Chapter Text
The task from Sam Nook was simple today: two stacks of spruce logs. Not that Tommy didn’t complain about it, but when you’re talking to an NPC it can sound like a broken record. So when the third time that Sam Nook had said, “HELLO AGAIN TOMMYINNIT…” Tommy sighed in defeat.
“Fine I’ll get the fucking wood!” He said. As Tommy walked away from the construction site he added on. “Even though I’m the one who paid for it.”
It wasn't long before Tommy found a good amount of spruce trees in the area near the construction site and the L’manburg Crater. Tommy knew he could’ve stolen from someone but he didn’t know anyone who had that amount of wood and he was trying something new: No starting wars.
Out of the corner of his eye there was a flash of green. Not a normal green like the grass or leaves, but an unnatural green of a cloak. There was only one person Tommy could think of: Dream.
Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck. He's found me. How has he found me? He's supposed to be in Sam's prison. Dream is not here, Dream is not fucking here. Tommy's mind was racing as he struggled to remind himself that Dream was in prison and there was no way Sam would let him escape. What also didn’t help was the only weapons that could be of use wasThe Axe of Peace.
“Calm down, Tommy, he’s not here. Dream is locked away. Your mind is just fucking with you.” He told himself. Even though it helped calm down his, now heightened, paranoia slightly, it didn’t stop Tommy from thinking of when Wilbur would pace around Pogtopia muttering about traitors and L’manburg.
The sound of a twig snapping and footsteps behind him did not help. Tommy whipped his head around and tightened his grip on the axe.
“WHO THE FUCK IS THERE?” Tommy yelled.
Silence.
Now he’s talking to nothing. Great. There’s nothing like hallucinations to freak out his already paranoid mind. The sound of footsteps behind him were getting louder.
“There’s nothing there. There’s nothing there. There’s-” Tommy whispered until a very real and sharp blade was at his throat.
Tommy froze. Dream is here, He is here, Dream is here and I am going to die.
“SAM!!-” Tommy yelled.
“Will you shut up!” The person-no Dream slid the sword across Tommy’s neck and ran.
Tommy held his hand up to his throat to try and stop the gushing of blood. Tommy wanted to scream in pain but he couldn’t, there was no sound. His vision became blurry, and not just because of the tears that definitely aren't forming, and his mind became more fuzzy.
I need Tubbo, I need Tubbo, Tubbo. Tommy stumbled and fell to the ground. He clumsily found his commutator as the fuzzy blackness pressed against his eyes Tommy slowly closed his eyes.
I’m going to die.
***
Sam had been waiting for no longer than ten minutes when his comms buzzed. He wasn’t too concerned it was probably just Puffy checking in, as the two basically adopted the two most traumatized children on the server. What he didn’t expect was a message from Tubbo.
Tubbo whispers to you: Do you know where Tommy is?
Strange, Sam knew that Tubbo knows about Tommy’s Hotel and that Sam Nook was helping.
You whisper to Tubbo: He went to collect some wood for Sam Nook why?
Tubbo whispers to you: He just sent me a mesasage saying HELP and he hasn’t ansered me back and I have no clue why.
A small hiss started to form in the back of Sam’s throat. He instinctively knew something was very wrong. Before taking off, Sam sends one last message.
You whisper to Tubbo: Stay at Snowchester I’ll message you if something went wrong.
Sam didn’t wait for a response as he tried to find where Tommy went. He assumed that Tommy didn’t steal from anyone as there were no death messages and that no one really lived close to the crater anymore. As he entered the small taiga woods Sam could’ve sworn he saw Jack Manifold but didn’t give too much of a notice.
If Sam was honest he wasn’t sure what to expect when he found Tommy but what he surely didn’t expect was seeing the boy unconscious with blood pooling around him.
“Tommy!” Sam cursed his gut reaction to call out to the kid.
He ran over to Tommy looking for the source of the bleeding, sucking in a breath when seeing it coming from his neck. He knew the kid should be dead but Sam decided not to question it as he tightened Tommy’s bandana slightly to slow the bleeding, it was good for now, but the kid was going to need stitches .
Now that Sam was sure Tommy wasn’t injured in any other serious way and wouldn’t bleed to death, he went through the places that he could take Tommy. His base was too far away to be any help and Sam wasn’t sure about the standing of the other people in the SMP area with Tommy, so his best bet was to go to Snowchester. Sam opened his comms and sent a message to Tubbo and then one to Puffy to meet him there.
Sam carefully picked up Tommy, bridal style, so as to not cause more damage to his neck. He felt Tommy shift in his arms at the movement.
“You’re ok, Tommy, I’ve got you.”
***
Tommy woke up to the sounds of people talking. The first thing he noticed besides the noise was the pain in his head and throat. Oh God his throat hurt. He opened his eyes and saw Sam and Puffy talking and that he was in Snowchester?
How did I get here? I was in the woods and I was...I was attacked. I was attacked by Dream. Oh fuck, Dream escaped and tried to kill me. The panic in Tommy skyrocketed and he couldn't breathe properly, the pain he felt in his throat didn’t help in the slightest.
“..ommy, Tommy, I need you to breathe, big man.” It was like Tubbo just appeared next to Tommy. Tubbo grabbed Tommy’s hands and said, “Match me.” Tubbo takes in an exaggerated breath and exhales with Tommy struggling to do the same. The two go through the exercise until Tommy breathing is normal.
“Th-...” Tommy tried thanking his friend but he couldn't. There was no sound, nothing, and it hurt like hell on his throat. Tommy’s eyes widen at the realization.
“Tub….I….” He tried again but it was like nothing but wind was passing through. Tommy raised a hand to his neck and felt thick bandages wrapped around his neck. He looked up at Tubbo, who had a sad expression on his face.
“Tommy, I’m so so sorry. When Sam brought you here, I thought you were dead. You weren’t obviously, but it was pretty damn close. Whoever attacked you missed your major blood vessels but cut through your vocal cords. I wished that there was something we could do…” Tubbo trailed off, but that didn’t matter to Tommy.
Tommy couldn't speak and that scared him. It scared him more than Dream did. Tommy couldn’t speak and it scared him.