#brotherly problems

Twist wakes to the morning light gently creeping across the room. His sockets drift open to watch it, and he smiles as he sees it illuminating his little brother’s face. Blackberry has a book in his lap but is slumped over the arm of the chair, where he has fallen asleep. At least he didn’t stay up all night.

Not wanting to wake him but wanting a drink, Twist looks around for his water bottle. Ah hah! There it is on the nightstand. It’s almost within reach if he stretches. Just a little farther… No, too far.

Undeterred, he takes a moment to analyze the situation. He needs to get closer to the nightstand. Can he do that? He hasn’t moved much on his own since the treatment started a week ago. Trying usually doesn’t go too well, but everything just feels so good this morning. It must be possible. Besides, he sure can move when he’s panicking; just look at what he did last night actually don’t because this is a good morning and that would ruin it so he should be able to do it when he’s relaxed. He doesn’t even need to fling himself across the bed, just scoot a little closer to one side. Totally doable.

He’s lying flat on his back. The water bottle is maybe six inches from the farthest his left hand can reach. He’s feeling good this morning; well-rested, not freaking out about anything, nothing beyond minor aches in his soul and bones. It can’t be that hard to move six inches. Just scoot sideways, that seems easy enough.

It’s not. Who’d have thought so much coordination was involved in scooting across the bed? His first attempt moves his head in the direction he wants to go, but his shoulders stay firmly where they are. Why is this so hard? His bones barely hurt, but there’s just no strength in them and they’re not doing what he tells them. The next attempt gets him claw marks in his night stand where he tried to grab it to pull himself closer. No luck; his arms are not going to pull around his body weight. The third attempt knocks the breath out of him when he halfway succeeds at sitting up before being abruptly reminded that his arms won’t stand up against gravity, either. This isn’t working.

No closer to his destination, he glares at his target. It’s not that far. There’s no reason to wake Blackberry up to get something that’s barely a foot away. Groaning, he realizes that that’s farther away than when he started, which means all he’s managed to do is make the job harder. “Fuck”. Not a good start.

“‘m gonna getcha,” he mutters, refusing to be defeated by distance and gravity. Scooting isn’t working. “Ok, new plan.” Gathering all of his strength, he gets his right arm underneath him, braces it against the bed, and pushes. The strain of putting all of his weight on just a few joints draws a whimper from him, but slowly, the right side of his ribcage lifts from the bed and his lower body follows. Yes! It’s working!

No, shit, it worked too well! He flails to catch himself as he nearly rolls off the bed. The goal was to roll onto his side to give himself a better range of movement, not to land face down on the edge of the bed with one leg dangling over the side. Sighing into the pillow, he glances over at his still sleeping brother. Maybe this was a bad idea. He thought he was feeling better, but apparently it’s too much to even pick up a water bottle. Now Blackberry’s going to wake up and find him falling off the bed with his face trapped in a pillow. Great.

This is beyond frustrating. Never mind the pain and the memories, it’s the sheer helplessness that’s really getting to him. A week ago he could have gone toe to toe with almost any monster in the underground. Now he’s consistently losing fights against gravity. The water is right there! It’s within arm’s reach now, but how’s he supposed to reach out and take it? Shift around trying to grab it and fall out of bed again? That’s definitely what’s going to happen if he leans over any farther.

It’s pathetic, really, lying here waiting for his brother to come save him by rolling him back into bed. He knows he shouldn’t complain. Of course he shouldn’t. This is so much better than where he woke up yesterday morning. If he’d done this with Iggy, she probably would have tied the rest of him to the bed so he couldn’t keep causing these problems. Blackberry will just rescue him while gently chiding him about doing dangerous things like, like rolling over in his own fucking bed. While getting further convinced that Twist can’t be left alone for a single damn minute, of course.

“This is ridiculous,” Twist growls. “Jus’ ‘cause nothin’s workin’ right don’t mean I can’t pick up a fucking water bottle.” He’s made his body work when it shouldn’t before. Actually, didn’t he walk across the lab with Iggy not that long ago? Yesterday, holy shit, that was only yesterday. And it hurt like knives in his joints, but he did it, so what’s different now? This shouldn’t be so hard.

This is an easier task than that was. It’s easier than a lot of things he’s had to make his body do when it was broken. It barely even hurts; his body just isn’t cooperating. So what does he do when he can’t count on his body to move the way it’s supposed to? Other than push through with sheer determination. While that’s great for working through pain, it’s not going to put any strength back in his limbs. Pain is only a minor consideration, here. More important is figuring out what he can do and what he can’t do.

What he can’t do is scoot over, lift his body off the bed, or reach over without tipping himself over the side. so pretty much anything requiring strength or coordination. What he can do is small, individual movements that don’t require much energy or having much sense of where any of his limbs are. So basically, move the whole thing by moving a bunch of connected but uncoordinated parts. That’s doable. Think mechanics. Think center of gravity. His whole body doesn’t need to move away from the edge, just enough of it that shifting his weight won’t move his center of gravity over the edge. So what’s pulling him over the edge?

That leg dangling over the side sure isn’t helping. Get that back on the bed and he might be safe, or at least have enough leverage to move the rest of him. Great, a plan. Only problem it, it’s also fucking heavy. It takes three tries to get his leg up on the bed, ultimately hooking it around the other one and pushing against the bed with all the strength in his arms to keep himself from tumbling over the side, but he makes it. With both legs on the bed, it’s easy to reach out with both arms and pull the water bottle to his chest.

“Hah! Gotcha.” He grins at his victory and chuckles at what currently counts as a victory. Whatever, he’ll take what he can get.

Blackberry startles awake at the noise and immediately starts projecting /love/comfort/protection/hope/worry. That last one is probably unintentional. “Brother! Oh, no, I’m sorry, you’ll be okay, just calm down, it’s just a dream, it’s alright –”

“Woah, woah, bro, I’m okay.” He takes a deep gulp from the water bottle, then lays his head back on the pillow, relaxing into the projections.

“You’re ok? Oh, you’re awake! Did a nightmare wake you up? Wait, do you know you’re talking to me or do you think it’s someone else? It’s Blackberry, Sans, your little brother Sans, and we’re in our house on the surface and Muffet isn’t here and we don’t work for her anymore and we’re both safe –”

“Bro! I know where we are. I’m fine.”

“Oh, thank the stars.” He lets the projections fade. “I’m so sorry I fell asleep. I tried to keep your nightmares away but I must have drifted off at some point, which is completely inexcusable and I’m so sorry if that’s what woke you up but I’m awake now so you can go back to sleep and I’ll keep the dreams away. I promise I’ll do better this time –”

“Hey, take a breath.” Blackberry pauses to breathe. “That’s better. Now just calm down. I didn’t wake up from a nightmare. I woke up ‘cause it’s mornin’ an’ I got plenty of sleep. See, the sun’s up.”

