HAYLEY had believed that joining the Global Defence Force as a Medical Officer would be the greatest thing in her life. But as the weeks passed, the training became tougher, and Hayley was finding it more difficult than she'd imagined. Lectures and practical training were a mixed bag. Sometimes she could fully focus and know all the facts, and other times she could not. She was missing her family - and Virgil. They'd not had a decent length video chat for some time now due to Virgil being out on a call practically every time. Soon it began to affect Hayley mentally, sinking into a mild depression, and wishing she could drop out.
The biggest problem she faced however was Lieutenant Abraham Pierce - the commander of Base Zeta 5, the GDF's medical training facility located at the former Tangmere Air Base on the South Coast of England. By becoming a doctor/medical officer, Hayley had to relinquish her rank of Captain as it no longer applied in the GDF. She struggled greatly with this and often found herself at odds with Lieutenant Pierce over decisions and disiplin. Wherever possible she tried to avoid him, but that wasn't always easy.
It was 7:30am and Hayley was up bright and early going for a jog around the base as part of her fitness regime. She enjoyed this as not many others would be about before training would get underway again. However in the last week her regular course had needed to change due to a group of contractors moving in to build an extension to the base with a new and improved medical training facility. So far only the foundations were being made by a group of diggers and other construction machinery.
As Hayley passed the outer safety-railings, she glanced in at the construction workers already getting their machines ready for another day's work. Jenny Packard was the woman in charge of the crew and her right-hand man, the Foreman, was briefing the men and women of what they'd be doing for the day. The workers were Alfie and Oliver - drivers of a pair of Excavators, Max and Monty - twins who drove identical Dumper Trucks, Isabella - a Lorry driver. Kelly - a Mobile Crane operator, Byron - a Bulldozer driver, Patrick - who was in charge of a concrete mixer, and finally Jack - the excitable new recruit who operated a JCB Backhoe-Loader.
"Morning!" Hayley called cheerfully through the fence.
"Hello!" the workers all called back.
Hayley hadn't really gotten to know any of the workers or even attempted to interact with them, but they seemed a decent group of people.
"Right, team," said Jenny to her crew. "You all know what your jobs are. It's time to go to work. And remember our motto?"
"SAFETY FIRST!" The workers all chimed together.
They then headed off to their respective machines to begin their work. Jack practically ran into the cab of his digger and began to start up the engine. "Come on, my baby!" he said cheerfully. "Let's play in the dirt!"
5!
4!
3!
2!
1!
"Thunderbirds Are Go!"
"QUESTION OF AUTHORITY"
JEFF walked into the lounge to find Virgil at the piano. Straight away he could tell that something wasn't quite right with his second son. The music Virgil was playing wasn't at all uplifting like the stuff he usually composed and played. Instead it sounded very solemn.
"You okay, Virgil?" asked Jeff. "Sounds like you're playing a funeral march."
Virgil stopped playing. "I guess it kind of sounds like it, Dad," he replied.
"It's not mine, is it?" asked Jeff.
Virgil went white and spun round to look at him. "What? No-no-no, of course not!" he said hastily.
Jeff laughed. "Relax, son. I'm just kidding," he said. "All the same. It's not the kind of music I would expect to hear from you. Someone on your mind?"
Virgil let out a sigh. "I suppose there is, Dad," he said. "I'm worried that Hayley and I are drifting apart. We haven't spoken for a few weeks. Whenever we try, I'm always out on a mission."
"I'm sure she can't hold you accountable for that, Virgil," said Jeff. "She knows that it's your job."
"Yeah…" said Virgil. "But maybe it'll cause her to think maybe dating a man who's job is 24/7 is not a good thing for her."
Jeff came over to the piano and squeezed Virgil's right shoulder. "Now you worry too much, son," he said. "You and Hayley are a match made in heaven. You'll make it work. You'll see." He smiled and went back to his desk, with Virgil feeling a little bit better.
Hayley stood in front of the mirror in the changing rooms and finished getting into her new GDF uniform. It was a similar style to the one worn by Captain Rigby only it was pure white all over with a large Red Cross on the chest-plate. She then went and joined her fellow medical students for a tour of the hospital that was also built on the site. It was used by regular civilian patients but was also to be the perfect training facility as it allowed the recruits like Hayley to learn on the go with proper patients.
One woman, Mrs Harrison was telling instructor Dr Blakemore about how she was feeling whilst Hayley and the others listened. "But I was completely fine until this morning, then I woke up feeling all dizzy again," she was saying. "It's much worse than when I came in."
