a quick update for you since it was ready to go. thanks again for the reviews!
"Hey in there!" Alan turned to look in the direction of the voice, shielding his eyes against the growing gap in the rock before him, gradually allowing more and more natural light to spill into the cave entrance.
"Hey! Hey!" Alan called, scrambling towards the gap and pressing his face up to it. He could see a group of people gathered around the entrance, holding blankets, water bottles and climbing ropes.
"We got you some equipment," one of the men said, coming to stand where Alan could see him. He squinted up at the man, taking in his weather-beaten face and toothy grin.
"Thank you," Alan said, extending his hand out of the gap and feeling the other man take it in a firm handshake.
"Polite chap, aren't you. Listen, I'm going to pass you some stuff in. Your friend John has told us what needs to be done. While you get your mate out of that hole, us out here will get rid of these big 'uns blocking the entrance."
"You guys are the best," Alan beamed before taking two water bottles in his hands followed by a length of sturdy climbing rope. He placed the bottles in the corner before moving towards the edge of the hole that Gordon had fallen into. He peered over cautiously, so as not to dislodge any more rock.
"Gordon?" he called, his voice echoing across the walls. Gordon looked up at him, his face alarmingly pale, but his eyes seemed bright and he managed to smile cheerily at Alan.
"Hey Al…you got a plan of action yet?" Gordon asked through chattering teeth.
"Yeah, I've got some rope from the guys outside. They'll have something to tell the kids one day…the day they rescued International Rescue," Alan said, throwing the rope down to his brother. Gordon reached up and took it before swearing at the pain in his shoulder. He doubled over and clenched his eyes shut.
"You hurt?" Alan asked, but the sound of Gordon's breath being forced through gritted teeth gave him all the answers he needed. John was also listening in carefully, and spoke quickly.
"Ok, Gordon, can you take some of your weight?" he asked. Gordon snorted under his breath before looking up towards where Alan watched over him.
"I guess so," Gordon said. "If I take most of it, Al, can you pull me up kinda quickly?"
"With the amount you eat probably not," Alan joked, but it was greeted with a further curse from Gordon and a sharp word from John.
"Ok, ok," Alan snapped. "Gordo, put the rope round your waist and hold it, trying to take some weight. I'm going to get you out ok?"
The mass of rock that stood between him and his brother daunted Virgil. He'd tried to sound confident and strong and unphased, as he knew Scott would have done in his situation, but he was terrified. The fear that he had felt earlier had subsided a little, having heard Scott's voice, but remembering how he spoke to Caitlin, how she seemed ok…but hadn't made it, made Virgil feel sick. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, trying to focus on helping Scott. He pulled out the rock cutting device Brains had outdone himself in inventing. Virgil had no idea of the exact mechanisms, but it fired electromagnetic pulses which, in one way or another, managed to break down the lattice of the rock, causing it to break away and disintegrate. He held it against the rock and pressed down on it, listening to the rocks creaking with the strain. As the rock crumbled in front of him, it spewed out tiny fragments of rock dust, coating Virgil in a light, pale coloured powder. He turned his head away, squeezing his eyes shut and trying not to breathe it in. As it dispersed into the cramped space around him, he turned back to examine the gap he'd made in the rock. It seemed tiny in comparison with the effort and Virgil's head spun as he thought of what stood between him and Scott. You can't do it…you couldn't save her…you can't save Scott…
"Dammit!" Virgil yelled out, resisting the temptation to smash the rock cutting device against the stone all around him.
"What's wrong?" Three concerned voices reached him at once and Virgil cursed inwardly, having forgotten they were all communicating over the one radio frequency.
"Nothing…I just hit my elbow on a rock and it hurt…y'know, the funny bone?" Virgil managed to laugh it off and Gordon and Alan sighed sympathetically. Their voices were cut off as John closed their frequency, allowing him and Virgil privacy.
"Virgil?" he asked patiently as his younger brother remained stubbornly silent.
