Against All Odds

Part 2: Chapter 3

Papyrus cautiously peeked around the corner, slowly working his way into the ICU room. He tried to steel himself for the sight that awaited him in the first bed, but he wasn't ready. Nothing could have readied him for it. There Undyne lay, unconscious, numerous tubes and wires connected to her and an oxygen mask over her mouth. She was deathly still; aside from the very slight rise and fall of her chest and the languidly spaced beeps from the nearby heart monitor, Papyrus could've sworn that she had, as the monsters put it, "fallen down." She wasn't dead, as that would've meant that her dust would've scattered and settled on the bed and surrounding areas, but falling down was the step just before...

He shuddered at the thought and would've cried out, had he not caught himself; this was a hospital, after all. Twiddling his fingers, he stood near the foot of her bed, unsure of what to do next.

But then he shook his head. This wasn't the time to chicken out, or stand there doing nothing; Undyne needed him! She needed to know that her husband was there! Yes, he thought. But how to do this? There didn't seem like much he could...

Oh. Her hand. Her right hand was unaffected.

Papyrus stepped forward quietly and pulled a nearby chair over to her right. Ever so gently, he reached out and took her hand, softly caressing the top of it with his thumb. He wondered if she was aware at all, if she even felt it. And if not, could she sense the love he was sending her way?

He looked up at the monitor. He didn't understand many of the curves and wavy lines that drifted across the screen, but he knew every beep that echoed from it was another heartbeat from the love of his life... another sign of hope that meant she wasn't about to give up so easily. He found himself longing to rest his head on her chest just for that reassurance, and as another show of affection, but knowing her injured and healing state, he once again restrained himself. He just gave her fingers a gentle squeeze, and leaned in close, actually whispering into her ear. "...I love you, Undyne..."

"...rus..."

The skeleton perked up for a moment, sitting back to look at his bride. Her eye was ever so slightly open, all of its attention directed at him. He felt a strong pull of relief and agony tightening within, tears forming in his eye sockets. "U-UNDYNE..."

The corner of her mouth creased itself up into a little smile. She gave his fingers a small, slow squeeze.

And he gently squeezed back. "UNDYNE... PLEASE DON'T DIE..."

She exhaled a little harsher than she had been, doing her best to scoff at the notion.

Papyrus smiled, the salty drops beginning to slide down his cheeks. "UNDYNE, I'M... REALLY SORRY THAT YOU HAD TO GET INVOLVED IN ALL THIS. IF I THINK ABOUT IT HARD ENOUGH, IT'S REALLY MY FAULT."

He felt her grip tighten a little.

"I'M SERIOUS, UNDYNE. YOU SEE, IF I HAD BEEN STRONGER, I WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIGHT OFF THE STARLIGHT KILLER. I WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN KIDNAPPED IN THE FIRST PLACE. AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN FREE TO... TO..." He took a moment to shake his head and sigh. "AND FURTHERMORE, FOR SOME REASON I WAS FAVORED AMONG THE OTHER VICTIMS. I WAS LET GO. WHY WAS I LET GO WHEN THE OTHERS DIED?" He turned to face her once more. "YOU ALMOST DIED BECAUSE OF HIM YOURSELF. WHY WAS I SO LUCKY?"

Her grip increased just a little more.

"AND WHAT'S MORE... I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU'LL GET INJURED ON THE JOB, ESPECIALLY NOT WITH THE KILLER ON THE LOOSE. AND ONE DAY I MIGHT GET ANOTHER CALL... A DIFFERENT KIND OF CALL..."

Papyrus gasped a little as he saw a single tear slip down from Undyne's right eye.

"OH NO." He grabbed a tissue from the box on the nightstand and carefully dabbed her face. "DON'T CRY, UNDYNE. I'M SORRY. YOU'RE HERE AT THE HOSPITAL IN PAIN AND I'M JUST MAKING IT WORSE. I'LL STOP TALKING ABOUT MY DEEP SEATED INSECURITIES AND FEAR OF OUR LIVES TOGETHER GETTING CUT TRAGICALLY SHORT AND TALK ABOUT... CAKE. I LIKE CAKE. CAKE IS DELICIOUS. AND NOW I REALLY WANT CAKE. IS THIS A CRAVING? I'VE NEVER HAD A CRAVING BE- WHY ARE YOU SQUEEZING MY HAND, UNDYNE?"