Chapter Text
The next day, they went over to Toriel's for lunch.
Papyrus has been talking with Undyne, who exclaimed how great she and Alpys took care of Lupin, while her girlfriend was explaining something to Frisk, who listened with interest, both of them comfortably sitting on the couch. Flowey was in his flower pot on the table next to them, grumbling something to himself as he scibbled on a paper. Toriel was busy preparing the lunch itself, while Sans sat by the dining table.
Head proped with hand, he seemed zoned off, mindlessly tapping with his fingers on the table.
Toriel glanced over at him as she took out the potatoes from the oven. Setting them aside to cool down, she put off the mittens off of her furred paw-hands, before turning to her skeleton friend.
"Sans?" she asked softly, hoping to get his attention.
He blinked and straightened himself in the chair, turning to face the goat monster. "Uh, yeah? What's up?" he said, wearing the same lazy grin he always seemed to have.
Toriel frowned slightly. She remembered the times when Sans was just babybones, and despite it being about two decades ago, she was positive he never had constant smile on his face. But maybe thats just how skeletons are? Maybe thats just how Sans is?
Shaking her head slightly, she put on a smile of her own. "You just seemed absent; your body here, yet your mind wandering somewhere else. Is something troubling you?" she asked, tilting her head ever so slightly to show she was indeed interested.
"Ah," he said, before widening his grin. "Nah, just thinking. It's nothing, really, don't worry 'bout it," he waved his hand dismissively. Before she could say something else, he leaned to one side, glancing at the food. "When will it be done? I'm getting hungry."
"In a moment," she turned, taking some plates.
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Sans wasn't feeling the best.
Something was bugging him.
Or maybe 'something' isn't the best word to use. Or phrase. Or whatever wordy.
He woke up and already he could sense something was off. Not because he was lying on the couch; he is used waking up in whatever place he fell asleep, but there was this... pain.
It was a pain in the very SOUL of his. It was stabbing his SOUL with thousands of small needles. It wasn't ... exactly bad feeling. More of odd, perhaps uncomfortable.
But once he tried to sit up, he gasped and grabbed his chest, feeling like if he was puke on the spot as a flash of pain stroke through his SOUL. After few seconds when his head was spinning, it faded into again just needl-y poking.
Sans took deep breath, before he tried moving again. This time no pain came.
This was happening the entire day.
From time to time, a slashing pain would come for a second, before fading away just as quickly. No warnings, but it always came when he moved, so, now that he was eating at the table, he tried moving his hands the least possible.
However, his stomach was growling at him (it never did... he wasn't much of an eater), so he had to feed it.
The lunch itself was very tasty, just as any other meal Toriel prepared. Probably one of the mothers' skills she seemed to be born with.
Everyone around the table was now chatting, with Sans dropping a pun or two every now and then, before turning to his meal again.
It was on the nearing-end of the meal when another pain came. He nearly choked on a potato (somehowly, don't question it), which ofcourse brought the entire table's attention to him. Good thing was that no one really thought it could be anything else than his food accidentally stumbling to the wrong place (even tho he was a skeleton... but like on the other hand he did eat somehowly so...), bad thing, this time it didn't fade into the poking he grew used to throughout the entire day.
This time it was like if something was suffocating him, so after he managed to gulp the potato and not die out of that, he quickly excused himself and stood up to get away from the kitchen.
Clenching the sweater he had on, he leaned against the wall in the living room, praying to whoever was up there that no one went after him. His SOUL seemed to be squeezed by an invisible force and he really started thinking if Toriel would be too upset if he puked right here.
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Papyrus looked after his older brother as he walked out of the kitchen, his meal long forgotten.
The way he just started choking on his meal was odd to say the least. Skeletons couldn't really choke on anything. Yes, they could suffocate when under water for too long, but they still survived much longer, about 6 times than humans.
But he kept quiet about that, because seemingly no one seemed to know that. Well, Alphys seemed unsure about it, but after glancing at him, she just smiled weakly and went back to her food, seemingly reassured by Papyrus' lack of comment.
Papyrus knew Sans hated being 'babied' as he called it. Hated when people made 'fuss' when something was wrong and it affected Sans. So, Papyrus kept his mouth shut.
However, he also knew that Sans thought that if anyone would want to help with anything, whetever its some small thing or enormous problem, he would call it babying.
Better check him than be sorry later.
"UM, EXCUSE ME, I'D LIKE TO CHECK ON MY BROTHER IF HE'S ALRIGHT! IT'LL BE JUST A SECOND," Papyrus spoke up, smiling at everyone around.
"Why ofcourse, you don't have to tell us that," Toriel smiled back, glancing worriedly in direction Sans went, most likely to the living room. "Tell us if he's doing alright, yes?"
After assuring the goat mom that he will, indeed, tell them about Sans' state, Papyrus went after his brother.
What he truly wasn't expecting was seeing Sans half bend and leaning against the wall, clenching his chest and heaving.
Hurrying over to him, Papyrus crouched beside him with worried expression, nearing scared one.
"BROTHER? ARE YOU ALRIGHT? WHAT'S WRONG?" he asked, not sure what to do. He never saw Sans like this!
The shorter skeleton took a deep breath through his teeth, his grin now visibly strained and hurting. "Dunno bro, just small pains, 's alright," he said, trying to wink at him, but he then bended further down as he clenched his teeth so much they must have hurt and his chest too.
