Another little story for the inflation/berry setting, and a sequel to "Allergic Reaction". While the setting won't really have an ongoing storyline, a lot of them will still likely build on one another in the future.

Afflicted with berrification, Kyler has to endure a routine check-up at the clinic...

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Routine Berry Check-up
By: IndigoRho

Kyler looked around at the uncomfortably sparse walls of the clinic room he was in. A month ago the unfortunate orange-and-white rabbit had suffered a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting, and was now afflicted with the dreaded berrification. Even now his belly was swollen to the size of a beach ball, the orange juice within sloshing about anytime he moved. He still hadn't gotten used to his body constantly producing juice, and all the unease involved with taking suppressants and performing regular juicings so he didn't explode. Everyone kept saying he'd adjust eventually, that he'd learn his limits and the whole ordeal would become merely an inconvenience, that maybe he'd even be completely cured one day, but the rabbit was overwhelmed by doubt. Knowing you could be a sloshing time-bomb wasn't very comforting.

The door to the room finally opened, and the ram doctor Kyler had been expecting walked in, skimming over his clipboard. “Morning Kyler, I'm Dr. Edwards. How are you feeling today?”

“Uh, bloated, I guess?” The rabbit couldn't think of anything else to say.

“Natural swelling, or do you feel it's unusually rapid?” The doctor said in between glances at his paperwork.

“N-natural? I think. I, I really don't know yet.” Kyler still couldn't believe these were normal conversations he'd be having for the foreseeable future.

Dr. Edwards maintained a warm smile. “You'll get a feel for it eventually. Alright, all we need to do today is go over a few simple questions, then run a test, nothing major.” He waited for Kyler to nod before continuing. “So, how often are you juicing, daily?”

“Usually twice. Before I go to bed and shortly after I wake up.” Kyler wished he could do so more often, but the rabbit was limited to the bulky home juicer until he could save up money for an expensive portable version. He tended to swell up an embarrassing amount anytime he left the house for the day. While there hadn't been any close-calls, Kyler realized right away he was treated differently once it was obvious he was a berry, becoming the target of teasing and odd looks. The rabbit also tired out more easily while swollen with juice, and just a few days before had ended up stuck in a theater chair after seeing a particularly long movie with friends. He knew he'd never hear the end of that.

“Once or twice daily is a good average. As long as you're consistent with your medication that should stay the same for years, potentially even decades.” Though the doctor's words were supposed to be encouraging, they only managed to reinforce the longevity of Kyler's condition. “To maintain that you'll want to make sure you avoid remaining close to your limit for extended periods. Prolonged time at the 'ripe' stage can gradually increase the volatility of your juice.”

Kyler hated the term ripe, used to describe the point where a berry was almost completely spherical and on the verge of bursting. He didn't like being treated as literal produce. “I'd heard that staying filled longer can help increase the stretchiness of hide, though? Something about making you more durable and less likely to pop.”

“There's a degree of truth in that,” Edwards admitted. “But again, that potential durability comes at the cost of producing internal juices much more rapidly. You'd also run the risk of gaining resistances to juice suppressant medications.”

While Kyler hadn't had any real interest in testing the theory personally, he appreciated the doctor's assurances. “Yeah, that's not really something I want.”

“Understandable. Alright, have you noticed any occurrences of increased swelling after eating or drinking anything in particular?” The doctor continued questioning. “Orange products especially.”

“Not that I know of?” Again the rabbit still wasn't used to what was and wasn't normal swelling. “I've avoided anything with the word orange in it, though. They kind of make me uncomfortable now.”

“I'd advise trying a few different orange byproducts when you've got the chance to. Considering your specific affliction, there's a chance they might provoke rapid juice production, and that's a good thing to know sooner rather than later,” the doctor insisted.

Kyler gulped. He hadn't imagined accidentally drinking something with orange in it, and finding himself flash-inflating to the point of no return. “I-I'll grab some stuff on the way home then.”

The doctor smiled. “Next question. Have you noticed any orange coloration appearing earlier or lingering for longer?”

“N-no? My fur starts turning really orange when I'm about this size,” Kyler gave his belly a gentle shake, brushing a paw across the large orange spot on his normally solid-white middle. “Seems to fade really quickly once I'm fully juiced, too.”

“Excellent, excellent. Prolonged or permanent discoloration is a common sign of volatile juice,” Edwards said. “Along with your slow internal production, that means there's a good chance your juice is safe to drink unfiltered.”

Kyler shuddered at the thought. Being treated like a juice box was even worse than being treated like produce. “Hurray?”

“It's honestly something to be thankful for. If your volatility's that low you're unlikely to spread the affliction to others,” the doctor smiled. “You'd also be able to sell all that excess juice you're producing. There's a strong market out there for genuine berry juice, and it can be a good way to fund treatments and equipment.”

Admittedly the idea suddenly seemed appealing to Kyler. Being a one-rabbit juice factory wasn't ideal, but the extra spending money would be nice. “It's nice to have one positive aspect to this dumb thing.” He sighed. “Quick question, is...um, weight-gain a normal side-effect of berrification?”

