Tracy Island movie verse infirmary, TAG Gordon and Alan POV
Suddenly, EOS childlike voice, started talking from the communication system in the baldrics. Her voice seemed to echo, in the shocked to silence infirmary room "Alan and Gordon come in! Alan and Gordon, do you read me? Now, is not the time to play hide and seek! I have already searched for you for four days! It is time to come out of hiding! It's beyond boring now! Please, answer me! Please, come back home!". Towards the last sentences, her voice turned from whining to sounding scared.
The last couple of lines, made Alan and Gordon snap out of their shocked stupor. That had to be EOS! No way that wasn't! They scrambled out of the bed, practically throwing themself towards their baldrics laying on the table.
"EOS!" was the dual twin shout coming out of their mouths. The three seconds it took them to reach the table, felt like an eternity. Gordon got there half a second faster than Alan. He pressed the button on his baldric in order to respond to her "EOS! We are here! It is so good to hear your voice! You have no idea!".
"Gordon! How nice to hear your voice! Are your better brother with you?" EOS responded sounding relieved, while not missing the perfect opportunity to tease her uncle. She would not inflate Gordons ego just because she missed him.
"EOS! I missed you! I knew you would find us! I never doubted you!" Alan told his artificial niece, sounding ecstatic to be speaking to her again.
"Hi Alan! There you are! Alan, I always knew that I liked you the best, after John of course!" EOS told him, sounding pleased at the compliments.
"Hey! What about me, EOS? What do you regard me as? Chopped liver?" Gordon whined playfully. Internally feeling elated to be talking to EOS, hope for seeing his brothers again, blossoming in his chest. Where EOS was, John was usually close behind. Those two were practically joined at the hip.
"Very astute observation skills, Gordie! I see that those, unfortunately, haven't changed during our time apart." EOS bantered back, feeling a sense of normalcy return for the first time since the terrible two's accidental world hopping.
"I told you that she liked me better!" Alan told Gordon as he playfully jabbed him in the ribs.
"Ouch! Stop that!" Gordon told off his little brother half-heartedly. He was still in poor health, so Gordon wouldn't retaliate physically. He was secretly glad that Alan felt well enough to join in on EOS harmless teasing. Not that Gordon would ever let it show. It was a matter of principle!
"EOS! Not that we don't love that you are here, sass and all, but how are you here? I have been working on contacting you since we got here, without any success!" Gordon inquired, feeling curious.
"Well, we have always known that I am better than you, so this doesn't surprise me!" EOS sassed back at Gordon. EOS was thinking internally, while silently snickering "Be careful of what you wish for! You said you loved my sass, so sass you shall receive!".
"EOS! Please! How are our family? Have you figured out a way for us to come back home?" Alan interrupted, holding on to the table, trying to steady himself, swaying a bit on his feet. Maybe, flying out of bed wasn't such a great idea after all, he thought.
"Of course, we have! Who do you think I am? Didn't you just declare that you didn't doubt me?" EOS snarked, annoyed at Alan.
"You have! EOS! That is amazing! You're amazing! How do we do it?" Gordon praised her while sounding ecstatic.
"That's more like it! Gordon, why can't you be this nice all the time?" EOS playfully whined.
"EOS, please! My head is killing me! Can't you just tell us? Please!" Alan pleaded, while gripping the table tighter, trying to make the room stop spinning. His previous enthusiasm made him disregard his health for a minute. His body was now trying to punish him. Showing its dissatisfaction with his actions.
"Al, how are you feeling? You are looking even paler than before." The other Virgil interrupted. Having listened carefully to the discussion occurring before him.
"I am fine Virgil! I just need. I just need a second." Al brushed him off. Closing his eyes shut. Taking deep breaths. Trying to shake away the sick feeling messing with his head.
"Hey Allie bear! Do you want to lay down? If you get any paler, I will seriously mistake you for a ghost!" Gordon asked worriedly, his brows furrowed, while taking a step towards his brother.
"No! I just. I just need to." Alan managed to get out. Breathing heavily, like he didn't get enough air. Before he scared the rooms other inhabitants half to death, by collapsing.
Both Gordon and this version of Virgil threw themselves towards him. Barely managing to catch him, before Al hit his head on the table. Gently lowering him down to the floor.
Gordon felt panic overtake him again. "Al! Alan! Wake up! Stop scaring me! Come on! Are you okay? Allie?".
"What is happening to Uncle Al? Gordon? You two are scaring me again! Stop being bad uncles!" EOS asked in a scared voice. She had been so happy to mess around with her uncles, everything had finally felt like normal again, but now, something seemed terribly wrong.
Virgil, on the other hand, managed to keep his cool. Ignoring the childlike voice for now. Focusing all his attention instead, on the collapsed teenager lying on the floor. Virgil needed assistance, he quickly shouted "Frank! We need you now! Al fainted! Get in here! Hurry!".
