There is a fresh feeling in the atmosphere as they leave their cave sanctuary. Scott giving the newly christened Kayo a piggyback, while Virgil is carrying Gordon and John is carrying Alan. The rest has not given them the energy boost Scott would have hoped for, and they both seem to be slipping into a lethargic state. Barely speaking, and despite their older brothers' best efforts to keep them awake, Gordon especially is nearly unconscious, his head resting on Virgil's shoulder, who keeps trying to keep him with them.
"Where too now Kayo?" Scott asks, the clear air and perfect view does not help him in the slightest. He still has no idea where he is.
"We need to get back to the main path, so we need to backtrack to the fork, then it's pretty straight back to the house." She replies.
"I don't wanna go back, I wanna go home" Alan whines, his arms around Johns neck, his eyes drooping, and he has no energy for anything other than complaining. "I want daddy Scotty"
"It won't be long, and then we will be back with daddy, and you never have to leave the house again" Scott reassures him.
The walk back to the fork doesn't take them long, but there is now sunlight directly above there heads, causing the rain on the ground to evaporate leaving a mist in the air and Scott knows in an hour the ground will be rock hard once again.
"Now this way" Kayo advises, pointing to the right-side path. The pain in her ankle is lessening the longer she rests it, and she is fairly certain now that it is not broken, but the thought of soaking it in a hot bubble bath is all she needs to keep her spirits up. She has never enjoyed a bath before, preferring a quick shower in the morning to wash away the remnants of sleep, but there is a first time for everything.
"Are we there yet?" Alan asked for what feels like the thousandth time in the 10 minutes they have been walking.
"No" Kayo replies, "but we are going the right way"
"How can you tell?" he asks. "All these trees look the same!"
"I have been on this trail before, we just need to keep going." She tells him.
"How though, my feet hurt, and I am tired and cold, and my hair is still wet. I can't keep going anymore" he insists.
Scott can't help laughing. "John is carrying you Allie!"
"But his feet hurt" Alan snaps back grumpily.
"John?" Scott questions.
"I am fine, the quicker we walk, the quicker we get home" John replies, ignoring the throbbing of his blistered feet, determined to get home before nightfall.
So they go on, and on. There is a grim determination among the three walkers, their cargoes are heavy, and one will not stop complaining. They don't notice Gordons silence, just grateful that he has not joined in the litany of Alans complaints.
*TB*
Now the storm is over, Jeff is keen to mobilise and find his children. Packing the first aid kit, bottles of water, and spare clothes into a backpack he, Kyrano and Lord Creighton-Ward start their search, on the alert and calling each of their names in turn.
The storm has blown trees down, and there is debris blocking the path down to the beach.
"This is the only path back to the house, if they are on the trails, they will need to come this way Jeff." Kyrano informs him. "We will need to get this tree moved"
"I will go back to the house to get the chainsaw" Lord Creighton-Ward advises. "Start clearing away the small branches" he is glad his daughter is still at school, and not in any danger, not having a close personal tie to one of the missing children allows him to keep a level head in what is quickly turning into a catastrophic disaster.
"Lord Hugh, what are you doing back so quickly? What's happened? Have you found them?" Grandma asks nervously.
"No, unfortunately not. We need some tools too move some of the debris. There is a tree blocking the path, and there maybe further blockages" he tells her, not wanting to alarm her to the possibility of one or more of her boys being hurt, or worse but knowing that she is a lot stronger than she gets the credit for.
*TB*
Alan is still complaining, Scott is tempted to force him to walk, so he has something to complain about, but he isn't that cruel! The light is fading fast, and with it Scott's hopes to be home before the darkness has fully hit.
Kayo has assured them that they are getting closer with every painful, weary step. It is slow going and is taking a lot longer than predicted.
"Scotty, I want something to eat. I'm hungry, I want a hotdog, or a burger or a pizza. Are we nearly there yet?!" Alan drones in Johns ear. John has started to drown out the whinging, concentrating on the walk instead, and besides the constant whinge lets him know that Alan is okay, and that if he went silent then there would be a problem.
