Note: Heh, it's been a while, huh? I really didn't think it would take this long but work has been horrendous and I'm just so tired. Have some more angry mermaids.

Gaster rubbed his hands with sand, then shook them out when the last of the medicine residue had been rubbed off. The patient with the eel bite was still unconscious on the table, his side wrapped up to keep the healing salve in place. "IT LOOKS AS THOUGH YOU'LL HAVE A ROOMMATE FOR THE NIGHT."

"yeah, lotta good it does me when he's out cold," Sans groused.

"HOW TERRIBLE THAT THIS POOR MONSTER IS TOO INJURED AND IN PAIN TO KEEP YOU COMPANY," Gaster replied acerbically. He set about gathering up the pack dinner he'd retrieved on the way to work that morning, he set Sans's (double) portion into his lap. Sans had finally regained enough strength to feed himself, which Gaster was grateful for and happily dug into his own meal. "SO..." Gaster started, unsure how to approach this next subject. "SOMNI BULB?"

"yeah, in't that what it's called?"

"NO, YES, THAT'S THE CORRECT NAME. I WAS JUST A LITTLE SURPRISED, I DIDN'T EXPECT YOU TO KNOW THAT."

"why? it's common sense to know what is and what ain't safe to eat, let alone if it's gonna knock yer tail out."

"YES, VERY TRUE. DO YOU KNOW ANY OTHER MEDICINES?"

Sans scoffed, "'course, it's just more common sense to know how to dress a wound an' mix a basic healin' salve. learned which plants do what the hard way sometimes, but i learned."

"WHICH PLANTS HERE DO YOU RECOGNIZE?" Gaster motioned to the collection of medicinal plants growing along the outer edge of the room.

Sans popped another popcorn shrimp into his mouth as he looked about the room contemplatively. He spent the next few minutes alternating between pointing at plants while describing them and eating his dinner. Then, at Gaster's prompting, described mixing the basic healing salve he'd learned to make. It turned out to be quite similar to Gaster's own salve, though with a few substitutions for surface ingredients. He'd have to test Sans's recipe, but if the results were comparable then Gaster honestly wouldn't care which version was made.

"EXCELLENT!" Gaster exclaimed excitedly. "I EXPECTED YOU TO KNOW NOTHING, BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY QUITE A SOLID FOUNDATION TO BUILD YOUR APPRENTICESHIP ON."

"i didn't recognize half yer plants, and half the ones i did i didn't know the names of."

"THE ONES YOU DIDN'T RECOGNIZE ARE USUALLY FOUND IN DEEPER WATER, IT'S NO WONDER YOU HADN'T ENCOUNTERED ANY BEFORE. AND NAMES ARE JUST A MATTER OF MEMORIZATION, WE'LL WORK ON IT. IN FACT, WE CAN START GOING OVER THE NAMES OF THE PLANTS YOU RECOGNIZED BUT DIDN'T KNOW THE NAMES FOR."

"right now?"

Gaster paused, taking in their empty bowls and the droop to Sans's eyes. "PERHAPS NOT TONIGHT, IT IS AFTER WORK HOURS AFTER ALL. WE CAN START ON THIS TOMORROW."

"sure, sounds like a plan." Sans laid out on the bench, squirming to find a comfortable position. "ya always stay this late? 'cause ya have been all week."

"NO, USUALLY I WOULD GO TO THE MESS FOR DINNER. THIS WEEK HAS BEEN QUITE UNIQUE, I'LL EVEN ADMIT THAT I MISS SPENDING TIME WITH MARINA." There was a heavy pause as Sans just stared at Gaster, one brow slowly raising. "AH, SHE'S THE MIDWIFE, WE ENJOY COMPLAINING ABOUT OUR PATIENTS."

Sans nodded, "makes sense."

"ANYWAY, THE REST OF YOUR WRAPS SHOULD BE COMING OFF SOON, THEN YOU CAN BE GIVEN A TOUR IF YOU LIKE. I'LL INTRODUCE YOU TO ALL THE PROMINENT MONSTERS WHO HAVEN'T BOTHERED TO STOP BY AND GAWK AT YOU YET."

"ya gonna gimme this tour?"

"IF YOU LIKE, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE SOMEONE ALONG TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T PUSH YOURSELF TOO HARD."

"cool, sounds just beachy."

"GET SOME REST, I'LL SEE YOU IN THE MORNING." He gathered up the empty dishes, perhaps after he dropped them off at the galley he could slip into the mess and see if Marina was there.

"sea ya in the mornin'," Sans replied with a yawn.

"ALRIGHT, HOW DOES THAT FEEL?" Gaster asked as the last of the wraps was removed from Sans's now healed arm.

