Chapter 4 - Just call my name

Silver left Shadow to rest and made his way downstairs to bring him some water. The kitchen didn't look like it was used frequently, pretty much the contrary. He couldn't find any bottled water in the cupboard so he filled the jug with some tap water. There was so little in that cupboard... just a few vegetables, some bread and two legume cans. In the fridge there was only some cheese and eggs, and a small piece of frozen meat. Not enough for more than a couple of days.

He went to Shadow's room again carrying the fresh water and a clean glass.

- "Excuse me, I'm coming in." – he left the jug and the glass on the bedside table to Shadow's right and said –"You have very few things to eat... tomorrow I'll go buy you some more if that's ok with you." Shadow sat on the bed wincing again and poured some water on the glass, then drank it quickly. As he was filling the glass again he spoke.

- "I can't afford it. I'm ok with eating little food."

- "You shouldn't eat little if you're recovering from an injury. And don't worry about the money... you've already paid me enough, with my life." - Shadow was about to protest but Silver went on talking –"I know, you say I don't owe you, but please let me do this, it's the least I can do. You're hurt after all and I don't like to see people suffering anyway." Shadow looked at him for a few seconds, with a blank expression on his face.

- "... Do as you wish then." Shadow closed his eyes and lied down again. He felt strange. He wasn't used to all of this attention. Silver sighed and walked to the door.

- " I'll be back in a few minutes with some pasta I brought. Please rest."

After cleaning a saucepan and heating the food, Silver took the pasta to Shadow's room on a tray he found lying around. For some minutes he just stayed there, sitting next to the window on an armchair he'd brought from the room Shadow was talking about earlier, and just gazing at the now starry sky outside.

- "Aren't you going to eat?" – Shadow had stopped eating and asked.

- "I'm not really hungry right now. Do you like your dinner?"

- "It's... tasty." – He said the words in a low voice, as if he hadn't had a hot meal in a long time and regretted it. He just wasn't the kind of person who took the time to feed himself properly. Being the ultimate lifeform had proved useful when it came to surviving almost on mere willpower. Silver smiled. He had prepared that food himself.

- "I guess I should be leaving. It's getting late and you will probably want to rest. That is, after I take the tray back downstairs and wash the dish."

Shadow ate the last maccaroni and stared at the empty plate for a second. It was getting late indeed, and that made him remember just what had happened the day before, when he tried to go to sleep just a few hours after that. He gave it some thought, remembering the reason why he had agreed to this whole thing in the first place, and finally spoke. – "Silver..."

- "Yes? What is it?" That sounded strange, it was the first time he had addressed Silver by his name since he got there. It felt good, actually. Like he wasn't a complete stranger anymore.

- "Could... could you stay here?" Blink. Blink..............wait. Stay? What? Why would he want that? –"Why do you ask me that? Is there something wrong?"

- "Something... might be wrong and I don't know if I'll be able to handle it myself, that's all." Shadow's hand moved a bit against his leg trough the sheets.

- "... Is there something wrong with your leg? May I see it?"

- "It... it may be nothing. Just... answer. Can you stay or not?"

- "... Yes, I can stay. If that's of any help then I will." Silver knew something was wrong, and the only way of finding out what was it was staying with him. He preferred having company in the house during the night anyway. Even if they were someone like Shadow...

- "Ok. Thanks, I guess."

- "You won't let me see it, right?" Silver had already noticed that Shadow's eyes were a bit too shiny. It was highly probable that he was running a fever.

- "Goodnight."

The black hedgehog just left the tray aside and turned so that he was facing the opposite wall. Silver sighed and took the tray and walked away. – "Goodnight, Shadow. You just... call me if you need anything." - Once alone, Shadow shifted so that he could see through the window. Maybe it won't happen again tonight. I was pretty worn out yesterday... there's no reason why it should hurt like that again today. I should probably try to sleep.

After eating some of the remaining pasta, Silver cleaned the room he was going to sleep in and took off his gloves and boots. This room had no window, so it was cooler. The bed wasn't as big as Shadow's but it was comfortable enough. Should I go there and ask him if he needs anything else before going to sleep? Why would he want me here if he asks nothing from me? ...maybe I'm just thinking too much. I would also like some company if I was injured. That must be all about it. Ivory quills landed on the soft sheets and pillow as Silver sighed. I could use some rest too. I've also been stressed and tired since the attack...

He turned off the bedside lamp and covered himself a bit with the sheets. It was yet another quite warm night. He started seeing images of the day in his mind as it drifted off to sleep, and almost lost counciousness when suddenly something woke him up violently from his dreams. It was Shadow's voice, moaning his name.