"How do you know my name?" The now-confirmed Dogday asked, bringing a furry hand to his puzzled face. He was sure he had never met the stranger or anyone who looked like his species. And why was he looking at him like that?
Aiden remained where he was on the ground, unmoving, unable to take his eyes off the child-sized Dogday. At that moment, Aiden forgot about the horrible experiences he went through just a short time ago. His brain struggled to process what he was seeing. 'This is Dogday.' Repeating it in his head didn't help. Regardless of how often that thought played out, Aiden still couldn't believe it. He was looking at Dogday! It was not the toy Playtime Co Dogday that he had come to know for the past several months; this was the real Dogday.
Examining his body, Aiden could tell this was no toy replica at all. A gentle breeze passed, and Aiden could see the fur on Dogday shift. His tail moved around, seemingly independently, without Dogday's mental input. His eyes weren't black with white dots like in the cartoon; they had white sclera and emerald green irises with black pupils in the center, sunlight reflecting off them. Aiden was so enthralled by the sight of the kid he didn't notice his mouth was ajar.
"Is something on my face?" Dogday rubbed his hand over his face, looking for anything stuck on him.
The question snapped Aiden out of his trance, the human shaking his head, taking a deep breath before looking at Dogday again. No, he wasn't crazy. Aiden didn't know if that was better or worse. How was this happening!? The last thing Aiden remembered was being cornered by Catnap. Did Catnap gas him, and he was seeing things, or was he actually dying on the factory floor, unconscious, and this was the last thing he was dreaming of before passing into the afterlife? Aiden pushed himself off the grass, placing his right foot on the grass to stand up, but a sharp pain from his thigh made him fall over. "Ah!" Aiden clutched his leg with both hands, realizing he still had the wound from the mini PickyPiggy that took a bite out of his thigh. The sleeve he wrapped around his thigh was now soaked with blood, not being of much help at this point.
Dogday gasped, his nose twitching from the scent of blood. Seeing that the stranger's leg was hurt, Dogday felt compelled to help. Then, his ears twitched, and he turned his head around as he heard a familiar voice calling to him. "Dogday!" a woman's voice called out from a distance.
"Mom," Dogday muttered, turning his head back to the stranger. "Hold on, mister! I'm going to get my mom!" He finished before running off through the trees to get help.
"Your mom?" Aiden said, his mind taken off the pain in his leg. Aiden had watched the Smiling Critters cartoon before, and in all the episodes he watched, none of them even mentioned any of the Critters having parents. It was always just the Critters.
Aiden remained where he was for several minutes. He had tried to stand again, but the pain was too much without his adrenaline pumping. He heard the sounds of footsteps on the grass. Looking back, Aiden saw that Dogday had returned, appearing out of breath. "Mom, he's over here!"
Aiden heard another set of footsteps approaching, these sounding heavier than Dogday's. A large shadow appeared behind the treeline, getting closer; Aiden's eyes widened as the figure stepped into the sunlight. Another anthropomorphic dog with the same fur color as Dogday and the same emerald green eyes arrived. She was roughly the same height as the Dogday from Playtime Co., about seven feet, give or take. Aiden looked between Dogday, who probably was tall enough to reach his stomach, and then his mother, who was more than a foot taller than the human. 'Dogday's gonna get a growth spurt.'
Dogday's mother looked down at her child, following where he was pointing, gasping upon seeing Aiden on the ground. "Oh, my!" She said, her voice laced with concern. She approached Aiden, the human tensing as she got close, holding his breath as she knelt down, her shadow covering him. The adult canine carefully slid her large hands under the human, seeing his bleeding leg wound, "It's alright, I got you." She said soothingly, lifting him off the ground with little effort. She stood back up, not having any trouble with Aiden's weight.
"Can we help him, Mom?" Dogday asked, looking up at his mother.
Dogday's mom looked down at him with a warm smile. "Of course, sweetie. We need to get him to the town doctor. Come on." She turned around, heading back to town with her son following closely.
Aiden remained quiet as he was carried through the woods, too perplexed to say anything. It seemed like minutes ago, he was about to meet his maker at the hands of Catnap; now, he was being taken to a doctor by Dogday's mother. 'What the hell is going on?' Aiden turned his head, seeing that Dogday was now walking in front. He was still having a hard time believing it. 'The real Dogday.' Now that he thought about it, was it any more surprising than when he first met the toy Dogday at Playtime Co.? Not long after the company hired him, Aiden was informed he would be working in the Playcare sector, and he was also briefed about the Smiling Critters. At first, Aiden thought it was a joke or that they were people in costumes until he met Dogday. Seeing a real living toy walking around, conversing, and even eating was surreal.
