(AN: I do not own Sonic or any of SEGA characters… I just own mine.)
(AN#2: I would like to dedicate this chapter to Sonic Phantom… or Phantom Sonic… one of the two… and for all those supportive readers that have been waiting (and who actually like this story)! I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Everything has been hectic! There's family, full-time school, work, friends having babies, moving, more school and more of everything! GAH! Well, hope this will be worthy update for you all! Enjoy!)
Chapter 15: Losing It
"Quick! Give me more bandages!" Rouge commanded hastily as she put pressure on Chris's growing wounds. She was trying to so hard to slow the bleeding down but no luck. But Chris was lucky to be alive… barely. The tired bat was attempting to ignore her wrenching stomach that seemed to retaliate from all the scents surrounding her… blood, sanitizers, IVs, copper drenched bandages. She frowned deeply as more blood seeped through yet another rag. "What's taking so long! AMY!"
"Coming, coming!" Amy rushed over. The two frantic females exchanged positions while aiding the young boy. Her head spun nauseously as beads of sweat began to seep out through her pink fur. Amy put more pressure on Chris's forming puncture on his right thigh as she started to babble nervously. "I'm sorry! I tried to get here sooner but we're running out of bandages! I had to find more in the stock room! He's getting worse and I think we'll run out of supplies soon and I don't know what to do because it's not as if we can up and leave him for a grocery run!"
Chris, for the past hour, has been popping up injuries out of nowhere! It first started with his hand, but then more and more punctures came along. Most were mainly on his limbs. His torso seemed to be favoring bruises and minor cuts. You could see Chris's dry, almost crusty tears along his cold, pale cheeks. He kept his eyes clenched shut in hopes that the pain would stop.
"Never mind on the excuses, Amy," Rouge shook her head as she witnessed Chris's lower leg bruise before her eyes. "What the hell?" Her stomach again turned when she saw the leg crumble beneath the skin. Fragments of his bone began shatter and push out of his flesh.
"AHHHHH!!"
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"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!" A voice shrieked from afar.
"What the?!" Sonic came to a dramatic halt. He was in the middle of some unknown woods. Even though it was the middle of the summer, the trees seemed to be dying as if it was late autumn. The leaves didn't have bright, vibrant oranges, greens and yellows; the colors were dull and dim. The dewy, foggy mist chilled his fur to his bones. He shivered slightly as a misty breeze brushed past his adrenalized body. "Was that…?"
He froze when he heard more screams followed by broken down sobs. The lost voice echoed through the eerie, moist branches of his surroundings. The air, for some reason, seemed cooler than a minute ago.
"Carrie…" he breathed worriedly. He wasted no time and followed the painful shrills of his new, close friend.
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"Now you can try to get away!" Tim gloated while he heaved his bloody shovel over his shoulder. "I would'a used a big, old hammer that they used on railroad tracks… but I thought I should be more creative because creativity is very crucial for an individual. Think about it, the world would be soooo dull if it wasn't for creativity. We would be all stiffs." The crooked cop rambled on as he put away his 'weapon'.
Carrie just sat in her chair and panted away her pain. She couldn't control her sobs and her trembling form at all… she felt numb and chaotic at the same time. She couldn't really move due to the fact that Tim got a little drill-happy. He decided to drill big, long screws into her biceps, thighs and shoulders. She was pretty much forced to sit up straight, minus her drooping head that seemed to pull on her strained muscles of her neck. Tim also decided to slam a shovel into her shins and break them so she wouldn't runaway. Blazing hot tears cascaded down her face as she felt blood pulse out of her body. Fresh, sticky blood covered her old, dry blood causing her stomach to twist in disgust.
Why would anyone do this? Why would anyone allow this? Speaking of which, she wasn't sure where Eggman and his clumsy drones ran off too. She just remembers their glares, which she didn't know if it was directed at her or not… and now they were gone. Sorrow coursed through her veins as more tears burned her cheeks. She sniffled as she gathered the courage, of what she had left, to look up at the man she loathed the most at the moment. Her ears and cheeks started to get inferno-hot just by looking at him.
