Scott shook hands with Dr. Mason as he and Gordon entered the man's office. Gordon took off his gloves and shook the doctor's hand also and with gratefulness that showed plainly, the brothers took a seat before the doctor's desk.

"So, what'd you want to talk to us about doctor?" Scott asked, starting off the questions right away. He wanted to know exactly why the doctor called and he wanted to get as much information as was possible.

Dr. Warner sat down also, after turning up the dial on the thermostat. Especially after seeing the pink nose tips and rosy cheeks on Scott and Gordon's faces. He straightened his jacket and smoothed his tie before he began to speak.

"I was looking through the paperwork in your brother's medical file and I did see the blood results on you and your brothers in there as potential donors to your brother. I wanted to find out exactly why you boys have those anti-HLA antibodies." Dr. Warner said as he glanced at the papers in Alan's folder.

Scott and Gordon shared a look before Scott spoke up.

"Well, both Gordon and I were in the armed forces. I was in the air force while Gordon was in W.A.S.P. I got hurt over in Bahrain and needed a blood transfusion and the same goes for Gordon. He was hurt in a hydrofoil accident and needed several surgeries and blood transfusions." Scott explained. "Neither of us were in a life or death situation, we were both given blood as a precaution."

Dr. Warner nodded silently. He leafed through the paperwork again before he looked at the Tracy brothers once more.

"In looking over yours and your brother's compatibility results, I've found that while you two have these anti-HLA antibodies, they don't look like they'll negatively affect your brother if we transplant them for Alan's use. I'd like to set up a consultation to go over some additional bloodwork tests we'd like to run." Dr. Warner said as he looked at the oldest and second youngest brothers. Both Scott and Gordon looked at each other again before they nodded.

"When would you like to set up the consultation?" Gordon asked.

"Whenever convenient for you." Dr. Warner said.

"Do you have time now for that consultation?" Gordon asked. "Because with Alan in the hospital we have all the time in the world."

"Sure, I'm between patients and wouldn't mind doing this for you two." Dr. Warner said as he stood to close the door to his office. "So let's talk."

As he settled back into his chair, Dr. Warner looked to the brothers. Scott looked contemplative before he began to speak.

"So what do you want to talk about exactly?" Scott asked, rubbing his arm as he recalled the memory of having his blood drawn to test compatibility for Alan. He liked needles just as much as the next person, which honestly wasn't a lot.

"I'd like to talk about how we'd do the surgery for your brother. The goal is to get your brother healed and out of isolation by the middle of next month. I'd like to get Alan back in the burn ward where he can be back in Dr. Andreessen's care. We can only move forward that way if we get Alan back on track for his surgeries." Dr. Warner explained.

"So will you have to do like what you did with John and Virgil with removing skin from our thighs?" Gordon asked as he recalled the pain of all his own surgeries he had to undergo just to be able to walk again. He could sympathize with Alan to some extent.

"Well, yes and no. In Alan's case with it being one of his last surgeries, I'd like to take from you Gordon, some skin from your thigh to go directly onto this burn here on Alan's right leg. It's a minimal amount that I'd have to take from you while for you Scott, considering this burn on Alan's left leg is larger; I'd like to actually take from part of your hip and right buttock." Dr. Warner explained even as Scott blanched. This surgery was going to be a literal pain in Scott's ass.

Dr. Warner showed Scott and Gordon some pictures of Alan's leg and how poorly they'd healed in the amount of time since the fire and Alan had been brought in. Scott winced visibly at the sight of the raw skin and charred flesh marring his baby brother's legs while Gordon simply looked at the pictures but didn't flinch. When he'd been in W.A.S.P, he'd been unfortunate enough to be placed on a forensic team at the time and he'd had to recover bodies after an explosion at a grain mill. He'd seen worse burns than Alan had.

"So when will Alan get to get his meds set up again? I know he'd like to see Fermat again." Scott asked as he crossed one ankle over his knee.

