A/N: Here is an Alan whump story, note to readers I have never experienced a tonsillectomy so there may be glaring errors in this story. I used what spare time I have to watch tonsillectomy recovery videos on Youtube and do some reading on the recovery process. I intended this to contain some brotherly fluff between Alan and Virgil. I hope I've done this procedure's recovery process justice. Reviews are appreciated, hope you enjoy!

Sad-Blue-Eyed-Angel 2010

Virgil sat outside the outpatient clinic, waiting in the car. He glanced at his watch and returned his gaze back outside. He was waiting for his youngest brother to be brought outside and he'd been denied permission to enter due to the ongoing pandemic that had caused the whole world to come to a standstill for several months to a year. The brothers, neither of them had been permitted to board any flights in over a year even though their father owned both a private jet and airstrip. The middle and youngest sons had effectively been trapped in limbo, not able to attend college nor able to return home. Then to add insult to injury, Alan had consistently taken ill like he used to as a small child.

Virgil being the family physician insisted after the third time waking up with an ill little brother that he goes to see a doctor. He and Alan both went in for that appointment, wearing the required masks and had Alan examined. Virgil went with Alan because he knew his brother would downplay the fevers, the sore throats as well as the frequent white patches that had a habit of making his tonsils swell.

The final prognosis had been a mixture of tonsillitis and strep throat. It seemed both illnesses took turns striking the youngest Tracy down every couple of weeks and it got to the point of Virgil suggesting Alan just go get his tonsils removed. The youngest son wasn't too keen on the idea, but after yet another bout of tonsillitis making talking and swallowing food difficult, Alan finally acquiesced and made an appointment to get a referral for a tonsillectomy.

That was where it had led them now. Alan, the night before had gone with Virgil to grocery shop. They took to buying up a series of soft foods, and drinks that would agree with Alan after having the surgery. Though whether he felt up to eating anything was a whole other ball game. They had to have Alan at the outpatient center at 6AM and Virgil wished they'd had a later appointment. Virgil was not a morning person by any means and personally felt like this was an attack on his sanity.

After Alan had been dropped off, Virgil parked the car under a tree, and he reclined his seat back intentionally to try and catch a little more sleep for the hour that Alan would be in surgery. Glancing at his watch, Virgil blinked owlishly at the time. 6:15AM. Alan's surgery wasn't scheduled to take place until eight and was expected to take an hour in total with waking up from the anesthesia included. Quirking a grin, Virgil happily leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Might as well try to get some more sleep so he didn't kill Alan when the kid came out of surgery. Grabbing the thin wind breaker that Alan brought along before departing the vehicle, Virgil used it as a blanket. He fell asleep almost as soon as he sunk down into his seat.

Before he knew it, he heard a chiming of his phone which woke him up. Sitting up, Virgil grabbed his phone to see a text message from Alan.

"Out of surgery…waiting on discharge papers."

Virgil rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and he typed up a quick message in reply to Alan's text. A tear inducing yawn escaped Virgil and he blinked to clear his vision.

"How are you feeling? Everything go, okay?"

It took a few minutes for Alan to reply and the text Virgil got had some stuff that didn't quite make sense, but Virgil figured it was Alan's anesthesia addled mind that missed the typos. The gist of the text however came through loud and clear.

"Throat hurts like a mother, hungry yet also sick to my stomach. Doc told me he wants me to eat like normal, but I don't know if I can."

Virgil grimaced. Alan being sick to his stomach already wasn't a good equation. He never handled pain well and to know he already wasn't feeling good made Virgil feel bad for suggesting Alan get his tonsils taken out.

"We can stop and get you a slushy if you'd like. Maybe the cold will make your throat feel better." Virgil suggested. He gave a stretch before checking the time. Alan should be getting out soon. Virgil frowned when he got a picture text from his youngest brother. Alan was laying in his hospital bed, arm with his patient bracelet resting atop his head and pout firmly in place. Virgil could see how pale Alan looked in the picture, knowing the kid probably felt like hell. Virgil could just barely make out the hospital gown his kid brother was still wearing. Feeling like he needed to reach out to his family, Virgil copied the picture Alan sent him and he sent a copy to each of their family back home on the island. It was late back home, the family likely to be asleep. Virgil was surprised to get a frowning emoji from Gordon in response to his picture text. Seeing Gordon's picture pop up on the screen, Virgil answered the call.