"Why me?" her throat cracked and gargled from everything; tears, saliva, blood, screams. Although her voice was barely audible, Tim did hear her.
He turned around, with his shit-colored eyes glistening with joy. It was as if he was waiting for that question all day. "Well," he started as he strutted over to the angry, dazed teen. "You see-"
He was interrupted when his cell phone went off in his back pocket. It was shrilling, annoying sound… it wasn't a musical tune… it was a high-pitched ring that seemed to make Carrie grimace. He excused himself as if they were having an unimportant chit-chat. He answered his phone with a greeting, listened for a moment and then closed it abruptly. "Excuse me, dear… Eggman needs me in the ship. Now, don't move a muscle. I'll be right back!" With that, he left.
She didn't even bother to move… there was no way she could get out by herself. The position that she was in was dreadfully uncomfortable… not only she was hammered to the chair; she was cold, naked, and her feet were starting to feel as if they had a ton of needles poking into them. She put her head down in shame and quietly sobbed. "If only I could do this on my own… why can't I figure a way out?"
"Because you happened to be drilled and nailed to a chair…." A voice inside her head retorted.
Carrie's eyes burst open and her head shot up. Her eyes glazed in shock when she saw her blue friend stand before her. In all honesty, she was expecting to see her little, imaginary self… but not this. Shit, she was happy to see anyone on her side at this point. At that second, she felt her chest lift with relief.
"Sonic?" Carrie choked out as she hoped she was not imagining things. She noticed that she wasn't the only one who was shocked… Sonic's was rather appalled at what was placed before him.
He could practically see her wounds becoming infected on her cement, pale skin. Her once rich, gorgeous green eyes were now dull and tired. Her bruises were blotched with spider veins and multiple shades of violets. Her broken legs caused his stomach to twist in anger and rage. Seeing fragments of her bones didn't help his nerves.
He clenched his fists as veins popped out along his temples. Carrie could hear his staggered breathing as he glared with fury. Carrie shrunk back as much as she could when she witnessed Sonic's brilliant fur darkened in a hazy swirl.
"What… what did they do to you?" Sonic growled huskily. "Tell me now what they did to you so I can…." He trailed off his revenge-drenched voice.
Carrie gulped down her saliva that was laced with some of her blood. The rusty copper weighed down her stomach nauseously as she attempted to gather up her courage to reply. She didn't want to admit it, but Sonic was scaring the hell of out her. Her younger self bubbled inside of her, telling her to say something. But she was too frightened. More tears streamed down her face as Sonic inhaled abruptly when he realized why she wasn't answering him.
Carrie eyes widened when Sonic evaporated back into his normal color. His rage left his pupils and it was replaced with hurt. She could smell his shame; he reeked of it right now. He tentatively reached his hand out to her face, his frown deepened when she flinched back. It also disturbed him that she was fully naked in front of him… don't get him wrong, she's a beautiful girl… but he didn't want to admire her like this, under these circumstances. Wait, what? He felt more horrible and look the other way in attempt to clear his head. He closed his eyes tight as guilt overcame his being.
"Carrie," he rasped out. "I'm sorry."
His heart pounded wildly when she replied him with bitter silence. He sighed and was about to say something but Carrie beat him to it.
"Sonic," her whisper was wrapped in desperation. "Please… please get me out of here."
He looked up at her and realized he needed to save this guilt-trip for later. He shook his head and stared at her wounds, unsure of what to do without hurting her.
She sensed his confusion and came up with a quick solution. Her gut twisted into what she was about to get into… but there was no other way. "Sonic, just rip them out."
His head snapped up at her in shock as if she was nuts. He shook his head wildly but wasn't able to say anything about her request.
"I promise I won't scream… I know it's going to hurt, but I just want to get out of here. Please?" she sobbed quietly as she pleaded to her unsure friend. "Quick, before he comes back."
