Inspired by godsliltippy and her wonderful art.
Many thanks to tsarinatorment, janetm47 and scribbles97 for all their reading and amazing support :D
Warnings: There is blood in this due to injury.
This is a complete fic, I'm just proofing before archiving.
-o-o-o-
"Hold still, Gordon!"
"Virgil, you're bleeding." The aquanaut wriggled in Virgil's grip.
"If you don't hold still, you'll be the one spurting blood everywhere! Hold still!"
Virgil had one meaty fist wrapped around his little brother's forearm ever so tight. The blue neoprene was stained dark already, the slice in his brother's arm deep enough to nick an artery and stop Virgil's heart. He had a list of possible short and long term complications spinning through his head. Gordon had to sit still. Virgil had to stop the bleeding.
His glove was slippery.
"Virgil, you are obviously injured. Please sit down." Passionate brown eyes tried to fix him where he stood, but Virgil shook them off. He was needed.
"Later. Now hold still." One handed, Virgil fiddled with his baldric, pulling out an emergency medkit. Thunderbird Two sat not far away, waiting, but this was an arterial injury and he needed to secure it first.
He had Gordon cornered on a pile of rubble. Fortunately, the sudden and unexpected tornado had left as fast as it had arrived, though Virgil did spare a glance every now and again at the still ominous and dark sky.
Having grown up a county or two over, you'd think he would be used to airborne farm machinery, but no.
"Please, Virgil." Gordon's voice was so pleading it left Virgil wondering exactly what the hell he looked like. All he remembered was John yelling in his ear, a roar and then something hit him.
They were in Kansas, fielding the aftermath of a particularly nasty rash of tornadoes. Two sat clamped to the ground, wings folded and secured, but the fact she was still there was a good sign she hadn't been hit.
Thank god.
He blinked.
His face felt rusty.
And found Gordon staring up at him worriedly. "Virg?"
He swallowed and didn't answer, forcing himself to focus on the important task at hand.
Releasing his hand just a little in order to replace it with a pressure bandages resulted in a spray of red all over his uniform. He was vaguely aware of Gordon turning white, but had to move fast and secured the bandage tightly.
He wrapped his hand around the bandage and didn't let go.
"We need to get you into Two."
Scott was already on his way. He hadn't been attending the same site, otherwise occupied by an incident on the other side of the planet.
John had yelled loud enough and Virgil had no doubt that the atmosphere between here and there was being shredded by a rocket plane.
Honestly, Virgil welcomed the assistance. Hell, John may even be on his way down. Someone needed to help them.
As if to warn him, the whole world wobbled.
A hand on his arm. "Virgil, I'll get Scott on the line if I have to. Sit down!"
Putting some steel into his spine, he shook his brother off. "Need to get you to Two."
"I'm fine! The bandage is secure. For Christ sake, Virgil!"
Virgil reached down and looped an arm under Gordon's shoulder and with a push from his thighs, heaved his brother to his feet.
Virgil kept his fist tight on his brother's injury.
"Virgil!"
But his focus was on his 'bird and his need to see his brother safe. Gordon wriggled in his hold again, but Virgil ignored him and took one determined step after another.
The ground was mud.
There were still rock-sized hailstones lying around and his boot kicked one. Weather phenomena could be truly fascinating. Gordon was saying something, but Virgil's grip on his brother's arm was more important.
Gordon was wriggling again and it made Virgil unsteady.
The sky was growing dark.
Virgil tried to blink, but his right eye now wasn't working properly. Somewhere at the back of his mind he acknowledged that this might be a problem.
Mud sloshed at his feet.
Gordon was suddenly yelling, his hands grabbing at Virgil's uniform. But the world tipped sideways and to Virgil's upmost annoyance it blinked out.
Gordon! He had to save Gordon!
Terror for his little brother chased him into darkness.
-o-o-o-
