Chapter 4: Scott's POV

A/N: I suddenly realised when I was writing this chapter that I never mentioned an explosion before I let the shuttle explode. So, I went back to chapter 2, where I now do mention the explosion. Thanks for your understanding.

Scott flopped down on his bed.

About an hour ago they had all gone to the living room, the portraits looking down on them, and all eyes tried to avoid the one on the left. Tin Tin and Kyrano had joined them, Tin Tin hugging Nicole tightly once she noticed her.

Jeff had started to speak.

Flashback:

"I ehm, as you all know we have lost...a member... today." Scott could see that his father had to fight back the tears. "Scott."

He looked up.

"Would you please tell us what happened."

This time it was Scott's turn to swallow. He had known this was coming, but was he ready to tell them? Once he would tell them, everything would be so...real. A voice on his left side surprised him.

"I'll start. Wherever you need to add something, please do so." Scott nodded to Nicole. He felt both guilty for letting her do the hard work and relieved as he didn't have to do so just yet.

"OK, well, as you know our shuttle wasn't responding to any of our commands, we had had a small explosion in the room where the oxygen bottles were. The chance of another explosion was very real, and it would probably occur at around the same time when the oxygen would run out. Nick, who is not comfortable being in space, but was...and still is, the only man available to make the repairs we need on one of the space stations. He was panicking and was of absolutely no use when we tried to repair some of the damage done on board. We did repair some things, but we couldn't get the ship to the right course to the space station or Earth. If we had continued to work on the machinery we might have gotten as far as changing the course, but the oxygen ran out anyway, so there was no point."

Scott took over. "John steered Thunderbird 3 next to the space shuttle, same speed and course, and then went out with 5 oxygen bottles, one for himself. I remained standby to alter course, speed or something else whenever that was needed."

And Nicole picked up again. "John appeared through the air lock with a little less than 6 minutes oxygen left. He gave out the oxygen bottles. Only 4 people fit into the airlock of that space ship, so first Martin ordered Terry, Susan, Nick and me to go. But Nick started to really panic then, so I made the decision to stay behind with John and let the other 4 go first."

This was where it started to become really difficult for Nicole. If she hadn't made that decision, she might have made it with the leaking bottle to the Thunderbird, and John might still be alive. But then, would the leaking bottle have been strong enough? Would it have collapsed if she had tried to go into space with it? Even so, John wouldn't have died. (A/N: as is obvious, I don't know much about space, but just bear with me.)

Virgil had squeezed her shoulder to offer some support, and Nicole continued after having taken a deep breath.

"After they had gone out of the airlock, I discovered that the oxygen level in my oxygen flask went down." At this Brains frowned.

"W-w-we had them ch-ch-checked out n-n-n-not l-l-long ago."

Nicole nodded. "That's what John said. I don't know what was wrong with it, but there must have been a leak in it."

Brains nodded to show that he would think it over, and that she could continue. Though Scott spoke before she could speak again.

"Was this where I called in?"

"Not yet. John took my oxygen bottle, and gave me his. It was done before I even realized what it meant. There was not enough oxygen in the leaking flask to reach Thunderbird 3."

Again she was interrupted. "I-i-it wouldn't h-h-have m-m-m-mattered. O-o-once you w-w-w-would have e-e-entered space, you would h-h-have su-su-suffocated."

Nicole swallowed. As did the rest of the family.

"OK, well, I guess John must have known. I started to argue, which is where you called in." She said looking at Scott.

"And John told me to wait for a moment. Well, not in those words, but it came down to the same." Nicole gave a weak smile as she remembered exactly how John had told Scott to 'wait'. That must have been one of the first times that John had said something like that to Scott during a rescue.

"He did. We...we said our goodbyes and then I left."

"That's when he called in, telling me that you were on your way and that he was staying." Scott continued. "He told me he was going to try and turn the ship away from Thunderbird 3 as the explosion of the shuttle would probably damage Thunderbird 3 in the process. He... he said that he loved us all, and that we should continue with our lives...and...and not to blame it on anyone."

"And?" Tin Tin prodded.

"I told him we all loved him...and..."

"What did he say?" Tin Tin asked again. Scott looked up from where he had been staring at the floor. Tears shone in his eyes.

"He didn't say anything. I-I think he may have passed out from lack of oxygen."

End of flashback

Scott stared at the ceiling. Well, that was what he hoped had happened. He hoped John hadn't been conscious when he had died. Either by the explosion or by the lack of oxygen.

They could only hope. They would never know. Maybe that was a good thing.

Scott looked around in his room. His eyes went over the bookshelf and rested on a set of books. Those were the four books John had written. There wouldn't be a fifth one.

This thought was what brought it all home.

John was dead. He would never be able to talk to them again, nor listen to them, play volleyball, take a swim, reassure them while they were on a rescue.

John would never breathe again.

John was dead.

A/N: OK, so I know I promised I would continue on a happier note... just not yet. evil grin Sorry, just a bit more of sadness (I'm planning on getting some family-member's point of view, which won't always be happy... well, I very much doubt they will be happy thoughts) but I promise that the last chapter will be happier. Don't know when the last chapter will be though... :p Please review!