A Bitter Upbringing and a Tender Love 4 Part 2

Rated: Fiction T (Teen) (PG-13) - English - Romance/Drama - Sonic & Amy - Chapter 4 - Part 2

Summary

Sonic the Hedgehog has always had a very hard life. After a tragic accident lands him in an orphanage, he meets a young girl named Amy Rose who quickly becomes his closest friend. As they grow older together, Sonic finds himself feeling confused about his feelings and relationship with Amy. He begins to question whether or not he likes her as just a best friend or possibly something far more. If that wasn't enough on his mind, what will Sonic do when he finds his troubled past coming back to haunt him years later?

XXXXX

Chapter Four – Secret Roses

XXXXX

High heels clicked loudly on the hospital floor as a woman dressed in a business suit walked quickly through the hallways. She wasted no time in heading towards her destination. The hospital room door was open and she could hear the sounds of the television blazing into the hallway. "Perfect." She stood at the threshold to see a little blue hedgehog fully engrossed in what he was watching.

She knocked on the side of the doorway to grasp his attention. "Ahem." The little boy stopped watching and turned to look at her. She plastered on a fake smile and walked into the room. "Hello Sonic." She said as she pulled up a chair next to his bedside. He looked at her puzzled and unsure of what to say.

"No need to worry. I just want to talk to you." She stated, reading his expression.

When he just stared at her not saying anything she pressed to continue the conversation. "My name's Emily...and I work with children to help them get through difficult times in their lives."

He just nodded, frowning. He didn't really like where this was going. He didn't want to talk about anything. He learned from his mistake. The whole reason he was here and separated from his mother was because he opened his mouth and let out his secret. Never again.

Ignoring his obvious discomfort and the awkwardness of the situation she pressed on. "So how are you feeling Sonic? Are the nurses taking good care of you?"

He nodded. "Yeah...I'm fine." He replied quietly, feeling a little frustrated.

"Do you know why you are here?" She pressed. He looked at her with agitation clear on his small features.

"Yeah." He replied irritably. "Because of daddy..."

"Can you tell me about it?" She continued to push him for more answers.

"No." He said bluntly.

"Why not?" She asked. She'll get him to talk whether he liked it or not. She had no ambition on leaving empty handed.

"I don't wanna talk about it." He said angrily, crossing his arms.

"Now Sonic...it's not good to bottle up your emotions. You need to express how you feel and what's bothering you." She stated factually.

"I don't need to do anything." He said defiantly.

He felt a little guilty acting in this way but he really had no desire to talk about that horrible day or his father. He had been trying so hard to block it out of his mind. He kept looking forward to seeing his mommy and getting out of this place.

"You need help darling...let me help you."

"I don't need any help! I'm just fine!" He shouted angrily.

It was silent in the room for a couple of minutes. Sonic refused to look at this stranger who continued to pester him for answers. He hoped she would get the hint that he didn't want to talk and she would leave.

"Tell me about your father." She asked suddenly, changing direction in the conversation.

Sonic gripped his sheets tightly, feeling a variety of emotions: Fear, sadness, anxiety, uneasiness, anger.

"No." He stated firmly.

"I would really like to learn more about him...but I need your help."

"I don't wanna talk about daddy..." He felt tears threatening his eyes now.

"Why not? Don't you love your daddy?"

His vision began to blur as large, hot tears filled his eyes, threatening to fall down his cheeks at any moment. Why was this woman doing this to him? Can't she see she's hurting him? That he didn't want to talk about this? Why can't she just leave him alone. As much as he feared his father, as much as his father had hurt him physically and emotionally, he couldn't bring himself to fully hate him.

Deep down he still had love for his father and wished they could have a loving father son relationship like all the other boys at his school. It hurt him greatly that he didn't and couldn't have that. He wanted his father to love him more than anything. He would always ask himself what was wrong with him? What was he doing wrong to make his father hate him so much?

"Leave me alone..." Sonic mumbled sadly, vigorously wiping at his teary eyes.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." She stated rather heartlessly, unaffected by his tears and sudden sadness.

Sonic stared ahead at the television screen not really paying attention. His heart was now aching as this woman continued to poke at his weak points.

"If you won't tell me about your father...tell me about your mother. What's she like?" Sonic looked at her incredulously.

"I'm not gonna tell you anything. No matter how much you ask me." He told her coldly, completely fed up with her now.