Blackberry blinks at the light coming in from the window. “Oh. I guess it is.”

“Yeah. I’m done sleepin’. Mornin’, little bro.” Twist grins.

“Good morning, brother,” Blackberry replies automatically, before furrowing his brow bones. “You didn’t have nightmares?”

“No clue. If I did, I don’ remember ‘em, so I’m not too concerned.”

“Oh. And you got enough sleep?”

“Yeah, plenty. More’n I’ve had fer awhile.”

Blackberry nods decisively. “Good, then it’s working.”

“What’s workin’?”

“The projections. I’ve been projecting at you anytime it looked like a nightmare was starting, and it made them go away. I’m sorry I fell asleep.”

“Aw, little bro, ya don’ gotta do that. I can handle a few bad dreams.”

“Well there’s no reason you should have to, not when there’s something I can do about it.”

“And ya thought I was dreamin’ when ya woke up?”

“Well you’re not exactly in a normal sleeping position, and it works better if I catch them early, so I got in the habit of doing it whenever it seemed like one might be starting. I’d rather do that than miss one. I should be able to keep all of your nightmares away that way so you can sleep.” Aw, his little bro is just so sweet. He’s the best brother ever. There’s just a little problem with his plan, though.

“Plannin’ ta keep projectin’ at me every time I move every night? That don’ seem all that sustainable.”

“Just until you stop having so many nightmares.” 

“Uh, bro? How long are ya thinkin’ that’s gonna be?”

“Oh, I know we don’t know how long they’ll continue, but I think I can keep going for quite a while. Projecting doesn’t take too much effort.” That still doesn’t address the biggest problem with that plan.

“When are ya plannin’ ta sleep?”

“I can nap!”

“When?”

“I’ll find the time.”

“How much sleep did you get last night?”

“Enough. You were pretty restless early in the night, but you calmed down after a while so I must have fallen asleep after that. I’m so sorry. Do you really think you didn’t have any more bad dreams?”

“If I did, I don’t remember. Bro, ya can’t just stay up with me all night. Ya gotta sleep.”

“I told you, I’ll nap.”

“When?”

“When we have some downtime. Now, why are you trying to drink with your face smushed into a pillow?” Of course he has to ask about that. Twist sighs.

“Too much work ta turn back over.”

“How did you get like that in the first place?”

“Easiest way ta get a drink?”

“And how would that be the easiest way to get a drink, exactly?”

“‘Cause none of the other ways worked.”

“How many ways are there?”

“More’n ya’d think, and most of them are useless. Kinda wore myself out, so ya mind helpin’ me turn back over?”

“Of course! Or, I mean, of course I don’t mind. Here, you just hold onto you water and I’ll get you settled in properly.” He rolls Twist over more carefully than necessary and settles his skull in the middle of the pillow. Twist appreciates the sentiment, even if he is a little concerned that Blackberry might have gotten the impression that he needs to be treated like glass. It’s hardly a priority, though.

“Thanks, bro. Mind gettin’ me another pillow or two? ‘s not much easier ta drink flat on my back than flat on my front.”

“Certainly.” After stuffing two more pillows behind Twist, he sits back down in the chair.

Drinking still isn’t as easy as it should be. Twist’s hands are shaking. He watches them, perplexed. “Wonder why they’re doin’ that?”

Blackberry watches them too. “I don’t know. Do they hurt?”

“Nah, just tired. Nothin’ wants ta do what I tell it today. ‘s like all my energy’s gone.”

“Are you sure you got enough sleep?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you wear yourself out getting the water?”

“Maybe, but nothin’ was workin’ too great even when I first woke up. I thought the water’d be pretty easy ta get ‘cause I was feelin’ so good after all that sleep, but I could hardly move.”

“That’s very strange. How does your soul feel?”

“Same as ever. I think? Hard ta tell. Kinda burns, a little? Not like when some node’s dissolvin’ or anythin’ like that, just… Oh.” He snorts at his own stupidity. “Hey, bro, mind gettin’ me some breakfast?” That’s just embarrassing.

“Of course, but what does that have to do with what we were discussing?”

“Probly has everythin’ ta do with it, considerin’ I ain’t eaten since right after Cash brought me here, an’ I’m pretty sure what I’m feelin’ is my body yellin’ at me fer not feedin’ it when I’m burnin’ through all this energy.” Which should have been obvious.

“You mean you’re starving and you didn’t notice?”

“Wouldn’t say I’m starvin’.”

Both browbones raised, Blackberry reiterates, “your hands are shaking.”

“Yeah, yeah, so maybe I’m a little starvin’. Hard ta tell. Jus’ go make me a smoothie. Ya know where the instructions are?”

“On the kitchen counter. Will you be alright if I’m gone for a few minutes?”

“Yeah. When Cash had ta leave me alone, he piled up some blankets along the edge of the bed ta make it harder fer me ta fall out.” It feels a little like being a babybones in a crib, but he doesn’t fancy hitting the floor at the moment.

“That’s a good idea. I’ll do that.” Blackberry lines the bed with blankets, then rushes downstairs while Twist sips his water.

***

“I can’t believe I let him get so hungry,” Blackberry mutters as he enters the kitchen. “I should have thought of breakfast first thing. Or dinner, for that matter.” Twist said he ate after Cash brought him home, but when was that? Surely not recently enough.

The smoothie ingredients sit together on a counter, along with a small recipe card. Reading the card, Blackberry scowls. “That hardly counts as a recipe.” It’s just measurements for the different powders and instructions to pour them in a cup and mix them with water. “And that hardly counts as a smoothie.” How can a slurry of rehydrated powders be the best thing for Twist to eat? These so-called ‘ingredients’ need some investigation.

He tastes the protein powder first. It’s just a basic protein powder, as unappetizing as any other. It’s nothing he would normally cook with, but it might be a useful supplement for someone who can’t eat any natural protein sources. Can Twist have any natural protein sources? That’s something to look into later. He spoons a small amount into a glass of water. Not particularly soluble, either. It’s not the type he’d choose for this mixture. Other ingredients might mask it, but there aren’t many other ingredients in the recipe. So far, he’s not impressed.

