AN: Gather 'round Kiddos! It's STORYTIME. I know I'm late (again) This time, I blame my computer. It's been acting weird for a while and I haven't been able to edit. (I'm STILL having issues with it) But I hope that it won't have much affect on the future chapters. For now, enjoy this next section of story!
When we last left them, Sans and Nyala were having a heart-to-heart and they were on their way to go visit the unconscious Corbel together.
Chapter 16
In the Aftermath
The two of them stood outside of the Observation Room in near silence, staring at the closed door in front of them.
Sans took several long breaths, trying to calm his nerves, his fingers flexing at his sides. The bandana in his left hand kept him grounded just enough to be able to bear standing with Mrs. Gaster as if he belonged there.
At his side, Nyala sighed.
"I should warn you, Wingdings is inside. He runs tests and checks on Corbel every half hour to make sure his HP is still in a good place. We've spent the last few hours looking after him together, but we decided that it would be better handled in shifts for a while. It's nearly time for my shift . . . but I figured I'd give you a little time before that in order to talk to Corbel."
"Wait, what?" Sans stalled, "There's no way Gaster would allow me to-"
"Corbel deserves to know." She stepped in, "And you deserve a chance to talk to him alone. Without the pressure of his parents looming over your back. Before you're his lab partner, you're his friend, am I right?"
"Of course!" Sans answered instantly.
"Then, you should be treated as one of Corbel's friends. He would have enjoyed seeing you again, so you should definitely go in."
There was something about what she'd just said that hit him deeply. And it didn't escape his notice . . .
. . . she said that in the past tense . . .
Were these . . . was this . . . were they paying their final respects!?
"Undyne and the Blooks will be here later in the day. It's still a bit early for them so we decided to let them sleep for now."
"What happened!?" Sans asked urgently, "What is this?"
Nyala's eyes opened a bit wider. "I'm sorry?"
"What's Corbel's condition? Has he been declining? Please tell me it's not too late!"
Nyala's expression fell again. "Oh . . . Well, he's still in critical condition . . . Really, he shouldn't be having visitors at all right now. During his examinations, Windings has discovered that Corbel's HP is strongly tied to his conscious state. Which, of course, is true of us all. With Corbel, however, it's a crucial detail. His HP drains much much faster when he's awake. At full HP, he would only last about fifteen minutes . . . And during those fifteen minutes, he's in so much pain . . . That we can't bear to make him suffer that. So, until we can find a way to really stabilize him . . . It's better if he gets as much rest as possible. But . . . There's not much we're able to do right now. At this rate . . . he'll stay asleep until . . . until the end."
Sans frowned deeply, his mind working triple time in order to look for something that . . . Maybe they'd missed.
Moments later, Nyala slowly opened the door a crack and called inside with a tiny voice, "Windings, honey? I'm back. How is he?"
There was a bit of a pause before the doctor answered.
"He's sleeping again. Let's hope he stays asleep for a while longer this time."
"Has he tried to say anything?" Nyala asked, opening the door enough for her to slip inside the room, but not enough for Gaster to see through the crack in the door.
"No, he hasn't . . . Then again, I don't think he really knows how to respond. He's been extremely disoriented. And it doesn't seem as if his pain has subsided at all. What about you? Did you find the breakroom alright? Where have you been?"
Nyala's shoulders fell. "I never made it to the breakroom. Something else needed my attention more."
"More than your HP and your fatigue?"
"Yes . . ."
"What did you find?"
"Not a 'what'. A 'who'." She clarified, "Alright, you can come in."
Sans didn't budge in the slightest, already feeling the dread of talking to the doctor again so soon after their last conversation. It was as if he was going to meet with his executioner.
"Hey," Nyala hummed as if soothing a small child, like maybe Alia. She breathed, turning back toward the door. "Don't worry."
She pushed the door open a little more, as Sans fought to swallow his heart once again so it was back in its rightful spot.
He was just in time to see the expression and the life drain out of Gaster.
"What are you still doing here, Serif?" He inquired, "The lab has been closed for hours now."
Sans looked back to the doctor, attempting to choke back his nerves and face him, not as a subordinate, but as a colleague and a friend of Corbel's.
"I never left." He answered with a bit more conviction than he was expecting. "Corbel is my partner . . . I can't just leave him. Especially not after this."
"You are very bullheaded. I'll give you that. However, this was never your decision to make. You are scheduled a certain number of hours during daily operation and that is all. You will not be compensated for extra time."
"Wha- No! No, of course not! This was never about money. I just . . . I want to be here for Corbel. As long as he's here, I'm staying."
"Enough of that!" Gaster bit, "I thought I told you to stay out of my sight!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that, Sir. As long as there's a chance that I can do anything to help him. I'm not going anywhere!"
"Do you realize how thin the ice you're walking right now is!? You are in defiance of a direct order after an accident that was entirely due to your negligence. I should throw you out right now. In fact, if you're not gone from here in the next 5 seconds, I will personally escort you out myself. You will leave your badge and you will not be allowed back into the lab."
"Windings!" Nyala gasped, "Surely, you don't mean-"
Sans stood frozen, "Well, you did just say that I'm not on the clock. So, right now, I'm not in defiance of any order. I'm just here to see my friend. But . . . I do understand and . . . I- if that's what it takes . . . if you do have to kick me out, then, okay. Until then, I'm staying."
"Sans, no." Nyala insisted, turning her attention directly back to the other irate Skeleton, "Honey, he's as worried about Corbel as we are. You can't keep him away at a time like this because it makes you feel uncomfortable. We have to think about what Corbel would want right now . . . Can you honestly stand there and tell me that Corbel would turn Sans away?"
"It's for his own safety and his own well-being that I have to!"
"That's ridiculous!"
"Honey, he's a threat! He's a danger to our son! And his past discrepancies have shown just that!"
