That first meal was a quiet one for the Tracy family. Everyone was engrossed in their own thoughts. Thoughts which no one felt like communicating to the others.
Scott was the first to escape the silence. Normally a big eater, tonight he found that he had little appetite.He retired to his room fully intending to turn in early. He sat on his bed and pulled off his shoes. He was surprised when there was a bang on his door, which then slid open and admitted Alan and John. Normally he would have protested at this invasion of his private sanctum, but didn't have the energy or inclination to complain. "What's up, guys?"Alan threw himself into a chair. "This is horrible."
John settled on the window seat. From here he'd be able to see the stars emerging. "Yeah. Like he's a stranger."
"Stranger to himself too," Scott commented, propped a couple of pillows against the wall and made himself comfortable on his bed.
They were silent for a moment.
"Did Brains find out what's causing it?" Alan asked.
"No. He couldn't find anything wrong," Scott said.
"That's the worst bit," John said reflectively.
More silence.
"D'ya think he'll find a cure?" Alan asked.
"Possibly," Scott said.
"I hope so," John added.
Silence again.
"It'll cause a shake up," Alan said.
"Uh, huh," John agreed.
Scott grunted an acknowledgement.
The silence continued.
"Will Dad send John or me back to Thunderbird Five?" Alan wondered.
"He hasn't mentioned anything," Scott said.
"I was going to ask tomorrow," John added.
Silence.
"Who'll pilot Thunderbird Two?" Alan asked.
"Alan!" Scott said in exasperation. "No one's had a chance to consider that yet."
"We'll need to be ready if we get a call out," John noted.
Scott leant back on his pillows. "I hope we don't get a call out for weeks. I haven't got the energy at the moment."
"Gordon looked pretty exhausted too," Alan pulled out a drawer and rested his feet on it.
The door slid open and the object of their discussion entered the room and flung himself unceremoniously on the foot of Scott's bed. "Is this where you guys are?"
"Hey," Scott protested without conviction. "You'll get the duvet dirty."
Gordon looked down at his uniform. "How long have I been wearing this thing? At least two days." He sniffed a sleeve and wrinkled his nose in distaste.
"How's Virg?" Scott asked.
Gordon shrugged. "Pretty quiet… That's an experience I could have done without. Having to explain to him what a knife and fork were and how to use them."
"You're kidding!" Alan exclaimed.
"Nope," Gordon said tiredly. "He remembers what a bed is, and everything in the bathroom department so I cleared the dinner things away and left him to it."
"Gordon," John said reproachfully.
"Well, what else could I do? We're both exhausted and need a good night's sleep. He doesn't need me to explain that to him."
"What else can he remember?" Alan asked.
"Bits and pieces. Some of the things he remembers are pretty surprising. Like he was able to name the World President."
Alan was stunned. "What!"
"But he's got absolutely no recollection of anything to do with us, the family."
"How's he coping?" John asked.
Gordon frowned. "I dunno. Like I said, he's quiet. If he remembers something, he seems to cheer up. Then he discovers something he can't remember and he gets all depressed again. The only thing that remains constant is that he's frightened. I can see it in his eyes."
"It's a frightening thought, not knowing who you are," Scott noted.
"Yeah," Alan agreed.
"I can't imagine what it's like for him," John said.
"Me, neither," Gordon yawned. "Well, I'm going to bed." He closed his eyes. "I don't think I'll bother taking my uniform off."
"Your holster will be a bit uncomfortable," Alan noted.
"Don't care. Right I'm off…" Gordon didn't move a muscle. "I'm moving now…"
His brothers watched him lie there motionless.
"I'm walking out the door… down the hallway… turning into my room… falling into bed…"
Scott nudged him with his foot.
Gordon cracked an eye open. "How come my room looks like Scott's?"
"C'mon." Alan stood and hauled his exhausted brother to his feet. "Let's get you to bed."
"Why do we do this, Alan?" Gordon asked as he was assisted from the room.
