The Ransom (Part 6)
By Jenny Taylor
In a darker, smaller version of a medical bay, the Hood sits in a dark office chair looking at his hypothermic and unconscious prisoner.
The bed backs onto a wall opposite the door, on the left hand side of the bed are some out-dated medical monitor machines, mainly monitoring the heart-rate and the temperature of the patient.
On the right stands a pair of oxygen tanks, being warmed up by a small infra-red heater, with a breathing tube coming from the top of the tanks heading towards a respirator mask, strapped to face of the patient, who's receiving the warm oxygen into his cold, lifeless body.
Attached on the right hand side of the room is a metal bar, with all the wet clothes removed from the unconscious Tracy hanging from it, with water droplets dripping into a large, dark, shallow container.
The patient/prisoner is wrapped from head to toe in white, brushed cotton blankets, like an Egyptian Mummy, except for the face which has a respirator mask over his nose and mouth and a blindfold, in a form of a bandage, covering his eyes.
There are wires which are poking out through the cracks of the fabric, connecting to the machines. The mummy-like body is strapped to the bed, restricting and preventing any escape should the patient/prisoner awaken from his cold, wet slumber.
It had been an hour since Virgil succumbed to hypothermia, which is not good news for the Hood, since he wants Virgil alive, not just as a bargaining chip to International Rescue ran by the Tracys, but also for a more sinister plan once the Tracys believe that Virgil is dead.
Then the machines alerted the bold-headed villain that his prisoner is stirring, which is being confirmed by a groan and a small movement from the head. The Hood grinned. As long as the Tracy is alive that's the most important thing.
He sits in his chair waiting; waiting until his blind and bound prisoner to regain full consciousness so he can seduce him to fear, fear of the plans that he has in-store for him.
Back at the Danger Zone of the Sydney Tower complex, International Rescue, the GDF and the local public services are working hard together in order to get the situation under control.
In the sky, Scott used the grappling cable from his remote-controlled Thunderbird to try and prevent the tower from falling onto the streets and buildings below, while the GDF rescue crew airlifts the remaining personal from the Golden Turret as fast and as safely as they can, while he himself, with John's help from Thunderbird Five's powerful sensors, cuts his way into the turret to reach the people who are trapped by debris, by using his grapple gun with a laser cutter attachment.
On the ground, the fire services from all across Sydney are slowly, but surely getting the fire under control as well as getting the trapped people free from the complex with some help from some of the medics.
The APF have cornered off the Danger Zone, preventing anyone, apart from the required services, from entry and directing everyone away until given the all-clear to re-enter the affected area.
Alan uses the Foam Pod to stabilize the base, of the tower, while Gordon uses the Mole Pod to dig from the landing site of Hyde Park North, avoiding underground train lines and major utility pipes and cables, to the lowest basement of the tower complex, in an attempt to reduce the water levels in the basements and increasing the chances of survival of the trapped people.
The medics have setup make shift hospitals in Royal Botanic Gardens, which is situated next to Metro Parking Sydney Hospital, with ambulances ferrying patients to and from the Danger Zone, make-shift hospitals and the main hospital. Also they are attending to the injured that are trapped in the complex.
Well, most sensible medics, who are doing the sensible things and working alongside with fellow rescuers trying to stay as safe as possible, as long as the situation allows. Except for one.
A lone and famous medic, a doctor-in-training, with several reputations and nicknames to match, carries her own medical equipment to the basement, which is flooding from the fractured water tank, was reaching the trapped and injured persons.
The doctor is 5 feet tall, wearing a white, made-to-measure flying and medical suit with the distinctive badges of a medic, a doctor and advance pilot. A torch/camera mounted on left shoulder of a made-to-measure, specialised harness/medical utility belt, a hologram controller attached to her left wrist and a white, made-to-measure helmet complete with a torch/camera mounted on the right side and adjustable goggles/lenses/sensors which moves in front of the visor.
The doctor manages to reach the 2nd basement level, with the water rising up to her knees. She's glad that her suit and equipment is waterproof, keeping her warm and dry, but the downside is that she couldn't swim, but she knows that she's got a job to do.
