...and morning coffee. Check.
Shadow walked through the crowded firm with confidence like a mountain in a hurricane. Dozens of secretaries rushed in front of and behind him, chasing loose flyaway papers. He paid them no mind.
His own secretary was just ahead of him, detailing his agenda for the day. "We have two cases that nobody wants to take. One murder and one mugging."
"That's all? I'm defending a murderer and a mugger?"
"Both suspects. It's not proven."
"Then it's easy."
Shadow was known nationwide as one of the sharpest minds in the country, with an eye for tough cases. Countless times he'd come through to defend the undefendable-no matter whether they were innocent or not. They would always give him money, and money was what mattered. People said he could defend John Wilkes Booth if he could pay.
"When do I meet with the client?" Shadow asked.
"Murder case is today, mugging tomorrow."
"I'll handle it," he said simply.
The murder suspect in question, Shadow knew, had done it. He kept licking his lips, his pupils kept dilating, and he was scratching his nose like there was no tomorrow. Not to mention, everything in the perp's story disagreed with him. But Shadow was confident this wouldn't be a hard case.
"Are you listening to me?" the suspect asked suddenly.
"Of course," Shadow replied. His eyelids must have been drooping.
It had started a few days ago, on October 14. Shadow had always adhered to a strict sleep schedule, preferring a schedule without variables. He went to bed at 10 and woke at 5. He had always done things this way, and had done things this way even since October 14.
But every day after the night of October 14, Shadow would wake up feeling as though he hadn't slept at all.
It was starting to affect his work, too. Others may not have seen it, but he could feel his normally razor-sharp wit dulling. He was having trouble thinking on his feet.
It had troubled him long enough.
The meeting with his client had taken a few hours. Of course, he had to know what his client had said to anyone about all this, and then build an airtight case around it. But Shadow was certain he could get this client out scot-free. After all, he was getting paid to do it.
Now, he had a brief trip to make. Telling his secretary "I'll be out," he made his way down to the smallest psychiatrist's office he'd ever seen. He couldn't risk any of his many legal enemies seeing him in anything less than his prime shape, so a small-time office seemed the best place to be checked out.
The door had some tacky little bells hanging from it. Actually, the whole office was pretty tacky. He was starting to think a more prestigious office was a good idea.
Unfortunately, the psychiatrist had seen him already. "Sit down, please," Miles Prower, M.D., said.
Shadow did as he was told, unbuttoning his suit jacket. "I can take that for you," Miles said.
"Thank you," Shadow said simply.
"So what seems to be the problem?" Tails said curiously. "Depression? Suspected OCD? Or...strange dreams?"
"Actually, no dreams at all," Shadow said. "And from the way it feels, no sleep either."
"Explain," Tails said, sitting back down and looking carefully at him.
"I get seven hours of sleep every night. But since the night of October 14, it feels like I haven't gotten any. Does that make sense?"
"If you weren't getting any sleep since the fourteenth, then you'd be dead," Tails mused.
"Exactly. So how is any of this possible?"
"Coffee doesn't work?"
"No."
"Tried any medicines?"
"I haven't told my doctor."
"Then why come to me?"
"I'm a very important man, okay? I have complicated reasons."
"And I'm getting money for every half hour you sit here. Please, I have the time to be enlightened."
What a secretive guy. He wouldn't tell me anything, Tails thought. He'd only been able to keep Shadow in the chair for about an hour, before giving up and telling him to see a doctor.
I guess I shouldn't complain. He did pay me fairly generously.
Besides, Tails had other things to work on.
Taking out his files on Amy and Sonic, he read over them again. Then, he furrowed his brow, and took out his file on Blaze as well.
All three of these patients have reported weird dreams, and with Amy and Sonic sharing dreams...what are the chances that Blaze is sharing some? But who would she share them with?
Amy was sharing her dreams with her boyfriend. Had Blaze mentioned anyone that close to her? Maybe one person...
"Amy, describe to me your daily schedule." Tails had said during their session.
"I work early mornings at Burgertopia. My shift manager is a friend of mine, Silver." Amy had replied.
"I have a pen pal in Pennsylvania named Silver," Blaze had told him.
Silver's home was quiet. His father had just turned off the T.V. in the family room, and was headed to bed with his wife. Silver was also already in bed - Dad tried not to make too much noise going up the stairs.
A quiet, subdued noise, like a broom on a floor far away, reached Dad's ears. What was that?
Finishing his ascent to the second floor, he peered down the hallway. There was a light in Silver's room; he could see it creeping out the crack in his door. It was green. Dad, being old and tired, shrugged it off. "I can't blame the kid for being restless, given his age." Silver was a teenager, and Dad could remember being a teenager. Good times.
Inside, where Dad couldn't see, a greenish-blue smoke leaked out from Silver's eyes and mouth.
Elsewhere that morning, Shadow woke up with a bitter taste in his mouth, breathing heavily. His jaws were clenched, as if he'd tried to bite someone's head off.
