Cabin Fever

Chapter 2

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RAWN89: Hello dear readers! Long time no see!

Life's been busy and editing has been slow, but we finally have a new chapter for you to check out, so please enjoy! :D

Shaunatheboss: Thanks for your patience! And thanks to RAWN89 for all the extra details. We hope you enjoy!

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"...We're here." Eggman announced, once he had reached their destination. He also noticed how dark the sky now was. The visibility was not the best, as he made his way through the deep snow. He was just glad that he brought the trekking poles with him.

Upon approaching, he also became aware that the cabin didn't have any lights on, nor smoke being emitted from the stone chimney, so he realized that the place was likely deserted.

"Hm?" Sonic asked groggily while waking up. It took him a moment to remember where he was. When he poked his head out of the makeshift pouch, he saw the threatening clouds and noticed that the wind had picked up and it had grown even colder. He shuddered when he untied himself from the warm jacket and slid off the duffle bag, wincing once his stiff, hurt leg suddenly had to carry his and the small backpack's weight. He then took a look at the cabin. It was a small, sturdy looking wooden structure that seemed to have stood here for years.

"Doesn't look like anyone is using it," he commented when he saw the dark windows.

"Then they won't mind if we do." Eggman replied, as he started to walk onto the porch.

The door didn't have a lock, so Sonic opened it and entered, while the doctor stayed on the porch to untie an old oil lantern. He then fetched a box of matches from his pocket.

The hedgehog inspected the place, but it was pitch black and there was hardly any light whatsoever. He instantly detected a strange scent as he entered.

Eggman then entered the cabin, closed the door behind him and turned up the flame on the lantern.

As Sonic took a few steps into the room, he looked behind to see where the source of light came from, and when he turned around, he came face to face with a snarling wolf.

"Gah!" Sonic shrieked as he saw the fearsome wild animal and leapt backwards. As he scrambled away, his left leg hit off a wolverine's paw. "Ow!" He then yelped in pain before coming to a stop at Eggman's long legs. A light shiver ran through him.

The human winced at having a hedgehog with stiffened quills back into him, but luckily the extra clothing had protected him from the worst of it.

"It's stuffed, Sonic." Eggman chided to the hedgehog and carefully pushed the spiky creature away from himself." Although I admit the craftsmanship is outstanding," he added as he inspected the specimen. He also glanced back at the stuffed wolverine. The outstretched claws had a fresh dark red liquid on them.

"I… I knew that." The Mobian replied, once he recovered and knew that he wouldn't be mauled anytime soon. "It just surprised me, that's all."

Eggman hummed sceptically and then proceeded to light a few lanterns around the rooms. Once this was done, they could see the entire layout and where the furniture was placed, which wasn't really much.

There was a bed, an armchair, a fireplace, and a small dining table with two chairs. While there were a few stuffed and mounted animals on the floor, the walls were decorated with antlers and skulls, while the armchair, smaller chairs, a rug on the ground and even the blanket for the bed was decorated with several furs. There was another room nearby, which consisted of a small kitchen full of cupboards, a stove, and a sink. The Mobian figured it was a cabin used by a hunter. He wrinkled his nose in disapproval.

Hunting animals for food he could understand. But for sport? Now that was an entirely different story. He really loathed that scent; the scent of decay and chemicals combined.

Sonic didn't like this place, but at the moment it was the only shelter from the blizzard they had. He went over to the armchair, tossed off a dusty old fur blanket and sat in the chair, placing his backpack on the floor next to him. From his spot, he carefully observed the doctor unpacking everything inside the bags. Eggman hadn't said a word for a while, but he was suspicious in case his enemy tried anything, but at the moment it looked like normal items, like a rope, first aid kit, bottles, and matches.

He then looked away to the left for a second. His eye caught something shiny. He shivered at the sight. It was a cabinet filled with rifles and ammunition.

"How charming," he muttered sarcastically.

Once Eggman was done unpacking, he knew what was next to do on the list. Their basic needs would first have to be satisfied.

Water would be easy. Boiling some snow or icicles in a pot on the stove. Food would be a little harder. There were a few cans of food on the shelf. If they ran out after a few days, maybe hunting or fishing would work.

Outside, the wind was now howling and it was snowing heavily. It seemed they had reached the cabin just in time. Sonic noticed a shovel hanging next to the door, which could prove useful if they got snowed in.
'Or maybe knock Eggman out with if he tries anything,' he mentally added.

