~#~ (Chapter 25)

During the afternoon Gordon was poked and prodded and in the early evening Doctor Levenson finally freed him from his remaining tubes.

Andre, Virgil and Brains spent an inordinate amount of time talking Gordon and the others through everything that was going to happen the next morning. The aquanaut absorbed what he was told, asked a couple of questions and then lay quietly in his bed and let the family carry on talking around him.

As the evening drew on he became antsy and unmistakably nervous so Jeff and Scott offered to spend the night in the sickroom with him, along with the ever-present Virgil. John opted for sleeping in his own room, partly so that Scott could use both of the camping mattresses and partly so that Alan wasn't spending another night alone in the main section of the house.

~#~

The next morning Gordon ordered Jeff and Scott out of the sickroom so that Virgil could help him use the bedpan. Virgil then helped his brother change into a pair of swimming trunks and a set of smart, rust-coloured pyjamas before gently rolling a sock onto both of Gordon's feet.

"You ready?" he asked softly. "Gords?"

Gordon tilted his head to one side in order to see his brother better. "Bit uneasy," he admitted. "The moment of truth is nearly here. What if I can't balance? What if my legs don't hold me? What if…"

Virgil gently rubbed one of the aquanaut's feet. "Don't," he whispered. "Don't think like that. Think of the hot tub that Tin-Tin and Kyrano are going to help you walk to. Think of the pool, Gords. Your pool. You've been impatiently waiting to get back in there for weeks and now you've got just one more day to wait. Hot tub today, pool tomorrow and the lovely Tin-Tin at your beck and call for the next week or so. What more could a guy want?"

Gordon grinned devilishly. "You're a bad, bad boy, Virgil Tracy but I'd have to admit that I am kind of looking forward to spending the week in the company of a good looking female. Susan was a great nurse but…." He paused and shuddered theatrically. "No. Just…no."

"She may not have been your type but she was good at her job," Virgil replied with a smile. "You weren't the easiest or most cheerful of patients at the time but she took everything you threw at her and got you back on your feet so you could come home. You owe her a lot."

Gordon nodded. "I know," he agreed. "…and I'm still in touch with her, you know. She got married last year and fell pregnant a couple of months ago. The baby's due sometime around Christmas."

Virgil nodded this time. "A Sagittarian like Grandma or a Capricorn like Dad. Good, strong signs, both of them." He patted Gordon's foot. "Are you ready for me to let everyone back in now? And I do mean 'everybody' this time, bearing in mind that Tin-Tin and Kyrano are going to be supporting you. Doctor Levenson'll be here by default, Brains will want to be here to keep an eye on you and I can't see you managing to keep any of the family out unless we…they…we get called out very soon."

"Will you stay with me?" Gordon asked quietly. "Even if we get a call? Get Scott to send John and Alan or something but I need you here."

Virgil nodded again. "I'll stay," he promised. "Although if the other day's debacle is anything to go by then you might prefer me to go if Al has to take Four out again. Unless, that is, you want to risk becoming Jeff Tracy's youngest son and heir."

Gordon closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed hard. "How is she?"

"Four?" Virgil queried, even though he knew exactly what his brother was asking. "Brains and I have been working on her. I'd class her as bent now, rather than broken, which she definitely was before. She's useable but I will get her properly fixed for you. I can't guarantee whether that will be before or after you show her to Doctor Levenson though; that'll all depend on time, rescues and when you're going to be up to taking the doctor on his tour. Now, you managed to completely divert me again, you little red-headed pain in the butt. Are you ready to get back on your feet?" Gordon nodded. "Are you ready for me to let everyone in?" Gordon shrugged this time, sighed and then nodded. "Good. Now don't forget that you're not strapped down anymore…and don't move."

Virgil turned and took a couple of steps towards the door before Gordon quietly called him back. He backtracked until he was standing level with the bed and found himself being pulled down into a hug. "Thank you, Virg," Gordon whispered. "It's bound to be too hectic later so I wanted to say it now. Thank you."

Virgil gently returned the hug and then straightened up and ruffled Gordon's hair. "Any time, Little Fish," he murmured. "Any time."

~#~

As Virgil had predicted, everyone in the house appeared within minutes of him sliding the sickroom door open. Doctor Levenson performed some final checks on Gordon and then, with the help of both Virgil and Scott, gently slid the aquanaut to the edge of the bed, swung his legs over the side and stood him up.

Once Gordon was balanced, Virgil took most of his weight so that Scott could slip out from under his brother's arm. Kyrano replaced Scott and then took up Gordon's weight to allow Tin-Tin to swap places with Virgil. This was a pre-arranged move due to both Kyrano and his daughter being shorter in stature than the aquanaut. Their lower height meant there would be less stress on Gordon's arms and upper body while they were supporting him and meant less stretching of his back would take place during the important first few hours out of bed.

Gordon clung to Tin-Tin and her father and let out a long, uneven breath. "You are trembling, Master Gordon?" Kyrano murmured. "Are you well?"

"I'm fine,"Gordon replied with a nod. "Bit of a head rush but…fine. Give me a moment, I need to centre myself."

~#~

Gordon closed his eyes and stood for a short while, breathing slowly and deeply through his mouth. He took stock of the sensations, both new and remembered, that came with standing upright and revelled in the feel of his sock-clad feet against the sickroom's cool, tiled floor. He let out an explosive breath and smiled when Tin-Tin jumped against his side. "Sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to startle you. I…I think I'm ready now. Let's get this done, shall we? Maybe get to the end of the bed and see how we go from there?"

