Insomnia
Chapter Two

Breakfast time

Breakfast time, one of the many times that there was madness around the large table where the three families would gather to eat their meals. Scattered around the table was the Tracy Family with their own chaotic way of helping each other make sure that they get what they politely asked for, Brains and Fermat Hackenbacker near the Tracy's and the Belagant family on the other though they would be the last to settle down being the manservant's and helpers to the Tracy Family.

Scott and Virgil chatted away about a baseball game coming up later that day and hoped that nothing came up from the automated systems that were settled up until Thunderbird Five was fully back online.

Gordon was talking to Alan, who was due back to Wharton Academy at the beginning of next week along with Fermat, though the whole family knew that the youngest of the Tracy siblings did not want to go back to school but had no choice.

Brains was talking to Jeff about some changes in the systems of Thunderbird Five during the repairs as according to the young genius that it was time the space station's systems were updated to increase its output. Fermat was listening in with great interest and adding his own comment from time to time as he helped his father down in the laboratory whenever he had the chance or was here on the island.

The Belagant family sat down peacefully eating at their own breakfast and admired how their close friends were enjoying one nice breakfast together.

The only person missing from this chaotic view of a peaceful breakfast was John Tracy, for he was still asleep from his late return from clearing his head. Everyone admired giving the young blond Tracy some space after the trauma he had been through even though it had been several weeks since his wounds had completely healed... physically anyway.

Scott and Virgil looked up to seeing John enter the room, looking a little tired but freshly showered and a book tucked under his arm. For the last few weeks, he had brought the book down to breakfast, grabbed some toast and disappeared off to read his book in the lounge while eating the toast.

"Morning John" Scott said cheerfully making space for him to join them at the table.

"Morning Scott, hi everyone" John said with a slight yawn, helped himself to some coffee before disappearing to the lounge.

Virgil watched their brother walk off nursing the cup of coffee tightly. "At least that's a slight change.." He muttered quietly so not to be overheard.

"It is" Scott muttered in reply watching where John had gone.

Jeff saw the interaction between the two brothers and sighed inwardly, "Now boys, we all know that John has gone through a hard time with all that happened but it had happened.. we were there as soon as we could -" He told his two older sons.

"I know Dad, but I just wish we can be there for him now! I know that John's doing his best in hiding it but he's hurt... when we saw him up there…he was in more pain than we first knew" Virgil interrupted remembering when John had fallen asleep aboard Thunderbird Two on the way home from the incident with Jeff flying Thunderbird Three.

Gordon looked up from where he was talking with Alan, "I remember.. just glad that those harnesses are tighter than they look" He said as he reached forward for his drink.

"It did worry us as he did keep taping his arm against it... but John wouldn't stay in the sick bay" Virgil said with a sigh before sipping his own drink.


John listened to his family talk quietly knowing that he was their subject of discussion before he headed out onto the sundeck to sip on his coffee before going back to his room and work on some of the systems Brains has asked him to help with.

While in there, John would also keep an eye on the automated systems that currently ran Thunderbird Five. With a sigh, he sat down on his favourite sun lounger and opened his book to his marked place.

He knew that his family was worried about him, he felt someone following him each time John needed to get away from the main complex after one of his nightmares. He was surviving on two hours sleep instead of the normal six or seven that was average to him, sipping quietly on his coffee, not really looking at the words on the pages in his open book he sighed and enjoyed the aroma of the coffee hoping that the caffeine would wake him up and keep him going while in front of his family.


A few hours past and the family split up to go on with their own chores, Scott had gone off to jog around the island while Virgil disappeared to make adjustments to some of the equipment down in the hangers. Gordon was in the pool, swimming around with Fermat watching from the deck and Alan having gone inside to change into his swimming gear and join his brother in the pool.

Brains was discussing plans with Jeff in the office, they were mainly plans for updating Thunderbird Five while they repaired the outer ring and the hull. They had decided that they would take this opportunity to upgrade some of the systems on the geostationary orbital satellite.

John, himself had gone back into his room, his music playing in the background so that anyone who wanted to see him knew that he was busy working on his computer. Even though his fingers were flying across the keyboard typing line after line of code for a new program that Brains had asked for, John's mind was elsewhere, going over the cause of the nightmares and how he had coped with them.

The one thing that had got John worried was the emotional mask that he had started wearing to hide the fact that he had only survived on two hours, three at the most over the last few weeks since the nightmares had gotten more constant. He had asked his father if he could run command and control on the island as he didn't trust himself out on the danger zone incase his mask slipped, which is did now and again in front of his family.

John sighed deeply and saved the new program onto disc so that Brains could go over it and adjust it to what he needed it for. 'What is the chance that Brains is giving me these jobs in hope of that it will keep me busy' He thought to himself as he started work on the next program.