"Hey sorry to wake you." Virgil said as soon as he answered the phone call. Gordon's voice was low, obviously the younger male just woke up when his phone chimed.

"It's okay, can't be helped. How's the Sprout doing?" Gordon asked softly. He shared an adjoining wall with Scott and his brother had hearing like a wolf. He didn't want to wake their oldest brother, so he kept his voice soft.

"He texted me to tell me his throat was killing him and while he's hungry he also feels sick which I expected. You know how well he handles pain." Virgil murmured. He got another text from Alan telling him he got his discharge papers and was getting dressed to leave and he couldn't stop the snort when he read the secondary text from Alan. "Oh my god…kid is out of his gourd."

"What did he say?" Gordon inquired softly. Virgil could make out the springs in Gordon's mattress squeaking as the younger male was adjusting in bed, likely sitting up.

"The nurse isn't even hot…his name is Liam and he's as old as dad. Where are the babes?" Virgil read aloud, hearing Gordon snort a laugh over the line. "Yeah, I think I need to get him back to our home away from home and back to bed."

"You do that…I think I'm going to go back to bed as well. Scott and I just got back from a mission about two hours ago and I'm exhausted." Gordon said with a chuckle which was interrupted by a yawn.

"God, I'm sorry. You know Alan and I would be there if we could." Virgil said, upset that he and his youngest brother were still grounded for the time being. The United States still had the borders closed to international flight apart from International Rescue and military flights.

"I know and it's not your fault. Like I said earlier, it can't be helped. Anyway, g 'night. Talk to you later." Gordon said before hanging up with a request that Alan be told Gordon sends his well wishes.

Getting a follow-up text from Alan, Virgil started the car and pulled around into the patient pickup zone. He waited with the car idling and watched expectantly as Alan was wheeled out of the outpatient clinic. Kid was wearing his sweats, simple t-shirt, slippers with a hospital mask on. Kid looked exhausted. He pointed at Virgil's car and the nurse that was pushing Alan's wheelchair stopped beside the passenger side door. Virgil climbed from the car, going over to offer a helping hand to Alan who kept blinking like he was chasing the groggy feeling or dizziness away. Once Alan was settled in the passenger seat, Virgil went to go climb back in the driver's side. He noticed Alan clutching a nausea bag and he wished he could help his brother more. Poor kid never handled pain well, always getting sick any time he was subjected to pain beyond that of a paper cut or a stubbed toe. Alan never had a strong constitution.

Once Alan's seatbelt was fastened, Virgil pulled away from the curb. They drove a couple blocks in silence before Virgil glanced across at Alan. The kid reached up clumsily to remove the hospital mask he'd been made to wear. Keeping his eyes on the road, Virgil kept glancing over discreetly at his youngest brother.

"Hey kiddo, thumbs up or thumbs down. Are you feeling any better?"

Alan raised a hand and rubbed at one of his eyes before forming a fist and pointing his thumb down. Reaching up, Alan gently clasped his throat and whispered hoarsely.

"I feel like crap." He grimaced when he swallowed before heaving a sigh. "I don't know if I still want that slushy."

"Try not to talk, your throat is going to be killing you for a few days and talking probably won't make your throat feel any better." Virgil chastised without heat before pulling into the parking lot of a gas station. "Hang tight, I'm going to go get that slushy for you."

Virgil climbed from the interior of the car, remembering to grab his mask from his pocket before putting it on when he reached the door where a sign was posted that a mask was recommended prior to entry. He disappeared within for several minutes before making his exit, two slushy cups in hand. When he climbed back in the car, he offered them both to Alan.

"I got blue raspberry and cherry…you can have your choice between either one then I'll have the other." Alan looked at the two cups before gesturing to the blue raspberry cup. He took a sip from the straw, grimacing at the throbbing pain in his throat when he swallowed.

Alan clasped a hand around his throat again, trying to clear the scratchy feeling gently with another pained grimace. He mouthed silently an 'Ow' which made a frown appear on Virgil's face.

"I'm sorry Sprout. If I'd known the pain was going to be this bad, I'd have never suggested you get your tonsils taken out." Virgil apologized. He watched Alan slowly shake his head before whispering again.

"Doc said they'd have had to come out sooner or later." Alan took another small sip from the straw, grimacing again as his throat gave a throb. Virgil unintentionally clipped a pothole in the road and listened as Alan gave a small, pained whimper.