"So what's your name?" Dogday's mother asked, looking down at the human she was carrying.
Snapping out of his thoughts, it took Aiden a few seconds to respond, "It uh..." He cleared his throat, "Aiden. Aiden Cooper, ma'am."
"Cooper?" Dogday's mother seemed to mull over his name. "A few years ago, I met a raccoon that went by the name Sly Cooper. Do you know him by chance?"
'A raccoon?' Aiden thought. "No, I don't believe I do."
"Hey, Mom," Dogday said, "He knew my name."
"What?" Dogday's mother said, looking at Aiden with a puzzled look. "How did you know his name?"
'Crap...' Aiden wasn't sure what to say. He couldn't tell her about Playtime Co. Would she even believe him? And if she did, how was he supposed to explain the Smiling Critters or everything that happened before he came here? "I uh,... know someone who has the same name and kind of looks like your son, but he's much older. I just got confused when he found me." Aiden couldn't think of anything better to say.
"Oh." Dogday's mother seemed to accept that, but Aiden felt she didn't buy it. "Well, my name is Sunshine. It's nice to meet you." In a few more minutes, they reached the edge of the town.
Dogday and his mom were mind-boggling enough, but what Aiden saw next broke his perception of reality. He found himself entering a town inhabited entirely by anthropomorphic animals of all colors and sizes. 'What the hell!?' was all Aiden could think as he was carried along the sidewalk, not even caring that he was being carried bridal style in public by a woman, no less. As they walked, they passed by a red tiger and a blue panther, both of whom gave Aiden curious looks. They weren't the only ones. Passing by a park, Aiden saw multiple children of different species about Dogday's size playing together. A few of them spotted Aiden, watching him as none had seen anyone like him, some going over to their parents and pointing out the human to them. 'Must not be any humans around here.' It was the only explanation Aiden could think of for the attention he was getting.
Not much longer, Sunshine, Dogday, and Aiden arrived at the local hospital. It was fairly small, given that the town wasn't all that big. Dogday entered the door first, holding it open so his mom could get through. The inside was like a human-run hospital, albeit the interior and furniture were bigger, which made sense since most of the town's adult inhabitants were considerably larger than humans. Sunshine approached the receptionist's desk, where a pink sheep wearing a light blue nurse uniform sat. "Excuse me," Sunshine said, getting the nurse's attention, "This man's leg has been injured."
The nurse took a moment to inspect Aiden before noticing the bleeding wound on his thigh. "Oh, right! One moment!" The nurse got up and went through a door behind the desk. A minute later, she came back with the doctor, a grey wolf, pushing a patent bed. The nurse took Aiden from Sunshine and placed him on the bed, and he was taken away for treatment.
"Is he going to be alright, Mom?" Dogday asked, concern all over his face.
Sunshine smiled warmly, saying that her son was such a caring boy. "Of course, sweetheart. Do you want to wait here for him?"
"Yeah!" He nodded, tail wagging and ears flopping. Both he and his mother sat down in the waiting room.
Sunshine read a magazine on a nearby table while Dogday sat anxiously in his seat, holding his sun pendant with one hand like he usually did when in distress. Sunshine noticed her son's distress and placed a hand on his back. "Don't worry; he'll be fine," Sunshine said, Dogday giving her a big smile in return.
About two hours later, Aiden was in a patient room with his leg stitched and bandaged. The doctor hand to remove his pants, thankfully not his underwear, so they could tend to his thigh. When asked about what happened to his leg, Aiden said that a wild animal bit him, then thanked God Almighty that they didn't take offense to that. They also gave him some antibiotics, but when they offered painkillers, he declined. Once he was left alone, he could process everything that had happened. He squeezed his bandaged thigh, the pain reminding him this wasn't a dream. "Where the hell am I?" he muttered to himself.
