scott tried yelling, hoping that maybe Virgil would feel the vibrations of the sound or somehow realise that someone was looking for him. When the sounds had died away he waited, listening hopefully.
The hanger was as silent as a tomb.
Scott told himself off for using that metaphor and decided that Thunderbird Two would be a logical place to start.
Strangely, rather than being raised on her hydraulic legs, ready to accept a pod, the giant aeroplane was sitting on the hanger floor. Scott did a quick circuit of the craft without seeing anything else out of the ordinary. He let himself inside.
He checked the lab and the sickbay before hesitantly taking the lift up to the flight deck.
He held his breath as the door slid back.
His eyes scanned the cabin until they fell on a half-hidden body.
He raised his hand.
"Everyone! I've got him. He's working in Thunderbird Two."
His father's face appeared on the tiny screen of the wristwatch communicator. "Good. Thanks Scott. Let him know breakfast is ready will you."
"Sure." Scott smiled as he heard his father's voice betray the relief he was feeling. He walked over to the figure who had his head stuck inside part of the navigation system. "Virgil." He tapped him on the leg.
Virgil jumped and banged his head on the inside of the cabinet. "I wish people would stop doing that." He grumbled. "Now I've got another bruise."
Scott resisted the desire to throw his arms around his grumpy brother. And how else are we meant to get your attention?
Virgil shrugged. "I don't know." He admitted. "Maybe set my watch vibrating?" He felt his wrist and then looked down at where his watch should have been. "Bother. I must have forgotten to put it on after I had my shower."
Scott held it out to him.
"Oh." Virgil said sheepishly. "Thanks."
How're you feeling? Scott had to repeat the question after Virgil had finished putting the watch where it belonged on his wrist.
"Fine... at the moment." Virgil looked closer at his brother. "How are you? You look like you've seen a ghost."
I've got a bit of a headache. Scott lied, glad that Virgil was having to look at his signing hands rather than his now flushing face.
"Have you had anything to eat yet?"
No. I came looking for you. I was surprised that you weren't in your room.
"I woke up at about 4 o-clock and decided that I'd had enough sleep. So I thought I'd come down here and do some maintenance. I guess I lost track of the time."
How's the medication holding up?
Virgil shook his head. "It's starting to wear off. But at least the tinnitus is bearable at the moment."
How about having breakfast and then finishing this off after.
Virgil negated the idea. "I want to get this finished while I can still concentrate. Breakfast doesn't require quite so much thought." He said with a little smile.
Then let me help you.
"I'd appreciate that. Thanks."
Between the pair of them they'd finished the task within half an hour.
Virgil stood and stretched. "I'm glad that's done. One less thing to worry about." He started tidying up the tools.
V! Scott tried to get his attention again. V. Do me a favour will you. Keep your watch on in future. At least then we'll have a chance to find you. It's not as if we can wander around the place yelling for you.
"Yeah. Okay. I was in such a hurry to get down here I forgot this morning. Sorry."
That's okay. Just remember in the future.
"Why? Are you worried that I'll wander away and jump off the cliffs or something?" Virgil laughed. Then he saw Scott's face redden and realisation dawned. "Scott! ... You didn't! ... I wouldn't!"
Sorry V. But you've had a pretty rough 24 hours. We didn't know how bad you were this morning.
"We! You mean everyone thought..." Virgil sat down on a passenger seat in shock at the idea.
Well maybe not everyone... But I know Father...
"...Who organised a search of the island?"
Scott nodded.
Virgil groaned. "Great. Now everyone's going to be watching me like I'm a candidate for a mental institution or something."
Scott crouched down so that he was at Virgil's eye level. We were worried.
"I know. And I appreciate the concern. But I'm not suicidal."
You sounded pretty desperate yesterday morning. You said you'd do anything...
"...But not that!"
I'm sorry V. You weren't in your room... Your bed hadn't been slept in... You'd left your watch behind... I jumped to the wrong conclusion, and so did Father.
"Really?"
Scott nodded. He was searching the cliffs himself.
"And sent you to search Thunderbird Two in case I'd done myself in here."
Scott nodded again, looking down in embarrassment. His gaze fell onto the bruises on Virgil's arms. Sorry I had to hang on so tight yesterday.
Virgil rubbed at his wrists and then looked at the marks on them. "Thanks for your help." He gave a rueful smile. "You've got a good grip. Did you think I was going to hit you?"
No. The thought never crossed my mind. Scott said truthfully. But I was worried you'd hurt yourself.
"Well I did give myself a headache, and a bruise." Virgil pulled his hair back out of the way and Scott could see the discolouration on his skin. Then Virgil sighed. "You look hungry. I guess we'd better head up and get breakfast. And everyone will be there looking to see if I'm all right or if I'm going to slit my wrists with the butter knife. How embarrassing."
