Lost and Found

Chapter 12

Authors note: Damn, chapter 12 already. Anyway, I know I've said it before, but I hope this one is one of the better ones I've done. This time I actually went back and edited the entire story, removing certain parts and changing certain words and sentences. I think this is the first time in a while I've actually put in a lot of work into a chapter, so I hope the extra effort is worth it on your part. I'd also like to ask, aside from hoping you review this, would you have given the chapter a different name? Let me know what you would have called it. Sorry for rambling on and on, but before I forget, thanks to everyone who reviewed and special thanks to AyumiHedgeWolf, I think that's the correct username I got from the last review if I remember correct, was the last person to review as of this writing and who stayed up til 4:00 in the morning reading all of these. Thanks. Contains strong language scattered throughout. Rated T.

Sally & Tails

Both sat next to each other, neither saying a word. Neither could find a thing to talk about. Of course, there was the elephant in the room, but neither of them wanted to bring that up unless the other one did. So they just sat there, staring at the TV. It was 'Pulp Fiction', one of Sally's favorite movies. Sally attention was focused on the TV. Tails glanced over at her quickly, just giving her a once over. He didn't notice any obvious sign's of worry on her face. In fact, if he didn't know anything about what had happened with Sonic, he would have figured everything was OK. He on the other hand, was a different story. Seeing Sonic for the first time in almost three months had done a number on him. He didn't even resemble the Sonic he knew. The one he knew wasn't lying around all hours of the day, smoking pot and shooting up heroin. Just Sonic's general appearance made him feel sorry for him.

Last time Tails had seen him, he looked trim and fit. Now, just a shell of his former self. Tails noticed his weight had went down at least 15 pounds since he last saw Sonic, and his muscular frame had withered away to almost nothing. He looked like he hadn't gotten any exercise since he had left. His arms looked like two skinny poles with gloves at the end. It was something that he hadn't stopped thinking about since they had gotten back. He kept picturing Sonic lying there, motionless on the couch. He just looks so frail. Those were the words that kept going through his head. There were many words used to describe Sonic, but frail? Never. At least, not until now.

Sally had been trying to get him to say something every now and then, but hadn't had much luck. Just a 'uh-huh', or a 'yeah' every now and then, and when he spoke it wasn't very loud. She turned her head to ask him what was wrong and she noticed a tear falling down his cheek. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked, shifting her position and turning herself toward him. "Huh?" He asked, turning his head to her. He still hadn't noticed the tear on his cheek. He wiped it away and smiled. "What did you say?" He asked. "I asked you what's wrong." She repeated. She noticed he had a weird look on his face. Almost like he wanted to throw up, but he couldn't. "Nothing." He said, wiping away the tear. She scooted closer to him and put her arm around him. Tails tried to pull away, but didn't offer much resistance. "C'mon Tails." She said softly. "Something's bothering you. I think we both know what that is." She said. Tails looked at her. Another tear had formed and fallen down the same path as the first one. Sally wiped it away. This simple act made Tails feel better. He gave her a half smile and looked up at her. "Yeah," He began, "It's Sonic. I haven't been able to stop thinking about him since I saw him today. It just wasn't him, you know?" He asked. Sally nodded her head and uttered a simple "Yeah.".

Sally thought back to when they were coming back. He hadn't shown any sign's of sadness or depression until now. "What about when we were in the car coming back. You were talking to me and Knuckles the whole ride over here. Were you thinking about him then?" She asked. Tails nodded his head. "Yeah." He said. I was just trying to keep myself from thinking about him, you know." He said, the tears getting harder and harder to hold back. Now it was at the point where the whole runny nose/water works started to take effect. Sally knew there wasn't any stopping it now. She could tell he was on the precipice, just about to lose control. She grabbed his chin with her hand and turned his head up to hers. "If you need to cry, you go ahead. I won't tell anyone." As soon as she finished that sentence, Tails let loose with a violent flow of tears and sobs. It reminded her when she was the one sobbing like he was now. Sally gently held him in her arms, a feeling that he greatly appreciated.

Sonic: The next morning

Blue awoke to the sounds of silence. Looking around, he was startled at first, not remembering right away what had happened the night before. He looked around and saw he was surrounded by a brick wall on three sides and, for some reason, a giant trash bin. "What the..." He murmured. Heroin was a strange drug. The drug's effects were the same for everyone, but the side effects varied from person to person, usually showing sometime between halfway through the high to after a night's rest. Depending on the amount taken, they ranged from blurred vision to cardiac arrest and anything in between.

His memory of what had happened the night before had returned quickly. He hung his head, feeling a wave of shame wash over him. Never in his life did he think he could make a bigger ass of himself than he had. He never thought he would steal from his best friend then turn around and flat out lie to him. Or try to attack him. "Oh, Jesus." Sonic moaned, realizing what he had done, pulling his knees to his chest and putting his head between his knees. He knew he had messed up bad. He could go apologize, but he knew it wouldn't do any good at the moment. If he did, he knew Scourge would think he was just saying it to try to worm his way back into the house, and that would blow his chances of salvaging what little of their friendship remained. Sonic figured that now would be the wrong time to do it anyway.

