Gordon and Virgil had just started to drive the machines closer to the buildings when they felt the aftershock. Looking at each other, they stopped and climbed out to see what damage had been done.
"Gordon, the floor has shifted. We will need to be careful about how we proceed" Jeff told his son. He was trying to put on a strong front, but his sons knew just how difficult this was for him.
"Okay Dad. We will need to start from the top. How do we get the machines up there?" Gordon asked.
"How about we use thunderbird two to attach chains to the larger pieces of concrete, and then go in and try to pass the survivors out?" Virgil suggested. Jeff nodded, agreeing with his son.
"That's a good idea Virg" Scott said, hearing the last part as he came over. "Dad, they just found three more bodies. That means that there are only eleven students still missing"
"Were Alan and Fermat…" Jeff trailed off, not wanting to ask.
"No. They're still inside" They all looked relieved, before getting back to the job. "Dad, how about we all go into thunderbird two for this. You're going to need all of us to successfully do this" Scott told his father. Just then, Brains interrupted through the comm links.
"Mr Tracy, Alan's emergency signal has stopped"
"Why would that happen Brains?" Jeff asked, worried.
"I think that m..m…perhaps it has been destroyed, or Alan is no longer worried. But if that was the case, than Fermat's would also be off. And it's still on!" Everyone could tell that Brains was agitated. Scott and Virgil looked at each other before running to thunderbird two, with Gordon hot on their heels.
"Brains, have you been listening into what we plan to do?" Jeff asked, wanting to get to his youngest even more now.
"Yes. I think that it's the only choice. The boys will be waiting for you"
"FAB Brains." Jeff ran to the bird to join his sons on a rescue that they would never forget.
Inside the dorm
"Alan" Fermat called out as the dust settled again. Coughing, Fermat crawled forward to the space that he had last seen his friend. Fermat could see that a heavy desk had fallen on his friend. Alan was lying on his back with the desk on his left arm, right up to his collarbone. Alan was also unconscious. "Hey guys, can you help me lift this off of Alan?" he called back to the scared boys behind him.
"Sure Fermat" Hadrian replied coming out with Will and Marcus. Together, the three of them lifted the desk up while Fermat pulled Alan out. Lowering it back down again, they dragged Alan under cover so that Fermat could look at his injuries. Alan's arm was bent three different ways, once at the humerus, once at the radius and again at the wrist. His watch was smashed beyond all repair and his collarbone felt like it was snapped in half. Fermat was suddenly very glad that Alan was unconscious, with the amount of pain he would have been feeling from all of the broken bones would have made it hard for Alan to even communicate.
"How bad is he Fermat?" Benny asked, coming forward with the water. Fermat took it from him and poured some on a cloth, running it on Alan's lips to wet them.
"Very bad. He has at least four broken bones, if not more. There could also be muscle and tendon damage." Fermat replied. He then gently put two fingers on Alan's pulse on the broken wrist. "I can't feel a pulse from here. There could also be damage to his veins and arteries. We need medical help for him" Just then Alan groaned.
"Ow." He whimpered. Fermat scrummaged through the first aid kit until he found the panadeine that he kept in there.
"Here Alan, have a few of these. They'll take the edge off the pain" he said, manoeuvring until Alan's head was resting on his shoulder. Alan took the pills with a little difficulty and some water. He then leant his head back and sighed.
"Fermat, what happened. The last thing I remember is you calling out about the aftershock." He said.
"You had a desk fall on you because you couldn't get back under here fast enough. We got the desk off and pulled you out. You now have another few broken bones to add to you collection" Fermat told him, jokingly.
"Very funny" Alan replied, dryly. "How's everyone else?" he then asked, worried.
"Were all fine. Well, except for Daniel, but you know about him. How long do you think it will take for the thunderbirds to come and get us?" he asked his friend.
"Not long. They should be hovering over us any moment now. They would have to come in through the roof. That big block of concrete will be lifted up, then one of then will come down to check on us." Alan replied, predicting what his family would do.
"you know Alan, you do know a lot about how the Thunderbirds act" Phillipe said and he came to sit beside him. "Merci. When this is all done, you must come and stay with my mother and I in Aquitaine. It is a beach side town that is always full of life. My mother and I spend every break there. It is where I was born. Please come" he asked Alan.
