Tracy: - Jeff and Lucille- Scott (13), John (11), Virgil (8), Gordon (5), Alan (3).
Vialli: - Bernardo and Jasmine- Mikey/ Michel (13), Max (7).
Vialli: - Giovanni and Sophia- Juno (14)
Bernardo and Sophia are brother and sister. Mikey and Scott are school friends.
The Vialli family are Italian minus Jasmine who is American and her kids who are half-Italian.
This story is set in the same universe as My Limit.
Scott's first rescue and failure.
Grandma's P.O.V.
I knew it would be bad. I knew this would take its toll on my Grandsons. I just didn't realise how bad it could get…
3rd person P.O.V.
Scott got back first. With Thunderbird One it was almost inevitable. However, the look on his face when he entered the living room was the first sign something was wrong. He didn't seem to notice anyone as he left to his room pale, shaking and grieved as though the weight of the world was piled upon his shoulders and no-one could help. When you think about it, filling the role of mum, dad and eldest brother whilst also leading International Rescue meant it was in a way and he would never tell anyone or let them share his burden should it hurt them. For fear his voice would break, he hadn't said a word.
The others arrived soon after, confirming the household's fears. Virgil had silently retreated to his room, eyes red and puffy. Gordon had dived straight into the pool and begun to swim laps with fury. He hadn't joked about or even smiled. Alan quietly retreated to his room claiming he felt sick and tired and that he just wanted to sleep. Grandma had watched in attentive silence, subtly observing her families every move. Kayo curiously observed but was clueless to the cause.
The house fell still with only the occasional splash from the pool.
Kayo's P.O.V.
John calls in about 10 minutes after the boys get back. "How are they?" he seems as haunted as the others despite being up on Five and I can't help but wonder what could have shaken them up so badly. The mission was a simple avalanche search and rescue because the services couldn't get there. Grandma replies, "15 years isn't enough time to heal. I know you haven't." Heal from what? "It was bad, Grandma, really bad." Missions often go badly. What makes this one different? Grandma then asks "Anyone I should keep an eye on?" I am so confused. "Scott. He was in the air and his jetpack knocked some loose snow and caused a small-fall that hit the others. He and Virgil both remember it as vividly as I do if not more so make sure they eat and drink and try and get everyone to talk." He pauses before continuing, "It was so similar. I'm just so glad I wasn't there in person because I can't hold up a team and keep a mission from going downhill like Scott does. I can't just repress it at the time and let it out later. Guess that's why I'm on Five, huh?" Ok, so Scott is feeling eldest brother guilt and something like this has happened before that was probably traumatic for the boys. Maybe I should ask Grandma? "I will John. Get some rest and I will call back later." The call cuts out and I wander over. "What happened? Before I mean." she looks at me and it dawns on her that I really don't know. She indicates I sit down and I comply.
Grandma's P.O.V.
Once Kayos siting down I begin though I am shocked she doesn't know. "They lost their mother 15 years ago in an avalanche." Shock runs through her face. I decide to tell her the whole story.
"It was going well as far as holidays were concerned…"
Memory from 3rd person P.O.V.
Scott's friend Mikey and his family had invited them to stay at Mikey's aunt and uncles in the Alps in Italy. They had been there several days without issue. It had been plenty of fun according to the postcard sent on the Wednesday. However, on the Thursday there was an avalanche. Lucille and Jasmine, Mikey's mum, were with Max, Mikey's younger brother, Alan and Gordon near the bottom of the slope, practicing and having fun. Jeff and Bernardo, Mikey's dad, had taken Virgil and John part way up, having just clambered of the chairlift and had stopped at a café called 180°. Giovanni or Gio and Sophia, Mikey's aunt and uncle, had taken Mikey, Scott and Juno, Mikey's cousin, to the top and were in the café up there.
It was actually two avalanches and the sound and unsteadiness of the lower one started the higher one. Jeff, Bernardo, Virgil and John heard yells of avalanche and safely ducked into 180° meaning they were safe, its position out of the way of the momentum. They soon skied down to where the others had been.
Lucille had heard the cries and they had moved into what they hoped was a stable building. Lots of people joined them. Unfortunately, the avalanche crumbled the building with the speed it had picked up on its way down. Lucille and Jasmine had kept Max, Alan and Gordon safe but broke a lot of bones and caught hypothermia.
Jeff, Bernardo, Virgil and John were taken to a makeshift medical area that had been set up. Their names were crossed of the missing list and they were assigned an area for the Tracy/Vialli families. About an hour after this; Alan, Max and Gordon were brought over and the families were informed that both Jasmine and Lucille were going to hospital (to his grave Jeff never felt any resentment towards the Vialli family over the fact that Jasmine lived and Lucille did not) but Jeff's worries only faded slightly at the news because rumours of a second avalanche, this time at the top of the mountain, were flying through the rescue area and communications with the top third of the mountain had been lost 15 minutes after the original avalanche had ended.
Only about 5 minutes passed before communication with the cafes along the peak except one had been established. A man in a high visibility jacket came over and delivered some bad news. Juno, Gio, Sophia, Mikey and Scott were not at any of the Cafes or stations that had communicated and that, while there was still hope that they were in the last one, it didn't look good.
