It'd long since been unofficially decided that Papyrus was in-charge of Sans. Today, it was finally officially decided that Papyrus was the "Sole Keeper" of Sans. A title that had been decided when Charlie Stevenson, their Boss, had noted that Papyrus was the only one who could get close without being bitten, splashed, or drowned. Which, was great! Because it meant Papyrus got more time with Sans, to get to know him better. Sans, however, preferred Papyrus to do the talking. He wasn't a chatty, (ha), person to begin with, a more withdrawn and observant personality. He was one of the few people who could stand Papyrus's chatter, which was something he was very grateful for.
Ever since their chat, Sans had seemed in more of a better mood. There were days where he still refused to move, days were sleep evaded him, but that was expected after that kind of loss. Papyrus would always do his best to try and comfort his friend, if the mermaid accepted it. He was pleased to find that Sans did find comfort with him--- he always fell asleep to the sound of his reading.
During their last visit, Papyrus had made a disgusting discovery. Sans liked ketchup. Ketchup!! Of all nasty things in this world, Ketchup.
The expression he'd made at the sight of the smaller skeleton licking it off his fingers must of shown it all. Sans had found it amusing, face lighting up in a grin far brighter than he'd ever seen. Of course, Sans had to ruin the sight by reaching his dirty fingers to wipe it on him. Still, despite the disgust of the discovery, Papyrus had found it wonderful to see Sans genuinely happy. So he'd brought a few packets today with the sushi, and internally prayed Sans wasn't terrible enough to eat them together.
No such luck, as the first thing Sans did (after signing 'thank you') was squeeze the ketchup onto the roll. Papyrus couldn't repress the cringe of horror-- Sans looked him in the eyes, knowingly, as he took a bite.
" After You Finish Being Disgusting, There's Something We Have To Do Today! Your Wound Is Looking A Lot Better, And While It's Not Fully Healed Yet, It's About Time We Start To Take Measurements" Papyrus informed him. Sans rolled his eyes at the comment, but gave a thumbs-up to show he agreed to go with their plans. Papyrus nodded to himself, jumping to his feet to head down the stairs.
" I Will Be Right Back! Undyne And I Will Need To Get The Kiddy Pool Set Up!"
After being sure Sans knew he'd be back, Papyrus raced down the stairs to where his two best friends watched in awe.
" Y'know, I don't think I'll ever get used to you being able to talk to him. Did you know Kim got her finger bit off?! Wild man" Undyne commented, wiggling her hand in consideration. The other two hoped desperately that she wouldn't ask Sans to copy that incident.
" Yes, In Fact, I Am Aware! You Have Told Us This Fact At Least Twice After I Talk With Sans. While It Was Very Rude And Unnecessary, Kim Shouldn't Of Tried To Force Him Out Of The Water With Nets!!" Papyrus couldn't help but defend Sans. Those nets could've been dangerous, they were only used in situations where the animal couldn't come to the surface to breathe (if they needed it), was hurting it's self, or if there was some other sort of emergency. IF sans had panicked, those stitches could've torn out and everything would've had to be redone from the beginning.
" P-plus, uh, she's a human, so it was sewn back on anyway" Alphys added, thankfully in the mermaid's defense too. Undyne nodded, clearly not disagreeing on that stance.
" Yeah, that was rude as fuck. Did Kim ever say why she and Greg did that?" Undyne frowned. The three headed towards the kiddy pool's box, somehow the box was even more ruined than last time. He was certain that they remembered to drain the water before putting it away last time.
" Language!"
" I'm speaking common" Undyne replied snarkily.
" Ha And Ha. But, In Regards To Your Question: No, Not Really."
" They said that, uh, Mr. Stevenson was worried about Sans not eating? I guess that m-maybe they didn't know that'd changed? It's... a pretty weak excuse, in my opinion. What did they think capturing and force-feeding a sentient being would do?! How could that help in ANY way?!" Alphys ranted, angrily tossing the box onto the ground. It's water-damaged sides finally collapsed. There was a moment of silence for the poor box before they continued to set up the kiddy pool. And under the supervision of Alphys, it was saved another day from the terrible fate Papyrus and Undyne would undoubtedly cause.
As the two began to fill the little pool, Papyrus returned up the stairs to retrieve Sans. The mermaid hadn't moved, his eyelights unfocused, the smile tilted down slightly- lost in thought. Papyrus hesitated, unsure whether or not it'd be rude to bother him. Thankfully, Sans reacted before he could come to a decision. He shook his head before looking over to Papyrus, seemingly surprised to see him there.
" Alrighty! The Kiddy Pool Is Set Up, Are You Ready To Go Down?"