"Considering the judge didn't want Alan to give a testimony from the safety of his hospital bed…" Dr. Warner replied with distention. "I'd like to keep Alan in a reverse isolation room under quarantine for a few days starting tomorrow. I'd rather not put Alan back on his immunosuppressant medications until I'm sure that Alan hasn't picked up a foreign virus or bug that could kill him if his immune system is non-existent."

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Fermat sighed as he laid in his bed, flipping despondently through a magazine that he's read through about a dozen times already. He missed Alan and his father had just left after telling Fermat that he was next in going to have his day in court. That thought terrified Fermat more than anyone would know. He'd heard from Alan how bad it'd been for him when he'd been giving his testimony and Fermat didn't want to set foot in the courtroom. He didn't want to see Robert either, not after all he'd said and done to not only his best friend/brother but to him and his other friends.

Unlike Alan, who didn't have an idea why Robert carried such a grudge against their small group of friends – Fermat had figured it out and he'd overheard Robert when he'd been in the boy's bathroom at school. He knew his own logic was the truth, but he couldn't believe his ears when he heard Robert confirm to another guy why he disliked Alan, Fermat and their friends. It made Fermat glad he'd been in a stall at the time, so Robert wouldn't have known Fermat was eavesdropping.

Looking over at his laptop, Fermat contemplated calling Tin-Tin or Alan. He knew he should probably call Alan, seeing as they were both in this together – but he really wanted to talk to two of his very best friends. And that was Tin-Tin and Alan.

Sighing, Fermat gave up the ghost and pulled his over bed table to him and he loaded up his laptop. He smiled at the backdrop on his laptop screen. He'd recently changed it and it was a picture of Alan, Tin-Tin and Fermat. Times were easier in the picture. Fermat was maybe nine or ten and Alan and Tin-Tin were eleven going on twelve. Alan was shorter than Tin-Tin at the time, embarrassingly so and he'd conned Tin-Tin into giving him a piggyback ride since she was taller than Alan at the time. Alan's dad had gotten the picture of them when he'd walked out to enjoy the warm sun.

Alan was in a piggyback carry on Tin-Tin's back in the picture while Fermat was standing on the garden's retaining wall so he'd be taller than Alan and Tin-Tin combined. Alan and Fermat both were flexing their muscles trying to show off their non-existent guns, while Tin-Tin stuck her tongue out in the picture. The three of them were just goofing off and that amused the three of them greatly. Things were so much easier during those times, just before Alan and Fermat both were sent off to a new school and away from the home they'd known for a majority of their lives.

Dialing his friends, Fermat hoped that Alan was in a decent mood while he hoped that Tin-Tin forgave him and Alan for not calling to chat more often. They sort of had other things to worry about and telling Tin-Tin about what sort of medicines they were on didn't seem as interesting as one might think.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ferm, what's up?"

Fermat sighed as he heard the soft answer of Tin-Tin followed by the somewhat moody voice of Alan? Looking up at his friend's faces on his laptop screen, Fermat couldn't help but to smile. It didn't matter that Alan didn't seem to be in the mood for talking, Fermat was just happy to see a familiar face again.

"H-Hey guys." Fermat replied as he settled back into his pillows.

"What's up Fermat?" Alan asked as he yawned. Fermat's web call obviously woke Alan up so that was the reason behind his less than amused reaction to Fermat's call.

"Just w-wanted to talk to you t-two." Fermat said as he took a deep breath.

"Something on your mind Fermat?" Tin-Tin asked, knowing that with Fermat trying to avoid the questioning looks of hers and Alan's eyes that Fermat was either puzzled or ashamed by his problem.

"K-Kind of…" Fermat replied. "M-My dad just told me I n-need to go give my t-testimony."

At that, Fermat finally had Alan's full attention and his best friend didn't look happy by any means necessary. In fact, Alan looked like he could turn anyone who made eye contact with him into stone. Fermat and Tin-Tin both had never been on the receiving end of such looks from Alan before, but they knew it was possibly the nastiest look Alan could give to anyone.

"What did you just say?" Alan asked, not believing his ears.

