What an excellent domino chain of comfort. Papyrus providing the dog with comfort, the dog providing Sans with comfort... or at least trying to, which was the important thing! With these thr---these two here, also helping, Papyrus wouldn't need to choose between his carnival job and his familial job.

"It certainly was. Really, going to help was the least I could do. After I first failed to rescue you..."

Papyrus wipes at his skull, which somehow got a little sweaty in this conversation, and glances away himself. Without Sans leading the way with bad jokes and obfuscation, it's somehow harder to know how to proceed here. Especially with such a difficult, painful topic, where dwelling on it won't do anybody any good... but, he thought, they weren't just not saying things anymore. What was he supposed to do?

What a question. Be himself, of course.

"Well, that couldn't stand! Much better that you be here, where it's much less bad."