Vivi crossed her arms in boredom, her arms already aching from being crossed for so long but she didn't care, Rachel and Ms. Viridian had been gone for almost 47 minutes and showed no signs of their return. The past conversations still fresh in her mind. She felt the same pain Jack did, sharp pangs struck her heart as she glanced from Copper every now and then, she couldn't save her fast enough, if she was there then she could stop that thing from attacking her. If only. She watched as Copper slept in the bed, her once white bandages now having small deep red spots where her wounds were treated but still open, if they don't get her out of here soon she might die of blood loss. She still couldn't believe what Rachel said either, did she really not care for her well being?

Vivi sighed. She tried to find ways to make the wait less boring but those ways were too loud, and those things behind the curtains would jolt and writhe and moan in their beds at the slightest noise, she definitely was not looking for a fight. She heard scuffling and the door slammed open, she stood to her feet as three figures entered and one slammed the door shut behind them, Vivi recognized them instantly.

"Jack?" She said as she walked towards the trio.

The Redhead panted as he looked up to her, holding up a finger while he hunched over on his knees, "hang on *huff* a sec. . ."

"Oh dear God." Mr. Sandstone fell on his back, his chest heaving in harsh breaths while Michael struggled to stay on his feet.

"What happened to you guys?" Vivi walked over in worry seeing his hand wrapped again, and the others utterly exhausted.

"We got. . .ambushed." Michael stood up straight but was still breathing hard.

"The same monsters as before?" Vivi helped Mr. Sandstone to his feet, noticing the change of clothes.

"You guys got attacked before??" Michael exclaimed.

"No no, some weird plant skeleton thing. It was so fucking big!" Jack answered.

"Great now we have another to worry about," Vivi sighed, "have you three seen Ms. Viridian or Rachel on your way here?"

"They're not here?" Jack gasped.

"They went looking for you, Mr. Hothead." Vivi crossed her arms and glared at him in disappointment. Jack grimaced.

Michael looked around and noticed Vivi was in the infirmary by herself but he had an uneasy feeling stir in his gut, "where's Copper? You said she'd be here with Ms. Viridian." He asked.

Jack's face suddenly turned dark, his lips deepened to a large frown, Mr. Sandstone looked at them both of them in worry, he could see the anger in his eyes and the sad expression on Vivi's while Michael was utterly confused. The violet haired girl motioned for them to follow her, Jack being the first to move. Michael and Mr. Sandstone looked at each other in confusion before following them. The figures behind the curtains seemed to moan and writhe louder. They walked until the end of the row where Copper was sleeping, Mr. Sandstone gasped softly as he and Michael stood wide eyed. There Copper was, bloodied and lying in pain, mumbling to herself incoherently as she still stayed in her pain induced sleep. Vivi looked at them in worry while Jack still glared at the Bluenette. Michael was the first to move as he went to the side of the bed, where Jack was originally, and knelt at her side, gently sliding her hand in his.

"Hey CP," he said softly, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand, "what happened to you?"

CP? Since when was he friendly enough to give her nicknames? Only Jack was allowed to give her nicknames.

"She got attacked by a monster." Vivi explained.

"I thought she was with Jack." The Bluenette looked at him strangely.

"The fuck you looking at me for?" Jack growled.

"She was with you yet she's almost dead. . .you left her didn't you," he stood from his position and gently slid his hand from hers, "you left her to die!"

"I didn't! I-"

"Then why the fuck is she bleeding out right here right now?!"

"What do you care? You never did so why should you now?!"

The boys fumed and squared each other up, attempting to get at each other as Vivi and Mr. Sandstone tried to hold them back, the moaning and writhing continued.

"Hey! Hey! Quit it you two!" Vivi said as she held back Jack.

"You need to calm down." Mr. Sandstone said calmly to Michael who was just as furious as the Redhead.

"I'll calm down when I beat his ass!"

"Try it bitch!"

"I said QUIT IT!" Vivi yelled particularly loud.

Then a loud groan sounded from behind one of the curtains, silencing the quartet in fear as they heard footsteps approaching them. Sloppy and wet, like a wet rag being slapped against the counter, they came closer, slowly. From the very edge of the last curtain opposite their own, a clawed hand gripped the white curtain, staining it with its thick black ooze that dripped down its surface, their eyes opened wide as the body of the creature slowly came into view. A large black humanoid creature that stood taller than even Vivi, his body covered in the black ooze that dripped from its frame and pooled at the floor. Black sunken circles were where it's eyes should be but it's mouth showed red stained teeth so large its mouth couldn't close. They stayed quiet as the figure stared at them, a frown on its face as it's other hand rose to its face.

