Tears
Chapter Six
A light splashing could be heard as the young man walked through the tropical jungle towards the white sandy beach, one of many that were scattered around the island. Blinking slightly from the brightness as he stepped on to the beach to find that the splashing noise was one of the brothers throwing pebbles into the surf.
"Hey bro, thought would find you here" He spoke up as he climbed up onto the rock his brother was sat on the tide went out.
Gordon turned slightly to find his youngest brother climbing up to sit beside him, "Hey Al got kicked off the computer huh?" He asked as he turned back and continued to throw pebbles into the surf.
"Yeah needed a break away and Brains needed to reboot the system to check his work on the new adjustments for the machines" Alan said with a sigh watching Gordon throw the pebbles.
"I thought that the updates were done already and the adjustments to Thunderbird Four are working like charm" Gordon said not looking away from the ocean.
"Thunderbird Three is the same though; One and Two systems still need some work but..." Alan broke away and joined Gordon in throwing pebbles into the surf of the ocean.
"Thunderbird Five... I know that it's not made to be run by computers but what can we do? Dad won't let any of us go up there" Gordon said remembering the talk all had after their first rescue since their two month break.
"That was two months ago Gordo... I've spent a lot of time with Brains and with Scott, and its not just going to be the same when he does come back" Alan said with a sigh.
"It won't but the change will do us good" Gordon said as their watches beeped for attention.
Together they sighed deeply, as their last two pebbles plopped into the ocean.
"Let's head back and find out the situation" Alan said with a slight groan as he got to his feet and jumped off the rock.
"Right let's get going" Gordon said copying his brother before leading the way back through the jungle to the main complex.
Taking a long drink from the bottle, the young man sighed before putting it back down on the desk half listening to the radio in the background. It played the random requests from its listeners while occasionally the lone listener tapped his pen along with the music.
Sighing deeply as he shifted through the various papers that contained letters, printed calculations and star charts while close by was a laptop containing the beginning of a new book.
John Tracy groaned and stretched as he leaned back in his chair; he took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. Putting them on the desk, he got up and retrieved his beer bottle and turned the radio up as he entered the kitchen.
Throwing the glass beer bottle into the recycle bin, he opened the fridge and dug out another before looking through to see what he could put together to eat for supper that night.
It had been six months since he left Tracy Island and his family, he could still remember his family's faces when John had lost his temper and told them all how he truly felt about being the operator of the rescue organisation's space station, and not a member of the family he once claimed to be.
He wiped his eyes as they started to tear up from the onions he had started cutting up, 'All because of some stupid illness...' John thought to himself as he tipped the chopped onion into the pan.
"Or maybe..." He muttered to himself, thinking over what had happened since before he went on the rescue during his leave. That same leave that triggered all these unseen events, resulting in buried emotions rising up and being released upon his family.
"Something smells great John! Thought that it was my turn to cook tonight" A familiar voice brought him out of his musing.
"Well you took your time coming back, so I started ahead without you" John replied with a smile as he continued to throw random things into the pan.
"Look at the state of the place, how can you work in such a disorganised chaos?" The voice asked again, sounding a little drowned out as a loud song blared out on the radio.
John reached over and turned the radio down, "Oh leave the desk along Liam, its organised... just not the way you like it" He replied moving away and offered his friend a beer. "What are you doing back so early?"
"The telescope has broken down again, got to order some new parts and then there's Joy calling again... she's asking about that deadline for those readings again" Liam replied coming into the kitchen and accepted the beer, peering into the saucepan.
"Its just mince, onion, mushroom and tomatoes once they've been cut up" John said with a shrug, a grin on his face. "You're not running away from Joy again are you?" He asked as he dug around the fridge, before closing it and searched the cupboard.
"She's not my type Johnny, she's more of yours" Liam answered back opening his bottle then took a drink from it, leaning back against the side of the counter watching his friend cook.
"Not mine either, get enough trouble just by being a Tracy... but having a girlfriend too" John shook his head with a sigh, getting out the tin of chopped tomatoes.
