Virgil sighed with an eye roll as he sat in the wheelchair he was being made to sit in. He propped his head up with a bored expression as the nurse pushed his wheelchair through the halls towards Virgil's freedom. Nurse Creepy as Virgil had taken to calling her – chattered excitedly about him getting to go home. Well…not home exactly. Nothing could make Virgil go home for anything, not when his baby brother was still in the hospital and probably would be for several more months.
"Look who it is…" Nurse Creepy said in a sing song voice as she pushed Virgil wheelchair through the double doors into the waiting room. Virgil lifted his head up off the fist that was supporting his head to see and smile at his father and brothers who were coming forward to hug him.
"Hey there son." Jeff couldn't wait to see Virgil and he'd hugged his son before the wheelchair stopped moving. Nurse Creepy stood to the side smiling and making small talk with Scott and John while Gordon crouched down beside his father to talk with Virgil.
"Hey bro how're you doing?" Gordon asked with a look of giddiness after not having seen his immediate older brother almost two weeks ago.
"I'm doing better, now that I can break out of here." Virgil said in hushed tones, so nurse Creepy wouldn't overhear. It's not that Virgil thought she was creepy looking – far from it…she was actually a very pretty young woman. But she seemed to take a little too much pleasure out of changing people bandages and cleaning up the messes they make intentionally and unintentionally. Therefore making Virgil secretly dub her Nurse Creepy.
"Have you got all the paperwork filled out?" Nurse Creepy or as her name tag read – Nurse Harper asked Virgil's family as she smiled at the gathered lot.
"Yep, just got it all finished about five minutes ago." Scott said confidently as he stepped up behind the wheelchair to push it past the door.
"Alright." Nurse Harper said as she followed the family out the door before helping Scott and John transfer Virgil from the wheelchair into the car that was parked beneath the overhang. Once Virgil was settled, Nurse Harper took the wheelchair and waved at Virgil and the rest of the family before turning and heading back into the belly of the hospital.
Virgil who sat in the backseat sighed, but rubbed at his stomach as they pulled away from the hospital. It felt so weird to be leaving the hospital. It felt to Virgil like he'd been in the hospital for months, rather than two and a half weeks.
"What's up Virge? You feeling okay?" John asked who was sandwiched between Virgil and Gordon in the backseat.
"Yeah, I'm just hungry. That hospital food doesn't keep anybody full unless you naturally eat like a bird." Virgil said as his stomach let forth a monstrous growl to indicate it's hunger. "Dad can we get some real food? Please?"
Jeff had to work to keep a straight face and not laugh when Virgil whined over the food. He felt that now that they were away from the hospital, they could swing through a fast food joint to get Virgil something to eat. They themselves had already eaten before they got the call that Virgil was being discharged.
"What do you want to eat Virgil?" Jeff asked as he took a left.
"Is there a Jack in The Box close to our hotel? I could really go for a sourdough Jack. That and curly fries." Virgil pouted slightly but his smile quickly fell away as they pulled into a drive through for Jack in The Box. Jeff placed the order, getting Virgil a chocolate milkshake since his son wouldn't ever voice loving chocolate milkshakes but devouring them all the same.
After the food had been given, Jeff handed it over to Scott to hang onto until they made it to the hotel.
"Hey! Those are my fries! Get your own!" Virgil cried indignantly when he saw Scott dig into the bag before eating one of his curly fries.
"No I didn't!" Scott said as he dug another curly fry out of the bottom of the bag to eat it.
"Scott don't be eating your brother's lunch." Jeff said with a chuckle as John reached into the front seat to save the bag of fast food from Scott. When John succeeded in getting the bag from his older brother and had given the bag to his little brother, Virgil had practically cuddled with the bag of food as he held it close. "Virgil please don't eat that in the car."
"Then can we get to the hotel please. I am really wanting to dig in and smelling my lunch is pure torture." Virgil said as he opened said bag to take a long sniff of his lunch. "Oh yummy."
