"What happened? Where am I?"
Fox woke up from his weeklong coma confused. The trauma and blood loss had taken a toll on him, rendering much of the previous month a blur. Fox tried to sit up, only to collapse back down in pain. He felt around his body, finding a mess of bandages and stitched-up wounds. Slowly, the memories of the mission were coming back to him. The excitement. The rush. Reducing his foes to falling, flaming wreckage.
Then nothing. The memories ended shortly after that. Fox didn't know why, but he suspected that it had something to do with why he was in the hospital bed, frozen by the paralyzing pain.
Fox took a look at his surroundings. The machines hooked up to his body broke up the otherwise monotonous walls. Light shown through the window as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. The gentle morning rays reminded Fox of his carefree childhood days. The days at the beach with his parents. Getting up early to watch the sunrise. Those memories remained strong even as the previous month grew blurrier.
Then he saw her. Sleeping peacefully on the nearby couch reserved for visitors. Her blue fur bathed gently in the sun's rays. Again, memories were coming back. Rescuing her on Sauria. The awkwardness whenever he tried to ask her out. The dating. The memories eased some of his pain. Slowly, her eyes began to open as she woke from her slumber.
"Morning."
That smile. Those loving eyes. That voice. More memories flooded his head, slowly overwhelming his brain. Unlike the other memories, these brought back pain. The Anglar Invasion. Practically abandoning her. The overwhelming guilt. These memories slowly poisoned his already-confused mind.
"What's wrong?"
Her worried voice continued to flood his head with the unwelcome memories. Pain, guilt, and fear had completely replaced whatever happiness he may have felt earlier. Her worried cries continued to worsen his state. It didn't take long for her telepathy to confirm her suspicions.
"That's ancient history. I already forgave you long ago. Just let it go."
The room grew darker, the blindingly bright morning light only worsening things. The rays tormented him, silently laughing at him. The vixen sobbing, worried, fearing that the crash may have taken a bigger toll than she had thought. The pain greeted him with open arms, offering a sense of welcome peace and comfort. It all seemed overwhelming.
Then came the thought, the unspoken question that the vixen feared most, more than thoughts of abandoning or harming her. The one question that brought as much pain to her as it did to him. Her worst fears were beginning to come true.
"Who is she?"