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"Love, Duty, and Friendship"
By: Jade Lightning
Chapter 4: All I've Ever Known is You...
( * ) marks dream sequence

   Darkness…that was all he could see, and yet it was a blessing that Knuckles was even conscious.  The echidna felt a dull numbness throughout his body, and he could still feel pain in his chest and head, though less intense than it once was.  Slowly…his memories of that day returned to him, and he remembered having a depressed feeling…one so powerful that not even he could escape it.  He fell victim to his own weariness…a weariness of the reality that was his life of isolation on Angel Island…a life with seemingly only one purpose: To guard the Master Emerald.  All he could remember at this point was a severe feeling of hopelessness and despair.  Yet that all faded from his memory when Amy returned to him.  As he lay injured and jaded in Amy’s arms, he recalled rediscovering his will to live.  He wanted to live…he had Amy, and she loved him…and he loved her…and that was enough for him to live to see the sunrise again.

   Knuckles’ heart was feeling better, and his depression was vanishing from his spirit.  However, he found that he could not open his eyes…nor could he speak…nor could he hear anything in the outside world.  All he could hear were his own inner thoughts, and all he knew was that he wanted this numb feeling in his body to dissipate and the remaining pain he felt to go away.  His body was limp, and he was so weak from blood loss, hypothermia, and depression, that he found he had no power to move even his arms.

   He had never felt this weak before in his life.  He had never been in a state of mental being like this before either, that is, whenever he wanted to wake up from a nightmare, he could do so.  However, this hellish dream was impossible for him to recover from at the moment, and it only seemed to extend his frightening experience from before even further.  When would this nightmare end?  “A—Amy…where are you?  I’m scared Amy and I feel so alone.  Where are you Amy?  I just want to hear your voice again!” Knuckles thought, his thoughts more of a desperate cry that he hoped would reach her.  He wanted nothing more than to see her again, to hear her voice…to tell her he loved her, as long as he could escape this void that was his mind.

   Knuckles may not have known it, but Amy and Tails had gotten him to the emergency room of the local hospital in Station Square…and not a moment too soon.  Knuckles was close to death, almost slipping from unconsciousness into a coma, which would have been devastating for the echidna, as well as the future of the Master Emerald.  However, the doctor determined that he had enough time to save the strange creature from certain death.  The physician eyed the echidna strangely, and pressed Tails and Amy to tell him more about the creature.  It was decided after weeks of waiting that the ancient echidna race was extinct, never to be seen on the earth again…for it was almost certain that if there was one echidna that still yet lived, than he would certainly have the Master Emerald in his possession, especially when the ancient race valued it so highly.

   Amy knew that if word got out about the whereabouts of the Master Emerald that sheer chaos would be the result.  Another thought that entered her mind was how Knuckles’ reaction to these strange people would be equally dramatic.  Considering these two factors, she tried as hard as she could to talk her way out of revealing any information about Knuckles, his lineage, or the location of the Master Emerald.  She instead directed the questions to the doctor that was administering treatment to Knuckles.  She asked him how he was doing, when she could see him, and the like.  Eventually the doctor realized that Amy was not enthusiastic about discussing the history of the echidna; he left her and Tails to wait out the hours that became increasingly unbearable by the minute for news on Knuckles’ condition.  Amy wanted desperately to get back to him, for she knew that he was untrusting of her world enough as it was, and waking up in a strange place with unfamiliar faces and pain coursing through his body would only further traumatize him.

   As soon as Knuckles was in his own room, Amy rushed to see him.  She could feel her heart form a lump in her throat before dropping into her stomach when she got to him.  He looked awful…he looked scared even in his dreams…and she felt pain in her heart for him.  She walked over to his bedside, pulled a chair up beside it, and took his hand.  She looked over him to make sure that the doctors had not hurt him in any way, by unnecessary tests or otherwise, in an attempt to learn more about him.  She carefully removed the mitts that he wore from his hands and folded them up neatly, setting them on a low table by the bed.  She looked at his hands again, particularly his knuckle-claws, from which he got his name.  She couldn’t recall seeing them before, although she was sure she had.  No matter how hard she tried to remember, she just couldn’t find a time where she had seen his hands exposed.  Amy stayed by Knuckles’ bedside telling Tails to go home, look after the Master Emerald, and make sure no one found out about it.

   So Amy sat with Knuckles the rest of the afternoon and on into the early evening.  It was about the time that the stars began to sparkle in the fading light of the setting sun that Knuckles started to become aware of his thoughts.  Although he didn’t know it, the reason he felt a relentless sensation of numbness and exhaustion, was the result of the ether they had given him.  Knuckles was not used to the modern medicines like so many other things in Amy’s world that her kind had come to depend on.  It gave him a sickening feeling, similar to the one he’d get from eating some food she’d give him and yet, this sick feeling was more intense.  He couldn’t stir out of this feeble state, and the fear grew in his heart that he would never wake up from this endless abyss that was slowly becoming reality for him.

