Disclaimer: I don't own Thunderbirds.

Sicktember Prompt 22: Toothache, with Alan and Scott (requested by burningcowboyhoagietaco)

Scott wasn't listening to him. Alan, newly thirteen and ecstatic about the flying lessons he'd finally been allowed to have, didn't like that at all. He was also confused – surely, out of all his brothers, Scott wouldn't mind him reciting what he'd learnt, even if he'd also been the one to teach him in the first place?

His biggest brother zoning out when he was talking about flying was just plain bizarre.

"Sco-ott!" he complained loudly, crossing his arms and jutting out his lower lip. "You're not listening."

"Huh?" Scott blinked down at him, rubbing the side of his jaw with the heel of his palm. He'd been doing that a lot lately. "Sorry, Alan, what was that?"

Alan huffed, and let his lower lip extend further. "You're. Not. Listening, Scotty. I was just saying how the plane…" He trailed off again as Scott's eyes unfocused.

He was still rubbing his jaw, and Alan thought he saw a wince as well.

"Scott?" Was there something wrong with his brother?

"Hmm?" Blue eyes focused on him again, surveying him with confusion. "Something wrong, Alan?"

"You keep rubbing your jaw," Alan pointed out. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Alan." Scott grinned reassuringly at him. It would have been more effective if his palm wasn't still rubbing against the side of his jaw, just below the ear.

If Scott was fine he wouldn't be zoning out. Alan pouted at him again, wishing his brothers wouldn't try and lie to him about that sort of thing. "I'll call Virgil," he threatened. "Or Grandma."

Scott sighed. "I'm honestly fine, Alan," he insisted. "Nothing's wrong – just a wisdom tooth coming through."

Alan had heard about wisdom teeth. Evil things, Gordon had whispered to him once. They caused problems more often than not, some of them serious, and often needed to be taken out. How Gordon knew so much about them when he, too, wasn't old enough to have any, Alan wasn't sure, but the way Scott seemed so distracted by it suggested that Gordon was right.

"Do you need to go to the dentist?" he asked, leaning forwards to peer at Scott's mouth in case he could see the offending tooth if he looked hard enough. "Will it have to be pulled out? Is it infected? What if-"

"Where did you hear all that?" Scott interrupted him, sounding amused. "There's nothing wrong, Alan."

"How can you be so sure?" he demanded. "Gordon said-"

"Ah." Scott rolled his eyes, but he was smiling while he did it. "Gordon did, did he? I thought you knew better than to believe everything he comes out with nowadays?"

"Of course I do!" Alan insisted. "But it's hurting you, Scotty."

"Teeth coming in for the first time normally do," Scott pointed out. "There's no milk tooth to guide the way, so wisdom teeth have to push through the gums by themselves."

Alan hummed, unconvinced. "How do you know it's fine?" he demanded. "What if you think it is but it isn't?"

"Experience, mostly," Scott shrugged, ruffling his hair with the hand not rubbing his jaw. "This is the last one, and the other three were just the same."

"But…" Alan started. "How do you know it's not different this time?"

"I just do, sprout."

A few years ago, that would've been enough to convince Alan. After all, it was Scott and Scott knew what he was talking about.

Alan had seen Virgil and Grandma – and even John, sometimes – scold Scott about not taking pain seriously enough many times over the past couple of years. Definitely enough times to realise that when it came to himself, Scott was not always right.

"I'm asking Virgil," he declared, turning away and starting to head towards the hangars, where he was sure he'd find the brother in question. Behind him, Scott sighed.

"That's really not necessary, Alan," he protested. It was only half-hearted, though, because he didn't stop him. In fact, Alan heard him follow him all the way down.

Virgil was with Gordon in Module Four, tinkering with Thunderbird Four. Alan made a beeline straight for him.

"Hey, Al," his middle brother said, noticing him. "Hey, Scott. What's up?"

