Chapter Text
“NOTHING BEATS COUNTRY LIFE!”
“oh yeah? what’s so great about it?”
“MANY THINGS! THE FRESH, CLEAN AIR, THE STARRY SKIES, AND!! YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT EXTREMELY PRICEY RENT OR FOOD! IN FACT, I BET YOU’D ALSO LIKE THE FACT THAT THEY DON’T HUSTLE AND BUSTLE LIKE THE MILLIONS OF HUMANS CRAMPED IN THIS CITY!!”
The country definitely seemed like more peaceful and quiet living suited for a monster such as himself.
He figured he’d at least give it a shot.
Down that one, long, winding road, the old, long-serving bus made its way forward with its persistent rumbling. The skeleton man gazed out the window in grave silence, head propped up with his right hand, barely blinking. His worn-out fedora shielded his eyesockets from the bright rays of the early rising sun, red and unyielding. Every now and then it threatened to blind him, to which he merely closed his sockets for a few minutes each time, as though too tired to open them again.
Sans’ mind had been muddled up the entire week.
He hadn’t spoken the entire week. He hadn’t felt the need to, ever since his brother passed away.
Sans let himself sink further into the window’s edge, not caring that his coat sleeve had started creeping down to his elbow, or how crumpled his dress shirt became. The only thing he made absolutely sure not to fall off was the red scarf around his neck, no matter how wildly it fluttered about in the warm country air that rushed in through the shutters.
His bony, gloved hand grasped tight at an old letter written by the late beloved, his spidery handwriting scrawled across the sheet. Sans had found it tucked away in his room, telling him there was an old farmhouse he could escape to in the countryside if he ever became bone-tired of city life.
Well, he definitely was tired.
The letter described how Papyrus had acquired an old farm from his best friend as a gift, and was someday going to make it new again and have all his friends over to enjoy the produce and the landscape.
... That day will never come for him now.
The mysterious illness that inflicted Papyrus came as quickly as it took him, all in a matter of days. It had started out normal enough with a mild headache and a few coughs, symptoms he ignored as he continued to work. A fever and breathing problems quickly followed however, both rapidly worsening to the point where it made even his once strong, healthy brother collapse. Only then was Sans informed by his brother’s colleagues of his state, once they had found him in that state for themselves.
Had Sans or any of his colleagues known about his brother’s condition even a day earlier, a hospital trip probably would have saved him.
But they had not.
The brothers had lived together all their lives, seeing how Sans could not be left alone without making a complete mess of the house. Papyrus had always been the house guy, making sure it was tidy and that his brother ate proper meals instead of the junk food he often strewed about his study. Despite that, it was common for Papyrus to have late nights at work or even stay there till the next day.
That whole week however, Papyrus did not return.
His brother had kept his illness to himself that whole time, intending not to worry anyone, especially his brother. Even as it got worse, he believed he could stave it off with sheer willpower as he always had.
It was too late by the time he realized he needed help.
Sans sighed tiredly, pulling his fedora down further. This was why he swore never to force his limits a day in his life ever again, not after what happened in the past with their father. He did have several odd jobs back when he raised his brother on his own. He had to, but none were too taxing physically or mentally, and he made sure to sleep whenever he could. Papyrus just... never slept.
And now he would sleep for the rest of eternity.
The bus came to a stop with a rocky shudder, snapping Sans out of his train of thought. He looked out and saw nothing but bushes and trees right outside his window, almost brushing it.
Yep. This must be the place.
He’s definitely not in the city anymore.