Jeff and Gordon still sat in Thunderbird Two's medical bay with Virgil. Gordon marvelled at the way his father seemed to know instinctively the best way to handle the situation. Jeff was seated as far away from Virgil as was possible in the small cabin and had spent most of the time talking to him gently. Letting Virgil ask questions, when necessary, and gradually allowing him to relax and become more comfortable in his presence.
Eventually Jeff decided that things were proceeding well enough that it was time that they made a move. "Are you ready to go up to the house, Virgil?" he asked quietly.
Virgil hesitated and then reluctantly nodded. He eased himself off the bed as Gordon and Jeff stood. Gordon moved to Virgil's side and Jeff opened the door.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," Jeff said. "We won't meet anyone on the way. We'll go the back way straight to the infirmary."
"Come on," Gordon said. "I'll stay with you."
"Thank you," Virgil replied.
Jeff pressed a button on his watch to tell Brains that they were on their way and to warn everyone else to keep clear.
Virgil held his blanket closely about him as they walked from Thunderbird Two to the nearby lift. Jeff and Gordon noticed that he didn't look back to see the craft that had brought him home.
The ride upwards in the lift was swift. No one said anything. The car stopped and the doors slid open. They were greeted with a white, sterile room. Jeff stepped in quickly to show there was nothing to fear. Virgil and Gordon were more circumspect."Why don't you sit over there, on the bed, Virgil?" Jeff suggested. "I'll go see where Brains has got to."
Gordon pulled up a seat so it was next to the bed and sat down.
"What's he going to do?" Virgil asked.
"I don't know…" Gordon started to say when the door slid back.
Instead of Jeff or Brains it was an elderly lady who bustled into the room. "Virgil! I've been so worried! Are you all right?" She strode straight up to him and cupped his face in her own two wrinkled hands. "You remember your old Grandma don't you, Darling?"
Unable to move away, Virgil had no option but to look into the kindly, careworn face. Then, ever so slightly, he leant backwards so that she was no longer touching him.
Her face fell as she realised her mistake. She dropped her hands so they were constrained by her apron pockets. "Oh, Virgil. I'm sorry. I… I should have realised."
"This is our grandmother," Gordon supplied helpfully. "Remember I told you about Grandma."
"H-Hello," Virgil said uncertainly.
"Oh…" and Gordon was surprised to see tears well up in his grandmother's eyes. Before he had a chance to speak, she started babbling. "Oh look at me standing here. You boys must be starving. You won't have had a decent meal since before you left for the rescue, and that was days ago. I've got something cooking on the stove and I can't let it burn. It's your favourite, Virgil, and I'd hate to see it ruined. I'd better go and see to it now. I know Kyrano will keep an eye on it, but there's some things that it'd be better if I did them myself. He's a good man Kyrano. You'll like him, Virgil. I'd… Excuse me." She turned and fled, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket as she did so.
Virgil looked at Gordon. "I've upset her," he said sadly.
"It's not your fault."
"No. But I'm the cause."
Once again the door slid open. This time a bespectacled young man dressed in a lab coat entered. "Gordon," he acknowledged. "V-Virgil."
"This is Brains," Gordon told Virgil. "I know he looks like Doctor Frankenstein, but don't worry, he's harmless."
The idea of being similar to the fictional scientist tickled Brains' funny bone and he started giggling.
Virgil decided that Brains wasn't a threat and relaxed somewhat. "You look nothing like Doctor Frankenstein," he told Brains. "At least… what I think I remember Doctor Frankenstein looked like."
"Ah," Brains said in interest. "S-So the amnesia isn't total."
Virgil shook his head. "I can remember some things. But nothing important."
Brains sat on a chair at the end of the bed.
Gordon decided that things were progressing smoothly. "I'll go," he offered and stood to leave.
"Don't go!" Virgil grabbed him. "Don't leave me! Please!"
Gordon looked at him. Whereas a moment ago Virgil had seemed to be quite relaxed, now he'd suddenly tensed up again. The fear in his eyes had returned.
Gordon glanced at Brains.
The little scientist seemed quite unperturbed by Virgil's sudden emotional change. "Th-That'll be quite in order, Gordon."
"Okay. I don't mind." Gordon sat down again and once again Virgil relaxed.
"What happened to you?" Brains asked.
"I don't know," Virgil admitted. "The first thing I remember is lying on the ground and Gordon talking to me."
"Uh, huh," Brains said non-committedly. "When did you, ah, realise that you couldn't r-remember anything?"
