Alright, I'm back to it! Last chapter got a little tense, especially with a virus that is tainting the air with harmful bacteria. And no, it's not the COVID-19 coronavirus that's in my story, just in case if you were wondering. Okay with that out of the way, well...on with Chapter 3!

Chapter 3.

Under Fire.

Two weeks later.

Tails had woke up in his bed back at his house earlier this morning with a scratchy throat, but he thought it had something to do with helping Chad with cutting lumber yesterday, especially since he inhaled a lot of saw dust. But when he got out of bed this morning, Tails felt shaky but he shoved it off, thinking that he needed a little sugar in his body. Currently, the young fox was working in his workshop on his Hovercycle that he made two years ago, but to no avail, so he decided to draw out a blueprint of something he just thought of. Amy, Knuckles and Sticks had told him earlier that they would show up at his house, he said that was fine with him, but he wanted Sonic over before he fixed lunch for them. Tails started feeling shaky again, he fought against it, but he fell down a couple of times and managed to walk once he was able to control his shaking.

'You're be fine Tails, you're be fine.' Tails thought. He didn't want his friends nor cousins to see him in the state that he was in, the kit coughed a couple of times weakly, he felt a little better after that, but not much. He walked into the house, were he found his friends waiting for him and Sonic.

"Sonic make it here yet?" Tails asked.

"He said that he will be here in a few minutes," Amy said, "and what's with your voice Tails, it sounds hoarse."

"I know. I think I inhaled too much saw dust last night, helping Chad with the lumber." Tails said.

"Let me get you some water." Amy suggested. "Maybe it'll help with your voice." With that said, the pink hedgehog took a cup out of the fox's cupboard and poured water into it, after filling it up, she gave it to Tails, who immediately took a long slow drink of it. Afterwards, he put it down on the table.

"Tails," Amy said, "you're feeling good?"

Tails looked her in the eye, his eyes half closed. "I'll be fine, don't worry 'bout me, it's okay."

"You look feverish to me." Knuckles said.

"Guys," Tails said, "I said I'll be fine."

The kit knew that he was lying, he did in fact, feel feverish.

"Tails, let me feel your forehead." Amy suggested.

Rather than let Amy feel his forehead, Tails walked towards the door and was about to open it.

"I said I'll be fine!" Tails yelled, his voice crackled.

Amy, Knuckles and Sticks all took a step back, startled by Tails' attitude.

"I'm sorry... I'll just go back outside and work on my Hovercycle. Tell me when Sonic gets here." Tails choked. And with that, the kit walked outside and headed back to his workshop.

'Maybe they're right,' Tails thought, 'maybe I'm not really feeling well.'

Once he got back inside his workshop, Tails grabbed his wrench out, but then suddenly, the young fox felt dizzy, grabbing on to something, Tails managed to let the dizziness go and got back to his project. Tails suddenly felt weak, swaying from side to side, dropping his tool, he grabbed something again, suddenly, a sharp pain shot up into his throat, he moaned softly, coughing wildly afterwards.

'Ah crud!' Tails thought. 'I better not have this freaking virus.'

Tails tried to stand up again, but that was the last straw, he felt weaker, swaying from side to side- collapsing to the ground in pain. He stopped coughing, but he found out that he couldn't get back up. His chest felt like Knuckles had punched him really hard, he tried taking a breath, but with great difficulty. Tails opened his eyes, but when he did, his vision was blurry, he saw double of everything. He couldn't even feel his legs anymore, all he felt was cold chills going up his whole body, the kit shook, tiny beads forming at one end of his mouth. Tails looked around the room, seeing nothing more than double vision, he could still move his arms, thinking immediately, Tails pressed on his wrist device and let it beep, hoping that at least that either Sonic, Amy, or Knuckles would come and help him. Tails immediately closed his eyes and started coughing wildly again, his one leg going limp while the other leg kicked up and down repeatedly.

Amy, Knuckles and Sticks grew concerned about Tails, the young fox kit had came in asking them if Sonic had arrived yet, but told him that he hadn't yet, but that was not what concerned them, what concerned them was Tails' health, his voice sounded hoarse, and he looked feverish, Amy had told him that she wanted to feel his forehead, only for him to shout at her, Knuckles and Sticks. A few seconds later, Tails apologized for his attitude, and he went back outside to his workshop. Now, they were really worried about Tails, especially Amy.

"I'm gonna go check up on him." Amy said after a minute of silence.

"Nah, he's fine, it's just probably his working with Chad last night." Knuckles said.

Amy looked at Knuckles with a stern look on her face. "Really Knuckles... what if he's sick or something."

"Or maybe he stayed up all night last night... just saying." Knuckles suggested.

"Or maybe... Tails has the virus." Sticks put in.

Amy and Knuckles immediately had worried looks on their faces as they looked at their badger friend.

"Sticks!" Both Amy and Knuckles shouted in unison.

"What?" Sticks said. "Just spitballing here."

Suddenly, Amy and Knuckles' wrist devices beeped, all three friends knew that only meant one thing; Eggman was attacking the village, but then, the hedgehog and echidna saw that Tails had been the one who sent the message to their commuicatiors.

"Yeah... I'm gonna go check up on him!" Amy exclaimed, worry on her face. With that said, the pink hedgehog ran out the door, headed to the workshop, once she got in there, Amy immediately saw Tails on the ground, and he was coughing wildly.

"Tails!" Amy yelled.

She kneeled down on the ground next to her friend. Tails had stopped coughing wildly, and now, he was crying softly, Amy gently handled Tails and wrapped him up in her arms, worry and concern on her face. Tails' breathing didn't sound right, he sounded wheezy, his whole body felt cold, Amy could feel him shaking wildly. Tails tried to speak, his throat dry and painful, Amy hushed him and told him that he was okay. The fox coughed again, wildly, his legs kicking back and forth on the ground. Amy placed a hand on his forehead, it felt extremely warm. Amy knew immediately what happened to Tails, he had somehow contracted the very virus that tainted the air on Neola Island a couple of weeks before... and she had just exposed herself to it. Amy knew that she had to get help somehow, but she didn't want anyone else being exposed to the virus, bad enough, she knew that now she had a chance of getting sick too. Tails spoke, but with a wheezy voice.

"Amy…(cough)...?" He choked.

"Hush... it's okay, I'm right here... I'm not leaving you." Amy reassured him.

"Amy...you...yo-(cough)...(cough)...you were right…" Tails croaked, his voice getting worse.

Tails weakly opened his eyes and looked straight at her, frowning and looking a little rueful.

"Don't... feel…(cough)...(cough)..(cough).(cough)...too…(cough)...well…" Tails choked up.

Amy placed a hand on Tails' face. "It's okay... Tails... Tails... Tails!"

She heard Tails' breathing getting worse than before, she knew that he would not make it unless help came soon.

"Amy?" Someone said.

Amy immediately turned her head towards the entrance to the workshop and saw Sonic standing right there. The blue hedgehog immediately saw the condition that Tails was in and kneeled down next to him.

"Sonic!" Amy screamed. "What the heck are you freaking doing!?"

"Amy." Sonic whispered. "Relax."

"Relax...relax?... relax?" Amy hyperventilated. "You just exposed yourself to the freaking virus!"

Sonic immediately took his hand of Tails' hand. The kit then stirred.

"Sonic…?" Tails choked.

"It's okay buddy." Sonic reassured him.

Tails smiled. "Sonic...Amy…"

Yikes! Scary cliffhanger to this chapter... with Tails contracting the virus, will Sonic and Amy get it next? Will help come? Next chapter. 'til then, have a good day.

JalcoFox.