1The building shook as a figure in an International Rescue uniform ran towards the entrance, with a young boy held closely to his chest. Burning debris began falling all around them as the figure ran as fast as he could, while dodging falling beams and pieces of plaster and brick. The comm-link in his ear crackled as a voice called out, "Come on! You're almost there," the shaking grew louder, "Quickly! Its coming down!" The figure threw the boy to his team mate, who grasped the boy and turned to shield him, just as the building collapsed. Cries from all sides erupted like a loud wailing chorus, for the brave soul trapped inside, who risked everything to save an innocent child.
Inside the ruins, a lone figure in a torn uniform slowly came to, coughing as dust, smoke and debris invaded his lungs, making breathing harder to do. His side erupted in pain, as he saw he was pinned under a large beam of wood, with flaming debris on top of it. He touched his side gently, biting back a scream as pain flared up fiercely. It felt wet, warm and sticky. He drew his hand away. Blood. He was bleeding heavily. And not just on the outside. He could feel it inside as well. The comm crackled into life. "Scott? Scott! Can you hear me? Please Scott." Scott groaned at the loudness of his brother's pleas. He managed to answer. "Y-Yes Virg…I can..hear you." There was a pause before Virgil responded. "Scott, how badly are you hurt?" Scott sighed. He was in too much pain to try and hide anything. " 'm not gonna..lie Virg. It's…bad."
Can't live for ever Won't see the end of time You promised me ten thousand years…
Outside, Virgil was trying to talk to his brother, while John and Alan were coordinating men to help clear the way to get in and rescue their fallen brother. Virgil's face went pale as he heard his brother's response. "What do you mean bad, Scott? What are your precise injuries?" There was a brief silence over the comm-link, as John looked over to him. "My side is…bleeding badly, I have some… internal bleeding somewhere, and there is… a beam and… burning debris on top of me." Virgil's face went even paler, as he realised the severity of his older brother's injuries. He instantly began to run to help his brothers and the other rescue units try to get into the pile of rubble, and reach the trapped pilot within. He reached for his comm-link. "Scott, you need to try and stay awake for me. Keep talking to me. We will get you out. I promise." Scotts next words gripped at his heart, like an icy hand had it within it's grasp.
Now I'm trapped and I can't get out I'm losing grip, can't figure out how…
Scott heard the desperation in his brother's voice. It wasn't just to reassure him. Scott knew that those words were needed to reassure Virgil, maybe even more than him. But Scott knew differently. As much as he wanted to be able to get out of this, somehow, he knew it wasn't likely to happen. He was bleeding heavily. "Virgil, listen… I don't think that's gonna… happen bro. I'm…bleeding badly." He paused to to cough, the pain pulsing from his side, making him cry out. "Bro…I'm not gonna last… much longer." Virgil's own words tugged sharply at Scott's heart strings, because they were voiced by all three of his brothers that were working tirelessly to reach him: "Scott Tracy, hang in there. We're not giving up on you, so don't you dare give up on us." Something in those words made Scott come to his senses, and even though he still believed that he may not survive this time, he felt a new strength build in him, and he braced himself against the beam that was laying on top of him, and began to push. The pain that erupted from his side made him bite down on his tongue, to try and muffle the scream that was threatening to come out. But, he managed to somehow pull himself from under the beam, before his strength left him, as quickly as it had came. Now, he saw his wound, and although the outer bleeding had slowed, Scott knew he was in serious trouble. His vision was fading slightly, as darkness began to creep into his vision. He managed to lift one shaking hand to his comm-link. "V-Virg…I…got my-myself out from…under…the beam. H..Hurry…Virg…" Of all the ways he had thought he would go, Scott had a horrible feeling that on a rescue may be one of those ways. He just hoped his brothers would prove him wrong.
