Love and Sacrifice

By Mapu

NOTES:

Thunderbirds belongs to Carlton, Gerry Anderson Productions and people who are not me. What a great show!

--

Virgil had always wondered how far he would go and what type of sacrifice he would be willing to make in order to protect one of his brothers from harm or death, now he knew. He'd heard the old bible quote, "Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends," a number of times in his life but he'd never really appreciated exactly what that meant before. He angled his face so that he could breathe in the rapidly narrowing space between the water and the rock roof. He was exhausted but knew he had to fight for as long as possible. In a rescue every second of survival counted. Above him Gordon's injured body filled the only available air pocket, his red hair plastered wetly to his pale, slightly grey face. Virgil smiled up at the fear he saw in his brother's eyes, and vowed to make the next few minutes as easy on the other man as he could.

Given proper medical treatment Virgil knew that Gordon would be fine, his injuries were debilitating rather than life-threatening. A little bed rest and care would soon see Gordon back to usual energetic self, but it still hurt to see him in pain. Virgil only wished he could spare him even more pain but the muddy brown water was fast filling up his breathing area and soon Gordon would be alone.

"Virgil, no …" Gorgon called to him as he took his last breath and the water finally closed over his face. Virgil let his body sink downward to be hidden by the muddy water, not wanting Gordon to watch his final moments.

At least Gordon would live. It had been a close thing. Virgil did not want to die but it really was a small price to pay if it meant even one extra minute of life for his kid brother.

It was amazing how fast everything had gone wrong.

The mission complete and the trapped surveyors on their way up out of the tunnel in Alan's company it was left to Gordon and Virgil to gather the equipment and make their own way out of the underground tunnel system. Virgil had been near the top of the ladder, ascending to one of the higher levels when they'd heard the water rushing toward them down the tunnel. Virgil knew he would probably have time to escape but Gordon, who hadn't started climbing the ladder yet, wouldn't. So he'd stayed and tried to help him up. They were terrible minutes.

"No, save yourself!" Gordon had yelled moments before the water hit.

Virgil had just pulled harder at the safety line attaching them together. "No way! Climb, I'll pull you up."

He reached down, actually grabbing Gordon's hand in his own before the water hit. For a moment Virgil even believed it might work, but then Gordon was torn from his grasp. The tether jerked at him violently, nearly dislodging him from the ladder. Even then Virgil knew he had a chance. All he had to do was release the tether and climb to safety and he would live. Instead he let go of the ladder, letting the water take him and concentrated on pulling Gordon closer.

The current was swift and turbulent, tossing Virgil's body around and crushing him into the tunnel wall a number of times, but he could tell the current already had less power then the initial deluge that had hit Gordon. Every time the current took him to the surface Virgil took a gasp of air but he never stopped pulling on the rope that joined him to his brother. He knew he had very little time, if he didn't get to Gordon quickly he would certainly drown.

When he did reach Gordon his brother was unresponsive and limp in his grasp. Virgil quickly pulled the other man into his arms and forced his head above the water's surface. Gordon made no attempt to breathe and Virgil felt the first stirring of true fear.

I'm too late.

More by luck than design Virgil felt his leg brush over the raised edge of a submersed platform and acting quickly managed to pull himself and his precious burden up onto it. The current had much less speed there and Virgil was able to release the fear that his brother's body would be pulled from him. He dragged Gordon up what appeared to be a set of steps cut into the wall of the tunnel.

"Hey, Gordon, looks like we got lucky. This could be one of the tunnel construction rest-stations."

Gordon made no reply.

Virgil carried Gordon up the steps grunting under the weight once the water no longer supported his body. The rest station was small, barely bigger than a large closet, but it was higher than the current water level and for the moment dry.

He laid Gorgon on the top step, slightly larger and wider than the others which formed a bench, and checked his vital signs. He felt neither breath nor a pulse.

"No, Gordon, don't you do this to me," Virgil muttered as he cleared his brother's airway and performed artificial respiration.

