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“Please Tommy, stop yelling.” The admin asks weakly, but the younger just ignores him. Dream feels downright terrible. He seems to have caught a sickness or something, or he has an infection from an untreated injury because he is raging with fever.
He is physically trembling, sitting sluggishly on the obsidian floor, hugging himself as he freezes. Every once in a while, the admin would wince in discomfort, or rub his temples to reduce his headache, but since Tommy had been shouting for the past five hours, his headache only got worse. He is in so much physical pain, he can barely talk. And when he does, he is greeted with more panicked yelling and completely no care from the other.
The only optimistic side to that is that when he is sick, he usually sleeps like a baby, his body drained, trying to heal itself. It is the only time he manages to do so, due to sleeping issues he has had since childhood, and now, the rough obsidian floor he must lay on. Dream usually just doesn’t rest until his body physically collapses, and then he sleeps for a full day or even two. George and Sapnap would always laugh at his absurd sleeping schedule, but when he’s sick, he doesn’t have to worry about that. He also doesn't have to worry about that because he is in a prison cell.
Dream is sure that Tommy will get tired of screaming ultimately, but the pounding in his head is insufferable, so he asks again. “Please Tommy, I feel like shit.” He mumbles, closing his weary eyes, trying to block the warm glow of the lava. His body temperature seems to match it, the flooding lava separating him from freedom, his friends, and much-needed medicine.
Tommy seems to finally understand, examining the admin. When he entered the cell five hours ago, Dream was asleep, which the younger found odd. Dream was never asleep when Tommy visited, always welcoming him, standing tall, his face apathetic and body language confident. Sure, as time passed by Dream seemed weaker, standing less confidently, his words quieter. But he was always awake, and he was always standing.
When he stepped into the small cell, he called out for Dream jokingly, making a joke about how rude it was to sleep when you have visitors, but the other hadn't stirred. When the barrier separating the two came down, Tommy called for the admin again but got no response. Then he decided to go and see if the guy is even breathing, and to his relief (?), he could see the rise and fall of Dream's chest. It was shallow and slow, and the older was shaking all over the place, but he was breathing.
Tommy decided to let the man rest, he isn’t a complete asshole after all. He will just come another time. As he was about to call for Sam, to come and get him out, he heard explosions on top of the cell, which led him to a complete state of panic. The explosives were enough to wake the admin, who woke up confused, his emerald eyes in a complete haze.
At first, he didn’t even notice Tommy, who was having a full-on panic attack at this point, calling for Sam, crying, and blaming the admin. Dream just looked up in a haze, shakingly forcing himself into a sitting position.
After five hours of miserable yelling, Dream had asked Tommy to stop. Tommy was going to continue, just to be annoying, but he looked at the older, who looked like he was practically dying, and quit. Finally sitting down, as far away from the admin as he can in this tiny cell, Tommy did as was asked.
He wonders to himself if this could be another manipulation. A strategy to make him believe that Dream is not being treated well- left without medicine while his illness remains untreated. Or maybe it is a scam to make Tommy feel sorry for Dream, manipulate him into getting him out.
As he looks at his former manipulator, he just can’t see his sickness as an act. Dream had never looked more fragile, his expression was pained and pale. Tommy was convinced Dream would never let himself be seen in this state, not if he had a choice.
So, the bastard is sick, he decides.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Tommy questions, trying to not let genuine concern slip to his words. He succeeds with doing so, having a lot of experience in that matter. His words seem uncaring and harsh, but his tone is quieter than usual, seeing as Dream winced in pain every time he would raise it.
“I don’t feel very good.” The older admits, almost too quiet for the younger to hear it. His eyes are still shut, but Tommy can see dried streaks of tears beneath them. He also notices Dreams’ cheeks wearing a flush, feverish tone, his face white as paper.
“How long will I be here?” Tommy asks, hoping for it to not be too long, but he is let down by Dream, who opens his eyes finally to look at the teen.
“A week-“ He begins but is quickly cut by a weak coughing fit. Tommy winces in sympathy before he can comprehend Dream's answer. When he finally does, he gasps in shock, his breathing already quickens. Dream's coughing finally subsides, and the two are left panting for air, trying to calm their breathing.
