two weeks

Waste

tw /cw: Panic attacks, seizures, accusations of abuse (false)

The two brothers woke up late into the afternoon, to knocking on the door. Wilbur jolted up in panic, "Shit. Techno's here." Wilbur opened the door and smiled awkwardly, "Just give us a minute!" Techno nodded politely, though confused. Wilbur picked up a half asleep, bewildered Tommy and placed him gently on his bed. "Go back to sleep king." Tommy nodded quietly and yawned.

Wilbur ran into his room, quickly changed and ran back out to the door. "Sorry about that, uh. Come in!" Techno obliged and entered the small apartment. "I hear Tommy's home, how is he?" Wilbur just grimaced darkly, "I am not ready to talk about that."

"Noted.." Techno replied. "So, let's get working I guess." Wilbur and Techno worked late into the evening, when at about 8PM, Tommy emerged from his room, looking just as tired. "...Tommy?" Techno asked, worried about the cuts and bruises on his face. Tommy's eyes widened at the sight of Techno, and he ran back into his room. Wilbur bit his lip and waited for the barrage of questions inevitably coming his way. He called Niki and told her what happened when Tommy fell asleep, but she had been sworn to secrecy.

"What the fuck happened to Tommy? What the fuck was that?" Wilbur sighed. "What the fuck is this Wilbur?" I can't do this. I can't tell him I can't do this. Techno noticed Wilbur start to panic and laid off. "What happened?.." He half whispered. Wilbur clenched his fists as he teared up, thinking about what that nurse did to HIS BROTHER. Techno grabbed onto Wilbur's shoulders and shook him violently, "What happened to Tommy!" He screamed at the panicking 24 year old. Wilbur shook his head, "I can't I can't I can't." Techno watched as Wilbur hyperventilated. What was he supposed to do? "Wilbur?" He asked weakly, but Wilbur wasn't listening. Techno tried to bring Wilbur back to reality, but failed. "Wilbur, what am I supposed to do?" Wilbur looked up at him as he panicked. He tried to speak, but he couldn't.

Tommy ran back into his room after he saw Techno, great. Now Techno would ask questions, and Techno would get mad, and people would care about him. They should care about more important things, like rent. Tommy would be fine on his own, that was how it always was.

Techno didn't know what to do. Wilbur froze, and Techno thought he was calming down. But then Wilbur started to seize. Techno panicked, what was he supposed to do? Wilbur cried out in pain as he writhed.

Techno burst into Tommy's room and Tommy jumped back in alarm, "What are you-?"

"Tommy! What do I do?" Tommy looked at Techno's panicked face and ran out to see what was happening. He saw Wilbur seizing on the floor and sprinted over. "Shit! Get a pillow or something!" Tommy screamed at Techno, as he tried to prevent Wilbur from hitting his head against the floor. "Wilbur, Wilbur, it's okay." Tommy soothed his brother as his awareness slowly came back and he yelped out in pain. Techno ran back with a cushion and gave it to Tommy, he put it under Wilbur's head as his seizings calmed. Once Tommy was sure Wilbur was okay, he turned to Techno angrily, "The fuck did you do Techno?" He shouted at him. "Wilbur only gets seizures when he has a bad panic attack! What did you say to him?" Techno stammered for a moment "I- I just asked him what happened to you... and I- I shook him and-"

"YOU SHOOK HIM?" Tommy roared. Techno looked down in shame, "I- I just thought he did something to you. So I shouted at him, and he panicked and-" Techno trailed off, ashamed of his angry outburst. Tommy looked furious at Techno, "Why the fuck would Wilbur hurt me?" Techno just simply said, "I'm sorry." Tommy's anger didn't ease, "YOU SHOULD BE FUCKIN SOR-" Tommy was cut off by Wilbur weakly grabbing his arm, "Stop.. please." he mumbled quietly, still in pain. Techno tried to help Tommy with getting Wilbur onto his feet but Tommy pushed him away, "Get the fuck out." Techno nodded sadly and left the apartment.

"What did he say to you, Wil? What made you panic like that?" Tommy hugged his brother tight as he felt him still shaking. "He asked about you, and he was shouting and- and he shook me and I don't remember anything else.." Wilbur leaned on Tommy's shoulder, still trying to understand what happened. "Are you going to fire Techno?" Tommy asked. "I can't afford to pay him anyway." Wilbur burst into tears, "I can't afford anything, Tommy." He sobbed quietly. "Couldn't you ask Niki for money?"

"I couldn't do that to her." He sighed.

"But we have to!"

"It'll be fine, the homeless shelter isn't that bad, is it?"

"Wilbur."

"FINE. IT'S SHIT. I KNOW! BUT WHAT CAN I DO?" Wilbur cried louder.

"Ask for help, Wilbur!"

"I can't."

Tommy sighed, got up, put on his coat and walked out the door. "I'm going out." Wilbur looked up at him before he left "You ca-" He was already gone.

Tommy walked quickly, it was already dark. There could be anyone out, he had to get to Niki's bakery quick. He had decided right then and there: if Wilbur wouldn't ask for help, then Tommy would do it himself. Niki owned a small bakery that she worked at part time, she worked the other half of time as Wilbur's receptionist at work. He walked in the door and walked straight up to the counter and rang the small bell. Eret walked out, a kind, very tall worker at the bakery. "Hi Eret, is Niki here?" Tommy asked. "Yes she is, I'll go get her." They smiled kindly. Niki walked out to the counter, looking confused. "Tommy? It's a bit late for you to be out without Wilbur."

"I want a job."

"But you're still in schoo-"

"Correction. I NEED a job."

Niki frowned, "But, why?" Tommy grimaced, "Wilbur can't afford rent, and he's too scared to ask for help." Niki didn't look especially surprised. "Oh. Wilbur, the pride of that man will be the death of him. No, Tommy. I'm not going to give you a job. Just take this, tell Wilbur you found it." Niki handed Tommy some money and he hugged her tight. "Thank you Niki." Just as Tommy was about to leave, he heard Wilbur calling Tommy's name from the bottom of the street. Niki placed her hands on her hips and smirked, "You ran off?" Tommy smiled slyly as Wilbur ran in the door. "Tommy! Don't do that! Your face is still all- You shouldn't be-" Wilbur was out of breath. "Don't run off like that." Niki giggled and Wilbur glanced over at her, "Niki, you should have called me!" Niki winked at Tommy and said, "Wilbur, calm down. He came to get a pastry. He's leaving now, right Tommy?" Tommy nodded a little too quickly, Wilbur knew something was up. "What's going on?" Wilbur noticed Tommy's hands in his pockets. "What's in your pocket Tommy?" Wilbur asked, squinting with suspicion. "Nothing, it's just-"

"Show me." Tommy sighed, and pulled out the money.

"No. Absolutely not, give it back to Niki." Niki stepped forward defiantly, "No! Wilbur! Please keep it. There's no shame in needing help! Swallow your pride, Wilbur Soot. Before it swallows you whole." Wilbur tried to argue, but burst into tears again, "I can't. I CAN'T!"

"Why not?" Niki asked simply.

"Phil told me not to take money from people, you'll just owe them forever."

"You don't have to pay it back!"

"NO!" Wilbur screamed at her and ran out of the bakery. Tommy sighed, "Thanks for trying, Niki." Tommy noticed himself start to feel strange, disconnected. It was probably fine. It would be fine.

"No problem," Niki smiled, but her expression changed when Tommy collapsed.