Sans stood, looking between the two, shocked to be caught in the middle of something like this. There had to be something he could say to stop them arguing- something he could do to prove himself to them.
"As horrible as it was," Nyala combatted, "this was an accident! We can't blame Sans because the cave was unstable!
"But there is no denying that none of us would be here now if they had stayed their course and did the work they were assigned. They had no business being inside the old ruins and the only reason they were there in the first place was because-"
"Because they knew there was someone in danger! They knew someone needed their help and they didn't turn their backs on them! They're heroes and yet here you are, treating Sans like a villain!"
"Heroic or not, was it worth trading the life of our son for the life of that human child!?"
"Our son is still alive! How could you write him off so easily!? He can still pull through this! So, don't give up on him now!"
"Stop!" Sans interjected, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides once again as he came to his decision, "Look, I know I fucked up! In a big way! I know that Corbel . . . is only in this situation because of me . . . I know that! I can't change what happened . . . And I don't know how to even begin to make things right again . . . Or even if I can! So, if leaving really will help. If it will stop you from fighting and put you at ease. If it will help you help Corbel get better . . . Then . . . I'll leave. I'll resign and you never have to deal with me again . . . I just . . . Just let me say goodbye. That's all I ask."
"No!" Nyala pushed, "Sans! Don't do something so drastic! Windings! There has to be another way!"
"Actually," Gaster answered solidly, crossing his arms and giving a definitive nod, "For once, Sans and I seem to be of the same mind."
"No . . ." Nyala droned in a darkened note, "This isn't what I . . ."
There was another sound from behind the group, soft and nearly inaudible. A low groaning cut through the tension of the conversation.
"Corbel?" Nyala nearly gasped, her attention snapping to the bed where her son lay. She crossed the few steps and lowered herself to be at his level. "Corbel, what's the matter?"
"Did he wake up again?" Gaster pressed urgently, rushing over as well.
"N-no. It doesn't look like it. He's still sleeping . . . But he looks troubled and he's . . . He sounds like . . . he may be trying to say something."
"A nightmare . . . ?" Gaster hummed in thought as he leaned over to get a better listen.
Indeed, Corbel seemed to be struggling to speak, but his breathing was still even and still as deep as it could be considering his limitations. He was still sedated and he seemed to still be under Gaster's influence.
As he watched, Gaster noticed Corbel's remaining fingers twitch as if trying to call someone's attention.
"Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn . . ." He continued to groan. And for a while longer, the sounds remained unintelligible mutters.
Near the entrance to the room, Sans stood, feeling very out of place during the family's moment. He dared not approach and he was sure to keep his thoughts to himself as he observed.
"Hmm . . ." Gaster uttered a few moments later, leaning in even closer.
"Was that . . .?" Nyala whispered.
"Yes, he's speaking in wingdings."
Sans frowned as well from his spot. Really, it made sense for Corbel to be able to speak, especially if he grew up with the doctor . . . but . . .
"I never knew he could speak wingdings." Sans said more to himself, "He's never done it before."
"He typically doesn't," Nyala answered, "but he learned very early in life and sometimes when he's upset, he'll slip into it for a moment. Honey, what is he trying to say?"
"It's . . . Difficult to make out. And his voice still sounds so bad but . . ."
Corbel continued to groan and mutter.
" . . . 'Stay . . .'?"
"Oh, Honey." Nyala's voice cooed, "We're not going anywhere."
" . . . 'Don't go' . . ." Gaster continued to translate, " . . . O-oh . . ."
"Windings, what is it?"
Gaster stood completely, taking a breath and calming himself.
"He must be dreaming." He excused, "Speaking to the figments of his delirium."
"What did he say?"
Gaster turned over his shoulder to look at the Skeleton waiting near the door.
"He's asking for you, Serif." He answered, more of that darkness seeping into his tone.
"'Dreaming'." Nyala retorted with a tiny bit of a smirk. "He's responding. Are you so blinded by your own bitterness that you'd dismiss something like that?"
Gaster turned to look back at his wife and fell silent.
"Sans." Nyala called, turning back now as she extended her hand toward him. Her smile seemed more pronounced, "Come here, please. He wants to talk to you."
Like he did when they were out in the hallway, Sans swallowed past the lump in his throat where his heart had taken residence. With a long breath, as he stabilized himself, he took a step forward, trying to ignore the feeling of Gaster's glare in his direction. Instead, he focused forward to where Nyala knelt and Corbel lay just behind her. If Corbel really was asking for him, the least he could do was answer him.
"Here he is, baby." Nyala's whispered, "Sans is here. He came to see you."
Right away, Nyala could sense a slight difference- an energy within Corbel that had been fading along with his HP. But now that he knew . . . Now that he could sense that other presence, she had hope that there was still a chance for him.
Sans stopped beside Nyala who took his hand firmly within her own, almost crushing his fingers in her trembling grip. Apparently, she had been placing quite a bit of her faith in this interaction. She had been counting on Sans' presence making a difference in Corbel's condition.
And from what she could see so far, that faith had been well placed.
"Say something to him." She pressed, "I'm sure that if he could hear your voice then . . ."
"Nyala." Gaster stepped forward, catching on to her thought process. He didn't continue, but he silently warned her that perhaps it was better if she didn't get her hopes up too high.
"Give me this . . ." She pleaded. "Go on, Sans."
She led Sans forward and released his hand and shifting to stand. She took a few steps backward to give them space.
As Sans looked over Corbel's unconscious form, that same tight feeling clutched at his chest and held onto his heart. He also knew what Nyala wanted from him . . . but at that moment, it felt less like he was helping and more like he was being forced to face what was possibly the biggest mistake of his life.
And really . . . wasn't that what he deserved? He couldn't run away from this. And the least he could do was address the victim of his latest fiasco.