When they both settle down, the cell is left in total silence. It is awkward, not the silence Dream was greeted with, back home when he and his friends came back from hunting and just sat back to watch the warm fire. It would be his favorite time of the day, sitting quietly with his friends, who were usually loud and talkative.
It wasn’t the silence Tommy was greeted by when he went over to Phil's house, braiding Techno’s pink hair as the piglin read another book about Greek mythology. Tommy would sneak looks into his books, interested in what the other was reading. Later they will have a discussion about it, but for now, they are quiet.
It definitely wasn’t the silence when Tommy watched Dream train, the admin aware he is being watched, yet working out in complete silence and determination. Later Tommy would come home to try and replicate Dreams moves. The ones he wasn’t able to copy, he would ask about later. Dream would just smile and explain the move, while Tommy watched eagerly, in silence.
But the silence deafening their ears now, it was just uncomfortable, because the two no longer had that kind of relationship with one another. It was so uncomfortable, Tommy was almost wanting to break it, and fill it in with words, yells, or jokes. But Dream’s eyes were now shut again, his breathing even, his head slightly tilted downwards. He wasn’t wincing in pain either, which meant the older had fallen asleep. Tommy looked at his shaking form and laid back as well.
After this horrible experience, this would definitely be the last time he ever visits.
Just as he dwells on that, the anxiety he felt and his yells seem to have drained the power away from him. Although the floor is as uncomfortable as it can get, Tommy lets himself lay on the sharp obsidian, facing Dream. Slowly his eyes drift into darkness, the last thing he sees is the pale face of his former friend.
He wakes up to a loud voice, coming from the speaker system. He instantly recognizes Sam, his voice is as emotionless as it is when he is instructing Tommy in his visits. It’s monotoned, but unlike Techno's, it lacks any kind of emotion.
“Hey Tommy, I'm here to inform you there has been a security issue. You have to remain in here for a week or until we figure it out.” He says, with no compassion or even an apology. Tommy stands up quickly.
“Get me out of here right now!” he yells, but his yells are not answered. “Please, Sam, I can’t stay here.” He begs, but again, Sam doesn’t answer. Instead, he hears a faint sound of engines, and the automated food system drops a potato. This is not enough for one person to eat, so he has no idea how he and Dream will be able to share it. He looks at the sick admin, who is still sleeping, and decides to wait with eating the food.
The older seems to need it more than him anyway. He is still asleep, even after the yells, which is worrying, to say the least. He mumbles in his sleep, his brows creasing in pain, and cold sweat appears on his hairline. Dream is even shakier than he was yesterday and even paler. Maybe he just needs to sleep it off, Tommy thinks to himself, it’s not like he has any choice anyway.
Tommy doesn’t see medication or a medkit anywhere, the only thing he can use is the fabric of his own shirt, he can rip it, rinse the cloth with water and place it on top of Dream's head. He would rather do that when the older is awake though, still aware of Dream's abilities, and honestly, enjoying the quiet for now.
Normally it’s so chaotic and loud when the two are around each other, fighting and screaming, so Tommy selfishly appreciates the sudden change. He doesn’t know if he would have been able to stay here for longer than a day if the older would’ve been well. It’s a selfish thought perhaps, but thinking is all he could do in here, as he waits for Dream to wake up.
---
He has been waiting for ages at this point, slipping in and out of sleep, watching the rise and fall of the admin's chest. Tommy recalls thinking Dream just needs to sleep it off, but he didn’t mean for him to sleep it off for that long. Tommy was admittedly, starting to get bored, and even though he would hate accepting it, he was also starting to get genuinely, really worried.
But eventually, several minutes after a second potato had been dropped to their food supply, just as Tommy was thinking that finally, he can eat, Dream opens his eyes with a groan. The younger lets him adjust slowly, focused entirely on eating the unbaked potato he is finally able to eat. It’s gross, and he can’t believe it’s all the two will get for a full day, but it’s food.
