Author's Note: I just wanted to again thank everyone who takes the time to review. I think I am beginning to sound like a broken record but the reviews are really helpful for me to know what works and what doesn't.

I want to apologize in advance to those that have gotten used to the speedy updates but for the next couple of weeks updates will not be as quick. I have college finals to prep for if I ever want to get into nursing school.

Chapter 8

"Breakfast in 10 minutes." The disembodied voice of Jeff startled the Tracy children as they were getting showered and dressed in the ensuites of their rooms. They had forgotten the communication system that Brains had installed in all of the rooms.

"5, 4, 3, 2," counted Jeff as he suddenly heard the pounding feet of his children as they rushed down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Get out of my way. I'm starvin'."

"No you move it, Scotty. My tummy is louder than yours."

"Hah! You all lose," came two voices at once.

Jeff just shook his head as they all appeared in the doorway. It was truly one of those moments where all of them tried to fit through the door at once. Even though they had been out of his sight when he heard the exchanges between 4 of the 6, he knew that Scott then Alan had spoken. The two voices at once were John and Sam. Pushing their way through the door they all rushed to the table and sat down for breakfast.

Kyrano started bringing in plates of bacon, eggs, and hash browns. He had already set the table and had containers of milk and orange juice waiting for everyone. Tin-Tin was the last one to the table and she glanced around nervously trying to decide who she could sit next to. John and Sam were sitting next to each other with Virgil sitting on Sam's right side. Scott, Gordon, and Alan were opposite of them. There was one chair right next to Alan that was empty. Slowly she made her way over and sat down. Jeff began passing the platters of food after he had gotten what he wanted for himself. By the time that Alan was to pass the food to Tin-Tin he suddenly became nervous and dumped what was left of the eggs onto Tin-Tin's lap.

"I'm sorry." That was all he could say as his brothers began to laugh at his clumsiness. Sam got up and went over to Tin-Tin and helped her clean up the eggs. Alan in an unusual case of shyness jumped up and ran to his room. The whole room suddenly went quiet and still as they watched the retreating figure of Alan. Jeff gave each of the boys a look that let them know that he was not happy with them. After helping Tin-Tin, Sam sat down and quickly ate her breakfast. When Jeff excused her, she rushed upstairs to Alan's room.

"Alan, let me in," pleaded Sam as she knocked on his door. After a few moments the door slid open and Sam walked in to comfort her baby brother. She didn't see him when she first walked into the bedroom due to the fact that he was huddled on the floor between the wall and his bedside table.

"Ally, come here for a moment," said Sam in a soothing and reassuring voice. Alan continued to sit there and shake his head no. Realizing that he was going to be stubborn, Sam reached down and made an effort to pick him up. Not knowing how upset he was she wasn't prepared when he bit her arm to make her let go. He didn't bite hard enough to break the skin just enough to make her let go.

"Ouch that hurt you little brat," snapped Sam as she grabbed her arm. Controlling her anger over being bitten she decided to try another approach. She sat down on the floor in front of him and gently placed her hands on either side of his small face and forced him to look at her. Looking him straight in the eye she was startled at the emotions that she could read in his eyes.

"Ally, please talk to me. I will not laugh at you or do anything to make you mad." Sam continued to look at him in an effort to get him to talk to her. With a movement so sudden she didn't realize it until she was pinned to the floor with Alan on top of her crying.

"Shh, it's ok. Let it out, Ally," whispered Sam as she hugged her baby brother to her. She wasn't sure if he was crying in embarrassment or in sadness like Gordon and Virgil had.

"I miss Mommy, Sam. I don't feel her here like when we was at the farm. Did she leave us again? And now I feel bad cus I dumped food on that new girl. Even if she is a girl I want her to be my friend. She is real pretty, Sam, kinda like you are," rambled Alan as he tried to say everything at once.

"Gee thanks Alan. Glad to know that I am kinda pretty." Sam teased him as he looked at her in embarrassment.

