There's nothing worse than being abandoned by the father of a child. Except maybe if the child isn't yours. Especially if the child is chronically ill and may not make it through the first few months of their life.
That's what's going on here.
Now, before anyone says anything about baby Goth, his parents DID NOT abandon him. Jewel was adopted by Reaper years before most of the multiverse existed. As you know, he's a very busy man, and he's been taking more work with Raps (Reaper Papyrus) watching Goth. So before PJ came around, Jewel offered to watch her little brother. Reaper was the one who found Paperjam and Jewel has been the one to take care of him. She didn't stop watching Goth because it was better for everyone, except maybe her once PJ's health concerns became apparent. But she never told anyone. Geno's constantly fatigued and Reaper's so busy. She often lets Goth stay with her for long hours so they could have some time alone together. And Goth is a very easy baby. All he wants to do is cuddle. So long as he's touching you, he's happy. He'll sit at her leg on the floor while she's fretting over PJ. And he loves his sissy. He's very worried about her, but he can't talk yet. He sees her so sad and all he wants to do is make her smile.
Paperjam's health condition comes from the fact the determination that created him from the ink and strings of his fathers is dangerously low. He can't hold himself together. He had to use the determination he had while forming to escape the world he was in as Error destroyed it. He was found not long after by Reaper who called Jewel. They thought the poor thing just had a cold from exposure, but Jewel quickly figured out what was going on.
Her empathy, purity aura, and healing magic are all that's helping this poor baby stay together. She's feeding the kid determination as much as she can. Her purity aura increases the baby's stats and her healing magic cures fatigue and temporarily settles his stomach to get some food. But he can't eat a lot at a time, and a hungry baby screams. Even more when they're sick. So the only time she gets any peace is the few minutes that PJ passes out. Goth gets all his cuddles in, but the poor baby is constantly vomiting up ink, spit up, and falling apart. Jewel has seen the strings that make up his structure more times than she cares to count and it terrifies her.
As seen in the last one, Error just straight up ignores Paperjam's existence. Ink tries, but he's so easily distracted by other goings on in the multiverse, various projects, etc. He doesn't see Jewel's fatigue because emotionally, she's drained too, so he can't feel as much with her either. He at least provides things for her. Diapers, formula, bottles, clothes for her and the baby, anything she asks him for. He's even tried helping stabilize PJ's form but he can't keep it stable with his powers because PJ's not his conscious creation. PJ's determination is what is lacking.
But the fact is, Jewel's left alone. Error has even banned her from the anti-void while she has PJ so she's living in this small house that Ink made for her in the doodlesphere to keep PJ contained, so it isolates her from Ink further.
The sad part about all of this is... she has options. Jewel COULD go to Reaper and Geno. They wouldn't let her watch Goth if they knew, or have her at least stay with Geno in the Save Screen so she has someone to help her. Geno would never leave her to take care of a child like this alone. Even Red, of all people, would hang out and just keep an eye on the kids, watch TV and hold them while she takes a nap. Just someone to watch and call her if something happens. Dream's healing magic could help with PJ temporarily too, and you know Blueberry would be HAPPY to take Goth for everyone. He'd be the best babysitter ever! Sans would do whatever he could, king of lazy would help her get to sleep in a heartbeat, help her decompress.
Jewel's just so used to dealing with her problems herself that she doesn't reach out to anyone. She doesn't feel like she could pawn her problems off on anyone. The only person she's ever truly leaned on was Reaper and that was when she was a child, and it's not like he can help with this. He can't hold PJ, can't take him. It takes her breaking down like this to go to Geno, asking him to watch the kids while she goes and to yell and emotionally beat down Error, and sort of yell at Ink. He at least did something.
Paperjam (c) @7goodangel
Goth (c) @nekophy
Jewel (c) me