"Shhhhhhhhh!" It hissed behind it's extended finger.

The creature glared harshly before disappearing to the confines of what can only be assumed to be one of the beds in the room, the creaking of the frame as if it were being pressed down sounded, Mr. Sandstone was the first to let his breath out.

"Okay look," he said as he sat Michael down, "I don't know what conflict you two have with each other, but bickering nonstop will not help the situation ere."

"It's obvious our conflict is because he let Copper get hurt- Ow!" A dull thud sounded as Vivi tapped her foot.

"Be quiet you, and not a word from you either." She looked to Jack who waved his hands defensively.

"We should try to get along, at least. How long has Ms. Viridian and Ms. Flaxen been gone?"

"Almost an hour ago."

"Alright, here's what we're going to do. Ms. Periwinkle, Mr. Cornflower, you two stay here with Ms. Rosewood. Mr. Merlot, you'll come with me to-"

"Wait why does he get to stay?" Jack protested. "And I have to go?"

"It's the only way for you two to not rip each others throats out. I'm not letting you guys wander this place yerselves and you two ain't staying together either."

"But-"

"Listen to him Jack," Vivi butted in, "just go."

Jack huffed and ground his teeth, giving Michael one last glare before looking away.

"Fuckit, fine then."

"Good, now Ms. Periwinkle please make sure Mr. Cornflower stays here yeah?"

"Will do."

"Come on, Mr. Merlot, let's go." Mr. Sandstone waited for Jack to move off before walking behind him out the room.

Vivi sighed hard and rubbed her neck as Michael was the one to cross his arms now.

"You two are such a handful." She mumbled to herself, the Bluenette kept his gaze on the still sleeping pink haired girl.

Vivi looked to the Bluenette and noticed his hair was down, she doesn't think she's ever saw him without gel in his hair, bringing a sleek shine to his already voluminous hair, and now it was dull and falling before his face. She hummed as she roamed the infirmary, looking for something, Michael occasionally moved his gaze from Copper to Vivi as she rummaged drawers and desks, utterly confused but paying her no mind. After finding what she was looking for she walked back to him and headed behind him, he didn't notice until he felt hands in his hair.

"Relax, it's only me." She smirked.

"What're you doing?" He said as her hands played with his hair.

"You look better when your hair's back."

She moved away from him after tying his hair and sat at the other side of the bed, receiving a meek 'thank you' from the boy.

"Michael, now that I think about it, Jack's right. You've never shown any interest in Copper until now, and it looked as if you wanted to kill him yourself from seeing Copper like this. . ."

". . .what're you trying to ask? Just say it."

"How do you know Copper? Besides from school of course."

"You see, there's a reason for that."

". . .which is?"

"Actually. . ."

×××

"So, Ms. Viridian, how long have you been a teacher?"

The teacher and the skeleton have been walking together for almost an hour, having no such luck on finding the redheaded male anywhere, and Sans had been quite silent for some time. Until now that is.

"Ten years next week." She said with a soft smile.

Unlike the hellflower they encountered earlier and the stone statues she was still suspicious of, Ms. Viridian was actually quite comfortable around Sans. His laid back demeanour, terrible puns and always smiling face brought a familiarity that wasn't hers nor she could understand, but it was so strong yet so feint that she was oblivious to the feeling.

"Wow, you must really like kids." Sans chuckled.

"Yes, I've always wanted to become a teacher, ever since I was a child."

"Heh, yours must be lucky to have you."

They made idle talk the rest of the way, occasionally giggling with each other, but soon Ms. Viridian noticed one less presence with them. She couldn't quite place why.

"It's really quiet in here. . ." She hummed.

"Yeah, usually is, especially since Ms. Glasses is gone."

". . .what?"

Ms. Viridian looked behind her and her heart started to race, Rachel wasn't there anymore. Oh no.

"Where did she go??" Ms. Viridian started to panic, she was right behind them, where could she have gone?

"Not sure," he shrugged, "she disappeared not too long ago."

"And you didn't think to tell me??" Ms. Viridian furrowed her brows in frustration at the skeleton.

"Hey don't give me that look, if you haven't noticed, I don't particularly like her. So I don't care if she's done in." He shrugged before cracking his knuckles.

She sighed hard, "I don't care if you didn't like her or not, she's my student I'm supposed to look after her. . .but you were distracting me. . .you did this on purpose didn't you?" She glared daggers at him.

"What, me distract you? Trust me Hun, if I wanted to distract you I would've been more successful than this." He smirked.

"So it was on purpose! You lied! What happened to your 'skeleton's honour', or was that a lie too?" Ms. Viridian crossed her arms and tapped her foot lightly.

