Note: Continuing cultural dismissive behaviors towards the physically disabled (and the slurs that go with it).

The pestle and mortar were the only sound to be heard in the storeroom as Gaster continued to grind away, still more fish bones that needed to be crushed for Sans's sake.

"hey, what's the emergency?"

Gaster poked his head out to see a sea horse and a clam hovering near the door.

"Oh, no emergency ;)" the horse replied.

"Ok, k, k, k, k, k, we just wanted to meet you."

"yeah? guess everyone wants to meet the new guy in town."

Gaster rolled his eye pips, it made sense most of the residents would be curious about Sans, and this sort of behavior was to be expected. He really shouldn't let these monsters hang around the sickbay and confuse things should an actual emergency show up.

"Is it true you survived an orca attack? ;)"

"heh, sure did."

"Wow! You must be really strong! ;)" The horse flexed his way closer to Sans while the clam sauntered behind him.

Gaster rolled his eye pips again and slipped back into the storeroom, away from that pathetic display. He decided to allow a few curious onlookers today, they could go spread whatever rumors they wanted after that and the rest would simply have to be satisfied with that until Sans was well enough to go meet them for himself.

Sans laughed, "i dunno 'bout that, but i do know i'm here and that fish ain't."

"Ok, k, k, k, k, k, you're really strong or whatever, but is it true you're crippled?"

"yup, damn thing ate my tail fins. gonna hafta learn a new way of gettin' 'round once all these wraps come off."

"I'll bet you get around. ;)" Gaster could practically hear the seahorse flexing. "And I like your scars, they give a monster personality. ;)"

"thanks. i like yer muscles, they're a nice stand in fer personality."

There was muffled laughter, Gaster didn't think it was from the horse. But then again, what does he know?

"Ok, k, k, k, k, k, what're you gonna do once you're all healed?"

"haven't ya heard? i'm the doc's new translator."

"So that's true too! It's pretty amazing that you can understand him. ;)"

"psh, it's not, it's jus' normal."

"Don't sell yourself short, it's pretty amazing. ;)"

"Ok, k, k, k, k, k, but how can you understand him? It all sounds like gibberish to us."

Sans sighed heavily, "i'm gonna be 'splainin' this a lot, ain't i? it's a skeleton thing, we ain't got no ears so we can't really listen the "normal" way, we can't really talk the "normal" way either but we talk the way we listen so even if it don't sound right to anyone else it doesn't matter to us."

"Ok, k, k... wait. I don't have ears either."

"Neither does Shelly. ;)"

"Ok, k, k, k, k, k, leave my sister out of this."

"ya don't got ears though. an' it's not like undyne where it's pretty obvious she still got all that ear stuff going on, so how do you hear?"

"Ok, k, k, k, k, k, with magic, obviously. But if that's all it takes I should be able to understand the doctor just fine..." The clam trailed off in confusion.

"Maybe it is just a skeleton thing. ;)"

"yeah, probably."

An awkward silence followed.

"So, where're you from? ;)"

"the surface," Sans replied smugly.

Gaster rolled his eye pips. It made sense they'd ask that question just as much as it made sense curious onlookers would show up at all, that didn't mean he wanted to hear Sans tell the same story over again or go on and on about his "amazing" little brother. Gaster tried to tune them out as Sans predictably started telling them about him and his brother fighting off an orca. Then Gaster heard more monsters enter the sickbay. It didn't sound like an emergency, and last time Sans had been pretty quick to call for him and kick Alphys out, Gaster would trust him to do the same again. For now.

Gaster continued to work on making the salve for Sans, listening more to the monsters invading the sickbay than the tale Sans was spinning, even if it quickly turned into him recounting losing his tail to an orca. Then he noticed Sans's voice was getting buried under the others, fading out. Gaster left the storeroom to find a crowd of monsters hovering around Sans, the seahorse even had a hand on his shoulder seemingly trying to keep him awake as Sans's head nodded and eye sockets drooped.

Gaster clapped his hands and spoke loudly, quickly signing along once he got the crowd's attention. "ALRIGHT, THAT'S ENOUGH! THIS IS SICKBAY. NOT A GOSSIP HALL. YOU ARE DISTURBING MY PATIENT. GET OUT. ALL OF YOU. OUT."

