Back to Chapter 32

Bunnie sat in her front room. The room was darkened. So was Bunnie’s mood. She looked over at the salon chairs. What a waste of money they’d turned out to be. Her eyes passed over each implement of her chosen profession, the tongs, the hairdryer, the scissors, all the make-up and nail polish kits. Well, they’d certainly not be getting any use now.

Bunnie sighed. Her heart had been heavy for a week. To put it bluntly, she’d been absolutely miserable. Was this her life now? She didn’t want it to be. Everything had been completely and utterly upended and she had no idea where to start.

Bunnie looked at her left arm. Only, it wasn’t her arm, not really. Not any more. What she was looking at was hard and grey and metal. It was hideous. Bunnie scoffed- a beautician who looked hideous, that would really get the customers rolling in. Still, she pondered, at least she’d be well co-ordinated as both of her legs were also rocking the same machinery nouveau chic.

Bunnie glanced at her chair. Specifically, it was a wheelchair. Uncle Chuck had assured her she wouldn’t need it for long, that the readings suggested she’d regain feelings in her legs- feelings in these legs, anyway… well, a few days ago. But Bunnie hadn’t dared try.

Bunnie felt remorse. It wasn’t Uncle Chuck’s fault. He’d tried to help her. His Roboticizer just hadn’t had a test subject of her size before. Plants and Mobini were good starting points but Uncle Chuck just hadn’t managed to work his way up to Mobian yet. Had he been granted the time to do so, he’d have ironed out all the flaws in the machine and Bunnie’s arm and legs would have been indistinguishable from before.

Instead, they… well, they simply weren’t. Bunnie’s limbs were an awful reminder of Robotnik and his cruelty.

Bunnie had spent much of the last week alone and crying in her darkened house. She’d barely eaten a thing, just enough to ensure she didn’t pass out. But, faced with a life in this state, Bunnie found she could barely bring herself to carry on. How was she going to live out her life like this?

Bunnie was jolted out of her thoughts by a knock at the door.

“Go ‘way,” Bunnie sadly said.

The door opened, “Is that any way to address your Princess?”

Sally stepped inside, with Antoine right behind her carrying a vase of flowers.

“Sally-girl, Ah’m sorry, Ah—”

“Don’t you dare apologise to me, Bunnie Rabbot,” Sally rushed to her friend’s side and gave her a tight hug.

Bunnie was taken aback for a moment but smiled.

“If there’s an apology owed, it’s from me,” Sally stood upright, “I’ve been so wrapped up in reporting to Daddy this last week that I haven’t made time for you. I am deeply ashamed and deeply sorry”

“Heck,” Bunnie’s mouth upturned at the corner, “Ah reckon Ah kin forgive you, bein’ as you’re mah favourite customer” Bunnie’s eyes crossed to the flowers Antoine was holding. They were the most striking purple and white, “Ah didn’t know you had a green thumb, Sugah-‘twan”

“Oui, mademoiselle,” Antoine responsded, “My mother taught me ze upbringing and care of plants”

“Well she sounds like a mighty lovely lady, I’d sure like to meet her some day”

Antoine bowed his head slightly and placed the flowers on Bunnie’s coffee table, “For you, of course”

“Hyacinths, right?” Bunnie smiled, “Thanks, Sugah-‘twan”

Sally cleared her throat, “Bunnie, I have a favour to ask of you”

“Ah knew there was bound to be a catch,” Bunnie responded, her typical playful demeanour shining through.

“It’s been a busy week. Like I said, I’ve struggled to find time for the important things. And that extends to my appearance. I’d like very much for you to give my hair the once over”

Bunnie felt as if she’d been run through with a shard of ice, “S-Sally, Ah… Ah cain’t”

“Oh? And why’s that then?” Sally crossed her arms.

“Sally-girl, look at me! Ah’m stuck in this here chair, mah legs’re made of metal- heck, so’s mah arm! How am Ah supposed to cut hair? Ah’d be more likely to cut yer head off!”

Sally raised an eyebrow, “Am I to understand,” she started, a serious tone in her voice, “that the Royal Beautician is refusing a direct request from her Princess?”

Bunnie tried to protest but could only stammer out silent nothings.

“I’ll make myself comfortable, shall I?” Sally asked, sitting herself down in a salon chair.

Bunnie’s mind raced. What was she supposed to do? If she tried cutting Sally’s hair with this hulking chunk of metal for an arm, chances are she’d turn her skin inside out!

“Sally… Ah cain’t,” Bunnie repeated.

“I don’t accept that,” Sally replied, her back to Bunnie but with one eye on the mirror ahead of her letting her see her friend, “Come on. Up you get. I spoke to Uncle Chuck, he told me your legs should work just fine”

Bunnie’s heart pounded. She was incredulous. She couldn’t believe Sally would do this to her. Still… she couldn’t say no to the Princess… could she?

Bunnie pushed down on the armrests of the wheelchair and extended her feet to the floor. As she stood up, for a moment she faltered. Antoine made to move towards her.

“Commander D’Coolette, I order you not to move from that spot, do I make myself clear?”

Antoine looked at Sally, then at Bunnie, then back at Sally, “Oui, ma princesse, je suis desole”

Sally didn’t turn her head, “Quite alright, Antoine. Bunnie, if you please?”

Slowly, trepidatiously, Bunnie moved towards Sally. The mental effort required to move her new legs was tremendous at first- yet the physical strain was almost nil. The legs, for all their clunkiness, moved as easily as her flesh and blood legs had. With each step, it was as if Bunnie found it easier to move. Uncle Chuck had been right- she could walk just fine. In no time at all, Bunnie was stood behind Sally’s chair.

“Now, if you don’t mind,” Sally said, “I’d like the same as you gave me last time”

Bunnie shuddered nervously. She was about to be humiliated, she just knew it. She reached for the scissors with her right hand and put them to Sally’s hair.

“Bunnie, I’m not blind and I’m not stupid,” Sally stopped Bunnie short, “I know you’re left-handed. I’d rather not leave her scalped so, please, do it properly”

Bunnie trembled as she passed the scissors into her left hand.

She breathed a deep breath to try and calm herself.

And she began.

Despite her initial trepidation, Bunnie found her new arm moved with no resistance, behaving exactly as a real one would. As a matter of fact, as she set about her work, Bunnie realised something clearly: she was performing exactly as well as she had before. Her hands moved effortlessly around Sally’s head, no yanking on hair, no accidentally grazing the scalp, no accidental cuts where they weren’t wanted. She was doing it.

Bunny found her vision was blurred all of a sudden. She blinked and tears ran from her eyes.

Sally smiled.

With Sally’s hair tended to, Bunnie prepared to braid it as she had before. Each strand of Sally’s hair looped and tied as perfectly as you could imagine until she was left with a flawless red braid.

Bunnie stood back to admire her work, “Oh mah stars…”

Sally stood up and turned to her friend, tears of her own in her eyes, “I knew you could do it. I’m so proud of you”

Bunnie began to weep tears of joy. Sally rushed to put her arms around her.

“What happened,” Sally said, “doesn’t change anything. These metal limbs don’t define who you are. You’re still my friend and you can still do all the things you could before. Maybe even more!”

Between gasps, Bunnie managed to let out a “Thank you, Sally-girl”

Sally sat and hugged her friend until the crying stopped.

Once she’d composed herself, Bunnie joined her friends and introduced herself to the world- the new Bunnie Rabbot.

Though she had to admit to herself- if anything, this made it more likely people would pronounce her surname wrong!

Chapter 34 coming soon