AFTER THE METAREX: TAILS' STORY
Chapter Twenty-Six
"On The Road Back"
Sonic the hedgehog ran. It was simply what he did. He ran when he was happy. He ran when he was angry. He ran when he was depressed. And he ran when he was confused. He was currently experiencing all but the first of those feelings. He hated the thought of leaving Tails in Happy Acres, but didn't know how to get him out without starting something he didn't want to finish. He didn't want to go against Sally. And if he got Tails out, then what? Hide him someplace and swear he didn't know where he was?
Sonic saw Amy in the park. He stopped nearby. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to discuss this with her. Maybe his growing frustration with Sally was causing him to finally notice the pink hedgehog. He dismissed that thought, however. Amy was a friend, and he valued the opinions of his friends.
"Hi, Sonic!" Amy cried. "How wonderful of you to see me! Would you like to go someplace? A movie, maybe. Hmmm?" She leaned against him and puckered her lips.
Sonic gently pushed her away. "Stop it, Amy! Not now!"
"Not now, not then, so when?!?" Amy demanded. "You're still giving me mixed messages!" Then she finally noticed his face. "Sonic? What's wrong?"
Sonic sat down on a park bench. He shut his eyes. "I don't know what to do," he said.
Amy sat down beside him, not quite close enough that he would move away from her. "What's the matter? Come on, don't shut me out the way Tails has been lately."
"That's just it," Sonic said. "Tails…he's…"
Amy jumped up. "He hurt himself?" she cried.
"No, Amy," Sonic said. "That's not it."
"He ran away then," Amy said, grabbing his hand. "Come on! We'll go find him!"
Sonic pulled away from her. "I know exactly where he is," he told her softly.
"Sonic, you're scaring me!" Amy cried. "Where is he?!?"
"He…he started screaming that he'd just killed Cosmo…again," Sonic told her.
Amy gasped. "He…he what? Oh no. Oh, Sonic, I was afraid this would happen sooner or later. I could see he wasn't getting better."
"So did his parents," Sonic said. "When I went to see if we could patch things up between us, over that whole Metal Cosmo mess, I saw…" He bit his lip. A tear rolled down his cheek.
"Sonic, please, I'm going crazy here!" Amy cried. "What happened to Tails?!?"
Sonic buried his head in his hands. "His father had him…sent to… Happy Acres."
"What?" Amy asked him. "I didn't hear that. His dad sent him to where?"
"Happy Acres," Sonic said louder.
Amy had summoned a pico-pico hammer, expecting to need it to help Tails. Now it slipped from her fingers. She sat down next to Sonic and took his hands in hers. "The…mental hospital?"
"Yeah," Sonic said. "I tried to get him out, but Tails' parents will fight to keep him in there. So I tried to see Sally, and Nicole told me to get lost…like usual."
"She just doesn't care," Amy said. "Sonic…Sonic, look at me."
Sonic turned towards her. "Amy…what do I do?"
"What do you want to do?" Amy asked him. "If--if you want to break Tails out of there, I'm with you all the way!" She started to get up to get her pico-pico hammer.
Sonic shook his head. "Amy…breaking Tails out of there would be breaking the law. Even if I decide to do that, I can't involve you in something so serious."
"Too late," Amy pointed out. "I already know that you're considering it. If I don't report you, and I won't, I'm already an accessory to the crime."
"I didn't say I was going to break him out," Sonic reminded her. "I'm just saying if I do I don't want you involved. Please, Amy. I don't want you going to jail."
"Whether thou goest, I will go," Amy insisted. "Just let me know when you've decided what you're going to do. I'll support you completely."
"I…I guess I'll need to think about it," Sonic admitted. "I'll wait until I can talk to Sally. If she says she won't help Tails, then…" He stood up. "I mean it, Amy! Stay out of this! Please. I…I don't want you getting in trouble. Promise me you won't do anything you'll regret later."
"I promise," Amy said, crossing her fingers behind her back.
It was obvious that Sonic was badly shook up. He didn't notice her trick. "Listen…it's probably best if Cream doesn't know what happened. She'd want to see Tails, and he asked me not to let her."
"So he does care about her!" Amy said. "You see, Sonic? In time, his heart will heal, and he'll find love again. And Cream is a great kid. They'll make such a perfect couple."
Sonic sighed. Even now, Amy just wouldn't let up about Tails and Cream. "I-I'll see you, Amy," Sonic said. He sped off, soon disappearing in the distance.
