"So what do you think, Charles?" Grandpa Chuck asked the hedgehog with a yawn. He reached for his seventh cup of coffee since 7 PM last night.
The hedgehog Charles also yawned, "Well, I'm thinking that the displacement we're seeing has to do with the element of time."
Human Charles nodded. "I think you're right. If we're seeing a third dimension here, it's also displaying the kind of mass and tilt as Mobius and Earth, but is out of synch where time and space are concerned."
"I'm not sure what kind of problems will come from that, but it seems like the third echo is getting closer." Charles hedgehog reached for his cup of coffee as well.
Chuck Thorndyke nodded in agreement. "If it continues, then there will be another collision between worlds." He paused thoughtfully. "But which world will be impacted first?"
"Hmmm...I'm not sure myself. If the rate of synchronization remains steady, then I'd say by August, travel to and from the World Gate will be risky business." Chuck took another sip of his coffee and sighed. "Maybe I should take that government job...if Eggman's involved this could be real trouble."
"So you don't think it's a natural occurrence either?"
"No..." Uncle Chuck stroked his mustache thoughtfully. "Not entirely at least."
Mr. Thorndyke stretched a bit and looked out at the shining blue sky through the window. "Chaos Control certainly sped things along for our two worlds, didn't it?"
"So it would seem. There's a slight jump in the readings from two weeks ago. That could be caused by a power like the Chaos Emeralds," the hedgehog commented. "I think I'll write the monarchy requesting information on Eggman's movements. I can't be certain, but there seems to be a cross-dimensional pull..."
"Eggman...hmmm…." Chuck Thorndyke took on a more serious look. "Yes, that could be it. If he's involved then chances are his intentions are not friendly."
"I really appreciate you showing this to me." Chuck tapped a foot much the way his nephew did. "Perhaps our next project should be some kind of probe so we can see what's on the other side of the echo?"
"Ahh, good idea. I almost feel like I've met myself in a furry blue package." The human laughed. "You know, since you've been staying here the last few days anyway, why don't we just consider you a guest as long as we're on this research project?"
"I think I'd like that…." He glanced out the window at the ritzy neighborhood and then back toward the city proper. "I thought I'd spend a bit more time with my daughter, but if I'm staying in town then that shouldn't be a problem."
"Ahh... Family is really important. I was worried about my grandson Chris since his parents have been away so much, but since Sonic's come around they've started spending more time with him." The scientist nodded. "I understand if you don't want to stay."
"Mr. Thorndyke, Mr. Charles," Tanaka called from the lab door. "Your presence in the dining room is required. Ella has just made a superb lunch. We are all waiting on you."
"We'll be there in a minute then!" Chuck replied as his stomach growled its own reply. Both Charles laughed.
"Want to go to the park?" Shadow put an arm around Sara, who was looking out the main window in their apartment.
"Hnn...I haven't heard from Dad in a couple days," she commented.
Shadow frowned a bit. "He's fine, he's over at the Thorndykes', right?" he assured her.
"I guess…." She kept looking out the window.
"So just give them a call or something." He pulled her a little closer but sensed some resistance from her.
"I don't have their home number."
"So call Amy or someone...your dad doesn't have a cell?" Sara shook her head and sighed. Shadow sighed as well, though not for the same reasons. "Then we'll stop by the Thorndykes'."
Sara lit up. "Honto?"
"Yes, really." He rolled his eyes at her use of Japanese. She embraced him in a tight hug, causing him to smile. She kissed his cheek and hurried to the bedroom to get ready. Shadow shook his head. Sighing slightly, he went into the baby's room to get Maria.
He entered the "rainbow room," as it had been dubbed, and walked over to the human-sized, Mobian-altered crib. As he approached, though, his ears detected an odd pattern to her breathing. "Maria?" he called gently as he stood up on the toy chest and leaned over the rail. She was asleep, but her breathing was offbeat and labored. A surge of panic started to mount in the back of his head as he reached for the tiny hedgehog. Her body was rather hot to the touch. "Sara?! Sara...!"
Going to the Thorndykes' was quickly forgotten and Shadow found himself in one of the MRT waiting rooms with a very anxious Sara at his side. The receptionist told them Dr. Garrett wasn't available, but his substitute was a wonderful replacement and they couldn't ask for better. Still, it did little to alleviate Sara's concerns as she held a now very fussy Maria to her chest.
It was easy at times to forget they weren't the only Mobians who lived on Earth. The MRT now had a number of regular patients, and there was even talk that their free service offer wouldn't be available much longer, save to the rarer species of Mobians. "Mr. and Mrs. Shadow?" the nurse called. Sara was immediately on her feet, Shadow just a step behind her. "The doctor's ready to see Maria now."
Shadow remembered back in February, being through the long clinical white halls in search of his mate. That was back when she'd given birth to the little hedgehog, but seeing her suddenly ill tied a knot in his stomach.
"Wait here, please." The nurse led them to another room, where the couple was forced to wait.
Shadow thought Sara looked very small and insecure. The way she cradled Maria told him that much. What could he say? 'It's all right?' He didn't know if it was or would be. 'I'm scared too?' He was; he didn't want to lose anyone he cared about...that even included Sonic.Bastard better not die before me... But he had to do something. He moved up next to his mate and wrapped his arms around both her and Maria. Sara's quills reflexively flared more than she wanted, but his grip remained firm.
"I'm here." Her eyes filled with tears.
