Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tommy was never a perfect kid.
He liked to consider himself decent, the biggest man to ever live, trying to stay out of trouble (unsuccessfully so) and keep his emotions in check, as strong as they could be sometimes.

He had tons of friends and was told often that he was the source of awesome fun times and jokes for everyone, despite what his parents told him.

And yet- here he was, in the waiting room of a Psychiatric Hospital getting admitted indefinitely by his foster parents after the… incident.

This place was so unnecessarily clean, and kind of looked like it was the base for a clean freak cult with.. a lot of children?- which was weird considering this was the teen ward.

The incident in itself really wasn't that bad, pfft- he had done this so many times!! It's not exactly HIS fault that this time someone actually found out and noticed. He- admittedly, did kind of go a tad over the line that he usually keeps at, but hey, it's only human to make mistakes huh?.

—”-Tam?.. TAMMI. ugh-”

he snapped out of his little spiral of thoughts and realised his (current) mum talking to him.

-”huh?- OH. yeah- what's up?” he replied, turning his head towards her while absentmindedly caressing his plush cow he kept inside his backpack ever since he was a kid.

_”... Tam, we were just telling the nurse about your uh- medical history- and we realised we didn't actually get much information in your file or what the social worker told us about that, so we thought it would be better to ask you.” his foster father cut in.

His medical history??? He started laughing near-hysterically for a few seconds, until he noticed that no one else was laughing with him, and the nurse actually seemed more.. on edge. They weren’t being serious were they?
… huh. Apparently they were.

He cleared his throat –”uh- i.. don't have one?” he said, making his new foster parents turn to him in silent questioning.
—“Look, I’m a foster kid who had addict parents and has been through god knows how many houses ever since, most of which have been nowhere near nice to me,-”
—“TAMMI.” his mother interrupted as he kept talking over her the entire time.

“-and you think i have a recorded medical history?- you'll be lucky if you find a single doctor’s visit in there.” He pointed and kept giggling in disbelief under his breath as the nurse skimmed through the pages in his file, which was admittedly, near empty.

-”huh- i see…” the nurse put her glasses on top of her head and smiled insincerely at tommy. “thats fine. we’ll just have to start one now.”

His (foster) parents sighed in frustration, his father looking down at his watch as he bounced his leg in impatience. After noticing this, the nurse shook her head quickly and reassured them, – “oh no no, don’t you worry, she will be taken in by a resident doctor and a psychiatrist during the compulsory 72-hour hold she will be put in for psychiatric evaluation and supervision. After that she will be taken to the teen ward, which is right behind me, and stay for at least 3 months before re-evaluation, as requested by the ER psychiatric team because of today’s situation and the potential to further harm to herself or others.”

His parents rushed her to the end of her speech and started gathering their things, clearly eager to go back to their infinitely better (and biological) daughter Clementine.
- “yeah yeah is that it?”
—”Uh- yeah I just need you to fill in her personal information and I can sign her into the involuntary psych hold.”

The nurse handed them a piece of paper and his foster father started filling in everything, having to ask Tommy pretty much all the basic information that they should both know considering they were fostering him.

-”Full name?” shit.
—”... Theseus Danger Craft The Seventh.”
-”Tammi. Be serious please.”
—”.. fine. Tammika Danielle Craft..”
-”Age?”
—”you don't even-? - ugh, whatever. 16.”

He handed back the document to the nurse without a single care and turned around to leave as the nurse got up to escort Tommy to the hospital room or office the initial psychiatric evaluation would take place. He was already dreading every second of this.

-”I’m going to need you to go in the bathroom and change into this robe, then hand me all your clothes and your belongings to make sure you're not taking in anything potentially harmful.”

the fuck is this place.

•••

—”Take a seat in there and Dr. Puffy will be right in for your evaluation.”

They had taken all his things. Even his cow Henry. They said it was “protocol” and they had to make sure he wasn't “bringing in anything dangerous” like he'd ever actually considered hurting someone that wasn't himself. Well- at least not seriously.

He sat in the fancy looking brown leather chair on one side of a desk, which was clearly meant for the patients, while waiting for this so called Doctor Pussy to arrive and ask him all the same questions the nurse had but with a more authoritative tone, and probably tell him he was a hopeless lost case and would have to stay inpatient for the rest of his life (which actually kind of sounded better than having to be house-hopping every few months. not like he had any liberties there either.)