Sonic gulped as he again stared at her punctured limbs. He placed his slightly shaking hands on one her thighs and gripped the Philip's head screw. She winced at the sudden pressure change and that made Sonic more wheezy and hesitant.
Carrie noticed this and anxiously wanted Sonic to get this over with. "Sonic, just go…."
He looked at her and nodded in determination… a very wary determination. "Close your eyes, Carrie."
She nodded and did so. The next thing she knew, she felt Sonic yank every nail and screw out. She felt the intruding objects scrape the insides of her flesh as he tackled each obstacle one at a time. He tried to be quick about it, but there was the occasional stubborn nail. Her cast was the hardest part… the scraping sound of her bone, flesh and cast materials against the nail/screws made him want to
cough up bile. But he kept strong and focused… it was hard for him to ignore her hushed, whimpering cries.
His fingers were sore after he was finished. He attempted to toss aside the fact that Carrie's blood was all over his gloved hands. The liquid seeped through the fabric and drenched his fur. He shook his head and began to solve his next problem. Her wounds and appearance… he couldn't up and leave with her looking like this… there was a possibility they may end up in public. He hastily tore his eyes of the girl and scanned the room. His eyes brightened when he saw a big blanket lazily tossed into a corner.
"I wonder why Eggman was asking me about scrambled eggs?" Tim's voice mumbled from afar. His footsteps tapped horrendously against the cold floors.
"Shit!" Sonic hissed. He zoomed to get the blankets and came back to snatch Carrie from her torturous chair. He didn't have time to prep her for the run, so he just went to it. He practically flew out the window where he came from and dashed as fast as he could.
"Scrambled eggs… hmmm, that's just-," Tim stopped when he walked into the empty room. He stared blankly at the chair that was supposed to be occupied. Anger boiled up in his veins and he gritted his teeth. "CARRIE!!"
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"CARRIE!!" the voice roared in a distance.
Carrie snuggled her head in the crook of Sonic's neck. She clung onto the hedgehog, hoping to feel both the freedom and the warmth. Carrie kept her eyes shut when she felt the prickly pressure from the cool air when the sound barrier broke. The blanket was somewhat covering her bare form as the wind brushed through her dirty hair.
"Hold on, Carrie," Sonic whispered more to himself than Carrie. She felt his beating, frantic heart pulse against her skull as he continued to run.
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"It stopped?" Knuckles asked quietly to the nurse-duo. Him, Rouge and Amy stood around the sleeping Thorndyke. Chris was dressed in many, many bandages. He legs were casted and was propped up. Chris was still pale, but was looking better. His sleeping facial expression showed that he was still in discomfort, but he was better.
"Yeah," Amy whispered back.
"Well," Rouge crossed her arms and exhaled a strenuous relief. "Let's not jinx it. We should leave and let him be."
"The monitors will let us know if something is wrong," Amy nodded in agreement.
In all honesty, the girls really wanted to wash up. The medical room's fumes were rather overpowering and sickening to their nostrils and stomachs.
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"C'mon, c'mon! Wash off!" Amy growled as she continued to scrub her hands in the public bathroom. She already took a shower but still felt like she needed to wash her hands. She felt as if her hands have been tainted and forever cursed with blood. Frustrated tears brimmed her aqua eyes as she sobbed with annoyance and began to beg. "Please…."
She pulled her paws from the running water and dried her hands to see if the stench was gone. She felt the patterns of the paper towels uncomfortably brush past her now pruned finger tips. After she was finished, she put her overly hydrated hands up to her nose. After one sniff, she wailed in anger.
"WHY DO I STILL SMELL LIKE IT?" Amy growled loudly as she drowned her palms with anti-bacterial soap.
"Smell like what?" a hoarse voice asked.
Amy jumped three feet in the air and spun around to see Shadow leaning in the doorway. His arms were crossed and he had unreadable expression on his face. But deep down, he was very concerned for the female hedgehog.
"Do you mind?" Amy turned around to hide her aggravated tears and went back to work. "I'm using the washroom."
