Unknown quantities

Jeff touched Scott's shoulder. "Give John a call," he said quietly. "Have him phone Alan, using the holographic background. I'm sure Alan's heard what's happened and is worried."

"F-A-B," Scott replied with a nod. He moved away to make his call, confident that the communications equipment Brains had designed wouldn't disrupt the hospital's medical devices.

Jeff returned to the bed, and to Gordon, who was still lying quietly against the raised mattress, his eyes closed. The EKG showed a slowing of the patient's pulse rate back into a more normal range. The doctor came in, checked the equipment readings and his datapad, then said something to Gordon, which Diaz translated.

"I'm still feeling pretty wrung out," Gordon answered. His voice was rough, and a nurse who stood by gave him a smile and offered him a drink of water as Diaz translated his comment to the doctor.

The physician nodded and smiled, patting the young man on the shoulder, then he called to Jeff, "Señor?"

"Yes?" Jeff replied, glancing up.

The doctor began speaking in rapid Spanish, and Diaz listened, asked a quick question, then faced Jeff. "The doctor says that Gordon's temperature has dropped to a level where transport to your medical facilities would be advisable. He hopes that your physicians will continue to monitor the situation and orders Gordon to rest and be kept off duty for..." Diaz exchanged another few words with the medico then continued, "... for at least three days, then on light duty for another week."

Jeff smiled and nodded. "I understand. If the doctor could prepare Gordon for discharge, I would be grateful."

Diaz passed the message along, and the doctor nodded, consulting his data pad to begin the discharge procedures. Jeff turned to find both Scott and Virgil at his side, questioning looks on their faces.

"Virgil, go power up Two and prepare her for departure."

"F-A-B," Virgil said eagerly. He gave Gordon a light, playful punch to the shoulder and a grin before he left, fastening his helmet on before leaving the cubicle.

"Scott? Status report." Jeff glanced over at his eldest son.

"John has received your instructions and will be carrying them out momentarily," Scott said.

"F-A-B," Jeff replied. "I want you to get One airborne so the helijet pad will be clear for Two's rescue basket. The closer Two gets to the hospital, the better I like it."

"F-A-B," Scott said, nodding. He turned to his younger brother. "See you back at base, Gords."

"See you," Gordon murmured as Scott gave him a small salute, picked up his helmet, and left.

Jeff smiled as he watched his sons go off to carry out his orders. He spared a moment to think of his second eldest and youngest sons, who would both probably need an update before the rescue crew headed home. He moved away from the bed to bring John and, through him, Alan, up to speed.

The tune "Dangerous Game" sounded in Fermat's room, muffled by the pocket of Alan's jacket. The teen was startled, and jumped, showing his companions how jittery he still was just as the two younger boys thought he might have started calming down. Alan fumbled for the phone, pulling it out and dropping his earpiece on the floor as he did. Scooping the device up, he slipped the plug into the appropriate place and the business end into his ear, then pressed the green button.

John's handsome face filled the screen and Alan blinked. His brother was wearing a gray polo shirt, the Tracy Industries logo discreetly embroidered just below the left shoulder. He looked as if he were in an office somewhere, with a wall behind him, painted off-white, and a dark, wooden door frame set into the wall to the right of the screen. There was no sign that John was in a space station orbiting the Earth, and it took Alan a moment to realize just what he was seeing. Is that the hologram?

"Hey, John," Alan said, nervously running the tip of his tongue over his lips to moisten them. "What's up?"

John grinned. "The sky, the stars, Dad's blood pressure..."

Alan groaned, then rolled his eyes, and suddenly, he wasn't quite so tense. "I like your new digs," he quipped back. "Very... official looking."

"Thanks, Sprout," John replied, a slight wry twist to his lips. "They are very temporary." He paused to see how Alan would react, then continued. "Dad wanted me to call you and see how you were."

"Fine, I'm fine," Alan said, nodding. He tried to come up with a way to ask his vital question that wouldn't sound too suspicious and finally asked, "How are you? How is everyone at home?"

"Doing good," John replied with a smile. "Dad wanted you to know that Gordon got a little overheated. He's been seen by a doctor, is doing better, and is on his way home now."

Alan's shoulders relaxed and he stifled a relieved sigh. "Good to hear."

