Chapter 11
Tikal came rushing through the hospital doors almost knocking over patients and doctors who were leaving and coming in. She went to the receptionist desk and told her Amy's name.
Nurse: I'm sorry honey...
Her heavy New York accent, that suggested that she was from either Queens or Long Island, possibly, it was a rough guest. Not getting a full answer Tikal started to break down crying hearing that Amy-
Nurse: Your son is in critical condition and we need your insurance name...
She looked back up with teary eyes, she was talking on the phone from a headset that was hiding behind her large rabbit ears. She got the information from the other person on the other end of the line and hung up. She turned to Tikal with a smile.
Nurse: Hello dear, how can I help this evening...well morning?
She giggled and waited for her to answer.
Tikal: A friend of mine brought in his little sister with a serious injury just a little while ago.
She turned to the computer ready to type
Nurse: Alright, what's the name of the patient that came here?
Tikal: Amilia Lilliana Rose.
The nurse asked how to spell the name, of course. This was getting on her nerves; Amy is in a hospital bed in pain, Espio is more than likely giving the nursing staff hell and pacing back and forth outside of the emergency room.
Nurse: Ok sweetie, your friends are on the fourth floor in room 440. And, here's a visitors pass if you leave and want to come back.
Tikal: Thanks!
She said snatching the pass and clipping it to her orange blouse and running to the elevator. Once she got in the elevator, she felt the anxiety and tension build inside her. What happened to Amy? It couldn't have happened with that Shadow guy, Espio would be in jail by now if that were the case. Was it because of the trip to the beach? No, no, no! That's not right! Again, Espio was there with her along with Shadow! Grrr, Tikal was swaying back and forth moving her hands, fondling the buckles on her bag and mumbling to herself. And frankly, she didn't two rats asses knowing that other people on the elevator were staring at her! DING! The fourth floors' bell rung and she ran.
She ran to her left, seeing her mistake seeing that she went in the wrong direction she turned around and bumped into a woman who was pregnant and in a wheelchair. She ran further down the hall and made a sharp right turn, almost falling to the floor. But she didn't have to do anymore running. Espio sat at the end of the hall in a waiting chair with his head in his hands shaking vigorously.
Tikal: Espio!
She didn't care that she had to be quite in a hospital or that her screaming would wake a couple sleeping patients. Espio didn't move, he heard her beckon to him but he didn't move. She knew this was wrong if he didn't move. She slowly walked over to him. She stood in front of him clutching her tote strap with both her hands.
Tikal: She's okay...right?
He didn't answer. But, what was that on his hands? What was that red stuff on his hands, now that she noticed, and on the side of his clothes? Her eyes grew wide as the possibilities of what the red substance all over him could be. She took her left hand and clutched her stomach, her mouth hung open and her eyes let a waterfall of tears fall.
Espio: S-she's fine...sh-she had to g-get surgery done on...
She could see that it was painful for him, so painful that he couldn't even talk straight. She walked over and sat in the chair that was next to him. She sat her bag in her lap and looked up at the dull white ceiling. Now she could even say anything, only because she didn't know what to say to make him feel better.
Espio: It was bec-cause o-of her father...
He was trying to tell Tikal the story of how Amy had gotten her scar and why there at the hospital. He huffed and puffed and slowed his breathing with deep breaths. Tikal just stared up at the white ceiling, her eyes were shaking in her head and her vision was blurred with tears but she still listened to Espio. His deep breathing finally calmed him down to a point to where he can speak with less stuttering.
Espio: I was there when Amy was born, I watched as her mother gave birth to her after five and a half hours of intense labor. I even got to hold her, only because her mom passed out a couple of minutes after.
He laughed lightly at the memory.
Espio: She was so tiny, I could hold her in the palm of my hands. I put her in her little crib and her eyes opened when I put her down. Honestly she started crying and I had thought I did something wrong and then she smiled and giggled...The nurse said she had gas and I refused to believe it.