"I'm teasing you. You didn't mean to dump the eggs on Tin-Tin and I'm sure that she knows it. Ally, Mom has not left you she is right here," said Sam as she placed his hand with hers over it on his chest. "She lives here in your heart and in your memories." Alan buried his face in her neck and began to cry again as she held him and hummed a tune that their mother used to hum when she would rock them to sleep. Slowly his crying stopped and a slow even breathing pattern started. Sam was amazed that he had fallen asleep in her arms. She could only lay there and wait for him to wake up since she was pinned to the floor and she didn't want to wake him up.

"Sam are you in here? Alan?" said a voice from the sitting room. Sam lifted her arm and waved it so that she could be seen.

"Over here and be quiet," she said in a hushed tone. She could feel the vibrations of someone's footsteps as they approached where she was still lying with Alan asleep in her arms. Looking above her she saw Scott.

"What are you doing down there?"

"I thought that I would lie on a hard floor with a baby brother on top of me and drooling into my hair cus it's fun," snapped Sam in an irritated voice. As smart as Scott was he had a tendency to ask some dumb questions.

"Well, would you like for me to put him in his bed?" Scott snapped back. "I was only trying to come up here and help you." Sam looked up at him with tears in her eyes that she refused to let fall.

"Sorry but this is the third brother that I have had to comfort in twenty-four hours about Mom. Not only that but trying to deal with this move has been hard for me too," whispered Sam as Alan began to move a little in his sleep. Groaning quietly, she felt wetness sliding down her neck, Sam knew that another shower was in order as soon as Alan woke up.

"Okay pick him up he just let loose with a bunch of drool on my neck and into my hair," begged Sam. Scott leaned down and carefully picked Alan up and stepped back so that he wouldn't step on Sam. He carefully laid Alan on his bed while Sam got up and covered him up with a light blanket. Looking down at their baby brother they each felt an overwhelming sense of protectiveness.

"Scott, is that how you feel with all of us?" asked Sam in an awed yet subdued voice.

"Yeah, I would give my life up if it meant saving any of you," replied Scott in a quiet yet serious voice. "I love you all more than what you will ever know." He reached over and pulled Sam closer to him.

"I know that Virgil, Gordon, and now Alan have been upset and I'm glad that they talked to you. Sam, you have begun to fill in Mom's role as the one that we can cry to. We don't feel embarrassed because we know that you just see it as natural whereas because we are boys we'd tease each other about it," admitted Scott. "I know that I'm not John but if you ever need to talk I'll be available to listen." Sam looked up into Scott's eyes to make sure that he wasn't teasing her. Seeing the seriousness in his expression, she buried her face in his chest and whispered something so softly that he almost didn't hear it.

"I love you too, Sam." Together they walked out of Alan's room and back to the hallway. Stopping at her door she looked at Scott.

"I need to go take another shower and wash off the Alan drool," joked Sam as she went into her room. Twenty minutes later she was down in the lounge watching her dad work on some papers for work. She could hear her brothers outside in the pool and got up to go sit outside.

"Hi Tin-Tin," greeted Sam as she approached the lounge chairs where Tin-Tin was watching the boys play. Tin-Tin looked up at her shyly and mumbled a greeting in return. Sam sat down next to her and leaned back watching her brothers dunking each other. Relaxing in the chair and letting the noises of the island comfort her she began to dose off. She began to hear some whispering and suddenly felt that she was in a shadow. Opening one eye, she found herself surrounded by her brothers. All of whom were wearing a mischievous grin. With a nod from Scott, Virgil and John grabbed her legs as Gordon and Alan grabbed her arms. Scott supported her back as they walked to the side of the pool and threw her in. Once she surfaced the boys all jumped in with her.

"Was that really necessary?" demanded Sam as she began to get upset. Her brothers knew that she was upset when she began to talk in Spanish and then switched to French. John was able to figure out some of what she was saying and his face got bright red.

"Um, guys I would really advise getting out of the pool right now." He began to swim as fast as he could to the poolside and got out of the pool. Startled by the advice the rest of the boys looked at Sam and realized that she was still alternating between French and Spanish. Not only that, she was steadily advancing on them. With a loud yell she grabbed the brother closest to her and shoved him underwater as she moved on to the next closest. Gordon and Scott swam as fast as they could until they were able to climb out of the pool.

