It's Okay, It's a Strategy (to ensure I remain)

Chapter 20: Recovery's A Bitch, But We Can Get Through It Together

Two weeks had passed while he was in the hospital. Two very stressful weeks.

Kind of. Not really for him, mostly for the heroes and Tubbo and Ranboo. Everyone else. Tommy was just stuck in bed, twiddling his thumbs as he was pampered and taken care of. In his opinion, it was a bit much- how much his friends hovered over him, always making sure he was okay- but it wasn't necessarily bad.

Everyone was being so nice to him, treating him as if he were porcelain glass, scared that he'd slip out of their fingers if they're too rough with him. Scared that he'd disappear if they looked away for a moment.

That was mostly from Wilbur. Something about looking for Tommy and him always disappearing, slipping out of his grasp.

Wilbur made sure to stick nearby, almost overbearingly so- either sleeping in the chair next to him or on the ground with the blankets Phil gave him. He kept Tommy company all through the day and night, making conversation with him or helping him find things to do to waste his time in bed away. Once in a while, Phil would drag him home to make him take care of his physical health, and Wilbur would bring back something fun for him to do.

First it was a small stuffed cow, to replace Quackity. Tommy scoffed at it at first, he wasn't a child, he didn't need a little stuffed toy. Nobody mentioned how he could be found sleeping with it at night, the stuffed cow held close to his chest after Quackity left.

He had left after a few days, bidding a cocky farewell to the heroes and telling Tommy he'd see him back on the rooftops soon. Tommy only gave him a fist bump before telling him to tell Slimecicle he said hi. Quackity grinned and shapeshifted back into that bee, making Tubbo smile widely and Techno scoff, before flying out of the room and into a nurses face. Tommy cackled at the shriek the nurse let out and he could almost hear Quackity cackle with him before he was gone.

Tommy would see him again soon, as Theseus. As soon as he got out of here, out of this damn bed, he'd be up on the rooftops in no time. He was sure of this.

Wilbur had given him other things to entertain him as well. Some books (Techno had slipped in The Art of War), coloring books- Tommy had to remind Wilbur he wasn't three years old while studiously coloring in between the lines- and surprisingly, the Nintendo Switch.

Tommy had nearly snatched it away from the older man and loaded up Animal Crossing as fast as he could. Tubbo and Ranboo had clambered over the bed and rested on Tommy's sides, looking over his shoulders at the game curiously. They laid like that for hours, laughing at the villagers and helping Tommy do his tasks as Wilbur and Techno went to grab cafeteria food.

Tubbo and Ranboo had been clingy as well- always resting next to Tommy with their heads on their hands- Tommy was sure they're going to get chronic back pain if they continued sleeping like that. He offered to share the bed, but Tubbo and Ranboo refused, saying they'd take up too much space and squish him. Tommy had scoffed at that before pulling them up more, letting them get in a more comfortable position before drifting off.

He missed Phil's fond smile as he snapped a quick picture of the three, saving it to his 'Favorites' album for safe keeping, then saving it to his 'Blackmail' album- just for fun, just for memories.

Tubbo and Ranboo never left. They just- stayed in the hospital room next to Tommy, literally 24/7. They were looking more worn down with each day that passed, tired smiles and hunched backs, stiff bones and creaky joints. Tommy had been concerned- but it's not like they had anywhere else to go. Why go back to the cold apartment when they had warmth here? When they had Tommy here. And so they stayed, sleeping on the floor with Wil and sidling up to Tommy in his bed, avoiding the nurses when they came to check up on him or to give him his meds.