All characters belong to Sega/Archie except my OCs.

Chapter 28

White light blinded my vision. Bits of gray swirled around the bright void, roaming around in gentle whistles. My body was non-existent. It was just me and the empty space I'd fallen into. Oddly, I remembered this place. I'd fallen here once before. But it was different then.

Before, it took a lot of pain. A bit of crying. A few drops of blood.

I tried not to think of it. When it didn't leave scars, I thought I'd never have to.

Yet, here I was again.

But with no pain. Some tears. An orange bottle.

Another instance to push to the very back of my mind. Another memory to ignore. Another crack to repair in whatever was left in this shell of a human.

A tiny sound echoed through the void, seemingly calling my name. Mentally scoffing, I turned away. I put additional distance between the sound and I, desperate to silence it. It threw me an imaginary rope, silently begging for me to follow. I refused.

I continued moving father and farther away until the tiny sound was nothing more than a whisper.

I didn't want to go back. Not yet. I'd deal with the ruins of my life later. For now, I just wanted to enjoy the silence.

And it was peaceful, the tiny little void. No intrusive thoughts. No parents telling me I was a disappointment. No teammates calling me names. No assholes of society asking for me to prove my worth.

But it was lonely too. No little brother jumping on my bed. No best friend to play basketball with. No boyfriend to kiss and hold.

Those were the only reasons I decided to take the little rope and slowly find my way back to reality. A short list, sure. But they were the only things that mattered.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

As the sound grew louder, so did the weight of my body. The white waves around me grew heavier and heavier. Tiny cracks emerged. With every step, they stretched in length – threatening to break the safe haven. The thought brought black butterflies to my stomach. Still, I pushed on.

When the ceiling finally caved, the bricks collapsed like a waterfall onto me. I felt the impact of every brick as they piled on to one another.

The pain came all at once. I couldn't pinpoint where it'd started. All I knew was that it hurt like a bitch.

Despite the pain, the sounds came more clearly. The subtle beeping of a monitor. The quiet shuffling of papers. Soft pads of sneakers.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. As expected, I was met with the blinding fluorescent lights in the ceiling. A groan escaped my lips as I squinted.

I heard a soft gasp of relief. In an instant, a pretty woman with a head full of blonde-brown curls and gentle lime green eyes appeared. She smiled down at me. "Hello, Sonic," she replied.

"Dr…Dr…" I tried to mutter her name, but my brain was still foggy. My vision of her spun in circles, multiplying her across the space.

"Shh, it's alright."

The equipment in the room spun and swayed as I attempted to glance around. "Hospital," I whispered. "Why…? Why hospital…?"

Her brows came together. "What's the last thing you remember?"

My mother's apathetic words. Driving down the road. Looking in the mirror. The orange bottle on the bathroom counter. Yet, all I could say was "Sleep. I…just wanted…to sleep."

"Oh, Sonic," she murmured. "You can sleep now, okay? Close your eyes and get some rest."

"And you…you'll…"

Her hand curled around mine. "I'll be here when you wake up," she promised.

I didn't have the energy to nod. My eyes fluttered shut, and I drifted off into another quiet void.

Waking up the second time wasn't as painful. My muscles still ached, and my mouth was dry, but there wasn't much else to complain about.

Through my narrow eyes, I searched the room for the doctor I saw earlier.

She was sitting in the chair next to my bed, typing away at her computer. She looked up at me when she noticed I was staring. "Hey," she said as she closed her laptop. "When I said I was hoping we'd see each other again, I meant in my office. Not back in the hospital."

I looked down. "Yeah, I know. I…I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize." She tilted her head. "What happened?"

I shook my head. "I…I don't want to talk about it…"

"Okay. Maybe later." She stood from her seat. "What can I grab you from the cafeteria? Do you still like Jell-O?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Doctor's choice? My favorite! I'll be right back! I'll let a nurse know you're up while I'm out."

I would've rolled my eyes if I had the strength.

One of the doctors came in not too long after. He offered me pitiful smiles as he checked my vitals and blood levels. "Those were some strong sleeping pills you took," he commented. "Those were prescribed for you or one of your guardians?"

"For me."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "By who?"

"My therapist."

He tilted his head. "Therapist? I thought Dr. Guerra was your therapist."

"She's not my… Well, she is…I guess. I don't know. I only saw her for the few days I was here last time."

"Last time?"

Dr. Guerra saved me from answering. She swooped in through the door with a cafeteria tray topped with steaming soup, green Jell-O, a few rolls, and water. She took one glance at the uneasy frown on my face before she turned to the doctor. "Is he okay, physically?"

