It was well past bedtime as Wilbur tossed himself onto his other side, squishing his pillow hard against his ear. It didn't matter though. Baby Tommy's piercing cries still found their way to him, rattling his eardrums and making his head pound. From the noises to his left Techno wasn't having any better luck.

The younger boy let out a whine as if he too were close to crying and Wilbur finally sat himself up in bed. Looking over he could see Techno had been attempting a similar idea as him, though he'd equipped himself with stuffed toys and was all but jamming them against his ears. He looked utterly distressed and Wilbur understood perfectly. Though Techno was far more sensitive to his sleep being messed up than Wilbur was it was still cause for concern.

Getting out of his bed Wilbur started to walk over towards his younger brother to try to comfort him. However, at seeing the movement Techno looked towards Wilbur with a pleading look as he lowered the toys in defeat.

"Make him stop, Wil. Please" He begged, voice wavering and ready to break.

Wilbur stopped in place and stared at his brother, seeing the quack of his lower lip and the rising of tears in his eyes. Techno was close to joining the newest family member and Wilbur didn't think he'd be able to survive that.

He gave a nod to Techno and turned towards the door with a fearful determination. Just before he reached it though he heard movement behind him. Turning he saw Techno shuffling towards him, a blanket clutched to his chest.

Techno wasn't a fan of the dark and hated being alone in it. Even with the nightlight he couldn't stand to be in the room if Wilbur wasn't there past bedtime.

Turning to face him Wilbur pulled the blanket up to wrap around Techno before facing the door once more. Techno held onto one of Wilbur's sleeves as he lead them down to the parents room where the crying was coming from. The nursery for Tommy wasn't finished yet, but that hardly mattered. With all the crying Wilbur was sure Tommy would have been brought into the parents room regardless.

Carefully pushing the already cracked door open Wilbur was met with the very tired forms of his parents. Kristin was currently sipping at some water and rubbing at her temples while Phil gently rocked Tommy on his shoulder trying to gently shush him into any sort of calm.

Little Tommy was red in the face from his screaming with tears rolling tick down his face. He sounded absolutely tortured despite the softness of the comforts around him. At the end of his cry there was a gasping wheeze that seemed to make both of their parents tense up, right before a fresh scream filled their ears.

Neither of the adults seemed to notice Wilbur and Techno's arrival until the door was opened fully, exposing them and their own exhaustion. Kristin pushed herself to her feet to meet them at the door, a look of guilt on her face as if Tommy's verbal assault on the night were somehow her fault.

"Hey boys." She greeted, not needing ask why they were up.

The walls of the house were thinner than they like.

"Why is he doing that?" Techno asked before Wil could, sounding even more distressed at being closer to the source.

Kristin moved to pick him up, tucking him tight with his brought blanket.

"I'm sorry baby. Its not his fault. Tommy isn't feeling well." She tried to explain.

"I'm not feeling well and I'm not crying." Techno countered, though he was closer to tears now than he was before.

Kristin wiped at his eyes as she tried to sooth him, rocking him a bit as well as Phil moved further into the room hoping that small distance might help.

"I know, Techno, I know. But, Tommy is still so small. He doesn't know how else to show he's not well." She tried to explain again, "To him, this is worst thing he's ever felt before."

"Well this is the worst I've ever felt before." Techno huffed as he tried to bury his face into his mother.

"Is he sick?" Wilbur asks as Kristin busies herself with Techno.

"A small cold." Phil nods, tilting his head away from Tommy as he lets out a short but shrill whine in between his longer cries, "Probably feels like the end of the world to him."

Wilbur fidgeted in place as he watched both his younger brothers being held and comforted in the late night. He honestly wouldn't have minded some of that himself, but he wasn't the one in or near tears. Instead, he was the only one just standing still, watching instead of helping. He was the eldest, the 'super big brother'. He had to be able to do…something.

Having a hard think on it Wilbur finally turned to leave the room. Neither parent noticing as their hands were quite literally full. It was a short lived absence and soon Wilbur was back with his most prized plush orca, Jubilee, in his arms. He gave it a hug as he worried his bottom lip between his teeth. Whenever he felt ill or upset his Jubilee always made him feel better. So…maybe it would help Tommy too?

With a tentative step forwards towards his father and Tommy Wilbur cleared his throat to get his attention as the elder man facing away at the moment as he rocked the distressed infant. As Phil turned he tried to hide his exhaustion but Wil could see it on his face all the same. Crows feet grew at the corners of his eyes and stole a good portion of his youth, pocketing it into the darkened bags that grew underneath. His pale skin made it easy to note even for young Wilbur.

"Whachu got there, mate?"Phil asked, his words dragging together a bit.

Wil hesitated for a moment more before lifting up the plushy from his chest, presenting it with mild uncertainty. His brow was furrowed a bit as he watched his fathers face for his reaction as he spoke.

