Chapter 2
I opened my heavy eyes to a savory, tasty smell that made my mouth water a little. The sun shone through the door's little windows, and all the lights were off, including the strange lights from the tables.
I started to turn my head, wondering where Robotnik went. I didn't have to turn far though as he was right at the edge, watching me sleep with a platter of interesting food in his hand. Suffice-it to say, I jumped, then groaned in pain at my own stupidity.
The food looked like a bun with a stick of meat in it, and on top of that was brown stuff that smelled really good.
"Did I startle you, Maurice?" He asked, almost dropping the platter at my sudden movement, "Sorry, it was dumb to sit this close..."
"It-s o-okay." I managed, my only good hand going to my chest, "I was the dumb one. Jumping at every little thing...I'm a mess." He smiled at this, and brought the platter forward.
"Hungry? I don't know if you like these, but-" He started, fingering one, but I cut in.
"What are they?" I asked, my arm leaving my chest to reach for one. He handed it to me with a huge smile.
"They're called Chili-Dogs, and they're my favorite food!" He told me, and I knew why as soon as I took a bite. It was delicious! I had never had anything so good in my life, and these! Oh, they made my life!
A huge smile spread over my face as I stuffed my face with the chili-dog, "Dis es amasing! Zank you, Robotnik!" I exclaimed with a full mouth.
"You really are something else! Nobody at my school likes these but me." he told me, and I looked at him in confusion.
"What is school?" I replied curiously, but then dropped my question as I took another, "This is incredible! Did you make these?" I inquired as I gobbled it down and continued to take more. It was like I was taking a bite of spicy heaven!
"Yeah, it's a family recipe, and wow, slow down! I don't want you to choke." He said as I took a fourth and then a fifth, "Wow, nobody has ever enjoyed my cooking before."
"O, breally? Tis iz amaazing! Ow comb?" My cheek were filled with chili-dogs.
"None of the kids I know like chili-dogs." He said bluntly, putting the platter on the table beside him. Out of the fourteen he made, only seven remained.
"Dat iz bogus. Kiz r men." I told him, swallowing my final bite, then patting my belly with a satisfied sigh, "Thank you, man, I owe you one." I said, looking at his amazing eyes with gratitude.
"Heh, actually, I'm glad I could help. You don't owe me anything, Maurice." He smiled happily, "Well, I should probably change those bandages before they turn too red." He giggled. I looked down and noticed that they were turning red...I guess getting jump-scared ripped some stuff open.
He picked me up gently and slowly as though afraid of tearing anything else, then took me back to the bathroom. However, when he turned the bathtub on to clean my wounds this time, an old fear of drowning came back. Yeah, I'm afraid of the bathtub, get over it.
I started to shake violently, and clung to his shoulder, "Is there something wrong, Maurice?" He asked, noticing the change in my grip.
"I-I hate to say this...but..I'm afraid..." I gulped as he stared at me in utter muddiness, "I'm afraid...of-water…." I blurted out.
"Oh…" He realized, "But this is just a bathtub...you were fine before-"
"I was half-dead." I responded, now gripping his sleeve so hard that it hurt.
"Well, I have to clean your wounds somehow, and this is the easiest and least painful way. The other way is to use something called, Hydrogen Peroxide, and I can tell you that you wouldn't like that way: not with how many scratches and nicks that you've sustained." He told me kindly, but I could hear the power in his voice, "Why don't you close your eyes, and relax." He decided.
I looked to the tub, but then into his earnest eyes, and I slowly closed mine. There was no reason to be afraid as long as he was around. I flinched at the water's touch, but then started to relax as the warmth and security of it soothed my tormented soul. I dared not open my eyes, but instead listened to my friend, and felt his large hands as he gently undid the bandages and scrubbed my wounds.
I am safe.
"So, why are you afraid of water?" I heard his deep, resonating voice, and felt reassured. Despite this, the images that flooded into my mind made me shiver with an icy cold. My lesions started to hurt worse as I thought about the darkness of a slowly filling tank….screaming...crying...I couldn't break free...I couldn't breathe…
Suddenly, Robotnik's voice broke through, "Maurice! Hey, what's wrong?" I opened my eyes to find that I was on the bathroom floor still covered in soap. I was shaking uncontrollably, while tears ran down my pink cheeks.
I stared at the ground for a moment before chortling in relief.
What had happened? Did…
I silenced my thoughts, now focusing on Robotnik's panicked voice, "Are you okay? Maurice, please answer!" He had turned me over to face him so that I was laying on my back. My quills promptly became soft and moved to either side of my small body.
"Sorry..." My apology both confused him and gave him relief, "I'm okay...just...reliving some...memories." He seemed to understand as he lifted me back up and looked me over, "You can finish...bathing me..." I told him. I had become so tired and calm all of a sudden. I was so calm that I didn't even close my eyes when he placed me back in the water. I was so tired that I couldn't even process the fear of it.
"So...bad question to ask, huh?" He said sarcastically, now barely scrubbing me at all. He seemed afraid that I would to that same thing again. But I just giggled at his joke.
We remained silent for the rest of the bath, the gears in his head seemingly turning. I knew he wanted to know why I did what I did...but I couldn't say anything. For as nice of a guy as he is...he might take me back.
He took me out of the bath, the water scattering on the ground like shattered glass. I imagined it stabbing my feet, wondering if it could do that.
"Hey, Maurice...you okay bro?" He asked as I stared at the glass. I looked up, bandages in his hands.
I nodded slowly, and he started to re-wrap my wounds carefully. But now, he eyed me suspiciously.
"Somethings wrong, Maurice...I just don't know what yet." He stated, his large hands delicate and soft as they slowly draped the gauze around my skinny arms and legs.
