Chapter Text
Tenna woke up with a start, feeling sweaty and dizzy. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he must have just been a little hot during the night. He uncomfortably shrugged the feeling off and got out of bed, getting ready for a boring day.
No filming, sadly. It was a paperwork kinda day, where he'd sit in his little office and file away stupid papers about this and that. It was such boring work. He hated doing it. But it had to be done. So he got dressed, not even bothering with his suit and just pulling on a t-shirt and blazer. He stumbled a bit when pulling on his pants, feeling a little faint from the sudden movement. He fell back against the couch and groaned loudly, his head spinning from all the sudden movements it was doing. He felt nauseous.
"Owwww… it hurts…" he grumbled and stood back up, again attempting to pull his pants up. He finally got them on and sighed, exhaustion weighing down on him. He just woke up! How was he tired already?!
He clumsily fumbled over towards the door, ignoring how his vision was twisting the room out of shape. He was fine. It wasn't a big deal. He was just-
"HRGK-!" He suddenly heaved, feeling his magical digestive system acting up. He felt a burning sensation in his gut, slowly rising up towards his chest. He shook his head frantically as tears began to form on his screen.
Nononononono! Don't throw up! Don't throw up, don't throw up, don't throw up! Please! Please please please please please!
He started begging, praying that he wasn't about to barf. He hated doing it. It was one of the worst things a lot of mechanical darkners could experience. The pain of ejecting their magic like that was basically torture. Especially for someone as old as him. It was like vomiting a mixture of burning needles and ice shards! It was the most painful thing he'd ever experienced. He'd rather get his face smashed in than-
The thought of his screen cracking made him feel ill. He felt like he just got punched in the stomach, forcing his magic right out of him.
A loud splatter was heard as Tenna vomited, creating a big stain of static on the floor. He stared at it in horror and disgust, the sight of it making him feel even more-
He barfed again, this one strong enough to send him to his knees. His throat was burning in agony, feeling like there were millions of deep gashes running along his insides. He tried to breathe through the remaining static dribbling out of his mouth, shaking violently and sobbing on his hands and knees. It hurt. It hurt so bad. Why did it have to be like this?! Why did he have to suffer?! Why couldn't he ever be normally sick?! Why did it always have to feel like he was dying all of a sudden anytime he was ill?! He hated it! He hated his old, fragile, broken-
Another hurl broke him. He started wailing after the third time, his ailment beating him into submission and reducing him to a blubbering mess on the floor. He couldn't handle it! He couldn't take it! He was scared! He… he…
*~*~*
Battat stretched as he walked into the Mike room, glancing around and noticing that he was the first to arrive, as per usual. He sighed and scratched his head, starting the coffee machine to get a piping hot cup of coffee.
As he waited, he heard his communicator go off, which laid on the table and bit away. He groaned tiredly and wandered over to it, picking it up and answering. "Who is it?" He asked in a groggy voice, expecting to hear from Pluey or Jongler. They usually checked in on him as soon as they woke-
"I-I-I- hrgh-! BLURRRRRGH!!!"
Battat jumped at the sudden, vile noise playing directly into his ear. It was disgusting! Sounded like someone was barfing right at-
He shivered, realisation hitting him like a cartoon anvil.
"Wh-who-?!"
"Ughhh… p-papa… I… I don't… grhp!"
Screw the coffee! Hearing that made him even more awake than any caffeine could! He took off towards the changing room while putting the communicator on. "HUNNY! What's wrong?! Are you ok?!"
"I-I-I-I-I d-don't fe-feel good! It hurts! It huuuuuuurts!"
"Tenna, hunny! Try to stay calm! Papa's coming! Lie down on your side on the couch, not your back! Breathe and focus on something else!"
"I can't! It-it-it h-hurts too much!"
"You can! I know you can! Because you are so strong and brave and smart! You just need to wait until I get there!"
"HURRY! PLEASE! I'M SCARED!"