He swallowed again, "H-hey, buddy." He said softly, "I . . . well, you're . . . um . . ." Sans stalled for a moment, words failing him. He couldn't think of a single thing to say. And nothing he could think of was appropriate enough for their current situation. He turned back to look at the others.
Nyala made a shooing motion at him, encouraging him to continue. In the same moment, she turned her back to him, reaching out to take Gaster's hand from where his arms were still folded across his chest.
"Let's give them a moment." She suggested.
"'A moment'?" Gaster questioned raising a brow, "You're suggesting we leave them alone at a time like this?"
"You need to come back to check on Corbel in a half-hour right? Give them that time. Let them talk. It'll do them both some good."
Gaster looked between his wife and the scene at his son's bedside with a simmering glare.
"Five minutes."
"Twenty. Five isn't nearly enough time."
"Ten."
"Meet me halfway, honey."
Gaster scoffed, looking away for a second. "Fine. Fifteen."
"Thank you, hon." Nyala sighed, "Meanwhile, do you mind showing me where the break room is? It looks like you could use a break too."
With Nyala's guidance, the two made their way out of the room, leaving Corbel and Sans in the near silence with a reminder to use the PA if anything happens or if there was any new development. Once they'd left, the only sound that accompanied Sans and Corbel was the soft hum and the occasional beeping of the monitor on the other side of Corbel's bed.
Once the door was closed and they were alone, Sans released his breath. The air already felt a lot lighter without the doctor or even Mrs. Gaster around. There was so much stress, so much tension and so much pressure with the two of them there that it was a wonder that they hadn't completely fallen apart yet.
As Sans thought, he pulled up a chair that had been placed near the bedside table and sat beside Corbel.
It was still difficult to look at him for long, watching him suffer so much and knowing that he'd had a hand in it . . . But he did mean what he said. If there was any way that he could do something to help him through this, then he would do everything he could.
And Mrs. Gaster seemed to think that just talking would help.
So . . .
"Man . . . Where do I start . . . ?"
Nyala fell heavily into one of the seats surrounding the lunch table. As she rested her elbows on the table, she lifted her hands to cradle her skull. She let out a series of long breaths, still trying with some difficulty, to steady her nerves.
Behind her, Gaster worked, preparing their drinks almost silently. Though it was eating at him being so far away from Corbel during this time, it ate at him equally as much, if not more, to see the effect this all had on Nyala. He hated to see the amount of stress she was under . . . And he wished there was something he could do for her that would help ease her. Well, he knew the best way to do that would be to stabilize Corbel. To save him, but since that option was still out of reach . . .
He walked to stand beside Nyala where she sat with her head in her hands. He had so much he wanted to say to her, but knew right here and right now were neither the time nor the place. He knew just why she was so adamant that Sans stayed and that he had a chance to talk to Corbel, but he also knew that there was little stake in the thought that just wishing and hoping would bring about a miraculous recovery . . . Especially for something like this. He knew it was little more than fantasy . . . No, that would be a conversation for later . . . or maybe not at all.
But still, he couldn't let that spirit die out in her.
Instead, he set a fresh cup of tea in front of her. He had a few bags of one of her favorite flavors on standby just in case . . . but he hadn't been planning on needing them really. He was glad that it really did end up being useful here.
"Here you are, Dearest." He said softly, "Please drink. You need to regain your strength. You've been giving so much tonight."
Nyala remained silent as she lowered one of her hands to take the cup. She sighed again, but she didn't move to drink.
"Nyala?" Gaster questioned, moving around the perimeter of the table, ". . . honey?"
"I thought I'd be ready." She said in a low mutter.
"What are you talking about?"
"Wingdings . . . what if . . . what if we lose him tonight? What if by this time tomorrow . . . Corbel is . . ."
Gaster stalled. Nyala, who had been the optimist in this situation, the one who had been clinging to hope as if it were a lifeline, was at her wit's end. Honestly, it was amazing she'd been able to hold on as long as she had . . . but now that even her optimism was running dry, it left Gaster feeling hollow.
"You're thinking in hypotheticals." He tried to comfort, taking a seat in a chair across from her and placing his hand over hers on the mug.
"Well, do you have a solution . . . ? Because I don't see a way out of this. And with the way this has been going . . ."
"You were the one who was saying not to write him off just yet. We'll find a way to save him. I just need you to hold onto that hope for a little while longer."
Nyala chuckled low in her throat, a little acidity rising to the surface.
"You say that." She groaned, "But what you're really doing is asking me to sit by and watch as my baby slowly slips away from between my fingers. Watch him suffer until his last breath. You're asking me to raise my hopes for an outcome that's-"
"It isn't impossible." Gaster cut in. "If it were . . . Then-"
Nyala laughed again mirthlessly, her hands tightening around her mug as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She shook her head slowly.
"God, you're just as delusional as I am . . ."
Gaster sighed now, gently stroking her fingers with his thumb.
"Maybe I am." He offered, "But it's a Hell of a lot better than giving up . . . Nyala, Dearest, you don't sound well. Perhaps I should take the first shift."
Nyala shook her head again, finally raising her eyes to look directly at Gaster. A very faint smile pulled at her mouth.
"I understand what you're trying to do . . . And I do appreciate it, but for as long as I have left, I want to spend it with him. Besides, you've been working so hard already to stabilize him. You really should get your rest in too. Also, I don't know what you would do left alone in a room with Sans after that last interaction."
Gaster hesitated, shaking his own head now, letting a tiny bit of his irritation out in a huff.
"I don't understand what good could possibly come from leaving them like that . . . In Corbel's state . . . He's so unstable that I would even call it reckless to leave them without supervision."
"Oh, Sans knows what's at stake here. He knows all too well. And he's responsible enough not to take any chances."
