*Who knew after a few weeks after writing this I would get sick as well? Ah well, I'm better now so have the latest chapter!*
A comforting warmth radiated around his belly, purring and squeezing the squishy object he curled around it tighter, smiling and soaking the heat up like a sponge. He cringes, feeling a slight pinch around his right arm, and lessons his grip on the water bottle. Much more comfortable now, he sighs, nuzzling the side of his head on a firm yet soft pillow, all the while wrapped snuggly in the blanket. Emerald eyes slowly flicker open and quickly close at the bright lights; he opens them again, blinking rapidly so his eyes can adjust. His vision finally clears to see light grey walls. Turning his head to the other side, Sonic sees an IV pole standing just beside his large bed; he follows the transparent cord traveling from the machine and disappearing underneath the blankets.
Curiously, he wiggled his right arm out of his cocoon and finds a small needle attached to the transparent cord taped to the crook of his elbow. That explained the pinch he felt a few moments ago. He blinked a few times and poked the entry point to make he's not seeing things; a small flash of pain confirms he's not dreaming. The blue blur shivers and sniffs, pulling the water bottle close again, put out that it seemed to be losing its alluring warmth. Suddenly his ears stand to attention, picking up soft footsteps outside the door; Sonic watches as the door hums and slides open, revealing Eggman holding a new hot water bottle.
The doctor's face brightens, seeing his charge is now awake and alert, "Sonic!" he breathes in relief, stepping up to the tiny hedgehog sitting up in the large hospital bed. "How are you feeling?" he softly asks; Sonic ponders the question before answering, surprised to hear his voice come out scratchy, "I'm ok."
"Good good. Here." the doctor uncovers the blue devil from his nest, minding the IV, and offers the new hot water bottle. Sonic quickly switches the bottles and sighs in content, latching on to the new one. Eggman warmly smiles, patting the hedgehog's head, "Better?" he asks; Sonic nods happily, sitting up and scootching back into the pillows.
His brows furrow, realizing he doesn't know how he got here, "Uh,-cough cough-Eggman. What are you doing here? What happened?" the doctor caringly wraps the blankets back around his peach shoulders and then pulls a chair sitting down by the bed looking at Sonic with concern. "What's the last thing you remember?" The blue blur narrows his eyes, searching the floor, thinking hard, trying to recall, "Metal...he tricked me and locked me outside. I tried to break back in, but everything was locked tight...the storm...it was really cold, and I was wet, so I stuck myself in a corner and tried to stay awake. But then, after a while, I started falling asleep. I remember...seeing you and then, eh, it gets all fuzzy after that."
"That explains how you ended up outside," Eggman mumbles, handing him a cup of warm tea to drink. Sonic takes a sip, thanking him with a still horse voice; he attempts to clear it before speaking again as the doctor takes back the drink. "How did you find me? I thought you weren't supposed to be back for a couple of days?"
"I got an alert from your collar, " the human points to the small computer on his wrist to the hedgehog, "When I tried to contact Metal to find out what was wrong and nobody answered, I came back and found you, just in the nick of time. You almost died of hypothermia and frostbite; when you woke up, you were delirious and hysterical. I had to keep you under surveillance until the danger passed and you were stable."
"Oh!-cough cough-I'm sorry I interrupted your important board meeting." his ears lower sadly, and his pink cheeks darken, "No, don't worry about it! You're much more important besides some stuffed up suit monkeys." Sonic's ears perk back up, and he slightly smirks at what the doctor calls his clients though he still feels a bit guilty.
A rumble from his stomach greets his ears, "How long was I out?" he asks; the hedgehog felt like he could eat a horse! "A little over a day. The worst is over, but you might be weak and susceptible for the next couple of weeks until your system fully recovers." Eggman gazes at the pink cheeks glowing on Sonic's muzzle and puts a large hand over the blue devil's forehead feeling an unpleasant heat radiate off, "And it sounds, looks, and feels like you might be coming down with something." Sonic pouts. I've been out for over a day? No wonder I'm starving! His voice breaks in sarcasm, "Great! I hate being sick." he then dramatically sniffs and rubs his dripping stuffed-up nose. Eggman chuckles, leaning back in his chair, glad to see the hedgehog's spry spirit making a return even if he was sick and weak.
He hands the sniffly hedgehog a tissue box which Sonic takes and loudly blew his nose. The doctor's brow rose, recalling something Sonic had just mentioned, "You said Metal tricked you?"
"Cough-yeah. Ahem! He said one of your experiments or whatever had gotten out and asked me to help him look for it outside. Apparently, after kicking me out, he also took away my access to all the doors and windows so that I couldn't get back in." Eggman's expression darkened, and his hands curled into fists as Sonic explained what had happened, "Is that so...?" he lowly growls. The blue blur slowly nods in confirmation, "I'll be sure to have a word with him then." Sonic's body language turns frightfully timid at Eggman's dark air, "Y-you aren't going to...like deactivate him, are you?" The doctor looks at the hedgehog curiously, surprised to hear concern for the badnick coming from him. "No. Why? Are you worried about him?"
