Ch. 28: Measured growth
He couldn't help but feel compelled to say he was sorry again.
"I said it was alright young one," the king smiled at Gaster warmly and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, "there's no need to keep apologizing." Gaster tried not to be too bothered about what had happened but . . . he felt like he did need to keep saying it. The king was so forgiving but sorry just didn't feel like it was enough to show how bad he felt. He leaned slightly against the king as he walked and tried to put it from his mind, if only so he wouldn't keep bothering the king.
His thoughts turned back to the doctor, he had let the doctor get to him again. But this time he had lashed out and the king . . . Gaster let out a sigh, he was more frustrated than angry at this point. Most of the time he could ignore what the doctor said but there were just certain things, certain words that the doctor could say that still bothered him. And the doctor knew it. The doctor would use them to push or prod him to get the results he wanted. Gaster wasn't going to let that happen anymore, he wouldn't give the doctor the satisfaction of winning.
It didn't take Sidd very long to lead them to an empty exam room. Gaster remained at the king's side until Sidd indicated for him to step closer, he moved away from the king slowly to do so. Sidd pulled a tape measure from his pocket and began to measure Gaster, having him move and hold out his arms but not actually touching him. Gaster tried not to think about how much this reminded him of the doctor working on him, he rather liked Sidd and didn't want whatever was going to happen to change that.
When Sidd finished he took a few moments to write down some notes before he gestured for Gaster to sit on the exam table. Gaster hesitated a moment, meeting Sidd's eyes before doing so. He was about the same height as Sidd now but that gaze was no less intense even if he was level with it.
"Sidd," the assistant turned at the king's voice. "I would like you to explain the procedure to him before you begin."
Sidd gave the king a nod before turning back to Gaster. It was a few moments before he spoke, "I'm going to examine your joints first."
Gaster gave a nod to that and waited for Sidd to go on.
"Then I will use these," Sidd pointed to a set of odd looking gloves on the small table next to him. "They focus my magic to alter density."
Gaster eyed the gloves, they were thick and were covered in many small plates that had wires running between them. He let out a tense breath, 'will it hurt?'
Sidd stared at Gaster for a moment before moving over to the cupboards along the wall, pulling out several bottles before finding what he was looking for. He poured a small amount of liquid out into a small paper cup before returning to Gaster.
"What are you giving him?" Rather than answering, Sidd handed the bottle over to the king. The king frowned slightly as he looked at it, "this is very strong."
Sidd handed the small cup to Gaster. "It is a small dose."
Gaster eyed the liquid for a moment before he brought it up to his mouth.
"Don't spit."
Gaster gagged and sputtered out part of the disgustingly bitter medicine as soon as it was in his mouth. After a moment he managed to force himself to swallow most of it, his soul threatening to heave as the taste of it lingered even after it had dissolved.
"Are you alright young one?" The king gave him a pat on the back and Gaster managed to give the king a small nod as he let out a cough. Gaster pulled up the collar of his gown to wipe off the extra liquid that was dripping down his chin.
Sidd took the empty cup from Gaster, he added a little more liquid to it after getting the bottle back from the king. He then offered the cup to Gaster again. Gaster took the cup hesitantly, grimacing at it before trying to swallow it quickly. He only gagged slightly the second time.
"May I see?" Sidd gestured to Gaster's arm.
Gaster tensed slightly as he held his arm out but the gingerbread assistant took it in one hand with a grip far gentler than imagined and placed his fingers and thumb over the top and bottom of Gaster's wrist.
"Bend slowly please." Gaster moved the wrist slowly, feeling barely any resistance from Sidd's hand as he did so. After a moment Sidd removed his hand from the wrist and ran his fingers softly over the back of Gaster's hand and fingers until he held a finger similarly to how he had held Gaster's wrist. "Bend please."
Gaster did as he was asked and the process was repeated with each finger on that hand, then the elbow of the same arm before Sidd moved to Gaster's other arm. Sidd then moved on to test the joints in Gaster's legs and feet.
Gaster watched Sidd as he examined the joints with obvious care and attention to detail. 'Why you do this? Why not the doctor?'
Sidd paused in checking Gaster's ankle to watch him sign, continuing for a short while before answering. "Doctor Drake is not familiar with my work."
Gaster gave Sidd a confused look, 'what do you mean?'