"I'd like to think the same . . . Despite my attitude toward him recently . . . However, I can't deny that it was that same assumption and that same lack of discipline that led to this situation to begin with. So forgive me if I'm not as eager to trust him with our son's life as you seem to be."
"Windings. I do understand why you're so hesitant . . . But Sans is taking this really hard himself. He's beating himself up so hard over this that it's driving him up the wall . . . Do you know what he was doing when I found him earlier?"
"Ignoring the basic rules of employment it seems like."
"He was holed up in an examination room, screaming to the top of his lungs. He was so upset that all concept of time and proximity was lost to him. He was so worried about Corbel and what he'd done that he was very nearly tearing himself apart. And he kept worrying about how you were reacting that he was too afraid to do anything, even move from his spot."
Gaster hummed at the story, though from the look and sound of it, he didn't seem as if he was particularly swayed by it.
"Windings, Honey, do you know what you're doing to that poor boy? Do you understand how much pressure he's under? He works so hard just to gain your approval. He wants to please you and all he wants is to fit in. He knows he's on the outside looking in and he wants to not only have your "approval" but to earn it. And time and again, you crush him. He will never see himself as anything worthy of you. In that first day, when Sans woke up after being brought to us from the CORE, he went on and on about you. He looks up to you in a way that rivals pure admiration. So of course when you tell him he's worthless or that he has no place here, he's going to believe you and he's going to take it personally.
"Windings . . ." Nyala sighed heavily, locking her gaze with his. Something pulling terribly at her. "Do you know how terrifying it is to hear someone apologize for being alive!? He apologized to me earlier for existing. Saying that everyone would be better off if he weren't around . . . if he'd never showed up. Wingdings . . . Sans is on a slippery slope right now and he's already beating himself up enough over this as it is. You can't turn him away now."
"Nyala. I might not have a choice. If the worst does happen . . . if we do lose Corbel . . . I can't ignore that. I will have to let him go."
"But right now . . ." Nyala pushed, "Sans is in there and he thinks that as soon as his time is up, he'll be kicked out, fired and alone . . . again. Wingdings, he's still just a boy just like ours. His life has already been so difficult for him. If he loses this new life that he's been able to build . . . in his current state of mind . . . Well . . . But that's me thinking in hypotheticals again."
Gaster let out another long breath.
"You really care about him, don't you? Even after everything that's happened."
"You know me . . . I was ready to take him in since that first day. If he'd accepted, we'd have two sons right now. Even if he doesn't think so, even if you don't think so, I really do consider him to be one of us. And because he is one of us, it is our responsibility to guide him and support him."
Again Gaster sighed, pushing the tea so it was closer to Nyala.
"I can't make any promises right now." He said solidly, "But if there's any way that I can spare him . . . You have my word that I'll do it."
"Thank you." Nyala answered, that tiny smile pulling again at her features as she finally took the tea and raised it to drink. "That's all I can ask."
Corbel groaned, opening his eyes to pure darkness. No matter where he looked, there was blackness and nothingness. The air around him was thick and it was difficult to move . . . but it was also empty. Crushingly so. And he could tell he was completely alone. As far as he could see, there was no one and he couldn't feel the presence of another soul anywhere.
He was alone.
He couldn't really tell where he was or how long he'd been in there, but there was a nearly overwhelming feeling of fatigue as if the darkness was crushing him from all sides. He didn't want to move and even if he did find a reason, he didn't think he'd be able to find the energy.
It was sometime during this stint that he noticed a faint glowing in the distance. At first, he saw it more as an annoyance than as anything else. The light was bright in comparison to his surroundings and it was messing with his rest.
Soon, along with the light, there were a few distant sounds as well. They sounded muddled and indistinct.
Until a burst of bright laughter pierced the area. A small child's screaming laughs chased him to where he lay. It sounded vaguely familiar, but he didn't pay it much mind. After all, most children sounded pretty similar at that age.
It wasn't until he heard another voice that his attention was pulled and his eyes snapped open.
"Corbel, you sneaky little thing! Thought you could get out of bath time so easily, did you?"
"Mom . . . ?" Corbel asked, slowly pushing through his dreary and foggy sense of awareness.
Before him, a fuzzy archway ebbed into existence, and a scene unfolded for him to see.
He was back in his parents' house, darting through the hallways at top speed. He was laughing and squealing at the top of his lungs . . . And he was completely naked as his mother chased after him with a patient, yet tired smile pulling at her features.
Just from a quick glance, it was easy to see that the young boy's hands were completely intact and there were no visible pores or fractures in any of the limbs and there were absolutely no holes in his hands. As the tiny Corbel ran, a wall of pearlescent rainbow sprung up at the end of the hall, blocking his movements and trapping him. From there, his mother easily caught up and she was able to scoop up the little naked boy in spite of all of his struggling.
"Mom!" Adult Corbel called into the archway, hoping to catch her attention. If he could reach her, then maybe he could get some answers about his situation. "Mom!?"
Of course, no matter how much he called and waved and tried, it was as if his mother wasn't able to hear him. So, his voice wouldn't work with these figments . . . Is that what that meant?
"Alright. Alright, baby."She giggled, "Now you're cutting into your storytime before bed. The longer you run away, the less time you have."
"Story!" The little boy cried excitedly, and from the sound of it, he was still learning the basics of speech. "Storytime!"
"You do like your stories, huh?"
"Story!"
"Okay, but you have to take your bath first, okay?"
From there, his mother spun him around and held his tiny form close as the two of them made their way toward the bathroom. The scene went dark and Corbel was cut off from the others as he was sealed away once again in the nothing.
It took a while, but more scenes like that showed themselves and some of them seemed very familiar. He watched them, unable to interact with the players in the sick parade.
Scenes from his childhood played before him.
In one, he was playing with Undyne and the Blook boys deciding who would be "it" for their next game of tag.
