A/N: Yet another Living Pains off-shoot. This one's going to be a little longer than the others.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Living Pains: Blank

The hedgehog awoke in a hospital. He had no idea what he was doing there. He looked around with confused eyes. He spotted a clipboard attached to the foot of his bed. He snatched it up and read it. Shadow. The name sounded familiar to him. He looked at the next word on the paper. Hedgehog. Shadow the Hedgehog? Is that…me? What kind of name was Shadow? It didn't sound normal in the slightest. He looked up when he heard a gasp. Standing before him was a startled looking white bat. Her eyes were opened wide with shock as she stared at him.

"Shadow?" She breathed. He's awake? The question echoed around her spinning mind. He's awake. The thought filled her with joy. He's awake! "Shadow!" She yelled in joy.

"So that is my name…" He said thoughtfully. A new idea struck him and he looked at he suspiciously. "And how do you know my name?" He demanded, anger coloring his voice.

"Sh-shadow?" Her heart seemed to stop. "Don't you recognize me?" She stepped forward, her hand held out to him. "We own a club together."

"Club?" He shook his head. "All I remember is…" A pale yellow hedgehog with blue eyes…Maria…an aggravated cat with a gun…a loud bang…then he was screaming her name in horror… He collapsed to his knees, holding his head as the jumbled memories overtook him.

"Shadow?" She was at his side in an instant, trying to pull him to his feet. "Doctor!" She called to the hall. A large dog in a white coat burst into the room. He gasped when he saw Shadow. The hedgehog's eyes were wide open staring into space. He kept muttering Maria over and over under his breath as the image repeated itself. Together the bat and the dog helped him onto the bed, where he snapped himself out of his trance.

"Shadow?" The doctor ventured. "Do you remember anything?" The red eyes bored into his.

"Only the girl being shot." He closed his eyes against the memory. He refused to let it overpower him again. "Who is she batgirl? Who is this Maria?" His terror filled gaze caused her to flinch.

"Your sister." He clenched his teeth in anger.

"Then why can't I remember her!" He pulled himself off of the bed.

"Shadow where are you going?!" The doctor and Rouge asked at the same time.

"Who cares." He shoved the doctor out of his way, still surprisingly strong for his size. He walked down the hallway, stealing a pair of scrubs that he changed into in the elevator. He exited the building and stood in the street outside the hospital. Looking around, he waited for anything familiar to happen. When nothing did he shook his head in disgust and strolled down the street, not caring were he went.

Amy Rose finally grew tired of listening to her phone ring for the third time. She walked to the couch and searched through her purse for the offensive device.

"Hello?"

"Amy! Where were you?" Rouge asked.

"I'm at home why?" The panic in the bat's voice caught her attention.

"Shadow woke up." Amy's heart stopped.

"Wh-what?" She couldn't believe it. She and Rouge had been visiting Shadow the entire time he was in the coma.

"He woke up! I went in to visit him today and he was standing in his room!" Amy was confused, Rouge didn't sound as happy as she should have.

"How is he?" She asked worried.

"He…I don't know." Amy could here her crying on the other end. "He said he didn't recognize me." Another pause. "He asked me who Maria was." Amy's breath caught in her throat. "Then he just ran out the door."

"I'll be right there." She hanged up and rushed to her car.

Shadow discovered that he didn't like being around others. He didn't really mind children as much as the adults that made up the crowds surrounding him. They truly frustrated him, children he could excuse because they were young. Adults should know better than to walk into him however. The third time that happened he punched the guy.

"Hey!" The dark grey cat yelled indignantly. Trying to control his patience, Shadow held out his hand.

"Sorry. Bad day, people keep walking into me." The cat smiled and took the offered hand.

"No worries! Name's Tim. Yours?" Shadow thought for a moment.

"Shadow." He said quietly.

"Not a talker huh? That's okay." He gave Shadow a funny look. "You work at the hospital?" He indicated Shadow's current attire.

"No. I just got discharged." He lied easily.

"You didn't have any other clothes?" The ebony hedgehog shook his head. "Cool! Shopping we go then!"

"We?" Tim shot him a grin.

"I can't have my new friend walking around without any shoes or proper clothes. What would the neighbors think?" Shadow gave the cat a level look.

"You're not all there are you?" The cat grinned brightly.

"I really don't care. Now let's go get you some clothes." He weaved his way skillfully through the crowd to the mall, the hedgehog following with a great deal more trouble.

"What's your favorite color?" Tim asked as they entered a store.

"No idea." He answered truthfully.

"Sweet! A challenge." He grabbed a dark red sweeter off the rack. "What do you think of this one?"

"I really don't care Tim." He held the sweater as the cat walked over to the pants section.

