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In this profession, quiet days are rare.
And for once, even rarer, it hasn’t come at the expense of anyone’s health or job status. Well, except the twins’, but Phil tries not to think about that too much.
In any case, no one is on probation and no one is recovering from an injury, and their whole floor is quiet.
Phil gets up early. He tries to make breakfast for his boys most mornings, but he doesn’t always have time to do more than put out cereals and make coffee.
Today, though- today, he has all the time in the world.
Tommy, Tubbo, and Ranboo will all be perfectly content with a pancake buffet. Phil starts those first, checking the fridge to make sure they’ve got everything the boys will want- whipped cream, fruit, chocolate syrup, the works.
Wilbur prefers sausage gravy and biscuits. They have all of that in the freezer, Phil can just toss the biscuits in the oven and the gravy in a pot on the stove to thaw while he works.
Phil grabs the hash browns from the freezer too, for Techno, before he remembers. For a minute he just leans heavily on the counter, staring at the half-empty package in his hands.
Techno’s off the ventilator again. Wilbur is holding his hand. He’s even conscious, enough to make a few sounds that might be meant to be words.
And then he’s seizing, without warning, back arching briefly and muscles spasming violently. Phil is pulling Wilbur away, and Wilbur is crying, clinging to his arms.
Ponk and the nurses are rushing around, injecting something into an IV and Techno is still seizing. Techno keeps seizing and Wilbur is sobbing into Phil’s arms and the seizure isn’t stopping.
Phil shakes off the memory and puts the hash browns back in the freezer. He wonders, a bit absently, how long they’ll stay in there before anyone eats them or throws them out.
Instead, he puts out a bag of formula to get to room temperature before Techno needs to have his morning feed. Ignores how foreign it feels, and how familiar at the same time.
Tubbo ambles in first, scrubbing at his eyes and yawning. “Mornin’,” he mumbles, collapsing on a stool at the island and putting his head down in his arms.
“Morning,” Phil says with a faintly amused smile. “Sleep well?”
An unintelligible grumble is his answer. He ruffles Tubbo’s messy hair as he goes to start setting out the pancake toppings- if Tubbo’s awake, Ranboo won’t be far behind, and Ranboo is always immediately alert almost the instant he wakes up.
Sure enough, the taller teen comes out of their shared room a couple minutes later, still in his pajamas, hiding a yawn behind his hand.
“Morning,” Phil says. “Was he up late?”
“Yep.” Ranboo sits down beside Tubbo, propping his chin on his hands. He blinks at the opposite counter. “’re you making breakfast?”
“Yeah. Go ahead and grab a plate, get whatever you want.”
Ranboo piles his plate with food. Phil stirs the sausage gravy, checks the biscuits.
There’s no telling how long it’ll take Tommy to get up. Some days he bounces out of bed almost before the sun’s up, primed for the day with more energy than he knows what to do with. And some days he’s slow, at the complete opposite extreme. Where the rest of the kids follow a routine, Tommy’s unpredictable. The wild card in the family.
Wilbur won’t get up until Techno does. That’s if Techno’s able to get up at all, because during bad days, he can’t.
“The tonic-clonic phase of the seizure lasted nearly eight minutes,” Ponk is saying. “The EEG indicates abnormal brain activity even before that, we think he was seizing for close to ten minutes before the active phase.”
Wilbur is shaking so hard Phil worries he’s not okay, either. “Is- that’s bad, right?”
Ponk looks at Phil, first, and he knows. He just knows. “Yes,” Ponk says. “We have him back on the ventilator. We think he’s going to wake up again but until he’s conscious, we won’t know…”
He’s pausing, looking at Phil again, and Wilbur’s sobbing. Phil completes the sentence.
“How bad the brain damage is.”
“No,” Wilbur chokes out. “No, he- he can’t have brain damage-”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Wilbur, but eighteen minutes is a long time. It’s not a question of if there will be damage, but how bad it is.”