Gordon opened a window and pinched his nose when the scent of Jack in The Box food flooded the interior of the car. The smell was so strong it was making him feel queasy and he wanted to air the car out a little bit. He was relieved when the car pulled into the front of the hotel and into the parking lot. As soon as the car was parked, Gordon had the door open and was filling his lungs with air rather than the potent smell of fast food.
Turning slowly, Gordon watched as Scott steadied a slow moving Virgil while John held Virgil's lunch bag in his hand. Jeff followed closely and taking a deep breath of air, Gordon joined the ranks. He walked along behind his dad and brothers until they'd made it to the boy's room. Once they'd gotten Virgil settled, and their father dismissed the boys all felt it safe to unwind and just be brothers. There wasn't any reason to keep the façade up any longer. They were behind closed doors and could be themselves.
"So Virge, glad to be out of there?" Scott asked tentatively as he watched Virgil take the biggest bite of his burger he'd ever seen. "Please take your time in answering."
Gordon who moved to sit on the window seat, furthest from the smell of the food pulled his knees up to his chest before turning his attention to the busy streets outside. The snow was slowly beginning to melt and while that made Gordon happy, it also saddened him because that meant that Alan hadn't been able to enjoy the snow much at all this season.
"Yeah, of course I do feel bad about leaving Alan in there by himself again." Virgil said once he'd finished chewing the bite he'd taken of his burger. Gordon looked over at his older brother to see he'd practically devoured his burger. All Virgil held was the wrapper and that surprised Gordon. Virgil always prided himself on not inhaling his food, choosing instead to take the time and actually taste what he was eating. "I just can't help but feel like I abandoned him by leaving."
"You didn't though Virge. Alan knew you wouldn't be staying in the hospital forever." Scott reasoned as the three brothers watched Virgil polish off the last of his curly fries. "Did you even taste any of that?"
"You try spending two weeks in the hospital on a special diet and tell me you aren't going to demolish your food the moment you're out of the hospital." Virgil balled up his fast food bag and threw it from where he lay in bed to the trash and pumped his fist when it made it in the trash can. "What I really wanted was one of Onaha's Mediterranean burgers, but you have to take what you can get."
"So, now that it's just us…what was the surgery like?" Scott asked, now wanting to know what he and the rest of his brothers may have to put up with when they donated to Alan.
Virgil shot his brother a confused look, but didn't say or do anything. Cocking his head to the side, Virgil heaved a sigh.
"It hurt…I'm not going to lie. It mainly hurt more after the surgery than during." Virgil said as he took care to not touch his thighs. They were still tender.
"I see." Scott said as he looked at his brother closely. "I don't mean to sound weird by asking but how big are the…the uh…"
"The surgical spots?" Virgil asked as he tried to find a word that Scott may have been looking for.
"Yeah those." Scott agreed.
"It'd be easier to show you. Come help me up please." Virgil held his hand out and John was first there to help him stand. Once the medic was standing he carefully removed his pajama pants, revealing the plaid boxers he wore underneath. Raising the leg of his boxers just slightly Virgil revealed to the gathered brothers that the tops of his thighs had been removed of the top layer of skin, leaving minor bruising and discoloration in its wake.
"How much did it hurt?" Gordon asked as he looked at the surgical site on his brother's leg.
"Well, it certainly wasn't comfortable. I had bandages wrapped tightly around my leg the first couple of days after the surgery." Virgil allowed the leg of his boxers to fall back down over his leg and he pulled his pajama pants back up.
"So why no bandages now?" Scott asked, curious as to why there wasn't a dressing on his little brother's leg now.
"The nurses said it'd help to heal faster if the air could reach it." Virgil replied as he sat back down and burrowed back under the blankets.
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Alan lay in his bed and sighed as tried to find random activities to do that would keep him from losing his sanity while back in isolation. He was thankful for John, he'd paid for an online subscription to multiple magazines for Alan to read just so he could remain…sane. Throwing back his blankets, Alan looked down at his feet. He was able to feel a little bit more each day and he wondered if his feet were actively trying to heal themselves.
