King's Heir (A Dadmare fic)

16

(Sorry if this feels a bit rushed, I'm very busy but I wanted to get this chapter out for you guys)

Today was the day of the doctor's appointment and Killer was growing anxious. He wasn't anxious about the doctor, no, Killer was anxious because Dust still hasn't told their dad anything about Papyrus. The little skeleton knew he should've told Nightmare straight away but he didn't want to upset or get Dust in trouble so he waited and hoped. He hoped Dust would tell Nightmare himself but that moment never came, it never even hinted at the weight of what Nightmare said. Those words were directed towards all of them, Killer understood that.

He began to think of what his dad said about the doctor. 'They help people,' he remembered, 'so would they fix Cross and Error's eyesight? Would they be able to fix the hole in Horror's head?' His thoughts faded off as the approaching sound of footsteps came up next to him and Killer flinched, expecting a scolding for being up so early in the morning. Instead, he was greeted by a gentle kiss against his skull and a hand on his shoulder.

The voice that spoke was so soft and gentle yet so gravelly, deep and echoing. It was as if the echo only worked for his voice, no matter the environment. "What are you doing up at two in the morning Killer?" The child tensed at the question before slumping his shoulders, now or never.

"I couldn't sleep," he mumbled out with an almost shaky voice, "my head hurts."

He heard Nightmare chuckle quietly as the almost empty bowl in front of him was suddenly pulled away. He watched his dad head towards the kitchen before getting out of his seat and following. His attention stayed focused on the god as he placed the dishes in the sink before turning on the water and beginning to wash them, he would've completely spaced out if he hadn't heard Nightmare begin to hum. The sound of running water mixed with the soft sounds of a scrubbing sponge and the soft plats of the black goop dripping off of the King's body made a surprisingly relaxing background noise.

Soon the sound of running water disappeared and Killer watched as his dad dried his hands off with a towel before turning to him with a smile. The god bent down, carefully picking his middle child off the ground and cradling him in his arms. Killer's hands gently gripped against Nightmare's sleepwear as the king carried him to the couch, carefully sitting himself down with the five year old still cradled in his arms. "Killer, I have a little fun fact for you. Did you know that most headaches are caused by stress?"

"Stress?" Killer repeated idly, "What's that?"

"Stress is something you feel when things get rough or when you're going through conflict. People react to it in different ways but stress can be hard on you if you aren't careful." The king explained, "So, what's got you so stressed?"

The child paused for a moment and for a second he wanted to cry, however, he just pressed himself against his father. "I promised I wouldn't tell."

Silence held it's throne for a moment before it was executed. "Is this related to what happened when I first found you and Dust?" The god's voice held barely above a whisper, hushed and quiet yet begging for an answer.

"It was all his fault." Killer slipped, a small whimper choking itself out as the urge to cry began to overwhelm him. The black substance dripped down his face in cascades, a broken sob echoing around the room.

Nightmare brought Killer closer to his chest, gently shushing his child. "Who's fault?"

"Papyrus's!" Killer nearly wailed. "He keeps whispering to Dust, telling him things, bad things. He tells him to hurt people and sometimes Dust listens." Any walls put up were now broken, enforcements now shattered into pieces with no hope of being fixed. That was fine however, Nightmare would make sure the wall was built correctly this time, until then he would listen to Killer.

It didn't feel like a long time when the sun was finally up, all five children dressed and ready to go with Nightmare herding them around. The god made sure everything was set and ready before opening a portal to the only doctor, well scientist, that Nightmare would ever trust.

The king led his boys into the lab, instructing them all to find a place to sit as he moved over to the little cubby on the side. His knuckles tapped against the wall to catch the attention of the scientist, who was busy on their computer. They spun around, fixing their glasses almost nervously. "Nightmare, right on time."

"You know me and my obsession with being on time." The god chuckled, "I assume you'd like to hear my concerns?"

Sci nodded, taking his glasses off to rub them clean with his lab coat. "That would be helpful, it makes it easier to figure things out of course.

"Well, Error will quite possibly need glasses. I'm not sure you can do anything concerning Cross's color blindness but I would still like for you to take a look at the scar on his cheek. I'd also like to get Killer tested for his eyesight." The king paused for a moment, tapping his foot on the ground slightly. "And could you give Dust a mental test?"

Sci seemed confused for a moment, looking at the god with slight concern. "You think he has a mental issue?"

"Yeah, I have a feeling." Nightmare sighed, "It's just better to be safe than sorry." The scientist nodded softly before he allowed Nightmare to lead him out to the kids. The god sat himself between Cross and Killer, humming softly as Sci called Error away to the back. He felt a hand grip his sleeve and smiled, wrapping a gentle arm around Killer. Cross and Dust shared a glance before they both smiled softly.

The doctor's visit felt like hours and when they finally returned the boys were all keen on taking a nap, except for Cross who insisted he go train with the guards. Nightmare allowed in, he needed to speak with Calen anyway.

The king entered the library with a gentle hum, greeting the nurse and maid with a gentle hello. "The doctor's visit brought a lot of information."

Calen lifted her head from her book, offering the seat beside her as she propped a bookmark into the book before setting it aside. "Is that so?"

The king nodded, taking the seat. "Sci is convinced that Dust has PTSD and... he's sure that Horror has ID." A sigh followed as he leaned back, frowning at his lap. Calen frowned softly, pressing a hand against the god's shoulder.

"I'm sure it'll be okay your majesty, we'll just have to keep an eye on them, yes?"

"Yes, I suppose so."