"You look… terrible." John couldn't lie about this. Gordon was curled up on one of the couches in the lounge, a comforter wrapped around his trembling frame. His cheeks were flush against pale skin, eyes glossy and half lidded. The flu was doing a number on IRs resident aquanaut.
A side-eye at the hologram was the only answer he received.
"Where's Grandma?" John knew his other brothers were currently busy; neck deep in an earthquake and wildfire combo.
"In her room." He gave a sharp sniffle.
John nodded, giving the blond a sympathetic smile.
"You want me to get you anything? Soup? Juice? A moon rock?"
That earned him a little smile, Gordon happy to be entertained, even by the lamest of jokes. He waved a hand, gesturing to the bowl and cup on the side table. John cringed as he thought of Grandma's chicken noodle soup. It was more pepper than noodle. She claimed it was to clear the sinuses and kill any germ it burned through. Really, it just left you with a solid case of reflux.
"Any news on the guys?" Gordon shifted, pulling the blanket up to his chin.
"It's slow going, but they've got it covered. Looks like some of the local search and rescue are helping out in the less affected areas. I wouldn't expect them back in any less than six hours, though." He didn't have to imagine how useless his brother felt at the moment. Natural disasters of this size required a lot of man hours. Being short one had added quite a bit of time to their usual rescue.
"John." EOS blurted, disrupting their conversation. "I'm detecting some strange activity."
"What is it?" He left the comm open as the AI spoke.
"Sensors indicate incoming projectiles, but there is no visual." She seemed annoyed by this.
John brought up the smaller image of 5 and the surrounding area, confirming what EOS had said.
"Everything okay?" The soft voice spoke from the comm.
"I'm not-"
"Impact! Jo-" EOS and the sudden alarm were cut off as a series of small explosions erupted from 5's main power unit. He was plunged into darkness, the lights and image of his concerned brother flickered off. As emergency power kicked in, sections of the ship began closing off as breaches became evident.
John moved quickly, locating his helmet. He put it on, waiting for the systems to kick back in, allowing him to assess the situation. Another set of impacts to the hull and he could see the small holes busting through. In an instant, he knew the danger he was in. Micro asteroids. Or it could be shattered space junk. Either way, his ship was being shot full of tiny holes, any of which could be fatal.
Another explosion and the secondary power, the last of his power, was gone.
John pushed himself into the nearest corner, hoping to shield himself from the onslaught. His heart hammered as he pulled his knees to his chest trying to reduce the possibility of being hit. He listened as the assault continued for another minute, each impact sending a beat of despair into his heart. No power meant no life support and no communication. He wouldn't be able to let his family know what had happened. He would run out of air, all the reserves now severed by the dead hull doors that kept him from being sucked out into the vastness of space. He was trapped on his own 'bird, alone and slowly dying. His only hope was that Gordon realized how dire his situation was.
oOoOoOo
Gordon blinked groggily at the empty space he thought his brother had just been floating in. He was pretty sure he'd been talking to John, but the frequent fever dreams had him questioning his mind.
Impact... The word had been clear when he heard it. Maybe it wasn't a dream? He sniffled, cringing as the ache in his head shot needles through his brain. The pain in his back and shoulders had him wriggling for relief. As he returned to the usual overwhelming feeling of sickly-ness, his mind told him there was a way to find out if John was okay. He thought for a moment, staring at the comm, willing it to tell him what to do.
Finally, Gordon's hand hit the call button for Thunderbird 5. Nothing.
"Weird..." He hit it again, frustrated. He knew he was sick, but he also knew the comm should have worked. Well, his mind told him through the haze of medication and fever, if I can't talk to him, I can go see him. That had his brain's alarm going off, but the frustration and concern of not being able to talk to his brother were winning out in the battle for common sense.
Gordon shivered as he withdrew from his cocoon and moved to sit in the bucket seat that would lead to Thunderbird 3. Alan would be mad, but he'd understand after the aquanaut explained how important it had been. This was important, right? The question came as the seats began to descend.
Impact.
Yes, this had to be important. Why else would EOS be screaming in his head.
When the chair eventually slid into the rocket, Gordon blinked, unable to recall changing into his uniform, but noting that the blue suit and gloves were firmly in place.
It was a good thing the launch sequences were burned into his memory. He thought this as he began pushing buttons and switches. The call over the comm came as a surprise though.
