Adamant King, Indomitable Slave: Chapter 4
Sonic's POV
An entire week passed after Shadow came stumbling through the woods with no clothes to his name.
Amy and I have already gotten used to having him around and even Knuckles seemed to be a bit cooler around him now. Still paranoid, but not as pissed off anymore.
But Shadow...
"Shad, maybe you should give it a rest?" I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder when he felt like throwing up again.
It was morning, close to lunch, and already the hot Summer sun of June was already high in the sky as we tried to cultivate the land. Shad was adamant in learning the ropes, still trying to earn his place here, but his sickness has yet to disappear.
We were all getting worried. Amy and I because he should've been better already and Knuckles because he feared Shadow needed to stay longer than he could take.
"No, I'm... I'm just halfway." He stated, hunched over and using the hoe for support. This was a relatively small field used only for our own vegetables, not at all big enough for the heavy machinery we used for our cornfields.
"Shad, you're literally about to throw up. I think it's best to-" Shadow pushed me to the side and hurried to these bushes at the nearby forest to lose his breakfast in. I couldn't help but cringe a little.
Once it sounded like he had calmed down a little, I approached him and rubbed his upper back.
"Shadow, maybe it's time we call a doctor." I suggested, but he shook his head quickly.
"No, no doctor." He panted, groaning softly.
That was always his answer and he didn't even give me a reason why. Honestly, I don't know why he's being this stubborn.
I couldn't let this go on, could I? I can't turn a blind eye to this. Would I let my subjects suffer like this?
No, I should make a stand and get him that visit weither he liked it or not. I wasn't going to just let this slide when he's been throwing up every morning and evening for an entire week already!
"Shadow, that wasn't a suggestion." I stated forcefully, causing said hedgehog to look up to me in shock for a moment or two before casting his gaze back downwards.
A barely audibly soft chuckle left his vocals.
"Is that an order, boss?" He asked almost tauntingly.
"Yes, it is." Though it was me Shadow was now seeking support with, I decided to keep pushing this on him.
I'm not even sure if that taunt was meant to be taken positive or negative considering his previous status. His brand was still very much visibly just under the pant leg of his shorts.
Shadow huffed.
"You almost sound like you're royal or something." I was surprised by that sudden tease. It was weirdly specific.
I would've responded, but then Shadow suddenly dove for the bushes again, unable to keep the rest of his breakfast down.
I wondered if there was any significant meaning behind that last taunt...
We all agreed to call in a doctor. Once again because Amy and I were worried and Knuckles because it would make Shadow leave sooner. Although, the hedgehog himself was still very much against the idea.
"Sonic, I don't need a doctor! I'll be fine in just a matter of days! Believe me!" We were all sitting around the dinner table when we broke the news to him.
Shadow was not happy.
"You've been throwing up all over the place and even worse you've been overstaying your welcome for days already. You will see that doctor and I will kick you out in a couple of days." Knuckles spoke as forceful as always, annoyed that our guest acted this way.
It's been a week, but I have yet to find out exactly what it was about those two to make them hate eachother so much. That stubborn echidna didn't like Shadow from the moment Amy introduced the two and the other wasn't exactly doing much to mend whatever kept them from seeing eye to eye.
"I'm sorry that my sickly state is an inconvenience to you, Knuckles, but I don't need a doctor." Shadow was just as stubborn as the three of us combined and I'm not sure that was something to be proud off.
The red echidna scoffed at the ebony's somewhat sarcastic response.
"Shadow, we're just worried for your health. You're not getting worse, but you're definitely not getting better either." Amy joined the conversation, both of her ears somewhat flat.
Shadow didn't know what else he could say to convince us that he would be just fine. Everything he ever tried had already been said before.
"Read my lips, I will be just fine. I'm grateful for your hospitality and the opportunity to distract myself, but I don't need a doctor." He seemed to be growing a bit desperate.
He did not need medical help in his oppinion. Well, unfortunatly for him, we already called one.
"That must be her." Amy stated when the bell of the front door suddenly rang and quickly answered to let our visitor in.
Shadow looked utterly shocked and was frozen in place as we heard Amy greeting someone in the background. When a rabbit came walking into the room followed by Amy, it sorta looked like he was frozen in place.
"Doctor Vanilla, we're all really glad you could come." I jumped up from my chair to offer my hand and greet her. Knuckles did the same, smiling as he welcomed her into our home, but our ebony guest stayed seated and kept on staring.
"We really are so grateful that you could come." Probably very relieved that he could kick Shadow out in a couple of days once he's looked at by Vanilla and taken care off, Knuckles shook her hand in both of his own. He's so happy that she could come so late during the day.
"Oh, don't be! I'll always be ready to help the three of you." Vanilla stated as she drew her hand back and smiled, holding her brown doctor's bag in front of her.
She had always been a kind woman, to us especially. She knew our secret and had vowed to keep it safe, supporting us instead of our current king. She was ready to come by and help whenever we were in need of her expertise and she's helped us through so much.
We are forever indebted to her for all of her help. I don't think we'll ever make it up to her.
There is one way we've been trying to, though.
