Familiar doors turn, and through them steps a crimson echidna who's nervous to be here.
He makes his way up to the receptionist's desk then clears his throat.
"I'm here to see Doctor Fiddles," he states, trying hard not to seem unnerved, for you see this wasn't his first office visit. No, last time he was here he had no idea what was to come, and only after realizing what had happened last time, he was a bit more guarded now having to return.
The fox behind the counter smiles at him and asks how his day is going while she types his information into the computer, but he can't give her a straight answer. He seems to avoid eye contact and keeps looking toward the door that will eventually lead him to the room he'd been in once before.
Nervously he takes a seat after checking in and tries to get comfortable.
Be cool, Knuckles, he tells himself.
He was really trying to, but his heart was pounding through his chest.
There was no way he should have ever had to possibly come back after last time, but unfortunate circumstances left him with no other choice.
He had to get himself checked out.
The door opens after a few minutes of painstaking anticipation and the gray tabby-cat nurse greets him by name and asks him to come with her.
Knuckles is once again led to the scale.
He pauses.
The nurse lifts a curious brow.
It's only now that Knuckles has to ask. He turns his gaze toward her and in all seriousness asks her, "Do you want me to take off my shoes or do you know how much they weigh?"
She can only follow up with, "What?"
"Like, do you just know how much they weigh? So, say if you take my overall weight and subtract it from my shoes, you would get my actual weight. Right?"
The nurse tries to speak.
"Or do you usually have people remove their shoes? Do you have to look? Do I get to keep my socks on? Socks don't weigh much, but I don't know how exact you have to be. I would just feel awkward, well, since you're a girl and I'm not so-"
The nurse places a hand on his shoulder which stops him. "Keep the shoes on."
Knuckles doesn't argue.
Once she jots down his weight he is brought to the exam room, same as before.
Knuckles grimaces at the paper-covered seat as she asks him to sit. He does so, reluctantly, and wriggles about until he's comfortable, stirring quite a bit of noise. The nurse gets the blood pressure cuff and wraps it around his arm.
Knuckles feels it tighten but doesn't flinch this time as it inflates hard around his upper arm. He knows better now.
"You do this to all your patients?" he asks, which makes her smile.
"Yes."
Knuckles looks off into the corner of the room. "Cool…"
The tabby thanks him and heads out the door. "The doctor will be in to see you soon."
She leaves.
Knuckles shifts uncomfortably.
==================================
Chapter Two
The doctor steps through the door and Knuckles almost jumps when his low husky voice greets his ears.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Echidna," the dingo says as he walks over and takes a seat on his stool. "What brings you here today?
Knuckles swallows, his cheeks burning a little.
The doctor just waits for him to reply.
"I…" he starts, "have been having…pain."
"..."
"In my…" Knuckles glances over at the doctor who is listening intently with an emotionless look on his face. "Crotch," he almost whispers, looking away.
The doctor nods and jots that down. "When did it start?"
The echidna is surprised that he hadn't been laughed at and that the doctor was taking this seriously. "A week ago."
More notes jot down into the computer as the keyboard rapidly clicks under the dingo's fast fingers.
Knuckles can feel sweat building under his fur as he watches those fingers type. He suddenly remembers when one of them had reached inside of him to check his prostate and he grows uncomfortable, shifting against the paper again. He looks away.
Is he gunna do something like that again?
He hoped not.
"So, what I'm going to do," the doctor begins, rolling his chair away from his computer, "is have you pee in a cup." He reaches into the cupboard (since he was tall enough to reach it even when sitting) and pulls out a strange looking cup with an orange cap. The doctor takes a moment to write the echidna's name on a label and stick it to the cup before handing it to him.
Knuckles just stares at it as he listens.
"There is a bathroom down the hall to your left. Pee in the cup, close and tighten the cap, then put it in the silver box on the wall then come back and see me."
Woah.
"What are you gunna do with it?" he questions.