Sans nodded, moving closer to the edge and pulling himself up a bit to make it easier for Papyrus. Once more he found himself absolutely soaked as the mermaid wrapped his arms around the taller skeleton's neck to stay balanced. It was good that Sans felt heavier than the first time he'd done this, it meant he was no longer unhealthily underweight. Still, the smaller remained naturally light- a blessing considering he had to carry the other up and down the steps.
Another good thing was Sans's tail. The magic-made tail's colors seemed fully back and more stunning than ever--- a light blue that almost seemed to glow under the lights. He hoped the other wouldn't mind if he thought of Sans as gorgeous, and how could he not? It was impossible to not be enraptured by the sight.
Alphys and Undyne were waiting at the bottom, giving their own greetings to Sans before leading the way over to the pool. Just as Papyrus was planning to get down, the door into the room swung open. Their Boss had come to see them in action himself, apparently. Sans's grip on the taller skeleton tightened instantly, claws digging in painfully. The bones under hand vibrated with the growl aimed at the human, the mermaid was clearly not happy about Mr. Stevenson's appearance. Papyrus adjusted his hold, tightening his grip slightly in a gesture he aimed to be comforting. Sans's eyelights flickered to his face briefly before returning to glare at his newly found enemy.
Mr. Stevenson smiled sheepishly, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. " I am sorry for interrupting. I wanted to check on how your charge is doing. The gray seems to of faded from it's tail."
Now Papyrus shared Sans's dislike, if only very briefly. Their boss wasn't a bad man, he hadn't meant to be offensive, the human most likely didn't know monsters rarely used the pro-noun "it", and it was very rude to assume that one.
" He Has Been Healing Well! Don't Worry Sans, Mr. Stevenson Will Only Be Watching. He Won't Get Closer Than This" Papyrus tried to ease the other. Sans still wasn't happy, but relaxed in Papyrus's arms when their boss gave a nod of agreement. Papyrus returned to the task of setting Sans down in the pool, and was touched at how the small skeleton was hesitant to let him go.
" I won't leave, I promise Sans" his words were softer than his normal volume, meant for Sans to hear- Alphys and Undyne could probably hear too, being the closest. Sans gave a sigh, nodding as he released Papyrus.
" Alright! So, First, We're Going To Measure Your Tail To Get An Idea For Making The Replacement Fin. Afterwards, We'll Do A Quick Exam To Check Your Vitals. As Always, You Do Not Have To Do Anything You're Uncomfortable With" Papyrus explained, making sure Sans knew there was always a way out. Once Sans agreed, Alphys and Papyrus got to work, asking Sans to shift when they needed him to. Undyne leaned back and watched, knowing there wasn't much she could do unless she was asked. There was an odd tension to the air- the sole cause being the fact that their BOSS of all people was currently watching them. The entire process was quiet and tense, no one but Mr. Stevenson was having a good time, as apparently Bosses were immune to awkwardness.
Sans's vitals were checked. Everything was so much better than when he'd arrived, a fact in which Papyrus was glad.
" Now That That's Done, We Should Go Back To Your Tank. Ready For Me To Pick You Up?"
The mermaid jerked his head, reaching his arms out, certainly as desperate as Papyrus was to leave this tension. The land-dweller lifted him, hurrying up the steps in a faster pace than usual. When Papyrus helped him into the tank, he made sure to thank Sans for being patient with the unexpected visit today.
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The practice Prosthetic had finally arrived.
Prosthetics were a tricky business. They needed to be adjusted, fixed, and edited over and over until it felt like it worked well. Even then, they would need to be readjusted as bodies naturally changed. At least for humans. Less physical monsters like he and Sans had it easier in that regard- if Papyrus ever lost a limb, all he'd need is a 'replacement bone' and his magic would treat it as if nothing had ever happened. For Sans, his tail wouldn't change much once entirely healed. And as of last night, the stitches had finally been removed.
Today would be a very eventful day for the mermaid. Not only would they been fitting the plastic fin, but a tank change was now due. The isolation tank had been working fine for Sans, but it wasn't meant to house anything or anyone for long periods of time. The isolation tank was small, used only to house injured creatures that needed medical attention. There wasn't much room to swim around in, a fact which made sea creatures more and more restless the better they felt. And Sans was at that point.
The new tank was large, especially roomy for the small mermaid. Decorated with; a white sandy bottom, porous rocks along the bottom and up the far right side, a rock structure in the middle of the tank that allowed for resting-( along with a 'cave'-like hole that Sans would be able to hide away in-), and oceanic plants that grew from said rocks. It was spacious, which would provide plenty of room for Sans to practice using the fin.
