Chapter Text
(Picture made by BluejaySymphony! See end notes for link to artist's page.)
When the door closed behind Fani, Sans gave a quick glance to the clock on the white wall. 3.43 pm. Good. That meant he had at least two hours to get out of the room and explore a little before his next check up.
It was sorta strange that no one seemed to notice that he sneaked out every now and then. Maybe no one cared, as long as he was back in his room for the next session or check up.
He put his shirt back on, the fact that it was inside out didn't matter to him. His chest hurt just a little from the DT injection he got just now, so he tried to take it easy, but he had to move quickly in order to make sure he wouldn't get busted sneaking around outside of his room.
Most of the times he felt really tired during the DT procedures, sometimes he'd even get really sick. Thankfully, this was not one of those days. At least not yet, and even if he did get sick it would take some time.
That meant that he could do some exploring. There was a section of the lab that he had never been to yet, and as soon as the footsteps outside of his door faded, that's where he would go.
He knew very well that the scientists expected him to stay put in his room. Even his dad, the royal scientist, had told him so, but it didn't take long for the nine year old skeleton to get bored and crave a more challenging environment and new stuff to tinker with.
So far he had managed to find a lot of interesting sciency trinkets and stuff. He didn't like to use the term 'stealing', he just borrowed some things for an indefinite period of time. It wasn't like anyone seemed to miss the stuff he took anyway.
He liked to take things apart and learn how they work. The most recent things he borrowed were some magnifying glasses with various intensities. They didn't provide him with much of an opportunity to tinker, but it was still fun to use them and see how things looked under the lens.
Some of the items he found, like the magnifying glasses and some cool looking safety goggles, would be great if managed to sneak home and show to his little brother Papyrus. He smiled to himself when he imagined how impressed Paps would be.
As soon as the coast was clear, he carefully opened the door and closed it softly behind him. A quick glance around determined that no one seemed to be nearby and he could leave.
The digital bulletin boards on the white walls were cluttered with messages about things taking place in a section called 3c-9a. That was a good thing, because that specific part of the lab was in the opposite direction of where he intended to go. In fact, the 3c-9a section is where he found the magnifying glasses, so for now he had nothing to gain from there anyway.
He moved quickly across the broad tiled floor, passing by many large fans looming over the small skeleton. He had to throw frequent glances behind his back. Whenever her heard someone, he temporarily retreated to the previous hallway.
He had been dragged across these hallways so many times that he almost knew how to find his way through the maze-like patterns.
All except for section 00-az. He had never been there before. He tried asking once what was beyond the door, but nobody gave him a straight answer. Then again, nobody ever gave him a straight answer regarding anything.
Soon he stood in front of the door labeled 00-az and pressed his head as close as he possibly could against it to listen for people inside. He was delighted to determine that there was nothing, and he couldn't help but to smile as his curiosity peaked. What awesome stuff awaited him in here? Maybe some cool experiment, or new gadgets he could borrow and play with. Even if it was nothing but a storage room he would still be happy.
He was met with a dimly lit room. It was a huge contrast compared to the sharp lights in the hall, and he widened his eyes as he silently closed the door behind him.
In the center of the room was a huge machine, Sans had no idea what it was for. He had never seen one like it, not even in his books. The walls had several mirrors, and even more doors.
The desks were filled with neatly stacked folders as well as scattered papers, nothing that would be of any interest to him. Besides, it was all written in wingdings, so he wouldn't be able to read it anyway.
A quick tug on one of the doors immediately revealed that it was locked. It was a blasting door that wouldn't budge to his level of magic. There was a hatch on the upper part of the door, which Sans couldn't reach. Maybe if he bothered with it, he could put some of the folders in a pile to get a little elevated and probably reach. Then again, that meant he had to make an effort to remember which folders he used and where they lay scattered on the desk, in order to return them to the same place again.
He had not yet made up his mind when he heard something. Soft sobbing sounds. He could tell right away that it wasn't a scientist, because the voice was very high-pitched and brittle. It was more than crying, it was a kind of desolate sobbing, unlike anything he had ever heard before. This was a really miserable person.