Phil’s finishing up the last of the pancakes when the light over the twins’ door turns on. He slides the pancake into the warmer and wipes his hands on a towel.
“Make sure Tubbo gets some coffee,” Phil says as he passes the boys, patting Ranboo’s shoulder.
Ranboo grimaces. “I’m not sure coffee is going to help anymore, but sure.”
Phil chuckles, sobering as he slips into the twins’ room. This is not a place for mirth or even happiness. Their room always has a somber air; Techno’s condition doesn’t allow for any kind of lightheartedness.
Wilbur’s awake, sitting up against the pillows. Techno looks half-awake, laying against Wilbur’s side, his head resting on his twin’s chest.
“How are we doing this morning?” Phil asks quietly, coming over to sit on the edge of the bed.
Techno smiles, slow but brilliant. “Phil,” he says, the word slurring only a little.
It’s a good day, then. Phil beams, taking Techno’s hand. “Hey, mate,” he murmurs. “Are you feeling better today?”
Techno hums, closing his eyes and turning his face more into Wilbur’s shirt. Wilbur smooths his hair, smiling at Phil too.
“I think we’re gonna get up today.”
“Great.” Phil thinks today is going to be a very, very good day. “Do you wanna do his morning feed in here, or…”
“I want to try to get him out of bed first. He’s really calm, I think it’ll be good for him to see the others.” Wilbur hesitates. “Maybe… maybe try to do breakfast? I mean I know he can’t… but you know.”
“Yeah.” Phil squeezes Techno’s hand gently. “Techno,” he says, waiting until the younger man’s gaze focuses on him, “we’re gonna get up and sit in the living room, how does that sound?”
Techno closes his eyes with a vague hum. He doesn’t answer, but Phil doesn’t expect him to.
They take the relocation slowly, because Techno doesn’t move very well anymore. By the time they get him out to the couch, Tommy’s up, putting together his own stack of pancakes.
“Wil, I’ve got your breakfast on, I’ll bring you some once we’ve got him set up.” Phil smooths Techno’s hair lightly as he passes.
“Thanks, Dad,” Wilbur says.
“Philza Minecraft,” Tommy says around a mouthful of pancakes, “you are the only man ever.”
“You’re welcome, mate. Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Phil grabs the formula bag and the rest of the kit.
By now the motions of setting up the feeding pump are familiar, practiced. At first Ponk would do it, or send an underling, but Phil’s gotten quite good at the routine.
Techno whines softly when Phil starts the feed. “I know,” Wilbur murmurs, subtly adjusting his grip to be able to pin Techno’s hands if he tries to pull the tube. “I know you don’t like it, Tech. It’s okay.”
Two months have gone by since the kidnapping.
“The results of the neurological exams are… not encouraging,” Ponk is saying. “The seizure definitely caused some brain damage. We’ll need to run some more tests to determine the full extent, but it’s likely that Techno’s mental function will be severely impaired.”
Wilbur sobs, dry and harsh. “Oh, god.”
“His muscular control is poor, too. With physical therapy he might regain some finer motor control, but it doesn’t look good.” Ponk pauses. “He hasn’t passed the swallow test either. We need to put in a more permanent feeding tube.”
“He’s- you mean he-”
“Techno is alive,” Phil says, squeezing Wilbur’s hand. “That has to be what matters now.”
Phil waits until Techno’s settled before going to put together a plate for Wilbur. And pull the hashbrowns out of the freezer and put one in the microwave to thaw it.
“Hey,” he says as he puts Wilbur’s plate down on the end table. “You think he’s doing well enough to try tasting a couple bites?”
Wilbur gives him a tired smile. “I think he’d like that,” he says, still holding Techno’s hands still. “Can you- I don’t think he’s gonna do anything but-”
“Yeah.” Phil drags the ottoman over, sitting down and taking Techno’s hands, leaving Wilbur free to start his own breakfast. “Ranboo,” he calls, when the microwave beeps, “can you toss that in the oven?”