Dr Blakemore held Mrs Harrison's wrist to feel her pulse. "It's slightly thready," he said. He then turned to the students. "Let's see what you make of it? Any ideas?"
Morgan, a young man fresh out of University, was the first to speak up. "Dizziness could be an early sign of diabetes," he said. "My older brother was diagnosed with it when he was seventeen."
"Impressive," said Dr Blakemore. "Learned the symptoms from a while back. Anybody else?"
Before anybody could answer, a loud CLATTER was heard from outside the building.
"What the devil was that?!" asked Dr Blakemore.
Hayley went to the window and looked out. The hospital was close to the building site. She could see the machines working away at their jobs. Most of them were working slowly and carefully, but straight away she saw that one was not. The Backhoe-Loader was being driven around the sight at a rather alarming speed. So much faster than what looked to be safe. "It's nothing, Dr Blakemore," said Hayley. "Just the Diggers working."
"Blasted builders!" grumbled Dr Blakemore.
"Can't they work more quietly?" added Mrs Harrison. "They've been hard at it since early morning."
"Construction work is a noisy business, Mrs Harrison," said Dr Blakemore. "But I have to say, I do wish they'd found some that didn't work quite as loudly as this lot! Come, students!" He led them away from Mrs Harrison's side-room to go to a men's ward nearby.
Jack was using his JCB to scoop up rubble from the previous buildings that had been on the site and derelict and was loading them into the back of Monty's Dumper Truck. However he wasn't exactly following Jenny's words of "Safety-First" as they'd all said at the start of the day. He drove around at twice the speed that the others did, would often scoop up more than the bucket was meant to hold and would drop it into the dumper quickly rather than carefully. This very quickly began to annoy the others - especially Monty.
"BE CAREFUL!" Monty shouted over at Jack. "DON'T DROP THE RUBBLE SO HARD OR YOU'LL BREAK MY BACK AXLE!"
"But it's fun!" Jack replied as he raced back to collect some more rubble.
Monty waited until Jack had moved far enough away before glancing into the back of the truck. It was only three-quarters full but that was enough for him. He scrambled into the cab and drove away to the dumping site meaning Jack would have to wait until he returned. Max was busy having his truck loaded with soil dug out by Alfie and Oliver's Excavators.
Jack scooped up some more rubble and raced back to drop it in Monty's truck. He was surprised to see he wasn't there. "Aww, man!" he complained. "I wanted to make an even bigger noise!"
Dr Blakemore and his students went up to a male patient by the name of Joseph Smith. "Good morning, Mr Smith, and how are we today?"
"Not so bad, Doctor," replied Smith. "Still feeling somewhat meh this morning."
Dr Blakemore turned to the students. "Mr Smith was admitted yesterday with severe stomach pains," he explained. "Madison, why don't you see what you can find. Surprise me."
"Very well," said Hayley. She went over to Smith and used her stethoscope to check his chest for his heartbeat. It seemed normal.
"Mr Smith was brought in with abdominal pains, Miss Madison," said Dr Blakemore. "Do you think by listening to his heart you'll find the answer?"
Hayley went a bit red. "Errrrr, stomach cramps?"
Dr Blakemore rolled his eyes. "That's a symptom, not a diagnosis," he remarked.
Hayley now felt incredibly stupid.
CLATTER!
"Oh, for heaven's sake!" snapped Dr Blakemore. He hurried to the window and looked out. Hayley and the others joined him just in time to see the Backhoe-Loader racing off for another load with Monty having brought his truck back for another.
Due to the window being slightly open, they could just make out Monty shouting at Jack. "DIDN'T I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!" he thundered. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT!"
"Sorry!" Jack called back and hurried off in the Digger once more.
"That noise has been driving us all up the wall," said Mr Smith. "I wish something could be done about it."
The other patients murmured in agreement.
Hayley spoke up. "Perhaps we should get Lieutenant Pierce to have a word?" she asked.
Dr Blakemore nodded. "I couldn't agree more," he said.
Despite being yelled at by Monty several times, Jack still continued with his fast driving and heavy dropping of the rubble into the back of the dumper truck.
"Idiot," Monty complained to Kelly. "Why does he keep doing it?!"
"He's new, Monty," soothed Kelly. "He'll get tired of it."
Monty scoffed. "Well hopefully he does before my truck breaks its back."
"MISS PACKARD?!"
Kelly and Monty looked over at the small gap in the fence where they could walk in and out of and saw a smartly dressed officer standing just inside of it. It was Lieutenant Pierce.
