Apply First Aid: Part Two (A Foot Through The Door)

Author's Note: Ahhhh idk how I feel about this one. Writing is hard sometimes, you guys, so hopefully this turned out ok. I've been like, super stressin' over this story for no good reason. I just care about it a lot, and want to make sure I'm doing it justice, so I hope you guys enjoy! (Also, to those of you who thought JD was going to paint himself blue, sorry to disappoint. Man is desperate, but even he knows that would never work) Anyways, onto the story!

John Dory paced restlessly in front of the small clinic, waiting for Floyd.

He'd let Rhonda scamper off and explore the island, a reward for her being so tolerant of his annoying and restless behavior these past few days. Between all the running to and from Pop Village to Vacay Island and John Dory's own late night anxiety fests, she could use some time to bask in the tropical sun. In the meantime, John Dory could feel the hot, late afternoon heat beating down on him, and he was very quickly beginning to regret his most recent decision.

In a flight of panic, he decided the best way to keep Floyd from finding out about his little "issue" was to cover his body up as much as he could. He'd thrown a long-sleeved green shirt on under his jacket, one he brought out when it got cold on the Neverglade trail, as well as a pair of tattered pants that stretched down to his ankles. He'd also grabbed an old stocking cap, pulling it down over his darkened hair, his goggles laying uncomfortably tight over his eyes. He almost looked like he was about to go skiing. No, he looked more like a washed up actor, trying to avoid the press. Either way, it was hot, and between the temperature and his own growing anxiety, he was sweating like crazy. But he still continued to pace, feeling nervousness prickle through him and make his skin itch.

He'd considered going to meet Floyd at Bruce's resort, but decided once again it was much too risky. If Bruce saw him in this getup, he'd hound John Dory to no end until he was eventually forced to give his brother an answer, something he did not want to do at the moment. With Floyd, however… he might get away with it. His brother might not believe him for a second, but he wouldn't push things like Bruce would. And besides, it was only temporary. John Dory was going to fix this. He couldn't fix it right this second, but he would. He just… had to figure out how.

John Dory paused for a moment, a thought cutting through his swirling mind. He hadn't told Floyd he was meeting him at the clinic. What if his brother didn't know? What if he thought John Dory just… didn't show up? Sudden fear jolted through him. What was he thinking? Oh wait, that's right, stupid to assume he could actually use his brain. The one thing he needed to do was be there for his brother, and he was already messing that up. He pulled irritably at the collar of his jacket, the heat making his already swirling brain even more foggy. He needed to get to Floyd, he needed–

"John Dory?"

John Dory was pulled out of his own mind by a familiar voice, and he turned to see Floyd standing just a few feet away, giving him a very confused look. Immediately, he felt his fear begin to fade, his body relaxing and his ears perking up excitedly at the sight of his pink-haired brother. Man, was he happy to see him.

"Floyd!" he laughed, smiling and reaching his arms out for a hug. But then he paused, his smile dropping slightly as he slowly pulled himself back. Best not.

Floyd's face was riddled with confusion, his eyes tracing up and down JD's body. He started to ramble, looking completely baffled. "I thought you were going to meet me at the resort, but then I saw Rhonda, and you weren't there, so I thought…" He shook his head, incredulous. "I just… what are you wearing?"

"Oh, uh, a hat!" JD replied with forced confidence, plastering on his most award winning grin. He let out a nervous laugh, shoving his hands into his pockets. He really wished he had some blue paint right about now.

"Ok…" Floyd droned suspiciously. "Why?"

John Dory shrugged. "I was cold?" he continued, the lie leaving a sour taste in his mouth.

Floyd blinked at him, entirely unconvinced as he crossed his arms over his chest. "It's like, ninety degrees out here," he stated, gesturing out towards the swaying palm trees. "Tropical island, remember?"

"Right, right, I'm just… I'm not… feeling well," John Dory replied hesitantly, trying to keep smiling. That part wasn't a lie. He felt like he wanted to curl into a ball and hide. C'mon, John Dory, you can do this. Keep it together. For Floyd.

Floyd was staring at him, his face unreadable. "Can you take your goggles off?" he asked quietly. "I can't even see you."

"Oh, heh, right," John Dory said quickly, pushing his goggles up onto his forehead. Floyd moved a bit closer, and JD had to fight the urge to back up, his heart beating so fast he thought it might explode from his chest.

Floyd squinted his eyes, looking troubled. "You do look pale…" he practically whispered. "And you're shivering. Gosh, John Dory, are you ok?"

Yep, definitely shivering from the cold, not anything else, John Dory thought, irritated at his body's betrayal.

"I'm good," he replied smoothly, taking a casual step back from his brother. "Just caught a little bug or something."

"You look really sick," Floyd said worriedly, eyes shimmering with concern. That didn't bode well for John Dory, considering he wasn't actually sick, but he tried not to think about it. "Maybe I shouldn't be the one seeing the doctor today," Floyd continued, his voice strained. "You look like you're about to fall over." JD's ears perked up with alarm, shaking his head.

