"Sh-shadow…?" Sonic felt even more worried now then ever as he watched the black hedgehog cry. Cream had been frightened as he had begun to yell, and hid herself behind Tails. Everyone was uneasy, now.

"J-just… go away!"

"Mr. Shadow… wh… what's the matter?"

The black and red hedgehog was suddenly unsure whether or not he really did want to tell the truth… Maybe not yet… Maybe later… He wanted to be left alone… "Leave me a-alone! Go away…! Go away!"

Cream began to cry. Sonic knew something had to be done now. "…Guys, let me talk to Shadow alone."

"W-what?" Shadow whispered.

"But Sonic--!" Amy protested.

"Everyone, to the waiting room! Go! I need to sort something out with him!" Sonic growled stubbornly. Cream nodded, trying not to cry anymore. Tails nodded to Sonic with respect, leaving the room immediately. Cream followed him. Knuckles huffed stubbornly, hiding the fact that he really was worried about Shadow, and left the room next. Amy put her hands on her hips, looking at Sonic expectantly. "Amy…" Sonic glared at her, using the warning tone of his voice.

"Why can't I help, too?!"

"Because! First of all, you're a girl! A lot of guys prefer to talk to guys about this sort of stuff! Secondly, because it needs to be a one-on-one thing. If he decides to talk, he'll probably only want to talk to one person, otherwise forget it!"

Amy crossed her arms, pouting. Shadow shifted uncomfortably, trying to ignore the pain he was caused through movement.

"Out." Sonic said firmly.

"Sonic the hedgehog! You're so unfair!" With a frustrated sigh, she left the room whining to herself in her head about how Sonic would never let her do anything if he could help it. Sonic, on the other hand, only rolled his eyes and shut the door after her. He turned to his friend.

Shadow immediately broke eye contact.

"…Come on, bud… What's the matter? You know you can tell me… If for some reason… I'm not good enough… tell me who is! I'll go get them, and you can talk to just them instead!"

The Ultimate Lifeform fought not to tremble. "Sonic… I-I… I didn't w-want to live…"

Sonic had known this easily, but it still shocked him and tore at his heart to hear Shadow say it. "W-wh… but… Why?! Why would you want to die, Shadow? You only have one life to live, just like everyone else… W-why would you give it up? What's so bad?!" Disbelief and depression gripped at his throat, trying to evoke his tears. The hero felt like he couldn't move.

Shadow only gazed at the sheets laid over his lap, unsure of what to say. "…I… It's m-me… I'm the problem! I'm a huge problem! I'm a weapon of mass destruction, Sonic! That's something you'll never have to be, and never will be! I'm dangerous! I know how to be dangerous! I could break the world right now if I wanted to, even like this!" His expression turned almost angry. Fear, frustration, and pain broke out into an obvious state as he gestured to his scars. "I-I'm not like you! I'm not like anyone! No one is safe around me, and I can't be around anyone because of that! At least while I'm dead I can't be a burden!"

Sonic gaped. "B-burden?! Who ever said anything even remotely related … or… implying that you were a burden?! You're not a problem, Shadow! We love you! You're so important to us! Don't you know that it would have killed me to have to go to your funeral?! That's more of a problem than you being alive is! You're like my brother! You're not a problem at all!" The blue hedgehog got closer to his old rival, pulling him into a gentle hug, which would have made Shadow uncomfortable if he hadn't already been. "Come on, man… you know I don't like to see anyone cry… Put a smile on! You've got friends, and we're here for you, and you've still got a place to live… What's so bad? Just think about it, you've got a great life! If anything's gone wrong, I bet you could start over somewhere…"

The black and red hedgehog shook. "S-sonic… I…" Suddenly, his thoughts took a rapid turn. Sonic was the only one in the room. Cream, Amy, Tails, and Knuckles had been there earlier, but…

"Sh-shadow…!" The white bat practically choked on her tears, trying to keep pressure on all of his wounds. She held him tightly. "W-why did you do that?! W-why?! I told you I c-care about y-you…! I-I don't want you t-to die! P-please…"

Shadow didn't answer. He couldn't answer. He felt like he was drifting in and out of consciousness. He couldn't hear half of what Rouge was saying. His focus only lasted for short bursts of time before he completely lost it again. He wasn't sure what he was doing at all during these times. He had a feeling that sometime he had moved… He tried not to hurt her. He didn't want that anymore. He wanted her safe…

"I s-said I'd always b-be by y-you… R-remember that?! I-I can't honor it when you h-hurt yourself l-like this! I c-c-can't! Even if it's the o-only thing you w-want anym-more! …Y-you're a-all I have! I-I made that promise because…"

He couldn't remember anything else she had said. It completely slipped his mind, and so did anything else that happened afterward.