"I don't know Phillipe. I'll need to ask my father if I can go to France in the break, but after this, I think that my father will be keeping me close for awhile. He can get a bit protective. But thanks for the offer" Alan told him, wincing as he tried to sit up. "Hey, what time is it?" he asked.
"Alan, stay down. You need to rest. And it's about three in the morning" Fermat told him. Just then, they all heard the sound of thunderbird two again.
"Told ya they'd come" Alan said before he closed his eyes for a bit.
In thunderbird two
Jeff was at the controls of the green monolith flying towards the building that had his son and friend hostage. He could hear his other sons in the back either getting ready to go down into the area or ready to hook the chains around the piece of concrete that they had chosen. It had fallen straight into Alan and Fermat's room, and seemed to be the best piece to take because they could move relatively freely without it. Jeff could see the long table that he had bought for the boys behind the slab, and prayed that they were under there. Since they had come up in the air, the commander on the ground had reported that two more bodies had been found. So far, they had not been identified, and Jeff was praying to God that they were not his boys.
"Alright Dad, were in position. Just hold her steady" Jeff heard Scott call from the back where he had been getting the chains ready. "Lowering the chains now. Hopefully someone down there can work out how the connect them so we don't have go down now" Scott called. Jeff watched the progress of the chains through the monitor in front of him.
"Hold it Scott" he called out as he saw someone come out from under the desk. "There is someone coming out from under the desk now"
"FAB Dad" Scott said, halting the movement. "It is one of them?"
"I can't see at the moment. Hang on, the lights just reflected off a pair of glasses. I think that it's Fermat!" He called back, to hear the cheers of his boys as they heard. Then they realised something.
"Why would Fermat be doing that instead of Alan?" Virgil asked even as Scott began lowering the chains again. He could see Fermat taking the chains and hooking them around the concrete block and then each other for more support. He then signalled to them before darting back under the desk.
"I don't know. But that is worrying. Could Alan have been seriously hurt?" Scott asked and he nodded to Gordon to start the winch to retract the chains and concrete. "Gordo, start it up"
"FAB Scott." With that the all watched the concrete rise at a steady rate and thanked god that the concrete was held. Once it was clear of the rest of the building, Jeff directed the bird away to an area that they had cleared for the piece. Once there, Gordon activated the winch again to release the chains completely so that they could return to their little brother.
Once they were hovering over the desk again, Virgil went down on the rescue platform to see how they all were. Once he was on the ground a bit away from the desk, he opened the side and ran to see where they boys were. Crouching down, he saw something that would stay with him for the rest of his life. His little brother was lying there, looking dead. His arm was facing in all different directions and he was covered in dust, making him look pure white. Just then Fermat came to him.
"Virgil?" he asked, worried about his friend. That seemed to shake Virgil out of it, and he began to look around.
"Dad, I've found Alan and Fermat. They're with seven other boys. They're all alive, but two are hurt. Alan's one of them" he said to his father over the comm. Link.
"Let me talk to him" his father demanded.
"Sure thing" Virgil came next to his brother, taking out his ear piece as he went. "Hey sprout" he said as he knelt down. Alan was resting against a blond haired boy. "Here, someone wants to talk to you" he said as he put the comm. Link in his ear.
"Hello" Alan asked quietly.
"Alan?"
"Is that you kiddo?"
"Are you okay?" Gordon, Scott and Jeff all asked at the same time.
"Okay. Yes, it me. And I'm alright. Just a little banged up" Alan replied as he tried to make sense of what was being asked. Virgil had activated his wristwatch so that he could keep up with the conversation.
"Alan is not alright. His arm is broken in several places and he looks like death just warmed over him. We need to get him out. And there is another boy with what looks like a broken leg. It has been splinted. I'm going to take them up first. Fermat, can you stay till the last load to help us?" he asked the small boy.
"S..s…I guess. I'll get Daniel ready for you" Fermat replied as he moved towards him. Virgil took off his helmet so that he could move easier, and picked up Alan gently.
"Can you stand for me sprout?" he asked as he put him in the rescue pod.
"Yeah. Just give me a minute to get my bearing. Go get Daniel and I'll be okay when you get back. Maybe bring one of the other guys to help steady me as we rise would be a good idea" Alan suggested and he grabbed hold of the sides. Virgil nodded, and ran back to the other boys.
"Okay. The other injured one comes in the first trip, as well as" Virgil looked at the boys and decided that they were small enough to take more. "two more of you. Who wants to come?" The boys all looked at each other and made the choice. Fermat spoke for them all.