"Well, yes. His body has responded well to the pumping and the fluids. He'll be able to make a full recovery."

"Okay. I'll take it from here."

"But we need to call his parents."

"I'll do that." The kindness in her eyes threatened to disappear. "The three of us are already acquainted."

He nodded. "Okay, well I'll be back in a few hours to check on him again."

"Great. Thank you." She watched him exit before turning her attention back to me. "Hungry?"

"No."

"Well, that's just too bad." She pulled the tray attached to the bed around the rail. She set the food down and watched me push myself up.

"Thank you," I murmured.

"Of course." A sigh escaped her lips as she sat down. "We should discuss who you'd like me to call. Normally it would be your parents, but – "

"But I'm eighteen," I said more bitterly than I meant. The next words burned on my tongue. "Legally, I'm an adult."

Her brows came together in a worried line. "Which means you have the option to choose who you want to be by your side right now."

Honestly, I wanted to call Shadow. I wanted to see him walk through the door with his beautiful eyes, his flopping curls, and the promise that everything would be okay. But, I couldn't. Not with what I knew about his family history. I'd talk to him later.

"I guess you could call Tails…he's my best friend."

She nodded. "Alright. I'll call Tails."

I looked around the room. "My…my phone…"

"In a bag on the counter. I'll get it. You're still hooked up to the IV."

Frowning, I watched her get up and retrieve my cell. I held out my hand for it, but she put it in her pocket. "Dr. Guerra – "

"Eat," she commanded.

I sighed, finally giving up the battle. I ate a few bites of the soup, mainly spinning my spoon in circles around the bowl.

Dr. Guerra was quiet while I ate. She seemed content with the silence, choosing to pass the time typing on her computer or sending text messages on her phone. A few times, she pulled up her sleeves, exposing thick, gruesome scars.

I remembered being nearly fixated on them when we first met. I tried to imagine what hell her parents might've put her through for those to appear. To my surprise, she wasn't taken aback by my curiosity. She explained her scars – even the ones that matched my own.

During our first session during my hospital stay, she told me the story of an unloving, raging mother and a kind brother who didn't know how to help until it was nearly too late. She recalled her troubles with her mental health and the instance where she'd lost her will to continue living. The story, though solemn and disturbing, didn't bring any tears to her eyes. She seemed comfortable with the trauma she'd been through. At the end, she smiled and started talking about all the good things life gave to her. A loving husband. A doctorate's degree. The little girl growing in her belly.

"I know every therapist tells their client that things get better," she'd told me. "But I'm living proof to show you that it will."

I really liked talking with her. I wanted to keep seeing her, but my parents refused. They made me delete her office number and erased her email address from my contact log. The only therapist they wanted me to see was Dr. Clermont. After all, he was one of the "best conversion therapists in the state." I couldn't believe they still believed that considering the damage he'd done.

"All finished?" Dr. Guerra's voice broke my thoughts.

I looked up at her kind expression. "How did I get here?" I wondered aloud.

"Well, um, your little brother called 911. He said that you'd gone missing and asked the police for help. The dispatcher made him put your parents on the phone. They told the officers that you'd moved out, but Manic didn't believe them. Something about how you wouldn't leave without saying goodbye." She fiddled with the diamond ring on her finger. "So, officers went to the address your parents gave – just to check on you."

"And I didn't answer the door."

She shook her head. "So, they went in and…"

"There I was." I sighed, throwing my head back against the bed. I should've said goodbye to Manic. I should've let him know I was going to be okay. It would've been hard, but at least he wouldn't have been worried. He wouldn't have called the police. My parents wouldn't have given them my new address. They wouldn't have come to my door. No one would've saved my life.

My stomach shifted in an emotion I didn't want to decipher.

Dr. Guerra slowly held out my phone. "Do you want to call your brother?"

I stared at the cell for a moment, silently debating whether it was a good idea to speak to Manic right now. It would be nice to hear his voice, but I didn't know if I was able to bear his questions. I could already hear them swirling in my head.

Where did you go?

Why did you leave?

Why couldn't I come with you?

How come you didn't say goodbye?

I couldn't handle that right now.

"When can I leave?" I asked. "I'm supposed to be in school right now."

"Sonic, I don't think you should be going back to school anytime soon."

"Why? I'm fine."

"Do you truly believe that?"

"Yes," I lied. "It was an accident. I was just tired, and I underestimated how much I'd taken."