"Gordon Cooper Tracy, where do you think you're going?" Grandma looked furious.
He just stared at her, wondering why she didn't know already. "Going to make sure John's okay."
This made her brow crease with concern. "You don't need to take Thunderbird 3 up to know if he's alright. Did you try contacting him over the comms?"
Gordon gave a weary huff and nodded. "He didn't answer."
He watched the floating image of his grandmother as she keyed in something Gordon couldn't see. In a short moment, Brains appeared. That's right, he's at Moffies. He gave a giggle, remembering his talk with Alan. He barely listened as Grandma explained the situation.
"G-Gordon, it appears Thunderbird 5's s-systems are offline. That should n-not happen. What made you think to ch-check on John?" The engineer looked perplexed.
"Impact." Gordon said it as though it were the most normal thing to say.
"I don't understand." Brains was tapping at some controls while he listened.
"EOS said 'impact' and then John disappeared." That seemed to have Brains moving. He found himself growing impatient. "I'm gonna go up and see him."
"I agree." The scientist spoke, quickly adding at the harsh growl from his grandmother. "John could be in t-trouble, and with the r-rest of the team busy, Gordon could be his only h-hope."
He grinned, letting out a tired laugh. "Just call me Obi-wan. So can I go now?"
The floating image of his grandmother caught his attention. "I don't like this, kiddo. I want you to keep constant contact until you're home."
"F-" He grimaced as the engines finally kicked in, sending waves of dull pain through his back. He grit his teeth. "FAB, Grandma. Launching now."
Gordon tried his best to concentrate on his grip, not wanting to sway and immediately crash into the side of Tracy Island. He didn't have to worry too much as the rocket shot through the opening and into the sky. He hadn't anticipated the forces though. It wasn't like he'd never felt them before, but the pain in his body screamed as he was pushed into his seat. His concentration wavered as stars began to fill his sight. Not in space yet... It was getting more difficult to breath and he could feel himself slipping. Shadows began to fill his periphery, blocking out the 'stars' and dulling his aches. An indicator on the console blinked and somewhere at the back of his mind, it told him he'd made it past the exosphere just in time to lose consciousness.
oOoOoOo
The impacts had stopped almost ten minutes ago, but John stayed tucked in his corner, staring out at the planet below. The spin that 5 had been forced into by the impacts was slow, but enough to send his stomach flipping. He'd managed to keep it together by not staring at the planet, but now he couldn't help watching it as it flew by. So many people and only a handful he'd give anything to see right now.
He'd forgotten how lonely the station could be without anyone to talk to. Usually, he had EOS or his brothers if he needed an ear. He'd occasionally give Ridley a call when he needed to really let off some steam. She had a way of making him forget about why he was upset in the first place.
The thought of the space captain sent a jolt of panic through his heart. Had the debris affected Global One. Could she be in the same predicament he was currently facing? John tried his comm again, knowing it was useless. There was no connection through Thunderbird 5, so no way for anyone to pick up his signal. A thought of his brothers trying to communicate with him, trying to get information on a rescue situation, had him clenching his jaw, his fists balled across his chest. There had to be a way for him to get in touch with someone. He knew there was. The only problem being, he was trapped in the wrong section to reach the solution. Stuck in an endless loop, hurtling into outer space.
oOoOoOo
Gordon woke to the sound of static and yelling. It was Grandma. Although, he thought she'd been a lot clearer just a minute ago.
"Gor-... under cont-... ten minutes unt-" And then the comm was silent.
He rubbed at his face, noting the burning sensation just behind his eyes. Maybe not my best idea... His arms felt heavy as he lifted them to the controls. He tapped the comm, trying to reconnect with anyone within range, but the static told him he was out of range for whatever channel Grandma was using. Something in that thought process didn't make sense to him, but he let it slide as he hit 3's sensors, trying to locate his brother's space station. At least these still work... He let his fingers dance tiredly over the blinking dot 3 had found, enlarging the image of Thunderbird 5 as it spun.
Gordon frowned, and coughed, sending his head into a whirl to rival that of the ship in front of him. He took a few wheezy breaths and tried focusing again. Connecting with 5 was difficult enough for him on a good day. Now, he had to try with full on body aches, a foggy head, and an ever increasing nausea assaulting his gut. And everything was spinning. This was going to take a pretty big miracle.
