A Sacrifice Too Far?
Disclaimer: Please see Chapter 1.
Thanks for the reviews everyone. Sorry this has taken so long but I was ill and then had a car accident which was really painful but enough moaning from me, you want the story and here it is. I want to say thanks to Sam for reading this over to me, sorry my grammar is so atrocious. Oh and a big thanks to Loopsta for making me see sense recently. You are amazing honey. Love you two.
Chapter 5: The Long Wait.
Sergeant Granger sprinted from one side of the Industrial Estate to the other where Thunderbird Two stood. She reached it just as Virgil and John came out of the huge green machine. Panting slightly, she smiled at the young men. "We've found Scott and he's alive," she said.
Virgil wanted to hug the young woman before him but fought back the urge wondering if it might get him arrested. As if sensing something had happened, Gordon came walking over. He had been talking to the Chief of the Fire Brigade.
"He's alive, Gords," said John, a relieved smile gracing his face.
"Really?" asked Gordon, turning to look at Sergeant Granger. Although he trusted his brothers, he just needed her to confirm it. She gave a slight smile and nodded.
"Is he hurt?" asked John, realizing that she hadn't mentioned what condition he was in.
"We don't know the full details yet but it looks like he was shot in the leg. He is now on his way to Dereham Memorial Hospital."
Virgil's heart had stopped when she had said he was shot but he felt a little relief when she said where. A bullet to the leg wasn't fatal as long as he hadn't lost too much blood. Virgil's mind began to fill with all the worst-case scenarios and he suddenly wished he wasn't medically trained. It would be so much easier. Shaking the thoughts away, he concentrated on the fact that Scott was alive. He had something much more important to do. He turned to his brothers and said, "I gotta call Base." He then headed back into Thunderbird Two. This time both John and Gordon followed him in. Sergeant Granger decided to find out if there was any more information about their comrade.
"Reading you loud and clear, Virgil. Do you have any more information?" asked Jeff, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.
"Scott has been found, Dad. He's hurt but he's alive and on his way to a local hospital," said Virgil, watching as the worry lessened in his father's eyes. He knew it wouldn't disappear completely until he could see his son himself and know he was okay.
Jeff nodded in understanding at his middle son. He knew it wasn't over yet as Scott had been taken to hospital but at, least if nothing else he had been found. Jeff could see Virgil was waiting for instructions on what to do. As much as his three sons would all want to go to Scott, the Thunderbirds had to be brought home first. "I want you to go to the hospital whilst John and Gordon bring home Thunderbirds One and Two. We will then all fly over to you."
"What about Alan?" asked Gordon. He and John had stayed back just listening.
"Brains and Tintin have offered to go get him from Thunderbird Three and will then bring him to us later. International Rescue is off-line for the time being."
"You're gonna make Brains fly him here right?" queried Gordon, knowing that Alan would be dangerous in a cockpit right now.
"Yes, Gordon. I haven't gone senile yet," replied Jeff and he smiled for the first time since they had left. Gordon couldn't help but grin back at him. He then noticed his brothers were grinning too and that one comment had brought them all a little light-hearted relief just for a moment.
Alan paced up and down Thunderbird Five as he waited for news on his oldest brother. He thought back over his last words to Scott and realized he couldn't remember them. He did remember though that he had never said goodbye to Scott so those missing words were probably bad. How could he have behaved so stupidly? If something happened to Scott, he would never get the chance to apologise for being a jerk. He could feel the tears pooling in his eyes but he fought them back. He was a Tracy and they didn't show their emotions like that, even if they were up in space, miles away from anyone else.
An alarm halted his pacing and he raced to the main console. The call was from Base and hopefully it would be news. "Go ahead, Base," he said quickly.
"Switch Thunderbird Five to auto, Brains and Tintin are on their way to get you. Scott has been found," explained Jeff.
"Is he okay?" asked Alan. He wanted to look away from his father as he spoke his next words in case he was going to see the look that said Scott was gone. He didn't though; he forced himself to face him.
