No One is Happy with This (Undertale)

57 ~ Passing it On

Flowey wakes you suddenly with his shrill shriek, and you lurch upward.

But you quickly flop back down, a sharp cry escaping your mouth. You're in pain like you've never felt before, not even that-one-time right before you quit. It's like all your muscles are all tensed and locked, your skin stretched tight over your frame, a hurricane in your stomach, your guts tied in knots, your lungs filled with lava, and your joints all twisted the wrong direction.

You're in pain. Such pain.

You let out a strangled sob, but that only hurts more, like a knife being stabbed into your diaphragm with the breath. But you can't help it, the pain tearing through you, you start to cry.

You can hear Flowey screaming but your head is pounding and you can't focus on his words, not to mention your ears are filled with your own agonized sobs.

Flowey's voice grows in volume, but the muffled words make no sense to you.

It seems like this forever, agony in your body, Flowey screaming senselessly.

And then Toriel is there, gently scooping you up, stroking you hair, cradling you in her arms. "Shh, shh, it's okay, Frisk. Everything is going to be okay. Alphys is on her way, she'll know what's wrong. Everything is going to be okay, my child."

Like this, still, unmoving in Toriel's arms, the pain abates just a little, enough for you to stop crying, take small, slightly calmer breaths.

Toriel holds you until Alphys arrives, then she settles you gently back on your bed, but holds your hand and keeps her own hand resting on your forehead.

Alphys has brought a lot of sciencey gadgets and scanners, and in addition to these, she goes through with the usual medical examination of looking in your mouth and ears and eyes, listening to your pulse, poking around at your belly.

And, in the end, looking at one of her gadgets, she looks very concerned.

"Wh-what's w-wr-rong?" You ask, your voice hoarse and throat burning.

"I-" she says quietly, "I-... I d-don't-... I think s-should c-call Dr. G-Gaster--..."

Her words make you nervous, makes your heart beat fast, every pulse another stab of agony in your chest.

It seems like an eternity until Gaster arrives. You hear him talking with Alphys quietly outside your room, their voices just murmurs.

Then Gaster is stepping over to your bed. For a long moment, he just looks at you, his face blank. Then a small, surprisingly sympathetic and gentle smile crosses his face. "So, you're not feeling well? What's wrong?"

You whimper. "E-everything h-hu-rts--..."

"Well," He murmurs, more to himself than you, "let's see if I can't fix that."

Gaster repeats Alphys's examination of you, but there's a major difference between the two examinations. Alphys's was carried out with an air of hesitation. She didn't know what was wrong with you, and her examination, apparently, yielded no conclusive results.

Gaster's examination, though, is calm and conclusive. He seems to know exactly what he's doing, and with him there, you know you're going to be okay.

Once he's finished, he turns to go. "I'll be back in a moment. I'm going to get some... medicine." He leaves without explaining what exactly he means by that, his lab coat swishing dramatically as he strides out the door.

Toriel goes back to gently stroking your head, while Alphys offers nervous assurances that you'll be okay.

After maybe ten minutes or so, Gaster comes back into the room, and sits carefully on the edge of the bed. From the pocket of his lab coat, Gaster withdraws a small bottle. He reaches out and lifts your head, pops the cork, and holds the lip of the bottle to your mouth. "Drink this."