Morning light shone down on a brilliant, sunny day. Clouds had long since dispersed and the early morning rays cast a golden orange light upon the sky, bathing the waking girl in a peaceful warmth. Eyes scrunched before opening slowly, a small hand rubbing sleep filled crevices as she sat up and wondered where she was. The bed she lie in was unfamiliar and cold, the crisp white sheets a stark contrast to her normally vibrant bedspread.

A frown adorned her cherubic face as she looked around groggily, taking in the cold and lifeless atmosphere around her. Strange machines beeped above her and she frowned, wishing the annoying noise would cease. Her gaze fell upon that of her mother, her beautiful ebony locks cascading down the chair she slept in, falling over her face as she slumped awkwardly in her seat. Small bags had formed under her eyes, and her fists were clenched around the sheet covering her slender frame. Smiling softly, she looked around and noted her father was nowhere to be found, but she figured he couldn't be far.

Yawning loudly, she ripped off the strange device on her finger and reached over to shake her mother's hand, a loud alarm sounding above her. Startled, she lurched out of bed and clawed desperately at the air before landing on her back with a pained oomph. Her mother awoke panicked as the beeping grew increasingly louder, her arms coming down to cradle her child as she cooed softly and brought her into a tender embrace.

"Frisk, darling, you scared me half to death!"

The little girl nodded, her heart beating a mile a minute as she clung to her mother, "Sorry, mommy. Where are we? Where's daddy?"

"Daddy's gone to get us breakfast. He should be back soon. Now you just lie down and rest, no buts!" She scolded, settling her daughter back in bed and replacing the sensor on her finger. The loud alarm had stopped but Frisk had frowned, looking at the strange thing on her finger.

"That's a pulse oximeter," a new voice intoned, "it lets us check your vitals and see how well you're breathing."

Frisk whipped her head around to see a tall man with short dreads giving her a warm smile. His hands held a clipboard and another strange device that looked like some kind of weird balloon. His face was kind, his dark skin enhancing his brilliant chocolate eyes. His face was weathered, smile lines creasing his eyes and cheeks, and his bright smile lit his face from within. Walking over, he sat down in the unoccupied seat on her other side and held out a gloved hand, his kind eyes never leaving hers.

"How do ya do little lady? My name's Jerry. What's yours?"

She glanced to her mother and upon seeing her smile and encouraging nod, she turned back to the newcomer, a small smile on her face.

"M-My name's Frisk.." she whispered, shaking his hand gently.

"Well, Frisk. It's nice to meet you. Although I sure do wish it was under different circumstances. Seems you took a nasty spill to the head a few days ago," he frowned, glancing briefly at his chart. She could make out all sorts of numbers and strange words, but none of it made any sense to her.

"Days ago?" She whispered, her eyes searching her mother's face as she nodded her agreement.

"Yep. You've been out of it for a few days, little lady. You must've been on one heck of an adventure to come in as banged up as ya did," he paused, glancing over to her mother, "Do you mind if I talk to ya alone? It won't be but a few minutes."

Frisk frowned and looked to her mother who had stood tall, pressing a kiss to her forehead before whispering that she'd be back soon.

Frisk's eyes widened, and she reached out for her mother, but it was too late. Her mother was gone and she was left with this new man. Her nervousness overwhelmed her, and she whimpered curling in on herself as she stared at the man before her.

He seemed to understand as his eyes softened even more and he scooted back a few feet away. Crossing one leg over the other, he clicked a pen and began to write on the back of his clipboard.

"Now don't ya worry. You aren't in trouble or anything. I just need to ask ya a few questions, okay?"

A moment of silence passed before she nodded and the man began his questioning, much to her confusion.

"So, Frisk, what exactly were you doing the night you got banged up? You had one nasty gash on your head and your arms and legs were all torn up."

She frowned, hugging her knees to her chest, "I got lost.. out in the woods. I was looking for my friends."

All that was heard was the scratching of pen against paper for a few moments before he glanced up at her once more, "Friends you say? You were looking for your friends in the woods?"

She nodded, her gaze drifting around at the sterile, clinical space around her. Body trembling, she kept her gaze fixated everywhere except on him.