"Do what?"
"Risk our necks to rescue people?"
"Oh, for fame, fortune, glamour, and girls."
"Oh, good. I'm glad there's a good reason."
Scott and John managed a chuckle as the door slid shut behind their two youngest brothers. John slipped into the chair that Alan had just vacated. "How are you, Scott?""Me? I'm exhausted. I feel like Gordon. I don't think I'll bother getting changed. I'll just pull the sheets up and go to sleep."
"I didn't mean that. It must have been a rough rescue."
"Yeah…" Scott leant his head back so it was resting on the wall and he was gazing at the ceiling. "Apart from the obvious - it was. I hate mudslides. There were so many decisions that could have gone either way. Life or death. There's still a couple that I'm not sure that I did the right thing…"
"There were only three of you. You couldn't be everywhere at once. You all did your best, and you helped save a heck of lot of people. We've got enough problems now; don't let the past get to you."
"I know that. I know all the clichés. But I guarantee I'll still be awake tomorrow morning with endless questions spinning round and round in my head."
"You and me both," John admitted.
Scott looked at him. "How come?"
"It's always the same that first night back from, or back on, Thunderbird Five. Different sounds, smells, lights. It always takes me a night to readjust."
"I didn't know that!"
"I've learnt the hard way. Now I always make sure that I get a few naps in the day before I'm due to end my duty on Thunderbird Five… That is when I know I'm due to leave Thunderbird Five," John finished reflectively.
"This is a shocker isn't it," Scott said.
"Uh, huh," John agreed and paused. "I hate to admit it, Scott. But I think you're right. I saw how he looked at you. Virgil's not a fan of yours at the moment."
"But why? I haven't done anything to him. I haven't had the opportunity!"
"I don't know. I wish I did, like I wish I knew what had caused his amnesia in the first place. All I can suggest is that you don't rush things. If you're going to spend some time with him make sure someone else he 'trusts'…"
"You mean Gordon."
"Maybe. He also seemed pretty comfortable with Dad. Just make sure that one of those two is there at the same time. Let him know you're not a threat and that you want to help. Give him a chance to get to know you again." John stood and stretched. "You look beat. I'll let you try to get some sleep. Maybe we're worrying for nothing and he'll wake up tomorrow as if nothing's happened."
"I hope you're right."
John slid the door open. "Try not to let things worry you, Scott. If this amnesia hangs around for a while, we're all going to have to be strong enough to support each other. And that means being wide awake tomorrow."
"Yeah," Scott grabbed his bedclothes and pulled them over his body. "Night, John."
"Night, Scotty." John turned out the light.As he'd predicted, sleep refused to come to Scott. After several hours of tossing and turning, he gave up and decided to work off some of his nervous energy. He headed down to the gym.
After half an hour of pounding at the punch bag he gave up. His body felt ready to drop on the spot, but his mind was still wide-awake. He decided to head back to bed for the second time that night, hopeful that he might yet manage a couple of hours sleep.
The way back to his room was past his brothers' bedrooms. As he passed Virgil's a sound made him stop. He thought he heard someone cry out for help. Not bothering to knock, he slid the door open.Virgil was in his bed, desperately fighting against some invisible aggressor. His bedclothes were knotted up on the floor. Every now and then he'd let out a yell of fear.
"Virgil!" Scott raced to his brother's bedside. "Are you alright?" He touched Virgil gently on the arm.
With another yell Virgil awoke. He looked Scott in the eye. "Don't hurt me!"
"Virgil. It's me! It's Scott!"
"Leave me alone!" Virgil pushed away from his brother. He fell out of his bed, landing on the floor heavily.
Scott clambered across the bed. "Are you okay?"
Scott leaning over him was too much for Virgil. "Don't hurt me! Keep away," he whimpered trying to crawl away from the 'aggressor'. His desk blocked his flight.