   Knuckles wouldn’t give up that easily.  He fought in vain to move his left hand, the one that Amy held in her own at that moment.  She was sleeping at that time, her head resting on the echidna’s chest…the steady rising and falling from his breathing comforting to her in her time of trial.  Knuckles struggled to wake up from the ether and endeavored ever stronger to move his left hand.  He hoped that if he could just move his hand, then he would wake up from this horrible nightmare.

   Amy woke up and blinked her eyes twice.  She was hoping that Knuckles’ unrest was nothing but a dream, but she soon remembered that it wasn’t.  She felt tears coming to her eyes, and she looked back at the echidna’s face, the one that she had come to love.  He looked so ill…all of the times of strife and anxiety in his short life painted clearly on his face.  She wanted nothing more than for him to wake up so she could tell him that everything would be alright.  She glanced at the white striped that graced his proud chest and shuddered at the thought of the amount of scarring his injury would leave behind.  Before she could weep however, she felt something.  Knuckles was trying to wake up!

   She felt him move his left hand, and she knew that he was trying to come back to her.  She patted his hand a couple of times and gently massaged his muzzle at his jawbone.  Knuckles was becoming aware of her presence, for he could feel the touch of her hand on his face, and her hand holding his in her own.  He didn’t know how he could let her know that he was okay…all he knew was that he was glad to know that she was with him.  He decided to try to speak to her, to see if by some chance, she could hear his voice.  He found that in this dreamlike state, he could not remember how to speak…it was as if he had no control over it, just like he had little or no control over the rest of his body.  However, Amy’s presence had kindled a new hope in him, and he made an effort to make a sound, any sound, to let Amy know he was alright.

   Amy had rested her head on Knuckles’, keeping a hand on his jawbone and holding his left hand as well.  His hand was still moving slightly, and had increased in movement.  Her ears were folded back against her hair as she wept silently.  Something was wrong with Knuckles, and she knew it.  It had been close to five minutes since he had moved his hand, and when she begged him to speak to her, there was nothing but silence coming from the echidna.  She sniffed a couple of times, her tears seeping through the echidna’s red hair and down to his scalp.  She extended her hand further up his face, placing it on his right cheek, just below his hairline.  She stroked his skin gently, her fingers catching strands of the echidna’s hair, her tears continuing to flow from her eyes, only to trickle down slowly to a stitched-up wound that had fractured the echidna’s skull because of his rage induced by his ever-increasing despair.

   Amidst her tears, she spoke softly to him, “K—Knuckles?  Please speak to me!  Let me know that you’re gonna be okay!  I don’t know what I’d do without you Knuckles!  Please!  Wake up!”  She pleaded with his lifeless form, wondering if all her hopes were in vain, and her future with him would come to naught.  Could he even hear her?  Amy wept silently, praying only for his strength to return to him so she could let him know how much she really loved him…

   Knuckles had all but given up on speaking to Amy.  Try as he might, he could not fight off this numbness that left him virtually paralyzed…trapped in his inner thoughts…his heart sick with grief and his body even sicker.  What was this toxin that kept him from waking?  The ether that was meant for him to sleep peacefully as his wounds were tended turned out to be more than the echidna could handle.  Sometimes he found that the air of the city made his lungs burn because of the emissions that polluted the air.  The echidna race was not used to such polluted air, and Knuckles found that it was not easy for him to adapt.  The ether had a more adverse effect on him, and he felt headachy…remembering the gash in his head right above his eyebrows that he had received when he fell to the ground just minutes before Amy arrived.

   Then, the echidna felt something.  His head injury felt wet…it was as if water was dripping onto it drop by drop.  They were warm tears…Amy’s tears.  Knuckles could finally feel something other than pain…he was rousing from this ailing rest even more.  He could feel Amy’s head resting on his own…his hand held tightly in her own.  He felt her gently stroking his cheek…it made the echidna’s heart warm with happiness.  Although he wasn’t fully aware of this, he began purring softly in response to Amy’s touch.  Amy heard him and her faced brightened, along with her heart.  Knuckles was really going to be okay!

  She said no words, but returned her hand to his jawbone, gently stroking it as she did before.  He was becoming more coherent to the world around him, more aware of Amy’s presence.  She reached to pull some stray strands of hair away from his face, and when she did so, she could see him struggling to open his eyes.  She tried to soothe him, for she could plainly see that he was in a considerable amount of pain.  She continued to stroke his hair and she whispered softly, “Shh Knuckles, you’re going to be alright.  You don’t have to open your eyes if it only hurts you more.  I’m just glad to know that you’re alright.  I know you can hear me…but you don’t have to answer me.  Don’t struggle Knuckles, you’ll be okay.”

