Shouldn't Have [TomTord]

Chapter Five

Tom stared at his two friends in disbelief.

They both contributed to telling him what had happened hours ago that led to Tom sitting on the couch with a sore throat.

Apparently Tom was choking on something, or maybe something was wrong with his lungs, but he just couldn't breath. His skin was turning blue and his heart rate was slowing by the second. Matt had looked so guilty as he confessed that Tom wanted something, that he only realized later on was water, and was unable to give it to him before he had turned blue and stopped breathing. They forced water down his throat, thinking maybe that would work, and it just ended with Tom passing out. They had even given him the heimlich maneuver.

They were panicked as Tom was slowly dying before their eyes on the kitchen table. They were going to call for emergency services, but Tom's body started to shake and cough uncontrollably while he was passed out. Too scared to do much, they watched in horror as a pile of flowers puffed up from his coughing mouth.

Edd had laughed, albeit a little guiltily, as he explained this part of the story, thinking how silly this whole event was over petals that got stuck in his throat. He and Matt were switching off telling the details, but at this moment Matt just looked far off and too concentrated to laugh at the story.

The story ended with Tom waking up briefly and mumbling, sounding like being woken up from a long nap while still being extremely tired. They had tried to get him up, but his tired state shoved them away and went to sleep on the kitchen table. While he slept, they moved him to the couch in the living room, where he is now listening to the story being told.

Tom looked at them shocked. He had a faint memory of choking, but he doesn't remember being given the hemlock, turning blue, coughing up flowers, and then waking up only to go back to sleep in exhaustion.

"How long have I been asleep?" Tom asked, his mind working itself after the story was told.

"Close to two hours." Edd held up two fingers.

Tom sighed and hunched over, reaching to massage his temples as he processed what was going on. He had nearly died and it was probably because of the stupid flower petals he kept finding in his throat.

He should've thought about this sooner, but why the fuck were flower petals in his throat? No way could this be something about the night he got drunk, right? How can flowers stay in his digestive system that long without dissolving by now? We're flowers even in his stomach? Were they in his windpipe or throat? His lungs? Were there flowers growing in his lungs?

"I need to be alone." Tom got up from the couch and felt his feet ache at the bottom of them. They hurt so badly, and soon the pain kept going upwards. His legs felt weak and sore, his stomach clenched, his chest felt bruised, and then, finally, his head pounded. Tom groaned.

"Actually, no, you're staying here." Edd scolded, getting up to stand next to Tom, probably to intimidate him.

Tom turned to glare at his friend, "You aren't my mom."

"You're right. But, unless you forgot, you and Tord got into a major fight in the middle of the hallway that resulted in you passing out." Edd's face sifted shortly after those words, "That fight could be the reason why you almost died, Tom. You two need to get along."

Tom stared at Edd in disbelief. He and Tord fought until Tom passed out? When was this? How come he can't remember this?

"Please, Tom." Matt piped up, causing Tom to look at him in question, "Talk to him."

It was obvious that Matt was always scared of Tom and Tord's fights, whether they were physical or verbal. But, instead of looking scared like usual, Matt almost looked pleading like there was something else going on.