Sonic knew he had to get moving. He couldn't afford to spend another night outdoors. He knew he had to find some kind of shelter, but least he didn't have to worry about getting more dope for the time being. He figured the little that he had used last night would last in his system for the entire day. At least he hoped it would. He looked up, trying to figure out what time it was. The sun hadn't risen yet, but the moon was still out. He couldn't see it because of the brick walls, but if he looked through the small opening between the wall and the bin, he could see the light from the moon. He figured it was sometime between five thirty and six in the morning. "Time for breakfast." He said to himself, reaching over and grabbing his suitcase. "Let's see what he gave me." Sonic said quietly, opening the top and peering inside. There was just enough light to make out what was inside.

From what he could tell, it was two packages of cookies and a box of toaster pastries, along with the $50. Sonic figured Scourge had grabbed them at random when he was giving him what he had. It could have been worse. He could have given him nothing. He opened the box of pastries. They were the store brand kind. The kind that just said 'Toaster Pastries' with the flavor and a picture of one on the box. "He could have at least sprung for Pop Tarts©." He said,opening the box and taking out a package. He opened it and took one out, leaving the other one for later. It was strawberry flavored, although he knew there wasn't anything remotely resembling a strawberry in it.

He ate it quick and got up, grabbing his suitcase and manuvering his way around the bin. He set his bag outside the gate and pushed the bin back to it's original position, walked out the gate, looking around at first making sure no one saw him. No one did and he and shut it behind him. "Time to go." He said. Sonic grabbed his bag picked a direction and headed off.

Tails

Tails awoke just as the sun was rising, the sign's of night fading away and the light taking control again. After he had used the bathroom, he walked back to the front room and sat down in one of the two recliners that were in the room. He opted to leave the TV off for right now. There wouldn't be much on anyway. He thought. Instead, he began to let his mind wander as he did from time to time. He did this when there was absoultely nothing to do and he enjoyed it. He relished the times he could turn his brain off, no matter how small the window was. He swivled the recliner toward the window behind him and pulled the curtain back enough so he could see outside. It was still dark out, but the moon was full, lighting up everything it touched.

Tails leaned back in the chair and gazed out the window. His thoughts turned to Sonic yet again, but this time he wasn't focused on Sonic's current situation. He thought about everything that had happened up to the point that Sonic had run off. Sally had told him everything that had happened while he was in Amy's 'care'. How she seemed normal at first, then turned into a complete psycotic bitch. What she told him made him want to go find Amy, bring her back to life and kill her himself. He remembered that Sally had sat him down one day while Sonic was in the hospital.

He listened to the horror stories she told him, but there were three that stood out in particular. The first had become known as 'The Soup Incident'. She told him how Amy was normal at first. How Amy cared for him and gave him what Sonic needed when he needed it. Although, Sally said, Sonic didn't do that very much. He wasn't that kind of person. But, one day, they were discussing something or other, he couldn't remember what it was exactly, but Amy was holding a bowl of soup she had made for him. Something Sonic had said set her off without warning, he said she just whipped it against the wall, yelling and screaming at him for no reason at all. Then she just stopped and walked out. He didn't have any idea what he had said to set her off. The next time he had seen her, it was two days later and she acted like nothing had happened. At first, Sally told him, Sonic didn't think too much of it. He found it odd, but he brushed it off.

Then, from what Tails could remember, there was the time awhile after the soup incident, where the 'Batshit Crazy' Amy had began to fully surface, and after Sonic's painkiller addiction had begun to gather steam, she had left him alone with no food or water for five days. He hadn't eaten or drank very much before she left since she had him on a hospital diet. That meant all his meals had no salt or flavor. That also meant there wasn't very much either. Just enough to sustain him and nothing else. This meant he was always hungry. Going from eating as many chili dogs as he could in one sitting then forced to eat a rubbery, tastless steak that was no bigger that a deck of cards was something he never got used to. He asked Amy before she had snapped for some better food, but she refused. She said that the food he was getting was exactly the amount his body needed and anymore would be overindulging, and being a nurse, she knew what she was talking about.

Since he wasn't eating what he was used to, hunger set in fast. In the three months he was with Amy, he had lost almost forty pounds, so at that point he was starving. Having no food was one thing, but water was another. Water was the one thing she gave him freely. But before she had left, she had only given him one pitcher. He drank that the first day. The second and third day he told Sally, he began to worry that she wasn't coming back. And on the fifth day, the thirst grew to be too much for him to bear. She told Tails that he was forced to drink his own urine. He asked why he did it, she said that Sonic said he only did it so he could have something to drink. And the next morning, which would have been the sixth day, she walked into his room and acted like nothing had happened. She gave him his food and pills, smiling and carrying on like nothing had happened.

That, he said wasn't the worst. The worst was what happened after that. His legs had begun to heal and Amy had given him a wheelchair to move around in. She only gave it to him so he could sit at the table and rewrite his last book just for her. He didn't want to do it, but he knew he had no choice. At this point, after getting the wheelchair, he had managed to escape from his room for a short while when Amy went out to town or when she did her dissapearing act. He said the first thing he did was try to call for help, but when he picked up the phone, (Anyone remember when phone's had to be plugged into the wall?) the insides had been torn out, leaving just a shell.

