Prompt from aliceinwhumperland's Whump Word(s) of the Day
"He's stable, for now."
Alan's eyes filled with tears, but he refused to let them fall. He was a Tracy, and that meant standing tall and firm even while his best friend was…was possibly dying.
He couldn't comprehend a world without him in, didn't want to comprehend it. But the medic's words chilled him to the core. Suddenly, he turned and ran, he needed to get out of there.
'Alan! Alan, wait!' With Virgil looking after the patient and Scott not yet home, it fell to John to chase after his brother. But a lifetime of dodging brothers meant Alan was fast and slippery, and John quickly lost him outside.
Outside was not safe, and that thought resounded around his brain as he ran, hidden dangers his father used to talk about rearing their heads, and Alan soon swerved back towards the house.
John was waiting. He pulled his youngest brother into a brief hug, and gently steered him back inside, studiously igniting the tears Alan was frantically trying to hide. Just outside the infirmary they stopped, and John turned Alan towards him.
'He'll be ok, Alan. He's tough, and he's already been through so much in his short life.' Using his sleeve, John carefully wiped the tears away.
'Do you remember when he was shot?' Alan nodded. 'It was a close call there, and he needed lots of stitches, but Virgil made him all better, didn't he?' Alan nodded again.
'And what about the time he was in that car accident? Virgil patched him up in no time.' He nodded again. 'So, brave face, sprout, and let's hear the verdict together, ok?'
'Ok.' It was small and quiet, and John hid a smile when his 'I'm old enough to…' youngest brother slipped his hand into John's.
Opening the door, they came and stood by the bed. Virgil smiled at Alan and said 'you should let people finish speaking before you run off. As I was saying, he's stable, for now, but you really need to stop pulling him about so much. Mr. B won't last much longer if you don't.'
And with that Virgil handed six-year-old Alan's most treasured teddy back, complete with a new line of stitches across his chest.