"I...Nothings wrong, Dr. Robotnik." I responded, holding up my arms so he could reach easier. He held up one eyebrow, but dropped the subject.
"SO, YOU LIKE CHILI-DOGS?" He said in a funny, loud voice after he had finished; he had pulled his face to make it look hilarious! I burst out laughing, the fear of revealed secrets melting away with the water. He too also laughed. He then he grabbed lots of toilet paper from the roll next to the toilet, and put it against his face so that it mimicked a white mustache. He then danced around the room with a funny face talking with the silly, loud voice, "MY NAME IS DR. EGGMAN, AND I WILL BE YOUR DOCTOR TODAY! PLEASE STAND BY AS I GRAB THIS...OH NO, THAT'S NOT RIGHT!" His act had me rolling with laughter as he hobbled around like an old man, grabbing goofy stuff that made absolutely no sense.
Eventually he stopped, looked at my bandages again to make sure they were secure, then picked me back up. I had a big, happy smile on my face, and when I looked, he did too.
He started back to the bed, about to place me down when a large shout echoed throughout the room, "IVO! I'M BACK, SWEETHEART!" We looked at each other, and within a heartbeat, Robotnik had hidden me in his closet. It was stuffy in there, and to make sure I could breath, he allowed a small crack in the door. It was through this that I could see as well.
"YEAH, MOM! HOW Was work?" Though at first loud, his voice fell to the softness that I knew, and I turned the door slowly to look at who he was talking to.
I saw a huge lady in a short, pink dress and a blue designer's hat. She had crimson eyes, and perfectly white skin. Was that his mother? He looked nothing like her…
"Oh, it was tiresome, like always, Sweet Pea." She commented, walking to the bed and laying on it. I could hear something snapping beneath her. Was she really that heavy? She didn't look that bad, in fact, if it hadn't been for Robotnik's tip and her angry voice, she could've been a great mother -if I went by looks alone, that is.
I fell to my knees, unable to stay standing due to pain..Why did it have to hurt so much? I cupped my hand over my mouth, determined to keep quiet, while my other hand went into keeping the door open.
"Ivo, dear, your father has asked me to ask you something." She decided, looking up into his face. He blanched.
"What's up, Mamma?" He responded. I could tell it was uncomfortable for him to talk about his father...especially to his mother. Why had he been so open with me? Had it been because I was going to die?
"Your father seems to have lost...an experiment." She tip-toed around the words, seemingly afraid of exposing Robotnik to anything darker, "He was wondering if you've seen any...strange individuals running around?" She asked it like a question, and closed her eyes for the response.
I saw a flash of worry in Robotnik's eyes, their rich hue turning to where I was hiding before returning to his mother's question, "No mamma. I haven't seen any strange people. They all bully me the same."
At this his mother looked back up, but there was annoyance in her eyes, "You won't be getting sympathy from me, boy." She decided, "You're letting them bully you. If you want them to stop, make them stop." She got up and headed for the stairs, "No one's going to stop them for you. Take it from me." She continued to the door, her voice echoing down the stairs, "Kids are cruel, so be crueler. Show them that you aren't one to mess around with….That's what I did." She was gone.
Robotnik stared after her, a relieved look in his eyes. He then turned to the closet and ran to get me. Once I was in his arms, he looked at me worriedly, "Maurice...were you..." He couldn't seem to find the words, "Nevermind." He dropped it, and I became curious. What did he want to ask me?
He set me back down on the bed, his eyes drifting away from me in deep thought as he sat down.
"What is it, Robotnik?" I asked, my puny voice small compared to his mother's.
"Don't worry about it, Maurice." He sat down in the chair and leaned against his arm. He looked so...upset and thoughtful. I couldn't understand what was wrong.
Minutes passed, then hours, then days. Before long, my bones had healed, and my wounds faded. Good thing too, because it was Robotnik's birthday when the last trace of pain receded. I remember his face! He was speechless when I was completely healed on the third day of my stay.
"That's...that's impossible!" He cried as he examined my small body on his scanner for the millionth time, "You can't have healed that quickly! You were about to die just seventy-two hours ago!" His face was silly as his jaw had been down the entire morning.
"You've taken very good care of me, Robotnik! I'm not surprised I healed this quickly." He blushed at my words, and cleared his throat.
"Well...okay. I guess it's normal." He conceded, his hand rubbed beneath his nose. I watched in fascination of the movement and copied. He didn't notice my interest in this nervous movement, and decided to head to the stairs.
"Where are you going?" I asked, hopping off the large surface. I hadn't used my legs in a while, and it hurt a bit when I landed. I bit my tongue and stood up.
"You okay?" He asked and I nodded, still waiting for his answer, "I'm going upstairs to get my presents and cake." He told me, and I became confused.
"Why do you get cake and presents? Is today somehow special?" This question shocked him.
He took a step toward me, an arm reached out protectively, "It's my birthday...do you know what that is, Maurice?" I shook my head.
"A birthday is a celebration of your birth." He explained carefully, "Do you know the date of your birth?" He started to walk back toward me and knelt down so that he was at least above my head.
"I've never had a birthday, and they never told me when I was born." I responded sadly, my eyes falling to the floor. His hand rested upon my shoulder and rubbed it reassuringly.
"Well, I know your birthday!" He said excitedly, making me look up into his beautiful eyes, "Your birthday is today, June 23rd!" My heart rose and a smile bloomed on my face as I realized his meaning, "Now, I'll go get some cake for the both of us, and I'll bring down a present for you!" He smiled warmly, and removed his hand to walk back to the staircase, "Happy Birthday, Maurice!"
"Wait!" I ran to grab his hand, making him stop and look at my sparkling, emerald eyes, "You can call me Sonic! Maurice is too formal." I nestled against his leg, my quills softening so he could pet them, which he did, "Thank you, Robotnik!"