DT Serum, Primary Testing In Progress

"I could.... but I'm not going to." Ashton said firmly.

Shuni looked disappointed. "Why not? It looks fun!"

"I don't dance." Ashton said. "I can maybe find a video so you can see how it's done, but that would be the closest you get to me doing it."

Shuni lost interest. "No thank you. I smell lunch!". He squirmed off the couch and ladder into the kitchen.

Ashton stayed where he was for now.

Gaster gave Shuni his lunch before he brought a couple plates to Lex and True.

Lex still sat by True's bed, heedlessly shredding a cigarette iin the fingers of one hand while he watched his brother. True slept, if you could call it that, his face pale and sweaty, his breathing harsh. Clearly, he hadn't taken the meds yet.

Gaster sighed. He hated seeing True in so much pain. He wordlessly handed True a plate, and set True's food on the nightstand beside the meds.

(How true!)

"Thanks," Lex mumbled. "Smells good."

Gaster sighed. "He still hasn't taken any meds yet, has he?"

Lex shook his head. "Nope. Wouldn't even hear about it.

Gaster sighed and rubbed his face. "Any ideas on how to get him to take it without forcing him to?"

Lex shook his head again. "Nope. He's pretty much shut down since Kat stormed off, and he's like a brick wall when he gets that way."

"Any idea why she stormed off?" Gaster asked. He was getting too old for this.

"She couldn't deal," Lex shrugged.

Gaster groaned. "I'll call her later and see if I can change her mind."

"If she can't deal, maybe she should stay gone," Lex answered icily.  "True's had enough failures for family and friends.  No reason to add one more."

"And if she stays gone, what then?" Gaster rebuked. "Kat means so much to True, and if she stays gone, how do you think he'd feel?"

"Better then if she made a habit of leaving," Lex shot back.  "She's already hurt him.  It's bad enough."

Gaster calmly adjusted his glasses. "You tell True you think he shouldn't see her anymore, and tell me how it goes then." He said softly. "I am going to clean up the kitchen and eat myself." He stood and walked out.

"Yeah, whatever," Lex growled, shoving the plate away.  "He already knows she's not coming back."

Gaster had barely left the room when there was a knock at the door. After a few moments, Kat comes back. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying, which she still is a little.

(Verb, Kat.  Verb.  So good in the first sentence.)


Shuni waved, smiling.  "Hi!  True cried like you are.  Why are you two crying?"  Tactful, he was not.

Lex sat quietly with True, still saying nothing.  He heard the knock but didn't move.

Kat shook her head at Shuni and went back to True's room. She stood in the doorway a moment before she quietly sat down next to Lex at True's bedside. She can't meet Lex's eyes.

"He's awake and no different from when you left," Lex said.  Icebergs had more warmth.  And were softer.

That didn't do anything to comfort Kat. She wiped her eyes. "I'm so sorry." She tried to apologize in a shaky voice.