Gordon walked into the family room backwards carrying a tray with nine mugs of coffee and a plate of chocolate chip cookies. He put it down on the table and picked up three of the mugs. He glanced round at Scott and John who were standing side by side like a couple of sentinels, looking out of the window, John hanging rather heavily onto his crutches.

"John, why don't you sit down before you fall down? Scott, coffee. I'll take these for dad, Penny and Brains. I'll be back in two minutes."

Without waiting to see if his brothers paid him any attention, he left the room with the three mugs of coffee and went into the ICU and touched dad softly on the shoulder. His father jumped and started.

"Gordon? That for me? Thank you. Where is everyone? Is Virgil alright?"

Gordon nodded.

"Yes. Virgil and I have the guys in the family room for a small…er…chat. We won't be long."

Jeff nodded.

"Can I help?"

"Enjoy your coffee. We'll be out to relieve you soon and you can go get some sleep."

Jeff did not want to leave his little boy, but he squeezed Gordon's shoulder in appreciative dismissal. Gordon handed a coffee to Parker who took it in grateful surprise, and then crossed the room.

"Hey Beautiful!"

Penelope looked up and smiled.

"Is everything alright?"

"Scott and John are about to be rescued. Even if they think they don't need it. Here, this is for you. No tea available I'm afraid, but fresh coffee from the staff canteen. Best coffee for miles around they tell me."

"Thanks. I could use it."

"Any changes?"

Penelope smiled at him.

"I caught her moving her left hand just before you came in with the coffee, but it lasted only a second."

Gordon leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose.

"That means she can hear you. Keep at it. I'll be back soon to give you a rest."

He kissed her on the lips, gave her a wink and quickly left the room.

When he got back into the family room, he found his three brothers were arguing. He stood and watched them sadly for a few minutes. This was so far removed from the way they usually were together. They weren't using raised voices. They sounded tired, as though each of them was running out of steam. They did not seem to notice his entrance.

"Hey guys?"

They did not respond, but the discordant voices continued undiminished. Gordon tried again, this time much louder.

"HEY!"

They jumped, and looked round, falling silent. Gordon strode across the room and sat with them, looking at the three of them. He could hardly believe that they were his big brothers; the ones who, by the laws of the Tracy code at least, should have been helping him as the younger brother. At least he had their attention.

"I'm beginning to wish I was still in that coma! At least then the only voices I got to listen to were people telling me how much they loved me."

John huffed, and Scott went to stand up. Virgil reached out and pulled him down again.

"You're not walking away, Scott. If you try, I'll sit on you. Probably throw up on you, too!"

Scott growled under his breath, but something had penetrated the gloom.

"You're still throwing up?"

Virgil nodded.

"You didn't notice Scooter?"

Scott shrugged, but sat back in his seat. Gordon leaned slightly forward.

"We have been through tough times before, but we've always come through pretty well. But this is different. Virgil's been throwing up about three or four times a day since we've been here, and he's never been that bad. He could hardly be the hero of Thunderbird Two if he was, could he?"

Scott rounded on him.

"So, things are tougher now than usual. We're only human Gordon. You want me to come in and tuck you up in bed every night? What do you want from me?"

Gordon and Virgil glanced at each other for a split second, and Gordon shook his head sadly.

"Scott, listen to yourself, man. This is not like you. You are the one that usually keeps us all pulling together, but you've been pushing us all away. You've not been sitting with either grandma or Alan. You've just been pacing the floors up and down until everyone is dizzy watching you. Johnny's been doing the same thing. I get it that you are both worried sick, but…"

"What do you know Fish-boy? You've been sleeping yourself for weeks!"

There was a sudden silence, as Scott realized what he had just said. Gordon sighed audibly.

"Yes, Scott. I have. I was attacked two months ago by the Hood and put into a coma. I spent a lot of that time with the Hood's face implanted on my brain, and his voice taunting me over and over again. The same thing that is happening to grandma, and for all we know, Alan as well. It felt absolutely real. It was long enough before I realized I was in a coma and not just locked in a dark room. I only realized it because I have been in a coma before. Remember?"

Shamefaced, Scott and John both nodded.

"The Hood gets inside people's heads." Virgil said softly. "He got inside Gordon's head and tried to trick him into not waking up. He's probably doing the same thing to grandma and maybe Allie. But he's inside our heads too, even if he doesn't realize it. Look at what he has done to all of us?"

"We're the Thunderbirds." Gordon put in. "He's been trying to destroy us for long enough. Kill us, steal our technology, get us dishonoured and arrested, and nothing has happened. So, he tries another tack. He attacks us from within."

John closed his eyes, feeling a migraine beginning.

"He attacks us in the hospital. Tried outright murder upon me and Alan, tried indirect subtle attack on Gordon and grandma and maneuvers Kayo into a position where he can control her. He hides inside dad's jet, waiting for her to fly away in it. He knew she would never fly him to Tracy Island. She would be bound to ditch the plane as soon as she realized he was on board. He plans ahead. He plans carefully ahead. He can hide in plain sight using his cloaking technology, kidnap Kayo at his own leisure without her even realizing until it is too late."