Aiden looked out the window. The sun was beginning to set. He couldn't have been here for more than a couple of hours. "A couple of hours..." he said to himself, disbelief laced into his words. Just this morning, he was at the Playtime Co. factory going about his usual routine. Then all hell broke loose, and he lost everyone he knew—his coworkers, the Smiling Critters. Now, he was in a hospital that the real Dogday and his mother brought him to, where apparently humans weren't a thing until he showed up. This was confirmed when the doctor mentioned that no one had ever encountered Aiden's species before.
"What the hell am I supposed to do now?" Aiden didn't have a clue what to do at this point. His whole life has just been upended. He didn't have a home, a job, or anyone he could turn to.
The door to his room opened before Aiden could sulk further into his thoughts, and the sheep nurse entered to inform him, "Mr. Cooper, Miss Sunshine, and her son are here to see you if you like."
After hesitating momentarily, Aiden responded, "Okay." he nodded.
The nurse stepped out, and a few seconds later, Dogday came in, his demeanor brightening as he saw that Aiden was okay. Dogday approached his bedside, tail wagging, and placed his hands on the edge. "Are you going to be alright, mister?"
Now that Aiden thought about it, Dogday sounded similar to his cartoon counterpart, which slightly put him at ease. "Yeah, I just needed some stitches and bandages. The doctor says I gonna be okay."
"That's good to know." Dogday's mother came in as well, standing behind her son. "Dogday was worried about you the whole time."
"You were?" Aiden asked, looking down at Dogday.
"Yeah, I was afraid something bad was gonna happen to you, but the doctor said you're gonna be okay!" Dogday raised his hand towards Aiden for a high five. Well, high four, really. Aiden counted Dogday's digits and saw that he had one thumb and three fingers. 'Just like the cartoon and toy Dogday, ' Aiden thought before meeting Dogday's hand with his own, making a quiet slap sound. "Hey, by the way, what are you?" Dogday inquired. "I've never seen anyone like you."
Aiden held his tongue for a moment before answering. "I'm called a human."
"Human?" Sunshine repeated, "I can't say I've ever heard of that."
"It kind of sounds weird," Dogday commented.
'You're not even the weirdest thing I've seen.' Aiden thought.
"Aiden," Sunshine spoke, "Do you have any family we could contact for you. They must be worried about you."
Aiden sulked, reminded of his current predicament. "I... I don't have anyone..."
"No one?" Dogday said, sounding sad.
Aiden shook his head. " I've been alone my whole life with no family. I don't have any friends either. I don't even have a home anymore..." Images of everything that happened hours ago flashed through his mind, and his last encounters with Hoppy, Chicken, and Dogday stuck out the most. A part of Aiden couldn't help but feel like he had abandoned them, that he could have done more to help them. If anyone deserved that, it was the Smiling Critters, not to mention all the children in Playcare. 'Dear God...' Aiden thought about all the orphans that were now at the mercy of Catnap and the other deranged toys. 'Lord, please let them be safe... Christ, what the hell did we do?'
Picking up on Aiden's sadness, Dogday turned around, looking up at his mother with pleading eyes. "Can he stay with us, Mom?" Dogday's question snapped Aiden out of his thoughts.
Sunshine looked towards Aiden. "Is that something you would be okay with, Aiden?"
Aiden was boarder line flabbergasted. Were they really willing to open their home to someone they had met only a few hours ago? Aiden looked down at Dogday, who was looking up at him with big green eyes that begged him to accept. He then looked up at Sunshine, who smiled and nodded as though she was telling him it was okay to say yes. "I... uh... I guess. If it's okay with you, I can."
Dogday jumped with joy, "Alright!" Sunshine laughed at her son's enthusiasm. Shortly after, the doctor returned, and Sunshine went with him to fill out the paperwork so Aiden could leave with them. Dogday sat on the chair beside Aiden's bed while waiting for his mother to return. "When we get home, I'll show you around! I got a lot of toys I can show you too!"
Aiden was beginning to find Dogday's cheerfulness contagious. "Thanks. It is always nice to get a warm welcome when going somewhere."
"Yeah!" Dogday kicked his legs in the air, humming while he waited for his mother.
During that time, some questions arose in Aiden's mind. "Dogday, how old are you?"
"I'm nine and three-quarters. My birthday is in two months."
"Really? Is there anything you want specifically for your birthday?"
"Not really. I'm usually fine with whatever my mom gets me. When's your birthday?"
"My birthday was last month. I'm 27 now." Aiden then took notice of the sun pendant hanging from the collar Dogday wore. As Aiden recalled, there was never an explanation in the show for where the Smiling Critters got their pendants from. "Dogday, where did you get that pendant from?"
