24. All the Tracys – Snore
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a huge family, must be in want of a pair of earplugs.
At no time is this more apparent to John Tracy than between three and four a.m.
There are many reasons why he stays in space ninety percent of the time. There's the mess, the fuss, the food…
Another of these reasons, of course, is the noise – and during the Devil's Hour, the island is a very noisy place.
It shouldn't be, of course. When the digital lights flick from two to three, it should be silent. Peaceful. Like space. It's true what they say: in space, no one can hear you scream. If only it was also true that on the island that no one could hear you snore.
Of course, it isn't true. And thus, John Tracy spends the Devil's hour with a pillow rammed against both his ears.
Scott, who claims to be a light sleeper, snores like a machine gun. A long intake of breath followed by a pew pew pew pew exhalation of .301 calibre exhalation.
Virgil is the consummate freight train. His breaths rattle in and out at thundering speeds and as far as John is concerned, it's a wonder he doesn't jerk himself awake every five minutes.
Gordon would have anyone believe he didn't snore – but he does when he sleeps on his back. Gordon's snores are like desperate gulps of air. It's as though he's drowning in memory. More often than not, John will go in and gently turn his brother onto his side, feeling the taut strings of sinew between his fingers. Even in sleep, Gordon is coiled like a spring, ready for action.
Alan is the talker. He talks about everything. From missions to successes, old memories from Kansas… And worst of all, his fears. The soft keening of worry, the quick yelp of fear – and every one of his brother's names spoken at one point, seeping under the crack at the foot of John's door. How many times has John nearly gone to his brother's room to bring him comfort? How many times has he done so? Alan sounds so young.
The only one of them that doesn't snore is Kayo. Like in everything she does, she is graceful, silent. Sometimes John wonders if she even sleeps at all. Sometimes he worries that she isn't even there.
Quite frequently, Brains isn't in his room. The scientist keeps strange hours, going along with whatever whim or need takes him. If he's not in his room, he's in his lab – and John can understand that.
And Grandma? Well, she is the one John is most likely to meet as he pads the floorboards at night, stepping on moonbeams. She's the one who might be coming out of the room he intended to enter, already having turned Gordon or comforted Alan, or made sure that Kayo hadn't snuck off in the night.
She doesn't speak. She simply smiles and holds out one arm. John offers his own and they walk to the kitchen, arms looped around one another like life preservers. She doesn't ask why he isn't asleep. She never does.
Instead, they wait for M.A.X. to appear with twin cups of cocoa. Then they sip and wait and watch the play of starlight on the waves.
As the Devil's Hour plays out, they are silent in each other's company. Grandma Tracy's fingers seek out John's and they take comfort in the grip of one another for a little while.