Sting in the Tale

Heat. Heat from the glaring sun that currently bore down on Tracy Island. It was almost midday and the temperature had risen tenfold since the five brothers had decided to head down to the beach. It was one of the rare occasions when all of the brothers were together for something other than a rescue mission.

John had left EOS in charge of Thunderbird 5 the previous day and was enjoying some quality time with his family. He wasn't exactly a 'people person' but, in moderation, he liked to enjoy the company of his brothers when he could. As all had been quiet on the rescue front, he'd decided a few days on Earth would be good for him, a decision he was currently questioning as he lay on the towel in the scorching heat and started to simmer.

Alan had been whining about wanting to play beach volleyball but Scott was enjoying taking time out to read under the huge beach umbrella and Virgil was painting over by the rock pools, not wanting to miss an opportunity to capture the tiny creatures scuttling and swimming in the sunlight. Gordon, ever the fish of the family, dragged the youngest Tracy into the sea on the promise of playing volleyball 'later', although how much later he didn't say. Alan would be lucky if it was later that year. They splashed around for a while, ducking and diving under the shimmering waves only to reappear in a different spot; it was making John tired just watching them and he could feel the warm blanket of sleep wrapping around his shoulders as his head flopped back.

Around twenty minutes later, Scott decided it was time for lunch and ducked out of the shade of the parasol to shout the terrible twins back in from the water. Even from so far away, the eldest could see the protesting pout on Alan's freckled face as he was told to come in. The young blonde may be mature in a lot of ways but he still had his childish moments when he wanted to.

Virgil had packed away his easel and exchanged a silent look with Scott before diving into the sea like a wrecking ball and charging towards the pouting Alan. The youngster's face dropped and he started splashing frantically in an attempt to get back to the beach before Virgil could catch him because he was sure to be noogied if he was caught, not something he enjoyed, especially from his biggest brother. In all his panic he crashed into Gordon, pushing the Squid underwater head first for a brief moment. Gordon resurfaced spluttering and ready to retaliate but Alan was already back to the beach, sheer fear of Virgil's knuckles having given him super-speed.

Scott threw Alan a towel but the blonde simply shook himself like a dog, soaking John in the process and waking the astronaut up with a jolt. The redhead flailed for a moment, preparing to float into some part of Thunderbird 5 until he realised he wasn't in zero gravity and was very much grounded. Trying to hold in his laughter, Scott offered the towel to John and slapped Alan across the back of his shaggy head. Virgil emerged from the sea like someone from Baywatch, his tanned skin shimmering in the sunlight. His image was only tainted when he dived on Alan and started wrestling him in the pale sand.

"Gordon! Come on, we're having chicken salad!" Scott yelled towards the smudge of brassy blonde hair bobbing along in the waves.

"Come on," Virgil brushed himself down as he stood up, "He'll catch up. You know what it's like trying to drag him out of the water."

The eldest brother rolled his blue eyes and waved an arm towards the house, "You three go, I'll fetch the Squid."

As Scott entered the water and began to swim casually towards Gordon, he immediately knew something wasn't quite right. Usually when Gordon was in the water he was doing one of two things: swimming lengths at an incredible speed or diving as deep as he could and reappearing in another place. Right now, however, he was splashing awkwardly and waving his arm around like a man possessed. Alarm bells rang in Scott's head as he quickly swam over to his brother and, as he got closer, he could see the slight panic in his eyes.

"Gordon! What're you doing?"

"I think-" his head was submerged for a moment and he spluttered, "I think something bit me!" His face was contorted into one of pain and his eyes were scrunched tightly shut like he was trying to hide it.

He tried to raise his right arm towards Scott but that just made him sink once more. Scott grabbed his brother and started to pull him towards the beach, Gordon like an unruly fish that had been caught in a net as he continued to flail awkwardly. Scott tried to look Gordon over as he pulled him through the water but it was difficult to get a good look at him through the splashing. Had he really been bitten? If so, by what exactly? A fish? Something bigger? Thoughts of a shark stalking them suddenly flashed through Scott's mind and he swam a little faster towards the shore.

As they'd taken longer than expected, Virgil had returned to the beach to see what the hold up was. When he saw Scott dragging Gordon through the shallow water he dashed towards them, brown eyes filled with worry.

"What's wrong?!"

Scott pulled his little brother through the water but Gordon's entire right side seemed to be dragging, making him a dead weight and too heavy for the slender Tracy to keep hold. Luckily, Virgil had no such struggles and scooped Gordon up like a bride before carrying him onto the beach and laying him in the warm sand. He looked him over quickly, nurse-mode kicking in immediately. Gordon squirmed and hissed through his teeth as Virgil examined his right arm and leg, big brown eyes wide with pain.

"What is it?" Scott was kneeling beside Gordon, one hand hovering over him uselessly.

"Did something bite me?!" the Squid looked panicked, an almost comical look on his usually suave face, "Did it eat my foot?!"

Virgil grinned and shook his head, "No, idiot. You were stung."

"Stung?" Scott's dark brows raised as he glanced at the red scribble-like marks entwining around Gordon's right arm and leg, "Oh!"

Gordon was unconsciously scratching his arm where the red marks were swelling slightly and winced as Virgil grabbed his leg to examine more closely. It looked like someone had drawn tentacles in red ink around the aquanaut's right thigh and arm and it was swelling up like a fresh burn. Gordon tugged his leg free and tried to look at the damage himself but he was trembling from head to toe and had the sudden urge to throw up. He leaned away from his brothers and retched, the trembling only increasing as he did so.

"Jellyfish," Virgil mumbled as he rubbed Gordon's back gently with his large hands, "Looks like a pretty big one too."

Scott's nose curled up at the sight, "What can we do to treat it?"

"It should go down by itself, looks like it's not too serious." Virgil's eyes suddenly darkened and a wide grin spread across his face, "There is one thing I've heard, though."

A realisation seemed to dawn on Gordon and he was suddenly scrambling backwards away from his raven-haired brother, slight fear in his eyes.

"No way! You stay away!"

Scott looked bewildered as Virgil got to his feet and started to stride towards the injured blonde.

"What is it? What're you doing, Virg'?"

"Scott!" Gordon's wide eyes were pleading, "You keep him away from me!"

The eldest raised his hands in surrender, "I have no idea what's going on!"

Gordon dragged himself further away but his head was throbbing and he still felt nauseous, "Stay away from me, Virgil! I mean it!"

"Come on, Gordo," Virgil smirked as he loomed over the Squid, "I read that it's supposed to help!"

Blonde hair flipped side to side as Gordon shook his head vigorously, "No, thank you! There is no way in hell that you are peeing on me!"