She raised an eyebrow. "Do you really expect me to believe you took that many sleeping pills by accident? We both know how ridiculous that sounds."

"Well, it sounds a hell of a lot better than the excuse I gave last time."

"The hospital shouldn't have discharged you so soon last time – not after an incident like that."

"That wasn't what you think it was."

"Oh, and this mishap isn't what I think either? You want me to keep believing that these are accidents?"

I looked away.

She scooted her chair closer. "Sonic, I may not know what's going on in your life right now, but I can tell based by your actions how you're feeling. Your mind is a scary place right now, and you need the proper support to help transform it. And that transformation needs time – in a safe space with people who care about you."

My phone started buzzing in her hand. A photo of Shadow's floppy curls and small smile appeared on the screen. My intestine clenched into a fist at the sight.

Dr. Guerra held out the phone to me. "Do you want to answer it?"

"No," I snapped. "I want to get out of here."

"As of right now, you know I can't let you leave."

"What do I need to do, then? Pour out my feelings? Lament about how much of a failure I am? Relive the trauma from the torture camp my parents sent me to? Go back to the root of where this all started and have the regret tear me apart? Fuck that."

She tilted her head. "You're angry," she stated.

"No, I'm not."

"You're not acting on your anger. You're not yelling and screaming and punching the closest thing that ticks you off. But you are…you're angry, and that's okay, Sonic. You have a right to be upset."

I threw my head back against the bed. "I'm not upset."

"Fine. You're not upset. You're not angry. How are you feeling?"

"Right now, I'm doing my best not to feel anything," I admitted.

She frowned. "Okay. I will call Tails, and then I'll give you some time to rest."

"Don't," I murmured. "Don't call Tails."

"Then who should I –"

"No one," I said firmly. "Don't call anyone. Please."

Her frown deepened. "Okay." She set my phone down next to me. "For when you're ready to call someone." Quietly, she stood and exited the room.

At the click of the door, I closed my eyes and put a pillow over my face.

For a few hours, I pretended I didn't exist. Whatever fluids they were pumping through my body didn't help. The IV eased my body back into a healthier state, nourishing my weakened muscles. I slid in and out of sleep, each time the weight of my body becoming more and more present. With each awake, I only felt more annoyed. The fact that eyes could open seemed like a burden. All I wanted to do was sleep.

My phone was the main culprit for my wake cycles. Right when I'd fall into a deep sleep, the stupid thing would start vibrating. I didn't look at the screen when it did. Instead of checking to see who was calling, I immediately clicked the side button to end the call. At some point, I ended up turning it off.

Resting was a little easier afterwards. There definitely weren't any more sudden interruptions to disturb my unseeing dreams. I think I managed to catch more than a few hours of pure silence and rest. It'd been dark when the last time I closed my eyes.

The next time I opened them, I was nearly blinded by the high sun gleaming through the windows.

Squinting, I glanced around the room, already knowing who opened the dreaded blinds.

"Good morning," Dr. Guerra said with a soft smile. She held up a small brown paper bag with a flowery logo on it. "I snuck you in a breakfast sandwich from this coffee shop near my husband's firm. They're delicious and 100% guaranteed to make life a bit sweeter while you're eating it."

"I'm not hungry," I mumbled.

"You can't turn down contraband. Especially, freshly toasted, melt-in-your-mouth quality contraband." She plopped the brown bag in my lap. "Come on. Eat."

Reluctantly, I pushed myself up and took the wrapped sandwich out of the bag.

Dr. Guerra watched as I took a small bite of the sandwich. She smiled at my amazed reaction. "Good, right? My daughter is obsessed. If my husband doesn't bring one of those home for her when he has a half-day, she will kill him."

To my surprise, a smile of my own tugged at my lips. I tried to hide it by taking another bite of the sandwich.

"Are you feeling a bit better today?"

I shrugged.

"Are you ready to talk? We don't have to talk about the other night. We can have a conversation about whatever you want. How about you tell me something good that's happening in your life right now?"

"Well, I…I'm going to Howard University in the fall."

She beamed. "That's great, Sonic!"

"They gave me a full-ride on an athletic scholarship. I…I'm looking forward to it."

"What are you going to study?"

"English, I think. I…um…I really like reading and writing."

"What do you think you'll do when you graduate from college?"

"I don't know. I think I want to teach English – in a high school – maybe."

"That's a solid career. Teaching, and working with the youth, can be very fulfilling."

"I guess so. I…I tutored my boyfriend for a while, and it was kind of fun – helping him coordinate his essays."

Her eyebrow rose. "Boyfriend?"

