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One would assume joining with the god of death to stop a centuries Old family bloodline curse that caused constant excruciating pain would mean no more constant excruciating pain and yet Walt Stone was learning the hard way that although he could exert himself more when it came to magic now that he was Anubis' host the consequences would still suck.
Which got him here; curled up in bed, with all the lights off, in pain, hugging the stupid stuffed animal Sadie had gotten him at a carnival they went to, she had absolutely used magic to cheat the game but he didn't really mind that much, it was soft and when he was in pain it gave him something to squeeze.
He wanted to get up and be helpful, there were classes he was supposed to be attending but luckily the older kids were in significantly less strict and structured classes by the instructors from the first Nome (especially the well-behaving older kids) so he could get away with it. Though he was pretty sure Jaz had also told the teachers about his condition.
She was the only person who hadn't assumed it magically went away when he joined with Anubis. But then again she had been the only person who had seen how bad it was most of the time, she was the main healer at Brooklyn House and the only person he talked to about it before Sadie and Carter found out, of course she would know that it wouldn’t magically disappear, she put her whole life into studying curses and magical medicine.
Anubis was attempting to comfort him, offering soft apologies and promises to not let Walt push himself so far in the future whispered in his mind but they all felt a bit meaningless, the god was supposed to fix the problem and he did for the most part, just not completely and that ‘not completely’ felt very apparent at the moment.
There was a knock at his door, he hoped it was Sadie, he knew it probably wouldn't be, or if it was she was either skipping class or there was a problem but still he hoped it was Sadie. “Come in,” He mumbled, lifting his head just a bit to look at the girl in the door.
It was Jaz, she had a box? A package for him maybe, but he doubted it, usually a shabti would bring packages to the initiates rooms if, for whatever reason, they could not get it themselves “hey, how’re you doing?” she asked, stepping into his room and closing the door so no light for the hallway came in.
“Bad, everything hurts.” He rolled over to sit up, well less sit up and more lean against his headboard, a flicked on a lamp. “It's so bad I can barely walk”
“Well I have a present for you here that might help with that last problem,” she said as she held up the box.
“What's in there?” Walt asked as she moved to sit at the end of his bed.
“So remember how we had that whole conversation about how even though Anubis significantly helped the problems caused by the curse he didn't make them go away complete and especially when it comes to the movement side of thing, especially walking after over exerting yourself with magic?”
“Yeah, you mentioned you might get me something to help with it,” he paused and looked at the box, “Jaz, did you get me a cane?”
“I got you something better, at least I hope it will be better than a cane, canes are more for hip or knee problems not whole leg problems, also if both your legs are messed up..” Jaz trailed off, making a vague hand waving movement.
“So a cane’s not really gonna help me?”
“I mean it could in certain situations however these,” she held up the box again, “will probably be more helpful.”
“Jaz, what’s in the box?”
“A present,” She said with a smile that was all too sweet then laughed at the face he made. “Open it,” she encouraged.
“Is this a trap? Did Sadie set you up to this? Because if this is payback for me stealing her headphones, I am not in the mood for it.” He said taking the box despite his concerns about it potentially being payback from stealing his girlfriend’s headphones.
“No, no trap, just open it.” Jaz laughed.
“They’re.. sticks?”
“They’re crutches, forearm crutches specific.”
“I don't have a broken leg, Jaz.” He fidgeted with the crutches.
“You kinda have a broken everything all the time, Walt.” she teased, poking at his cheek.
“Wow you're just so nice and kind to me,” he deadpanned.
“Oh shut up and tell me if they help,” she said before showing him how to unfold and adjust the crutches so they matched his height and helped him stand and use them.
“They uh.. they help, Gods why am I tearing up?”
“‘Cause it doesn't hurt as much to stand?” Jaz offered.
“Yeah it doesn't, huh.” Walt just stared at the crutches almost in shock.
‘It feels nice, to be able to stand in this body without pain’ Anubis said in his mind.
“Yeah it does” he mumbled back.
“What?” He had forgotten Jaz couldn’t also hear Anubis.