Scott is about to reply when he hears a voice in the distance.
A voice he would know anywhere, and one he was starting to think he would never hear again.
"SCOTT!" It is shouting. He never thought he would be so relieved to hear someone shouting at him!
"DAAAAAAAAAD" calls back. The voice is close, just over the next hill, he has done it, he has gotten his siblings home safe.
The familiar grey of his dad's hair is now visible as he trudges up the hill towards them. A wide grin spreading over his face as he spots the 6 of them. Breaking into a run, slipping and sliding on the wet ground of the hill he doesn't care how filthy he gets as he desperately moves towards his boys.
Scott gently lowers Kayo to the ground and throws himself into his dad's arms, while Kayo does the same with her dad, all pain forgotten as she lets him hold her.
"Scotty, I want to hug daddy now, get out of my way!" Alan demands, struggling out of Johns grip he too throws himself at his dad, who picks him up laughing at his little one's serious attitude display. "Daddy I had to walk for days and my feet hurt. And I am hungry. And I am cold." He complains.
Jeff lets him complain as he holds him.
Virgil is still holding back, letting Alan have his moment. He is still carrying Gordon, who he realises has not said a word in some time.
"Gordy? We are nearly home"
Scott, displaced by Alan turns to look at Virgil, concern in his eyes. Why didn't he notice that Gordon had gone silent? Hoping that he has just fallen asleep, he approaches Virgil. "Come on Gordy, time to wake up sleepy head" shaking him gently, he is relieved when Gordon grunts at him, even if his eyes remain tightly shut.
"Dad?" Scott calls him over to where they are standing. "He is freezing dad. We need to get him out of here."
They all know that he is getting over a life-threatening illness and is susceptible to infection. Jeff takes him from Virgil.
"The bag Scott, there are spare clothes and a blanket in there get them out for me" he orders firmly.
Gratefully they all pull on the new jumpers and start to gulp down the water while Jeff gets Gordon changed. His eyes are now open, and glassy as he stares at his father.
"Chuck me a water bottle Scott" he asks. Sitting Gordon up and wrapping the thermal foil heating blanket around him. Getting him to sip the water. "Come on, let's get you all home".
Alan runs back over to John, holding his arms out for a pick up and lift, the ride he got for most of the journey has left him with a lot more energy than John is feeling and the temptation to tell him to walk back is tempting.
He is saved from having to do so, by the arrival of Lord Creighton-Ward with one of the golf carts they use to get round the Island.
"Anyone want a ride?" he asks with a grin.
Gratefully the 6 exhausted children climb aboard, Kayo only needing an arm to lean on as she limps over to it, getting settled in between Scott and John on the back row, with Alan on Scott's lap. Jeff and Virgil get Gordon settled between them and Kyrano jumps into the front passenger seat.
Scott has never been so grateful to see a building in his life, as they pull up alongside it and clamber out.
Grandma is waiting for them, with a vat of hot chocolate on the stove, and a fire blazing in the fireplace. the house is toasty warm, and Scott takes up residence in the chair nearest the fire, Alan joining him. Grandma for once not caring about the mud they are tracking through the house with them.
Jeff lies Gordon down on the sofa, now he is home and safe he is starting to perk up a bit. Still pale and shivering his core temperate is increasing slightly now. Virgil, as expected has not left his side.
"Bath is ready, lets get you lot clean" Grandma announces from the doorway.
"I don't want a bath!" Alan insists. "I am not dirty"
"Alan you are filthy, and you were exposed to god knows what out there, you are having a bath, even if I have to carry you up there and force you in fully dressed" Grandma tells him sharply.
Alan meekly gives in, better to go willingly than annoy grandma and get forced into it!