She scoffed at his rudeness and attitude. "I don't think you realize the situation you're now in young man."

"I don't care!"

"I think you will when you find yourself with new living arrangements."

He refused to look at her, gripping his sheets tightly. He wasn't quite sure what she meant by that.

"I don't care where my mommy and I live...as long as we're together." He said firmly.

"And what would you do if you didn't have your mommy?" She asked him coldly.

He looked at her completely horrified. "W-what...?" He stammered, his heart wretched with fear and anxiety.

She smiled viciously at him. "Ah...that got your attention...but if you want some answers out of me...I need answers out of you."

He shook his head in disbelief. "She's lying...don't listen to her." He told himself, giving himself some encouragement. He felt his tears brimming his eyes once again and he put forth a lot of effort to keep them at bay but to no avail. He started shaking fiercely and his tears began pouring down his muzzle.

"No..." He whispered, shaking his head in utter disbelief. He refused to listen to this heartless woman. "Y-you're a liar! He shouted, venting his anger. "I-I don't b-believe y-you!" He said, his voice gaining strength, his eyes filled with anger and worry. The woman only laughed softly at him.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Sophie asked as she entered the room. She looked at Emily with fire in her eyes. She was furious.

"Who let you in here?" She asked, walking over to the woman. Emily stood up from her chair ignoring the sobbing hedgehog next to her.

"Nobody...I let myself in." She stated boldly.

"You have no permission to be here...you need to leave...right now!" Sophie seethed while pointing towards the doorway.

"I still have questions to ask this child...questions in need of answering."

"I don't think so...you need to get out. Now!" Sophie yelled.

Emily scoffed. "I don't take orders from anyone let alone a measly nurse such as yourself."

Sophie clenched her fists and tried to control her anger. She looked back to Sonic seeing him sobbing, fear filled in his eyes.

"What the hell did you do to him?"

"I just simply asked him questions that's all."

"If you have any questions...you can ask me, leave him out of it."

"Only he can answer these questions."

Sophie felt an urge to slap this woman. She was insufferable.

"Sonic doesn't need to hear this...let's just discuss this outside." Sophie managed, trying to be civil. Emily silently agreed following Sophie out the door. The moment Sophie shut the door and made sure they were out of ear shot she vented her anger.

"What the hell do you think your doing? Who gave you the right to walk inside his room and start pumping him for answers?"

Doctors, nurses, and patients around the hallway got quiet as they eavesdropped and stared at the fighting feline and hedgehog.

"I'm a Psychologist. I specialize in evaluating troubled children. That boy needs help. He's been through a tragic experience and needs to talk about it."

"What you're doing is not helping him, it's making everything worse!" Sophie yelled. "Did you see the look on that kid's face?" She pointed towards his hospital room door.

"Listen, he's the only witness we have to the murder and we need answers in order to find the man responsible. The police can't waste time waiting for him to feel like talking about it."

"He may have been involved in what happened that day, but I can tell you now he does not know what happened to his mother. Ever since he came out of a coma he's been asking for his mother and anticipating on seeing her soon." Sophie announced venomously.

Emily huffed in indifference. "We still need his story. He could tell us exactly what went on that day from his perspective."

"You will leave that boy alone. I will not let you play around with his head."

Emily narrowed her eyes. "We'll just see about that." She turned around in a huff and walked away.

Sophie stood watching her leave in silence. Once the the woman was out of sight she immediately ran back to Sonic's room. As she entered the room, she saw Sonic sobbing uncontrollably, hugging his blankets in dire need of warmth and comfort. Sophie ran over to his bedside.

"Sonic!" She shouted with worry, trying to get his attention. He looked up at her with tears in his eyes.

"S-s-she s-said..." He trailed off as fresh tears fell down his cheeks.

"Forget what she said." Sophie said soothingly. Sonic shook his head. "S-she said m-mommy..." He didn't get to finish his sentence as Sophie pulled him into a strong, nurturing embrace. She hugged him tightly as he cried into her shoulder, hugging her back in desperate need of comfort.

"Shh..." Sophie soothed. "Everything is alright." Sonic's sobs softened a bit as she rocked him back and forth in her arms. She felt her own heart breaking at the sight of him so distressed and sullen. What kind of Psychologist intentionally makes someone feel this way? How can she sit there and pump a helpless five year old for answers, answers he, himself did not know.

