One More Step Out of the Pit

Chapter 5

This was fucking shit, Tommy thought. He'd just wanted to buy break and milk, but instead he'd ended up having to spend his money on the shitty first aid equipment the little store had. The nasty lady had slipped him some extra bandages and disinfectant. Tommy didn't know if she'd bought them with her own money or stolen for him, but he didn't ask. He'd have plausible deniability if anyone asked. She'd also bought him a bus ticket, so he didn't have to walk all the way back to the apartment. She hadn't even complained about him doing wound care on the floor of the shop, had helped him out even, though she obviously didn't know what she was doing with medical stuff. She'd been a bit pale by the end. Tommy forgot that some people were simply lucky enough not to know how to stitch up wounds on themselves. Still, she'd done her best. Maybe he should stop calling her nasty lady in his head.

Now he was at his apartment building, slowly pulling himself up the stairs. He was able to use his powers a bit to help, but he couldn't get enough momentum to fly up the stairs without hurting himself, so mostly had to take the slow way. He felt like he was fucking dying, though the stab wound hadn't gotten anything too bad, and he probably wasn't going to actually die as long as Tubbo could get him antibiotics.

For now, he'd cleaned the wound with saline, and he knew they had three leftover pills in the bathroom cabinet from the last time they'd needed antibiotics. (You were supposed to take them all, but they always tried to leave one just in case.) That's the first thing he went for when he made it to the apartment, downing two of them and saving the third for later.

Then came the task of carefully removing the ruined sweatshirt (he'd already cut it and the t-shirt underneath to get it out of the way). He frowned at it, hoping Tubbo wasn't too sad it'd gotten ruined before using a washcloth to clean himself up around the bandages the best he could.

Then he all but collapsed in bed. He glanced at his phone and saw that his shift was set to start in under two hours. He couldn't afford to not go in for the day, but he also didn't think he'd be able to walk to headquarters, let alone work. He'd have to call in. Maybe they'd be willing to put him on half pay for desk duty until moving didn't feel like being stabbed again. It wouldn't be the best financially, but he and Tubbo had survived worse.

He needed to call into HQ. God... he really did not want to have to tell Dream about this. He was contemplating just simply not doing that and going to sleep. He could blame it on the blood loss.

Yeah, that wouldn't go over well. Just as he was about to give in and dial the number, there was a soft beep.

Tommy froze and looked at his wrist. It was something they'd gotten down in The Pit before escaping out of the barrier. Most people on the surface wouldn't recognize it and they'd hidden it under weaved together yarn in the shape of bracelets just in case ('Friendship bracelets!' Tubbo had enthused. 'Clingy bastard,' Tommy had replied with an eyeroll.) It was a simple spell that appeared as a red mark on both of their wrists. If either of them were in danger, they just had to squeeze their fists in a certain pattern and it would beep and glow on the other one's wrist.

Which was what it was doing now.

He was out of the bed the next moment. His wound protested, but Tommy shoved aside the pain. There were more important things going on. Tubbo was on his superhero shift and he'd just pressed their panic button.

He was on a superhero shift and he'd just pressed their panic button!

Tommy could barely breathe as he grabbed his superhero costume and pulled the red fabric over his head. He felt the motion pull at his stitches and tried to go a bit slower, but ultimately it didn't matter right now. He pulled on the matching pants and slapped on his mask before bolting out of the apartment. He didn't bother to take the steps, hopping over the railing and hitting the ground probably a little too hard even while using his powers.