You said I would swim, never drown You said I'd never be buried underground My breath would always breathe in and out Your love makes me immortal Your love made me immortal
At Scott's words, Virgil began digging with new found determination, alongside his brothers. With the help from the rescue crews surrounding him, they were getting to Scott much quicker than they had hoped. He looked to see Alan, the youngest of the family, digging ferociously, and felt a twinge of pride, at how determined the young blond was to get his brother and idol to safety. He renewed his efforts. One glance at his wristwatch told him that his brother was still alive under the rubble, but his life signal was fading rapidly. The signal was, however, getting much closer. They were a few yard away now. Virgil set his determination. He had to get Scott out. He just had to.
Soon, the cry of "I can see him!" echoed throughout the site. Virgil, Alan, John and Gordon all rushed to the source of the cry, and looked down. It took all of Alan's restraint to not throw up at the sight of his brother, covered in blood, and barely breathing. Virgil and John rushed to Scott's side, while Gordon tried to steady his younger brother, who looked as if he was going to vomit. Virgil gently tapped Scott's face to get his attention, causing him to flicker his eyes open. John let out a shaky laugh. "Hey there Scooter. You holding up okay?" Scott looked at his immediate younger brother, and gave him a weak smile. "Definitely felt… better… Johnny boy." John gave a small chuckle at the use of his old nickname, but frowned at how quiet his brother was, how slurred his speech was. Virgil immediately set about examining Scott's injuries. It could not be possible for him to turn any paler, but he somehow did it. 'This isn't looking good. We need to get him out of here and to a hospital now, or we'll lose him.' As if on cue, Gordon appeared next to him, with a stretcher. Gordon put his hand on Virgil's shoulder. "Alan's got Thunderbird 2 primed and ready to take off as soon as Scott's on board. John," he looked to his older brother. "you've got experience flying TB1, right?" At this, John nodded at his copper-haired brother. Gordon then continued, "Then you fly TB1 back to base, and pick up Dad, and Grandma, and then fly out to the hospital to meet us. We'll get Scooter to a medic ASAP." John nodded. Both brothers looked at Virgil, who looked at Scott. "Okay Scott," the medic said, " we're gonna shift you onto a stretcher. Brace yourself." He then turned to Gordon and John. "Help me position the stretcher, so we can get him on it, without aggravating his injuries any more than they already are." Nodding, Gordon positioned the stretcher carefully, as Virgil and John prepared to move Scott's broken body. What they were not prepared for, was the heart-wrenching scream that tore from the eldest brother's lungs, caused by the utter agony of being moved.
I can see you disappearing Slowly fading away I feel my body, feel it changing Getting weaker day by day
Scott felt pain radiate through him, as he screamed in agony. Eventually, the perpetual darkness that had been permeating his vision took over, his brothers' faces fading, as he passed out, not feeling his brothers carry his broken body as gently as they could to Thunderbird 2.
(3rd person) Scott had passed out after Virgil, John and Gordon had moved him onto the stretcher. In a way, this was more dangerous, as they would need to move quicker to get vital, life-saving blood into Scott's body, before he completely bled out internally. Soon enough, the three brother's had reached Thunderbird 2, and installed their fallen brother into the on-board infirmary. Alan initiated the launch flawlessly as soon as he saw that Scott was safe. Virgil then instantly set to work. He knew that if his brother had any chance of survival, he would need blood, and fast. He turned to Gordon, for John had already left for TB1, and had taken off. "Gordon," the medic intoned, "there are bags of Scott's blood type in that cabinet, and IV ports and drips. I need you to get them, fast." Gordon nodded and raced to the cabinet, opening it to find the blood bags, and IV ports. Grabbing as many blood bags as he could carry, Gordon made his way back to the medic, who inserted the IV ports and began to hook up the blood bags. Once that had been done, he then hooked Scott up to the machine which monitored his vitals, but gave worrying readings. Scott's heartbeat was sluggish, and he wasn't showing signs of coming around. Virgil looked around, and saw a sight that worried him even more. His brother, his copper-haired, prank-loving, mischief-making brother, was knelt next to Scott's bed, eyes shut tight, and hands clasped in prayer. He was praying for his brother to be alright, to hold on. Virgil sighed. He radioed to Alan, in the cockpit. "I'm sending Gordon up to you. He'll be able to help you up there."