   Knuckles thought to himself, “That’s where you’re wrong Amy…for I do need to open my eyes…and I’m not going to stay in this dark place anymore.  I want to see you again.  I can come out of this Amy, just believe in me…”

   Knuckles struggled with the drowsiness that the ether had given him.  The amount given to him would not have affected any other patient to this degree.  However, Knuckles was more sensitive than other creatures…and the amount it would take to ease him into sleep could not even put a small child to sleep.  A small whiff of the ether would’ve been enough to send Knuckles into a peaceful slumber.  He had been given entirely too much of the sleeping drug, and the fact that he had not suffered severe damage from this overdose, was yet another miracle bestowed on him.

   Amy smiled at him through her tears.  She admired his strength through what must have been a great deal of pain.  He was so much stronger than she and that same strength kept him fighting to return to her.  Amy bent her head over once more and ever so gently, kissed Knuckles right above his brow.  Then, he stirred underneath the sheets, and his eyes began to open slowly.  At first, he was not aware of where he was; only that Amy was with him…comforting him in his time of need.  The first thing he saw was Amy’s face…her emerald green eyes looking lovingly into his own.  For those few moments, Knuckles forgot about the pain in his body as well as the sick feeling induced by the ether.  However, a boom of thunder blasted outside, accompanied by a flash of lightning, and at this point, the pain returned to afflict him, mocking him in his state of weakness, and lowering his self-confidence considerably.

   Knuckles was ill because of the medicine that was given to him.  In addition, his wounds still pained him, particularly the wound in his chest and the gashes in his skull.  He cringed as he felt the pain surge through him, not wanting to worry Amy…but it was then that Knuckles became fully aware of his surroundings.  A look of fear built up in his violet eyes, and Amy knew all too well that this would happen.  His violet eyes had lost their vibrancy, and looked dull and sun-strained, only giving more evidence of his physical and emotional strain.

   The echidna glanced fretfully at his surroundings, unsure of where he was or how he had come to be there.  He swallowed hard and spoke, “Amy?  What…what is this place?  How did I end up here?  What’s going on Amy?”  His voice sounded weak and gravelly and it was evident that the echidna was still very weak and going through a great deal of torment.  He attempted to speak again, but the only sound that emerged from him was a raspy cough, one that perhaps no cough syrup was strong enough to soothe.

   Amy shook her head and said, “Hush now Knuckles…everything’s going to be okay now.  Tails and I brought you here.  This is a hospital, Knuckles, and this is where people go when they’re injured.  The doctors here saved you.”

   Knuckles’ eyes widened, and in them, there appeared an even greater sense of fear.  It almost looked like tears were forming in the echidna’s eyes…not as much because he was in pain, rather they were the result of overwhelming fright.  The only thing that Knuckles knew at that point was that he didn’t want to be there anymore.  He still had trouble speaking, but the look in his eyes pleaded with Amy to take him away from there.  Amy was sick with grief, and she did not want Knuckles to suffer anymore.  Somehow, his ancestors had managed to survive since their creation, and probably suffered injuries that were much more devastating than this.  Amy made up her mind: She would take Knuckles to her apartment in Station Square and look after him until he was fully healed.  Angel Island rested on a mountaintop at this point, and she knew that he would not be safe there, and had not the strength to summon the power of the Master Emerald to raise Angel Island to the sky at this point.

   Amy looked over at Knuckles and studied his face; she had never seen him look so frightened of anything before in his life, save the day he met her.  She again saw in him a little echidna, not more than six years old, curled up in a ball and weeping from fright.  Amy had been able to help him then, and she could do it again.  She began to leave the room but could hear Knuckles whimpering softly.   She smiled and said, I’ll be right back Knuckles.  You’ll be okay; I’m going to get you out of here and take you home to my apartment where you can recover.  I’ll come back as quickly as I can.”

   Amy disappeared from the room, leaving Knuckles alone for a moment or two.  She quickly returned to him saying, “I know you don’t want to stay here anymore Knuckles, and you don’t have to.  You’re still pretty sick, and your injuries may take awhile to heal, but while you’re recovering, you’re going to stay with me so I can take care of you.  Does that sound alright?”

   Knuckles immediately began to feel better and was more than ready to get out of that hospital room.  His throat feeling sore, he let Amy know that he was okay with that plan by simply nodding.  Amy giggled quietly and walked over to him.  He looked at her, his eyes becoming heavy again, but not from the ether, rather from sheer exhaustion.  Knuckles had been sitting up, making an effort to get up and walk on his own.  He got up too quickly and felt faint.  As soon as he stood up, he slumped to his knees, and Amy kneeled down next to him.  She wrapped a fleece blanket around him, for even in the heated hospital room, the echidna shivered heavily.