She said that he thought of just opening the door and making a break for it did cross his mind more than once, but how far could a hedgehog get in a wheelchair with two busted up legs and in a place he was unfamiliar with. So he settled on the freedom of moving around her house. Until she found out. He had dropped his 'key' after one of his outings. She had found it and she made him pay. That, he said, was when she broke his ankles with the sledgehamer.

Tails sat there, dumbfounded that anyone could have suvived what Sonic had went through. Tails asked her, after she had finished, why they didn't speak to a psychiatrist about all of this. Sally said she had gotten Sonic to see one only once, but didn't follow through with it. He refused to go back, saying he would just deal with it his own way. She tried to get him to go back, but he just wouldn't go. 'You know how he is.' Sally said. So she gave up trying to force him to go. Then three days later, he left without saying a word.

Tails sat in the chair, staring out the window his thoughts focused on Sonic as well as a few other things. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the bad and depressing thoughts that he had of Sonic. He spun the chair around and reached out for the small bag he had brought with him. It wasn't much. Just a few odds and ends he thought he might need. He reached in and pulled out a pair of earphones. He set the bag down on the couch and reached for his phone. He took it off the charger and plugged the earphones into the earphone jack on the side of the phone. He scrolled down through the menu untill he came across the 'Music' section. It was the same music he had stored on the computer at the lab he listened to while he worked. Tails figured he might be with Sally for awhile so he decided it would be a good idea to bring along his music collection with him.

He pressed the screen and it opened the music list. He put the earphones in his ears and scrolled down until he reached the playlist section. He opened that particular menu and selected the one labled, 'Tranquil Thoughts'. It was a playlist filled with different music, ranging from metal to country (classic, not the new stuff that was out now) to classical and even some music from around the world. Japanese flute and Taiko drum songs, Scottish and Irish folk songs, native american flute music and so on. Sonic and the others always teased him about his tastes in music, although they were never serious about it. He just shrugged it off, saying, "To really understand music, truly enjoy music, you have to be open to all forms of it." He hit the play button on the screen, leaned back in the chair and let the music flow through his head. The next thing he knew he felt a tap on his shoulder and saw Sally standing next to the chair.

Sonic

Dawn was begining to break as Sonic left the place he had slept. It wasn't the greatest, but he knew it would get worse if he didn't find something more suitable for tonight. He was hoping to find something, anything that he could sleep in for the night. The only place he could think of was downtown. Hell, there ought to be something better than a dumpster to sleep next to. He thought. He knew the town was in trouble. Most of the buisnesses had closed down after Robotnik's occupation and most hadn't come back due to the resulting fear that had spawned from it. "At least it can't get any worse than it already has." He said to himself.

Two hours later:

When he finally arrived, the place was deserted, minus a few people here and there. "What the hell..." Sonic wondered to himself. He was still pissed at Scourge for telling him that Metropolis was the worst place to live. Where are the hookers? Where are the dealers? The gangs? Fuck, there's more people out than anything. Sonic thought. He knew now that Scourge had told him the city was way worse than it was on purpose. He didn't know why, but he knew he would have to ask him if he ever saw him again. Most of the buildings were closed. Mostly mom and pop shops that didn't have a chance when Robotnik showed up. There wasn't much left. Just an burger stand, a gas station and a few buisnesses here and there. It resembled a ghost town more than a bustling city.

Sonic felt his stomach rumbling, demanding food. "You getting hungry?" He asked his stomack, rubbing it with his hand, trying to quiet it's pain. It growled again, asserting itself. "Ok, you win." He said. He headed over to the burger joint. He looked at the sign as he walked up to the door. 'Big Kahuna Burger' it said in large, purple cursive writing (guess what movie the name comes from and win an extra 50 points!). He opened the door and walked in. The kid behind the counter greeted him with a smile and gave the standard "Can I take your order?" The kid asked. Sonic figured he couldn't be older than 17, 18 at the most. "Hi." Sonic replied. He scanned the menu quickly, deciding the first thing he set his eyes on was what he was going to order. "Can I get a Big Kahuna and fries, please?" He asked, reaching into his closet and pulling out the $50 Scourge had given him.

"Anything else?" The kid asked. Sonic shood his head, palming the fifty. "Ok,' the kid said, "That comes to $6.72." Sonic handed him the fifty, got his change and sat down to wait for his food. He sat down in the first chair he spotted and rested his head on his arms, thinking about his next move. There wasn't just the problem of finding shelter, food would soon become an issue soon. The money Scourge had given him wouldn't last forever, so there was something to look foreward to. The most pressing issue would be getting more heroin. He knew the effects wouldn't last much longer. The last bit he had went into his system over eight hours ago. The time it took to go through his system varied, but on a good day, which, for now was the only thing in his favor, a shot would last at the most ten hours. He figured he had anywhere between two and a half and four hours of clear thinking left in him before the urge to shoot up hit again.

The other big problem that still loomed was finding shelter. He could look around downtown, but he knew if he didn't find anything, he'd have to sleep outside again. Scourge was out and going back to Sally was definitly out of the question. The only option's left was to find somewhere in town, his brother or his sister, and he had no idea where either of them were. He took a deep breath. "One problem at a time." He said to himself.

