-Rehabilitating a Child Soldier-

Paint Bonds

Tommy spent the next two weeks in his room, only leaving to shower or get snacks.

There really wasn't anywhere else he needed to be. No one had come looking for him. His injuries we slowly healing, and he just needed rest... Plus a bit of time away from L'manburg.

Bad was a phenomenal cook. He held strong on his promise to bring Tommy a tray of food and new clothes that used to belong to Sapnap. Every time he visited, he sat on the bed with Tommy, just trying to stir up some small talk.

He had to admit, Bad was a very friendly... person.

The two weeks he spent in his room were spent pondering what Bad had told him on his first official day here... about safe places.

He didn't know what to make of the comment yet, but he was sure that it would come to him eventually.

Everyday that dragged by, he noticed Bad losing his typical flair of energy, and becoming more and more sluggish. To the point where he wasn't even correcting Tommy's foul language anymore.

It all came to a head on December first, when his door was violently kicked inwards so hard that it didn't even open. Someone's leg just came through the door.

That obviously made him jump, as he was just laying in wait for Bad to come in with his breakfast. Panic was a secondary reaction, as all the people it could be ran through his mind.

That is, until there was a pitiful voice from the other side of the door, after an unsuccessful attempt to remove their leg, and a thump, presumably of them banging their head against the door in shame.

"Hey kid... Mind opening the door?"

Tommy was hesitant... But, Bad wouldn't let him get hurt, right? He promised...

That doesn't mean much though. Promises are easy to break. Just like fingers.

But Bad did tend to his wounds... no one else did that while he was living in Pogtopia.

Finally, against better judgement, Tommy slowly opened the door.

In hopped Skeppy, on one leg, carefully holding a tray as he struggled to stay balanced.

"Thaaaank you! Take this!" Skeppy told him as he offered the tray that clearly wasn't made by Bad. 

It had a half-toasted bagel from a bag, with a swab of butter on the uncooked side, a glass of orange juice that had sloshed all over in Skeppy's attempt to free his leg, and a few strips of shriveled, burnt bacon. The only semi-good thing about the dish was that it had one of Bad's muffins on it, and even that had gone soggy from the orange juice disaster.

Tommy eyed the dish for a moment, before taking it, looking back up at the adult with the funniest deadpan you will ever see on a kid.

Skeppy didn't seemed to notice as he turned back to the door. His leg went rigged, followed by him ripping the bottom of the wooden door clean off as he tried to pull is stone-like leg out from the situation he had gotten himself in.

He stared at the splintery mess he created, blinking and sticking his tongue out. It took him a moment to verbally react, but when he did, he was chirping in an over-cheerful tone.

"Well! Bad will fix that... Probably."

Tommy was just stunned as Skeppy turned to him, looking down to make eye contact with him. Or rather, scan him up and down...

It didn't even make him uncomfortable. The previous series of actions that this man had just taken had confused him to the point of his brain having a total shutdown.