Chapter 9: Brains' POV
A/N: Hello, me again. I've got another chapter for you people… Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far!! I really appreciate it.
And, no, it's still in the same sort of mood. Which you could have expected, since this story will have a (sort of) happy ending… and this chapter definitely is not the last one yet.
Please read and review. If you notice any mistakes, please notify me and I'll change them. Thank you.
The stuttering scientist was running around his lab, doing various experiments at the same time as to not give the sadness a chance to overwhelm him.
He was just about to pour a chemical into a test tube when he realised the test tube already contained a substance.
The colour quickly left his face as he recognised the substance. He could have killed himself adding the chemical to this substance!
'Well, it's not like it would really matter. After all, John's gone. Everyone is busy trying to cope with that. I doubt they would care much for me being dead as well.' he thought melancholically.
But as the meaning of this thought hit him he was so shocked he had to sit down.
'What are you thinking! Mr. Tracy has always made me feel part of the family. Of course they would be shocked and sad if I had died!' Brains berated himself.
He looked around his lab. He only just now noticed he was actually doing five experiments at the same time!
He might as well stop all of them. He hadn't taken any notes, and he couldn't remember any details. There would be no point in continuing them, so Brains stood up and put all the equipment away. After his lab was reasonably cleaned up, Brains sat down in the chair he had been sitting in previously.
His mind went back to the times when John was there, in his laboratory. The times when Tin Tin wasn't there (yet) to assist with experiments. Times when he was so caught up in different theories and formulae that he couldn't seem to find the right one. Times when he felt alone, having no family left.
These were times he turned to the second Tracy-brother.
Brains had always found it easier to talk to John than to any of the others, although it was increasingly difficult to find a time when John wasn't busy doing something. He was, after all, in Thunderbird 5 for most of the year. And when he wasn't in space, he would either be at Tracy Industries, or on a rescue mission, or enjoying some time with his wife.
And still, Brains had only needed to say a word and John would leave whatever he was doing at that moment, and listen to what Brains had to say. Brains couldn't remember one time that John wasn't there for him.
Except now. Now was the one time that John wasn't able to be there for him. To listen to him. To reassure him.
Of course, if John had been here, there wouldn't have been a reason for him to be there. Brains half grinned at that thought.
The grin disappeared as he thought about the blonde-headed Tracy boy that had only been about a month older than he was.
'Well, if I don't blow myself up accidentally within the next six weeks, I'll actually live longer than you John.'
This reminded him of one of the conversations they had once had.
Flashback:
It was in the middle of the night. Brains was completely focused on one of his experiments.
Three days ago he had been stuck on a certain experiment, and for the last three days he had been thinking about how to solve the problem.
As could be expected, the answer popped up in his head the moment he was about to fall into a deep sleep. Once he had the problem solved, he just couldn't stay in bed. He had to go and finish the experiment.
And that was how he had ended up in his lab in the middle of the night.
However, Brains' mind might have been awake, his body didn't agree with the mind. It therefore wasn't very unexpected when he tripped over his own feet. He would definitely have made contact with the floor in a painful way, hadn't it been for the strong pair of hands that caught him.
Getting back on his feet, Brains looked up to see who caught him. He grinned. He shouldn't have been surprised to find his blonde friend here.
John had just arrived back from Thunderbird 5 that day. Brains knew that John often went to the piano the very first evening he was back. And John knew that Brains had been pondering about a certain experiment, and that, if he found the solution during night time, he would go and experiment the same night.
What was more, both men knew that the other knew.
Brains pulled his pyjama shirt straight and smiled.
"Th-thanks John."
"Brains, you do know that you shouldn't be doing this at this hour, don't you? You could get yourself hurt. If you continue this way I'll live longer than you!" John reprimanded Brains.
Brains chuckled. "Y-You already do."
John smiled. "That's not the point."
"I-I get the point John, but it's just… once I get the s-solution to a problem, I can't stay in my bed. I just h-have to test it," Looking at John he added cheekily, "It's the same feeling you get when y-you can't find the right way to put something in a sentence. I-if the right sentence suddenly pops up at three o'clock in the morning, y-you're not staying in bed either, or writing it down on a spare p-piece of paper. N-no, you climb out of your bed, go to your desk and you write another ch-chapter."
John laughed. "I never said I didn't understand."
At this both men had to laugh.
"Now, let's get this experiment done with so we can both get some sleep." John said.
"Y-you can go to bed. Th-there's no need for you to stay and h-help."
"But I want to. It'll go quicker this way. And besides, someone has to be here to catch you when you trip again."
Brains looked at him with one raised eyebrow. Then he quickly told John what he was doing and how he could help. After this the experiment went smoothly.
Brains recorded the last result and together they cleaned up. Looking around John said: "Well, how does 'bed' sound to you right now?"
Brains nodded. "S-Sounds pretty good. Th-thanks for helping me John."
"Any time Brains, you know that. Next time, just give me a warning. Then I can be prepared to catch you." John smiled, walked towards the door and suppressed a yawn. Brains followed him and was about to respond when John tripped. Quickly Brains' hands shot out and managed to keep John upright. John steadied himself and looked at the scientist's face, as Brains said: "S-seems I'm n-not the only one who sometimes needs a s-steadying hand."
"Well, I guess everyone needs a friend to keep them from falling." John responded with a playful smile on his face. His expression turned serious when he added: "Thank you Brains, for being that friend."
Brains had not been able to respond with words, but instead had squeezed the Tracy-brother's shoulder.
With that they left the lab, and went to their bedrooms to catch some sleep.
End of Flashback
Brains sighed. He certainly hoped that John knew that he had saved Brains from falling more than once. Emotionally, not physically.
It had happened a few times that Brains was feeling down, alone, sometimes downright depressed. Most people in the family wouldn't notice. The stuttering would be a bit worse, but since he didn't talk much anyway, there were few people that would pick up on it.
John did.
And when it happened while John was up in Thunderbird 5, Brains would usually give him a call when the feelings became too overwhelming.
Brains chuckled ruefully.
"Well, John, I could certainly usea listening ear right now."
Brains turned in his chair and looked over at his book shelf. He could pinpoint the exact spot where John's notes were, neatly stacked. Notes on ideas about how to improve certain things in the Thunderbird machines. Some worked out, some just jotted down.
In his mind Brains could see John sitting next to him, explaining some of his ideas, or giving his opinions on some concept Brains had come up with, sometimes writing down a fewcomments next to Brains' calculations.
Suddenly Brains walked to the shelf and picked up the small stack of paper with the easily recognizable scrawl all over the thin, white material.
Purposefully he put the papers on his desk and he sat down.
Brains had a goal.
"I will look through your ideas, and I'll do everything I can to make the good ones work. I promise."
"I won't forget you, John, my dear friend, I won't forget you."
A/N: Yeah, that was it again. Please review. Thanks.