Disclaim - Don't own Thunderbirds. Do own a cat who if she ever wakes me by biting my toe again is in serious trouble

Chapter 19 – Price of Duty

Virgil Tracy made to go after Sarah Woodbury as she guided the silent, still form of his little brother Alan into Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The paramedic had helped rescue the unconscious teenager from his burning hotel room. But his kid brother wasn't just suffering from smoke inhalation and some burns. Somehow, Alan had gotten an injury to the back of his head. Before Virgil could follow the gurney, his sister-in-law Kate, who had been escorting the other rescued teens to the hospital and police personnel who had been waiting for them, grabbed at his arm.

"You can't go after them, Virgil. What excuse would you give? Just curious?"

"What are we going to do? Fly home and wait for some overworked admissions clerk to call?" Virgil demanded angrily.

Just then, Jeff's voice came over the pairs' internal microphones. "Kate, Virgil. We have another rescue. A ferry disregarded harbor patrols warnings in New York Harbor. It's starting to sink with over two dozen people on board. Get back to your stations."

Kate looked at the pained, frightened expression on her brother-in-law's face as they headed back onto Thunderbird Two. She knew Virgil was right, they couldn't just leave Alan alone and unconscious in a hospital. Decision made, Kate made her way to the cockpit to talk to her father-in-law as the 'Bird began to lift off.

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"Dad, one of us has to stay." Jeff's knuckles were white on the steering device, and there were fine, tight lines around his mouth. Kate knew Jeff was frightened, feeling helpless and angry. The senior Tracy was a man of action and he hated being powerless, especially where his beloved sons were concerned. Kate kneeled by Jeff, "Dad, either Virgil or Gordon could be dropped off near Logan Airport. We can claim they were in the area; when the call comes in on the island, Emily can tell them that one of us is in the area and that person can watch over Alan."

Jeff thought about Kate's words. He knew she was right. And if one of the family was watching over Alan, everyone else could focus on the rescue. It was a water rescue, so he would need Gordon. Kate or Virgil? The father had to make a snap decision. "Kate, tell Virgil to get in his civvies. We'll drop him off by the airport and he can rent a car from there." Kate nodded her approval and ran back to inform her brother-in-law.

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Emily Tracy had gone to check on Baby Jason, feeding and changing him so that Onaha could prepare a meal. Tin-Tin, who had been helping her father in the garden, came when Emily called to take over baby sitting. Onaha had said she would bring a meal to her daughter at Scott and Kate's, as well as to Emily and Brains in the command center. With minor details under control, the young physician made her way back to Brains, seated tensely in front of the monitor. "Any news yet?"

Brains swallowed hard, repeatedly trying to answer, before turning to John on the screen. In response, John began, "Brains, will you go check on that data for me. Emily can call you if I need you." The scientist looked confused for a moment, before seeming to understand. He left the room, knowing that John would have to explain what was happening to their family.

"John, what is it?" John seemed to have as much trouble speaking as Brains had. "John, I doubt Brains actually can run any information for you better in his lab then he could run here – or you could yourself on Five. Now, what has happened?"

Swallowing again, John answered his wife. "They got the kids out. Smoke inhalation and some light burns for fifteen of them. But Alan… Em, when they dropped Alan off at Mass General, he was still unconscious. His O2 levels were off, even on oxygen, he had some second degree burns, his arms and feet were cut up and apparently, he also somehow hit his head. Dad dropped off Virgil near Logan Airport; he'll grab a rental car and will head over to the hospital. We'll need you to take the call when it comes in. Just tell them Virgil is in the Boston area and that you'll call him."

"Wait, you don't want me to go? John, I am the doctor. I can be there within a couple of hours. Alan may need me."

"Emily, honey, you can't go." Before she could interrupt, John continued. "Em, first off, you wouldn't be allowed to treat Alan – you're family now. Second, Alan is in an excellent hospital, you have said so yourself. Finally, Hurricane Meg is still off of the Northeast coast. That is why most of the team has gone to New York on another rescue. You can fly a plane under normal circumstances, but this is a hurricane. If you won't consider yourself, please remember the baby. My little brother is in the hospital, I am trying to monitor the other Thunderbirds and I don't need to be worrying about the two of you now. Please Emmy; I need you to stay there."

Before Emily could answer the phone rang. She knew John was right, but it didn't make it easier. Making sure the phone was on voice-only, Emily answered, "Hello, Tracy Residence."

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Virgil Tracy ran into the lobby of Massachusetts General Hospital, soaked to the skin. As the wind and rain of the storm was still raging outside, he was sure no one would notice. He had mainly gotten soaked by running through a field and sneaking into the grounds of the airport. When all this was over, he would really have to find a way to point out the security weaknesses of that. Fortunately, he had been able to call in the car rental and pick it up in the garage. The attendant didn't look twice at his wet clothing and Virgil was in no mood to explain. To say that the drive through the near empty streets of Boston had been hairy was to put it mildly. But the middle Tracy son could only think of how pale and fragile his little brother had looked. Checking out the lobby, Virgil had run up to the information desk.

"Ma'am? Please, I need help. My younger brother was brought in earlier. His name is Alan Tracy." The woman looked annoyed at Virgil as he realized that he was dripping on her reports. "Sorry, Ma'am. But my sister-in-law called me, Alan – Alan had been at a hotel and it, I guess there was a fire. Please, I need to find him."

