"A combine harvester?!"
"Totally cool sounding, don't you think? I'm adding it to my list."
Virgil stared at his brother. "You have a list? Of what?"
"Dramatic stuff. Near misses. Things worth bragging about at the bar."
Virgil blinked, fortunately with both eyes this time, since the swelling was starting to go down.
He was sitting up in bed, surrounded by flowers. Grandma had gone all out this time with two boys in the hospital. Fortunately, they wouldn't be in much longer.
Alan had dragged in one of Virgil's sketchbooks and to Virgil's surprise, he had found the energy to draw for a little while, though his head wouldn't take much.
And his head was more than one problem.
He was missing half his hair.
And he looked stupid.
Worse, there was a jagged slice in his scalp where apparently a piece of that combine harvester had made it through his helmet and nearly sliced him in half.
The thought was downright alarming and he shunted it to the back of his mind with not a little terror.
He would examine it later.
Later.
But the problem at the moment, apart from the bandages that conveniently hid the issue temporarily, he only had half a head of hair and it looked stupid.
He had to appreciate that Gordon hadn't laughed. In fact, none of his brothers had laughed at him. He couldn't fault them for that.
Though there was a sparkle in Gordon's eye that foretold at least one comment in the future, even if it was fond and caring.
Besides…
He kept waking up to find Gordon sitting on the end of his bed.
It was done with nonchalance and a smile, but Virgil was beginning to suspect an underlying cause. Not that he couldn't acknowledge that he was happy to see his little brother and sharing a room with him in hospital was actually a boon to the medical process, but honestly, Virgil was beginning to worry.
"Don't you have a list?"
Of course, a fish without a pond tended to be a bored fish.
"No, not really."
"You don't count successful rescues?"
"John and Scott keep records. I don't like to dwell."
His little brother shrugged. "I get that."
There was silence for a while and Virgil let himself settle back into his pillow. Dosing was a rare pleasure.
"So, you don't take advantage of being a hero even a tiny bit?"
Virgil blinked and frowned. "What?"
Gordon rolled over holding his injured arm and settled so he could see Virgil clearly. "You know, leverage a little heroism to start a conversation? Get one up on the stiffs at parties?"
He stared at his brother. "Are you having trouble at Penny's charity functions?"
"Nooo."
Okay, that meant yes. "You should talk to her, Gords." He shrugged. "Need a wingman? I could come with." Though he had to admit, he could see where Gordon was coming from. Some of those attendees were definitely stiffs who had never lifted a finger to help anyone but themselves in their entire lives.
"I can handle it."
Okay, Virgil was definitely filching an invite to the next one. Could even drag in Scott. Big bro would torch the social scene. He wasn't a fan, but he could play...to every other man's detriment.
Or Virgil could ask John. Having a genius brother in orbit who had a daughter who had been told off several times already for influencing the stock market was an advantage.
"Virgil, stop the plotting. It is fine. I've got this. I just flex a little muscle, mention a few scars and spin a few tales. Joe WallStreet, or whatever they call it in London, doesn't stand a chance."
He eyed his brother. The urge to step in was strong.
Gordon smirked. "It is fine. Besides, you won't be going anywhere anytime soon with that hairstyle."
It was an obvious subject change, but it still earned Gordon a blistering glare. "Shut up."
A snort and Gordon capitulated. "Don't worry, bro, it's cool. Shave the other side, get yourself some tatts and no one will ever question you on a rescue ever again." The second snort was almost a giggle.
If only he could reach Gordon, clap him up the head.
There must have been something in his expression because Gordon burst out laughing, rolling on the bed, holding his arm to his side.
"You're an ass."
"And you, my dear artist bro, are entertaining."
"Shove it."
But at least Gordon was smiling.
Virgil would take that any day.
-o-o-o-
Gordon was up and about long before Virgil and took to disappearing from time to time into the depths of the hospital, often with one brother or the other and on several occasions, with Penelope.
Virgil didn't get out much. He still had headaches and occasional dizzy spells, a lead on from a massive concussion and was the reason why they were still in hospital. Virgil had no doubt Gordon could probably have gone home, but was hanging about just because Virgil couldn't.
If it pinned Gordon under medical observation and not in the ocean after such a serious injury, Virgil wasn't going to argue. But it was frustrating that he himself wasn't very mobile and he was sick of staring at the ceiling tiles.
They always bugged him as his artistic brain always constructed designs out of them and they always lacked symmetry.
Grandma, Alan, John, Scott and even Kayo were regular visitors. The Tracy clan had parked themselves in a nearby hotel, no doubt fueling both news agencies and the local economy.
Virgil just wanted to go home.
And Scott was out of sorts.
Scott was always out of sorts when a member of the family was injured, but this was different. And it was bugging Virgil.
Between his own injuries and the inability to pin his brother down due to interruptions and the lack of alone time, whatever it was that was bugging Scott was festering.
Topeka hospital was a familiar place to all of them. It had been their local major hospital for much of their formative years and considering the tornado seasons and IR responses, a regular delivery point for rescuees. There was a rooftop garden that had been sat in on several occasions in the past and it was with some conniving that Virgil spoke to Kayo to arrange for a corner of it to be secured so Virgil could go and sit up there for a bit of fresh air and privacy with his big brother.
He had no doubt that Scott knew he was being railroaded, but the lack of protest just emphasised how troubled his big brother was.
The sounds of the city below were no longer familiar and Virgil found himself longing for the ocean and the quiet of Tracy Island. It was evening, the sun having just set and the sky was a welcome sight after being confined to ceiling tiles for a few days, but the stars were dim, hidden by light pollution and a touch of smog.
It made him even more homesick.
"You okay, Virg?"
Scott had pushed him up here in a hoverchair. Virgil still needed it due to the dizzy spells and it ticked him off to no end. "Just homesick."