"Virgil. I won't hurt you. Don't you recognise me?" Scott climbed off the bed so he was closer to Virgil's eye line. "It's Scott."
"Don't touch me…"
"Scott! Leave him!" A voice barked from behind them.
"I'm not…"
"Come here, Scott!" Jeff barked again.
Reluctantly Scott climbed back over the bed away from Virgil. His father, Alan and John were standing there, concern etched into their faces.
Jeff moved forward. "It's okay, Virgil. I won't hurt you," he said soothingly.
Virgil scrambled to his feet. "Don't come any closer!" he held out a hand defensively.
Jeff stopped.
"Where am I? Tell me where I am." Virgil begged. "I don't know this place."
"This is your home, Virgil," Jeff told him.
"No…! No it's not…! I don't know it… This is not my home! What's happening?"
Jeff took another step forward.
"Keep back. Don't come any closer!" Virgil grabbed a cushion and threw it at his father.
Jeff ducked the cushion and stopped walking.
Alan fled down the hallway. He barrelled into a room.
The room was in darkness. He switched on the light.
There was a snore from the bed.
"Gordon!" Alan raced up to his brother's recumbent form and tugged on his shoulder.
"Wassup…? Alan?" Gordon woke out of a deep sleep and looked at him blearily, blinking against the bright light. "Is it a rescue?"
"No!"
"Is my bed on fire?"
"No!"
"Then leave me alone. I'm sleeping." Gordon closed his eyes and nuzzled back into his pillow.
"Gordon! Virgil needs you!" Alan pulled at the bed's occupant again.
Gordon didn't open his eyes. "Then let Scott look after him. I need my sleep." He rolled over and pulled his pillow over his head.
In desperation Alan threw back the covers, grabbed his recalcitrant brother by the leg and pulled him further down the bed. When that didn't have the desired result he grabbed the mattress with both hands, and tipped it so his brother rolled onto the floor.
Gordon let out a yelp as he landed on the floor in a pile of bedclothes. "Alan! What are you doing?"
"Have you got amnesia too? Virgil needs you."
Now that he was fully awake Gordon understood. "Where is he?"
"His room."
Gordon was on his feet and running down the hall. Things in Virgil's room were still at a stalemate. Virgil was desperately trying to keep his family at bay.Gordon slipped between his brothers. "Virgil?"
Virgil had been trying to defend himself with a book. He lowered his arm.
Slowly, Gordon started walking closer. "Virgil, it's me. It's Gordon."
"Gordon?"
"That's right. You remember me don't you?"
"Where am I, Gordon?"
"At home. This is your room. Remember I showed you last night."
"My room?"
"That's right."
"I was under attack."
Still treading softly, Gordon frowned. "Who by?"
"I – I don't know. I don't remember." Virgil allowed Gordon to gently grasp him by the arm and lead him, away from their family, over to the window seat.
"Come on, boys," Jeff said quietly. "We'll leave them to it."
Obediently John and Alan left the room. Scott hesitated a moment. He looked at his brothers, now silhouetted by the window, looked back at his father, and then shuffled out of the room.Gordon heard the door click shut behind the last of his family. "Look at you," he said to Virgil. "You're soaking in sweat. Go have a shower, I'll get you some clean pyjamas and then you can tell me what happened."
"Shower?" his brother asked dazedly.
"You do remember how to have a shower don't you?" Gordon was suddenly fearful that he'd overestimated Virgil's knowledge.
Virgil nodded dumbly.
The rest of the Tracys assembled in the kitchen.
"Thank heavens your Grandmother's room isn't in the main house," Jeff said. "I wouldn't have liked her to have seen that."
"Good idea, Alan," John congratulated him. "Just as well he responded to Gordon."
"I nearly couldn't get him out of bed. He was that zonked he didn't even hear Virgil and Scott yelling. I had a hang of a job trying to convince him to come and help."
"Just as well you managed it," Jeff said. He looked at his eldest. Scott was sitting at the dining table quietly. "What happened, Son?"