"Last time I checked, it was a public rest room." Shadow retorted and walked up behind the pink hedgehog. "I just needed to clean my injury."
"Use your own bathroom," Amy grunted as she scrubbed away.
"I was going to. But I heard you yell when I passed by," Shadow then grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to face her. He ignored her blushing, stunned face as he sniffed her fur along her ear.
Amy's stomach was erupting with butterflies and wasn't sure on what she should do. She just stood there astonished and slightly self-conscious as her personal space was invaded. "What are you doing?" Amy whispered aloud.
Shadow ignored her stepped away. "Well, I don't smell anything," he announced and looked down at her hands. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity on why Amy's hands were so raw.
"Well," Amy pouted in annoyance as she turned back around and continued to wash her hands. "Well, I do. I smell nothing but blood and medical supplies. It's making me sick."
"It's your head," Shadow softly said into her ear.
Amy froze and stared into the mirror and watched their reflection play before her. He was close, seductively close. He was looking into her eyes through the mirror… his crimson eyes were glimmering with… something exotic but yet full of sympathy.
"W-what? H-h-how do y-you know?" Amy cursed to herself for stuttering.
"When I killed," Shadow looked down and for some reason, he found her shoulder to be interesting. "I would smell my victims on me for days… weeks. Even though it wasn't truly there… I could smell the aftermath of everything I had done." He, all of a sudden, turned Amy back around and rested his hands softly on her hips. He looked into her eyes, almost burying himself in them. He felt his heart pound harder as she looked back at him in wonderment. No longer shocked or stunned, but was actually listening.
"Do you…" she breathed nervously at her oncoming question. "Do you still kill?"
"Only monsters," he half smiled. "So, relax. It's just your nerves." He reached to grab a paper towel without moving from his position and began to dry Amy's hands. His musky aroma was again consuming Amy… causing her to forget her worries.
After he was finished, he stood back and walked out.
"Thanks," Amy whispered out loud.
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"Did we find any more chaos emeralds?" Rouge asked as she walked into the command center with a towel wrapped around her damped head. She felt refreshed, renewed… and somewhat confident that things will get better. Her head waved slightly as she realized that she was starting to care for the Sonic Team. She shook her head when Tails began to talk.
"We found one," he droned out. "But Knuckles had to tackle a crocodile-snake-platypus THING." Tails had even darker circles under his eyes. His sparkling blue orbs were worn down and dull as his fur was ruffled from exhaustion.
"It was ugly," Knuckles voice perked dully as he walked in tiredly.
"Well, well, well," Rouge crossed her arms and smirked seductively at the echidna. "It's our brave warrior. I have to say, you look like shit and you should rest."
"I'm too tired to argue with you right now." Knuckles glared at the voluptuous bat.
"Exactly, this is why I'm going to force everyone to take a break. Including you, Tails."
"We have so much to do, Rouge… we can't stop now." Tails argued dully. But his eyes began to droop downward painfully. He shook his head to rid of his sleepiness.
"Listen, we need a pilot that will be alert and awake." Rouge growled at the kitsune's stubbornness. "We all had a long, exhausting day. Just put this thing into auto, and we'll call it a day. Besides, we should stay in one place incase Sonic tries to comeback with Carrie. It will be easier for him to find us that way."
"Rouge has been right lately, Tails," Knuckle grunted out. He ignored the Rouge's smug grin of cockiness and continued on. "Get some rest. We'll continue this in the morning."
"Fine," Tails rasped out and he pushed random buttons.
"Well," Rouge yawned and stretched out her tired arms and back. "I'm headin' to bed. I guess I'll see you later." She winked at the blushing echidna as she cat-walked out.
"What she mean by that, Knuckles?" Knuckles jumped and turned around to face a very confused Cream the Rabbit. She was still in her PJs while rubbing her tired eyes.
"Uh," Knuckles blushed even more as he scratched the back of his head. "To be honest, I'm not so sure myself."