Secrets and Consequences - SBI AU

3

Tommy felt hands grab him, shake him, but he couldn't do more than groan at whoever it was. They were talking then he was picked up and held by his finder. Whoever had found him spoke again, then there was another voice, higher in pitch but only just.

His mind was so foggy he had no idea if this was his family of not, but he didn't really care so long as he got out of the woods.

Wind suddenly rushed past his face; he could feel it though he couldn't open his eyes. What was happening? Where was he?

He was jostled as whoever was carrying him hit something. But Tommy couldn't be bothered as he fell further into unconsciousness.

He was shaken again as he felt himself go limp, though now he couldn't even muster a whimper before his senses blinked out.

~

"Tommy? Tommy!" Phil shook his youngest but didn't get any response. Tommy had stopped shivering and was now laying completely unconscious in his father's arms. "Come one bud... wake up." Phil rushed into the house as he tucked his wings away.

Carefully, he set Tommy on the couch and tucked a blanket around him before rushing to get the first aid kit and a cool washcloth. Tommy was burning up with a fever worse than he'd ever had before.

Once Phil got the cloth sorted and dribbled some medicine into Tommy's mouth, the only way he could think of to get medicine in him, he started to remove the boy's outer layers to get him dry (like jacket and such). Tommy's ankle, now visible since his shoes and socks had been removed, was bruised and swollen, though it didn't seem to be broken.

Phil wrapped the foot as best he could and sat on the floor next to his youngest. There wasn't anything else he could do besides try to bring Tommy's temperature down.

The back door banged open and two very upset adults made their way into the living room.

~

"How is he?" Wilbur asked, scared of the answer. Tommy was very obviously sick. He never took illness well, often becoming the sickest of the family every flu and cold season. This though, was much worse than anything Wilbur had seen his brother go through.

"Not good," his father replied, not even trying to hide his concern. "He has a 103-degree fever, a sprained ankle probably from falling out of a tree, and he won't wake up."

"Is there anything we can do?" This came from Techno, Wilbur's twin. They weren't actually twins, each being born a week apart and to different families, but upon being adopted by Phil, they had instantly formed a similar bond to that of twins.

"Change the cloth whenever it gets warm and try to get him to swallow some medicine and water... other than that there isn't much we can do but hope for the best.

The look of utter defeat and guilt in Phil's eyes made Wilbur walk over and hug him. "It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault. No one knew Tommy would get sick."

"But I could have gone after him sooner. He wouldn't have gotten as far and then we would have found him before this happened." Tears fell onto Wilbur's shoulder as his father lost control of his emotions just a tad.

"You didn't know this would happen. It's not your fault," Wilbur repeated. Another set of arms wrapped around them and the three sat like that for a bit, soaking in the others' embrace.

~

Two days with little sleep and still Tommy didn't wake up. Phil said that if his fever didn't break by that night, they would have to take him to the hospital. And boy, wouldn't that be fun.

Techno sat on the ground in front of the couch where Tommy laid, and watched the news quietly. The three of them had been rotating on and off on who was sitting with Tommy and changing the washcloth.

He could barely focus on what the news anchor was saying and was nearlycompletely zoned out when Wilbur came to relieve him.

Techno didn't want to leave Tommy, but he needed sleep even if he didn't want to admit it.

He just hoped his little brother's fever broke sooner rather than later.

***

715 words.

SickInnit.