Virgil thought. "Things were pretty confused at first. Then I realised that this guy," he indicated Gordon, "appeared to know me. But I didn't have a clue who he was. Then I realised that I didn't know who I was either."
"Why didn't you say something?" Gordon asked.
"I was hoping it was temporary."
"What c-can't you remember?" Brains enquired mildly.
"Who I am. Anything about my life. I don't know any of these people that Gordon tells me are my family. I don't remember… what did you say it was called, Gordon?"
"What?"
"The organisation."
"International Rescue?"
"Yeah. I don't remember anything to do with International Rescue. Gordon tells me I'm a pilot. That I fly a Lightning…"
"Thunder," Gordon supplied.
"Thunderbird. Thunderbird Two wasn't it, Gordon?"
"That's right."
"And you're the aquanaut and your craft is Thunderbird Four."
"Yep."
Virgil turned back to Brains. "And you're the engineer, but you've got a medical degree."
Brains nodded. "Th-That's right. Did you remember that or is it what G-Gordon told you."
"Gordon told me."
"Do you remember a-anything of your life?"
"Only what Gordon told me."
Brains looked at Gordon.
"I've been busy," Gordon explained.
There was a knock at the door.
"C-Come in," Brains called.
The door slid back and Jeff entered, pushing a covered trolley in front of him.
"Ah, g-good." Brains took the trolley off him. "Th-Thank you, Mr Tracy."
Jeff turned to leave.
"Hang on, Dad." Quickly, before Virgil had a chance to grab him again, Gordon dashed over to his father. "Have you seen Grandma?" he asked quietly.
"Not since before you arrived."
"She came in here. She thinks she made a mistake doing that. She was quite upset, Dad. I think you should check how she is."
"Okay, Gordon. Thanks. I'll give her a couple of minutes to compose herself and then I'll go and see her."
"M-Mr Tracy?"
"Yes, Brains."
"Would you care to stay?"
"I don't know? Would you mind, Virgil?"
Virgil shook his head.
Brains indicated the trolley. "I've asked your father," Virgil glanced at Jeff as if to confirm that this was the man they were talking about, "to get together some o-objects. I'd like you to tell me if you know what th-they are."
Virgil nodded his understanding.
Brains lifted the cloth on the trolley and removed an object. He handed it to Virgil who took it and examined it closely. "It's made of metal isn't it?"
"Th-that's right," Brains confirmed.
Virgil carefully felt the four tines. They were pointed but not too sharp. The other end was flattened. He shook his head. "No. I don't know. What is it?"
Gordon stared at his brother in alarm.
Brains continued on as if he'd said nothing out of the ordinary. "It's a fork. Do you know what you use it for?"
"No. I guess you hold the flattened end and stab or scrape with the prongs."
"Y-You can do that. It's an i-implement for eating."
"Oh," Virgil looked at the fork sadly. "I should have known that shouldn't I."
Brains didn't answer the question, instead handing over another object.
"A stapler!" Virgil said delightedly. "I'm right aren't I?"
"Yes, you are," Brains acknowledged. "Wh-What about this?"
"A paperweight?"
"Uh-huh," Brains agreed.
The alarm clock, envelope and wallet were all identified. Virgil was looking marginally more cheerful...Then Brains held out a book.Virgil frowned in confusion as he took it. Carefully he opened it and examined the pages. He looked up. "No. I don't know this one."
"It's a book."
"A book," Virgil repeated. "What does it do?"
"Do you know what the m-marks are inside?" Brains asked.
"Marks? What marks?"
"These black squiggle things," Gordon pointed out the words on a page.
"No. What are they supposed to be?"
Gordon looked at his father who was leaning against a bench. The latter's face was unemotional. "You can't recognise them?"
"I'm sure I should, but no. What are they?" Virgil was starting to sound a trifle aggrieved.
"You can't recognise words… letters?" Gordon's voice had raised an octave in pitch.
"No!" Virgil slammed the book shut angrily. "What are they?"
"I-It's a method of communication, Virgil," Brains said quietly. "We'll explain th-them more fully later." He glared at Gordon, clearly telling him to calm down.
"I'm, ah, sorry, Virgil," Gordon stammered. "I wasn't expecting that."
"I'm not expecting any of this!" Virgil snapped. Then he sighed and tried to get his emotions under control. "What's next?"
Brains took out a wooden box. It's exterior was covered in different coloured splotches and smudges.
Gordon glanced at his father whose face was still expressionless.
Virgil took the box. "Someone's made a mess of this." He examined it, not giving the initials 'V.T.' in gold a second glance. "Can I open it?"