Then he tastes the other main powder, which is labeled by calorie content but not by ingredients. It’s almost… oily as it dissolves in his mouth. Ew. And the taste – He shudders. The taste is… well, fatty, but not any kind of fat he’d cook with. And it’s sort of sweet, but in a sickly, cloying way that even the most ardent sugar lover couldn’t enjoy. Twist must hate it. Cringing, he swishes it around in his mouth. There’s definitely some kind of significant carbohydrate component, but again, nothing like the carbohydrates in any normal kind of food.

It’s like someone took whatever calorie sources they could think of, extracted only the highest calorie components, and mixed them all together into the strangest powder he’s ever tasted. He loves high calorie treats as much as anyone, but this is disgusting. What’s the point? It could be fed to someone who wouldn’t eat much but still needed a lot of calories, but wouldn’t that person then eat less because of the taste and texture, resulting in fewer calories actually being consumed? It seems very counterproductive.

The third component is some kind of vitamin and mineral supplement. It’s not clear what the vitamins or minerals are, but it’s always better to use supplements as supplements, not as the primary source of nutrition. But that would require including foods that naturally contain those nutrients, like fruits and vegetables, which this ‘recipe’ does not have.

What else is there? An extra calcium supplement? That’s a thoughtful addition to make an otherwise standardized nutrition mixture more appropriate for a skeleton, but wouldn’t it be better to just use high calcium milk in place of the water? Even if more calcium needs to be added, it would be absorbed better if it was dissolved in milk. And whole milk could be used to increase the calorie content, too.

The whole thing seems designed by someone who technically knows the main components of nutrition but understands nothing about nutritional science or food preparation. It should keep someone alive but can’t be nearly as healthy as normal food, and of course it’s completely unappetizing. And then, of course, there’s the care put in by the chef, which is completely absent from such an artificial method of preparation.This can’t possibly be the best thing for Twist to drink. A multitude of possible improvements runs through Blackberry’s mind. But Twist’s health is so fragile right now, and what if Blackberry is wrong? What if there’s something he’s missing? He’d hate to unintentionally hurt Twist by ignoring instructions that turn out to be important.

Maybe he’d better make one and sample it first. Maybe it’s not so bad. He measures out the powders and mixes in the water as per the instructions, then takes a sip of the resulting mixture. He gags. Twist has been drinking this? How? This is completely unacceptable. But why would Iggy feed him this if it wasn’t necessary? Just to be cruel? Indifference is also a possibility. Maybe Twist can’t eat normal food and this is easier than developing a modified diet? Maybe she doesn’t know enough about cooking to develop a modified diet.

Maybe Twist knows the answer. He’d better, because Blackberry would be failing in his duty as a brother and as a chef if he fed his brother this repugnant concoction. It’s about time to check on him, anyway. Realizing how long he’s been gone, he rushes upstairs with the mixture that he refuses to think of as a smoothie.

He’s ranting before he even walks through the door. “Why is this like this? You’re not eating this.”

“Huh?” Twist blinks at him in confusion, still holding his water bottle.

“What is this, this abomination of a drink?”

“Uh… breakfast?” Does he really not see the problem with this? Oh, his poor brother! Look at what’s become of him without Blackberry around to feed him properly.

“Papy, this is disgusting. Why does she make you drink this? Why did you agree to drink this?”

Twist shrugs. “Ain’t my favorite, but there’s not much else I can eat, bro.”

“But you can eat this?”

“Yeah? It keeps my HP up and don’ make me sick. I can’t eat anythin’ solid an’ I burn through magic like nothin’ you’ve ever seen, so this’s what I’ve got.”

“Are there no alternatives? I don’t see anything in the ingredients that you couldn’t get from a real, properly made nutritional shake or home made meal of any kind.”

“Dunno. She put fruit in it fer a while, and that wasn’t too bad, but,” Twist winces, “we had some problems with that so she stopped.”

Blackberry shakes his head in disgust. “I’m not feeding you this. I’ll come up with something better.”

“Not sure that’s the best idea. Look, the taste ain’t great, but I can eat it an’ it hasn’t caused any problems. Kinda worried ‘bout changin’ it.”

“I don’t think there’s anything special about any of the ingredients. I tasted them, and if anything, they’re less healthy because they’re oversimplified versions of regular foods. Not in the way that they would be if you actually needed such an artificial diet, more like someone just wanted an easy way to store large amounts of basic nutrients. I’m convinced that it’s more for convenience than anything.”

“Ya really don’t think it’s gotta be that way?”

“I’m certain of it. If I had any doubts, the fact that she used to put fruit in them has convinced me. The problems with the fruit weren’t nutritional, were they?”

“Nope, nothin’ ta do with that.” Why is he wincing again? That’s worth following up on, but right now the goal is to get Twist some edible breakfast.

“Then I see no reason why you can’t have something better.”

“‘s gotta be some kinda smoothie. Not s’posed ta eat anythin’ I gotta chew or that could have chunks in it.” Despite the caution, he sounds a little hopeful. He’s right to be hopeful! Blackberry is up to the challenge!

“A high calorie smoothie with protein and no chunks. That’s easy enough to make. I can even blend in the supplements without letting them overpower the whole drink. Just give me a few minutes and I’ll have it ready. Can you wait that long?”

“Not goin’ anywhere, am I? Have at it, bro. Anythin’d be better ‘n this, long as I can eat it.”

“I’ll be right back.”

Five minutes later, he makes his way back up the stairs with a fresh water bottle containing a smoothie that he would be willing to serve to someone in a pinch. It’s not his best work, but it should do for now.

Twist is slumped against the pillows, water bottle abandoned by his side. Oh, please, let this one be drinkable! His poor brother is so low on energy, it’s unbearable. “Here, brother, try this.”

Twist accepts the drink gratefully, but with hands that are even shakier than before. “Thanks, bro.” He takes a sip. “Bro! This’s amazin’!” He quickly slurps down half the bottle.

“It’s not my best work, but I didn’t want to take too long so I stuck to the basics.”

“Best thing I ever tasted!” 

Twist’s enthusiasm makes Blackberry smile. “I’m glad you like it. There’s room for improvement, but that can wait until there’s more time to work on it.”

“Sure, bro, but seriously, this is the best.” He continues drinking, while Blackberry watches for any signs of ill effects. He doesn’t seem to be having any trouble absorbing it, and, oh! His hands have stopped shaking!

“Are you feeling any better?” he asks while taking the empty bottle.

“Yeah, ‘m feelin’ great! Best I’ve felt since this whole thing started. Amazin’ what a good meal an’ a good night’s sleep can do, huh, bro?”

“I’m so glad. Now, what else can I do for you? Would you like to sleep more?”

“Nah, tired of sleepin’. Tired of layin’ in bed, really, but I don’ think I’m up fer walkin’ around the house.”

