CHAPTER 5

GOODBYE FOREVER KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA

The afternoon had came and no doctor has yet said if Shadow would be all right. Rouge sat there outside of the room where the doctors were studying Shadow's wounds. She was doing nothing, but crying. Tonya was sitting beside her holding her close. She wished she could do something to make her feel better, but there was nothing she could think of to say to her.

The rest of the Chaotix were sitting on the opposite side, worrying as well.

Then a doctor came from the room giving them a full report on how Shadow was doing. "He's fine."

Everyone sighed in relief.

"His damages are kinda bad, but he'll survive. He just needs to take it easy most of the time. The way the bat witnessed it, she said he had tried to kill himself by stabbing himself with five butcher knives. One knife was near his heart, but fortunately he passed out by not having enough energy to do so. You can see him if you like."

The Chatox rushed in the room to see their fallen captain.

Once they confronted him, they saw him with plenty of gaze on his chest area to stop the heavy bleeding.

Shadow faced them sadly, "What are you doing here?"

"To see you, silly. You had us worried." Charmy said while studying his misery in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Tonya said.

"I'm fine", He responded disappointed. He really wanted to die.

"Why did you try to kill yourself?" Espio asked out of nowhere, but he had already knew the reason.

"Why would you like to know? No one cares, so why should I?"

The Chaotx knew he wanted to be left alone.

"Come on guys. He wants to be left alone." Vector wanted them to leave, except Rouge she stayed. Vector decided to leave her there. He and the rest of them left.

Rouge stood beside his bed looking at his pain.

Shadow looked back with annoyance, "What do you want?"

"You tried to kill yourself because you were guilty for what you did, not because of what we said."

Shadow sat up from his pillow and focused on Rouge more, "He's your boyfriend and I killed him out of jealousy, I deserve to die if you ask me."

Rouge couldn't take anymore of his nagging, so she did something that she thought that she would never to do her second in command. She took her hand and slapped him hard in his face, "You listen to me! You're not a Street Punk! You're not an accident! You're nothing except Shadow the Hedgehog! So stop your senseless nagging!"

Shadow held his burning red cheek, "You do care..."

"Because I care about you. I love you."

"What about Knuckles?"

Rouge took Shadow's hand from his cheek and held it in her hand, "...He's dead, I need to move on with my life."

Shadow made a slight smile.

Rouge leaned on him and kissed him passionately, "Don't you dare do that again, Shadow the Hedgehog."

Shadow kissed down her neck, "Don't worry I won't."

Later the sky had cleared and the sun was going down on Angel Island. Shadow and Rouge were at Knuckles' grave saying their final words to him.

Shadow kneeled down at his gravestone crying on it.

Rouge placed a bunch of flowers at his grave.

"I'm sorry..." Shadow kept saying still feeling guilty.

"We'll miss you." Rouge placed her hand on Shadow's shoulder, letting him know they needed to go.

Shadow nodded to her and followed her to the X-jet. Before he got aboard he turned his head around and looked at Knuckles' grave once more with tears still running down his cheeks, 'Even when we didn't get along when Rouge was around, you still were a great guy.' "Goodbye forever, Knuckles the Echidna."