Sans took a moment to flex and twist his arm in different ways. "feels pretty good."

"NO PAIN IN THE FRACTURE? NOTHING WRONG WITH THE JOINTS? NUMBNESS? IF YOU EVEN SO MUCH AS ACHE IT'S BEST TO KNOW NOW."

"nah, it feels pretty normal. well... i guess it feels kinda weak."

"THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED AFTER THE SEVERITY OF THE INJURY AND LONG CONVALESCENCE. MODERATE EXERCISE WILL GET YOUR MANA FLOWING CORRECTLY AND HELP STRENGTHEN THE JOINTS AGAIN."

"ugh, no need to cuss at me."

"HERE, TRY JUST HOLDING THIS UP." Gaster fetched a moderately sized rock he kept just to grow algae on and held it out to Sans.

Sans grabbed the rock with his injured arm, then grunted as it dipped under the weight. His brow furrowed with what was clearly a lot of effort as he slowly lifted the rock with a shaking arm.

"EXCELLENT," Gaster praised as he took the rock from Sans and put it back.

"not really, i shoulda been able to hold that just fine."

"GIVE YOURSELF A COUPLE MORE WEEKS TO GET BACK IN SHAPE, THE FACT YOUR ARM AND HANDS STILL WORK AT ALL IS PRACTICALLY A MIRACLE. YOU'LL BE FINE. FOR NOW I PRONOUNCE YOU RECOVERED ENOUGH TO MOVE OUT OF HERE."

"fuckin' fin-ally."

Gaster moved back into Sans's personal space to remove the last wrap from around his tail, setting it aside with the rest in the overflowing bucket for the snail farms. Sans flexed his tail a few time, but quickly stopped and looked away from the blunt tip. Gaster floated nearby, watching intently as he waited. And waited. And waited some more, staring intently at Sans.

Sans stared back, brows furrowed in light confusion. Finally Gaster motioned at him and said, "WELL?"

"well what? waddya want?"

"SUMMON YOUR ECTO-BODY."

"why? i can't swim."

"FOR ONE IT'S AN EASY INDICATOR OF YOUR GENERAL HEALTH, FOR ANOTHER IT'LL GIVE YOU BUOYANCY."

"oh."

"YES, OH." Gaster sighed in exasperation.

"alright, geez, don't get yer fins in a twist." Sans lifted himself up from the bench with his arms, giving himself some extra space for the false flesh to form around his bones. A shimmering, deep red glow encased him from his clavicles to his tail tip before settling into a firm ecto-body.

Gaster frowned, he would've expected someone with bones as thick and stocky as Sans's to have equally thick and stocky ecto, but Sans was surprisingly lean. He invaded Sans's personal space once again to poke and prod at the newly summoned body in various places. Sans was quite firm, the ecto dense to the point of being almost opaque, likely his body's adaptation to the active lifestyle he used to lead.

Then Gaster pulled on Sans's pelvic fins, stretching them taut. One was missing the tip of a ray, the connecting ecto was thicker and stiffer than its mate. Gaster wondered if that was going to affect Sans noticeably, these fins and his arms were going to be his only means of maneuvering after all. Well, they'd have to give him a bit of time to get used to them and see how he does.

Gaster moved down to the tail tip, inspecting how the ecto interacted with the injury there. It was strange how the smooth taper suddenly evened off into a rounded cylinder. Certainly it was better than his ecto doing something truly strange, like flaring out into tattered ribbons or ballooning out. Then Gaster moved back up and took Sans's hands into his own. "LET ME SEE YOUR WEBBING."

"will this whole exam thing end after?"

"YES."

The webbing between his fingers flared into existence, each one so thin it was see through.

"GOOD, YOU'RE IN VERY GOOD SHAPE FOR SOMEONE RECOVERING FROM AN ORCA ATTACK."

"yeah, yeah, we done? can i get outta this room finally?"

Gaster hesitated, "IT IS TECHNICALLY WORK HOURS..."

Sans groaned and slumped into the bench.

"PLUS YOU HAVEN'T EVEN TRIED SWIMMING YET, YOU SHOULD GET USED TO MOVING BEFORE TAKING ON SOMETHING AS EXHAUSTING AS A WHOLE TOUR."

Sans groaned louder and turned so his face was pressed into the corner.

"AND IT WILL BE EXHAUSTING, IMAGINE HAVING TO STOP SOMEWHERE AND WAIT FOR ME TO FETCH A GUARD TO CARRY YOU HOME."

Sans grunted, likely a concession that that would be too big a blow to what was left of his pride. Gaster ended up floating in place, staring down at Sans's twisted form as he practically oozed misery.

