Disclaimer: I don't own Hazbin Hotel. It belongs to Vivziepop.

The waiting room for the hotel's infirmary was quiet. Uncomfortably quiet. Charlie, Vaggie, Husk, Niffty, and Angel sat in the room. When they arrived, they wasted no time carrying an unconscious Alastor to the infirmary. The doctor, Alexir, who just so happens to be an acquaintance of Rosie and Alastor's, was shocked to see the state he was in. As he had Alastor ready for his operation, he asked Vaggie if she needed him to check her arm. She declined, telling him to focus on Alastor. While the doctor did his work, the others go to their respective rooms for a much needed shower and change into more comfortable clothes before returning to the waiting room and waited for the doctor to be finished.

Two hours had passed.

Charlie stares at her clasped hands, the silence heavy around her. Every now and again, the other patrons would come to see what happened. Everyone was hesitant to say who was injured, wanting to respect Alastor's reputation. Thankfully, no one pressed any further and keep it at that. Morning had arrived and no one slept a wink. Niffty, the poor dear, struggled to stay awake before finally succumb to slumber and used Husk's tail as a pillow. For once, he didn't mind.

After what felt like another hour, Dr. Alexir exited the infirmary, his white lab coat stained red. Without missing a beat, Charlie ran to the doctor, saying, "How is he?" The bespectacled demon was taken aback, his melancholy-like eyes glancing over at everyone else in the room.

"…Had any of you even slept?" he asked.

"Who cares about that? Tell us how Al is!" Angel demanded desperately. The doctor didn't speak right away, he instead takes out a cloth to wipe his glasses.

"…He'll pull through." Alexir said. The others sigh in relief, even Vaggie. "You're lucky he didn't die from those injuries before treatment, or else he would have been erased indefinitely."

Dread replaced joy because of those last two words. "…What do you mean?" Charlie asked. Alexir goes back into the infirmary before coming back out with a tray in hand. In it is a bloody metal shrapnel about the size of a wood chip.

"Do any of you know what this is?" the doctor asked. The others got up to get a closer look.

"Ummm…a piece of metal?" Angel answered.

"You're close."

"Where did you get it?" Charlie asked.

"I've removed it from inside Alastor's back." Alexir answered. "The stitching look like it was close to infection, so I had it cut, and I found this well in his muscle and tissue." Vaggie and Angel looked green at that description.

"His back…Is it possible that it came from that large piece of metal from the fight with Sir Pentious?" Charlie wondered.

"Maybe. But why would that almost double-kill Al?" Angel asked.

It finally dawned on Charlie. "It's a piece of heavenly silver, isn't it?"

Alexir nodded. "That's right. It's very possible that Sir Pentious machines may have traces of heavenly silver. While it wouldn't have erased him from the start, it would have made healing a lot harder." Alastor wasn't fully healed from the fight with the snake demon. "Also, if Alastor were to have died during whatever was happening at that party with this piece still inside him—"

"—It would have erased him permanently." Charlie finished in horror. She remembered back when the room Alastor was in was filling with water in order to drown him. Charlie had the notion that he could come back from it even if he had drowned. While that would hurt Alastor's pride, he could still be resurrected. Now that she has the revelation of that piece of heavenly silver…

Alastor was dangerously close of being gone. Forever. And it was scary to think about.

"Oh, fuck." Husk cursed. When Alastor had him in that choke hold, his head was telling him to run his claws through Alastor's chest, but his instincts told him not to. You have no idea how happy he is that Niffty is still asleep.

"Can we see him?" Charlie asked.

"He's resting right now." Alexir said. "Given what I heard from Rosie over the phone, you folks had one hell of a night. You all need rest."

"Please, let us see him." Charlie pleaded. Alexir sighs in defeat.

"Only one can go in. The rest of you are on strict bedrest until I say so." Alexir said. "Angel Dust, you are still not allowed in my infirmary."

"Oh, come on, Specs. Is it about that time I stole morphine? I apologized, okay?" Angel protested. Alexir didn't buy it.

"Why don't you go on ahead, Charlie?" Vaggie said. "I could use some sleep right about now."

"Okay. Sleep well." Charlie said as she watches her girlfriend leave. "Oh, and Cherri. Are you staying in Angel's room again?"

"Yeah. His bed is big enough for the both of us plus Fat Nuggets." Cherri said.