The doctor could not be trusted. The only reason the hedgehog wasn't dead or left to freeze to death was because the human happened to need him to find the Emerald hidden somewhere out in the frozen landscape.

From his vantage point, he looked out the window and hoped that the blizzard would last long enough for his leg to heal. If he could run again by the time the storm was over, Eggman had no way to force him to do anything for him.

He checked his left leg. The bandage was torn open and a large blood stain had formed. 'When did that happen?' he wondered. He needed to change it. He looked around and noticed a first aid box hanging next to the bed. He got up, limped over, and opened it. Besides a few band aids, it was empty. He sighed in disappointment.

That was when he remembered that the doctor had one. He looked at the human, who seemed busy going through the kitchen cupboards in the next room, looking for anything that could be of any use. He could hear him muttering to himself, clearly annoyed by the complete lack of technology.

"Hey, Eggman? Mind if I borrow your first aid kit?"

"It's on the table." The scientist replied dismissively, without abandoning his task.

"Thanks." The blue blur went over, picked up the box and found what he needed. He returned to the chair and started to remove the old bandage.

"Ow," he grimaced once that task was done. It had almost glued itself to the wound and sore skin surrounding it. The injury still looked bad. He used a disinfectant spray before bandaging the leg again.

"Did you take any painkillers yet?" Eggman asked, while still rummaging through the kitchen.

"No... but if you have some water, I will," Sonic replied before trying to figure out which of his head quills he had stored the little box in.

As the hedgehog was searching, the doctor turned on a stove and lit it with a match. He then went over with a pot to a small window, opened it slightly to grab a few fistfuls of snow from the windowsill and placed it into the pot. He then placed the pot onto the stove and took a cup from the shelf.

After finding the little box, Sonic noticed that Eggman was boiling some water. It wasn't the first time he'd seen the human acting so uncharacteristically civilized, but it always fascinated him to see his enemy be so normal. It was a nice change from his usual dramatic and destructive behaviour.

Sonic briefly wondered what other hobbies the scientist had apart from creating destructive robots. Did he normally do everyday chores like cooking and cleaning or were those tasks left to machines and robots? He suspected the latter, but it did look like he knew how to use an old fashion kitchen with no electricity.

After a short while the doctor came over with a cup filled with water. He had allowed it to cool for a few minutes, but it was still warm.

"Remember... take only one." Eggman warned sternly as he left. "That medicine was designed for humans, not little hedgehogs."

"Okay," Sonic replied and put one painkiller in his mouth and swallowed it down with the lukewarm water. "Did you find anything useful in the kitchen?" He asked conversationally.

Eggman had decided to remain silent about the weapons and traps that he had found in some of the drawers and cupboards. But for now, it appeared luck was on their side.

"Whomever lived here was very resourceful... and had good taste." He replied while holding up a tin. "I found a few cupboards filled with canned foods from soups, to meat and vegetables." He had also found coffee, but there was no way he would give a hyper young teen any caffeine.

"That's good. Anything with chili in it?" Sonic asked hopefully.

The doctor gave him an expression that signified 'seriously'.

"Everything but." He then replied calmly. "I'm sure even you can last a few days without your precious chili."

The hedgehog made a disappointed pout, while folding his arms and leaning back in the chair. "What's on the menu tonight?" He asked a little less enthusiastically.

"Let's see...there's a selection of... beans, ham, sardines, peaches, mixed vegetables, mushroom and tomato soup." Eggman replied, while reading off all the containers.

Sonic thought it was a fairly good selection despite the lack of anything spicy, but hoped it wouldn't have to come down to mushroom soup. He was not a fan of fungi. "Can we have tomato soup?"

"Alright," The human said as he retreated to the kitchen.

Sonic just sat in the chair quietly, perplexed that Eggman had agreed to his suggestion immediately. It almost made him a little suspicious, but if the doctor was playing nice, the hedgehog didn't mind playing along. He did not feel like spending what little energy he had on fighting.
So far, Eggman didn't seem to want a dispute either. He glanced down at his leg and scratched at the bandage.

He wondered how far he could push Eggman, but at the same time, he liked this kind of unspoken truce. He decided not to try anything... for now anyway.

The doctor soon returned with some food.

"Thanks," Sonic said when he was handed a bowl. The human sat down at the dining table with his own bowl, without a word. The hedgehog wasn't sure if he was given the silent treatment, or if the doctor was simply too deep in thought. He looked down at the soup. It smelled good, but seemed too hot to consume yet.