   She started to help Knuckles back to his feet.  Once again, she wondered why he was so light.  She found that she could easily walk him along, even with him depending entirely on her to keep him steady.  Knuckles drifted in and out of sleep the entire time, and this was a good thing.  He slept the entire way from the hospital to Amy’s apartment.  The echidna had a fear of all vehicles, and she was unsure of how he would handle riding in one.  She found that he slept the whole way there.  The storm had been reduced to nothing but a light rainstorm and the pitter-patter of raindrops on the windshield seemed to comfort him.

   It was almost midnight when Amy and Knuckles reached her apartment, and by this time, Amy had become quite drowsy.  However, she needed to see that Knuckles was comfortable before she would consent to rest.  She led him down a dimly lit hallway to her bedroom, helping him lie down in her bed and get comfortable.  The echidna snuggled under the warm sheets, breathing a deep, but happy sigh when he did so.  He was half-asleep and because of this, he did not know exactly what was happening, except that he was comfortable…and that he finally felt safe.  He finally drifted off to sleep, feeling secure with his new surroundings.  Amy draped a fleece blanket over him to keep him warm.  It was only after she was sure that he was alright, that she became concerned with herself.

   Amy yawned deeply and walked over to a couch in her bedroom, her legs wobbling as she did so.  She lay down on the couch and pulled a blanket over her.  She took one last look at Knuckles, and seeing him sleeping peacefully, she too was able to relax.  Amy closed her eyes, her mind swimming with memories of that day, as well as hopes for her future.  Her last thoughts were for Knuckles, and she hoped that if only in his dreams, he found peace and happiness.  Then, she managed to drift off into a light, restless sleep, and the night passed slowly, only building up the promise for a better day to follow.

   *In his dreams, Knuckles had indeed found peace.  His thoughts had carried him back to Angel Island, to a time not so long ago, when the weight of the world did not fall so heavily on his shoulders as it did now.  He did not have the cares then that he carried now.  It was just him and Amy, sitting together, watching the sun set one summer evening.

   “Amy?  I wish…I wish that we could always be together.  I wish that it could always be this way…”

   The two were only seven and nine at this point, and they still had their sweet innocence.  Amy looked at her friend, one that she had come to love more than any other living person.

   “Me too Knuckles.  I’ve always wished to find a friend like you.  I could never guess that when I wished upon the stars that they would leave me to a precious soul, the wonder that was you.  You’re my best friend Knuckles, and no matter how long I live, I’ll never forget you.”

   Knuckles looked at Amy, his eyes filled with wonder.  He looked up to the sky, and could see the early evening stars just beginning to shine.  Then, he felt Amy place her hand on his larger one.  He looked down, and then took her hand in his own.  Amy was going to leave that next day, and neither of them could guess how long it would be before they saw each other again.

   “I…I’ll never forget you either Amy.  You mean more to me…than…than the Master Emerald.  I care about you so…so much Amy.  I…I…love you Amy.”

   There was silence for a few moments, and the two looked into each other’s eyes.  Knuckles was unsure if he had said the right thing, but then, his fears were allayed in she smiled at him warmly.  She couldn’t help but blush slightly, and she folded her ears back, flattening them against her head.  She blinked her eyes slowly, and then looked lovingly at the echidna.

   “I love you too Knuckles…so much.  You’re the kindest, sweetest, most honest person I know.  I’ll never forget this day.  I’ve never known another person who makes me as happy as you do.”

   Knuckles smiled, and the two scooted closer together.  She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he placed his arm around her, and held her hand with his remaining hand.  He nuzzled her gently…making a memory as he did.

   “Amy, I trust you...you’re the only person I can trust.  You’re all I’ve ever known Amy, and I’m so glad I met you.  Let’s make this last forever Amy.  You make me happy too…happy like I’ve never been before.”

   Then, Knuckles gently kissed Amy on the top of her head, and rested his head on hers, holding her tightly, and never wanting to let go.  The memories of that day had never left him, and in his dreams, they renewed him, healing his wounded heart, his injured soul, and made him believe in his future again.  As long as he had Amy…he will be alright.  She loved him, believed in him, and because of her love, he found the strength, to believe in himself again.*

   Knuckles rolled over in bed, and breathed a deep sigh of relief, as he found comfort from his fond memories.  He believed in his life again, and his hopes for his future were bright.  As a warm rain fell outside, giving new life to all living things, memories of happy times gone by, gave new life to Knuckles, and with the sunrise, he could start to heal his wounds, as well as his heart.