"Are you authorized for treatment for this patient? Our records show him to be a minor."

Virgil nodded. "Yes, I am. I'm one of Alan's emergency contacts. I've contacted our father but he can't fly in, the airports are all closed now." That was true; Virgil had heard the announcement as he had gotten into the rental car at the airport. "Please, I need to see my brother."

A few minutes later, Virgil was approaching the room where he had been told Alan was. It was now more than an hour since they had dropped Alan off so Virgil found it alarming that his brother was still in a treatment room. Then again, he mused, maybe the ER was just overwhelmed between the storm and the massive fire. Whatever the circumstances he had to know if his brother was alright, it had been far too long. Virgil began to argue with the nurse at the check-in desk. Usually, Virgil was slow to anger, but his need to know if Alan was OK had overwhelmed his caution.

"Virgil? Virgil Tracy? Is that you?" Virgil turned at the sound of the voice he had only heard a short time earlier. Sarah Jane Woodbury, the paramedic who had helped save Alan from his burning hotel room, had known the Tracys back when both families had lived in Kansas. Virgil noticed bandages on the young woman's arms, one on her neck and an unnatural flush across her face.

"Woody!" An ER doctor came out of one of the treatment rooms. "Woody, I told you, I want you on oxygen, you gave that vic more than you should have, you needed it too! Do you want to collapse again?"

"Doctor Brackett, I'll make you a deal. If you let me take the kid's brother into see him, I will go home as ordered and rest for two days. I won't even THINK about going back to the station, I promise. Just let me take his brother in to him, OK?"

The doctor closed his eyes, before gently touching her arm. "OK, Woody, but you are giving me your word of honor. I know you; do that and I can trust you."

Sarah smiled. "Word of honor, Doc. Treatment room four?" The doctor nodded and Sarah turned back to Virgil. "I'm sure you don't remember me, but I'm…"

"Sarah Jane Woodbury. You may have changed a lot but I never forgot that smile." That was the truth. Even if she had not identified herself to the unconscious Alan on Thunderbird Two, Virgil knew that to be truth. The Sarah he had known back in Kansas hadn't smiled often, but when she did you could see that she had the potential to someday be a very pretty girl. Pretty didn't cut it. This Sarah was gorgeous. He wondered how the wives of the firefighters she worked with felt about having such an attractive woman working with their husbands.

Flashing that smile again, Sarah gently took Virgil by the arm and led him into a nearby exam room. A doctor was bent over his younger brother and Virgil approached the gurney Alan was on. The doctor didn't look up before he asked, "Any luck reaching a family member for this kid? What the hell was a seventeen year old doing on his own in a city of this size?"

"I believe," Virgil answered tightly. "We thought he would be attending a well-chaperoned student convention that he had earned the privilege of participating in."

The doctor turned at the sound of the new voice. Virgil ignored him, walking over to his baby brother before kneeling next to Alan, brushing his blond hair back from his face. "Hey, Sprout, not how you planned this weekend at all, was it?" Virgil looked up at the doctor. "I'm his brother Virgil."

Looking at the monitors, Sarah began relaying the information to Virgil. "His O2 levels are better, but you are keeping him on oxygen; his repertory and other vitals are improving, but he is still unconscious." Putting a hand on Virgil's shoulder, she motioned to Alan's still form before directing a question to the doctor. "What did the c-scan show for the head injury?"

Nodding at Virgil, the doctor took over. "We do suspect the head injury as the reason for his continued state. Woody, is this the boy you pulled out of the hotel fire?" At the paramedic's nod, he continued. "Then we need the police in on this."

Virgil stood, focusing laser-like eyes at the doctor. "Why?"

Sarah interjected. "The fire marshal will be investigating. The sprinkler system didn't work, the water wasn't running, a door was supposedly locked for a time – though the odd thing was it wasn't locked when I tried it. But we have fifteen boys who were trapped with Alan Tracy who swear that it was when they went to use it. Why call the cops already?"

The doctor looked grim. "He was alone in the room for a time right? All the other boys had been taken out?" Virgil almost nodded before realizing Sarah was the one being addressed. "He wasn't alone. His head injury has no debris or anything obvious in the wound. He couldn't have remained standing, forget protecting the other boys with that injury. And nothing in the wound means it wasn't from falling debris and the area around it isn't burned. Someone struck this boy and left him to die in the fire. Mr. Tracy, is there anyone who would want your brother dead?

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Hundreds of miles to the south, the Thunderbirds were unaware of the ominous twist that Alan's drama had taken. Their focus was on twenty-seven people clinging to a sinking ferry. Usually, over one hundred passangers crammed every space they could, but with the inclement weather, only twenty three passengers and four crew members were on board. All but one person had been placed on board the rescue platform and raised into Thunderbird Two. A fourth trip down and one last passenger to go; Jeff held Two steady as Scott used One's spotlights to show exactly where the last victim was. As Kate and Gordon were just feet from the frightened young woman the ferry lurched and the woman fell into the churning waters. Before Kate could even blink, Gordon had jumped off the rescue platform into the wind-tossed ocean, disappearing beneath the waves

a/n - OK, I am mean. Sam1 is right... but then she usually is. Alan is unconcious, Emily/ John feel helpless and I am trying to drown Gordon. But on the other hand is Sarah great or what? And the more you learn about her, the more you will like her. Really.