"Are you sure thats what happened?," at her nod, he continue on, his gaze narrowing slightly, "has your mommy or daddy ever hit you?"

She blinked, stupefied before she snorted out her denial.

He looked at her once more, confusion and offense written all over her face. Eyes hardening for just a moment, he clicked his pen twice before continuing on.

"I see. Are you sure there's never been a time where mommy or daddy got mad and hurt you?"

Her little eyes grew cold, her features going stoic as she levelled her gaze to the man, "No. My mom and dad have never hurt me."

He nodded and scribbled away, his eyes returning to the playful manner once more, "Good! Glad that's all settled. All right little lady, let's go ahead and get your check up over with."

Jerry came over, pulling his stethoscope over his ears and placing the bell on her chest. After several deep breaths he nodded and asked her to follow the light on his pen, which she easily complied. The weird balloon like instrument was wrapped around her arm and the bell placed underneath. Strangely enough the device inflated, wrapping her arm tightly for just a few moments before it was taken off and more notes were added to his papers.

"All right, Frisk. I'd say you're good to go. You'll need to stay in bed for about a week since you took a such a nasty spill. Banged yourself up good ya did," he smiled, before scribbling down some notes, "I'm gonna write ya a prescription for some pain-killers and I'll need to see us again once that week is up so we can take out the stitches."

"St-Stitches?" She cried, feeling around the back of her head before Jerry calmly pulled her hands away.

"Yep. Stitches. I did say ya banged yourself up good," he smiled as a knock sounded before the turning of a knob, "Well, I'll leave ya to your breakfast, little lady. Get some rest. Mrs. Woods, would you follow me for a moment?"

Her mother nodded and squeezed her father's arm gently before following the doctor out. Her father smiled and ambled over, balancing a large tray in his arms, "There's my princess! How ya feeling kiddo?"

Frisk smiled as he set the tray down on a little wheeled table. She watched as he adjusted it lower to her before uncovering her breakfast. The smell of pancakes filled the air and she couldn't help but grin wider as she took in the pancakes, grits and eggs on her plate. Reaching up for a hug, she smiled happily, "I'm fine, daddy! I get to go home today!"

Her father smiled brightly and hugged her gently before sitting down beside her bed and watching as she dug into breakfast enthusiastically, "That's great, pumpkin! We're just so happy that you're okay."

Pausing mid-bite, she looked up at her dad and fully took in his appearance. His eyes, normally bright and vibrant had dulled significantly. Underneath his tired eyes, he sported large bags, clearly from a lack of sleep, and judging by how stiff he sat she could tell how distraught her old man had really been.

Frowning softly she pushed her plate away and reached out for her dad once more. He responded in kind and scooted closer before wrapping her in a gentle yet strong embrace. She cuddled close and rested her head on his shoulder, noticing the slight tremble in his frame as he buried his head in her shoulder.

"I'm sorry daddy. I'm so sorry.." She mumbled weakly as her father tried to stifle his tears.

"Don't ever do something like that again, okay?" He whispered harshly, though judging by the wet patch on her shoulder he wasn't really angry.

She only nodded and hugged back tighter until her father had managed to calm enough to pull away, rubbing his eyes sheepishly.

They sat there quietly as she finished her breakfast, her mother returning some time later along with a nurse who removed the different machines all around her. It was all so weird, but she couldnt help but fiddle with the little pulse oximeter clinging to her finger. She smiled politely at the nurse as she explained what each machine did as she went about taking them down, every now and then checking the device on her finger. With a small smile, she excused herself momentarily and her father followed the chatty woman out of the room while her mother gathered the few belongings in the room and stuffed them into a suitcase.

It wasn't long before the nurse came back with a wheelchair and helped her into it, explaining that it was company policy to wheel her out of the building. She paused briefly to give her a pill and a cup of water, her painkillers she supposed. Downing it quickly, she grimaced unhappily and sighed as the nurse wheeled her out the room with her mother right beside her.

"It's a good thing you got here when you did," the woman spoke softly, "Poor girl, you must have been in so much pain."

Frisk hummed softly and slumped back into the chair, "Yeah.. it doesn't hurt so much now."

Her mother smiled and reached down for her hand, which Frisk readily grasped, "I'm glad, sweetheart. Scared us half to death, but it's all over now. No more adventures in the woods for you."