Amy Rose sighed as she picked up her hammer. She didn't hold out much hope that Princess Sally would get Tails released from the hospital. Maybe she could find a way to free Tails without violence. She'd seen enough movies and tv shows about that sort of thing while she had been on Earth. What would Lucy and Ethel do? She decided to go home and plan Operation: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.
************
Tails was relieved when someone let him out of the padded cell and took off his straightjacket. He was led by the arm into a room painted green. He knew that green was considered calming, but it reminded him of Cosmo. Seated behind a desk was his therapist, Doctor Gantan.
"Hello, Miles," she said softly. "Won't you sit down, please?"
Tails hesitated, but the orderly holding his arm pushed him down in the chair the doctor had indicated.
"Not so rough, Harry," Dr. Gantan said. "You may go now."
"You sure?" the big guy asked.
"He's ten years old," Dr. Gantan pointed out. "I think I can defend myself."
"I'm not going to hurt anyone!" Tails yelled, starting to stand up. Harry pushed him back down.
"He's nuts, lady," Harry said. He was a bulldog. Small eyes, heavy jaw, and clearly not very bright. Also not very tolerant towards inmates. Tails wondered what bored politician allowed him to get a job there.
"That's doctor," Dr. Gantan pointed out. "And Miles isn't dangerous. Don't make me warn you again about mistreating the inmates, Harry."
"Yes, ma'am…Lady Doctor," Harry said, turning and leaving the room. Tails had a bad feeling he'd have a lot more trouble with this guy.
"Now, Miles," Dr. Gantan said softly. "Do you know why you're here?"
"It was a misunderstanding," Tails said. "My father called you because he thought I was having hallucinations, but I'm not." This wasn't exactly true, of course. Tails had been seeing Cosmo for awhile, but he knew if he mentioned this he'd never get out of there.
"You claimed that you had just killed you friend, Cosmo, again," Dr. Gantan said. "In fact, you claimed she was in your home earlier today."
"No," Tails said. "I--I was back on my ship, the Blue Typhoon. You see…you're going to think I'm crazy just trying to explain this to you, but…"
"No, no, go on, Miles," she said, writing something in a notebook.
Tails sighed. No doubt she was writing what she thought was wrong with him. "I built a…a time machine." He cringed, knowing how insane that sounded.
"A time machine," she said, writing some more.
"You know that I've built space ships," Tails pointed out. "Why do you have so much trouble believing that I built a time machine?"
"Why are you so certain that I don't believe you?" she asked him.
"You don't look like you believe anything I say," Tails pointed out. "You're writing in your notebook. That's what doctors do when they think their patient is crazy."
"You watch a lot of television, don't you?" Dr. Gantan asked. "You say you have a time machine and you used it to go back to before your friend was dead?"
"Yes, but…something went wrong," Tails told her. "I couldn't get anyone to see or hear me! When I saw myself shooting Cosmo…it was like it was just happening all over again! I've been trying to get through it, but…"
"Experiencing it again opened old wounds?" Dr. Gantan asked him. "But sometimes that's the only way you can move on, Miles. Face the past and your actions, and realize they weren't your fault."
"I see," Tails said, suddenly feeling very tired. "How long will I have to be here?"
"Miles, we've been having sessions for months, and I haven't seen much improvement," Dr. Gantan said softly. "Do you understand?"
Tails ran his hand through his hair. "Well…every time I try to just live my life, something crazy happens. My parents…they just don't understand me. My dad thinks physical activity will straighten me out, and my mom makes me dress like I'm six and fights with my friends!"
"Your parents disappeared when you were four years old, didn't they?" Dr. Gantan said, turning to another page in her notebook. "You lost a lot of time with them. How old were you the next time you saw them?"
Tails sighed. "That was last year," he said. "After I came back from Earth. I was nine."
"So your parents lost five years of knowing you," she said gently. "And you lost five years with them as well. To them, you're still four years old."
"I understand that, Doctor," Tails said. "But I can't go back to being four again! Besides, when I was four, I didn't fit in with others. I was a nerd my whole life."
"There's nothing wrong with being smart, Miles," the doctor said, scribbling in her notebook again. She set it down after a minute and looked him square in the eyes. "Miles…I assure you that I am your friend. I want you out of here as much as you want out. But I can't release you until I'm sure you're ready. Do you understand this?"
Tails sighed. "So I'm stuck here," he said.
"I wouldn't put it that way," Dr. Gantan said. "We'll speak again soon. Let me have someone show you to your room." She saw the look on his face. "No, not Harry. And not that dreadful padded cell again. I'm sorry, Miles. The head administrator is somewhat old fashioned."
