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Chapter 4: Toby

Tension ran through Technoblade, tension that nobody else seemed to share at the dinner table. 

Wilbur and Tommy were absolutely out of their minds, Wilbur dotting on the new addition, and Tommy was going absolutely wild trying to ask the poor child every question under the sun. Dad had brought the small child in and had immediately sat him on the edge of the sink, throwing the dishes to the side and running the water to wash off his numerous scrapes and blood stains.

Philza had asked Techno to set the table for dinner and to pull out some food for our guest, and he had done so while Dad was having a conversation in very hushed tones with Abigail. They both seemed aggravated, but was trying to keep it reigned in because of the child. Abigail had left, refusing the offer to eat dinner with us, looking quite flustered and if Techno was reading her right, exasperated.

Techno sat with perfect posture in his spot, while Wilbur buzzed with excitement next to him.

"Where did you find him!" Tommy bounced across the room.

Dad responded softly, "in the Nether." His voice sounded shot.

"Woah!" Tommy said, poking at the child who to this point had seemed to be very shell shocked from the over-exposure to Tommy. "Is he special? Are we going to keep him? What does he eat?"

Techno, very stiff-necked turned and risked a look to the sink. There was an extra child in the house. And boy, did he not like it.

"Leave him alone Tommy." Wilbur got up from his chair and pushed Tommy out of the way. "He just got home! Can't you see that he's hurt?" Wilbur picked up Tommy who was getting a bit too old to be picked up, and pointed at all the burn marks that the child had up and down his arms. The child did not like being looked at, and scooched farther into Philza who was running water over his legs, knocking what seemed to be years of soul sand build up from his feet.

Techno's curiosity got the best of him. "How does a child survive in the Nether?"

Everyone stopped talking, and only the sound was from the fireplace and water faucet. Techno immediately felt like he had said something wrong. Wilbur didn't ask that question, he kicked himself. Wilbur asks the appropriate questions. You do not.

But then Wilbur chimed in, "Yeah, Dad, how does a child survive?"

Techno felt a release in his chest. So he wasn't in the wrong.

Philza thought for a bit, letting himself run water through the child's hair, the little thing shivering a bit and shaking it out of his eyes. "I don't know."

"You don't know!" Tommy screamed.

Techno kept his mouth shut. He was deep in thought. If dad didn't know-

His thoughts were cut off by a little sneeze.

The child in the sink wiped his nose, before sneezing again.

"AWWWWW!" Wilbur leaned against the counter.

Tommy scowled. "He's all broken! You think he's allergic to water?"

Philza laughed. "Okay, I think that's enough for one night." He picked up the now wet child and wrapped him in a towel. "I'm going to take him upstairs and get him a change of clothes and some bandages. You boys behave. Once he's all dried up he'll be sure to have an appetite." Dad picked up the child and, still dripping wet, carried him across the wood floors that Techno had cleaned earlier that day.

Wilbur glanced over at Techno who was clearly trying everything not to completely shut down. "Uhhhh..." He smiled shyly, grabbing a rag from the sink. "I'll get that."