After a few minutes, a young woman, maybe in her late 30s, with white and brown fluffy hair and a medical coat walked into the room, reading what Tommy assumed was the file his parents had to write in the ER about everything that was wrong with “her” and why they wanted him admitted.

—”So, Tamika is it? Hi! I’m Doctor Puffy, and I’m gonna be your assigned psychiatrist while you're staying here!”

She extended her hand at him with a warm smile, prompting a handshake (which tommy of course returned, though suspiciously)

-”Uh- actually its Tommy if you don't mind..” He looked away as he shook her hand and hoped this wasn't one of those sick transphobic hospitals where they saw it as a mental disorder.

“Tommy it is! Welcome. So, I read your file, but I would like to hear your version of everything that happened that eventually led you to end up here with me.”
She said this as she walked over to the opposite side of the desk, taking a seat on the chair placed there and setting down the file she was holding.

“Huh.. that's a first. Well, you see. I am of course the biggest man ever, yeah? That's important to understand for context. However, I have unfortunately become one of god’s greatest soldiers EVER, and have been tasked with the greatest challenges, if being severely depressed and traumatised while jumping through foster homes because of drug addict parents is considered great challenges, which i think they are. So, after so many years y'know- you get used to some things and block it out, all normal so far, innit? so yeah i guess this was my coping mechanism but i finally got noticed for it because i didn't clean the bathroom correctly miss pussy, and thats why im here now”

He said as he gestured to his very thoroughly bandaged forearms and thighs, while holding a big sarcastic smile at her.

She laughed under her breath at the nickname and nodded. —”uh- it's actually Puffy, but yes, I understand, now, you mentioned you go by Tommy, correct?”
He nodded eagerly in response. -“Nice name kid.”

–”Thanks, picked it myself.”

-”I see. So, am I correct in assuming that you're transgender, Tommy?” She wrote some more things down in what was maybe a list of everything that was wrong with him or- something like that.

—”That would be correct, also a reason why I’m here I believe. Won't accept myself as I am, they say, as if that's not exactly what I've been trying to do by being a boy.”
He rolled his eyes and fidgeted with the ugly ass robe they put him in before switching to the back of his choppy self-cut hair and avoiding Puffy’s eye contact as much as possible.

This place was going to be hell, wasn't it?

Chapter Text

—”Alright Tamika, follow me. I’ll show you to your room and give you a small tour of where you’ll be going these next few months.”

This nurse was just not going to call him by his name ever, huh?

-”it's Tommy.”

—”uh-huh. Okay! so, this is the desk where you’ll be receiving your meds every morning after your formal assessment and prescription-” she said as she guided him through the main room of the ward. It wasn't anything too special, some sofas and tables, a corner with board games and art supplies locked inside a cabinet, and a few desks with nurses, god knows why they needed more than one.

He could see a few other kids around, a guy with a blue beanie and a guy with a white bandana in his hair trying to break into the game cabinet, and a freakishly tall dude with a face mask and half black and white hair talking to a significantly smaller boy in a big green sweatshirt.

How come they get their clothes and he’s stuck with the ugly ass robe that made him feel naked??

—”You can hang out around these common areas with the rest of the kids whenever you're not in a particular activity like one on one therapy or group. For the first week you are not allowed to stay alone in your room and will have a nurse assigned to keep an eye on you at all times.”

She led him into another room connected to that one, with a lot of pillows on the floor and chairs arranged in a circle, except this one had windows, unlike the last one. At least it felt a bit more normal.
—” This is where you’ll be attending group with Doctor Puffy every day, you’ll get your schedule after we’re done with your paperwork.”

He felt trapped, powerless, and so alone. He didn't know anyone in here, obviously, and he knew he would eventually have to get to know them, considering he was staying here for at least three months. Also, group therapy EVERY DAY? He's not a criminal.

After this, she led him down a long corridor with a lot of doors on both sides, which he assumed were the rooms. Most doors were kept open but some were closed with just a window hatch opened on them.

