Lay Your Love

Chapter 14: New secrets to keep, new faces from the surface

WARNING: Mild gore, body gore and a character throws up towards the end, so be warned! 

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Tom sat in the medical bed mortified, as Matt fuzzed over him. "Tom..?" Matt probed with a small voice, Tom stared at the food Matt brought. Cooked soy, oatmeal, pieces and strips of chicken meat. Tom used the spoon to mix around the mushed food gingerly. Tom can hear the annoyed buzz from behind his skull.

This horse shit is disgusting...

Tom shakes his head quickly. It's so quiet. To say the least, it's been stale. Tom's mouth feels dry, what should he ask? What should he say? He knows Matt knows, but does Matt know he knows?

Tom groaned internally. Why couldn't the world crack in half and let Tom fall through it?

Matt pushed the plate a bit closer to Tom, snapping him out of his thoughts. "You should eat something. Can't go hungry the wh-" "You know." Tom interrupted looking up sternly. Matt looked at Tom pensively, as Tom leaned closer. "Matt- I need to know what you know- I need to know what you remember- I can explain everything just-" Tom stressed as his lungs burned, a painful and uncomfortable lump in his throat. His stomach hurt from nervousness, it felt like he was gonna throw up any second, he could feel some sort of stomach acid at the back of his throat. Tom could feel and hear his own heartbeat echo through his ears. Thin claws dug into Tom's lower back. Matt quickly stood up and took Tom's free hand.

"Tom?- hey- calm down!" Matt tried to reassure Tom, awkwardly patting him. Tom sniffed as he could only stare down. Did everyone know? Did Tord know? What did Matt think?-

Matt sat there staring into Tom's hair as the other looked down. "I... I just wanna understand what I saw Tom. . . That wasn't you- It couldn't have been- You would never-" "Did you tell anyone?" Matt looked up when Tom interrupted, again. Matt looked away, he felt so hurt. Why did that matter? No one would've believed him! Shouldn't Tom be more worried about their friendship, what Matt felt when he found out?

"No. . . I didn't.." Matt finally spoke up with a slight frown. Tom winced at the dry tone, he definitely deserved that. "Tom, why ? . . . We could've helped you. I'm sure that if we told Edd, he could have helped- I mean, we've been on so many adventures! It wouldn't be the first time one of us turned into something-" "Matt this was ... this is different-" "How?? Different how Tom?" Matt almost sneered. Why was Tom always so closed off? So stubborn and difficult?? Why can't he just accept help?.

"Edd practically lost all of his powers- Commie came back normal, not a dead brained zombie!- And you, Matt, somehow figured it out! You figured out how to control your vampire abilities- WHILE I still feel as useless as ever when it comes to this- this THING-" Tom ranted as he ripped out his hand from Matt's and gripped his own hair. "I tried everything! I tried working more to ignore it, I tried going to stupid fucking therapy! I tried listening to my coach, HELL! I even tried going to a doctor only to be told it's all in my head!" Tom yelled as he jerked away the plate. The plate fell to the floor, the food flying and scattering to the ground a few feet away. Matt glanced at the floor.

"And guess what Matt? It didn't do shit. I still lost control, I still hurt others, I still killed others. And then I relapsed! And then you saw-" Matt got up. "Well why didn't you say anything?- Why did you resort to- TO erasing me?? and my memories?-" "You think I knew it was gonna turn you into a vain narcissistic idiot??" Tom growled. "I wanted to make you forget seeing me that night! I didn't know I was gonna erase- you!"

"Then why didn't you reverse it??"

A pregnant pause, Matt stared at Tom desperately. This had to be a misunderstanding. Tom wouldn't be selfish- Right?