"I s-said my dad t-told me I needed to go g-give my t-testimony shortly." Fermat said, trying to really control his stutter he had.

"When?" Alan asked, he wanted to know. He needed to know.

"I don't k-know the exact d-date." Fermat replied softly. He did know, he just didn't want Alan stressing himself out about when it was happening. Fermat knew his best friend like the back of his own hand and he knew that if Alan was aware of the date, Alan would do anything he could to be there to support Fermat during his day in court…even if it meant sneaking out of the hospital. Though Fermat knew that with the injuries, Alan wouldn't get very far. "M-My dad just s-said he'd let me know w-when."

Alan sighed at that. He wasn't happy about it and he felt like Fermat did know, just not giving the details to save Alan's sanity. How he wished his best friend wouldn't do that to him, but he'd let it slide for now. There wasn't any point in making things difficult between them. It wasn't the first time Alan and Fermat had kept secrets from each other. Alan knew for a fact that Fermat was still unaware of the boiler incident between him and Robert – and Alan wanted to keep it that way.

"So what'd you want to talk about?" Alan asked.

"I j-just wanted to talk t-to you two, I feel l-like we haven't h-had a proper conversation b-between just us in what f-feels like f-forever." Fermat said. "I d-don't really w-want to talk about a-anything in particular."

The air between Alan, Fermat and Tin-Tin became very silent before Alan cleared his throat.

"So Tin-Tin, Fermat – I know Fermat's aware but you haven't been brought up to speed about some good news for us on the island." Alan said. He'd completely forgotten to tell Tin-Tin his dad's decision. "My doctor prescribed me a companion animal to aid with my healing and my dad said I could too. So I've been given choice of the pick of the litter."

"What sort of companion animal have you had Alan?" Tin-Tin asked.

"Bunny. My dad agreed with my doctor that having a companion animal would aid in my recovery…since…they all seem to think I have something called PTSD. I don't even know what PTSD stands for." Alan snorted. He couldn't grasp why his whole family, doctors and nurses would think he had some sort of illness when he felt perfectly fine, aside from the pain and itchiness of the burns and surgical scars.

"P-PTSD means post t-traumatic stress syndrome Alan…my d-dad thinks I have it t-too." Fermat replied, his own face confused. Just from the look of confusion on their faces, Tin-Tin shrunk her screen and pulled up Webster-dictionary on line and typed in the name of the illness Alan and Fermat were thought to have.

"PTSD as classified by Webster's dictionary is a mental disorder that can affect someone who's had a shocking or traumatic experience that is usually characterized by depression, anxiety, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares and avoids reminders of the event." Tin-Tin read as she skimmed through the web periodicals. Alan and Fermat's gazes met briefly before they both looked away from the other and looked off into another part of their rooms. "So you two boys are apparently displaying these symptoms then?"

"Not exactly…all the time." Alan said even as he held up his hand and made the looking of pinching his thumb and forefinger together. "Maybe just a little teensy bit for me."

"Alan." Tin-Tin drawled when it became clear to her that Alan was fibbing. He never could lie easily to her, always looking away and averting his eyes to avoid the eye contact. How he managed to fib to his dad and brothers with a straight face was beyond Tin-Tin.

"Okay, so I may have caused myself injury a few times because of the apparent delusions I have." Alan replied, spilling the whole truth to Tin-Tin, who clicked her tongue with a soft 'uh-huh' noise. "I swear it wasn't intentional."

"I know you Alan and I know it wasn't intentional…but it's still a matter of you causing yourself harm. I'm happy your dad is accepting of the idea of a bunny to keep you calm, but why are you telling me?" Tin-Tin asked as she tilted her head in question.

"Well, I'll let you pet the bunny and hold her." Alan hoped a little bribery would make Tin-Tin agree to help him in caring for the bunny he intended to pick from the litter. He's always had a soft spot for the female variety and he hoped he connected with a cute girl bunny. He liked Sadie enough and he thought the island carried enough testosterone. They needed a few more females on the island.