Sitting up straighter, Alan pulled his feet up slightly with a bend to his knees despite the pain it caused when it pulled on some of the taut scar tissue. Extending his hand out slightly, Alan grabbed at his toes with a hiss and began squeezing. He could feel that. And boy did it hurt? Like toe curling bad. Heaving out a pained sigh, Alan eased back into his pillows. That had been a bad idea. Straightening his legs just a little bit, Alan tried to relax despite the pain he'd caused to himself.
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Robert gazed around the visitor's chambers with a bored look. He was not seriously expected to stay in this room for the next couple of hours was he? He only lifted his head from the table top when he heard the door open and he dropped his head back down on the table top when he saw it was only his lawyer.
"Hello Robert." Jack O'Toole said as he set his briefcase down on the table top.
"Hi O'Toole." Robert replied with another bored expression. "What are you doing here?"
"I've come to deliver the news that the county has chosen to move you from this facility to a juvenile delinquent facility." O'Toole replied with a grim expression. "You are to move first thing tomorrow morning."
Robert shot up from his seat and stormed around the table, rising up onto his tip toes before getting in his lawyers face. "WHAT?! You're my lawyer! You're supposed to defend me!"
"I'm sorry Robert, while I am your lawyer I am not in charge of the county's decision. You staying here in the county jail is not helping the local taxpayers and the county needs the cell for others that have been arrested." O'Toole said. "I'm sorry but my hands are tied."
"Yeah, because you just don't want to get your hands dirty! You think I'm going to survive lockup in a juvie center?! They'll eat me up alive!" Robert said as he shoved his lawyer back – hard.
"Now don't go acting that way Robert! You and I both know that if you could survive at Wharton's if it's as bad as you say it was then surely juvie would be like a godsend for you!" O'Toole said before he pushed Robert away from him. He didn't like his client getting so far into his personal bubble and would appreciate it if the boy would mind his manners.
"Acting what way?! I am rightfully angry that you failed to protect me!" Robert stamped his foot before following O'Toole around.
"You aren't acting rightfully angry! You are acting like a spoiled brat that doesn't get his way! I am your lawyer and it isn't up to me whether or not you go to a juvenile detention center! If you didn't want to go to juvie, maybe you shouldn't have gone to the extremes when it came to picking on that kid! I mean I know you bullied that poor kid, I've seen the damning footage!" O'Toole spun back to glare at his client. Robert was red in the face and shaking with rage. He let out a growl and advanced on O'Toole like a predator eyeing its prey. But O'Toole saw through what he was doing and called for the guard to catch Robert.
"I hate you! I want another lawyer! You're fired!" Robert screamed when the guard grabbed Robert and slammed the kid into the wall before handcuffing him.
"Maybe you should think through your decisions before you let them spill forth from your mouth." O'Toole left the visitor's room, slamming the door shut, leaving Robert with the guard.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Scott sat up in bed and sighed before pushing up from where he'd been asleep. Looking to his right, he spotted John and Virgil both sound asleep, the only one not in bed was Gordon. Glancing towards the bathroom, Scott could see the bathroom light seeping out from beneath the door. Standing up slowly, Scott went to the bathroom door and knocked tentatively.
"Gords…are you okay?" Scott asked softly. He gave a wince and pushed the bathroom door at the response he'd gotten. He sighed at the sight of Gordon crouching in front of the commode. "Gordy…"
"Go away." Gordon mumbled, before resting his head on his folded arms.
"Not happening little bro." Scott shut and locked the door before grabbing a washcloth from the shelf above the commode and wetting it in the sink. "Think you've got the flu or something?"
"No…" Gordon paused to swallow." Something I ate just didn't agree with me is all."
"Oh I can see that." Scott sat on the edge of the tub beside Gordon before draping the wet washcloth over the back of his neck. "It's okay little brother."
"I know Scott…I've been at this whole…feeling like crap thing all day. Please…" Gordon turned his greenish face to Scott before turning back to hang his head over the commode once more. "…just go back to bed, I'll be fine in a little bit."
