The Year We Had (MCYT AU)

53: Home

When Tommy woke up, it was slow and comfortable. He could feel a gentle breeze on his face, and could hear the hum of a distant television. There was still an uncomfortable pain on his back, and a pressure on his legs, but that was okay.

He creaked his eyes open, and there was Phil, sitting right by his bedside flipping through a news paper. The cuts on his face and arms had been stitched, and one arm was in a sling. But he looked like himself, and that was more than Tommy could have dreamed of.

"Dad?"

Phil looked up, and he smiled. He folded the paper in half and left it on the windowsill, turning his full attention to Tommy. "Hey mate. How are you feeling?"

Tommy thought for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. "My mouth's really dry."

Phil let out a warm laugh and leant over to pour him a cup of water from a table that was placed off to the side.

It was a bit of a struggle to get Tommy sitting up, but they managed. He took the cup carefully in a hand that felt lighter than it should have, and drank the whole thing.

When he was comfortably resting back on the mountain of pillows, he looked to the other empty chairs. "Where's Techno and Wilbur? And Tubbo?"

"Scott just took them home to pick up some things for you." Phil said, and Tommy's worry faded in an instant. "You know, clothes. Your phone. Tubbo was pretty insistent that he had to get your camera."

That made Tommy smile.

When the door next opened, Wilbur, Techno, Tubbo and Scott entered quietly before seeing that Tommy was awake.

"How are you feeling, boss man?" Tubbo asked as he carefully placed Tommy's camera down on the side table.

Tommy smiled, and it was like the easiest thing in the world. "I'm okay, Tubbo. I'm okay."

"You slept a while." Wilbur deposited a duffle bag at the foot of Tommy's bed and then took a seat by his side. "It's almost four in the afternoon."

"How's the pain? I can call in a nurse if you want." Techno offered, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's alright." Tommy waved him off, clearing his throat slightly. "It's not too bad. I'll let you know, though."

"I kept your phone safe, too." Tubbo said quietly as he gingerly held out Tommy's phone. Its screen was slightly more broken than the last time he had seen it, but the metal was cold in his hand and it felt familiar. Tommy smiled down at it, and then up at his best friend.

"Thank you, Tubbo. For everything."

And Tubbo smiled widely. "Always, dude. Always."

---

The hospital food was disgusting.

Tommy thought about making a joke about how dying in the basement would have been better, but he read the room and decided against it.

Wilbur wasn't having it, however, and made a phone call in the hallway while Techno and Tommy debated what legally qualified something as food, and Phil laughed at his ridiculous boys.

Thirty minutes later, a barrage of teenagers entered the hospital with what was undeniably way too much McDonalds. Tommy let out a cheer when he caught sight of Quackity and Karl, and that only grew when he spotted everyone else behind them. "Big Q!"

"Oh my god." Phil laughed, standing up to make room. "I might step out. Give you guys a bit more space."

"Hey Tommy!" Quackity grinned, reaching out to grip his shoulder as he made his way into the small hospital room.