"I promise not to let that woman come near you again." She whispered. Sonic choked back his remaining sobs as he closed his eyes, his shaking subsiding. She stayed like this, hugging him tightly for a couple of minutes before finally pulling away. She laid him back down on his bed and wiped his eyes and cheeks with clean tissues.

"Please cheer up." She begged him. "We had such a nice day today didn't we? We played a lot of games." Sonic smiled weakly from the memories. "Yeah...and I won most of em..." He quipped.

She smiled brightly as she ruffled up his quills. "Only because I'm rusty." She joked. He smiled.

"Are you feeling better now?" She asked him. He nodded. "Yeah..." He sniffed.

She tickled his tummy lightly and he giggled. "Good."

"I want you to rest now okay...?" He nodded wearily. "Okay." He whispered softly.

Sophie tucked him in and turned off the television. "I want you to forget what that woman said. Do you understand me?" She asked. He nodded. "What she said was wrong and she had no right to say it to you."

She turned off the lights but kept the room door open for him. She watched as Sonic slowly closed his eyes and snuggled into the blankets before leaving. She needed to talk to Cathy about this and now she had to pay extra attention to make sure that woman didn't come back.

XXXXX

Another day had passed by and Sonic was laying in bed pretending to be asleep. It was around eleven o'clock at night as he lay there, eagerly waiting for something to happen. He had received another rose that morning and he was determined to find out who this secret admirer was. He was beginning to feel impatient and felt a little drowsy. He hoped whoever this secret admirer was would come soon.

Just when he was about to give up and fall asleep, he heard the sound of footsteps by his room door. He quickly pulled the covers over himself more, wiggled himself in a more comfortable position and closed his eyes. He heard the door opening slowly and had to resist the urge to open his eyes and see who it was. He had to wait a little longer before he could catch the mystery person in the act.

The unknown person stepped quietly inside and walked slowly up to his bedside. He could sense their presence right next to him now. Suddenly, he felt their hand on his and he could no longer hold back his curiosity. He sat up quickly and opened his eyes, ready to meet his secret admirer.

"Caught ya!" He exclaimed proudly.

The little pink hedgehog let out a small yelp in surprise and immediately turned to bolt for the door. Before she could, however, Sonic grabbed her wrist.

"Hey! Wait!" He said, gently pulling her back to him.

"I didn't mean to scare y-" He found himself dumbfounded and unable to finish his sentence as she turned around and faced him. His eyes grew wide when he realized who his secret admirer was and he couldn't prevent his cheeks from heating up.

"I-it's...you..." He whispered breathlessly.

She looked at him with a hint of confusion.

"I-I mean..." He trailed off, finding it difficult to speak. He rubbed the back of his head nervously with his free hand and tried to suppress his deepening blush.

She urged herself to say something to him. This entire time she had been visiting him she wished she could speak to him. Now that she had the chance she found herself lost for words. Her cheeks were burning and she felt her heart pounding in her chest.

The room became painfully quiet as the two little hedgehogs tried composing themselves.

"So...um...what's your name?" Sonic asked shyly.

"A-Amy Rose..." She replied quietly. He smiled sheepishly at her.

All this time he had wanted to talk to her and hear her voice, now he finally had the opportunity to. He even got to finally learn her name.

"I'm Sonic the Hedgehog." He said, gaining more confidence. She smiled shyly at him.

He looked down at his hand and realized he was still holding her wrist. Embarrassed, he let go and clasped his hands together in his lap.

"So...uh...what're ya doin'?" He asked her bashfully.

Her cheeks flushed and she looked down at the floor. "I...I wanted to make sure you were okay..." She said in a low voice.

His cheeks began to heat up again. "Oh..."

She pulled out the red rose that laid hidden in her pajama pocket. "H-here...this is for you..." She said bashfully, handing him the rose.

He smiled at her. "Thanks. It's really nice." He complimented. She smiled at him.

"You don't need to worry about me ya know...I'm feeling much better now." He stated confidently, holding both hands behind his head.

"I'm so glad." She said with a breath of relief.

He eyed her curiously. "How did you know I was here anyway?" He asked.

"Oh...um..." She looked around nervously. "Well...I saw you...when you first came here...your room is only across the hall from mine."