“That seems like a bad idea,” Blackberry agrees. “And impossible.”

“Right. So, got any ideas fer what I can do? Guess it’s a good sign that I’m feelin’ good enough ta get bored, but it ain’t much fun.”

“Would you like a book to read?”

“Maybe? Bring me one, wouldja?”

Blackberry pulls one of Twist’s favorites off the shelf. “How about this one?”

“Sure, give it here.” Twist accepts the book with a smile, but it soon shifts to a frown.

“What’s wrong?” Twist sighs as he sets the book in his lap and closes his eyesockets. “Can’t see the words.”

“You can’t see?!” Oh no, oh no, what if he’s going blind? What if the treatment damaged the pathways that connect to vision, or something? Blackberry doesn’t know how that all works, but it can happen. Monsters have gone blind before because of something happening to their magic, especially non-fleshy monsters who rely on magic for so much. What will they do if Twist goes blind? That would be devastating, absolutely – 

“Bro! Calm down. It’s ok. I can see. Everthin’s just a little blurry, so I can’t see well enough ta read.”

“But what if it’s a sign that your eyes are damaged? Has it been like that the whole time, or is it getting worse?”

“It’s not gettin’ worse! My vision’s been doin’ weird things the whole time. It’s not always the same, but it comes and goes an’ this ain’t any worse than it’s been. I just haven’t tried ta read before.” That’s not as bad as it could be, although it still isn’t good. But if Twist doesn’t want to freak out about it, Blackberry will try not to either. He’ll try.

“Oh. Well as long as it’s not getting worse and you can still see. You’re sure it’s not getting worse?”

“I’m sure. It’s nothin’ ta worry ‘bout; readin’s just not gonna be the best way ta keep myself busy fer awhile.”

“Alright. If you’re sure.” Blackberry takes the book back to the shelf, glancing surreptitiously back at his brother.

“Sure hope none of it’s permanent,” Twist mutters under his breath, but Blackberry can still hear him.

“Do you think it might be?”

“What? Nah, course not. ‘s all temporary. Iggy said so an’ everythin’.”

“How do you know she was telling the truth?”

“‘Cause she wasn’t tryna trick me. Look, she mighta undersold the problems a little, but she didn’t outright lie ‘bout anythin’.”

“What if she didn’t know about it? Cash said the treatment has never been tested on anyone with such high LV before.”

“Then we’ll deal with it when it happens.”

“Papy! You can’t just let yourself go blind, or be bedbound forever, or –”

“Not ‘lettin’’ myself do anythin’. Look, bro, I’m almost completely sure I’m gonna be fine. Everythin’ I know ‘bout this says I will. On the tiny chance I won’t be, we’ll deal with it. I know I can count on you, and anything’d be better than havin’ all that LV sittin’ around waitin’ ta get me.” 

It all comes back to the LV, doesn’t it? Well, of course it does, because that’s what this is all about, but he’s just not used to Twist talking about it so plainly. Probably because Blackberry usually refuses to discuss it, he acknowledges guiltily, and doesn’t that just make him a terrible excuse for a brother? “You really were worried about it, weren’t you?”

“More’n worried. I knew it was gonna get me, and so did you. I got real used ta livin’ with a tickin’ time bomb in my head, an’ now it’s gone, so I’m really not too worried ‘bout the tiny chance that somethin’ might go wrong from this. I’m not gonna die, an’ we can deal with anythin’ else. Right?” There’s just a tiny bit of hesitation in his voice, like he’s not quite sure about part of that, and Blackberry has the sinking suspicion that he might be part of that hesitation. Is Twist actually worried that Blackberry won’t help? Is it… is it because he won’t deal with the LV being a problem? Has he really made his brother think that he can’t even count on him to get him through this, that it’s not safe to share how he’s feeling? No! He’s not letting that happen.

“Of… of course! Of course we can deal with it. We can do anything, as long as we’re together!” And he means it! Even if it means discussing some terribly uncomfortable subjects. Twist should never have to hesitate when he talks about them getting through something together.

“That’s right, bro.” Twist sounds more confident now. “And what’ve I got ta worry ‘bout with the Sensational Sans ta take care of me?”

“Sansational, even, and of course, you’re right!” They both grin at the old pun. “I’ll take care of you, and you’ll get completely better, and your LV will be gone, and we won’t have to worry about any of this ever again. Right?” He can’t help but let a little hesitation of his own slip through, but the determination is genuine.

“Right! We got it covered, bro. Now how ‘bout we see if there’re any games I can play? Sittin’ in this bed all day every day doin’ nothin’s not gonna work fer me.”

“Certainly! How about cards? Do you think you can play cards?”

“Worth a try. Bring up a deck and we’ll see.”

Mood somehow both lowered and lifted, Blackberry races downstairs to get some cards, taking both water bottles with him as he goes. He rinses the one with the smoothie in the sink and sets it in the drying rack, and refills the other one with fresh, cold water. Then he grabs a deck of cards and rushes back upstairs.

“The numbers on this one are bigger than the others, so I thought it might be easier… Papy?”

Twist is curled up on his side, clutching his ribcage, sockets clenched shut. Dropping the cards, Blackberry races to his side. “Brother?”

“Think… mmmm…” he whimpers, “think cards are gonna haveta wait.”

“What’s wrong?” 

Sweat is beading on Twist’s skull and ribs, and he’s panting. “‘s okay. Jus’ hurts. Jus’ a little. ‘s fine.” He curls up tighter and sobs.

“You’re not fine! You’re hurt, you’re really hurt. What’s hurting you?”

“Jus’ a node. Jus’” – he cries out, and doesn’t stop for what feels like eternity but might be more like fifteen seconds. Blackberry freezes in place, not knowing how to help and terrified of making it worse. When Twist stops screaming, he pants for a moment and then resumes speaking.

“‘s fine. ‘m ok. ‘s jus’… goes away. Always, jus’ –” he trails off in a whimper.

“Okay, okay Papy, it’s okay. I understand. You don’t have to keep talking.”

“Jus’… goes away. It goes away goes away goes away it always, always…” The last word is a sob.

“I know. I know it goes away. I promise I understand. I won’t freak out about it; I’ll just stay right here until it goes away, and you’ll be okay. You’ll be ok, Papy. It will be over soon and then we can play cards.”

“‘m hot.” It’s the smallest whisper, but it jolts Blackberry into action. Of course he’s hot, his soul is burning, and Blackberry knows how to fix it. The temperature part, at least. He digs into his pile of towels as Twist’s whimpers start sounding more like screams. He can’t take the pain away but he can at least stop the heat from scorching Twist’s ribs again.