"We'll just have to call for a new part for the telescope before we can get to work tomorrow, unless you've got something else planned" Liam replied brushing his brown hair back away from his eyes.
John looked over his shoulder, "Just a conference call with Fred tomorrow, he wants to talk deadlines for my new book... as it wasn't enough for that the latest one is helping with the observatory's financial records but he wants another" John said with a sigh, as he opened up the tin, tipping them into the saucepan.
"Should relax a little John, isn't there that convention soon?" Liam asked before drinking some of his beer.
"I'm guessing that you want to come" John replied with a grin looking over his shoulder and looked at his friend, today he was wearing black rough jeans and a white t-shirt with the symbol for a old music band, Blue Oyster Cult. His brown hair was spiked up while his green eyes shone out full of energy and a good sense of humour.
"Of course, to meet some of the original astronauts... asides yourself of course would be a great dream! And to tell more about the work that we're doing up here in the middle of the Swiss Alps" Liam said jumping up to sit on the counter, his scruffy trainers brushing the floor.
"It would be all talks and so much hustle and bustle that you'll feel like being inside a pinball machine, but then again I could use the company" John said with a smile, "And to get away from my publisher for a while then I guess I better get the plane ready as it is this weekend, just what about the observatory?"
"We'll just lock her down and she'll be fine for two days, I'll call Joey and tell him to pick the slack up while we're gone... he's always moaning that we're taking the shine away from him" Liam replied with a shrug.
John laughed, "OK you win, just find the spaghetti while I find something to give this a little more kick... no alcohol just that sauce your mom gave us in her last trip up" He replied before starting the search of the cupboards once more, stretching up to his full height his shirt rising up his back a little.
Liam felt his heart rate flutter and his eyes go wide at this new view of his colleague before shaking it off, "Um right! The spaghetti" He copied his friend and searched the cupboard for the dried pasta.
"This is Private Jet 4439 requesting permission to land" John said calmly into the radio, the weather beating against the jet making the controls shake in his hands.
"This is New York, we read you... you have permission to land on runway nine and taxi to hanger five" Control Tower replied, sighs of relief sounded inside the craft.
"Thank you control, landing now" John said and started landing approach to the city's airport.
"Next time I agree to go to New York with you, make sure we check the weather before we go" Liam replied, his hands tight on the arms of his seat.
John smiled, "I've had worse, but we'll be down soon then it's off to a luxury hotel that would make our cabin look like a old shack" He said as he lowered the wheels and gently touched down feeling the wind bash the jet once more as he focused on getting the jet to the hanger safely.
"Hot shower, good food already cooked for us and comfy beds made out of some feather-like material... I can't wait" Liam replied as the jet bumped down on the ground.
"Please remind me why I let you drag me off to this?" The oldest brother wined as he walked close behind his younger brother.
"Because you needed time away from the island, and Dad wouldn't let me go on my own... just surprised that Dad let us go at all" The younger brother replied.
"But this isn't our scene at all; I prefer something that isn't just all about aerospace technology... I know that Dad is talking to some of the firms here today about joining forces with him but still" The oldest brother said as he dodged out of the way of a heavy long box being carried under a guy's arm.
"Well it is New York; you could have gone elsewhere Scott... I'll be fine here" The younger brother replied stopping and looked around. "Besides isn't that something interesting?" He asked pointing over at a display.
Scott Tracy looked over with a groan, "What is it?" He asked and read the display, his eye brows rising with interest. "OK you got me Virg"
Virgil Tracy grinned and looked through the programme book, "Well there's a talk that might be some interest in a few minutes in room two" He said glancing at his watch then back at the book.
"What is it about?" Scott asked as they got to a clearer area away from the main bustle of business people, tourists and a mixture of other people.
"Aerospace technology and space exploration, guess that means that it's for some people that love outer space" Virgil replied and sighed a little, the smile disappearing from his eyes.
Scott sighed; "Well it might prove useful, let's give it a shot" He said and let his brother lead the way.
