A/N: Hello readers, I hope this second chapter finds everyone well. I've been busy at work, but then what else is new? To readers that may be puzzled, I moderate my reviews because I've had trolls attack me before via comment and I don't want those published for my readers to view. I'm sorry if there was any confusion. Hope you all enjoy this chapter and please don't forget to leave a review. All mistakes are my own, I am my own beta reader. No flames, please.
Enjoy!
Over the next few days, Fermat felt the stigma of getting in trouble for cheating like a bad sunburn. When he'd walk through the hallway of the school or the dorms, he'd catch little whispers here and there from his peers talking about what he did and that Darren had been suspended for a week because of being caught cheating again. Fermat tried to hold his head high, but the whispers got to him occasionally. Being talked about in a negative light wasn't what he had in mind when he originally thought of keeping his head down at this school
What Fermat didn't see however was Alan actively dispelling the rumors to save what shred of reputation Fermat still obtained. Alan didn't want the kid to be destroyed by the rumors and though they weren't friends, Alan was trying to uphold his promise to his father and brothers to watch out for Fermat. Alan watched many a peer fall apart because of this cruel world that they were born into and if you weren't strong enough to fight, the world would swallow you up. Alan didn't want that to happen to Fermat. Even with as blasé as he could be on occasion, Alan knew how invaluable Fermat would one day be to the science and business communities. He was smart and that was why Alan was trying so hard to improve his own grades.
Despite the number of arguments Alan and his dad had every other day, Alan strived to one day be more like his dad. He was a ruthless leader with a compassionate side that didn't leave any of his brothers lacking for the love of a parent. Jeff's love for his sons made up for the loss of their mom and Alan wanted to be like his dad. To be more like his dad, Alan figured he'd need to improve his grades so that he could go on to college and prove he had what it took to run a business. If he kept up with Fermat, maybe they could fill in their father's shoes when the time came and Tracy Enterprises as well as International Rescue wouldn't be lacking in finesse.
Even if they never became friends, Alan knew he'd do whatever it took to protect Fermat from the world they lived in.
… … … … … … … … … … …
Fermat entered his English class and sat down. He heard whispers from peers at the front of the room that grew more silent when Alan entered the room. Fermat pulled his notebook from his backpack and got his supplies settled on the desk. He kept his head down, listening to the whispers that continued until a voice made his head lift quickly.
"Hey, knock it off. Quit talking about him like he's not here!" Alan said sharply from his seat as he tipped his chair back to balance on the two back legs of his chair. The whispers quickly quieted to an uncomfortable silence. "If I hear anyone else talking about Fermat, they'll have to answer to me because we all make mistakes, besides it's old news. Talk about something else."
Without drawing the eyes of his fellow classmates, Fermat turned to look at Alan across the room and mouthed a quiet "thank you" to the older boy. Alan shrugged his shoulders as if to suggest that he didn't do anything. But Fermat greatly appreciated what Alan said. He didn't like being talked about and it hurt to not be included by his peers because of rumors that he was a cheater.
Class continued without anymore hushed whispers, the only sign that anything had been amiss had been that their English teacher chided Alan for misusing the chair upon arrival and caused the class to begin snickering when the teacher suggested that Alan not act like a jester in class. The rest of the class period went on without any continuation of the earlier gossip or distress. When class did let out, Alan walked on, leaving his classmates and for that matter Fermat behind. Fermat as he'd done earlier that week had run to try to catch up with Alan as he made his way down the stairs from their shared English class.
Fermat hurried to catch up with Alan without running, he didn't want to be caught by a teacher and given additional punishment. "Hey! W-Wait up!"
Alan paused at the bottom of the stairs and looked up to the younger boy giving him time to come to a stop. "What is it?"
"I w-wanted to thank y-you for sticking up f-for me back there. Y-You didn't h-have to do that." Fermat said struggling to get it out.
"Of course I did, you don't deserve the way they've been treating you." Alan said. "I know we're not best friends, but I still consider you to be part of my family and nobody messes with my family and gets away with it."
Fermat blushed a little at being referred to as family, because of his earlier reservations with wanting to even associate with Alan, but he was beginning to realize that they weren't that different from each other. Sure they both came from completely different backgrounds, but they were far from polar opposites. They were in fact more alike than they knew.
