There was a clang from the kitchen that was muffled by the door. It woke him up and for a moment he hovered between returning to sleep and waking fully. The decision was made for him when the gnawing of hunger made itself known. Yawning, Sans sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the mattress before stretching. His spine cracked in the best of ways. A heavy, pleased sigh escaped him as he sagged forward. A goofy grin pulled at his face and he couldn't bring himself to care. Alex shifted behind him and his grin grew bigger. Stars above preserve his soul; he pressed his hands against his cheeks in a failed attempt to ease the strain on his cheeks.
Another clang sounded through the door, muffled as the last one and accompanied this time by Papyrus's annoyed voice chasing after it. "Man, wonder what Pap's making for breakfast," Sans commented, listening as a third crash suddenly sounded through the door and the floor, Papyrus's enraged voice just as loud. Sans chuckled as he leaned back. "Might as well go down and find out, huh?"
Sans looked over his shoulder at Alex, still grinning and expecting to meet an equally content expression.
The grin faltered.
Alex looked ashen with skin shining from sweat. The smile vanished completely and he reached out to run a hand through Alex's hair. "What's wrong?"
His hand was batted away.
"I'm fine," Alex ground out as he shoved himself upright. Sans hands shot out when Alex swayed on the mattress but Alex just batted his hands away again. The gesture forced Sans backwards and he got to his feet watching Alex press bare feet into the clothing covered floor without another word. Sans hovered despite the glare sent his way as Alex stood.
He didn't stay standing for long.
Alex hit the floor with a dull thud. "Alex!" Sans cried, hitting his knees beside the prone human. He rolled Alex over, one hand going to Alex's neck, Sans's cheekbone going over Alex's mouth and nose. Sans's soul felt like it would give out.
Alex wasn't breathing.
There was no pulse.
"PAPYRUS!" Sans screamed, his voice cracking as magic surged and crackled around him.
He couldn't use it.
Despite being able to use low levels of healing magic on him, despite the instinctual urge to use magic to help Alex, - despite last night - Sans fought to rein his magic in. He couldn't risk causing more damage. There was no telling how Alex's body would react to the amount of healing magic required. So he settled on the next best thing.
Thundering footsteps crossed the landing outside the bedroom doors as Sans placed his hands on Alex's chest and started chest compressions. The door banged open and Sans's gaze snapped to Papyrus, already rushing, "The defibrillator!"
Papyrus turned and booked it back down the stairs. Sans focused back on Alex as he listened to his brother. Out of all the places for Alex's heart to give out, they had expected it to be in the lab where Alex was stressed the most. Sans mentally cursed himself. Why hadn't they put the AED in one of their rooms? Why did they have to have kept it in the lab?
Why didn't they have a spare?!
Papyrus's heavy footfall on the landing put an end to his thoughts as he looked to the door. There was no point getting himself worked up over it now. He had to focus on saving Alex.
Papyrus rushed in with the modified AED. The taller skeleton placed it above Alex's head and popped the container open. There was a crackling in the air and Sans shuddered when he felt Papyrus's magic join his in the air and push. He sucked in a breath as he pulled at his magic, trying to rein it in better.
An electronic voice cut through the air in the room, chilling Sans's bones as it started giving directions.
He stopped compressions for the two seconds it took Papyrus to slice through Alex's shirt. Counting away and giving breathes, he half watched Papyrus pull out the defibrillation pads. There was no tremble to his brother's sure hands as the pads were quickly, meticulously placed. Sans wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry when he realized just how much calmer his younger brother was.
At least one of them had their skull on straight.
The electronic voice spoke and Sans flinched when Papyrus grabbed his arms and firmly pulled his touch away from Alex. Sans watched, waited as the machine went through the automated process. He only moved when Papyrus released him to return to chest compressions or when Papyrus pulled him away.
Finally, finally, after what felt like far too long, Alex's heart started beating on its own. Sans sat back heavily, the sigh that escaped him sounding far more like a moan, overwhelmed and grateful as they watched Alex's pulse on the monitor, waiting. A few minutes passed before Alex started to wake. Papyrus took the initiative and shut the AED down before removing the defibrillation pads from Alex's body. Sans reached over and rested a heavy hand against the human's chest, asking, "How are you feeling?"
Alex frowned up at him for a breath before answering, "Feels like Undyne kicked me in the chest."
Papyrus stood with the packed AED in hand. "I'll go call the doctor."