Tails was led out of the office by a blue jay. She led him to a small room with yellow walls. "Yellow is the happiest color, you know," she said with a smile. She seemed nice, but Tails suspected she wasn't very bright. "Some of our other guests are playing scrabble and watching tv," she said. "Would you like to join them? Right down that hall. My names Treble, by the way."
"Miles," Tails said, "but everybody calls me Tails because…well…" he waved his twin tails about.
"Oh, is that why you're here?" Treble asked. "That's nothing to be ashamed of, dear. Why, there are several very nice people here because of physical deformities. So many people are so cruel!" Tails didn't bother to correct her.
Tails sat down on the bed. He noticed he had a small, perfectly round desk, padded so he couldn't harm himself by beating his head against it. "They've got me locked up with psychos!" he thought, pulling his blanket over his head. He hoped no one came in yelling that he was trying to smother himself.
************
Ginger had gone into hiding once word had gone out that she was a criminal. But she knew that Tails' fool of a mother still trusted her, and decided to see what she could get out of her.
"Ginger!" Mrs. Prower said, opening the door at her knock. "Oh, dear, I'm sorry, but Miles…is away right now."
"Oh?" Ginger said, not caring less. "When will he be back?"
"I don't have any idea, I'm afraid," Mrs. Prower said. "Would you like to come in and have some tea?"
"Sure," Ginger said. Maybe this would give her an opportunity to find out something about Sonic or Tails that she could use against them later.
Rosemary was just pouring tea when there was another knock on the door. "Now who could that be? Just a moment, dear."
Rosemary opened the door to find Cream standing on her doorstep holding a basket. Cheese sat protectively on her shoulder.
"Good morning, Mrs. Prower," Cream said. "Is Tails in? I brought him some goodies. Is he feeling better? We've been praying for him every night, haven't we, Cheese?"
"Chao chao!"
"Uh…that's nice," Rosemary said. "You're that girl we saw in the store with Rosey the Rascal, aren't you?"
"Would you like a piece of cake or a cookie?" Cream asked. "I have pink frosting and blue frosting, but no green, because I don't want Tails to get sad thinking about poor Cosmo."
"Uh…I'll pass," Rosemary said. "Miles isn't home. And I don't know when he'll be back."
Cream gasped. "Oh no! Did he…did he run away? I'll help you look for him!"
"No, no, he's just…away," Rosemary said. "He probably won't be back for quite some time."
"Oh dear," Cream said. "Then it's a good thing I'm here! I'll need to take care of Cosmo's plant for him." She bowed. "Thank you very much for your time, Mrs. Prower. Come on, Cheese, we'd better make sure that Cosmo is okay."
"Chao chao." Cheese followed Cream to the greenhouse.
"She seems like a perfectly nice girl," Rosemary said. "Oh! I should check on Ginger!" Mrs. Prower returned to the living room to find it empty. "I guess she's in the bathroom." She sat down to drink her tea when she heard something in her bedroom fall to the floor.
"What was that?" she wondered. She put down her tea cup, and started down the hall. She came across Ginger, going through her closet.
"What do you think you're doing, young lady!" Mrs. Prower demanded.
Ginger spun around. "Uh…"
"I'm waiting!" Mrs. Prower said.
There was a knock on the door. Rosemary turned towards the sound, and Ginger knocked her down and jumped out the window.
"What the…? You little brat!" Rosemary screamed.
"Who's that?" Cream asked Cheese, as Ginger ran down the driveway.
"A burglar?" Cheese suggested.
"You really think so?" Cream said. "I think you've been watching too many movies, Cheese!"
Tails' mother came running out of her house. "How dare she try to steal from me!" she yelled.
Cream gasped. "You mean that was a burglar?!? Come on, Cheese! Let's get her!"
"What? No, let her go, little girl!" Rosemary cried, grabbing Cream's arm. "You could get hurt!"
"But…but if she stole something," Cream said, not sure of what to do next.
"Just my pride," Rosemary told her.
"Huh?" Cream was really confused now. Sometimes grown-ups just didn't make sense! "Anyway, I knocked again because I wanted to know where I should write to Tails. Do you have his address?"
"He…I'll let him know you asked about him," Rosemary said.
"Oh, okay," Cream said. "Cosmo's fine, and I'll be back later to make sure she's doing great. I'm sorry, Mrs. Prower, I won't disturb you again. Bye-bye!"
"Wait!" Rosemary said. "Uh…would you like some tea?"
"Yes, Ma'am! Are you sure you wouldn't like a cake or a cookie? And maybe I can bring some more that you can take to him? He's been losing a lot of weight since Cosmo…since she…" Cream started to cry.