"Woah woah woah, hold on, I'm not that sick!" he assured his younger brother, gesturing wildly with his hands. "I'm good, I'm getting better! All this… well, this is just residual stuff. It's not that bad."

Floyd still looked uncertain. "John, you really don't look good–" he started, but John Dory cut him off, barking out a laugh.

"C'mon, Floyd, it's nothing," he replied, waving dismissively as he tried to ignore the guilt settling in his stomach. "Takes a lot more than this to bring me down. Besides, we're not here for me. We're here for you! Don't think you're getting out of the doctor appointment just cause I'm not feeling the best." John Dory spun around, motioning for his brother to follow him. "C'mon, we're going to be late."

"Wait, John!" Floyd insisted, instinctually grabbing John Dory's gloved hand. JD froze as dull pain shot up his arm, unable to stop the sharp hiss that slipped past his lips. Floyd immediately recoiled back in alarm, guilty fear flashing across his face. "Sorry, sorry, wrong hand," he said quickly, looking nervous. "Look, can we just… talk about this? You're freaking me out a little bit."

No, I… It was an accident! I didn't mean to, I'm sorry!

I know, but you're freaking him out!

The words rang vibrantly in his head, just like he was back there again. John Dory felt his jaw tighten a bit, shaking his head to try and clear the memory from his mind. His brain really didn't have an off switch, did it?

He needed to dial it back a bit though. The last thing Floyd needed to be thinking about right now was him. This was a big moment for Floyd; John Dory wasn't about to mess that up. He let out a shaky breath before he forced on another smile, keeping his voice light. "I'm sorry. I'm just a bit on edge. We can talk after, ok?" he said, hoping his brother would take the hint. "This is important," he continued, gesturing towards the clinic.

Floyd seemed hesitant, looking even more worried. "I know, but…"

"No buts," John Dory chided, drumming up some of that false bravado again as he gave his brother a reassuring smile. "C'mon, let's go get you that clean bill of health, shall we?"

Floyd looked down at the ground, ears drooping. "Yeah… right," he agreed, slowly falling into step behind John Dory as they made their way towards the entrance of the clinic.

The building was small, and similar in structure to Bruce's resort. John Dory walked through a large, sand archway, a small waiting room just beyond it. However, he quickly realized that Floyd was no longer with him. He turned to see his younger brother stood frozen in the entrance, eyes wide as his arms wrapped around himself protectively.

Man, he's really worried about this… John Dory thought with a frown, making his way back over towards the pink-haired troll. "Floyd?" he called softly, standing in front of his brother. "It's going to be ok. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Floyd replied, his voice shaky. He sniffled a bit, angrily wiping his face as tears started welling up in his eyes. "Ugh, stupid tears, sorry…" he growled, his hands balled into fists.

"Hey, no sorrys, it's not a big deal," John Dory said, trying to reassure his younger brother.

"I know! It's not a big deal," Floyd replied, sounding frustrated. "So I don't know why I'm crying. This is dumb."

"No, it's not," John Dory stated firmly before his voice softened a bit. "It's ok it's… It's understandable."

"Ugh, I know, I just…" Floyd directed his attention to the ground, his arms still wrapped around himself. "I just don't know why I'm so scared. I literally went through hell and back; this should be the easy part."

John Dory was quiet for a moment, his ears drooping down a bit. "I think you have a right to be scared," he said finally, fiddling nervously with his glove. "It's scary. Thinking something messed you up so much you might never be the same again. That you're… unfixable." His face grew tight, but he forced himself to continue, adopting a lighter tone. "But that's not going to happen. You've already improved so much. I've seen it, Bruce's seen it. We all have!" He set a hand on Floyd's shoulder, squeezing it gently as his brother looked up at him. "You may not be the same, but you're going to be ok. And we'll be with you every step of the way, no matter what."

Floyd sniffled again, a small smile on his face. "Thanks, John Dory," he said softly, before rubbing at his eyes again. "Gosh, I hate crying. Ever since Mount Rageous, it's like I can't even control it anymore. Happy? Cry. Sad? Cry. Angry? Cry. Don't know what I'm feeling? Cry. It's really annoying." He briefly glanced up at the sky, his smile growing tight as he let out a low chuckle. "I guess I'm still the sensitive one, huh?"

John Dory flinched, Floyd's old BroZone title weighing heavy in his mind. He shook his head, throwing a comforting arm around Floyd's shoulders. "Nah. You're so much more than that. Besides, wearing your heart on your sleeve isn't a bad thing," he said, leaning on his brother. "And anyways, have you even seen Bruce? I caught him blubbering over a 'Save the Critters' ad in a magazine a few weeks ago." He reached up, ruffling Floyd's hair. "A few tears ain't going to hurt anyone." His brother waved him off, but his smile was back as he let out a laugh. "Now c'mon. Let's go get you that clean bill of health so you can go out and live your life!" He leaned back with a reassuring grin. "And y'know, if in some crazy scenario it's not, well, I guess you're just going to be stuck with us for a while longer. How will we ever cope?"