She could only nod as they got closer to the exit, the lobby a cheery yellow color with brightly colored spots littering the surface, like one big playground. It normally would've made her giddy and look around, but she couldn't find it in herself to be excited about much, the fatigue of the last few days kicking in sharply, or maybe it was the drugs?

Her father was waiting for them downstairs, his car parked at the entrance, where he gently scooped her up, chuckling as she yawned widely and snuggled into his arms. He brushed her hair gently and settled her into the backseat while her mother packed away the suitcase and climbed into car, fussing over their daughter when her father climbed into the car.

"It's all right, sweetheart. We're gonna head home and get you tucked into bed. Why don't you rest a little bit," her mother cooed, reaching back to pat her knee softly.

"I don't wanna sleep," she pouted weakly, "I want to go home and play with Sans and Papy. They're probably worried sick."

The car fell silent for a moment, her parents exchanging worried glances before her mother continued, "Who are they, sweetheart? You've never mentioned them before.."

"They're my friends," she slurred, her eyes falling closed despite her attempts to keep them open, "They were so cold and scared. I couldn't turn 'em away. Didn't think skeletons could even get cold!"

The car stayed silent after that before her father turned on the radio, lowering the volume while her mother searched the glove box for some slow R&B music. It was one of her favorites, and when she heard the familiar tune, Frisk curled even more into the plush seat.

The car remained quiet aside from the music for a few minutes, but soon enough her parents voices filled the car once more, "Richard, I don't like this. First the drawing and now this.."

"Probably just imaginary friends, Kat. Don't think too much into it," her father whispered, "I mean seriously, skeletons?"

Her mother hummed softly in acceptance, "I guess the meds could be to blame.. I just.."

"I know, baby. Don't worry so much, okay? Just a simple side effect and case of imaginary friends. Nothing more," he reassured quietly before the two fell silent once more.

Frisk tried to stay awake and she did for the next five minutes or so, but all too soon the sound of the radio and the gentle bumps from the road lulled her to sleep.

~oOo~

The sun had started to set when Frisk woke up again, the familiar bedroom lit up with a multitude of colors, reds and oranges, soft golden hues, it was a rather pleasant sight to wake up to. It was far prettier than that cold, sterile room in the hospital, she mused.

Her arms reached out as she stretched, a noise of contentment filling the silence as she popped her spine. A large yawn fell from her lips as she sat up blearily in the bed.

"Hey there, sleepyhead," her father smiled from his spot by the doorframe, "If you had slept any longer I was gonna wake you up. Dinner's ready. You up for some spaghetti?"

A smile bloomed on her pretty face and she nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah I am!"

He chuckled softly and turned around quickly, "Alright, princess. You stay there. You can eat in here for the next few days while you rest."

She smiled softly and rubbed her eyes sleepily before flopping back onto the bed, her mind waking up as sluggishly as she was. Her head felt weird, clouded and fuzzy, but that was to be expected. Painkillers were definitely not fun, she grumbled and rolled over to her side.

Her father came back in the room a few minutes later with a small plate of saucy pasta. Settling down in a chair nearby, he set the plate down in her lap gently, careful as the plate was still hot.

"Do you need help eating?" He asked, smoothing her hair gently as he watched her pick up her fork and eagerly digging in, "Or not.."

She stopped and smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, dad. Its really good though!"

"Alright, sweetheart. Eat slow, okay? If you want more, just holler," he smiled softly and gave her a quick kiss to her temple before leaving the room.

She did just that, eating ravenously then calling her father again and asking for another plate of spaghetti, which he readily provided. He smiled down at her and told her to enjoy dinner and that he'd be back later for her next round of medicine before leaving the room and shutting the door softly at her request.

Frisk smiled and looked around the room quickly, her eyes locking onto the closet on the other end of her room. Hoping against all hope, she waved her hand at the door and hoped that just maybe her friends were awake.

Her efforts were rewarded by a bony finger wiggling slightly through the slat, a childish giggle accompanying the dancing digit.

"Papyrus!" Sans hissed, "Get your finger out of there!"

"Sorry, bro.." She heard the tiny monster whisper and the finger disappeared.