He wiped away the tears from his eyes while he laughed, Tikal laughed as well and held his shaking hand that sat on the armrest of their chairs.
Espio: I ran straight to Arrin to tell him the news before any of the nurses could get to him, but I saw that was a complete mistake.
His hand stopped shaking, but his breathing became shallow and his eyes grew wide with the fear from that day.
Espio: My exact words, " Arrin! Great news! You have a beautiful baby girl!" He was excited up untill I said "baby girl". At that point, his eyes went narrow and his earlier expression of enjoyment had dissipated from his face...
Tikal let his hand go and put her tote bag in her chair. She moved from her chair and sat on her knees in front of him she took his hand from the armrest and his other hand that covered his left eye.
Espio: He didn't say anything to me, he just went into the delivery room where Mayrie and Amy were resting and I followed him...nobody was in there but the four of us. I didn't notice till I heard him call Amy and Mayrie failures and then he...
He tried to say more but he clenched his teeth and crouched lower in his chair.
Espio: H-H-He took the scalpel from the little metal table, I yelled at him to not hurt Mayrie or Amy. I even tried jumping him and threatening him to stop this madness, but it was useless. He swatted me off and I fell to the floor near her crib and he stood over the both of us...He stared down at Amy like she was scum found under a boat...and then he took the scalpel and cut her stomach open.
Tikal shot her head at him to the shockingly frightening story that he's telling her.
Espio: I beat him till one of the nurses heard the commotion and called the cops. I was arrested for assault and he was arrested for false claims and attempted murder on his new-born.
Tikal: Espio-
Espio: He wanted to murder my little sister, MY little sister! He wanted to end her life because she wasn't what he wanted.
Tikal: Espio...
She stood and took his hands forcing him to stand up. She put her arms around his torso, he hesitated at first but then slowly put his arms around Tikal. He cried hysterically into her shoulder. What he neglected to tell her was that Arrin threatened Mayrie to have an abortion because she was pregnant with a girl, and after Espio was released and sued Arrin and Mayrie in private court, he took sole custody of Amy and Arrin and Mayrie gave up their rights as Amy's parents. A doctor came from the room that they were standing in front of.
Doctor: Uhhh, Mr. Tekken?
His head shot up and Tikal turned to face the doctor. The doctor saw that Amy must've meant something to them if they were crying so much to where they had red eyes and tear stained cheeks.
Espio: Yes, is she ok? Is she going to be fine?!
Doctor: Calm down, your little sisters a trooper, she's going to be just fine.
A wave of relief washed over him and Tikal. Espio walked with the doctor while Tikal went into the room to see Amy. She walked in the dimly lit room and saw the nurse writing on the clipboard and then putting it on the hook at the end of the bed. She turned to Tikal showing her hunter green scrubs and her pointy fox ears.
Nurse: Are you a friend of the patient?
Tikal: Yes, a very close friend, she's technically family.
Nurse: I can tell by how loud you were when you came on this floor and when her older brother started screaming when you two were talking not too long ago.
The nurse looked over at Amy as she slept in the bed, she smiled.
Nurse: She has a fighting soul, stronger than any other that I've seen in this hospital out of the twenty years that I've worked here.
Tikal: Yeah, she's been through hell and high water for her whole life. She's a smart girl.
As the nurse left, Espio walked in and went straight to Amy's bedside. He held her hand as she slept in her bed. He smoothed back her hair that was slightly soaked with her sweat.
Tikal: I'll call her school and your job to let them know what happened.
Espio: No details for either please just let them know that we'll both be taking a couple of weeks off and that her homework needs to be sent to her e-mail.
Tikal: Understood.
Tikal walked over to Espio and kissed his forehead and blew Amy a kiss as she left. Espio sat in silence with Amy. He stared at her and brushed her hair back and stroked his finger across her cheek.
Espio: Wake up soon Amy, I want to see those big green diamonds of yours again.