"No, don't. I'm fine." Alex tried to sit up but Sans pushed on his chest, pinning him. "Sans-"
"No. Pap, call the doc. See if we need to take him to the hospital." Sans focused back on Alex as the human made to protest again. "Alex, you are going to be checked over. I'm not a medical doctor and neither are you and we need to make sure that you're going to be ok."
Alex tried to bat his hand off his chest but Sans didn't relent. "I'm fine."
"No, you're not."
"Yes, I am!"
"You're shaking, Alex. You're not fine."
He watched as Alex raised a hand to his face and they both watched it tremble between them.
The sudden sob startled Sans and maybe it started Alex too because the human curled in on himself and away from Sans. He didn't let the other get very far, pulling at him to bring Alex to his chest. Those trembling hands clenched the back of his tank top with enough force that Sans would be surprised if there weren't holes in it when he took it off.
He started to hear his brother's voice as it drifted in through the open door. From what he could make out over Alex's sobbing, it sounded like the other was on the phone. He hoped it was with the doctor. The words settled at a level just below his ability to make them out clearly and he waited, holding a sobbing Alex tight.
When Papyrus finally did return, Alex's sobbing had petered out. "Dr. Bastian will be here in 15 minutes. She said to get Alex comfortable wherever he wanted to be. She'll determine whether or not he needs to go to the hospital when she gets here."
Alex shifted against Sans but didn't pull away. He looked down at the human, coaxing, "Where do you want to be?"
"Can it be the couch?" was mumbled into his chest.
He looked to Papyrus. "Think we can manage the couch?"
Papyrus nodded, kneeling behind Alex. "Of course. Alex, I'm going to pick you up."
Sans felt the grip around him tighten briefly before letting go completely. Papyrus's motions were sure and Alex was up in his arms in a matter of seconds. Sans followed them down to the living room, hovering as Papyrus took care of settling Alex into the couch. He wasn't looking forward to the wait once the other was settled.
The knock on the door seemed to take forever. A glance at the time was proof the doctor was early.
Papyrus put a hand on Sans's shoulder and stood in his stead. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be offended or grateful that Papyrus wasn't letting him leave Alex's side. Said human's grip on him tightened and he settled on grateful.
"Thank you for coming so quickly, Dr. Bastian, Cecile."
"Of course, Papyrus," Dr. Bastian spoke, entering the home. Her eyes were quick to pick out Alex and Sans entangled on the couch. As soon as Sans had sat down, Alex had designated him as a good enough pillow and had yet to release him. Her gaze stayed on Alex only for a moment before she focused on Sans. "You can stay sitting with him but I'm going to need him to sit up so that I can work,"
He felt Alex fight him on that but the human sat up as Cecile crossed to the coffee table and put down the large bag they had been carrying. Dr. Bastian knelt before Alex, giving him a soft smile. "Hi, Alex."
"Hi, Dr. Bastian."
"How are you feeling?"
"Tired. My chest feels like Undyne kicked it."
Dr. Bastian chuckled. "I'm sure it does. Will you let me check you over and see if we need to get you to the hospital?"
"Sure."
She turned, picking through the bag still being unpacked. "We both know I'm assuming this is a result of your current heart condition so I'm going to check to make sure your heart has regained its steady rhythm again. If everything checks out, I'll want to put a heart monitor on you so that we can have some advanced warning for if it happens again." She gave Alex a flat look. "If it happens again, you go to the hospital."
"Yes, Ma'am."
She went back to going through the bag's content. "Now, I know your body naturally fights any magic used on you but the heart monitor runs off of your own soul magic so I'll need to have Cecile summon your soul for me." Her gaze moved to Sans and he tried not to squirm under her sharp gaze. "Unless you're more comfortable with Sans or Papyrus doing it."
"Sans can," Alex croaked quickly.
Dr. Bastian's focus was completely on Sans now. "Have you pulled out his soul before?"
"Last night, after everyone had left," Sans informed her, the latter directed at Papyrus when the other shifted in question.
Dr. Bastian sat a bit straighter. "Any adverse effects from it?"
Sans fought to keep his magic from dusting his cheeks. "None that were apparent. He didn't have a customary fit afterwards, at the very least."
Dr. Bastian's gaze snapped to Alex's face. Pink had dusted the human's cheek but that was the only show that he had thought of the same thing Sans had. "You've gotten used to his magic, then?"
Alex shrugged. "I had asked him to do it. I wanted to see it."
Dr. Bastian picked up some instrument. "Fair enough. Let's get everything else out of the way first."
"So…" Sans started as Dr. Bastian entered the kitchen behind him. Cecile was talking quietly with Papyrus as Alex started to succumb to sleep against the skeleton's side. "What's the verdict, Doc?"