"That's all very well and good but with the growing technology, isn't it best for the other observatories to receive the much needed grants and upgrades... with the planet changing like it is with global warming being a growing risk, it would put observatories such as our own in grave danger" John replied to the spokesperson.
"Then what about the exploration? Isn't finding out how the universe works by being up there better than observing it from this planet" The spokesperson asked with a smile.
John inwardly sighed, "Isn't that what the space station would be for? Once you have the required research material from the work of the observatories, or how the space ports would deal with the information that would come across from the orbital space stations... wasn't it just the other month that the people at NASA lost five computers due to overload?" John replied earning mutters through the room from other people sat around them.
The spokesperson fell silent and looked at his colleagues, "Very well, you have made your point Mr..." He stopped and waited for the name to be said.
"It's Tracy" John replied and sighed hearing the gasps of surprise followed quickly by hundreds of eyes staring at him.
"Mr Tracy, I can see how the observatories do play a vital role and our company will work together with Tracy Industries to make sure that all of the world's observatories will receive the required updates for this new technology" The spokesperson spoke up.
"Thank you, I have no more questions" John replied and sat back down next to Liam, who looked surprised and had his mouth open before closing it.
"Nice work" Liam muttered as someone else started asking questions.
"Just that there are so many holes in that system, that it's a surprise that it got approved through their sponsors... I could design a better satellite than theirs" John whispered back before looking around the room, his eyes wide in surprise.
"But for now, let's get out of here... need a drink, there's nothing else we can learn here than we already have just by doing our own work" He added and rose up from the seat, leading the way out of the conference.
Liam followed, "Then we'll have to pick that part up right?" He asked as they got outside, finding that it had stopped raining since they first entered the building first thing this morning.
John breathed in the chilled air, promising more rain later that day. "Yeah, shopping for the new part and the essentials" He replied with a smile, doing his jacket up and led the way back towards their hotel.
"J-John stop" A familiar voice called loudly getting their attention.
Liam looked back and then at his friend, "Just ignore them, they probably want to ask more questions" John's gruff reply came.
"Please John, can you just talk to us" Another voice called.
John sighed and stopped, turning around to face his two older brothers. "OK but not here... the Starbucks just around the corner will do" He said and led the way with Liam in tow.
"Aren't they your brothers?" Liam asked in a hushed voice.
"They are, but I don't know why they're here... you're the only one I've told why I left home" John replied softly as they walked around the corner finding the coffee shop.
"We're not asking you to come back John, we're just happy to see you" Virgil said softly as Scott came back with the coffees.
"I guess you are, we're just here for the conference and then back to the observatory... well once we've got the shopping done and picked up the new part for the telescope" John replied accepting the coffee.
Scott sat down next to Virgil, "Who's your friend?" He asked before sipping his own coffee.
"Liam, Liam O'Keeffe... I work with your brother, if it wasn't for his help then the observatory would have gone down years ago... we are starting up the organisation that will help save observatories across the world" Liam introduced.
"Space observatories" Virgil muttered and sipped on his coffee.
"Well we're not going to let them die out like the lighthouse did, and we've just made a big impression on those suits in that conference hall to help with our charity... without the observatories then space observation would drop dangerously" Liam continued looking between the two older men in front of him.
"We're just doing a small part; I've been sponsoring it constantly since I noticed a drop in working observatories... over the last ten years I've saved over a hundred observatories, increasing the research for the space station program by at least 45" John added, "If the observatories went down then nothing would be there to pick up the pace, creating chaos and any further space exploration missions a dream" He continued and looked at the coffee in front of him.
"I can see how this is something you would do John, and if you're happy at what you're doing then I'll help the next time I end up in a board meeting" Scott replied knowing that if he got Tracy Industries as a whole to back up the salvation mission then there would be better chances for the aerospace technologies.
"Thanks Scott, but we've got to get going now..." John replied rising up from the table.
"We all miss you John, Dad most of all" Virgil muttered earning a surprised look from his brother.
