Overdue Check-Up (Poppy Playtime)

(Chapter 3) Part 15: Odd Ollie & Dogday's Surgery

Hoppy and Dan both watch as Dogday hugs and cries into his son with a mixture of relief and sorrow, which only makes the toy and brother tear up themselves, but the stay quiet to not ruin the moment. All the while, Nearic leans into his dad's embrace, a small chuckle leaves his relieved smile, and he can't help the tears that leave his closed eyes, he's been without his dad for 10 long years, almost all his memories of this place revolve around the giant canine, so he begins to sob, leaning his head to the left into his father's own, his back to the canine's chest.

Nearic says through his own crying sobs and hiccups, "I mis-issed you... dad."

The canine hugs him tighter, even more tears leaving his black sockets, "I missed you too, Pup."

The elevator reaches the top and stops there, the gates opening for them to leave. Hoppy and Dan do, but the father and son do not, the large canine still shakily hugging his son in tears and relief. The two that left the elevator walk away to the opposite wall and sit down, taking a small break as the small family recover.

Dan smiles sadly, "To think, all this time, Nearic was telling about this place, about Dogday, about you... and all of you, and none of us believed him."

Hoppy sighs, "Must've been for him."

Dan nodded, "He was really upset when we got him the Smiling Critters plushies and none of them talked back, we all had it be normal... not for him though, god..." he rests his head in his hands, "I feel horrible."

Hoppy pats his back, "Not really your fault, you didn't know."

Dogday begins to loosen his hold on Nearic and sniffles, bringing up a hand to wipe at his tears, "Sorry... it's just, I..."

Nearic turns himself around, one of his dad's arms still hooked around his torso, and hugs his dad's head, his right arm flaring with pian, but he didn't care, "Don't... I know... I can't imagine what it felt to see them go like that."

Dogday swallows thickly, "I'm just glad that Catnap was wrong about what happened to you, I almost started believing him..."

Nearic holds him tighter, "Well, I'm not dead, no matter what Uncle Nap believes, I'm alive and I'm going to prove it to him."

Dogday shuddered, "That thing is no longer your uncle, Pup..." he said, slight anger in his voice, along with something else, Nearic didn't know why.

Nearic leans back to look at his dad fully, "What... what are you talking about, of course he is."

Dogday huffs, and looks to the left, away from everyone, "You have no idea what that thing has done."

Nearic wanted to retort, to explain on his uncle's behalf, but he just got his dad back, he wasn't going to start a fight already, now wasn't the time, "We'll talk about that later, right now, we should leave and get your legs re-attached."

His father looks back to him, "My what?" he asks quietly.

Nearic smiles and looks towards his aunt, "I found your legs next to Uncle Nap's shrine for the Prototype, perfectly preserved too, the wound it should have was sewn closed to prevent it from bleeding further."

Hoppy turns to the side and shows his lower half wedged between her back and the bag, legs and tail still there, no smell of rot whatsoever, and the waist where it was ripped off of him was sewn closed, "Ta-da!"

Nearic, Dan, and Hoppy watched as Dogday stared at the legs they were carrying, to say he was surprised would be an understatement, "He actually kept them, for me? He closed it so it wouldn't decay... why?" A thousand other thoughts ran through his mind, still staring at the legs Hoppy carried on her back, "Catnap... I-"