Happy October!

This is a special month for me, as my sweet baby boy turns 1 year on the 13th. To celebrate this, my new profile pic will be him trying on his Halloween costume. (NOTE: He is Baby Jaws, not Baby Shark - my husband and I will be wearing Amity Island tourist shirts to make that clear.)

This story is dedicated to all my readers who suggested this word: taylorj2000, Imagine333, thunderbird shadow, Helen Williams, Stormyskies89. I can't do what I do without readers like you.

I would also like to note that this chapter had no beta. I finished it this past weekend, but was unable to get in touch with any of my usual betas, so I decided not to keep you waiting any longer and just post. I hope you can forgive any mistakes my dyslexic brain missed during my several read-throughs.

Enjoy ...

X is for X-Ray

Alan was normally a pretty patient kid. He had no problem waiting for his favorite pizza to come out of the oven, or a new action film to hit theaters. He could even take turns with his favorite video game - although certain aquanauts took twice as long as they should to turn over the controls. Yes, he was a very patient person … except when it came to his birthday.

Every March 1st time began to slow down until it crawled into the middle of the month, only to make up for it by speeding through the 12th. In the blink of an eye, it was the 13th, he was a year older, and the cycle continued. His brothers may call him crazy, but this was a documented phenomenon … Okay, only documented in his own journals, but the point still stood.

"Heeelllooo, Alllaaannn," Gordon greeted, walking down the hall like Neil Armstrong on the moon. "Niiiccceee Maaarrrccchhh weeerrreee haaavvviiinnnggg."

"Shut up!" Alan snapped, only succeeding in speeding his brother up enough to laugh at him.

As if he wasn't any better last month when his eagerness to peak at his gift left him with a gash on his arm and a pound of glitter on his head. The guy sparkled for a week. Alan wasn't going to make the same mistake though. No, he knew the difference between decoy gifts and real ones. He had also recently figured out where his eldest brother had hid his gift this year. He had to hand it to him, it was the last place he would think to go. He could almost feel the pull of his present as he tiptoed closer to that dreaded place …

"Alan?"

While his first instinct was to run, that would only start a chase. Besides, it wasn't like he was hurt or anything. There was no reason for Virgil to be suspicious.

"Hey," the teen greeted. "How's it going?"

"Fine," the medic answered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tapped his pen against his desk. "What are you doing down here?"

"Just walking around," Alan shrugged, keeping his voice as casual as possible. "Is that so weird?"

"… Get on the table."

"Oh come on! I'm not hurt or sick!"

"Then what are you doing in the infirmary?"

A valid question, but not one Alan was wanting to answer. If he did, all that would happen is that Scott would find a new hiding place and it had taken days to track the gift this far. So, to protect his mission - and to show Virgil he was wrong - Alan conceded to an exam. But just because he agreed to it didn't mean he had to go quietly.

"I really do feel fi-" Alan started, cut off when a thermometer was stuck under his tongue.

"Your pulse is a little fast," Vigil commented. "I thought everything was supposed to slow down in the first half of March."

His brothers should open a comedy club. That way Alan wouldn't be the only one who wanted to throw things at them.

"Everything checks out," the medic reported, hanging his stethoscope around his neck. "So what are you doing down here?"

"I told you. I was taking a walk."

"You hate walking and treat the infirmary like it will give you the plague. So what are you doing down here?"

"Fine," Alan sighed, slumping his shoulders. "Gordon asked me to find him an ace bandage and an ice pack."

That was all he needed to say to send Dr. Bloodhound on a scent. That should keep him busy long enough to find the gift and get out. As it turned out, the present was barely hidden in the closet. Unfortunately, the reason it was so easy to find was the size The thing was huge! Virgil must have used his power suit just to get the thing in the room. How was he going to figure out what was inside? Shaking it was out and the box was basically wrapped in tissue paper. Any attempt to remove it would cause highly visible tares.

"Now what do I do," the teen lamented, leaning against the exam table … the exam table …

Of course! He was in a fully functional infirmary. That meant - Bingo! There was an x-ray machine. All he had to do was move it over to the closet and snap a few pictures. No problem … only the thing was not on wheels … That was a problem. No matter, he could still move it. After all, how heavy could it be?

*X*R*A*Y*

Virgil rotated his shoulders, allowing the tension he had felt to fade away and become an annoyance. It had taken almost ten minutes to track down Gordon. When he finally did, the teen proved he was fine by diving into the pool and crossing to the other side with powerful strokes. No further exam was needed. So what was Alan doing in his work-space?

"Oh," Virgil groaned aloud. "Scott's gift."

Somehow, the kid must have found out that it was hidden in the infirmary - as hidden as a build-it-yourself go cart can be. They were barely able to cover the crate in tissue paper, just to hide all the manufacturer's logos and shipping instructions. At least they'll be able to tell if he peeked.

"Alan?" Virgil called, stepping into the infirmary.

His brother had left and the gift was still intact. However, there was something off about the place. The medic stood in the room, looking around to find what was out of place. A few of his supplies had been shifted, but that could have been done by him when he pushed away from the desk after Alan came in. No, there was something else. It took a minute, but he realized the x-ray machine was almost a foot away from where it usually was. While this was odd, a closer inspection was even more troubling. The keyboard was upside-down, there was a crack in the casing, and traces of blood and blond hair along the edge of the camera. A quick test to x-ray his hand showed that the machine was still in working order. Thank Heaven for small miracles. With that taken care of, he had to make sure his idiot brother had fared as well.

Virgil found Alan in his room, lying on his bed with his hands behind his head, and sporting that innocent smile his younger brothers seem to believe always worked. It was a valiant effort, but not good enough. At least if he was trying to fake it the chance of a serious injury was lower, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Hey, Virgil," Alan greeted with way more cheer than necessary. "Can I help you with something?"

"Get up," he ordered.

"Actually, I was just gonna take a nap-"

He was cut off with a yelp when the medic reached out and pulled him up by the front of his shirt. The teen's hands remained behind his head, letting Virgil know where the x-ray machine had struck him. Luckily there was no sign of a concussion or cracks in his skull, just a small cut from the camera hitting him as it tipped over.

"Alan," he muttered, as he applied a couple of stitches, "you are either the luckiest kid in the world or cursed."

"I think I could do without the commentary," his brother muttered. "You don't yet?"

"Just about."

He applied a clean gauze and held it in place by wrapping a bandage around the teen's head a few times. He really was lucky though. The machine could have easily cracked more than just the casing. But the medic's work was far from done. Now that the birthday boy was patched up, he needed to find a new place to hide Scott's gift.

"You done now?" Alan asked irritably.

"Well, you are," Virgil replied, giving him a smile. "I still have to move Scott's gift."

"You really don't have to bother," Alan assured him. "I think I've learned my lesson."

"I would hope so, but I still think I will put Scott's gift with the one from me."

"Really? Where's that?"

Virgil laughed and left Alan to get some rest. It would be a hassle getting the thing in the space elevator, but no where on Earth seemed safe - for either the gift or the recipient. He had just turned the corner when another voice made him pause.

"Hey, Alan. I hear I asked you for an ice pack."

"VIRGIL!"

A medic's work was never done.

So, what do you think?

The next chapter, Y, will feature Kayo. Now taking suggestions and - as always - comments and feedback always welcome.