He pushed the controls forward, still unsure of what he would do, but needing to be closer to his brother. Maybe he was overreacting and everything was fine. As he approached, he realized how wrong that thought had been.
The lights were out across the entire ship. Glass was either cracked or shattered along the gravity ring. He could see the pockmarks where many small objects had penetrated the hull and dark smudges over much of the area he knew the power sources would be.
"John?" He tried the comm again, hoping to pick up his brother now that he was closer. Silence let him know that was still not an option. Okay, Gordo. Just catch it and make it stop. Piece of cake... The thought of cake made his stomach turn and he quickly closed his eyes, breathing through the nausea. Once back under control, he hit the release for the grappling arms and let them stretch out in front of the nose. He knew his plan was risky, bordering idiotic, but with no communication with Brains or his brother for instruction, he was having to wing it. Here goes nothing...
oOoOoOo
John was jolted from his dark thoughts as he felt the sudden impact, something large colliding with 5. He pushed away from the wall, looking through the slightly cracked glass of the gravity ring. He immediately noticed the spin slowing and finally coming to a halt, but he couldn't see what had caused it. He moved to the other end of the section he was in, listening to the metal creaking as whatever it was moved. As he pushed up against the glass, trying to get a good view, the familiar red hull peeked out.
John's elation was short lived as he realized there was no way Alan could have made it home in time to fly his ship up to rescue him. Brains was at Moffie's research facility, and Kayo was with the GDF. That meant...
"Gordon?" He watched Thunderbird 3 continue to pull away having completed the job of stabilizing 5. The pilot came into view and sure enough, he could see the bright yellow against blue. He could also see the damage done to the grappling arms. It wasn't necessarily an immediate problem, but Alan and Brains would have some choice words for the aquanaut once they got home. John decided then and there he would gladly take the blame for his little brother.
He began waving, trying to get the blonds attention, but the distance was too great. Gordon was already pushing the 'bird away. Closing his eyes and feeling some of his apprehension ease up, he listened to the ship's slow movements. The engines would hiss as Gordon gave the throttle a little nudge. John could almost picture his brother, nose crinkled up and tongue sticking out as he tried to make a connection. A loud thud and he knew the couplers had attached. A second later and the lights were coming back on. John beamed, realizing his brother had tied 3's systems into 5, effectively bypassing the damaged power sources. That meant he could open the doors.
With a strong hiss of air as his section depressurized, John slid the door completely open. The glass was shattered in the next section and he felt an ache for the amount of work his ship would need before it was fully functional again. He passed through, pushing aside debris and overwhelming emotions as he made it to the air locks. A chime behind him made him stop and turn, just in time to see EOS' mobile unit spring to life, spluttering with a computerized sense of disorientation.
"John? Are you alright?" She spoke as she slid over to him. "My sensors indicate Thunderbird 5 has sustained heavy damage."
He couldn't help but smile at the frantic AI. "I'm fine, EOS, but we'll need to get you off Thunderbird 5 until I can get new equipment up here for repairs. Can you contact Global One? I need to make sure they're aware of the danger." She gave an affirmative, but indicated that 5's comms were down. She could detect that O'Bannon's station was still intact and out of the path of the micro asteroids. Finished, she moved to the small, hand held unit they used for transport to earth. Once she was inside, John continued his trek to 3, wondering why his brother hadn't made an appearance yet. He got his answer as soon as the second airlock opened.
Splayed out over the floor lay the shivering form of his rescuer. John realized he must have passed out after standing to go to the airlock.
"Gordon?" He gently rolled his brother onto his back, noting the pale, pained expression. "Hey Gordo, you with me?" John gave a soft pat to the side of his brother's helmet.
Amber eyes fluttered open. "'ey, Johnnie." He gave a half smile. "I'm here to rescue you."
"I see that." John gave his little brother's shoulder a squeeze. "You did a good job. Now, let's get you back home."
"I think-" Gordon sucked in a breath, letting it out slowly. "I think I'm going to throw up."
Cringing, John helped him to sit. "Don't you dare. Alan will have your head." He smiled as he tried to alleviate the mood, listening to his brother's intentional breathing as he pushed back the nausea.
After a long moment, Gordon waved the all clear, moving to stand. He let out a groan as John helped pull him to his feet. The elder brother held tight as the aquanaut swayed.