The crying noise came from behind one of the doors, so Sans made up his mind and decided to investigate. He grabbed some folders and stacked them on top of each other, carefully listening to his surroundings for footsteps and opening or closing doors. No such sounds were heard, only the cries.
He almost felt like a Peeping-Tom as he pressed his face in front of the hatch. A face met his, and the sobs turned into a startled gasp. It was indeed not a scientist, but a kid. Sans could tell, even though they weren't wearing any striped clothing, like he did. They were small and looked very fragile, their ashy scales almost looked transparent. Their chequered poncho reached their knees, and they sat on the floor with their tail wrapped around them.
Sans suddenly realized that he was unsure about how much time had passed. It would probably be best if he went back to his own room, so that no one saw him out here. He was getting seriously tired anyway .
He would definitely come back and see the kid again. It would probably be possible to visit once more before bedtime, if he sneaked out just after his last check-up.
That would be a bit risky though , and he was unsure how the DT would make him feel. Besides, he didn't know the scientists ’ night-time schedule. It would be hard, but if he was quiet and fast enough , he could make it . Anyone who appreciated jokes as much as he did was worth taking a risk for. There was a conveniently - shaped potted plant outside the door that led to the big room she was in that he could hide behind if there were any scientists in there.
On the other hand, Dr . Aster was usually the one to come and follow Sans' last check-up for the day, and he was sure his father wouldn't be very angry with him if he told him that he got bored and decided to explore. He could have answers to who he kid was, and maybe even let them play together some time.
Just when he exited the room, he heard approaching footsteps from the other side of the corridor. He swiftly headed in the other direction and managed to get back to his own room without being noticed.
Before he could talk to his dad, there was time for a quick nap , and as he went to bed, he fell asleep almost instantly.
When a loud knock woke him up some time later, he actually got excited. Now he could ask his dad about the kid he met behind the door earlier.
Much to his disappointment , it wasn't his father, but Fani who entered. A dismayed expression swept over his face, but at least Fani was gullible. If he played his cards right , he would maybe be able to learn a thing or two about the kid anyway.
”Good evening, peewee. How do you feel?”
”Better now. A little sore still, but I'm managing.”
”I'm glad to hear that.” She dug around in her bag and grabbed a big needle. Slightly thrown off his groove with this new routine, Sans was getting a little annoyed. Especially since he knew what that needle was for, and he hated when they did that.
”I'm just here for a sample of your marrow. After that I'm going to bring you supper, alright? Your dad would have come, but something came up. May I borrow your arm?” she mused lightly, clearly doing her best to come of as calm and supportive, but Sans hated when she did that. It was just degrading. Quite honestly, he was almost certain that he had better control over his own emotions than she had of hers.
”Hey, Fani? Can I ask you a question?” he asked, trying not to wince as the large needle pierced through the outer cartilage of his arm. The needle was big and the pain was sharp, but it wasn't at all as bad as when they put needles in his soul in order to inject the DT.
”Sure, peewee. What do you need?”
”Am I the only one here who gets DT, or are there other monsters too?”
”Oh. Nope! As far as I'm concerned, you're the only one.”
Sans tilted his head and watched her work for a while. It was hard to tell if she was lying or simply unaware, because she was usually very good at playing dumb.
”So, on this whole facility, I'm the one person you have as a test subject? What kind of experiment is it anyway?”
”It's just a standard procedure, measuring the effect of DT. That's all I can say. Try asking your dad if you want to know more.”
”Is it dangerous?”
”Peewee, no! Of course not. Nobody here would do anything to hurt you!”
"Then why does it make us- I mean me, feel sick?"
"You know, well..."
"And why is it so important that nobody can know about it?"
"M-maybe you dad can take some time to come in here after all. He can explain it to you better than I can."
Success.