"Um, John what exactly is Sam saying?" asked Scott nervously as he watched her get out of the pool and walk towards them. Every step that she took forwards made them take one step back.

"She said something about having the most uncomfortable wedgies in the history of mankind and something about pink boxers and underwear," replied John as Sam cornered them against the lounge doors. Hearing the thump of something hitting the doors, Jeff looked up and was amazed to see the backs of three of his sons against the doors and one angry daughter rapidly speaking in Spanish and French as she approached them. His mouth dropped open when he saw Sam grab Gordon and turn him around and jerk the back of his swim trunks upwards.

"Owie! Sam that hurts," complained Gordon as he tried to pull out the wedgie. Jeff busted out laughing as Sam advanced on John.

"Please Sam don't do this," begged John as he moved his hands to the back of his swim trunks. Not paying the least bit of attention she grabbed him and turned him around and jerked his trunks up like she did Gordon's.

"Gordon was right that hurts," said John in a strained voice. Sam by that time had turned her attention to Scott. He pressed as hard as he could into the door. Jeff was still watching and laughing at the scene before him and Grandma had joined him after hearing his initial laughter.

"You know that I love you, Sis?" said Scott in a pleading tone. To see him back away from Sam was quite funny and everyone including Tin-Tin and Kyrano was watching to see what would happen. Scott was almost 6'0" and Sam was only 5'6" yet he was backing away as if she were twice his size. With a speed that amazed everyone Sam grabbed Scott and gave him the same treatment that John and Gordon had received.

"The next time I am asleep on the lounge chair you had better think twice before you throw me into the pool," warned Sam with a tight grin. "Oh and you might want to listen to John's advice next time. I could easily switch to another language just to throw you all off. Adios." Turning her back on her brothers, that were still trying to get rid of their wedgies, she walked down to the path that would take her to the beach.

Leaning back and using her arms to rest on, Sam looked out over the water and let it soothe and calm her. She was so absorbed in the motion of the water that she didn't hear Tin-Tin approach her until her shadow covered her. Looking up Sam realized that it was just Tin-Tin and not one of her brothers.

"May I sit with you?" she asked shyly. Sam nodded her head and went back to watching the waves coming in.

"You know how to handle all of them don't you?" asked Tin-Tin after a few moments.

"Yeah, I know how to handle them just as they know how to handle me," replied Sam a smile lighting up her face. "Scott thinks that he can boss us cus he's the oldest. John, my twin and best friend, knows me as well as I know him. Neither of us are able to keep anything from the other. Virgil is good at reading our moods just by watching us. We know how to read his moods by the music he plays on his piano. Gordon is the family prankster but he can be serious too. Alan is the most protected cus he is the baby in the family. By the way, he is sorry for dropping the eggs in your lap this morning."

"I know he already said sorry," giggled Tin-Tin. "Do I make him that nervous?"

"Alan just thought that you might be his friend cus both of you are the same age," confided Sam.

"I think that I would like to have him as a friend. I would like to have all of you as friends," said Tin-Tin in a shy voice.

"Tin-Tin, you are hereby brought into the circle of friends of the Tracy children," giggled Sam as she tried to get Tin-Tin to relax. Both girls looked at each other and began to laugh together. Once they had stopped laughing they both looked back out to the water and relaxed. A short while later they heard voices coming from the path. Moments later, Sam's five brothers came into view. John and Virgil were carrying a picnic hamper between them. Alan and Gordon were carrying a thermos each. Scott had a large blanket in his hands.

"Grandma and Kyrano thought that we could have lunch on the beach," said Scott. He spread the blanket out and John and Virgil sat the hamper on the edge of it. Gordon and Alan placed the thermoses next to it. The girls got up and walked to the blanket and sat on the edge of it as the boys sat down. Scott began passing out sandwiches and a small bag of chips for each of them. Virgil poured lemonade into cups and passed them around. Once everyone had something to eat and drink they began to enjoy their simple lunch and each others company. When they were done, John opened the hamper and pulled out a container of fresh baked brownies. Passing the container around everyone got one. By the time they were finished, Alan's mouth was smeared with chocolate.