"Oh no, no, don't cry," Rosemary said. "Did you know that I have a little girl somewhere about your age? We've been trying to find her for a long time."
"Well, when Tails gets back, maybe he can find her," Cream said, following Tails' mother. "Tails is the smartest person I know!"
************
"You ask him," a female voice said. Tails wondered what was going on? Had a couple of patients gotten in his room? What did they want from him? And why did the voice seem familiar?
"It was your idea," another girl said. This one was a stranger to him.
"Um…excuse me?" the familiar voice said. "Um…hi there. Would you like to watch television or something?"
Tails decided to try playing that he was asleep. Maybe whoever it was would just go away.
"He's not interested," the other girl said. "Let's go, Debbie."
"Debbie?!? Of course!" Tails acted like he'd just woken up. He pulled the blanket off his face and yawned sleepily, then opened his eyes. "Debbie? What are you doing here?" Had Amy sent her? Then he noticed she was wearing a pair of yellow coveralls. Just like somebody had put on him while he was unconscious.
"Miles?!?" Debbie cried. "Oh, I had no idea! Oh, Miles, I'm so sorry! Still can't get over your poor girlfriend? Heather, this is the boy I told you about who lost his girlfriend fighting space aliens. He's Tails the Fox, Sonic the Hedgehog's friend."
"Oh?" the other girl said. She was a hedgehog. She was wearing a shawl around her shoulders that covered her arms. "You don't look crazy," she said. "Why are you here?"
"Heather!" Debbie cried. "That's so rude! I'm sorry, Miles. You don't have to tell us why you're here."
"It was a mistake," Tails told them.
"It always is," Heather said. "It was an accident that Debbie hit three people for making fun of the way she looks."
Tails gasped. "You hit people?" he said. "You? I mean…you seem so nice!"
"I just couldn't take it anymore!" Debbie admitted. "My mom's so ashamed of me! But they just wouldn't stop! The stares. The comments. The giggles."
"I'm so sorry," Tails said. "I know what it's like."
"Want to know why I'm here?" Heather asked.
"Uh…you really don't have to tell me," Tails said.
"My mother left me on the steps of an orphanage when I was born," she said bitterly. "Didn't want anything to do with me from the start! And no one would ever adopt me!"
Tails wasn't surprised. Heather sounded crazy. And her eyes were scary.
"The other kids in the orphanage made fun of me," Heather went on. "Last week, they tied me to the flagpole and raised me like a flag, so everyone could gawk at me! And when I was finally let down, I caught one of them while she was alone and beat her until she had to be hospitalized. And I'd do it to the others if I ever get the chance!"
Now Tails really wanted out of this place! Heather sounded very dangerous.
"We belong together, the three of us," Heather told him. "We're all freaks! You have two tails, Debbie is half cat and half human, and me…" She threw off her shawl. Tails couldn't help but stare.
Heather had four arms.
"Disgusting, huh?" she demanded. "Feast your eyes, glut your soul, on my accursed ugliness!"
************
Sonic returned to the palace. "Nicole!" he yelled. "I want to see Sally…now!"
Nicole appeared. "Don't shout!" she said. "I really can't help you, Sonic. I'm sorry, but…"
"That's quite all right, Nicole," Princess Sally said, stepping into view. "I know why you're here, Sonic."
"Will you help me?" Sonic demanded. "More importantly, will you help Tails? He always looked up to you, you know."
Sally shook her head. "Sonic," she said softly, "you don't understand. The only way I could get Tails out of the hospital without his parents' okay would be to make him a ward of the crown. That would mean that he would live here at the palace. It would also mean that he'd have to stay here. No helping you fight Dr. Eggman. No going on long trips. No beach parties. Not without a representative going with him. And my schedule makes it nearly impossible for me to be away from the palace for very long."
Sonic made a face. "So you won't help him."
"It would make his life worse, not better," Sally said, placing her hand on his arm. "Please. I've seen the way Tails has been behaving since you came home from space, Sonic. Maybe…maybe this is what he needs. I want him out too. But I want to be sure he'll stay out."
"I have to go," Sonic said, turning and walking away. He didn't trust himself to say anything more. He started running towards the mountains. He needed to do some thinking. And run off excess energy. And hit a few things. Then he'd see Tails and ask him what he wanted. Sonic still didn't know if he would break Tails out or not. He'd have to see how his little buddy was doing first.
************
"Heather, leave Miles alone!" Debbie said. "I'm sorry, she likes to shock people by hiding her extra arms, then waving them in their faces."