"In the seat, Gordo." He motioned towards the co-pilot's chair. It didn't take much to maneuver his brother over, allowing him to slide into it. The concern in the astronaut's gut grew slightly as Gordon slumped forward, letting out a series of thick coughs. "Take it easy." He spoke gently as he bent down.
Tired eyes met his, blinking slowly. "John, can we go home now?"
He started to nod, but realized there was one important thing he needed to do before they could leave. "In just a minute. I need to get Thunderbird 5 back in its proper orbit. It wouldn't do to have it come crashing down, now would it?" He gave a sad smile, receiving a slow nod in agreement. "Just rest, I'll take care of everything from here."
Fifteen minutes later, John had 5 back in its usual position, EOS protesting about having to leave. John would have understood and even hesitated in returning on 3. The space elevator could have been just as efficient in retrieving the power unit needed to start repairs. Thunderbird 3 could keep it all running until they were self-sufficient. The soft wheeze from the seat beside him gave him enough reason to abandon that idea.
"Respirations are elevated." The young voice informed, realizing her desires were being overruled by the brother. "Statistically, he should be much worse after launching in his condition."
John felt his stomach drop, realizing what his brother must have gone through. He felt the fear turn to pride as he understood how strong his little brother really was. Behind the silliness and the care-free attitude, he knew Gordon would power through anything if it meant saving one of them. Heck, he'd flown into space, alone. Which, in hindsight, was probably incredibly dumb. There would be quite a few lectures when they made it home, some of which Gordon was no stranger.
"Disengaging grapples." John began procedures needed for the return flight, coming back to the moment at hand. EOS gave a sound that he could only describe as sad once 3 was separated and the lights flickered out once more. Thunderbird 5 was as close to a corpse as he had ever seen her. For a moment, he didn't move, just watching her sit, dark and alone in space. The beacon he had attached was the only sign of life. Giving one last sigh, he turned the ship away, pushing it towards the big blue planet. He'd be back soon and she'd be good as new, or better if Brains could give him some upgrades. That thought gave he some encouragement to go faster.
Beside him, he heard the soft cry as Gordon awoke, seeing the planet growing closer. A second of panic flashed across his face, but a firm hand on his shoulder had him turning to the astronaut, letting out a shaky breath.
"We'll be down soon." John released the shoulder, returning his concentration to their descent. "Hang on a little longer, and try not to throw up."
A weak laugh, "I make no such promises."
The ride through the upper atmosphere went as normal as John expected, but the forces had sent Gordon into a slump, his head swaying as John regained flight control and headed back towards the island.
"EOS?" He gave his brother a worried glance as indication of his request.
"Vitals are stable, John. He's just passed out."
The astronaut hit the comm that had yet to work. "Thunderbird 3 to base."
"John!" Grandma's voice shouted in relief as her image appeared next to him. "It's good to hear your voice, kiddo."
"You too, Grandma." He let the smile relay how true that statement was. "Gordon's here." He intercepted her next question. "He's out, though. The G's were a bit much. We'll be down in ten minutes." The hologram disappeared after her affirmation. She would be getting a hover stretcher ready, just in case.
As he flew towards home, he became acutely aware that his comm wasn't reaching his brothers. With his 'bird down, their usual communications link had been severed. They would need to use secondary channels. He would worry about that once they were safely home.
Gordon came to just as they landed, the chairs retracting back from the ship and settling by a platform in the hanger. His head lifted and swiveled to take in his current location.
"We're home. Let's get you to bed." John lifted the restraints, pulling an arm up over his shoulders to provide some support as they shuffled towards the woman holding the stretcher.
"Hi G'ma."
"You're lucky you're already grounded, kiddo." She gave the younger grandson a pointed look.
"Love y'too."
John had slipped the helmet and yellow belt off, helping his brother lay on the gurney. He was out again as soon as his head hit the soft pillow.
"Brains has set up a comm system in the lounge." Their grandmother began pushing Gordon towards the infirmary, being that it was the closest and easiest way to watch over the sick Tracy.
"Thanks, Grandma." John gave his sleeping brother one last look before moving off towards the upper levels of the house.
"John? What happened?" Scott's worried response was expected, but John could see the growing fatigue on his brother's face.