"Hey, your food's ready." The kid said. Sonic heard him and walked up to the counter and took the tray. "Thanks." He said and walked back to the table. He sat it down in front of him and the smell of the burger and fries wafted up to his nose. It had been a long time since he had anything other than sandwiches and beer to eat. He grabbed the burger and started to take a bite, but stopped just before his teeth sank into it. Sonic sat it back down on the tray and walked up to the counter. "Can I get a soda?" He asked. "Sure. What kind?" The kid asked. "Surprise me." Sonic said. The kid grabbed a cup from behind the counter and held it under the fountain. When it was filled, the kid handed the cup to Sonic. "That'll be $2.55." He said. Sonic laid three one's on the counter and turned around. "Keep the change." He said, making his way back to the table.

Blue sat down and grabbed his burger. The scent of the burger hit his nose and his mouth watered. He took a bite and stopped. The taste of the burger made him smile. It had been far too long since he had eaten something so good. He took two more big bites and slowly chewed them, savoring every bite. "Damn that's good!" He thought. He finished the burger and moved on to the fries. Blue poured the ketchup on and dug in. As he was eating, he didn't notice someone was standing next to him. "Mind if I sit down?" The man asked, the slightest hint of a southern accent flowing from his lips. Sonic looked up. "Uh, sure." He said, not quite what to make of the situation. The guy sat down in the chair opposite to him. He sat the cup down he was holding and took a sip from it. Sonic found it odd that someone would come into a burger joint, order a soda, then sit at a table next to a complete stranger. But he didn't care about that. His attention was still focused on the burger and fries. He ate the last of the fries and sat back in the chair, completely satisfied, a small burp emitting from his throat.

"Ahhh." Sonic exclaimed. He stared up at the ceiling for a second, letting the food settle in his stomach, then turned his attention to the stranger sitting across from him. "You mind if I ask you a question?" Sonic asked the guy. "You just did." The guy replied. Sonic let out a small laugh. "That's a good one. Well, let me ask you this. Why, out of all the empty seats, of all the empty tables you could have chosen, why did you choose to sit by me?" He asked. The guy took another sip of his soda. "For one thing, I don't like to eat alone. Just makes me feel wierd. Second, why would I pass up the chance to eat with someone who's as famous as you?" The guy asked. Sonic gave off another small laugh. He never thought of himself as a celebrity. That was forced on him. Sure, the war had made him famous as well as the books he had written, something that had gone almost forgotten. But he never considered himself a celebrity. It had been almost eight years since the war had ended and almost a year had passed since he had released his last book.

"Look. I don't consider myself a 'famous' person. I was just doing what I thought was right." Sonic said. "Oh, but I think you are. You're Sonic the Hedgehog. You saved innocent lives from a madman." The guy said holding up a hand with his index finger pointing up. "Two, you've written how many books?" The guy asked. "Four." Sonic said after thinking back for a minute. "Three, you can run how fast?" The guy asked. Sonic held up his own hand, making the guy sit back in his own chair. "Okay, okay. I get your point. So what's with the twenty questions?" Sonic asked. The guy leaned foreward and put his arms on the table and folded them. "Well, I just came in for a soda and happened to see you of all people sitting here enjoying a burger. I thought, 'Hell, big celebrity eating in a dump of a city like this?' I knew something had to be wrong. Last I heard, after the war ended, you moved in with someone and was getting ready to release the last Misery book." He said.

Sonic lowered his head. Yeah, well, shit got fucked up. Life wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't gone up to the cabin to write the last book, get in a wreck, have my ankles broken in a crazy bitch's house, escape from said house, then become addicted to painkillers therby ruining my life. Yeah. I'd say something got messed up. Of course, Sonic didn't say that. Oh, he felt like it though. But common sense didn't let him. "Let's just say there were a few problems." He said bluntly. The guy held up his hands, shaking them back and forth. "I'm sorry. That came out wrong. I didn't mean for that to sound like that. I meant, how'd you end up here." Sonic felt the anger start to rise in him. "Look," he said flatly. "If you don't mind, I've got better things to do than sit here and answer your damn questions." He said, standing up quickly and grabbing his 'closet' and trash on the table. He made his way over to the trash can quickly and tossed it in.

Sonic threw open the front doors and stormed out, not even bothering to pick a direction. He heard the guy jump up from his seat and follow behind him. He also heard the guy make his way outside, following behind Sonic. "Wait. Please. I just want to talk." The guy said. Sonic didn't even bother to stop or make eye contact. "If it's more questions about shit that's not any of your damn business, I ain't interested." Sonic said, the anger clear in his tone of voice. Sonic didn't hear the guy following behind him anymore after he said that, and for the second time today, he smiled.

"Actually," The guy said, his voice elevated so Sonic could hear him, "I just wanted to wish you good luck riding out detox tonight." Sonic stopped dead in his tracks. Those words made him stop so abruptly, he almost tripped over his own shoes. He stood there unsure of what he had heard. Then, once he was sure he had heard what he had heard, he turned around and made a beeline for the guy. Sonic got right in his face, his fists doubled up. "What did you say?" He asked, his teeth clenched. It didn't take much to set him off after the guy's twenty questions routine in the burger joint. "You heard me." The guy said.