"She's staying at the hospital too?" He thought to himself in wonder.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"I live here sometimes..." She said quietly.

Now he was really confused. Before he could question her further on the subject she spoke again.

"How come you're here? What happened?" She asked him with concern, worry in her beautiful jade green eyes.

He avoided her eyes. He didn't want her to know the truth.

"It's no big deal really...I just had a little accident that's all." He lied.

She nodded sadly but then smiled. "But you're alright now." She said cheerfully.

He nodded and smiled. "Yeah."

They looked at each other, emerald meeting jade as their eyes locked on one another.

"Do you always sneak out at night?" He asked her playfully with a smile.

She blushed. "W-well...not always...just when I wanna help someone out."

"So it's not just me you visit?" He asked, feeling a bit disappointed.

She sat next to him on the bed and smiled shyly. "If I tell you something do you promise to keep it a secret?" She asked him.

He smiled. "I promise."

"Pinky promise?" She asked, holding out her hand. He chuckled, linking his pinky finger with hers.

"I pinky promise." He said. She smiled and giggled softly as they completed the gesture.

"Alright...I sneak out sometimes so I can give people some hope."

"Hope?" He looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"

"When people wake up and see the roses...it makes them feel happy and it helps them get better. The roses give them hope that they will get well soon." She smiled at him.

He merely stared at her speechless, in shock from her explanation. After a couple of moments of silence she spoke again.

"The roses helped you too..." She whispered shyly.

He smiled brightly at her. "Yeah...they really did." She blushed.

"That's really nice of you Amy...what you're doing...I mean." He whispered bashfully, looking away from her. He felt his cheeks burning again. Why did she make him feel so funny inside? Aside from the weird feelings, he really enjoyed her company.

She smiled sheepishly. "You really think so?" She asked him.

"Yeah." His emerald orbs reunited with her jade ones as their gazes locked on one another.

"You can't tell anyone though. It's our secret." She stated. "If the nurses find out...I'll get in trouble. I'm not allowed to leave my bed." She said.

"Don't worry...we made a pinky promise remember?" He chuckled. She giggled and nodded.

"I have to go back to bed now." She said, suddenly getting up.

He frowned. "W-wait!" He stuttered.

She looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Can ya come back tomorrow?" He asked her.

She smiled sheepishly and nodded.

He smiled happily, already excited.

They looked at each other intently, neither uttering a single word. Before he realized what had happened, she had run up to him and quickly embraced him in a strong, affectionate hug. He blushed furiously, unsure of how to react. "U-uh..." He muttered weakly as he felt her squeeze him tightly. He returned the hug just as affectionately albeit feeling immensely shy and embarrassed.

She pulled away blushing uncontrollably. "I'm so happy you're okay now." She whispered shyly.

Before he could respond, she got up and headed back towards the door. She looked back at him and smiled.

"Goodnight Sonic, see you tomorrow." She whispered.

He smiled back at her. "Goodnight Amy."

They both gave each other a small wave goodbye as she opened the door and left the room. He sighed contentedly as he lay back down on his bed pulling the sheets back over himself. He couldn't control the little grin that kept appearing over his small muzzle. He couldn't wait to see Amy again tomorrow, he already began thinking of different things for them to do. He lay there staring up at the ceiling daydreaming of what games they could play together and what conversations they could have.

He felt so happy at that moment. He finally made a new friend and she happened to be really nice. He didn't care that his only friend at the moment happened to be a girl, knowing the boys at school would surely tease him for that. He was still surprised to of met her here at the hospital though. He was beginning to think he would never see her again. He sighed happily again as he made himself comfortable in the blankets and closed his eyes with a smile still spread across his face.

XXXXX

The next evening Amy returned just as she promised and the two little hedgehogs were in the middle of a competitive game of "Rock Paper Scissors". They had been up for a while, sitting on his bed, playing various board games the nurses had brought up to keep him entertained throughout the day.

"It's your turn...and it better be good." Amy teased, trying to suppress her giggles.

Sonic smirked at her. "Just you wait and see." He challenged cockily.

"Ready?" He asked. She nodded.

"Rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!" They both chanted together as they shook their hands preparing to unveil the element of their choice.

Sonic held his fist out having chosen rock while Amy held her hand out flat choosing paper.

"Paper beats rock." She said triumphantly with a smile. She placed her flat hand on top of his fist.

