Chapter Thirteen
"You hiding or something?"
Sonic pops out from under the Cadillac holding a wrench.
"Nah, just tweaking some stuff. What's up, Knux?"
"I got some news for you."
It's been five days since he came back. I hate to say it, but it's helped Tails a lot. He's so much happier now. It seems to have rubbed off a bit on Amadeus. Tails told us the other day his dad was able to play a game of chess with him without having to go to sleep in the middle.
"Sure thing, what's up?"
"Amadeus is dead. He didn't make it."
Total shock registers on Sonic's face.
"What do you mean, he's dead? He's fine, I was just talking to him this morning, and he's been doing so much better—"
"You know he's a good actor, Sonic. He was faking you out. He was faking us all out. The suctioning made his lungs collapse."
"No way, no! It can't—he can't have—"
"He was old, Sonic. He had no chance from the beginning."
"Oh shit. Oh shit," says Sonic, and he's actually crying now.
"What?"
"It's just…something he told me."
"What would that be?"
"It's private, Knuckles. I ain't gonna go telling my private business to someone who doesn't care about me."
He stands up and puts on his jacket.
"I gotta go. Catch you later."
Maybe I was wrong.
He's actually shook up over it.
I know Sonic couldn't fake tears to save his life.
He actually does care about Amadeus after all.
I'm pretty sure he'll go to the hospital to go see for himself, so I head on over there. By some miracle I get there just after he does.
He's just standing there and staring at the empty bed, clenching and unclenching his fists and staring and staring. All of a sudden he falls on his knees and buries his face in his arms on the bed and starts bawling his eyes out.
Wow.
I wasn't expecting that.
I'm not sure what to do now.
He stays like that for at least five minutes, and for a few minutes more just stays there, shaking and trying not to cry I guess. After he gets up and wipes his face on his bomber jacket. "Fuck my life," he says to himself, and turns around.
"What do you want, Knuckles."
"Nothing."
"Are you happy now?"
"About what?"
"The jerk finally got what he deserved."
"I don't think he did."
"You're a jerk, Knuckles."
"Thanks…idiot."
He rubs his eyes and pushes me out of the way as he leaves the room.
I just watch him go.
I decide to follow him, just to be annoying, and he goes to the front desk and asks if they know where Tails went. I don't hear what they tell him but he thanks them and comes back in my direction.
"Haven't you seen enough?"
"Nope," I say.
"Fuck you," says Sonic, and heads down the hallway.
He opens a door halfway down the hallway and looks like he's having a heart attack.
Aw.
He knows already.
That wasn't any fun.
"What. The. Hell," Sonic says, going into the room. I stand in the doorway and smirk at him.
"Oops."
"You're the biggest goddamn jerk on the face of the planet! Why did you tell me he was dead, you moron?"
"I don't know. I felt like it."
Sonic goes to hit me but Amadeus yells, "Stop it! What is going on here!"
"This bastard told me you were dead!"
"Well that wasn't very nice of you," says Amadeus, frowning. "No, I was rather wishing I were dead, but I didn't die. I just got moved to another room is all."
"Why?"
"The medication decided it was going to do its job and not cause me to be suctioned every day."
He does look a whole lot better.
"Geez," says Sonic. "Geez, Amadeus…"
"What? I didn't do anything."
Sonic just goes over and hugs him.
Well I just about fainted when I saw that. I never expected something like that from him.
I have a feeling I'm about to get it for thinking he was as much of a jerk as I thought he was…
"It's all right, son. I promised I would improve and here I have. No one has to worry any longer. Another few days and I can walk out of here vastly improved."
"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that."
"I think I have."
All of a sudden Amy tumbles into the room all pink and sparkles, babbling, "Oh Tails I'm so sorry I couldn't come any sooner, I've just been so busy and—"
Her entire world stops when she sees Sonic.
"S…Sonic?"
"Heya Amy," he says sheepishly. "Long time no see, huh?"
"No kidding!" she says. "How are you!"
"I'm not sure," he admits. "I just about had a heart attack and killed Knuckles for being a lying jerk. How've you been since we last talked?"
"We last talked months ago, Sonic."
"Mm…not exactly."
"What are you talking about?"
He holds his hand out. "Hey Amy. I'm Maurice."
"You're Maurice?"
"Yep."
"Oh boy. I should've known. I should've known," she says, and then hugs him. He hugs her back, and I can see he really did miss her, no matter how annoying he thinks she is.
"Hey, you never let me do that before," she says.
"I'm trying to be less of a jerk," he says.
"You never were," Amy says. "You just have trouble putting yourself in other people's shoes."
She starts talking to Amadeus about how much better he looks and Sonic and Tails are just looking at each other with these sort of knowing looks, when the Chaotix burst through the door, ninja-style.
"Who the heck are these people?" Amadeus says. "And why are they holding burritos?"
"This is the detective agency I hired to find Sonic," I say.
"Yeah, and you never paid us the second half!" Vector yells. Everyone in the room ducks and covers their ears.
"What is this, some kind of weird reunion?" asks Tails. "All we need now is for Shadow to show up."
Everyone waits for a second, but Shadow I guess doesn't feel like chatting with old friends.
"We need that money, Knuckles! The landlady is after us for the rent!"
"Fine, fine. I'll pay you tomorrow. Now will you please stop waving those things in my face?"
"Okay. But you better pay up tomorrow…or else!"
"Or else what?"
"Espio will go all ninja on you!" squeals Charmy.
"I'm so scared," I say, rolling my eyes.
"You should be," says Espio in my ear, making me jump, but before I can track him down he's gone out the door with the other two.
"I'm gonna leave you guys be," says Sonic to Tails and Amadeus. "I'm gonna finish up that car for ya, Amadeus."
"Thank you, son," he says. "I appreciate it."
Sonic walks out the door and then turns to me.
"You're gonna get what's coming to you, Knuckles. That was a jerk-ass thing to do."
"Oh, take it like a man."
"Knuckles, only a real jerk tells someone their dad is dead," says Tails. Sonic looks at Tails and smiles.
"Thanks buddy," he says.
"No problem!" says Tails, and he looks happier than he has in a long time.