"As far as I can tell, micro asteroids or space junk. Thunderbird 5 is offline until I can get her a power source and start repairs." The explanation was simple enough.
"Grandma said Gordon went up to get you?" Scott sounded a touch miffed, knowing his second youngest brother should have been resting, not launching into space.
"That would be correct. He's alright, Scott." He soothed, noting his brother's hard expression. "He's still pretty sick, but he did a good job flying Thunderbird 3."
At this, Alan's soot covered face appeared, his mouth a thin line of concern. Knowing his brothers were alright gave him permission to worry about the state of his 'bird. "How bad is it?"
John gave a half-hearted smile, deciding not to lie to the kid, but sugar-coating it as best he could. "Just a bit of structural damage to the arms. Nothing Brains can't fix. And hey! Gordon did you a favor and held his lunch down. Grandma made soup."
The youngest Tracy blanched at the thought, his concern driven away from what had actually happened, to what could have happened. "Thank him for me. That couldn't have been easy."
The astronaut sobered slightly. "Nothing he did today was easy."
The silence that fell over the lounge was thick with concern and respect. Their brother would be getting a great deal of kudos after this rescue.
"Where is he?" Virgil finally voiced, having been busy with the fire. John could hear the medic in his brother's voice requesting an update.
"He's in the infirmary." He lifted a hand at the shocked expressions. "Sleeping at the moment. Grandma's with him and I plan on going down as soon as I can. I'll set up the comm down there so you all can talk to him once he's awake." This seemed to appease them. "What's the eta on finishing and getting home?"
Scott took this, allowing the other two to get back to the task at hand. "It's still slow going, but we've almost got the fire taken care of. We'll help locate survivors and then head back. Potentially another three hours."
John nodded. He had actually expected worse given how much area had been affected. "Alright, Scott. I'll have EOS set up a relay so I can get a better view of your situation. I should have information if you need it."
"FAB. Take care of him."
John smiled as the comm disconnected, recognizing his older brother's frustration that he couldn't be there to help Gordon.
Speaking of… John found him, still in the infirmary, looking a little better than when he left him. He had apparently woken up during the trip. He was holding a bottle of electrolyte-infused water and a set of pills.
"Hey, Johnnie." Gordon gave his brother a tired smile before placing the pills in his mouth, taking a few sips of his drink. He placed the bottle back down, sighing as he sank into the infirmary bed.
"Quit calling me that." John gave his brother a slight, jovial grin. He took a seat next to the bed. "How do you feel?"
"Well… at least I made it off 3 before I-" He gave a cross between a hiccup and burp, grimacing.
John grimaced sympatheticly. This had not been a fun experience for the aquanaut, but as he looked, he could see the contentment on his face. He'd saved his brother and that was apparently worth the stress on his body.
They were silent for a moment before the blond spoke. "Are you okay?"
He nodded without thinking, then paused, going back over what had happened less than an hour ago. He finally gave voice to his thoughts. "I'll be fine once Thunderbird 5 is operational again."
The moment was interrupted by Gordon's hacking coughs. John frowned as they seemed to go on longer than normal, dying down as the younger brother took in a wheezy breath.
"Gordon." Their grandmother's voice startled them as she re-entered the room carrying a thermos and three mugs. "You should be asleep."
"That's my fault." John offered, taking the empty mug. She gave him the hug she had meant for earlier, having been distracted by her sick grandson.
"I'm just glad you two are alright." The thermos surprisingly held some herbal tea. It was more for Gordon's benefit than anything. John still found it soothing after their ordeal.
They sat in a comfortable silence until Gordon drifted off again. The medicine had kicked in, helping to reduce the fever and alleviate much of the congestion. John had yet to change out of his uniform. Part of him knew he should. His brothers wouldn't be back for a while, so repairs to 5 would have to wait. He was also aware of the exhaustion creeping up on him. Deciding it was a losing battle, he changed into a pair of pants and a shirt. As he returned, Grandma handed him another mug, this time coffee. He was slightly taken back about how she had managed to switch the thermos beverages in such a short amount of time. She ruffled his hair gently and announced she was going back up to get dinner started. She promised something edible.
A few hours later, Gordon woke as the comm John had set up went off. Virgil's image floated between them, looking dingy and tired. Brown eyes gave the blond a once over before he spoke.
"Area's secure. Locals have the rest under control. We're heading home." The thought of home had apparently set something off in Virgil as he gave a grateful smile.