In the cockpit, Alan knew that by Virgil's message, it wasn't for Alan's benefit that Gordon was being sent to the cockpit. His brother was breaking down, and Alan needed to give his prank-loving brother some much-needed support.
Gordon arrived in the cock-pit, drawn, and eyes wide. The echoes of his brother's heart wrenching scream still echoed in his mind, and was tearing him apart from the inside. Alan reached over and held his hand, giving him, what Alan hoped, was a reassuring smile.
Soon, they arrived at the hospital, and Scott was instantly wheeled from the sickbay, straight into the emergency centre. Virgil was rushing alongside a team of doctors and nurses, who were asking him for details. "His name is Scott Tracy. He's 29 years old. His injuries were caused by a collapsing building as he was getting a young boy to safety. A beam fell on top of him. As well as minor burns from the debris, he also has some dust and other possible irritants in his lungs, and he has internal and external bleeding, which we have tried to combat. He has been given a blood transfusion to prevent bleeding out." The doctors nodded, satisfied with the information given. "We'll rush him straight to theatre, and then to the ICU. Please, wait here, and we will come and get you as soon as we can." Virgil hung back in the waiting room, with Alan and Gordon. He sat next to them heavily, placing his head in his hands, and letting out a choked sob. His brother's fate was completely out of his hands now. He sent up a silent prayer. 'Mum, please. Don't let my brother die. We still need Scooter. Please.' Soon, he heard his Dad's voice, at the reception desk, "Please, my son was brought in here not long ago. His name is Scott Tracy." Virgil could hear the desperation in his father's voice, and stood up, shakily. He remembered that he was still in his International Rescue Uniform, and therefore, he couldn't just go and hug his father, like he so desperately wanted. He walked over. "Excuse me, Mr Tracy?" Jeff Tracy, the family patriarch turned, and saw his son walk towards him, his mother, and John. "I was the one who brought your son in. I can perhaps give you an update on his condition." Jeff nodded, and saw that his middle child was trying his hardest not to lose it and break down completely. He looked over to Alan and Gordon, who, up until this point, had been staring ahead, completely blank. As if they were numb from the head down. They were in their civilian garb, so they would not be mistaken for International Rescue members. Virgil turned to the nurse at the reception desk. "Would it be okay if we used the private waiting room?" He asked, as professionally as he could, trying to ignore the lump that was steadily building in his throat.
Now I'm trapped and I can't get out I'm losing grip, can't figure out how…
Once inside the private waiting area, Virgil let down all his walls and completely broke down in his father's arms, sobbing as he felt tears stream down his face. Jeff was completely taken aback by the force of his brother's emotions, and, looking to Gordon, he saw that Gordon was in a similar state to Virgil. Both boys were sobbing openly. Alan, the youngest, was still managing to keep some hold of the tears that threatened to spill. He spoke softly. "Dad, Scott has internal and external bleeding, dust and other possible irritants in his lungs, and minor burns from falling debris. When we found him, he was so still, Dad. He-" Alan could no longer keep any hold on his emotions, as his own tears began to trickle down his face. Jeff looked at his own mother in desperation. But she too, was dabbing at the tears that were falling slowly down her face.
(In the theatre)
The surgeons and doctors battled ferociously to save the life of Scott Tracy. The blood that Virgil had pumped into him had given them precious minutes. But the extent of his injuries were great. Almost too great. The beeping of the heart monitor grabbed the attention of everyone. "Quickly! He's failing! We need to get him stabilised NOW!" The orders of the surgeon echoed throughout the surgery, as the orderlies worked to drain the blood that was flowing out of Scott's broken body.
(In the waiting room) Jeff Tracy paced back and forth in the waiting room, as Virgil sat with his brothers, staring straight ahead. The tears had stopped flowing, but now, there was a silence which terrified Jeff. It was like waiting to be told the worst, waiting for his own execution. He looked to his mother, who had her eyes closed, and her hands clasped together, in prayer for her eldest grandson's deliverance. The door to the waiting room opened, and a surgeon came in. "Family of Scott Tracy?" He called out. All of the Tracys stood up. The surgeon motioned them to follow him to a consultation room.