In another, he was coughing heavily. It was a new experience and it scared the little boy beyond measure. When the dust showed up, he screamed and he cried trying to find a grown-up to help him. No one knew what was going on. They had to call his dad at work.
In yet another, he was coughing so badly that he has to be sent home and told to stay there. He had been losing fingers recently, the holes in his hands becoming too large. On top of that, his ribs seemed to be falling apart as well.
The next in the sequence seemed not too long afterward. He was lying in bed, reading with his parents and trying to comfort them when they lost their composure and cried.
Next up, was a night he recognized. It was the night that Gaster gave him his first inhaler. He'd been coughing heavily one night, to the point that his parents began to panic. He was five years old and they'd been reading together. His father startled him playfully and he began coughing uncontrollably. Though it was still in development and the device hadn't been fully tested yet, Gaster grabbed the prototype inhaler and gave it to Corbel. That inhaler saved his life that night.
Except . . . in this version of events that he was watching, his father didn't have the inhaler. He didn't have anything! Corbel kept coughing and his parents panicked trying other ways to soothe him. None of it worked. From outside the scene, Corbel watched in terror as his own body began to crumble and turn to dust in his mother's arms as she sang a lullaby to him. His breath caught as he witnessed the younger version of himself draw his last breath. The scene went dim and faded to black.
Another sound caught his attention and he turned again to face it. Another low light shone through and he could hear his father's voice. This was a new scene, something he'd never seen before . . . where was this . . . ? When was this . . . ? It wasn't one of his memories, that was for damned sure . . . Maybe his father's . . . ?
In the short scene, Corbel witnessed from a first-person perspective, interacting slightly from the "camera's" perspective. He saw his father as he turned his attention to the voice. Gaster sounded so relieved and excited as if he hadn't been happy for ages!
"Oh! Good morning, Son!" He cheered like he hadn't seen him in years.
More darkness and more weightlessness as he was thrust backward from the scene and back into the void.
When he was aware once again, he was in a room surrounded by people. Again, he could hear the voice of his father.
"This is P-497305" He was saying, "I created him to be an asset to the entire monster race, but before he can fulfill his purpose, he will need to be trained, "That is where you come in."
Corbel looked around and saw several familiar faces. There was Mr. Gaine! And Maltez! And Baelin! And Ruddard!
Another voice sounded with a disbelieving scoff. "Is that what that says?" It asked, "Heh. I've been calling him 'Papyrus' this whole time!"
Immediately, the voice made Corbel perk up.
"Sans . . . Sans!?"
"I dunno, Doc. You sure about this thing?"
Corbel tried to turn his head to follow the sound, but he was unable to control his movements. Eventually, the voice's owner stepped into view, waving a hand before his eyes.
"Not the talkative type, huh?"
"Well, he is brand new . . ." Said another, almost unfamiliar voice. Female. "Maybe he hasn't learned to speak yet."
She took a step forward as well, scribbling something down on a clipboard.
Kit!? What was she doing at the lab, with a lab coat!
From then, flashes of light seemed to blink on and off in quick succession. With each blink, there was a new scene.
Tests and trials. Mazes and puzzles. CHECKS and simulations. His stamina improved with each test.
His first trip outside. First just around the lab, then around Hotland, then Waterfall, then Snowdin.
He was with Sans walking when they saw three young Rabbit children screaming for help. There was a human stuck in the Ruins. And Sans assured them that they would check it out.
This seemed very familiar to Corbel. Didn't this already happen? When they found the human, she screamed and ran away, tripping and causing a rockslide. The human was crushed in the rockslide and immediately, Corbel went into action. No! That's not how it was supposed to go! He ran up to the rocks and he and Sans tried to pull them out of the way. The human was badly hurt, but maybe they could free her and take her back to the lab.
There was so much blood.
They made it back to the lab and the scene went dark. Corbel was thrust back into darkness.
When he opened his eyes again, he was with Kit and she was smiling at him with a sweet grin as she wrote something else down. She congratulated him on another day and assured him that he'd do better next time. The door opened and immediately, her expression turned firm and bitter.
"What do you want, Gaine?"
"What's with all of this hostility? We're coworkers after all. I just wanted to check-in and make sure everything was . . . working properly. That the experiment was behaving itself."
"We're fine, Gaine. Just need to finish this report and turn it in to the doctor."
"Ah, about that!" Gaine smiled, "Why don't you let me take that off your hands. You look pretty exhausted today, Kit. Let me turn it in for you and you can go home and get some rest."
"I said, we're fine, Gaine! Just leave me alone."
Gaine reached out and grabbed her arm at the wrist, halting her movements.
"I'm afraid, I have to insist that you hand over all of your reports for today."
"Not a chance. Now, let me go!"
As she struggled to free herself, Gaine held fast to her wrist. Kit fought back, twisting herself to get away and slipping out of her lab coat and crossing the room to escape.
Corbel was shocked. He knew Gaine and he would never try to fight a coworker. And just what was in Kit's reports that Gaine didn't want the doctor to see? What was going on?
"Fine, you wanna do this the hard way?" Gaine poised himself in a way that told Corbel he was ready for a fight.
Right away, as if on autopilot, Corbel took a fighting stance as well. His body recognized the motions. After all, by this point, he'd been in several fight simulations and scenarios . . . but even now, he had no control of his body. His attacks. His movements were not his own. All he knew was FIGHT and he was aiming for Gaine.
Gaine fought back, pushing past Corbel pretty easily and went directly for Kit once again, who dodged his every attack . . . When Gaine grabbed her arm again, she screamed, struggling to get away from him.
"Shut up shut up shut up!" Gaine hissed.
He extended his claws . . . they pierced directly through Kit's chest and she fell silent, dropping the reports all around her. When Gaine released her, she fell to her knees and then to her side. Her form went still and she immediately began to turn to dust.