Frank, having already heard the commotion from the adjacent room, was already on his way. Rushing in seconds later. Kneeling beside the trio located on the floor. Frank assessed Alan. After a short initial assessment, Frank decided that Alan was safe to move. Frank instructed the others "Let's get him on the bed. Lifting on three. One, two, three. There we go! Now, who wants to tell me what happened?".
Virgil efficiently gave Frank the short version of what had just transpired. Frank thanked him and continued his work.
Tracy Island, Movie verse, walk from the beach. TAG Scott POV
The walk from the beach towards the house was awkward to say the least. The four men, who had just accused them of being intruders in a shouting standoff, were now leading Scott and his brothers towards their home. Scott was too exhausted to really care. He normally could charm almost anyone he wanted to if he only put his mind towards it. Scott did not currently have enough energy to even attempt it.
Scott's entire focus was centred around his brothers. All of them! Scott needed them to be together as five again! He desperately wanted to see his little brothers. Scott had never felt the longing, to be together with them, this intensely before.
Scott was afraid of something going wrong. The Tracy luck seemed to be lacking entirely lately. He couldn't let himself fully believe, that Gordie and Allie were there and safe, until he saw it with his own eyes. If it turned out to be false, he didn't think that he could handle it.
Scott couldn't afford to shatter entirely. He was the oldest! He was international rescues commander. He needed to stay strong and focused, for the two brothers beside him, and for the two he was going to get back! He had to hold on, just a little bit more. Just until, he got the terrible two back again.
Virgil and John walked beside him. Scott refused to let another brother out of his sight. Was it still called paranoia if it was justified? Two of the men walked ahead of them. While the other two seemed to guard them from behind. The formation made Scott's already frayed nerves even worse. He suspected they would only calm down when he had all his brothers in arms reach. Safe again. Scott needed to keep them all safe and sound. He would not allow himself to fail all over again. No matter what!
Virgil looked dead tired on his feet, stumbling up the pathway, towards the house they saw in the distance. Scott was ready to catch him if needed. Virgil had always been the brother most affected by sleep deprivation. He had to be careful, Scott could not afford to lose another brother to an accident. Scott's hypervigilance paid off, when he stopped Virgil from faceplanting three times, in just as many minutes.
John walked on Scott's right side. Head looking down on his arm, fiddling with his computer. Waiting for EOS to return and say something. Their communication system did not work as it should here. Unfortunately, no direct back and forth calls could be made it seemed. They had no time to figure out why yet. EOS had managed to find a temporary work around.
John had told his brothers, that she had managed to contact Alan and Gordon. John was waiting for EOS to report back to him. Scott had to keep John from walking off the path several times. John was focusing too hard on his computer, instead of paying attention to where he should put his feet. Scott supposed this was just another thing big brothers were for.
Suddenly, EOS was back with them, franticly trying to tell them something. Scott did not like the tone of her artificial voice; it sounded way to scared.
EOS pleaded "John! John! Do you hear me? I found them! I talked to them! But something happened! I think that Alan collapsed, and Gordon stopped talking to me. I don't know what to do! They were fine! Now, they are not fine! I don't have my usual sensors. They are not wearing their suits! I don't know what to do! You must hurry! Please! I just got them back!".
Scott felt himself tense even more, like a string ready to snap. "We are on our way EOS! Hold on!" Scott said. Then turning, addressing the front of their progression up the mountain "Please! Our family needs us! Can you show the way to them, while running instead?".
"Of course! Let's pick up the pace!" It was the blond man who had realised that the were related to the terrible two. He took the lead, setting a fast pace. The group following closely behind.
It felt like an eternity, running up the mountain, carrying each a big backpack full of equipment. In reality, it only took five minutes to reach the infirmary while sprinting.
Scott could barely believe his eyes. They were there! They had finally, found them! Gordon was standing over Alan, holding his hand. Letting two other people, who looked like doctors, treat his younger brother, who was laying on a bed in what appeared to be an infirmary.
Alan was unconscious, looking so young and unnaturally still in the bed. The space themed sheets in dark colours, only highlighted how pale Allie was. "But he was alive! He was breathing! Thank God! The rest they could hopefully fix. Prioritise Scott! One thing at a time! You have an awake brother you need to start with! Virgil is the medic. He can help Allie better than me right now. I must take care of Gordie first!" Scott thought, looking back up towards his little fish.
"Gordon!" Scott called out! His last few days, spent in pure desperation, shone through his voice.
Gordon looked up towards him. Red rimmed eyes overflowing as he asked in a small, heartbroken voice "Scotty, is that really you? Are you really here? Or am I hallucinating?".
Scott opened his arms wide, as he rushed towards Gordon while saying "My little fish! Why don't you come up here and find out!".
Gordon, finally seemed to believe, that this wasn't a hallucination. He ran towards Scott's open arms. Jumping up into his embrace, wrapping both arms and legs around him, burrowing his head into Scott's shoulder. Reminding Scott terribly of when Gordon was younger. This was their younger brother's infamous octopus-hug. Octopus-hugs were reserved, for the most traumatising moments of Gordie's childhood.