"Ugh - what does he want?" grumbled Monty.
Jenny came out of her office and walked over to the officer. "Lieutenant Pierce. What brings you here?"
"I'm here to fill and pass on some complaints," said Lieutenant Pierce in a haughty voice. "Who is the imbecile driving that Digger?"
Jenny did not like having any member of her crew get called bad words but did her best to contain herself. "Jack, sir. Why?"
"Tell him he needs to knock it off," said Lieutenant Pierce. "He's driving that thing around like it's some kind of toy. He's also making far too much noise and it's disturbing the patients in the hospital. See to it that he stops it." He turned on his heel and stormed away, causing Jenny to sigh.
Lieutenant Pierce was a challenging person. He wasn't generally liked by anybody on the base. Even the construction workers found him trying, but everyone complied with his demands as it was simply easier in the long run.
Jenny walked over towards the Backhoe-Loader. "JACK, A WORD PLEASE!" she called.
Jack brought the Digger to a stop and turned off the engine before jumping down from the cab. "Yes, Miss Packard?"
"Jack, can you please work properly?" asked Jenny.
Jack was puzzled. "But I am?"
"No, you're not," said Jenny sternly. "You're racing around like you're in some kind of motor-sporting event. Also I've heard Monty shout at you several times not to drop the rubble so hard in the back of his truck. It is also disturbing the patients in the hospital. Please work more slowly and carefully."
Jack looked disheartened. "But, it's fun!" he pleaded.
Jenny frowned. "Jack, we're not here to have fun. We're here to work. And remember our motto?"
Jack sighed. "Safety-first," he said unhappily.
"Good lad," said Jenny. "Okay, back to work. Don't let me down, please."
Jack returned to the Digger without a word. He sulked as he started up the engine again. "Not fair!" he complained out loud as he moved the Digger. "Why am I not allowed to have fun?" CLANG! The Digger stopped abruptly.
"JAAAAAACK!" Monty's angry voice bellowed once again.
Jack blinked and then realised why Monty was shouting. He'd driven his Digger right into the side of the Dumper-Truck. "Whoops!" he said. "Sorry!" He reversed back a little before dropping the contents of the bucket into the dumper, again too hard. "Sorry!" he called again.
Monty shook his head in despair as he climbed into the cab of the truck to drive away. He began to drive forwards only for there to be a creak, a groan and a SNAP before the truck came to a sudden stop. Monty jumped out and looked at the back of the truck. The back axle had snapped. "JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!"
Jack gulped. He knew he was in trouble now.
FAB1 pulled up outside the gates of Croxley Manor in Bedfordshire. This was the home of the Roystones. Two Police Cars were sitting outside the gates with officers standing guard.
Parker shifted uneasily as one of the Police Officers approached.
"Excuse me, your ladyships," said the Policeman to Penelope and Patricia who were sitting in the back. "Are you meant to be here?"
"Lady Beth asked for us to come, Constable," replied Penelope.
"Let me confirm that," said the Policeman. He returned to his car and got on the radio, calling a colleague who was inside the house. He then signalled to another colleague who operated a control that allowed the two large iron gates to open up.
As they headed down the driveway they could see two more Police Cars parked outside the mansion.
"Goodness me," said Patricia. "I knew the fallout of the Keewatin incident would be bad for the Roystones but I didn't think it would get this bad."
"H'Are they under 'ouse Arrest, m'lady?" asked Parker.
"No, Parker, the Police are here to keep them safe actually," said Penelope. "Several members of the Press have tried to break into the house to demand answers for what happened that night and Lady Deborah and Beth don't feel safe anymore from what I can gather."
Patricia looked solemnly at her lap. "Damn the press," she said. "There would have to be one incognito aboard the ship who was in the lounge when Deborah and I had our fight."
"And overheard me confronting Lord Lionel about his plan to claim the insurance by having the ship sunk on purpose," added Penelope.
"Beg pardon, your ladyships, but you weren't to know that," Parker said, trying to sound reassuring.
"That's kind of you to say, Parker," said Patricia. "But it doesn't change the fact that it has happened."
"Let's hope they can forgive us," added Penelope. "Beth in particular."
Parker failed to see why either Deborah or Beth would blame Penelope or Patricia for everything that had happened, but he decided it wasn't worth asking.
They soon reached the front of the mansion and Parker opened the door to let the two ladies out. They then headed up to the front door and Penelope rang the bell.