Scott didn't hear him.
"Scott?" Jeff pressed.
"Scotty?" John touched him on the arm.
"Huh!" Scott awoke from his reverie. "What?"
"What happened?" Jeff asked again.
"I swear I didn't touch him…! Well only once on the arm… but it was only to wake him…"
"Calm down. No one's blaming you," Jeff said reassuringly. "I'm sorry I shouted at you. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. Why'd you try to wake him?"
"I'd been in the gym," the rest of the family looked at each other at this admission. "I was heading back to bed when I heard him call out for help… Only it wasn't my help he wanted."
"Nightmare?" John asked.
"Looked like it."
"He's living a nightmare at the moment," Alan said. "It's not surprising that he's dreaming them as well…"
Virgil finished his shower and slowly dried himself with the towel that Gordon provided. When he was dressed in clean, dry pyjamas he emerged back into the bedroom.
"How're you feeling now?" Gordon asked him.
"Okay, I guess," Virgil replied.
There was a knock on the door. Frowning at the interruption, Gordon went to the door and opened it, ready to shoo whoever was there away.The hall was empty.
At his feet were a mug of hot chocolate and a note. He picked them both up.
'Yours is in the kitchen,' the note read. He scrunched it up.
"Here ya are," he said to Virgil. "Nothing like a hot chocolate to calm the nerves."
"Hot chocolate? What's that?" Virgil asked.
"A drink," Gordon handed it to him. "You get that down you and I'll straighten up your bed."
"Thank you," Virgil said gratefully and wrapped his hands around the mug. "It smells nice."
"Tastes even better."
Virgil took a tentative sip. "You're right. It's a bit hot though."
"Give it a moment to cool down." Gordon got some dry sheets and quickly remade the bed. "Now I've done all the hard work," he said, "you'd better get in there."
Still clutching his drink, Virgil complied.
"Feeling better?" Gordon asked.
Virgil nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."
"Not a problem. Do you want to talk?" Gordon settled on the end of the bed. "What happened?"
Virgil frowned in thought. "I think I had a dream."
"What about?"
Virgil's frown deepened. "I don't remember. I just remember being frightened… And then I think I woke up and… what's his name? Scott? Scott was there and I didn't recognise him. I thought he was an extension of my dream."
"The only time Scott's a nightmare is at breakfast, when he hasn't been able to get a good night's sleep and the toast's burnt," Gordon grinned.
Virgil leant back into his pillows. "I've made a fool of myself haven't I?"
"Hardly."
Virgil's eyelids were growing heavy. "Remind me to apologise to everyone tomorrow."
"You won't have to do that. This amnesia is new to all of us. You're just trying to cope with an unfamiliar situation. We're trying to cope too. None of us know what we should be doing. We're all learning at the same time… Virgil?"
Virgil was asleep.
Gordon carefully prised the mug out of his brother's hands and placed it on the bedside cabinet before pulling up a blanket and tucking it in.
"Night, Virgil," he whispered. "Pleasant dreams. Let's hope tomorrow's better." Quietly he tiptoed out of the room.His brothers and father looked up when he came into the dining room. "Where's my hot choc?"
"Here," John heated it for him and handed him a mug.
"Thanks," Gordon took a mouthful and sighed in contentment. "That's good."
"How is he?" Jeff asked.
"Asleep. Thinks he's made a fool of himself. I told him he didn't need to apologise, but don't be surprised if he does tomorrow." He had another drink.
"What happened," Alan asked.
"Nightmare," Gordon explained. "He can't remember what. When he woke up he thought Scott was part of it."
"Dad too," Alan said. "He attacked him."
Gordon looked alarmed. "He what?"
"Only with a cushion," Jeff reassured him.
Gordon sipped at his drink again and then rested his head on his arms on the table. "He didn't even remember what hot chocolate was."
The announcement was met with silence.
What more were they going to learn? More importantly…What more did Virgil need to learn?