"I'm sorry Virgil, I just don't feel ready to return to that life... you know my email address if you want to contact me" John said softly and left the coffee shop.
"I'm sorry about John; he just seems to be distant about you guys... but to be spending so much time here with the team... we're enjoying every minute of it" Liam said as he rose up onto his feet, feeling that he was being judged by appearances alone by the two older Tracy siblings.
"And wish it wouldn't end right?" Scott asked with a small smile.
Virgil rested a hand on Scott's arm, "You better catch him up, New York is a place not to get lost" He said letting the young man go.
Liam smiled, "Thanks, nice meeting you" He said taking his coffee and rushed out of the coffee shop.
Virgil watched his brother go, the young man chased after him with the two coffees in his hand. "You know, he has changed since he left the island" He said watching John until he blended with the crowd.
"He seems more relaxed and happier... hearing him at that convention was a great relief to us" Scott replied looking down at his coffee.
"I was worried for a long time Virg, when we were spending time away from the island... up in the cabin, it was like he was freed from something but I've never been able to see it until now" He continued softly.
"Since the business started out, we were just so caught up in it that we shut him out... Dad most of all" Virgil said remembering how busy they all had been in the last few months.
Tracy Industries has been very busy around the world in trying to get a new organisation set up to help for when International Rescue was called out, with help from big industrial giants like Tracy Industries in forms of grants then FEMA could receive the help and upgrades they had needed for a long time.
"I know Virg, it's mainly Dad that caused this and now he's working hard to keep it going" Scott said softly, "We're just trying so hard to keep going but I don't know if we can keep going like this" He muttered and sipped his coffee.
"If you're worried about the rescue organisation then you will turn into our father... but, as far as I'm concerned for John as long as he's happy then that's good enough for me" Virgil replied sinking back into his seat and slowly finished his coffee.
Scott sighed softly, "I'm sorry Virgil, should have realised that... what's left on the list?" He asked, remembering the shopping list that had been handed to them before they had left the island.
Waldorf Astroria, one of the finest hotels in the city of New York was where John and Liam were booked in for their stay in the large city. It had changed over the years but still kept the classic look that it was well known for, when Liam first stepped into the hotel he felt out of place in being in an uncomfortable suit that John forced him to wear, he was glad that John did.
Everyone around them were wearing suits and rushing around, John explained that people in New York were always like this before checking in and refused help from the bellboy in finding their room.
Their room, a luxury double bed suite with a luxurious bathroom that shone under the artificial light but John closed the door on it and threw his beaten up duffel bag on to one of the beds. "Just relax Liam, they can't kick us out of here... if they try then we'll go elsewhere" He said before kicking his shoes off.
Or at least that is what he told him, now Liam threw off his suit and wandered off to the shower. His friend had stayed downstairs talking to someone on his phone while sat at the bar, Meeting his brothers must have done something to him, I know I don't get on with my family but John hardly spoke about his since coming back to the observatory Liam thought to himself as he continued to undress while letting the shower run until the right temperature.
"Just how do I forget something like that Brian? After all that had happened or has been said, things like that doesn't go away" John said quietly talking to one of his publicists that had gone to college with him, his best friend since then.
"I don't understand all of it John and I still think you need a long talk with Wendy but your work has improved over these last few months" Brian replied, sounds of papers rustled in the background of their phone conversation.
"I guess it has but seeing my brothers today like that... I know they mean well but what Scott said about Dad, about how he misses me" John stopped and sighed looking down at the glass in his hands.
"What did he say John?" Brian asked pushing his friend into talking.
"He says that he misses me, only because he doesn't know where I am! Not at the island that is their home or at work... one way or another, he isn't in control of me like he use to be" John replied with a sigh shaking the glass in his hands, the ice taping the side of the glass.
"You're in a bar aren't you?" Brian asked hearing the clink of the glass and sighed, "John, I really think you need to talk to Wendy... I can get her to call you if you would like but please be careful around the alcohol" He asked in an almost pleading tone.
