A/N: So I probably should've stated this in the summary or at least in the first chapter but this story is based around events that occurred in the 1960s show, in particular, Gordon's hydrofoil accident. I haven't watched the show in awhile or read the comics, so some stuff is probably inaccurate. Also, I do apologize if anyone is out of character. In the show, it never really shows the boys getting on each other's nerves, as siblings do, so I thought I would sprinkle a little of that in here. I do hope, however, once I've finished this story that I can write a piece about Gordon's incident involving the Hood in the 2015 series. Hope you all enjoy.
It was quiet, too quiet for space. Silence only meant one thing up on five, something was wrong. I had either lost connection with the island's satellites or the ship itself was shutting down, silence never meant anything good. I lay in bed for a second more, listening for any sign of the ship's power, waiting for EOS to greet me. The wind rustling my curtains was the only thing I heard. I felt the cool air on my toes.
I cracked my eyes open, confused. At the sight of my room, I breathed easier. Good, I wasn't being sucked out into space. Even a spaceman like me sometimes feared, or as I liked to put it, respected the vast power space held over us humans. Being sucked into space certainly wasn't how I wanted to start my day.
I sighed, sinking back into the comfort of my bed. It smelled like clean linens, with just a touch of the lilac detergent grandma used. The wind and cool air were coming from my cracked window. A breeze blew in now and then. It was nice to be home.
As I went about getting ready for the day, last night's events didn't cross my mind. Even as I passed by Gordon's room to get to the kitchen, I didn't recall anything. But as I rounded the corner, Gordon came crashing into me.
"In a rush?", I said, noticing the startled look in his eyes as he flinched away from me. I rose my eyebrows but didn't comment.
"Going for a swim", he said. He was wearing a white shirt, with the word WASP printed in bold black letters. He had his pink floral swim trunks on. Maybe it was just the morning light or his shirt, but he looked washed out. Little dark smudges stood out underneath his eyes.
Without waiting for another word, he brushed past me.
"Have fun?", I said as he rushed down the hall. He either didn't hear me or was ignoring me, I'm not sure which but he didn't turn back. I shook my head before turning back towards the kitchen. Virgil and Scott were both there. Virgil sat at the counter, typing away on his phone whilst sipping his coffee. Scott was pacing around the counter, drinking a water bottle. He must've just gotten back from his morning run, he was wearing his sneakers. Patches of sweat were dotted across his grey shirt. 'He ran longer than usual', I noted as I saw the time, 8:29. Every morning around seven am, Scott set out on his morning run. Maybe it was a habit from his days in the Air Force. Or maybe it was just a stress coping mechanism, I didn't entirely understand it. But his runs usually lasted less than an hour. Every morning, I would get a notification when he left the house and when he got back, due to the tracker on his watch. Creepy right?
Grabbing my NASA cup from the cabinet, I poured myself some coffee. Grandma and her cooking were nowhere to be seen, thank the Lord. For the first time since I'd been home, maybe I could have come edible breakfast.
As I moved around the kitchen gathering ingredients, I noticed the tension in the room. Scott and Virgil kept stealing glances at the patio, where Gordon was sitting at the edge of the pool. 'Sitting? Why isn't he swimming?", I thought, putting down the pancake mix I had just grabbed.
"What's he doing?", I said.
"I have no idea," Virgil said, shaking his head. He looked at Scott and nodded his head towards Gordon. Scott shook his head, glancing at me and back at Virgil, a silent conversation between the two of them. Virgil nodded his head before looking down at his phone.
"I'm not telepathic you guys", I said. They looked at me, Virgil with a deer in the headlights look. He opened his mouth but Scott quickly reached over and smacked his head.
"Okay, cut the crap", I said, leaning against the counter. "What the hell's going on?"
"Nothing", Scott said as Virgil said, "Everything?"
I merely gave them a look, clearly not impressed. Scott sighed before turning to Virgil and saying, "He doesn't have to know, he has enough to worry about already."
"Know what?", I asked.
"Well, it's about Gordon", Virgil said.
"What about him?", I asked, feeling a hint of uneasiness settle in my stomach.
"He's been a little...", Virgil paused, searching for the right word. "Moody lately?"
"He's just been acting a little different is all", Scott said, not catching the look Virgil sent him.
"What's going on?", I said, mostly to Virgil. Virgil couldn't keep a secret to save his life, he would tell me.
"We think he's having a relapse", he blurted.
"Virgil!", Scott hissed.
"What? The guys brutal", Virgil said.
"What do you mean by relapse?" I said.
Scott sighed once more, before saying, "Do you remember how Gordon was after his accident, I mean mentally speaking?"
"Yeah", I said slowly. This conversation was going in a direction I wasn't liking. After the hydrofoil accident, Gordon had spent four months in the hospital before coming home. By no account was he supposed to be alive, much less was he supposed to be mobile again. Somehow, he defined the odds, living when he was supposed to be dead, walking when he was supposed to be bed bound. That's not to say it was easy. Far from it. Gordon wasn't in a good place for months afterward, physically or mentally.