Oh stars, oh stars, his brother’s soul is hot enough to scorch his ribs. How is he surviving this? How isn’t he losing his mind? How is Blackberry going to keep from throwing up at the thought of it? He almost loses himself in his own panic, but no. Absolutely not. Twist needs him and he’s not going to waste time freaking out about watching what Twist has to actually experience. There’s a job to be done, so get to work. He dunks a towel in the water pitcher.

Twist’s screaming has intensified by the time Blackberry has the towel ready. How is this even going to help? What’s a little water going to do against so much pain? What can he ever do about any of Twist’s pain? That useless line of thinking can stop right there. He knows this helps. He’s seen it. Finding the hottest bones that he can reach with the way Twist is curled, he gently runs the damp cloth along the bones. The response is immediate. Twist gasps, presses into the towel, and tries to grab it to hold it himself. Blackberry lets him take it, heedless of the water dripping everywhere as Twist clutches the towel in desperately clenching hands, and picks up another one.

They sit like that for a long time. Blackberry doesn’t know how long. Twist doesn’t stop screaming, but his screams lose some of their desperation as Blackberry keeps his ribs at a tolerable temperature. He briefly considers trying to cool the soul itself, but that seems like such an invasion and it would be hard to get Twist to uncurl enough to even get to his soul, and for all he knows it wouldn’t even be safe, so he doesn’t try it. Maybe they can look into it later. For now, he just keeps running cold towels across Twist’s ribs and replacing the one Twist is holding when he’s wrung all the water out of it and starts to tear it while trying to get more.

This isn’t so hard. He can do this. Just keep Twist cool and don’t freak out about the fact that he hasn’t stopped screaming in at least ten minutes even though his voice sounds like sandpaper. It’s fine. It will be fine. This is supposed to happen. Everything is going the way it’s supposed to so he shouldn’t be upset. Twist says it’s fine and he’s the one who’s actually suffering, so Blackberry should just suck it up and take care of his brother. It’s what Twist would do for him.

Twist’s screams gradually fade back into into whimpering. That means he might come out of it soon. Okay, time for Blackberry to get himself under control. Twist needs someone he can count on, not someone to take care of. He can do this.

He leans forward when Twist’s sockets unclench and blink open. “Hi, Papy. How are you feeling?”

Twist blinks at him. “Hi.” His voice is hoarse and weak, and doesn’t really tell Blackberry much.

“Do you need anything?”

“Wa…” He coughs. “Water?”

“Certainly. Can I help you sit up first, though?”

“Mhmm.” Twist winces as Blackberry lifts his shoulders and repositions him so he’s lying on his back with the pillows supporting his shoulders and skull, but sighs in relief as he leans back into the pillows. “Thanks. Water?”

“Here.”

Twist makes no move to hold the water bottle, so Blackberry holds it for him and presses the straw to his teeth. “Open up.” He says it gently, teasingly, but Twist’s quickly indrawn breath suggests he doesn’t take it that way. “Brother?”

“Sorry.” Twist lets the straw in his mouth. Blackberry is starting to really not like it when Twist apologizes.

“It’s okay. You’re doing everything just fine. Do you want to drink now?” Twist nods, which pulls the straw out of his mouth. Sockets widening, he quickly catches the straw and bites down on it to hold it in place. This is disturbingly like how he acted after he fell out of bed. He’s much too cooperative. But he needs to drink.

Being very careful to be clear but not commanding, Blackberry suggests, “how about you go ahead and drink now, okay, brother?” Seeing Twist open his mouth to speak, he hastily adds, “you don’t have to answer. Just drink if you’re thirsty.” Twist finally starts to drink, thank the stars.

As Twist drinks, his body loses tension that Blackberry didn’t realize it held. His hands finally uncurl from the washcloth and his sockets close in bliss. By the time they open again, there’s a level of awareness in the working one that suggests Twist might finally be with him.

“Papy?”

“Yeah, little bro?” He’s quiet, but not like he’s struggling to speak, and there’s enough inflection to let Blackberry know he’s doing better.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Think I got lost fer a minute. Kinda. But I’m fine.”

“Was it because of me?”

“Nah. Just… random shit sets me off. Happens all the time. ‘s really annoyin’.”

“Was it something I said?”

“No. I mean, coulda been, but it coulda been anythin’. Everythin’s jus’ right at the surface right now. ‘s got me kinda fucked up. Messed up. Are we doin’ the language thing right now?”

“I think people who can randomly collapse in agony or forget where they are can have a pass for swearing. At least temporarily.” Blackberry tries a weak smile. It sort of works.

“Thanks, bro.” Twist manages an actual smile, even if it is shaky. Then he yawns. “Think I need a nap.”

Blackberry tries very hard not to yawn too, but he loses that battle.

Twist notices. “Think you need a nap, too. Ya didn’t sleep much last night, didja?”

“I slept enough. You take a nap and I’ll watch over you.”

“Ya sure? Ain’t gonna help either of us fer you ta wear yerself out.”

“I’m sure. You go to sleep. I promise I’ll sleep when I’m tired. Here, let me help you with the pillows.” He takes two pillows away so Twist can lie flat on the bed. “There. Is there anything else you need?”

“Nah, I’m good. Feel great, actually. Didja do that towel thing again?”

“Yes, did it help?”

“Helped a lot. My ribs don’ even hurt.”

“That’s wonderful! I’ll make sure to keep doing it.”

“Thanks, bro. Gonna sleep now, okay?”

“Of course. Good night, or morning, or whatever it is.”

“Good whatever.” Twist smiles as he closes his eyes. He’s asleep in moments, smile still on his face.

Blackberry pays close attention while Twist sleeps, not giving himself a chance to be distracted by a book or to fall asleep himself. Twist sleeps peacefully for the most part, with only a few moments of restlessness that Blackberry soothes away with more /love/comfort/protection/hope/. It’s going to be okay. He’s doing a good job taking care of Twist. It’s a little rocky, but Twist feels okay and now he’s sleeping peacefully, and he has better food now, and if he wants to do something when he wakes up they can play a game. They’ve got this.

Twist doesn’t sleep for long. He wakes very refreshed, and happily spends the early afternoon rambling about various subjects. They chat about Blackberry’s school and Twist’s work, which prompts Twist to remember that he didn’t exactly give his boss much of an explanation before he left, or tell anyone how long he would be gone.

“Think they’re mad at me?”

“I wouldn’t think so. Concerned, maybe, but I’m sure they’ll understand once you explain.”

“So ya don’t think I’m gonna get fired?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. They love you there. They wouldn’t fire you.”

“Ya don’t know the day I had before I left.”