"Is this why you were kind of snippy earlier today? You didn't feel good?" Scott asked as he watched Gordon's greenish face fade a little.
"I didn't want to worry any of you. You guys have enough on your plates dealing with the court case and seeing that Allie gets the treatments he needs to get better." Gordon stood from his crouch with a grumble. "I feel okay for now…I think I'm gonna hit the sack."
"Okay. Get some rest." Scott said, before he paused a moment. As an afterthought he said. "Go sleep in my bed, Virge's immunity might still be a little weak and I'd hate for him to get sick if this is contagious."
"Fine." Gordon went to the sink before cupping his hand beneath the stream and sipping from the water in his palm. "Night Scotty, thanks."
"Don't mention it little brother, just get to feeling better." Scott said as he closed the lid on the toilet before following Gordon from the bathroom, back into their bedroom. Gordon followed Scott's suggestion and crawled into Scott's side of the bed he shared with John while Scott took Gordon's vacated space. Both brothers were sound asleep before either of them knew what hit them.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Karen walked into the room, silently. She didn't wish to disturb Alan when he was sound asleep. Glancing at the clock above the door, Karen noted that it was seven in the morning. Alan didn't normally wake up for another two hours, but the doctor asked her to come in when Alan would be least expecting anyone and do a feather touch test.
Quietly opening the drawer that contained some medical supplies, Karen retrieved a Q-tip from her container and moved over to Alan who was cuddling with his pillow. Smiling softly at the endearing image, Karen lifted Alan's blankets and gazed down at the healing feet. They were grey in places, mainly where the burns had damaged muscle deep inside Alan's feet. The reason for some of the surgeries was to help skin to grow back, but it was also to try to stimulate blood flow back into Alan's feet. She hadn't seen them when they were at their worst, but she'd looked over Alan's medical file. He was lucky to still have his feet. Most doctors when they saw burns as bad as Alan's…well they usually amputated the damaged limb and left it at that. But, Dr. Andreessen never ordered for Alan to have his feet amputated and in talking to the doctor himself, she found that he had faith that Alan would one day walk again. And he couldn't do that without feet…the real ones not prosthetics.
Gently rubbing the Q-tip along the bottom of Alan's right foot, Karen smiled proudly when Alan twitched his foot before pulling it away from the Q-tip tickling his foot. She repeated the action with Alan's left foot and got the same response before Alan pried his eyes open to see what was tickling his feet.
"K'ren?" Alan asked tiredly.
"Ssh, go back to sleep honey. I won't pester you anymore." Karen soothed Alan and made sure he had gone to sleep before she left the room once more. Pulling his door shut, Karen turned to head down the hall towards the nurse's station. When she got there, she tossed the used Q-tip into the trash receptacle before grabbing Alan's chart to update his file.
Taking a seat, Karen began to write in Alan's file – noting the time at which she entered his room to conduct the feather touch test and what his results were. Reading over her notes, Karen smiled. It would appear that Alan was indeed regaining the ability to detect sensations in his feet as was hoped. She and the night nurse Candy had both conducted feather touch tests at different times. Candy had done the test when she went in to change Alan's collection bag for his catheter and Karen had done it just a few minutes ago. Then there was the day prior when Karen's replacement had taken over Karen's shift since it'd been her day off. That Nurse - June had done the test when Alan was awake and he'd given her a disapproving glare when she tickled his foot – at least that's what the notes said.
"Hello Karen. So how'd the test go?" Karen looked up to meet the eyes of Dr. Warner and she smiled serenely at the man.
"It was as well as could be expected. A few more tests and I think Alan should be good as new…or the bottoms of his feet will be. Now all that's left are the rest of his burns." Karen said as she handed Dr. Warner Alan's file to look over.
"Hmm, yes. I want Alan to go at the very least two more weeks before another surgery, just to be sure no other infections crop up. I'd hate for Alan to be hit with yet another infection and this one get worse because of Alan's lowered immunity." Dr. Warner said as he donned his glasses to read Alan's medical file. "He does seem to be doing better, if a little depressed according to his notes though, but that could be remedied maybe with a therapy animal…don't you think?"