The only issue Papyrus had with it was the fact that it was a display tank.
The Rehabilitation Center allowed visitors to come in and view their almost-entirely healed guests. It was more expensive than a normal Aquarium, but healing living creatures wasn't a cheap thing. It'd never been much of an issue before, as the sea creatures never paid much mind to the monsters and humans that came to stare. But this was different. Sans was a person, and yet he'd be on display. As much as Papyrus, Alphys, and Undyne hated it, they couldn't disagree with the action. It was horrid to put Sans on display, but it wasn't their choice to make.
At the moment, they were attempting to fit the new fin. Sans laid in the kiddy pool with an amused expression on his face, sockets half-closed and smile lazy. The prosthetic turned out to be much harder to figure out than they'd expected. Papyrus and Undyne had spent the last twenty minutes trying to figure out how to get it on. It was great that Alphys would come in soon, as the lizard monster could probably piece together how to make it work. Until she arrived, they would have to deal with the shame of amusing Sans in such a manner.
" S-sorry I'm late guys! There was a lot of traffic-- Are you two really still stuck with that??" Alphys asked, looking awed.
" No! We Are Simply Admiring How It Looks In Various Positions!" Papyrus replied sarcastically, earning a chuckle from the mermaid and a nod of agreement from Undyne.
" Get over here and help before I break it!" Undyne finally snapped. This was the longest record of calm yet, it was a miracle it hadn't been broken before Alphys arrived. Said monster rolled her eyes at their antics, coming over and grabbing the prosthetic. The "issue" was solved rather quickly, leaving the two flushed in embarrassment. They now turned to Sans, who grinned wider at their expressions.
'having fun?' he asked.
" Ugh! I Will Not Hear It From You, Mr-I-Eat-Ketchup-With-Everything!" Papyrus stated, hoping the other would understand he was joking. If the soundless chuckle meant anything, Sans did understand. They had wasted enough of their time trying to figure it out, it was time to try it on.
" For the, uh, fin, it'll be kind of hard to g-get it on when you're lying down. W-would it be okay if Undyne holds y-you up a bit, sans? Just enough for us to do the straps?" Alphys questioned. Sans hesitates at the idea of Undyne holding him, but glanced to Papyrus before nodding. Papyrus felt pride by the fact Sans trusted him, and even more at the fact the mermaid was starting to trust others. The fish monster scooped Sans up from underneath his arms, pulling him up until his fin was easy to access. Papyrus winced at the sight of Sans's claws dug into Undyne's arm, knowing it must hurt much worse than it had for himself. Then again, she'd probably like it if it left a mark.
Alphys and Papyrus worked together to get it on, which wasn't near as hard as he'd thought it was. Over-thinking it apparently had been his issue. It was a nice fit, the plastic going over what was left of Sans's fin and onto his tail, plastic wrapping around his tail once 'locked' into place*. Undyne gently set Sans back down into the small pool, the mermaid shifted to a more comfortable position. His small hands touched the plastic, interested in how it worked. Sans looked up to them, a grin on his face.
'thanks' he signed. Papyrus grinned back, it was great that Sans liked it.
" Now It Is Time To Test It Out! Are You Ready To Go To The New Tank?" Papyrus asked, beyond thankful that Sans gave him a thumbs up. Had the mermaid declined, he'd of had no clue on what to do. Papyrus brought the other into his arms, and waited until Sans wrapped his arms around his neck before standing. The tall skeleton headed towards the door, Undyne and Alphys walked ahead of them to get any doors in the way. Normally it would require many others to do tank transfers, as many sea creatures couldn't breathe out of water. For Sans, that wouldn't be necessary.
That fact didn't stop their co-workers (and Boss) from showing up to watch the spectacle of him carrying the mermaid to the tank. Predictably, Sans's sockets narrowed threateningly at the others, increasing his hold on Papyrus. The taller skeleton did his best to comfort the other- a stroke down his back, and continued forward to get to the second level. This was where the workers would tend to their guests inside the tanks, out of sight of those who might be watching below. It was also the only way in and out of the tanks, of course.
" Once You're In, I Will Go Down There To Watch You Swim. Unless You Want Me To Stay Up Here? Whatever You're Okay With" Papyrus stated. He wanted to make Sans comfortable.
Sans shook his head, 'it's okay to watch. i'd like that.'
Papyrus nodded, smiling at the smaller skeleton. He kneeled down, setting Sans near the edge of the tank to let the mermaid get into the water himself. As Sans slid in, Papyrus raced down the steps and to the front of the tank to join with his friends and co-workers. Papyrus knew that if he was in this position, he'd want a friend to cheer on his efforts. Sans looked graceful in the water, even while just resting on the rock structure. If the awed expression of the others around him was any indicator, they found the sight as special as he did.