The doctor wants to say something else, but settles on "the lab will test it to see what's wrong."
Knuckles stands up and heads for the door. "Okay…"
As he heads down the hall toward the bathroom mentioned he studies the cup and the handwriting on it's label.
How do they test it? Do they like, feel how warm it is? Gross. Why do they always have to do weird stuff in order to tell me what I want to know?
Knuckles closes and locks the door to the bathroom and opens the cap.
I don't think I want to know what'll happen to it.
He does as he's told and screws the cap onto the cup before placing it in the metal box and leaves the bathroom.
As he heads down the hall back to the room he feels that anxiety again as he gets closer, knowing the doctor was waiting for him. Just as he thought, the doctor was typing some things out on his computer in the exam room when he turns to see his patient arrive.
"Good. While we're waiting on your results, let's talk about this a little more." The doctor pushes his glasses up on his nose a little and turns his body toward the echidna as he sits back on the seat of paper.
"W-what's there to discuss?" Knuckles couldn't help the wavering in his voice as he looks for solace in the doctor's eyes.
The golden leans back a bit to rest one leg over the other and places his head in his hand, attention soley on Knuckles now. "Are you feeling a burning sensation when you go?"
Knuckles blushes and has to look away. "Yea. So what?"
"Does it itch?"
The crimson's brows pull together, eyes wide still. "No."
"Does it smell different?"
He bites his own lips. "Not really."
"Are you sexually active?"
Knuckles's head whips back to meet the doctor's face who is dead serious, and the echidna stammers. "W-why do you need to know that?"
The dingo sighs, feeling bad for this guy. "Just in case your test results come back with any STDs then we can close in on the cause of your issue."
Knuckles looks over the doctor's head to the poster on the wall behind him which talks about it and informs the readers to wear a condom. "I…" He looks down at his feet and swings them back and forth a little. "Not with anyone else."
The doctor draws his lips into a thin line as his brows furrow. "Elaborate."
"Well, not since I left here last time," he explains. "Not since my exam."
The doctor grits his teeth and has to stop himself from making a comment.
"I'm not sure why it would have anything to do with today unless…" Knuckles gasps. "I knew it."
The dingo lifts a brow.
Knuckles stands abruptly and points a finger at him. "You purposely made me sick so I would come back to see you! It was a ploy all along!"
There's a moment of silence.
Just as it couldn't get anymore deafening, the doctor lets out a laugh. "You really think that, huh?"
Knuckles hadn't seen this side of the doctor.
The golden mobian places a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing. "Mr. Echidna," he says, "you are something else."
Knuckles balls his fists up, ready to start a fight. "Watch it pal," he says in a low threatening voice.
Once the dingo contains himself he uncovers his mouth and smiles. "You really are an amusing character."
Violet eyes widen and stare in disbelief.
Is this guy for real? He was just laughing at me and now he's mocking me?
"You wanna get your teeth knocked out?" He growls.
"No," claims the doctor with a light-hearted tone. "I want to help you clear up this health concern so you can get back to...whatever it is you do."
Knuckles exhales sharply through his nose and sits with a mean look on his face.
==================================
Chapter Three
A ping sounds from the doctor's computer and he looks at it for a moment before nodding his head in conclusion. "You have a urinary tract infection."
Knuckles looks confused.
The doctor looks at him to see if he would make a comment, then back to his computer screen. "Do you drink enough water?"
"Yea." When I can.
"Do you sit for long periods of time?"
"I'm the guardian of the Master Emerald."
The doctor shoots him a glance. "Sir, I don't know what that means." He's doing his best not to sound annoyed. "I know you've mentioned this…occupation before…" He looks back to the screen. "Does protecting the Master Emerald cause you to sit for long periods of time?"
"Well, yea," responds the quirky echidna. "What else am I going to do for hours on end? Stand?"
The doctor feels a drop of sweat race down the side of his head as he carries on to the next question. "How do you clean yourself?"
Knuckles squints. "Water?"