For a while there were no other sounds apart from the rush of water, Virgil's harsh breaths and whispered counts as he worked with absolute concentration.

Gordon returned to life and consciousness in an explosion of violent coughs as his body expelled the slimy, brown water from his lungs in several savage convulsions.

"That's it little bro', come on back." Virgil moved him into the recovery position to make breathing easier.

The coughing was harsh and deep but it was the sweetest sound Virgil had ever heard.

Gordon's eyes opened but he didn't focus on Virgil for a while. Virgil continuously encouraged him until the amber eyes finally turned in his direction and he could see the spark of recognition in their depths.

"I though I was dead," Gordon croaked, his voice rough and barely recognisable. Coughs still wracked him and there was no doubt they were painful.

Virgil smiled at him in relief. "Nearly, but not quite."

Gordon frowned then glared at him. "What were you thinking? You could have been killed! You should have let me go."

Virgil shrugged. "Maybe, but I'm glad I didn't."

"Never thought I'd drown," Gordon mused but his voice was showing the strain of usage and the words were hard to understand.

"Gordon, be quite and let yourself rest. You didn't drown, I got to you in time. You're going to be fine."

Gordon looked around. "Where are we?"

"Still in the tunnel, in one of the construction workers' rest-stations I think."

"We're still underground?"

"Yes, and will you be quiet? Your throat has been injured from the muck you swallowed."

Gordon frowned. "What about the flood water?"

"Will you stop talking? It's still flowing and I don't think its going to stop any time soon."

Virgil looked back down the steps. The water had already begun climbing up toward them. It was a little disconcerting to watch.

"Are we safe here?" his younger brother asked, unknowingly echoing the same question that was on Virgil's mind. Unfortunately the truth was an answer that he didn't think Gordon would like to hear.

"Gordon, please shut up. I sent an emergency signal from my watch. Scott and the others know we need help, so relax will ya?"

"How long do you think before they come?"

Virgil sighed. It was obvious Gordon had no intention of taking his advice to rest. "I'm not sure. We were swept a fair distance from our original position. I don't know how far it is to the next exit, but the fact that this rest-station is here indicates that it's probably far away, so it might take them a while. Why, you got a hot date?"

Gordon smiled weakly. "No, it's just that I'm hurt, my stomach is really sore, and I don't know how bad it is."

Virgil felt his blood run cold. He lifted Gordon's uniform jacket. A deep red bruise angled up his brother's stomach and across his chest. As carefully and gently as he could Virgil felt the area. To his immense relief and despite Gordon's sharply hissed breaths from the pain, the injury didn't seem to be life endangering. Virgil could feel no areas of rigid distension that could indicate internal bleeding. Still the faster they could get him to medical help the better it would be. He would need to be monitored to make sure he didn't develop a lung infection anyway. Gordon was destined to spend a little time in the infirmary being fussed over by the whole family as he recovered.

Sometime during his examination Gordon passed out and Virgil winced in sympathy for the pain his little brother was feeling, but at least he was quiet and resting his strained throat at last.

Virgil brushed Gordon's hair away from his forehead and rested his hand on the unconscious man's shoulder. "You're going to be fine Gordon. I promise you that."

Virgil wished he was able to talk to his family and find out how far away the rescue was but they had been out of direct contact since entering the deepest areas of the tunnel at the beginning of the mission. He had no doubt that the family knew they were in trouble and would be working hard to reach them. Virgil just hoped they would be quick, he was beginning to get a bad feeling that time was running out. The water had already begun to swirl around his feet. He looked up at the roof, lit only by his wrist torch and knew that somewhere far above Scott was directing the urgent efforts. If anyone could figure a way to find them it would be Scott.