… … … … … … … … … … …
Later that night, Fermat was sitting up at his desk working on his homework. Once again, Fermat couldn't help but to wonder why Alan and his father had to have arguments regularly. The young brainiac had been trying to work on his Physics homework and was being interrupted no matter how hard he tried to ignore the yelling beyond his four walls. Fermat began to dread the thought of having to knock on his roommate's door to ask him to tone down the argument. But just when he was about to do so, he heard Alan hurl an insult into the phone before hearing a dull beep indicating that Alan had disconnected the call on his video call. That and the fact that Fermat heard Alan's father's voice cut out mid-sentence.
Realizing that trying to talk to Alan when he was angry was probably a big mistake at present, Fermat backed away from his bedroom door and returned to his desk to pick up work on his homework once more. Fermat heard Alan's bedroom door slam shut followed soon by an echoing slam of their dorm door. He sat at his desk, returning his attention to his homework. Fermat worked for the next couple hours, skipping dinner in favor of finishing his homework a little earlier this evening as tomorrow was his first day of Saturday school. Fermat was not looking forward to that, but he had to go lest he bring more trouble on himself. Glancing at his watch Fermat was surprised to learn it was past their curfew and Fermat hadn't heard Alan return yet. Standing, Fermat left his room to check if their dorm door was locked, thinking that perhaps Alan had locked himself out. Nope, Fermat was sure Alan was locked out. He was just wayward again.
Steeling his resolve, Fermat turned out his light in his room after he put on his shoes. He was going to go see if he could find Alan rather than let him stay away. If he gets caught outside of the dormitory past curfew, they'll earn another call to their parents and after this evening's spat with Alan's father, Fermat hoped to prevent another such call. He hated listening to Alan's one-sided arguments. Alan's father was not a very easy man to talk to if Fermat had to gather from their regular shouting matches. Alan was usually trying to discuss something with his father and the calls usually became Jeff chewing out Alan for not being more like his brothers. Fermat heard enough phone calls through the paper-thin walls to learn that Alan's father compared Alan every other phone call to at least one brother or another. It made Fermat happy he was an only child.
Going over to Alan's bedroom door, Fermat looked in to make sure Alan hadn't just returned quietly before going to bed to find that his roommate was in fact gone. Turning out Alan's bedroom light, Fermat set out into the dim hallway intent to locate his newfound friend. Fermat checked each of Alan's known haunts and when he failed to locate the older boy, Fermat prepared to go back to their shared dorm to retire. He'd thought about checking the stalls as a last option, but he argued with himself about the long walk through the forested path. It wasn't advised to walk through there at night, but Fermat wasn't about to return to his and Alan's shared dorm without saying he tried and exhausted every option.
When he'd made it to the stalls of the equine barn, Fermat quietly snuck through the door. The smell of the horse manure and the hay made his nose tingle, but Fermat tried to push past it. He went to the stall he thought the horse that Alan was riding earlier was in. The horse Fermat looked in at stamped its hoof and wasn't Freckles. Fermat backed away from the stall before he went to check the other stalls for his wayward roommate. However, the longer Fermat remained in the horse barn, the more Fermat felt his nose tickle. Preparing himself, Fermat managed to catch himself in a monstrous sneeze. Fortunately, Fermat's sneeze attracted the attention of who he sought. Alan who was up in the loft where the hay was stored, peeked over the edge. Fermat's sneeze startled the older boy and forced him out of hiding.
"Fermat? What are you doing out here?" Alan asked, worried about why the younger boy was breaking curfew.
"I c-came out t-to look for y-you. When you w-weren't back b-by curfew, I f-figured you'd g-get yourself i-in more trouble a-and thought to c-come find y-you." Fermat said as he climbed the ladder to join Alan up in the loft before he hung his head. "I w-was worried w-when you didn't c-come back."
"Why were you worried? It's not like you and I are close or anything." Alan asked, his insecurity showing.
"B-Because, you're t-the first person t-to stand up f-for me even t-though I've d-done nothing t-to make y-you treat me l-like I mattered t-to you. You're m-my first real f-friend!" Fermat said before his hand flew up to cover his mouth. Despite the darkness, Alan could see the blush on Fermat's face at his admission of such a big revelation.
"I thought you had friends at this school, how can I be your first friend?" Alan asked, surprise turning to indignation. "You mean to tell me that you've been lying to my father and yours when they've asked you how you liked this school and if you've been making friends?"
