Sonic's gaze flitted around the room.He seemed highly anxious and confused. Peaches held his hand. His emerald eyes focused on her.
"Are you all right, Sonic?" She asked. The cobalt hedgehog nervously shifted.
"I'm just a bit nervous. . .and honestly scared. I know the shots you gave me don't work. I don't want to go to the hospital. . ." Peaches knew that Sonic hated hospitals. He had always felt trapped within hospitals. Dr. Griffith entered the room.
"How are we doing today?" He asked.
"Same as last time." Sonic replied.
"The medicine didn't work. His eating only increased." Peaches explained. Dr. Griffith nodded.
"Well, that's unfortunate. I'll have to do another examination on you, Sonic. Standard procedure."
Sonic tensed, but didn't struggle as Dr. Griffith proceeded. Instead, he held Peaches' hand tight and prayed for good news. Dr. Griffith put Sonic on the scale. When he saw Sonic' weight, he was shocked.
"57 pounds?!"
"What?!" Peaches exclaimed. "Are you sure Dr. Griffith?"
"Yes, I'm certain. This is strange. He's lost almost 19 pounds. . .in two weeks!"
"Isn't weight loss like that kinda dangerous?" Sonic asked.
"It can be." Dr. Griffith scrunched his face in thought. "I think I should run some tests on you." Sonic gulped. He did not like that suggestion. "Don't worry, Sonic. They won't hurt you. I might have to take an MRI and a few x-rays though. . ." Sonic was shivering in fear. He didn't like any of those things. He wished he was at home cuddling with Peaches and wrapped up in a warm blanket.
Sonic followed Dr. Griffith closely as he was led to the MRI room. He didn't fight during the MRI or x-rays. He just simply didn't have the strength. Dr. Griffith brought Sonic back to his office.
"Well, I don't know what it is yet, but I'll call as soon as I receive the MRI results."
"Thank you, Dr. Griffith." Peaches said and squeezed Sonic's hand tight.
Peaches watched Sonic and Tails as they preformed sparring exercises. Sonic did look thinner than usual, but it seemed to increase his speed and accuracy. Tails could barely dodge the lightning fast punches and kicks.
"Sonic! Wait!" Tails huffed, out of breath. The fox cub's fluffy white chest heaved. Sonic stretched and sat down on the floor. Peaches walked over to him and sat beside him. "How did you get so fast?!" Tails asked when he could breathe again.
"Huh?" Sonic didn't seem to register his increase in speed. "What are you talking about?"
"Are you insane?! I could barely dodge your attacks, Sonic! I never even landed a single shot! You've gotten faster!"
Sonic thought back to the sparring. Tails was right. The fox never landed a hit and seemed to have trouble avoiding any shots Sonic took. "Wow. I guess I did get faster. Cool!"
"Also, what happened to your bit of tummy pudge?"
Sonic frowned and blushed a little as he averted his gaze. Sonic's weight had been a running joke in his circle of friends and family ever since he was twelve. He would be teased about it and every time a weight-loss commercial came on the TV, one of his friends would tell him to try it. Sonic knew these jokes weren't meant to hurt his feelings, but they always made him self-conscious and uncomfortable.
"I've lost some weight. . ." Sonic almost inaudibly replied.
"Really?" Tails beamed. "That's great! I always knew you'd do it!"
"Tails," Peaches began, "this is no laughing matter. Sonic is 57 pounds. He's lost almost a quarter of his body weight!" Tails' eyes popped.
"Are you serious?!" Peaches nodded.
"52." Sonic corrected her.
"What?" She asked.
"52." Sonic repeated. "I weigh 52 pounds. I checked this morning.
He's lost five more pounds?!
"52 pounds?!" Peaches exclaimed. "You've lost five more?!"
"How long has this been going on?" Tails asked.
"Three weeks." Peaches replied.
"This kind of weight loss? In three weeks?!"
Sonic was beginning to get ticked by this conversation.
"Cut it out you two!" He yelled. This is no big deal! I'm fine!"
Sonic's chest heaved. It was never a good thing when Sonic got angry. His stomach growled. Sonic got up and headed to the door. "I'm gonna get something to eat." He growled and left.
"Is it just me or. . ." Tails started.
"I heard it too." Peaches replied.
"That's weird."
Peaches sighed. "I'm so worried about him." She checked the time. "Well, I should go. Dr. Griffith's due to call any minute. I'll see you later, Tails." Peaches got up and left the room.
"What do you mean there's nothing wrong?!" Peaches practically screamed into the phone.
"I couldn't find anything abnormal in the MRI or the x-rays. I'm sure that in time, his eating will decrease. You just need to be patient." He ended the call. Peaches sat on the couch. Dr. Griffith was wrong. Sonic's behavior was not normal.
"Something wrong, Babe?"
