Everything was foggy, like he was floating in a heavy cloud. It was comforting and quiet, and he was so tired, so groggy. He didn't want to leave. Thinking was too much effort. He just floated there, waiting for the darkness to embrace his mind again…
"...ddo…"
Distantly he began to hear muffled noises.
"...just….ec…"
What was that? He tried listening closer, and the fog slowly started to clear. As things became more focused, he realized how cold he felt. It wasn't a normal cold, like when he played in the snow for too long. This cold was deeper than that, as if his soul was freezing in his chest. The cold had never bothered him like this before. Why was he so cold? As he became more aware of his body, other sensations started returning. His bones were heavy, and he felt sick and weak. The feelings only intensified as he became aware of pain. He was sore all over, but felt the worst throbbing from his head. About the only thing that didn't hurt was his arm. Speaking of his arm, it not only didn't hurt, but felt… weird, like something was missing…
A clawed hand started prying his socket open. A blurry looking reptile came into view, leaning in with a small light and gazing into his socket with a single intense eye.
"Hmmm… eyelights are there but hazy. Are ya awake?" The monster released Papyrus' socket and leaned back. He felt himself being 'checked' by the older monster. "I'm seein' more normal magic levels. You're still fluxin' though."
…"fluxin'"…? What does that mean…?
The small skeleton managed to force his sockets open, though it looked like part of his vision was dark, or covered by something? His right socket could see though, and the blurry tortoise monster leaned in closer and smiled.
"Glad to see your amongst the livin'. How ya feeling young one?" Papyrus wanted to say that he felt cold and tired and weak and awful. That nothing made sense, and everything he could see looked blurry. He tried to say it but his voice wouldn't cooperate. All that came out at first was a high pitched whine.
"That bad, eh?" The reptile chuckled as Papyrus' expression seemed to answer the question.
"I'm Captain Gerson of the Royal Guard, but ya can just call me Gerson. Can ya tell me your name?"
Papyrus thought for a moment before trying to speak again. "...pa...pyrus…" he croak. He sounded like a froggit with laryngitis. Even the simple act of talking made him feel tired.
"Good! Can you tell me how old ya are?"
"...eight…" He decided that using single words was less exhausting than using full sentences.
"That sounds about right. Now, do ya remember how ya got hurt?"
Papyrus paused. What happened to him again? There was snow and lots of loud noises, and at one point he was in a lot of pain, but what caused it? There was a tree… and a hill…
"...i don't...know…?" he whispered. He couldn't remember exactly what happened. Questions started racing through his head.
'What's going on? Where am I? Why am I here? How did I get here? Why can't I remember anything? Why-'
"Calm down kiddo." Gerson shushed him when the skeleton's expression became frantic. "It's alright if ya don't remember now, we can talk about it later when ya feel better." Papyrus noticed Gerson was scribbling something on a notepad. The tortoise monster took his pen and held it up to Papyrus' face.
"Could ya please follow the pen while only moving your eyelight?" He slowly moved the pen side to side, and Papyrus did his best to follow the fuzzy object. "Very good. Now how many fingers am I holdin' up?" Gerson held up a clawed hand. Papyrus squinted trying to make out the blurry looking claws.
"...three?" It looked like three anyway. It was hard to tell though.
Gerson nodded and took a few more notes before looking up and grinning. "Your lucky kiddo. It doesn't look like that crack in your skull did any permanent damage. It's gonna leave quite the mark though." Crack to his skull? Is that why his head was hurting so much?
Gerson began fiddling with a syringe and a bottle of fluids while he started rambling. "It was touch and go for a while, but it seems like you'll pull through. Not in one piece, mind ya, but at least you're not dust." He chuckled softly.
...Not in one piece…? What does that mean? He was all here, wasn't he…? Papyrus tried checking his limbs. He could feel the bed under both legs, and he could feel his toe bones wiggling against the sheets, so that checked out. He moved on the his left arm. He was able to grip the sheets with his hand and move all five phalanges. That just left… He tried moving the phalanges on his right hand but nothing happened. He couldn't feel the bedsheets or feel his arm at all. His sockets went wide and he began breathing heavily. Was his arm gone?! Is that what Gerson meant?! That can't be right?! It has to be there! That-
Suddenly the ache in his body began disappearing. His panic was being replaced by grogginess. Papyrus turned his head to see Gerson filling an IV bag with the syringes content.
"Sorry about that kiddo, I'll try ta give ya more warnin' next time. This'll help ya feel better though." Gerson said as he put the syringe away.
Papyrus was already drifting off again, but he needed to ask one last question. "...Is it...gone?"
Gerson looked at him puzzled before his gaze became sympathetic. "Yeah kiddo, it's gone."
Papyrus' soul dropped further as his mind flooded with panicked questions.
'Is this real? This can't be real. This has to be a bad dream. Skeletons can't grow their limbs back, can they? What will happen to me now? I'm broken beyond fixing. What will my brother think? Sans will be so angry with me. He'll hate me for this. I just make his life so much harder…'
Tears began prickling in his sockets, though Gerson remained calm and gave the boy a soft smile, patting his small shoulder. "You're a tough kid. Most monsters wouldn't of survived that blizzard. Heck! I doubt some of my guardsmen would have made it unscathed." He gave a hearty laugh before continuing. "Things may seem bad now, and it will take awhile to adjust, but if ya can survive a storm like that then you'll get through this in no time." Gerson's words were surprisingly comforting. Something about his calm demeanor and the confidences behind his words was infectious. Papyrus felt himself relaxing a bit as Gerson spoke. "Try ta stay positive. Me, your brother, and even Grilby will be here ta help ya. Now, is there anything ya need right now?"
Papyrus was upset and cold and groggy and exhausted. He just wanted to hide away and sleep forever. "...cold…" he said under his breath.
"That all? Wa ha ha! You're sure easy to please." Gerson grabbed a spare blanket and pulled it over Papyrus' chest. "Now try an' get some rest."
His body was already feeling warmer as he began drifting off again. "...thank you.." Papyrus whispered, though he's not sure if managed to form the words or not. He was already back in that comforting fog again…