"I-I, um, thought Tommy might, might feel better, with Jubilee." He offered as explanation, his voice wavering.

There wasn't a long wait at all before Wilbur relaxed at the sight of his father's face softening, a smile turning up the edges of his mouth. Honestly if it weren't for Tommy's hellish screeches into his ear Phil might have let out a small 'aw' at the gesture.

"That's very sweet of you, Wil." Kristin stated before Phil could get a word out, "I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

Techno huffed against her chest, turning his head to face his brother's and father, the scowl and distressed look on his own face not lessening. He scowled at Tommy tiredly as Phil closed the small distance between himself and Wilbur to accept the toy.

"It might not help him stop crying, but, its worth a shot." Phil stated, not wanting to get anyone's hopes up, even his own.

Don't get him wrong, Phil was a hopeful guy. However, third kid down the line and he'd learned enough to take each potential fix on a case by case basis. In this case, Tommy was burning up with a fever and feeling very unwell, and of course was letting them know all about it. Phil was starting to freak out a bit about it in all honesty. All this shouting was bad for the tiny vocal cords and the more air Tommy used to cry with the less he had going to his lungs proper.

Fingers closing around the stuffed orca Phil took in a breath. Despite himself he was crossing the mental fingers in his head that this would work. Bringing the toy up to Tommy carefully Phil tucked it beside him, trying not to smother Tommy or make him panic at the new sensation.

At first touch Tommy's small body jerked away from the toy, his scream getting more shrill for that moment. It was enough to make Techno tuck his head back against Kristin's chest once more as she placed a protective hand over his exposed ear.

Wilbur held his breath, hands tightly scrunching up the hem of his nightshirt. He watched as a tiny fist swung in the air avoiding the orca toy as if polarized against it. Assuming it was poor coordination from baby Tommy Wilbur acted swiftly in stepping closer. He took the small wrist into his own hand softly, as if Tommy were glass, and uncurled the angry miniature fist until the dainty digits were trying to wrap around his own. However, instead of letting latch onto him he moved Jubilee's soft fin into Tommy's hand.

Phil had a warning fresh on his lips for Wilbur but held it back as he watched Tommy in his arms. The orca plush lay on the child's stomach as he wasn't strong or developed enough to really 'hold' anything just yet. The red faced infant was still crying, the foreign feeling in his hand seeming to have stunned him some. Or at least confused him enough to dull down his hollering. Tommy's fingers dug into the soft flap of fin as he let out a furious hiccup that caused his face to scrunch in fresh discomfort.

Wilbur stared as his still weeping younger sibling and let out a heavy breath as he frowned.

"It didn't work." He muttered dejectedly.

There was a hand on his shoulder which had him looking up at his mother. She was giving him a comforting half smile but her eyes showed an understanding for his disappointment that almost made her look sad.

"Comfort doesn't always come quickly, Wil. Tommy still doesn't know what be sick is." She tried to explain.

"He's not as loud now. So its not like it didn't do anything." Phil tried to offer as well.

It wasn't wrong, but Tommy was still balling his eyes out and wriggling in distress in his father's arms. His father had moved the plush back to the side of little Tommy, but close enough that the child was still able to grip the fin for all he was worth, and was. Wil watched the pair and even if he could agree that Tommy had, in fact, stopped screeching, it wasn't exactly what he'd hoped for. Still, he nodded at his father in response, a frown resting heavy on his face.

In this time Techno had wiggled his way down out of his mother's arms and had fled the room. Apparently the lack of resolution to the crying child had been too much for him. Techno had proven to be a sort of sensitive child when it came to sounds and all this crying and screaming late in the night was probably stressing him out a great deal. Kristin was surprised he'd not started to cry himself in truth, though she wasn't going to look that gift horse in the mouth at the moment.

"I think its time we try to get you two back to bed. Its really late." Kristin stated as she reached a hand towards Wilbur, preparing to lead him back to his and Techno's room.

With another heavy huff Wil turned, hand midway to taking hold of his mother's when the door to the hallway burst a little wider. Techno stormed in, his face red but set firm with anger as he approached Phil and Tommy. The closer he got, though, the slower his steps were and the more his face turned into one of worry.

"Got something there too, Techno?" Phil asked as he raised his brow, a now amused smile trying to peek out as he tilted his head at the second youngest.

It had been hard to see at first with the blanket Techno was still using to hug himself with, but squished to his chest was a small pink object. He was hugging it tightly and there a fair air of doubt if he'd let it go. However, after a sharp inhale from Tommy at the end of a sudden hiccup Techno started to move.

He wasn't as careful or mindful as Wilbur had been as he shoved his hands out towards his father, and mainly Tommy, with a pink plush pig he held so dear. Techno's pig, aptly named 'Technopig', was a chubby thing that was only just barely as big as Wilbur's orca was. It had two flopping ears and a stout curled tail that Techno was watching with a quivering lip as Phil caught the offered item and looked between it and its owner.