Description
"Love, Duty, and Friendship"
By: Jade Lightning
Chapter 4: All I've Ever Known is You...
( * ) marks dream sequence

   Darkness…that was all he could see, and yet it was a blessing that Knuckles was even conscious.  The echidna felt a dull numbness throughout his body, and he could still feel pain in his chest and head, though less intense than it once was.  Slowly…his memories of that day returned to him, and he remembered having a depressed feeling…one so powerful that not even he could escape it.  He fell victim to his own weariness…a weariness of the reality that was his life of isolation on Angel Island…a life with seemingly only one purpose: To guard the Master Emerald.  All he could remember at this point was a severe feeling of hopelessness and despair.  Yet that all faded from his memory when Amy returned to him.  As he lay injured and jaded in Amy’s arms, he recalled rediscovering his will to live.  He wanted to live…he had Amy, and she loved him…and he loved her…and that was enough for him to live to see the sunrise again.

   Knuckles’ heart was feeling better, and his depression was vanishing from his spirit.  However, he found that he could not open his eyes…nor could he speak…nor could he hear anything in the outside world.  All he could hear were his own inner thoughts, and all he knew was that he wanted this numb feeling in his body to dissipate and the remaining pain he felt to go away.  His body was limp, and he was so weak from blood loss, hypothermia, and depression, that he found he had no power to move even his arms.

   He had never felt this weak before in his life.  He had never been in a state of mental being like this before either, that is, whenever he wanted to wake up from a nightmare, he could do so.  However, this hellish dream was impossible for him to recover from at the moment, and it only seemed to extend his frightening experience from before even further.  When would this nightmare end?  “A—Amy…where are you?  I’m scared Amy and I feel so alone.  Where are you Amy?  I just want to hear your voice again!” Knuckles thought, his thoughts more of a desperate cry that he hoped would reach her.  He wanted nothing more than to see her again, to hear her voice…to tell her he loved her, as long as he could escape this void that was his mind.

   Knuckles may not have known it, but Amy and Tails had gotten him to the emergency room of the local hospital in Station Square…and not a moment too soon.  Knuckles was close to death, almost slipping from unconsciousness into a coma, which would have been devastating for the echidna, as well as the future of the Master Emerald.  However, the doctor determined that he had enough time to save the strange creature from certain death.  The physician eyed the echidna strangely, and pressed Tails and Amy to tell him more about the creature.  It was decided after weeks of waiting that the ancient echidna race was extinct, never to be seen on the earth again…for it was almost certain that if there was one echidna that still yet lived, than he would certainly have the Master Emerald in his possession, especially when the ancient race valued it so highly.

   Amy knew that if word got out about the whereabouts of the Master Emerald that sheer chaos would be the result.  Another thought that entered her mind was how Knuckles’ reaction to these strange people would be equally dramatic.  Considering these two factors, she tried as hard as she could to talk her way out of revealing any information about Knuckles, his lineage, or the location of the Master Emerald.  She instead directed the questions to the doctor that was administering treatment to Knuckles.  She asked him how he was doing, when she could see him, and the like.  Eventually the doctor realized that Amy was not enthusiastic about discussing the history of the echidna; he left her and Tails to wait out the hours that became increasingly unbearable by the minute for news on Knuckles’ condition.  Amy wanted desperately to get back to him, for she knew that he was untrusting of her world enough as it was, and waking up in a strange place with unfamiliar faces and pain coursing through his body would only further traumatize him.

   As soon as Knuckles was in his own room, Amy rushed to see him.  She could feel her heart form a lump in her throat before dropping into her stomach when she got to him.  He looked awful…he looked scared even in his dreams…and she felt pain in her heart for him.  She walked over to his bedside, pulled a chair up beside it, and took his hand.  She looked over him to make sure that the doctors had not hurt him in any way, by unnecessary tests or otherwise, in an attempt to learn more about him.  She carefully removed the mitts that he wore from his hands and folded them up neatly, setting them on a low table by the bed.  She looked at his hands again, particularly his knuckle-claws, from which he got his name.  She couldn’t recall seeing them before, although she was sure she had.  No matter how hard she tried to remember, she just couldn’t find a time where she had seen his hands exposed.  Amy stayed by Knuckles’ bedside telling Tails to go home, look after the Master Emerald, and make sure no one found out about it.

   So Amy sat with Knuckles the rest of the afternoon and on into the early evening.  It was about the time that the stars began to sparkle in the fading light of the setting sun that Knuckles started to become aware of his thoughts.  Although he didn’t know it, the reason he felt a relentless sensation of numbness and exhaustion, was the result of the ether they had given him.  Knuckles was not used to the modern medicines like so many other things in Amy’s world that her kind had come to depend on.  It gave him a sickening feeling, similar to the one he’d get from eating some food she’d give him and yet, this sick feeling was more intense.  He couldn’t stir out of this feeble state, and the fear grew in his heart that he would never wake up from this endless abyss that was slowly becoming reality for him.

