Thailog continued to play with Brooklyn's trust as he planned, taking it easy on most of his tests though they still wore Brooklyn down, especially during his force feeding.
Brooklyn had emitted a cry of pain during one, when some of the food struck his intestines weirdly, but the doctor ignored it, enjoying this too much for that to be of any concern. Thailog too didn't pay attention, as he stroked Brooklyn's chest gently. Brooklyn still hadn't gotten over the fake rescue and more of these tests continued to overwhelm his plaything.
"Yes, I know this force feeding isn't right for anybody, but we're helping you when you can't eat, little plaything."
Brooklyn squirmed under his straps, the pain in his lower stomach throbbing slightly before it vanished, more tears coming as the tube was finally taken out. But they were unaware of how much damage they placed in Brooklyn, which would get worse later on.
Thailog guided Brooklyn back, who still felt shivery.
"Sleep for now, Plaything, and rest yourself for the next time I need you," murmured Thailog gently, putting on a fake, friendly smile. Brooklyn just nodded absentmindedly, feeling exhausted all over, collapsing against the wall, spots growing in front of him.
Brooklyn slid to the floor, stomach making weird noises and feeling irritated again, making him breathe strangely, as he slipped into sleep.
...
In the next maze test, Brooklyn fought the usual soldiers, though his movements felt sluggish and not as strong, he couldn't move out of the way of them as well as he used to without his wings that were still tied and broken.
A sudden irritation in the lower right part of his belly came up, making Brooklyn flinch, gripping it, though Thailog hadn't used the shackle nor had he eaten poisoned food.
"Come on, fight us! Have you really stopped being a legendary warrior devil? So lame!" sneered a man, kicking Brooklyn harshly in the side. Brooklyn hardly felt the kick, his breathing harsh and ragged, kneeling on his hands and knees, as the men ganged up around Brooklyn.
Thailog ended the test right there, coming in and breaking his men away from Brooklyn, who was lying weakly on the floor. He had saved Brooklyn right before any further harm came along.
"I'm disappointed you couldn't finish your test, but you will be allowed to rest for a time. My men won't bring you any further harm…" purred Thailog, massaging Brooklyn's back, who was emitting small hoarse whimpers of pain. But Thailog hadn't noticed, for he assumed it was from the men beating him, and that he'd get over it in a day or so.
Thailog even gave Brooklyn some clean water, which he accepted, eyes dull and tired, taking a couple sips, legs close to his chest, as the dark clone left him to rest.
So far, through the night Brooklyn fared alright, doing his best to lie comfortably as best as he could, trying to ignore the small pangs growing in his belly, his eyes squeezed shut and jaw clenched.
But then he growled, a sudden harsher pain striking hard at his stomach, and Brooklyn's eyes opened wide, eyes glowing, jerking up, feeling bile rising in his throat.
Brooklyn couldn't understand, there wasn't anything poisonous he remembered eating, for Thailog had tested both his force feed food and regular food that recently he had quit eating. This pain was now in the much lower part of his stomach, and it felt like it was gonna make him faint.
Brooklyn gave out gasps and chokes, trying to contain his sickness, and pulling at his shackle to take it off, for it made it feel worse, tight around his belly. Plus, his forehead felt hot again with another fever.
His legs kicked the air, as another stomach spasm made Brooklyn give out a scream, one that alerted the cameras. Thailog was woken by a guard, who told him that Brooklyn was in pain.
"What is going on?" he demanded roughly, pushing a guard aside, looking in the camera to see his plaything squirming about, holding the lower part of his stomach, sobbing hoarsely, sometimes vomiting. But there was no blood like with the poison, it was just regular vomit. Brooklyn really was sick on his own occurrence.
"It started a while ago. I'm not sure why, but he's in pain," stated the guard, shrugging his shoulders. This was new for Thailog, for there was no poison given to him. He growled.
"I can see that, Idiot. Get him immediate attention. I can't let my plaything be too broken down like this," he snapped, storming out to inform the doctor and have him set up surgery for Brooklyn.
The guards had a hard time to get Brooklyn to stay still and carry him off to the medic room, for he was holding his stomach, moaning in agony from his new sickness. The doctor soon arrived to a tossing Brooklyn, face so pale and sweaty, twitching in his straps and sobbing with pain.
He took Brooklyn's temperature first, which was higher than normal, along with stomach presses to see where it was hurting the most, making Brooklyn cry out with pain when the doctor found it.
"He is reacting from an infected appendix: appendicitis. I need to take the shackle off for it may have been the cause, from squeezing it so much on the lower intestine," the doctor said, making Thailog narrow his eyes. He didn't consider it would ruin Brooklyn's appendix, and he didn't want it to involve taking away his shackle.
"This won't do. He needs that shackle for discipline. What can you do about that?" he growled. Then the doctor had the idea, smiling.
"Surgery. A lot of people need appendixes removed, and that's what I'll have to do with him and remove it, so he can continue using the shackle like you want, because without the appendix, we won't have to have anymore problems." Thailog smiled sinisterly, nodding.
"Of course, Doctor. You may do it. I don't wish for my plaything to be ruined still. He doesn't know that I'm lying to him about being trustful," he murmured, for Brooklyn was too busy screaming in pain and writhing to notice what Thailog had said.
….
Brooklyn didn't know what the hell was going on with him this time. So much pain was throbbing in his lower stomach. He knew he was lying on another gurney, and lights shone around him. The only thing he could make out was a sting in his stomach, a needle, and the familiar groggy numb feeling spreading all over his nerves.
"Uuuhh…!" he moaned, unable to speak, feeling Thailog rubbing his stomach gently, forehead radiating with heat. "Easy, Plaything, you're not poisoned, just sick. We'll make sure you're made well like before…" he said gently in his lying, honey-coated voice. Brooklyn weakly gazed up at the blurred face of Thailog, unable to resist the call to unconsciousness, as the comforting darkness swallowed him up.
The doctor took out a tool to create a new incision in his stomach to start for placing in the instruments. He always looked forward to operating on their special guest, as he carefully began to use the instruments to take out the appendix.
Thailog continued to watch from his end, wanting it to be done faster so he could put the shackle back on his plaything.
At last, he was done, the appendix removed, and the incisions stitched closed. Brooklyn still had his fever, but it was eventually going to cool down now that the problem was out.
But he did another exam on him though, for the doctor wondered how Thailog's eyes glowed red while Brooklyn's glowed white, looking into the red gargoyle's eyes while still unconscious, and writing down information for later.
Thailog placed the shackle back onto Brooklyn gently, lifting him and taking him out of the surgery room to his cell.
Brooklyn felt himself slowly waking up again the next day, rubbing his head, hissing from feeling leftover pain from the surgery. He looked down, seeing more stitches in his stomach, and sighed unhappily, knowing he had been operated on, again. That was one thing Brooklyn hated being exposed to. But whatever they did, it removed that pain from his stomach, and his head wasn't so hot anymore. However, he was glad it wasn't from poisoning this time.
That's twice I nearly died… I don't even know if I will survive to see the another sunrise next time… he thought, hugging his upper body tight with his arms, thinking of his family again, slowly forgetting what it felt like to be happy. All he had been feeling was miserable for weeks, as Brooklyn closed his eyes to rest, hoping Thailog wouldn't work him so much while he healed.