"My pendant?" Dogday grabbed his sun pendant, holding it out to see it. "My dad gave it to me." Dogday's voice sounded somber.
"Your dad?" Aiden picked up on the shift in Dogday's tone.
"Yeah, he gave it to me on my birthday. He said he wanted me to have it because I was the sunniest thing in his life." Dogday held the pendant close to his chest, grabbing it with both hands, looking like he was fighting back tears.
Aiden didn't need to ask what happened to Dogday's dad, so he didn't press the issue. By the time Sunshine and the doctor returned, Dogday had managed to calm down. Aiden was told he was free to leave and was given a pair of crutches his size he could use. When asked if he wanted his pants back, he declined due to the blood stains they had, so he was given a different pair the hospital had on hand, along with the belt Aiden had when he came in. The new pants were a size bigger than he usually wore but he made due by rolling up the ankles and ensuring the belt was nice and tight. Sunshine offered to carry Aiden back to the house, but with his previous astonishment at his new surroundings gone, he cared enough to not want to be seen being carried around in public.
It was already dark when Aiden, Dogday, and Sunshine got to the house. Aiden had trouble with the crutches because he had never used them before but was adapting quickly. Sunshine opened the door and turned on the lights; Doday followed, Aiden briefly hesitating at the doorstep before going in last. Aiden had to say that the house was much better than the apartment he was living in before coming here. Like with the hospital, the house was bigger than one made for humans.
Just as Dogday promised, he gave Aiden a tour of the place, enthusiastically showing him around. Much of the house was the same colors as Dogday and Sunshine, with varying shades of orange and some yellow here and there. The floors were wood, with some rugs laid out under the furniture. Aiden was shown the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and backyard, and He even learned that the house wasn't far from the creek where Dogday found him. All in all, their home felt cozy and inviting.
Dogday then led Aiden upstairs, showing the human his room. "And this is my room!" Dogday said, standing in the center, holding his arms out.
Stepping inside, Aiden looked around, first seeing Dogday's bed in the far corner next to the window. There was also a desk in front of the window, along with some cabinets along the walls and various toys on the shelves. To Aiden's surprise, There was also an open closet with a few shirts. "You wear clothes, Dogday?"
"Not really. I only wear those shirts for special occasions my mom says I need them for." Dogday said, his smile faltering a bit from a past memory.
Seeing Dogday sad again, Aiden changed the subject, noticing the orange backpack in the closet. "Do you go to School?"
"Yeah, but school doesn't start until next month. My mom always has me studying after school. She says she doesn't want me growing up into a dumb dumb."
Aiden chuckled, "Then she's doing her job as a mom. I bet you have a bunch of friends, too." Aiden could already imagine how the rest of the Smiling Critters must look here.
Dogday scratched the back of his head, "I actually don't have any friends."
This revelation caught Aiden by surprise. "You don't?" He figured that if Dogday was here, the rest of the Critters must be.
"No. None of the other kids in town want to play with me. They say I'm dumb mutt they don't want to be around."
Hearing that tugged on one of Aiden's heartstrings. On top of never having a family, he didn't have any friends growing up, either. He was an outcast who faded into the background at school. It wasn't until he met the Smiling Critters at the factory that he had anyone he could call friends. This brought another question to his mind. "Dogday, have you ever met a green rabbit named Hoppy or maybe a blue elephant named Bubba?"
Dogday put his hand on his chin, thinking about Aiden's question. "No, I don't think so."
'Do they not exist here, or has Dogday just not met them yet?' Aiden asked Dogday about the rest of the Critters, and the boy repeated the same answer for each of them until Aiden got to the last one. "What about... a purple cat named Catnap." Aiden's last encounter with Catnap flashed before his eyes.
"A purple cat?" he rubbed his chin deep in, though. "I think I did see a purple cat a while ago when I was walking around town with my mom."
"You did?"
"Yeah, but I don't remember how long ago. I never talked to him, so I don't know his name."
Before they could continue their conversation, Sunshine called to them from downstairs. "Dogday, Aiden, dinner's ready."
"Oh, boy!" Dogday bounced, "Come on! My mom's cooking is the best!"