Sans had waited for Papyrus, waving to him before pushing off the rock structure to test out the new fin. It was then that Papyrus realized he hadn't seen the mermaid swim before. It would've been very rude to stare into the observation window, as far as he knew the only swimming Sans had done was up to meet with him.
Sans wasn't swimming well at all.
He was struggling.
Papyrus's soul felt heavier with every passing moment. Why wasn't Sans's magic adapting to the replacement? They were both skeletons, shouldn't it work the same?
Sans's ribcage was moving fast, he was panting, it had to be taking a lot out of him. When the mermaid became off-balanced, ending up sideways for a moment before righting himself, Papyrus decided that maybe it'd be best to intervene. The skeleton walked forward when a hand landed on his shoulder, preventing him. He opened his mouth to scold whoever it was, but the words died in his throat. It was his boss. Mr.Stevenson looked concerned too.
" I have an idea that might get him used to swimming" The human started, gaining his full attention.
" You have a wet suit. Why not go in there with it, him- and help him swim?"
" Oh! Like physical therapy? J-just in the water?" Alphys exclaimed, eyes lighting up at the idea. Papyrus had to agree that it sounded like a good idea. Sans was really struggling- he'd given up, lying on the sandy bottom of the tank. But he still needed Sans's permission.
The taller skeleton takes off for the locker room, switching into the wet suit before he hurried back. He waved to Sans, getting the mermaid's attention, and pointed up to the top of the tank. When he reached the top, Sans came up to meet him. Sans looked exhausted, anyone would after finding something they used to do with ease so hard.
" We Have An Idea, But I Wanted To Get Your Permission First. I Could Go Into The Tank With You, And Help You Get Used To The Fin. It Would Be Like Physical Therapy. I Could Help You Remain Balanced, Or Whatever We Need To Do To Help You Get Used To It. If You Don't Want To Do This, We Will Find Another Way To Help You" Papyrus explained the situation. Surprisingly, Sans's smile rose a bit.
' i think that might be a good idea.'
Papyrus grinned at the agreement, feeling his soul flutter with an odd excitement. He'd been in the tanks before, plenty of times, but this was different. This was with Sans. Papyrus sat at the edge of the tank, making sure his gear was ready. Unlike other monsters, skeletons didn't need that much air. He could go a few hours without breathing, a fact which meant he didn't need the scuba gear. Papyrus did, however, need one of those masks. They kept water from flooding his skull. Sans was probably used to that feeling, now that he thought of it.
Sans's small hands grabbed his own, and yanked him into the water.
While Papyrus can admit to being very great, he is also not a liar. So he can admit to being initially terrified of being drowned, even with the knowledge it was very hard for him to drown. Sans didn't seem to mind his mild flailing, the opposite actually. A wide grin spread across his face, a soundless laugh left him. Papyrus tried to hide his own grin, but failed.
' you're smiling' Sans signed. Papyrus's own signing was messy, but it got his words across.
' I Am, And I Hate It.'
Sans grinned at him, taking his hands. Papyrus was momentarily stunned, before realizing the mermaid was waiting for his assistance. Probably. That didn't stop the blush from the contact. There was a sound in the water- both turned to see Undyne doubled over in laughter and a very embarrassed Alphys trying to shush her. The two clearly had missed something. Papyrus internally scoffed at their antics and turned back to Sans.
For today, they'd work on moving forward. Sans would hold his hands for balance, and Papyrus would move backwards as Sans swam forward. Unfortunately, neither were quite prepared, even after the explanation. Sans darted forward, not realizing the speed behind the movement was too fast until it was too late. The mermaid rammed into the land-dweller, Papyrus was thankful for the water keeping him from actually falling. More laughter was heard, this time it hadn't only been Undyne. They ignored those outside of the tank, focusing on their work. After a few more attempts, it was clear Sans was done for the day. It had to be exhausting work.
They returned to the surface, Papyrus pulled himself back onto the edge of the tank. Sans looked drained, resting his head on his arms, as if holding himself up was a great effort. He was concerned for his friend. Maybe encouragement would help?
" You Did A Great Job Sans, I'm Proud Of You" Papyrus informed, nothing but honest. Sans sockets widen in shock--- his soul jolted at the tears welling there. The skeleton reached out, trying to right whatever wrong he'd made, but paused at the shaky smile Sans gives him.
'thanks' Sans signed, before he fled into the water.
Despite the painful concern eating at him, he felt as if he'd done something good.