Blurry

Quiz Time

"H-HEY, D-DON'T STAND UP!"

"I-I'm fine, I... I just need t-to-- Hrk!!"

Papyrus barely managed to catch the smaller skeleton as he tried to stand from the couch, his broken leg giving out from under him and threatening to send him plummeting to the ground. He took the broken skeleton into his arms much like a mother would their child, cradling him as he stood from his seat. "WHERE DO YOU WANNA GO?"

"I-I uh... j-just... wanted to stretch..." Sans said much quieter, trying not to make eye contact as his brother let out an exasperated sigh, plopping back down onto the couch with him still in his arms. It had been about two weeks since the accident, and four days since he'd been discharged from the hospital. Since then, Papyrus had spent every waking moment caring for his brother, feeding him properly, keeping him entertained, and even bathing him the night before, which was honestly a nightmare that he wished to never relive. Sans felt guiltier each day as the circles under Papyrus's eyes only grew darker and his movements grew more lethargic. Papyrus was working even when Sans was asleep, between constantly checking up on him and finding as many photos and albums as possible to aid Sans' memory. So far, nothing had really come back to him. The most he really remembered was how much he loved ketchup, and he'd been downing the stuff since he had gotten home.

"HMM... POP QUIZ!" Papyrus broke the silence finally. Sans jolted a bit in his arms, looking up at the tall skeleton with brows furrowed. "I haven't studi— eeeeahh!" Sans concern was quickly converted into a trusting terror as Papyrus stood up proudly, plopping Sans there on the couch and with quick movements propping his leg back up on a pillow. "OF COURSE YOU HAVEN'T STUDIED! THAT'S THE POINT OF A POP QUIZ!" He exclaimed proudly. Sans sighed with knit brows, but he chuckled nonetheless. "You're right, Paps, my bad."

"FIRST QUESTION!" He lifted a finger up. "WHERE DID WE LIVE IN THE UNDERGROUND?"

"Uhh... Ssssssnowdin."

"CORRECT!" As he said this, he held out a packet of ketchup to Sans, who grinned amused and took it from him. Sure, it was the same kind of positive reinforcement given to dogs, but he wasn't really complaining. He eagerly tore the corner off and began sucking on the packet like a child would a lollipop, watching Papyrus as he eagerly continued.

"NEXT QUESTION! WHO IS ASGORE?"

"King of the monsters when we were in the Underground." Sans answered after pulling the packet from his mouth.

"AND WHAT DOES HE DO NOW?"

"Uhh... farming..?"

"MMM... CLOSE ENOUGH! HE GARDENS." Papyrus gave him another packet of ketchup, which Sans eagerly put in his lap to down after he finished this one. He knew this wasn't really remembering. While he could recall no doubt that Papyrus was his family, it wasn't because he truly remembered - he just remembered new facts since the accident. Learning was far different from remembering, and it was clear Papyrus understood that as well. But every small fact brought him closer to truly remembering, or so Sans had been told, and so for now he just did his best to turn the past events of his life into a test that he couldn't fail - for Papyrus's sake.

"NEXT QUESTION! WHAT IS HALLOWEEN?"

"What is what..?" Sans stared up at him a bit confused. Papyrus stared back, just as lost. "I DON'T KNOW EITHER. THE HUMAN TOLD ME ITS IN A COUPLE OF DAYS, IM NOT QUITE SURE WHAT THAT MEANS."

"...do I still get the ketchup?"

"NO!" Papyrus yelled, and Sans laughed, finishing his first packet and moving on to the next.

"RESUMING THE QUIZ!" Papyrus exclaimed hotly, clearly regretting his choice of prize. "WHO IS THE HUMAN?"

"Uhh..." Sans took a bit longer on this one, orbs of light deep set in his sockets rolling up to stare at the ceiling contemplatively. "Oh, they're the one who broke the barrier, right?"

"CORRECTOMUNDO! AND THEIR NAME IS?"

"Ch-Chara..."

"YE- WAIT, NO. WHAT?" Papyrus looked down at his brother confused.

He knew that wasn't the right answer. But that name... that name suddenly came to mind. Not a common name to randomly think of. He couldn't remember why, remember what it was about it, who it really was, and yet... the name itself filled him with an utter panic. A fear of an end far more terrifying than a car crash, far more emotional than amnesia. A fear that was doubled with an oddly familiar pain in his chest.

"SANS!"

Sans jolted. Papyrus was knelt down in front of him, waving a hand in front of his face, concern clear in those eye sockets. He hadn't realized he'd been so spaced out. "S-Sorry. I'm okay, I'm okay." He smiled nervously. Papyrus watched him cautiously. "DID YOU REMEMBER SOMETHING..?"

Sans shrugged with a nervous chuckle, eyes looking off to the side with furrowed brows, that usual smile still plastered there despite the lack of feeing. "I don't know, heh. Maybe? It's not a lot to go off of. I wouldn't worry about it." He waved a hand dismissively. "You can finish the quiz if you wanna."

"WELL... IF YOU SAY SO." Papyrus stood back up, boisterous behavior returning. "I'LL ONLY TAKE A HALF POINT OFF FOR YOUR LAST RESPONSE! THE CORRECT ANSWER WAS FRISK!"

"Right." Sans smiled more genuinely up at Papyrus. "I won't forget again."

"BEST NOT! NEXT QUESTION!"

"So no—"

"NO KETCHUP!"

Sans laughed as he carefully reclined in his seat on the couch, his healing rib cage giving a few creaks in protest but not too much trouble. Papyrus looked rather triumphant with his last question. "WHICH IS THE SUPERIOR PUZZLE? JUNIOR JUMBLE OR CROSSWORD?"

"Crossword." He responded without hesitation. Papyrus's pride vanished. "WHAT??"

"Crossword is way harder than junior jumble. It makes you think a lot harder - you have to pull words from your prior knowledge than from a bank of... already..." Sans trailed off with a slightly surprised expression. Papyrus was watching him just as stunned, when suddenly his face broke out into a wide grin, eyes sparkling with the purest of joy. "YOU REMEMBERED!"

"Hey... hey, I did." Sans grinned wider, laughing as Papyrus leaped onto the couch, hugging him from the side where his leg wasn't resting. "THIS IS GREAT, THIS IS AMAZING, THE AMAZING PAPYRUS HAS HELPED YOU REMEMBER THAT CROSSWORD IS SUPERIOR TO—"

Sans laughed as that reality smacked Papyrus in the face, unable to conceal his pleasure in seeing that he remembered of all things that his puzzle preference wasn't the same as Papyrus's. After a clear internal battle on what to say, Papyrus finally folded his arms with a deep sigh. "MMM... FINE! FINE! JUST THIS ONCE, BECAUSE IT'S A STEP TOWARDS REMEMBERING, I'LL LET YOU HAVE THIS ONE!"

Sans gave a giddy giggle like a child as Papyrus handed him three more ketchup packets. He held them to his chest contently, letting himself lean his head against Papyrus's shoulder, who sighed and smiled in turn, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "Thanks, Paps."

"ANYTHING, SANS."