When the final café radioed through, to their relief, Gio and Sophia were there. It was short lived because all three kids had disappeared. With the names from the final café the teams now new that 853/1000 people were accounted for but 147 people were missing. This included 96 under 18s (including the 3 Tracy/Vialli kids) and 51 adults. One woman, after hearing the descriptions said they had ran out before the avalanche hit and were probably washed away. She added her commiserations and moved away weeping about the child she had lost to the snow as well.
By some miracle it was at this hopeless moment a walky-talky blared out "Is anyone there?" It was Juno. Gio picked up the device "Hello. We can hear you loud and clear." Another voice (Scott's) joined Juno's. "See, I told you leaving my walky-talky would be useful in helping these kids." And third voice (Mikey) said "Yeah but this whole mess was your idea Scott and unless you haven't noticed these kids won't be safe until they are back with their parents." The mountain ranger (Paulo) was confused and asked "Kids?" Scott replied "Yeah. I saw these six kids and realised they would be killed so I called for Juno and Mikey to help me help them and left my 'walky' on the side so we could communicate later. It was kinda stupid but I needed to help them. We are all pretty much ok though, aren't we?" There was a chorus of yesses that sounded like 5 or 6 year olds as well as two obviously annoyed teens. Paulo the ranger now took over the conversation. "Scott?" "Yeah?" "Can you please give me your name and the names of everyone in there with you?" "Ok. There's me, Scott Tracy and there's also Juno and Mikey Vialli, Rose Willows, Dave Myers, Toby Jones, Jacqueline du Poisson, Timmy Todd and Lisa Smith." The woman from earlier was, along with her friends, ecstatic to find their children were ok. She called out, "Scott, you and your friends are heroes. What you did was brave and it has saved my child's life. I cannot thank you three enough." It warmed many hearts to know that this kid and his friends risked their lives to save 6 kids and many voiced their opinions, saying hero was the title they deserved.
It should have taken 60+ minutes to find and rescue the 9 trapped near the café but people dug with all their heart and will and they were out in 40. They had a hero's welcome as they entered the base camp. They were all hugged by their families and many people were congratulating them from everywhere.
That was when Jeff and Bernardo had to tell Scott and Mikey that their mothers were in hospital and that they had to go and see them. The poor boys were scared but kept as brave as possible for their little brothers.
Once in hospital it was revealed that Jasmine would make a full recovery but for Lucille it was still undetermined. Bernardo and his boys went with Sophia, Gio and Juno to see Jasmine and Jeff and Scott were taken aside leaving John to look after Virgil, Gordon and Alan for a few minutes. They were told there was only a 13% chance Lucille would survive the night. Jeff went in to speak with her and Scott went to sit with his brothers. He described his day in detail and kept his brothers captivated. Jeff came in and said Lucille wanted to speak to Scott. Scott slowly ventured into her room.
She was pale and had a blue tinge to her smiling lips. He sat beside her and she looked directly into his eyes. "Scotty, I need you to promise me that you will always be there for you brothers and father like the strong little hero you are. Please, Scotty, promise me." She knew he was a hero because it was all the hospital had been talking about. "I, I, I promise mummy. I will but I shouldn't need to because you will be there, won't you mummy?" "I love you and your brothers Scotty. No matter where I am I will. I will watch over you from above and you must never forget me." "I will mummy. I love you." That was when the heart monitor let out on long final beep and doctors swarmed in pushing Scott to the corner of the room.
.
.
.
"She died in that room, killed by an avalanche, and her death was the original inspiration for International Rescue. Scott has kept his promise through thick and thin fighting bullies, wars and Mother Nature but has never told his brothers or father about it." Grandma finished adding one more comment, "The boys and their father were broken. Jeff went deep into his work, Scott threw away his childhood to act parent to his brothers, John receded into his schoolwork and education, Virgil took up music and art, Gordon started pranking to get his grief out and Alan grew up with Scott as his parents."
Kayo was startled. She never knew about what happened to Lucille Tracy and though she knew it was tragic this was shocking. They lost their mother to snow. To a force they could not stop. Scott saw his mother die and then became parent to four younger boys. He'd been parental for as long as she has known him but she never even questioned why.
What neither Kayo nor Grandma knew was all the boys had stopped their respective tasks and come to listen; each sat or stood in different doorways, each silently sobbing at the memories. They slowly emerged Alan first, Virge second and Gordon last.
Scott decided not to emerge and instead listened to his brothers, sister and Grandma talking. It reassured him to know they were talking about it but he couldn't get the images of the rescue out of his mind. Inclement weather meant thunderbird two took 2 hours longer than usual and that was two hours Scott had spent pulling people, alive and dead, from the snow. Bawling children who had lost family, broken bodies and a group of teens who had died saving 6 kids all less than 7 years old. Families without children, mothers, fathers and it was so similar to that day. The teens had not been identified. One girl was blond with a red heart pendant; the boy was brunette with a bible and the last girl was ginger with blue glasses and an I-phone infinity they were trying to crack for personal information. The kids hadn't made it either. He was reminded about how that could have been him 15 years ago. He hadn't told his brothers about what had happened today on the mission and he didn't plan too. They didn't need to know.
Virgil was in shock. He thought he knew Scott the best but now he wasn't so sure. How could Scott never tell him about promising to look after them? Scott was always protective and they could get into arguments about it. Everyone got into arguments about it except grandma. If they had known he was doing it for their mothers sake, for her last request he, they would probably have let it slip or at least been fine with it. It made sense why grandma never commented other than to say Scott had his reasons. Scott did have his reasons.
John called up and frowned as he stated "Guys, we have a situation…"
Fin