"It w-wasn't a lie p-per se! I j-just couldn't t-tell them t-that I wasn't a-actually having a-an easy time a-adjusting here! If y-you were in m-my shoes, I don't t-think you'd h-have an easy t-time of it! I g-get used b-by everyone who I f-formerly thought of as a f-friend simply b-because education c-comes easy t-to me." Fermat replied in defense of himself to Alan. The older boy backed away from the younger and he looked at Fermat with a bit of pity. It angered Fermat slightly to see the look of pity on Alan's face. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of anyone's pity.
"We aren't getting anywhere by arguing about this. Why are you out here, tempting fate by breaking curfew? I'm usually the one that gets in trouble, you're usually the one that does everything right. So, you were worried, it's not like I've never been in trouble before. I was just going to stay here all night when I realized I was out past curfew rather than take a chance getting caught. Now you're out here, so we have to go back. It's not good for you to be here anyway, I can hear your asthma acting up."
"N-No, I'd like t-to stay if it's a-all the same. I've g-got my inhaler a-and I have t-to admit that it's k-kind of a thrill t-to break the r-rules occasionally." Fermat admitted before he sat down on a bale of hay while Alan was laying in the loose hay that had accumulated over time. It was against Alan's better judgement, but he finally relaxed where he was and laid down with his arms beneath his head. Fermat laid down on the bale above Alan and stared up at the ceiling. The only company they had besides each other was the barn spider who was weaving a web overhead.
"Hey Fermat? Why are you suddenly breaking rules and doing all the things I know your father would disapprove of? I mean, you're the golden child and I'm the black sheep, so why are you throwing it all away?" Alan inquired as he listened to Fermat's wheezing breaths.
"Because m-maybe I need t-to break out o-of my shell. I g-get so tired of b-being the one w-who never g-gets in trouble. I g-get tired of b-being safe, of b-being careful. I g-guess I just n-need to live a l-little." Fermat replied before he dug his inhaler from his pocket and took a puff.
"Are you okay Fermat?" Alan asked before he sat up to face Fermat when he didn't answer.
"I'll be fine." Fermat replied a few minutes after Alan inquired of him. He had to take two more puffs off his inhaler before he could speak. It was still difficult for him though as just saying those three words made him breathless once more.
Alan sat by a little while before knowing Fermat couldn't stay in the loft any longer no matter what the younger boy said, and he took charge.
"Fermat come on let's go. You're wheezing too much." Alan said before he jumped down out of the loft. A couple of the horses nickered at the noise of Alan's feet meeting the barn floor but they soon quieted. Alan turned to look up at Fermat who stood in the loft still with his hands on his knees, sucking in every breath like it was hurting him. Which Alan's never experienced asthma before but he knew it was an uncomfortable condition for frequent sufferers. "Jump down Fermat, I'll catch you."
Fermat shook his head before whispering that he'd just climb down, but Alan argued and tried to reason with his younger friend.
"Fermat save your breath and just jump down. I'll catch you I promise. I won't let anything happen to you. If you try to climb down, you'll just tire yourself out." Alan said as he gestured to Fermat that he'd only be a few feet below the younger and would be prepared to take on the extra weight.
Fermat tried to straighten but it just made his wheezing worse. Fermat began to stagger before he sat on the edge of the loft and did what Alan told him to do and jumped down only to be caught by Alan as promised. The younger broke away from Alan as soon as his feet were firmly planted on the ground, but he began to stumble with the lack of air coming in.
"Come on." Alan said as he walked in front of Fermat before he crouched down and coaxed Fermat to clamber on his back. Fermat gave up all argument when he realized how much more difficult it was becoming to breath. "Just hang on Fermat, we'll get you back to our dorm where you can breath easier."
When the boys did manage to return to their dorm room, Fermat was to the point where he knew his asthma had become more difficult to manage. Alan didn't know what to do and as a last resort, he called Virgil on the portable phone. He'd brought Fermat into his own room and gotten him sat on his bed and leaned back against the wall with pillows wedged in against him to keep him upright. Virgil answered the phone within moments, and it was fairly obvious on the video screen that he was outside beside the pool.
"Hey, Alan! What's going on? Shouldn't you be in bed?" Virgil asked before he raised his sunglasses to eye Alan through the screen.
