Images flashed through what little consciousness the cobalt hedgehog had as he lay on the cold asphalt.
Blood…golden dust…a white blur…glowing blue orbs of light…
The only recognizable thing was the face of a girl looking over him, blood staining her hair and mystic blue eyes staring down at him.
Then everything went black.
~..~..~..~..~..~..~
A beeping sound echoed throughout his mind, steady and slow. Light began to become visible as he opened his eyes and looked about him.
Sonic found himself laying on a gurney with white sheets and inside an isolated room inside what he automatically knew was a hospital. IV tubes were in his left arm and a heart monitor was perched to the right of him-the beeping sound.
Then he remembered the events of last night. Pulling the blanket over him off, Sonic looked at his right leg in worry.
Gauze wrapped in a thick layer concealed the wound, which still had a bit of dried blood clumped in the fur surrounding it.
Wincing as he moved his leg, Sonic glanced over at the plastic bag that held his anesthetics. Not to his surprise, it was almost out of the painkillers. Sonic lifted his hand to his face next. A few gauze had been placed on his cheek as well, right on the spot where he had been struck by the plank of wood.
Perking his ears up at the sound of the door opening, Sonic turned his head to be met by an elderly man with a thick bushy beard sauntering up to his bed with a clipboard in his hands. A nametag was pinned on his coat with the title "Dr. Ross" printed neatly on it.
"I'm glad to see you're awake, my boy!" He greeted in an English accent once he reached the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"
Raising an eyebrow, Sonic let out a small laugh. "Just about as good as someone in my condition can be at the moment, having a gash in my leg and all."
Smirking at Sonic's remark, Dr. Ross scribbled something down on his clipboard as he took out a light and shined it in Sonic's eyes. "Well, just be glad that it's a clean cut and will heal well. It should heal in a few days."
Furrowing his brows at the doctor's statement, Sonic asked, "A few days?"
"Yes," Dr. Ross said matter-of-factly. "It's curious really, when the medics picked you up a belt was tied around your leg to block the bleeding and the wound was already stitched together…But no matter. Whoever did it knew what they were doing though, so that's all that counts."
Dr. Ross then informed Sonic that he had a few bruised ribs and also had a pretty bad scratch on his cheek and temple, but other than that there were no further injuries. Nodding his head in acknowledgement, Sonic laid back on the bed after Dr. Ross left.
Getting bored immediately Sonic sighed deeply. This was going to be a long three or four days…
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. "Yeah?" Sonic hollered, assuring the person on the other side it was alright to come in.
Making their way into the vacant room, the eleven year old kitsune and nine year old rabbit gingerly sat down next to their friend and greeted him.
"Hello, Mr. Sonic, are you OK?" Cream asked after giving Sonic a hug along with some flowers. Shrugging his shoulders, Sonic replied, "Eh, just about as good as anyone else stuck in a bed all day. But yeah, I'm alright, Cream."
Turning his head toward Tails, Sonic gave him a signature smile. "How's your ear doin' buddy?"
"It's Ok, Sonic. I managed to make a device that enables me to hear in this ear- it works really well! Matter of fact it's what I wanted to show you today." Tails stated proudly.
About a year ago Tails was working on a car that he was planning on giving to Amy for her fifteenth birthday when there was a malfunction with the engine. The gasoline had somehow gotten into the engine and when Tails had tried to start the car it exploded. It would've killed him if he still wasn't wearing his protective gear, but it had damaged his hearing in his left ear, resulting in him being completely deaf on that side.
Smiling at his "little bro" Sonic waited patiently through about thirty seconds of Tails's rambling on how it worked, how he made it, what it's made of etc. But none-the-less Sonic was happy for him.
"Hey Cream," Sonic asked. "Where's Cheese?"
"My mother is watching him- he's sick with a fever." Cream said in a sad tone. "Oh…Well I hope he feels better!" Sonic exclaimed in attempt to cheer her up. Smiling at Sonic, Cream thanked him before changing the subject.
"Mr. Sonic, if I may ask, what exactly happened last night?" Cream inquired, her big brown eyes looking at him with the usual innocent gleam in them.
"Yeah, I was wondering that too, Cream." Tails added. Both of them then turned their heads toward Sonic, who was intent in thought at what happened right before he blacked out, but found nothing.
"To be honest, all I know is that I was attacked by a gang on my way back home. I can't recall anything just before I blacked out. The doctor did say that when I got here my leg was stitched up and healing, but aside from that I'm not sure…"
"Well at least you're Ok." Tails said in a reassuring way, seeing how the next few days weren't going to be easy on his hyper-active "big brother".
Nodding, Sonic continued the conversation with some small talk and catching up on things with his younger friends before they had to leave.
"Good-bye, Mr. Sonic! I hope you feel better!" Cream exclaimed as she gave a hug to Sonic before walking out the door.
"I'll see ya' later, Sonic!" Tails called as he was about to walk out, but then stopped and turned. He was mute for a few seconds before he finally spoke again.
"Did Shadow explain and show you the book?" He asked timidly. Sonic nodded his head. "Yes, he did."
Letting out a relieved sigh, Tails nodded his head approvingly. "Good. I didn't know if you were attacked by the thing that went after Amy…" Smiling back at his friend, Tails continued. "But I guess that's not old news anymore, seeing how she's getting along a bit better. Anyway, I'll see you later, Sonic."
"See ya', buddy!" Sonic called as Tails walked out the door before shutting it, leaving Sonic isolated once more.