"Heh, wouldn't you want to know." Sans smirked.

Ms. Viridian couldn't believe her ears, that this skeleton blatantly let a little girl wander off on her own in a very dangerous place, and had the guts to say he would help them but just left her to be killed. She should have known something like this would happen, monsters really can't be trusted.

"Hey, where are you going?" Ms. Viridian walked right past him, promise in her steps and her head held high.

"I'm going to find my students, without your help. Don't follow me." She hissed sharply.

"Aw c'mon, don't be like that," Sans walked after the Green haired woman, "you'll die just like rest of them if you go out there by yourself."

"I don't care, I'll find them myself."

Sans followed close behind her, his hands still in his pockets.

"You'll die out there, the monsters here don't care about your relations with other humans. You'll all die  a gruesome death." His voice low.

"I don't care, it's my job as a teacher and guardian to keep them safe and right now I can't do that because of the damage you've done."

"I have my reasons for doing that, just so you know."

"And they obviously don't benefit me. Look Sans, you've already disregarded your 'skeleton's honour', if there was such a thing, so if you want to take my soul then hurry up and try."

"SAAAANS!!" A piercing cry rang through the halls, echoing sharply in their ears, both existent and nonexistent.

"Shit." Sans cursed.

"WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"  The voice rang, it sounded like a woman.

"Who's-"

"Come here."

Sans suddenly pulled her with him inside on of the rooms, closing the door behind him with a soft click as she huffed in frustration.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh." He hushed her.

He pressed the side of his skull to the door, somehow listening to the outside without ears, he seemed tense for some reason.

"SANS! IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE I'LL DRAG YOU MYSELF."

"Who is that?"

"Someone who'll kill both of us if you're not quiet." He said with a slight hiss.

His demeanour changed, he wasn't as laid back as before and he seemed anxious. Was he. . .no, he couldn't. He was just monster after her soul.

"I thought you wanted my soul, what's wrong if another monster takes it-!"

Sans suddenly pinned her against the wall, using one hand to cover her mouth, the other to keep her hands over her head and lifting her up on his knee so her feet barely touched the ground. She loudly gasped and her face grew warm at the new position but she still had enough drive to fight against his hold. Failing.

"Hey, stop that," Sans hissed as she struggled against him, "you'll get us caught."

He pushed his knee upwards more and gripped her wrists tighter, causing her to whine softly under the pain, his task was easy considering the height difference between them. Footsteps pounded against the hardwood floor with promise, the sound causing her to stop completely and the both of them to hold their breath.

"SANS! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!" The woman yelled again.

Silence deafened the room they were in. Minutes passed by like hours, a lifetime, an eternity. The footsteps stopped, they didn't walk off until they couldn't hear them anymore, they could tell, and her heart beat even faster with anticipation. Why did they stop? Ms. Viridian took a chance and glanced at Sans, his usual demeanor was definitely slipping away from him. But he still seemed calm, holding a breath he shouldn't even have with furrowed brows that are supposed to be nonexistent. He seemed more scared than she was.

"SANS I'LL FIND YOUR ASS!"

The footsteps started up again and walked off to an unknown destination, the woman grumbling under her breath until neither that nor her feet could be heard. Sans let out a sigh of relief and relaxed his knee, 'looking' back to her with closed eyes he shouldn't have.

"Well that could've been a disaster," Sans chuckled weakly, his hold still on the teacher as she mumbled against his hand, "what? you want me to let you go?" The teacher nodded, "but you look so nice in this position." He hummed.

Ms. Viridian gulped dryly as the skeleton inched ever so closely to her neck, trying to find life in her almost blood drained and numbed arms and legs to get away from him, to escape, but failing, once again. She could feel breath that was not supposed to be there on her skin, making it rise in bumps and break a cold sweat on her back, he smelled like pine trees but he had a strong iron musk on him that made her nose scrunched up unconsciously. He inched ever so closely, edging closer and closer the faster her heart beat, until he suddenly drew away from her, that devilish smirk on his face as he peered at her face. Again with closed sockets.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna do anything to ya, at least not here." He snickered and gently lowered her to the ground, her knees buckling, causing her to lean on him more than she wanted.

"I'm beginning to dislike you." She huffed, sweat forming at her forehead and brows in large droplets before sliding down the contours of her face with. The skeleton chuckled.

"Aw, what's not to like?" 

While still holding his grin he helped Ms. Viridian to stand and walk to the door, scouting outside to make sure the hall was clear before helping her walk outside and continue their trek for the redheaded male and now the yellow headed female. Unbeknowst to them the pair of beady yellow eyes that spied at them with a piercing glare, the figure growling deeply to themselves before vanishing in the darkness.