"Her?" Tin-Tin asked whilst raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"Well, I'd kind of like to have a girl bunny…I got along great with Sadie and I think we have enough boys on the island." Alan replied causing Tin-Tin to snort. "What?"

"Nothing Alan…just wondering when you had a change of heart." Tin-Tin said while smiling at Alan and Fermat. "Of course I'd like to help you care for your bunny! You know I love animals."

"Thanks Tin." Alan said genuinely.

"No problem Al." Tin-Tin said with a wave of her hand. "So, still no word yet on when my two favorite boys will be home?"

"A-Afraid not Tin-Tin. A-Alan and I s-still have surgeries w-we need to u-undergo." Fermat said as he pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

Tin-Tin's brow wrinkled at the mentions of more surgeries. With a tilt of her head she gazed at both boys, making the both of them look away with mild shame. Tin-Tin hadn't been told they'd need multiple surgeries, just that they'd need surgery as in one big operation. So far the grand total between both boys was Fermat being two and Alan soon to be four.

"How many surgeries are we talking fellas?" Tin-Tin asked as she bit her lip anxiously. Alan felt more shame at the worry he and Fermat were putting Tin-Tin through.

Fermat held up two fingers while Alan held up four. Tin-Tin gasped and when both boys looked at their lady friend they could see her eyes swimming in tears. Alan however knew that Tin-Tin wasn't sad, he could see it in her chocolate brown orbs that she was beyond pissed that Alan and Fermat had kept this information from her.

"And just when were either of you going to tell me? Before or after something bad happened on the operating table and scared several years off my life?" Tin-Tin inquired while her nostrils flared angrily.

"We would have told you soon…we've just been – distracted." Alan replied in an effort to soothe Tin-Tin's proverbial hackles. Tin-Tin looked at her friends with a pout before she responded with a disgruntled noise.

"Promise me you won't keep secrets from me. I love you both and it'd kill me to find out after the fact that something bad happened to either of you boys." Tin-in said softly.

Both Fermat and Alan, now effectively chastised nodded their silent agreement to tell Tin-Tin more about their surgeries and recovery.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Scott and Gordon exited Dr. Warner's office a little over an hour later both armed with the statistics of recovery of patients that receive donations from donors that carried Anti-HLA antibodies. Both oldest and second youngest felt more knowledgeable and prepared to continue helping Alan with his recovery.

"So the doc wants to wait another week before he gets Al hooked up to his immunosuppressant meds. How're you feeling about the both of us being detained for the foreseeable future?" Gordon inquired as he pushed the door to the men's room open.

"Well, can't say that I like the idea of a needle being stuck in my arm…but." Scott paused when one of the automatic toilets in the room randomly flushed loud enough to drown out his voice. Gordon and Scott separated to go stand at the bank of urinals. "If it helps Alan, then I'm all for it."

Gordon nodded but focused elsewhere in the room as he relieved himself.

"Are you nervous?"

Gordon turned startled eyes over to his brother who stood a few stalls down at another urinal. "Nervous about what?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know." Scott said as he straightened his clothes and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. "I can almost see the tension in your shoulders at the idea of going under the knife, this time being voluntary."

Gordon stepped away from the urinal, remaining silent as the toilet flushed loudly. He stood in front of the mirror as he washed his hands, focusing on the actions of lathering his hands instead of talking to his brother.

"You don't have to do this if it makes you uncomfortable Gords." Scott said as he dried his hands with a paper towel. He observed his little brother's pinched facial features and went to lean against the wall when Gordon bowed his head with a ragged sigh. "I don't think Alan will crucify you for not pursuing the surgery. He'll want what makes you happy and comfortable."

"I know that, but…you didn't see Alan's lower legs." Gordon said as he recalled the first time he'd been allowed in the room before Alan had been well enough to have surgery. All he could remember was seeing the exposed muscle in his brother's legs and the improper coloration of his brother's flesh.

"He's already had surgery on his lower legs though." Scott reminded.