She uses the infra-red sensor on her helmet to look for heat signatures. There are people in the room. She uses her laser cutter to cut a hole in the door big enough for a human to get through. She switches on her torches and calls out.
"Anyone injured?" The people turns around and looks at her filled with relief.
"It's Rescue Girl!" The local children cried out with happiness. The doctor rolled her eyes and sighed and then returns her 'Rescue Mode'.
"Is everyone okay?" She asks looking for anyone in trouble.
"There's a child with his leg trapped underneath the rubble and we can't move him, plus the water's rising." A male called out.
A trapped and injured child, that's the last thing that doctor needs, since she experienced something similar when she was younger.
"Okay, I'll sort it out," She replied calmly before addressing everyone in the room. "Right, I want everyone who is not injured to help the injured to ground level, the fire services will help you out."
"But, what about my son?" Cried a panicked mother of the trapped boy. The doctor moves over to them.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine," She reassures the panicked mother. "Besides, International Rescue is here to help." The boy, who's struggling to keep his head above the rising water and awake, perked up with joy.
"International Rescue's here?" The doctor nodded. "Cool!" The word he's managed to speak out before his mouth is full of water. His mother panicked as she watches her son going under as the doctor quickly whipped out a respirator and then used her free hand to temporary hold his head above the water and instructed the boy as simply and calmly as possible.
"Kid. Spit the water out. Then take a deep breath and then hold it while I put this mask on. When the mask is on you can relax and most importantly stay calm." The boy nodded and did what he was told while the doctor attached the respirator and turned on the oxygen tank. The doctor turned to inform and reassure his mother.
"Your son will safe with me until International Rescue arrives with the correct equipment to remove the debris from his leg. Once that's done I'll hand him over to my colleagues on ground level where they might take him to the nearest children's hospital."
"Thank you Rescue Girl. But I want to stay with my son." The doctor shook her head.
"I understand that you want to be beside your son, but it will be easier for everyone if you are safe and wait for him on the surface. I know it sounds cruel, but it will make the job easier for International Rescue if you weren't present at the scene, due to the nature of the situation."
The mother nods reluctantly, stands up and wades through the water to the fire exit, she stops turns to look back at her son, who's now underwater and the white suit of the doctor kneeing next to him.
"Thank you, doc." She calls out and was received with a thumb up from the doctor; the mother then turns and walks up the stairs of the fire exit, putting her faith and trust of a famous doctor.
The doctor checks her young patient underwater, since now they are both submerged, that is until the doctor felt vibrations from the water and from the floor she's kneeling on, then she can hear some rumbling.
Must be one of my cousins in the Mole Pod, but which one? She thought, wandering where the Mole is coming from, then out of the blue, a sudden rush of water was draining fast down the fire exit to the level below. The doctor held onto the boy in one hand and used her free hand to grab hold of the crossbeam which has pinned her patient down.
After a few seconds the water level has reduced to 12 inches in depth, releasing her grip from the crossbeam, she removes the respirator from the child, so he can breathe some air, maybe not fresh air, but as long there's no smoke from the fire above reaching down into the basement he can breathe and more importantly, communicate with each other.
"How are you feeling kid?" She asks, observing him for injuries. Despite the water being 12 inches deep, she can see that the boy's legs are broken and are bleeding underneath the debris.
"I feel cold." Came a small reply. The doctor looked at him.
She can see that he's starting to suffer from hypothermia, which is not good for him due to his other injuries and shock, plus the fact that he's a child. She reaches for her bag and retrieves a large packet, opens it and removes an emergency, waterproof thermal blanket from it. She wraps the blanket around the child as best as could without causing any more pain from the boy.
"This will help you keep warm as possible, until International Rescue arrives to free you from the wreckage." She smiles, knowing full well that she has to keep him awake and calm until the cavalry arrives. "So, what is your name?"
"M-My name is Joe, Rescue Girl." Joe replied with a mixture of excitement, nervousness and shock.
"So Joe," The doctor said calmly, "Can you tell me what happened here?" She asked him calmly, rubbing his back in reassurance, by this point she has temporary turned from a medic into a detective.
"Well," The young boy started worryingly, until a voice, coming from the fire exit, interrupted him.
"Hello, anyone in here? It's International Rescue." The doctor turns to face the exit.