"That's what I said." John smiled again when he saw Fermat's head peeking over Alan's shoulder. He waved a bit. "Hey, Fermat!"

"Oh, hey! Let me take out my earplug and set the phone up on the desk. Then you can talk to all of us." Alan quickly did as he had described, and within moments Fermat was also talking to John.

"H-Hey, John," the younger boy said, peering at the screen carefully. "I like the n-new r-room."

"So do I. Wish I could stay here longer. It's a nice change from my usual office," John replied with a chuckle and a wink. "So, what have you been doing?"

"M-Math homework. Alan and I st-still try to w-work on it t-t-together." Fermat glanced over at A.J., who was reading, or at least that's what it looked like he was doing. "We saw that the Th-Thunderbirds were ou-out and about t-today."

"Really?" John asked, sounding as if he were weary of the subject, the bland and barely interested look on his face perfection itself. "Where were they this time?"

"Ecuador," Alan chimed in. "Fighting a forest fire or something."

"One of th-them got hurt," Fermat added.

"Oh. Well, I hope that he or she is okay, whoever they are." John sighed, making it sound as if he were as bored as possible. "Is school going well?"

"Yeah," Fermat said. "Even d-despite this." He held up his arm, showing his cast to the face on the phone's screen. He gave his roommate another glance, and his eyes widened behind his glasses. "H-Hey, John! My r-roommate is a b-b-b... huge fan of y-yours!"

"That's right!" Alan said, a grin spreading over his face. "Hey, A.J.! C'mon over here and meet my brother, John!"

A.J. looked quickly over at Alan, startled by the invitation. John frowned a little bit at being put on the spot, but as Fermat urged his roommate to join them, John sat up straighter and put a pleasant expression on his face.

"Hello, Mr. Tracy," A.J. said hesitantly, standing with Fermat sitting at his right and Alan slightly behind him and to the left. "I'm, uh, Andrew John Trumbull." He glanced at Alan, then Fermat and made a movement toward the latter with his head. "They call me A.J." He smiled shyly. "I really am a big fan of yours. I've read all of your books, and, well, it's really great to meet you."

John beamed. "Nice to meet you, too, Andrew. And please, call me John. I always think it's fun to run across someone who's as interested in astronomy as I am. Tell me, what are your favorite constellations?"

"I like Orion and Sirius. The story behind them is pretty fascinating and they're easy to spot. I wish I could have brought my telescope when I came to school. The sky's been really clear lately," A.J. said, his shyness forgotten as he warmed to the topic. "I would have joined the astronomy club, but my father said I had to limit myself to one extra-curricular activity and I chose chorale." He shrugged his shoulders a little. "Want to make the most of my counter-tenor while I still have it, I guess."

His idol chuckled. "The stars will always be there, A.J., but your voice? Yeah, that's gonna change." He sighed. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut this short. Work to do, y'know. Alan? Fermat? You two take care and I'll be in touch soon. Again, Andrew, nice to make your acquaintance. Have a good night, guys."

"G-Good night, John," Fermat said.

"Goodbye, John. It was nice to talk to you," A.J. added.

Alan picked up the phone and plugged his earphone back in. "Hey, bro? Have Dad call me in the morning? And say 'hi' to everyone for me, please? Especially Gords."

"Sure, Sprout."

"Don't call me 'Sprout'," Alan said gruffly.

John laughed. "Now I know you're okay! I was a bit worried when you didn't growl at me before."

"Yeah, well..." Alan hemmed, shrugging. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. His voice changed, became a bit softer, and a little bit wistful. "Hey, take care, John. Talk to you later."

"I miss you, too, kid," John replied, reading between the lines of his brother's words and tone. "Later, Al. Bye."

"Bye." Alan paused for a moment, then deactivated the phone. He pulled out his ear plug, wrapped the cord around the device, and stuck both back into his jacket pocket.

John reached over and pushed the button that cut off communications, then tapped the keys that shut down the holographic background, the one that merged with his own picture in the signal to Alan's phone. He leaned back, putting his hands behind his head. His silvery uniform was bunched up around his waist, and the gray polo shirt rode up just a bit as he lifted his arms. He sighed, rocked back in his chair for a moment, then leaned forward to tap on the switches that opened up communication with the island.

"Base from Thunderbird Five."