“Yep!”
Phil gently moves his thumbs in circles over Techno’s wrists, smiling when his kid’s gaze focuses again. “Hey,” he murmurs. “Still doing okay, Techno?”
Techno blinks at him, confusion gradually clearing. “Phil.”
“Right here. You’re just fine,” Phil says soothingly. “Do you want to watch a movie today?”
Techno frowns. Phil can practically see the gears turning in his head, until finally his expression clears again. “W… Westley.”
“Nooooo,” Tommy groans. “Not again-”
“Tommy,” Phil says warningly. To Techno, he smiles. “Yeah, we can watch The Princess Bride.”
Ranboo brings over the hashbrown and a spoon. “We’ve gotta get you some new movies,” he says with a strained smile.
Phil takes the plate. “Hey, Techno,” he says, and waits for Techno to refocus. “Do you want to try some of this?”
He’s not allowed to eat regularly anymore- he can’t swallow well enough for it to be safe- but a few times, on better days, they’ve compromised.
Techno smiles vaguely, trying to reach for the plate. Ranboo catches his hand, gently moving it back to his side.
“Easy there,” the teen murmurs, when Techno whines. “It’s just me, it’s Ranboo. You’re okay.”
“Techno,” Phil says, breathing a sigh of relief when Techno’s gaze returns to him and the confusion clears. “Open up.”
He lets Techno chew on the bite of hash brown for a minute, until he has to gently convince him to spit it out so he doesn’t choke.
Techno doesn’t fight it today. This is good. He’s never fully the old Techno, not since the kidnapping and the seizure, but he has good days and bad days. On good days- like today- he’s somewhat cognizant of his surroundings, he follows instructions without fussing. On worse days-
They haven’t had a truly bad day in a while, thank god.
“There you go. Good job.” Phil smiles, cupping Techno’s face briefly. “You want another bite?”
They watch The Princess Bride first, because Techno likes it, and then, because he’s starting to doze, Phil helps Wilbur get him back to bed. Wilbur stays- Wilbur is at Techno’s side ‘round the clock, because he’s never fully calm with anyone else, the way he is with Wilbur- but Phil goes to sit with his younger boys and watch another movie.
They’re halfway through a third when the doorbell rings. Phil extricates himself from a whiny pile of teenagers, mentally cursing out whoever has come to ruin their one day of peace.
A mood that immediately flips when he opens the door and sees Kristin standing there, beaming at him.
“Surprise,” she says, holding out her arms.
Phil laughs, hugging his wife close. “Oh my god, I’ve missed you so much, when did you get back in?”
“This morning.” Kristin sighs, rubbing his back, between where his wings would sit. “They told me you were in today, I wanted to surprise you.”
“You did.” Phil can’t stop smiling. “How long are you home, when are they sending you back out-”
“They’re not. I got the last of the requested intel two days ago, it’s done.” She hugs him tighter. “I’m home for a while, now.”
Phil gasps, pulling back just enough to see her face. “Really?”
Kristin beams, nodding. “Really. I’ve got, like, so much off time saved up, and I am going to spend all of it right here.”
“Oh my god. Oh my god, I love you so much.” Phil kisses her, reveling in her light chuckle and Tommy’s eww from behind them.
Which reminds him- “You haven’t met Ranboo and Tubbo yet,” Phil realizes. “Come in- why are we just standing in the doorway, come in, come meet the boys.”
He feels like a teenager again, giddy and wildly in love, and Kristin’s giggle tells him she’s feeling it too. They both calm down a bit when Tommy jogs over (a jog, for him, is more like what everyone else’s running speed is; Tommy is strictly forbidden from using his powers in their common areas)
“Mumza!” he cheers, practically throwing himself into her open arms. “I missed you.”
“Aw, sweetie, I missed you too.” Kristin laughs softly, gazing at him when he pulls back. “Look at you, you got so tall!”
