Of Insects and Illness Ch. 5
Disclaimer: See chapter one
Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. I'll try to do better at updating this story now that I managed to complete a couple of the others I have been working on.
Previously: Climbing into the bed, he whispered a prayer for Alan's wellbeing and then rolled over onto his side and snuggled up next to Gordon, wrapping an arm around him. His last thought before going to sleep: "Please watch over our boys at the hospital Lucy, they both need you."
Awaking around 10:00 A.M. the next morning, Jefferson Tracy decided to take a quick shower knowing it wouldn't be too long before his sons awoke, all clamoring to get back to the hospital and their baby brother. His boys had vehemently voiced their displeasure at being made to leave Alan the night before when Scott was allowed to stay, but he had done what was best for his boys, they needed their rest. Stripping off his pajamas and standing under the pulsating water, he allowed the flowing water to massage away the soreness he felt in his limbs after sharing a bed with Gordon. He had forgotten how much the kid could toss and turn. His second youngest was always active, even in sleep.
Turning off the water a few moments later with a sigh, he stepped out of the luxurious shower and wrapped a fluffy white towel around his waist and cinched it to keep it from falling. Passing by the mirror on the way out to get his clothing for the day, he couldn't help but notice the five o'clock shadow that was adorning his jaw. It was definitely time for a shave. Moving about quietly in the room to keep from awaking Gordon, he grasped a pair of black slacks and polo shirt, along with the undergarments he would need. Traipsing back into the bathroom, he placed the clothing on the rack which lined the wall. Opening his shaving kit, he grasped the can of shaving foam and squirted some in his hands to lather on his face preferring for a closer shave with a regular razor this time. Making a few careful swipes with the razor, he was surprised to hear Gordon's young voice talking.
"Hey Dad, when can I start shaving?" Gordon queried, his copper hair disheveled and sticking up in places giving him an endearing look.
"I'm afraid that won't be for a while Sport." Jefferson told his son with a smile as he shaved the area under his chin carefully.
"Aw, but Dad, I have some hairs growing right here on my chin, see?" Gordon informed his dad as he picked at the imaginary hairs.
"Sorry Gordy, but you aren't shaving at least until your sixteen." Jeff retorted as he finished shaving and then applied some aftershave before ruffling his prankster son's hair. "Now why don't you go wake your brothers so we can get some breakfast before heading back to the hospital."
"Okay" Gordon called out as he ran off happily to do as told. Something told Jeff that John and Virgil were in for a rude awakening. He wasn't disappointed when he heard a shout of "Gordon, I'm going to get you for that!" Just a few moments later.
Sitting on his bed so that he could pull on his shoes, Jefferson was startled by the sound of his phone ringing. Grasping his phone from the small bureau in the room, he was surprised to see Scott's name highlighted on the dial.
"Scotty?" He questioned with concern hearing a swift intake of breath on the other end. If he didn't know better, Scott was crying.
"Dad, you need to get here quick, it's Allie."
"Scott, what is it, what's wrong?" Jefferson gasped as his heart plummeted in his chest thinking the worst. "Oh Lucy, please don't let him die, I can't live without our baby." He thought as he covered his mouth with his hand.
"Dad, he can't breathe on his own, they've put Sprout on a ventilator."
"I'm on my way Scott, I'll be there as soon as possible." Jeff croaked around the huge lump in his throat. "Just try to remain calm son and I'll get there as fast as I can."
"Okay dad, just please hurry."
"I will son, I promise." Jeff answered before closing the phone and ending the conversation. Taking a deep breath, Jefferson quickly pulled himself together and wiped away the tears that were silently cascading down his cheeks. He couldn't let his boys see how devastated he was. He had just washed his face with a cold wash cloth when John came walking into the room.
"Dad, is something wrong?" John queried noticing immediately that his father's face looked pale.
"It's Alan son, I have to get back to the hospital. I need you to make sure that Virgil and Gordon eat a good breakfast. And then I need you to call a cab to drive the three of you to the hospital afterwards. Can you do that for me John?" Jeff queried of his son as he looked into his aqua-blue eyes. He hated putting so much pressure on the thirteen year old, but Scott and Alan needed him desperately at the hospital.
"Yes Sir, I can do that." John replied anxiously. "But, what's wrong with Allie?"
"He's having trouble breathing John and they need me at the hospital right away. I'm sorry to put all of this on your shoulders son, but I don't know what else to do until I can get Kyrano or Brains here to help."
