On we go!
Chapter Three
Papyrus cautiously peeked around the corner, slowly working his way into the ICU room. He tried to steel himself for the sight that awaited him in the first bed, but he wasn't ready. Nothing could have readied him for it. There Undyne lay, unconscious, numerous tubes and wires connected to her and an oxygen mask over her mouth. She was deathly still; aside from the very slight rise and fall of her chest and the languidly spaced beeps from the nearby heart monitor, Papyrus could've sworn that she had, as the monsters put it, "fallen down." She wasn't dead, as that would've meant that her dust would've scattered and settled on the bed and surrounding areas, but falling down was the step just before...
He shuddered at the thought and would've cried out, had he not caught himself; this was a hospital, after all. Twiddling his fingers, he stood near the foot of her bed, unsure of what to do next.
But then he shook his head. This wasn't the time to chicken out, or stand there doing nothing; Undyne needed him! She needed to know that her husband was there! Yes, he thought. But how to do this? There didn't seem like much he could...
Oh. Her hand. Her right hand was unaffected.
Papyrus stepped forward quietly and pulled a nearby chair over to her right. Ever so gently, he reached out and took her hand, softly caressing the top of it with his thumb. He wondered if she was aware at all, if she even felt it. And if not, could she sense the love he was sending her way?
He looked up at the monitor. He didn't understand many of the curves and wavy lines that drifted across the screen, but he knew every beep that echoed from it was another heartbeat from the love of his life... another sign of hope that meant she wasn't about to give up so easily. He found himself longing to rest his head on her chest just for that reassurance, and as another show of affection, but knowing her injured and healing state, he once again restrained himself. He just gave her fingers a gentle squeeze, and leaned in close, actually whispering into her ear. "...I love you, Undyne..."
"...rus..."
The skeleton perked up for a moment, sitting back to look at his bride. Her eye was ever so slightly open, all of its attention directed at him. He felt a strong pull of relief and agony tightening within, tears forming in his eye sockets. "U-UNDYNE..."
The corner of her mouth creased itself up into a little smile. She gave his fingers a small, slow squeeze.
And he gently squeezed back. "UNDYNE... PLEASE DON'T DIE..."
She exhaled a little harsher than she had been, doing her best to scoff at the notion.
Papyrus smiled, the salty drops beginning to slide down his cheeks. "UNDYNE, I'M… REALLY SORRY THAT YOU HAD TO GET INVOLVED IN ALL THIS. IF I THINK ABOUT IT HARD ENOUGH, IT'S REALLY MY FAULT."
He felt her grip tighten a little.
"I'M SERIOUS, UNDYNE. YOU SEE, IF I HAD BEEN STRONGER, I WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIGHT OFF THE STARLIGHT KILLER. I WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN KIDNAPPED IN THE FIRST PLACE. AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN FREE TO… TO…" He took a moment to shake his head and sigh. "AND FURTHERMORE, FOR SOME REASON I WAS FAVORED AMONG THE OTHER VICTIMS. I WAS LET GO. WHY WAS I LET GO WHEN THE OTHERS DIED?" He turned to face her once more. "YOU ALMOST DIED BECAUSE OF HIM YOURSELF. WHY WAS I SO LUCKY?"
Her grip increased just a little more.
"AND WHAT'S MORE... I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU'LL GET INJURED ON THE JOB, ESPECIALLY NOT WITH THE KILLER ON THE LOOSE. AND ONE DAY I MIGHT GET ANOTHER CALL... A DIFFERENT KIND OF CALL…"
Papyrus gasped a little as he saw a single tear slip down from Undyne's right eye.
"OH NO." He grabbed a tissue from the box on the nightstand and carefully dabbed her face. "DON'T CRY, UNDYNE. I'M SORRY. YOU'RE HERE AT THE HOSPITAL IN PAIN AND I'M JUST MAKING IT WORSE. I'LL STOP TALKING ABOUT MY DEEP SEATED INSECURITIES AND FEAR OF OUR LIVES TOGETHER GETTING CUT TRAGICALLY SHORT AND TALK ABOUT… CAKE. I LIKE CAKE. CAKE IS DELICIOUS. AND NOW I REALLY WANT CAKE. IS THIS A CRAVING? I'VE NEVER HAD A CRAVING BE- WHY ARE YOU SQUEEZING MY HAND, UNDYNE?"
