*Rachel's POV*

That trip to the farmland… A moment within that trip was so heartbreaking that everything leading up to it is sort of a blur. I think I remember staring off into space. Looking past the burning buildings for once and diving deep into the darkest realms of my mind. Dark as in shadowed, not demented. I wondered if Silver'd be proud of my good deed toward Flame… I wondered what it truly made Shadow feel…

About half an hour later, I'd find out what Shadow was feeling for sure. Not in his heart and soul… but purely in his body.

I found myself being jolted back to reality by a strange feeling in my gut. The motion of the car felt… unnatural. We were certainly turning, but this turn was different.

I looked ahead to see that we weren't necessarily turning, per se… but veering toward the edge of the road.

In a panicked manner, I heard brakes being slammed and the car teetering between the road and the ditch ahead.

"Shadow!" Sonic cried as the car backed away and straightened back out. "What was that?!"

"You scared me senseless!" Knuckles shouted.

"…I-I'm sorry," said Shadow.

Wait, that didn't sound good at all. HE didn't sound good at all. His voice sounded as if it was being pressed on by the weight of a thousand Eggmen. He sounded blocked up… messed up…

"Are you okay, Shadow?" asked Amy. "You really don't sound great."

"…Alright, I feel like crap," Shadow admitted, beginning to drive again. "If I pull another stunt like that, I want one of you to take the wheel. I've been fatigued, hot, and utterly miserable. It just hasn't flared up until now. I've also got these spots in my mouth…"

"Oh no."

That came from Amy. My heart dropped. Sonic, Knuckles, and I looked at her. Her eyes showed nothing but utter fear.

"Shadow…" she gasped. "…I'm pretty sure Shadow has measles."

We all responded in different ways… all in sheer horror. We had another biohazard on our hands.

"…His eyes won't stay open," Sonic grunted, shifting the car into park. "Shadow, I think we should let Rachel drive."

Why me? To this day, I still have no clue why they chose me in the first place. It'd turn out to be inevitable.

"…Fine," Shadow nodded, opening the door and stepping out. I did the same, and soon, I had the wheel.

I shifted into drive and continued our journey down the road. I felt so official and heroic.

The feeling would have set in if not so much more was crippling my hopes. No sign of anyone else out here on these lonely roads. Nothing but vast fields and roaming, rotten, ravenous monsters.

It especially hit me after I caught sight of our next destination ahead. A simple red shack… Could I even imagine how crowded the place probably was?

As I parked in front of it, I looked back at Shadow once more, having my confidence brought to a new type of low. Not one where I had no faith in myself, but… no faith in the future. Shadow not only looked as if death itself was cruising down our street… He didn't look himself at all as he slept a long, hard sleep.

I set eyes back onto the shack. If Shadow's condition was really going to turn for the worst, I'd have my work cut out for me.

Unwavering, testing work.