Poppy Playtime ~ An Angel's Bleeding Heart

Chapter 16 : Leg Day

Darkness was the first sensation that his tired eyes beheld, along with the numbing sensation of limp limbs devoid of strength.  Which is strange since for as long as he could remember whenever he awakens it will always follow with blinding lights due to the absence of eyelids.  He remembered how he first learned to fall asleep, just simply daze off and allow his mind to slip to thoughtless emptiness, it always brought dried pain to his eyes whenever his vision returns.

But now, there is no pain.  In fact, there is no pain at all.

The viscous cycle of pain isn't there anymore, the soreness of his beaten and bruised muscles are no longer there, and the throbbing pain of headaches and irregular heart pains are absent.  And strangely of all, the all too familiar sting of his lost legs are gone.

Though the last flickers of his tormentor's sting remained, they felt fleeting as Dogday forced himself back awake.  Opening one eye at a time, bright lights assaulted his gaze.  He winced, but his vision prevailed as his view focused.  The first thing he saw was an overhead lamp, the seven lights arranged within the circular frame shining intensely on him.

He didn't want to stare at these lights any longer.  With returning strength trickling back into his muscles he pushes himself up, slowly and with grudgingly steadiness.  His ears heard someone nearby, he can hear them despite the muffled hearing, whoever they are sounded surprised and relieved.  His vision now completely cleared focuses in on the person in question.  It turned out to be Poppy, and she was overjoyed to see him awake.

"Dogday!"  She exclaimed.  "I was so worried, you were sleeping for awhile and I thought there was something wrong."

Dogday opened his mouth and spoke.  "What are you talking abou—wait a minute...?"

His mouth opened?  But that's impossible.  Sure he has a mouth but it isn't real like Huggy's or Mommy's.  His is simply sowed fabric over molded cartilage and hard plastic, the only real part of his mouth was the entrance to the esophagus just behind the voice box.  But now, as his paws traced over his lips, he can actually taste the inside of his mouth, feel the cool air pass over wet gums.  He realizes that he has a tongue now, and with the wet appendage he can feel that he now has teeth, the front and side teeth resembling that of a canine's while the ones in the back are like human molars.

"Wha-...What is this?"  Dogday whispered flabbergasted.  But that wasn't all, there was something in the air, it is pungent and rancid.  Normally he would see or feel it, but now he can sense it in his nose.  Is this what smelling is?

The doctors and scientists never gave him nor the other smiling critters the sense of taste or smell, finding such things as trivial and unnecessary in their creation.  Only Catnap was given these senses as a way to make him 'more effective'.

But this left him with one burning question, how on Earth is able to all of a sudden smell and taste.  Why does he feel so...whole?

"Please...please don't let this be a dream..."  He muttered somberly.

Poppy then spoke up, snapping him out of his stupor.  "Hey, I know that all this is very new to you, but before I explain, you might want to take a look down."  She said pointing down past Dogday's torso.  "I hope that they look okay."

Dogday then propped himself up, his elbows locking as he planted the flat of his paws firmly on the metal stretcher's surface.  He looked down past his waist, and what he saw couldn't have made him any happier.  For he is now sporting a pair of new, un-maimed legs.  He leans further forward to get a better look, not a spot or blemish on them.  He feels them, massaging his new calves and knees, he can feel every tendon and muscle fiber brimming with a strength once foreign to him.