"he says to get out."

"We don't need a translator to figure that out, " a water elemental said acidly. Still, they turned along with the rest and reluctantly started filing out.

"AND TELL EVERYONE ELSE NOT TO BOTHER VISITING. I WILL NOT HAVE LOLLYGAGGERS CLOGGING UP SICKBAY."

"he says and stay out."

"UNLESS YOU NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION."

"unless youz need medical attention."

"AN IMPROVEMENT, WE'LL WORK ON YOUR TRANSLATION SKILLS."

Sans shrugged languidly, listing to the side.

"GET SOME REST, WHEN YOU WAKE I'LL HAVE DINNER FOR THE TWO OF US."

"yeah, okay, sounds like a plan." Sans laid out on the bench and drifted off after that.

Gaster would like to say that was the only incident with curious monsters clogging up sickbay, he really would, but he couldn't. The next day, from morning to night, new monsters kept showing up.

"WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM?" Gaster asked professionally as a fish monster swam into sickbay.

"what's the problem?" Sans echoed in a bored tone.

"Oh, no problem, I just wanted to meet Sans," the fish replied as she darted over to where Sans was lounging. "Not every day you meet someone who fought off an orca single-handedly."

Sans preened under the praise.

"IF YOU DON'T REQUIRE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE THEN YOU NEED TO LEAVE, THIS ISN'T THE MESS HALL."

"he's kicking you out," Sans helpfully translated.

Gaster had to resist pinching the bridge between his orbits, both from frustration with Sans continuing to translate in the laziest way possible and at himself for not nipping this in the bud when he had the chance.

"Aw, but everyone else got to meet you! And you sound so interesting." She flirtily trailed a fin over Sans's uninjured shoulder.

"BE THAT AS IT MAY, SICKBAY IS FOR PATIENTS ONLY."

"like i said, he's kicking you out."

Gaster crossed his arms and glared at the fish, Sans gave a little wiggle finger wave. The fish huffed and left.

"YOU CERTAINLY ATTRACT MONSTERS LIKE SHARKS TO CHUM."

"eh, it's just 'cause i'm new. they'll calm down in a bit."

"THAT DOESN'T STOP THEM FROM GIVING ME HEADACHES RIGHT NOW."

Sans laughed at that. Gaster grumbled, then was about to go back to the storeroom when another pair of monsters, these ones giggling inanely, came in. Gaster sighed, it would be a very, very long day. Still, Sans was right, or Gaster was firm enough for them to get it through their dense heads, and curious monsters were showing up less and less. Gaster was actually starting to get work done again. Sans was looking better too, half his wraps were removed and he no longer winced every time he moved.

"so... i ain't ever lived in one place before, what's it like?"

"STEADY, PREDICTABLE."

"sounds boring."

"PERHAPS, I DO FIND GOING OUT TO GATHER INGREDIENTS TO BE RATHER MENTALLY STIMULATING. I DO SUPPOSE IF I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO STAY JUST WITHIN THE CITY I WOULD EVENTUALLY FIND IT BORING."

"yeah, it's a great life i got to look forward to."

"I'M SURE YOU'LL ADJUST." Or he wouldn't, being too used to an active, roaming lifestyle. But Gaster didn't need to dampen Sans's mood any more. "AND THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR A STEADY HOME AND THE STEADY DIET THAT GOES WITH IT. AND AS YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN THERE ARE PLENTY OF MONSTERS TO SOCIALIZE WITH."

"yeah, just havin' my bro around was pretty lonely, 'swhy i liked hangin' out with the dogs so much."

"AND THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO: SOME SEASONAL FESTIVAL OR ANOTHER, MERCHANTS OR TRAVELERS PASSING THROUGH, NEW FAMILIES MOVING IN... UNDYNE DOES SUCH AN EXCELLENT JOB PROTECTING US AND RUNNING HER TERRITORY THAT EVERY MONSTER WHO HEARS OF HER WANTS TO BE UNDER HER PROTECTION."

"she does seem pretty tough, and passionate."