He took her hand and squeezed it gently, 'Honestly, how and I supposed to tell Shadow and Cream? They'll be devastated and more than likely, Shadow will go after Arrin.' Espio thought as he watched his little sister while playing the worse case scenario of Shadow vs. Arrin in his mind. And in his mind in that particular match, Shadow would win. Espio now thought about the scar inflicted on Amy years ago. He pulled the bed sheets down. As usual, he saw Amy's scar-less, bruise-less legs. Out of the several times Amy has been admitted to the hospital for other medical reason, he always lifted he gown to see the scar. Well, when he pulled back the gown and saw the scar, he nearly fell to the floor. The dried blood was still fresh, the stitches looked like they did when she first got them years ago. The birthmark going across her stomach made him feel like he missed another assault her father tried on her. He wanted to feel the scar, but thought it was best that he didn't.
Tikal: Espio, we have a problem.
Espio pulled the gown and the sheets back on Amy, and kissed her forehead before leaving the room. If there was any chance that she was awake, she could be a little sneak like her brother and listen in on their conversation. He walked outside with Tikal to see several people that he thought most likely not to see. The obvious would be Shadow and Cream, but they either brought along or were followed by their friends that he seen at the beach hours ago. Even Sally and Sonic.
Espio: What're you guys all doing here.
Shadow: Who cares about that now, how is she doing?
Espio: She's resting, the doctor said that her scar opened up because her skin wasn't as strong as it used to be years ago.
Cream: Do you think we can see her?
Everybody, except Shadow, begged and pleaded for Espio to let them in and see how she was doing.
Espio: Calm down, first off and yes you can and carefull to not make too much noise 'cause she's still sleeping in there.
He put on a weary smile showing his stressed out mood and overall concern for Amy. everybody went into Amy's room to greet her sleeping body, all but Shadow.
Espio: I thought that you'd be the first to go in there even if you had to make everybody else wait.
Shadow: The thought had crossed my mind.
Espio: But...
Shadow sighed knowing that Espio knew him better than that.
Shadow: But, I'm too scared to bring myself in this place to see her like this, in this condition.
Espio: It scares me as well, it mortified me to see my little sister like this. But I'm glad she's strong enough to tough through it all, whether it's by herself or with the help of caring friends like all of you.
Shadow: With the exception of Sonic and Sally considering they don't have any fond things to say or do for her in the least.
Espio: Yeah, why are they even here?
Shadow explained why Sonic and Sally were there at the hospital with everybody, turns out, everybody was hanging out at the mall in the food court and they were there "planning" something for whatever. Cream came rushing in looking for Shadow to tell her what she saw at Amy's place. Cream wanted to hang out with Amy and see if she needed any help on some things for school but found a trail of blood leading from the door and down the walkway.
Espio: I feel as though that Cream is now scared for life with the site of blood.
Shadow: Don't beat yourself up about that, she's a little scared of her own shadow.
They laughed a little and sat in he seats the Espio and Tikal sat in a little while ago.
Espio: Hmph, well, this was the most interesting year.
Shadow: From years of pain to love, confusion, bets, video taping, and several other things.
Espio: Shadow, do me a favor.
He turned to Espio with no emotion on his face, Espio looked up at the ceiling with a relaxing smile on his face.
Espio: When I'm not around, take good care of her. Treat her like the princess she is, make her feel wanted and don't let anybody hurt her in any way shape or form. Got it?
Espio turned to see him with a smirk on his face, he knew what the kids answer was going to be and that he would throw his life away if he failed at anything.
Espio: And I will say this again; no sex.
Shadow: Dude, c'mon were old enough to do it.
Espio: I know that, but I want her to pass school too.
Shadow: Her school work and as well as my school work are important, but, as all things must go, people do need to wind down from work and play a little.
Espio: Well, I wouldn't know anything about "playing"
Shadow: WHAT?!