The door opened to reveal Anish who bowed respectfully at the sight of them. "Lady Creighton-Wards," he said. "Thank you for coming."
"Anish," said Penelope as the young Indian gentleman kissed her and her mother's hands. "I believe it was Beth who wanted us to come?"
"Indeed," said Anish. "Please, follow me. I will take you to her."
Anish led the way up the main staircase to the second floor. They headed along a long corridor before coming to a set of doors that led into the Master Bedroom.
Anish knocked and pulled open the door a little. "They are here." He then stepped back as Beth emerged from the room. As soon as she saw Penelope, she ran up and hugged her tightly. "Penny!" she said as a few tears filled her eyes. "I'm so glad to see you." She then addressed Patricia. "Forgive me, Lady Creighton-Ward. I'm afraid I'm a bit of a mess."
"Don't be sorry, Beth, my love," said Patricia reassuringly. "We're all in this together."
"How's your mother?" asked Penelope.
Beth looked sadly at her shoes. "I think it might be better for you to see," she said, her voice shaky.
Anish pushed open the doors so that Penelope and Patricia could see inside. Both froze and gazed into the vast master bedroom, shocked. At the far end stood the king-size bed that Lionel and Deborah slept in. only it was half empty with Lionel no longer being around. Deborah sat upright in the bed in a white nightdress, her hands holding tightly onto the bedsheets and her skin almost as pale as the nightdress itself. Her hair was a right mess and her lips were trembling, like she was trying to speak but nothing was coming out. What disturbed the two Creighton-Wards most though was how her eyes looked. They were almost emotionless, staring blankly through them like they weren't even there.
"God almighty…" said Penelope in a hushed, stunned voice.
The work crew stood around the back of Monty's Dumper Truck looking at the wrecked axle and the flopped wheels.
"I've lost track of how many times I told him to not do it!" Monty ranted. "Again, and again and again I said it to him. Don't drop the rubble into the back of my truck so hard. But did he listen? No he did not! Idiot!"
"Don't call me an idiot!" snapped Jack.
"I'LL CALL YOU WHAT YOU ARE, BOY!" thundered Monty.
"Monty, that's enough," said the Foreman sharply.
"No, I'm not done!" Monty fumed. "I-"
"Monty, leave the site," said Jenny.
"What?"
"I said, leave the SITE!" snapped Jenny, giving him a glare.
Monty stared back, stunned. "Don't tell me you're gonna defend him?!" he said, pointing a shaking finger at Jack.
Jack felt his tension easing thinking that Jenny was indeed going to defend him. But he was in for a nasty surprise.
"No, I am not," Jenny said to Monty. "I will be dealing with him momentarily. But you are not helping matters but shouting, Monty! I know you're upset about your truck and it will be sorted. But for now, please go off site and cool off."
Monty seethed with anger and shot Jack a dirty look. He then pointed at him again. "If he's not fired by the time I get back. I quit," he said and with that he stormed away with his twin brother Max following him to make sure he was ok.
All eyes then fell upon Jack, who was looking confused by the situation.
"I don't understand," said Jack. "What have I done wrong?"
"What have you done wrong?" asked Jenny, walking almost menacingly towards him. "I'll tell you what you've done wrong. LOOK AT THAT!" Her raised voice made everyone jump a little as she pointed angrily at Monty's truck. "WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS WRONG WITH THAT DUMPER TRUCK, JACK?!"
Jack looked at the Dumper Truck. "It can be fixed, can't it?" he asked.
"NOT IN AN INSTANT!" thundered Jenny. "THAT TRUCK IS BROKEN! IT'S USELESS TO US RIGHT NOW! NOW WE'RE DOWN A VEHICLE, THANKS TO YOU! OUR WORK WILL BE DELAYED BECAUSE OF THIS! BECAUSE OF YOUR RECKLESSNESS!" Silence fell as she regained her composure. "Now Monty's right. I should fire you. And you screw up again, I will! But right now you're gonna do something useful with your Digger. You can go and make sure the soil mountain is smoothed off. Now get back to work, all of you." She turned and stormed away followed by the Foreman. The other workers gave Jack either looks of disgust or looks of sympathy - Alfie in particular who was Jack's friend.
"This isn't fair!" Jack complained. "I was only having fun!"
"AND I TOLD YOU, WE'RE NOT HERE TO HAVE FUN!" Jenny shouted back, having overheard. "NOW GET OVER TO THE SOIL MOUND AND STAY THERE UNTIL THE JOB'S DONE!" She then went into her portacabin office followed by the Foreman.
