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“Shh it’s okay- it’s- toms it’s alright I promise,” Wilbur rambled as he ripped off Tommy’s gear that protected him from radiation. He almost tore his red bandanna in half as he threw it off Tommy’s neck. “I promise it’s going to be alright.”
Tommy didn’t even thrash or react to the pain emitting off of his radiation infected wound other than sobbing. He was so quiet and still, unnaturally so.
It scared Wilbur to see his Tommy so silent and in pain.
Wilbur’s hands shook as he kept pulling off pieces of Tommy’s gear. “Breathe,” he begged. “Just keep breathing- please.”
Tommy shuddered lightly and squinted up at Wilbur, his pupils completely blown from the fever caused by the radiation poisoning. His forehead gleamed with sweat and his shoulder leaked crimson through his bandages.
“Shit shit shit-,” Wilbur muttered as he quickly applied wrapped more bandages tightly around Tommy’s shoulder and he swallowed back a sob at the keen Tommy let out. “I know I know- it’s okay I promise.”
Wilbur shuddered as he pressed his forehead to Tommy’s lightly as silent tears fell down his face. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Tommy wasn’t even supposed to be there in the first place.
It started off with an argument, a simple one really and then an agreement.
Wilbur sighed as he halted his pacing and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Tommy I know you want to come but you need to stay here.”
Tommy scowled at him from his seat at their shitty table they made roughly three years ago. “Why,” he demanded. “I can help- you know I can! Come on Wil it’s just a routine supply drop!”
Wilbur ran a hand down his face. “ I know you can,” he replied. “And I know it’s just a supply drop but it’s just too dangerous.”
“But not dangerous enough for you though?,” Tommy shot back as quick as a whip.
“I’m an adult Tommy,” Wilbur pointed out, sounding a tad bit annoyed. “You’re a child and my brother. It is quite literally my job to protect you.”
Tommy scowled at him. “But I can help,” he whined, sounding every bit of a child that he was. “You do so much for me- I just want to help you too.”
Wilbur softened lightly as he sighed. He walked over to Tommy and knelt in front of him. He smiled at the kid and the radiation scars on his cheek and nose warped at the motion.
Wilbur was wearing his bandana, a deep blue to match Tommy’s red, around his neck and not over his face for once. He rarely wore it around Tommy. He wasn’t ashamed of his scars and he had no reason to hide them from his little brother.
“I know you do,” Wilbur assured. “But Tommy, you don’t have to do anything. You do enough by just being here- being with me.”
Tommy scanned Wilbur’s face with a slight frown. “How,” he shot back. “All I do is stay inside all day while all of you run around.”
“I need you to listen to me okay,” Wilbur said firmly. “You stay inside these walls because you are far too important to lose.”
“Because I’m protected by the dome right,” Tommy grumbled.
“No because you’re you,” Wilbur said as he lightly flicked Tommy’s nose making the boy look up and bat his hand away with a slight smile. “You may be the dome’s but you’re my little brother first. And I need you to be safe, yeah?”
Tommy stared at Wilbur before sighing. “You’re not going to let me win this are you?”
“Absolutely not,” Wilbur immediately responded as he reached out and ran a gloved hand through Tommy’s hair. He trailed a hand down and hovered it over the marking on Tommy’s neck. The one that marked Tommy as the dome’s. “I can’t risk losing you.”
Tommy leaned into Wilbur’s hand as he always does and let out a huff as he gave up. “Fine,” he murmured. “But you better be safe too, yeah? If you’re not allowed to lose me then I’m not allowed to lose you.”
“Deal,” Wilbur hummed as he squeezed Tommy’s neck lightly before dropping his hand and standing up. “I’m gonna go talk to everyone and then we’re gonna leave for the supply drop okay?”
“Okay,” Tommy said, sounding slightly upset at being left out.
Wilbur only ruffled Tommy’s hair with one hand while the other pulled his bandana up over his nose. “I’ll be back,” he promised. “Quicker than you think.”
“You better be bitch boy,” Tommy grumbled with a smile.
Wilbur only laughed as he grabbed his goggles and pulled them over his eyes. “I will!,” he called as he headed towards the door. “See you in a bit toms. Be good!”
And with that Tommy was alone. Or as alone as he could get being the chosen one of the dome.
Tommy always had hidden eyes pinned on him watching him. An invisible force protected him and guided him. Tommy was special.
Tommy hated it as much as he was honored by it.
Wilbur loved him, the community Wilbur made for the two of them, mainly for Tommy, loved him. The dome especially loved him.
Even if the people he loved and the entity that chose him wanted to keep him inside to keep him unharmed most of the time.
It was a lot to process but Tommy knew he was cared for.
Maybe that was why Tommy was so confused and hurt by what happened.
Tommy wasn’t supposed to be outside. Wilbur told him to stay and be good and he tried. He tried so hard.
But he heard noises outside the dome so he headed towards the entrance and opened it. Tommy barely made it six steps before he was stabbed in the shoulder through his gear as he collapsed in the ground.
Tommy blinked rapidly as his vision started to swim. What was this- what was happening? Tommy tried to think and pray towards the dome but his head was like static. Nobody answered him.
Why wasn’t the dome answering- What was he doing wrong? Was Tommy going to die here- alone?
