It's been a few minutes since your... Weird encounter with the two visitors in your hospital room. The monster had sent the child out to get something, presumably to keep them away from you with how distressed it made them. Things have been noticeably tense particularly between you and the monster, and you're not entirely sure if it's your fault or theirs. You're not sure you know anything anymore, as a matter of fact.

You... You remember your name, at least. That hasn't changed.

...And you remember something else.

A name.

Somebody else's name.

But whose?

You jump at the sound of a phone ringing, and it takes you a moment to realize it's the monster's; she removes it from a pocket in her robe, seeming to grimace, weirdly enough, as she reads the number.

She answers, saying a quiet, "Hello?"

"where is she?"

The monster steals a glance at you, increasing your bemusement. "Sans, hold on, there is-"

"where is she."

She swallows. She seems torn about something.

"We are at the hospital but-"

"the one by you guys?"

"Yes; however-"

"thanks, be there in a few."

"Sans!" she barks, suddenly.

"...what?"

"She..." She lets out a shuddering breath, mulling something over.

Then she adds, "Bring Papyrus, he should be here too."

"fine."

She ends the call and, without so much as a goodbye to you, she quickly heads out the hallway.

You're left alone once more.

True to his word, Sans reluctantly lets Papyrus drive them both, resisting the urge to just shortcut himself to the hospital itself and find you from there. However, he knows that would be rude on his part-and he knows how much Papyrus wants to see you, too. He hasn't been the only one missing you.

But still, he...

Gods. He can't believe his luck, you're...

You're back. You're actually back, and you're okay.

...Well, maybe.

Maybe not entirely, but-but you're still here.

That's enough to make him have hope,

just a little.

You're fidgeting uneasily by the time the child returns, by themselves. Tear tracks are on their cheeks, and upon meeting your gaze, they quickly wipe them away, as though you might not notice.

You think you're shaking now, for more than one reason.

It's not that you don't want to know these people. You just... Don't. And you're not sure why they think they know you.

"I-I'm sorry," the child suddenly says to you, in their raspy, clearly unused voice. Simply for their benefit, you wish you did know sign language. They've resorted to sitting in one of the chairs, looking small. Almost hopeless.

"It's... Okay." You don't know what you can say to reassure them. You just don't like seeing someone so upset because of you.

"I'm..." They pause. "My name is Frisk."

They look up at you, just for a second, looking like a kicked puppy. You smile, a bit forcefully, as you say, "Well, I'd introduce myself, but you seem to know me-for whatever reason."

They smile back a little, but it doesn't reach their eyes.

"Where..." they begin, fidgeting in their own seat. "...What do you remember?"

Heh. They said that as if you're supposed to remember anything in the first place.

((...Are you?))

"I don't know," you say honestly. "Not much. All I remember is waking up here. I'm sorry."

Before they can respond, the monster from before walks back in, and the child rises to their feet, signing something at her. She sighs heavily, then answers them.

"They should be up soon. They are talking to the doctors right now."

Frisk, as they said their name was, looks down at their feet.

"...Does she still... Not remember anything?"

You shift, uncomfortable that they're talking about you. Frisk shakes their head.

The monster's brows furrow, and a deeper sadness seems to envelop her; then, she turns her gaze towards you, offering a small smile.

"I apologize, my dear. I have not meant to be so rude. My name is Toriel, and this is..."

"Frisk," you say, then add before she can seem too happy, "they told me."

"I see. Well..." Toriel fumbles with her paws for a moment. "There will be... Two others are coming to see you, and... They..."

"They know you, too," Frisk mumbles.

Oh. Great.

Well, that proves it: all of these people are either confused or insane.

What have you gotten yourself into?

You jump again as the door suddenly flings open once more, tensing as you see...

Two living skeletons.

What the-

"HUMAN (Y/N)?" the taller croaks. Oh, so these two know your name as well.

You grind your teeth together, filling the awkward silence with an even more awkward, "Um..."

"...it's you."

You freeze, realizing the other skeleton had spoken. And you find yourself unable to move under his gaze.

The room is suddenly very, suffocatingly quiet.

And he's just... Staring at you.

Like you're a ghost. Like you just came back from the dead. ((Did you?))

He takes a slight step forward, only to think twice about it. He moves back, running a shaky hand across his skull.

Then he laughs.

"it's-it's really you, i-"

"Sans," Toriel interrupts, uncertainly, but he doesn't seem to hear, stumbling backward again, looking unsteady on his feet.

You move back further on the bed apprehensively. The skeleton watches you do so closely, almost calculatingly, as though scared something might happen to you somehow.

"gods, i didn't..." His words come out jumbled, like he's stammering, but he doesn't look nervous; just relieved. Why...? "i thought i'd lost you-"

"What are you talking about?"

Your own voice seems to surprise you, and you shrink back, glancing at your shaking hands.

"I-I don't get it," you go on without thinking. "I don't..."

"Sans," you hear Toriel say again, and you think she's trying to stop him from doing something, but he takes a step closer. You shrink back again, and out of the corner of your eye you see him falter.

"...(Y/N)?" His voice is quieter now. More subdued. He knows something's up. "wh-baby, what's wrong-"

"Y-you don't know me," you choke out, "stop, just... Stop it."

He doesn't say anything, and you gather up the bed-sheets in your hands, squeezing them until your knuckles turn white.

"I don't know you," you say, voice crackling with anger, an anger that isn't fully anger. "I-I don't know any of you, I don't get it-"

Frisk takes a tentative step towards you themselves, and somehow, it makes you feel even worse.

"Stop pretending you know me! What the Hell do you want, what do you have to gain from this-"

"(Y/N)," you hear Toriel say softly, how a mother might address her child. "It is okay, we..."

"Get away from me!"

Your eyes shut, and you don't look at them for a while, almost afraid of what you'd find in their expressions if you do.

You hadn't meant to yell.

You really hadn't, but...

You hear a door open and close a few seconds later, managing to fill you with further dread.

And when you finally do look up,

you find only Frisk.

Your throat tightens, and you bury your face in your hands, remaining silent even when you feel a small pair of arms wrap around your shoulders.