The Wither Effect

The Healing

Tommy's chest was slowly rising and falling... but just barely. Tubbo's eyes began to swell, "Tommy? Tommy are you there? Tommy?!" Tubbo asked franticly, Tommy was alive! His best friend was alive!

"What's going on over here?-" A voice asked, before sucking in a breath. Eret had rounded the corner to see everyone surrounding Tommy and Tubbo... To Eret, Tommy looked full on dead. 

"Holy shit..." Eret muttered as he watched Tubbo cradle Tommy in his arms. 

"We have to get him somewhere safe, whos base is the closest?" Philza broke the silence, turning to face the crowd. Everyone looked gobsmacked, still completely shocked at what was happening. "C'mon! Don't just stand there! He's going to die if we don't stop the bleeding!!" Philza shouted, his voice coated with worry. "Mine, my base is the closest." Nikki stepped forward, her hands shaking slightly. 

"Then c'mon! We don't have much time, lead me to your base." Phil said as he attempted to take Tommy from Tubbo's grasp. As Phil reached for Tommy, Tubbo's arms visibly tightened around the younger boys body. "Tubbo, you need to let me take Tommy. He's going to die if you keep him here!" Philza snapped, he immediately regretted it though. Tubbo was clearly mortified, his whole body shaking uncontrollably. 

"Tubbo, we need to get him to Nikki's base okay? We cant help him here." Philza said in a softer tone. This seemed to calm Tubbo down enough to let Phil get Tommy out of his grasp. Phil scooped up the younger boy and rushed after Nikki, leaving Tubbo on the ground to look at the blood stained grass his friend had just made. He just sat there... everything blurred around him. Tubbo couldn't comprehend what was going on... what was going on, even? Surely this must be a joke, a simple prank? Tommy didn't just... No, it couldn't be possible... Right?

A hand placed itself on Tubbo's shoulder, sliding down his back in a comforting motion.

"He's going to be okay, Tommy's a strong kid." Eret said, slowly sitting down beside Tubbo and pulling him into a hug.

Tubbo sat there in shock, not knowing what to say as he leaned into the man who had once betrayed them all.

"Eret... I'm scared." Tubbo managed to say, now fully leaned into Eret's gown. The man sighed, holding Tubbo close. "I know you are, and I promise to do everything in my power to make sure that Tommy is okay.." 

"Thank you..." 

***

Time seemed to pass abnormally. Days went by with a blink of an eye, though it still seemed like an eternity from sun rise to sun set. Hours became days, days became weeks. All during this, Tubbo never left the best side of his companion. Tommy wasn't the only one suffering, Tubbo has refused to eat due to "not feeling hungry." This began to worry Phil, who was watching over the two, as Tubbo began to grow thin and weak. It came to a point where the boys skin would look a sick pale every hour of the day. 

Phil, on the fifth day of Tubbo's malnourishment, had finally had enough. He got up from where he was sorting healing supplies in Nikki's cupboards and walked over to where Tubbo had settled.  Before he reached the boy, Phil snagged a loaf of bread from Nikki's counter. Surely she wouldn't mind, she and Phil have been trying to get Tubbo to eat for a while. 

"Mate, I know you don't feel hungry but you need to eat to be able to function properly." Phil said, sliding the loaf of bread in front of Tubbo. The brown haired boy looked up at the loaf and shrugged, mumbling. "Mmfine, Ill take a pass." 

"I wasn't asking."

Tubbo looked up to Phil, causing the older man to cringe. The young boys eyes just looked so lost and helpless... just so... dull. "You need to eat, Tubbo. I'm sorry to have to force you but when Tommy wakes up he's going to need his best friend alive." Phil chuckled a bit, his black feathered wing opening around the brown haired boys back.