Secrets and Consequences - SBI AU

13

Previously: Tommy took a deep breath before nodding at his brother and laying his head on his arms, not wanting to watch.

~

Warm hands started to gently probe around his ankle. For the most part it didn't hurt too badly... until Techno got to where Tommy assumed the fracture was. He flinched and Techno immediately stopped, taking his hands away. "Okay, I'm done. I'm pretty sure its fractured which means you need to stay off of it for six or eight weeks."

He groaned in pain as he looked back at his brother. "Does it need a cast?"

"No, I don't think so. But putting it in a brace and using crutches would be good." Techno thought for a moment before standing up. "I think we still have Wil's brace and crutches from when his ankle broke a couple years ago." He turned away from Tommy and walked towards the door before suddenly stopping and turning around. "Stay here, don't move. I'll be right back." He turned around again, this time leaving the room.

Tommy let out a breath. That was something. He knew Wilbur knew about, or at least guessed at, the fact he didn't want to be touched. Techno apparently hadn't gotten the memo, but he had purely done it out of medical need this time and not familial affection, so Tommy overlooked it.

It had still scared him whenever he felt Techno touch him, more so than the thought of his dad or Wilbur touching him. Techno had super strength, which in Tommy's mind meant that he could easily be harmed even if it was an accident.

They are still my family. Techno is still my brother. He has never hurt me. He won't start now.

Still, there was a tickle at the back of his mind that he couldn't get rid of. The thought that they could do things he had only dreamed of... it scared him. He knew, in his heart, that they wouldn't hurt him, hadn't hurt him, but the thought was still there and would probably be there for a while.

Techno came back a minute or so later, crutches and brace in hand. He knelt down to put the brace on, but Tommy stopped him. "I can do it."

Techno paused and looked up at him, a little surprised. "I know you can, but it'd be easier for me to do it for you."

"I can do it."

"I'm not babying you, Tommy. I just want to help." He reached to put the brace on again, but Tommy moved away.

"Technoblade." This caught his brother's attention. Tommy never used his full name, even when they had arguments, it was always Techno. "Put the brace down. I can do it." He didn't want to hurt his brother by saying he didn't want him to come near because he was afraid his brother might accidentally hurt him but that was essentially what happened as Techno's brain worked out why Tommy said what he did.

"Okay, Tommy, but I'm here if you want help." Techno set the brace on the counter next to Tommy, some inches away, while he moved to the other side of the kitchen and busied himself with something or another.

The brace was simple enough to figure out. It looked like a tall black sock that had the front half of the foot cut off. There were straps on the sides to tighten it but other than that it wasn't too complicated. It was meant for the later stages of ankle recovery where a boot wasn't necessary, per se, but they still had to stay off of the foot/ankle. It was just meant to be a stabilizer.

Tommy hopped off the stool, onto his non-hurt foot, and sat against the lower cupboards. He brought his ankle towards him and tried to slide the brace onto it.

Emphasis on tried.

The moment he slid it past heel of his foot, pain shot through his ankle, making him cry out just a little. Damn... that hurt. He gritted his teeth and tried again, getting the same result though the brace was further up his ankle.