John sighed, "It's only a double whisky Brian and it's my first... I won't get drunk, I hate the hangovers in the morning" He said thinking of his room mate in the hotel room upstairs.
"So when can I expect more work from you? This book is getting good, the last part with the theories has got me intrigued" Brian asked changing the subject.
John smiled and started going through the ideas he had gathered together loosing himself in the work, drinking the glass slowly and asked for refills as he lost himself amongst his work.
Liam looked up from the book he had brought along with the trip, though his mind wasn't on the pages but something else. He kept thinking how John was the first time he had come up the observatory, asides from being tired and had a small squeak in his voice he looked happy just to be there but now he seemed that he had settled down into their smaller family.
He's just opening up, I guess he'll confess soon Liam thought to himself before a knocking at the door got his attention, jumping off the bed he opened the door to find a member of the hotel staff helping keep John on his feet.
"We saw that he was getting drunk down at the bar, we brought him up so he can get some sleep" The staff member said softly, seeing that his charge was starting to succumb to sleep against him. He felt that this happened on a regular occurrence but then this was New York City he lived in.
"Oh I'm sorry, he's usually not like this... please bring him in, I'll help you get him to the bed" Liam said surprised how John had let himself get drunk, from what he remembered that the ex-astronaut was a lightweight when it came to alcohol.
With one arm over his own shoulders, together they got him onto the bed and the snoring begun. Liam winced feeling that it was going to be a long night, "Thank you very much, I'll be fine but I believe that we're going to need toast and mineral water for breakfast tomorrow" He said knowing that he would have to get his friend to eat something to help with the hang over.
"That'll be fine, I'll leave a reminder down at the kitchen for you" The staff member replied and left the room.
Liam sighed and got his friend comfortable for the long night, if it was anything like the last time then it would prove to be a interesting but tiring night.
Liam was right, it was interesting and tiring. John had gone from being angry and throwing everything he could get from the reach of his bed, which was thankfully just a few books and the mountain of pillows from the bed; to crying into hysterics before falling back to sleep.
The young scientist wondered about contacting the ex-astronaut's family and ask what the talk about a space station was about but dismissed it when John woke up and wobbled off to the bathroom making him wince hearing the alcohol starting to come out of the man's system.
Liam sighed and got up from the slump he had sunk into in the corner of the room before heading over to the bathroom, he had left the light on after his shower but stopped to retrieve a blanket for the young man.
Ignoring the mixture of smells in the bathroom, his nose wrinkled up but continued to support John through the worst parts of the hangover. He got a glass of water and helped him sip it between heaves while the blanket went over his shoulders.
"Feel better?" Liam asked softly as the heaves stopped for now, he received a nod for his trouble.
"Two glasses of water then back to bed" He then ordered refilling the glass and made John drink before helping him back over to bed.
"I'm sorry Liam, we were going to go sightseeing tomorrow weren't we? But they had to reappear and ruin everything... just because I'm not there to help them with their precious organisation! To pilot their stupid satellite!" John muttered in his tipsy stupor as they crossed the room.
"But you're not with them any more John, you're with me at the observatory with the freedom to come and go as you please and to work on your book in peace" Liam reminded, feeling that another crying episode was about to come up.
"Gone from living in space with at least two days here on earth to living on this earth with you, seems like a good exchange" John mumbled before falling asleep against Liam.
The younger man sighed and groaned as he half carried half dragged the young man across to the messy bed, helping him out of his clothes, and into the bed.
Closing the thick curtains and shutting off the main lights, leaving the bathroom light on, Liam settled himself down on his own bed, returning to his book.
Liam woke up to hearing the familiar sound of John groaning and muttering in the bathroom. He grinned and got up from his bed slowly making his way to the bathroom finding the door closed and locked, so he turned around and started to clear up the mess that was scattered around the bedroom.
He gathered the pillows and small cushions from the corners of the room, and the blankets that lay across the bed in a messy state. Liam remade the beds and was about to start on clearing the papers off the floor when a knock came at from the hotel room's door, "Will you get that" John called from the shower, his voice muffled by the shower and the bathroom door.