Just who the fuck is this guy? Sonic wondered. "What the hell are you talking about?" He asked. The guy looked at him. "Come on. You're a famous hero/author and you're wandering around Metropolis, alone. Now, there's only two reasons people are even in this damn town. One, they were either born here and they can't get out. Or two, they're looking for drugs. And since I know you weren't born here, well that just eliminates a lot of options. Doesn't it?" He asked. Blue nodded his head. Sonic knew the guy was right on the nose and didn't even try to deny it. "So what is it? You're drug?" Sonic looked at the guy. "What's it to you?" He asked.

"Well, if it's the right kind, I can get you what you need. And from the looks of that duffel you're carrying around, you don't have any place to sleep tonight. Am I right?" The guy asked. Sonic nodded his head again. His curiosity was now just equal to his anger. "That, I can help you with. But, if you want help with your other problem, I need to know what it is." The guy said. Sonic thought about what was being offered to him. He hadn't been able to think of something himself and now the answer was being dropped in his lap. He decided to bite the bullet. What the hell? "You... you know where I can get some heroin?" Sonic asked. He could already feel the nervousness and anxiety building up inside slowly, meaning his last shot was wearing off, but he still had enough sense to not totally trust the guy. "Yeah, I do. Follow me." The guy said, grabbing Sonic by the shoulder. Sonic hesitated for a second, weighing his options. The stranger was a few steps ahead of him before he realized blue wasn't following him. He spun around and laid a hand on Sonic's shoulder. "Come on." The guys said. Sonic followed, his uncertanty, for reasons unknown to Sonic, were laid to rest when the guy put his hand. "You know, I never did get your name." Sonic said. "That's cuz' you never asked. Name's Judge. Pleasure to meet you."

Tails

"Mmmmm, what time is it?" Tails asked, yawning. He didn't think he'd fall asleep again. But that was the effect music had on him. Once he became absorbed into it fully, he became completely relaxed, and usually found himself unexpectedly falling asleep. "Ha ha." Sally chuckled. "You have a good nap?" She asked, making a left and grabbing the remote. "Yeah." Tails said, yawning again. "I guess I haven't been getting enough sleep." He said rubbing his eyes and dragging himself to the bathroom. After finishing his business, he came back to find Sally watching TV. One of those mind numbing daytime talk shows that seem to sprout up every year. Tails grabbed his phone off the arm of the couch. It was almost dead. He switched it off and stuck it in his bag he had sitting next to the couch. "You feel like doing anything today?" Tails asked Sally. Since he had come over to spend time with her and to make sure she didn't do anything stupid, he had been finding something to do with her to occupy her mind. Keep her from thinking about Sonic.

But those times looked to be behind her. She was about as normal as he had seen in a while. Sally turned away from the TV. "Nah. I didn't have anything in mind right now. Why? You want to do something?" She asked. Tails shook his head. "Actually, I was going to pop in over at the lab for a bit. See if anything needed my attention, grab a few things. What're you gonna do?" He asked. Sally turned toward him further, now sitting with one leg folded under her and her arms crossed on the back of the couch. "Only thing I need to do is the laundry. That should eat up about ten minutes. But after that, I got nothing. You coming back?" She asked.

Tails gave a small laugh. "Yeah. If everything's ok over at the lab, I'll be back as soon as I'm done. See ya when I get back." He said turning the doorknob and opening the door. "Ok." Sally said, turning her attention back to the TV. Tails closed the door behind him and walked down the steps of the porch to the edge of the lawn. It was still light out and he figured that it would take him around two hours to get to and from the lab, with stops to rest every now and then. Normally, he'd be able to fly nonstop, but he hadn't been doing a lot of flying lately. The fox stood at the edge of the road, twisted his tails up, jumped as high as he could, and unleashed the energy bound within and his body lifted off the ground and into the air.

Sonic

"Judge, huh? Interesting name." Sonic said as the pair waked through downtown. "Yeah." Judge said. "Got that name when I was a kid." "What's your real name?" Sonic asked. Judge glanced at him. "That is my name." He said. "Ok." Sonic said. "So what's the deal around here? I heard this wasn't a place you wouldn't want to be." He said. He still didn't understand what the hell Scourge had been talking about when he said Metropolis was a bad place. From what he could see, it wasn't so bad. Sure, the buildings needed repairing and there wasn't a lot of people out on the streets, but there weren't packs of roving gangs or dealers and hookers on the corners. There weren't shootouts or robberies or any of the horror stories Scourge had told him. Judge didn't turn to talk to him, instead keeping his gaze straight ahead. "It's only like this during the day. It's another story at night. No one comes out at night. That's when the losers come out." He said.

"Well that explains that." He said. "So where we going?" Sonic asked. They had been walking for a while. Sonic found himself getting tired. The time before withdrawals hit was drawing closer and closer. Fatigue was setting in and the slightest hints of chills were beginning to surface.

"Don't worry. We're almost there." Judge said. The sun was starting to set, and he didn't want to be out on the street when that happened. He realized he was lucky to make it through last night. Then again, he was oblivious to the world around him at the time. After a few more minutes of walking, they came across a brick two story building with the windows boarded up. "Were here." Judge said. Sonic knew this was Judge's place, but he didn't imagine it would look so rundown. Judge opened the door and gestured for Sonic to go inside. "What is this place?" Sonic asked.