"Sprout, did your surgeon give you a prescription for pain medication?" Virgil asked remembering that the doctor told him and Alan at his pre-surgical appointment that he'd give Alan something for pain.

Alan made a small noise in his throat before digging into his pocket of his sweatpants to get the square of paper and handing it off to Virgil. Once Virgil had the prescription in hand, he put on his blinker to make the turn that would take them to the local pharmacy. Alan took another small sip from his slushy, trying to hide his grimace of discomfort.

When they made it to the pharmacy, Virgil smiled reassuringly at Alan and promised he'd be right back to take Alan home. When the family medic was inside, he joined the line of people waiting in queue to drop off prescriptions and he couldn't help but to look around. Seeing something on the shelf, Virgil reached out to pick it up and determined that Alan had to have it. It was a cold pack that could go in the freezer or refrigerator and then fasten around the wearer's neck with Velcro. Virgil already had a rice bag at home courtesy of their grandma that Virgil could heat up for Alan to cuddle up with.

"Next." Virgil looked up when he heard one of the five pharmacists call into the queue. Realizing he was next, Virgil walked until he was stopped at the counter. He handed the prescription over and waited until the pharmacist stapled an information packet to the little white paper bag. Once Virgil got the medication in hand, he turned to leave and pay for his spoils. Virgil glanced through the information packet and grabbed a few other over the counter medications that were recommended for Alan to have and paid before exiting the pharmacy.

Reaching the car, Virgil apologized for how long it took for him to get the prescription filled and he backed out of the pharmacy parking lot. "Come on, let's get you home."

Alan didn't say anything, choosing instead to sip from his slushy cup and before either brother knew it, they'd arrived back home. Or their home away from home. Alan slowly climbed from the car and didn't balk when Virgil placed a guiding hand in the small of his back. They walked up the front steps, Virgil waving in greeting when one of their neighbors asked them how their day was going while they stood on their front step drinking from a mug of coffee.

"It's good Mr. Mills. Just bringing my brother home from outpatient tonsillectomy surgery." Virgil noticed the neighbor eyeballing the hospital nausea bag Alan was carrying as well as the hospital bracelet that slid up and down on Alan's wrist.

"Well let me know if there is anything I can do to be of some help." Mr. Mills said as he observed the protective older brother guiding his younger brother inside.

~.~.~.~.~

Virgil sat downstairs in the extra bedroom provided since the house the brothers were renting was a three-bedroom townhouse. Virgil had a computer set up in the downstairs bedroom as a home office. Thankfully both Alan and Virgil could work remotely for their father's company since they couldn't do their racing and mechanizing gig or college that brought them to Colorado in the first place. Virgil had some classical music playing softly on his portable speaker as he worked.

It was getting into early evening and Alan had been asleep all day since they'd returned from his tonsillectomy. Virgil had gone up to check on Alan several times and the kid was dead to the world. He ordinarily was a relatively light sleeper, usually waking up if someone entered his room. That however was not the case this time. Alan didn't hear or sense the multiple times that Virgil entered his room to make sure he didn't need anything. One of the latest times that Virgil had gone up to check on Alan, he'd taken a chilled popsicle with him after hearing Alan's bed frame groan with movement through the thin apartment floor.

Rapping lightly on the door, Virgil popped his head into Alan's room. Alan's hair was just barely visible from beneath the mound of blankets and Virgil went over, dropping into a crouch in front of his brother's bed. Hearing a pained whimper, Virgil took great care in lifting the blankets from Alan's head. The younger male looked up, his mouth closed in a tight frown and his eyes groggy.

"Hey, brought you a popsicle. Want to sit up and eat it?" Virgil held up the yellow banana flavored popsicle. Alan slowly shook his head, misery clear in his features. If Virgil didn't know any better, he'd think his youngest brother reverted to his nine-year-old self instead of the nineteen years he was currently. "Come on kiddo, I know it hurts but you have to eat if you want to take your pain medication."

Alan shook his head again, immediately burrowing under the blankets and curling into a ball. Virgil took pity on his brother, and he stood from his crouch and took to sitting on Alan's bed. Reaching under the blankets, Virgil tangled his fingers in Alan's mop of hair and gave a gentle and affectionate tug. He knew Alan felt horrible, wished there was more he could do to help him. But this was new territory even for Virgil as none of the brothers had to have their tonsils taken out now apart from Alan. Not even their father had gotten his tonsils removed so it wasn't like Virgil could just ask someone for recovery tips. Virgil was already trying to utilize the tips provided by the surgeon.