“Well, duh, it’s been like five years.”
“Four and a half,” Phil corrects gently. It felt like forever, though. Undercover missions, especially ones of the magnitude Kristin was running, are unbearable.
“Four and a half years, whatever.” Tommy bounces on the balls of his feet. “Come meet Tubbo and Ranboob!”
“Tommy, it’s not nice to call your brothers names.” Kristin lets him pull her over to the couch, smiling warmly at the two teenagers still tangled together in the corner of it. “Hi, I’m Kristin. I’m Phil’s wife. It’s so nice to meet you.”
For a while Phil can’t do anything except sit there, on the back of a chair, smiling and watching his wife and his sons get to know each other.
And then the light over the twins’ door goes on again, and Phil sobers.
It was Wilbur’s idea- a way to indicate to the rest of the team (to Phil, primarily, because the younger boys don’t seem to know quite how to act around Techno) when Techno is awake, so they don’t disturb him when he’s sleeping. Phil needs to go in there and check on them.
He touches Kristin’s shoulder gently as he passes, murmuring “I’ll be right back” and slips into the twins’ room.
“How’re you doin’?” he asks quietly.
Techno curls back into Wilbur’s side when Phil speaks- but without a sound to indicate that he’s upset or unsettled. Wilbur shifts, making a face.
“I think he’s about ready to get back up.” He makes another face. “And I am so fucking achy right now.”
Phil nods slightly. “So, ah- before we do that, you should know that- that Kristin’s home.”
Wilbur perks up. “Really?”
“Yeah, but listen, Wil, I don’t think they’ve told her about him.” Phil pauses. “And he- there’s no telling how he’s gonna react.”
“Oh.” Wilbur glances at Techno, smoothing his hair. “I… I don’t know if he even- if he’ll have any idea who she is.”
“Yeah.” Phil sighs, watching Techno for a minute. “Why don’t you- I’ll talk to Kristin, let her know what’s going on, you talk to him?”
Wilbur nods, expression downcast. “I just… if he knew, I mean if he was still here, he- he’d be so happy right now. And trying not to show it.”
Phil’s heart aches. “Yeah. Yeah, he would be.”
He watches Techno for another minute, finally getting up and going back out into the common room. Kristin’s still talking to the younger boys, but she comes over to join Phil when he waves her over.
“Hey,” she says, quietly. “Where are the twins?”
Phil swallows harshly. “That’s… that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Have they told you anything about what happened?”
Kristin frowns, shaking her head. “Tommy said something about the last year being crazy, but other than that, no.”
“Right, yeah.” They can get into Phil’s and Tommy’s injuries later, but right now… “About seven months ago, Techno… he was kidnapped. By Schlatt. Wil went to rescue him, he got captured too, and they…”
It’s still so impossible to face. “He tortured Techno, to try to force Wilbur to join him. Techno almost died.”
Kristin gasps softly, covering her mouth with her hand. “Oh, no-”
“He’s alive.” Phil glances over at the door. “He had- he had a seizure while he was recovering- eighteen minutes. The brain damage-”
His voice cracks. Kristin shakes her head. “No. Oh, Phil, no-”
“It- it was severe. Techno’s… he’s not all there, anymore. Today is one of his better days, but he’s still…” He pauses, trying to phrase it properly. “He isn’t capable of functioning independently anymore. There were lasting effects from his other injuries, and he… there are, well, deficits.”
“But he’s still- he’s still in there, right? God, Phil, our kid-”
They hadn’t been able to legally adopt Wilbur and Techno, so long ago when they were brought in off the streets, but the twins are their sons all the same. And especially now, when Techno is…
“It’s hard to tell how much of him is left. He doesn’t always recognize the boys. Most days he doesn’t even know me.” Phil leans against the wall, because he’s trembling. “They had to put a suppressor chip in, because he- I mean, his power being what it is, and him barely able to recognize his own name…”
“Oh, Techno.” Kristin hugs him again, and Phil buries his face in her shoulder. She’s trembling, too. “He’s alive? He- he’s alive, right-”
“He’s alive. Wil takes care of him, he- he’s always in there with him, except sometimes when Techno’s having a particularly good day I’ll give Wil a bit of a break.”