Corbel froze, unable to process what just happened. Kit . . . And Gaine was the one who . . . all for some paper . . . !?
"Shit . . ." Gaine spat, reaching down to grab as many of Kit's papers as he could and adding them to his own collection as if they were all together.
The magic within Corbel flared. Again, his body went on autopilot and he lashed out at Gaine, throwing bones and blasts of orange magic at him. He killed Kit! There was no way he was going to escape! Kit's screaming must have alerted someone. Someone was on their way, right? All he had to do was hold Gaine until they arrived.
But Gaine was too fast. He dodged every one of his attacks. He ran from the room, crying out about how the experiment was going crazy and how it was on a rampage. The others showed up and filled the hall just in front of the doorway.
Gaine was with them.
Gaine killed Kit.
Gaine was near his father and near Sans! Surely, he was going to kill them too!
Gaine had to be stopped.
Corbel attacked, "aiming" in order to strike Gaine. The others panicked and Sans moved everyone, including Gaine, out of the way while his own father attacked back.
Again, Corbel was ripped from the scene and flung backward into the darkness.
For a while, there were no more flashes of light, there were no more scenes. Again, he was completely alone . . . floating in the dark with no way to know where he was going . . .
He was haunted by the scenes he'd just witnessed. What was all of that!? Was that what was happening now!? Why couldn't he speak to the others!? Why wasn't he in control of his own body?
"Hey there, buddy. So here's where you ended up."
"Sans!" Corbel called through the dark. Again, it was as if his voice refused to work, but damn it if he wasn't going to keep trying! "Sans, is that you!?"
"Long time, no see."
"Sans! Thank goodness!"
"Woah," Sans' voice sighed, echoing through the darkness, "I guess someone really wasn't happy with your results. Let's take a look-see."
"Wha . . . Sans!?"
"Aw man. It looks like one day you just up and stopped responding to stimuli of any kind. Why? What happened? Either way, I guess Gaster decided to nix you . . . Kinda sucks if you ask me . . . I mean, I can see why he'd want to decommission you . . . But 'abomination' is a bit harsh, don't you think?"
"Wait, what!? Nix!? Decommission!? ABOMINATION!? Sans, what are you talking about!? It's me! It's Corbel! SANS!"
"Seriously, though. You started off so strongly and you had so much potential. Heh, I know Gaster was really rootin' for ya . . ." Sans' voice and his tone fell. ". . . and you know what? So was I."
Corbel breathed heavily, Sans' words and his tones frightening him. Why was he talking like that!? It sounded like his dad had given up on him . . . he was going to "decommission" him!? What about his mom!? Where was his mom!? What was going on!? Why couldn't he escape this darkness!? Why couldn't he wake up!?
"But still, you can't argue against results like these . . . I just . . . wish we could've pinpointed what went wrong before now . . . Well, whatever the reason . . . I'm really sorry. Maybe if I'd been more hands-on with you, I could've found a way to help you. But now . . . It just feels like . . . Like somehow I failed you."
"No! No, Sans! Please, listen to me!? You didn't . . . Sans!? C'mon! Sans! I'm here! I'm right here!"
"Geez, look at me," Sans muttered, "blubbering over a science project- and a dud at that. Heh, so, I guess what I'm trying to say here, I mean since this is probably the last time I'll get to tell you so, I just wanted to say, thank you for being here . . . and for putting up with me. You really have been a great audience . . ."
"No! No! Sans! PLEASE, SANS! Stay! Sans! Don't go!"
"Thanks, Papyrus."
Corbel froze once again . . . Papyrus . . . ?
"Well, I guess that's it then. G'night, bro. I'll see you around." Sans continued, his voice sounding more and more distant. "Or, y'know. Maybe not."
"Sans . . . ?" Corbel sighed.
The silence took over once again and it left Corbel feeling completely empty. Even Sans and his own parents had given up on him.
It felt like hours that he floated there, unable to speak or cry out. Unable to sleep or wake up. Unable to see anything beyond his own form and even that didn't really feel real anymore.
There was no way to tell just how long he'd been there . . . or how long he would be there . . . for all he knew, this was his new life.
Darkness . . . and Silence . . .
Suddenly, in the distance, there was a murmuring sound . . . voices . . . voices arguing. His parents . . . and Sans, but he couldn't understand what they were saying.
"H-hey, buddy." Said a soft voice, closer than the others, "I . . . well, you're . . . um . . ."
Sans came back! But . . . this time Sans sounded a bit different. Nervous and sad and maybe a bit afraid.
"Sans . . ." Why did he sound like that? What was wrong!?
The other voices muttered, but he couldn't understand them. Soon, they faded, but he could still feel the presence of one other. Sans was still around. Good, he did stay . . .
"A lot has happened, huh?"
"A lot has happened, huh? On my way here, there was so much stuff that I wanted to say . . . Stuff that I needed to tell you before it was too late . . . And of course, now that I'm here, now that we've got the room to ourselves for a while . . . I can't remember any of it.
"So let me just start with this . . ."
Hesitantly, Sans reached out across Corbel's body to gently take his hand where it rested over his stomach. He carefully tied his orange bandana to his wrist, finally able to return the accessory.
Corbel was still so fragile and Sans feared shattering a bone that might have been on the brink. So, as gingerly as he could, as soon as he'd finished tying off the cloth, he held onto Corbel's hand, stroking his fingers in tiny soft circles. Just a little something to let him know he was there.
Through the dark empty space, he could feel something warm. And in that moment, there was a slight pressure over his fingers as if someone was holding his hand . . . but as he looked through the darkness, he wasn't able to see anything but his broken hand and three fingers. Until a subtle glow began to encase them.
What the . . .
He could feel the soft soothing circles now and he began to relax.
"Sans . . ."