As they walked down the corridor he could hear some kids crying, two people singing in a room, some random banging in a closed room, and someone- laughing? kind of hysterically, and if you asked him, that was the scariest one. Some rooms were completely quiet and he could see into them, noticing a boy with long pink hair reading with headphones on in one of them, and a brown haired boy writing down things in a thick journal in the room across from it.

—”You must keep your door open at all times except for sleeping hours until you gain privileges based on your behaviour while you’re here. While you're sleeping you will get hourly checks from a nurse to see everything is okay, and the time between each check will be longer with every week you’re here as long as no incidents happen.”

Every room seemed to have 2 beds, was he going to have a roommate? he really hoped not.
They walked up to the room with the pink haired boy and the nurse knocked on the open door to get his attention. The guy, no older than 19, looked up and pulled down his (wireless, huh.) headphones down to his neck, placing a bookmark in between his book pages and setting it down. He was wearing a red hoodie and glasses.

—”Hello Alex. This is Tamika, and she’s going to be your new roommate!” She gestured to him and he sighed and rolled his eyes

-”Okay lady, listen to me for once because that is NOT my name. My name is Tommy, and I wont respond to anything else, so remember it.” Honestly? He was shaking as he said this, he had had some bad brushes with authority figures before, and knowing he was stuck here he was scared of the outcome of trying to stand up to one on his first day.

The boy, Alex, was it? laughed under his breath and then processed what was happening and his eyes widened.
The nurse was speechless for a second before clearing her throat and turning to Tommy. —”hmph, yeah, well Tommy. This is Alex and you’ll be sharing a room until his previous roommate gets out of solitary confinement.” She pointed to the door at the end of the hall, where the hysterical laughing had been coming from.

—”Woah. Hold on, you can't just spring a new kid in here with me. I have a roommate. He can't stay here. He’s NOT staying here. That’s Wil’s bed.”
He pointed to the bed at the other side of the room and looked directly at the nurse while breathing heavily.

—”Look Alex- uh- Techno. I know you don't like drastic changes, but Wilbur is going to be in solitary for at least two or three more weeks after what happened. And we don't have another available bed for this kid until two weeks from now when Aimee is leaving. Just, give her a chance, because its not in my hands, or yours.”
The nurse kept going, while keeping Tommy at the door, not letting him in until Techno let him, as to not disturb him any more than he already was.
-”his” Tommy mumbled behind her with his arms crossed. He really didn't like this nurse.

Techno didn't respond for a bit, and then finally looked back at her. -”At least give me a while to get used to the idea before you shove him in here and break my routine again.”
She nodded and considered it. “Yeah, we can do that. We haven't finished the tour and he needs his schedule, so we’ll be back in about an hour or so.”

He did not respond, just turned back to his book and pulled his headphones back on, ignoring her completely.

—”Come on kid, let me show you the cafeteria.”

Chapter Text

Tommy followed the nurse through the winding hallways, his mind buzzing with a mixture of apprehension and defiance. He couldn't shake the feeling of being trapped, the walls closing in on him with every step. The nurse, whose name he still hadn't caught, led him to the cafeteria, a sterile, echoey room filled with long tables and a faint smell of disinfectant.
—“This is where you'll have your meals,” she said, gesturing around. “Breakfast is at 7:00 AM, lunch at noon, and dinner at 6:00 PM. Snacks are available in between if you're hungry.”
Tommy glanced around, noting a few kids already seated, eating in silence or talking in hushed tones. He spotted the guy with the blue beanie and the one with the white bandana again, now sitting at a table near the back. They seemed engrossed in a conversation, barely acknowledging the new arrival.

—“Great,” Tommy muttered, his sarcasm evident. “Another room to look forward to.” The nurse either ignored his tone or didn’t catch it.
—“You’ll have time to socialize and make friends. It’s important to have a support system here.”

Tommy wasn’t convinced. He had friends before, tons of them, but look where that got him. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of loneliness despite the nurse’s reassurances.
—“Now, let’s get you your schedule,” she said, turning on her heel and walking briskly back down the hallway.
They arrived at an office where another nurse sat behind a desk, typing away on a computer. She looked up and gave Tommy a polite smile, which he didn’t return.
—“This is Nurse Niki. She’ll give you your schedule and answer any questions you might have.”

