Ink Stains (MCYT Oneshots)

[R] So Much Worse (Phil & Tommy)

(A/N: request as a pic. ashjkwdjk i didn't really include the techno part that much but other than that i hope this is good enough!
tw for: panic attack, terrible way of dealing with said panic attack, unreliable narrator tommyinnit through speech)

When Phil had initially agreed to... save Tommy from prison, he was just ready to bust in, grab Tommy, try to grab the book that Dream has from him, dump Tommy out, and leave immediately after. Ranboo had been very insistent on it, saying something about being worried for Tommy for some reason, and Phil wasn't about to pass up a chance to grabbing the book.

But when they arrive at the prison and knock Dream off of Tommy and out with a potion, Phil can't help but stare.

Tommy looks...

"Tommy," Ranboo chokes, falling to his knees besides Tommy's limp form, uncaring of the blood surrounding him. And god, there's so much. There's barely any unmarked skin left on Tommy, and though Phil has seen worse, though he has wished that Tommy would learn his lesson, it doesn't stop his hands from shaking as he glances at him.

He wants Tommy to learn a lesson, but not to this point. Not to a point where he's more bruises than blank skin, where his eyes are glassy but fearful as he stands up on shaking legs, pushing Ranboo away without a thought as he stumbles back, wide-eyed and scared.

"Wh- what are you doing here?" Tommy whispers, glancing between the three of them with naked fear. "I- s-stay away! Don't- please, I don't- don't come near me!"

"Tommy, we're not here to hurt you. We need-" Phil starts, about to talk about the book, but he isn't expecting for Tommy to suddenly burst out into laughter. Then, he speaks, and it becomes clear that Tommy has misunderstood his words.

"Of course you do!" Tommy laughs, and it sounds wrong, because it's not the laugh that Phil's used to, not the bubbly, ear-piercing laugh that never seemed to change throughout the years, until now. Instead, this laugh is one that borders on hysteria, as Tommy folds in on himself. "Of course you do, because that's all what everyone seems to want me for, right?! When I'm- when I can be useful, when I can be good little Tommy, who follows the leader and sacrifices himself and is the hero when you want me to be, because otherwise I'm nothing! Nobody! Otherwise, I'm not deserving of your kindness because I'm not being useful!"

He takes a step back, and stumbles. Phil instinctively reaches out to catch him, only to flinch back as Tommy does the same.

"No, wait, I'm sorry," Tommy suddenly begs, switching personalities quickly as he does stumble and fall onto the ground, just a few feet away from Dream's unconscious body. "I'm sorry, please, it was- it won't happen again, I'll be good! Please- please I just- please don't hit me, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please-"

"Shit," Techno mutters; a startling thing, because he almost never curses. "This... this is worse than when he'd arrived after exile. He didn't always panic this much before. He was- he was getting better the last time I saw him, but now..."

Now he's worse.

There's a loud thump, and Phil glances over to see that Dream's body has rolled over a few feet. A boot mark is left on his shirt, as Techno steps back with a look of disgust on his face.

"Um, guys...?" Ranboo says, panicked. "I- I think the potion's gonna run out sometime soon."

Phil glances at Dream, then at Tommy, and makes a quick decision. "Techno, can you make a clear way out of here? Ranboo, please take watch."

Then, he starts striding towards Tommy, who's still whimpering pleads and begs that make Phil's heart crack, just a little. Resolutely, despite how bad of an idea it is, he surges forward, and hugs Tommy tightly, making sure the younger won't be able to escape.

"Let me go, let me go, please!" Tommy shrieks, and Phil nearly does so as he hears a hiss and a growl. Instead, he tries his best to soothe Tommy, to get him to calm down quickly. This is a bad idea — Phil has calmed down many from panic attacks before, and he knows by now that this is not a good way of doing so — but they need to get out quick, and Phil doesn't want Tommy to stay in here any longer than he should.

"It's okay, you'll be okay, it'll all be alright," Phil whispers mindlessly, useless but well-meaning platitudes spewing from his mouth, and he doesn't stop even as Tommy stops struggling as much, though he's still tense. He pats his hair, pats his back, and does his best to quickly calm Tommy down.

"It's okay," Phil says, one last time, and catches Tommy as he finally, finally slumps in his grasp. He's too thin and weak, littered with injuries all over, and if they didn't need Dream alive, Phil would've gifted him to Kristin as an anniversary gift.

As it stands, he merely marches through the whole that Techno has created. Techno blocks their passageway back up with obsidian as Ranboo hovers around Phil, glancing down at the prone form of Tommy anxiously.

"Tommy?" he tries. Tommy remains unresponsive.

"I think he's tired himself out, mate," Phil tells him quietly, walking with quick and light steps. They'll have to get back to the cottage first, then they can properly treat Tommy's wounds and discuss what they should do. And when Tommy wakes up...

Phil's going to find out just how deep Dream's manipulations run, and hopefully fix them in time. Before it's too late for Tommy.