18. John and Virgil – Fluent
"I'm totally fine," Virgil said. "Nothing wrong at all."
"Cut it out," John said, crossing his arms. "I'm fluent in Virgil-ese. I know when you're lying. And see this?" He pointed at his ear. "This is a finely tuned bullshit detector. So let's have it."
The brothers were thousands of miles apart and yet the distance seemed to shrink to nothing as Virgil crumbled underneath his John's glare.
"Come one," John said, his tone now more gentle and cajoling."
Virgil opened his mouth and closed it again, shrinking back against the back of the couch. He was alone in the lounge, apart from the floating blue hologram – whose frown was deepening again.
"That's it," John said, unfolding his arms and looking as though he was standing up. "I'm coming down there."
Jerking forward, Virgil held up his hands.
"No, no, it's fine," he said. "You don't need to do that, I –" His voice caught and he swallowed. "I just can't stop thinking about Dad, that's all."
His expression softening again, John nodded.
"I understand."
This time, he patiently waited out the silence. The rest was inevitable. When the plug was pulled, the rest would spill out. It's was just Virgil's way.
"I mean, seeing Lee was great and all," Virgil said eventually. "It's just, I keep thinking about what Dad would think. What he would have done if he was here. I mean, that base was his life for such a long time."
Chuckling softly, John nodded and folded his arms again.
"I know. There were a few years when Alan was a baby when he spent more time on the moon than he did on Earth."
Virgil's laughter joined his brothers, and he shook his head.
"I just…" His tone sobered again. "I miss him, John. I wish we could find him."
"We will, Virgil," John replied. "We will."