Sighing once again, John looked at Brains's notes while figuring out how to solve the problem. 'Sooner Thunderbird Five is back up and running the better... he is definitely trying to keep me busy' HE thought to himself, his fingers taping the edge of the keyboard in time with the music in the background.


The young man moved away from his brother's door hearing the music was loud enough to cover the occupant's actions so that any passerby wouldn't be able to hear.

'Just wish that he would break down... he can't keep this bottled up forever' He thought to himself with a sigh and headed back into the main complex.

"Hey! Anything from John's room?" Gordon called from out of the pool, Alan in there now too with him.

"No.. he's got his music on, just worried that he might not handle the return to the space station once its repaired" The young man said with a groan as he sat on the sun lounger, out on the sundeck.

"He'll be fine Virg, all we can do is be there for him for whenever John does break down" Scott said as he came out of the jungle up onto the sundeck.

"True Scott... all we can do is be there for him when he needs us" Virgil said and covered a yawn.


With all of the parts assembled and the systems fully updated, with three months of constant work while Jeff had sent John to mainland to handle some of the company meetings.

Now that the air filters had been given time to clean the air and circulate the clean air around the space station. Thunderbird Three had been launched and was now getting ready to dock with Thunderbird Five, with John as the pilot.

Virgil and Scott came along to help with the final testing and unloading of the supplies, as Virgil was the only other trained pilot of the rocket of their fleet aside from Jeff and of course John, he would be needed to fly Thunderbird Three back to earth once their job was done in helping their brother settle back in the newly refurbished geostationary orbital satellite.

John focused on docking Thunderbird Three to Thunderbird Five, soon a large shake echoed around the rocket. "Docking complete" He announced as he locked down Thunderbird Three before releasing his harness.

"Great John, let's get these supplies unloaded and give Thunderbird Five's systems one last test" Scott said as he undid his own harness and rose up onto his feet.

"Ok Scott, I just need to get to lock down Thunderbird Three and I'll be right there with you" John told his eldest brother before heading the code being entered and the tunnel hatch beeped in response saying that it was secure.

Virgil watched Scott disappear out of the rocket and across to the satellite before turning to look at John, who was focused on the controls of Thunderbird Three in front of him. "John, is everything ok?" He asked as he undid his own harness but remained in his seat.

John snapped out of his thoughts, "Sorry Virg... yeah I'm fine, I have finished locking down 'three's systems so let's go and join Scott" He said getting up out of his seat with a smile and a slight stretch.

Virgil inwardly sighed seeing the tough mask back on John's face, "Sure, let's go! I expect Scott is performing the tests as we speak" He said with a smile and rose up from his seat, freeing his tool bag as he did so.

"Yeah he probably has" John said and followed Virgil along the tunnel across to Thunderbird Five. As they crossed, John looked out of the large panels of the tunnel, out into the far reaches of outer space. As they continued, he saw the shine of the new plating of where they had replaced the whole of the outer ring plating to a tougher alloy.

"Hey Scott! How is the tests?" Virgil asked joining Scott at the main console. They had curved the main console around in a slight horseshoe shape to help the person, who was operating the space station, navigate better than the long rectangular console that they originally designed.

"They're ok so far Virg, almost done actually" Scott said from the console, spinning around on the chair with a grin, which quickly disappeared when he saw John standing in the doorway from the tunnel.

Virgil turned around and saw John looked more pale than he normally was, there was a light shine of sweat all over his face, his normal clear blue eyes were glassy and lost of all emotion. "John?" He called over to his brother wondering what was wrong with him.

Fire... smoke... darkness being pierced apart by the emergency lighting or the light caused by the fires. The smell of burning metal and wires filled the air. As John looked around all he could see was the destruction and chaos of the control room after the missile had hit the outer ring.

Scott and Virgil looked at each other before sharing worried glances at John, who slowly walked over to join them. "I'm... I'm fine..." John muttered as he joined his brothers at the main console of the control room.

Thunderbird Five to Tracy Island! May day! May day! A echo played in John's mind as he touched the newly designed console.

"Are you sure you're ok? Because we can leave this to another day if you want to" Scott said, worry and concern written on his face and in his voice as he rose up from the chair to allow John to sit there in his stead.

"Y-yeah" John muttered, wiping away the sweat with the sleeve of his uniform before he touched the keyboard but froze up. "I...I..." He muttered quietly feeling his barriers crash down causing the tears o slide down his pale cheeks.

"Come on John, It's ok" Virgil spoke softly, helping John back up on his feet and across to the hatch that led to the tunnel, back across to Thunderbird Three. Scott followed close behind, worried for John now that he was breaking down.


To be continued...

And I apologize to my readers of this fanfic, I have just been so tied up what with all of my energy going into Tears - whenever I have a free moment with energy that is.
So hoping that things go well with chapter three of that, chapter three of Insomnia should be around sooner than this one!