Gaster glanced at where the spots of sunlight leaking in were dancing on the wall. With a sigh he said, "IT'LL BE LUNCH SOON, HOW ABOUT WE PRACTICE JUST GETTING YOU MOVING ON YOUR OWN, THEN I'LL TAKE YOU TO THE MESS HALL FOR LUNCH."

Sans grunted and turned to face Gaster again, "sounds better than anythin' else." He pushed himself up and attempted to roll into an upright position. The key word being attempted, he flailed his arms and tail wildly when the first attempt still had him belly up. Gaster rushed over and grabbed one of Red's hands, trying to help him maneuver. "i can do it myself!"

"WITH MUCH DIFFICULTY, WHY FIGHT ON YOUR OWN WHEN YOU COULD HAVE ASSISTANCE?"

"'cause i'm not a baby bones! i don't needya holdin' my hand while i learn to swim, i already know how!"

"WITH A TAIL. THIS IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT AND DIFFICULT, AND IF YOU TIRE YOURSELF OUT TOO MUCH I WON'T TAKE YOU OUT OF HERE UNTIL TOMORROW."

Sans grumbled and growled, but kept a firm grip on Gaster's hand as he helped roll Sans into a mostly upright position.

"THERE, LET'S JUST HAVE YOU PRACTICE BASIC MOVEMENTS FOR NOW AND WORRY ABOUT FANCY MANEUVERS TOMORROW."

Sans gave a dry laugh, "as soon as tomorrow?"

"AS YOU SAID: YOU AREN'T A BABY BONES, ONCE YOU BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO A NEW METHOD OF MOVEMENT I EXPECT YOU TO MASTER IT QUICKLY."

"thanks fer the vote of confidence," Sans replied sarcastically. He experimentally flexed one pelvic fin, then the other. Arms wide for some reason, he seemed to try just swimming forward, moving slowly towards the door. His tail kept twitching.

"THE SHAPE OF IT MAY NOT BE IDEAL, BUT PERHAPS YOUR TAIL COULD BE USED AS A RUDDER OF SORTS." And not hang there like a piece of dead meat Gaster doesn't add.

"fancy moves tomorrow, 'member? lemme just get from one end of the room to the other."

Gaster fell silent, content to simply hover near San as he slowly, laboriously worked his way across the room. Once he got to the wall he grabbed on, clinging to it. "YOU SEEM A BIT TIRED, HAVE YOU WORN YOURSELF OUT?"

"a bit tired, but not worn out."

"WELL REST FOR A BIT, THEN I'LL TAKE YOU TO LUNCH."

Sans eyed the table in the center of the room, then the bench even further beyond that, then the doorway he was right next to. "do i hafta?"

"YES, CATCH YOUR BREATH AT THE VERY LEAST. YOU CAN STAY THERE IF YOU WANT, PERHAPS EVEN TAKE A MOMENT TO ENJOY THE ROOM FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE."

Sans slid down the wall and landed in a heap on the soft, sandy floor. His wounds were all closed and with his ecto back his joints should be fully protected from any invading grit. He moved to lay out on his front, still panting lightly.

Gaster settled down to sit nearby as he waited for Sans to recover. "YOU DID VERY WELL."

Sans grunted. "it shouldn't be so hard!"

"ACTUALLY IT SHOULD," Gaster said with a huff. "A GREAT DEAL OF YOUR STRENGTH WAS SAPPED TO HEAL YOUR WOUNDS, YOUR MANA RESERVES ARE STILL LOW, AND YOUR LEY LINES ARE ALL TWISTED UP. NOT TO MENTION HOW UNFAMILIAR YOU ARE WITH MOVING IN SUCH A FASHION. WITHOUT ANY EXPERIENCE YOU'RE WASTING A GREAT DEAL OF ENERGY AND MOVEMENT, IN TIME YOU WILL BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO IT AND RECOVER YOUR STRENGTH, YOU'LL MOVE FAR MORE EASILY WITH LESS EFFORT THEN. FOR NOW IT WILL BE DIFFICULT, BUT IT WON'T ALWAYS BE."

"heh, thanks doc. that was actually a pretty good pep talk."

Gaster looked over at Sans in surprise, then smiled. "I'M QUITE PLEASED TO HEAR IT HAD THE DESIRED AFFECT."

End notes: So I know some people don't like ecto for the ghost bodies the fandom gives the skeletons, and I get it. Ectoplasm is supposed to just be ghost residue; a slimy, thin, filmy substance. But honestly there's not a better ishort/i term to use, not that I know of anyway. So sorry, but I'm just gonna keep using it. *shrugs*

Things are moving along! Why I think Gaster and Red might even be becoming... friends?