“What happened?” It can’t be as bad as Twist is thinking. Those people he works with absolutely adore him. They’ve never had a bad thing to say about him.

“Lost my cool. Really, really lost it.”

“What did you do, yell at your boss? That probably requires an apology, but he’s not just going to fire you over a bad day.”

“I almost punched a customer through a wall.”

“Well that’s–” it sinks in what Twist just said. “Oh my. That is a problem. Did anyone get hurt?” If Twist hurt a customer, if he – what if really, really hurt a customer? What if he–? No, he would have said. They wouldn’t be talking about this so calmly if that happened. They wouldn’t.

“Nah, just the wall.” Oh, thank the stars. Blackberry can breathe again. “Pulled the punch at the last second and missed his head, and the guy was bein’ a shit head so no one was too broken up about it, an’ they stood up fer me with the police, but it shouldn’ta happened in the first place.”

“No, it shouldn’t have, but it sounds like you were provoked, and no one else who was there blamed you for it, so I don’t see what that has to do with you getting fired. Your boss likes you even more than your coworkers do.”

“Might decide I’m too much of a liability ta keep around. Maybe that’s why no one complained when I left a few hours later.”

“Or maybe they were worried about you and thought you needed a break.”

“Ya really think so?”

“I think it’s more likely than all of them suddenly deciding that they don’t want you around anymore because you lost your temper once. Or am I misreading what kind of people they are?”

“Nah, ya know ‘em pretty well. Ya really think they’re worried?”

“Of course they’re worried! Or at least concerned. Wouldn’t you be concerned if one of them went home after a bad day and wasn’t heard from for a week?”

“When ya put it like that, yeah, I guess they might be worried. Maybe I should call ‘em? Let ‘em know what’s goin’ on?”

“I think that’s a great idea.”

“Actually, uh, bro?”

“Yes?”

“Can you do it? Call ‘em for me?”

“If you’d like, but why don’t you want to do it?”

“Not too confident in my ability ta manage a phonecall. It’d be pretty embarrassin’ ta ferget who I’m talkin’ to or jus’ randomly start screamin’, doncha think?”

“Oh, good point. It would definitely convince them that you need sick leave, but I can see why you’d want to avoid it. I’ll call them later to let them know what’s going on.”

“Thanks, bro.”

They sit in peaceful silence for a few minutes, but then Twist starts to fidget. “Hey, bro?”

“What is it?”

“Still got those cards from this mornin’?”

“Yes, they’re… hmm. Where did I put them?” He has no memory of putting them anywhere after the morning they had, but they must be somewhere. He checks every surface in the room, and is just looking through the bookshelf when he hears a clack and a grunt. He whirls around to investigate, and finds Twist’s upper body hanging over the side of the bed.

“Papy!” he screams in horror. He rushes over to rescue his brother, only to find Twist bracing himself against the floor using both hands and the top of his skull and peering under the bed.

Completely unperturbed by his position, Twist calls, “found ‘em!”

“What?”

“Found the cards. They’re under the bed.”

“You what?”

“Found the cards? Wasn’t that what we were lookin’ for?”

“I was looking for the cards. You were supposed to stay in bed. You’re going to get hurt!”

“Oh. Well, I found ‘em anyway. Don’t think I’m gonna manage ta pick ‘em up, though. Or ta pick myself up, either. Little help here? I’m gettin’ kinda tired.”

“Of course you’re getting tired, because you’re not supposed to be out of bed! Let alone out of bed upside down!” Bending down next to his completely reckless brother, and ignoring the mumbled “‘m kinda still in bed,” Blackberry carefully lifts him and settles him safely back in the middle of the bed. “I can’t believe you did that. You could have gotten hurt! You could have fallen on the floor!”

Twist shrugs. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“And you get hurt every time it happens.”

“Not hurt this time, though, am I? So it worked out just fine, an’ now we know where the cards are. Not that they’re doin’ us much good under the bed. Mind pickin’ ‘em up, or should I give it another try?” 

Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh, this is serious. Twist could have gotten hurt, and he doesn’t need any encouragement to do ridiculous, dangerous things.  And yes, hanging over the side of the bed is dangerous now and always ridiculous. Don’t laugh. But Twist is watching him with that look, that one where he treats the most ridiculous thing as the only reasonable thing a person could possibly do, and how does he ever manage to keep a straight face? Blackberry isn’t managing it one single bit. Oh stars, he loves his brother so much. Even if his self-preservation instincts couldn’t fill a teaspoon.

“Bro? Gonna get those cards? Ya with me?” Twist waves a hand in Blackberry’s face.

“Huh? Oh, of course! You clearly need something to do.” He retrieves the cards and pulls the deck out of the box. “Can you see these?”

Twist squints at a card. He turns it sideways, then holds it right up to his face. Then he sighs. “Nah, bro, not well enough ta play. All that work, an’ I can’t even use ‘em.”

“You can’t see them at all?”

“A little, but not enough ta tell the numbers apart. The colors are easy, but I got no clue if I’m holdin’ a diamond or a heart right now, an’ I’d have ta count the shapes ta know how many there are.”

“Oh.” That’s disappointing. Blackberry had really been looking forward to having some kind of game to play with Twist.

“Guess it’s back ta talkin’ and sleepin’, less we got a giant card set layin’ around that I don’t know ‘bout.” Well there’s an idea. Not a giant card set, but a game with bigger numbers and bold colors to help tell the cards apart.

“I’ll be right back.” He darts out of the room.

“Bro?” But he doesn’t answer. Twist will see his idea soon enough.

Downstairs, Blackberry digs through the game cabinet. They have all sorts of games to play when the other skeletons come over. Not everyone likes playing poker every time, after all, at least not the way certain members of their group play it.

Most of the games would be too hard to play in bed or have tiny details that Twist won’t be able to see, but this one should work just fine. Finding what he’s looking for, he races back upstairs to try out his idea.

“Uno!” Blackberry shouts with a grin as he enters Twist’s room.

“Dos?” Browbones raised, Twist waits for an explanation for the random Spanish.

“No, no, Uno, the game! Can you play it?”

“Gen’rally, yeah. I think most people can. Why?”

“Can you play it now?” Handing a card to Twist, he asks, “I mean, can you see it? Can you read the numbers?”

Peering at the card, Twist exclaims, “Yeah! Ya know what, bro, I can!”

“Yes! And each suit is a different color, so you shouldn’t have any trouble telling the cards apart.”

“That’s a great idea. Thanks, bro. I was ‘bout ta go outta my mind with nothin’ ta do. Wanna play?”

“Of course! That’s why I brought it. Here, I’ll deal first.”

