Chapter 3: how to cure a hedgehog
As soon as Eggman was sure Snively left, he removed his suit from Sonic's body, which flinched at the sudden light
Eggman looked at his 'patient' with a critical eye
Indeed he had lowered Sonic's fever but this fight was far from over.
He had to make an antidote in order to cure Sonic of the poison before it was too late.
"Phew…" Sonic sighed stretching his arms and legs, his joints cracking slightly "I feel tons times better" his usual self coming back to life in a second.
"Don't move you little—" Eggman darted forward pushing the hedgehog back down making Sonic's confusion rise fast
"Wha?! Why?" Sonic asked, he didn't try to fight back, his surprise halting him.
"Because you have still the poison inside of you! The fever will come back in a few hours along with all the other symptoms" he explained.
Sonic held the urge to laugh at him.
He acted like a doctor alright, but they were still enemies and Sonic would not stay in his enemy's shelter for a second longer.
"Sorry doc" he said as he got up "but I'm outta here" Sonic exclaimed, jumping off the bed in a swift motion, but instead of running off he was brought to the ground by the sudden pain that followed.
He opened his eyes and looked back at Eggman for an explanation. His current situation scaring him slightly.
"AND" Eggman began "if you even try to use your speed, the process accelerates" the Doctor's statement annoying Sonic further
"Meaning I can't run?" Sonic asked, trying to get back on his feet
"That's it" Eggman said "and without your speed you don't go anywhere!" he said turning his back at him "I suggest you get back on the bed while I find a cure for that poison" Eggman said walking away towards the door, Sonic's gaze following him.
"and one more thing" Eggman began "if you even try to escape, not only will I stop my act of kindness towards you" he theatrically explained while Sonic's gaze changed from confusion to angered "but I'll strengthen that poison and well…..even you can figure out what happens after" the doctor left with a laugh, leaving Sonic alone to decide.
'I have to admit his threat might be a little serious this time' Sonic said to himself 'if it comes to strength there's no match for him but if we're talking about brain, well….guess I'll stay' he thought again, looking back at his bed while walking back towards it.
He laid down, a sigh escaping him.
Neither of the two dared to question the other's behaviour.
Eggman decided to help him but then threaten him to kill him?
He closed his eyes for a second, his thoughts disappearing immediately.
When he opened them again, he looked around his surroundings curiously.
'Very Eggmanish' he thought 'I wonder if he really likes all of this grey-white coloured walls because I sure don't' he thought
Eggman watched Sonic's motions from a monitor in the control room and was soon approached by Orbot
"Would you really do that if he escaped?" he said, he overheard the conversation from the said monitors moments ago
"Of course" Eggman said "not" he finished with a defeated sigh, as if he lost a battle with himself.
He then grabbed a few instruments and came back in Sonic's room to start making the cure.
Being enemies, Eggman knew how Sonic would act towards him.
He would never sleep in his presence, neither eat or relax in his presence because each other knew of the other's intentions but the fact the doctor was trying to help him didn't make sense to Sonic and increased his alert tenfold because he expected a trap.
"Don't you ever rest?" Sonic asked, his feet casually held midair while he stood upright on the bed, fully alert
"And you?" Eggman replied half-heartedly while working on some mathematic things Sonic couldn't even read
"Na-ah!…what is that anyway?" Sonic asked again while pointing at different diagrams written by the doctor.
"Seriously!" Eggman snapped, turning around at the hedgehog "can't you stay quiet?" the doctor complained while Sonic stilled his legs
"You want me to stay still and quiet? Man…not even Sally can do that" he said smirking while Eggman face-palmed.
"Just let me do my job little rat!" he finished, Sonic's ears flat at the 'rat' word as if annoyed.
After some time of work, Eggman noticed the effects of the poison returning
Sonic was now silent and gave his back to Eggman.
His natural self would have never allowed something like this to happen
Too dangerous
It was probably to hide his feverish face while keeping his teeth gritted in silent pain.
When the shaking began, Eggman got up, his sudden movement making Sonic turn around to reveal his ill state.
"d-don't come closer" Sonic said, his voice trembling because of the high fever.
A side of Eggman felt pity for the hedgehog while the other felt victorious.
His mocking smile forced its way to his face making chills go down Sonic's spine
"I said don't get closer!" Sonic's now loud voice said again but the doctor didn't stop
He was now beside him taking something from a closet.
A huge blanket
Sonic stared at the size of it
"Well I don't have hedgehog-size blankets in here" Eggman joked, his smile sincere this time
He dropped the blanket on Sonic causing him to close his eyes for a second.
As soon as he closed them, he felt a hand on his forehead
"Mh, not good" Eggman said, manly to himself "you're fever's too high again" he finished removing his hand getting back to work.
"So, fever rising 10 degrees every 3 minutes, shaking, muscle weakness…." He kept muttering to himself the effects of the poison while writing down some more diagrams.
"E-Eggman…." Sonic tried to speak
"Now what?!" Eggman spouted, his voice filled with hidden irritation
"…" Sonic couldn't answer, too ashamed to do so and kept looking down as if confessing it
"Nothing…" Sonic then said, turning his back on Eggman once more trying to relax under the now hot blanket that covered his body.