Frisk smiled softly and gestured for the two monsters to come out. Hesitantly, the closet door opened and the smaller skeleton ambled over to the bed, making no noise as he ran on the carpet. Smiling, the little human girl scooped him up and tickled his tummy resulting in muffled squeals and cries of indignation. She let him go, giving him a gentle squeeze before letting him have the fork and letting him chow down on the warm noodles and generous meatballs.

His little eyes widened comically as he slurped a saucy noodle. Eyes twinkling, he turned to Frisk and launched into a happy tirade of how delicious the meal was and how yummy the meat tasted. His little body was practically shaking in excitement as he continued to chow down like a man starved, which really he was.

Sans approached much more cautiously, looking at the door as if it would burst open any minute. For a moment, he stopped beside her bed and looked down at the content girl and debated on whether or not he could sit on the bed, but Papyrus was so he wouldn't overthink it.

Jumping up on the bed, he chuckled softly as Papyrus practically smashed the fork to his mouth in a silent demand for him to try the food. He complied easily and had agreed much more quietly that it was very good, much to Frisk's delight.

The two ate together quietly, but when Sans had his fill, he reclined back and glanced over to Frisk who was silently watching the two of them with a small smile on her face.

"How are you feeling?" He found himself asking, breaking whatever thought that had consumed her.

"Oh! I'm fine, thanks. Just a bit groggy," she laughed, lying back further against the headboard.

"Are you sure?" He asked, his bony hand reaching over to brush against her forehead, "you don't feel warm, but you were gone for days.."

Her smile faded into a frown, eyes shining sadly, "Yeah, that's what everyone has been saying. Have you guys been okay? Have you been eating?"

Sans nodded, his mouth a thin line with worry. He reached out to ruffle her hair softly, minding the stitches as he did so, "We're fine, kid. Don't ya worry, okay?"

She nodded, her eyes resting on a content Papyrus who had come to snuggle against her arm.

"We missed you," the younger monster yawned, "Sans was worried sick when you didn't come back right away."

Said monster sputtered quietly, a wash of blue on his cheeks as he looked away awkwardly, "I- uh.. w-well, you were gone a long time!"

Frisk smiled as she watched the skeleton fumble over his words and look anywhere but at her. So lost in his musings, he never noticed that the little skeleton had leaned up to whisper in her ear, "He was so worried when you didn't come back that he almost went out into the city to find you. Your parents mentioned you were at the hospital and you weren't waking up, he was so scared!"

Frisk giggled softly and glanced over to the floundering monster, his rantings still going as he fought to find the right words.

"I-I just w-wanted to make sure you weren't dead! N-not that I thought you were, you're tougher than that! You're one of the strongest people I know! But- ah jeez," he groaned, hiding his head in his hands as his whole skull turned blue.

Warm flesh met cool bone as she pried his hand away gently. He glanced up shyly and was embarrassed yet happy to see her brilliant smile directed at him.

"Thank you, Sans. I'm okay," she whispered and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Glad you're alright," he mumbled, squeezing tighter and looking away as his face heated up.

"Me too!" Papyrus chimed in and scrambled towards his brother as the sound of footsteps grew closer.

Eyes widening, Sans snatched his brother up quickly and practically dashed into the closet, shutting it as quietly as possible. Frisk hurried and snatched the plate up and pretended to chew a bite just as her mother opened the door.

"Frisk, sweetie, it's time for your medicine. It'll help you sleep, okay?" She whispered, setting down a cup of water alongside two pills.

Frisk pouted, and looked up at her mother pleadingly, "I just woke up! I don't want to sleep yet!"

Her mother sighed and kissed her brow, "You need to, sweetheart. Sleep is the fastest way to recover. Besides, you'll have all morning tomorrow to play with your dolls okay?"

Grumbling irritably, she snatched up the pills and took them quickly, gagging at the gross taste. Her mother and father came to say goodnight and tucked her into bed snuggly before turning on her hello kitty nightlight and leaving the room.

Rolling softly, she glanced over at the closet where her monster friends were probably settling down for bed. Her eyes searched in the darkness for any signs of movement, but the shadows showed nothing and with a quiet sigh, she whispered a quiet goodnight, having a nearly silent 'Goodnight' whispered back.