Sans continued to speak. His words were muffled and difficult to make out, but they were there.
"I just . . . I still can't believe you would do something like what you did . . . I mean . . . if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here right now.
"There's a huge part of me that really wishes that you didn't do that . . . I didn't deserve to be saved . . . and you didn't deserve what happened to you. If I could, I'd switch places with you . . . I put you in that danger to begin with, so . . . yeah.
"But Mrs. Gaster . . . your mom, said something that really hit home for me, so I'm gonna take her advice a little.
"Thank you, Corbel. You really didn't have to, but . . . you saved me. Twice now. I'm alive right now because you were there . . . and if you weren't . . . well, I don't know where I'd be. I don't know who I'd be, so. Thanks for being there. Thanks for supporting me . . . even though I know I can be difficult sometimes . . . and I'm sorry it took me so long to say it."
Corbel had to focus hard in order to hear Sans and even then, his words sounded as if he were speaking through a pillow, underwater, while a storm raged.
But he could hear the tone. Sans sounded so upset. He was saddened by something and troubled and maybe a bit angry, but still, he was so soft with his touch.
Corbel wished he could do something to set his mind at ease.
"I was talking to her earlier . . . your mom . . . and to Alia too, and they both told me that you wouldn't want me blaming myself for this . . . and though it's a nice sentiment. I can't see any other way about it. Even if you don't or if you wouldn't or whatever, it doesn't mean that I don't or that I won't.
"And your dad agrees. And he's right, you know. Every time you're anywhere near me, something happens and you end up suffering for it . . . So, there's a very real chance that . . . this might be the last time we're able to talk like this.
"So before I go, I just wanted to tell you that . . . I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. Everything I put you through.
"You really do mean a whole lot to me . . . and I don't think I ever told you. So, I'm sorry for that. And on top of that, I can't help but feel guilty for . . . well. You're . . . I never meant for it to go this way, but I suppose I really am responsible not only for your broken heart . . . but for the fact that it never mended. The other night . . . when you . . . when we . . . well, anyway, it really helped to put things into perspective for me. I realized a few things that night. That you'd never actually given up and you still had that hope . . . even though it's been years . . . and it got me thinking about my own situation . . . what are the odds . . . that all this time, Ava would still be waiting for me? It's been about six years since I've even talked to her and when I did talk to her last . . . it wasn't on the best terms. She . . . essentially dumped me. And then I disappeared off the face of the Earth. So it makes sense that she's probably moved on by now, right? So . . . I guess what I'm saying is . . . maybe I should've done the same. I'm sorry I kinda strung you along all this time, only to realize now that I . . . that . . ."
In the darkness, Corbel could feel his attention being split. On one hand, Sans was whispering to him here . . . and from the sound of it, he was talking about something serious . . . Something important about their relationship . . . ?
But further away, there was the now-familiar dim light of a scene from . . . he wasn't quite sure where they were from but Sans was over there too! In the scene, there was the flash of purple . . . and Sans' pained cry. It was the angriest he'd ever heard Sans and he felt himself being pulled toward that scene. Sans needed help!
He moved, trying to push himself forward, but the warm light around his hand kept him still. He was anchored to this Sans . . . and he wouldn't be able to get to the other unless he broke this connection.
In the scene, Sans rushed forward, screaming in fury at Gaine! Had Gaine done something else!? Flashes of bright white light shot forward and Sans grabbed at Gaine's soul, slamming him around the room. Corbel watched with terrified widened eyes at the show of force and for a while, he was stunned. When Sans had Gaine pinned up against the wall, Corbel could feel himself step forward and away from the warm hand around his.
"Sans . . ." He tried, "Perhaps it would be better if you-"
"stay out of this, papyrus!"
Again, Corbel hesitated . . . Papyrus again? What the heck was going on? Why did he keep calling him-
Gaine smiled wickedly, ready to attack while Sans was distracted!
"SANS!" Corbel screamed, reaching out. He was able to catch Sans' collar and pull him back by his T-shirt. Gaine's attack still hit though and it caught Sans across the ribs before he fell heavily to the ground.
Corbel was thrown again from the scene and the portal went dark.
There was a subtle clench in Corbel's hand as Sans held it in his. It was accompanied by a soft moan.
"Corbel . . . ?" Sans asked cautiously, "What's goin' on, bud? Are you okay?"
Corbel continued to moan, his hand tightening.
"Nnnnnn . . . . Sssssss . . . Sssaaa."
"Yeah, Corbel! I'm here! I'm right here. Oh, please be okay."
Corbel's breath was shallow and quick as he continued to try to speak. The intermittent beeps from the monitor became more frequent and his HP began to drain faster. Right away, Sans' hopeful expression fell. Was he waking up? Was he in pain?
Damn it! If only he knew how to heal!
His own breath becoming shallow and his own panic rising, Sans turned toward the PA system. If he really was waking up. He would have to contact his parents right away. He stood uneasily, the sharp pain shooting through his leg and reminding him of his own injury, and he looked between the PA and Corbel for a few seconds.
"I should . . ."
Then, just as suddenly as the symptoms arose, they dissipated. Corbel's tense frame relaxed and his breath calmed and the tightened grip on Sans' hand loosened and became gentle once again. His HP slowed its drain and the beeping of the monitor slowed. He was back to his resting state.
"Corbel . . . ?"
He didn't answer. He caught his breath and relaxed completely. But there was something different. A subtle change that made Sans stall once again.
From his one visible eye, tears welled up, gathering until they were too heavy to hold. They streamed down his face steadily. Was it because of the pain in his body or because of something he saw in his dreams. What were the circumstances behind the tears? How did he even know if they were . . .
No, after a reaction like that, there was no doubt. Corbel was in pain. In more ways than one. And was he just supposed to stand and do nothing? There had to be something he could do to help . . . just talking wasn't going to get the job done . . . but what could he do!?
