Randomness

-oOo-

As Thunderbird 2 entered the hangar and powered down, Virgil didn’t even bother with doing post-flight checks. He just needed out. “Nothing personal, Girl.” He assured the specialised craft, as he ran his hand over her interior hull, making his way down. As he disembarked, his feet seemed to carry him to the service elevator, straight to the villa. A routine that was usually engrained in his being, that brought him a sense of control, was merely perceived as a barrier, a nuisance.  Staring ahead at the metal doors as the elevator drew him up, Virgil swayed and counted the seconds, the paces it would take to get to where he wanted to. Coming to a halt, the doors hissed open and he shot through. It took him 23 paces, to reach the end of the hallway and press on the door handle. As it swung open, his eyes fell on the woman before him. 

Glancing up from her book, Vani’s smile soon disappeared as she saw the hardened expression the pilot wore. “Virgil.” Without second thought, Vani had clambered off the bed and crossed the space between them. Virgil’s mind, upon registering where he was, and who he was with, let his body collapse into the woman. Arms wrapped around him tightly, Vani held up her love as he broke down into heaving sobs. Tears welling in her eyes, Vani held him steady and rubbed his back as she cooed reassurance. “I’ve got you Virg, and I won’t let go until you say so.” Virgil held his lifeline tightly, and some conscious part of him was screaming at him for crushing the woman he loved so deeply. He buried his face into her soft curls, the smell of cocoa butter and pineapple a familiar, soothing presence. It wasn’t often that Virgil would be so impacted by a rescue. But he was grateful that she was there when he needed. Even after Virgil’s cries had soothed, he couldn’t find himself ready to let go. 

“Virgil?” Vani whispered. “I’m just gonna have a quick look at you.” Pulling away, Virgil looked at Vani with a tear streaked, reddened face. Her heart nearly broke at the look in his eyes - the slight fear of being left alone in his vulnerability, and the uncertainty. Holding his hands and squeezing a few times, she gave him a small smile as she scanned over his form. His IR blues, usually so vibrant, we muddied with dirt and soot. And blood. Streaks, pools, splatters. Being a trained medic, Virgil often supported emergency response personnel in the field if need be.

“I’m just checking for injuries.” Vani verbalised, as her hands traced over the blood stains and slightly prodded. The blood was dried, with no oxygen rich pools flooding the spaces. But that didn’t mean they didn’t hurt the man, with the way his eyes fell to her hands. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” Gently moving him to their ensuite bathroom, the man held her hand like a small child, letting her lead the way. 

As she turned the taps on, the sound of water filling the ceramic tub echoed within the room. Steam rose, looking inviting as Virgil’s gaze fell on the body. Hands on his chest drew his attention back to the present, his eyes falling on Vani. “I’m going to start removing your suit, starting with your baldritch. You use your hands, or your words, if you want me to stop. Is that okay?” Of course. Virgil thought to himself. I trust you entirely. But words couldn’t form, and so a simple nod sufficed. Nodding back, she began to unfasten the clips on either side of his hips and thighs. As they slid down, Vani gently lifted the baldritch sash over his head and let it drop, kneeling as he stepped out. 

“Hold onto my shoulder.” Doing as instructed, he kept his balance as she undid his boots and pushed both the baldritch and it aside. Standing upright, she gently held his hands and pulled off the velcro pads for his gloves, slipping them off. As she put them neatly on the benchtop, her gaze lifted to him. “Are you okay with me undoing your suit?” Virgil nodded, and Vani unzipped the top. Helping him discard the dirtied suit, his thermal undershirt and undergarments, she held his hand and guided him into the hot bath. Without second thought, he sank down and let the warm water encase his body in a safe cocoon.

Virgil let out a long breath, watching the woman move around him. The tap closed, as Vani gathered soaps and hair products to help clean the dirt away. “I’m just gonna start cleaning you up, Hon. Pouring water over your head.” She announced as a stream of water soaked his hair. A bottle opening and cool liquid dampening his locks, Vani’s fingers worked to massage the gel into his hair, and thoroughly lather and clean it. Groaning at the calming sensation, Virgil’s eyes fluttered closed. How could something so gentle give him such solace? 

