Cabin Fever
Chapter 4:
XXX
Shaunatheboss: Hi everyone! We want to say thank you to everyone who has read this story so far. We've also decided to start posting this story on Ao3, where it is commercial free and has fewer interferences. We will post new chapters here and on Ao3 at the same time so you won't be missing out on any fun. I would like to inform you that RAWN89 also has a Ko-Fi account set up.
RAWN: Thanks Shauna!
My Ko-fi account is there for anyone who want to show support for any of my work. If you'd like to specifically show support for the stories by me and my co-writer please state so in the donation message so I can share it with her ;D
With that out of the way; enjoy our new chapter and please consider going to our Ao3 account for that pleasant commercial free experience~
XXX
Sonic eventually arrived safely to the porch of the cabin. The door flung open the moment he pushed down the handle, dragging him inside, then he had to push hard to close it. The blizzard was picking up again.
He shuddered once inside, shook off the snow that had attached itself to his fur and removed his scarf. Not even his fluffy fur coat granted him protection against that type of weather. He tossed two logs onto the embers and sat down by the fireplace, ears pinned and arms wrapped around himself. Warming up would take a while.
He wasn't sure why he had decided to leave the warm and safe fishing shack on his own. Eggman would have been big enough to shield him from the worst of the wind. It was nice to get some alone time before the doctor returned at least.
He sighed; it never lasted. Between friends and adventures, me time was impossible. Sometimes he just wanted to relax with a book in one hand and a chilidog in the other, undisturbed.
The door suddenly swung open. Strong icy winds filled the room as Eggman entered. He then closed the door with some effort.
"Well, that could've been worse." He announced, as he carefully placed the equipment down. He then noticed the shivering hedgehog nearby. "Sorry about that." The human replied.
While Sonic tried to warm up, Eggman sliced and cooked the remaining fish in the kitchen.
Triangular ears remained lowered, from exhaustion rather than cold. Stiffly, he rose, noticing the bed was changed. Guessing it meant that the human planned on using it and likely wouldn't be happy to find any new quills in it, he opted for the arm chair and climbed onto it. Eggman's wine coloured jacket was hanging on top, so he lazily pulled it down and decided to catch a few z's.
XXX
The hedgehog awoke in fright, his heart pounding against his chest and gasping for air. After realizing it was just a nightmare, he slowly calmed down, getting control of his breathing. He then recalled everything he could.
He was back on the ice when Eggman attacked. He fell into the water and blacked out. He awoke in the cabin, unable to move, the doctor standing over him with a knife in his hand, a malicious grin on his face.
Sonic shuddered. That last image was going to be stuck in his head for a while...
He looked around the room. Seemed like he was alone again. Something about the wall with rifles caught his attention. He hadn't really counted them, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there had been more of them. He shook his head trying to clear his mind. "You're just being paranoid," he told himself.
He looked outside at the morning landscape, to distract himself. He saw Eggman approaching the porch. Seemed he found a coal shed. Having the nightmare still fresh in mind, he felt like keeping some distance. However, his options were limited.
The doctor entered and placed his haul down. Noticing the hedgehog was absent from the chair, he wondered where he could be. At first glance, the cabin seemed empty, but then he detected a small creak and glanced up. Witnessing Sonic nestled in between moose antlers mounted high up on the wall over the fireplace, he raised an eye ridge.
Realizing he had been discovered and was being watched, the hedgehog glared lazily with an expression as if asking a rhetorical 'what?.'
The doctor decided against questioning it. Instead, he placed some coal onto the fire and sat by the table.
When he felt certain Eggman wasn't doing anything suspicious, Sonic relaxed again, ears folding back and eyelids closing halfway.
He detected faint scribbling and pages turning. At first, the hedgehog figured he should mind his own business. However, curiosity eventually won.
"What are you working on?" He asked, starting a conversation. The more Eggman was distracted, the less likely he would do something bad. Sonic dreaded his nightmares becoming reality.