Sans reached out slowly with his free hand and gently thumbed at Corbel's cheek, wiping the tears away. As soon as he'd cleared them, however, they came right back as more took their place.
Sans' grip on Corbel's hand tightened slightly.
"I'm so sorry, Corbel." Sans addressed softly, his voice catching in his own emotion once again, "None of this should have ever happened. And I know it's my fault that it did happen this way . . . I-I just wish there was something more I could do! I wish I could do something or give you something that'll help! I wish I could . . ."
Could what? Take away his pain. Carry it for him. Repay him for his sacrifice.
Repay him . . .
"My time is almost up . . . and I still haven't found any way to help you at all."
Sans leaned in over Corbel once again, touching his skull to the other's.
"If there was a way that I could pay you back for what you've given me, I'd do it in a heartbeat. You gave me a chance at life. You gave me your undying support. You gave me your trust and you gave me your love. If I could repay you for all of it . . . give you back what you've given me . . . would it even be enough?"
Corbel seemed to hum quietly in his sleep, perhaps in response, or perhaps due to whatever was going on in his unconscious state. Either way, it felt to Sans like he was answering.
With a sigh, Sans tilted his head up to touch his mouth to Corbel's forehead in a soft kiss. The slight warmth escaped his notice.
Again, Corbel sat in the dark, unable to do much else. The scene faded and another did not dawn. Did that mean that the Sans in those visions really did die? Had Gaine killed him too!? And what about Papyrus? What was going on with him? Why had Sans kept calling him that name? Was that . . . his other self?
Had he failed to save Sans in that life . . . ? Was he really just gone . . . ? Just like that . . . ?
Corbel curled in on himself, bringing his knees to his chest and lowering his head to cover it in his arms.
He hated this dark! He hated this space! He hated this nothingness! He was sick of it all! He wanted out! He wanted to get back to his own life. He wanted to get back to where he knew he belonged. Back to his friends, back to the lab, back to his parents . . . back to . . .
"Sans . . ." Corbel cried. He still wasn't 100% certain what became of him in his own reality. The last he saw, Sans was being pushed away from the cave as the boulders fell in around him. He hoped that Sans was safe, but he had no way of really knowing.
The light encompassing his hand returned and it was even brighter and warmer than before.
That's right, the mumbling voice here was also Sans' voice, wasn't it? Was that his Sans, though? Was that Sans another from a different timeline . . . a different life . . . a different reality?
How could he be sure that Sans was his Sans?
"Corbel . . . ?"
The voice! It was so clear now! All of a sudden, he could hear the voice as clearly as if he'd been right in front of him.
A soft touch to his cheek wiped away his tears and ripped him from his thoughts so he turned his attention up.
"Sans . . .?"
Before him, there was another Skeleton, seemingly shrouded in light. The same light that held his hand and the same warmth that wiped at his cheek.
But even though it shared the same Skeletal form, its features were blurred and even the smile seemed more ephemeral than tangible.
With his hand outstretched, Sans lowered himself to kneel before Corbel so they were about eye-level.
"I'm so sorry, Corbel." He said softly, "None of this should have ever happened. And I know it's my fault that it did happen this way . . . I-I just wish there was something more I could do! I wish I could do something or give you something that'll help! I wish I could . . ."
"Sans . . . It's okay. It's not your fault. As long as you're okay . . . Are you okay? What's with this glowy thing? And have you seen the other you . . . Who is Papyrus?"
"My time is almost up . . . and I still haven't found any way to help you at all."
"Sans . . . ? Sans, what are you talking about? What do you mean your time's almost up!? What's going on!?"
Sans hesitated and leaned in closer to touch their skulls together gently. Immediately, Corbel was stunned. What the heck was going on!? Why was Sans acting this way!? Why was he speaking this way?
"If there was a way that I could pay you back for what you've given me, I'd do it in a heartbeat. You gave me a chance at life. You gave me your undying support. You gave me your trust and you gave me your love. If I could repay you for all of it . . . give you back what you've given me . . . would it even be enough?"
"Sans . . . I don't care about that. I just . . . Just let me know that . . . Just being here is enough . . . Don't you know that by now!? That's all I ever wanted. Just be here."
Sans let out a sigh as he tilted his head a bit more. He placed a soft kiss to Corbel's forehead. A moment later, his form gave way and shattered into a million tiny specks of light.
"W-wait!" Corbel called after him, the image frightening him a bit, "Sans! Sans!? Answer me!"
The specks of light all floated about Corbel as if they were fireflies, shining and helping to illuminate the thick darkness all around him. Seconds later, however, those tiny lights all began to crowd around Corbel, landing gently on him, warming his very soul and melding flawlessly into him. That warmth spread throughout his entire body and filled him to the brim with magic and light. That light began to emanate from his being as well and it shone through that darkness, cutting through it as easily as a knife through soft butter.
The Observation Room was absolutely silent when Sans placed his kiss to Corbel's head. The monitor made no noise whatsoever, and in that moment, it was just the two of them as the unintended exchange took place.
If anyone else had been around, they would have noticed the soft golden glow surrounding Corbel's body as Sans' soul began to glow a soft blue in turn.
If anyone else had been around, they would have noticed when Corbel's HP bar stopped draining and actually began to fill again slowly. They also would have noticed Corbel's dim silhouette on the monitor flash and brighten in vitality as more magic began to flow through it.
If anyone were to look under Corbel's bandages, they would have seen the incredible sight of fractured bone coming together and smoothing over. And even underneath the patch on his right eye, the less serious fractures began to heal!
If anyone else had been around, they would have noticed when the glow in the room began to dim and Sans pulled away.
And if there had been anyone around to CHECK Sans, they would have noticed that he was now missing 5 off of his Max HP.