   Knuckles wouldn’t give up that easily.  He fought in vain to move his left hand, the one that Amy held in her own at that moment.  She was sleeping at that time, her head resting on the echidna’s chest…the steady rising and falling from his breathing comforting to her in her time of trial.  Knuckles struggled to wake up from the ether and endeavored ever stronger to move his left hand.  He hoped that if he could just move his hand, then he would wake up from this horrible nightmare.

   Amy woke up and blinked her eyes twice.  She was hoping that Knuckles’ unrest was nothing but a dream, but she soon remembered that it wasn’t.  She felt tears coming to her eyes, and she looked back at the echidna’s face, the one that she had come to love.  He looked so ill…all of the times of strife and anxiety in his short life painted clearly on his face.  She wanted nothing more than for him to wake up so she could tell him that everything would be alright.  She glanced at the white striped that graced his proud chest and shuddered at the thought of the amount of scarring his injury would leave behind.  Before she could weep however, she felt something.  Knuckles was trying to wake up!

   She felt him move his left hand, and she knew that he was trying to come back to her.  She patted his hand a couple of times and gently massaged his muzzle at his jawbone.  Knuckles was becoming aware of her presence, for he could feel the touch of her hand on his face, and her hand holding his in her own.  He didn’t know how he could let her know that he was okay…all he knew was that he was glad to know that she was with him.  He decided to try to speak to her, to see if by some chance, she could hear his voice.  He found that in this dreamlike state, he could not remember how to speak…it was as if he had no control over it, just like he had little or no control over the rest of his body.  However, Amy’s presence had kindled a new hope in him, and he made an effort to make a sound, any sound, to let Amy know he was alright.

   Amy had rested her head on Knuckles’, keeping a hand on his jawbone and holding his left hand as well.  His hand was still moving slightly, and had increased in movement.  Her ears were folded back against her hair as she wept silently.  Something was wrong with Knuckles, and she knew it.  It had been close to five minutes since he had moved his hand, and when she begged him to speak to her, there was nothing but silence coming from the echidna.  She sniffed a couple of times, her tears seeping through the echidna’s red hair and down to his scalp.  She extended her hand further up his face, placing it on his right cheek, just below his hairline.  She stroked his skin gently, her fingers catching strands of the echidna’s hair, her tears continuing to flow from her eyes, only to trickle down slowly to a stitched-up wound that had fractured the echidna’s skull because of his rage induced by his ever-increasing despair.

   Amidst her tears, she spoke softly to him, “K—Knuckles?  Please speak to me!  Let me know that you’re gonna be okay!  I don’t know what I’d do without you Knuckles!  Please!  Wake up!”  She pleaded with his lifeless form, wondering if all her hopes were in vain, and her future with him would come to naught.  Could he even hear her?  Amy wept silently, praying only for his strength to return to him so she could let him know how much she really loved him…

   Knuckles had all but given up on speaking to Amy.  Try as he might, he could not fight off this numbness that left him virtually paralyzed…trapped in his inner thoughts…his heart sick with grief and his body even sicker.  What was this toxin that kept him from waking?  The ether that was meant for him to sleep peacefully as his wounds were tended turned out to be more than the echidna could handle.  Sometimes he found that the air of the city made his lungs burn because of the emissions that polluted the air.  The echidna race was not used to such polluted air, and Knuckles found that it was not easy for him to adapt.  The ether had a more adverse effect on him, and he felt headachy…remembering the gash in his head right above his eyebrows that he had received when he fell to the ground just minutes before Amy arrived.

   Then, the echidna felt something.  His head injury felt wet…it was as if water was dripping onto it drop by drop.  They were warm tears…Amy’s tears.  Knuckles could finally feel something other than pain…he was rousing from this ailing rest even more.  He could feel Amy’s head resting on his own…his hand held tightly in her own.  He felt her gently stroking his cheek…it made the echidna’s heart warm with happiness.  Although he wasn’t fully aware of this, he began purring softly in response to Amy’s touch.  Amy heard him and her faced brightened, along with her heart.  Knuckles was really going to be okay!

  She said no words, but returned her hand to his jawbone, gently stroking it as she did before.  He was becoming more coherent to the world around him, more aware of Amy’s presence.  She reached to pull some stray strands of hair away from his face, and when she did so, she could see him struggling to open his eyes.  She tried to soothe him, for she could plainly see that he was in a considerable amount of pain.  She continued to stroke his hair and she whispered softly, “Shh Knuckles, you’re going to be alright.  You don’t have to open your eyes if it only hurts you more.  I’m just glad to know that you’re alright.  I know you can hear me…but you don’t have to answer me.  Don’t struggle Knuckles, you’ll be okay.”