"You too Gordon" Grandma tells him. He is now sitting up, his hands firmly wrapped around a mug full of hot chocolate as he slowly drinks his way through it, feeling it sliding down his throat warming his tired soul. A bath sounds nice, he thinks as he struggles to get up off the sofa.
"I have this grandma" Virgil tells her, helping him upstairs.
"Bubbles!" Alan exclaims excitedly, stripping his clothes off and jumping right in, water going everywhere, including all over Gordon and Virgil.
"You too Gords" Virgil tells the exhausted blonde. He has never seen his younger brother look so unenthusiastic about being allowed in a large tub of water, as he slowly peels his own clothes off, needing Virgil's help to pull his jumper and mud-soaked t-shirt up over his head.
There are several bruises forming all over his legs and his right knee is covered with dried blood.
"What happened?" Virgil asks him, as he helps him into the water.
"I fell over while we were playing baseball" He replies timidly, not wanting to draw attention to the fact he has been carrying an injury for the last 12 hours.
"Why didn't you say anything Squid?"
"I was going to, then the storm hit, and everyone was panicking. I didn't want anyone to be worried about me, and it didn't even hurt that much at first. It wasn't until we got to the cave and we stopped that it started to really hurt but I thought that if I bought it up then Scott would be angry with me for not telling him sooner. You know how he gets when he is in smother brother mode" Gordon tells him.
Virgil does know, and he understands Gordons reasoning. Deciding to not get mad and instead to concentrate on making sure his brothers are okay he smiles reassuringly at him and starts to gently clean his knee. "This doesn't look too bad just a scrape" he tells him, "I will get you cleaned up and get Grandma to check you over properly once you are out the bath"
Moving onto to help Alan wash the mud out of his hair, before plucking him out the tub and wrapping him up in a big fluffy blue towel.
Immediately he starts to complain.
"I wanted the red towel Virgy!" He announces loudly.
"It's In the wash, this one has been specially warmed up on the radiator for you" deliberately ignoring Alans complaining tone, Virgil knows he is only being like this because he is tired and has been through a harrowing ordeal.
There is a knock on the door and Scott pokes his head around it. He has had a shower, and his hair is no longer the same colour as Virgil's and is instead back to its natural black. He has a pair of pyjamas on underneath a bathrobe. His feet are home to fluffy green slippers shaped like crocodile claws – a Christmas present from Gordon last year.
"How is it going in here boys?" he asks.
"Great, we are almost done, can you take Alan and get him into his pyjamas for me while I help Gordon?" Virgil asks, turning his attention back to Gordon.
"Sure thing Virg, come on Sprout bedtime" Scott tells him, picking him up and removing him from the room before he can open his mouth to complain some more!
"The water is filthy Virgy" Gordon tells him. "Even worse than the time I was playing outside in the rain and mom had to give me a bath"
"I remember that, wasn't that the day Allie peed on Scott?!" Virgil replies laughing, pouring clean water from the tap in the sink over his head to rinse off his hair.
"Yeah, Scott said he is saving that story for Alans wedding day"
Scott comes back just as Virgil is drying Gordon off, with clean pyjamas for him, complete with a bathrobe and slippers.
"Grandma said have a quick shower and then she wants us all downstairs before we go to bed" Scott tells him.
"Sure, how is everyone else?"
Kayos ankle is only sprained, Grandma strapped it up, she will be fine in a few days. John is fine, much happier now he is clean though! You are the only one left, so hurry up!"
"Yes bossy" Virgil replies, a mock salute, and a grin as he helps Gordon button up the shirt Scott bought in for him.
Now he is clean, the scrape on his knee really doesn't look as bad as he feared at first glance, but he still wants to get Grandmas opinion first.
"Go on downstairs Gords, I will join you after I have had a quick shower" Virgil tells him, watching as he follows Scott downstairs, leaving the door wide open!
"Were you born in a barn Gordon?" he shouts at him as he moves to close the door.
"MOOOOO!" Gordon shouts back laughing.
Virgil laughs too, the Squid has an answer for literally everything.
