Sleepy Bois Inc. Angst Oneshots

Sickness in Exile Part 2

Trigger Warning: sickness, the exile special, and a tiny bit of cursing
~*~
Dream felt the boy fall against him. He knew Tommy was sick, but he didn't know it was this bad. He didn't have any medical supplies, and neither did Tommy. Nightmare made sure of that. Where should he bring Tommy? If Dream let Tommy die, his family would-

He knew exactly who to bring Tommy to. He just hoped it wasn't too late.

Dream picked Tommy up bridal style and started running. He brought him out of the mines and towards the Nether portal. With every step, Tommy made a sound of protest. Dream couldn't help that, but at least Tommy was still alive.

When they entered the Nether, Tommy opened his eyes and looked at Dream. "Bitch. Where're we going?" Tommy slurred.

"Home, Tommy. You're going home."

"You know once Techno almost killed me during a training session. Stabbed me right in the gut. Dadza patched me up." Tommy started laughing. He was definitely delirious.

"That's nice," Dream said, not sure how to respond to that.

"And Wilbur, he blew up L'Manberg, right? Yeah. Sounds right. He's dead now." Tommy frowned at this. Dream reminded himself that he was in shock.

"Just a little bit longer, and Phil can patch you up again. Alright?" Tommy nodded before going limp again. It was even more worrying than the mumbling.

Dream finally made it out of the Nether to the edge of the Antarctic Empire's territory. He stepped into the biome, and much to Tommy's dismay, the temperature dropped quickly. He cuddled closer to Dream.

Dream, breathing heavily, kept thinking, "A few hundred blocks, just a few hundred blocks." He cradled Tommy closer to protect him from the cold.

Finally, Phil's house was in view. At first glance, it looked like a tiny cabin. The longer he looked, the more complicated the building seemed. There was only one visible floor, but red stone and trapdoors were obviously and haphazardly strewn across the land. Dream cleared his mind and made it to the door.

A new problem arose. He didn't know whether anyone was home. He didn't want to have to explain to Phil and Techno what Nightmare did to Tommy, and he didn't want to leave Tommy in the cold in hopes of someone being home. Dream hesitantly knocked on the door.

"Who is- Dream. What do you want?" Techno growled, not noticing his brother yet. Tommy chose that moment to wake up due to a poorly timed coughing fit.

When Tommy looked around, he recognized the place Dream had brought him. However, his mind wasn't working properly, so instead of saying something like, "It's good to be home," he said, "Dream, did you know that Techno is a pig? Isn't that interesting?"

Techno's eyes shifted down to the bundle in Dream's arms. It took him a minute, but he recognized it as his little brother. He would've smiled if not for the state of him. Tommy looked terrible. His hair was dirty, long, and knotted. It was plastered to his forehead which was twice as dirty as his hair. He was coated in a thin layer of grime and sweat.

"What happened to him? Dream, what did you do to him?"

Phil had noticed the lengthy conversation at the door, and he called to Techno, "Who is it?" Instead of answering, Techno stepped aside and allowed Dream to enter with Tommy in his arms. The second he came into the home, Tommy tried to get out of Dream's grip. Unprepared for the resistance, Dream dropped the child.

Tommy yelped when he hit the floor but made no move to get up. Philza finally came in from a room in the back, and when he noticed his long-lost son on the floor, he rushed to him.

"He's burning up!" Phil picked Tommy up and brought him out of Dream's view, presumably to a bedroom or infirmary. Dream went to follow when Techno blocked his way.

"Tell me how Tommy ended up with you, and why he's in the condition he is. I'm not letting you get one step closer until I know you're not going to hurt him." Dream wanted to shove past Techno, but he knew that Techno wouldn't think twice about killing him.

"Nightmare. He's the reason Tommy's like this. Without my knowledge, he's been taking over and making Tommy's life in exile hell. He tormented Tommy to the point of PTSD. Tommy got sick because he doesn't sleep enough, isn't warm enough ever, and is extremely malnourished. I should've done something, but Nightmare..."

Techno looked like he was going to murder Dream, but deep down, Dream knew some part of him could relate. The voices were, after all, something they had in common.

Even so, Techno reached for the hilt of his sword and said, "It's best you leave." Dream did as he was told with little argument for once. He understood that after what Tommy had been through, he was the last face he needed to see.
~*~
(830 words)