"O-Of course."
Virgil struggled with the catch for a moment. "This isn't meant to be opened easily." The catch gave way to his ministrations and he lifted the lid. Inside, laid neatly side-by-side, were a number of tubes, some nearly new, some clearly well used. He lifted a couple out. "Each of these have different coloured labels," he commented, before wrinkling up his nose. "Smells funny."
"That's linseed oil," Brains supplied.
"Do you know what these tubes are?" Gordon asked.
"No. What?"
"Paint." Gordon looked back towards where his father was standing.
Jeff had gone.
He knocked on the door. He heard a scuffling sound from inside and then an unsteady voice called "Come in."
Jeff slid back the door.
Inside her room his mother was bustling about with a duster. "Oh, it's you, Jeff. I'm busy. I thought it was high time I cleaned my room." She concentrated on a set of shelves so that her back was to him. "I spend so much time looking after the rest of the house, that I never get the chance to look at this place. It's filthy!"
"You could eat off any surface in here," he reprimanded her gently. "Gordon told me you saw Virgil."
Slowly she turned and he saw that her eyes were red. "I made a mistake, didn't I?"
His heart went out to her. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"I couldn't believe that he wouldn't remember me. I-I felt so sure that he'd see me and remember..." She sniffed.
"He's having trouble remembering a lot of things at the moment."
"I touched him. It was only a touch…" automatically Mrs Tracy demonstrated the gesture in the air.
"And?"
"And he pulled away. He pulled away from me. Oh, Jeff…"
"Come here," he said and drew her into a hug. "It's okay, Ma. You didn't do anything wrong. You've probably made it better."
"Better? How can this be better?"
"Because now there's one less person Virgil's got to be introduced to. Instead of four people at once it's only three…"
Brains had exhausted his supply of objects. He noted a few comments on a clipboard.
Gordon watched him. Virgil plucked nervously at his blanket.
"Any ideas, Brains?" Gordon asked.
"N-Not yet." Brains put the clipboard to one side and took a box off a bench top.
Virgil looked depressed until he saw what Brains had taken out of the box. "What's that?"
Brains was holding a contraption that appeared to be a mess of wires, electrodes and other villainous looking bits. He plugged one end into a large box.
"That always gives me a bit of turn too," Gordon said mildly.
"You're not using that thing on me!" Virgil was off the bed and edging towards the door.
"Whoa! It's okay, Virgil. It doesn't hurt. It looks pretty terrible, but I guarantee there's no needles or knives or anything disgusting involved," Gordon impeded his progress. "I told you that Brains won't hurt you. I'll make you a promise. If he hurts you, I'll hurt him."
Virgil looked at Gordon uncertainly. "You mean that?"
Gordon looked him in the eye. "I mean it."
"Okay…" With some reluctance Virgil returned to the bed.
Brains sat in his seat again, still holding the contraption. "This is one of m-my own inventions, Virgil. I-It's scans brain activity. I-I already have a record of your n-normal brain waves. I want to see if th-there's any change. If there is then I've got a ch-chance of working out what's wrong."
"What do I have to do?" Virgil asked warily.
"I-It sits on your head. Y-You don't have to do anything," Brains told him.
"Want me to wear it first?" Gordon asked brightly.
Uneasy, Virgil nodded.
"Very well," Brains placed the contraption on Gordon's head.
"I've been crowned," Gordon told Virgil. "You should bow before me."
Brains flicked a switch. The attached box started whirring and lights flashed on and off.
"Well? Are you detecting any signs of life?" Gordon asked.
Brains giggled. "J-Just."
"Nice," Gordon said in mock disgust. "You try to help and you get insulted." He turned to his brother, the connecting cable nearly tangling with the legs of his chair. "See? Nothing to it."
Brains switched off the machine and removed the scanner from Gordon. "Are you r-ready, Virgil?"
Virgil didn't look too sure. "I guess so."
The procedure passed painlessly. Brains compared Virgil's original test with the new one. He frowned.
"Well?" Gordon asked in impatience.
"Th-There's no difference."
"What does that mean?" Gordon asked.
"I-I'll have to think about that. I-In the meantime I've several other non-invasive scans I want to carry out, Virgil…"
Brains had performed every test he could think of. With a sigh he shut down the last piece of equipment. Neither Virgil nor Gordon asked him if he'd discovered anything useful. The expression on his face said it all."Now what?" Gordon asked.
"N-Now we wait," Brains said. "Maybe the amnesia will c-cure itself overnight. If it doesn't, I'll keep on researching p-possible cures."