"I know that, but I saw his legs before he had that surgery and…I recall seeing how destroyed Alan was. He didn't want anyone to see him, thought he was ugly because of the injuries inflicted. I have to do this surgery, no matter the cost, no matter how much going under the knife reminds me of my own surgeries." Gordon said as he bowed his head, supporting his upper body on the sink. "I have to do this for him…I mean, he's my only little brother and I feel like I owe this to him after all he'd done for me when I was recovering myself."

"There are other ways of helping him Gords. If it is too painful and scary for you to commit to having surgery, then maybe try to be there one hundred percent during Alan's recovery. Try to be there to help him when he tries to walk again, help him to take those first steps. If he gets a muscle cramp like Dr. Warner said he's been having, then be there to provide a good massage or try to give him some form of relief. Just because you can't stand the idea of committing to going under the knife because of past experience doesn't mean you're helping Alan any less." Scott pointed out. He knew Gordon who never had problems with making commitments in the past had trouble committing himself to going under the knife. He'd been cut on a number of times after the Hydrofoil accident and for the longest time, Gordon couldn't even stand the words surgery, hospital or recovery being said in his presence. Scott recalled how often Gordon would flip out if he heard those words at any time after the accident.

"I know that Scott, but I promised Alan I'd help him and I feel like I owe it to him and all of you to go get a bit of skin taken off my body to help Alan. It's not like having the surgery is going to kill me, it's just the thought of being unconscious that scares the living daylights out of me." Gordon replied before sucking in a deep breath and turning on the cold tap to splash cold water over his face.

"I'm sure if you talk to dad, he'll tell you the same thing I'm telling you. You don't need to cause an anxiety attack to prove how much you care for Alan." Scott said before pushing away from the wall. Stepping into Gordon's personal bubble, Scott gently took hold of Gordon's face. "Jesus, you're shaking."

"I'm fine." Gordon said before pulling away from Scott. He hated how the idea of having to undergo surgery made him a nervous wreck.

"You're not fine Gordon…you're petrified of having surgery again." Scott said, hitting the nail on the head regarding Gordon's reaction. "I don't think you should do this."

"Scott, just stop. I'm going to do the surgery…I have to." Gordon argued. He didn't like being told what he could or couldn't do and having his brother tell him he should or shouldn't have the surgery was the equivalency of making Gordon feel like a child.

"You don't have to do anything." Scott said, following Gordon from the bathroom when the redhead exited the room. "Talk to Alan…I know he'll say the same thing too. He'll keep you in mind and he'll know how uncomfortable you are. You two are practically the other's mind reader…he'll want what's best for you."

"Yeah and what's best for me is not best for him." Gordon replied before he walked down the hall. "Come on, let's go see if we can talk to Al. He's still got the intercom."

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Alan sunk down in his bed and fought the urge to sleep. He'd just gotten off the chat with Fermat and Tin-Tin and all he wanted more than anything was a belly full of warm food and to sleep for about a week. Imagine his surprise when a knock on his door yielded Karen who was coming in to make sure he was decent before she opened the blinds to let Alan and whoever was in the hall to talk.

Alan readjusted his sheets to lay over his lower half. He'd decided he didn't feel like wearing one of the hospital issued gowns and was just lying in bed naked. It's not a habit he wanted to get into, but he felt hot and itchy so he didn't want to wear a gown and make the rest of his day unbearable. He'd worn it when he'd been talking to Fermat and Tin-Tin, but he had to take it off during their chat. He'd turned his laptop away so he could undress before he recovered himself with his blankets. The gown was crumpled up behind his head to act as an additional pillow.

Imagine Alan's surprise to see Gordon and Scott on the other side of the glass. He smiled brightly at them and waved at the two men. Gordon and Scott waved back at him with smiles of their own.

"Hey Sprout how're you doing?" Scott asked as soon as he'd pressed the intercom button.

Alan replied in kind once he'd pressed the bottom on the controller that controlled the movements of his bed and TV volume. "I'm alright…would love a pizza right now, that's for certain."