"Come on Alan, let's go wash your face and hands," said Sam as she guided him to the water. He squatted down and washed his hands as Sam got a paper towel wet with the water from a bottled water that had been in the hamper. She handed him the wet towel and made sure that he got all of the chocolate off of his face. Satisfied she reached down and gave him a spontaneous hug.

"Only you could wear the brownies instead of eating them," she teased him.

'"I'm just glad that I didn't get a big wedgie like John, Scott, and Gordy got," giggled Alan at the image in his mind.

"I love you Sammie," he whispered so that no one would overhear him. Joining the rest to the group they all pitched in to clean up. Sam and John folded up the blanket after shaking the sand off of it and then laid it on top of the hamper.

"Let's walk down the beach and explore," suggested Scott. Looking around to see if everyone agreed he began to walk with everyone following him. They walked along the beach until they reached an area that required them to climb over some precariously place rocks and fallen trees. Scott went first and with minimal difficulties got to the other side. Virgil and John went next and despite a couple of slips they were soon standing with Scott. Tin-Tin and Gordon went next and were soon with the other three. Sam and Alan started climbing and were doing okay until a fallen tree shifted as they were climbing it and knocked both of them backwards. As they tried to get their balance another tree shifted with the first one and pinned them under it. As they had fallen backwards both of them hit their head on a rock and were knocked unconscious.

"Sam, answer me. Alan, come on buddy, answer us," yelled Scott as adrenaline pumped through his body. Not wanting to hurt his brother and sister anymore he looked for a way around the rocks and trees. Finally, he realized that the only safe way to them was down to the water and back up. Taking off at a full-sprint with the others behind him he quickly made his was back to where he could see Sam and Alan were still unconscious.

"Tin-Tin and Virgil run back to the house and get Dad and Brains. Tell them that they are going to need the backboards that are in the infirmary. Gordon, run back to the hamper and get the blanket and a couple of bottled waters," ordered Scott in a decisive tone.

"John, I need you to help me look and see if there is a way for us to get the trees off of them," said Scott in a softer voice when he noticed the expression on his face. "Sam and Alan are going to be fine. Now let's get the trees off of them." Luckily for them the tree was lodged on one side of a large rock. Working together John and Scott were able to lift the opposite end of the tree and move it off of Sam and Alan. The second tree was a bit harder because it was lying on top of both Sam and Alan. Again someone was looking out for them because the tree was small enough that John and Scott were able to each lift an end and move it off of the unconscious brother and sister. By the time they had the trees off of them, Jeff and Brains were running up to them with the backboards in hand.

"What happened, Scott?" demanded Jeff as he looked down at Sam and Alan.

"We all had climbed over the rocks and trees to explore the area over there. Sam and Alan were the last to come over when a tree suddenly shifted and knocked them backwards. Another tree shifted also and both of them pinned Alan and Sam to the ground. Both of them hit their head on that big rock," explained Scott as he suddenly sat down. The adrenaline boost that had gone through his system when he realized Sam and Alan were hurt had begun to leave his body.

"Mr. Tracy, wwe need to ggget ttthem bbback to the hhouse," said Brains as he noticed the blood from the back of Sam and Alan's head. He carefully put a cervical collar around each of their necks so that they wouldn't be hurt worse when they were moved to the backboards.

"Scott, hold Alan's head steady as we move him to the backboard," Jeff ordered. Getting into position, Scott did as he was told and Jeff and Brains maneuvered the backboard as close to Alan as they could and slowly slid his body onto it. Brains quickly fastened the straps in place so Alan was secured to move. Together Jeff and Brains lifted the backboard and carried it away danger.

"Virgil, keep an eye on Alan," said Jeff as he turned back to get Sam.

Scott held Sam's head like he had done Alan's as Jeff and Brains slid her onto the backboard. Just as they had gotten her to the backboard her leg got tangled up on some limbs underneath the pile of fallen trees. As the pain tore through her she screamed out loud as she was jerked back to consciousness. Panicking she began to flail her arms in an attempt to get up. Scott had a hard time maintaining his hold on her head. Suddenly, John leaned over her and held her face in his hands. Looking down into her eyes he willed her to quiet down.

