It had been a testing day with constant calls and pressure from each but finally the day had broken and the calls abated and with it exhaustion had washed over John Tracy. In line with protocol he had set the incoming calls to divert to local authorities with priority lines going directly to Tracy Island to allow him some rest. Finally there was silence, blissful silence even EOS was silent as though sensing his mood.
He drifted through to his sleeping quarters and went through his nightly ablutions, once a challenge now an unconscious act he washed, voided his bladder and strapped himself onto the sleeping bunk not yet ready to relinquish the blissful zero gravity that supported his aching body. He had once been advised to sleep upright in order to remain fresh faced and to prevent dark circles but he didn't care for this, nobody could see him anyway and the com screen washed out his complexion anyway.
John sighed and closed his eyes, it was silent there was nobody there. It was during these moments when his thought processes slowed and he had a moment to think that he could process his own emotions and not just those of the victims they helped on a daily basis. Other than to report and co ordinate the recues for the day John hadn't spoken to his brothers for weeks and he had been avoiding his Grandma's calls but she remained persistent.
He just didn't have the energy anymore and what was the point anyway he couldn't enjoy the life they led on Earth, his home was amongst the stars not on the gravity riddled planet below.
John heard his comm beep gently in the silence but he didn't acknowledge the sound he'd overridden the comm to not automatically connect to afford himself complete isolation in the cocoon that was his station. He didn't want to talk and he didn't have to, John was on his own time. He knew his Grandma would be worried for him but she saw him daily during missions he reasoned that this should be reassurance enough that he was okay.
"John, your family is trying to contact you from Earth, shall I connect the feed?"
"No EOS tell them I'm asleep."
It would be at this point if he was using a traditional bed that he would have grumpily turned over to ignore his AI but strapped in all he could do was keep his eyes closed.
"I would but they're insisting. Apparently, they're worried about you."
"EOS, I said no."
John unstrapped himself before EOS could force the feed on him, switching on gravity he strode out and through to the cargo hold, there one place where there was no feed, closing the door he sat grumpily on a supplies crate. Head heavy in his hands John sighed and felt pain course through his mind manifesting in a shiver he could not control. John knew his behaviour was childish but he felt trapped, cornered and needed to be invisible and even in the most isolated place a human had been he still felt stifled and crowded.
"John, I've made them go away you can come out now."
It took a while but John re emerged at first ignoring his companion, instead opting to re-engage zero gravity and float in his 'office' EOS watched silently beside him waiting for John to talk.
"EOS I don't want to see anyone… I talk all day with people I don't know, I help them, reassure and rescue them… Nobody is there for me, they haven't ever been… Dad shoved me up here as soon as he could… I just… I just miss my Mom…"