You said I would swim, never drown You said I'd never be buried underground My breath would always breathe in and out Your love makes me immortal Your love made me immortal
Once all the family were assembled, the surgeon began to speak. "Mr Tracy, I am the chief surgeon who was operating on your son. Thanks to the emergency transfusion done by the international rescue operative," at this, he nodded at Virgil in thanks, " your son was given a greater survival chance, whereas in any other case, he would have bled out." At this, the entire family looked hopeful. There was a chance that Scott had survived? The surgeon looked grim as he continued, "His heart did stop during the surgery to stabilise him, and we had to resuscitate him. He is stable now, but his condition is critical. The next twenty-four hours are vital, and he needs round-the-clock supervision. We have moved him to the Intensive Care Unit, if you wish to see him, however, we can only let two of you in at a time." Jeff could swear his heart broke at the mention of Scott's heart stopping. But his son was still alive. Barely holding on, but alive. He looked at the surgeon. "Can you please take us to him?" He begged. The surgeon nodded, and led the family towards the ICU.
Mrs Tracy audibly gasped at the sight of her grandson, lying there, pale as the sheets that were covering his body, with wires hooked up to machines that were monitoring him, and keeping him alive. A sob next to her told her that John was also in the same state of mind as herself. She looked to her son, and saw that his heart was breaking at the sight of his son. She decided to let Gordon and Alan go in first. Both boys' eyes widened, and walked through the door.
Approaching Scott's bedside, Gordon felt Alan grip his hand tightly. They both sat down, and gently touched Scott's arm. Alan cleared his throat. "H-Hey Scott. I don't know if you can hear me. But hang in there, please? We-we all need you here with us Scooter. Please come back to us, big brother." He whispered. Gordon couldn't say anything. The moment he laid eyes on his older brother, his throat had seized up, making it impossible for him to speak.
Just as they left the room, the monitors that were helping Scott to stay alive began to let off an alarm bell, summoning doctors to the ward. The family were forced to watch the doctors battle to save Scott's life once more, as his heart began to fail him.
Taken my life Taken my soul Taken my heart Taken my dreams Taken my love Taken my smile Taken my laugh Taken my breathing
Scott opened his eyes, blinking them rapidly. He stood up, and felt no pain. All around him was whiteness and light. 'Where am I?' He thought. A gentle sounding voice echoed from behind him. "My darling boy." Scott turned, and his eyes widened. Before him stood his mother, wreathed in a pale yellow glow. She was smiling softly, with kindness in her eyes. She held her arms open, and Scott wasted no time, running into them, and relishing in the warmth of her embrace. He then frowned slightly, pulling away from her. "Does this mean Im-" He began to ask, but his mother waved her hand. "That depends on you, Scott." She told him. He looked confused, so she continued. "You can choose to move on, or you can go back." At this, Scott froze. As much as he wanted to be reunited with the mother he had lost so young, could he really abandon his family?
(In the ICU)
The doctors were still battling to save Scott's life, and try to restart his heart. But their efforts were having no effect. Outside, the family were in turmoil. Alan was frozen in shock and fear, unable to look away from the doctors that were doing all they could. Gordon was looking, wide-eyed at his father, who was mirroring Alan's position. Mrs Tracy's hands were over her mouth, with hot tears streaming down her face. John was facing the wall, punching it in frustration, before hearing a soft thump. He looked down to see Virgil sink to the floor, sobbing into his arms. John immediately sank down next to him, and placed his arm around him, offering what little comfort he could. They all looked up in horror when they heard the heart monitor flatline. One thought echoed throughout the entire Tracy family, and the doctors alike: 'No.'
Taken my life Taken my soul Taken my heart Taken my dreams Taken my love Taken my smile Taken my laugh Taken my breathing
Scott looked at his mother, and his determination was set. "Mom, I have to go back. They need me." His mother smiled at him. She knew the choice he would make. It wasn't his time to come to her yet. She hugged her son, and watched as he faded from her world, back to his own.