"You sure? You never sleep without him." Phil asked with genuine concern.

Techno nodded as he looked between his pig and Tommy and then hes father.

"If it makes him quieter then…then that's okay." Techno replied as he fidgeted in place, hands tightening on the blanket around him.

Phil and Kristin shared a look for a few moments, a short silent conversation taking place between them before he nodded.

"Okay then. If you're sure." He stated, once more watching Techno to see if he would change his mind in a panic.

Techno just watched his pig, Tommy's hands and Wilbur's orca in turn as the infant was still haphazardly holding and flopping the toy. It seemed to be taking some effort for Tommy to move the stuffed thing, his arm muscles not developed enough for even this small thing.

As before Phil placed the stuffed toy to the side of Tommy instead of directly on him to keep him from startling. Jubilee was tucked in between Phil and Tommy, with it leaning mostly against Phil's chest to avoid smothering. Which left Tommy's far side to be invaded by the new arrival. However, Tommy seemed to understand enough that the addition beside him was to be touched this time. His hands were no more coordinated than the first time around though and so Phil maneuvered the pig to Tommy's searching clumsy fingers.

Jubilee's fin was discarded as tiny Tommy pulled 'Technopig' by the ear, the only part he could latch to, closer to himself. Once more it was Phil holding its weight in truth, but Tommy's itty bitty arms and hands thrashed about just as he had done with Jubilee's fin. As if he was in full control of it. Techno watched, his lip quivering at the sight but he kept himself from reaching for his toy back.

While there was still an occasional shrill whine Tommy seemed at the very least 'contented' enough to maintain a manageable sobbing instead. It was enough of a relief that Kristin could feel her shoulders loosen ever so much. It was far from over yet, but any improvement for any given time was a blessing.

She looked to her elder boys; Wilbur standing half to the door and rubbing tiredly at his eyes, and Techno still eye locked on the baby and the plush toys offered. It was very big of her boys to think of something like that, and to act on it no less. She was so very proud of them, and if she wasn't so tired she'd have greatly praised them for it. For now, that would have to wait until tomorrow.

"Okay boys, I think you've both been up for long enough." Kristin stated to regain their attentions with what she could muster for a smile, "Time for bed, round two."

"I think it might be closer t'three." Phil muttered, a grin spreading half over his face as he peeked at his wife.

Kristin let out a short laugh before looking at him with a raised brow. He shrugged in return as much as he could with Tommy in his arms, his grin growing just for her.

"Really, Phil?"

"I might be tired, but I'm still funny."

" 'Still'?"

"Oi!"

Kristin laughed as walked the boys out of the room, her husbands own laugh lightly filling said room after her.

xx-xx-xx-xx

Techno turned onto his left side for the third time with a low whine. Even as he hugged onto his pillow he just…didn't feel right. It wasn't the same soft and safe feeling he'd known since…well, if he had to guess, since forever.

Technopig was his very best friend, they even shared a name. They shared a name, a room, a bed, they shared the same pillow together every night an-

"Hey-"

Techno gasped and turned sharply to look over his shoulder, back towards Wilbur's side of the room. However, his brother wasn't' on his side, but rather was standing right beside Techno's own bed. Surprised by this Techno sat up, his breath catching as he brushed his hair from his face to see better. He made to ask Wilbur what he was doing, but found his voice wouldn't come out. In fact, aside from short wheezed breaths he couldn't get much out.

Thankfully Wilbur didn't bother waiting to be asked anything, already climbing up into brother's bed. Techno didn't fight or argue on it as it wasn't exactly uncommon for two share a bed on nights where they had trouble sleeping. He tried shuffling to the side a bit to make more room, but that was hardly needed seeing as he was small on the somewhat large mattress to begin with.

Once Wilbur had himself settled down and covered with the blankets enough to snuggle under he looked to Techno. His expression, in the semi darkness of the nightlight lit room, looked to be of a serious face to little Techno.

"I can't sleep without Jubilee. So you're Jubilee tonight." Wilbur stated without room for argument even if Techno could or would muster one.

Despite this Wilbur didn't make another move and waited for Techno to do something instead. After another hitched breath Techno leaned forward and curled into his brother's chest with a wheezed whine. Wilbur didn't need any more then that. Reaching his arms around the smaller boy he hugged him close and pulled them both under the warm covers.

Techno shuddered with a small sob, but it was far quieter than their newest sibling. Especially muffled into Wil's night shirt as is was, and buried by the ice blue duvet they were both squirreled into. Wilbur could feel the wet patch forming but didn't much care. Not just because he was tired, but because he really didn't mind. Out of his two younger siblings he was only really able to comfort one of them just yet. He wasn't going to let a little damp fabric ruin his being a good brother. Besides, he couldn't bear it when Techno cried.