Brains's face came into view, wearing an apprehensive expression. "B-Base here, F-Five. What's the m-m-m... what's up, J-John?"

John looked and sounded cheerful, a façade that hid well the twinge of homesickness he was feeling right then. "Just wanted to let you know that I talked to the boys. Fermat's in good spirits, and helping Alan with his math."

Brains looked surprised for a moment, then smiled softly. "Th-Thanks, John. I'll c-call him l-l-later."

"You're welcome." John gnawed on his thumbnail for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Hey, Brains? Do you know where I stashed some of the author's copies of my books?"

"Yeah, I th-think so." Brains frowned, puzzled.

"Can you pull out a volume of each for me? I'll be coming home in a few days and I want to send some autographed copies to Fermat's roommate." He chuckled wryly. "Seems I have at least one fan. Two, if I count Dad."

"S-Sure, John. No p-p-p... I'll do it."

"Thanks, Brains. And please tell my dad I'm waiting to hear the latest when he arrives."

"I w-will, J-John."

"Okay then." John leaned forward again. "Thunderbird Five out."

He paused for a moment, then got up and stretched. "Time to get something to eat," he muttered as he headed for the tiny galley.

Back in the dorm, A.J. had settled back down at his desk, looking pleased. Fermat gazed up at Alan, who was putting on his jacket.

"Is e-everything all r-right at home?"

Alan frowned a bit at Fermat's question, then his face cleared and he looked a bit sheepish as he realized that his friend hadn't heard what he had about Gordon.

"Uh, yeah. Everything's okay. John said that Gordon got a little overheated. Dad took him to a doctor, and they're on their way home. He's gonna be okay, according to John."

"G-Good," Fermat said, relaxing a little. "You h-heading out?"

Alan nodded. "Yeah. Want to have some time to relax before light's out."

"I'll w-walk you downstairs."

"Okay. See you later, A.J.," Alan said, giving him a wave. The door to the room slid open and Fermat stepped through, turning to wait for his friend.

"Yeah, Alan. Later. Oh, and thanks for introducing me to your brother! That was really great!" A.J. replied, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey, you're welcome! Hopefully he'll get out here sometime this fall and you can meet him in person."

A.J. looked excited at the prospect. "Oh, boy! Maybe I can get him to autograph my copies of his books for me!"

Alan shook his head as he chuckled. "You never know." Then he stepped into the hall and the door closed behind him.

"Thanks, Fermat, for helping me keep my head on straight earlier," Alan said as he propped himself up against the elevator wall, tilting his head back. "I could have blown everything sky high today if you weren't watching out for me."

"You're w-welcome," the younger boy replied, leaning next to his taller friend. "If it helps any, I w-was c-concerned for G-Gordon, too."

"I know. But you thought about the big picture, when I was just thinking about my brother."

"Hey, that's wh-what friends are f-for," Fermat said, twisting his head to look up at Alan, squinting through his thick glasses.

"Yeah. It is."

There was silence between them as the elevator arrived on the main floor. Alan got out and turned to have a few last words with his friend. "You going to breakfast?"

Fermat nodded. "Have to. M-Medication."

"Right. I think I'll be sleeping in. See you at lunch, then." Alan waved, then stuck his hands into his jacket pockets, his math book pressed up against his side by an elbow, and sauntered off.

Fermat sighed, and pressed the button for the third floor. He rolled his head around, trying to get the kinks out of his neck, and adjusted the strap on his sling where it was chafing him. As he got out of the elevator, he stretched his good arm up and yawned. He put his palm up to the lock, and the door slid open. Greeting his roommate with a quiet, "Hey," he moved over to his desk and began putting away his study supplies.

A.J. watched Fermat without being obtrusive, a thoughtful frown on his pale face. Finally, he took a deep breath and said, "Fermat?"

The older boy turned to him, his eyes bleary. "Y-Yeah, A.J.?"

A.J. was quiet for a moment, studying Fermat, biting his lower lip as if making up his mind about something. Fermat shrugged a little and began turning back to his desk when A.J. blurted out, "Why did you and Alan lie to me?"