Virgil breaks out into happy songs as the hot water beats down on his head and he lathers shampoo into his hair. He can feel a spike in his energy under the shower head, still happily smiling 25 minutes later as he switches the water off and climbs out the shower, quickly drying himself off. realising that Scott has not bought him pyjamas, he mumbles under his breath as he goes back out into the bedroom area to get dressed.
"I said a quick shower Virgil!" Scott reprimands him, when he thuds down the stairs and finds a space on the floor as all the good seats are taken.
"It was a quick shower, I was only there for 25 minutes, usually I like at least 40!" Virgil tells him sticking his tongue out.
Grandma is sitting on the sofa, Gordon, and Alan either side tucked up against her, both almost asleep. Scott has joined Virgil on the floor and John is sitting on one of the arm chairs near the fire, Kayo in the other one her ankle propped up on the footstool that's usually in front of the sofa where Grandma likes to sit in the afternoon. They are all clean, and relatively healthy, which is the biggest relief to all the adults present.
"Before you all go to bed and sleep for a week, I just wanted to gather you all together to make sure you are okay. And to let you all know how proud we are that you looked after each other so well out there, it would have been very easy for you to fall out, but you didn't and thanks to all your efforts you have all got home safely." Jeff tells them, his voice bursting with pride, and sheer ecstasy that they are safe, and vowing to come up with a million and one ways to make sure nothing like this can ever happen again.
Kyrano comes back with more hot chocolate, and they all gratefully take a mug, Scott drinking his in two gulps, Virgil not far behind.
Kayo is watching them in interest. "Did you two seriously just make a contest out of drinking that?"
Scott grins at her, "When you have 4 brothers Kay, everything is a contest!"
"Why are the boys calling you Kayo?" Jeff asks confused, this has been going on since they were rescued, and he hasn't had the time to ask yet.
"Because she knocks people out daddy and it's easier to say than Tanpuski" Alan tells him.
"Fair enough!" Jeff replies, if they are happy with it, he will accept any nickname if it stops the arguing and fighting!
"I think it is time we got this lot to bed Jeff, are you okay with the stairs Kayo?" Grandma asks her kindly.
"Yeah I am okay if I take them slowly, getting down is harder than going up" She replies placing her now empty mug on the tray and getting to her feet, limping over to the stairs. "Night boys, dad, Lord Hugh and Mrs Tracy" yawning heavily, she starts a slow and steady assent.
"Scott, if you and John take Alan, I will bring Gordon" Virgil offers, wanting Scott out the room so he doesn't break his promise to Gordon.
"Sure, drink your hot chocolate Allie and let's go" Scott replies, he too cannot wait until he is in his own bed.
"Okay Virgil why did you get rid of them?" Grandma asks.
"Am I that predictable?" Virgil replies with a grin.
"No, I just know you too well" She tells him, smiling back.
"Gordon fell over and hurt his leg but didn't want Scott to know because he worries too much. I don't think it's serious, but can you please check it for me?" Virgil asks.
"Of course"
Gordon automatically lifts up the right leg of his pyjamas so she can examine his knee, giving him a thorough check she comes to the same conclusion as Virgil.
"You'll live Squid, but if it starts to hurt let someone know okay?" she tells him.
"I checked Alan over while I was giving him a bath, he's fine" Virgil tells her.
"Thanks Virg, now off to bed the pair of you" she tells them.
"Night guys" They reply in unison, as they too leave the room for the warmth and comfort that their bed will bring.
*TB*
"It's okay Jeff, it is over, they're safe now" Grandma tells him, wrapping her boy into her arms, feeling him let out the tension and fear he has been feeling out in huge heart-wrenching sobs.
"Mom, I thought I was going to lose them out there, I kept thinking of Lucy the vow I made at her funeral to protect them, that I would never be able to forgive myself if I lost them forever" He tells her.
"I know Jeff, I know. They are going to be fine; we are all going to be fine" She reassures him.
He can only hope that she is right.