Jack stared after her, resentment now burning in his eyes.
Patricia and Penelope moved closer to get a closer look at Deborah. She really was as white as a ghost and barely seemed to even register that they were there. "How long has she been like this?" Patricia asked.
"Two days," said Beth. "Doctor says she's gone into complete shock."
"That's putting it mildly," murmured Penelope to herself.
"What Daddy did. What I did. What nearly happened to me. The fallout. The persistence of the press. It all got too much for her," said Beth sadly. "Doctor says she's very close to breaking down."
"Too much for her to handle," said Patricia. She reached out and waved her hand slowly across in front of Deborah's face. There was no reaction. She then clicked her fingers three times right in front of her eyes. Still no reaction. "My God…" Patricia said. "She's really gone, isn't she?"
"Is there anything we can do for her?" asked Penelope.
Patricia shook her head. "I'm afraid this is beyond my capabilities," she said. She looked at Beth.
Just then there was a knock at the door. "Come in," said Beth.
Anish entered. "They are here," he said.
Beth gulped, then nodded before beginning to weep.
"I'm sorry, who's here?" asked Penelope.
Two Policemen entered followed by two Paramedics and a rolling bed.
"Lady Roystone. It is time," said one of the Policemen.
Beth continued to weep as she moved past Patricia and gave Deborah a kiss on the head. "Goodbye, Mummy," she said as the tears grew larger. She then had to be moved back to allow the Paramedics to move Deborah out of the bed and onto the rolling one. She was then wheeled out of the bedroom to an Ambulance that was waiting outside. Penelope, Patricia, Beth and Anish followed and watched as Deborah was loaded into the back of the Ambulance. Not once did she react to anything that was going on. Beth felt her heart breaking in two as the doors were closed and the Ambulance began to drive away.
"Where are they taking her?" Penelope asked.
"To a specialist hospital," answered Anish. "One where she can be carefully monitored."
"But she'll get better, right?" said Penelope anxiously.
Beth was too distraught to respond. Anish put his arm around her and squeezed her tightly. Patricia did not seem to have any words either. Penelope turned her attention back to the Ambulance as it started to drive off towards the Main Gates of the estate. The Roystone family really was torn apart now.
Having completed her morning training sessions, Hayley headed out onto the open grass area of the base for a rest and to brood. She was still kicking herself over her performance in the hospital that morning. Now she was really beginning to reconsider whether she wanted to continue with this or just quit. She'd be jobless, but maybe she could move to Tracy Island and help International Rescue? The more she thought about it, the more that idea sounded more appealing. Yes, she'd be a long way from her parents, but at least it would mean she could be with Virgil.
Barely a second had passed when she'd first put Virgil in her mind when she decided to take her phone out to have a browse. She was pleasantly surprised to see Virgil had sent a text message. It read:
"Hey, beautiful.
I'm really sorry we've not been able to haven't been able to have any proper chats recently. Things have been so busy here. Hardly a day can go by without us being called to a rescue. I really hope this hasn't put you off me as I have been having those feelings lately. I know that sounds daft and please forgive me for even thinking that. I really miss you. Would you be free for a talk this evening? I'll try and ensure that if Thunderbird 2 is needed that Gordon and Alan can take her in my place.
Love you.
Virgil x"
Hayley felt her heart flutter. "Oh, Virgil, my love," she said, trying not to shed a tear. "Why must you make my heart grow so large?" She then typed a reply.
"Hi, honey.
Please don't ever think that this will ever put me off you because it won't. I totally understand why we have not been able to communicate. You have one of the most important and best jobs in the world. If someone needs to be saved then go save them. That's what you do. I will never resent that. Never. Of course I am free tonight for a chat, but please, if you are needed on a mission, go get them, tiger. About 8pm UK time suit you?"
Love you more.
Hayley xxxxxxxx"
After pressing 'send', she felt another tear of joy fall down her cheek as her heart fluttered even more.
"Weakness!"
Hayley nearly jumped out of her skin. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw Lieutenant Pierce standing there. She jumped to her feet. "S-S-Sir?!" she gasped. "I-I didn't realise you were there."
"What is that in your eye?" asked Pierce.
Hayley hastily wiped the tear away from her cheek. "Ah, nothing, sir. Just a bit of moisture."
Lieutenant Pierce snorted. "Crying is a sign of weakness, Madison. I don't tolerate weakness! Also, using a phone on premises during daytime isn't permitted!" he barked. "Who were you talking to?"