He noticed beneath the oxygen mask that the corner of her lips was twitching slightly. He took it as a sign that she was trying to smile, bogged down by residual anesthesia though she may have been.
"I UHH… CAKE ISN'T THE ONLY THING GOOD I CAN TALK ABOUT. THERE'S ALSO ICE CREAM. OH WAIT, YOU DON'T LIKE ICE CREAM." A memory popped into Papyrus's head very suddenly. "DO YOU REMEMBER THAT TIME WE FRIED A POPSICLE? WHAT A MESS! TOOK FOREVER TO CLEAN IT UP AND WE LAUGHED… SO MUCH." He chuckled a bit, but soon found himself falling into a more bittersweet mood. "I DON'T WANT FOR DAYS LIKE THAT TO BE ALL IN THE PAST, UNDYNE. I MARRIED YOU TO KEEP FRYING POPSICLES AND SETTING THE KITCHEN ON FIRE. NOT LITERALLY SO MUCH. BUT TO MAKE STORIES WITH YOU FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. SO WE CAN TELL OUR GRANDKIDS JUST HOW CRAZY WE WERE." He reached over and grasped her hand with his other one, holding it close to him, pleading with her. "TWO WEEKS ISN'T LONG ENOUGH UNDYNE. I WANTED 200 YEARS. 2000 YEARS. I DON'T THINK THERE WILL EVER BE ENOUGH."
Another tear went rolling.
"AAH, I MADE YOU CRY AGAIN, UNDYNE! I'M SO SORRY!" As he wiped her eye, he smiled a bit, despite himself. "WHO KNEW THAT MY WORDS WOULD CREATE SUCH AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER FOR US BOTH?"
"i swear, it's just one thing after another, amiright, tori?"
Toriel nodded. "It would seem that way, yes." She stirred her hot tea and took a sip, looking down the nearby hallway to see if Papyrus was headed back. "It is such a shame that it is happening to Papyrus and Undyne, though, especially so close to their wedding…"
"mind if i say something that sounds horrible and selfish, tori?"
She looked around. "Well, hospitals are places of healing; if it is through these words that you are seeking some kind of healing, then there are few places other than a hospital that would be appropriate."
"i just don't want you to think less of me."
She smiled slightly. "Sans, we all have things with which we grapple. If your mind is so troubled, just speak it. I will do my best to be understanding."
"you're the best, tori. i don't deserve you." Sans snuggled into her a bit. "all right. well, to be frank, papyrus is… a handful."
"Are not all siblings a handful? My own Asriel and Chara would often get on each other's nerves for one reason or another."
"ah, right. did you fight with your little brother over stuff?"
"I fought with him all the time. All siblings do." Toriel sighed. "But sometimes, I do still miss him."
"look, i love papyrus but he's not easy to deal with. wasn't easy to raise, wasn't easy to live with. i thought when he and undyne got together, that would be it. my chance at total freedom. papyrus being part time. and maybe… ya know, maybe you and i would have a chance to spend more time together, start our own lives and let undyne and papyrus have theirs." Sans shook his head. "like i said. selfish."
She was silent for a few moments. Sans almost couldn't handle the lack of anything coming from this conversation.
But it didn't remain long. "Tell me, Sans: Do you worry about your brother's happiness?"
"to be totally honest… yeah. a lot."
"It would be easy to look at only the surface layer of your motives and say 'oh, he only cares for himself', but I see that there is more to it than that. Papyrus is an adult, is he not? If sounds like, amidst your desire for 'freedom,' you wish that Papyrus would be able to lead a fulfilling life with a spouse of his own."
"nailed it like always. except maybe i don't trust him. he went for the only one of us with a dangerous job and now a serial killer is on the loose and he's gone after them both. if this ends badly… that's it, isn't it? we'll be taking care of papyrus until he dies."
"It is a valid concern, however, I feel it would be important to take a situation like this one step at a time. Perhaps the worst will not even happen. For the moment, we just need to be here to support both Papyrus and Undyne as they try to get through this. And it is not even just us; Alphys and Asgore are here as well."
"it's hard to let go. i really thought it would be easier once they got married. and yet, here we are. again."
"For them, marriage was just shedding one role and replacing it with another. Some problems remain the same." She leaned forward, placed a hand on the back of Sans's head, and kissed his forehead. "We will all get through this."
"Yeah," Sans said, blushing a little. "thanks for not thinking i'm selfish and horrible for not wanting to be responsible for my adult brother for the rest of his life."