"Virgil," Alan pounced, before Scott could say anything. "Scott's got a wisdom tooth coming in and he says it's fine, but it's hurting him!"

"A wisdom tooth?" Gordon interjected, eyes wide. "Oh, no! Quick, Virge – we gotta do something -ow!"

Virgil lowered his hand after cuffing Gordon lightly. "I know, Alan. It's all fine – we x-rayed it a few days ago and there's nothing wrong."

"But it's hurting him!" Alan insisted, jabbing his finger back at Scott, who was once again rubbing his jaw. "How is that fine?" Scott hadn't mentioned any x-rays, either.

"That's just how it goes," Virgil sighed. "We've probably all got that coming – I know John's had two erupt so far." He paused, as though something had just occurred to him. "Scott, you are taking those painkillers Grandma told you to, aren't you?"

Alan looked back at his eldest brother in time to see him roll his eyes. "It's just a little bit of pain, it's fine," Scott dismissed.

"Scott," Virgil growled, before shaking his head with a sigh. "I honestly don't know why I expected any differently." He looked down at his hands, which Alan noticed were smeared with some sort of oil, and then up at the submarine next to them. Gordon was unusually quiet, looking between their elder brothers, and sparing Alan a brief glance and grin. "Hey, Alan?"

"Yeah?" he asked, snapping his attention back to Virgil.

"Do me a favour, would you?" his brother asked. "Go to the infirmary and pick up the painkillers with "Scott Use These" written on them and make sure he takes a dose."

"That's not-"

"Sure!" Alan cut off the protest from the brother in question with a grin, pleased that he wasn't overreacting and that going to Virgil had been necessary. "Come on, Scotty."

He grabbed his brother's wrist and yanked impatiently when Scott didn't immediately move to follow.

"I don't need-"

"Scott, if you don't go with Alan I'm calling Grandma," Virgil interrupted. "Painkillers. Go."

Alan tugged again and Scott reluctantly moved. "See you later!" he chirped to the two brothers still doing maintenance.

"Make sure his teeth don't need to be pulled out!" Gordon called in response, only to be cuffed again.

"Thanks, Alan," Virgil responded. "Let me know if he gives you any trouble."

"I will!"

"This is unnecessary," Scott protested as Alan led him along. "It's just an erupting tooth." Still, despite his grumbles, he didn't pull away and permitted Alan to tug him into the infirmary, even caving when he pushed him to sit down.

The box was easy enough to find, unopened on one of the sideboards. Alan snatched it up and, after reading the instructions, grabbed a glass of water before heading back to Scott and pushing both things into his hands.

"Take them," he insisted. Scott sighed but obeyed.

"I really don't need it," he muttered once the dose was swallowed down. "It's nothing I can't handle."

Alan pouted as he set the painkillers and drained glass to one side, before grabbing his brother in a hug, squeezing his ribs as tightly as possible.

"Al-?"

"I don't like it when you're in pain," he mumbled into Scott's chest. "So please keep taking the painkillers, Scotty."

"Oh." The noise was soft, and a little surprised. Warm, strong arms wrapped around Alan firmly. "Sorry, Alan. I didn't realise."

"Stupid," Alan muttered, squeezing as hard as he could and feeling Scott's chest judder. "Of course I don't like it." There was nothing to like about a brother in pain.

"How about you remind me to take them?" Scott suggested, as his chin came down to rest on top of Alan's head. "That way I don't forget and you know I'm fine."

Alan nodded his head vigorously against the blue shirt, feeling the fabric bunch up with the movement. Being in charge of Scott's painkillers was an important job, and being trusted with that made something in his chest go warm and fuzzy. "Sure, Scotty. You can count on me!"

Scott chuckled lightly.

"I never thought otherwise."

I'm dabbling in Sicktember over on tumblr! Only doing prompts that I get a character request for, so feel free to drop by with a request. You can find the list on the sicktember tumblr blog!

Thanks for reading!
Tsari