"Benny and Phillipe will go with you on this one. We'll all wait for the next trip" Virgil nodded, and the two chosen boys went to Daniel and helped him to the platform. Virgil locked the door on the pod and turned to them.
"Okay, one of you will have to hold Alan tight so that he doesn't fall. The other will have to hold Daniel." Benny and Phillipe each went to one of the injured boys and held them firmly as the pod raised.
"Dad, I'm retracting the rescue platform now. I have four on board, two injured" Virgil said as it went.
"FAB Virgil. I'm meeting you when you get there, Gordon's flying now" Jeff voice said. Just then they went into the interior of thunderbird two. Looking up, they saw Jeff standing next to them with Scott and two stretchers.
"Alan" they both cried out as they saw him. Phillipe, Benny and Daniel all looked at each other in confusion. You could practically see their brains trying to connect how Alan knew them. Just then, Scott and Jeff took off their helmets, and they were shocked to see Jeff Tracy himself in a thunderbirds uniform.
Virgil unlocked the door, and ushered the boys out. Daniel and Alan went straight to the medical section to be looked after. They both had compression cuffs put on their respective limbs so that the breaks were cushioned and protected until they reached a hospital. Benny and Phillipe were strapped into the seats behind the cockpit for safety and Virgil went back down for the rest of the boys. They quickly came back up, and Fermat immediately rushed off to the medical section to see how Alan was doing. By the time he got there, Alan was asleep with his father brushing the hair off of his forehead.
"Sir" Fermat said shocked. Jeff looked at Fermat and grinned.
"Fermat, get over here" he said happily. Fermat ran to him and was gathered in Jeff's arms. Hugging tightly, Jeff quickly pulled back. "Now, get up to the bridge and talk to your father. I'm going to stay here with Alan. Also, tell Gordon to get us to a hospital now. These two need medical attention." Jeff told him as he turned back to Alan. Fermat nodded and ran up to the cockpit. Now, all of the other boys were strapped in called to him as he ran past.
"Hey Fermat, what's going on?" Hadrian asked. Fermat skidded to a halt.
"Sorry guys, but I need to do something first. I'll be back in a sec" With that, Fermat ran into the bridge, and sat in the co pilot's chair. "Dad" he said happily when he saw his father's face on the screen.
"Fermat" his father whispered in relief at seeing his son. As far as he could tell, Fermat was uninjured. "Are you okay, son?"
"Yeah. Alan is hurt but we're going to go to the hospital now." Fermat replied.
"Is that a hit Fermat?" Gordon asked from the pilot's chair.
"Yep. Now, I'm going to sit with the others. I'll see you back on the island Dad" Fermat ran back out and strapped in just as Gordon landed next to thunderbird one. Scott ran off, and they were in the air again, heading for the local hospital.
One month later
Fermat and Alan stood on the runway on Tracy Island waiting for the plane that would be bring their friends to land. Fermat looked none the worse for wear from the incident of last month, while Alan had his arm in a cast. Alan ended up very lucky from his injuries. His arm and no muscle or tendon damage, and the breaks were all clean. Already one had repaired itself. And now they were just excited about seeing their friends again. Coming to visit were Hadrian, Benny, Daniel, Phillipe, Will, Nathaniel and Marcus. Also coming was Christian. Blanche, Zack and Jasper were some of the killed that were found. Since then, the three of them had drifted apart, with Fermat and Alan staying on the island to recover.
"There they are" Fermat called, pointing to the small shape of the Tracy plane that had been piloted by John. John had come down to help with Alan's recovery. He was returning to Thunderbird five in just a few days. The plane landed and the boys ran towards it to see their friends. The first one down was Hadrian. The others quickly followed him, wanting to see the amazing Tracy island.
"Hey guys" Alan called.
"Hey Alan. You're looking good" Daniel said as he came down the stairs. Daniel's leg wasn't broken in the end and had recovered swiftly from the lack of skin.
"So are you. So do you guys want the tour?" Alan asked as all eight of them came to a stand still in front of him and Fermat.
"Hell yeah!" they all said.
"Then come with us" Fermat said as he ran past. All of the laughed, and followed him.
Jeff Tracy stood on the balcony and smiled as he watched his youngest son grinning as he laughed with his friends. Alan was finally recovering.
The End
I know that the end was a bit dumb, but i ran out of ideas. Thanks for everyone's support and reviews
Bye
tiger-eye5