"I'm so gonna cuddle him when I get in bed." Angel said.

Husk goes to leave too, with Niffty in his arms. "You can tell me later." was all he said.

"Okay."

Charlie turns to the closed infirmary door. She takes a deep breath before going in.

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Charlie hated the smell of the infirmary. Alexir had told her it was bleach and it was used to disinfect. That doesn't change the fact that the princess hated the smell. But she'll muscle through it, so she'll check on a friend. Or business partner.

Seeing Alastor on the infirmary bed was an unnerving sight. He looked…small beneath the sheets that is pulled up to his shoulders. He wasn't smiling either, too exhausted to keep it up, even in sleep. He was several shades paler, making the dark circles under his eyes more pronounced and the air around him was eerily silent.

"He's utterly exhausted. Physically and mentally." Alexir said as he took a seat on his swivel chair. "This is worse than every other time I've treated him. Of my knowledge, for the most part."

Charlie hovered a hand over Alastor's forehead, hesitated for a moment, before letting it caress the spot. "He feels warm."

"Post op fever." Alexir said. He started to search for something in his medicine cabinet. "Nothing to fret about."

Charlie pushes away Alastor's bangs, seeing the 'x' mark. "How long will it be until he recovers?" Charlie asked.

"It'll be a while—no, not this one." Alexir answered, inspecting a bottle before returning it to its rightful spot. "The heavenly silver tampered with his natural healing process. Not to worry though. Once he's fully recovered physically, he'll be in the pink of health. Or red in his case."

"Physically…What about mentally?" Charlie asked, dreaded to learn the answer.

"…Who knows." the Demon Doctor said. "Men like Alastor tends to keep things close to his chest. Bear in mind that Alastor is considered a powerful Overlord and he plans to keep it that way. For years, he's built up metaphorical walls around him, to prevent others from reaching in and seeing sides of Alastor not pertaining to his reputation as the Radio Demon. Many have forgotten over the years that he's a sinner. Like me, like Angel Dust, like the Countess… he's still a mortal soul. He was once human. We sinners were all human." His eyes, which often showed pseudo glum, became genuine. "We carry on our regrets, fears, and twisted convictions, even into the afterlife. Some of us became this way because we were born into it. Some were cultivated due to temptation of an outside source."

"Does that include you?"

"…Of course, my dear. There is a reason I am here." Alexir hands Charlie two white pills.

"What's this for?"

"It's for Ms. Vaggie. I'm sure she's still experiencing some level of pain from her own injury." Alexir said.

"Thank you, Dr. Alexir." Charlie thanked.

"I am only doing my job." Alexir claps his hands. "Well, I've got a call from Kujaku that a canine demon thought it was a smart idea to stick his head between the iron bars outside. Again. Duty calls." Taking a bone saw from his utility closet, he moves to walk out. "Oh and be sure to rest for the day. I mean it. You may be the princess, but a doctor's order trumps everything."

Charlie stood alone in the infirmary with the resting Alastor. She turns to him, thinking about everything Alexir had told her. Alastor have always presented himself as unwavering and unfazed by everything and everyone. Perhaps he does have little to fear, that's why he could remain steadfast. A question does come to mind.

What kind of fear does the Radio Demon have?

Shaking away the thoughts, Charlie goes to leave. But then, she remembered something. She digs into her pocket. She smiles to see it intact. She places it on the nightstand next to Alastor's bed. "Get well soon, Al. And thank you." she said before leaving.

On the nightstand is Alastor's monocle.

Alexir is another OC of mine. I think he'll appear in the fic I have planned for Alastor and Husk. My headcannon voice for him is David Tennant. This may sound blasphemous, but I've never seen Doctor Who. I'm aware that each season has a different actor for the Doctor for—what I'm guessing—is some type of reincarnation process the Doctor goes through. I think David Tennant did season 10. Any Doctor Who fans may correct me on it. How I'm aware of the actor is mainly because of Looker from Pokémon (he bears a strong resemblance to Tennant) and his role as Dr. Weller from Gen:Lock.

Speaking of Rooster Teeth, I was hearing the song 'Fear' from RWBY while working on this. Even if you're not a fan, please have a listen to this song on Youtube. It's powerful and it talks about what it means to be afraid and what it can do to you. I know there are some things in the song that may not fit with this, but bear with me on it.

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