"I'm concerned his heart may give out on him completely and not restart no matter what we try. He's already on borrowed time."
His chest tightened. "The plan?"
She looked at him. "Keep him comfortable. His chest will hurt for the next few days as the heart loses the proverbial bruising. Keep an eye on his heart rate but regular exercise throughout the day will help him heal faster. I'm sure Cecile's already given the regiment to Papyrus." Her gaze drifted to the couch where Alex was now fast asleep wrapped in a warm blanket. Papyrus was still sitting next to him, arm wrapped around the blanket covered shoulders holding the human close. "Beyond that, all we can do is wait and see what happens."
"Nothing else?"
She looked at him but it was weary. "His soul is healthy. I don't think I've seen a Perseverance soul so bright in the last few years that has made it through so many trials, illness aside. He's strong but he's stubborn. Besides," she returned her gaze to the trio, "with how his body reacts to magic, there's isn't much the hospital can do for him. Most of our operations have some sort of base in magic and we can't rely on either you or your brother to provide magic his body is mildly comfortable enough with. It just doesn't work that way."
Sans watched as Papyrus stood up with Alex in his arms, saying something to Cecile before disappearing up the stairs, presumably to put Alex to bed. "No idea of any doctor that could do the needed surgery without magic?"
"Not that I know personally but I'll ask around. I'm sure there's someone who does. It's been long enough since the first inquiry that someone's bound to have learned how."
He saw Dr. Bastian and Cecile out before heading upstairs.
He found them in Papyrus's room, Alex asleep under the covers and Papyrus reading in the desk chair. Papyrus looked up at him, taking the glasses off. "Well?"
"Waiting game," he offered in the same hushed voice. "She's going to look into anyone that can do the surgery he needs."
"They're going to try and repair the damage."
He nodded. "I'm assuming - if nothing else - they're going to try and get his heart to keep from doing this again but it's a dangerous surgery within and of itself if one can't use magic on the patient." Papyrus sagged at that. He amended, "Still dangerous with magic and it would have to be his decision. It's not an easy surgery to go through."
Papyrus sighed. "So we just keep him calm but active till we hear more."
"Pretty much."
Alex woke an hour later. The only reason Sans knew from his lab was the faint pinging chime he could hear and the sudden pull on his soul. Instinct drove him to shortcut his way to the second floor landing and he rushed into Papyrus's room hearing Papyrus's soft, coaxing words.
"What happened?" he asked softly, slowing his approach.
"Nightmare," Papyrus supplied without looking away from the human. "Alex?"
"I-I'm…I'm…" Those green eyes flickered between them, very bright and slowly losing the haze of sleep. A shuddering breath and then, "I'm ok. I'm awake."
Sans reached out without thinking, burying his hand in red hair. Alex pressed into the touch. "Do you remember any of it?"
He saw and felt Alex shudder. "Something was-was after me. Trying to do something to my chest. I don't remember what it was but it was-I didn't like it." Papyrus engulfed Alex in a hug. "I was so scared."
"You're safe now," Papyrus urged softly. "G-" a flicker of eyelights towards Sans, "It can't get you now."
They stayed huddled around Alex till the human seemed to drift back off. Only then did Sans speak up. "Hey, how bout we get some food in us."
"It's still early enough for breakfast," Papyrus mused.
Sans snorted. "Bro, it could be dinner time and it would still be appropriate to eat breakfast."
A soft giggle escaped Alex and maybe that was why Papyrus gave so easily. "You're not wrong." There as a shrewd look in those sockets. "Especially when your sleep schedule isn't normal like the rest of ours."
A soft, little, "Ooooh," came from the snickering human and Sans realized his misinterpretation of Papyrus's actions. He chuckled, taking the burn without much thought to it. "Fair enough. Mind getting food going, then, Pap? I'll make sure sickly here does some exercising before we head down."
Papyrus got up as Alex sighed. "Do I have to? Can't I just go back to sleep?"
Papyrus ran a hand through Alex's hair before slipping out, dragging a hand over Sans's skull as he went. Sans gave the human an amused, sharp look. "You're not getting out of physical therapy this time. Up ya get."
Alex gave an exaggerated sigh but there was the hint of a smile on the corner of his lips.
By the time they had gone through the sheet and tested each activity, wonderful smells were drifting up the stairs they were descending.
"Smells good."
Sans glanced over and caught sight of Alex's expression. It held the same apprehensive disappointment his voice had carried and Sans gave his hand a squeeze. Those green eyes met his. "Papyrus will have something you can eat, something easy after what you've gone through."