"He's been hurt but he's still alive. John and Gordon are bringing the Thunderbirds back and will then fly to England with me. When you get down from Five, Brains will fly you to us in England. And when I say Brains will fly, I mean it," replied Jeff, his tone becoming firm towards the end.
As much as Alan wanted to argue, knowing how slowly Brains flew he kept his mouth shut. His Father's tone told him it would only make things worse and would probably end up with him stuck up here instead. "F-A-B, Dad." He signed off and began the procedure to switch Thunderbird Five to autopilot. He was so relieved to know that Scott was alive and now he would get the chance to apologise to him. He just wished he didn't have to wait for Brains and Tintin to arrive. If only Thunderbird Five had the capability to fly home. A slight grin appeared on his face as he wondered what Brains would think of that idea. The scientist loved improving on his designs but that might be a little too far fetched. His thoughts moved to his other brothers. How were they all holding up especially John, as he was ill when they left? Had he got worse? He decided to contact Gordon in Thunderbird Two and find out. He pressed the necessary buttons to contact the largest of the Thunderbird fleet.
"Go ahead," replied Gordon, who looked thoroughly worn out but would never admit it.
"Just wanted to see how you and John were holding up," replied Alan.
"Yeah, we're okay. Just wanna get rid of these machines so we can get back to Scott," admitted Gordon. It seemed as if this journey was taking forever. John was no doubt thinking the same thing especially as he was keeping pace with Thunderbird Two.
"I'm not sure Virge or Scott would like you referring to their babies like that," said Alan, a ghost of a smile crossing his face. A similar one crossed Gordon's face too.
"Hey, it could have been worse," retorted Gordon, a grin now appearing on his face.
Alan nodded and then saw that Thunderbird Three was trying to get through to him. "I gotta go now. You take it easy and don't scratch that giant green monstrosity or Virge will kill you."
Gordon shook his head at his brother for his comment about Virgil's baby and plotted to remember that for later. He signed off and prepared for landing.
Virgil paced up and down the waiting room unable to just sit there. A doctor had come out a while ago to say that Scott was undergoing surgery but it was touch and go. He knew that Sergeant Granger was still in the hospital somewhere. She was trying to find out exactly what happened and how he was rescued. He was in a private waiting room far away from the main one in case the press discovered they were here. That was the story they told him though Virgil got the feeling it was more because they knew they wouldn't have good news. He could tell that the doctor was not optimistic about Scott's chances and that scared him more then he ever thought it would.
Suddenly unable to stand anymore, Virgil sank down onto the closest chair. He couldn't even begin to contemplate what would happen to his family if Scott didn't pull through. After their Mom had died, Scott had held the family together and even now, he still did that. With this job, there had always been the risk of one of them dying but it was supposed to be on duty, saving lives. It wasn't supposed to all alone in the middle of nowhere. Scott didn't deserve that.
Therefore, wrapped up in his thoughts, Virgil never heard the door open or the person enter. This allowed them a few moments to study him. He looked pale and completely wiped out but that was to be expected judging by the events of the last few hours. It was clear that this young man cared deeply for Scott in a way that suggested to her that they were brothers as opposed to just friends. She walked up to the young man and touched him gently on the shoulder.
Virgil looked up to see Sergeant Granger standing beside him. "Sorry, I didn't even hear you come in. Is everything okay?"
"I think I should be asking you that," she replied, smiling softly at him.
"I haven't heard anything yet. He is still in surgery. Any news on the man who abducted him yet?"
"His car was found abandoned in a field so it's being sent off to forensics. There has been no sign of him yet but we are still looking for him so don't give up hope.
Virgil nodded but knew there was still a chance he might never be found. It made him angry that someone could do this to them and then get away with it. All they were trying to do was help people and this was the payback. Suddenly he could understand Scott's earlier thoughts about whether it was really worth it. His mind was brought back to the present again when Sergeant Granger's radio began to crackle. He couldn't hear what was said but he could tell that she could.