"Must you always think with your stomach?" Scott asked with amusement. He couldn't slight his baby brother for always being hungry though. Since he'd been taken off of the medications, in order to come to their home away from home at the hotel – his appetite picked up again and he actually ate more than his brothers could ever remember Alan eating.

"Yes, when you're a growing boy like I am you tend to be hungry often." Alan said as he recalled a time where he came home to his grandma's shortly before moving to live with his father and brothers on the island again – he'd been famished and took to keeping an assortment of fruits and veggies in his backpack to satiate his constant hunger. "So why are you guys here? Couldn't get enough of me earlier?"

"Not exactly." Scott said with a look directed at Gordon. The red head glared back at Scott that Alan understood. Scott had something to say concerning Gordon and the redhead didn't want Scott to say it.

"What's going on?" Alan asked. It was rare that the prankster and ex pilot were at odds so it was even rarer for Alan to need to mediate for his brothers.

"Gordon here was shaking in his boots at the idea of having surgery, I don't think he should do it but he's adamant to go through with it." Scott said. He wouldn't normally take this to his youngest brother, but since it was directly concerning Alan – Scott figured he should be the one to make the decision.

"You know you don't have to do it if you don't want to Gordo." Alan replied softly. "I won't get mad if you can't."

"Why is everyone trying to talk me out of this?" Gordon asked as he crossed his arms tightly across his chest.

"I'm not Gordo, it's just I don't want you to feel like you have to do this for me." Alan said looking at his brothers with droopy eyes.

"I want to do this Alan…Scott." Gordon stated emphatically. "I have to do this."

"I don't want you to feel like you need to prove anything to anybody. I know how much you care about me and I know how strong you are." Alan said as he sagged into his pillows.

"I want to do this for you Alan. You did so much for me when I got hurt and I feel like there isn't any other way for me to pay you back." Gordon said.

"I did all those things because I love you…you're my brother. Why would I not help you?" Alan stated.

"That's exactly the reason I need to help you. I know I don't say it often enough, but I love you…you're my only little brother. I want to help you simply for that reason, there isn't any other motive behind it." Gordon replied. "Please."

Alan could feel himself beginning to fall asleep despite his best efforts. With effort Alan dragged his eyelids open and spoke just before falling asleep. "Only help me if you want to, not because of duty or obligation as my brother."

Scott and Gordon looked on as Alan fell asleep and within moments Gordon looked at Scott with a raised eyebrow.

"Only do as Alan says. Don't be doing this because you feel like you have to." Scott said as he returned his gaze to watch Alan sleep.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Virgil and John both sighed seemingly in unison. They'd been listening to Scott and Gordon banter back and forth for the last hour and a half and quite frankly they were done with it. Gordon was maintaining that he wanted to help Alan by donating for the necessary surgery while Scott was trying to convince him that he didn't need to do it if he felt uncomfortable. It was the same story over and over.

"Would you two please knock it off?" Virgil snapped. He had been trying to draw and his concentration kept getting broken with Gordon and Scott volleying reasons that Gordon should or should not do the surgery like he wanted to do.

"Yes, please. You two are grown adults…please act like it." John replied with an eye roll. He himself had been trying to write a chapter for the book he'd begun writing especially for Alan and he himself couldn't whip anything out on paper with the argument continuing at length. Really? How was he supposed to appease his baby brother's need for adventure from the confines of his hospital bed when he couldn't focus?

"But…" Scott started only to be silenced with a stern glare from John.

"No Scott. Gordon could think of a thousand reasons until he's blue in the face as to why he wants to and should continue on with the surgery. He's an adult who is over 18. He can make his own decisions." John said as he put the journal aside to look at his brother. "Just stop it. If he says he wants to do it, then he has the final say."

"Virge? What do you think?" Scott asked as the medic rolled his eyes, placing his sketchpad off to the side.

"Honestly Scott? I think Gordon should do it. It's his say in the final decision. If he wants to do it, then let him." Virgil said, backing up Gordon's want and desire to assist Alan any way he could.