Judge turned toward him after he had locked the door. "It's where I live." Judge said. Sonic looked around to take in his new surroundings. The building was pretty barren and gutted. The carpets were gone, walked down to almost nothing. The majority of the floor was cement, which was splotched with small spots of dirt that had been ground into the carpet over the years. The walls were just cheap drywall, were covered with old, faded wallpaper. The inside was illuminated with a single spotlight like the one's mechanics used when they were underneath fixing cars. It wasn't bright, but it did it's job. Sonic saw that the electrical cord ran outside through a hole in the wall, obviously siphoning off the place next door.

Judge put his arm around him. "So what do ya think? Better than sleeping outside, right?" Judge asked. Sonic nodded. It was, but not by much in his opinion. How did the old saying go? 'Beggars can't be choosers?' At least it's dry. Except for that one spot over there? Sonic thought looking at a small puddle on the floor in the corner. Let me show you the rest of the house. The pair walked into the kitchen. "This is the kitchen. Only thing that works is the sink. I know it looks like shit, but the water is clean." The kitchen was just as bad as the living room. Same faded wallpaper. Cabinets hanging off the walls only held up by there sheer willpower to not fall off. The stove had seen better days. Sonic didn't think it worked and if it did, doubted there was gas to run it. The refrigerator was rusted out, door cracked open slightly. The little food that was in there was unidentifiable. Sonic began having second thoughts about staying in a place that a complete stranger had shown him. Of course his only other option was sleeping outside again, and he knew it would most likely be next to another dumpster. And, Sonic reasoned, if Judge was going to try something, he would have done it as soon as he locked the door. So for the moment, Sonic decided to take it like a man and try to make the best of it.

"Now, let me show you where you'll be sleeping." Judge said, getting right to the point. They left the kitchen and crossed over toward the other side of the house, over to a door. Judge opened it to reveal a small bedroom. He reached inside and Sonic saw his arm move slightly up and the light on the ceiling clicked on. This room, Sonic saw, was in better shape than the rest of the house was, not too good, but livable compared to the rest of the house. There was carpet in this room that actually covered the floor. It was dirty, and small sections were worn down almost to the padding, but the carpet was much better in here than the rest of the house. Against the wall next to the door was a small dresser with a TV on it, and next to that, a door that was open just enough to reveal a closet. Sonic noticed to his right was another door. "What's in there?" He asked.

Judge opened it to reveal a bathroom. Well, half bath really. It was just a toilet, sink and a light with a small, frosted over window to allow light in but keep prying eyes out. Sonic was surprised to find the bathroom was cleaner than the rest of the house. The linoleum on the floor had seen better days. It was peeling in various places and in one spot it was worn down to the cement, but it looked brand new compared to the rest of the place. Sonic walked up to the toilet and flushed it, making sure it worked before asking what he would have to do in case it didn't. But when he pushed down on the handle, it flushed.

"So what's the deal? How come this room is nicer than the rest of the house?" Sonic asked. "Been fixing it up slowly. Found most of this stuff lying around. You'd be surprised what people throw out these days." Judge replied. "Yeah. You're probably wondering why I brought you here with me aren't you?" Judge asked as he walked over to the bed and sat down. "That's easy. I saw you and realized who you were. I figured someone like you must be down on his luck pretty damn bad to be stuck in a place like this as I said earlier, plus you're not like some of the other assholes I've tried to help out in the past." Judge said. Sonic sat down beside him. The withdrawal effects were starting to get stronger now, but they were still manageable, only up to a dull roar in his legs. Sonic thought about what he had said and realized he was right. It still beat the dumpster.

"Thanks man." Sonic said, holding out his hand. Judge grabbed it and shook it. "Not a problem." He said. "Now, you mind helping me drag the other cot in here?" He asked as he stood up and walked out the room. "Oh, sure." Sonic said. Other cot? Sonic asked himself. He didn't see anything like that outside. Sonic stepped out the door and looked around. He saw Judge struggling with a large object in the darkened room. Sonic rushed over to help him and grabbed one end. "Found it a few days ago. Let's get it over by the door." Judge said. The two carried the extra bed inside the room and set it in front of the door. After turning the bed that was in the room 90°, they could now bring in the other bed and set it against the other wall, that way they could both sleep in the same room instead of one being forced to sleep out in the front room. "There we go." Judge said as he set the bed down against the wall opposite of the other bed.

"I would have set it upstairs, but the doors are locked. Damn things rusted shut. Front room's way too drafty. It's alright in summer, but it's getting cooler now." Judge said. "This should do you until I get back. Plug in for the TV's inside the closet and there should be a pillow in there you can use. And don't worry, there clean." Judge said as he turned toward the door and went out. Sonic jumped up off the bed and followed him. "Wait. Where you going?" Sonic asked. The withdrawl feeling was getting worse now that the excitement had died down. "Just to get some things. Just stay in here and wait 'til I come back. Shouldn't be more than a couple hours." Judge said as he opened the other door and went outside. Sonic heard the sound of a key turning inside the doorknob.

As soon as Judge locked the door, he quickly made his way down the block until he was sure he was far enough away from the house. He turned down a street and ducked down an alley. He stopped and moved against the fence that was next to the road that way in case any cars came down the alley he wouldn't be run over by them. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a cell phone. He pushed a button and the display lit up. Judge hit a few buttons and held the phone to his ear as it dialed out. After a few seconds, someone on the other end picked up. "Hey, it's me." Judge said.

"Yeah, I found him."

