Author note: Sorry all, there was a bit of a mix-up on the chapter front yesterday. This final chapter was originally posted for a while instead of chapter 20 so most of the vital information was missing from the story (even though it did all fit together!). Please click back one chapter to read the 'real' chapter 20 before reading this one.

Thank you to 'Guest' who asked 'Are we going to get the details?'. I hadn't realised that the wrong chapter had been loaded before I read your review!

~#~ (Chapter 21)

Eventually Scott let out a sigh and rolled onto his back. He paused to allow Gordon to get out of the way and then rolled further until he could wrap his arms around his brother.

Gordon snuffled softly against him. "How are you feeling now?"

Scott let out a quiet snort and rubbed his cheek against Gordon's hair. "Honestly? I'm absolutely shattered. I feel like someone's taken my head, scrambled the innards and then packed it all back in a different configuration. There's stuff in there that I didn't know I knew before and I don't know if I'm better off with it there or not. What if this happens again? What use am I going to be in the field if I could break down at any moment? What if…"

Gordon reached up and rested a finger gently across Scott's lips. "You know what I think?" he asked and then paused as Scott shook his head. "I think you worry too much and that you're tired and your emotions are way too close to the surface for you to be thinking rationally. There's no way to guarantee that this will never happen again but just think about it; in the past…um…twenty three years, have you ever come across a situation like this before? No, you haven't. You've been out of more rescues than any of us and this has never happened before because this exact set of circumstances is pretty much unique. If it doesn't happen again for another twenty three years then you won't need to worry anyway and I mean, who knows, any number of us could have one of these emotional time-bombs waiting to go off. Alan could have a deep-seated, hidden fear of…of…er…kangaroos that's going to affect him when we tend to the next bushfire in Australia. Virgil could develop a morbid fear of mushrooms which'd mean he wouldn't dare go into a forest or wood in case one jumped out and attacked him."

Scott shook his head to dislodge Gordon's finger. "You've completely lost me now, Gords and while I think that was probably the idea, why would I not worry about it the next time it happens?"

Gordon rolled his eyes at his brother. "'Cos you're not going to be still going out on rescues by the time you're fifty six. You'll have either taken over from Dad or will be helping him and that's only if we're still running by then. Whatever though, what I'm trying to say is that you won't be anywhere near the accident when it happens. Do you get me?"

Scott shuddered. "I think so but..."

"No 'buts', Scott. It's not going to happen. If something similar happens and it affects you then we'll work through it, just like we have in the last few days and I promise I'll stay with you until you're fixed again. OK?"

Scott nodded sleepily. "OK but for now…"

"I said no 'buts'," Gordon interrupted him in mock annoyance. "Don't start with the 'buts'. It's probably stupid o'clock by now and I really think we should get some sleep before Dad or Virg or…someone comes knocking."

Scott chuckled quietly and reached up to cuff Gordon gently on the back of the head. "That's what you get for interrupting me," he murmured. "…because what I was trying to say was 'but for now I think we need to sleep'." He pulled Gordon close and sighed deeply. "I don't think I've said it but thanks, Gords; thanks for everything you've done for me in the past couple of days. I know you've basically put your life on hold to stay with me and I appreciate that. I appreciate it a lot."

Scott's words were getting gradually slower and quieter and Gordon realised that his brother was slipping into sleep. He wriggled deeper against Scott's chest and sighed. "If it's helped you come back to us then it's been worth every second. Go to sleep, Scotty. I'll keep watch."

~#~

Gordon spent the next few days in Scott's room while his brother recuperated and regained his strength. The pair had a steady stream of visitors throughout each day and Scott had several long, emotional talks with Jeff, Virgil, John and Ruth.

Alan plucked up the courage to visit on the morning of the third day and found himself pulled into a tight hug by a tearful Scott. He received a very abridged and gore-free version of what had affected his brother so badly and offered to stay with him for a while so that Gordon could go for a swim.

Scott balked at the thought of being separated from Gordon and clung to him tightly. He realised that it was the next logical step in his recovery process but Gordon had spent the last week acting as his confidante, his security blanket and his teddy bear and Scott knew that going back to sleeping alone was going to be hard.

~#~

Eventually, with a lot of coaxing, Scott released his grip on Gordon and took Alan's hand instead. The pair stayed in Scott's room while Gordon went to get changed and then followed him to the pool and sat, side by side, on one of the lounger chairs as Gordon worked his way through his usual morning workout.

Scott fell asleep, leaning against his brother, almost midway through Gordon's swim. Alan carefully laid him down on the chair and then sat and studied him.

~#~

Alan was still staring at Scott when Gordon clambered out of the pool. He had seen Alan lying Scott on the chair and had guessed that the inactivity and fresh air had lulled their eldest brother off to sleep. What he couldn't understand, however, was Alan's complete lack of movement.

"Hey," he whispered as he wandered up behind Alan. "You OK?"

Alan nodded. "I'm just amazed that someone can go through so much and still be so…normal….stable…I don't know; what's the word I'm looking for?"

Gordon squatted beside Alan and rested his wet head on his shoulder. "Either of those will do," he murmured. "…but don't ask me how he does it. Dad's had a word with the counsellor on the mainland and he's happy that he doesn't need to see Scott just as long as he's talking to us. I think it helped that Dad didn't take any of it badly though. Scott had been afraid that he'd upset him when he told him what he'd seen all those years ago but I think it actually put a lot of Dad's demons to rest because he'd never known exactly what happened that day. It's ironic really, that they wouldn't tell Dad what happened 'cos they didn't think he was stable enough to cope with the details and yet a ten year old boy could successfully compartmentalise the information away well enough that no-one, including him, ever knew it was there."

Alan nodded and the pair sat together in companionable silence. Virgil joined them a couple of minutes later and a short while after that Jeff wandered past the sitting room and caught sight of them all. He went to the kitchen, asked Ruth to make up a tray of coffee and then suggested that she joined him and the boys by the pool.

~#~

Scott woke up slowly and spent several minutes listening to the comforting sound of his family talking quietly around him. He reached out and brushed his fingertips gently against Gordon's arm. Gordon turned to him, smiled and then reached out and grasped his outstretched fingers.

"Welcome back, Scotty."