"I do not think you give Papyrus enough credit sometimes."
Sans raised a curious eyebrow.
"Well, he is an adult but sometimes you treat him like a child."
"i…" Sans was having a hard time getting the words out.
"I think he is more capable than you might realize. And I do not think we will have to take care of him should this end… less than favorably. I believe he can bounce back."
He was quiet, nodding thoughtfully. "...yeah, you're right. thanks for being my rock when i lose sight of stuff, tori.
"It has been a while since I have been someone's… rock." Toriel squeezed his shoulder.
He smiled affectionately at her. But his gaze didn't linger long as he heard his brother's distinctive shuffling coming down the hallway.
"Papyrus," Toriel said. "How is Undyne?"
"...I HAD TO LEAVE."
Well, that was surprising. "why, bro?"
"I KEPT MAKING HER CRY." He stared down into his vending machine hot chocolate, stirring it absentmindedly.
"undyne can cry?" Sans half joked, earning himself an elbow in the ribs.
"I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW I WAS FEELING AND OUR MARRIAGE AND I THINK I SAID SOME THINGS I SHOULDN'T HAVE."
Toriel shook her head lightly. "If it helps, Papyrus, she has just come out of surgery; it is only natural that her emotions would be in more of a… raw state. Though, for everyone's sake, it would probably be best to have the conversation with her when she is more likely to remember it."
"IT'S PROBABLY GOOD SHE DOESN'T REMEMBER." Papyrus stared into his hot chocolate as if watching a riveting program on the TV. "DO YOU…" he cleared his throat. "DO YOU THINK IT WAS A MISTAKE? MARRYING HER?"
"What? A mistake? Do not be silly." Toriel scooted her chair so that she was sitting directly across from Papyrus. "Now what makes you say that?"
"I… I FEEL LIKE US TOGETHER JUST PUTS US IN MORE DANGER. I WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN KIDNAPPED AND MADE THIS ALL PERSONAL IF I WEREN'T DATING HER."
"You're right," came a more timid voice nearby. Toriel turned around to find Alphys and Asgore standing behind her. "I w-would have gotten captured instead."
"OH NO, ALPHYS, I WOULD NEVER WISH THAT ON-"
"Except it's a good thing it was y-you, not me. Oh wow, th-that sounds bad. I don't m-mean it like that." Alphys laughed nervously. "I meant… well, you know, I don't d-do so well under pressure. And y-you handled it s-so well. You could always h-handle her better than I c-could."
Asgore nodded. "For as long as I have known her, I have seen her remarkable, fiery spirit. If anyone is a good match to help her tame and properly channel that energy of hers, it is you."
"We had a g-great relationship. But it wasn't wh-what either of us n-needed in the long run. You're what sh-she needs for life."
A tone was heard over the intercom. "Code blue, room 915. Code blue, room 915." In a flurry of activity, a group of doctors ran down the hall and into a nearby room.
"915…?" Alphys muttered. "Isn't that…?"
"THAT'S UNDYNE'S ROOM. THAT'S UNDYNE'S ROOM! WHAT'S WRONG? WHY ARE ALL THOSE DOCTORS RUNNING IN? ALPHYS?"
The yellow monster went deathly pale. "I-It's a c-c-code b-blue…"
Papyrus waved his arms, flabbergasted. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!"
"I-I-It m-means her h-heart stopped b-b-beating..."
The cup of hot chocolate fell from the skeleton's hand, hitting the floor and spilling its searing contents. He bolted back down the hallway. But when he tried to push his way inside the room, he was stopped.
"Sir, this is an emergency; you're not allowed in!"
"BUT MY WIFE-"
"not again…" sighed Sans as he ran off to get his brother. The others followed him, with Alphys lagging behind from the shock of it all.
"PLEASE-"
"We're doing all we can," said the doctor. "We will let you know what happens."
Toriel and Sans ran up to Papyrus, gently pulling him back from the door, back to the lounge area, and embracing him tightly. Alphys and Asgore joined the group hug as well, Alphys welling up and still trembling as though she were in an earthquake.
"UNDYNE, SHE-"
"The doctors are here, Papyrus," Toriel assured him. "They are going to do everything they can."
"yeah, it's gonna be okay, bro." Sans hugged him tighter.
Papyrus sniffed. "WHAT IF IT'S NOT?"
There was silence, save the flurry of sounds coming from Undyne's room. No one had an answer for him.