Please dome please. Tommy will be better- he will! He’ll pray more and help out when he can. He'll be good this time. Please make it stop- please don’t let him die alone.
Pain spread quickly throughout his shoulder and Tommy gasped as he felt like he suddenly couldn’t breath and coughed. The dome wasn’t answering. Tommy was alone.
Until he wasn’t.
Wilbur along with some of their followers burst into the clearing and Wilbur froze for a split second. Tommy could barely focus as his vision blurred. A good thing considering Wilbur’s face darkened and blood lust filled his eyes.
Wilbur whipped out his pistol and fired three quick shots into each man's head. They all collapsed onto the grass and Wilbur paid them no mind as he sprinted over to Tommy. He dropped his gun as he picked up Tommy and ran inside the dome.
Wilbur placed Tommy on the cushy bed they shared together in the corner as he started to sush him while taking off his gear quickly.
Which brings us to now.
Wilbur swallowed as he felt the heat coming off of Tommy’s skin. If it kept getting worse Tommy might have to respawn. And Wilbur would never wish that on Tommy. There was only one thing Wilbur could do to help. But god did it hurt him to have to do it.
“I’m gonna fix this,” Wilbur said in a shaky tone. “Sundrop it's okay I promise. Just- just keep breathing. Wilbys here.”
Wilbur shuddered as he reached under the bed and pulled open an old wooden box. Inside were certain chemicals and alcohol. He’d been saving these for an emergency, he never thought he’d have to use these on his baby brother.
Wilbur gently started peeling the bandages off the teens shoulder as tears poured down his face. “Shhh it’s okay I promise,” Wilbur’s voice shook immensely as he tried to comfort Tommy. “This is- sweetheart this is going to hurt. I’m so so sorry,” he swore shakily as he got the last bit of the bandages off.
Tommy’s shoulder was inflamed and swollen. Blood oozed out of the cut from where the blade sliced him. The radiation hadn’t spread far thankfully. Still it wasn’t exactly a pretty sight.
Wilbur grabbed one of the rags in the box and doused it in both the chemicals and the alcohol. There was no way Wilbur could live in this world without Tommy. His sunshine, his baby brother. He had to do this, for Tommy.
No matter how much it hurt him to do this.
Wilbur took a deep breath before pressing the soaked rag firmly to Tommy’s shoulder.
The reaction was immediate. Tommy screeched as tears poured down his face. He tried to move and jolt out of Wilbur’s grip but Wilbur held him down.
“I love you,” Wilbur sobbed. “I love you so much. I’m sorry sunshine I have to.”
Tommy thrashed as the liquid cleansed his shoulder. Wilbur pressed down as much as possible and bit back a whine at how Tommy keened.
“You’ll be okay,” Wilbur whispered as he pressed his forehead to Tommy’s again. His tears fell and joined Tommy’s as both brothers cried. “I promise you’ll be okay.”
Tommy wasn’t fighting anymore as he ran out of energy. He was merely laying there and shuddering lightly. His eyes were half lidded and he looked barely conscious.
Wilbur pulled off the rag and sagged in relief when he noticed the radiation stopped spreading and the cut was no longer bleeding. Quickly he reached down and pulled out the roll of bandages and lightly dosed them in the same mixture he used on the rag before wrapping Tommy’s shoulder up.
Once done he pulled Tommy into his arms and tucked Tommy’s head under his chin. “You’ll be okay,” Wilbur said almost like prayer. “Go to sleep. In the morning you’ll be okay.”
Wilbur stayed awake for the whole night staring at Tommy’s form unblinkly. Afraid that if he looked away for too long Tommy would be gone.
Some of their followers came and checked up on them. Two of them even had the gall to accuse this of being Tommy’s fault and that he deserved it.
Wilbur really had to thank disciple 14 for giving him his pistol back. It was very satisfying shooting both of them in the head. He also made a mental note to thank disciples 21 and 18 for cleaning the mess they made up.
Nobody will ever talk about Tommy that way and live. Not them, not anyone. Wilbur would gladly kill anything and anyone who posed a threat to Tommy.
Wilbur made this community to keep his brother safe from the horrible world they live in. The world may be falling apart and rotting away at the seams but at least he has his own personal sunshine.
Tommy stood there throughout it all smiling at him and being his constant. His little brother so bright and oh so brave.
This tattered world didn’t deserve Tommy. His wonderful brother deserved better. And Wilbur would do anything to give Tommy everything he deserved.
Wilbur killed 5 more disciples that night. Three of them got a bit angry and pushed their luck while the other two tried to touch Tommy.
Tommy was his little brother. His sunshine.
Tommy was Wilbur’s and Wilbur’s was Tommy’s first and foremost.
There were no lines Wilbur wouldn’t cross to keep Tommy safe.
It didn’t matter that Wilbur made up this dumb religion to keep morale high or to keep people engaged in a community.
Or that Wilbur gently marked Tommy’s neck after his first respawn when the kid was barely 7 and got radiation poisoning for the first time.
Tommy was chosen, yes. But not by the dome but by Wilbur.
And Wilbur would never let anything happen to him.
It didn’t matter what lies Wilbur needed to spin, what gods he had to create, or how many people he had to slaughter.
Wilbur would keep Tommy safe.
Always.
No matter the cost.