Chapter Three

I Finally Have a Real Family

I woke up the next morning. Rouge was asleep in a bed next to mine. Amy was asleep in a bed next to Tails. And Sonic was asleep in a bed across from mine. I could only guess that Knuckles was still down in the basement, looking after the Master Emerald. I felt to bad to try to sit up. I was hurting all over. I stared up at the ceiling, feeling even more sick then last night. Finally, Rouge woke up. She got out of her bed and walked over to me. She sat down on the edge of my bed.

“Good morning, Shadow.” she said quietly, so not to wake the others.

“Good morning, Rouge.” I said quietly.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“I feel worse than last night. And I’m hurting all over pretty bad. But don’t worry about me, I’ll be alright. I just want to lay here and rest. I’m not going to get up and move around any like I did yesterday. I feel too bad.” I said.

“That’s good you want to stay in bed. You can still have something to do and stay in bed, you know. You should sketch more since you enjoy it so much. Did you have the dream again last night?” she said.

“No, I didn’t. I didn’t dream at all, I don’t think.” I said.

“Well, that’s good. At least you didn’t have any bad dreams again. I know you don’t like having the dream. Maybe after awhile, it’ll go away.” she said.

“Yeah, maybe. It was hard for me to sleep with all that’s wrong with me. My arm and leg give me bad trouble. I’ll get used to it as I heal, though.” I said.

“Are you still feeling very sick?” she asked.

“Yeah, I am. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I wish I knew.” I said.

“Well, maybe we’ll find out somehow. I say you have the flu. You look feverish. Here, let’s see.” she said. She got up and walked over to the supply shelf and got a thermometer. She walked back over to me and sat down on the edge of my bed. I sat up in bed.

“Alright, open your mouth.” she said. I opened my mouth and she stuck the thermometer in it. I closed my mouth back.

“Now leave it in there for a few minutes. I found out something about you. As I was putting your shoes up last night, a small secret compartment in one of them opened. There was a disk inside. Maria had hidden it there for you to find later. It’s about your past. Here, I’ll go get my laptop and let you read it.” she said. She walked over to the coffee bar and got her laptop off the table. She walked back over to me and sat down beside me. She opened her laptop and turned it on.

“Let me find it first. Alright, there it is. Here, I’ll let you read it.” she said. She give me her laptop. I started to read the file.

“Dear Shadow, I found out something about you on my grandfather’s computer. It’s about your past. You was not created like grandfather thought. My cousin, Ivo Robotnik or Dr. Eggman as he is called now, was responsible for how you came to the ARK. You was kidnapped as an infant by Eggman from your parents, who he had killed. He brought you to the ARK and claimed that one of the experiments that grandfather was working on had been a success. Then he passed you off as the experiment to gain praise from grandfather. Grandfather, happy that he had finally succeeded in making the Ultimate Being, trained you to be what you are today. I wanted to tell you but I was afraid that if I did, Eggman would find out and would try to destroy the ARK to cover up his blame. And maybe hurt you. I’m very sorry, Shadow. And please, don’t blame grandfather. He didn’t want to tell your for the same fears that I had. I hope your not angry at either me or grandfather. We where just trying to protect you and the ARK. Please forgive us. Your dearest friend, Maria.” I read to myself. I turned off Rouge’s laptop and shut it. I give it back to her. I closed my eyes and began to cry. Rouge put her hand on my shoulder.

“My life has been a lie. I’m not the Ultimate Being. I’m just a lie that Eggman passed off as an experiment.” I cryed.

“Shadow, your not a lie. You’re a hedgehog who was orphaned, kidnapped, and given away to a scientist for training. Like Maria said, it wasn’t her grandfather’s fault. It was Eggman’s.” Rouge said. She got up and sat down on the edge of my bed. She hugged me.

“Just let it all out, Shadow. A good long cry will make you feel better. And I’m here if you want to talk about it.” she said. Sonic woke up. He got up out of bed and walked over to us.