"Try to get some more sleep kiddo. I'll be back up in a little bit to check on you." Virgil leant over and lightly pecked a kiss on the crown of Alan's head. Picking up the popsicle, Virgil returned downstairs. That attempt to get Alan to eat failed miserably. Hearing his cell phone ring inside their home office, Virgil quickened his pace and grabbed the device. Going back into the kitchen, Virgil put the popsicle back before he grabbed a microwaveable breakfast sandwich and fixed that to eat.

"Hey Virge, how's it going?" Scott asked knowing from listening to Gordon that Virgil likely had his hands full with a pitiful Alan. The video connection was established allowing the brothers to see each other.

"It's been okay. Been very quiet around here today." Virgil replied as he waited for his dinner to come out of the microwave.

"Probably very weird knowing quiet isn't one of Alan's many default settings." Scott said.

"Yeah, he's tried talking at a whisper a few times, but I can tell it's killing him. I just tried to get him to eat a popsicle and he couldn't do it." Virgil said as he removed his breakfast sandwich from the microwave. Quirking his eyebrows, Virgil continued dryly. "These next ten or so days are going to be so much fun."

"I'm sorry dude. I'd be there in a heartbeat if I could." Scott said.

"I know you would. I just wish this damn pandemic would end already. Or that the borders would reopen so Alan and I could come home." Virgil commented as he hopped up to sit on the counter while he ate. What was the point of sitting at the table when it was just him? "I'm probably not going to stay up much later, I had to have Alan at the clinic at six this morning and we had to be up at four-thirty. God, I'm looking forward to going to bed."

"So why don't you just go on to bed? With Alan sleeping the day away, I don't see the harm in you turning in for an early night." Scott suggested, noticing only now how tired Virgil looked. His brother hated early mornings, was one of the reasons for being homeschooled when they were kids because the classes were always held way too early for Virgil's liking.

"I've got to stay up until Alan's next dose of pain medication. If I don't give it to him on schedule he's going to be in agony when he wakes up. Who am I kidding? He's going to be in agony with or without his medication being on time or not." Virgil voiced aloud. "I think I'm going to head to bed after I finish eating. I'll just set an alarm and give Alan his meds then."

"Sounds like a good plan." Scott agreed as he stood in his bedroom to open a window. There was a nice breeze outside, and Scott thought his room felt a little stuffy. "Did you want me to give you a call, so you don't oversleep?"

"Nah, I should wake up. Thanks though." Virgil replied, talking around the food in his mouth.

Scott rolled his eyes at his brother's distinct lack of manners but accepted what Virgil said. They hung up a short while later and once off the phone and finished with his light dinner, Virgil went to grab a shower and turn in for an early night. He was more than just a little tired. Setting his alarm, Virgil killed the lights in his bedroom and lay down. That shower was incredibly relaxing and helped Virgil fall asleep.

~.~.~.~.~

Prying his eyes open, Virgil took notice his bedroom was well lit with natural light. Rolling over, Virgil glanced at his alarm and sat up in a flurry. He'd overslept and Alan had officially been overdue his pain medications eight hours. His surgeon had recommended Alan take his pain medication every three to four hours and he'd been due the night prior when Virgil tried to get him to eat a popsicle.

"Shit!" Virgil said as he jumped from his bed and grabbed the bottle of pain pills from his dresser. Hustling down the stairs, Virgil grabbed a popsicle and a bottle of juice before he turned and ran back upstairs to Alan's room. He didn't bother knocking and when he opened Alan's bedroom door, he noticed the bed was empty. Hearing a cough, Virgil ran through the room and entered the bathroom where he found Alan on his knees in front of the commode while choking up stomach acid. "Hey, kiddo. It's okay. You're okay."

Alan managed to gain control of his stomach for the time being and his head sagged with a grimace. He relaxed his white-knuckle grip on the seat of the toilet and glanced over his shoulder at Virgil. The medic swallowed thickly as he saw how pale Alan was.

"I really don't feel good Virge." Alan whispered. His voice not only was hoarse from the surgery the day previous, but it sounded wrecked from the stomach acid torching his surgery raw throat.