"Uh…I'm sorry you feel that way," Tails said. "I've been mistreated my whole life. First because of my tails, and then because of the things I can do."
"You mean fly?" Heather asked. "Can you really do that?"
"Of course he can," Debbie said loyally. "And a whole lot more! He's the smartest person you ever met."
"Debbie, please!" Tails said, blushing. "I just do the best I can." He sighed. "And sometimes, that's no where near enough."
"Oh!" Debbie said. "We came to ask if you wanted to see the movie playing in the tv room."
"I don't think so," Tails said. "I really should…"
"Come on," Debbie said, taking his arm. "You can't hide from people, Miles. Heather and I have learned that the hard way. Now come on. You'll like everybody here. Really you will. We may seem odd, but we're all good people."
"Especially us freaks!" Heather said. She let out a weird giggle. Tails stared at her. "No. I'm not crazy," she said. "I learned a long time ago that I have to accept what I am or go crazy. I handle it by being annoying and scaring people. I'm a monster, I might as well have fun being one."
Tails allowed the two strange girls to drag him away. Halfway through the movie, he realized he'd forgotten they were anything other than two people watching a movie with him.
************
Amy waited until a nurse went on break. She followed her outside of the hospital. When she started to walk behind a bush, blocking her from the view of anyone inside of the building, Amy's pico-pico hammer did its job. Amy took the nurse's uniform, tied her up and gagged her, then walked calmly towards the hospital. She stepped inside, and started looking for Tails. A bulldog passed and she slipped behind a potted plant. He looked scary. She was sure she could handle him, but a fight wouldn't help get Tails out of there.
A girl walked past Amy, talking to herself. Amy shivered. "They've got him in with crazy people!" she thought. "I have to get him out of here fast!"
She nearly ran into Tails as he left Debbie and Heather. The movie was over, and he'd decided not to watch another. He wasn't sure he was ready for more of this. He was lost in thought, like he usually was, and didn't notice her.
"Psst, Tails!" Amy hissed.
Tails did a double take. "Amy?!? Oh no! What are you doing here?"
"Not so loud!" Amy hissed. "I'm here to get you out of here, Tails!"
Tails rolled his eyes. "You'll never get away with this, Amy!" he said.
"Not if you keep calling me Amy!" she pointed out. "I'm Nurse Joy!"
Tails moaned. "Please go away, I'm getting a headache!"
"Ah, Mister Prower, you need to lie down," Amy said, going back into her nurse's act. "Come, I'll take you to your room." She started leading Tails down the corridor.
"My room is the other way," Tails hissed. "Amy, if they catch you, you'll end up in here too!"
"Nonsense," Amy insisted. "My plan is foolproof!"
"Hey, you!" Harry called. "You new here? Where's your I.D.?"
"Uh…" Amy said. "Oh, that! Hi, there! I'm Nurse Joy! Are you single?"
"What?" Harry said. "Who sent you here?"
"I'm sorry," Amy said, starting to perspire, "but…uh…the doctor wants to see this patient immediately."
"Yeah?" Harry said. "Which doctor?"
"Right now, I wouldn't mind seeing a witch doctor, if he could get me out of this mess!" Amy muttered.
"What's all the commotion out here?" Dr. Gantan asked, coming out of her office.
"Duh…?" Amy said. This was proving to be a lot more complicated than she had expected.
"Why don't you check on the kitchen staff, Harry?" Dr. Gantan said. "Come in, both of you."
"Uh…I'm in a big hurry," Amy said, inching backwards away from the doctor.
"No you're not," Dr. Gantan insisted. "You're my next appointment."
Sonic reached the hospital. He went in and looked around. "Uh, excuse me?" he said to the receptionist. "I'm looking for a patient. Ta-Miles Prower?"
"Are you a relative?" the receptionist asked, looking up. She grinned. "Whoa! You're Sonic the Hedgehog, aren't you?"
"In person!" Sonic said, rubbing his nose. "Miles is my best friend. You might have heard people refer to him as Tails the Fox."
"Oh?" she blinked. "Oh, wait, the boy with two tails?" She smacked her forehead. "Duh! Silly me! Sure, Miles Prower." She looked through her books. "Wrong book! Okay, um…here we go! Room 114! Hey, can I have your autograph?"
"Uh, sure," Sonic said, wondering if the inmates had taken over the building.
"Penny, what are you doing here?" a nurse demanded. "You're not an employee here, remember? You're a patient. Now let me show you back to your room." Sonic gasped. The inmates had started to take over!
"This is Sonic the Hedgehog!" Penny said. "Isn't he dreamy?"