"Sweatpants it is then!" He called triumphantly. He grabbed a black pair and tossed them at Shadow. "Now we look for shoes and gloves!" He strode boldly towards that section of the store. Shadow shook his at the cat, actually being entertained instead of annoyed. For some reason that surprised him.

"Hurry up Shadow! I need your shoe size!" The cat called to him. After several pairs of shoes, and sandals, Shadow settled on a pair of angular shoes. They were black, red, and white. "Vanity thy name is Shadow." Tim said sarcastically.

"So how are we paying for these?" Shadow asked confused.

"First put them on." Shadow went to the changing room and did so. "You changed?"

"Yeah." Tim opened the door and went into the room. "Okay now just one minute." He quickly removed all the tags without any problem. "And now we stroll casually out the door as though we hadn't found what we were looking for." Shadow looked at him for a minute.

"We're stealing these?"

"Pretty much." And with that they left the store, Shadow praying they wouldn't get arrested. Then the store's alarm went off. Tim smacked himself on the forehead. "I forgot the shoe tags." They turned around to see the mall security heading towards them.

"What do we do now?" Shadow asked the bemused looking cat.

"That depends. We could stand here and accept our punishment like a good pair of citizens."

"I really don't like that option." Shadow muttered.

"Well then." The cat grinned. "We can run like a couple of idiots."

"That sounds better." The two turned and took off down the mall's hallways, ducking into stores to loose the guards every now and then.

"Bet you they catch you first." The cat called to the hedgehog.

"I'll take that bet!" Shadow replied with a small grin. He rushed ahead of Tim giving him a sardonic salute as he passed.

"Jerk!" He called after him with a huge grin.

Shadow was having a blast. He enjoyed running down the hallways. And the fact that Tim was challenging him made it all the more fun. Until a child stepped out in front of him. He leaped over the child and into a kiosk. Tim tripped over his leg as he tried to pass him. As they sat up, the guards finally caught up to them, panting heavily.

"Hello gents, how can we be of service?" Tim asked raising his hands, an idiotic grin spread over his face.

"Hi Tim." The older of the two guards gasped out wearily.

"You okay sir?" The cat sounded concerned.

"I'm fine. Who's this?" He asked looking at Shadow.

"That's Shadow. He's with me." He put a comradely arm around the perplexed hedgehog. "Now then sir, take us away." The two guards escorted them to the security room, Tim and the old guard having a pleasant chat the entire way.

"He's where?!" Rouge yelled into the phone. "Okay, we'll be right there." She gave Amy a confused look. "He's at the mall with some cat named Tim. Apparently he tried to steal some clothes."

"Is he an idiot? Why would Shadow rob a store?"

"From what I could tell, it was the cat's idea." She grabbed her purse. "Come on, let's go get him."

"Got any threes Shadow?" Tim asked, staring at him over his hand of cards.

"No."

"You're supposed to say go fish." The old guard said. "Warren, got any twos?" He asked the younger guard.

"Yes sir." He handed him a card.

"Got any Jacks Tim?" The cat sent him a suspicious look.

"One day I will beat you." He muttered as he handed him another card.

"Are we allowed to play cards with you guys?" Shadow asked. He didn't think that was the way things were supposed to work. The older guard was about to answer when there was a knock on the door. Warren answered it quickly. Rouge and Amy stomped in, looking very annoyed.

"Who's that?" Shadow asked indicating Amy. When she looked like she was going to burst into tears he immediately regretted asking. He stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" He didn't know why he was concerned about her, she just seemed familiar somehow.

"You really don't remember us?" She asked quietly.

"Shadow? Do you know them?" Tim put a hand on his back.

"I don't know." He said in a near whisper.

"You can't remember anything can you?" He smiled slightly. "That explains what you meant by 'bad day'." He turned to the older guard. "I'll pay for everything. Just drop the charges against my confused buddy here." Shadow looked at him surprised.

"I can't let you do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's…wrong?" He ventured.

"Don't worry Shadow, new buddy, new pal. I've got enough money for your bail." With that he handed a large amount of bills to the older guard. "That should cover the clothes and those idiotic shoes as well." The older cop counted the money and nodded.

"Alright Tim. Just, wait at least a month before pulling another stunt like this."

"Yes sir!" The cat said with a salute. After they walked out into the hallway he turned to the others. "Well I'm bored. Where are you guy's off to?"

"The hospital." Amy said as she and Rouge each grabbed one of Shadow's arms.

"Wait, what?! Let me go!" The ebony hedgehog squirmed in their grasp. Tim laughed at the terror on his face.

"Don't worry buddy! I'll come along and make sure they don't try to steal your insides."

"Thanks for the confidence boost Tim." He muttered darkly.

A/N: Told you it was long. Look out for part two if you care.