Alan's image popped up next to him, zeroing in on his immediate older brother. "Hey, Gordo!" He was way to chipper for post-rescue. "Heard you went on a space trip without me. You doing okay?"
Gordon coughed out a laugh. "Doin' just fine, thanks. And don't worry, she's all good… on the inside anyway."
This got the desired effect as the younger blond's face lit with a mix between worry and anger. John gave him credit for keeping it under control however as Alan simply smiled.
"Nothing that can't be fixed, though." He gave Gordon a meaningful look. "Next time, just wait for backup."
"FAB, little brother."
Scott appeared, completing the trio of off-site brothers. He must have been listening in as he turned to John after giving Gordon a 'glad to see you're ok' smile. "Brains should be back to Tracy island soon to get started with repairs."
John was glad to hear that. EOS, who'd been quiet most of the trip to earth, sounding a trill of approval. He gave a yawn he hadn't intended to let slip out. "Uh, sorry. Thanks for the update. I know I'll be glad when everything's back to normal."
Before the three could sign off, John let out a sneeze into his arm, shaking his head as he felt the slow ache building.
"Uh oh…" Gordon was watching him with an amused sadness.
"Nope." John objected. "Just some dust."
"Yeah… flu dust." The blond tried to hold back the soft laugh. "Sorry, it's not funny."
Closing his eyes, he willed the feeling behind his nose to go away. "Gordon, I swear, if I get sick…"
"We can be flu buds." He was still smiling.
John looked at him, a bit shocked by the idea his brother might want him to get sick, but then he saw what Gordon was really feeling.
"We may need to quarantine the both of you." Virgil's joke had solidified John's observation.
Gordon had been the only one sick, which meant, he'd been on his own for the most part of a week. He didn't really want John to be sick. He just wanted company.
He might get his wish… John turned back to the holograms. "Just get home before anything else happens."
"FAB, John." Scott cut in, letting the other two know it was time to focus on getting back to the island.
The silence was back, as the comms disconnected. It was broken by another sneeze from the red-head.
"Sorry." Gordon's cheerful expression had morphed into one of remorse.
John couldn't have that. "Not your fault. I was bound to catch something eventually." Which was true. Spending most of his time on Thunderbird 5 kept him away from most microbials, leaving his immune system slightly weaker than average.
"Still." He was shifting on the bed, the aches appearing to have resurfaced. "Not a great ending for a not so great day."
"Hey, there were some good parts." He gave his brother a sincere smile. "It was getting a little bleak up there until you showed up."
"Stinks to be all by yourself." That look flashed across his face again.
"Yes it does." John paused to hold back the sneeze threatening his sinuses. It passed without emerging. "Well, might as well get comfortable." He propped his feet up on the edge of Gordon's bed. "Want to watch something."
"Always! Something that doesn't require a lot of thought though." He rubbed his hands over his face. "I don't think my brain could handle anything too deep."
"Action packed and silly. Got it." John grinned, seeing the light come back into his brother's eyes. Part of him, albeit a small part, hated the fact that he'd be back up in 5 in a day or two. It felt nice being the one to make his little brother feel better. It was typically the other way around.
Halfway through the movie, the infirmary door creaked open, Virgil stepping in quietly. The two occupants gave him a wave of welcome. The post-flight checks must have been completed in record time as John noticed his brother was not dressed in his uniform. He left the door open, allowing for Scott and Alan to filter in behind him.
John found himself pulled off his chair by the engineer and hugged like he'd been missing for days. Alan joined in enthusiastically. Scott just laughed and gave his shoulder a squeeze.
Gordon was given a less hands on shower of affection for stepping up. Just knowing everyone had made it home safe was enough for the group of exhausted brothers. They settled in to chairs and the second infirmary bed, content to watch what remained of the movie together.
When their grandmother found them to report dinner was ready, she stopped herself. All five were fast asleep. John's feet rested on the end of Gordon's bed, his arms loose across his chest. Scott had his head leaning against the side of a storage cabinet, Alan's head resting on his eldest brother's shoulder. Virgil rested against the back of the other bed, one leg dangling over the side. Gordon was smiling, even in his sleep, content to be surrounded by his family.
Gently, she closed the door again with a soft "Goodnight, boys", deciding that dinner could wait.