"Oh, hello, I'm Treble. You must be here to see Miles. I think he's in room…uh…"
"Room 114," Penny said. "Look, a butterfly!" She ran to the window.
"I'm sorry," Treble said. "Penny is completely harmless. Last week she thought she was a plumber and took apart one of our sinks before someone stopped her."
"Uh…okay," Sonic said. "I really need to see Tails now."
"Well, you should speak to his doctor, Dr. Gantan. I'll take you to her office," Treble said. "Oh, wait, let me get Penny back to her room first!"
Now Sonic was really wondering if the patients were taking over.
As Sonic followed the nurse (at least he hoped this one was the real thing) he worried even more about Tails.
"What the?" Sonic said, seeing Amy there. She was wearing a nurse's uniform. "Oh, no!" he said to himself. "She didn't!"
"Well, you must be Sonic," the doctor said. "I believe you know our new 'nurse?'"
"Um…hi, Sonic!" Amy said with a grin. "Fancy meeting you here!"
"What were you going to…" Sonic slapped his forehead. "Amy, you didn't seriously think you could come in dressed like a nurse and sneak Tails out of here, did you?!?"
"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time," Amy said. She leaned forward and whispered, "Get me out of here, Sonic! She's talking like she wants to commit me next!"
"Well, maybe you need to be here more than Tails does," Sonic hissed back. "I told you to let me handle it. Now you've got his doctor thinking his friends are bad influences on him!"
"I what?!?" Amy cried. Sonic placed his hand over her mouth.
"I'm really sorry about this, Doc," Sonic said nervously. "Amy is very loyal to her friends, and she wasn't convinced that this is the best place for Tai-Miles."
"And are you?" Dr. Gantan asked Sonic.
"Frankly, after seeing one of the patients running the front desk, no," Sonic admitted.
Dr. Gantan rubbed her eyes. "Penny again. I assure you that she is completely harmless. Her baby died in a fire last year and hasn't recovered from it. I'm afraid she probably never will."
"Could we talk to Miles before we go, please?" Sonic asked her.
"Of course, but I hope we won't be seeing this happen again, Miss…"
"Lucy…Lucy Ricardo," Amy said. Sonic and Tails both looked away from her in embarrassment.
"Her name's Amy Rose," Sonic said, "and she does mean well, Doctor. Come on, Amy, let's leave the doctor alone." He dragged her out of the room.
Tails sighed. "I'm really sorry about this," he told his doctor.
"Yes, well, you're lucky you have such loyal friends," Dr. Gantan said, although she didn't look quite as if she believed that.
Tails led Sonic and Amy to his room.
"Everything's all padded," Amy said, sitting down on Tails' dresser. "What do they think you'll do?"
"Don't start, please, Amy," Tails said, sitting down on his bed. "Look, I really appreciate the thought, but I don't want to break out of here. That will just convince my parents that I'm crazy. Besides…" he looked away from them.
"Besides, what, buddy?" Sonic asked, leaning against the wall. "Come on, you can tell us anything."
"Maybe…maybe I should stay here, just for a little while," Tails told them. "Maybe…maybe I need to deal with a few things before I can get on with my life. And Dr. Gantan says I might be able to go home before too long, if I show improvement."
Sonic winked. "So you're gonna act all 'It's a miracle! I'm cured!' so she'll let you out legally, huh?"
Tails ran his hand over his hair. "Maybe. I don't know. It was pretty scary here at first, but I've been getting, well, not exactly used to it, but…" He shook his head. "I just think this might help me. One of the interns is a jerk, but otherwise, it's not bad here. Most of the patients are people who lost everything because of Dr. Eggman. We always rescued his victims, then flew off celebrating because we'd won. But for these people…they're still waiting for us to save them…inside. And that's something we can never do."
"Tails," Sonic said. "If what I did to that robot Cosmo had anything to do with this…I'm so sorry!"
Tails put his arms around his hero. "No, Sonic! I understand why you did it. It hurt so much to see Cosmo--at least, something that looked like her--die again! I was so angry with you. But you're my best friend. My brother. And I forgot, I guess, that I can be angry at someone and still love them." He blushed. "Uh…let me think of another word to replace 'love.'"
"I think it's the perfect word," Amy said, glomping him. "And we all love you, Miles Prower! Don't we, Sonic?" She glared at him when he didn't answer. "I said 'Don't we, Sonic?'"
"Uh…I'm not really comfortable saying I love you to a dude," Sonic said, rubbing the back of his head. "But…yeah, what Amy said. So we're all cool?"