"Are you sure his being immunocompromised won't be affected with a therapy animal?" Karen said as she looked up at the doctor. "Animals have the potential to carry a whole host of diseases that could be passed on to the immunocompromised."
"I think I know just the creature. I can go up to the Oncology ward and see if they'd be willing to part with Sadie for a couple of hours so that Alan can have someone to talk to, even if they are of a different species." Dr. Warner said with a grin. "Sadie is as harmless as they come and she's been updated on all her shots. Practically everyone in the Oncology ward is immunocompromised and Sadie hangs out with them all the time. What's one immunocompromised person to another?"
"Okay, if you're sure." Karen said before she lifted the phone from its cradle before passing it over to Dr. Warner. "Feel free to call and I can run up to get Sadie if they agree to part with her for a few hours."
"Okay." Dr. Warner said as he accepted the phone and dialing the extension for the Oncology Ward.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
John was awoken by the bed shifting abruptly and he sat up to see Gordon flee into the dark bathroom before shutting the door swiftly but silently. He crinkled an eyebrow but looked to his right when he heard groaning. Scott sat up right about that time and scratched at his scalp with a large yawn.
"What're you doing over there Scott?" John asked as he glanced towards the bathroom, barely able to make out the sounds of Gordon moaning.
"Gordo was sick last night, made him switch beds so Virgil wouldn't catch it if it's contagious." Scott said before standing up and going to the bathroom door, knocking softly. "Gords, you okay?"
A moan answered Scott and he heaved a sigh.
"I'll call room service to see about getting you some crackers okay?" Scott said, listening as Gordon moaned low again as if in agreement. Scott turned away from the door, and went to the room's phone before dialing down to room service. After placing an order for saltine crackers and ginger ale, Scott went back over to the bathroom door and knocking softly again. "I ordered you some ginger ale and crackers Gordo, they should be along in a little bit."
"Thanks Scott." Gordon replied softly, before the toilet flushed. Scott returned to Virgil and Gordon's bed, choosing instead to sit against the headboard with his cell phone. Gordon came from the bathroom, pale faced and shaky. Sinking down in Scott's side of the bed he normally shared with John, Gordon tried to ignore the churning in his stomach.
John sat in his place before making a swift decision and stepping into his slippers. Grabbing his room key, John swiped some change from the top of the entertainment center and he left the hotel room. Ambling out into the hall, John made his way to the vending machine at the end of the hall intent on getting something that could help Gordon's stomach settle while they waited on the ginger ale and crackers from room service.
John inserted some change into the machine and selected a Seven-Up. He remembered his mom giving him and his brothers Seven-Up when they were kids and had an upset stomach. Picking up the soda, John returned to the room he shared with his brothers. Upon entry, John noticed Gordon was gone again, the door was shut and Scott was leaning against the wall by the bathroom, a hard look on his face.
"He sick again?" John asked as he went up to the door.
"Yeah, not long after you left he raced to the bathroom again." Scott said before he winced at the sound of Gordon gagging.
"You think he's got the flu or something?" John asked, curious over whether or not his little brother might be contagious.
"I don't think so. He's not running a fever and he said he only began feeling bad after we ate dinner the other night. I'm thinking it might be food poisoning." Scott said before he turned towards the bathroom door when it opened. Gordon stood in the doorway, arm wrapped over his middle and a mild green coloring on his face. "Hey, feeling better?"
Gordon's response was a non-family friendly hand gesture and a groan before he moved over to the side of the bed he'd claimed at Scott's orders.
"I got you a Seven-Up Gordo." John said as he popped the tab and handed the fizzing drink to his little brother.
"Thanks." Gordon said before taking a small sip, testing his stomach – whether or not his stomach would reject it or not. "I'll be happy when we're back on the island, Onaha's food has less chance of poisoning us."
