SOS Part 2
Virgil stirred his coffee staring blankly ahead as he sat in the hospital cafe, his brothers had gone back to the island with Kayo whilst Penelope had stayed behind with Sally. How on earth could he have let Gordon go alone to find Braman? If he had demanded he went with him in Thunderbird 2, maybe he would be in better shape than he was now. Gordon had a collapsed lung, one broken rib at least, head trauma, a broken leg and his left wrist after his endurance under the pressure of the water flooding into his craft which had also buckled under the waves. That was the first thing he had asked about when he regained consciousness, and Virgil wouldn't forget the tears that streamed down his little brother's cheeks as they told him what had happened to Thunderbird 4 now lying underneath the rocks that had almost become his tomb.
"Virgil, that coffee can't get any more stirred," Penelope said gently as she rested her hand on his.
"Huh?" Virgil looked up. "Right."
"He'll be okay, this is Gordon we're talking about."
"I don't know Penelope, he can't move, and he looked so pale," he looked over to where his grandma was talking to a receptionist. "I just wish she would let him stay here."
"He can't be here for too long, it's already broken your cover."
"I know." And he sighed, "this is my fault."
"What?" Penelope shook her head, "Virgil, in no way is this your fault, why would you say that?"
"Because I should've taken him to the crash site with me in Thunderbird 2. I wasn't exactly busy today."
"You know Gordon? He doesn't think, he just goes."
"If I had been there in Thunderbird 2..."
"The Chaos Crew would've shot you down too, and then there'd be two of you to rescue. Let's go and see if he's awake."
"Grandma?" Virgil called and she walked over. "We're going back up to see Gordon."
"Good. I hope he got some sleep," she looped her arm around Virgil's as they headed to the lifts.
Gordon opened his eyes wearily but immediately closed them again as his head pounded, he inhaled deeply then fought against coughing inflicted by the pain in his chest, tears filled his eyes and the ward door opened as he began to cry.
"Gordon, what happened?" Virgil ran over to his bedside.
"Tried, to sit, up," Gordon coughed between sobs.
Penelope stroked his cheek, "shh shh, don't try to do that okay? Just rest."
Gordon's tear-filled brown eyes looked up at her, "my head, just throbs."
Sally poured him a glass of water and grabbed a straw, "here son, small sips."
Virgil held the cup for him as he sipped the water, "have you just woken up?"
Gordon blinked, "yes. Where is everyone?"
"They went back home, I've got Thunderbird 2 with me," Virgil smiled as he put the glass down on the table behind him.
"Everything hurts so much Virg," Gordon whimpered.
Virgil rubbed his brother's unbroken hand with his fingers, "I bet. You took a pretty big beating." His eyes wandered up to the needles stuck in Gordon's arm. "I'm sorry Minnow."
"Why?" Gordon croaked.
"Because I let you go alone."
Gordon squeezed his brother's hand back, "if you had gone with me you might've been killed."
"You're the one whose pulse stopped for 30 seconds," Virgil smiled tearfully. "I would've been fine."
Penelope stroked the patch of Gordon's hair sticking up through the bandage. "Don't exaggerate," she said softly as Gordon looked up at Virgil.
"I, died?"
Penelope shook her head, "hardly."
"I really owe you Pen."
"No, you don't. As I said, you would've done the same for me."
Virgil stood back with Sally, "shall we give them a moment?"
"We have to make sure Thunderbird 2 doesn't have a parking ticket," she smiled at Penelope then pushed Virgil gently out of the room.
"Are you going to leave me too?" Gordon asked looking up at the blonde woman standing beside his bed.
Penelope smiled, "of course not. Oh, Gordon, you've taken so many risks recently, please promise me that this is the last one?"
Gordon smirked, "I'll risk anything for you."
Penelope leaned over him and brushed his cheek with her lips, "don't literally risk your life though."
Gordon blushed, "can you kiss me again? I think that's the first time you've meant it."
Penelope laughed, "I think you're on the mend." She rubbed a tear off his cheek away gently with her finger.
Virgil walked in and his boots skidded on the lino seeing as the two were pressing foreheads together, "sorry, I'll come back."
Penelope turned away from the bedside, "no it's fine." She flicked her hair over her shoulder, "what's the latest?"
"The doctor says Gordon is stable enough to be transferred to Thunderbird 2 and can go home. We need to take him on a stretcher."
Penelope nodded as she looked back at a rather pink Gordon, "can I come back to the island with you?"
Virgil smiled, "sure. I think that'll be Gordon's best medicine."
"You're such a bully," Gordon coughed.
A team of hospital staff helped Virgil get Gordon into Thunderbird 2's cockpit securing him with straps to prevent further injury and the medical bay on the island was set up ready for the crew's return. Penelope sat beside Gordon's bed as Parker and Sally buckled up in the other seats and Virgil got confirmation to lift off from the hospital.
"Time to the island, half an hour."
"I thought you said you could make it in ten minutes?" Sally frowned.
"I could at top speed, but I want Gordon to be comfortable now."
"That means a lot to me, Virgil," Gordon coughed then blinked hard as he saw stars in front of his eyes.
"Try to sleep Gordo," Virgil looked over his shoulder at the aquanaut.
"Virgil is right, get some rest," Penelope stroked his head again. "Do you need anything?"
"No, your company is enough."
"Mister Gordon will be okay, M'Lady."
"He sure will be Parker," Virgil smirked as he fired his ship's afterburners.
It was nighttime when the behemoth touched down on her runway. Brains and Scott waited in the hangar ready to help transport Gordon's bed to the infirmary and they ran down to meet the group.
"Welcome to Tracy Island, Penny," Scott smiled.
"I wish it was on better terms," she smiled at Gordon as he was wheeled past her. "He had some sleep on the trip but he's going to need a lot of morphine."
Scott nodded, "make yourself at home, we've just made a life-changing discovery. We think we've possibly found dad's last whereabouts."