Walking over, Liam opened it and discovered the staff from room service. "Ah room service! That's great, can you put it on that table for me" Liam said with a grin letting the man in before retrieving his wallet to give him a tip before helping him out.
"John! Breakfast!" Liam called hearing the shower had stopped.
"I'm not eating Liam, why did I get drunk" John's muffled reply came.
Liam sighed and walked to the bathroom, finding the door closed. "Want to talk about it?" He asked through the closed door.
"Not at the moment, we just got so much to do... with picking up the new parts then the grocery shopping once we get back to the observatory" John's voice answered and the door opened to revealed a slightly awake man.
Liam sighed and crossed his arms against his chest, "Well I guess breakfast is first, then we should get on" He said sounding disappointed that his friend would be in a foul mood for the rest of the time in the city, walking off to the main lounge and crashed out on the couch.
John placed a arm over his eyes as he stretched out on the leather couch, "Next time I go to a bar, come with me so this doesn't happen" He muttered as Liam walked over and sat on the floor by the table.
Liam looked up and shrugged, "Doesn't bother me what you do John, you're your own man now right? That's what you said the first time you came out and partied with us a few months ago" He said before getting up to call room service for coffee.
John uncovered his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, I did say that didn't I He thought to himself.
Two months had passed since John left the island, mostly spent backpacking across America trying to decide what to do as he kept low and make it think that his brothers would loose contact with him.
He found himself getting a private jet to the Swiss Alps, during his journeys he heard that International Rescue had announced that it would be off the air for a few months due to some heavy renovations needed.
More like the redesign of the organisation John thought to himself as he focused on landing the plane at the private airstrip, toeing it to a hanger with ease. He closed it and locked the jet down before leaving it.
"Well if it isn't John Tracy himself" A familiar voice called him out of his musing, making him look around as he left the hanger and smiled a smile that lit up his eyes and heart.
"Liam O'Keeffe, it is... what are you doing here?" John replied walking over to his old college friend, greeting him with a hug and a pat on the back.
"Well heard that there's a stranger heading to these parts for some low time, so thought come and get you... on a supply run anyway" Liam replied with a grin and nodded towards the Jeep parked up close by.
"Need a hand?" John replied as they walked over to the vehicle, opening the back and threw his bags in there.
"Sure, its mainly grocery shopping! Got a whole list too, Joey made it out for me" Liam replied with a roll of his eyes as he climbed into the drivers side.
John smiled and climbed into the passenger side, "What are you doing here though? Last I heard from you, you were up somewhere in the Rocky Mountains" He asked as he secured the seatbelt before Liam started up the truck and drive away from the airstrip.
"Well got bored up there, that and the observatory had to shut down because the telescope needed updating but didn't have the money for it... so NASA took it off our hands, so now its fully automated" Liam replied before coughing a little. "So now we're here and things are running smoothly for now, well was until the village got the nasty bug going around" He added before covering a sneeze.
"Came at a rough time then, I just got over a illness myself..." John said leaning back in the chair as Liam reached for the packet of tissues on the dashboard, wiping at his eyes and nose.
"Want to drive back to the observatory after we get the shopping?" Liam asked as he stuffed the used tissue into his pocket, making John wince.
"Sure" John replied and turned to look out of the window as the mountainous landscape passed by as they drove towards the small town.
"Oh hi, this is the right room?" The young brunette man asked backing away and looked at the door then around the room. "Apartment 595, then yeah but don't worry you hardly won't see me" The young blonde young man replied looking up from sorting out through his laundry.
"Oh, well I'm Liam O'Keeffe... I guess I'm your room mate" Liam introduced himself with a smile as he re-entered the room, bringing a battered green suitcase with him.
"I'm John, John Tracy" John replied with a smile, throwing some socks into the laundry basket.
"Isn't your father the owner of that enterprise that's growing?" Liam asked thinking about the things he had heard over the news and internet.