"We'll be alright Dad, you just get there and take care of Scotty and Alan." John voiced even though he was scared to death for his baby brother. His dad had enough worry on his shoulders without having to worry about them too.
"Here's the money you'll need to cover breakfast and the cab fare." Jefferson stated as he reached into his billfold and pulled out a couple of fifty dollar bills. "Be careful and I'll see you when you get to the hospital." Jefferson stated as he palmed the nape of John's neck and pulled him into a quick hug.
"Don't worry Dad, I'll take care of everything and we'll get there as soon as we can." John said with a smile even though he felt like crying. He watched as his dad walked out the door and then steeled himself for the questions that were sure to come from Virgil and Gordon.
Walking into Alan's room in the Pediatric ICU approximately ten minutes later, Jefferson's knees grew weak at the sight of his youngest son lying so lifeless on the hospital bed with a ventilation tube threaded down his throat. It pained him beyond imagination to think of his baby boy going through such a horrible procedure without him there. He couldn't even begin to imagine how terrified Scott must have been to watch his baby brother being intubated. Speaking of which, he glanced towards his oldest who was sitting in a chair by Alan's bed to see his shoulders slumped and his head resting in his hands.
Striding over to him, Jeff placed a hand on his shoulder. "Scotty?"
"It was so awful Dad. I felt so helpless. Alan woke up this morning with a high fever after suffering from chills the previous hours. I tried to make him feel better Dad, but Sprout just started crying. Next thing I knew, he started shaking really bad and went into convulsions." Scott rambled out before taking a stuttering breath
Listening to Scott, Jeff knew better than to interrupt his son. Scott needed to get things off his chest before he was consumed by the pain. Squeezing his son's shoulder to offer what little moral support he could, he waited for Scott to go on.
"I tried hold onto him to keep from hurting himself Dad, but then he suddenly went rigid and his lips started turning blue. He wasn't breathing Dad, Allie wasn't breathing." Scotty sobbed as his cobalt blue eyes finally looked up towards his father. "I've never been so scared in my life, I just yelled for help and that's when Dr. Singer came running in. If he hadn't got here as quickly as he did….we could have lost him Dad, we could have lost Alan.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't here to keep you from the trauma of having to witness what happened to Alan all alone." Jeff said as he kneeled in front of Scott and placed a hand on his head and gently tugged him to his shoulder. "I should have been here for you both."
"Dad, what if Alan do-doesn't make it through this? I don't think I can go on without him." Scott cried as he finally gave in to his fears.
"You won't have to Scotty. Alan's a Tracy, he won't give up the fight easily." Jeff stated with conviction.
"But he's still just a baby, he might not have the strength to fight for very long." Scott countered.
"And that's when we give him our strength son. As long as he knows we're here, he won't give up." Jefferson voiced as he rubbed a comforting hand up and down Scott's back.
"Ahem." Dr. Robert Singer cleared his throat to let the Tracy's know he had arrived. He didn't want to interrupt the moment, but he needed to check on Alan.
"Sorry to interrupt Jeff, but I need to assess Alan and how he's doing." The doctor announced as he walked over to check the stats on the medical panel that Alan was connected too. Keying in the information onto his medical pad, he was distressed to see that his fever was still higher than he would like.
"Robert, how's my baby doing?" Jefferson Tracy queried with fatherly concern once the doctor had finished his assessment.
"At this point, he's not doing so great. His immune system is having trouble fighting off the virus and it's weakened him considerably, so much so that it was too much of a strain on his lungs and I had to intubate him." The doctor answered honestly. "He's also developed a bad case of diarrhea so I've started him on another IV to help keep him hydrated and he'll have to wear diapers for the time being."
"Isn't there something else you can do?" Jefferson pleaded as he brushed His hand through Alan's hair.
"We're doing all we can Jeff. I've started Alan on a course of intramuscular quinine which has shown promising results in other cases. My main concern right now is keeping his blood cell count up so that he doesn't develop anemia which could lead to a coma, or worse, brain damage." Robert answered the billionaire. "Jeff, I know that things look pretty bleak right now, but you've got to have faith that Alan can recover from this. He'll need all the strength he can get from you and the boys to get through this illness. You can't let him see how scared you are or it could have a detrimental affect on his recovery."
"Don't you worry Robert, we'll give Alan all the love and strength he needs to get through this. I'm not leaving this place without all of my boys by my side." Jefferson Tracy stated with a strength to his voice that left no room for argument.
TBC I hope this chapter made up for the long delay in posting.