“I want to see him.” Kristin pulls back. “Where is he, I need to see him-”
“Just give me a minute.” Phil rubs his hands over his face, steadying himself. “Wilbur’s- he’s talking to Techno, gonna try to get him to- to understand. We don’t know if he remembers you.”
Kristin waits outside the door while Phil goes back in. Techno’s sitting up a bit more, huddled against Wilbur’s side, legs curled up to his chest. He looks like a scared little kid again.
“Techno,” Phil says softly, coming closer, “would you like to see Kristin now?”
“Mumza,” Wilbur says, drawing Techno’s gaze back to him. “You know Mumza, right?” His voice is strained.
Techno whines, hiding his face in Wilbur’s shoulder. Wilbur looks helplessly at Phil, tears in his eyes.
“I don’t think he understands.” Wilbur’s voice cracks. “He’s just- he’s not getting it and I don’t know- I want to see her, too, but I can’t- if he doesn’t, I can’t-”
“Hey, hey, breathe.” Phil puts his hand on Wilbur’s arm, trying to calm him down. “The less stressed you are, the less stressed he’ll be. Just take a minute and calm down, okay?”
When Wilbur is calm again- and, by extension, Techno is calmer- Phil shifts, leaning forward slightly.
“We’re gonna try bringing Kristin in,” he says quietly, “and if he doesn’t react well, I’ll take over for a bit so you can go and talk to her. I can handle a tantrum,” Phil adds, when Wilbur’s expression twists. “If he’s already upset, it won’t hurt him for you to be out of the room for a bit. Okay? It’s gonna be fine.”
Wilbur glances at Techno, still hiding in his shoulder. “Okay,” he breathes. “Okay, yeah, we- we can do that.”
Phil goes to the door, giving Kristin a tense smile. “You can come in,” he says quietly. “Just… he’s not really comprehending right now. He might react pretty badly to seeing you, just- yeah, Wil says he’s not showing any signs of recognizing your name. Which is- it’s a lot more normal than we’d like, but it’s just-”
“Phil.” Kristin squeezes his hand. “I want to see my son.”
“He- he might have a tantrum, just- yeah.”
“Phil-”
“I want you to be prepared.” Phil takes her other hand, too. “Techno is- he’s not at all the same anymore. And it- it fuckin’ sucks, but we’re doin’ the best we can. He’s just- I don’t want you to be shocked if he gets upset.”
Kristin meets his gaze, looking much less enthusiastic about the visit. Which isn’t what he’d intended, but he supposes-
“Let’s just see what happens,” she murmurs.
Wilbur smiles when Phil and Kristin come in- tearful and tense, but a smile all the same. “Hi, Mumza,” he whispers.
Kristin goes to sit in the chair pulled up beside the bed. “Hi, honey,” she says softly. Hesitates. “Hi, Techno.”
Techno clings to Wilbur tighter, whining. Wilbur runs his fingers through Techno’s hair. “Shh, shh shh shh, you’re okay. It’s okay. That’s Kristin, Mumza, you remember her?”
Techno doesn’t look up. Wilbur tips his head back, blinking hard.
“Sorry,” he breathes after a second, looking at Kristin again. “Sorry, this is- he gets like this a lot. I don’t think he knows who you are.”
“It’s okay.” She leans over, brushing a tear off Wilbur’s face. “This is so hard, isn’t it?”
“I lost him.” Wilbur’s voice breaks. “Techno’s still here, but I lost him, and I-”
Phil’s heart just shatters. Wilbur’s never expressed any of this to him- Phil has felt so guilty for grieving Techno, despite him still being alive and- sometimes- aware.
