Disclaimer: Same as the last two and will remain the same for the next couple of chapters.
Next Up…
"I'm impressed for a couple of reasons. First, that Alan had a problem but didn't come to any of us for help, which we would have done in a heartbeat. And secondly, that Scott just showed up at the right time." John leaned forward, resting his arms on the table, staring at Alan. "That must have really made an impact for it to help you think before reacting in your normal hot-headed manner." Glancing over at Scott, he smirked, "Let me guess, your inner-younger-brother-in-trouble radar steered you straight to him."
Balling up his napkin, Scott launched it at the blonde in retaliation. "Why do all of you assume that I have some sort of built-in radar?"
A snort of laughter followed by several others made Scott look at each of his younger brothers. "Um, well, you do have an innate ability to show up whenever one of us is in need of your help or comfort," Virgil said, smirking. "Like the time when both John and I had to have our tonsils removed. I can vaguely remember waking up from the anesthesia and seeing Dad's blurred figure at the foot of my hospital bed, standing next to Grandma but it was you that I asked for. I wanted my big brother to make the pain go away. Before Dad could leave the room to get you, you came skidding up to my bed, stopping just short of falling on me."
"Yeah, and when I woke up, you were next to my bed, talking about something you'd seen on television about planets and stars. My first thought was, "He's got to start paying attention in class. He's screwing all the constellations' names up". But I felt safe because you were there."
"I intentionally mucked up the names. You had a harder time waking from the anesthesia and I thought that if anything would get your attention, it'd be flubbing the names of your beloved constellations." Scott sat back in his chair, arms across his chest, smug. "Just like if I'd goofed on Virg's favorite composer at the time."
Uncharacteristically, Gordon had remained quiet since Alan had started with his memory except for the bit about Abigail. Alan looked over at his next oldest brother and was surprised to see the hurt look on his face. "What?"
"I can't believe that you didn't come to me, Al," he admitted. "I would have been there for you so that you wouldn't have had to deal with that by yourself."
"I didn't want any of you feeling like I did. I thought that if I didn't say anything that then I'd have protected you from the hurt that I was feeling." Tapping his fingers on the table, agitated. "It wasn't that I didn't want or need your support but I just wanted to protect you."
"Shit, Al, you shouldn't have tried much less deal with that kind of crap on your own especially at that age," Gordon argued. "But thanks for trying to protect us."
Knowing that his brother understood and supported him, Alan nodded. "You'd have done the same for me. Any of you would have. And if you all remember, we made a pact as kids…mess with one Tracy and then you have four more to deal with." The five brothers chuckled at the childish pact that they'd made so many years ago but in truth still honored well into their adulthood. "Okay, Gordy, you were whining earlier so tell us your most memorable recollection of you and Scott."
"Watch it guys, he's using big words," Virgil quipped. "Are you by chance reading the dictionary again so that you can keep up with Brains?" Laughter rang out from the brothers even Alan joined in because he couldn't deny it. Each of the Tracy brothers were intelligent and over-achievers but Brains was in a league of his own. But it didn't stop any of the brothers from trying to keep up with him.
Once the laughter died down, John looked at Gordon, "You're turn, Gordy."
Tapping his foot on the deck, Gordon shifted his gaze towards Scott and the open sea behind him. "Al's right about trying to sift through the memories for the best one but I'm kinda partial to this one…
It was right after I came out of the coma and the docs were all adamant that I was going to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair with no hope of ever recovering even a little. God that sucked to hell and back to hear them talk about me like I wasn't even there. That I was just a slab of meat taking space on one of their beds." Gordon's eyes glazed over as he lost himself in that frustrating and painful period of his life. That hydrofoil accident had robbed him of his career with W.A.S.P. and months of his life that he was either in a coma or coming to terms with his paralysis. It was at that time all five of the Tracy boys were scattered around the States. Scott was stationed at Luke AFB, Arizona. John was stationed on a NASA satellite for his first assignment since completing astronaut training. Virgil was studying at the Denver School of Advanced Technology. And Alan was finishing up his high school education at a boarding school in New England. But once the calls had started coming in from their father all but John were scrambling to get to Hawaii. John was given updates about his younger brother's condition daily.
Mentally shaking himself, Gordon continued, "I overheard one doctor tell Dad that there was absolutely no way that I'd walk out of the hospital and that he should set about making our home wheelchair and handicap accessible for me. Since I couldn't move, I just laid there, trying desperately not to hear anything more. The person that I couldn't see from my bed had come down the hallway and all hell broke loose because he'd heard everything that the doctor had told Dad." Glancing at his oldest brother, Gordon flashed a small grin. "Damn, Scotty, you sure did tear him a new one and then wiped the floor with what tattered pride he had left."
"He shouldn't have discussed your condition in the hallway and he most certainly should not have done it within your earshot. You'd only been awake for two days and just how the hell did he know what you were capable of?" Scott's gray eyes flashed angrily as he recalled the despair on his brother's face when he entered the room. "I hated walking into your room and seeing the lost expression on your face. It was at that moment that I thought that I'd toss my career in the Air Force so that I could help you do the total opposite of what that stuffed shirt said."
"I know you would have, Scotty, but I'm glad that Dad talked you out of it. It was enough for me to know that I had your support and that you would never stop believing in me even when I was ready to give up. I was lucky to have each of you supporting and cheering me on but it was you, Scotty, who kept me going. Thank you for having faith in me when I found it hard to find the faith or belief in myself."
Each of the brothers had a sudden need to wipe at his eyes, complaining that something was irritating them. Clearing his throat, Scott tried to speak only to have his throat close up. After another attempt to speak, he managed. "You're welcome, Gordy, and for the record, I wouldn't have let you give up. Neither would have John, Virg, or Alan. You're our brother and we'd all walk through hell to support you.
But that doesn't mean that you can keep up with the ridiculous rhyming words when you want attention. Or that you can spout off all of those stupid and useless facts that you and Alan bugged me with earlier."
Winking at Gordon, Alan spoke up. "Not that Gordy and me think that you're slow but you did catch on that all those facts—"
"Were about the ocean or marine life?" John interrupted, grinning. Alan and Gordon had shifted their attention on him and failed to notice that Scott and Virgil had stood up until it was too late and they were lifted bodily from their chairs. Carrying the struggling youngest brothers, Virgil and Scott made it to the side of the anchored yacht and with matching grunts of effort, tossed them into the water.
Surfacing at the same time, Gordon and Alan looked up at their brothers and grinned. "Thanks guys! It's nice to see that you're always ready to put us in our element."
A/N: Okay, Gordy's memory is done. I'd like to thank those who've added this story on their favorite or alert list as well as those who review regularly. I love the feedback and reading what you like and any suggestions that are made.-sam1
