No One is Happy with This (Undertale)

60 ~ Seventeen Hours

Your throat is raw and your face is wet. You're gasping for breath, your lungs not quite working right as your choked sobs taper off. You've been crying, weeping at the pain in your chest. As you start to wake up more, though, your cries subside.

It still hurts, yes, but you're regaining your senses, just a bit. Enough that maybe, slowly, you can unclench your fists, let go your death grip on--

... On Gaster's sweater. The one he wears beneath his lab coat. Your face, too, is pressed against his chest. He's holding you, rocking slightly, gently stroking you hair. Humming, too, the very same lullaby that Toriel hums for you when you can't sleep.

You let out another involuntary sob, cringing as it sends a stab of pain through your chest. For a moment, you just keep clinging to Gaster, your head buried against his ribs. You can hear the beat of his Soul, pounding alongside the soft rumble of his voice.

Sans was right so long ago, you realize. Gaster's voice sounds almost like the rumble of thunder, off in the distance.

This helps, thinking about it. About something else, something not the pain in your chest.

Slowly, you actually do loosen your grip this time, looking up at the Royal Scientist who's very well just saved your life.

He's looking down at you, and as his gaze meets yours, he smiles, just a little. "Oh, good. You're finally awake."

You let out a sort of whimper-groan-question noise.

"Everything went alright, it would seem." Gaster answers. "It's already working properly; no more damage being caused due to excess Magic."

You let out another noise, then, "... y-you--..."

"Hmm?"

"Y-... you-... you're-... h-hol-lding m-me..." It's not a complaint or a question, just a simple, sleepy, happy observation.

Apparently it's not actually so simple as you thought, though, because Gaster glances away from you. "... Yes, well-... you started to get very restless when the anesthetic started to wear off, and-..." He looks back at you. "And Toriel would kill me if I let you hurt yourself before you were even awake. You're my responsibility right now, after all, and she expects me to give you back in working condition."

You can't help but let out a laugh at that, and the resulting stab of agony in your chest draws out another sob from you, a few tears leaking from your eyes.

Then Gaster surprises you by reaching up and carefully drying your face with the sleeve of his coat. "Oh, come on now, stop that! Everything's worked out okay! I used my determination, just like I said I would, and you're going to be fine."

You nod a little, snuggling back up against him. "I-it-- it just h-hurts-..."

"Ah. Yes, right. You do have over two hundred lacerations all crammed into the space of your upper body, so of course it hurts..." He pauses. "... Well. Let's see if I can't do something about that, hmm?"

You just nod, closing your eyes as you once again listen to Gaster's pulse. It's only a few minutes, though, before Gaster is getting you to drink some foul-tasting concoction, with the promise that it will help numb the pain. And you're still subconsciously grateful that Gaster's still holding you close.

"Now then. Next thing is to let Toriel know we're done, and you'll be home soon."

"B-but isn't s-she just upstairs? In the l-lobby?"

Gaster gives you a look. "Annoying Dog no, Frisk! She left almost nineteen hours ago! I told her to just go home after she dropped you off. Easier that way, since I can just teleport us to your house."

You blink a little. Toriel didn't tell you she'd be leaving. You'd thought she'd be there, waiting.

It's probably better that she didn't tell you.

Then something else occurs to you.

"W-were you... working... for nineteen hours?"

He shrugs. "Naaahh." Then he adds, "It was closer to seventeen."

You can't help but gape a little. Seventeen hours! Gaster was working to save your life, without rest, for seventeen hours.

Blinking, you smile up at him. "... Thank you."

"It was nothing. Now, come on, let's get you home."

And then, you are home, Gaster having teleported, and you're being gently settled down in your own bed.

After setting you down, Gaster turns towards the door. "I'll go get Toriel." And then he's left.

You take the opportunity to look down at your chest. You're still shirtless, but that hardly matters. It's almost like you're wearing a tank top of bandages, the strips of material wrapped around you from your shoulders to the bottom of your ribcage. There are a few spots, too, where there's a slight pinkish stain on the bandage where your blood has begun to, well, bleed through.

Then Toriel is rushing in and gently grabbing you up in a hug. She asks you how you feel, and you tell her- still pretty drowsy, but not in any pain, thanks to whatever Gaster gave you. There's a bit more hugging, and then Gaster is leaving, promising to come check on you tomorrow. Toriel tells you she's made a cinnamon butterscotch pie for you, so if you're hungry, she can get some of that for you, and she'll even let you eat it in bed. Of course you agree.

As she leaves to get you some pie, you settle back into bed, smiling. Gaster really is a good person, a good, determined person.

You're happy he's a part of your family.

§

A/N

Welp, guys, it's official! This is the longest story I've written so far, what with The Time Before being only 59 chapters long!

I wonder how long this will turn out to be...

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Comments and votes are my Favorite Things, and every notification I get makes my day!