Shit. I looked down, racking through my brain for an excuse as to why that came out my mouth and something else to replace it with.

Her hand slipped over mine before I could speak. She gave me a soft, encouraging squeeze.

Confused, I glanced up at the smile on her face.

"What's his name?" She asked.

"Uh…Shadow…"

"Oh, so he's the one who kept calling the other day?" Her smile grew. "He's cute. Very intriguing eyes."

"Yeah…his eyes are…they're very nice..."

"How long have the two of you been dating?"

"A…a few months… Since…uh…since November…"

"How did you meet him?"

"School… Um, we…we've always had classes together. He um…he needed help with his writing assignments in the beginning, so…so we started working together."

"Who asked who out?"

Blush cascaded over my cheeks. Again, I thanked the lord my skin was dark enough that it wasn't noticeable. "Well, I…I kissed him…twice… The first time I…well, I ran away afterwards."

"Why?"

"Because I was having a rough moment and…and I just reacted to the…the comfort he was offering. Truthfully, I was afraid I'd fucked everything up. We'd just became friends when I did that."

"But the two of you didn't date after that?"

"No. I apologized, and we agreed to pretend it never happened. But, I kissed him again…like an idiot…at the movies and…"

"And you're in a relationship now. It doesn't sound like an idiotic move to me."

"Yeah, I guess." I looked down at my hands, noticing I'd grasped onto Dr. Guerra's. Her grip was tight and reassuring. Silently, she was protecting me from whatever pain I'd expected to rain down on me.

"I'm sure he's worried sick about you. Maybe you could call him." She grabbed my phone from under the pillow where I'd stuffed it. She held it out tome. "You could let him know you're in a safe place."

I sighed. "I want to, but…I…I promised he never had to worry about me doing anything stupid. He's…he's been through enough with his family, and I…I don't want him worried about me."

"Did you ever tell him about the first time?"

"No," I admitted. "I…I was hoping he'd never have to know."

"I understand you don't want to disappoint him, but he deserves to know that you're alright. Will he be upset? Maybe. But, he'll be relieved that you're alive."

I nodded. "Can you call him for me?"

She took the phone out of my hand. "Of course, I can."

Quietly, I watched her turn my phone on. As expected, there were multiple notifications of missed calls and text messages. I peeked over the screen at the three distinct names that kept showing up. My three reasons for not staying in the darkness.

Just before she could try to dial his number, Tails's stupid grin popped up on my screen.

"Would you like to answer it?" Dr. Guerra asked.

"Yeah. I probably should."

She handed the phone back to me, and I reluctantly answered the call.

"Yo, what the fuck happened, man?" Tails exclaimed before I could speak. "You can't just beat the shit out of someone and then go M.I.A."

"Why can't I?"

"Jesus, Sonic," he sighed. "Where are you?"

"Don't worry about that. I'm in a safe place."

A sigh of relief came through the phone this time. "Thank God. We've been worried sick about you."

"We?"

"Shadow and I."

"Shadow? You're with Shadow?"

"Not right now, but we've been talking. He found me in the hallway the other day, and he said you stopped answering your phone. He was asking if I'd heard from you. When we realized you weren't in school, we freaked out. We tried going by your house a few times, but your parents are never fucking home."

"Was Manic there? When you went by the house?"

"His babysitter answered the door the last time. But, Manic wouldn't talk to me. He only wanted to talk to Shadow."

"But, he's okay, right?"

"Yeah, he's fine. Too anxious and stressed for a seven-year old, but he'll be alright."

"Good. Good."

Tails was silent for a moment. His unsaid questions burned through the phone at my ear.

Where are you, really?

What did you do?

Why did you do it?

When are you coming back?

"I have to go," I said before those words left his lips. "I'll be back in a few days."

"Wait, Sonic –"

I hung up the phone. My thumb pressed the little side button and I watched the light from the screen go out.

"You're finished talking for the day," Dr. Guerra asked.

"Tails will let Shadow and Manic know that I'm alive." I looked up at her. "How many more hours do you have to keep me here?"

"At least another 48. Maybe less if you agree to a formal psych evaluation."

I glanced around the bland, white walls. Another 48 hours of this shithole did not sound flattering. If all I had to do was pretend I was mentally stable to get out of here, then I was more than happy to oblige. Hell, it's not like I didn't do that daily.

"Okay," I agreed. "When do you want to start?"

Please review!

Also, you may notice a character profile I used in a previous story. In my OG stories, they all have different names and exist within the same universe, so you may see that come up in other stories moving forward.