"I'm so very sorry kiddo. I slept through my alarm." Virgil said as he helped Alan up from his kneeling position in front of the toilet. A quick glance into the toilet told Virgil that thankfully Alan hadn't begun bleeding from the surgical site, but he hoped to prevent that. Virgil pulled the flush on the toilet to erase the evidence of Alan's post-surgical ralphing. Tearing the plastic wrap from the popsicle, Virgil handed it to Alan insisting he at least try to eat even if he felt like crap.

Alan could barely open his mouth and he suckled on the popsicle sighing as the cold soothed his pained throat.

Once he'd finished his popsicle, Virgil opened the bottle of juice and handed it to his kid brother to drink. Alan grimaced with every swallow of the juice, but he worked through it like a champ. Once he'd managed to consume both the juice and popsicle, Virgil took a pain pill from the orange bottle in his hand and gave it to Alan who took the pill with the last mouthful of juice in his bottle.

Groaning low, Alan reached up to delicately rub at his pained throat. Virgil lay the back of his hand on Alan's forehead and cheek to check him for fever. The kid didn't bat his brother's hand away like he would normally and that told Virgil just how bad Alan truly was feeling.

"Come on kiddo, let's go downstairs to watch a movie." Virgil put a guiding hand on Alan's shoulder and led the younger male from the bathroom. Virgil stopped long enough to grab some pillows, Alan's duvet, and his sick bowl that Virgil had obtained from their grandmother when he and Alan moved into their townhouse. She said she no longer needed it and so she passed it on to Virgil who followed tradition and stored the buttercup yellow bowl beneath the kitchen sink just for the occasion that it was needed again.

Once Virgil got Alan downstairs, he got Alan settled before looking through the collection of movies. He looked through all of Alan's favorites before selecting A Goofy Movie and putting it on. It was juvenile, but Virgil figured Alan didn't feel very adult right now especially dealing with an often childhood procedure. Grabbing a freezer pop for the kid, Virgil claimed a seat beside Alan.

The boys watched the movie, Alan's eyes sagging halfway through, and Virgil recognized Alan fighting the pull of sleep. Wrapping a careful arm around Alan's shoulder, the middle son pulled Alan to lay against him. Alan squirmed a little at the change in position, but he soon settled, and Virgil continued watching the movie despite being a cuddle object for his kid brother. The next time Alan woke up, he rubbed at his throat with a deep-set frown. Virgil opened his mouth to ask a question just as Alan's hands moved from his throat to press into his neck behind his ears.

"Are your ears bugging you kiddo?" Virgil asked as he watched Alan revert to what he used to do when he was a small child and tug on one of his earlobes. "Hold on, let me get something for you."

Virgil stood and he went to the closet, finding the ricebag his grandmother had made and sent overnight when she learned Alan was going to have a tonsillectomy. Virgil put the ricebag in their microwave for the recommended time his grandmother had written on an attached note. When the microwave beeped, Virgil took it from within and hurriedly wrapped it in a towel before taking it to Alan. Reclaiming his seat on the couch, Virgil gestured for Alan to lay down and use his lap to pillow his head. When Alan heeded Virgil's suggestion, he whined softly when Virgil held the heated ricebag to the back of Alan's neck and thereby his ears. After a few minutes, Virgil relinquished his hold on the ricebag when Alan reached up to hold the bag against his own ears. The kid fell asleep like that, and Virgil couldn't help but to smirk. His brother no matter how old he got would always be the baby of the family and Virgil loved that about his brother. Always the baby of the family.

~.~.~.~.~

The next couple days were much the same for Alan and Virgil. The older son had to sit in on a web meeting with his father, brothers, and their staff. Virgil didn't care to get dressed for the meeting. Nor Alan for that matter. The younger sat in on the meeting, though he stayed out of sight. In truth, he was sitting on the floor beside Virgil's legs and listened in on the discussion. Both boys were still in their pajamas, though Virgil took a moment to run a comb through his hair, so it didn't look like he'd just rolled out of bed. When he'd done exactly that only moments before the meeting were to begin. Alan was wearing the cold pack Virgil bought for him and gave a thumbs up to Virgil when the older tightened the Velcro just enough to keep the cold substance nestled against Alan's throat.