"Ah well, no! It's just..." he squeaks, looking away and scratching the back of his head, "just even though we don't really get along. I think maybe I know why he did it, and I think we can work it out." he shrugs uncertainly, glancing up at the doc and back to the floor. Eggman thoughtfully hums, "Well, if you think you two can work it out. Fine, but I'm still going to talk to him." Sonic sniffs, smiles a little, and nods, agreeing to that before he sighs listlessly, wringing his wrists; he felt slightly nauseous, and his appetite dwindled as he recalled a specific discussion he needed to have with the doctor. "U-u-um Eggman."
"Yes?"
"Do you-cough cough-remember the other night when...when you asked me if something was wrong?" he asks shakily. Eggman folds his hands together, concernedly looking at the shy tiny hedgehog remembering the events of that night very well, saying quietly, "Yes."
Gosh, his heart was racing, and he felt like he was going to puke! This was not going to be easy, but after hitting his breaking point, Sonic knew he needed help, and Eggman had said before how much he wanted to help. This was the perfect opportunity for the doctor to prove he could be a good guy and an equal opportunity for Sonic to open up. He had promised that if he made it out of the storm alive, he would fess up.
Gulping and with quivering lips, he closed his eyes to gather himself before opening them to see Eggman patiently waiting for him to speak, "I uh...I've...I've been having...nightmares. A lot of them recently, and I don't know why."
"Oh? What have they been about?" the doctor calmly asks, "You...mainly-sniff cough-but your not the same your like...super duper evil and scary looking. You're always laughing with these sharp pointy teeth, " Sonic demonstrates, opening his mouth and poking his fingers down like elongated fangs, "and my friends and I always almost die at the end. I can't sleep for more than a few hours when I have a nightmare and..., and I feel sick, my heart beats out of my chest, and I'm paranoid afterwards! Sometimes it feels like I'm gonna die! That's why I haven't been sleeping much...I've been...sniff-t-terrified of having those dreams again." his voice breaks and tears began to leak out of his eyes as he tries to wipe them away, sick and ashamed that a few nightmares had reduced him to crying. Gosh, why couldn't he keep his emotions in check lately? It made him look like a weak, defenseless baby!
Which I kinda am... He regretfully admitted to himself.
Eggman reached out gently, rubbing behind the blue blur's back, "I'm so sorry, Sonic. Thank you for coming to me and telling me what's been bothering you."
"B-b-b-but-sniff-there's something else." he squeaked. The doctor nodded for him to continue; Sonic nervously clutched the hot water bottle tighter like his life depended on it. "I...I can't stop thinking about the way you...babied me." Eggman rose a brow, "When I treated you like a baby?" he clarified; Sonic nodded his head very fast as more tears broke down. "I-hic-I don't know why I can't stop thinking about it! Especially after a nightmare! I don't want to but-hic cough-I miss it. I miss wearing the diapers; I miss my paci, and you treating me like a baby." He shamefully bowed his head, hiding his face against the hot water bottle, "I hate myself." he quietly mumbles, "And you probably think I'm weird and hate me now too."
Eggman, unsure if he wasn't supposed to hear that last part or not, scootches his chair closer anyway so he can wrap his arms around the guilt-ridden hedgehog. "I could never hate you, Sonic!" he declares, "You might make me angry, frustrated, or disappointed at times, but I could never ever hate you!" Sonic silently gasps in shock when the doctor hugs him, "R-really?!" he says in disbelief. "Of course! In fact, if there's anyone I hate, it's myself." the blue blur looks up at him with tear-filled eyes, not understanding, "What? Why?"
"Because-sigh-I'm the one who's brought about all this trouble for you."
"What do you mean, doc?" Eggman slowly runs his hand through bed mangled blue quills, "I'm the cause of your nightmares."
"Wha? But, just because you're in them doesn't-" the doctor holds his hand up, "Let me finish." Sonic silently obeys, letting his tears openly fall, observing Eggman with wide eyes, wondering what the doctor was trying to say. "Sonic, over the many years we've known each other, I've done horrific things. Threatening you, the world, and your friends. You've always been there to stop me, thank goodness, but most of our battles together have been capable of causing immense trauma. From what you just explained to me with you're reoccurring nightmares and panic attacks, I fear you may have developed PTSD."
Sonic cocked his head at that, "PTSD?-cough cough-isn't that like...something old dudes have who went to war a million years ago?" Ignoring the dinosaur talk, Eggman held back from rolling his eyes and nodded, "That's how it's most commonly known, but it can affect young people as well. After traumatizing experiences such as war, abuse, or life-threatening situations. Like you've experienced."
"...oh." Sonic's head lowered, eyes flicking around the floor tiles while his mind connected the dots, his brows furrowed, "But what about the...baby thoughts?"
"That, funnily enough, is a form of therapy I was trying out on you. Tell me. Whenever you think of acting like a toddler, when does that happen, and how do you feel?"
"S'after a nightmare. And I feel...better. Warm, happy, free." he mutters. Smiling, Eggman nods, "So thinking about doing that stuff makes you feel better, right?" Sonic slowly nods, still too embarrassed to look at the doctor, "then that means that therapy is helping you. So why do you act like you're guilty of committing some horrible crime?"