   Knuckles thought to himself, “That’s where you’re wrong Amy…for I do need to open my eyes…and I’m not going to stay in this dark place anymore.  I want to see you again.  I can come out of this Amy, just believe in me…”

   Knuckles struggled with the drowsiness that the ether had given him.  The amount given to him would not have affected any other patient to this degree.  However, Knuckles was more sensitive than other creatures…and the amount it would take to ease him into sleep could not even put a small child to sleep.  A small whiff of the ether would’ve been enough to send Knuckles into a peaceful slumber.  He had been given entirely too much of the sleeping drug, and the fact that he had not suffered severe damage from this overdose, was yet another miracle bestowed on him.

   Amy smiled at him through her tears.  She admired his strength through what must have been a great deal of pain.  He was so much stronger than she and that same strength kept him fighting to return to her.  Amy bent her head over once more and ever so gently, kissed Knuckles right above his brow.  Then, he stirred underneath the sheets, and his eyes began to open slowly.  At first, he was not aware of where he was; only that Amy was with him…comforting him in his time of need.  The first thing he saw was Amy’s face…her emerald green eyes looking lovingly into his own.  For those few moments, Knuckles forgot about the pain in his body as well as the sick feeling induced by the ether.  However, a boom of thunder blasted outside, accompanied by a flash of lightning, and at this point, the pain returned to afflict him, mocking him in his state of weakness, and lowering his self-confidence considerably.

   Knuckles was ill because of the medicine that was given to him.  In addition, his wounds still pained him, particularly the wound in his chest and the gashes in his skull.  He cringed as he felt the pain surge through him, not wanting to worry Amy…but it was then that Knuckles became fully aware of his surroundings.  A look of fear built up in his violet eyes, and Amy knew all too well that this would happen.  His violet eyes had lost their vibrancy, and looked dull and sun-strained, only giving more evidence of his physical and emotional strain.

   The echidna glanced fretfully at his surroundings, unsure of where he was or how he had come to be there.  He swallowed hard and spoke, “Amy?  What…what is this place?  How did I end up here?  What’s going on Amy?”  His voice sounded weak and gravelly and it was evident that the echidna was still very weak and going through a great deal of torment.  He attempted to speak again, but the only sound that emerged from him was a raspy cough, one that perhaps no cough syrup was strong enough to soothe.

   Amy shook her head and said, “Hush now Knuckles…everything’s going to be okay now.  Tails and I brought you here.  This is a hospital, Knuckles, and this is where people go when they’re injured.  The doctors here saved you.”

   Knuckles’ eyes widened, and in them, there appeared an even greater sense of fear.  It almost looked like tears were forming in the echidna’s eyes…not as much because he was in pain, rather they were the result of overwhelming fright.  The only thing that Knuckles knew at that point was that he didn’t want to be there anymore.  He still had trouble speaking, but the look in his eyes pleaded with Amy to take him away from there.  Amy was sick with grief, and she did not want Knuckles to suffer anymore.  Somehow, his ancestors had managed to survive since their creation, and probably suffered injuries that were much more devastating than this.  Amy made up her mind: She would take Knuckles to her apartment in Station Square and look after him until he was fully healed.  Angel Island rested on a mountaintop at this point, and she knew that he would not be safe there, and had not the strength to summon the power of the Master Emerald to raise Angel Island to the sky at this point.

   Amy looked over at Knuckles and studied his face; she had never seen him look so frightened of anything before in his life, save the day he met her.  She again saw in him a little echidna, not more than six years old, curled up in a ball and weeping from fright.  Amy had been able to help him then, and she could do it again.  She began to leave the room but could hear Knuckles whimpering softly.   She smiled and said, I’ll be right back Knuckles.  You’ll be okay; I’m going to get you out of here and take you home to my apartment where you can recover.  I’ll come back as quickly as I can.”

   Amy disappeared from the room, leaving Knuckles alone for a moment or two.  She quickly returned to him saying, “I know you don’t want to stay here anymore Knuckles, and you don’t have to.  You’re still pretty sick, and your injuries may take awhile to heal, but while you’re recovering, you’re going to stay with me so I can take care of you.  Does that sound alright?”

   Knuckles immediately began to feel better and was more than ready to get out of that hospital room.  His throat feeling sore, he let Amy know that he was okay with that plan by simply nodding.  Amy giggled quietly and walked over to him.  He looked at her, his eyes becoming heavy again, but not from the ether, rather from sheer exhaustion.  Knuckles had been sitting up, making an effort to get up and walk on his own.  He got up too quickly and felt faint.  As soon as he stood up, he slumped to his knees, and Amy kneeled down next to him.  She wrapped a fleece blanket around him, for even in the heated hospital room, the echidna shivered heavily.