Now that he thought about it, Aiden realized he hadn't eaten anything since early in the morning before the insanity at the factory happened. He suddenly felt his stomach knawing at him for food, more so when he smelled something good; Aiden was all too willing to comply as he followed Dogday downstairs. Sunshine had set three bowls and spoons on the kitchen table, and a large steaming pot of soup was sitting at the center. Dogday took a seat, Aiden setting his crutches aside and sitting down himself. With everyone seated, Sunshine took a large ladle and dipped it in the soap, Dogday holding his bowl out so his mother could pour his meal in. Aiden did the same; his bowl was filled with steamy yellow-colored soup with a mix of vegetables and meat. Sunshine filled her bowl last. Since she was larger, Sunshine required more food to feel satisfied, so her bowl was about three times the size of Dogday's and Aiden's.
After thanking her, Dogday quickly took a spoonful of soup and put it into his mouth, his tail wagging fast, indicating he enjoyed it. Aiden did the same, taking a spoonful of soup into his mouth, his eyes widening upon tasting it. It was delicious! Some of the best he had ever tasted! Way better than any fast food he had gotten before. Hell, the closest comparison he could think of was the food PickyPiggy made at Home Sweet Home at the factory.
Picky Piggy was in charge of making food for the orphans and other Smiling Critters at Home Sweet Home in the factory. Once, Aiden had been working there, having forgotten to bring lunch that day and was working on an empty stomach. Near the end of his shift, Aiden passed by Picky, who invited him to eat with the orphans and other Smiling Critters, saying she could hear his stomach growl. Aiden was unsure because he didn't know the policy regarding interacting with the orphans, but Picky insisted. Aiden ended up sitting between CraftyCorn and Bobby BearHug while he enjoyed Picky's food.
By the time the three of them were finished, the whole pot had been emptied with no leftovers. Dogday sat back in his chair, rubbing his stomach with satisfaction. Aiden did the same, his stomach fuller than it had been in a while. Sunshine collected the bowls and spoons, setting them in the sink along with the pot. "Did you two enjoy dinner?" Sunshine asked.
"Yes, ma'am!" Dogday answered, giving his mother a salute.
"I wish all my meals were that good," Aiden said, giving Sunshine a thumbs up.
With dinner finished, Sunshine got to work cleaning the dishes. Dogday went back upstairs to his room, and Aiden needed to use the bathroom. Not long after, it was time to go to bed. Sunshine led Aiden to the guest bedroom upstairs, which had a bed larger than any he had slept in before. "I know you've only been here a short time, but I hope you've enjoyed your time here so far, Aiden," Sunshine said to Aiden from the doorway.
"I have. Thank you for your hospitality. Though I am still perplexed that you were willing to open your home to a stranger like me."
"Think nothing of it. If there's one thing I'm good at, it is telling when someone is a good person at heart. Dogday is the same; that's why he was so quick to help you when you needed it."
Aiden felt touched. He never considered himself a moral exemplar, but here he was being complimented for his good nature. "Thank you. I hope I can repay your kindness."
"Just focus on getting better. You won't be able to do much until your leg heals anyway, so just rest."
Aiden gave Sunshine a silent nod, and she closed the door, leaving Aiden alone. Aiden sat down on the bed, leaving his crutches on the floor. He still had a hard time believing all this was happening. What the hell did he do to deserve being sent here. Out of everyone, why did he survive and end up being cared for here? Did he really deserve it? After meeting the Smiling Critters for the first time and working at the factory for several months, he knew something wasn't right at Playtime Co. The company was up to something bad, but Aiden never tried to do anything about it. What could he do? He heard rumors about what happens to employees who ask too many questions. Playtime Co. was a big company, and with his knowledge of the Smiling Critters and other toys, would they fire him or do something worse to keep him quiet?
Aiden rubbed his face, thinking about how whatever Playtime Co. was up to had finally caught up with them. All those people dead, his coworkers, the orphans, and even the Smiling Critters. 'Dogday.' Aiden thought back to toy Dogday, whose final act was trying to stop Catnap from getting to him. He looked at the wall where the real Dogday's room was next to his. Is this why he was here? To make up for what happened to the Smiling Critters at the factory?
Aiden yawned, realizing he needed to sleep after everything he'd been through. Removing his shoes and pants, Aiden turned off the lamp next to the bed, getting under the blanket, resting his head on the soft pillow. 'One day at a time, Aiden. One day at a time.'