"At the 'house'. What? Yeah, I didn't think you could've picked a more rundown piece of crap. Well, at least it looks like there've been people living in it before me."

"Yeah, I saw those. Thanks for that. I didn't think to ask for either of them. Least this way I can keep food for both of us and there's something to watch.""What?" Judge asked, the reception on the phone cutting in and out. "Let me move around." Judge walked a few steps to his right. "Is that better?"

"Ok. Can you repeat that?""I'd say about 45 minutes away."

"Then that should work then. Hold on a second." Judge said as he took the phone away from his ear to look at the clock. "Oh damn. Look, I gotta go. Need to be back soon.""Yeah, I'll call you as soon as I can. See you later." Judge said as he hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket and headed to the drop off point.

Sonic

Back at the house, if he could call it that, he waited for Judge to return. God, I could really use a shower right now. Sonic thought. He forgot to ask what to do about it when the need came up, but it was too late to ask about it now. Blue moved around, trying to keep his mind off of the coming pain. He knew it would be worse than last time since he only had half of what he usually had. Plus, the way his physiology was, everything that was put into it was dealt with quicker than in a normal person's (or hedgehog). He looked at the bed Judge had given him, remembering that there was a pillow in there he could use. "Hope there's some blankets in there too." Sonic said out loud. It was getting cooler as the days went on and judging by how cool it was in the room, he knew he would need it. Of course, if he couldn't get any, he could always wrap up in his jacket. Sonic opened the closet and turned the light on inside. There wasn't much, just a few sheets and blankets as well as Judge's clothes on one side.

He grabbed a pillow off one of the shelves and looked it over. It looked clean to his eye and didn't seem to be dirty. He held it a few inches in front of his face and took a quick sniff. Clean linen. Sonic shrugged his shoulders and tossed it on his bed. He felt the chills wash over him. "Oooooh!" Sonic exclaimed. Blue shook his head, trying to overcome the feeling. He grabbed a blanket off the shelf and tossed it on the bed as well. Sonic looked down and saw the mini fridge sitting on the floor. He took a knee in front of it and opened it up. He didn't expect to see what he saw. Of course there was the bachelor standards. Baloney, cheese, bread, peanut butter. There were also a few fruits and vegetables as well. Sonic wasn't sure why he was surprised to see fruit and veggies in the fridge, but up until now he was used to eating sandwiches and beer every day. He grabbed a banana and shut the door. Sonic peeled it, the pain beginning to get worse now.

The headaches had started to come. The first wave wasn't bad. Like a slight pressure just behind his eyes. This too, he knew would only get worse as time went on. He peeled the banana and ate it in three bites. "Oh damn, that's good." He moaned. He couldn't remember the last time he had tasted fruit. He looked around for a trash can and didn't see one. He went to the bathroom, but didn't see one there. He looked around the room and threw it out the window. The pain in his head began to get worse and now the chills, which had been present for some time now, were replaced by a flushing feeling. He was sweating all over and his skin felt hot. It would go like this until he got more of the needle. His stomach began to do flip flops and he felt like he was going to throw up any minute. Sonic quickly made his way over to the closet. He opened the door and reached for the TV's cord. Sonic somehow managed to find the outlet and plugged the TV in and shut the closet door. He spun around and grabbed the remote off the dresser and made his way to the bed as fast as he could, sitting down just before it felt like the banana was going to come back up.

Sonic laid down and put the pillow under his head and let his body relax fully on the bed, the queasiness subsiding and the pain lessening. Lying down did help somewhat, but Sonic knew there was nothing he could do about it until Judge returned, so he turned on the TV and awaited for Judge to return. He flipped through the channels, finally settling on 'The Joy of Painting' It was one of his favorite programs and when he watched Bob Ross paint anything, talking about happy little trees, the mannerisms Ross had, even the tone in his voice, had made him feel at ease. Since there was no cable here, the choices were limited. It was around six, so the pickings weren't very good. Eight was when TV became watchable again. His headache, which felt like it was going to blow his head off his shoulders, had began to subside once he laid down. The flushing feeling in his body was gone now, replaced by chills. Sonic grabbed the blanket and bundled up. As he lay on the bed, shivering and sweating out detox, his mind drifted to Sally again, as it had last night.

He missed her. The time they spent together, good and bad, the laughs they shared, everything about her. But that was gone now. He had left her, not because he was addicted to pain meds. He left her to spare her of the pain of dealing with him. Sonic realized it a few days before he had left for Metropolis. His mood had changed drastically. Almost everything set him off and he didn't want to be around anybody when he was like that. The only time he was even approachable was when he had some kind of pill in his system. Sonic's thoughts drifted back into the recesses of his memory. To the very last time he had really felt like himself, and the last good memory he had of the time they shared together.

It was the day before he had left for the cabin in the mountains to finish the last Misery book. Since he wouldn't be back for a week, it was always the same routine. Each wanting to give the other something to remember the other by and what would be waiting for the other upon Sonic's return. There was no phone service where he was going so the day before was always done on a grand scale. First came Sally's part. She cooked a huge dinner for both of them. Sonic had tried to cook one before, believing that men should have to share the household chores, including the cooking. But it ended up a disaster as he burned almost everything that he made, except for the Jell-O©, which, for some unexplainable reason, didn't completely form. Sally laughed and said she would cook next time, since she did most of the time anyway. She never complained though. Cooking ignited her creativity. It was like her laboratory.