He couldn't believe it but he fell asleep.
Sonic woke up abruptly, sweat running down his muzzle, his breath harsh and fast.
Eggman was right beside him but the hedgehog didn't react, too worried about his current state to think about his enemy being so close.
"E-Eggman…..I-" Sonic was cut off by a sharp pain in his abdomen making him cringe at the feeling with a little cry.
"Try to relax"
Sonic didn't feel a hint of the doctor's usual mocking voice; instead he averted a comforting tone with a hint of real concern in his voice.
The hedgehog then felt something on his side.
Instead of being painful, it was a pleasurable feeling.
Eggman's hand was stroking Sonic's side in a comforting motion trying to calm the hedgehog.
'this feels good' Sonic thought to himself, biting his tongue to deny the smile of content to have it's way on his face and stared at the doctor's hand with eyes half closed
After some minutes Sonic's breath slowed down and he regained control over his senses, the stroking motion never ceasing.
Neither of the two spoke anymore for some time
"Uh…stop it now" Sonic said with no harsh voice
"You're right. If I don't find a cure soon…." He left the sentence in the air
As he said that, he got up and turned back on his work while Sonic tried to sleep once more until-
"Damn!" the doctor said, irritation now evident in his voice "I don't find anything…aside from combining neurotoxins with the antidote but" he stopped, mumbling to himself loud enough for Sonic to hear.
During his outburst, Sonic simply watched the scene in mixed surprise and amusement…
The doctor getting pissed off by his own hands? Priceless
Not finding a good cure, Eggman decided to give another painkiller to remedy his state.
As soon as he got up and took a syringe from the cupboard, Sonic cringed and got up with the speed he's been known for.
"….."
His sudden motion made the doctor stop for a second to realize the cause of it.
When he did, he returned in himself while Sonic kept his trembling back against the wall
He looked down
He had to look pathetic right now, completely at the other's mercy with no way of escaping
The fact a little poison could kill him and not one of Eggman's killer robots made him almost laugh
"Get back on the bed" Robotnik motioned towards the said bed but Sonic didn't move
"You little-"Eggman tried to approach the hedgehog only to see his quills rising, ready to defend and slice
That made him stop in his tracks, annoyance finally playing on his face
"Fine! Whatever!" Eggman said, obviously annoyed by the hedgehog's attitude
He simply sat back and continued to work while Sonic held still back-against-the-wall
After sometime Sonic's breath got ragged, he was sweating all over the place while panting to keep standing until his legs gave out and he fell to the ground barely conscious
Finally Eggman got up again and picked up the little hedgehog putting him on the bed again but this time, he simply lowered the fever without the painkiller making Sonic look at him in questioningly
"So you learn to obey me next time hedgehog!" he said while turning around, seemingly uncaring for the hedgehog's cries and moans of pain
"Mc-mcnosehair!" Sonic remarked with the last strength he had making a vein pop out on the doctor's head while he smiled in pain
"Oh yeah?! RAT!" Robotnik insulted
"fat-ass" Sonic weakly but defiantly said back
"Lousy-" he was interrupted by no one other than….
"Sir? Who are you talking to?"
It was Snively
Luckily for him the door was locked
"Uh…nobody….just finishing a project you see" he tried to come up with a good answer
"I was talking to myself. Why do you always bother me while I work?" Eggman retorted, his menacing voice back in place making his nephew cringe all over
"Sorry sir" he fearfully remarked
"Make yourself useful and find that hedgehog!"
"Yes sir" his high pitched voice making Sonic's ears flatten for a second
"What was I saying?!" Robotnik questioned himself "oh yeah!" he turned to Sonic "you lousy-" only to realize he passed out
"Oh….well…" with a sigh he got back working on his poison-cure
Sonic's breath was ragged and even unconscious his throat built little moans of pain
Without a painkiller, Sonic was really in pain
He woke up with another pain-filled cry which made the doctor cringe
"E-Eggman…." Sonic tried to speak "m-my head I-is-ugh" Sonic couldn't even speak anymore, a hand going to his forehead on instinct trying to relieve the pain
"Alright…." Eggman sighed "but only this time hedgehog" the doctor finished, picking up the needle and approaching Sonic who just looked away
"Good boy…" Eggman almost laughed at his behaviour and injected the painkiller right in his blood stream making him sigh a second after
"t-thanks" Sonic replied, both embarrassed and weak from the still present pain while the doctor simply nodded and returned to work
….
"YES!"
The sudden cry from Eggman was so loud; Sonic swore he had woken up the whole base
"I FOUND IT!" he said, happiness evident on his face, not because he was going to save Sonic but because he won a battle of brain against Snively
"Good job doc!" Sonic spoke with a thumb up
"Told ya I would-"he stopped and composed himself "alright so, this should do it" he simply put the liquid in another syringe and injected it in Sonic's arm who watched without fear this time
"There we go" Eggman finished "just 1 hour and we'll see if it worked" the doctor finished
Later, Sonic's fever decreased and his energy was returning to normal
"I think you did it doc" Sonic said, relieved it was over but just as he said it Snively appeared by the door