"I am! I'm hurrying as fast as I can! Just grab a plushie and squeeze it until I'm there!"
"I'M DYING! I'M GONNA DIE!"
"No! No you won't! Everything will be fine! I'll be there in a minute and you'll be all better! I swear on my heart!"
Tenna just started sobbing on the other end as Battat hastily pulled on the Mike suit, not caring enough to button up the jacket or to tighten his belt. He had no time! He needed to get to that poor little boy.
*~*~*
"Papa's not comin'! Papa's not comin'! Papa's not comin'! Papa's not comin'!"
Tenna was rocking back and forth on the floor, squeezing his blue dog plush tightly in his arms. His throat was still burning. The viscous static was still everywhere on the floor, inviting him to add on to the mass with its awful, eye straining flickering. He didn't have anything more to give, but he felt like it might just be forced out of him anyway.
"I'm gonna die… I'm gonna die! I don't wanna! PAPA!" He cried out towards the heavens, hoping with all his heart that, this time, it would work. It didn't work before, but maybe he had been good enough for the world to reward him.
*SLAM*
And it did. Mike was standing in the doorway, panting heavily and looking like he had been through a tornado with how messy he was. His clothes were askew and he hadn't properly closed all of his layers, jacket left completely unbuttoned. Even his face looked like it wasn't perfectly centered. But Tenna didn't care, because papa was here!
"Pah-ba…" he tried to speak through all the tears and snot rolling down his screen. Mike looked down at the floor with a start, stepping away from the mess before rushing over to Tenna's side.
"Hunny! Are you ok?! How are you feeling?!" He asked frantically and started looking him over, carefully scanning him for any further problems.
"I-I-I- WHAAAAAAA!!! I FEE' AWFUH!!!" The TV wailed and crushed the plushie in his arms, not sure what else he could do right then. His head was so spinny and confused and he felt almost detached from his body, aside from the nausea and the pain.
"I understand, buddy. I get it. But it's ok now. I'm here. I'll fix you right up, alright? First, you need to drink something. You-"
"NO!!!" Tenna screeched, the idea of trying to get anything down his torn throat absolutely terrifying him. It would hurt! And then it would come back out and hurt even more!
"But you need to! If you don't drink you'll feel even worse!"
"NO!!!!!"
"Please, Tens? Do it for papa? I got a nice, soothing, sweet cup of milk for you. It'll make your throat feel all cool and smooth."
He kept sniffling and whimpering, looking down at Mike and the mug he was holding. It was in one of his favourite mugs. How did he get that so fast?
"I-i-i-it- w-will?"
"Of course! I promise it will help you! Just take slow, small sips and it will go down easy."
Well… if Mike promised…
He released the plushie from his grip and reached out with extremely unstable hands towards the cup. He accidentally just smacked his hand into it, almost causing it to spill all over Mike. He squeaked, mortified that he could have made him upset with his clumsiness. He blubbered some incoherent apologies before Mike cut him off.
"Hey! Hey. It's cool. Everything is fine. Here, let me help you instead."
Luckily Tenna had shrunk down enough to be at least close to the microphone's height while sitting, so he had no issues putting his hands around Tenna's and guiding the mug to his mouth. They remained there for two minutes or so, slowly sipping away at the nice, cool milk. He was right, it did make his throat feel better. It was like the milk was washing off the insufferable coat of static inside him and instead coating it in something more numbing. It had a bit of a weird taste to it, but not enough to dissuade him from finishing it.
"There we go. Good job, little guy. You did great. Such a brave boy you are, right?" Mike reached over to pet him on the head, giving him a big, proud smile. Tenna smiled back weakly and nodded in agreement.
"Good! Then we should get you back to bed. Need help?"
He looked confused, just staring at his caregiver with furrowed brows and a puzzled expression. Mike hummed curiously at his confusion. "What's up?"
"Um… th-the… the…" Tenna turned his head towards the static on the floor, but was stopped by Mike's hand on the side of his head, gently bringing it back to him. The touch felt so nice. It was cold and made him feel so calm.
