[Knuckles's POV]

"Stay away!" I heard the blue hedgehog shout behind a closed door as Rouge, Tails, and I ran towards Shadow's room.

A group of doctors stood in front of the door, Shadow's head nurse in the middle as she knocked on it gently.

"Sonic, please. I'm sorry that this has to happen, but you can't keep him here in suffering." Julia seemed so sad as she said those words.

Sonic's voice was rough, sounding like he's been crying and shouting this entire time. "You can't take him away from me!"

"Why is he acting like this?" Tails questioned. "I know he doesn't like when his friends are hurt, but this...." I sighed a bit as we stopped in front of the group. Sonic refused to tell of the events that happened, even when questioned. I was often asked too, but I made sure to say very little.

"Now is not the time to worry about that." I stated, making my way through the doctors. Julia noticed us, and I could see her eyes tearing up.

"He won't come out...."

I sighed before calmly grabbing the human's hand. "Don't blame yourself for this. Sonic's just a bit attached...."

She didn't look convinced, but she nodded. I looked towards the door, letting go of Julia's hand. Hopefully, I can help him....

I stepped towards the door, knocking. "Sonic, you need to calm down."

"Knuckles?" His hoarse voice sounded worse this close.

"Yeah."

I heard foot steps towards the door. "Are you alone?"

I looked behind me to the group of people. "Uh.... Yeah...."

"You're a horrible liar, Knux."

I frowned.

"Can you make them leave?"

"Eh.... One minute." I walked back to the group, who were staring dumbstruck at me. "Maybe I can get him to come out."

Rouge nodded, but seemed confused. "Why would he want to talk to you over Tails, though?"

"I think I know." Tails said. "Knuckles was with him when whatever happened that put Shadow in that coma occurred. He might just want to talk to someone who's experienced it too."

I simply nodded before turning to Julia. "Do you think you could clear the floor?"

She nodded before ushering the others out, Tails and Rouge wishing me luck. When I could see nobody in the clear white hallway, I walked back to the door, hearing slight sniffles from the other end. "You still there?"

"Are they gone?"

"Yes."

Quickly, the door opened, and my arm was grabbed as I was yanked through. The door shut quickly behind me, and I turned at the noise. He wasn't there. "Sonic?"

"Sorry," The hoarse voice echoed through the room; I tried to find the source, but nobody was in the room but Shadow. Strange.... "But I have to hide for now.... Until I calm down...."

I tilted my head, curious, but ended up shrugging. "Fine."

I sat down in the chair beside Shadow's bed as I looked at him. It's still the same look that he's had since Sonic brought him here. If only he knew the chaos he was bringing....

"Knuckles, we need to leave." Sonic's voice was still rough, but he was still stern.

"What?" I looked to the wall across from me.

"To Eggman's." He clarified, and I could clearly here him behind me. "You said you'd come with Shadow and me."

I sighed as the memory of Sonic's plan came to my mind. "Are you sure you want to do this, Sonic? He could just be using your weakness against you...."

"Please don't say that stuff, Knuckles. I just want Shadow to be okay...."

I closed my eyes, contemplating my situation here, before standing up and looking behind me. "Alright, you wi-"

I cut myself off at the sight before me. It was Sonic, but... darker.... I remember seeing this look before when we first encountered Mephiles. He stared back with pupiless eyes, a nervous grin on his muzzle. "Hey, Knux...."

"Wha-How-Whe-?" I couldn't even form a complete thought as questions reeled through my mind.

"Woah, calm down." He held his arms out, laughing nervously. "I'll have Sonic explain it later. Right now, we need to get Shadow to Eggman."

Trying to recover from shock, I nodded, eyes still wide, and turned arlund, taking deep breaths. I knew something was going on with that hedgehog after so much, but I could never figure it out. I took another glance back to see a normal Sonic. He stared at me nervously, wiping at his tear stained muzzle.

"Heya, Knuckles...."

I blinked. "I must be going crazy...."

He looked away, laughing nervously, before locking eyes with me. "Sorry, Knuckles, but you're not quite there yet."

I just stared at him, eyes not moving unless he'd change again. He rubbed the back of his neck, emerald eyes looking away from mine. "Please stop staring, Knux. I mean, I know I'm pretty handsome, but we're both taken."