“Did he have the dream again?” he asked.

“No, Sonic, it’s something different. Something much worse. He just found out that he’s not a creation. Eggman killed his parents and kidnapped him and then give him to Maria’s grandfather.” Rouge said.

“Oh, that is much worse.” Sonic said. After awhile, I stopped crying. Rouge leaned back some.

“Are you alright now, Shadow?” she said.

“Yeah, I’m alright. I’ve become soft, crying so much, haven’t I?” I said.

“No, Shadow, it’s alright to cry. It’s a good thing to do. You’ve always been soft, it’s just took you until now to show your soft side. Don’t be ashamed of it. We all cry. There’s nothing wrong with crying. You’ve opened up a lot in the past couple of days. You know, Maria found your birth certificate on her grandfather’s computer. She put it on the disk. You’re the same age as me.” she said.

“I am?” I asked.

“Yeah, you are. And Shadow is your real name, in case your wondering.” she said.

“Well, thanks for telling me my age and my name, Rouge. I’m finally a person now and not a creation. I had a family once.” I said.

“Your welcome, Shadow. You still have a family.” she said. She hugged me.

“We’re your family. And we love you just as much as we love each other. Don’t ever think your alone because your not. We’re here for you, always.” she said.

“I finally have a real family.” I said. She leaned back some.

“You’ve always had a real family, us. It’s just took you until now to realize that. Oh, I forgot about the thermometer. Here let me check it.” she said. She took it out of my mouth.

“Yeah, you have a fever. A hundred and two. That’s high. You sit right there and get some rest. I’ll go get you some good cold ice water. That’ll help you feel better. I’ll be right back.” she said. She got up and walked over to the coffee bar. Sonic sat down in the chair beside my bed.

“Don’t worry, bro. You have family now. You’re my brother. If you ever need anything, just come to me. I’ll help you out the best I can.” he said.

“Thanks, bro.” I said.

“Your welcome, bro.” he said. Rouge walked back over to us and sat down on the edge of my bed.

“Here you go, Shadow.” she said, giving me a glass of water.

“Thanks, Rouge.” I said.

“Your welcome, Shadow. We need to get that fever down. It’s way too high. I still say you have the flu. But you’ll be alright. I’ll take care of you.” she said.

“Your taking this well, Shadow, finding out about your past. I mean, I thought you’d still be crying or be angry.” Sonic said.

“Well, I don’t want to cry to much, Sonic. I’ll make myself sicker by being so upset. And I am very angry. But I’m in no shape to do anything about it. And I don’t want to end up like this again. So I’m just going to take my revenge for my parents by helping you and the rest of the family defeat Eggman.” I said.

“Well, I’m glad you want to help us instead of doing it yourself. I don’t want to see my brother hurt like this again.” he said.

“Thanks, bro.” I said.

“Your welcome, bro.” he said.

“It’s good to see that you two are getting along better. Shadow, do you want anything to eat? Or do you think you can hold anything down?” Rouge said.

“I don’t think I can hold anything down. Let’s just wait a little while before I try to eat something. I’m still pretty sick. And as upset as I was a few minutes ago, I’m feeling worse.” I said.

“I’m sorry that I upset you, Shadow. But I had to tell you.” she said.

“That’s alright, Rouge. Thanks for telling me.” I said.

“Your welcome, now rest.” she said. Amy woke up. She got out of her bed and walked over to us.

“Oh, I slept good. Shadow, are you feeling better?” she asked.

“No, not really. I found out that I wasn’t created and that Eggman killed my parents.” I said.

“Oh, Shadow, I’m so sorry.” she said.

“It’s nothing you did, Amy. Don’t worry, I’m not going to go on another anger fed rampage like I did yesterday with Metal Sonic. I’ve quit that. There’s no use in acting that way because it only gets me in this kind of shape. And since I have a family now that cares for me so much, I don’t want to worry you all.” I said. I grabbed the table beside my bed and pulled it in front of me. I got my pencil and started to sketch again.