After the meal had been eaten and the dishes were washed, it was Sonic's turn. He told her to wait in the front room and keep her eyes closed. "What're you planning?" She asked, giggling like a school girl. "Just sit here and wait." He said, a smile on his face. He bent down and kissed her. She pressed into him and he pressed back. Sally bit Sonic's lip lightly as he pulled away and Sally giggled again. "Don't peek." He said slyly as he walked away from her. "I won't." She promised. Sally heard Sonic go into the kitchen for a second then make his way quickly into the bedroom.

A few minutes had passed and Sonic emerged from the bedroom "Can I open my eyes now?" She asked. Sally was still sitting on the couch, eyes closed when he came back. "Not yet." He said quietly almost in a whisper. Sonic reached over and turned the lights off, leaving the hall light on so he could see. "Take my hand." He said. Sally felt herself blush as she held out her hand. The excitement grew in her. Sonic hadn't really shown a flair for romanticism before, but she wasn't about to start complaining. Sonic grabbed it and kissed it gingerly. He tugged on her hand slightly, telling her to follow him. "Ok." She said. They walked back to the bedroom and Sonic shut the door behind him. "What now?" She asked. Sally knew Sonic had put a lot of thought into whatever it was that he had planned. Although her eyes were closed, she noticed the lights in the room grow dim and heard Sonic crawl into bed. "You can open them now." He said. She opened her eyes, and what she saw, she would never forget.

Thanks to the dimmer switch, the lights had been dimmed to almost nothing and the nightstands next to the bed had candles on them, making the shadows dance around the room. The curtains on the windows had been opened enough so the moonlight could pour in, bathing the room in hues of orange, white and blue. She looked down at the bed and saw Sonic lying there on his side, the shirt, shorts and shoes he had been wearing gone, the only cloth covering him was a small section of bed sheet gingerly placed. Sally noticed he was holding out a single white rose to her. She sat down on the bed and pulled her feet up so she was half lying and half sitting next to him. Sally smiled and let out a laugh. "I noticed you opened the curtains. Hope no one's watching." Sally said, letting out another small laugh. Of course, they could leave the doors and windows unlocked and open if they wanted. That was one of the big plusses of living so far out in the country. She took the rose from him and laid it on the table on her side of the bed.

The second she turned back over to face him, he grabbed her gently and kissed her first on the neck, then moving back to her mouth. Sally opened her mouth slightly and Sonic's tongue darted inside. They made out in this fashion for several minutes, the candles making their shadows dance around the room. They broke again, both breathing heavily from the pleasure and the anticipation of what was to come. Sonic nodded his head toward the candles on his side of the bed and Sally nodded in return as they both blew out the candles on their respective sides, the shadows dancing wildly on the walls then disappearing forever. The pair made love in the glow of the moonlight. It wasn't the usual kind of 'I'm in the mood' everyday sex. They made love. And it went on through the night until the early hours of the morning, stopping just as the sun was coming up. When they finished, they held each other not saying a word, Sally's head gently nuzzled against Sonic's neck. The pair still shaking just slightly from the sheer ecstasy. Sonic cast his gaze downward toward her and had never seen her look so beautiful than she had in that moment. Bare breasted, moonlight shrouding her sweat covered body. He kissed her again and embraced her.

The pair fell asleep in each others arms as the sun rose. Sonic awoke several hours later. Sally was still asleep and he gingerly pulled his arm out from underneath her head, somehow managing not to wake her. He went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He still had a trip to make that day and he didn't want to get there late. As he showered, Sally had awoken and went to find her lover. She opened the bathroom door and walked into the shower with Sonic, not even bothering to put her clothes back on. They went another round in the shower, bringing the total to seven. They both stepped out and proceded to get started with the day. After his shower, Sonic gathered his things and tossed them into the car he had rented. She never understood why he bothered with a car in the first place when he could run faster than one. When she asked, he replied, "I've never driven before. I've always ran to where I was going. I just want to feel normal for once."

Suddenly, the pain that had gathered in his body throbbed quickly then subsided, dragging him back down to earth. Sonic winced at the onset of it and felt the chills had left his body, replaced with the hot, flushing sensation again. He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice he was covered in sweat, but at least the headache's had went away. "Thank God for small favors." Sonic muttered. "Where the hell is he?" Sonic muttered to himself as the pain began to get worse and worse.

The fever had left and the chills came back with a vengeance. He began to shiver even more furious this time than last. The sweat he was covered in didn't help much either. It began to evaporate, making the room feel a lot cooler than it actually was. Blue grabbed the blanket and wrapped himself in it once again, trying to fight off the cold. As Sonic lay there, feeling like he was dying, he though he heard a key slip in through the front door. Sonic thought about getting up, but he couldn't fully move. He was shaking too badly from the chills, which by now had risen to new levels. No, that's just my mind playing tricks on me. He thought. Judge hadn't been gone the two hours like he said he would be. "O-oh g-good. Now I'm fucking ha-ha-halucinating." He said out loud, his teeth chattering from the shaking. But a few seconds later, he saw the knob turn and the door open to reveal Judge standing there holding a couple of bags in his hands. "Told you I'd be back."