"Okay, Virgil…is your brother with you?" Jeff asked as he did rollcall for the meeting. If Alan wasn't there, which wouldn't surprise Jeff knowing he was still recovering from surgery – he'd have to send a copy of the meeting minutes for Alan to look over when he was feeling up to it.

"Yeah, he's here. He's just…staying out of sight." Virgil confirmed, his actions of leaning out of the frame momentarily told Jeff and those gathered for the meeting where Alan was in the room.

"Can you hear me okay Alan?" Jeff asked, feeling bad for his son for having to sit in on the meeting despite not feeling in tiptop shape. Alan's hand raised into the frame, indicating a thumbs up. "Okay, well I've got some good news for all those employees that have been having to work remotely. Restrictions have been lifted for the most part and you all are welcome to return to work inhouse if that's what you wish. Otherwise, those of you that wish to continue working out of your homes may continue to do so. Now on to the best news yet. To all the employees that were travelling for business and found themselves grounded due to closed borders, restrictions have been lifted and you all can return home."

Virgil and Alan knew their father was directing that last statement at them. They'd been grounded from air travel for around a year now. And Alan smiled up at Virgil. He was glad to know they could go home soon. As much as he liked having his own space, he missed the rest of his family. Swallowing painfully, Alan shifted position to kneel, and he poked his head into view of the camera. Pressing a hand to his throat, Alan whispered softly. It was barely audible, but everyone recognized Alan's attempt at speech, and they respectfully stayed quiet. Virgil's eyes widened fractionally when his brother spoke, and he forced himself to stay quiet. He had to remind himself not to cover his nose.

"Virge and I won't be able to come home until I'm cleared for travel. But I look forward to seeing you all again." Alan gave a pained smile to his family and the employees of Tracy Enterprises.

"Try not to talk kiddo, it'll only strain your throat." Scott admonished from his web connection. He didn't care if he chastised his brother in front of the other employees of his father's company. They all knew how protective Scott was of all his brothers and scuttlebutt around the office usually hinted at everyone admiring Scott's caring nature towards all his brothers.

~.~.~.~.~

"Oh my god, when was the last time you brushed your teeth kiddo?" Virgil asked after the meeting ended and Virgil severed the connection. His younger brother was sitting on the floor again, leaning against Virgil's legs as he was playing a game on his cell phone during the meeting.

"Um, last night." Alan whispered. He had been brushing his teeth, his doctor told him to resume normal activities apart from anything strenuous. So, Alan had been trying to maintain oral hygiene except for mouthwash which his doctor forbade for the time being. "Does my breath smell that bad?"

"Yes, please just go brush your teeth." Virgil requested. His brother's breath smelled awful, which he knew was expected after tonsillectomy. Didn't mean he had to like it. When Alan came back a few minutes later, Virgil asked to look inside Alan's mouth to check his throat for signs of healing. It'd been right about five days now since he'd had surgery and his throat still caused quite a bit of pain on occasion. Alan had been able to graduate up from popsicles and gelatin for breakfast, lunch and dinner to chicken noodle soup every meal. Virgil was glad for that because he got tired of watching Alan get hyped up on sugar. His brother may be an adult, but he still became hyper if he ate enough sugar. "Just a few more days until your follow-up then maybe we can finally go home."

"That'll be nice." Alan whispered in agreement.

"Yeah." Virgil said before he flicked on his flashlight. "Okay, open your mouth as wide as you can manage."

Alan opened his mouth, grimacing as he did so. His throat was still killing him. Though Alan had to admit that this was the widest he'd been able to open his mouth since his initial date of surgery. Alan still couldn't believe that he was a first in their family to need a tonsillectomy. He just hoped he didn't have enough bad luck to grow his tonsils back because if he did, he'd just as soon deal with staying sick as opposed to having this surgery again. He wouldn't wish this on his worst enemy.

Virgil looked at the sides of Alan's throat carefully assessing everything before granting permission for Alan to close his mouth once more.

"You're healing up good kiddo. Just a few more days and we should be able to head home." Virgil said before he led his brother from their office. Time for them both to go sit and just watch another movie. Virgil could work a little more later when Alan lay down for a nap.

"I hope to God they don't grow back…" Alan whispered, giving his brother an unamused frown.

"Well, they shouldn't. I've only ever heard of them growing back in children and though you act childish at times, I don't think you fit that criterion any longer." Virgil said as he shrugged with a rueful smile directed at his brother. "On the bright side, you didn't need 'em anyway!"