Author's Note~ I'd like to thank everybody who reviewed this story. I appreciate the support. =) This story may sound a little weak because I wrote it last summer, but it will get more interesting in a few chapters. I hope you all enjoy! =D Now... On with the show!

Chapter 3 -

Beep, beep, beep.

Sonic listened to the continuous beeping of the machine which kept Amy's blood pulse recorded. He held her limp left hand gently as she lay motionless on the hospital bed. He stood on one side of the bed while the doctor stood on the other side of the bed.

"Well, her heart beat's normal," the doctor declared finally, after a long time of evaluating. "And her blood is pulsing along just fine. I think she'll be good as new before you know it. It was lucky that truck had stopped just before any major damage was done."

Sonic breathed a silent sigh of relief. "So she could come home any time today?"

The doctor frowned. "I'm afraid not today. She has to recover first. I want to keep her here in the hospital for a few days so she has the chance to get better, before she goes charging into any adventures or escapades while still feeling unwell." She gazed at Sonic knowingly.

Sonic felt embarrassment flush over him as his face turned red, and he grinned nervously. "Ha-ha. Right, Doc."

"You're welcome to come visit her when she's conscious and up for visitors, though," the doctor replied with a nod. "Good day, Mr. Sonic."

"See ya, Doc. And thanks," Sonic called as he left the room. As he went he cast a sideways glance over his shoulder at Amy, who still lay unconscious. He felt responsible for all this. Maybe if he hadn't hurt Amy's feelings like that she wouldn't have gotten hit by the car.

He rubbed his wrist, feeling the smoothness of the shells. He looked down at the bracelet made of pink seashells that he wore. Guiltiness pounded in his heart. If only he had the courage to tell her the truth about the way he felt. But how could he get it out? It would sound so stupid to her. And besides, he was always too busy fighting the forces of evil to have time for anything other than being a friend to her. He sighed. If only!

"Hey, Sonic, what's that?"

Sonic quickly shoved the bracelet back underneath the cuff of the glove where it would be hidden and looked up. "Uh, n-nothing!"

"A bracelet?" Tails looked at him curiously. "What are you wearing a bracelet for?"

"It's not a bracelet," Sonic answered defensively. "It's a good-luck charm!" And it had been- Amy had made it for him as a good-luck charm which would protect him in the water. He usually used the excuse that it was luck against water, his weak spot, but for some reason, he'd always just wore it- maybe because it was made just for him by Amy.

"Uh-huh," Tails said skeptically as they began to walk down the corridors of the hospital. Doctors everywhere bustled by, attending to their duties. "Anyway, how was Amy doing? Cream's in the lobby waiting with Cheese. She was really worried about Amy."

"The doc said she'd be all right, but she has to stay in the hospital for a few days to recover," Sonic said. "I hope she'll be okay."

"She'll be fine, as long as she's got the doctors to take care of her," Tails said. He smiled and nudged Sonic. "You seem awfully worried about her."

"Of course I am, Tails. She's my friend. I can't help but worry about her," said Sonic coolly.

"Sonic, why do you hide it so much?" Tails asked, ignoring Sonic's half-lie.

"Hide what?"

"Hide the way you care about her so much," Tails answered. "Why do you push away from her so much? You know you like her. Why don't you tell her?"

"It's not that easy, Tails," Sonic said. "You know how you feel when you're around Cream."

Tails went red. "I... I do?"

"You feel all shy and nervous. Like your heart starts racing faster than you can run, and butterflies start going crazy in your stomach. You want to tell her, but it's kind of hard when this force inside you is fighting against you and you can't feel the courage to do it." He sighed. "And it doesn't help every time we start getting to know each other better, Egghead butts in. I think he knows. It's like every single time we start getting closer, he tries to distract me with some trouble-making robots." He shrugged. "Figures."

"Nevertheless, Sonic, you could still at least tell her," Tails said, shaking off the embarrassment that had washed over him. "Even if you don't have time to date or anything like that, you could at least tell her."

"And you know me, Tails," continued Sonic. "I don't like being tied down. I like being free and unfettered. A relationship with a girl might hold me back."

"Well, you never know until you find out," Tails said with a smile. "You ought to tell her sometime, Sonic. At least once. See how it works out." He shrugged. "Actually, I always thought it was just kinda, you know, unspoken. Taken for granted. Like you two were 'dating', so to speak, and were 'a couple', per se."

Sonic felt heat rising to his face again. Why was he feeling so nervous about talking about this? He never felt uneasy about anything else. He was always ready to charge headfirst into danger without so much as a second thought, and was able to stick true to it until the end. But now... he wasn't so sure. Did he like Amy, or not? And if he did, what would it cost him if she liked him in return?

Before the conversation could continue, Sonic and Tails had made it to the very bottom of the hospital, the lobby. Cream and Cheese were sitting in a chair by the door, reading a gardening magazine (Cream was likely reading it because of the flowers).

"Hey, Cream," said Tails.

Cream looked up. She put the magazine down and immediately stood up. "How's Amy doing?" she demanded impatiently.

"She's fine. She has to stay here for a few days to recover, though," Tails said.

"Ohh, I hope Amy will be okay," Cream said worriedly, her eyes gleaming with frantic concern.

"Chao, chao!" agreed Cheese, looking just as worried.

"I feel fine. Why are you all so worried about me?"

The three of them whirled around. Amy stood a few feet away, looking normal and as beautiful- er, as healthy-looking, Sonic corrected himself swiftly, as ever. She gazed at them silently.

"Hello," she said.