“Uh Anubis, he uh, he likes them” Walt said quickly.
“Well I'm glad, Also classes are over for day”
“Wait, seriously?”
“Walt, it's like five p.m.”
“Please tell me you're not serious?” He said, trying to look at the clock in his room but it was too far from the lamp for him to actually be able to read it.
“I'm serious.”
He sucked a breath in through his teeth. “Being worried about school for the first time in my life is great, but also annoying because now I have to worry about school for the first time in my life because I'm not convinced I'm going to die at like maybe 19 if I'm lucky”
“Yeah you wouldn't have made it to nineteen, if you didn't join with Anubis.”
“Yeah, thank you for that, I know.” The two just stood there awkwardly for a few minutes.
“Well enjoy your new gift, I will leave you get ready for dinner and also because I have left the infirmary unintended and I do not trust the anklebiters not to be rummaging through my shit, the cabinets may have locks but when has a lock ever stopped Shelby.”
Walt laughed and waved Jaz good-bye as she headed out to make sure none of the anklebiters or older but still young kids were causing chaos in the infirmary.
He stood and, now with the help of his crutches, walked over to his closet to put some actual clothes on for dinner. He changed, Anubis making ‘helpful’ comments about what he should and shouldn’t wear, he ignored most of them but did weigh the graphic t-shirt Anubis suggested.
Once he was ready he headed down bumping into Sadie right outside hi outsides door. “Oh! Uh, hey Sadie,” He smiled at her.
“Hi Wal- uh.. What are those?” She asked glancing at the forearm crutches.
“They’re forearm crutches Jaz gave ‘em to me to help me walk after I overdo it with magic.”
“You didn't have those before, did you?”
“No back when.. before me and Anubis joined together I kinda didn't care that much about my body deteriorating and you know everything hurt all the time and I was about to die soon so it didn’t really matter but now..” he trailed off with a shrug.
“And now you're not about to die and hopefully you won't for a very very long time.” She gave him a pointed look and he laughed.
“Hopefully.”
“You better not die before I let you, death boy,” she teased, leaning against him slightly
“Oh so now you have say over it?”
“Yes I do, my dad’s Osiris so I get to decide when you do and don't depart this mortal plane”
He laughed. “Whatever you say Sadie, were on your way to dinner?”
“Yes, walked with me?
“I might be a little slow Sadie,” he warned. He felt bad he didn't want to slow her down, especially knowing how hyperactive and movement-needing she was, she hated slow walkers with a burning passion.
“I don't mind” She offered him her hand and then realized he couldn't exactly take it while using the crutches then awkwardly laughed and moved to just walk beside him.
The two walked to dinner, a slower than usual but Sadie didn’t make any comments on it, Sadie was rambling about something from the classes from the First Nome, grumbling how she shouldn't need to take them, she had saved the world three times over, why the hell did she need to take classes to learn magic, she had hosted a god at 12 years old, she could handle doing simple spells.
Walt figured she was mainly just upset because she was failing most of the classes. She had never done well in school. Carter oddly enough seemed to be thriving, despite being homeschooled his whole life and never actually properly going to school, which only added more kindling to Sadie's fire.
Walt laughed as she grumbled about her brother, he felt as if nothing was different, she'd asked him two questions about the crutches and just went with it, he had figured more of an interrogation would happen, he was a bit nervous about dinner but Brooklyn House may as well have just been one oversized, very chaotic, family so he doubted anything bad would actually happen or be said.
Dinner was relatively uneventful, some of the younger kids asked him questions though none of them seemed malicious even if some of them were pretty rude, he had gotten used to the younger kids just being blunt. He wondered if this is how older siblings felt, he had never had any younger siblings, his dad died before he was born and his mom was pretty young when she had him and with all his medical issues she was very much against the idea of having more kids while raising him.
He wondered if now that he wasn't dying she would remarry, would have more kids. She hadn't wanted to when he was dying and she felt like it would be rude to start a new family while her first child was dying.
Slowly but surely the days got better, he didn't need the crutches all the time but most of the time he used at least one of them, the kids stopped giving them weird glances or being extra gentle with him in training when he was using them, he knew they meant nothing by it, they were just worried, but it had been a bit annoying.