“Did you want to talk about what happened?” Vani whispered into the air, looking down as she combed her fingers through the black strands. Eyes opening, Virgil looked up at the woman above him. He hadn’t really had a chance to admire her. But now in the seconds he had, his eyes roamed over her. She was wearing one of his old shirts, one he used to use after ballet practice. A warmth in his chest blossomed at the sight of something that was his, complimenting her so perfectly. How it framed her, and matched with the bike shorts, contrasted against her tan skin. After a brief moment, he nodded a little and stared ahead. 

“John called in about a series of tremors along the San Andreas fault. Apparently these escalated into a few earthquakes. One impacting a school.” Virgil shifted, the water sloshing and lapping at the sides. “The building had sunk into an open crevice, and needed help lifting them out.” Vani nodded, gently rinsing the shampoo out. Hands collecting conditioner, she let him continue as she worked the cream through his hair. “When I landed, the local emergency crews had evacuated the surrounding areas, but also got to those that were just trapped. I had to go in and not only lift the building up, but get to what was estimated, 17 children and a few adults.

“Once I had moved the debris, I had a clear view of them.” His breath hitching, Virgil looked up at Vani. “They were so scared, Baby. They couldn’t have been older than 9. Covered in dirt, some with broken arms, scabbed knees. Kids should only get those injuries on playgrounds and when having fun, not fearing for their life in a crevice with a building over them.” Vani gently held his shoulder, squeezing slightly. 

“That you worked to save them from.”

“I did, but getting there was hard.” Motioning for him to continue, Vani started washing over his upper body and arms, scrubbing at the dried dirt. The massaging motion, and gentle touches soothed Virgil’s body, but also relaxed his mind. “I had to first get the injured kids up, being careful not to move too suddenly, or twist them harshly. I had to gently pry them off, even against their pleas.” Virgil twisted his mouth, trying to push down the thought of teary, horrified faces pulling away from a safe hold. “And then we managed to get a ladder down, so the rest of them could climb up. Just as we were about to get the last child up, another tremor hit, and the ground caved-” Breath hitching, Virgil tilted his head back, looking at Vani as she squeezed his hand. Watching his face, Vani gave a soft gaze as she traced his knuckles. 

“Deep breaths, Hon. Take your time.” Doing as she instructed, Virgil took a deep breath and exhaled, leaning back against her. 

“Without thinking, I grabbed the arm of the girl tightly as I held the ledge, and she screamed. I- I dislocated her shoulder.” Virgil’s voice quivered, and Vani leaned down and held him from behind. “I pulled her up and carried her out. Holding her so tightly, and begging for her forgiveness.” Virgil shook, holding Vani’s arms closer to him. 

“Virgil, you saved that girl’s life. You did what any of us would’ve done in that situation.” Vani assured him.

“They were already scared and in pain, and I made it worse-”

“Virgil Tracy.” Vani firmly said. Gently cradling his face and tilting his head back to meet her gaze, she looked down at him. “I’ve never known you to make things worse. You make things better. You are a beacon of hope, and are everything that is good in this world. Those kids were lucky that you were there today. I’m sure that young girl forgave you, knowing that her hero did his best. But you need to know that too. That you did your best.” Virgil gave a small nod. Vani, as blunt as she could be sometimes, always knew what to say, always knew how to ground him. Her logical approach was always a nice contrast and comfort to his emotional approach. It’s what balanced them so perfectly. “Did you do everything you could?”

“I did.”

“And was everyone taken care of, by yourself or other personnel?”

“Yes.”

“And did everyone get to go home today, to their families safe and sound?”

“Yes.”

“And you did too. And that’s all that matters.” Kissing his forehead, she stroked over his cheeks. 

“Does anyone ever tell you that you give great pep-talks Baby?” Virgil leaned into her touch. 

“Not recently, but please give me all the praise I deserve.” Giving a small smile, she placed a kiss on his lips and massaged his shoulders. “Come on, I’ll let you finish up while I get your suit in the laundry. Then we’ll get you some food, and then go to bed.” 

Virgil smiled as the woman stood and started to move around him. Virgil may be a rescue operative, but even he needed a bit of saving and helping every now and then. And he was grateful that Vani was the woman he could always count on to do so.