“It’s so boring having to stay in bed so much. But I guess I’ll get used to it. I can’t really go anywhere. I’m just glad I have you all to talk to.” I said.

“Well, we’ll always be here to talk to you. Don’t ever feel ashamed to come talk to one of us if something bothers you. And you know I’ll talk to you about anything. I’ll always be there as a shoulder to cry on if you need one.” Rouge said. She stared at me for a few seconds.

“What? Am I bleeding somewhere?” I said.

“No, your eyes, they show kindness now. And care. You care for us. I’ve never seen that in your eyes before. Oh, your cheek is bleeding a little. Here, let me clean that up for you.” she said. She got a tissue off the table next to my bed and wiped the blood off my cheek.

“There, that’s better. Your scratched up everywhere. Every square inch of you.” she said. She leaned in close to me and kissed me on the side of the face.

“Does it feel better now?” she said.

“Yeah, it does.” I said. She kissed me again.

“What was that for?” I asked.

“Just because I like you. I always have but I was just always too shy to say so.” she said.

“Well, to tell the truth, I’ve always liked you too. And really, I was always just too shy to say so too.” I said.

“Oh, your blushing. I’ve never seen you blush before. Your face is as red as your eyes.” she said.

“I must be pretty red then.” I said.

“Oh, I think someone’s in love.” Amy said.

“Yeah, they are. Look at them. I would of never thought they would fall in love as tough as they are and as much as they fought.” Sonic said.

“Yeah but now, they’re like they’ve always been together.” Amy said.

“Well, they have been for a long time. They just never really thought about each other as friends. Just as teammates. But now, they’re friends. Or maybe just a little more than that.” Sonic said.

“You do know we can hear everything you two are saying, don’t you?” Rouge said.

“Yeah but it’s true.” Sonic said.

“Well, yeah, it is.” Rouge said. I put my pencil down and laid back.

“I feel so bad. I don’t even feel like sketching anymore.” I said.

“You sound so weak. You just lay there and rest. I’m right here if you need anything.” Rouge said.

“Bro, your going to be alright. It’s just the flu. It’ll only last about a week or so.” Sonic said. I covered my mouth and pointed at the bucket. Rouge got it for me. I sat up and hung my head over it. I got sick.

“I didn’t think I had anything left. It must have been that water.” I moaned. I got sick again. I raised my head up. I got a tissue off the night stand and wiped my mouth. I threw the tissue in the bucket.

“I’m done, Rouge. I know I don’t have anything left now.” I moaned.

“Well, I’ll be right back. Amy, you’re my aid now. Watch him while I’m gone. Tell me if anything happens when I get back.” Rouge said.

“Alright, I will.” Amy said.

“Sonic, your in charge of taking care of Tails. Amy needs to help me. Shadow’s in much worse shape then Tails. Just make sure Tail’s doesn’t get out of bed and move around any or touches his bandage. You can ask me for help anytime you need it. But Shadow needs a lot of attention. I know you can take care of Tails.” Rouge said.

“Alright, I’ll take care of him. I wonder why he hasn’t woke up yet.” Sonic said.

“Sonic, he’s a kid. Kids sleep longer. He’s needs all the rest he can get anyways. Don’t worry, he’ll be alright. Now, I’ll be right back.” Rouge said. She got the bucket and left. Tails woke up.

“Hey, bro, is Shadow awake?” he said.

“Yeah, he is, little bro. But he’s in very bad shape. He’s sick with the flu or something. He has a fever of a hundred and two. So, he’s pretty sick.” Sonic said. Tails sat up in his bed. He looked over at me.

“Oh, he does look very bad.” he said.

“Yeah, he’s not been able to hold anything down since late last night after you went to sleep. He can’t even keep water down. Rouge and Amy is going to take care of him. Rouge’s put me in charge of taking care of you. So I don’t want you to get up out of bed. And don’t touch your bandage. Your healing and don’t need to make you wounds any worse.” Sonic said.

