The Skeletal Hero: Karmic Judge

Getting scolded by a Dad

The pure bliss of nothingness, I wish it could last forever.

It was different from death, instead of the suffocating silence and loneliness strangling you, this was better. Warmer. Comfortable. Like floating on a cloud, bathing in the warm glow of the sun. No pain, just a numb warm calmness. A comforting unawareness. There were murmurs of words, ones I couldn't make out no matter how hard I tried. I didn't feel like trying anyway, the words were soft and comforting. They made me feel safe.
Something changed, I could hear the gentle thump of a heartbeat. It was a welcomed sound to the silence. Comfort.

Then I woke up.

It was bright.

So bright.

I lazily slang my forearm over my eyes, squinting into the slither of light sneaking through the gaps. My eyes trailed along the room; it was a familiar room—the smell of sanitiser and cleaning products, the plain white walls reflecting the yellow light.

The hospital.

I shift, trying to sit up. Pain, a numb burning pain. I stop, letting my body rest against the pillow. I looked around myself, the clean white sheets of the hospital bed crinkled and pulled up to my chest.

Aizawa.

He was slumped against the side of the bed, head resting on his hands. The bags under his eyes seemed darker than usual, I didn't want to wake him. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.
Water sat to my side, just a cup. It didn't look like it'd been sitting there long, nor did it look like it'd been drunk out of. There was no dust floating in it, and it looked clean. Fresh. I reach for the glass. My bone tapped against the glass with a quiet tink that echoed around the room. Aizawa stirred, his eyes opening as small slits. When his eyes lock onto mine, he seems to wake up, eyes widening with badly masked concern.

"hey 'zawa." I croak with a weak smile, my throat ached in protest. I could hear the dryness in my voice, and apparently, so could Aizawa as he handed the glass to me.

"How are you feeling?" He asks, his voice holding a fatherly worry. One that Aizawa was trying, and failing to hide.

"tired." I groan quietly. "how many painkillers did they give me?" I ask, more or less answering the question.

"A lot, thanks to your 'special circumstances," Aizawa says, I let out a knowing sigh. As I took a long sip of my water, many thoughts bubbled in my mind as the cool liquid soothed my throat. One question floated to the top.

"where's frisk?" I ask, thoughts, doubts and fears flowing through my mind. What if they got away? Did I still have the DT?

"They're being held in a cell at the police station, detective Tsukauchi needs to speak with you, but that can wait until you're out of the hospital," Aizawa says, I felt a weight rise off my shoulders. They were being held away; they couldn't hurt anyone.
We sit in silence for a few moments, just enjoying the relief swelling in my mind. The relief and more questions. Instead of going ahead and bombarding Aizawa with questions, I decided to do something more important.

"i'm sorry, that text probably gave you a bit of a scare." I let out a short laugh, Aizawa shot a glare at me. My jaw locks shut.

"Do you know how worried I was?" Aizawa's voice growls, angered worry obvious in his words. Guilt pangs in my chest. Aizawa was never one to show emotion, this was the most upset I'd ever seen the man. His eyes glowed a blazing red, flickering erratically. "You just ran off to fight a serial killer you've lost to hundreds of times on your own. You could've died." Aizawa scolds.

"i couldn't risk anyone else getting wrapped up in it. if i did lose, they'd probably become frisk's new favourite toy. it was the fate of this world at stake..." I pause, my eye sockets widen as the realisation forms. I let out a short, shocked breath. "...and another..."
The realisation... I smiled, wide and excited. "i can save them." I look up to Aizawa again, he looks confused and ready to deny my likely self-sacrificial idea. I felt that I owed him an explanation. "frisk, they mentioned they could go between here and home with all their dt!" I shout, shifting to stand from the bed. Aizawa stops me.