The Retriever Institute

Milestone One Complete

"Cross, are you dressed? Ready for Sci to come in?" Lust asks.

Cross pauses, could he really even say no? He nods a little.

"It's okay if you need a moment. Sit back down on the couch and take a breath. No one is going to hurt you here."

Cross does as he's told, because what else is he meant to do? Lash out at her? She didn't even do anything. It's confusing to be around people that haven't hurt him yet. People he can't throw a punch at knowing they deserve it. His hands itch for the handle of his blade. He doesn't want it, he doesn't want to be fought, or held down, or drugged. He doesn't want to go through that again. The question is, are they going to put him through it regardless?

Lust catches his attention with a snap. "Deep breaths, please. I know how unnerving this can be," she says. "Let's take a minute. Do you want me in the room while you have your blood drawn?"

Cross pauses, frowning.

"I don't have to be there, but I can be, if you'd like. You can hold my hand, or I can sit nearby?"

"Uh... Can you... stay here?" Cross asks, soft.

"Yeah, I can do that. Do you want Nightmare to come back? If you're feeling nervous, he's not the best at comfort, but I promise that boy won't let anything hurt you," Lust says, smiling. "He trained me for the last two years of my training. Did you know that? He never let anybody hurt me. He never let anyone who hurt me in the past get away with it either. He's good. You'll see." She assures, nodding and smiling.

Cross thinks about it for a long moment. "Yeah... He... Should come back."

"Okay. Do you want to tell them that they can come in now?"

Cross nods, getting up to follow Lust to the door. He pauses in front of it, giving Lust a glance. "I... Open it?"

"If you'd like."

Cross opens the door, leaning out to see Nightmare standing on the other side of the hall with Sci. The medic is holding a bag, Cross knows what it's for. "Come in. Both of you... ahm, Por favor," He says to them. He doesn't remember those words in English, he only ever pled in Spanish. The doctor hated it when he pled. He didn't like to hear it. Though, these two seemed indifferent.

Nightmare smiled gently at him. Why'd he do that? What did he look like right now? It reminds him of the way his siblings used to look at him when he came back from sessions with the doctor. He must've been shaking, he must've looked scared. He wanted to hear Chara tell him everything was okay right now. He missed them so much. Everything here is so wrong without someone real to tell him it's all okay. That it's really happening.

Frisk always said someone would come to rescue them all, some day. He got paps to believe it too, that they'd make it out together. Some part of him mourns that they never made it out. Another is keenly aware that both Frisk and Papyrus would've been happy that he managed to get out, even though they never got the chance.

Cross backs up into the room a little, letting both Nightmare and Sci in. Nightmare pauses next to him while sci sets up the limited equipment on the table.

"You need some water? I can tell them to hold off for a second and I can get you some water," Nightmare offers.

"Nu-uh. I'm getting it over with."

"You're shaking like a leaf."

"Am I?" Cross murmurs to himself, looking at his hands. Sure enough, they're trembling uncontrollably. "I'm sorry... I don't mean to..."

"No, it's okay. You're allowed to be nervous. Just try not to punch sci and we're all good. I'll tell you what. You sit through this, and when you're done with the appointment you can punch me in the ribs as hard as you want. No consequences. I won't hit back or deflect. Cool?" Nightmare offers.