“Alright, I’ll stay in bed and not touch my bandage. Though, it does itch very bad.” Tails said. Rouge come back with the bucket and a wet wash cloth. She sat down on the edge of my bed and set the bucket down beside my bed. She put the wet wash cloth on my forehead.

“There, that’ll help some. Amy, did anything happen while I was gone?” she said.

“No, nothing happed with Shadow. Tails woke up, though.” Amy said.

“Oh, well, how are you feeling, Tails?” Rouge said.

“I’m feeling a little better. My bandage itches very bad but I won’t scratch it. I know that bothering the bandage will just make the wound worse. I’m worried about Shadow. He looks very bad.” Tails said.

“Yeah, I’m worried about him myself, Tails. Oh, he’s so pale now. He’s lost every bit of his color. I wonder what in the world he has. I still think it’s the flu but where did he get it? Oh, I know now. The hospital. When he took Tails to the hospital, he must of caught it there. I just wonder why the rest of us haven’t caught it from the hospital or from him yet. No matter, he’s got it now and needs care.” Rouge said. Knuckles walked up to us.

“Shadow, what in the world happened to you?” he said.

“You’ve been in the basement looking after that Master Emerald too long. Shadow went to destroy Metal Sonic yesterday and it self-destructed on him after slashing at him like it did Tails. He’s also got the flu too, we think.” Sonic said.

“Oh, that’s bad. Shadow, are you alright now? You don’t look all to well.” Knuckles said.

“No, he’s not alright. He’s very sick. He’s got a very high fever and can’t keep anything down. Even water.” Rouge said.

“Bro, if you need anything, anything at all, tell me. I’ll get it for you.” Knuckles said.

“Thanks, bro. I got Rouge and Amy taking care of me. So, I should be alright.” I said.

“Your welcome, bro. Since we have the mansion under emergency lockdown, I’m going to stay out of the basement. It gets so boring down there.” he said.

“Yeah, I say it does.” Sonic said.

“I feel so bad.” I moaned.

“I know you do, Shadow. I’m going to put an IV in you to keep you hydrated since you can’t keep anything down. I’ll be right back.” Rouge said. She got up and walked over to the supply shelf. She got an IV bag, an IV pole, and a few other things and walked back over to me.

“Alright, let me have your left hand.” she said. I let her have my left hand. She cleaned a spot on the back of my hand with some gauze soaked in alcohol. Then she put an IV needle in my hand. She hooked it up to the IV bag and hung the bag on the IV pole. She put a bandage on my hand to keep the needle in.

“There, now don’t touch that. You’ll be alright now. You might even get some of your strength back. I don’t know for sure. Your pretty bad sick.” she said.

“Rouge, Tails and Knuckles doesn’t know about me. Tell them what you found out.” I said.

“Alright, I will.” she said.

“Found out what?” Tails asked.

“Eggman killed Shadow’s parents when he was an infant. Then he passed Shadow off as an experiment to Prof. Gerald to gain his praise. Prof. Gerald thought that his experiments to make the Ultimate Being was a success and that Shadow was the Ultimate Being. Maria raised him and Prof. Gerald trained him. Maria finally found out right before Shadow left the ARK. She put all of the information she found out off of Prof. Gerald’s computer into a disk and hid it in a secret compartment in one of Shadow’s shoes. I found out that Shadow is his real name and he’s the same age as me. So, he’s not the Ultimate Being. He’s an orphan.” Rouge said.

“Oh, bro, I don’t know what to say.” Knuckles said.

“Shadow, I’m so sorry.” Tails said.

“That’s alright, Tails. You didn’t do anything. Don’t worry about me. I have a family. I’m with them now. I’m so tired. I’m going to sleep. I can’t stay awake any longer.” I said.

“Alright, go to sleep then. I’ll stay right here and watch over you.” Rouge said. I closed my eyes and went to sleep.