"I need your help. Fermat's having an asthma attack and his inhaler isn't helping. What can I do to ease his breathing?" Alan asked as he sat on the edge of his bed and looked at Fermat as the younger boy leaned his head back in order to elongate his neck. When that failed to help, he looked across at his older friend with a look that was begging Alan for help. Virgil seemed to sense how serious Alan was and he looked at Fermat through the screen before transitioning into what Alan and his brothers jokingly called 'doctor mode'.
"If you can, gather Fermat and get him into the bathroom. Close the door and start a hot shower, the room should begin filling with steam and that should buy you two some time. If he doesn't get better with steam, you'll need to go get an adult and get them to call for paramedics. Hold on, I'm going to go get Brains to see if he knows some tricks to ease Fermat's breathing." Virgil said before the screen darkened when Virgil muted the display. Alan could hear Virgil's sandals slapping against the stone as he hurried across their property to Brain's lab.
Meanwhile, Alan panicked when he heard Virgil's suggestion. The dorms didn't have private facilities. All the boys had to use a communal bathroom, that included the showers. To steam up the communal, Alan would have to run every shower for longer than an hour and Alan's didn't know if Fermat would last that long. Alan tried to keep a picture of calm, but he didn't like the sound of Fermat's breathing. He went and sat on his bed by Fermat so that he could keep an eye on his young friend.
Fermat meanwhile was keeping his head back, trying his hardest to breath out. He coughed before he leaned his head to the side to look at Alan. He felt touched that Alan was sticking close to his side, he knew this was probably the last thing Alan wanted to deal with. Suddenly Virgil spoke, having apparently found Brains and unmuted his display.
"Okay! Alan, Brains said that Fermat should have a nebulizer in his bedroom. Can you run in and check his closet? It should have a kit attached that contains his medicated drops for when his asthma gets this bad." Virgil instructed before he looked at Fermat's face to see his pained expression. "Just hang on Fermat!"
Alan left his phone with Fermat while he raced across his room to get to the hallway that joins his and Fermat's room. He didn't bother keeping quiet, he vaguely heard Fermat's door bounce off the wall. Turning on the light, Alan threw Fermat's closet door open and started pulling everything from the top shelf before finding a clear tub. Pulling it down, Alan checked it's contents figuring he'd located Fermat's nebulizer. Turning, Alan raced back to his room where he found Fermat still struggling to breathe. His breathing sounded tighter, and Alan knew that dallying would cost Fermat precious seconds.
Alan's hands shook as he took the nebulizer from its case, he practically cleared his nightstand of everything besides the lamp. He plugged the nebulizer in and grabbed a box of tubes that Alan could only assume contained the medicated drops that Virgil mentioned. Grabbing his phone, Alan showed the machine to Virgil as well as the box of drops. Virgil and Brains both walked Alan through the steps of preparing the drops. Alan plugged the tubing in and physically scooted Fermat over, so he'd be closer to the nebulizer. Turning on the machine, Alan helped Fermat get the mouthpiece past his lips and he stayed right by Fermat's side while he took his treatment.
"How long should it take for his breathing to get easier?" Alan asked, hearing Fermat's breathing was still tight.
"You should know here in a few minutes if his treatment is working." Virgil said. He was trying to keep his little brother calm and he didn't know any other way than to lie. Virgil could hear that Fermat's breathing was not getting any better and he was prepared to call Alan and Fermat's hall director if Fermat's breathing didn't get better soon. If Fermat's breathing remained tight, Virgil would rather Alan stay by his young friend's side rather than to see him run away and leaving Fermat alone.
"Come on Fermat, you can kick this. Just stay with me." Alan said as he sat close. He didn't notice that Fermat had at some point grabbed a piece of his shirt. The younger boy was keeping his eyes closed tight, his breathing staying constricted no matter how much he tried to stay calm and take in as much of his medicine as he could. "Why isn't it helping him?"
"Give it a moment more." Virgil insisted, meanwhile he was placing his video phone on muted display and audio. He was dialing the hall director's number as he listened to Alan trying to keep Fermat with him. Brains was standing by, looking lost as he listened to his son's struggle to breathe. It looked like Brains was gone, lost to his memories. Virgil placed the earpiece to his ear, waiting for the call to connect with the hall director. When the man did answer, he sounded like he just woke up. "I'm sorry to awaken you director, but my name is Virgil Tracy. I'm Alan's brother and he called me because his roommate, Fermat Hackenbacker is having a bad asthma attack and his medicine isn't working."