Uno goes very well. At first Twist struggles with concentrating on the game, resulting in a few losses from holding onto a card that he could have played several turns ago. Gradually, though, his playing improves, until Blackberry realizes that he’s only won one of the last eleven rounds. This arouses his suspicions.

“Papy, you wouldn’t cheat against me, would you?”

Twist looks hurt. As if. “Course not, bro.”

“Then how do you keep winning?” Okay, so, he probably wouldn’t cheat against Blackberry, but he’s never had anything against cheating in general, and he keeps winning!

“Just finally gettin’ a good strategy goin’.” A strategy? In Uno? It’s not that much of a strategy game.

“How many Uno strategies are there?”

“Dunno, but I got one, an’ it’s workin’.” Twist grins.

“It certainly is,” Blackberry grumbles.

“What, ya want me ta go easy on ya, little bro?”

“No! I just wish I knew how you managed a loss-proof strategy for Uno.”

“It ain’t perfect. I lost that one, what was it, six games ago?”

“One, you lost one. One game out of eleven, and I bet you won’t lose another.”

“Heh, guess cards are just my thing, bro. Any kind of cards.” Smiling fondly, Twist reaches over to pat Blackberry’s skull. When Blackberry leans into the touch, Twist scratches at his coronal suture, which never fails to relax him.

“‘kay, bro, I think that’s enough cards fer now. How ‘bout ya get us some dinner? Think we skipped lunch, and I’m actually lookin’ forward ta it after the miracle ya made fer breakfast.”

“I wouldn’t call it a miracle. Any chef could have done it.”

“Well no one else did do it, an’ it means I can look forward ta eatin’, so I appreciate it.”

“I’m happy to help. I’ll go make you another one. I’ve had some more ideas that I’d like to try. We’ll see if you like them.”

“Thanks, bro. Yer the best. And don’t ferget ta get somethin’ fer yerself. Not sure when’s the last time I saw ya eat. Or drink, fer that matter.”

“I might possibly have forgotten, with everything else going on. I’ll make myself some dinner too.”

“An’ bring yerself up a water bottle, too, while yer at it. Last thing we need is you passin’ out from dehydration ‘cause yer too busy worryin’ ‘bout me.”

“Good idea. I’ll get one. I’ll be right back.” He heads downstairs to prepare dinner for both of them. Twist is right, he needs to take care of himself too.

***

Twist smiles fondly as Blackberry leaves the room. His little brother is just the best. He really is. Rushing around all day taking care of Twist, finding things for Twist to do, finding something he can eat and wants to eat. It’s not an easy job, but he’s sticking with it. Twist just hopes he’s remembering to take care of himself.

Blackberry doesn’t rush right back upstairs, which hopefully means he’s doing what he’s told and getting himself some dinner. Twist was a little worried he wouldn’t be willing to be gone so long. Poor little bro, so worried about Twist when nothing all that bad has even happened today. For the most part, it’s been fun, just two brothers hanging out together like they haven’t done in a while. It’s looking like spending extra time with the people he cares about is an unexpected benefit of this treatment. They really are the coolest, Blackberry and Cash both. He wonders what Cash has been doing today. Hopefully he’s gotten some decent rest. If only Blackberry would follow his example.

This really is longer than Blackberry is usually gone. Not that Twist is complaining, but it would be nice if he’d left the water a little closer. Oh, well, this isn’t like this morning. He’s feeling much better now. Look at how well he did finding the cards. Halfway out of bed, and he didn’t even fall out. Reaching the water shouldn’t be any trouble at all. The worst that will happen is he’ll fall out of bed. That’s nothing new.

Paying careful attention to where he places his arms and how he shifts his weight, Twist turns over and slowly drags himself to the edge of the bed. Just like he thought, no trouble at all. It’s just like the cards. Raising himself up onto his elbows, he almost loses his balance, but catches himself on the nightstand. Ha! Not a bit of trouble. No reason to call Blackberry in for something he can do for himself. Leaning forward slightly, he shifts his weight off of one arm to reach for the water, smiles as his hand closes around it, then curses as his other arm refuses to support his weight and sends him toppling over the side of the bed.

Ow. Fuck. Ow. He lies on the ground for a while. His skull is killing him. His ribs are killing him. His spine is killing him. So are his pelvis, his arms and his legs. Fortunately, nothing is literally killing him, so he just holds still and tries to breathe. Ow.

Sometime later, he notices the water bottle next to his hand. He grabs it. He drinks it. Victory! Close enough, anyway.

Maybe he should try to get back in bed before Blackberry gets up here. Where is he, anyway? He can’t have missed that noise. From downstairs, he hears the sound of the blender. Oh, maybe he did miss the noise. What’s he putting in there? That’s loud.

It really would be nice if he could fix this somehow before Blackberry comes back. Somehow, Twist suspects that he’s not going to see getting the water as a victory. Is there any way to get back in bed? Staring up at the miles between the floor and the bed, he makes a small attempt to sit up before giving it up as a lost cause. Not going to work. Oh well, might as well enjoy his hard-earned water. Maybe in the future they’ll keep it closer to the bed.

***

Carrying so many things up and down the stairs is getting really old, really fast. Maybe Blackberry should pull out a serving tray. They definitely have one, he’s just not sure where it is because it doesn’t get a lot of use. Not that he never entertains, it’s just that the group he entertains contains a few individuals who tend to pride themselves on doing silly things like competing to carry the most dishes out by hand or some nonsense like that. They always consider their competitions very impressive. They know better than to let anything spill, but how they’ve managed it, he’ll never know.

Thoughts of his ridiculous brother and friends aside, he really needs to get back to Twist. He’s probably fine. Blackberry is just worrying about nothing. Twist can be alone for a few minutes. He was feeling good and he knows perfectly well that he should call Blackberry if he needs anything. He’s probably perfectly… Not in bed! Where is he?!

“Papy?!”

“Hey, bro,” a weak voice says from the floor. He looks down and sees Twist waving up at him with a weak grin.

“Papy! Oh, brother, what happened? Why are you out of bed? Did you forget where you are? Are you hurt?”

“‘m fine. A little banged up, but nothin’ ta worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about?! You’re bleeding!”

“Huh?” Twist looks down at his ribs. “Oh, guess I am. Wouldja lookit that?”

“What happened?” Twist looks away sheepishly. “Or should that be, what did you do?”

“Jus’ wanted a drink.” He looks back and grins, holding up said drink. “An’ look, I got it!”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“Might’a o’erestimated how far I could reach. Just a little.” He doesn’t seem particularly regretful about it.