"Oh! Wow! You're pretty warm! Guess I gotta get you something for that too. But forget about the mess, I'll take care of that. You just take a cozy little nap, ok?"
"Huh?... but… I juss woke up…"
The shorter darkner chuckled warmly, making Tenna relax more into his hand, still cradling his face. "I know. But wouldn't it be nice to get all snuggled up in bed again? You still look tired, so I bet some more sleep would make you feel much better!"
"... but… but…"
"But what, buddy?"
"... … … I… my work… had papers… I think."
"Don't even worry about that! I'll take care of everything, including you. So you just hop right back in bed and I'll get you nicely tucked in! How's that sound?"
He was still confused. He should be feeling bad about causing a mess and having Mike tell him to go to bed again. But he said all of it with such a peppy tone that he couldn't find a reason to be upset. It actually made him… like the idea when he phrased it like that. Maybe… maybe he could…
"Um… if it's ok…"
"Of course it is! Now up up up! Let's go- oh! Can't forget your little friend!" Mike picked up the plushie from the floor and shoved it into Tenna's arms before helping him up off the floor. He allowed himself to be handled and guided to bed, feeling far too dizzy and light-headed to do much of anything except follow. It all became a blur, one second sitting on the floor and the next staring up at the roof as Mike is tucking him back in.
"There we go! Wrapped up tight! Comfy?"
He stayed quiet, just staring past the microphone as his mind wandered off someplace else. That seemed to concern said microphone, as he waved a hand in Tenna's face. "Hello?"
"Huh…?"
"Um… I'm gonna… go get something to clean up with. I'll only be a minute or two. Is that fine?"
He continued just staring blankly as he processed the question, his brain buffering something fierce. But he finally answered after a yawn forced him out of his head. "Mmm… kayyyy…" he mumbled sleepily and nuzzled up into his pillow.
"... … … gr-great! Be back in a bit!"
Mike rushed over to the door as Tenna started dozing off again, feeling really tired suddenly. So tired that he didn't feel too bothered about his papa leaving.
"GUYS!!! GET UP!!! I NEED YOUR HELP!!!" Battat yelled into his communicator as he bolted down the hallway towards the nearest janitor's closet.
"Wh-whu-what's wrong?!?" Jongler asked, startled by the clear panic in their friend's voice. He could also hear Pluey in the background, making worried jazz sounds.
"Tenna is sick! He threw up and called me, crying like mad! Now he's acting very off! He wasn't even bothered by me having to leave!"
"Oh… dat don't sound good."
"No it doesn't! I need you both to get some medicine for fevers and nausea for me! I already got him to drink some milk with painkillers! Also get me something easy to eat, like yogurt or something! He needs to get some food in him!"
"R-right, boss! We's comin' as soon as we can!"
He didn't even say anything in response, just unpressed the earpiece and continued running. He swung the janitor's closet open and grabbed the nearest mop and bucket, filling it with water before bolting back towards the room again. He didn't care that he was spilling about half the contents, just trying to return as soon as possible.
When he got back to the room, he looked over at Tenna and saw him already asleep again, snoring soundly. He let out a sigh of relief and got to work cleaning up. It was… a lot, for sure. It actually worried him how much static there was on the floor. The sheer volume of it suggested he had been… throwing up quite a bit. He must have been completely drained by it! Poor little guy!
After a long while of mopping and sweating, he heard a very gentle knock on the door. He put the mop away and walked over to it, opening it to both Jongler and Pluey in their Mike outfits. Battat jumped in shock and grabbed both of them by their collars and dragged them inside.
"WHAT DO YOU IDIOTS THINK YOU'RE DOING?!?" he whisper-yelled at his friends, giving them the hardest glare he could muster.
"Helpin', boss. Like you's asked" Jongler said as they held up the requested medicine, while Pluey held up a big, cute lunch box with the TV time logo and a cartoony Tenna head on it.