"It is, but I prefer space exploration myself after all... that's why I'm here" John replied with a smile, "Well not here now, sorting through my laundry but studying here" He added with a laugh as he turned around and picked up the laundry basket.
"Oh the room just there can be yours, and the kitchen has just been cleaned and organised... I'll give you a tour later when I've come back, I'll be gone for a hour or so visiting the laundrette" John soon added after throwing a few books in with his dirty laundry, the basket resting under his arm.
Liam watched his new room mate leave, before looking around the apartment he would be sharing over the next few years. Slowly entering the bedroom he found it bare asides from the essentials; bed, chest of drawers, bookshelf and bin. He found that the window overlooked the park, with the car park hidden by the main campus blocks so that none of the street lights glared into the accommodation.
What Liam was thankful of was that the windows had been redressed, fresh thick cream curtains lined them in the place of the thin frilly fabric that he had heard from friends that had studied here in the past.
Dumping his rucksack and duffel bag onto the bed he sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed softly, 'Well a Tracy, they may be famous in the future' Liam thought to himself before he shoved the bags off the bed and stretched out with a sigh.
Scott finished unloading the bags containing a few new books that he had brought, a few of them that he knew that the other members of the family might like or find useful in their own work amongst the business.
Sitting down on the bed, he leaned back onto his pillows staring up at his bare ceiling. He thought about how comfortable John looked when they had saw him in New York around his young friend, I wonder how he is now, probably buried in work at the observatory somewhere He thought to himself with a groan as he got back up onto his feet.
A knock came from his door, "It's open" Scott called as he walked over to his balcony to look out over the jungle view from his room.
Gordon slowly came into his brother's room, "Um Scott, there's something going on with John's room... it keeps beeping but I thought that his computer had been shut off" He said, everyone knew that John's computer was one of the things that no one touched. Ever.
"We better see if it is, as I'm sure it has been shut off since he left" Scott replied with a sigh, walking over to join his brother and they left to go into John's room.
They instantly felt like they were walking into a private sanctuary, one filled with the feeling of an ancient library that had not been disturbed in over a thousand years. Everything had a place from childhood toys and inventions, to complete manuscripts of published books. Then there was spaces revealing things missing, like books or folded up diagrams that must have been taken away when John left the island.
"Just didn't realise how much life John actually did bring into this room" Gordon whispered, afraid that if he was too noisy then it would upset the sleeping memories around them.
"I know what you mean Gord, but John was hardly in this room so it's just a surprise to see how things are in here... but now he's gone that this just feels like a memory to him for us to remember him by" Scott replied.
Gordon nodded as a silent reply, "Just feels strange" He said softly as he looked at the photos on the clean, organised desk. Some of them he didn't even recognize, he lifted one to get a better look.
"Is this when he was at college?" Gordon asked looking at the photo and handed it to Scott for him to look at it, "But then this is a side I don't remember of him... but then I guess now that he's gone that we are thinking like this" He added softly looking at another photo before putting it back down.
He walked over to the computer and checked it over, "It is shut off, straight from the mains itself" Gordon told his brother, who was still looking at the photo.
"This guy looks familiar" Scott said softly and then the soft beeping started, it sounded muffled. "What is that? It sounds like our wristcoms" He added after listening to it for a while.
"It's the beeping that I've heard before, it sounds like it's coming from under his bed" Gordon said getting on his hands and knees and looked under the bed listening for the beeping, he found a shoebox that was beeping constantly now.
"Sounds like something is running out of power in there" Scott said sitting down on the bed as Gordon tucked his legs under him leaning on his knees.
"Wonder what it is" Gordon replied as he lifted the box and found a stack of letters held together by a rubber band, he lifted those out and found more pictures of John and a few others roughly the age before and during NASA.
"This is his secret box, we've all got one..." Scott muttered going through the letters, seeing the addresses written on the back. "These must have been letters from his old friends before we started the organisation... then he went to emails" He added softly looking through the photos, a small frown growing.