“A little. Papy, you can’t just keep getting hurt like this. What if you cracked your skull open?” Twist looks away again. “Did you crack your skull open?”

“Don’ think so. ‘s just bleedin’ a little. No worse ‘n my ribs.” Just a little. His skull is just bleeding a little, just like the rest of him, because that makes it all better.

“Why didn’t you say so? Oh, nevermind that, just hold still and I’ll come help you up. Would you like to be healed first or would you rather get back in bed first?”

“Huh uh. No healin’. We talked ‘bout this.”

“But you’re bleeding!”

“A little blood loss ain’t gonna kill me. Ya hear this thing on my soul yellin’ bout my HP droppin’? No, ‘cause it ain’t. I’m fine. Jus’ get me back in bed, an’ give me my dinner, an’ I’ll sleep off the rest of it. Or leave me down here if ya want. Wouldn’t be a bad spot if ya gimme a pillow. But no healin’. It ain’t worth the chance.”

“You were afraid to try eating something different, too, and that turned out fine.”

“I let ya mess with my food ‘cause I know ya know a lot about that. More ‘n Iggy, that’s fer sure. It worked out fine ‘cause ya know what yer doin’ when it comes ta cookin’. But ya don’t know any more ‘bout healin’ than any other monster, an’ neither do I. All I know is my magic’s screwed up beyond belief an’ it don’t react well ta interference, and no one’s thought it was a good idea ta heal me so far.”

“Healing shouldn’t do anything to your magic.”

“How d’ya know that?”

“How do you know it’s not dangerous to keep falling out of bed? You keep talking about how nothing’s a big deal and you’re going to be fine, but then you won’t let me heal you even though we don’t know that that’s any more dangerous than anything else that’s happening. Why is getting water without asking for help worth the risk of hurting yourself but healing isn’t?”

“Because nothin’ ya want ta heal is botherin’ me that much.”

“But asking for help is?”

“Yes! Look, bro, ya don’t gotta agree with me or understand it, but I told ya my decision. No healin’. I think it’s more dangerous than you think it is and I don’t think it’s worth the risk. Don’t do it.”

“Okay.” Why is he so stubborn? And why can’t he see that he shouldn’t have to suffer like this? All Blackberry wants to do is help, and Twist will never let himself be helped. “Let’s get you back in bed. Then you can have your dinner. I think you’ll like the changes I’ve made.” He describes the changes as he wraps up all the bleeding bones and lifts Twist into bed. Twist nods along, and happily praises the new recipe as he drinks it.

Blackberry takes a few bites of his own dinner as Twist finishes his smoothie and settles in for bed. Nothing is all that appetizing at the moment, but he did say he would eat something. Just when he thinks Twist is asleep, his sockets slit open and he begins to speak.

“I wish ya wouldn’t worry so much, little bro. I’m alright, really. I had a good day, a real good day.”

“Me too, until I found you bleeding on the floor.”

“Sorry ya had ta see that.”

“Well I’m sorry that it happened. Please let me help you, Papy, please.”

“Ya are helpin’ me.”

“You won’t let me heal you. You won’t even ask for help getting a drink of water, or tell me when you’re upset, or anything.”

“I’m doin’ alright, bro. Yer takin’ care of me, an’ I ain’t as breakable as ya think.”

“Maybe that attitude is the problem. Maybe you think you can just keep taking everything that happens, but eventually you’re going to end up really hurt. You already are. You shouldn’t take so many risks, and you need to let me help you.”

“I am lettin’ ya help me. Ain’t gonna live in a bubble, though. When I feel up ta doin’ somethin’, I’m gonna do it, even if it does leave me with a few scratched up bones. Otherwise, I’m gonna lose my mind.”

“I understand. I know you can’t just hold still and be helpless. Just please try to let me take care of you? Please?”

“Yeah, bro. Yer already takin’ care of me. Yer doin’ a good job.”

Blackberry sighs. “Alright, brother. Why don’t you go to sleep now? I’ll keep the nightmares away again.”

“When are you gonna sleep?”

“I’ll find a good time.”

“I’m gonna be pissed if I wake up ta find out you’ve just been sittin’ there watchin’ me all night.”

“I won’t, I promise. I’ll just help you get started sleeping, and then I’ll go to sleep too. As soon as possible, I promise.”

“‘kay, bro. I’m trustin’ ya on this.”

“Goodnight, brother.”

“Night, little bro.” And with that, Twist finally lets himself sleep.

It’s hard to watch him sleep, knowing he has so many injuries and not doing anything about it. Why won’t he let Blackberry heal him? No one said anything about healing being a problem. He pulls out his notes with Cash’s instructions. There’s nothing written about healing. It’s just a guess, more of a worry than anything. Twist never lets worry keep him from doing something important, so why is he doing it now? Oh, right, because he doesn’t think healing himself is important.

That has to be it. If there was an actual reason to avoid healing, someone would have said something. If Twist had any stronger reason to oppose it than simple worry, he would have explained. There’s no reason Twist shouldn’t be healed. He just doesn’t think his own comfort is important enough, which is why he needs someone like Blackberry to take care of him instead of someone like Cash, who probably did fine with the technical side of things but can hardly be relied on to care for someone’s comfort. There’s little enough comfort to be found in this terrible treatment, and there’s no reason Twist should start tomorrow in pain.

It’s just a little healing. He’ll just try the tiniest bit and see how it goes. On the small chance that anything goes wrong, he’ll just stop. It will be no trouble whatsoever.

Uncovering a small cut that’s still bleeding, Blackberry adds just a tiny bit of healing magic. Nothing happens. Then he tries a bit more. Nothing bad, just a small decrease in bleeding. He tries a little more. That’s strange. There’s a little flicker, almost like a spark? But that doesn’t make sense. He must be seeing things. Healing has nothing to do with electricity, which is what that looked like. Besides, he’s making some progress. The cut is almost starting to close. It will take all night to get all of them at this rate, though, so he’d better pick up the pace. He applies a normal amount of healing magic.

Again, the results are strange. There’s almost a mix of his own blue magic with Twist’s. Almost, but not quite. More like the magics are swirling around each other, not quite interacting yet, but they’re starting to come together. Shouldn’t the healing magic be absorbing into Twist’s own system? Instead, it’s hovering around the cut, almost like it can’t get in. What’s wrong with it?

Looking closer, Blackberry can see more of those little sparks along the line where his magic and his brother’s meet. What are those? And why are they growing?!

Twist’s arm twitches at a spark that’s big enough to obscure the entire cut, and he groans. His sockets fly open and he mouths something that Blackberry can’t hear, before sparks burst across his broken socket and he arches off the bed in a full body convulsion.