Virgil pulled his blanket closer about him and rocked gently back and forth. Gordon gave him what he hoped was a reassuring rub on the back. "Now what?" he repeated.Brains faced Virgil. "Now we introduce you to the r-rest of your family."
Virgil looked at Brains and tried to suppress the feeling of fear that threatened to burst out of him. "Do I have to?" he asked in a quiet voice.
"John'll be disappointed that you don't want to see him," Gordon said equally quietly. "He's left Thunderbird Five especially to see you. And you like Kyrano and Tin-Tin. They're not, strictly speaking, family, but they are good friends. As near to family as you can get. Once you've seen them you've seen everybody and then it won't seem so frightening."
Virgil sat motionless.
"Okay?" Gordon asked.
Virgil nodded slowly.
"That's good. We can get it over and done with," Gordon said with a cheerful grin. He stood and Virgil slowly followed suit.
"I'll go ahead and let e-everyone know you're coming," Brains offered.
"'kay," Gordon acknowledged. "Coming, Virgil?"
They slowly made their way towards the door, Virgil clutching his blanket about him as if it were a shield against what he was about to face.
The lounge seemed to be a mile away. They eventually reached the entrance. Gordon gave Virgil a reassuring smile and stepped through the door first.
Virgil followed slowly. He found himself facing a sea of unfamiliar faces. He wished that the floor would open up and swallow him. Nervously he took a step backwards and found his way blocked. He spun round to apologise to the person. "Sorry…""How're you feeling, Virgil?" Scott asked anxiously. "How is he, Brains?"
Virgil was feeling crowded by this man. He took a step back from Scott.Jeff grasped his eldest by the shoulders and gently eased him backwards. Scott cast him a hurt look.Virgil drew his blanket closer about his shoulders and turned back to face the people in the room. He realised that whereas he'd initially assumed there were at least twenty people present, there was in fact only five and a series of portraits on the walls. Brains he knew. He recognised one of the two blond men as being Alan.
The other walked towards him. "Virgil?" he said uncertainly and held out a hand in greeting. "I'm John."
Virgil shook his hand solemnly.
"And this is Tin-Tin," Gordon indicated the room's sole female occupant.
Tin-Tin gave him a timorous smile and flapped her hand at him in a gesture that was part wave, part nervous twitch.
"And this is Kyrano," Gordon completed the introductions.
Kyrano bowed low. "Mister Virgil," he said serenely.
Virgil didn't know how he should respond.
"Go in, Virgil," he heard Jeff's deep voice from behind him. "Go and have a look around." Reluctantly Virgil obeyed.He looked at the furnishings. His face registered no emotion as he looked at the artworks, the furniture, the piano…
"How're you feeling… now?" John asked awkwardly.
"Okay… I guess," Virgil answered quietly. His eyes fastened on the row of portraits. He took a step closer to examine them. He looked at each one in turn.
Then he turned back to his family. "Those four are of you four," he indicated his brothers.
They nodded.
"Then who's that?" an arm came out from under the blanket and pointed at the middle portrait.
There was an awkward silence.
It was Gordon who found his voice first. "That's you, Virgil."
"Me?" Virgil turned back to examine the portrait more closely. "Is that what I look like?"
No one felt able to answer him.
Virgil decided that he couldn't face looking at his own, unknown, image anymore and turned away. He spied another portrait. One of a young, blond woman, clad in pink. "Who's that?" he asked. "She's not a sister is she, Gordon?"
There was a chuckle from somewhere in the room, which was hastily silenced.
"No. That's Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward," Gordon explained. "I think I told you about her."
Virgil's brow furrowed. "She lives in… England?"
"That's right."
Virgil examined her picture a moment longer before he found himself drawn back to the row of portraits.
"Why don't you show him the Operation Cover-up ones, Father?" Scott suggested.
"Good idea, Scott," Jeff moved to his desk and activated the button that changed the photos.
Startled at the unexpected way the paintings slid away, Virgil took a step backwards. His foot got caught in his blanket and he fell over. At once eight pairs of hands reached out to assist him."No!" he cringed, moving away from them. He pulled his blanket closer about him.
"Move back, everyone," Jeff ordered quietly.
Everyone complied. Everyone except Gordon, who seemed to have accepted his role as protector. He crouched down in front of his brother. "Are you okay?"Virgil nodded in a numb manner.
Scott crouched down at Gordon's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Virgil. I should have thought…"
Virgil pulled his legs in closer, drawing away from Scott.