“In many cases, yes.” Doctor Edwards began glancing over the rabbit in new ways. “The juice your body creates doesn't just sit in your stomach doing nothing, some of it ends up being digested. Juice can be a little high in calories, so there's a chance you'll put on weight depending on your metabolism and activity levels.”

“Great. I think I've already put on about fifteen pounds this month,” Kyler pouted, poking his belly. “Really looking forward to being both an orange and a butterball.”

The doctor did his best to keep Kyler's morale up. “The gains might not stay consistent. If you've noticed them this early, than I'd suggest keeping a close eye on your diet and increasing how often you exercise.”

Kyler simply nodded. He had been hiding inside a lot more ever since becoming an orange, playing video games and grazing on junk food instead of skate boarding or hiking like usual. At least the University had a large gym he'd be able to use once the semester began. The rabbit hated to admit how nice his temporary pot belly felt, though. Maybe a few extra pounds wouldn't be so bad after all.

“Ok Kyler, time for the test.” Dr. Edwards put down his clipboard and walked over to a cabinet against the wall, where he retrieved a small vial. “During the next few visits we'll be exposing you to certain things to figure out if you've got any berry-specific allergies. That way you'll know what to avoid, and how to properly counter a volatile reaction.” He returned to Kyler. “But first we'll need to record exactly how your body reacts to a rapid swell event.”

Kyler almost cowered on the examination table. He'd avoided filling to anywhere near his limit since first becoming an orange, and wasn't eager to experience the feeling again. “Th-there's no actual danger of bursting, right?”

“It's a routine procedure, and we've got juicing equipment on hand just in case,” Edwards said, offering Kyler the vial.

The rabbit hesitated, before cautiously accepting the vial and drinking its contents. He'd expected to instantly begin swelling up, but instead he simply felt a chill in his stomach. Meanwhile, Dr. Edwards brought over a gel-like patch and applied it to the back of Kyler's neck. By then there was an audible bubbling echoing from within the rabbit's gut, and Kyler realized he'd begun to expand. On instinct he slid himself off the examination table—not eager to end up pinned between it and the ceiling—his belly bouncing and sloshing as he did. His sides and chest were rounding out as the juice inside him rapidly multiplied. Experiencing long, drawn-out berrification had been stressful enough for the rabbit, but filling up this fast was putting Kyler on the verge of a panic attack. He could actually feel his hide stretching to handle all the juice, his arms and legs tingling as they puffed up and grew stiff. The bright orange swathe on his middle was also spreading across him like a wildfire.

Kyler sloshed and wobbled as he frantically examined the drastic changes in his body, now painfully aware of what a water balloon felt like being filled. Dr. Edwards appeared unconcerned by how things were proceeding, which gave Kyler the slightest bit of solace, though the rabbit was unable to fully shake the feeling of being in danger. Soon Kyler's swelling back pressed against the examination table, forcing him to nervously waddle forwards to ensure he remained upright. Moving made waves in the juice lake within him, and the rabbit nearly toppled over as the volatile brew disrupted his balance.

Those few steps were exhausting. He was out of breath once his body reached the initial stages of being spherical, and he felt his energy draining even while standing perfectly still. His arms and legs blimped up, squished into domes as his round body steadily encroached on them. Kyler doubted he could move in any meaningful fashion at that point, both due to the immense weight of the juice bubbling within him and how puffed up his paws were. The stretching of his hide turned into light creaks as his skin grew tauter. He winced at every little sound, especially with his internal pressure growing. Just as suddenly as his expansion had begun, though, it ceased.

Dr. Edwards slowly circled the spherical rabbit, looking for any obvious marks or signs of strain on his body. At various points he'd poke at Kyler's body with a hoof to test tension, much to the rabbit's distress.

“H-hey! What if I pop!” Kyler whined after a handful of prods.

The doctor gave him a stern look. “You're not nearly as fragile as you think you are. If you were you'd burst just by breathing.”

“Well I definitely feel like a pinprick could do me in,” Kyler pouted.

“Berrification's a much more complex process than simply becoming a living balloon, Kyler,” Dr. Edwards lectured. “You'd need to be on the verge of your absolute limit for a small puncture to cause an explosion, otherwise all you'll suffer is a leak and the expected pain of being pierced. Though obviously you should avoid such things.”

Kyler sighed. “Don't worry, I'm not eager to start rolling onto needles. H-how long do I need to stay like this?”

“Only about half-an-hour more,” the doctor said. “We'll be placing a couple more sensor patches on you to get proper readings, then once that's done we'll have you juiced back down to manageable size and you'll be free for the day.”

While the thought of being stuck as an orange for even a minute more was undesirable to Kyler, he knew the tests were worth it. Hopefully in the end he'd learn the affliction wasn't too intrusive on his life, and not have to fear accidentally eating or drinking something that would blimp him up in an instant. The rabbit groaned, trying hard to not think too much about how frequently he might end up as a fully ripe berry in the future.