Fani finished her task, packed up the stuff , and left only to come back a few moments later with a bowl of hot soup for him. DT always made him lose his appetite and today was no exception. Not that the soup was good to start with anyway. It left a fusty taste in his mouth, and he wouldn't have finished unless Fani promptly insisted.
Sans sighed with relief when she finally left.
He pulled his overnight bag from the floor and rummaged it until he found his joke book. While he waited for his father he read through the book, just as he had so many times. It was a good book, but it didn't take long for him to learn most of the jokes by heart. It would nice to have something better to while he passed the time. Maybe a TV, or at least a wider selection of books, or maybe even some toys.
It didn't take long before someone knocked on the door again. This time it was his father.
"Hello, son. Fani told me you wanted to talk about the DT?"
"Well," he began, but was immediately interrupted.
"I know you know the deal about the DT, it's already been explained to you and I know you hate repetition. So, that tells me you want something else."
"I do. I kinda have a confession to make. I've been sneaking out of my room quite often lately, and-"
"I know," said the scientist and sat down by his bedside.
"You do?"
"Of course. Why do you think you've been getting away with it?"
"You're fine with it? I thought you wanted me to stay here?"
"Sans, I know you. It was only a matter of time before you'd get restless. It would be easier if you'd stay here so we can keep an eye on you, yes, but I knew you'd decide to get adventurous sooner or later. Where did you go?"
Sans was a little taken aback by his father's reaction and actually quite embarrassed
,
too. All this time he though he was being sneaky, but he had just been disregarded on purpose. He cringed when he thought about all the stuff he took, but there was actually a weak hint of a smile on his father's face.
"Uh, I've been around. There is something... someone I want to ask you about."
"Go on."
"I went to section 00-az yesterday. I found a kid there."
"I see. Sans, you know I do not appreciate you sneaking around, but I do find your curiosity quite amusing. It reminds me of myself. Having said that, there are parts of the laboratory that are off limits, even for you."
"What about the kid? Who is she?"
"She is a Sentio Soul. The easiest way to explain her existence to you is, well, she's a monster who has been given a second chance here at the lab."
"A second chance?" Sans echoed the question.
"Yes. She was very ill."
"Oh... but why doesn't she remember anything? She told me that she has no other memories than her room."
"Her only chance of survival was to try a new remedy. Unfortunately , since it's an untested method , a lot of uncharted side effects left her soul a bit defective, causing symptoms like memory loss. At least she is alive and as long as she remains here, she will stay that way."
"Is that why she needs DT too?"
"That's right," said his father while adjusting his glasses. "DT works as a catalyst in monster souls. For you it means that the magic in your soul will slowly grow stronger so that we can go on with the project. For her it means that the remedy given to her stays active, so she won't fall down. Until we find a way to make it less dramatic for her, she needs to remain here."
"I understand," said Sans, aiming his gaze at the floor with a nod. "Does she have a name? Would... would it be alright if I went to see her again?"
"Since she couldn't remember her name, we gave her the name Goner Kid, but to avoid any misunderstanding, she just goes by 'Kid' now. When the treatment began we were very unsure if she'd live or not, so the name Goner stuck to her. But don't worry, she'll be fine now."
"Okay." It was still weird that they didn't call her by any real name, but Sans knew better than to question that. At least right now. "So, would it be alright if I went back to her tomorrow or something? I promised her to bring my book and that we'd read it together."
The scientist looked deep in thought, and the silence wasn't a good sign.
"I don't suppose I could stop you even if I wanted to, right?" he said after a while.
"D-does that mean..?" said Sans, with a careful smile.
"Yes, it's fine. In fact, I think some company might do you both good. Just remember that she's in a fragile state, so to start with all kind of communication need to go through the door."
Sans didn't care about that. He was just so happy and he almost didn't believe it. "Thank you, dad!" His good mood seemed to affect his father too, and that made him smile even more. It wasn't very usual to see the royal scientist genuinely smile.
"Now, get some rest, okay?" said Wing Dings , and carefully tucked him in under the comforter.