"With all due respect, sir, that's my business," Hayley said.
Pierce's nostrils flared. "Excuse me?"
"My boyfriend if you must know," Hayley said sharply. "And that's all you need to know. Sir."
Pierce glared at her furiously. "Are you being funny with me, Madison?"
"No, sir."
"AND WHY ARE YOU EVEN OUT HERE?!" Pierce suddenly shouted. "DON'T YOU HAVE A LECTURE TO BE IN OR SOMETHING?!"
"Not right now, sir. I'm on a break, sir," said Hayley.
"THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A BREAK ON MY BASE, MADISON!" thundered Pierce. "Give me your phone."
Hayley felt her heart skip a beat. She was not prepared to let Pierce have any of her belongings. She put the phone hastily in her pocket and closed it up so it could not be gotten at.
"That's an order, Madison," said Pierce sternly. "Give…me…your…phone!"
"Sir, have I asked you about your personal life?" Hayley asked.
"No?"
"Then don't go sticking your nose into mine, please," said Hayley. She then turned to walk away.
"GET BACK HERE NOW!" bellowed Pierce. But before he or Hayley could say anything else, a loud CRASH made them look over in the direction of the construction site. To their alarm they could see the yellow Digger racing around the site at high speed like it was on a rally circuit.
Jack had taken his dressing down very hard and was livid by it. So much so that he had decided to revolt. Instead of taking the Digger over to the massive mound of soil at the other end of the site where all the dirt from the dugout foundations were, he was instead racing around the site dangerously and deliberately driving inches from Jenny's cabin. Even Alfie couldn't seem to talk him down.
"Jack, what the hell are you doing?!" Jenny exclaimed into her radio microphone.
"Whatever the hell I want!" Jack retorted and ripped his cab radio-set out so nobody else could talk to him. He continued to zoom dangerously around the site, narrowly missing Byron's Bulldozer and kicking up a tonne of mud all over Isabella's clean lorry.
"JACK, I ONLY CLEANED THIS THIS MORNING!" shrieked Isabella who was very picky about any dirt being on her vehicle.
Jack whooped, cheered and yelled as he made a sharp right turn, narrowly avoiding a collision with Oliver's Excavator. He then had his stupidest idea yet and began to race the Digger towards the massive pile of soil. "YOU ALL WATCH ME BECOME KING OF THE HILL!" he jeered as he raised the front bucket and began to climb the mound.
"JACK, STOP-STOP-STOP! YOU CAN'T GO UP THERE!" bellowed Alfie frantically.
But Jack could not hear him. He was too busy enjoying his defiance over Jenny. The mound was steep and quite high up, and it was a struggle to get the Digger up to the top. Soon he had reached the top and came to a stop. "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!" he cheered, punching both fists into the air in triumph. "I DID IT! I DID IT! I-"
Jack broke off suddenly as he felt a sudden shift in the Digger over to the left. He had opened his door in order for everyone to hear his triumphant cheer, but this now allowed him to hear Alfie's frantic shouting.
"JACK, GET OUT OF THE CAB! YOU'RE GONNA GO OVER!"
The realisation of what he'd just done suddenly hit Jack like a tonne of bricks. The soil mound was not meant to have any kind of heavy weight sitting on top of it. It was beginning to give way and the Digger was starting to tilt. "Oh, sh-" Jack began to say before crying out a loud "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGGHH!" in terror as the Digger began to slide away and then toppled over, disappearing from everyone's sight.
"JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!" screamed Alfie and he began to run towards the scene as did everyone else on the sight.
Pierce and Hayley had seen everything and they were just as shocked.
"That idiot!" said Pierce. "What the hell was he thinking?!"
"Sir, we have to help them!" Hayley said. "We'd better get International Rescue out here. I'll give them a call."
Pierce's fierceness returned. "You will do no such thing!" he snapped. "I make the decisions on this base, Madison, not you! Remember that!" He then turned and shouted over to another group of GDF personnel who had been alerted to the situation. "YOU MEN! GET AS MANY AS YOU CAN AND BREAK OUT THE SHOVELS!"
"Shovels?!" exclaimed Hayley. "Sir, that guy could be hurt. We should get International-"
"ARE YOU QUESTIONING MY AUTHORITY, MADISON?!" roared Pierce. Hayley was silent. "I didn't think so," he growled. "Now if you want to help, go and get your medical kit. Maybe you can put some of your First-Aid to the test." He turned and hurried away, leaving Hayley shaking with anger.