"SHE'S VERY CAPABLE, VERY STRONG, AND VERY HARD HEADED, SHE DOESN'T LET ANYONE OR ANYTHING STAND IN HER WAY OR SLOW HER DOWN."

"man, if she ever meets papyrus they're either going to get along like a sub on fire or cause an explosion. probably both."

"SUBMARINES ON FIRE DO USUALLY EXPLODE, ACCORDING TO ALPHYS."

"i ever tell you about the time he got in a fight with a pod of dolphins?"

"YES," Gaster said tersely. "HAVE I EXPLAINED HOW THE HIERARCHY HERE WORKS?"

"uh... no? i don't think so."

Gaster cleared his non-existent throat, "ALRIGHT THEN. UNDYNE IS THE QUEEN OF NOT JUST THIS CITY, BUT ALL THE SURROUNDING TERRITORY, MOSTLY FARMS. SHE AND THE GUARDS PATROL THE TERRITORY, PROTECTING EVERYONE WITHIN FROM OUTSIDE MONSTERS AS WELL AS ANY WILDLIFE THAT ATTEMPTS TO PESTER US. IN RETURN THE FARMERS KEEP THE GUARDS FED, YOU AND I ARE COUNTED WITH THEM SINCE WE PERFORM THE VITAL TASK OF KEEPING EVERYONE HEALTHY. IF THERE ARE ANY MEDICAL EMERGENCIES OUT IN THE TERRITORY THEY SEND FOR ME."

"that sounds like a lot of work."

"IT IS, ESPECIALLY AS ALL I REALLY DO IS MIX POTIONS. I'VE TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO HER I'M NOT A PROPER PHYSICIAN, BUT ASIDE FROM THE MIDWIFE I'M THEIR BEST OPTION. ANYWAY, THE CITY IS RATHER WELL PROTECTED SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT OUTSIDE THREATS THE WAY THE FARMERS AND HUNTERS DO. USUALLY IF ANYTHING HAPPENS HERE IT'S AN INTERNAL CONFLICT, IF THE MONSTERS INVOLVED CAN'T WORK IT OUT FOR THEMSELVES OR SOMEONE COMMITS A CRIME THEN UNDYNE IS CALLED IN TO PASS JUDGMENT."

"does everyone around here do too much work?" Sans looked absolutely horrified.

"DON'T WORRY, EVERYONE KNOWS YOU'RE A CRIPPLE AND WON'T BE SENDING YOU OUT TO DISTANT FARMS, OR EVEN VERY FAR WITHIN THE CITY. HONESTLY I REALLY JUST EXPECT YOU TO STAY HERE AND HELP ME MIX MEDICINES."

"that's gonna be soooooooooo much fun." Sans rolled his eye pips. "wait, yer not gonna drag yer translator along for house calls?"

"IF I MUST THEN I'LL HAVE SOMEONE CARRY YOU."

"eh, fair enough."

"BESIDES, THAT HAPPENS QUITE RARELY. YOU'VE BEEN HERE NEARLY A WEEK SO FAR AND IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET."

"true, but a week is barely any time."

"AND SUCH A STRANGE WEEK IT'S... YES? CAN I HELP YOU?"

"hey, 'sup?" Sans asked as he and Gaster turned their attention to a pair of monsters drifting into the room, one floating limply as the other supported them.

"It's my friend, he got bit by an eel."

"LAY HIM ON THE TABLE," Gaster ordered and Sans echoed as Gaster flitted over to one of the plants in a corner and plucked a bulbous pod growing from it. He offered it to the patient, "HERE, EAT THIS."

"What is it?" the patient asked with a pained wince.

"that's a somni bulb," Sans said before Gaster had a chance to even start. "it'll knock ya out, which ya want when dealin' with eel bites."

Gaster looked at Sans in surprise, but Sans had his whole focus on the patient and didn't notice. Gaster turned his attention back, filing away that little tidbit for later. For now he helped his patient eat the bulb, then flitted into the storeroom to grab all the supplies he would need. He laid them out on the table, "NOW THEN, SHOW ME WHERE THE BITE IS."

"show him the bite," Sans echoed, blessedly lacking his usual sarcasm.

"Here," the friend said as they pointed to the patient's side.

Gaster set to work.