(In the ICU)
The doctors slowly filed out of the room. One of them stopped and turned to Jeff. He laid his hand heavily on Jeff's shoulder. "I-I'm so sorry. We tried everything we could." He murmured. Jeff just nodded mutely. The lump that had formed in his throat was making it impossible to speak. The doctor left, and Jeff opened the door to his deceased son's room. Tears fell from his eyes as he looked upon Scott's still body. "I'I'm so sorry Lucy." He wept. "I-I've failed. I've failed to keep them safe. Please forgive me." He turned to go, but the beeping of a machine stopped him in his tracks. He looked to his family, who were also looking on in shock, tears of grief still trickling, but their eyes widened. Hope was slowly rekindling in their eyes.
In heaven, a woman watched the scene unfold. 'Come on Scott. You can do it. Wake up.' She whispered, watching her family slowly approach the bed, daring to hope that there was some possible sign of life.
Ahh…
Scott felt the pain of his body, and knew he was still alive, but why couldn't he open his eyes? He heard his father beg his mother for forgiveness. Heard his brothers weep, but why were they weeping? He was alive now, wasn't he? He could hear the machine beeping. He wanted to open his eyes, and show them all that he wasn't beaten yet.
Jeff turned slowly, and his own eyes went even wider. Scott's chest was slowly moving up an down, signalling life. But that was impossible. His heart had stopped. He was declared dead. Yet…
He turned to Alan, about to tell him to fetch a doctor, but Alan had beaten him to it. The boy had already taken off to find someone. So he turned back to his son, and the rest of his family did the same, gathering around his bedside. Gordon was the first to speak. "Scooter? If you can hear me, then open those eyes, and prove how strong us Tracy's are. We need our captain back. Someone has to be there to drag John's sorry ass down from the rooftops when he spends too long star-gazing." He chuckled as John let out a cry of indignation, but then leaned close to Scott's ear. "We need you back with us Scott."
Mrs Tracy was next. "Come on now, dear," she coaxed, "we need to see those handsome cobalt blue eyes of yours open again." John cleared his throat, and began to speak softly. "Come on, Scooter. Gordon's right. We need our captain back. We need you. Come back to us big bro." Virgil could barely speak, but he managed to croak out a plea for Scott to return to him. "Scott, please. We need you back with us. You're our leader, Scott. I- We need you back."
Jeff Tracy spoke last. "Son, please. Come back. I can't lose you. Not now." Scott's eyelids began to flutter. Then they slowly opened, to the immense joy and relief of his family.
You said I would swim, never drown You said I'd never be buried underground My breath would always breathe in and out Your love makes me immortal Your love made me immortal
Alan returned with the doctor, who immediately began checking Scott's vitals. He was astounded that a patient, who was, for all intents and purposes dead, would be able to come back to life. The family were laughing, crying and smiling with pure joy, at the miracle. The doctor left, completely dumbfounded by the turn of events, but left strict instructions to not excite Scott.
The entire family gathered around Scott's bed. Scott smiled wearily at his family. "Hey guys." He said, somewhat croakily. Jeff let out a weak laugh, still unable to believe that his son, who only moments ago had been declared dead, had came back to life. Said son turned to his father, with a frown on his face. Jeff took in his son's concern. "What is it Scott?" He asked. Scott's response was one that made him burst out laughing: "I'm grounded, aren't I dad?". Jeff's laughter caught on, and soon, all the Tracy's were laughing, even Scott, who had to stop, as the pain in his side flared up. He let out a yawn, which caught his grandmother's attention. She smiled softly, and began to usher the boys out of the room. "Come along everyone. Its been a long day. Scott needs to rest." Sure enough, Scott felt his eyes begin to close, as he dozed off. The last thing he heard was his father whisper "Goodnight, Ace," before leaving and closing the door. Smiling at the use of his childhood nickname, Scott fell fast asleep in his hospital bed.
Up in heaven, Lucille Tracy smiled down at her eldest son, and continued her never-ending vigil over her family, always watching, always smiling.
Your love makes me immortal Your love made me immortal