DT Serum, Primary Testing In Progress

"Right shoulder.  Chest.  Head.  Head's not unusual," Lex wheezed.

Gaster scribbled some notes down before he nodded to Ally. "Th-the CatScan m-machine is r-ready." She said before ducking out. Gaster turned to Lex. "With your permission, I'd like to run a Cat Scan of you. It won't cause any pain, and all you have to do is lie still. It will allow me to have a 3D image of what's wrong, and I am willing to share all of the results with you from this."

"'Kay.  Long as there isn't a dog scan in the room," Lex mumbled, still holding Ashton's arm.  It steadied him.  Centered him in the real world.

Gaster chuckled. "Just a Cat Scan. Do you want to do it now, or wait until you are a little more recovered?"

"If we wait until I'm recovered, I'm walking out before that can get a scan," Lex pointed out.  "Just... get it over with."

Gaster nodded. He unhooked the IV, and left the oxygen on the gurney before wheeling Lex down the hall. He said nothing about Ashton staying next to Lex's side, and allowed it, partially because he didn't have the heart to tell Ashton to wait in the room. Once there, Gaster told Lex that he had to remain as still as possible while the machine operated, and asked Ashton to wait just off to the side.

Lex settled as best he could, trying to hold still.  Pain in his ribs made it difficult to get comfortable, but he found the least painful spot and lay still.  He managed a thumbs up to show he was ready.

Gaster nodded and started the machine. It slowly moved Lex into the machine, first with his head, and then slowly moving down to his chest...

The instant the machine turned on and Lex was moved toward it, Lex felt as though his body was being shredded from the inside out.  At first he couldn't even breathe from the pain.  His heart started racing painfully as though he was having a heart attack.  Lex screamed, his body getting pulled up toward the machine despite the straps holding him down.

As soon as Gaster realized Lex was in pain, he shut the machine off. Ashton was at his friends side in an instant, three quarters of the way to a panic attack. Gaster barked orders for Ally to bring some machines in to make sure Lex's vitals were all on line before examining Lex worriedly.

Lex gripped Ashton's arms, gasping and panicking himself.  He couldn't focus.  Couldn't breathe.  His heart thundered erratically in his chest.

Gaster did everything he could to try and get Lex's heartbeat to normal, including hooking up the IV and giving him tranquilizer to try and relax him in hopes that would work.

Lex relaxed, but his heart remained fast and skipping for several scary minutes before finally apparently correcting itself.  Lex felt a slight jolt then nothing.  He groaned, his body shaking.  Ow.

Gaster ran his hands through his hair and breathed a sigh of relief when Lex's heartbeat stabilized. "Lex... I apologize. I did not know this would happen, although I believe I know why it did."

"Home," Lex whispered desperately.  "I want to go home.  Out of here.  I want out.  Please."

Gaster took a quiet breath. "You need to recover more before it's safe to move you. I'm sorry." He ran his hands through his hair again, still stressed over the whole thing.

Lex took a shuddering breath, still clinging to Ashton.  "Ashton stays?"

Ashton nodded before Gaster could respond. "Like hell I'm leaving now." he said somberly.

Lex nodded slightly, shuddering faintly even now.  "Thank you, Ash," he whispered hoarsely.  He felt a need deep inside.  Not one he knew how to verbalize, and if he had, he wouldn't have said it allowed.  Lex may have been low, but he still had some pride.  All he wanted, all he really needed right now was to be held.  To be told, even if it was a lie, that everything was going to be alright.

Ashton stayed with Lex, and while he didn't hold him, he kept a hand on Lex and told him quietly that it'll all be fine in the end, and that Gaster would solve this and they would all get to go home soon.

As long as Ashton was there, Lex relaxed until he finally drifted off to sleep.

True stayed in the living room with his phone in his hand, waiting.  What was going on?  He needed to know so he could have something to tell his little brothers.  And Layla.

Gaster and Ally put their heads together in another room for a while before Gaster called True. Perhaps True had some answers about Lex that could help? Also, touching base wouldn't hurt.
Ashton stayed by Lex's side. The stark cleanliness of the lab and the nausiating smell of the sanitizer and cleaning product almost made Ashton want to either bolt or throw up, but he had a promise to keep, so he remained in this hell.

Layla hadn't stopped moving since Gaster drove off with Lex. No amount of counsel from Kat had calmed her, and Layla just paced anxiously while holding Hugs close, whimpering softly.

Lex cracked his eyes and peered at Ashton.  "Grab some coffee," he whispered.  "The smell will help, yeah?"

True almost dropped the phone as he frantically tried to answer the phone.  "Hello??"  The phone was upside down.  He turned it right side up.  "Hello?  Dad?  How's Lex?"

Ashton nodded tensely. "Yeah... right. Not that I can drink it, but the smell will help. be back." He got up and kind of stiffly went to the break room, coming back with a cup of black coffee.

"To be honest, I don't know how he is." Gaster said truthfully. "I have suspicions, but if it's all right, I wanted to talk to you to potentially find more out." He paused half a moment. "I tried to run him through a CAT scan, but I think the magnetic field it created reacted with him. The reason I never wanted to put you through it is because you have metal in you, and basic science reveals metal and magnets react. Can you tell me if Lex has anything metal in him, or anything in particular?" The doctor was stressed out, and while he tried to cover it up, the frustration and tiredness crept into his voice.

"That's better," Lex mumbled, closing his eyes again.

True sighed, leaning over to cover his eyes.  "I... Neither one of us knows much about what the other went through.  It's kind of a need to know thing, and those of us being subjected to the treatment had no need to know.  I know that Proditer was trying to make him... invincible.  I'm not sure what all that involves, but, yeah, there's probably metal in him somewhere.  I remember... check his heart.  I remember Proditer saying something about Lex's heart to someone else."