"I've found it, it's a watch... a digital watch" Gordon said opening the box finding the small silver watch with a digital clock on it. It was beeping because of a set alarm, Gordon lifted it out of the box and looked it over, "This is a nice piece of work" He muttered running his fingers over it, turning it over and found an engraving in the back.
L O'K, to help keep time is what the engraving said in small circular writing, around the edge of the back of the watch.
Scott put the photos down, one remaining in his hand. "This is why, why couldn't we see it... all the times we took him out to clubs and searched for girls, he was just never comfortable" He muttered softly.
Gordon looked up confused to what his brother was saying, "I don't understand Scott, but this watch was just marking this week... but now the alarm stops midnight tonight" He said with a soft sigh returning the watch to the box then put everything back in the shoebox.
"Let's just get out of here before Dad finds us in here, OK?" Scott asked as he helped put things back, tucking the photos and letters back into the box before Gordon returned it there.
Gordon nodded and got back up onto his feet.
John yawned and sighed as he stretched. He looked over for the time but couldn't make it out so he just turned over to lay on his stomach hearing his friend sleeping close by on the other side of the room.
It had been over a week since the trip to New York, bringing up many memories for the ex-astronaut most of which had caused him some heartache while others helped him remember who he once was before the draining life of International Rescue's operator cost him.
Liam continued to snore close by, they had had a late night with the arrival of a meteor shower that needed to be watched then spent four hours trying to get through to the owner of one of the private satellites as it had received damage in that same shower.
Getting out of the bed softly, he looked over at Liam finding him still fast asleep before leaving the room to head to their kitchen, feeling the need for a coffee before a shower today.
John couldn't stop thinking about what had happened since the last email message he had had with Liam then to his week of being on the island, catching that unknown bug. Then the chaos of recovering from the meningitis scare, revealing some home truths about how the middle born son felt about the organisation and how he felt that he wasn't a member of the family.
The coffee machine started to warm up with soft bubbling noises while John stared out at the bright snow covered countryside around their cabin and observatory, his blue eyes looked troubled and distant as he remembered the past.
He thought about the time he had got to spend with Scott, even though in the past they would have gone to every other club in attempt to get John to actually have a normal bachelor type life style that the Tracy boys were famous for.
With a small laugh, John worked his way around the kitchen thinking that he might as well start breakfast now that he was awake, get some work done if he could after having his shower.
"J-John? It's too early for breakfast" Liam's voice came from behind him, his Irish accent strong as he slowly woke up scratching his stomach and leaned in the doorway of the kitchen. His hair was ruffled, making it stick up everywhere.
"I couldn't sleep any longer so I thought I'll get started on breakfast, you can go back to bed if you like... once I got the coffee on the go though" John said turning to face his friend with a grin.
"That I won't be able to sleep, you're right! Dibs on the shower" Liam replied before yawning, walking off to the bathroom for a shower.
John shook his head and carried on with breakfast, thinking over a few things but one thing kept interrupting his thoughts. And that was his friend and colleague, the one guy that saw him in his lowest moments and still was there for him.
He thought about how Liam was in college, then later in NASA and now, here he was helping John find himself away from the chaos of the Tracy lifestyle. He found himself uncomfortable with the rich lifestyle that they had left, when they did go on mainland then it was with false identities or hidden ones to keep away from the press.
John inwardly laughed as he remembered when the Zero-X project fell into danger, he was up in Thunderbird Five like always and felt left out when they had abandoned the island just for a party. He tried to have a go at his father over that irresponsible action but it went on like Jeff never heard him, the satellite operator was thankful that no rescues had came up over that night.
Jumping back away from the sizzling fat in the pan as he turned the bacon over, John was brought out of his depressing thoughts before working on fixing bacon hearing the shower over the noise of the kitchen.
He switched his thoughts to what they had to do today, thinking of the work waiting for them in the observatory. But his mind wandered to more recent thoughts that had been bothering him since John had came back here to work like a normal person on the planet.