"OK?! So WHY are you both in your Mike outfits?! We're not supposed to be in costume at the same time!"
"Well… Tenna might want pappy or dad…"
Pluey agreed with a vigorous nod. The disguised die groaned loudly and put his face in his hands. "Oh my freaking God…"
He then snatched the stuff out of their hands and walked back over towards Tenna. "I got this! I'll call one of you if I need to switch out!"
But the cat suddenly interrupted him with a microphone paw in his path, pointing towards Tenna and himself as he expressed his own desire to help out.
"Don't be dumb! He's sick right now! He needs someone responsible to watch over him!"
He honked out an offended gasp, putting a hand to his chest and glaring at Battat. He then leaned in and told him off briefly for insinuating he wasn't.
"Um…" Jongler spoke up, gaining both of their attention. "I mean… not to be dat Zapper, but I's think I'm mighty responsible. An'... You are better at managin' da Mike stuffs so… maybe you's should do dat while I watch Tenna…"
They both stared at them in shock, stunned for a moment before both shooting the idea down.
"Whu-?! Why not?!" They asked, also getting offended.
"Because you can barely remember our name, so I dread to think how you might mess up something more complicated!" Battat turned away and continued towards the bed with the stuff, but Pluey huffed and snatched it away from him. He sputtered indignantly before going to take it back, but being stopped by the other's hand in his face.
Jongler took the stuff that the cat was balancing in one hand, worried that it might fall to the floor. "A'right a'right! Let's not get rude here, boys!"
Pluey spun around and complained at the Zapper, not bothering to actually make himself understood. Battat also joined in the argument, trying to tell them both to just get out. Meanwhile, Jongler tried their best to calm both of them down.
Tenna felt his eyes groggily flutter open at the noise going on around him. He felt so… foggy. He wasn't sure what was going on or what was making that noise. All he knew was that he was hot and his tummy hurt. He groaned softly and reached up to rub at his screen, trying to see what was happening.
He looked over at the vague moving shapes that slowly came into focus, revealing a short microphone, a tall microphone with a cowboy hat and a cat with microphone paws. He stared for a moment, taking the sight in as his mind struggled to process what he was seeing. Papa? Dad? Pappy?
"Look! Alls I'm sayin' is dat we's want to take care of him too!"
"Why are you so adamant about taking over?! I got this, alright?!"
Some annoyed dooting sounded from cat Mike as he glared at short Mike.
"What?! You've got something to say?! Let me guess, 'I'm being selfish for hogging all the Tenna time', right?"
Cat Mike immediately nodded.
"Well maybe if you guys got up earlier, you'd be notified when he needs help and be there!"
"Now that ain't very mature! Dis ain't a competition!"
"Damn right! It's a responsibility! And it's one I take very seriously!"
"We's do too! You're just bein' a bad co-parent!"
"WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN?!"
Mike was angry. Mike was fighting. They were getting upset and arguing about him. They were fighting because of him. It's his fault. Tenna had caused his parent… parents? To hate each other by being so small and weak. It's his fault. It's all his fault!
Pluey stopped fuming as he heard something from behind him. He turned around and spotted Tenna staring at them. At first, he froze in fear, realizing that Tenna saw them in the same room. But then he noticed the TV was shaking and crying, clutching the sheets in his hands. It broke the Shadowguy's heart and he couldn't stop himself from running over and hugging him tightly.
"P-p-pappy… 'm sorry… I di'n't mean to… sniff to be… small… 'm so sorry!"
Jongler and Battat both shut up as they heard Tenna's tiny voice whimpering. They turned towards him and saw Pluey cradling the CRT in his arms, who was now about the size of a regular child. He was trying to reach for his antennae, but couldn't do so while Pluey squeezed him against his fluffy chest.
"Sweetheart…"
"Hunny…"
They both couldn't help themselves either and ran over to his side as well. They sat to either side of him and both rubbed his back soothingly.