Niki handed Tommy a piece of paper, detailing his daily activities. It was filled with therapy sessions, group activities, and some free time scattered throughout the day.
—“Looks like a blast,” Tommy mumbled, scanning the paper. Niki chuckled softly.
—“It might seem overwhelming at first, but you’ll get used to it. And remember, we’re here to help. I know she can be a handful, but not every nurse is like that.”
—“Sure, thanks.” Tommy replied, folding the schedule and shoving it into the pocket of his robe.

—“Alright, back to your room then,” the first nurse said, leading him out of the office. As they approached his room, Tommy couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. Sharing a room with someone who clearly didn’t want him there was going to be a nightmare. They stopped outside the door, and the nurse knocked gently.
Techno looked up from his book, removing his headphones again.
—“Already?”
—“Just getting him settled,” the nurse replied. “Give it a chance, alright?” Techno sighed but didn’t argue further. He nodded reluctantly, and the nurse finally allowed Tommy to enter.

Tommy glanced around the room, noting the two beds, each with a small nightstand and a wardrobe. His bed was bare, a stark contrast to Techno’s side, which had a few personal items and the book he was reading. The nurse handed Tommy a small bag.
—“Your clothes and personal items. We’ll give you your meds in the morning, and you can see Dr. Puffy if you need anything.” Tommy nodded, barely listening. His mind was already racing, trying to figure out how he was going to survive this place. The nurse left, and the room fell into an uncomfortable silence.

—“So, uh, Techno, right?” Tommy ventured, trying to break the ice.
Techno glanced at him but didn’t respond immediately. “Yeah.”
—“I’m Tommy,” he said, not expecting much but feeling the need to introduce himself properly. “Got that,” Techno replied, turning back to his book. Tommy sighed and started unpacking his bag, placing his clothes in the wardrobe and setting Henry, his plush cow, on the bed. It wasn’t much, but it was a small piece of home in this unfamiliar place.

As he finished, Techno finally spoke again. “Look, I’m not good with new people. Just… stay out of my stuff, and we’ll be fine.”
Tommy nodded. “Yeah, sure. No problem.” The silence resumed, but it was slightly less tense. Tommy lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering how he was going to navigate the next three months. This place was already starting to feel like a prison, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that things were going to get worse before they got better.

---------------

The next morning, Tommy was jolted awake by the sound of the door opening for the hourly check. He groaned and rolled over, squinting at the clock. It was barely 6:00 AM.
—"Rise and shine, Tommy," the nurse said cheerfully. "Time for breakfast and meds."
Tommy dragged himself out of bed, his eyes still heavy with sleep. He dressed quickly, pulling on the clothes he’d been given. They weren’t much better than the robe, but at least he felt a bit more human. He followed the nurse to the cafeteria, where a few kids were already eating. He grabbed a tray and stood in line, glancing around. The room was filled with murmurs and the clinking of utensils. Tommy noticed the guy with the blue beanie and the one with the white bandana again. They seemed to be watching him, whispering to each other. He felt a pang of irritation but chose to ignore them, focusing on the food in front of him. Tommy selected a carton of milk, some scrambled eggs, and toast, then looked for a place to sit. He spotted an empty table near the back and made his way over, plopping down and starting to eat. The food was bland but edible, and he picked at it slowly, not feeling particularly hungry.

As he ate, he heard a voice from behind him. "Hey, new kid."
Tommy looked up to see the guy with the blue beanie and the one with the white bandana standing by his table with another guy wearing a very bright coloured hoodie. The blue beanie guy smiled and sat down across from him without waiting for an invitation. The bandana guy followed suit, sitting next to him.
—"Name’s Sapnap," the blue beanie guy said, extending a hand. "-this is Quackity." he pointed at the third guy. "-and Karl!"
Tommy hesitated for a moment before politely waving back at them, avoiding his touch. "Tommy."