Thunderbird Two's hanger was a big cavern. The tiniest sound would echo and reflect off the walls, magnifying and being magnified 100 times.
Scott tried yelling, hoping that maybe Virgil would feel the vibrations of the sound or somehow realise that someone was looking for him. When the sounds had died away he waited, listening hopefully.
The hanger was as silent as a tomb.
Scott told himself off for using that metaphor and decided that Thunderbird Two would be a logical place to start.
Strangely, rather than being raised on her hydraulic legs, ready to accept a pod, the giant aeroplane was sitting on the hanger floor. Scott did a quick circuit of the craft without seeing anything else out of the ordinary. He let himself inside.
He checked the lab and the sickbay before hesitantly taking the lift up to the flight deck.
He held his breath as the door slid back.
His eyes scanned the cabin until they fell on a half-hidden body.
He raised his hand.
"Everyone! I've got him. He's working in Thunderbird Two."
His father's face appeared on the tiny screen of the wristwatch communicator. "Good. Thanks Scott. Let him know breakfast is ready will you."
"Sure." Scott smiled as he heard his father's voice betray the relief he was feeling. He walked over to the figure who had his head stuck inside part of the navigation system. "Virgil." He tapped him on the leg.
Virgil jumped and banged his head on the inside of the cabinet. "I wish people would stop doing that." He grumbled. "Now I've got another bruise."
Scott resisted the desire to throw his arms around his grumpy brother. And how else are we meant to get your attention?
Virgil shrugged. "I don't know." He admitted. "Maybe set my watch vibrating?" He felt his wrist and then looked down at where his watch should have been. "Bother. I must have forgotten to put it on after I had my shower."
Scott held it out to him.
"Oh." Virgil said sheepishly. "Thanks."
How're you feeling? Scott had to repeat the question after Virgil had finished putting the watch where it belonged on his wrist.
"Fine... at the moment." Virgil looked closer at his brother. "How are you? You look like you've seen a ghost."
I've got a bit of a headache. Scott lied, glad that Virgil was having to look at his signing hands rather than his now flushing face.
"Have you had anything to eat yet?"
No. I came looking for you. I was surprised that you weren't in your room.
"I woke up at about 4 o-clock and decided that I'd had enough sleep. So I thought I'd come down here and do some maintenance. I guess I lost track of the time."
How's the medication holding up?
Virgil shook his head. "It's starting to wear off. But at least the tinnitus is bearable at the moment."
How about having breakfast and then finishing this off after.
Virgil negated the idea. "I want to get this finished while I can still concentrate. Breakfast doesn't require quite so much thought." He said with a little smile.
Then let me help you.
"I'd appreciate that. Thanks."
Between the pair of them they'd finished the task within half an hour.
Virgil stood and stretched. "I'm glad that's done. One less thing to worry about." He started tidying up the tools.
V! Scott tried to get his attention again. V. Do me a favour will you. Keep your watch on in future. At least then we'll have a chance to find you. It's not as if we can wander around the place yelling for you.
"Yeah. Okay. I was in such a hurry to get down here I forgot this morning. Sorry."
That's okay. Just remember in the future.
"Why? Are you worried that I'll wander away and jump off the cliffs or something?" Virgil laughed. Then he saw Scott's face redden and realisation dawned. "Scott! ... You didn't! ... I wouldn't!"
Sorry V. But you've had a pretty rough 24 hours. We didn't know how bad you were this morning.
"We! You mean everyone thought..." Virgil sat down on a passenger seat in shock at the idea.
Well maybe not everyone... But I know Father...
"...Who organised a search of the island?"
Scott nodded.
Virgil groaned. "Great. Now everyone's going to be watching me like I'm a candidate for a mental institution or something."
Scott crouched down so that he was at Virgil's eye level. We were worried.
"I know. And I appreciate the concern. But I'm not suicidal."
You sounded pretty desperate yesterday morning. You said you'd do anything...
"...But not that!"
I'm sorry V. You weren't in your room... Your bed hadn't been slept in... You'd left your watch behind... I jumped to the wrong conclusion, and so did Father.
"Really?"
Scott nodded. He was searching the cliffs himself.
"And sent you to search Thunderbird Two in case I'd done myself in here."
Scott nodded again, looking down in embarrassment. His gaze fell onto the bruises on Virgil's arms. Sorry I had to hang on so tight yesterday.
Virgil rubbed at his wrists and then looked at the marks on them. "Thanks for your help." He gave a rueful smile. "You've got a good grip. Did you think I was going to hit you?"
No. The thought never crossed my mind. Scott said truthfully. But I was worried you'd hurt yourself.
"Well I did give myself a headache, and a bruise." Virgil pulled his hair back out of the way and Scott could see the discolouration on his skin. Then Virgil sighed. "You look hungry. I guess we'd better head up and get breakfast. And everyone will be there looking to see if I'm all right or if I'm going to slit my wrists with the butter knife. How embarrassing."