Peaches turned at the voice. She saw Sonic sitting beside her, taking her hand in his. She turned to sit on his lap. As if by instinct, Sonic pressed his lips against her neck. Peaches wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Can I ask a question, Sonic?" Peaches asked.
"Uh, sure. . ." he answered, gently nipping her shoulder.
"How are you feeling?"
"Hungry as hell," he replied, "but that doesn't matter right now. All I want is for you to be happy." Peaches smiled. Such a romantic, he was. Peaches could hear his tummy growling angrily, displeased that it was being ignored. Sonic instinctively pressed his hand there.
Shut up! He mentally told his stomach. Again, this made him feel awkward.
"Do you wanna take a bath? I've been wanting to try your great smelling shampoo." Peaches snuggled against him and allowed him to pick her up and carry her to the bathroom.
Sonic stared at the ceiling, listening to his stomach growl. He sighed, growing tiresome of being woken up and restless.
"Please stop!" He begged his stomach to do. "I'm so tired!" He felt tears begin to sting his eyes. He wiped the tears away furiously, feeling stupid.
There are people who are going through worse. . .So why do I feel so alone?
Sonic could feel the annoying pinpricks of hunger and winced, the pain almost unbearable. He finally gave in to his stomach and went to the kitchen.
Sonic wasn't exactly thrilled by anything that he saw, so he decided to have a bowl of cereal, well aware that it wouldn't do much to sate his hunger. He turned on the TV as he sat down to eat. He munched on his cereal and was watching Tom & Jerry when he thought he saw something pass by the window. Sonic turned to the window and saw a shadow slip from sight. He shivered. Something was out there and he didn't want to hang around to find out what it was.
Sonic hurried back to the bedroom and crawled in bed with Peaches. He took two of the sleeping pills and laid down. But before he closed his eyes, he saw and elegant figure standing beside the bed. Half-asleep, Sonic reached out and grabbed its hand.
Peaches woke up the next morning to find Sonic still asleep, a smile on his face. He just also happened to be talking in his sleep. It didn't take a genius to know what he was dreaming about since he was mumbling the words, "chili dogs" every other jumbled sentence. Peaches giggled. She looked at his belly and began to wonder what he would do if she pretended to be asleep while laying her head against it. Peaches crawled under the sheets and got comfy on him. It only took a few minutes for Sonic to wake up and realize the pressure.
Sonic threw the bed sheets off him and instantly blushed when he saw Peaches' head on his belly. She seemed to still be sleeping. Sonic was unsure of how to react. He'd never experienced this situation other than with his cats. Face red as Knuckles' fur, Sonic reached out and brushed Peaches' bangs out of her eyes, hoping that the gesture would wake her up. Peaches opened her diamond eyes to gaze into his emerald eyes. He was blushing madly and wore a nervous smile.
"Good morning, Sonikku." She greeted him.
"You too, Peachy-Babe."
Peaches hadn't moved from her position upon Sonic's tummy, now kneading the side of it with her fingers. Sonic bit his lip to stop himself from making any sound that would indicate that he liked the way she was touching him.
"Uh, can you get up?" He asked, looking away from her. Peaches looked at his tummy before lifting herself from her position, granting Sonic's request. She stretched before feeling arms wrap around her waist. Sonic's lips were beside her ear.
"What is it?" She asked, knowing Sonic wanted to tell her something from the way he was nibbling her ear.
"I think I saw Mom last night. He softly whispered.
"Really?" Peaches replied. "Sonic, that's wonderful." He sighed sorrowfully and replied, "I don't know if it was real or not, I just wish I had more than a feeling." Peaches held the electric guitar charm of his medallion in the palm of her hand, watching it glimmer in the sunlight. Sonic smiled and touched it, turning it into the instrument.
"Sonic?" Peaches began. He looked up at her and began playing the guitar. And not too soon after, his voice joined.
"I wonder if you know Just how beautiful you are And of the comfort You give me Just to know you're here beside me It's the one thing That gives me hope
So please Don't leave me I can't Be alone I need your beside me So I can be strong. . ."
The song was cut short by Sonic's stomach growling, and this time, he couldn't keep the tears back. Peaches pulled him close and tried to comfort him. "That was beautiful, Sonic." This seemed to help as Sonic wiped his tears away and chuckled.
"Thank you. Sorry for the interruption." Peaches smiled.
"That's a new song, right?"
"Yeah. It's still a work in progress."
"Making the words up as you go, huh?"
"Naah. All I know to do is speak straight from the heart."
Peaches pulled Sonic into a kiss. It was a passionate, loving kiss to tell him just how much she loved him, which was unable to be fathomed. The two parted, gasping for air. They rested their foreheads together.
"Seriously, though. . ." Sonic said, panting. "Don't leave me. I need you. . ."
