For Nutty and the prompt:
93: 'I thought I'd never see you again. They told me you were dead.'
The best thing about being part of an elite rescue team was rescuing people The buzz was undeniable for the youngest members, and the eldest were not above feeling the same way – they were just 'too mature' to think about it.
The worst thing about being part of an elite rescue team was rescuing people. Because they had a habit of needing rescuing in multiple places at once. And quite often nowadays, the Tracy's found themselves split all over the world and space.
Today was one of those days. Gordon and Alan were off planet, returning from an asteroid mine rescue. Virgil and Kayo were over in Mozambique, helping with flood relief following a cyclone. Scott found himself in Canada, searching for lost climbers as a weather front moved in. John was mildly pulling out his hair coordinating everyone with EOS' help.
Scott was always on edge when they were so spread out, and he was especially on edge today. His inane sixth sense, his scooter sense, was wailing at him, and he couldn't find the source. This was unusual enough to put him on edge, so much so that when he found his missing climbers it took all his inconsiderable self-control to not yell at them for ignoring the weather warnings. He literally dumped them at the nearest health centre at Haines Junction, not caring it was in the completely the wrong direction and very, very out of their way.
One shot off after what was possibly the fastest medical handover possible. But she wasn't fast enough. Less than two minutes later Scott and John had to listen to Kayo screaming for Virgil over and over, and there was nothing they could do.
Tsunami.
The word conjured fear in them all. Unpredictable, inexorable, inescapable. The minute warning John had screamed at them had given Kayo enough time to get to Two. But not Virgil.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Thousands were missing, actual number unknown, and the news was full of how heroic the Thunderbirds were, helping out while one of their own was also missing.
The clean-up took weeks. And still there was no sign, nothing. Eventually the rescue workers found part of Virgil's sash. There were words said, but Scott didn't hear any of them. Mumbled apologies for his loss, unheard past the torrent of his heart beating.
In the end it was estimated that 14,000 died, not the worst tsunami in history by any means, but the deadliest for International Rescue.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
John sighed. They had all thought that the way they lost Dad was the worst way in the world. They had been wrong. Sure, they all knew the possibility of dying on the job was pretty high, but they had been invincible for so long now that the statistics didn't count, didn't apply to them. Or so they thought.
They held a simple ceremony on the bluff where they'd memorialised their Mom. Just family. Penny had cried into Gordon's shoulder and Grandma into Parker's. The only person who hadn't cried was Scott, but John was not surprised at that. He hadn't cried when their Mom had died either. No, he'd drown his sorrows in Scotch later, when everyone was in bed, railing against the world and it's hatred of their family. John knew that he would help him.
International Rescue had been stood down for a week. Alan and Gordon had wanted longer, but Scott was firm. The world still needed them, they had a job to do and Virgil would not have wanted it any differently. They all knew that was true, it was the agreement they had all reached when setting iR up in the event of one of them dying. Scott had just always assumed it would be him first.
So resume they did, and at first it was so much harder than they thought it would be. John had to intercede frequently for frayed tempers and snarled words about idiots and simpletons. He thanked the stars that neither Fischler or Lemaire were anywhere to be seen or there may have been blood.
And slowly a new normal began to establish itself.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Six months later John received the most cryptic message he had ever heard. Some very remote village in South Africa was requesting International Rescue come visit them. The residents of Makosi were very insistent – someone needed to come right away.
John was tempted to dismiss it, but on researching the tiny village, his concerns grew. This village had nothing, barely any electricity or water, virtually no net presence at all. Something was not right. He commed Scott and filled him in. Scott was equally puzzled, but in true Scott fashion decided he would go check it out. Alone. John was having none of that, and told him so, calling Kayo and asking her to redirect.
They landed their craft carefully, mindful that the area around the village was farming land, and made their way to the centre. They had quite a following by the time they arrived at the house of the community leader. They were ushered in and given drinks to refresh themselves. John kept up a steady murmur in their ears, translating whenever the leaders lapsed back into their native tongue.
Scott was impatient, but he understood that something important was happening here. So he bit his tongue and clenched his insides and he waited. Drinks and niceties dispensed with, everyone stood and someone was ushered in behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. A hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed.
The gasp from Kayo confirmed what his heart had already told him, but he still hadn't turned around. Until the hand was gently pulling and turning him.
There stood his brother, resplendent in traditional African clothing – shades of green of course - and eyes of impossible brown concern.
'Virgil?' he whispered. His voice was gone. And they were hugging and crying, clinging on to the apparition in front of him.
'I never thought I'd see you again. They told me you were dead. They…' Virgil squeezed tighter, then opened his arms for Kay to join them. John was there too, displayed from Kayo's wrist, and he connected everyone.
Eventually they broke apart and Virgil explained what had happened. He'd been swept away, and he didn't remember much else until he had woken, several days later, here in the clinic. No memory of who he was, and with little contact with the outside world, he just got on with healing and helping. Then a couple of days ago someone returning to the village after a long time away recognised him. Hearing his name for the first time brought it all back.
They stayed a while with the village, were given a tour and already John and Virgil were in deep discussion on how they could help the village. Scott took Kayo to one side.
'Are there other places like this, where survivors could be waiting to be found?' She nodded. It seemed likely.
Thus one of the largest rescue missions ever launched by iR and the GDF commenced, moving over the east coast of Africa and visiting thousands of tiny remote areas.
They found survivors. 674 people were returned to loved ones in one of the best rescues iR had ever been involved with. Tracy Industries set up a fund to help all the villages up and down the coast, Scott being unable to comprehend that in this day and age so many places lacked such basics that he took for granted.
The Virgil Tracy Trust concentrated on bringing water, electricity, farming and medical equipment, and technology to people all over the world who lived in the poorest communities.
Scott and Virgil sat on Scott's balcony, toasting the sunset with Scotch. No more words had been said. Their family was complete again. Now all they had to pray was that there was the same miracle for their father.