"SANS, THIS IS NOT FINE! WHAT IS HURTING?" Papyrus asked, resting a hand on his back because he wasn't sure what else to do right now.
Sans glanced over at him, panting. Seemingly, whatever was hurting came in waves of pain instead of one, singular.
Sans took deep breath, suddenly relaxing. He seemed to look at his hand, before he lowered it from his chest.
Papyrus stared, trying to understand what happened, what could've hurt so much? What could've just make the pain dissapear like that?-
Papyrus was never dumb. He was actually really smart, thats why Sans oftenly talked to him about whatever science stuff he was thinking about at that time, dumping all the info on his younger brother during their shared meals. Papyrus never lacked intelect, never ever.
That's why he froze as he realized what could hurt his brother like that.
SOUL.
If something happened to his SOUL, ofcourse the pain would be unbalanced.
SOULs are fragile if hurt, the magic oftenly unstable and trying its best to stabilize itself.
"Sans," his voice was low.
That made the named skeleton turn his entire attention to him, his eyesockets slightly widened.
"It's your SOUL, isn't it?"
His expression said everything. His eyelights flickered away from Papyrus' face.
"When did it start?"
...
"SANS, WHEN DID IT START," this time it was not a question, but an order for Sans to tell him.
"I dunno, like... this morning? Maybe now that I think about it, even yesterday in the morning. I-I just thought it was because of how much I ate... I'm sure its nothing bro," he stuttered, so un-characteristic for him.
Papyrus grasped his shoulders, making sure he wasnt hurting him, and turned him to face him.
"SANS. THIS ISNT JUST SOME LITTLE COUGH OR SOMETHING YOU CAN JUST WAVE OFF AND SAY IT WILL BE OKAY. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR SOUL HERE. YOUR VERY CORE, SOMETHING THAT DEFINES YOU," he said, staring deep into his brother's eyes, forcing him to return that gaze. "WE ARE GOING TO DOCTOR WITH THIS- AND BEFORE YOU TRY TO ARGUE WITH ME ON THIS! LISTEN.
"IF ITS REALLY ONLY SOMETHING SMALL AND FLEEING THAT WILL HEAL ITSELF, WE'LL KNOW IT AND I WONT NEED TO WORRY ANYMORE. BUT IF ITS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS MEDICAL ATTENTION, WE MANAGED TO CATCH IT QUICKLY, SO I'M SURE IT WILL BE HEALED WITH DOCTOR'S HELP IN NO TIME, AND WE MANAGED TO STOP SOMETHING REAL BAD.
"WHATEVER IT IS, BOTH WAYS IT COULD END UP GOOD. BUT IF YOU WONT COME TO THE DOCTOR, I WILL BE WORRIED ABOUT YOU UNTIL IT FADES AWAY OR..." he couldnt bring to say that out loud. It wasn't needed. "YOU KNOW. DO YOU WANT THAT?"
Sans stared at Papyrus and Papyrus stared at Sans.
They were silent for few minutes, before Sans looked down at the ground. "No."
"VERY WELL," with that, he stood up and walked back to the kitchen.
"Well, how's the punk doing?" Undyne spoke up once he appeared.
"Does he have some brain damage due to lack of air?" Flowey asked too, sly grin on his face.
Papyrus walked over behind Alphys, putting his hands on her shoulders. "YES, HE IS WELL, BUT WE MUST GO NOW UNFORTUNATELY. AND WE'D LIKE TO BRING ALPHYS WITH US."
The dinosaur monster looked up at him, question in her eyes. "W-what? B-but I and U-Undyne-"
"SANS TOLD ME YOU PROMISED HIM TO WATCH ANIME WITH HIM," Papyrus cut her off, smiling down at her, squeezing her shoulders little more, and this time he was sure it hurt her. He will apologize later. But he knew Sans would be opposed to telling anyone anything about his state if everyone knew.
So, he also made sure his eyes stared down at her with nearly scary intensity that he never looked at anyone with. But if his brother's life is at stake, he will do whatever it takes to drag him to see help.
"O-oh. U-um, r-r-right," the dinosaur stuttered, smiling weakly, and standing, the tall skeleton's hands never leaving her shoulders. "S-sorry Undyne, I-I-I a-absolutely forgot. W-we'll g-go shopping t-tomorrow?"
"Uh, sure babe, no prob," the fish monster assured, smiling back at her girlfriend, but she looked from Papyrus to her.
"GREAT, GOODBYE MY FRIENDS!" Papyrus chirped, guiding Alphys out.
Once they were in the living room, he realized Sans wasn't there anymore. He's most likely out in the car, waiting for him.
"S-so, w-why d-did you need me?" Alphys piped up.
It was then he realized he was still crushing her shoulders. He let go, muttering a quick apology, before walking over to the front door. "SANS' SOUL IS HURTING," he said and he could see the other's face match the anxiety he felt.
"O-oh, t-that's t-terrible! H-how's that even p-possible?" she questioned as they stepped outside and saw Sans sitting in the front seat, visibly uncomfortable.
"I AM NOT SURE. HE HAVENT TOLD ME ANYTHING REALLY," he huffed. "I HOPED YOU COULD HELP TO DIAGNOSE HIM FURTHER?"
"O-ofcourse. Lets go t-to my l-lab," she nodded as they went over to the car.