Hi brother sighed. "Won't be long. A couple of days and I'll take you down to the beach and you can lay on the sand and stare at the stars to your heart's content."
Virgil shot him a glare. "I'm not John."
"But you miss the stars anyway."
Virgil grumbled. "I'm just used to seeing them." He waved at hand at the sky. "It's not the same."
"Uh huh." Scott was smiling in that condescending big brother knows better way he was so good at.
"Shut up."
Scott didn't stop grinning, he just dragged the 'chair backwards until it nestled beside a park bench and then sat himself down beside Virgil.
They sat in silence for a while and Virgil let the soundscape seep into him. It was quieter up here than inside the hospital. There was a breeze with the scent of farmland under that pervasive smell of the city and cooling concrete. The breeze spoke of a possible storm in the distance. Virgil hoped it wasn't a supercell. He had had enough of tornadoes for some time.
He missed the scent of the sea.
A sigh. He was being pathetic and falling into the doldrums over nothing. He was getting better. He would be home soon.
And screw it, he would plant his butt on a beach and drag Scott with him just to piss him off.
"You okay?"
Huh? Scott was peering at him, that worry ever persistent in the darkness of his eyes.
"It is you who I'm worried about." So, it was defensive, big deal. Needed to start the conversation somehow.
"Me? I'm not the one who took on a combine harvester and nearly lost."
"It wasn't exactly a choice, you know."
"I know." It was quiet and Virgil knew he had hit the nail on the head.
"Talk to me, Scott."
"About what?"
Virgil flat-eyed glared at him. "About whatever has been bugging you the last few days."
"I would have thought that was obvious with two brothers in the hospital." Definitely defensive.
"No. This is more."
"What? There are degrees? I don't need analysis, Virg."
Virgil pressed his lips together. "You're hurting. You're not talking. What other recourse do I have?"
"Do you need one?"
"Of course, I do! You're you! Whatever this is, it's weighing on you and I hate to see you in pain."
"I'm not in pain. It's you who was injured."
"If you're trying to tell me that doesn't affect you, you're either lying through your teeth or I should be even more worried because you've obviously suffered brain damage of some kind and are no longer the Scott Tracy I know. Perhaps I should check you for a holographic disguise."
Scott let out an annoyed scoff and shot to his feet, his actions agitated. "Virg, it's nothing."
"Bullshit."
"Goddamnit, Virgil-"
"Talk to me!" And yelling apparently hurt his head, because it throbbed in protest. He grit his teeth and glared up at his brother. Please, Scott, for both our sakes.
"It was close, okay? Too damned close."
Virgil swallowed. He knew that. "Not the first time."
"So, I should be used to it by now?" Despite the darkness, Scott was lit up with internal fire.
"No."
But he had finally triggered the avalanche and Scott spilled it all over him.
"Do you have any idea how close this was? Millimetres and you wouldn't be here anymore, Virg."
"Again, not the first time."
"But it was so senseless!" Scott's hands shot out palm up, desperate for understanding. "You weren't even in the middle of a rescue. The sky just opened up, stabbed down a twister and threw a chunk of farm machinery at you. It lasted mere seconds and it nearly took both of you. Why? If you had landed a few metres further away, if you had been a few seconds later in arrival, hell, the margin for error was astronomical, yet, it still happened. I nearly lost you and Gordy for no damned reason whatsoever!"
"You need a reason?"
"Goddamned, I do! If I'm going to lose a brother, at least it should be for a reason. A sacrifice made for the good of all."
"You know it doesn't work that way." Virgil's heart was thudding in his chest.
"Well, it should. We do so much, sacrifice so much already, I don't think it is too much to ask. We've already lost..." Scott shoved his face into his hands and parked himself back on the park bench. "Why the hell do you ask me these things?"
Ever so quiet. "Because they need to be asked."
"I hate it."
"I know."
"I nearly lost you for nothing."
"We were there for a reason. We both went in knowing the danger, you know that."
"Doesn't make it hurt any less."
"I'd be worried if it did." Virgil sighed. "We survived, Scott. Thanks to you. You were fast enough."
The grunt and groan that made it out between his brother's fingers was pain itself.
The hoverchair made it awkward, but Virgil reached out and snagged his big brother with an arm and hauled him in the best he could. Scott, of course, protested, but Virgil's arms were not injured and he was always smug that he had at least one thing racked up on the achievement scale that beat his almighty big brother and that was strength.
So, Scott was dragged into a hug whether he wanted it or not.
"Still here."
Scott grumbled something unintelligible.
"Gords is adding it to his story list to tell at Penny's parties."
"He's what?"
Distraction achieved.
"Wanna drop by Penny's next charity dinner and play wingman to Gords? You get to take a few stiffs down a peg or million. Apparently, a few asses need a big brother kicking. We can break out Johnny and Eos for extra fun, if you like."
"Who's been messing with Gordon?" There it was. Exactly the trigger point needed.
"The Joe Wallstreets seem to think they are better than a fish Tracy."
"Really?"
"Uh-huh. Want to help me educate them? Though admittedly Gords was doing quite well on his own, higher education is always a good thing."
Scott was staring at him in the darkness. It was obvious his brother knew exactly what Virgil was doing.
"I'll be there."
"Great. It will be good PR for whatever charity Penny is supporting. With a bit of luck we can play it to her advantage as well."
Scott was still staring at him.
"What?"
Ever so quiet. "What would I do without you?"
Virgil swallowed, desperately ignoring all the implications and the reverse of that question. "Here's hoping we never find out."
Scott sighed and let his head drop onto Virgil's shoulder.
Virgil just tugged him a little tighter and returned to trying to see the stars.
-o-o-o-
FIN.