Alex gave him a soft smile. "I haven't been hiding it very well, have I?"
"Not from me but that's not why I said it." He stopped at the foot of the stairs, Alex stopping one step up. The human leaned into him and Sans took the human's weight without complaint. "You just tried dying on us. Papyrus is going to worry, he's going to fret, and he'll end up making you something light but filling that's easy on your system. Even monster food weighs on the human body."
Alex pressed a kiss into his skull, the gesture tired but loving. "I'm not going to be able to eat all of it."
"And Pap won't be offended."
For a moment they stood there listening to the sounds from the kitchen, Alex clinging to him like a lifeline. When the sounds in the kitchen quieted, Alex pulled away and stepped down. Sans kept pace with him into the kitchen and to the table.
Papyrus had outdone himself. The three place settings had three very different meals laid out. Alex's was the simplest; a bowl holding a variety of monster oatmeal with a small glass of juice waited for the human. The oatmeal would be light but filling and the look of relief on Alex's face spoke loudly of the human's thoughts on the simple dish. He smiled at Papyrus as he sat. "Thank you, Pap. Looks great."
Papyrus nodded, sitting down with a bowl of mixed fruit in hand. "Of course. Don't force yourself if I made too much."
Another flicker of relief. Sans smiled at it. Honestly, Alex was worse than he was fretting about Papyrus. Sans settled at his designated spot and started digging into the three sunny side up eggs, a mound of hash drowning in ketchup, and three thick strips of bacon. There was also a short stack of waffles and it wasn't till his first bite of food that he realized Papyrus had pegged his hunger level perfectly. Papyrus was just as ravenous as he was - a plate of waffles triple the height of his, a massive bowl of mixed fruits and berries, and half a plate of eggs - after the morning they'd had, everything before the taller skeleton vanished just as quickly as Sans's did.
Alex was the last to finish eating, which was to be expected, but at least he had eaten something. Sans took Alex's half empty bowl to the sink and added it to the stack Papyrus was already working on. Alex watched them but Sans couldn't help and feel uneasy about it. He turned to Alex, leaning back against the counter. Unsure as to what else to offer, he spoke up with, "You feeling up for some paperwork?"
Alex's head tipped to the side slightly, his eyes focusing on Sans. Sans suddenly realized Alex didn't have his glasses on. No wonder Alex's expression was off; Alex couldn't actually see them clearly. Sans refrained from smacking himself, if just barely. "I wouldn't be opposed to getting some work done."
Ah. Alex had taken it as a negative notation which, without being able to see Sans's uneasy expression, hadn't been what Sans had intended by it. Sans crossed back to the table, plopping into his seat with a shrug. "Up to you. If you're up to it, you're up to it. If you want to do something else, we can do something else." Sans watched the understanding flicker in Alex's gaze. "Just, I vouch for the kitchen table or the couch, rather than the lab."
"Couch is fine," Alex commented before Papyrus could put in his two cents. Sans grinned at his brother and, while Alex's gaze flickered to the taller skeleton, it focused back on Sans. "I take it Papyrus was going to vote on one?"
"I was going to agree with Sans, yes," Papyrus confirmed as he walked over. He placed a hand on Alex's shoulder as the man looked up at him, green eyes taking him in without glasses. "If you want to work, the least amount of stress and strain is best. I know neither of us can convince you to take a day off."
Alex gave Papyrus a sad smile. "Not with the kind of deadline that's looming over our heads. Though, I doubt I would have said anything had Sans not."
That green gaze was teasing and Sans shrugged. "Hey, if you want to go sleep, I'm all for it. You just don't look tired enough to sleep."
Papyrus chuckled. "I will make sure Alex makes it to the couch without incident if you would go fetch him some work to do."
Sans nodded, getting up. "Any requests?" he directed at Alex.
"Just the latest stuff."
Sans nodded again. He stepped out of the kitchen and went to the lab. It was in the same state they had left it in the day prior so all Sans really had to do was scoop up the pile still standing on the table. It held the latest charts and tests, the latest reports from the Lab, the last sets of results from the different experiments; it was all either of them were going over. They had both come to the agreement that they had missed something in the latest reports and had been going over them and comparing them to their own notes and experiments. Sans also grabbed the tablet and used it to support the stack of papers. With a quick flick of his wrist, the lab went dark.
He closed the door behind him as he looked at the couch. Alex was a human burrito nestled with his back against the front of the couch and the coffee table pulled up like a desk. Papyrus was seated in his normal spot closest to the door, his leg against Alex. The pair looked at him as he walked over with his stack and placed it on the low table. Papyrus gave him a look. "That seems a bit excessive, Sans."