"P'ease! P'ease stop! Don' hate each otha! 'M sowwy! I be big again! I pwomise!" His words had started slurring and getting more and more childish as he cried, sounding younger by the second. It made all of them sad, and angry at themselves for arguing around Tenna, who notoriously had a trigger for loud angry arguments.
"Sweetheart! We're so sorry! We's didn't mean to get angry! It ain't your fault, li'l guy!" Jongler tried their best to comfort him, joining in the hug and petting the kid on his square head.
"Yeah! We're sorry, buddy! Don't cry! We promise to not fight anymore! It was a stupid argument anyway!" Battat added on while frantically trying to figure out a believable excuse for there being three Mikes in one room. He was sure that once Tenna calmed down, he'd be so confused about it.
"I can be big! I can! J-juss- sniff. Juss lemme grow back! I neva be small again! I be big an' good!"
"Tenna, sweetie pie! We ain't mad at you. Or about you. We's just… gots da mornin' grumpies! Ya know hows you's wanna stay in bed but can't? Like dat!"
"Uh… y-yeah! Exactly! We just got a little mad for no reason! But it's good! We're all ok now, I-"
Pluey gently nudged Battat's shoulder, gaining his attention. He gave him a confused look before the shadow grabbed him and pulled him into the hug, nuzzling him lightly on the head. The die huffed and looked away bashfully.
"Yeah yeah… I'm sorry too. Shouldn't have… been so controlling."
"Awe, fellas… I'm sorry for callin' you a bad parent! An' sorry for suggestin' you's wasn't responsible" Jongler looked between the two of them as they addressed them, wrapping their arms around the entire group in a big bear hug. Battat huffed amusedly and gave them some friendly pats on the back.
"You weren't wrong… I was being pretty selfish…" he grumbled and felt a little guilty about how he was acting.
"No! Don't say dat! You's just care 'bout Tenna so much!"
"Yeah… I guess I really wanted to take care of him."
"You… you not… angy?" Tenna mumbled and sniffled as he looked up at the three of them, still having that sad puppy face after you yell at them for chewing on the furniture. Pluey smiled and shook his head, then pointed at his face as he grinned brightly. Tenna looked at the other two, who also gave their best showcase of a happy expression. The TV sobbed still and nuzzled up into Pluey more.
"... ok. I… I sca'ed. Thought… thought I need to be big… but big's too much! Big scawy! If 'm big I can't get hug or hold! Ev'yone see me an' laugh! I gotta do stuffs! Big suck! Hate big! Don' wanna be big!!! NO!!!" He had started to work himself up into a temper tantrum with all the thoughts of what being big meant.
It meant he'd have to deal with so many things, so many complicated things, important things that needed him to do it right or everything would be bad! It meant people would look at him weird if he acted even the slightest bit off and treat him like a freak. It meant he was too big to be loved and protected and comforted by his Mike! He wouldn't get any love! He couldn't be big!
"Hey! Hey! Tenna! Tenna, please listen to me, baby! Calm down, please! No one is making you be big right now! No one expects you to be, either. We want to help you and care for you! I promise! So don't cry please, little guy!"
Battat reached over to wipe Tenna's tears with a napkin he pulled from his pocket. Pluey leaned down and started snuggling into the little boy, desperate to comfort him and hug all his tears away. He didn't have any words to offer, so actions would have to do.
"R- *sniff* R-really? I can be small? Is ok?" He asked through the tsunami running down his screen, making all three of them coo in pity. They all hugged him even tighter, Jongler whispering softly, "yeah. 'Course, sweetie. It's always ok if you're small. We's always be deres for ya."
He hiccuped and leaned over into Pluey again, finding his fur so soothing and cozy. The other two let him go and watched him sink further into the fluff, seemingly getting more lethargic.
"Awe snap! The meds! I forgot!" Battat mumbled as he ran over to the table, where one of them had set down the medication. He picked up the medicine for his nausea first, which was a dissolvent power to put in a drink. He opened up the lunchbox and found some yogurt cups in it that he grabbed and removed the seal of. He poured the powder in and started mixing it around with a spoon, then walked over to the bed again.