I rolled my eyes and looked back to the peacefully sleeping hedgehog in the hospital bed. "So, are you really sure this is a good idea."

"Anything to keep Shadow alive." Sonic walked towards his comatose love, taking his hand. "I can't lose him...."

I sighed and looked away. "Then we better get out of here before the others try to get in here again. How are we doing this?"

I could almost hear the smirk in his words as he said the next sentence. "Get on the bed."

I looked back to see various hospital equipment on the bed with Shadow while Sonic stood in between the back of the bed and the wall, his devilish grin on.

"Are you in your right mind!?"

"Nope. Now get on, Knucklehead!"

I looked from Sonic to the hospital bed and back to Sonic. He isn't seriously going to steal all of this, is he? Looking back to the blank face of Shadow's, I sighed and got on the bed, gripping the end rail.

Before I knew it, we were out the window....

"SONIC!!!!"
______________________________

[Sonic's POV]

I truly laughed for the first time in ages as I ran with Shadow safely in bed, and Knuckles screaming like a little girl. It was strange, but I felt better, the wind almost making me forget of the sadness buried in my heart. Dark and Exe seemed to be enjoying it too.

'Finally some happiness.' Dark cheered, forgetting that he practically just revealed my biggest secret.

Knuckles's shout brought me back to reality. "Look out for that tree!"

My eyes widened as I quickly evaded the large tree in the middle of nowhere.

"You could've got us killed!"

"Don't I always, though?" I chuckled.

I could almost sense his eye roll as I slowed to a stop in front of Eggman's not-so secret base. Knuckles fell off, landing face first on the ground with a groan. I laughed as he looked back at me and glared.

The sound of a door sliding open alerted me to another's presence. Looking up, I found the man I considered my enemy staring down on the three of us. His eyes went from Knuckles to me, and then to Shadow. I looked at my love, curled up in the bedsheets, just as he's been before, my sadness returning. I felt my ears droop as I looked back to Eggman, who was already staring at me. I caught glimpse of my worn out and weak form in the glint of his glasses. Have I looked like this the whole time? I really let myself go, but then again, I never had time to worry about myself, Shadow filling up most of my mind.

My enemy's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "I never thought I'd see the day when the famous rat stole something."

"I'm not a rat, I'm a hedgehog." I crossed my arms and looked at him stubbornly, but quickly dropped the act as he glanced towards Shadow. "You said you'd help him.... Please.."

He better, or else I would've almost died for nothing." Knuckles crossed his arms, his suspicious eyes on Eggman. I shushed him, not wanting Eggman to say no because of his jabs.

"I didn't think he was in this bad of shape...." The doctor couldn't take his eyes away from Shadow as he examined my love. "He seems almost dead."

That didn't get my hopes up. "But you can help, right?"

I could tell he hesitated before nodding. "I will try. Follow me."

Knuckles huffed and followed behind with me pushing Shadow's bed. Every time I looked to the echidna, he always seemed on alert and ready to fight if necessary. That was the only reason he came, wasn't it? To protect Shadow and me? I smiled, glad to know that he was still with me throughout this entire thing.

The doctor lead us to a higher tech version of a doctor's office. As much as I don't like what he does, I do have to admit that his tech skills are amazing. He gestured to the clean bed, and I looked to Shadow, gently picking him up and holding him close to me before setting him down on the newer one. Eggman took out the needles and other things out of him, replacing them with others. I looked to the packet that was supposed to hold blood, but it definitely didn't look like blood.

"Why is it green?" I inquired, hoping that this wasn't a trick.

"Chaos energy, of course." The doctor replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Shadow's body is made with Chaos energy, specifically some of the 'blood.'"

"Some?" Knuckles asked, his head tilted.

"The other portion of his blood is of alien an alien called Black Doom. I'm sure you remember him?"

I nodded, puzzle pieces of Shadow's past actually coming together in my mind for once. I stared to my love, his body seemingly lifeless, until he was hooked up to the green, Chaos filled substance. It may have been small, but I noticed his nose twitch slightly. A smile made it's way onto my face as hope swelled in my heart.

You finally have a chance to live, Shadow....