Virgil stood to examine his surroundings in greater detail. Scott and the others would be working as fast as they could but there had to be something Virgil could do to buy as much time as possible. As Father was fond of reminding them, there were always options. The walls and roof were made of rough stone but appeared to be even except for the sightly darker patch directly over Gordon's head. Virgil shone his light in that direction. The roof sloped steeply upward for several meters to form a short vent. Probably originally an area to capture the smoke of cooking fires as the rocks still looked blackened by aged soot.

The thing that gave Virgil hope was finding a solid metal hook set more than halfway up the chute. Working methodically he shifted Gordon into place and using the tether cord, safely secured his brother into place with his head as high up the vent as he could manage. He was just finishing, the water already to his waist, when Gordon woke up.

Confusion flashed across the younger man's face at finding himself virtually tied to the rock wall. "Virgil, what are you doing?"

"Hey, how're you feeling?"

"Fine, what're you doing?" Gordon repeated looking down at him. Virgil avoided his eye.

"The water's still rising," Virgil said instead of a direct answer.

Gordon looked at his surroundings and the narrow pocket of air his body was lifted into then down at his brother. "What about you?"

Virgil shrugged. "There's only room for one," he said simply.

Gordon began to struggle, his hands searching the rope for the releases. "No! No way."

Virgil stilled his brother's hands with his own. "Gordon, stop that. Think about it, what good will it do for both of us to die? Besides, this is a precaution only. There's still time."

Gordon shook his head in denial but the resistance went out of him and he coughed. On some level Virgil knew Gordon had to realise he wasn't physically able to keep himself afloat in the rising water for any length of time and that to release himself would only make things harder for both of them. Gordon pulled his arms up to hug his chest and turned away from Virgil.

Virgil was worried. The only time Gordon isolated himself like this was when he was in great pain. "Are you okay?"

"I can't do it, Virgil. I can't watch you die."

Virgil reached up to place his hand on Gordon's chest, patting it reassuringly. "I'm still betting on Scott."

Gordon shook his head.

Virgil sighed. "If you have to, you can do it, Gordon. You can do it because you're a Tracy and we never give up, and you can do it because I love you and I'm asking it of you."

"Oh man, Virgil, don't do this to me."

"I want you to live, Gordon. It's no more than what you would ask of me if our positions were reversed."

"No I wouldn't!"

Virgil puffed a laugh. "Of course you would. Don't think for a second that I don't know it."

Gordon found Virgil's hand and they held together as the water rose.

Virgil had barely the space to breathe even with his face angled upward and had begun to feel the first stirrings of the fear he'd been denying. When there was no time left he took his final breath and let himself sink downward away from his brother's view. He heard Gordon calling for him and wished he could offer the other man a final comfort. This would be the hardest thing Gordon ever faced.

Something touched Virgil's shoulder then gripped it hard pulling him backward. He turned and recognised what had to be Alan in a dive suit through the gloom. He fumbled for the diver's mask held out for him and pushed the mask to his face. Virgil quickly cleared it and took a deep breath of the clean sweet air. He pulled the strap over his head and adjusted the mask into a more secure position.

"Virgil! Are you all right?" Even through the distortion of the mask's communication system Alan sounded worried. Virgil nodded, giving him the diver's ok sign and took another deep breath.

"Yeah, good timing, thanks, but Gordon needs help."

Alan returned his nod. "Don't worry. Stay here, I'll get him." Alan handed Virgil the tank his mask was connected to and left to help Gordon. Virgil slipped into the shoulder straps and settled the tank onto his back. Within moments Alan returned supporting Gordon wearing a similar mask as his. Gordon hugged him fiercely for a moment.

Alan took the lead and showed them the way toward the submersible scooter anchored in the main tunnel at the entrance to the rest station. Once all three Tracy boys were securely mounted and Alan had began to drive them to safety, Virgil let himself relax.

Gordon put his hand on Virgil's shoulder. "Let's never do that again!"

"Deal!" Virgil promised.

It was an easy promise to make but Virgil knew that if ever same sacrifice was again demanded of him he would gladly make it.

Finita.