"Hey. Look what I got, bud. Some yogurt! Don't you want some?"
Tenna pouted and shook his head, digging his weak fingers into Pluey. The cat frowned and rubbed his back, hoping he'd eat something at least. The poor guy must be starving.
"Come on. You have to eat. You haven't had breakfast yet and you just threw up! You'll feel awful if you-" Battat stopped talking as he heard the CRT whimper miserably, seeing him shake his head even harder with a terrified look on his face.
"Why not? Aren't you hungry?"
He stayed quiet for a bit too long before giving his answer, making them all believe his head shake was a lie. He was just so scared of vomiting again that he didn't dare do anything that might fuel his illness. He just hid his face in cat Mike's chest to protect himself.
"C'mon, sweetie. It'll be ok. Promise." Jongler leaned over and tried to look him in the face, to which he just shifted away from them. They sighed and rubbed their chin, thinking of some way to convince him to eat.
Pluey suddenly had a lightbulb moment, stretching his arm out to Battat and motioning for the food. He hesitantly handed it over, watching him look down at Tenna and gently shake his shoulders. He peered up at him with a nervous frown.
He picked up the spoon and sniffed at it, then perked his ears up, as if surprised by the smell. He looked at it with exaggerated curiosity and intrigue. Then he glanced down to Tenna, politely offering the spoon.
But he refused again, making the cat shrug and turn his head to the side, opening his mouth and pretending to eat it. He opened his eyes wide and put his hands to his cheeks, really playing up all the gushing of how much he enjoyed the yogurt. Tenna stared at him, wondering if it really was that good.
He took another (the same) spoonful of yogurt and 'ate' it ravenously, shifting around on the spot and purring joyously. The other two just watched his performance, trying not to laugh at how silly he looked.
But Tenna started getting REALLY curious about the yogurt now. Was it really that tasty? How come he hadn't tried it before then? Was there more? If not, it looked like pappy was about to eat all of it before he'd get to taste!
"Wait! Pappy! I wan'!" He exclaimed as he reached his hands out and made a grabby motion. Jongler and Battat both sighed in relief, seeing him agree to eat. But, to both their shock, Pluey pouted and held the yogurt cup away from him. The little TV whined angrily and bounced in frustration, his gesturing getting more insistent. But he didn't give in, shaking his head profusely and holding it close to his face.
"EEEEEEEEHHHH!!! I WAN' TOOOOOO!!!" Tenna started crying again, completely forgetting that he had been refusing it just a few moments ago. Battat decided that was enough and snatched it away from Pluey, who acted hurt in the most overdramatic fashion he could. The die just groaned and moved the crying kid over to his own lap.
"It's alright, little buddy. Don't cry. I got it for you. I won't let pappy hoard all the yogurt like a greedy dragon."
He sniffled and rubbed his screen, looking up at his papa pleadingly. "You won't?"
"Of course not. Now open up, here's your delicious spoonful."
He tried to pull himself together enough to actually eat the food he was offered. He opened his mouth wide and waited for it. The small Mike chuckled softly and fed him a big glob of yogurt, watching him as he tasted it.
"... … … tha's it?" He asked in disappointment. He thought it would be tastier.
"Maybe you gots a bad bite. Try another" Jongler suggested helpfully, to which Battat nodded in agreement. The TV was a little sad, but figured dad must be right, since pappy seemed to love it so much. He ate more, getting a few more scoops in him until the whole cup was empty. It wasn't as good as he expected, but it made him feel better after eating it. He was still very foggy, but the pain and nausea had lessened significantly.
"There we go! See? You ate the whole thing! I'm so proud of you!" Papa said happily and gave him a big hug, making Tenna feel a lot better. He did something good! He made papa proud! It made him so happy that he practically melted into the embrace and mumbled some soft, cutesy gibberish.
