Chaos: Review responses! x.X There's so mannnnny...but, er, don't stop! Review! I wanna break that 100-review barrier!

Ryuko - Oh, don't worry about me not finishing this while writing the ::sequel:: because...this is finished already! Dum dum dummm! I'm just not uploading it all at once because I'm mean and I want reviews...(evil laugh)

DarkChao - (eyes torchlight worriedly) Er, er, don't be too hasty now with that! We don't want any accidents! ...pleeeeeease don't hurt meeeeeeeee!

KirbyChan - (rubs head) Don't hit me! I update! Sometimes...

CrystalStorm - Oh, I'm not done with Sonic just yet...(evil grin)

Millette - You know me, can't avoid those cliffies!

Sonicx667 - Glad you like it...nice to see a new reviewer!

Katyboo89 - You didn't think Sonic was coming back?! o.O If I did that everybody would kill me! Besides...I had to bring him back somehow, or I couldn't bear it! (sonicfanitus. highly contagious)

.......................................

"You...remember..." Tails couldn't say anything else. He was too shocked. Sonic was speaking again. "Tails, why can't I move? What's going on? I can't see!"

.................................

By the door, Knuckles blinked open his eyes. His gaze first fixed on the mug in his hand. Hot chocolate? Hadn't he just been...oh. He had fallen asleep. Then he tuned in to what was happening. He could hear voices.

"Tails, why can't I move? What's going on? I can't see!" That voice...it was...Sonic? It was still scratchy, but the lilt had gone. He was talking...almost normally. He...

Knuckles looked up. Tails was staring, mouth open, at the bed. Sonic was struggling against the ropes they had used, just in case, pleading, "Tails? Tails?! Are you ok? Speak to me! Ow, my head...why can't I remember?! How did I get here? Where am I? Hello?!"

Knuckles jumped to his feet, drawing his breath sharply at the aches that ran through him. Note to self; never sleep against a wall after a fight. At his breath, Sonic froze, and turned his head towards the echidna. Though the bandages still ran around his head, covering his eyes, he could hear perfectly.

...............................

Sonic instantly fell silent; there was someone else in the room! Who was it? He twitched his ears. Another animal...

Then footsteps sounded, walking towards him. He pulled against the ties again, wishing he could move his feet, at least. "Who's there? What do you want?! What have you done to Tails?"

Knuckles' voice was nearby, now. "Calm down, Sonic. It's me...Knuckles." Then, he said, to Tails, "Snap out of it! You're scaring him!" Then Tails' voice...he wanted to see! What was going on?!... "He...he remembers us, Knuckles...he could have died...but, he..."

..................................

Knuckles patted Tails' shoulder, and said, "Why don't you go lie down? Sleeping in a chair isn't good for you. Go on. I'll deal with this." Obediently, the vulpine staggered out of the room.

Knuckles turned back to the hedgehog, who had fallen silent. Had he really remembered? A test...

"So, Sonic...why are you surprised to be tied up?" he said, almost threateningly. Immediately Sonic was straining against the ropes again, fists clenched, almost yelling.

"Why do you think?! The last thing I remember is I-don't-know-what, Tails is traumatized about me saying his name, and I can't see a thing!!! Why don't you tell me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!!"

Knuckles was slightly alarmed but...that settled it. He remembered all right. "Sorry! Just a test, to make sure. You can't see because there's a bandage around your eyes, and you're tied down because...we...oh, how do I say this?"

...........................................

Oh, god. Something big must have happened. A bandage? Was that why his head hurt? They thought they should tie him down?! What the-?!

"Just...just answer my questions." he said shakily. Knuckles answered, "Ok. Shoot."

"Where are we?"

"Tails' laboratory, currently."

"Right...what happened to my head?"

"Um...well...Eggman hit you with a lump of metal. Very hard. Next?"

"...wait...Eggman was...hey, weren't we...at his base...because Tails got...kidnapped?"

A long silence. Then, "Tell you what, I'll untie you, but I'm locking the door. You'll probably remember soon and...look, I'm just going to leave you to it for a bit. Call if you need anything."

He felt the ropes being taken off his arms and legs. Then Knuckles walked away, with one last warning, "Don't you DARE take those bandages off. First, you'll probably go blind. Then, Amy will kill you. Bye."

Then the door shut with a click.

Sonic waited till the footsteps had faded away, and then drew up his legs, hugging his knees. The bandage was starting to itch, and he put up a hand to rub it...

..."-You'll probably go blind-"...

He took his hand away.

Remember? Remember what? Ok...ok, start from the beginning. Tails' empty room...the capture note...running into Knuckles...going to the base...then...

...then...

...oh god.

No.

No...No! No! No!

NO!

...................................

In the next room, Tails' eyes shot open and he blocked his ears as the screaming started. He pulled himself out of bed, and left hastily. Knuckles was already outside.

...........................

Amy pushed her trolley up the corridor, from ward to ward. Just a few more hours, and she could go back home, and see Sonic, and...

She went into a happy trance.

Then a loud shout snapped her out of it. She paused...she recognised that voice...?

"...but I don't want to stay here! You can't just...can't just..." The angry voice trailed off in a fit of coughing. Amy pushed open the door to Ward 5, the very room Sonic had been in earlier.

A nurse stepped back from the bed, holding an empty tranquillizer. On the bed, Shadow was nearly asleep, still protesting under his breath.

"Huh? Shadow?!" The nurse turned in surprise to her, and then said, "Oh, it's you...you're helping out, right?" Amy wasn't listening. "What...happened to him?"

The nurse indicated the chart at the end of the bed. "He got caught in the flood. Slight touch of hypothermia, but he can go in a few days. Tomorrow, maybe, if he doesn't make it any worse."

Amy was shocked. Hypothermia? It wasn't like Shadow to get caught in any kind of water, just like Sonic...wait, hadn't Tails mentioned something about Chaos Control?

Yes, Shadow had saved Sonic. She remembered. Wow...

Then she heard the click of steel boots outside.

.......................................

Rouge marched up the corridor. Who cared what the doctors said? She was going to see Shadow, and that was final. She wasn't leaving him alone here. Oh...which ward was it?

"Hmm...I'm lost." She said out loud.

From a nearby door, Amy poked her head out, with a smile. "Hi, Rouge. Looking for someone?" The bat sniffed. "None of your business, kid. Leave me alone." Amy's smile had a cunning look.

"Not...Shadow?" Rouge stiffened, clenched her fists, and then muttered, "Ok. You win. Where is he?" Amy gestured inside. "Right here." With a smile, she left the room, and walked off down the corridor.

Rouge pushed open the door, and entered. Shadow was on the bed under a thick blanket, eyes shut. Asleep?

She walked up to the bedside, and leaned over. She murmured, "Hey, Shadow, you there?" The black hedgehog opened one red eye a crack, coughed, and said, "No."

Rouge smiled.