   She started to help Knuckles back to his feet.  Once again, she wondered why he was so light.  She found that she could easily walk him along, even with him depending entirely on her to keep him steady.  Knuckles drifted in and out of sleep the entire time, and this was a good thing.  He slept the entire way from the hospital to Amy’s apartment.  The echidna had a fear of all vehicles, and she was unsure of how he would handle riding in one.  She found that he slept the whole way there.  The storm had been reduced to nothing but a light rainstorm and the pitter-patter of raindrops on the windshield seemed to comfort him.

   It was almost midnight when Amy and Knuckles reached her apartment, and by this time, Amy had become quite drowsy.  However, she needed to see that Knuckles was comfortable before she would consent to rest.  She led him down a dimly lit hallway to her bedroom, helping him lie down in her bed and get comfortable.  The echidna snuggled under the warm sheets, breathing a deep, but happy sigh when he did so.  He was half-asleep and because of this, he did not know exactly what was happening, except that he was comfortable…and that he finally felt safe.  He finally drifted off to sleep, feeling secure with his new surroundings.  Amy draped a fleece blanket over him to keep him warm.  It was only after she was sure that he was alright, that she became concerned with herself.

   Amy yawned deeply and walked over to a couch in her bedroom, her legs wobbling as she did so.  She lay down on the couch and pulled a blanket over her.  She took one last look at Knuckles, and seeing him sleeping peacefully, she too was able to relax.  Amy closed her eyes, her mind swimming with memories of that day, as well as hopes for her future.  Her last thoughts were for Knuckles, and she hoped that if only in his dreams, he found peace and happiness.  Then, she managed to drift off into a light, restless sleep, and the night passed slowly, only building up the promise for a better day to follow.

   *In his dreams, Knuckles had indeed found peace.  His thoughts had carried him back to Angel Island, to a time not so long ago, when the weight of the world did not fall so heavily on his shoulders as it did now.  He did not have the cares then that he carried now.  It was just him and Amy, sitting together, watching the sun set one summer evening.

   “Amy?  I wish…I wish that we could always be together.  I wish that it could always be this way…”

   The two were only seven and nine at this point, and they still had their sweet innocence.  Amy looked at her friend, one that she had come to love more than any other living person.

   “Me too Knuckles.  I’ve always wished to find a friend like you.  I could never guess that when I wished upon the stars that they would leave me to a precious soul, the wonder that was you.  You’re my best friend Knuckles, and no matter how long I live, I’ll never forget you.”

   Knuckles looked at Amy, his eyes filled with wonder.  He looked up to the sky, and could see the early evening stars just beginning to shine.  Then, he felt Amy place her hand on his larger one.  He looked down, and then took her hand in his own.  Amy was going to leave that next day, and neither of them could guess how long it would be before they saw each other again.

   “I…I’ll never forget you either Amy.  You mean more to me…than…than the Master Emerald.  I care about you so…so much Amy.  I…I…love you Amy.”

   There was silence for a few moments, and the two looked into each other’s eyes.  Knuckles was unsure if he had said the right thing, but then, his fears were allayed in she smiled at him warmly.  She couldn’t help but blush slightly, and she folded her ears back, flattening them against her head.  She blinked her eyes slowly, and then looked lovingly at the echidna.

   “I love you too Knuckles…so much.  You’re the kindest, sweetest, most honest person I know.  I’ll never forget this day.  I’ve never known another person who makes me as happy as you do.”

   Knuckles smiled, and the two scooted closer together.  She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he placed his arm around her, and held her hand with his remaining hand.  He nuzzled her gently…making a memory as he did.

   “Amy, I trust you...you’re the only person I can trust.  You’re all I’ve ever known Amy, and I’m so glad I met you.  Let’s make this last forever Amy.  You make me happy too…happy like I’ve never been before.”

   Then, Knuckles gently kissed Amy on the top of her head, and rested his head on hers, holding her tightly, and never wanting to let go.  The memories of that day had never left him, and in his dreams, they renewed him, healing his wounded heart, his injured soul, and made him believe in his future again.  As long as he had Amy…he will be alright.  She loved him, believed in him, and because of her love, he found the strength, to believe in himself again.*

   Knuckles rolled over in bed, and breathed a deep sigh of relief, as he found comfort from his fond memories.  He believed in his life again, and his hopes for his future were bright.  As a warm rain fell outside, giving new life to all living things, memories of happy times gone by, gave new life to Knuckles, and with the sunrise, he could start to heal his wounds, as well as his heart.