Dream seems to be in a feverish state, gathering out his surroundings, examining the room slowly. He tries to straighten up with shaky hands, but he is too weak to do so, his body trembling with effort as a coughing fit begins once more.
“You’ve been asleep for more than a day,” Tommy informs as he takes another bite of his potato. Dream nods slowly at that, still in a dazed state.
“Is it okay if I check your fever?” Tommy suddenly asks, surprising both himself and Dream, who nods again, confusion evident in his eyes. Tommy approaches the sick admin carefully, the most delicately he has ever approached someone and lays a hand on top of his forehead. Just as Tommy expected, Dream was raging with fever, his forehead burning up as he leaned into Tommy's cold hand.
Tommy didn’t enjoy that, and almost flinches back, but Dream's movement was so slow and weak, that he knows the older couldn’t help it in his sick state. Tommy doesn’t enjoy letting Dream lean into his touch, neither does he enjoy removing a part of his own shirt, rinsing it with water, and placing it on top of Dreams burning skin after Dream lays down. He doesn’t enjoy it when Dream mutters a small thank you, and he doesn’t enjoy when he finds himself fondly smiling at the unhealthy man, but he lets it happen.
There’s nothing else he could do to spend his time in here anyway, so at least he has someone to take care of, even if it’s Dream. The admin has done some fucked up things, but he still deserves to be taken care of in his state.
“How are you feeling? Any better?” Tommy asks, surprised by the soft tone he’s able to muster. He is now sitting closer to Dream, to be able to pay closer attention to him.
“Not at all” Dream answers honestly and sighs. He closed his eyes once more, and it seems as if talking took all the energy from him because he almost drifts away again.
“Stay with me, Dream, you need to eat,” Tommy commands, still using a quiet, yet firmer tone than what he used previously, but Dream doesn’t hear him, already asleep again, despite waking up only moments ago.
Tommy sighs in annoyance at that. He is not frustrated with Dream, he only feels sorry for him at the moment. He takes a deep breath, trying to entertain his mind as he watches the soft lava, which warms up the cell significantly. Still, Dream seems to be cold, hugging himself on the harsh floor, his teeth chattering as he breaths. He looks so small, Tommy notes, but since he saw the amount of food the admin receives every day, he knows why.
It's not right to give him that little food, he thinks to himself. When Tommy will be able to leave, maybe he will talk to Sam about the conditions in the prison. Not that he’ll listen, but it’s worth a try at least. He can probably talk him at least into putting a bed in this place if he really tries.
He can’t help but ask himself again if he’s being manipulated. The small, traumatized voice in his head refuses to believe that Dream is actually sick, and in this state because, in full honesty, Dream was never seen in such a fragile, vulnerable condition. Maybe by his close friends, but somehow Tommy doubts that anyway.
Tommy doesn’t know how long it has been since Dream fell asleep again, but he is startled yet again, by the loud coming from the speakers.
“Tommy, you can leave. We solved the problem, I’m sending you the platform right now.” Sam says coldly, raising the barrier, as loud noises of machines and Redstone are heard.
The lava lowers, and Tommy squints his eyes to look into the room he entered the cell from, expecting to see the Warden. Along with Sam, to his surprise, are Techno and Phil, looking angrily at Sam.
“Tommy are you okay in there?” Phil asks loudly, and Tommy breaths in relief.
“Yeah, I’m fine!” he shouts back, standing up, waving to his family. Tommy can hardly believe that he is actually leaving. He was in this prison for two full days, thinking he will spend a week here. He is so happy to leave and never come back to this horrific, dehumanizing place-
Oh right. Dream.
“But Dream isn’t” he adds hesitantly and watches as Phils' grin shrinks a bit.
“What do you mean?” this time Techno steps in, asking with concern in his voice.
“He is really sick, he can’t stay here. Not without any medicine.” Tommy reports, his tone not leaving any room for questions from Phil or Techno, who fully trust him. Sam, however, is opposing.
“He isn’t leaving this cell-“ he starts but suddenly stops when a sword is aimed at his throat. Sam jumps in surprise.
“There will be consequences to this.” He says venomously, and Techno shrugs.
“You heard the kid. Lets get him out of there.”