The silence made the blue blur uncomfortable. Apart from the howling wind outside, which was heard through the chimney, there were no other sounds. He wasn't sure what Eggman was thinking, or planning to do.

While pondering if he should break the silence or what, his tummy made an impatient, loud growl. It caught the hedgehog by surprise. He hadn't realized how hungry he was, but the scent of food had reminded his body.

"Lost your appetite already?" Eggman teased. "I didn't poison it, if that's what you're concerned about."

"No, I... I was just waiting for it to cool down," Sonic answered, a little embarrassed.

The human looked suspiciously before relaxing a little. "Ok, but the last thing you need to be out here is sick."

"Sure. Whatever you say, 'doctor'." The hedgehog replied and took a few sips of the soup.

Eggman softly growled at that remark. It sounded too sardonic to his liking.

The blue blur, however, did enjoy the soup. While he was eating, the human got up and lit a fire with a match, a few lumps of coal in the bucket nearby and some old discarded firewood. Because it was so dry, the wood instantly burst into flames.

Sonic put his bowl on the floor when he had finished. He enjoyed the warmth from the fire and his meal, stretched his sore muscles and yawned. He then partially curled up in the chair, placing his head on a cushion and his hurt leg on one of the chair's arms to keep it elevated. Since the chair was made for humans, he easily fit comfortably in it. But despite how tired he was, he didn't feel comfortable enough to sleep.

He closed his eyes, hoping that he would just doze off eventually. He could hear the doctor picking up the dishes and cleaned them up in the other room before returning. Then the creaking from the bed as he went to bed.
When he thought the human was asleep, he felt himself relax more.

He did sleep, but only for a few minutes at a time. Being somewhat of a light sleeper, every noise woke him up, from the crackle of the fire, creaking wood of the cabin walls and constant howling wind outside, which seemed to have picked up in intensity once again. With each sound, his blue ears flicked and twitched.
It was going to be a long night.

He wondered what Tails was doing right now. He had no doubt that the fox's ingenuity had helped him make it through the storm. As he thought about his brother, he regretted not listening to him. Things could've been very different if only he had stayed on the Tornado.

He sighed in frustration from not being able to get any real sleep, turning for the umpteenth time. Curse his overactive mind and racing thoughts! If he had been unsure about whether Eggman was asleep before, he was certain now, as the human was lightly snoring. Eventually he managed to fall asleep, but only after spending more than half the night being disturbed by all the unusual sounds.

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When Sonic woke up once again, it was bright outside. Just how long had he been out?

He looked over at the bed - empty. The blue hedgehog stretched his limbs and sat up with a very groggy look on his face. The ear he had been lying on flicked before getting back into its usual position. His head felt fuzzy and he struggled to focus his thoughts. He hated not getting enough sleep.

"It's about time you woke up." Eggman announced. "I didn't think you were one to sleep in, but here's your lunch." The doctor replied as he handed him a bowl.

"Wha-? Lunch?!" Sonic asked confused.

"Well, it's not morning anymore, but I did save you some mixed veggies in case you wanted something different. Oh, and don't forget to take a painkiller. The other one should've worn off by now."

At the mention of medicine, the hedgehog looked at his leg. A blood stain had formed on the new bandage. Not as big as the last one, but it worried him that it still hadn't stopped bleeding and it itched even more. The bandage needed to be changed and the wound cleansed, but he really didn't feel up to the task at the moment. The food didn't tempt him. He felt drained and miserable with a headache, so he only took another pill and curled up again. He wanted to get more rest, since there wasn't really anything to do in the cabin anyway. Nothing that could entertain him even if he had felt better. He previously thought cabin fever was a myth, but he was starting to feel it.

He watched through half closed eyes as Eggman was reading a book at the table and taking down notes. At least this didn't seem like a threatening action.

"What are you reading?" Sonic asked, hoping to maybe get a conversation going, even if it was with his enemy. He was getting bored out of his wits and he needed some form of distraction.

The doctor looked up, confused. He didn't think that the hedgehog would be interested in his activities, unless it was a world domination plot. Nevertheless, he decided to answer.

"Well, I'm currently reading this book called 'The Call of the Wild', by Jack London."

"What's it about?"

"It's an adventure novel about a wolfish looking dog that gets stolen and sold into service as a sled dog during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush."