Sidd finished looking at Gaster's foot, his intense gaze moving up to Gaster's face as he straightened before he responded. "I threaded the wires between your bones." Gaster blinked in surprise, he didn't know what to think about that. Before he could think of a response Sidd gestured to his skull. "May I see?"
After a few moments Gaster gave nod. Sidd placed his fingers gently against the sides of Gaster's skull, tracing the ridges and dips in it. Despite the lightness of the touch Gaster couldn't help but stiffen at the contact. He was comfortable with the king's touch and Cadis to an extent but Sidd had never really gotten this close to him before.
Sidd moved near Gaster's eye-sockets, "blink please."
Gaster blinked a few times as Sidd felt the area around his eye-sockets. Sidd then moved to the hinge of his jaw, testing it as Gaster opened and closed his mouth. Gaster couldn't help clenching his jaw as Sidd softly moved fingers over his teeth.
"Stand please." Gaster stood from the table, waiting for a moment before Sidd gestured to his gown. "I must see."
Gaster let out a sigh as he offered his back to the king, who helped him to undo the ties at the back. He let the king take it from him and he remained standing as he looked to Sidd again, stiff framed but he didn't curl in on himself despite how exposed he still felt.
Sidd's gaze seemed to grow even more intense than usual, he stepped forward and gestured to Gaster's sternum, "may I see." Gaster tensed but after a moment he gave a small nod.
Sidd carefully placed his fingers along the seam between Gaster's ribs and sternum, pressing lightly and moving along to test different ribs. Gaster kept a close watch on where Sidd's hands moved to.
Gaster managed to keep his breaths even but he was painfully aware of how obvious the sped up beat of his soul was. He couldn't help tensing more when Sidd's fingers brushed over old scars.
"Deep breath." Gaster took in deep breaths as Sidd told him and moved along his ribs. Gaster flinched slightly as Sidd placed his hand over the middle of his sternum, pressing more firmly than before. "Deep breath." Gaster shuddered as he tried to take in a deep breath but it was hard to breath as his chest tightened at the sickeningly familiar feeling of pressure along that old scar.
It was just Sidd's hand, not anything else. Just a hand, Gaster told himself as he stared down at it. The king's hand found his and he gripped it tightly, focusing on that feeling as he managed to take in a few quick deep breaths before the pressure on his chest lifted.
After a few long moments Gaster lifted his gaze to Sidd's own intense one that watched him. Sidd waited a bit longer before he spoke, "may I see your back now?"
Gaster gave a quick nod to that as he gave the king's hand a tight squeeze. Sidd gave Gaster a nod in return before moving to step around him.
Gaster took in another deep breath to calm himself as he watched Sidd move around him. Sidd softly ran his fingers along Gaster's spine and ribs, having Gaster take more deep breaths. Gaster tensed even more, focusing on the feel of the king's thumb gently running over his knuckles rather than the hands on his back that he couldn't see. He couldn't help but stiffen sharply when Sidd's hands moved to the middle of his back right behind his soul.
It was a little easier once Sidd moved up to his shoulder blades and had him shift his arms to move them. Sidd felt the back of his neck and skull, having him move and turn it. Sidd then moved down to check his spine as he twisted and stretched, testing the shift of his hip bones when he turned.
Sidd's touch was light but Gaster could barely feel his fingers by the time he finished. The king placed a hand on Gaster's shoulder, "careful with your grip young one."
Gaster looked at the king in confusion before his gaze slipped down to his hand that still held the king's. His eye-sockets widened as they saw just how tightly he was gripping the king's hand . . . but he could barely feel the hold. He quickly let the king's hand go as he flexed his own, staring at it before he looked back to the king's hand on his shoulder. He only felt a shadow of the touch.
"It's alright young one," the king moved his free hand to hold the side of Gaster's face, Gaster pressed into the touch far more than he knew he should have to so he could feel it. "The medicine will dull feeling and you may feel drowsy for a while but you will be fine later, I promise." The king gave his shoulder a squeeze but the lack of feeling made it far less reassuring.
Gaster clenched his hands into fists, it was like his bones were wrapped in layers of cloth. He could feel some of the pressure but it was muffled and numbed, he quickly stopped. He was fairly certain that he could crack something right now and not even notice.
"We will begin shortly." Sidd spoke as he looked up from the notes he was writing, gesturing to the exam table, "please sit."