"Cooler than cool!" Tails said.
Sonic and Amy left soon afterwards, promising to come back to see him soon. Tails sighed, then went back to the tv room. Cosmo was there for just a moment. But she was smiling now. "Am I on the right track, Cosmo?" he whispered. "Is that why you're here, smiling?" Then she vanished before his eyes.
Tails stepped into the tv room. Debbie waved. Tails sat down next to her. He didn't want to be here, but he didn't want to go back to being the way he had been. If staying here, talking to his doctor, dealing with what had happened, kept him from having to come back sometime in the future, maybe for good, then he was willing to suffer now. Besides, deep down, a part of him still wanted to be punished. Cosmo had forgiven him again and again, but Tails had yet to find forgiveness from the person he most needed to forgive him: himself.
************
The last day of summer came and went. Amy's long planned end of summer party simply never happened. There was no way that any of them could enjoy themselves with Tails locked away. Cream cried herself to sleep almost every day. Despite her repeated pleadings, everyone agreed with Tails that she shouldn't see him there. A week passed. Then another. Tails' birthday, the sixteenth of October, was fast approaching.
"Good morning, Miles," Doctor Gantan said to Tails the day before his birthday. "How are you feeling today?"
"Okay," Tails said. He hadn't seen Cosmo since that first day in the hospital. Maybe she was gone for good. But that was such a sad thought. Was that what was happening? Was he seeing her because he didn't want her to leave him? Because he wanted to keep seeing her? That was the one thing he had never admitted to his doctor during any of their sessions. Seeing the girl he had wronged.
"Miles," Dr. Gantan said softly, "I think I'd like to send you home for awhile and see how you're doing. What do you say?"
Tails nearly jumped out of his chair. "That--that would be great! Thank you, Doctor Gantan!"
"It's your birthday tomorrow," she went on. "What do you say you go home, celebrate your birthday with your family and friends, and then come and see me the next day and we'll talk?"
"Can I go now?" Tails asked.
"Don't you have anyone here you'd like to say good-bye to first?" Dr. Gantan asked him.
Tails blushed. "Oh, right. I'm sorry."
"That's quite all right, Miles," the doctor said. "Of course, you'll have to go with your parents. Do what they tell you. I know you're used to being independent, Miles, but you've received a severe shock, and you need time to learn to cope with it. I don't want to see you coming back here again. So just take it slow and easy. Not too much excitement, and we'll see how it goes. If you start having any problems, I don't want you to keep it bottled up inside. You need to tell someone right away. Now, your mother will be by soon to pick you up."
Tails started to cry. "I'm sorry!" he said, rubbing at his eyes. "I-I just thought--I was starting to worry that I'd never get out of here!"
"That's quite all right, dear," the doctor said. "My little boy would be just about your age now, if…well, I don't want to burden you with my own problems."
"If there's ever anything that you need," Tails offered. "I can build you just about anything. A tv set, a microwave. A car."
"I'll keep that in mind," she said, giving him a hug. "Take care of yourself, Miles."
Tails walked through the hospital one last time. It was strange, knowing that he would, hopefully, not be there again. He knew of course exactly who he had to say good-bye to before his mother arrived.
He found Debbie and Heather together watching a comedy on television. Debbie was smiling. Tails realized he'd never seen Heather smile though.
"Miles!" Debbie said. "How are you?"
"Um…better," Tails said. "In fact, I…I'm going to be going home for awhile. I don't know if it'll be for good, but…"
"Oh, that's so wonderful!" Debbie said, hugging him. "I'm so happy for you!"
"Yeah, good for you," Heather said softly. "You know, you're lucky, Miles. You actually have somebody to go back to." She turned and walked away.
"That's the nicest she can handle being," Debbie whispered. "Take care of yourself, Miles. I like you, but I don't want to see you here again. If you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I know. And, uh…when you get out, don't be a stranger," Tails said. "And you will get out soon, I'm sure of it."
"Maybe," Debbie said. "But right now, I gotta go. Bye, Miles."
Tails watched Debbie hurry after her friend. "It's not fair," he thought. "I think I know what I need to do with my life." He swished his twin tails. Someone needed to speak out for people who were different. And who better than someone who was different?
"Ah, you're my next appointment!" Penny said, grabbing Tails by the hand and dragging him to a chair. She proceeded to file his nails. "You should have come here sooner. You need a manicure badly!"
"Uh…sorry, I've been very busy lately," Tails said. He'd gotten used to Penny by now.
"Miles, are you ready to go, honey?" his mother asked, coming into the room. "Uh…what's going on?"