"Any reason why you're taking notes?" Sonic asked, wondering if the book had any useful tips on surviving.

"Just thinking outside the box and getting a few ideas." Eggman replied. "You can have the book once I'm done with it, but there are others over there to keep you amused." He said as he pointed to the shelf.

Something about how he said that last part seemed off to Sonic, but he rolled out of the chair and headed over to have a look. There were only three books there. He picked a random one up to read the cover.

"Taxidermy!? Gross!" He exclaimed in disgust.
Behind him Sonic could hear an amused chuckle from the human at his reaction. Sonic glared at his back and dropped the book back where he found it with disdain. The next book was about hunting and the last one about how to track local wildlife. Neither were of any interest to him.

Figuring that getting the only novel would take a while, Sonic decided to try and eat something, despite how nauseous he felt. He swallowed a few spoons of soup, and drank some water but started to feel dizzy from being on his legs. His sight was getting blurry and he felt light headed. He tried to get back to the armchair to lie down. He stumbled and barely managed to grab onto the chair for support.

Noticing the sound of someone nearly tripping, Eggman looked up from the book.

"Are you alright, Sonic?" He asked when he saw that the Mobian's ears were uncharacteristically lowered and he seemed to struggle to even keep himself up.

"...no," said hedgehog reluctantly replied, before collapsing onto his stomach.

The last thing he saw before blacking out was Eggman dropping what he was doing, and rushing toward him.

"Hang in there." The doctor replied.

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Sonic opened his eyes. His head felt foggy and his body heavy. "Wh-what happened?" He asked with a weak, raspy voice.

His eyesight was still blurry, but he was slightly aware that he was on his back, facing the ceiling. He didn't get any response. Did Eggman abandon him already? Was the blizzard over? Had he lost his hearing too?

He sensed some tugging on his left leg, detected something cold and heavy pressing near his knee and felt some strange up and down motion from a foreign object. He was then aware of the sickening metallic scraping sounds coming with the movements. That was when he smelt blood. He shakily glanced down.

"Stop squirming." A familiar voice said.

Sonic panicked and desperately tried pulling away.

"Don't-!" Eggman replied, as he gently, but firmly pressed a hand down on the hedgehog's leg, above the wound. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Sonic, but keep struggling and I accidently will. I'm only attempting to cut off the gauze that's now adhered to your leg, but continue writhing and the hack saw will cause considerable damage to your limb. It's not the ideal tool for this, but it was the best I could find."

Sonic was still hyperventilating from shock, but was slowly realizing that Eggman was trying to help him, not chop him up. He tried to calm himself down and stop shaking.

That task was easier said than done, but the doctor gave him a few minutes in order to calm down before resuming his work. Even letting go of the leg for a little while once the danger of the owner accidentally hurting himself was over.

Sonic gritted his teeth together and clenched his fists. Removing the gauze was hurting to the point where it was very difficult to remain still. His fur was already damp and matted from the excess perspiration.

Eggman decided to stop for a second. Even if he didn't care if the hedgehog was hurt, he took no joy in causing him pain like this. Evil or what, he was no sadist.

When the doctor paused, the hedgehog focused on getting control of his breathing.

The human then left for a moment and returned with a cup of water. He placed it on the table, beside the first-aid kit. He unlocked the med box and revealed some new hidden compartments that extended on the sides. He then took a vial out, opened it and added some of its contents to the cup. He deliberately performed this task that permitted the blue blur to see exactly what he was doing.

"What's that?" Sonic asked, hoarsely.

"It's to help you relax and relieve you of your pain." Eggman answered, as he swirled the cup around, mixing the liquids.

"Will it… knock me out?" The hedgehog inquired, trying to not sound as worried as he was. He hated how vulnerable he felt.

The doctor glanced over, then looked back at his concoction. How old was the hedgehog again? 13? It was easy to forget how young he was sometimes. Right now, his nemesis was merely a scared child.
Hesitantly, he replied "...yes. For about an hour."

The blue blur didn't like the idea of being unconscious again, but, weirdly enough, Eggman seemed genuinely interested in helping him and he was offering it, not forcing it.
He decided to trust him this time and let the human help him drink the cup's content.

Eggman let Sonic be alone for a couple of minutes while waiting for the effect to kick in. The less stressed he was, the quicker it would happen.

Sonic felt his body grow numb and the pain disappearing, then his consciousness gradually drifted away into a dreamless sleep.

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To be continued…