Authors notes: Wow, that took way too long. Sorry for keeping you all waiting for so long. I'd like to say it won't happen again but knowing me, well, it probably will. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be posted but it's about 2/3 done. I'll try not to keep you waiting four months this time. Sorry again.

I'd also like to thank ScarkitTheMadaNeko for helping me with my paragraphs and editing. They really helped me a lot. (That's why some stuff changed if you're wondering)

A yell rang out into the corridors, as sudden and jolting as an explosion. Blue burned from Sans' left eye, alarm surging through his bones, as he awoke in a flaring panic. That was Papyrus' scream. Papyrus, where was Papyrus? His bed was empty. Terror seared into his chest, for an awful moment, Sans feared his brother had been taken away from him. A pained hiss coming from the ground broke into his fear. Papyrus lay on the cold floor, curled up and tense from pain, clutching onto his arm. Sans was at his brother's side in an instant, helping Papyrus into a sitting position.

"papyrus, are you alright?" He held on to his injured brother, careful not to put him in anymore pain. "what happened?"

"I-I'm fine." There was a slight hiss in Papyrus' voice, tense from pain. "I just fell, that's all."

"you sure? you don't sound fine." Gently placing his hands on his brother's arm, Sans eye began to glow green. "here, bro, let me help you with that."

"You really don't need to." Papyrus winced as he tried to pull his arm away. "I'll be okay."

"papyrus, you're hurt, you're in pain." If he'd been able to, Sans would have frowned. "i'm not going to just sit here if there's something i can do about it."

"B-but, Sans, you're going to -"

"Stop arguing with me Papyrus." His voice was barely a whisper but there was something about it that seemed to scream and echo throughout the halls. "Just let me do this for you."

He hadn't meant for his voice to tremble like that. He hadn't meant for Papyrus to hear these constant welling emotions. This worry, this fear, this... helplessness. Why did Papyrus have to be so stubborn? Why wouldn't he let him do the only thing he could to help? He could hardly even do that as it was. Maybe Papyrus picked up on his brother's feelings because he didn't say anything else about it, letting Sans heal his wounds. Letting his magic pool up into his hands, Sans pulled all his energy towards Papyrus' arms, hoping he could at least dull the pain. Green light filled the small room as Sans poured everything he could into his brother. A nauseating fatigue ached through his bones, growing as magic left his body. He kept going, scraping at the last of his magic and watching it wash through his brother.

"Sans, I think maybe you should stop now." Worry leaked into Papyrus' voice as he tried to pull away from his brother's grip. "You're going to use up all your magic." Only a small trickle of energy left Sans, he didn't have much left, but he didn't let go. He couldn't let go, he could still help Papyrus, there had to be something he could do.

"i'll be fine." That was a lie, a stupid, awful lie. Pain ran down his spine, shooting though each bone as he exhausted his magic. The room became blurry, turning Papyrus into a white smudge on a grey canvas.

"S-Sans.."

"i'm fine."

"Sans."

"papyrus, stop."

"Sans!"

Papyrus grabbed on to his brother as the world tipped over. It took a moment for Sans to register the sensation of falling and being jerked to a stop before he hit the floor. Arms wrapped around him, pulling him into his brother's warmth. Sans hadn't realised how much he was shaking, each tremble making his bones rattle. How could he have been so stupid? He didn't even have enough energy to keep himself upright. He couldn't even heal his brother without messing something up. Trembling, Sans put his arms around the white blur that looked a little bit like Papyrus, letting his body sink into his brother. There was an orange glow mixing into the rest of the smudged room. He could feel magic vibrating from it, trying to reach with him, and washing through the room. A tiny flicker of blue joined it for a second before it lost the energy to keep going.

"S-Sans?" A small voice cut through slowly darkening blurs. "Sans, c-can you hear me? Are y-you okay?"

"i'm okay." What a stupid, awful lie. It hurt just to speak. "i'll be fine."

Then the world turned black.