The night was chilly and there was a slight breeze that stirred the leaves, sending them rustling along the grassy quadrangle and skittering along the walkways and road. Alan breathed deeply, enjoying the crisp air. It felt clean, like the air on the island after a thunderstorm had cleared out most of the humidity, leaving a wet, sea scented freshness behind. He thought of how his room had smelled that afternoon and wrinkled his nose. Sugi had better have dealt with that problem, he thought, frowning. If not, I'll see if I can sleep with Kay or Jason. The floor in their rooms would be better than my bed if it smells like a cigarette butt.

He entered the dorm and made his way over to his door, knocking as he had agreed to. There was a muffled, "Come in," and he used the palm scanner.

Lee was lying on his bed, earphones in, a sports magazine in hand. The window was open just a crack, and Alan had to admit the air did feel fresher. He dumped his math book on his desk and hung up his jacket, retrieving his phone and tucking it into his wardrobe. While in the closet, he pulled on the sleeve of a uniform shirt and sniffed. He wasn't sure if he really smelled smoke or not; he knew that his imagination could be make his sense of smell play tricks on him.

"The doors were closed," came a snide voice behind him. "Your clothes should be fine."

"Excuse me for not believing you," Alan answered back without turning, giving tit-for-tat. "But I want to be sure I'm not going to smell like one of your friend Trey's filters."

There was silence behind him, and Alan closed his closet door. I guess this is as good a time as any to drop my bombshell. He turned to lean up against the wardrobe, arms folded, staring at Lee. Finally the older boy glanced his way, then turned back to his magazine while asking, "What's eating you, Tracy?"

Alan quietly took a deep breath and replied, "Dom Bertoli and I are going to see Belvedere on Monday during lunch to ask to switch rooms. That way Trey can smoke here without having to worry about aggravating Dom's asthma, you won't have to worry about me blabbing to the administration, and I don't have to put up with your friend's smoking."

During this little speech, Lee put down his magazine and got up, standing slowly and deliberately to his full height, the top of his head a good six inches above the younger boy. He leaned against the bunkbed, mimicking Alan's pose, folding his arms across his chest, all but daring the shorter, slimmer boy to defy him.

Alan kept himself very still, controlling his temper in an effort to control the situation, much as he had often seen his father do. Man, he reminds me of Scott, when Scott's in his "big brother knows best" intimidation pose. Well, Sugi, I've been there, had that done, and by a professional, too. Didn't faze me then, and doesn't faze me now. You just don't know who you're dealing with here.

"So," Lee said in a soft, snide, and dangerous tone, "what do you plan on telling Belvedere? What reason are you going to give her for changing rooms?"

"The same one you'll give her on Tuesday, when you and Mackenzie go to see her," Alan replied, his voice flat and cold. "Irreconcilable differences. Personality clashes."

Lee laughed, low and mocking. "Do you really think that she'll believe it? Believe it to the extent that she'll change our assignments right then and there? And what about your precious Hackenbacker? I thought you were going to try and move back in with him?" He closed in on Alan, hands spread now, a wide-eyed sneer on his face as he shook his head slowly back and forth. "It won't work, Tracy."

Alan raised an eyebrow, and unfolded his arms, pressing his hands against the wood of the closet door, trying to stay in control even though his instincts told him to press the confrontation. However, his voice betrayed his anger; he was seething inside, and he gritted his teeth as he snarled, "Leave Fermat out of this! And it will work--if all four of us go. She can't say no if we're all requesting transfers."

"And what if Trey and I won't go?" Lee asked, his own voice biting as he stared down at Alan, crowding into the younger teen's personal space to do so. "What then?"

Hard blue eyes met brown as Alan replied, in a tight voice that would have done his father proud, "Then Dom will tell her the real reason why. Belvedere will believe him. And Mackenzie will get tossed." Back in control, he put his hands into his pockets, a seemingly casual movement. "It would eliminate Dom's problem, and mine as well."

Lee stepped back, his eyes half-lidded. "No, Tracy. Oh, no. If that happens, your problems will have just begun. You and Bertoli will wish you had never set foot on campus this year; that I promise you. I will make your lives pure hell."

There was a heavy silence, then Alan said, almost casually, "Give it your best shot. Dom and I are going Monday." Then he turned his back on his roommate in the small space Lee had left to him and, sliding to the left, opened his closet again to get at his night wear. He was aware of the older teen's pressing proximity, of Lee's breathing practically in his ear, then suddenly, his adversary backed off.

Lee's cold voice sent an uncomfortable tingle down Alan's spine. "So be it."