"Actually," Alex cut in, deflating the argument before it could gain any real passion. Sans noted that Papyrus had gotten Alex his glasses. "I've been doing a lot of cross-referencing. This is only the most recent stuff and I'll probably be done with it by dinner time."
Sans plopped on the other end of the couch, tablet still in hand. He gestured at the stack grinning. "Yeah. Some of it's mine as well so it's more than it seems."
Alex looked at him. "You still going through those old files?"
Sans sighed as he opened said old files. A rather familiar font filled the screen before he swiped at the screen, creating a side-by-side translation. As much as he trusted the program to translate the Wingdings font properly, he liked being able to read the original just in case. "Yeah. I'm certain there's something in here that'd help us, I just don't know what yet."
Alex nodded and got to work. Sans glanced at Papyrus as the lanky skeleton turned the TV on, the volume so low that Sans doubted that Papyrus was actually able to discern anything. He did notice that Papyrus hadn't shifted his leg from Alex's side and, if he wasn't mistaken, Alex was actually leaning against it. A soft smile curled his expression as he focused on the tablet. He was glad that the event that morning hadn't done any serious damage to their relationships with each other.
The hours passed both slowly and quickly. Sans noted that Alex spent more time watching the tv with half lidded eyes than actually working, which Sans supposed had been his brother's intent in the first place. Papyrus made lunch but neither brother was ok with Alex moving from his spot so they had sandwiches where they sat. Papyrus left the two scientists at the couch as he went and changed for his guard shift. He came back with a bundle of light armor dressed in the uniform. The light armor was strapped on in the entryway before he bade them farewell on his way out, the armor sliding smoothly to barely make a sound.
They both sent Papyrus off with encouragements but Sans was half distracted with keeping an eye on Alex. If Alex didn't speak up, Sans was calling it an early night after dinner.
A frown pulled at Alex's features as Sans placed dinner next to the papers Alex was working on a few hours later and, without looking up from the paper, Alex asked as he pulled the bowl of soup closer, "Hey, Sans, what about this?" He passed Sans the paper, ladling a spoonful of soup in his mouth as the skeleton settled on the edge of the couch. "What if the results are not from a lack of us trying?" Sans read the report, reaching over Alex to pick up a few other pages as Alex continued, "I think we're on the edge of it. We just need to add more."
"I'm pretty sure we've tried every element combination we have on hand," Sans offered sadly, shuffling the papers in his hand as he reread parts.
Alex shook his head. "We haven't tried multiple combinations yet. Nor distorted elements."
Sans gave Alex a credulous look. "We've done some. With so many variables, though, we cannot control the tests well enough to prevent some of the more volatile reactions. I don't think we could handle anything more volatile than what we've already risked our lives with."
Alex grimaced at the reminder of their close calls. "True." He started going through the mess on the coffee table. "But I think those had more promising results than the most recent experiments."
"There's also the fact that we've been avoiding using magic for a reason," Sans pointed out as Alex pulled a few papers from the bottom of the pile that promptly dumped itself on the floor. Sans got up as Alex ignored the mess in favor of flipping through the papers he had grabbed, countering, "Which I think needs to stop."
Sans gave him a look. Alex rushed on, "I know magic is volatile when added to experiments like this and that any test of just pure magic on the atmosphere has resulted in negative results but I think if we start adding magic to the elements we're using, maybe we'll get the results we need. We haven't even touched soul power."
Sans slammed the stack he had created against the coffee table, snapping Alex's gaze up and causing the bowl to clatter. "We will never get permission to be able to use souls on this project," Sans uttered, his eyes narrow. "And don't even–"
Alex cut him off, covering one of Sans's hands with his own. "I won't. It was just a statement."
"A dangerous one." Sans's expression softened. "We can't risk another being for an experiment that has a high chance of failing. We've already been over this."
Alex chuckled softly, some form of dark humor flickering through those green eyes. "Yet we risk our lives time and time again, not to mention we're running out of time. Other Undergrounds have already been fully compromised not to mention we're losing contact with the neighboring Undergrounds and our own time is running out. The filters are beginning to fail at a rate that can't be countered anymore."
Sans let out a sharp hiss of air as he placed the remainder of the mess back on the table. "I know."
Alex opened his mouth to offer something, his expression soft, but the door banged open scaring both monster and human. Sans's magic flared as his hand came up out of instinct but the magic vanished quickly as Papyrus leaned in using the doorframe as support, out of breath and magic palpable around him. His armor looked disheveled.
"The Lab's being attacked."