"Yes, I'll get to their room immediately. Do you have any idea how long his asthma attack has been going on?" The hall director asked as he donned his housecoat. "Ten minutes? Okay, expect a call from the hospital, because I will be calling an ambulance unless I have his father's permission to transport personally."
"I have his father here with me and he gives his permission." Virgil said. "Can you send me a treatment form through the email? I can have his father sign it right now."
"Certainly." The hall director said before Virgil interrupted.
"And you have my father's permission to take Alan in case he insists on going."
"Well, I didn't have any intention of taking your brother, but he will come in handy as I'll need both eyes on the road." The hall director said before picking up his key ring and his wallet. "Farewell for now. I'll be in touch once I've gotten Mr. Hackenbacker medical treatment."
"Thank you." Virgil said before disconnecting the call. He went back over with Alan and took notice that Fermat's breathing while a little less tight, was not at all as easy as Virgil had hoped it'd be after several minutes. "Alan, how's he doing?"
"Not much better, He still can't breathe." Alan said, his voice strained before he looked to his phone. "Did you call for help?"
"Yes, the hall director is on his wa-" Virgil started to say before there was a loud knock at the door. "That should be him. He's going to take Fermat to the hospital, and you do have my permission to go. I told him dad gave his permission, though I may have fudged." Virgil whispered.
"Okay." Alan said before he opened the door to their dorm hall. The hall director bustled in, noticing Fermat sitting on Alan's bed. The mouthpiece of his nebulizer still firmly between his lips. He walked over, closely followed by Alan before he examined the nebulizer, for his medicine level. "He's used it all up several minutes ago, nothing is helping."
The hall director shut off the machine and took the tube from Fermat before gathering the smaller boy in his arms. "Follow me, you're going to sit with Fermat in the backseat and make sure he stays conscious."
Alan ran after the hall director, barely remembering to shut the door to their room. They made it outside, Alan running to the car the hall director indicated before opening the back door and crawling in and accepting Fermat's weight in his arms. The hall director ran around to the driver's side before he clambered in and took off as soon as he started the vehicle. He had put his emergency flashers on and started for a direct course for the hospital. His eyes kept traveling to the back seat where he could hear the whistling of Fermat's tight breathing. He saw Fermat slump to his side, all his weight against Alan's shoulder. Alan did everything he could think of to keep Fermat with him.
It seemed like forever before they pulled into the hospital parking lot. Hurriedly parking the car, the hall director raced around to scoop Fermat up and race inside. He was once again followed closely by Alan and soon they were in a treatment room, Alan was crouched by the bed Fermat was placed on. When they'd attempted to separate both boys, Fermat had grown restless and kept reaching for his friend. It never occurred to anyone that Fermat was several years younger than Alan so it wasn't unusual for the younger boy to want the comfort of a friend if he couldn't have his family.
An emergency room physician came in with a nurse and got Fermat connected to an oxygen mask and upon assessment had determined that Fermat would need IV treatment because his lungs weren't responding to his other treatments. Once the IV was started, the doctor asked to speak with the hall director outside, leaving Alan and Fermat alone together.
Fermat had begun responding to treatment and soon he was trying to whisper to Alan. The older boy had taken a seat on the bed Fermat was using while he received treatment.
"T-Thank you, for s-staying with me." Fermat whispered brokenly. He looked tired to Alan and knew he'd have to learn Fermat's asthma plan after listening to the doctor question the hall director about how Fermat had previously been treating his asthma attack. The hall director hadn't really been able to answer the questions the doctor asked, but Alan had been able to provide the necessary information, but just barely from observing Fermat's frequent use of his rescue inhaler.
"You don't need to thank me. Just take it easy and don't push yourself." Alan said before he changed position, taking to leaning against the footboard to face Fermat. "I should be the one apologizing, if you hadn't come out to the stables the hay wouldn't have aggravated your asthma."
"N-No, I have b-bad asthma a-attacks from t-time to time." Fermat maintained, his voice soft and strained.
"Stop talking, you should save your breath for now." Alan insisted. "You will need to show me what to do in case you have another bad one. This was awful not knowing how to help you."