"Because I'm 15-Ack!" the blue devil choked, grasping his throat, yelling too loud; he coughed a couple of more times before Eggman handed him the cup of tea again. He took a few sips silently thanking the doc handing him the cup back, and tried to speak without straining his sore vocal cords, "I'm 15. Baby stuff is for babies! I shouldn't be into that kinda stuff."
"Says who?" Eggman countered, "Everybody." Sonic replied.
"Why?"
"I don't...I don't know why?! Just cause!" Sonic weakly argued the doubt in his mind beginning to confuse him. "Just cause that's what people say? Is there anything other than that, that's wrong with being a baby?" the blue blur hopelessly shrugged, "Um...well...no? I don't know?"
"Being a baby doesn't hurt anyone. You're not breaking the law. So other than people's opinion, there's nothing wrong with acting like a baby, or toddler is there?"
Sonic blinked, thinking about what the doctor was saying. Eggman makes a good point. There is nothing wrong with being a baby. Why do we stop anyway? What's wrong with using diapers instead of a toilet and playing with toys? We start in diapers and end in them anyway. If I like it, who's to stop me? Just because other people think it's weird? He mentally scoffs. That's never stopped me before! Eggman's right!
"No, there's not." he thoughtfully mutters, the metaphorical light bulb clicking on as he raises his eyes to the doctor's. "Exactly! So if it helps and you want me to treat you like a baby again, I don't mind." emerald eyes widen hopefully, "You don't?!"
"No!" Eggman chuckles at the hedgehog's shocked face, "I actually enjoyed treating you as such myself-" he grunted when Sonic slammed his face into his gut, wrapping his arms around the man as much as he could, sobbing again. The doctor gazed down at the blue devil, wondering why he was crying again? Before he could ask, Sonic pulled his head away to look back up at him again with a large grin saying hoarsely, "Thank you! Thank you!" and nuzzled his face against the doctor's gut again.
Eggman's eyes watered and sparkle in joy at the sight; his heart swelled with affection and the ever-growing desire to protect and care for the little hedgehog. He would do anything to keep that bright smile on Sonic's fuzzy face. The doctor hugged the hedgehog tighter, rubbing soothing circles between the quills on the blue blur's back, rocking gently and shushing.
They stayed like that for some time before Sonic's crying stopped. After giving the hedgehog some crackers and more tea the two resumed cuddling.
Sonic still held on to the doctor with a tired smile, not wanting to let go. He felt happy and warm, not just on the outside but on the inside as well. The blue blur had come out, explaining why he had been acting strangely over the last week and, as a reward, had gained Eggman's affection. The doctor, in turn, finally earning his trust. The stress of holding himself back was gone. Sonic was free to be Eggman's baby if he pleased, and the doctor didn't mind at all! Even better, the man enjoyed treating Sonic as a toddler. Offering to help give the hedgie the means to escape his trauma, and the doctor knew the blue hero would need all the help he could get.
Gloved hands weakly tightened and released rhythmically around Eggman's midsection; Sonic felt comforted and safe in his presence and didn't want the doctor to leave him. But he was sick and still recovering from his close call from hypothermia. Stubbornly he fought to stay awake. His ears twitched to a soothing humming sound coming from above; Sonic deciphered the noise to be coming from Eggman, who was rubbing his back.
Hush, little baby, don't say a word
Mama's gonna buy you a mocking bird
And if that mocking bird don't sing
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring
Gently he felt Eggman rocking them both and softly smiled; he didn't know the doctor was such a good singer. His usually gravelly voice was smooth as silk and turned into a deep baritone that conveyed protection.
And if that diamond ring is brass
Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass
And if that looking glass gets broke
Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat
His brows pinched in confusion; why was Eggman referring to himself as a mother? As Sonic pondered, he chuckled, remembering how the doctor did act like a mother hen at times fussing and coddling his creations and now him. It actually fit the doctor to a tee.
And if that billy goat don't pull
Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull
And if that cart and bull turn over
Mama's gonna buy you a dog called Rover
The lullaby was beginning to have its desired effect on the blue devil, slowly his eyelids closed, and his grip on Eggman slackened. Leaning fully on the man's belly, Sonic felt like he was floating and shrinking, becoming smaller and smaller in Eggy's hold.
And if that dog called Rover don't bark
Mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart
And if that horse and cart turn round
You'll still be the sweetest little babe in town
Eggman gazed lovingly at his charge, who had fallen asleep at last. Mouth open so he could still breathe despite his closed nostrils, a little bit of drool escaped from the corner of the hedgie's mouth. The doctor smoothly removed tan arms from around his waist and wrapped them back around the hot water bottle. With one hand bracing Sonic's back Eggman laid him back down onto the pillow as he sings the last verse of the lullaby.
Be the sweetest little babe
Still, be the sweetest little babe in town
La, la, la, la, la, la
Hush, little baby, don't you cry...~
Rising from the bed, he pulled the blanket up to the hedgehog's shoulders, caressing his cheek. Eggman smiled, watching Sonic peacefully rest, "Goodnight, my sweet little baby boy." he whispers before turning the lights off and leaving.