Gordon nodded and looked at Scott.

"He was more successful than he realized when he lured Kayo wasn't he Scott? He thought that he would unsettle and worry all of us, get dad riled up at the disappearance of his newly adopted daughter. But he managed more than that, right? There was something he did not anticipate, and if he knew it, he would be rubbing those evil hands of his in delight."

Scott said nothing. He leaned forward in his chair, running his hands through his hair, elbows on his knees. Virgil touched his shoulder gently.

"Scott, you have to let go, talk about this. You can't keep pushing us away. You keep doing that you're playing right into the Hood's hands. You don't have to go through it all on your own. We don't just expect you to always be there for us. We're here for you, too. Please Scooter…"

Scott screwed his eyes up, shaking his head, wringing his hands. He leapt to his feet and started pacing again, almost frantically.

"The Hood! He's destroyed everything! Attacked my father, my grandmother and three of my brothers, and I couldn't so a damned thing to stop him, and now he's got my…he's got…"

His voice cracked, and he stopped still in the middle of the room staring at them, his eyes wide and wild.

"…if he does anything to her I can't…I couldn't…she doesn't even know I…he's evil and I have to protect her, but I can't! I can't protect her or anyone! I'm a failure, why would she want me?"

Virgil, Gordon and John watched the meltdown of their eldest brother, their hearts breaking for him. Virgil glanced at Gordon, and Gordon nodded slightly. Virgil and Scott had always been closest of all the brothers. Virgil knelt beside Scott, who had sunk to his knees on the floor, and was evidently sobbing, although he was making no noise. His shoulders were shaking.

"Scott…brother…are you in love with Kayo?"

Scott looked up, his face wet and reddened, his nose running.

"Yes." he replied in a quiet voice. "I love her more than life itself…"

"What do you love about her Scott? Why do you love Kayo so much?"

Scott looked incredulous.

"Don't you know?"

Virgil shook his head.

"I admire things about her, and I love her as a sister, but I am not in love with her. Why are you?"

"Her beauty, her strength, her determination and drive, her skill…"

"What would she have said if we had insisted on airlifting her off that ship and bringing her back here with her job only half done?"

Here a faint smile played about Scott's lips as he thought about that.

"She would have been furious."

Virgil nodded.

"She is where she wants to be, Scott, doing the one job only she can do well. If you love her for her determination and her skill, then why not just trust her to know what she is doing? Trust her to be able to look after herself? Besides, if anyone is ever going to get through to the Hood, it would be Kayo, given that she is his niece."

Scott nodded and fished in his pocket for a handkerchief and blew his nose vigorously, then wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

"Gordon, why aren't you mad at me for not protecting you and grandma? And you, John for letting the Hood get past me to attack the four of you?"

John and Gordon exchanged a smile.

"Scott, I think all that attention from those hero-worshipping kids out there has gone to your head." John told his big brother. "Contrary to what they might think, you are not superman. You are a human being who cannot ever be in two places at once. Now stop being so stupid and hug me before I fall over!"

Gordon and Virgil watched as the two elder brothers hugged, their argument forgotten, then Scott turned to them.

"No man is an island, right?" he quipped, one side of his mouth quirking. Virgil nodded seriously.

"Right. Don't suffer in silence, Scott. Not when you have three of us hurting and worrying almost as much as you are. Besides, we have a little brother lying comatose in there who virtually worships the ground you walk on. He's probably only waiting for you to go in there and talk to him before he wakes up."

Scott shook his head slightly.

"Can't I sit with him quietly?"

Gordon grinned.

"Why Scooter? This is your perfect chance of talking to Alan about anything you like without being interrupted with silly questions or arguments."

"You could even confess to him how you feel about Kayo." John put in quietly. Scott glanced at him.

"You think that wise? What if he does hear me?"

Gordon laid a hand on Scott's shoulder.

"Scott, he will hear you, believe me. But what is he going to do? He's going to have to know sooner or later. Half of your anguish is about your fear of hurting Alan isn't it? If he does wake up and remember what you have said, you might be surprised at his reaction. Go in there, talk to him and be honest. We'll be right behind you…and tell dad to go back to the hotel for some food and rest."

Scott made it half-way to the door before it occurred to him that his second-youngest brother was giving him orders.

"Yessir! Anything else?"

Gordon picked up Scott's mug and a handful of cookies.

"Take these with you and enjoy 'em! They cost me hard earned money!"

Scott grinned and kissed his little brother quickly on the forehead, as he accepted the offering.

"Thank you, Fish."

Scott stepped inside the ICU room, glancing round, idly sipping his coffee, then stopped in shock, his mug slipped from his fingers to smash on the floor.

"Scotty, I'm famished!" a voice from the end of the room hailed him. Scott stared. Doctor Ames stood smiling beside Lady Penelope, looking down at Grandma, who was awake and sitting up against her pillows.

"Are those cookies for me?"