"Hmm? Writing our inventory. Best be ready when we search for the Chaos Emerald." Eggman replied, looking up from his work.
"What's the plan for tomorrow?"
"The plan is to see if you've healed, otherwise we'll spend another day here. There's no way I'm dragging you around."
"Why not? I'm not that heavy." Sonic replied innocently, with a hint of a tease before jumping down, landing in the arm chair as a spiky ball to avoid accidentally landing on his wounded leg.
Eggman glanced over his shoulder, unamused by Blue's noisy, reckless behaviour. "Heavy enough, you blue pineapple," he muttered to himself. "You sure you're not just scared of the local wildlife? I'm sure you'd look like an easy meal to them."
"The predators who've tried immediately regretted it," Sonic replied, brushing a hand over his quills.
"True, but your winter fur has outgrown the spines." The doctor replied, as he rose.
"Doesn't matter. They're still sharp beneath my fur." Sonic replied.
"..." Something about the tone sounded a bit like a warning, but the doctor ignored it and used the poker to stoke the fire.
The hedgehog sat up. Seeming tense.
"What's wrong?" Eggman asked, surprised the blue blur hadn't settled.
"I'm... restless. I slept too long."
The human grinned. "Cabin fever setting in?"
"Yeah, something like that," Sonic replied. He couldn't get comfortable, especially with the human in such a close proximity. He tried to remind himself it had only been a nightmare, but he couldn't shake how uneasy he felt.
"I'm sure you'll find something to occupy your mind." The doctor stated.
"Like what?"
"A good way to relax is to draw or write. You can borrow my notebook if you want," Eggman suggested.
"..." Sonic wasn't interested, he preferred jogging if he struggled like this. He glanced outside. The storm didn't seem so bad at the moment...
One ear flicked. If he snuck out while the doctor wasn't looking...
He suspected the human would prevent him from leaving if caught. Even if the whole 'hostage' situation was very slack, Eggman needed Sonic to find that gem. The somewhat friendly façade would vanish once he didn't require the hedgehog.
But when? Once the emerald, or procured assistance was secured? A distress signal was likely sent before the Egg Carrier crashed. An army could arrive at any given moment. It was foolish to be lulled into a false sense of security.
Sonic glanced at the window once more. If he reached the downed airship and sheltered overnight, he could be home tomorrow. Maybe he could even find Tails out there looking for him.
His mind was made up.
He curled up under the coat, feigning sleep, waiting for an opportunity.
He would have to abandon his backpack; Eggman would notice. That also went for the food which he had just seen him meticulously listing up. His scarf was likely the only thing he could bring with him without it getting noticed.
Sonic heard footsteps across the wooden floor, heading outside. With the fire stoked, the human wouldn't return shortly. The hedgehog waited five minutes, believing the doctor left to fish.
When he felt sure the human would be far enough away, he made his move. Swapping places with a pillow, so that it would appear he was still sleeping under the jacket. Once outside, he headed to the opposite side of the porch and hopped over the fence. Best not to leave evidence of escape, like tracks in the snow, where Eggman would see on his way back in.
Once in the tree line, he glanced back, wondering briefly when his absence would be noticed. Reckless as it was to leave unprepared, it was equally foolish to stay.
The crash site wasn't far. If he remembered, it was toward some hills in the distance. From there, he would know the general direction to get home; and if the clouds cleared up, the stars could guide him.
He could try to find the small town they had passed. There was always the chance that Tails was there, or at least had been there. Either way, Sonic felt certain he would see his little brother soon. Blue's leg didn't protest much, so he hoped tomorrow, he could trot.
He covered his muzzle with his scarf. His winter fur was thick, yet he was shivering a bit. His pelt was beneficial for temperatures of minus ten degrees, but it felt like it was far below even that. Unable to move at his usual speeds, he was getting colder faster. His only regret was leaving his heavier clothes on the Tornado. To his defence, he felt hot and heavy at the time and didn't know he wouldn't be able to return the same day.
