Aww...poor Tails, having contracted the virus, will he survive? All that's answered in this chapter.

Chapter 4.

Rescue.

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 communicators.

"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…"

Amy had found Tails in his workshop on the ground, the kit was sick with the virus that had infected Neola Island just two weeks ago, and now, she had just been exposed to the virus, and so had Sonic. The blue hedgehog had found her cuddling Tails in her arms, the fox's breathing didn't sound right, it sounded wheezy, and his whole body shook with cold chills, the kit kept sputtering and mumbling words to the two hedgehogs, Sonic tried to hush him, but to no avail. Tails closed his eyes, his head throbbed from all the pain of having a fever, the fox cub had stopped sputtering, suddenly, a sharp pain shot up the fox's throat, he then started hyperventilating, kicking the ground and coughing wildly again afterwards. Sonic then thought of something. He tapped his wrist communicator and called up the one person who had one, and didn't expose himself to the virus- Knuckles. Telling him to get help, Sonic and Amy waited until it came, comforting Tails in the meantime.

"Should...of…(cough)...(cough)...(cough)...(cough)..(cough)... listened...to... you…" Tails whispered.

"Tails, hang on buddy." Sonic said, placing a hand on the fox's face.

The kit kept hyperventilating, moaning about something that didn't make sense to the two hedgehogs. Suddenly, the sound of an ambulance could be heard in the distance, Amy started crying softly whereas Sonic kept reassuring Tails that he was going to make it- help had finally come. The emergency vehicle stopped at least several feet between Tails' house and hanger bay, suddenly, the paramedics rushed into the workshop, having Sonic and Amy move away from the fox, one paramedic immediately started taking Tails' vitals while another one placed an oxygen mask over the fox's muzzle, they put him on a gurney and loaded him up into the ambulance, as soon as they got him in there, another paramedic immediately placed an IV tube into Tails' arm, the young fox started coughing wildly again, he moaned softly as he felt another sharp pain shoot up his throat. Tails barely opened up his eyes and looked around and found himself in an ambulance, he looked outside and saw that Sonic, Amy, Knuckles and Sticks looked on, they had frightened looks on their faces, suddenly, Tails started hyperventilating again, this time, moaning loudly, he felt one of the paramedics place a washcloth on his forehead, his chest throbbed in pain as he tried to take deep breaths, he looked up and saw that the paramedics all had hazmat suits on, suddenly, everything went dark as Tails faded into unconsciousness, he slowly closed his eyes as he slipped unconsciously, closing his mouth in the process. He welcomed the cold yet familiar feeling of unconsciousness, knowing that was the only sleep that he was going to get.

Things just got crazier than before, but what about the rest of Team Sonic? Will they have to quarantine? Will Fara and Chad get the news of what happened to Tails? Answers in the next chapter. God bless you and your family. (And yes, I know, this chapter's too short.)

JalcoFox.