The Silver Soul

34

"Hey, Gaster. You wanted to see me?"

I pull open the heavy iron door to Gaster's office. He's sat, hunched over various book and stacks of paper. Looking up, he smiles. "Hello, Will. I wanted to run some tests."

I frown a little, crossing my arms. "For what?"

"I merely want to examine you for any lasting effects from the Void. That is all, I assure you."

"Right." I nod and sit down in the chair he pulls out for me.

For a couple of minutes, the only sound in the room is the clinking of intricate metal instruments I have no names for. Unease settles in my belly, and I fidget with the fraying edges of my shirt. I nearly flinch when Gaster holds a needle up to the light.

He must've seen my expression because he's quick to reassure me, "Oh, do not be worried! This is merely to draw some of your blood. It will only hurt momentarily, I promise."

My eyes shut as I brace for the needle, cringing away from the prick and the deep ache when it meets its mark. The blood is collected quickly though, bright crimson filling the crystal test tube.

Gaster tests my reflexes, whacking my knee with a hammer, my eyesight, my hearing, my hand-eye coordination and finally, my magic.

It's almost impossible to draw magic after such a long period of disuse; summoning anything other than mist is horrifically hard. I barely feel the heat magic fills me with, or the feeling of awareness either. It should be terrifying, and maybe if I wasn't so tired I'd actually be worried.

Gaster pulls out a clipboard, scribbling something down. "Interesting. So, you've used it minimally since you've woken up, correct?"

I nod, resisting the urge to peek at his notes, "Yup."

He continues to record information before glancing up at me, "Does using it hurt?"

I fidget once again, maintaining uneasy eye-contact, "No. It's just hard."

Gaster thinks for a moment before he pats my shoulder. "I believe you just have to eat more and start training again. Go easy on yourself though."

I flinch at the contact before giving a nervous grin, "Alright, thanks."

"I will inform you if I detect anomalies in your bloodstream. Is there anything that has been bothering you lately?"

I bite my lip. "Well, Uh... I... I still don't remember anything."

Gaster freezes. "Remember anything about what?" he asks, his voice soft, but with a certain tension.

"Y'know," I fidget, struggling to meet his gaze, "My life before. Like, my real family and where I lived before I fell down."

"And you would like to know about those things, Of course you would... Yes..."

"Uh, Yes?"

He's hiding something from me.

"Gaster- "

"W-What?" he smiles hastily, shaking slightly, "Yes, what is it?"

"Is anything wrong?" A note of suspicion creeps into my voice. Gaster visibly panics.

"Oh! Err, no everything is perfectly fine."

"Right then." Gaster busies himself with organising some of the papers littered on his desk. "I think I'm needed at the castle. I'll... go. See you around, I guess."

I nod at him, sliding out of the chair and beginning to exit.

"...Will, wait."

Stopping in my tracks, I turn around. "Yeah?"