"Sammie, listen to me. You are hurt but we don't know how badly. Dad and Brains are trying to get you on the backboard so that we can get you to the infirmary. You have to calm down, okay?" explained John. Sam began to calm down and was moved and strapped down to the backboard. Jeff and Brains carried her to where Alan was. Realizing that Alan had been next to her when the tree shifted she began to panic again.

"Ally, where is Ally?" screamed Sam as the panic built up. John again held her face and looked into her eyes.

"Alan, is on the other backboard. Scott, Virgil, Gordon, and I are going to carry him back while Dad and Brains carry you," said John as he tried to calm his sister again. He carefully wiped the tears from her eyes as the pain suddenly blossomed and she passed out again.

"Let's go before she wakes up again," ordered Jeff as he and Brains picked up the backboard. The boys picked up the other backboard and all of them began to walk towards the house. Both Sam and Alan were still unconscious when they got to the infirmary. Grandma and Kyrano had the beds ready and any supplies that they thought would be needed out for Brains. First they got Sam on to one bed and strapped her down afraid that she would hurt herself if they didn't. Then Alan was slid off of his backboard and onto the second bed.

Brains wasted no time and had soon taken x-rays of both Alan and Sam. While he was waiting for the film to be ready, he looked at the wound on the back of Sam's head and found that she had a gash that was still bleeding. Carefully he began to clean it as Jeff held her up and Scott held her head still.

"Mr. Tracy, sshe iiis gogoing to need ssstitches. SSShe mimmight hhave a fffracture of ttthe sssk head," said Brains. Finally the x-rays were ready and Brains went to look at them. As he had suspected, Sam's left leg was broken and she did have a skull fracture. Alan had a broken arm and a nasty cut on the back of his head from where he hit the rock. Both had bruised ribs that made breathing difficult as a result. To help them breathe easier they were each hooked up to a nasal canula. Brains went about setting the broken leg and arm. Once he set the bones he put of the plaster casts. Both of the patients had an IV going with Ringers Lactate hydrating them. Brains administered pain medications through the IV port. He wanted them to stay asleep while he had set the broken bones and checked over their injuries.

"Mr. Tracy, I'm sssorry bbut I ttthink you shsshould gget SSam ttto the hhhhospital. I am nnot cccomfortable wwwith hhher head iinjury," admitted Brains when he had done everything he could for Sam and Alan. "Alan ssshould be ccchecked out too."

"Are they stable enough for us to transport them to the mainland?" asked Jeff. He trusted Brains' opinion. Brains nodded and began to put the x-rays he had taken into a large envelope so that they could be given to the doctors at the hospital. Jeff walked out into the hallway where he found Scott, Gordon, John, Virgil, and Tin-Tin waiting to hear how Sam and Alan were doing.

"We are taking Sam and Alan to the hospital," said Jeff as he continued to walk to the front of the house so that he could take the path to the hangar. The sooner he got his children to the hospital the better he would feel. Prepping the plane, he had Scott call back to the house from the hangar phone to let Brains know that he and Kyrano could bring Alan and Sam to the plane. Once the backboards that Sam and Alan were on were secured onto a couple of seats that could recline into beds and their IV's were refreshed, Jeff was ready to go. Suddenly, he noticed his four sons strapped into their seats and looking at him as if to dare him to say that they couldn't go. Not wanting to waste time he headed to the cockpit and began to take off. Two hours later he radioed into a private airport and had them standby with an ambulance and a taxi cab. As soon as he had taxied to a complete stop, the paramedics opened the door and lowered the steps. They quickly went to Sam and Alan and unhooked the straps on that held their backboards on the seats and lifted them up while holding the IV fluid up. Carefully they made their way off the plane and out to the ambulance. Once they were both loaded into the ambulance they were rushed to the hospital. Jeff had quickly done his post flight work and had gotten his plane into a private hangar that he had bought when they moved to Tracy Island. By the time he was done the four boys were waiting for him in the taxi. Jeff ordered him to take them to the hospital where his youngest son and only daughter waited for them.