It works; Tom's attention is thoroughly on Kurt, and while he tries to wallop on Gary's stunned body with the branch, he's really just thrashing it against the ground, unable to aim while he's got his focus on the more interesting, more satisfying, and more nimble target.

"The longer you make this, the more it'll hurt, boyo," Tom says, trying to slash at Kurt as Kurt scrambles over him. Tom's nowhere near as quick as Kurt, but when Kurt snaps a branch off red, blood-streaked sap spills down Tom's back, sticky as glue, and Tom hopes it'll slow Kurt down some.