Sapnap seemed to get the hint and sat back, retracting his hand with an understanding nod.
—"So, what’re you in for, chamaco?" Quackity asked, leaning back in his chair. Tommy rolled his eyes. "Isn't that kind of a personal question?" Sapnap chuckled.
Karl intervened. "Yeah, but it’s what everyone wants to know when someone new gets here. We all have our reason, some more interesting than others."
Tommy sighed, not really wanting to get into it. "Just... stuff. Doesn’t matter."
Sapnap shrugged. "Fair enough. Just thought we’d introduce ourselves. It’s always good to know who you’re stuck with in here."
—"Thanks, I guess," Tommy muttered, taking another bite of his toast.
—"Hey, no problem," Sapnap said with a grin. "If you ever need anything, just let us know. We’re kind of like the welcoming committee around here."
Quackity and Karl nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it’s a rough place, but it gets easier if you have friends." Karl said.
Tommy managed a small smile. "Thanks."

After breakfast, Tommy was led to a small office where Nurse Alice handed him a cup with his meds. He swallowed them quickly, not bothering to ask what they were for. It wasn’t like he had a choice.
The rest of the morning was a blur of introductions and orientation. He met a few more kids, including the freakishly tall guy with the face mask and half black and white hair. His name was Ranboo, and he seemed friendly enough, though a bit awkward.
—“Hi, I’m Ranboo,” he said, extending a hand. “You’re Tommy, right?”
Tommy shook his hand. “Yeah, nice to meet you.” He seemed nice.
Ranboo smiled behind his mask. “If you need anything, just let me know. It’s always tough at first, but you’ll get used to it.”
—“Thanks,” Tommy said, appreciating the gesture.

He also met Tubbo, the guy in the green sweatshirt. Tubbo was energetic and talkative, a stark contrast to Techno’s reserved demeanor. Tubbo seemed eager to befriend Tommy, which was a bit overwhelming but also a relief. At least he wouldn’t be completely alone.
—“Hey, I’m Tubbo,” he said, practically bouncing on his feet. “Welcome to the madhouse!”
Tommy chuckled despite himself. “Thanks, I guess.”
Tubbo grinned. “Don’t worry, it’s not so bad once you get to know everyone. We have some fun here, despite everything.”
—“Yeah? Like what?” Tommy asked, curious.
—“Oh, you know, board games, art, sometimes we sneak out to the garden when the nurses aren’t looking,” Tubbo said with a wink.
Tommy smiled. “Sounds like a plan.” Tubbo smiled and nodded. "I'll get you next time we do it" He said as he turned to walk back to his seat.

Group therapy was a mixed bag of mysteries. Dr. Puffy led the session, and Tommy couldn’t help but feel a bit more comfortable with her around. The other kids shared their stories, some more willingly than others. Tommy was reluctant at first, but eventually, he opened up a bit about his past and the incident that led him here.
—“So, Tommy,” Dr. Puffy said, looking at him with her warm, understanding eyes. “Would you like to share a bit about yourself?”

Tommy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Uh, yeah, I guess. I’m Tommy. Been in foster care for a while. My parents were addicts. And, uh, I ended up here because of... some stuff I did. Nothing too serious, though.”
The group listened quietly, nodding in understanding. Tubbo gave him an encouraging smile, and even Techno seemed to be paying attention.
—“It’s okay, Tommy,” Dr. Puffy said gently. “We’re here to help, not judge. This is a safe space for you to talk about what you’re going through.”

Tommy took a deep breath. “Thanks. It’s just... hard, you know? Moving around all the time. Not really having a place to call home.”
Dr. Puffy nodded. “I understand. It’s tough, but you’re not alone here. We’re all in this together.”
Surprisingly, the group was supportive. They didn’t judge him or make him feel like a freak. It was a small comfort in this strange place, and for the first time, Tommy felt a glimmer of hope.

That evening, as Tommy was sitting on his bed, Techno finally spoke up. “So, you’re a big man, huh?”
Tommy looked up, surprised. “Yeah, that’s what I like to think.”
—“We’ll see about that.” Techno smirked
Tommy nodded with a small smile, unsure of what he meant by that, but sure it was in good intentions.

It wasn’t much, but it was a start. Despite the initial dread, Tommy began to find a sense of belonging in the psychiatric hospital. It wasn’t home, but it was a place where he could start to heal. And that was more than he had hoped for when he first walked through those doors. This might actually not be literal hell... its certainly better than living with this addict birth parents that's for sure...