"Well, he's having a bit of a hard time right now, like last time", Scott continued.
"As in he's not sleeping or eating?", I asked.
"He's sleeping, from what we're aware, though he doesn't look like it", Virgil said. "And as for eating, he's eating what a normal person would eat, but with all that swimming he does."
"What about swimming?" a voice interrupted. Gordon, perfect timing.
"Gordon", I said, turning around to face him. He had come in through patio doors, how long he had been there I wasn't sure. Assuming from the scowl on his face though, long enough to hear what we were talking about.
"I thought you were going swimming?", Scott said.
"It started raining", he said, crossing the room to the fridge. As if on cue, thunder rumbled the house, booming off the walls. Looking out the patio's glass doors, I noticed for the first time it was pouring.
For a moment it was silent as Gordon looked through the fridge. He finally decided on some cold brew someone had left in the fridge. Grabbing a cup from the cabinet, he went about mixing his coffee with sugar and milk, only looking up when the silence continued.
"What?", he said pointedly.
"Nothing", I said as Virgil pointed to his shirt.
"I didn't know you still had that shirt."
I slowly looked at him and mouthed, "really?"
Gordon stilled at his words. He looked down at the shirt, the same one he had on this morning. He picked at the fabric for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face.
"I'm gonna go take a nap", he simply said, not looking up. He turned to walk away when I found myself saying, "Did you not sleep last night?"
He glanced at me, eyes calculating whether to take the bait or not. "I slept fine", he said, and with that, disappeared down the hallway.
"What was that?", Virgil said after a moment. I shrugged, while Scott said, "Did you have to comment on the shirt?"
I didn't hear what Virgil said. I thought about telling them what happened last night. But if I told them and Gordon found out? He'd be hurt, that was for sure. But if I didn't, what would he do? Would things continue like they were? Would he keep all this to himself?
"I know that look, spill", Scott said, interrupting my thoughts. How did he do that?
"What look? Spill what?", I said innocently.
"John" he warned, an expression so similar to dad's crossing his face. I wavered for a second, unsure what to do.
"Well", I started. "Last night I got up to get a snack, which we have none by the way. Grandma seriously needs to go shopping, I didn't have any of my cherry yogurts. You would've thought she'd stock up before I got home", Scott made a gesture with his hands, clearly saying, 'get to the point already'.
"I was going back to my room when I saw Gordon's lights were on. He was... well, he was crying?" I said it more as a question than an answer.
"And that brilliant head of yours didn't think to come and get me?" Scott said.
"Scott, he's not five", Virgil cut him off.
"I was going to but he wouldn't let me", I trailed off, noting the way Scott's face fell.
"Did he tell you what was wrong?", Virgil asked.
"No, but assuming from what you've told me, I'm guessing he had a nightmare from the accident?"
"I should've known he was having nightmares", Virgil shook his head. "He asked me for a sleeping pill the other day."
"And you didn't tell me?", Scott said again. I rolled my eyes, this was starting to get old.
"You don't need to know everything Scott", Virgil snapped, voicing my exact thoughts. "Besides, I didn't give them to him. He had said they were for you. I told him if you needed them, you would come and get them yourself."
"Might I remind you, Virgil, dad put me in charge", Scott said cooly, a look of barely contained irritation on his face. "And as your commander, I have the responsibility to ensure that everyone is fit to perform in the field." Virgil rolled his eyes at this, further stoking the fire.
"I'm your brother Virgil, it's my damn responsibility to keep you safe", Scott all but yelled. My eye widened as Virgil froze. Scott didn't swear very often, dad didn't approve of it. He only did it when he was trying to get his point across.
"Now, this is getting us nowhere", Scott said in a slightly lower voice. "We need a plan on what we're going to do. We can't exactly leave him to his own devices, there's no telling how long this has been going on already."
"And what exactly do you suggest?", Virgil said quietly. There was still an attitude in his voice. Scott inhaled through his nose loudly, merely looking at him.
"We sit him down and have a nice civilized talk", he finally said. "We need to clarify what this is about, it could have nothing to do with the accident." Virgil let out a laugh at this.
"Gordon? A civilized talk? Have you forgotten who our brother is?"
"I should've stayed in space", I mumbled, pushing myself away from the counter. I walked away from the two as they continued to bicker, walking over to one of the couches and laying face down.
"I say we talk to him in the morning, he's more sensible when he's just woken up", I heard Scott say. I snorted at that, face still pressed into the couch's fabric. It smelled oddly like feet. I pushed myself to my elbows, nose wrinkled.
"You gonna help us, John?" Virgil said.
"If by help you mean cornering and holding our brother down while he talks about his feelings then no. Help as in providing emotional support, then yes."
"Emotional support?", Scott deadpanned. "John, this isn't a family intervention. We're simply gonna have a talk and figure out what to do together."
"Yes because it's gonna be that simple", I heard Virgil say. I felt inclined to agree. Nothing was ever that simple in this family.