"Please take a seat and I'll be with you shortly, Ma'am," Penny said. "You meet so many interesting people in this line of work. I was just telling my BFF the other day…"
When Tails and his mother were finally able to get away from her, Rosemary gave her son a hug. "I'm sorry, precious! I had no idea you had to put up with such nonsense! That girl is crazy! She shouldn't be allowed in the same room with you! She didn't hurt you, did she, baby?"
Tails sighed. "Mom, Penny is a nice girl. She has problems, but she means well. And she's completely harmless. Please don't insult people without even getting to know them."
"Don't you worry," Rosemary assured him, "Mommy won't let Daddy put you back in the bad place again!"
"Well…that's good to know," Tails admitted. "Thanks, Mom!"
Tails' father was signing him out. Tails was relieved he hadn't ran into Penny. His father could be very scary, and Penny's life had been too scary already.
The first thing Tails did when he got home was run into the greenhouse. He'd been afraid that his parents might get in somehow and damage Cosmo's plant, but it looked fine. In fact, it had grown several inches. "Soon," he whispered, stroking one leaf. Then he remembered that his parents were watching him. If they got freaked out by his behavior, he'd end up right back at the hospital again. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised.
Tails wondered why none of his friends were there to see him come home. Sonic and Amy had come three times together. Sonic had made two more visits by himself.
"Hey, Bro!" Sanguine said, opening the front door. "Popcorn?"
"Maybe later, Simon," Tails said. "I just want to sit down."
"SURPRISE!" Tails nearly fell over. They were there in his house: Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, Vector, Espio, Charmy, and Cream and Cheese with her mother. The little bunny threw her arms around him and wailed like a baby.
"Welcome home, Tails!" she sobbed.
"But, but…" Tails sputtered.
"Your little friend here is very persuasive," his mother said softly. "I still don't like most of these people, but your father and I realize they're your friends, and being around them might help you get better faster."
"Thanks, Mom, Dad," Tails said.
"I'll be in my room," his father said. Tails smiled. That was the nicest his dad was likely to ever get.
"We won't stay too long," Amy said, hugging Tails. "We know you need to settle down, and get ready for your birthday party tomorrow. Whoops! My bad! Now it's not a surprise!"
"I think I've had my quota of surprises for awhile!" Tails said. "Excuse me for a second."
Tails went over to Knuckles, who was looking uncomfortable. "I know you don't care much for my company," the echidna said, "but…"
"It's okay," Tails said. "Actually, I'd like to apologize, Knuckles."
"Huh?" the guardian said, taking a step backwards. "You want to apologize to me?"
"I was so upset, I forgot that you tried very hard to save Cosmo," Tails said. "You were the one that made the biggest effort to try to get me to come up with another way to stop Dark Oak. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention at the time. My mind was too preoccupied with what was happening to listen."
"I liked her," Knuckles said. "She understood me. She didn't say I was stupid for letting Eggman trick me all those times. She was a good kid, Tails." Knuckles face turned bright red and he turned away. Knuckles didn't take compliments well.
Tails' friends left soon, promising to return to the party. Sonic was last.
"You sure you're really okay, little buddy?" he asked, looking into Tails eyes.
"I feel a little better," Tails said. "Maybe just because people asked me how I felt, instead of telling me how I should feel. Sonic…about this girl, Ginger…"
"Don't worry, buddy," Sonic said. "She finally blew it searching your house. Your mom threw her out, and she's on the run now. I don't think we'll be hearing from her again."
"Well, that's a relief," Tails said. "So…see you tomorrow, right?"
"Just try and keep me away!" Sonic said, speeding off.
"You okay, Miles?" Sanguine asked him. "I was just going to watch a movie on tv."
"Sure, why not?" Tails said. Maybe he could even learn to bond with his brother. At least, he felt like trying now.
************
Come to see your boy, Cosmo?
He's not my boy, oneesama. I see he's with his friends. He looks happy. I'm glad for him.
It's his birthday. Would you like to say hello to him?
I…no. No, he has Sonic and Amy…and Cream. He doesn't need me.
Doesn't he? The way you paused before you said Cream. Jealous?
What? Of Cream? No! No, of course not! Cream was like another sister to me!
Indeed? Why, what's this? Why are you crying, little sister?
I'm not crying! I…have something in my eye! That's all!
Of course.
To be continued
Gantan is the first day of the new year in Japan, so it seemed like a good name for someone who's trying to give Tails a new beginning. Tails is out of the hospital, but is he better?
Four chapters to go. Next time, we follow Tails from his birthday through the end of the worst year of his life.