"Wanna lie down, sweetheart?" Dad asked and pulled the blanket back for him. But he huffed softly and pressed further into papa, not wanting to leave his lap.
"Seems that's a no, chief" papa joked, making all of them laugh together. The sound was like music to the toddler's ears; his parents together in the same room, happy, getting along, liking each other. He could feel his heart soar at the thought of it all. His family. They were happy together. A tight knit, loving, complete family. He felt so fulfilled, like a missing part of him just returned and slotted right back into place.
"Mmmmm… my… my fam'ly. Ev'yone… love each otha. Papa… dad… pappy… they love…"
Battat suddenly froze as he squished Tenna to his chest, immediately feeling his face heat up like a firework. Jongler was also surprised, holding their jacket and staring, utterly dumbfounded. Pluey jolted to attention as all his fur raised up straight. His tail shot out into a rigid pole and he made a squeaky clown horn sound. They all stared at Tenna for a couple of seconds, seeing his screen turn dark as he fell asleep again.
"... … …"
Their eyes shifted up towards each other for an awkward glance, then they all quickly turned away to avoid any tense eye contact.
The silence was thick as Battat tucked Tenna back into bed, trying not to die right there on the spot.
What was that?!? Why did he say that?!? Was he hallucinating from his fever and thought we were the dreemurrs?!? But he said our nicknames!!! WAIT!!! HE SAID ALL THREE OF OUR NICKNAMES!!! DOES HE KNOW?!? HAS HE KNOWN THIS WHOLE TIME?!?
AND WHY AM I SO WORKED UP ABOUT THAT INOCCUOUS FAMILY STATEMENT?!?!?
*~*~*
Tenna groaned as his screen turned on slowly, seeing some blurry shapes in front of him. He didn't want to move. He was so cozy. Being held by papa made him feel safe and secure. Papa always took such good care of him. Papa was always there for him. Papa…
… was gone.
Tenna noticed the absence of arms around him and struggled to focus his gaze and sit up. His arms felt so weak and his head was swimming, feeling like it was filled with thick, colorful, jiggly jello. He couldn't think straight, his brain melting from how soft and warm it was. Words tried to exit his mouth, but were also melting on the way out into a string of unintelligible babbles. They fell lazily from his tongue and left him feeling even more dizzy, his head wobbling from side to side.
"Tens!" He heard dad's voice before some footsteps approached the bed. The TV groaned and looked up at the two Mikes beside him- wait. Two?
"Mnnnnnnng… paa… pah…" he barely managed to get out, looking between the cat and cowboy with a fuzzy screen.
"Ah. Papa just wents to do some work stuffs! But we're here to- h-hey! Sweetheart! What's wrong?"
As soon as Tenna heard papa had left, his heart broke. Papa left him. Papa was gone. Was he ever coming back? What if it was the last time he'd ever walk through those doors? And he didn't even get to say goodbye, again. This couldn't be happening to him again! He can't lose another family!
The kid sat up in bed and wailed, scaring the two caregivers stiff. He just cried loudly and kicked his feet, yelling about wanting papa and begging for him to come back.
"H-h-hey! Hey, baby! No! Shhhhhhh! No, it's okay! Papa's comin' back soon! Promise! Don't cry! Please don't cry, sweetie!" They tried to calm him back down, watching Pluey pull him into a tight hug and rub his back soothingly. But he just sobbed into his chest and hit him on the back, causing no pain or even mild discomfort; he was too weak to do anything to him.
Jongler looked around, trying to find something that might help cheer him up again. They spotted his plushies at the foot of the bed and grabbed one quickly, holding it up for him to see. "L-look! It's your friend, Boshi! Don't ya wanna hold li'l Bo-"
Before they could finish, Tenna had pushed away from Pluey and smacked the plushie out of Jongler's hands. It fell to the floor and the TV continued crying loudly. Pluey was desperate to make him stop. It hurt so much to hear him cry. He just couldn't bear it! So he used his secret weapon, the cinna-mels! Pulling out a candy from his pocket, he offered it to the angry kid with a gentle note.
