Handplates - Pills -

Pills

Two white pills sit in front of Sans. They're white, whiter than his chapped bones, and they're round and smooth. Where did they come from? Certainly, he never saw the Doc making them, and they haven't been out on his desk... So, by all logic, they must have come from outside. Sans smirks – these pills have already seen more of the world than he has.

A voice cuts through his thoughts:

"Subject 1-S, were you even listening?" Dr. Gaster's voice sounds weary, like he's repeated himself twice already.

"Uh, Doc, hate to break it to you man, but nah. Got better things to do" Sans replies.

"Listen 1-S, I don't have time for this. Try to stretch yourself and focus just for the next thirty seconds. I sure even you could manage that."

"Your belief in me is astounding, Doc, you know that?" Sans sighs and rolls his eye sockets. Dr. Gaster ignores the gesture and begins again.

"Today, you're going to take these pills." Another sigh from Sans. "Yes, they're harmless. Your health is so delicate I wouldn't want to take any unnecessary risks. These pills will help you with your visions – and, more importantly, will relay them back to me without your having to tell me what they were first."

"Doc, I don't have visions, I've told you this before." Sans interrupts, bored already.

"To cut to the point, 1-S, these pills mean that I don't need to listen to your lies concerning what you pretend you can't see. I know you have these glimpses, and no amount of ... persuasion will get you to tell me. This is our solution."

"Your solution" Sans corrects.

Gaster twitches.

One deep breath. Another.

The doctor collects himself and continues, even more irritated than before.

"Let me finish" Dr. Gaster growls. "You are well aware that for skeletons, digestion is ...complicated. You swallowing these pills will get them up near your skull – exactly where they need to be. So, you swallow, and then we begin the lesson in earnest."

Sans leans his head against the chair and pretends to think it over. In reality, he knows he has to take those pills or Doc will teach Papyrus a lesson... but he likes to milk these moments, where the Doc has to wait for him to do it in his own time. "1-S, I'm warning you, swallow the capsules." Well, almost his own time.

"Geez, Doc, don't get so uppity." Sans's ever present grin widens, ever-so-slightly.

He pools the pills in his hand and tilts his head back, shoving them into his mouth. He swallows. They clack against his mouth and lodge themselves against his throat, at the bottom of his skull. It gives him the permanent urge to gag, and makes swallowing a hell in itself.

Still, he forces a grin and tries not to let it show.

"Better, Doc?"

"It would have been better if we had started with it, but at least you swallowed the damn things."

"Can I get a round of applause? A thank you?" Sans asks, knowing exactly what buttons to push.

"1-S, be quiet!"

"For the record, I've never had a vision, so I'm not sure how useful this will actual-"

But Br. Gaster moves away from the chair and stands next to the computer, leaning over to peer at the screen. Sans falls silent, trying not to gag. Gaster's hand reaches for a mug of coffee, but he finds it cold. Still, he takes a sip, winces and sets it down again. "Now, focus, 1-S"

"What more than usual? Because I think I can only do 12% focused. 15% If you're lucky. But what even means focused? What if I am focused already? Maybe you're not foc-"

"QUIET!"

1-S pauses and then inhales a little. He wiggles his head, as if to make sure the pills have settled. "You see Doc, I don't feel any visions coming along. I did tell yo-"

Sans screams as his vision splits open. Whatever the effect of the visions before, those pills have tripled the pain. It was if his skull was being pulled into two pieces and all he can see...

Was... red and gold and red and gold. Overwhelming him. Checked gold, and red on the floor, and gold on the walls and gold by his knees and red from his hands and gold in their eye and red in their heart and gold and red and gold and red......

"make it stop"