When it stopped, she turned to him saying, "I have to go find the Chief Sergeant now. As soon as we hear anymore, I will let you know. Are you okay here?" she asked, feeling a little sad that the young man was all on his own.
"Thanks and I will be fine. Scott's family are on their way," he replied being careful to make sure he gave the impression that they were Scott's family and not his. Their identity still needed to remain a secret even under these circumstances.
Just as Sergeant Granger reached the door, Virgil called out to her. "Who found Scott?" he asked suddenly remembering that someone was responsible for the return of his older brother.
"Well it was a dog technically but its owner was the one who called 999 and looked after him until help arrived," she replied, turning back to face him.
"Who was the owner?" asked Virgil. He wanted to thank them for giving him his oldest brother and his best friend back to him. He knew his Dad and probably the rest of his family would as well.
Sergeant Granger reached out and took hold of the door handle before responding. She had a feeling that the young man was not going to like her answer. "I can't tell you that, I'm afraid. She asked to remain anonymous."
"What?" questioned Virgil. Why on earth wouldn't she want them to know who she was? Surely, she must realize that they would want to thank her.
Before anything, more could be said Sergeant Granger pulled open the door allowing Jeff, John and Gordon to enter the room. She then quickly moved through it and into the corridor before Virgil could notice she had gone.
"How is he?" asked Jeff, hugging his middle son tight. He had noticed the young police officer leave so he knew he was safe to do it.
"All they have told me is that he is in surgery but I know that he was shot in the thigh and suffered a head injury," replied Virgil, glancing over at his brothers to make sure they were okay. John looked pale but under the circumstances, he couldn't blame him though so he decided to keep an eye on him anyway.
Jeff released his son and took a seat in the waiting room and his sons soon copied him. John kept glancing out of the window, watching as the sun set. It didn't seem to matter what happened in the world, the sun still rose and set every day. It was something he missed when he was on Thunderbird Five so he often got up early when he was on the island just to watch the sunrise over him. His mind couldn't help but wonder whether his brother would ever see it again. His head began to pound once more and he rubbed his temples wishing the pain would stop. He had been feeling worse over the last couple of hours but was trying to keep it from his family, as they didn't need anymore stress.
The door on the opposite side of the room opened and a young doctor came through. Virgil instantly recognised him as the one who had spoken to him earlier. He quickly stood up as his Father did. "This is Scott's father," he said before anyone else could speak.
"Hello, my name is Dr. Murray and I have been looking after your son," he replied.
"How is he?"
"Well, the next twenty-four hours will be critical but he is stable. Your son was shot in the thigh and the bullet nicked an artery but we managed to fix that. He lost a lot of blood but not as much as he could have done," explained the doctor but was interrupted before he could continue.
"Could have done?" queried Gordon, having no idea what the doctor meant.
"Scott was found in a stream meaning that although he was suffering from the early stages of hypothermia, the cold water actually slowed down the bleeding. It was enough to get him here to us. He does also have some bruises and a nasty bump to the back of his head but it's not serious."
"If they find that creep, I'm going to kill him," said Virgil, unable to keep the anger out of his voice.
"I'll help," muttered Gordon, ignoring the look his Father threw at him.
John remained silent but agreed whole-heartedly with his brothers. His head was beginning to spin and he knew he needed to sit down before he fell down. The last thing they needed was for him to collapse. As the doctor began to speak again, John took the opportunity to sink into a chair whilst no one was watching him.
"When can we see him?" asked Jeff, desperately needing to see for himself that his oldest son was okay.
"As soon as he is out of recovery you can. I will get a nurse to take you as soon as he is settled," replied the doctor and then he spoke again. "Your son's identity will remain a secret known only by the paramedics and me. To everyone else he will just be a regular patient. I cannot guarantee though that the press won't find out that a member of International Rescue was here but we won't let them find out whom."