“Oh, honey.” Kristin smooths his hair. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
Wilbur sobs, leaning towards her; when Techno whimpers, clawing at him, Phil moves to hold Techno himself so Wilbur can cry on Kristin’s shoulder.
Techno whines, high and confused- and probably scared- reaching for Wilbur again. Phil tucks him closer, pinning Techno’s hands so he can’t accidentally injure himself.
“It’s okay,” Kristin murmurs. “I’m here, honey, I’m here now.”
~~~
Phil gets up early.
It promises to be another quiet day. They’ve all been given a short few days of family leave; no one is on probation, no one is recovering from an injury, so they can just take some time to- to rest. And bond.
As early as it is, Kristin is already in the kitchen. Baking something- coffee cake, Phil thinks by the warm cinnamon smell of it.
“Good morning,” she murmurs as Phil wraps his arm around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder with a sigh. “Did you sleep well?”
“Better with you there.” He glances around the kitchen. “I need- have you gotten Techno’s feed out yet?”
“Is that what those bags in the fridge are?”
“Yeah.” Phil gets one out, setting it on the counter to warm up to room temperature. “It’s… all the neurological exams they did, he couldn’t pass the swallow test. Which means he’s at risk for aspiration if he takes anything by mouth. So, the feeding tube.”
“Oh. That’s…” Kristin looks away for a minute, covering her mouth with one trembling hand. “What else?” she asks, still not looking at him.
“A lot.” Phil leans on the counter. “He… he can’t move very well. There was a lot of nerve damage, and his injuries… it’s just, a lot. He needs a lot of help for- for everything. He gets all his nutrition through the feeding tube- hydration, too. A couple times they’ve had to sedate him so Wil can have a break. It’s… obviously not ideal, but Wilbur can’t be with him all the time.”
“His power, you said-”
“Completely nullified. It’s just… too dangerous.” Phil exhales shakily. “He could hurt someone- or himself- without meaning to. Or knowing. And he doesn’t understand enough to control it.”
She still doesn’t look at him. “It’s really that bad.”
It’s not a question. Phil doesn’t answer.
They mostly work in silence then. Not all the boys will eat sweet food this early in the morning, so Phil makes some eggs and bacon. Kristin puts coffee on and does the washing-up from her baking.
Phil is ready when the light over the twins’ door flicks on, before any of the other boys are up.
He barely pauses before slipping back into the routine of it all. Wilbur is half-seated, a familiar exhaustion in his eyes. Techno looks… alert, almost? It’s a strange sight. Techno is so slow these days, so mired by his own brain.
“Hey, Wil. Techno.” Phil pauses before sitting down, but Techno’s gaze only focuses for a couple seconds before drifting away, his mouth screwing up in a pout. “How is he?”
“I- I dunno.” Wilbur looks a bit fretful himself. “He- I don’t know. I think he’s confused? Or- or trying to figure something out? I don’t know, Phil-”
“Okay. Okay, mate, just breathe.” Phil exhales slowly, reaching across Techno to rest one hand on Wilbur’s shoulder. “We- we’ve got this, he’ll be okay.”
“Okay.” Wilbur looks away. “Let’s… get him up.”
Wilbur hasn’t had a break in two months. He hasn’t had a single day away from the responsibility of caring for his twin. Phil makes a mental note to talk to Ponk- Techno is about due for another checkup anyway, they’ll keep him sedated in the medbay for a week or so and Wilbur can just rest.
They get him out to the couch, a slow process. Slower than usual, because Techno keeps stumbling and looking around. Like he’s searching for something. Like he doesn’t know what he wants or how to find it- he probably doesn’t, though. There’s no telling how much of him is left in there. How much of his higher brain functioning is left.
Kristin stops Phil when he steps into the kitchen to get Techno’s feed. “Is he usually like this?” she whispers.
Phil glances at the twins again. “It’s… more or less, yeah. He seems more alert today, but more confused at the same time? I dunno. Wil thinks he might be lookin’ for something.”