If, from what I've been told is correct, and given the situation with Virgil, I guess that voice must belong to that annoying Clown Fish. She scowled at first, but then returned to 'Work Mode' and called out to the caller.
"Basement level 2 and we need your help." Then she heard someone running up the staircase and then a figure in IR uniform appeared through the hole in the door.
"Huh? Who made the hole in the door?" The man said in confusion.
"I did," The doctor replied. "But never mind that now, we have a medical situation." The man turned to look at the twosome in the water and ran up to them.
"What's the problem doc?" He said as he knelt down next to the doctor, looking at Joe.
"A crossbeam plus some debris has landed, trapped and fractured both of Joe's legs. He's suffering from hypothermia and I used a respirator to give him some oxygen while we were underwater." The doctor replied.
"What?" The man knelt back in shock. "How long have you both been underwater?"
"Five minutes max." Just then Joe, who was shivering, looked up at the 2 adults which put a smile on his face.
"Whoa! International Rescue and Rescue Girl, working together! That's so cool!" Joe exclaimed his face beaming in delight as the man looked at the doctor.
"Rescue Girl?" The man quizzed the doctor.
"One of many nicknames with reputations that I receive nationally when I'm on and off duty." The doctor sighed. "My real name is Doctor Jaycee Anderson."
"The name's Gordon. Sheeze, how many nicknames have you got?" Gordon introduced himself in surprise as to the response from Dr. Anderson. Jaycee glared at Gordon, which he had to back off.
"Now's not the time, Joe's been in the water approximately 30 minutes tops, we need to get him out now as he's suffering from hypothermia, shock, blood loss and a drop in blood pressure, which will drop more once the pressure from the debris is released." Jaycee snapped, her filled with urgency.
"Okay, okay." Gordon replied, backing off from the agitated doctor and reached for his comms. "Scott, Alan, are you guys done up there? We have a situation down here."
"The last of the people have just been airlifted out of the turret, what's the problem Gordon?" Scott replied over the comms.
That must be Speedy Gonzalez over the comms in Thunderbird 1, so the question is where's Monkey Boy? Jaycee thought as Alan's voice came over the comms.
"I've just finished repairing the water tank and on my way to fixing the cables, why? What's wrong Gords?"
"There's an injured boy with his legs trapped underneath the debris, which I can't move myself. Plus there's a famous female medic down here keeping him calm." Gordon replied first with seriousness and then with cheerfulness. Jaycee rolled her eyes.
"Now's not the time to be playing with celebrities Gordon." Scott snapped and was about to continue until Jaycee snapped back angrily.
"EXCUSE ME! I didn't ask to be a celebrity nor do I want to be one either, especially when peoples' lives are at risk. So don't call me by that hated C word in front of me again, especially when I'm on duty." Jaycee's outburst to Scott's choice of words made Gordon jump and made Joe scared.
"Okay, okay! No need to get jumpy about it!" Said Gordon, trying to calm down a red-faced doctor, before turning back to his comms. "Nice going there Scott, now what do we do with the debris?" He asked his Field Commander.
"I'll use the laser cutter to cut the debris, then I'll use the grappling cable from Thunderbird 1 to help lift up some of the debris. Gordon, use Virgil's 'Jaws of Life' to lift the debris off the patient." Scott replied.
"I'll need assistance to help the boy out, he drifting in and out of conscience and his temperature is dropping. Plus I need extra hands once the pressure is released from his legs, in case the patient goes into cardiac arrest." Came a now calm doctor, still checking Joe's vital life signs.
"Understood. Alan as soon as you've finished the repairs to the cables, meet Gordon at his location for assistance." Scott commanded.
"F.A.B." Replied a serious Alan. Gordon turned off his comms and turns to Jaycee.
"My colleagues will be here shortly to remove the debris; I'm off to collect the 'Jaws of Life' to help. Will you two be okay?" Asked a concerned Gordon. Jaycee nodded, then Gordon turns and heads to the fire exit, leaving Jaycee and Joe alone in the damaged, waterlogged room.
I hoped that I could meet them under different circumstances, but that's life for you. Jaycee sighed as she watches Gordon disappear out of the room.