"You're pretty sure it's food poisoning then?" Scott asked as he pulled the blankets up over Gordon, urging him to try and sleep.
"Yeah, I should have listened to you when you said I'd better not eat that Stew on a Shingle. I think that's what made me sick. You and John ate burgers and neither of you are sick." Gordon swallowed before rubbing his stomach. "I began feeling sick about an hour after I ate it but I managed to keep it down until last night."
"Well, I think you've gotten it out of your system, a little Seven-Up, Ginger-Ale and crackers and you'll be good as new." Scott said as he ran his finger through Gordon's hair. "Go back to sleep."
"Gladly." Gordon said before closing his eyes with a sigh.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Karen walked up to the door to Alan's room, cradling Alan's temporary friend that the Oncology department had no problem sharing with the isolation ward. They'd agreed that Alan could have days if the oncology department could have nights with Sadie and Karen hoped this would work to lift Alan out of his funk.
Swiftly knocking on the door, Karen entered when she heard Alan answer with a come in.
"Hi Alan, I have someone that wants to meet you." Karen walked in before turning to see that Alan's curtain had been pulled for privacy. Maneuvering around the closed curtain, Karen smiled but kept her gaze away from Alan who wasn't wearing his hospital gown; thus the reason for the closed curtain. There were times that Alan asked to not wear his gown because it felt to constricting on his burns. Then all Alan usually all Alan had for modesty was a light blanket draped over his lap.
Alan looked up and almost immediately Alan's eyes widened and his facial features melted at the sight of Sadie.
"Aw! Who is this?!" Alan asked in awe at his little friend that was brought in to visit. He made grabby hands as Karen brought the little darling closer, before she placed her in Alan's lap.
"This is Sadie." Karen said as she settled on the edge of Alan's bed, smiling as Sadie nuzzled Alan's belly before Alan scooped her up and cradled her in his arms as best he could. "She is one of the hospital's employed companion animals."
"She is so cute!" Alan gushed as he nuzzled Sadie's fuzzy brow, chuckling when Sadie licked his nose. "Why is she here?"
"Dr. Warner felt that to try to move your treatment along, we bring in a companion animal to keep you company during your recovery. Her handler while come in to the ward periodically to take her outside and either I or one of your other nurses will retrieve Sadie so she can have bathroom breaks." Karen said as her smile became a warm grin. "Do you like your little friend?"
"Like her? I love her! Thanks so much Karen!" Alan said as he continued loving on Sadie. But Sadie was giving as good as she got and that just made Alan's smile increase all the more – thereby lifting Karen's spirits that Dr. Warner had made the right call. Perhaps Alan would begin recovering faster with the help of a companion animal keeping him company for the duration of his hospital stay.
Smiling to herself, Karen stood up before ruffling Alan's hair fondly. Alan said he didn't mind having his hair ruffled and sometimes he welcomed it.
"Have fun you two." Karen said before she walked out of the room, leaving Alan and Sadie to get acquainted with each other.
TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB
Alan lay in his bed, stroking Sadie's silky soft fur. She leaned into Alan's hold, a look in her eyes that said 'I understand.' Alan looked at her with eyes full of love and longing for a pet.
"Who's a cute bunny? You are! Sadie's a cute bunny!" Alan just loved on the lop eared rabbit and his smile never wavered as he showered all his affection on the bunny in his arms. "You are just the cutest thing Sadie!"
Sadie didn't say or do anything. All she did was cuddle up into Alan's arms more and settle for having her ears played with. She closed her eyes and just relaxed in Alan's arms, spreading across his lap.
"You know, I wish I could take you home with me. You are just too cute and I think everyone would love you." Alan mumbled as he continued playing with Sadie's ears. "Do you mind if I call my brothers and introduce you all?"
Sadie's responses were just a sniff and nuzzle into Alan's chest. Grinning at the affectionate bunny, Alan pulled his over bed table above his lap, being careful to not hit Sadie with the table. Logging into his laptop, Alan waited for the connection to be made to Scott's laptop.