“He’s so…” She looks over at Techno, too, that stricken look on her face. “My god, Phil, he’s so- so changed.”
“I tried to warn you,” he says half-heartedly. “It’s… yeah. A lot. He’s just not there anymore.”
“I know. I know, it’s just…” Kristin reaches for his hand. “It’s all so much to take in.”
“I know.” He squeezes her hand, then sighs, pushing off the counter. “I gotta go get him fed. It’s… a bit of a process, you don’t have to watch.”
She follows him into the living room proper anyway.
Wilbur holds Techno’s arms while Phil pulls up his shirt to get to the feeding tube. Techno doesn’t fight it- which isn’t usual at all. He seems to be too distracted by whatever he’s looking for.
Phil barely notices when Techno’s gaze focuses, but he does notice the quiet, “Westley.”
Phil glances up. Techno is staring at Kristin. Slowly he blinks, lips moving soundlessly for a few seconds before he repeats, “Westley.”
“Y-yeah, Tech, we can watch the movie later-” Wilbur says.
“Westley,” Techno repeats, still staring at Kristin. “P… princess.”
Kristin gasps softly. “Yes- yes, I used to read you The Princess Bride when you were sick, Techno. Do- do you remember that?”
“Princess… Bride,” he repeats, slow and slurred. “Westley.”
“Yes. Yes, Techno.” Kristin kneels, taking his hands from Wilbur’s. Techno just blinks at her- he doesn’t try to pull away, he doesn’t make a single sound of confusion or pain. Just stares. “Hi,” she whispers. “I’m here, sweetheart. I’m here.”
The twins clung to both of them during the early days here- Techno always adored both of them, but it’s undeniable that he was closer with Kristin. Maybe because her power means it takes a lot more to hurt her- Techno struggled to control the shadows, early on, but he couldn’t hurt Kristin. He felt safer with her, Phil supposes.
And now-
Later, while Techno is distracted watching his movie- the three teens holding his hands and keeping him generally distracted- Wilbur pulls Kristin and Phil aside, tears gleaming in his eyes.
“He’s- he hasn’t been able to remember anything,” Wilbur whispers shakily.
“Ponk said he might be able to have breakthroughs,” Phil says to Kristin. “But we didn’t think he could- there just doesn’t seem like enough there. But this… could be that. He recognized you.”
“He doesn’t remember what happened,” Wilbur says. “We haven’t talked about it but it’s- he doesn’t react to Schlatt’s name, or anything. That’s- but he remembered you.”
“Maybe it’s because I wasn’t here?” Kristin glances between them. “And when I came back he- he recognized me, but he couldn’t figure out why. Or- where I had been. Or something like that?”
“Yeah.” Phil rubs her arm. Techno still looks calm, nestled between Tommy and Ranboo. “We need to talk to Ponk.”
“This- this is the calmest he’s been since-” Wilbur runs his hands down over his face. “God, I- I haven’t been able to leave his side in months. Not since the last time he was sedated.”
Phil wants to hope. He doesn’t know how to begin to try.
He says it anyway.
“Maybe this is… maybe he’ll keep improving.”
“No.” Wilbur steps back slightly. “No, don’t- don’t do that, don’t give me hope, Phil.”
“Okay.” Phil takes his hands, gently pulls Wilbur in for a hug. “Just- just don’t give up altogether, mate, please?”
Wilbur presses his face into Phil’s shoulder with a sob. “I think I did a long time ago,” he whispers.
Kristin moves to hug him too, tucking Wilbur between them. They used to hold the twins like this, in the beginning- slept with their sons cradled safely between them, to keep away the nightmares.
“Techno is alive,” Kristin whispers. “I know this is hard, I know it- it is all so, so hard, but you can’t give up on him, sweetheart. Techno is still in there.”
“I don’t know how,” Wilbur whimpers. “It’ll hurt too much.”
There’s nothing else they can say; nothing else they can do but hold him, and hope.