Moments later, the door opened and in walked a yellow Mobian duck, carrying a clipboard. He was followed by another human doctor. Shadow thought he recognized the duck, but he wasn't sure from where. "Let's see...baby hedgehog...Maria…." He glanced up from the clipboard, his eyes wide. "The Shadow the hedgehog?"
"Dr. Quack?" Sara blinked in recognition at him.
The duck smiled briefly, then frowned at Shadow, whose face and neck were covered in scratches from Sara's quills, and some blood. "Ahh...you can clean up at the sink," he said, addressing him first and then turning to Sara with a small smile. "Hey, I haven't seen you in a while. So Maria's your baby?" He took a seat in front of Sara, who nodded. "You need to watch those quills."
"You two know each other?" Shadow went over to the sink and started cleaning up the scratches. The human seemed a bit disturbed by that but said nothing.
"Yep. I've been Sara's physician since she was little. Name's Dr. Quack. This is my assistant Frank," he said as he began examining the baby. "You're warm, aren't you, lil' one? Hmmm…."
"Is she going to be okay?" Sara inquired, having given up the bundle in her arms to the duck.
"Well, that's why you brought her here. The chart said her symptoms are fever, irregular breathing, and sluggishness….." Quack rattled off as he held a stethoscope to her chest. "Sounds like meningitis." He made a few comments to the human, who nodded in understanding.
Shadow twitched an ear. "Is it serious?"
"It can be, if it's the bacterial kind." Quack smiled and spoke kindly to the baby, interjecting a few tickles and approving noises of the small charge. "I think she'll be fine; it's actually quite common in children. I'll just give you two prescriptions, an antibiotic, and something for the temperature."
Sara sighed in relief. "Oh that's good to hear." Shadow took a damp cloth and started washing his blood off the ends of her quills, her tenseness starting to melt away. "What are you doing here, Doc?" She gave an apologetic look to Shadow; he just kissed her forehead lightly in reply.
"Hmm? Oh, I'm part of the MRT right now," he explained, "Since the exchange rate between worlds has been steadily increasing, we need to fill in the gaps of our medical knowledge on both ends. As such, Dr. Garrett is on Mobius right now, advancing his Mobian studies, and helping share Earth medical practices. The Mobian version would be the HRT, Human Research Team."
"Ahh..." She relaxed notably when Quack handed her baby back.
"We actually have a lot in common with humans," Quack continued. "Dose amounts seem to be the biggest difference." He went over to a shelf and sifted through some medications until he found what he wanted. He then started writing on a piece of paper. "The MRT's done very well in adapting human medical practices to a Mobian level," he finished and handed both the medication and the note to Shadow. "The boxes are sample versions of the medicine I'm prescribing. Her fever isn't high enough to be a danger right now and will actually help burn out the infection. Keep an eye on it, though; if it gets any higher, don't hesitate to use the fever medicine. The antibiotic should help kill the infection and should be given every twelve hours."
"Thanks." Shadow slipped the prescription note into his glove and the medicine into the baby bag, which he was forced to carry since Sara was in charge of Maria.
"Other than that, she seems in good shape." Quack smiled. "You two have a beautiful baby."
Shadow brought them home as fast as he could without giving Maria too much of a breeze. Sara even shivered a bit, but he didn't typically run with her in his arms. "You okay?" Shadow asked, slowing his pace some when she shivered.
"I'm fine…just glad Maria will be okay." Sara smiled, holding their bundled up child.
"Yeah, she'll be crying and pooping and eating and crying and pooping more in no time," Shadow commented in the driest tone possible, eliciting laughter from Sara.
"Was that supposed to be a joke?"
"It made you laugh, right?" Shadow slowed as they approached the apartment building.
The two entered the apartment in good enough spirits after the whole ordeal, though a very concerned looking Charles hedgehog was waiting for them inside. "Where have you two been? I tried calling you and got no answer. I've been worried sick!"
"Sorry Daddy, I…. Oh my! We were going to stop by the Thorndykes' to see you, I completely forgot!" Sara replied. She'd also forgotten her cell phone in the rush to take Maria to the MRT.
Shadow frowned a bit. 'Sorry, Daddy?' "Maria's sick; we took her to the MRT. Sorry we're not on your schedule, old man," he said with a full scowl on his face.
The room went completely silent. Sara's eyes were wide and fixed on the door to the baby's room. Chuck was staring open mouthed at Shadow. Shadow was glaring at Chuck, and the baby was...being a baby. Her cries, of course, were an excellent way of breaking silence. "Ahh...I'm going to put Maria to bed," Sara said and hurried into the rainbow room.
"What did you say?" Chuck said in some disbelief at Shadow.
"She's not in your house anymore. This is my apartment. She'smy mate and my concern," Shadow spoke plainly. His red eyes fixed on his in-law.
There was some silence. "Shadow..."
"I've been putting up with you for her sake," he cut in.
Charles and Shadow continued to stare a bit, the baby's cries filtering through the wall to them. "She is still my daughter, and I care about her."
"She's just fine. We've been fine... She's not a little girl anymore, you don't need to watch her to make sure she's happy, okay??" He might as well get it off his furry white chest.
Chuck coughed lightly. "Actually...I was going to tell you I'm going to move into the Thorndyke manor while I continue my research with Charles Thorndyke... However, I can see that while my presence may not be wanted by you, I think it's in my daughter's best interest to stick around... You've got quite a temper..."
Shadow's quills bristled sharply as he realized what he'd just done.BAKA...
For those wondering, Baka means idiot in Japanese. Now Shadow's catching the Nihongo bug XD