That, too, failed as he slapped his hand away and fell back onto the bed, flailing his arms and legs in his fit. The Shadowguy nervously wrung his hands, scanning the room for anything else that could help. Jongler was paralysed as they seemingly weren't sure what to do anymore.
Looking over at Tenna's dresser, he jumped up and ran over to it, going through every drawer. He had to have something, ANYTHING, that could help him calm down and stop crying. Maybe a cool toy or a pretty trinket or-
…
That could work.
Jongler finally managed to move as they leaned over Tenna, hovering their hands around him in uncertainty. They weren't sure if touching him would make it worse. But as they began to panic, their friend came flying back to their side, picking the CRT up and shoving something into his face.
Both the Zapper and the TV were stunned by the sudden action, freezing on the spot to process what just happened. Jongler didn't even realise what Pluey had done for a few seconds until they registered what they were seeing.
Tenna had a pacifier in his mouth; pink and white with a red heart on the shield. And Tenna was equally as shocked about it that he had stopped crying. He looked down at it, shifting it around with his lips in confusion. What just happened? What is this? Why was this thing in his mouth? It felt weird and-
Suck
…
Suck-suck
That… that was… nice. He couldn't begin to understand why or how this rubber thing in his mouth was making him feel better, but boy did it ever do just that. It satisfied that fuzzy part of his head in such a way that he couldn't help but to continue sucking on it.
Tenna's shoulders dropped and his face relaxed, all his limbs that had previously been thrashing about now limp at his sides. He laid his head against pappy's chest with a soft moan, feeling tuckered out after such an outburst. Pluey smiled in relief and started rocking him from side to side, making him relax even more.
"Alright. I'm back, guys. Is he still-" Battat came back into the room, speaking before he even entered. He stopped when he saw Tenna awake, sucking on a pacifier and leaning into Pluey's chest.
Just what he needed, more questions. He had left specifically to get some alone time to think about everything that just happened, but then he comes back to something even more strange going on. Great. Fantastic.
The kid suddenly raised his arms towards him and made some desperate noises that were muffled by the pacifier. He waved his arms up and down, as if trying to reach out and grab him. The Pippins couldn't help but to coo as he walked over and received the small toddler from his co-Mike, holding him to his chest and petting him.
"Hey there, buddy. It's ok. Papa's back."
Tenna hugged him tightly and made a grumpy sound, making him laugh. He hugged him back with a few happy hums.
"Welp. Guess I's should take over Mike duty den" Jongler announced sheepishly, feeling pretty useless for not doing anything to help while the boy was crying. They moved over towards the door, only to be stopped by a loud whine from said boy. Tenna reached out towards them too, just like he did with Battat. That made them blush slightly, surprised that he wanted them to stay.
"Hey, hey. It's ok, hunny. Maybe pappy should go instead then-"
Tenna cried louder at that, causing him to drop the pacifier. He watched it fall to the floor and began tearing up again, everything just upsetting him right then. Why did they all want to leave him? Why couldn't they all stay together? Did they not love each other anymore?! Would he lose another family?! Where was his rubber thing?!?
His rage was quickly quelled as Pluey picked the pacifier back up and put it in his mouth, right after wiping it off, of course. It only took a second of suckling before he sighed and melted back into papa's arms. He sighed too, looking up at his friends with a nervous expression. Guess he wasn't getting that alone time to think after all.
"Seems like he needs us all to stay here."
"Seems like it, boss."
Pluey smiled and rubbed Tenna's head, delighted to find his temperature had gone down. He told the other two as much.
"Well… I guess we can watch him together until we can get him to bed properly. Can't let him see us together if he starts feeling big again."
"Right. It'll be fine! We's got dis, boss!" Jongler wrapped their arms around Battat, who started feeling pretty warm under his mask. It only got worse as Pluey joined in the hug. Damn these idiots! Why did they have to overcomplicate his already confusing emotions?!