The lights had turned on a little while ago but the scientist hadn't come for him yet. Papyrus held his sleeping brother, hoping Sans would wake up before he had to leave. His burns hurt less than they had that morning, the ones on his spine where only slightly agonizingly painful when he touched them. Sans' magic had sealed up all the cracks around his left eye, he could even see out of it again. Yet somehow, he felt worse than before, fear and worry wormed inside of him until he felt sick. Trying not to relive his brother collapsing, the overwhelming panic and horror, was nearly impossible. The way his thoughts went round in circles made him feel like he was going mad. Though, it wouldn't be the first time. He just felt so lost without Sans. It made him feel like he was back in that room again. That room where-

No, I can't think about that. Not right now. Argh, why won't Sans wake up?!

Papyrus leaned his head against the wall, trying not to fidget under his brother's weight. If it wasn't for his burns he could pick Sans up and put him somewhere more comfy, not that there was anywhere particularly comfy to put him. At the very least he could grab his puzzle cube like he had wanted to earlier.

I should have just waited for Sans to wake up. What was I even thinking? I was supposed to stay in bed, not go off to get a cube. This is all my fault. I'm such an idiot.

It was always his fault, he always did something stupid and got Sans hurt. That's why he got put in that room in the first place, because he was stupid and didn't do what he was supposed to. Sans had been so worried about him and Papyrus made him feel like that. He should have just done what the scientist told him, then Sans wouldn't have had to worry.

I'm always like that. I'm always doing something stupid and I just keep getting Sans hurt. If I hadn't got myself burned Sans wouldn't have had to heal me. He'd be fine if it wasn't for me.

"Don't ever think like that. If you weren't here I wouldn't have bothered to keep going this long."

Sans couldn't have really meant that, he was just trying to make him feel better. Papyrus only ever caused his brother pain. How could he have possibly kept his brother going? What did he even mean by that?

He wouldn't talk like that unless he meant it though. He only talks like that when he's really serious. Why would Sans say something like that?

"ugh, pap?" Sans shifted and let out a groan. "what happened?"

"Sans!" Papyrus pulled his brother into his arms, ignoring the pain that shot up them. "I'm so glad you're awake. I was afraid I'd have to go while you were still asleep."

"huh, go where?" The smaller skeleton looked up at his brother with foggy confusion, apparently not quite awake yet.

"For the examination." Despite himself, Papyrus couldn't help but feel annoyed at having to remind him. "He said he was going to check my burns today, remember?"

"oh." Sans paused for a moment, rubbing his head. "yeah, i remember."

"He'll probably be here soon." The taller skeleton sighed, he'd hoped he and his brother would get to spend more time together. "The lights have been on for a while now."

"you gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine."

I'm the one who should be worried, I wasn't the one who passed out.

That's what he should have said, but he didn't. The brothers fell into silence, neither willing to bring up the obvious. Papyrus was never quite sure why they did that. He didn't know why he never said anything. Maybe he didn't want to hurt his brother's feelings, maybe he felt like it was his fault, maybe a part of him liked getting taken care of.

Maybe I'm just selfish.

It didn't matter why he didn't say anything but he never did. Sans kept hurting himself to protect him and Papyrus had never managed to make him stop. Did he really even try?

No, I'm just a coward.

Would it stop him if he did?

Of course it would. It's my fault Sans keeps getting hurt.

But he never had said anything and he didn't say anything again. He let it go, just like he always did, half hoping his brother would be the one to say the unspoken. But Sans didn't mention it, he never did, maybe even hoping the same.

The scientist's footsteps were a relief in a way, filling the silence with fearful anticipation and drowning out the guilty feeling of letting things get worse. Sans had moved off his brother's lap a while ago, instead sitting next to him. As the footsteps got closer, Papyrus found himself wishing they'd said more before he had to leave. When the scientist reached the cell, Sans reached out and gave his brother's hand a squeeze. Papyrus squeezed back, not letting go until he had to stand up.

It's fine. I don't need to be scared, it's just an examination. It's going to be fine.

So why couldn't he stop his hands shaking?