Scott almost crushed Gordon in his embrace! He was so incredibly relieved, to have Gordon in his arms. John and Virgil screamed their brothers name and joined them in the hug, mere seconds later. Turning the Octopus-hug into a group hug.
The four brothers felt like they could breathe again!
Unfortunately, Gordon managed to deliver a terrifying revelation, before breaking down into uncontrollable sobs, while feeling safe encircled by his brothers.
Scott heard Gordons whisper loud and clear "Dad, Allie almost died! We almost lost him!". All Gordons brothers tensed up.
Scott forced himself to relax and said "Then let us all go help him. It looks like he is still here, alive! You must have done an amazing job of keeping him that way! I am so incredibly proud of you! Now, please Gordie, let us help!".
Gordon only nodded into Scott's shoulder. His tears leaving a damp mark on his suit.
Scott walked further into the infirmary, still carrying Gordon in his arms. Addressing primarily the two people who were currently helping their baby brother. "Hi! I am Scott Tracy! This is Virgil Tracy." Scott nodded his head in Virgil's direction. "And this is John Tracy." Scott nodded towards John.
"We are Alans and Gordons family! Thank you so much for looking after them when we couldn't! We will never be able to repay you, for protecting our family's youngest in their time of need! We figured out how to follow them to a different universe, just to get them back. I hope that you understand that we cannot let them leave our sight, until we can get all of us back home. Virgil here is our medic. We would like to assist with Allie's treatment. Can you two get us up to speed on his current condition?" Scott told the people who had protected their family. This included the people they had met on the beach that had led them into the infirmary. Those four people were standing awkwardly on the side of the infirmary, having just watched the brother's emotional reunion.
Virgil understood Scott's implied command of I got the fish, you save our alligator! Virgil obliged and took over where Scott left off "We heard on our way here from EOS, that Alan collapsed recently. Can we start there?".
"We will give you some privacy with your brothers. We can talk about everything else later. Frank, our physician and our Virgil, physician in training will stay here with Alan to assist him. Please let us know if you need anything." The older man in the group answered, previous hostility on the beach having thankfully disappeared.
"Thank you for your hospitality!" Scott said, as most of the group left the room.
Virgil went into full medic mode. Getting out his medical equipment, while simultaneously talking to the two physicians, who had stayed together with the five Tracy brothers.
Scott trusted Virgil with Allie's health wholeheartedly. Pleased that Virgil had understood, what he meant for him to do, without having to orally say it. They were an amazing team after all!
With Allie safe in Virgil's capable hands. Scott turned his attention back to the bawling brother in his arms. Gordon was much heavier than the last time Scott held him like this. Gordon might be on the shorter side; but he was a compact fit human, filled to the brim with lean muscle. Thankfully, Scott was strong enough to carry the nineteen-year-old, a bonus that came from working in the field as international rescue. Still, Scott needed to sit down to be able to continue, as the last four days had taken a toll on his health as well. Scott turned towards John for help.
"John! Can you help me with taking off my bag and bringing up a chair to Allie's bed? I don't want to let go of Gords just yet!" Scott asked his brother. Who nodded, John seemed to remember the significance of Gordons Octopus-hugs. Gordon very rarely called Scott, dad, when he wasn't joking around. He did not even seem to have noticed it. Something was seriously wrong with their cute little squid. Nothing would stop his older brothers from doing everything in their power to fix it!
Scott bent his head down and whispered in Gordons ear "Hey my little Squid! Johnny is going to help us to sit down beside Alan. Can you release your grip on my arms just a bit so that I can get my backpack off?".
Gordon released his arms one by one, as John tangled the backpack off Scott's back.
"Thanks kiddo! I got you, Squid! We are just sitting down by our Alligator. Making sure both my beautiful, brave boys are okay!" Scott told him, as he sat down on the chair next to Alans bed.
"John is going to sit beside us! And Virgil is helping our new friends with Allie. Then, we are dragging his butt down too." Scott informed Gordon, while patting his back with one hand for comfort. His other hand quickly finding Alans.
John plonked down beside them, after having reassured a frantic EOS. He wrapped one arm around Gordons back. Making Gordon squished like the squid he was, in a fantastic big brother double hug. John used his other hand to stroke Allie's hair.
Allie's hugs would have to wait until his big brothers knew what was wrong with him. They did not want to make his condition worse by unintentionally hurting him.
Gordon finally felt truly safe, for the first time in four days. His brothers were here! They had found them! Everything would finally be all right. Gordon cried himself to sleep in his father figures warm, comforting embrace. Certain in the knowledge, that they would take care of both him and Allie. Feeling too unravelled and anxious, to even consider that he acted more like a scared child, than a nineteen-year-old man. Who cares about appearances anyway? Gordon needed his family to help put him back together! There should be no shame in that!
Scott could finally breathe properly again, with all his brothers within arms-reach.