He hadn't actually passed this distance on foot and was unsure how far it was. He could be close or hardly halfway for all he knew. What he did know was that each step felt heavier than the last. His leg started to wobble. Even if the pain felt dull, it was clearly not happy about being used like this, when it needed more rest. Maybe a break would help him finish this journey. He steered toward a large tree, with low hanging branches and sat underneath. He panted softly, folding his arms. He sighed; feeling refreshed from being exposed to nature. The fresh air and open space contrasted to the stagnant air and cramped room back in the cabin. If only he had been his normal, healthy self and had some warmer clothes, he would have enjoyed this.
He soon rose, tested his leg, grunting softly. It didn't feel great, but he had to keep going.
As he progressed, the wind picked up. What was hard before, now seemed bleak. He could hardly see ahead and the trees all looked the same. The freezing wind attacking him from different directions was messing with his usually good sense of direction. For all he knew, he could be walking in circles.
"No, no, no," he muttered in pain, as he fell to his knees. "Not now," he hissed.
He couldn't see anything and the wind suddenly changed direction again. He didn't know where to go, but couldn't stay; he had to find shelter. But the snow was too powdery to bury himself in. He tried to rise, his entire body shaking with effort.
"Come on. Just a little further," he muttered, and yelled as he pushed himself up.
The sound blended into the howling wind. He growled softly in pain, on legs too numb to feel, as he urged his body forward.
He collapsed to one knee a few metres on. He panted as he held his injured leg. It bled, refusing to take him any further.
He tried to curl up, but his quills felt stiff, as if frozen. He feared he would be too. As he collapsed into a lying position, trying to conserve energy, he listened as his heart rate and breathing slowed, dreading they'd stop. Although Mobian hedgehogs didn't hibernate anymore, having developed thicker fur for the winter instead, the ability was theorized to still linger in them. If it was true, his body could go into a forced hibernation from the extreme cold, but out in the open like this, it would likely be a death sentence.
His stiff, cold ear flicked when he thought he heard a voice, but it could've been the wind and his mind playing tricks on him. He recalled one could hallucinate before death and see past loved ones, waiting to take them to whatever lay beyond their lives.
Weakly, with stiff numb arms, he rose slightly, turning his head toward the sound. He could hear his name being called, and through the blizzard, he saw Tails rushing towards him, his two long appendages swaying violently through the harsh wind.
Sonic's heart dropped, realising this could be his death dream, or reality. He longed for the latter; Tails would be alive. He closed his eyes and wished for it. He groaned softly when he felt something nudge his arm.
"Alright, get up. You're not freezing to death on me." A voice replied to the hedgehog, hearing a dull, icy thud beside him.
Sonic opened one eye, revealing Doctor Eggman. Get up? He'd been trying to. He attempted to heave himself up, feeling frozen spines crackling.
He heard a heavy sigh, before being lifted off the ground, wrapped in a blanket and placed inside the large backpack, going dark once closed. The weather no longer bothered him and the blanket gave off heat, something that felt foreign, but very welcoming to him.
Eggman paused for a moment, after having added the hedgehog to his backpack's inventory once more. The Mobian had been too short to see over the hill he had nearly reached the top of, but the taller human didn't share that problem.
'So close, it's almost a shame…' he thought to himself and turned to pick up his backpack, feeling like luck was finally in his favour.
Sonic felt the backpack being hoisted off the ground. Getting tossed around told him Eggman was putting on the backpack. The following small and steady movements signified that he had started walking. It happened so fast for the spiny Mobian; he didn't have the energy to protest.
When he felt the human stop a while later, Sonic poked his head out of the bag, freezing wind hit his face. His ears drooped, recognising the wooden structure.
Eggman entered the cabin, before setting the bag gently on the chair, lifted the hedgehog out and placed him close to the fire, replacing the blanket with a dryer one.