"You can lie to the kids, but not to me Virgil," he said.
"It's nothing, ok…just…I'm just worried about Scott," Virgil snapped finally.
"Well, you're really the only that can fix that just now," John pointed out. Virgil glanced again at the rock in front of him and the piece of equipment in his hand. It was all he had, but he was all Scott had at this point. With renewed vigour, he began ploughing through the rock, the only thoughts occupying his mind, those of his brother and the help he needed.
The final heave up on to the ground overwhelmed Gordon and he felt himself beginning to fall back. Luckily, despite exhaustion, Alan was quick enough to grab hold of him, and wrapping his arms around his brother, dragged him as far as possible from the swallow hole. He lay Gordon down on the ground and pushed his sweat dampened hair from his forehead.
"You guys made it then," John said. "Good work Al. The guys outside are smashing up the rocks and moving them as quickly as possible. They should be with you soon."
Alan looked at his elder brother and wiped his forehead tenderly. Gordon's eyes flickered open and he managed a weak smile.
"Thanks John," Gordon managed to croak. "You got anything from Scott and Virgil?"
"They're working on it," John replied quickly, not wanting to cause the younger ones any other distress.
"Sit tight kids, help will be with you soon."
Deep within the caves, Virgil seemed to be meeting more and more rocks. He was becoming more and more alarmed as he was sure he and Scott hadn't been that far apart. He paused when he heard John's voice.
"How's it going?"
"It's uh…rocky," Virgil said. "Any news on Alan and Gordon?"
"That I do," John replied cheerily. "Gordon's got suspected hypothermia, he's injured his shoulder. Alan seems distressed about the whole thing," John told Virgil. "But they are out and Gordon's getting a bit of treatment from what I gather. Any luck getting to Scott?"
"I must be close…have you had any contact with him?" Virgil asked, wiping the dust from the rocks from his face.
"Nothing Virg…sorry," John said. "You are close though. The signal from his transmitter is just in front of you."
"Okay…I think Gordon and Alan should probably head home in Thunderbird 1…Alan's not injured right?"
"Yeah, he's alright," John replied. "He won't want to leave you and Scott though."
"It's Gordon he should be worried about. He needs help," Virgil reasoned. "Can you patch me through to them…I guess I better explain this one."
The makeshift medical centre in the car park of the caves was full of people, stunned by the explosion, dealing with burns from the fire, looking in horror at Gordon, who lay across some chairs, a blanket around him. His shivering was beginning to ease a little as his body temperature began to rise, the pain in his shoulder had been somewhat numbed by painkillers, but he was complete exhausted and was drifting between sleep and dozing as Alan sat beside him, watching his brother closely. His radio beeped, signaling John and Virgil trying to get in contact with him and Alan answered it quickly, expecting news of Scott. Instead he received a 'suggestion' that he should take Gordon home in Thunderbird 1 now. Alan's exclamation caused Gordon to jump beside him.
"Are you freakin' kidding me Virg? Look, you and Scott need help and me and Gordon can give you the help." At his name, Gordon wearily looked up at his younger brother, dismissing him with a weak wave.
"Gordon…" Alan began to protest, but he was distracted by his elder brother.
"Gordon can get better treatment back home," Virgil said. "The guys that helped you and Gordon are going to help me and Scott, ok?"
"I don't care, I'm not leaving until I see you guys coming out of there."
"Alan, I am ordering you to go back home," Virgil said, his voice hard and determined. Alan folded his arms defensively although Virgil couldn't see him. He looked towards Gordon who seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness.
"Alan don't sulk with me. Gordon needs help, and you have to help him. Anyway, I think given what happened here today, there are certain people at home will want to see you safe and well…" Virgil didn't need to say anymore and Alan resigned with a soft sigh.
"Playing the family card…nice move Virgil," he said rolling his eyes. Virgil said nothing and Alan cut communication with him and moved to Gordon to prepare him for the flight home.