Gaster reluctantly pulled away from the king to climb up onto it, even the feeling of the hard metal surface was distant to him. As he waited he realized that he felt odd, like he was tired but he wasn't. His head felt fuzzy and dull, it reminded him of what it felt like when he was far beyond sleep deprived. His thoughts were slow as he struggled to focus them. He did not like this at all.
"Lay down please." Gaster looked at Sidd, staring at the large gloves he now wore for a moment before glancing to the king with uncertainty.
"I will be right here my child." The king moved to stand next to Gaster, giving him a reassuring smile and his hand a squeeze he could barely feel.
Gaster took in a deep breath as he slowly and stiffly lay down, finding at least a measure comfort in the fact that this table didn't have straps to hold him down. Sidd moved up to the other side of the table, he gestured to Gaster's collar. "I must place a suppression field."
Gaster stared at Sidd for a few long moments before he realized the other was waiting for permission. Gaster gave a quick nod and braced himself as the weight of it settled on him. He was still conscious but his already dulled senses seemed to slip even farther from his reach. His vision blurred some but he could still see the king next to him clearly enough to recognize. He could tell he was holding something but feeling couldn't tell him it was the king's hand, he focused what thought he had left on making sure he didn't tighten his grip when he couldn't tell how hard he was holding on.
"Try to be still." Gaster gave a nod to Sidd's words but he kept his eye-lights focused on the king while that was the best sense he had of him. Gaster felt his other arm suddenly become very heavy, it was a moment before he fought down the instinct to struggle against the weight. He moved his gaze over to Sidd, who was holding his hands in the air just above the arm. Sidd's eye's were glowing a deep dark blue.
Sidd's gaze slid up to Gaster's face for a moment before it returned to the arm, he moved one of his hands to hover over Gaster's hand.
Gaster let out a sharp breath as he felt an abrupt twinge in his hand, tingling pins slid through the center of it as Sidd slowly moved his own hand over it. Gaster clenched his jaw and had to let the king's hand go so that he wouldn't have to spare the thought to focus on not gripping it. There was some relief as Sidd worked his way up to Gaster's wrist where there was fewer wires before skipping up to his elbow.
Sidd moved around the table, trading places with the king to stand by Gaster's other arm to immobilize the limb and repeat the process. Sidd then moved down to Gaster's feet, working through the joints up Gaster's legs. Gaster tried to focus on looking at the king as the pinching tingling sensation traveled through his limbs, it wasn't exactly painful but it felt like it should hurt. It was like his body still knew that this was painful but not all of that message was getting through. It was beyond uncomfortable but he was glad for the feeling, he hated the numbness through his body that deprived him of sensation. This numbness felt far too similar to when his collar was removed.
Sidd moved up to Gaster's skull next, easing the weight of his magic on slower this time. Gaster winced as he felt the tingling crawl through his skull just below the surface, he hadn't realized how many wires were threaded into his head. Especially through his face. "Relax." Gaster pressed his eye-sockets closed and did his best not to tense up as much but it was difficult.
By the time Sidd moved on from his head Gaster knew he was barely clinging to consciousness. Between the medicine making his head fuzzy and the suppression field making it even harder to keep his mind from slipping he had been fighting to stay awake as it was. With the residual sensation of Sidd's magic weaving through his skull he could barely tell that Sidd had kept going and was still traveling down his body with the magic.
Gaster faded in and out at the edge of awareness for a while, coming back a little more once the king scooped him up into his arms. Gaster curled up against him but he still couldn't feel the king. He fought to keep his eye-sockets open so that he could at least see him. It took Gaster a little while to realize that they were done and a part of him was grateful that he wasn't really there for when Sidd had got to be near his soul.
Gaster ran his fingers back and forth over the fabric of the king's robes, craving even the slight sensation of touch it granted him. His head cleared a bit more once the suppression field was lifted, he looked up to see the king looking down at him with concern. He pulled on a slight smile for the king, it grew a little when the king gave him a smile in return.
Gaster didn't like the lack of feeling or the dullness that still clouded his thoughts, he fought to focus his mind but he could feel himself slipping toward sleep again. That would be fine, maybe he would be back to normal by the time he woke up again. The king would take care of him. Gaster let his eye-sockets fall closed and listened to the beat of the king's soul as he was carried away.
