Chapter Text
Sonic could feel the power leaving him. The might of the Master Emerald, the Chaos Emeralds. His teeth gritted so hard together that were he not powered up, they could have chipped. He just needed a little bit more time. The death beam was so close to being out of Earth’s way. But it was hard, very hard. The pain he felt increased, like little bits of hot oil from a pan, jumping out at him. The bits became bigger and bigger as each second passed. The energy leaving his body left his body unprotected from the Earth shattering beam.
He said something, at least, Sonic is pretty sure he said something. To Shadow, about how he can’t hold on much longer. And true to his word, his fur shimmerd between blue and gold before landing on blue. And the drops of oil felt like buckets. Yet through all that, Sonic remained focused on one thing only. The safety of Earth, of his friends, family, everyone. Only when he saw the beam pass over Earth, did he exhale a sigh of relief. Though, when he tried to breathe back in, the hedgehog found out that he couldn’t. Green eyes widening in fear and panic. Sonic tried again, only to met with the same feeling of there being nothing to breathe in. His gloved hand clawed at his throat, as if there was something blocking the air. There wasn’t.
Slowly, the corners of his vision begin to fade to black. The lack of oxygen putting his brain in a metaphorical sleeper hold. And soon, unconsciousness overtook the hedgehog that helped save the world. But even as Sonic fell unconscious, he still could not breathe. Oxygen could not reach his brain.
***
“Hmm.” Knuckles grabbed the ring first, then the fox, then the hedgehog. The giant laser of death has been thwarted. But that felt insignificant to his current actions. Getting his tribe back to the ground safely, and in one piece. That was the only thing on his mind. Once his cargo was safely secure, he threw the ring. If Knuckles put more thought behind it, he could have had it appear closer to the hospital, but the only thing on his mind was getting to the ground safely, and the ground under them looked pretty safe. So the ring opened up and they fell through.
Knuckles cradled both Sonic and Tails close as he crashed into the ground. Overturning dirt as he skidded across the field. Trampling whatever crops were in his way. He doesn’t know for how long he slid against the ground. But the echidna eventually came to a stop, on his back. It is a good thing that he is one million percent muscle. Or he would have surely been defeated by the ground.
Violet eyes shifted downwards, checking on the cargo. They seem to be unharmed, relatively. He shook them gently, the fox begun to stir but the hedgehog remained asleep. How typical. He shook them again, a little bit more forceful but still gentle. “Brothers. Get up.” The foxe’s eyes fluttered open, no doubt he was exhausted from the rescue attempt.
Tails yawned then looked up at him, “Knu-Knuckles? What happened?” The fox had brought up a hand to rub his eyes.
“Do not worry. We have won, however…” Knuckles looked around, but all he could see was the crops around him, “We might be a little lost.” Tails crawled off his muscular chest. However, he still had a weight in the form of a blue hedgehog. Nothing too concerning yet. The hedgehog usually sleeps in, and is… lazy. But, Sonic had just finished a fearsome battle so Knuckles can forgive a little for the tiredness.
“Is Sonic okay?” Tail asked. Knuckles muzzle etched into frown at the slight tone of worry.
“Do not worry fox. The hedgehog may be lazy and weak and whiny and…” He trailed off a little when Tail raised a brow, “Yet, among all of that, he is a warrior. I’m sure he will be back to making… jokes very, very soon.”
“You’re right. Any second now.” Both his and Tails eye’s shifted downward, as if Sonic was about to pop up and yell, ‘surprise!’. No such thing happened. The hedgehog remained still, too still.
“Alright hedgehog. Any second.” Knuckles shook the smaller alien and once again, there was no movement. “Sonic. Wake up.” The echidna sat up and layed Sonic across his lap. He pushed one of his fingers against the hedgehog’s head. But again, no response.
“Why isn’t he waking up?” Eyes wide with worry, Tails had reached a hand out too. He put it on the hedgehog’s blue shoulder, “Sonic, wake up. Come on.” However, the only movement from the unconscious Sonic was of Tail’s doing, as he shook the shoulder. “Come on, wake up. Please.” But Sonic did not respond, “Knuckles…”
He looked down at the fox, but didn’t know what to tell him. Knuckles himself didn’t know what was happening. He could hear Sonic’s heart beat, the hedgehog was alive, but… just won’t wake up. And something didn’t feel right. “Do not- Do not worry Tails. I’m sure Sonic just needs to rest longer.” But as an hour came and went, Sonic did not wake up.
As they talked with the locals for directions, Sonic did not wake up.
As another hour came and went, Sonic did not wake up. He did not even stir.
Sonic did not wake up, even when two more hours passed and they found themselves at the hospital where their parents were at. Sonic did not wake up even when he was put on a too big bed, with doctors scrambling around. Not even when he was hooked up on machines. When Tom and Maddie, his dad and mom were by the bed, Sonic still didn’t wake up
When the day passed, Sonic still didn’t wake up.
Two days.
Three days.
Six days.
Not even when Tom and Maddie were in a small office with Tom having his good arm wiped wrapped around his wife, did Sonic wake up. As tears were shed when words that no one wants to hear were said. Most of all, parents. As words, big, scary, terrifying words were said. As odds of recovery were said. As reality set in. There would be no backflipping, sweet-talking, or curling into a ball out of this one.
Nine days and Sonic still didn’t wake up.