When I do visit the town and see her outside of her job, I see her walking around with her young daugher of only six years old, Cream, at her side. So should Scourge ever find us here, the three of us agreed to leave any of Dr. Vanilla's inolvement out. That way both mother and daughter will be safe from his wrath.
"And this must be our patient." Vanilla's gaze fell on the ebony hedgehog who had not moved an inch from his spot. Even now he was still staring at her, speechless and unable to figure out what to do next.
"Shall we go upstairs to your bedroom, Dear? I know that patients such as yourself very much depend on their privacy." The female rabbit suggested kindly, but it took a while for Shadow to respond.
"Patients such as myself?" He repeated, wanting her to elaborate.
"Slaves who are recovering, Dear." She explained like he wanted her too, but Shadow didn't seem to appreciate it. Instead he shot me a glare, apparently angered that I told an outsider what status and life he ran away from. I didn't even know he wanted to keep it a secret.
Nah, now that I think about it, that actually makes more sense.
Shadow had been a little open with us, but only because he seemed to want to earn himself a place on this farm, far away from peering eyes. That privilege did not include doctors living in the nearby town.
But Vanilla wasn't a loved doctor for nothing.
She noticed Shadow's reluctance to speak or move with her keen eyes and so smiled at Knuckles, Amy, and I.
"I believe the sunset is very lovely this evening. So why don't the three of you check it out?" In her most subtlest way did she shoo us out of the house to give herself and Shadow all the privacy they could want, her kindest smile present on her muzzle.
Knuckles walked out through the back door without another word. The sooner we were out of the house, the quicker that appointment could be done. Amy followed reluctantly and so did I, shooting one last glance at Shadow before I left.
He had laid a hand on his lower belly and a worried expression appeard on his face.
What was that all about?
That appointment seemed to last a whole half an hour as the three of us just sat on the porch outside and looked up to the sky. The sun was almost gone and the cloudless sky had a dark purple hue, slowly turning into a dark blue.
"You think they're almost done in there?" I asked as I reeled my head back to look at the kitchen window. I couldn't see much from my position, but that was the only place where there was still light, so I guessed they haven't moved from their spot.
"Who cares so long as Vanilla gets the job done." Knuckles responded, sipping from the can of beer he had taken outside with him.
"I do wonder just what they are doing in there. It's taking quite a while." Amy stated and we all thought they were really taking their time in there.
I wonder what's up. I hope it's nothing bad.
And just as I wondered that Dr. Vanilla, as if on cue, opened the back door and looked down at us with a smile.
"You can come back in if you want to." She told us before walking back inside. She must've finally diagnosed Shadow.
Naturally all three of us came back in, but upon entering the kitchen, Shadow was nowhere to be seen.
"Your guest left for his room. I suggest you give him a little while and he will explain the rest." Vanilla informed us, which we found a bit strange.
Why couldn't she explain to us what was up?
"Vanilla, why won't you just tell us what's wrong with him?" Knuckles asked as he found it suspicious just how that had to be kept secret.
The rabbit wasn't sure if she should answer, but then decided to reveal a little bit.
"I didn't have to diagnose him. Shadow knew all along what was the matter with his body. He just needed some persuasion to come clean to the three of you too." As she said this, Knuckles couldn't help but grit his teeth, slightly pissed off.
"So all along he knew why he was sick? Than why the hell did he make us take the risk of bringing a doctor up here?" He asked, but we all knew only one person could answer that question.
"Knuckles, have an open mind, okay? It's a difficult secret that he needed to keep and I believe it was for a good reason." She replied and I guess we will have to see weither she's right or not.
Shadow has some explaining to do.
We waved Dr. Vanilla off after we paid her for the visit and told her a good night. And as she returned home to her daughter, I turned my attention to our other visitor. I know the doc said that he needed a little bit of time, but I felt like it was my duty to know the truth.
With Amy and Knuckles tidying up in the kitchen, I made my way up the stairs and soon found myself standing in front of the guest bedroom, knocking on the door. When I heard a muffled 'come in', I entered and saw Shadow sitting on the windowsill and looking outside, arms crossed and wrapped around himself.
Despites his dark fur, I noticed that his eyes were slightly bloodshot, like he had been crying during his doctor's appointment. Maybe that's why it had taken so long? Though, he doesn't really strike me as the emotional type.
"You okay? Dr. Vanilla told us it was up to you to tell us what was wrong." I said and closed the door behind me, giving the two of us some privacy.
Shadow didn't turn his head to face me, but his expression did tell me how sorrowful he seemed to be. He regretted letting me in.
"You know what I used to be just little over a week ago, don't you? A slave. And do you know just what someone as 'desirable' as me was forced to do? You know the kind of consequences something like that can cause?" He cast his gaze downwards, unable to look me in the eye.
I didn't respond to him. I stayed silent and gave him the time to search for the right words and courage to speak his mind. Though, I do have a feeling that I know where this was going, remembering what I had seen that night I found him.
"I'm sick because I've been suffering from morning sickness for the last couple of weeks now. I'm pregnant, Your Majesty." Standing up from his seat, Shadow turned to face me and awaited my reaction.