"Scott." The name was said quietly, but Scott heard the admonishment in his father's voice. He stood and took two steps backwards, bumping into someone in the process.
He turned and apologised. "Sorry, John."
John gave him a look of sympathy. "You weren't kidding, were you," he said in a whisper.
Gordon was trying to convince Virgil that he wasn't under attack. "It's okay, they only want to help you."
Virgil looked up at the row of concerned faces. "Sorry," he said quietly.
"You've got nothing to be sorry for," Gordon told him. "Come on. Stand up."
Virgil complied.
"Dinner's ready," a voice was heard in the hall. "Where is everyone…?" her voice petered out as Grandma Tracy saw the group of people standing in the lounge.
"Thank you, Mother. We'll be there in a moment," Jeff said. He looked back at Virgil who wasn't looking happy about the new development. "You must be tired, Virgil. You and Gordon and Scott haven't had much rest over the last couple of days. Why don't you take him to his room, Gordon, I'll bring along something to eat shortly."
"I'll do…" Scott started to say and was silenced by a look from his father.
"Okay," Gordon agreed. "Come on, Virgil."
Like the parting of the Red Sea everyone moved back to allow Virgil and Gordon to pass through.
Once they were out of earshot Scott turned to his father. "I can take him his meal."
Jeff shook his head. "Not tonight, Scott. Let him get comfortable with being home first. Tomorrow, if necessary, you can show him Thunderbird Two."
"Hopefully, that won't be necessary," Alan commented.
Gordon led the way down to Virgil's bedroom. He slid the door back and stepped inside. "Maybe this place will jog a few memories!"
Hesitantly Virgil stepped inside. Nothing was familiar. Nothing brought a warm feeling of security. It all felt cold and strange.
"Nothing, huh," Gordon commented.
"No," Virgil said and jumped as the door slid shut behind him.
"Well, this is your room, so I'm not sure where you keep everything," Gordon said, "but I can point out the highlights. Tell me if I'm stating the obvious. This is your bed, your closet, your dresser… I guess you keep your pyjamas in one of these drawers. You would have left the ones you were using in Thunderbird Two." He started pulling drawers open looking for the required clothing.
Virgil had found the mirror. He stared at the reflection. It was the same as the portrait in the lounge. More tired maybe, scratched, more unkempt, and definitely more fearful than the calm features that hung on the wall, but still the same face. He felt his cheek, the bristles of the growing beard scraping his fingers, and watched as the figure in the glass mirrored his actions.
"I guess that's the biggest shock of all," Gordon said quietly.
Virgil managed a wry grin. "It's up there."
Gordon moved so he could see his own reflection. "Man I'm a mess. I think I'll skip dinner, grab a shower and head to bed myself. But first I'll show you your ensuite bathroom." He opened a door that led off the bedroom and stood back so that Virgil could walk into the room unimpeded. "Ah, I don't have to explain what's in here do I?" he asked hopefully.
Virgil shook his head. "I know what everything is. I just don't recognise the room"
"Good," Gordon mimed wiping sweat off his forehead. "I was getting ready to dash out and grab Dad. There's some things he's had more experience at than I have."
There was a knock on the door.
"I'll get that," Gordon offered.
Jeff was waiting in the hall, two plates of steaming hot food in his hands. "My hands are full, Gordon. Will you get the table?"
"Sure," Gordon ducked into the hall and reappeared carrying a card table. He placed this in the centre of the room, before ducking out again.
With a sigh of relief, Jeff placed the two plates on the table. "They were getting hot," he explained to Virgil.
"You'll need a cloth on there to protect the table," Virgil noted.
Jeff looked at him in surprise. "I've got one in the hall. Gordon! Bring in the tablecloth will you!"
Gordon re-emerged carrying two chairs on which was balanced a basket containing tablecloth, cutlery, mugs and a vacuum flask. In a short time the table was set.
"Right," Jeff grunted. "I'll leave you boys to it."
"But…" Gordon hesitated. "I thought you'd want to stay."
Jeff placed a hand on his shoulder. "I think Virgil would be more comfortable sharing this meal with you."
"If you wouldn't mind, Gordon," Virgil said. "I know you weren't planning on having anything to eat tonight…"
"No, that's okay," Gordon said hastily. "The smell of the food has made me hungry anyway."
"I'll see you boys tomorrow," Jeff smiled at Virgil before leaving.
"He seems nice," Virgil commented.
"He is…" Gordon started to say and stopped, confused by the incongruousness of the statement.
They sat down at the makeshift dinner table to start their meal…