"Thank you," said Jeff and Virgil almost simultaneously.
The doctor nodded and then walked briskly out of the room. Virgil then noticed that John was slumped in a chair and seemed a little dazed. "Are you okay there?" he asked, kneeling down in front of the stargazer.
"Yeah, just been a long day," lied John. He forced a smile to his face in an effort to reassure his family but he could see that Virgil didn't totally buy it. Luckily, his brother was distracted by the arrival of a Paramedic.
"I'm sorry to disturb you but I wasn't sure if you wanted this back," explained the young woman, holding out a bundle.
As Jeff moved closer, he realized that the bundle was in fact his son's uniform. It had been folded neatly but it couldn't disguise the awful state it was in.
"I know it's no use anymore but I thought it might be safer with you. There are too many who would make money off it and that's not right," she added seeing Jeff's reluctance to take it.
Gordon jumped up and took the bundle from her hands. "Thanks," replied Gordon, smiling at the young woman. The top layer was torn and muddy but there was no sign of blood. Gordon could see that it had been cleverly folded away.
"Well, I have an ambulance to clean so I'll leave you but I'm glad he is okay. You guys do some amazing work," she said and then quickly left the room as her radio crackled into life.
Gordon stared down at the torn uniform that was still pretty damp and then gently laid it down on a chair. He wanted to keep the worst of the damage hidden.
The door opened again and this time a nurse came in. "Would you like to see Scott?" she asked, smiling as the four men all nodded their heads. "Come with me then and I will take you to his room," she added and moved back towards the door.
The family stood up and followed the nurse down the corridor. It seemed surprisingly empty given the business of the main reception.
"Scott has been given his own room and it's at the end of the corridor. We also have a security guard on this floor so I will need to issue you all with passes. Do you have any other family who will want to see him?" she asked as they continued walking.
"Yes, I do," replied Jeff.
"Once you have seen your son, we'll sort out all the paperwork."
Jeff was relieved to know that he could see his son before dealing with all the other stuff. His pace quickened as they drew near the last door. He could sense the apprehension in his sons too. They were all desperate to see Scott.
The nurse opened the door and entered the room. Jeff took a deep breath before following her in. His eyes went straight over to the bed and his son. He quickly approached and took hold of his son's hand. He was surprised by just cold it felt. John, Virgil and Gordon surrounded the bed and looked down at their fallen brother. Apart from the pale skin and the bandage to his head, Scott looked just like he was asleep. The sheets had covered up the injury to his leg.
"He's going to have that IV out the minute he wakes up," commented Gordon, knowing how much his oldest brother hated them.
"He can try," muttered the nurse and Gordon could see instantly that she would keep his brother in line. He grinned and noticed a similar one on John's face. Virgil was looking more angry then anything and it worried Gordon a little. He had expected to see worry not anger. Before he could ask his older brother what was wrong, Virgil stepped away from the bed.
"Scott was right, this isn't worth it," he said angrily and stormed out of the room.
The other three looked at each other not understanding what Virgil was talking about. As much as Jeff didn't want to leave his oldest son, he knew he needed to talk to Virgil. It was unlike him to just storm off like that so something must be really bothering the artist. "I'm going to make sure he is okay. Will you be alright here?" he asked, turning to his other sons.
Gordon rolled his eyes at his Father. "Yeah, Dad. I think we can handle Scott for a little while," he retorted with a smirk and then softened it before adding, "You just sort Virge out."
Jeff smiled at his water-loving son and headed out of the door. He didn't notice that John was struggling to stay upright or that he had lost the little colour that was in his face.
Gordon, however, did but not in enough time to catch John as he collapsed. "John," yelled Gordon, racing over to his now unconscious brother.
So Virgil has stormed off in anger taking Jeff with him and now Gordon has to deal with an unconscious John. What will happen next? Find out soon if over-smothering brothers don't ban me from the comp.