~#~

The progress towards the foot of the bed was steady but excruciatingly slow and Gordon was visibly shaking by the time Doctor Levenson held up a hand to stop him.

"Stop, Gordon," the doctor ordered softly. "You're doing really well but I want you to take a rest so I can take a look at you. Will you do that for me?"

Gordon nodded. "Drink," he rasped. "Anyone?"

Scott and Virgil both made a grab for Gordon's sports bottle and ended up engaged in a brief tussle. Scott ultimately came away victorious and strode over to help Gordon take a drink. The aquanaut's arms were restricted due to being wrapped around Tin-Tin and Kyrano's shoulders so Scott held the sports cap to his brother's lips and tipped the bottle so that the juice could flow freely.

Gordon drank greedily before gently pushing the bottle away with his chin. "Better," he sighed. "Thanks, Scott. Virg, you should know better than trying to beat Scott when he's in full-on smother-mode. What were you thinking?"

Virgil chuckled at the hint of a scowl that crossed Scott's face. The eldest Tracy boy knew that Gordon was joking but he'd been teased about his 'Smother Scott' attitude for so many years that his reaction was purely automatic.

"Don't antagonise your brother, Gordon," Jeff admonished quietly. "He is the one with your drink, after all."

Scott held the bottle up and wiggled it. "That's right, I am and once the doctor says that you're good to go you can come over here and get it from me." He paused, looked around for a moment and then pulled the chair out from beside Gordon's bed and deposited it in the centre of the room. He then sat down, rested the drink bottle on his knee and raised his eyebrows at Doctor Levenson.

The doctor rolled his eyes and stepped around Gordon until he was standing behind him. He lifted the aquanaut's pyjama top, gently palpated the skin of his back and nodded approvingly. "Assuming you're not too tired I see no reason why you can't go over there and get that drink," he murmured. "…but take your helpers with you, I don't want you walking alone yet. OK?"

Gordon nodded. "I understand." He then grinned and motioned forwards with both hands. "Kyranos, ho. Onward."

~#~

Gordon, Tin-Tin and Kyrano pulled up in front of Scott who smiled and then held the bottle just out of Gordon's reach and wiggled it.

Gordon looked from his brother to the bottle and then back again. "Scott?"

"I said you were going to have to come and get it," he said softly. "That's not just getting over here, it's getting it. Come on, Little Fish. Come here and get it."

Gordon shuffled around slightly and cast a worried look at the assembled family who were dotted around the room. Grandma, who had tucked herself under John's arm, was watching him anxiously and Alan was standing beside their father with a worried frown marring his face. Jeff himself looked calm and smiled supportively as Gordon cast his gaze in his direction. "Go on," he whispered. "You can do it."

Gordon looked doubtful but turned back to gaze at his brother. He breathed deeply several times and then quickly released his grip on Kyrano and leaned forwards to snatch the bottle. He clasped it tightly to his chest with his free hand and used his other arm to cling onto Tin-Tin as if his life depended on it.

Tin-Tin wrapped herself around the aquanaut in order to offer him more support and gently helped him to stay upright. She then rested her head against his shoulder while he took another lengthy drink from the newly-captured bottle.

"Well done, Gords," Scott offered quietly. "I knew you could do it. Just one more short walk and you can have a long soak in the tub. I'd bet that sounds pretty good around about now."

Gordon nodded. "It sure does. I'd happily settle for just 'wet' and 'clean' at the moment but the thought of wet, clean, warm and comfortably relaxed...that sounds heavenly. Someone's going have to stay with me though 'cos I'm feeling drowsy just thinking about it. I don't want to fall asleep and drown in there; I'd never live it down."

Scott chuckled. "You may be up and somewhat ambulatory but you haven't been certified as fit to work yet. There'll be someone with you for the foreseeable future, like there has been for the past week or so. You'll more than likely be trying to get rid of us before we're ready to leave you in peace."

Gordon leaned forwards slightly as his brother ruffled his hair. He then passed the drink bottle back to Scott and held his arm out to Kyrano. "Pit stop complete," he murmured. "Next stop, the door. Someone remind me why we put the hot tub so far away from the sickroom."

"It's as near as it was possible to make it," Scott replied as he clambered off the chair and dragged it out of Gordon's way. "You know that as well as anybody. You're doing well, Gords. You're nearly halfway there. Just half a room and the corridor and you're there. OK?"

"I know that's all it is," Gordon groaned. "…but you can't imagine just how far that seems at the moment. Will you meet me at the door?"

Scott patted his brother gently on the shoulder and moved to stand in the doorway. He looked past Gordon, Tin-Tin and Kyrano towards Jeff who had slung his arm around Alan's shoulders. Scott had been the one to coax, urge and finally bully Gordon into accepting Susan's help to get back to his feet in the months following his hydrofoil accident and he fully intended to support him every step of the way again.

Jeff nodded silently. He had been with Gordon throughout his original recovery but had found himself struggling when it came to his son's rehabilitation. Gordon had often cried out in pain and anguish and had swung between bouts of depression and fits of rage when his body refused to cooperate with his wishes. The paternal side of Jeff had warred with his more practical side in that he knew the pain was temporary but at the time he would have done just about anything to spare his son the agony that he was going through.

Scott smiled tightly. He'd had many a late-night talk with his father about his thoughts and feelings during Gordon's recovery and guessed that the same worries and fears would have raised themselves again. Jeff nodded again and pulled Alan tighter against his side. Alan didn't totally understand the silent conversation between his eldest brother and his father but realised that Jeff was in need of comfort and snuggled close in beside him.