…He hadn't hurt her… had he? Had his insanity gotten the best of him? Had he somehow managed to slaughter her in his half-conscious, bloody, injured state?

It was the last thing in the world he wanted to believe.

He'd die a thousand horrid, painful deaths just to ensure she never had even one. But he knew that life didn't work that way. He pulled away from Sonic, ignoring the pain, and looked at him in worry… Sonic had to know… "Where's Rouge?!"

The blue hero blinked. "R-rouge?"

"S-sonic…! Please, where is she?! Is she okay? Have you seen her?! Please Sonic, if anything's happened to her I swear I won't be able to live with myself!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down, there! What does Rouge have to do with anything? I thought we were talking about an entirely different subject!"

Shadow was gripping the sheets. "P-please, Sonic!"

"Okay, okay, calm down! Rouge is fine! The nurse told us she came here with you. She wanted to stay with you, but they feared she was too sick and her sickness might have a fatal effect on you because of your injuries! They sent her home…!"

Shadow seemed a bit relieved, but still extremely tense. "I… I can't believe… I-I…"

"…What?"

Shadow sighed softly, emotional pain rising within him. "…I-I was going to kill you all… I… wasn't thinking s-straight, and I-I changed my mind…"

Sonic could only stare in complete shock.

The Ultimate Lifeform began to sob relentlessly again. "I-I was going to k-kill her f-first… But t-then I didn't w-want to…! And… I realized, my whole p-plan… was not justified! It was unjustified, immoral, i-insane! I knew I w-wasn't th-thinking clearly… I-I-I didn't want to hurt anyone! I-I wanted them safe, s-so I didn't want to l-live anymore…! I-If I'm having these t-thoughts, a-and almost c-carrying them out, Sonic, w-what else should I-I do?! The thoughts could come b-back, and t-take control of me, a-and then I'd have th-thousands upon thousands u-upon thousands of deaths on my hands! I could b-break the entire world and kill every l-living thing on it like that! And th-then what?! I d-don't want that to happen, Sonic! W-what else w-was I supposed to do?!"

Reality was sinking in. The blue hedgehog stood up from the bed. "…You… were going to d-destroy the world… try it again?"

"Y-yes, Sonic… I-I'm so s-sorry…"

Sonic swallowed hard, looking up at the ceiling. "… I-I think I understand… W-what you did… It's… just fine then! Just fine! …I love you, bro, but… I can't help you! I d-don't think I can help you at all! You're on your own… Whatever you decide… If you try again… I-I'll come to your funeral… I just… I don't know how to deal with this…!" A few tears slipped out of the 16-year-old's eyes as he took a few steps backwards, heading towards the door. Shadow couldn't even watch him leave.

Sonic walked into the waiting room. Each of his friends looked up.

"I-Is he feeling better?" Cream asked nervously.

Sonic gazed at the ground, wiping some tears out of his eyes.

"W-what did he say, Sonic? It didn't go well?" Tails couldn't understand it… Just suddenly, Shadow had attempted suicide. Just suddenly, he had started crying in the room… Just suddenly, Sonic couldn't get through to him.

No one, not even Sonic could do it.

But why?

"I-I'll tell you all on the way back home… let's get going." He started to walk over to the hospital doors.

"Wait, we're just leaving Shadow… without a goodbye?" Amy couldn't hide her confusion and surprise.

"That's it. Let's get moving." Sonic's tone was not cheerful… Not as it had always seemed to be. It was cracked, and low, tainted with grief.

I was right… I … wish I wasn't. Knuckles thought. I don't even know why this was so upsetting to me… but… Shadow is a good guy… or can be… Poor Sonic… Whatever happened in there must have hurt him pretty bad for him to cry.

Reluctantly, everyone stood up and filed out the door, depressed and worried.

The door shut, and Shadow was all alone with his broken heart…

Alone and, for once, lonely.