Floyd laughed again, the sound music to John Dory's ears. He grabbed Floyd's hand, gently leading him towards the clinic. He tried to ignore how dull his skin looked next to his brother's vibrant blue.

"Hey, John?"

John Dory turned to look back at Floyd, whose face was once again slightly worried. "Are you… still going to let the doctor look at your hand?" His brother asked hesitantly.

Ah. Right. He'd forgotten about that.

"You don't have to," Floyd continued quickly. "I know you're not feeling well…"

John Dory clenched his jaw, his hand aching as if it knew they were talking about it. He really didn't want to do this. Not even considering the fact that he clearly wasn't in the best state of mind right now, even just thinking about some stranger poking and prodding at his hand… He shook his head, chastising himself. No, he'd told Floyd he'd do this, so he would. He'd made a promise.

"I promised, didn't I?" he replied, hoping his smile didn't look too much like a grimace as he gazed at Floyd. "I don't break promises."

Floyd looked conflicted, like he was both worried and relieved at the same time. But eventually, he nodded, turning towards the clinic with determination. "Ok," he said firmly, taking a deep breath. "Let's do this then."

"Attaboy," John Dory replied, giving his brother's hand a squeeze. "Let's do this."

They walked into the clinic, carefully weaving their way through a few Vacationers to avoid being stepped on. John Dory subconsciously held Floyd's hand a bit tighter, his ears flicking nervously as they made their way towards the front desk.

When they reached it, Floyd immediately stretched his hair, pulling himself up onto the surface. John Dory was just about to do the same when he stopped himself. Right, the hat. He rolled his eyes, instead grabbing on to the side of the desk and slowly shimmying his way up, his body protesting at the effort. For a moment, he'd almost forgotten how tired he was.

He pulled himself up over the edge, letting out a grunt and flipping over onto his back, trying to catch his breath for a second. The heavy clothes he was wearing were not helping his situation. He turned to the side, seeing Floyd giving him a weird look, so he flashed his brother a grin, giving him a thumbs up. He then quickly climbed to his feet, walking over next to Floyd and trying not to breath so heavily.

"Hey! Tell that wife of yours to aim for the ball next time, not your face!" The Vacationer at the front desk shouted towards another, who grinned joyfully despite holding a large ice pack to his eye as he waved farewell. The guy chuckled to himself before turning his attention down towards Floyd and JD, a welcoming smile on his face. "Volleyball, amiright? Vicious sport. Anyways, how can I help you little dudes?"

"Uh, check in for Floyd?" Floyd said softly, the slightest tremor in his voice as he smiled politely.

The Vacationer looked between the two of them, his eyes lingering on John Dory for a brief moment. He looked confused. "You're Floyd?" he asked, looking back at the pink-haired troll. Floyd nodded his head. The Vacationer then turned his eyes towards John Dory. "And you are…?"

"John Dory," he replied, trying to stand up straighter. "His brother. I'm just here for moral support."

"Uh huh…" The Vacationer mused, a strange look on his face. But then he smiled again, clearing his throat. "Well, ok Floyd. Go have a seat, man. The doc will be with you shortly."

Floyd nodded once more, hopping off the desk as John Dory followed suit. They made their way over to a chair, Floyd once again stretching out his hair and pulling himself up onto it. John Dory was just about to climb up one of the legs when suddenly, pink hair wrapped around his waist, his brother lifting him up next to him.

"Heh, thanks," he said sheepishly, his ears burning a bit as he sat on the overly large chair.

"Yeah… no problem," Floyd replied, unable to hide the concern in his eyes. They both turned and stared at the floor, the silence deafening.

"So, how is Branch?" Floyd finally asked, his voice overly cheery.

"He's good, he's good," JD replied, rubbing the back of his neck. He's kinda upset with me right now, probably even more so after the stunt I pulled last night. He cleared his throat, trying not to linger too much on it. "And Clay came to visit. He and Viva."

"Clay?" Floyd asked, genuine excitement on his face this time. "How's he doing?"

John Dory's smile grew tight, memories from the lake and Clay's anger last night flashing through his head. "He's uh, he's good, he's… well, he's Clay, heh, y'know?" he managed to get out, letting out a nervous laugh. Yeah, he's upset with me too. Actually, it seemed like Floyd was the only one of his brothers he hadn't managed to upset these past few days. Guilt started to settle heavily in his stomach. He'd like to keep it that way.

"Bruce was just talking about us all getting together again," Floyd said, his eyes sparkling. "And since Clay's already in Troll Village, maybe we could all come visit! We could finally give you that pod-warming party!"

"Oh yeah, that." JD laughed again, feeling his hands begin to clench at the thought of his perfect pod, sitting untouched in Pop Village. "I uh…"

Suddenly, he was interrupted as a door swung open, a young Vacationer stepping through. "Floyd?" She called, her eyes locking on the two trolls. "The doctor will see you now."

John Dory let out the smallest sigh of relief. Thank troll for impeccable timing.