Scott was refusing to look at him.His big brother carefully and gently wrapped each of Virgil’

Scott was refusing to look at him.

His big brother carefully and gently wrapped each of Virgil’s fingers one by one, blue eyes focussed ever so intently on the task.

No words were said.

None had been said the last time Scott had changed the bandages.

None had been said at the hospital.

None that Scott knew Virgil had heard. There had been the fog of anaesthesia, but he could have sworn he had heard his brother crying.

Virgil’s heart clenched at the memory.

“I’m sorry.” The words were out before he could think better of it.

Scott’s hands stilled a moment.

Those blue eyes looked up at him.

Lips moved as if to say something, but tightened almost immediately as his brother swallowed and went back to securing gauze.

But Virgil had had enough. “Scott, please!”

“What?!” He straightened, taking a step away from the infirmary bed. “What do you want me to say?”

“Tell me you’re okay.” A swallow. “That we’re okay.”

Scott’s shoulders dropped just a little. He grabbed the mitten that protected all the bandaging and fastened it over Virgil’s swollen hand. “Virgil, we will never be anything but okay.” He turned away and began packing medical supplies back into their storage box.

With both hands swaddled in various layers of cotton and non-stick dressings, there was little Virgil could do to grab his brother’s arm, so instead he hooked a long leg with a boot. “Talk to me!”

“So you can argue with me? Tell me it was the right thing to do?”

“Yes!”

“You’re wrong, Virgil! It was the wrong thing to do! I had a plan.”

“You were going to die!”

“I didn’t!”

“Because I saved your ass and you know it. That’s why you don’t want to talk, isn’t it! You thought you had it worked out, but it went south and I got hurt. That’s it, isn’t it!” He desperately tried to pin his brother with his eyes, but the man was still refusing to look at him.

Deep and forceful. “I. Had. A. Plan. You should have trusted me.”

“I do trust you. But you were going to die, Scott. And I refuse to let that happen.”

“So you decided to sacrifice yourself.”

“That’s what you were trying to do. At least doing it my way, we’re both alive to yell at each other.”

“But…” And Scott’s eyes fixated on Virgil’s hands. “At what cost?”

Virgil blinked before straightening. “Bargain basement.” His voice broke on the last syllable, but he meant it with everything he was.

His hands were burnt…badly. The rod had been that hot, it had melted through his heavy-duty gloves. There was question of scaring, possible movement loss and nerve damage. “I won’t lie to you, Scott. I’m scared.” He stared down at the swaths of white. “But nowhere near as terrified as I was of losing you.” He held his hands up. “This I can handle. With you here.” He let his hands drop gently into his lap. “Without you…” He sucked in a breath and, straightening up again, caught his brother’s wide eyes. “Without you, the world just doesn’t work anymore!” He glared at Scott. “And I will do anything to prevent that from happening!”

Blue eyes stared at him for a full moment before shifting away, wandering, and latching back onto the medical supplies like a raft in a storm. “That doesn’t sound very healthy, Virg.”

Virgil shimmied off the infirmary bed, onto his feet, and pushed himself into Scott’s personal space. His brother had always been taller than him, but Virgil didn’t need height. “You listen to me. You are integral to this family. You are the damned guiding light of this organisation and I will not see you sacrificing yourself if I can prevent it. You are my brother!”

Scott closed the lid on the medical box and looked down at Virgil. “And you are mine. So how can you expect me to watch you get injured like this for my sake.”

“Because the alternative would have hurt me more.”

Scott opened his mouth as if to rebut, but slowly shut it again.

Virgil continued to look up at him and if the pleading bled into his expression, he couldn’t help it. “Please, Scott?”

His big brother stared at him a moment, his eyes growing glassy until he had to blink.

Virgil tentatively reached out a bandage-covered hand and brushed it against his brother’s arm.

And Scott grabbed him, pulling him in, holding Virgil ever so close and tight. Bandaged hands fumbled and stuck out in awkward directions, but Virgil’s cheek found Scott’s shoulder and he clung the best way he could.

This was better.

Oh, so much better.

Virgil blinked a few times, but held on as if his life depended on it.

“I’m sorry, Scott.” Quiet, an attempt at reassurance.

Something was mumbled into his flannel shirt.

Virgil just hung on tighter.

-o-o-o-