A BROTHER'S CRY

By Grumpymagrat & Magratconvert

Disclaimer: We don't own the Thunderbirds. Not now, not ever.

Chapter Ten – A Brother's Confrontation

Alan spent most of the night tossing and turning in bed. He dozed off and on, but he was too wound up to really sleep. He was too worried about Gordon. He had been listening trying to hear Gordon in his room, but all was quiet from the next room. It was now four am. Alan knew that sleep was impossible so he decided to find Gordon.

Alan decided that he would head to the gym since Gordon had been working out lately when he couldn't sleep. He detoured by the kitchen and made some hot chocolate. Maybe if he brought a peace offering, Gordon wouldn't walk away from him. Alan was mildly surprised to find the gym empty. He headed to the lounge. It was time to play "find Gordon". He planned on using Gordon's comm-watch to trace him.

Alan turned on the monitor on his father's desk and called up the tracer, concentrating on Tracy Island. The orange dot indicating Gordon's watch indicated that Gordon was in his room. Alan frowned. He knew that Gordon was not in his room earlier, but it was possible that Gordon had returned to his room while Alan was in the kitchen or gym.

Alan knocked softly on Gordon's door. He still didn't hear anything from inside Gordon's room. He opened the door and whispered. "Gordon, are you in here?" Alan crept into the room trying to be as quiet as possible. If Gordon was in the room sleeping, Alan certainly did not want to wake him up. By the moonlight shining through the windows, Alan could see that the room was empty. An object on the desk captured his attention. He set the thermos and mugs down on the desk. He picked up Gordon's watch. Dad would go ballistic if he knew that Gordon had left it behind. Alan put the watch in his pocket while thinking, "Ok Gordon, you may have upped the challenge, but I am just as determined to find you as you are to hide from me."

Alan began searching the house. He even double-checked the gym just too be sure that Gordon hadn't gone there after he had left. Alan was growing discouraged by the time that he returned to the lounge. He sat at his father's desk. He contemplated calling John to see if he could track Gordon without his watch. He decided against it. John kept the same day/night schedule as on the island so he should be asleep. Also he may insist on waking up Dad and his brothers, which would only complicate the situation.

Alan thought about the lagoon. Sure it was still dark out but the path was well traveled. With a strong flashlight, Gordon could have easily traversed it. "Well, only one way to find out." Alan thought to himself as he headed to the utility closet to get a flashlight for himself. It took Alan almost thirty minutes to reach the lagoon. The beach was empty with no sign that anyone had been there in the last few hours. Alan hoped that Gordon hadn't done something stupid and was somewhere under the surface of the water.

There was only one more place that Alan could think to look. "I don't know why I didn't check there first." He told himself. "Sure I do, he hasn't gone there since the rescue." Alan turned and headed back to the house. He really hoped that this time his hunch would pay off.

When Alan entered Thunderbird Two's hanger, he immediately noticed that the door to Pod Four was open. He looked in the pod and breathed a sigh of relief. After two hours of hunting, he finally found the object of his search, his brother.

Gordon was sitting on the floor across from Thunderbird Four leaning against the pod wall. Gordon spotted Alan standing next to the open pod door. "Hey there Alan, come on in." Gordon invited in a slightly slurred voice. "Wanna drink?" He asked holding up a partially empty bottle of whiskey.

"No, not right now." Alan said. "It is a little too early in the morning for a drink. Here put your watch back on." Alan pushed Gordon's watch into his hand.

"No such thing little brudder." Gordon grinned saucily.

Alan was relieved to see that Gordon was attempting to put his watch on. He seemed to be having trouble doing that while holding the whiskey, so Alan took the bottle from him. Holding it up, he asked, "How much of this did you drink?"

"Not enough." Gordon said trying to get the bottle back from Alan. "Gimme that."

"No, I don't think so. I think that you should go to bed and sleep it off."

"God, there you go again, telling me what to do." Gordon said as he forced himself to his feet. "Just leave me alone."

"Gordon, please don't quit. I don't want you to leave. I would miss you too much." Alan said hoping to calm Gordon down by changing topics. He got to his feet. "Please let me help you to your room. You need to sleep."

"I don't want to sleep." Gordon said with anger creeping back into his voice. "If I go to sleep, I will have the nightmares again. I can't keep reliving those memories."

"Nightmares?" Alan asked. "I didn't know that you were having nightmares. Maybe if Brains gives you a sleeping pill, it would help."

"Nope, been there, done that."

Alan was puzzled. "Do you mean that Brains already gave you pills to try?"

"He dinn't give them to me. I took them."

"When did you take them?" Alan asked looking down at the whiskey bottle.

Gordon had to think for a moment. "Uhm…lessee…the last three nights."

"Gordon, did you take any pills tonight?" Alan hoped that the answer would be no, but he knew that it would be yes.

"They didn't work. I couldn't fall asleep even after taking more." Gordon seemed so tired as he leaned against Thunderbird Four.

Alan was getting scared. "Gordon, how many pills did you take tonight?"

Gordon stared at Alan. "Uh, I'm not sure. Four? Maybe five? It doesn't matter. I am telling you. They didn't work. Gimme a drink."

"Gordon, this is really important." Alan said holding the bottle away from Gordon. "Did you start drinking before you took the pills or after?"

Gordon was starting to get mad. "God dammit Alan, you are really getting on my nerves."

"Come on Gordon, answer my question."

"I don't remember." Gordon yelled. "Now leave me alone."

Alan softened his voice needing to calm Gordon down. "Gordon, we need to get you down to the sickroom. You've been drinking on top of sleeping pills. That can be a deadly combination."

Gordon didn't move. Alan wasn't even sure that Gordon was listening. Alan reached out and touched his arm. Alan was not prepared for Gordon's reaction.

Gordon whipped around and grabbed Alan's arms in a vise-like grip. With adrenaline coursing through his veins, he began shaking Alan and screaming. "I told you to leave me alone. I don't need help. I don't want your help. You don't understand. You can't. What will it take to get through to you? Just leave me alone!" Gordon punctuated his words with violent shakes to Alan.

Alan tried to gain a sense of balance, but he couldn't seem to break his brother's hold on him. The whiskey bottle fell from his hand. He knew that he had to get away from Gordon. He had never seen his brother this angry. The look on Gordon's face scared Alan. He could hear Gordon yelling while shaking him. Things seemed to be moving in slow motion. The last thing that he remembered was hearing Gordon yell, "Just leave me alone!"

With one final shake, Gordon pushed Alan away from him as hard as he could. As soon as he let go of Alan, he turned and stormed out of the pod. He was so intent on getting away that he never heard the thud as his brother's head connected with the side airlock on Thunderbird Four or when his brother hit the side fin before hitting the floor. Gordon just left the hanger without ever looking back. He left without knowing that his brother laid next to Thunderbird Four unconscious with a pool of blood slowly forming under his head.

TBC

Author's note – Here it is folks. Now you know what Gordon did to Alan. We hope it was worth the wait.

AngelMouse5, numbah 14, Vorserkeien – Thank you for your encouraging reviews. We are glad that you are enjoying it.

Darkangel2005 – We are glad that you are enjoying the story. Personal from Convert – I remember those sessions. I find this writing much more enjoyable.