The fragments of rock crumbled around him as Virgil pushed through another layer, reaching a small enclosure. He waited for the dust to settle before ducking into the narrow enclosure. His head torch immediately highlighted his brother, lying at the far end, completely motionless, surrounded by shattered boulders. Virgil wasted no time and ran to his brother's side.
"Scott…Scott, can you hear me?" Virgil crouched next to him, his eyes scanning his brother's motionless body. Oh God, oh God… Virgil sat back, pulling his knees up to his chest, tangling his fingers in his hair.
"Scott…don't do this…come on Scott…" he whispered. Don't do this Caitlin… Virgil closed his eyes as the memories came faster and faster, blinding him with terror.
"No Scott…stay with me…" Stay with me Caitlin…they will find us… Virgil let out a gut-wrenching moan as he realised that nobody would find them. He'd sent Gordon and Alan home, John was in a space station and without specialist equipment, any rescue attempt would cause another collapse.
"Scott…don't leave me Scotty…" Virgil pleaded. There was a soft crackling as John connected to him.
"How is he Virgil?" Virgil wiped his cheeks and cleared his throat. "Virgil?"
"Yeah…his pulse is quite slow…shallow breathing, but he's alive. No sign of head injury…" Virgil automatically ran through his well-learned medic routine before sitting back again. The enormous task ahead of him was becoming more and more difficult to imagine being able to carry out. He couldn't send in the Mole, the vibrations created as it drilled would only cause another collapse. However, tunneling through the mass of rock that stood between him and the outside with a newly designed piece of equipment which might not be able to take the strain didn't seem like a better option. Never mind the fact Scott was seriously injured and wouldn't be able to help.
"John…I don't know how to get us out of this…" he confessed in a small voice. There was a short, painful silence.
"Virgil, listen to me…I'm with you every step ok? Now we are going to work this out together." John heard him sniff on the other end and placed his head in his hands. In the caves, Virgil wiped his eyes clumsily and took a deep breath. Do it for Scott…
"I need to keep him as still as possible…if he's got any kind of injury to the spine, it can't be moved," Virgil said. "I've got one of the pack away stretchers…neck brace…Um…I guess I'll just have to drag the stretcher out."
"Ok Virgil, now…you've managed to clear a pathway, but there's still a couple of metres between where you were and where Gordon and Alan got out…it's a bit more than what was between you and Scott, but if you just take it easy, don't rush…you can do this, ok?" Virgil glanced at Scott as he unpacked the stretcher.
"I'm gonna have to," he said, almost inaudibly. John returned to silence, listening to the sound of his brother reassuring Scott, though he doubted he could hear him. But, listening to his calm voice and soothing words, John began to slowly relax and managed a small smile as he heard Scott murmur something.
"Virgil…my legs…"
"Hey Scotty, nice of you to join us," he heard Virgil say. "John's going to help me get you out of here and then we can fix you up, right? Don't be doing anything stupid like giving up on me…or sleeping on me…"
"I can't feel them…I…" Scott broke off and John was startled to hear strangled sobs coming from his eldest brother. Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes and he pressed the base of his hand against his teeth, stopping Scott and Virgil hearing him.
"Scott, it's ok…" Virgil's voice, but it had lost its soothing tone. "We'll get out, I promise…and I'll see what I can do for your legs…look, it might not be permanent…a shock to the spine or something…"
"I'm scared…what if it's not Virgil? What the hell am I going to do…?" The pause was enough to confirm Scott's fears and Virgil reached out and grabbed his hand.
"Scott…" but Virgil couldn't say anymore and John heard him sniff loudly. "Scott don't do this…please…I can't do this…" John took a deep breath.
"Guys, come on. Let's worry about you later Scott, right now, you're both going to be in serious trouble if you can't get out of that cave." His voice trembled on the last word and there was an understanding silence.
"F.A.B John," Scott said, his voice barely a whisper, but it was enough.