Sonic removed it from his head and flicked his ears, so they stood erect again. The doctor appeared to have prepared before departing. The fire was roaring, fish and logs stocked up, and peaches on a plate. Evidently, he hadn't noticed the hedgehog's disappearance immediately. While he inspected the evidence, Eggman checked, cleaned, and changed the bandage on the Mobian's wound.
Sonic, glanced at the human, unsure what mood he was in. The doctor hadn't spoken since he'd found him and the combination of dark tinted glasses and a huge moustache partially hidden under a thick scarf left his expression fairly unreadable. After placing the plate of peaches beside Sonic, he moved the bag and sat down on the chair.
Said blue one wasn't hungry, he was still feeling too cold, but felt his ears folding back; realizing the situation. "…thanks," he hesitantly spoke in a low, raspy voice.
"Should've seen it coming. It was only a matter of time." The doctor admitted.
Sonic was taken aback, giving a questioning look. He expected his escape?
"You said you were restless and I thought resting would help you, especially after you were ill." He shrugged, but then laughed. "Guess a broken leg is the only thing that'll keep you down."
The fear from his nightmare returned and the hedgehog became concerned, hoping Eggman had no scary ideas, like that lady in the thriller story called 'Misery'.
"Tell me, when you last broke your leg, how long did it take to heal?" The doctor casually inquired as if having read his mind.
Sonic instinctively got defensive, ears flattened, quills bristled. "You-you're not suggesting what I think?" He asked, while trying and failing not to sound worried.
Eggman winced. "Sonic, the only reason I'd break a bone is to reset it; I'm not a monster. All I'm saying is if you keep stalling your healing, or get hurt more, we'll have to stay here longer. You're lucky your recent cut is minor."
The Mobian sighed in relief. He wished the human hadn't spooked him. He was getting enough of that whenever he closed his eyes.
"Your drop in body temperature was nasty; you better stay by the fire tonight."
Said hedgehog sighed in boredom at that.
"How long did it take to realise I escaped?" Sonic asked. He tried not to leave tracks and wondered where he'd slipped up. He had experience sneaking away from Tails, and his brother was hard to outfox.
"About an hour." The doctor answered.
'More than enough to be miles away if I could run,' Sonic thought smugly.
"How'd you find me?" The hedgehog wondered.
"I found a deep hole beside the fence. Your tracks had mostly faded though, so I had to guess where you might have headed. Why try to return to the crash site though? That would be the first place my robots would reach. It would've been better to locate the Emerald; you could've healed yourself." Eggman replied, appearing smug as he calculated the probability.
"Emeralds tend to appear in hard-to-reach places and I can't focus on its location in this weather. I just wanted to-" Sonic paused before saying 'find Tails' and finished with "...go home," he sighed, as this was also true.
"Believe me, I also want to leave this place, but running blindly into snowstorms isn't a solution." Eggman announced.
"I know," Sonic turned to face the fire, with lowered ears and a soft sigh.
Eggman felt like he had just scolded a child and had to remind himself the hedgehog was indeed just a child. They didn't always think things through.
The human sighed. "Tell you what: Help me find the Emerald without running off, and we'll take a break once we get back home."
Blue triangle ears perked up. "Really?" The hedgehog looked sceptical, as he whipped his head around. The human wasn't the most trustworthy.
"We could use a break after this 'adventure'."
"I'm game, but how do I know you'll keep your word?" Sonic asked, with a raised eye ridge.
"I've kept you alive so far..." The human stated.
"Because you need me," Sonic deadpanned.
"Face it, you need me too." The doctor shrugged.
"Temporarily."
Eggman grumbled. "You have my word. That's all I can give. Take it or leave it."
"So..." Sonic sat up, "Truce?" He asked, offering his hand.
The human sighed, seeming relieved. "Truce." He replied, returning the gesture.
XXX
