"Hey Virge?" Gordon poked his head into the kitchen and looked timidly at his immediate older brother.
Virgil was sat at the table, nursing a cup of coffee and looking like he just woke up, which he probably did. The medic looked up when his name was called and motioned his brother to come closer. He wouldn't bite…much.
"What's up fish?" Virgil asked when his younger red headed brother came closer.
"Do you mind coming up to check on Alan? I went to wake him for breakfast, but he looks pretty sick." Gordon said as he thrust his thumb back behind him – gesturing that he'd just come from Alan's bedroom upstairs.
"Sick how?" Virgil asked as he straightened. It wasn't lost on him that Scott and John also straightened.
"Like he's running a pretty phenomenal fever. He looks like he just went swimming, but when I touched his shoulder I thought he was going to spontaneously combust and he's weak like a newborn fawn." Gordon said, before turning to go back upstairs. "I'm going to go sit with him, make sure he doesn't get any warmer."
"I'll be right up Gordo, just need to go get my med kit from my lab." Virgil said before he drained his coffee mug and stood up. "Right so sick little brother rescue."
"Is there anything we can do to help Virge?" Scott asked as he stood to refill his own coffee mug.
"I don't think so. You're more than welcome to go keep Gordo company, I doubt Alan's very scintillating company right now. You know how he can be when he's sick." Virgil said as he placed his used coffee mug in the kitchen sink. "I'll be right up."
"Okay." Scott said before he turned from the percolator to head upstairs with John hot on his heels. When Virgil was left alone he 'hmmphed' and headed down the stairs to retrieve his med kit. On his way back up Onaha stopped him with a light touch and made the medic turn toward her.
"Virgil, can you do me a favor and come check on my daughter?" Onaha asked worriedly, making Virgil freeze. "She's running a high fever and is as weak as a kitten, can you come check on her?"
"Sure thing Onaha. But first, I need to go check on Alan." Virgil said as he gestured to Alan's bedroom down the hall. "He's got a fever and can't keep his eyes open…"
Virgil trailed off before he went to Alan's bedroom with Onaha on his heels. Quickly knocking, Virgil was granted entrance and he walked in to see Gordon sitting on Alan's bed with a dripping wet washcloth and a water bottle. The washcloth was promptly placed on Alan's forehead and Virgil strode forward to check on Alan. He was quick to slip the thermometer under Alan's tongue and he counted the seconds on his watch. For a few seconds, Virgil waited before looking at the thermometer and whistling.
"Looks like Alan's in for a trip to the infirmary. He's too hot." Virgil said as he disinfected the thermometer with an alcohol wipe. "Kid has got a fever of 103.3, I don't feel comfortable allowing him to stay in his room."
"I've got you covered." Scott said before putting one knee on Alan's bed and slipping his arms beneath Alan. Securing his grip on Alan, Scott supported Alan's head and knees before lifting Alan and his blankets from the bed. John and Gordon steadied Scott before going to follow their oldest brother.
"John, can you come with me?" Virgil stopped John and beckoned him to follow. "I need to go check Tin-Tin, her mother says she's sick too."
"Her too?" John asked in shock. It was quite uncommon for Tin-Tin to get sick and that worried John that both Alan and Tin-Tin were sick at the same time.
"Yeah, Onaha says she's got a fever and can't lift her head. I'm wondering if she and Alan have the same thing."
… … … … … …
Virgil exited the infirmary a short while later and looked at the gathered people. He heaved a long suffering sigh.
"How are they Virgil?" Jeff asked as he looked through the glass at the dark enshrouded beds that both Alan and Tin-Tin were occupying.
"Well, judging on the high fever they are both running, the swollen lymph nodes in their necks and severely sore throat and fatigue, I'm placing a good bet on mono." Virgil said before opening the door to his office which was joined to the infirmary. "Judging on how tired they've been and honestly since the school sent Alan home from school I'm not surprised that they'd both have it."
"Are you sure they've got the kissing disease?" Gordon asked, worried because he was the one that got Virgil when he went to wake Alan for breakfast and not only was his little brother soaking wet from head to toe but he could barely open his eyes.
"Yes Gordo, I'm afraid they do have mono. Both of them are displaying some pretty convincing symptoms and I'm not prepared to ignore the Epstein-Barr virus. It's not known for being fatal but it can be a long recovery. I'm going to issue a sick note to Alan's school letting them know that Alan is too sick to return and that we're keeping him under doctor's care. " Virgil said as he began writing out a doctor's note to scan and send to Wharton's. As he placed his own signature verifying that he was Alan's medical practitioner he couldn't help but wonder if there was more that could be done to help his brother and his brother's girlfriend. "There's no known cure for mono, but dad do you think we should load the kiddos up and take them to the mainland for a second opinion?"
Jeff looked in from the hall at the darkness enshrouded room before shaking his head in the negative.
"No Virgil, I think they're getting the best treatment they can here. If there's no known cure and antibiotics won't work I think it'd be safe to just keep them under a watchful eye and make sure they don't get worse. Until we're sure they aren't getting worse though, Virgil I am placing you on standby. No International Rescue missions for you for a few days at least until we are sure that Alan and Tin-Tin won't require being moved to a hospital."
"Alright, well then in the meantime I think I'll just hang out down here so I can keep an eye on Alan and Tin-Tin." Virgil said as he grabbed an electronic thermometer. "I'm going to go take their temps again, both of them had a pretty alarming fever earlier."
… … … … … …
"I'm not really hungry." Alan whispered, unable to speak any louder than he was at present.
"I know you aren't but you need to eat and its Onaha's chicken soup. You love her soup." John coaxed as he held a spoon up to Alan's mouth filled with the warm broth.
"I may love it, but I'm not hungry. I'm tired." Alan argued back, wishing he didn't have to talk any more. "I'll eat it later."
John heaved a sigh before looking over to where Kyrano was sitting on Tin-Tin's infirmary bed and giving her a spoonful of soup. The girl was still as weak as Alan but she was making an effort to eat while Alan just slept. He couldn't stay awake for more than a half hour between naps and when he did wake up he was grouchy and refusing to eat or drink anything.
"Tin-Tin can you tell your boyfriend he needs to eat to get better?" John turned to the Malaysian island girl and begged her to talk to her boyfriend.
"Alan. Eat." Tin-Tin said before her father offered her a spoonful of soup.
Alan pouted at the order before he heaved a sigh and gestured to John to feed him. John smiled before pouring a spoonful of warm broth into his brother's open mouth. Alan swallowed what John had given him before being a baby bird and opening his mouth in expectation of more broth. Before long both Alan and Tin-Tin had finished their soup and were both tucked in and sound asleep.