The doctor retorts, "Soap?"
Knuckles frowns.
The doc takes that as a 'no'. "Okay, last question and then we'll talk about medications."
The echidna continues to swing his legs back and forth. "You don't have to check my prostate again, do you?" he asks with anticipation.
"No."
Knuckles sighs with relief. "Good."
"Do you have any allergies?"
Knuckles shakes his head.
"Okay," the doctor rolls away from his computer. "I'm going to prescribe you an antibiotic that you can take twice a day, once when you wake up and the other after dinner. You must take them with meals."
Knuckles watches as he stands and fixes his white coat.
"Try to drink more water, move around more often, and use soap when bathing to make sure bacteria doesn't grow in your urethra."
"Urethra?"
"Pee hole."
Knuckles smiles anxiously. "Right!" he chuckles. "I knew that."
The doctor opens the door and stands to the side and Knuckles gets up. "We'll see you again in a week to see how you're doing, and if any further treatment is needed. Just ask the front desk to schedule you and set a time."
Knuckles cautiously passes the doctor whilst making eye contact. "O-okay." He starts down the hall.
"Don't forget to stop by the pharmacy to pick up your prescription. It's on the way out."
==================================
Chapter Four
A red-eyed white rabbit passes Knuckles as he's making his way into the pharmacy and he can't help but to stare at her as she leaves.
He turns his attention toward the counter and approaches.
"Name?" The pharmacist asks. She was a little old gray mouse wearing a dainty smile.
"Knuckles," he replies, looking over his shoulder toward the white rabbit as she leaves the building through the main doors. She was wearing a white blouse with a short black faux leather skirt and red heels.
He watches her hips sway back and forth with her little fluffy tail as she walks confidently down the hall toward the exit.
The mouse types on her keyboard. "Echidna," she says with the elderly tone to her voice. "One moment please."
As she heads over to the shelf with the ready prescriptions on it Knuckles asks,
"Who was that?"
The mouse returns with a white paper bag and twitches her nose. "That's doctor Albany. She's the psychiatrist up on the 5th floor."
Knuckles doesn't reply at first.
There was something off about her.
He thanks the pharmacist and takes his bag before heading on his way. Leading out through the building exit he looks both ways down the sidewalk. The hospital was in the middle of the city which was full of other mobians all going about their day. It wasn't too busy since it was about mid-morning so he could easily scan the crowd.
He spots her, the white rabbit, and decides to follow.
Once he catches up to her he softens his tone and asks her, "Miss?"
She turns back to him, only half startled, then smiles. "Yes?"
"H-hey, uh," he stammers. She was really pretty.
Her fur was as white as snow, eyes a blazing red like polished ruby, and lips to match those eyes which purse as her attention falls on him. Her dark mascara gave her eyes a sensual, alluring look that Knuckles couldn't keep his gaze from.
His muzzle heats up. "I heard from the pharmacy that you're a psychiatrist?" he gets out.
She smirks a little and tilts her head slightly, those pretty eyes happy to fall on him. "I am." She puts out her hand for a shake. "Doctor Albany," she states.
He looks down at her elegant-looking hands which was gloved with black satin and takes it gently. It's only now she notices the massiveness that are his and her eyes widen in surprise.
"Knuckles," he replies.
The rabbit glances back up to lock eyes with him and smiles once more. "I see why they call you that."
"Are you um," he says but trips on his question.
"Taking new patients?" she finishes.
Knuckles's brows lift. How'd she know I was gunna ask that?
"Yes," she answers too.
After pulling her hand back she takes a business card from her bosom and hands it to him. He takes it from her and looks at it.
She turns to walk away and looks back at him as he meets her gaze one more time. She winks. "Call me."
She struts off just as confidently as before and Knuckles just finds himself staring at her form as she grows distance between them.
The corner of his mouth turns up and he looks back down at the card with her credentials on it and his smile widens. "Okay," he agrees out of earshot. "I will."