As the weeks passed, Walt having crutches just became an everyday detail of life at Brooklyn House. Some days he had them, some days he didn't. some days he was using both, some days he was only using one. The only people who seemed to notice or be concerned by it were any new teachers from the Frist Nome but they adjusted, maybe not as fast as the kids in Brooklyn house but they adjusted nonetheless.
It had been a long day, Walt had pushed himself a bit too far but now that idea didn't feel as dangerous as it had before the crutches and it no longer felt like something he had to hide from the others, they wouldn't treat him like glass now, just treat him the same as how they would treat anyone having a bad day.
‘Walt,’ Anubis said in mind.
“Hmm? Yeah?” Walt asked as he changed into his sleep clothes.
‘you pushed our body too far.’
“I know, I know, Jaz already yelled at me about it.” Walt had gotten quite used to having conversations with ‘himself’ after becoming Anubis' host, to the point where he had to make sure he wasn't talking out loud to Anubis when he wasn't alone or with just Sadie.
Someone knocked at his door, he glanced at the clock. There was still about an hour and a half until lights out for the older kids so he called out “come in! But I am in my pajamas so I won't be very helpful for anything training related.”
“I would never willingly doing training at this time of night,” Sadie said as she slipped through the door, pressing her back against it to close it. “How are my favorite boys?” She smiled at Walt and Walt just knew if Anubis had a tail it would be wagging.
“‘M getting yelled,” Walt complained.
“He pushed the body too far.” Anubis forced the words out of his mouth before he could stop them.
“Walt!” Sadie scolded.
“Not you too.” he dramatically flopped face first onto his bed, she just laughed and sat next poking him until he rolled over enough for her to cuddle up against him. She wrapped an arm around his waist and he wrapped one of his arms around her upper back.
She yawned, “You should go back to your room, I don't wanna get in trouble over cuddling,” Walt said, making no move to actually let her go.
Sadie whines “Boooo, I'm not tired.”
“Sadie.”
She pouted dramatically, making him laugh, “hey! Don’t laugh at me! I just.. I want to stay with you two for a bit, I feel like we haven't gotten any alone time together lately, I miss my boys.” Walt was very glad Anubis was not in charge at the moment as he would've folded almost immediately at that.
Walt kissed her forehead. “We miss you too, we'll hang out tomorrow, promise..” Sadie sighed but stayed quiet, “besides, don't worry about me, I have Anubis to keep me company.”
Sadie gave the boys’ shared body a look they both know is meant for Anubis, a look that screamed ‘if you mess up or hurt Walt I will find you’.
Anubis nuzzled her then gently head-butted her, Walt teased him in their mind, saying he was acting more like a cat than a dog, Anubis ignored him. “I'll keep him safe,” Anubis promised in his voice.
Sadie gave them a soft kiss on the lips, both boys melted at kiss, they may argue but there was always one thing they could agree on: Sadie Kane is wonderful and I want her to keep kissing us.
The two lay together for a few more minutes before Sadie gently untangled herself from him. She slipped out of the door but paused just outside the door, not fully closing it, Walt heared a door close but his remained just a bit cracked open.
“Zia.”
“Sadie.”
“I won't tell anyone about this if you don't.” Sadie offers.
“Me and Carter were just talking!” Zia protests, Walt can practically see her blushing and had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing.
“So were me and Walt.. but the adults won't see it that way.”
Zia sighs “.. Neither of us speak of this.”
“Agreed.” He can just faintly see Sadie nod. She then closed his door fully.
He laughed once he's sure both of them are out of earshot. Then he slipped under his blankets.
‘Nope’ Anubis protested.
“What? Why?” Walt asked, a bit annoyed, he just wanted to sleep.
‘You have to go brush your teeth,’ Anubis explains. Walt grumbles, not wanting to get up. ‘You aren't dying anymore Walt, dental hygiene is important now.’ Walt sighed but listened to Anubis, slipping out of bed and going to brush his teeth.