No One is Happy with This (Undertale)

27 ~ Only Just Barely

You remember what Papyrus said about these things, about Sans just needing some time, but three days after the machine was destroyed, you want to go check on them anyway.

So, after Toriel, also sympathetic to Sans' plight, bakes a pie for the brothers, she drives you up Mt. Ebbot to the brothers' house. You knock on the door while Toriel stands behind you, holding the pie. It's a strawberry-rhubarb pie, you think, just going off the smell, which kinda makes your mouth water and belly rumble.

But you're not here for the pie.

Well. You are, but you're here for the pie to be given to Sans and Papyrus.

When you knock on the door, Papyrus doesn't open it. Instead, he calls out to you, "The door is unlocked!"

That worries you. Papyrus always comes to the door. It doesn't matter what he's doing, he always spares a moment to make his guests welcome.

But now he hasn't.

Nervously, you reach for the doorknob, and push the door open.

Immediately it's apparent why Papyrus didn't get the door. He's lying sprawled on the couch, and Sans is curled up beside him, half-lying on Papyrus's chest, face buried in the orange sweater Papyrus has taken to wearing since coming to the surface. Papyrus is hugging Sans, and rubbing his back. There's a blanket wrapped around Sans, too, as well as several dirty dishes piled up on the floor beside the couch.

You're a little surprised, honestly. You didn't think Papyrus could ever just sit around, much less when there were dirty dishes, dirty anything around that needed to be cleaned up. But you suppose it's just a testament of Papyrus's dedication to his brother- he won't even leave Sans to wash some dishes.

When you walk in, Papyrus gives you both a small smile. He squeezes Sans. "Sans, Frisk and Toriel are here." He says quietly.

Sans doesn't respond.

"They brought a pie."

This time, Sans shifts, just a little. He twists his head just enough to look up at you with one eyesocket. For a moment, he just looks at you and Toriel, the white light of his eye twitching slightly across the black of his eyesocket.

Then he twists back down, burying his face again against Papyrus's chest. "... 'm not really hungry." Sans' voice is barely audible.

Papyrus's expression turns worried, and he grabs Sans up by the shoulders, forcing Sans to sit up. "Sans, you haven't hardly eaten anything at all in the last three days! You're going to starve like this!"

Sans just shrugs. He looks so, so tired. "i don't really feel like eating. i just... want to sleep."

For a moment, the brothers just look at each other.

Then, Papyrus says, so quietly you can barely hear, "Please, Sans? Just a little. For me? Please?"

After a minute, Sans sighs, his shoulders slumping more than usual. "... fine... just a little..."

In the end, the brothers end up snuggled together on the couch, each with a slice of pie on a plate. But Sans only eats a few bites before putting down his plate and settling back into Papyrus's lap.

Papyrus just sighs. "Alright. You can eat more later."

But you have a sneaking suspicion Sans won't be.

The next few days are difficult. You have a hard time paying attention at school, so much to the point that your teacher calls you out on it a few times. But you can only just tell them one of your friends isn't doing well, and you're worried about him. Flowey doesn't help, in that every time this happens, he loudly proclaims that "the smiley trashbag is gonna die, and he's the only one you can't help."

And then, one day, Toriel picks you up from school in the middle of the day. On the drive back to Ebbot Town, she tells you what happened.

Apparently, Papyrus had called Alphys, saying that Sans had passed out or something, and had requested that Alphys use her "medical sciencey knowledge" to help Sans. Alphys had told Papyrus to bring Sans to her lab. They were still there, and no news about Sans yet.

Toriel had thought it best that everyone be there, just in case... in case...

She had stopped speaking at that.

When you get to the lab, you find Papyrus, Undyne, and Asgore are all already waiting there. Papyrus is unnaturally still, sitting on the floor, in the corner of the room, unmoving. His face is unusually blank.

You walk over and sit next to him, and set a hand on his knee. He just glances at you.

Eventually, Alphys comes in. She looks tired.

When he sees her, Papyrus scrambles up, racing over to her. "Alphys! Is he okay? Is he? My brother is okay, right?"

Alphys just looks up at Papyrus and wrings her hands. Her mouth moves, but it takes a long time for sound to come out.

"H-he... he's running a very high t-temperature, and-... and there's an excess of m-Magic being released from his Soul-... Papyrus--..." She looks away, then looks back up at Papyrus. She looks desperate. "Oh, Papyrus! Sans is Falling Down!"

And Papyrus just stops. It's like he was mid-movement, and someone just hit the pause button. He's just frozen.

And then he bursts forward in sudden motion, sweeping by Alphys and racing down the hall.

He's screaming Sans' name.

You immediately run after him, only just managing to keep up as his long, frantic strides propel him forward.

You don't know how, but somehow, Papyrus knows exactly where Sans is. He bursts into the lab room where you see Sans is lying shirtless on a table. There's an IV bag hanging beside the table, filled with a softly glowing liquid. The tube's been passed between Sans' ribs and inserted into his Soul.

Papyrus practically lunges to the table in a frantic heap. It seems like he tries to simultaneously climb onto the table and scoop Sans up in his arms, cradling his brother in his arms. "Sans, Sans, it's okay, it's okay, I'm here, you're okay, don't listen to Alphys because I'm sure she wasn't lying but I know she was mistaken because you're okay, Sans, you're okay, just don't listen to her, you aren't Falling Down, you can't be, Sans, because you just can't, and I- I need you, Sans, I n-need you, Sans! You can't go, you c-can't! You can't! You n-need t-to s-st-stay with me, please, S-Sans..! Please! You can't leave me! Please!!" Papyrus breaks off, sobbing and howling, and haphazardly clutching Sans to his chest.

Sans' eyes are closed, and he's totally limp in Papyrus's grip.

By now everyone else has come into the room, and you're all just watching helplessly as Papyrus screams.

It seems like forever, but eventually, Papyrus's cries taper off into choked hiccuping noises.

This is when Alphys steps up. "Papyrus... I-... I'm so sorry-... but-..." She takes a deep breath. "As-... As long a-as we keep Magic flowing i-into Sans' body, h-he'll live, but... but unless he d-decides to hold on, h-he's... he's never going to get better."

This brings on another bout of sobbing from Papyrus, but it has a different effect on you.

Now you're determined. Because Sans may be mostly dead, but as long as he's still alive, no matter if it's only just barely, then that means he still has a spark of hope.

All you have to do is figure out how to give him more hope.

And you can do it. You know you can. You are determined to do it.

You will help Sans.

§

A/N

A tragedy's occurred.

I've watched all the Doctor Who episodes I had downloaded on my phone. So until I can go somewhere with good enough internet to download more... I have to sit here. Without anything to watch.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Comments and votes are my Favorite Things, and every notification I get makes my day!