Fermat opened his mouth to reply but Alan stopped him with a stern look. Instead Fermat just closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of the oxygen flowing into his face.
… … … … … … … … … … …
When the hospital released Fermat a little over an hour later, the hall director had to haul two incredibly tired boys back to the school. He did however write a pass for both boys to be absent from Saturday school the next morning considering Fermat's attending suggested that Fermat keep someone with him until they were sure his asthma wasn't going to rebound. Upon arrival to the school, Alan and Fermat returned to their dorm. Alan was tempted to insist that he sleep on Fermat's floor or Fermat stay in his bed while Alan slept on the floor, but his common sense over road his worry.
"Hey Fermat? Did you want me to keep my door open so you can holler if you need help?" Alan offered while he looked down at the hospital bracelet on Fermat's wrist. That was a scary experience for him as he'd never been up close and personal with a severe asthma attack. With any kind of asthma attack if he were being honest. Before this school year had started, Alan had been determined to stay away from Fermat. Not for any real reason besides just not wanting to befriend the young genius and making it seem like he was being put up to it. If there was to be a friendship, Alan would prefer it to be a naturally developed one. Not one fueled by money, prestige or popularity.
"N-No, I'll b-be fine. U-Usually I h-have one bad a-asthma attack every m-month. I w-was over-due, I haven't h-had a bad attack f-for three m-months." Fermat whispered between deep intakes of air. Alan likened him to a fish gulping air.
"If you were over-due for a bad asthma attack, I worry you'd have another one since the doctor said asthmatics were more likely to experience attacks at night. Why don't you just come stay in my room for the night? You can have my bed; I'll sleep on the floor. But then I can have the peace of mind that you're nearby that way if you begin having trouble I can step in and get help if necessary." Alan explained with his face marred with concern.
Fermat was ready to refuse but upon seeing the genuine worry for his wellbeing in Alan's expression, he gave in with a nod. Alan's features relaxed upon learning that Fermat would stick close until they were sure he was out of danger of another asthma attack.
"Okay, let me go get a shower so I can wash away any hay residue and we can hit the... maybe we'll just go to bed." Alan said before Fermat gave a chuckle.
"O-Okay." Fermat said before he went to his room to change into his pajamas. He did grab a small packet given to him by his family doctor, which had his emergency plan of how to go about helping him to get Fermat's asthma under control in the event of a bad asthma attack.
When Alan returned from his shower, he found Fermat sitting in his room at his computer, looking at the pictures of his family. Alan noticed his young friend's gaze was solely on a picture of Alan's mom. It was a photograph that Alan cherished. There wasn't anything special about the picture, except that it was a candid photograph of his mother before he was born. Alan found himself wishing for the chance to get to know his mother.
"S-Sorry, I let myself in." Fermat said, his voice soft while he stuttered.
"That's okay, I'd have let myself in if I'd been in your shoes." Alan said before he walked over to look at the picture of his mom with a soft smile. "She's pretty isn't she?"
"V-Very pretty." Fermat agreed. He was tempted to ask, but Alan beat him to the punch.
"She died when I was a year and a half old. We were in a car accident and I survived while she didn't." Alan said before he paused. "I'd have given anything for the chance to know her."
"I h-have to agree. M-My mom d-died when I w-was two." Fermat said sad that he'd unintentionally brought up Alan's mom.
"I know it's rude to ask, but do you know what happened?" Alan inquired after he turned his gaze to his young friend. Fermat shook his head with a frown before he started to explain.
"I k-know my mom d-died when I was t-two, I want t-to say I remember h-her and my d-dad telling m-me that I was g-going to be a b-big brother…b-but I can't r-remember very w-well." Fermat said, before giving a shrug.
"Wow, I'm sorry." Alan said, sad for his new friend.
"It's o-okay." Fermat replied before he checked the time. "I'm s-sorry I b-brought up y-your mom."
"It's fine. I mean I miss her, but I know she's always with me." Alan said before he went to the armoir. "Maybe we should get to sleep."
"S-Sounds like a g-good idea." Fermat said before he stood from Alan's computer chair and made his way over to Alan's bed. Alan removed a spare set of pillows and a sleeping bag to sleep in on the floor. The two boys prepared for sleep and with the kind of day they'd had, it was no surprise they'd sleep heavily.