He furrowed his brow. "You gotta be cheating." He whined.

She shook her head in protest. "No!" She giggled. "You're just not that good at this game." She teased.

He scowled at her but laughed. "Yeah...well...I beat you at most of the board games."

She crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

They both stared at each other then burst out into laughter.

"You wanna play Connect Four?" He asked her after their laughter had quieted down.

"Okay."

Sonic grabbed the box and opened it, taking out all the pieces. Amy helped him set up the stand and divided the different colored checkered pieces.

"What color do you wanna be?" She asked him.

"I'll be...red." He said.

"Alright." She handed him the red checkers and pushed her own into a small pile.

"You go first." He suggested with a smile. "You're gonna need the head start." He teased.

She stuck her tongue out at him again. "Fine, but when I win you'll regret going so easy on me."

She placed her piece in the desired slot of her choice. He chuckled lightly as he grabbed his own piece and placed it in the same slot above hers.

They continued stacking their pieces in different slots, teasing each other and laughing.

"Nurse Sophie told me I'll be leaving soon." He mentioned out of the blue. "She said I'm almost all better now." He said, adding another piece to a slot.

Amy smiled at him sadly. She didn't want him to go. She was afraid she wouldn't get to see him again.

"I can't wait!" He exclaimed. "It's so boring sitting in bed all day."

She added another piece, preventing him from winning. He smirked at her.

"I bet my mommy's excited too. I know she misses me." He said, while blocking her from a possible win.

He looked up at her when he noticed how quiet she had gotten all of a sudden. She tried to force a smile but he saw right thought it.

"Hey...What's wrong?" He asked her in concern.

"N-nothing..." She stuttered, while trying to plan her next move.

"It doesn't look like nothing." He stated, looking into her moistened jade eyes.

She looked down at her lap, clasping her hands together and frowned.

"Did I...do something wrong?" He asked confused, starting to worry.

She shook her head. "No. I just...I don't want you to leave." She whispered, looking back up to meet his gaze.

He looked at her a bit taken aback. "Why not?" He asked.

"Because I'm afraid I won't get to see you again." She admitted, her cheeks blushing a cherry red.

"Oh." He said flabbergasted. He felt his own cheeks beginning to heat up.

He smiled at her sheepishly. "Don't worry...we'll still see each other." He said confidently.

"We will?" She asked, her voice hopeful.

"Yeah! You're going to my school now aren't ya?" He stated with a grin.

She nodded, smiling. "Yeah."

"We can play on the playground and eat lunch together." He said excitedly, his grin growing.

"That sounds fun." She said, her smile also growing.

Feeling better she resumed the game, adding another piece to a slot. He smiled at her, grabbing another red checker and thinking of where he should place it.

"Ya know..." He said slowly, his cheeks flushing. "My mommy told me you could come over to play." He said, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Really?" She asked excitedly.

He nodded sheepishly. "I know my mommy will really like you." He stated, his cheeks a bright scarlet.

Amy couldn't stop the large smile that spread across her face. Her heart felt warm like it was fluttering inside her chest. Sonic made her feel so happy and special. She would love to meet his mother. She never got to know her own mommy. The closest she's ever gotten to having a mother was Ms. Cathy and sometimes Ms. Reeves.

Sonic placed his red checkered piece into another slot and smiled slyly at Amy. "Connect four! I win!" He shouted triumphantly while his finger traced the perfect row of red checkers. She crossed her arms and made a face at him.

"Aw, don't be mad Amy..." He teased. She smiled mischievously and began tickling his sides. He fell over on the bed knocking the game along with its pieces onto the floor with a thud.

He laughed uncontrollably. "A-Amy! S-stop it!" He giggled.

She shook her head. "Not-uh!" She said between her own giggles.

"O-oh yeah...two can p-play at t-this game." He said between laughs, squirming to escape.

He grabbed her sides gently and began to tickle her back. She started to laugh, her tickles she was giving him fading away as she tried to pry his hands away from her sides. She fell over laughing as he sat up and tickled her back playfully. The tables had suddenly turned.

"Ha! How do you like it!" He teased.

She wiggled around trying to get away from him. Her eyes began to water as she continued to giggle helplessly.

"N-No more!" She begged. "I-I give up." She said through her laughter.

He smiled victoriously as he stopped his tickle attack. "Looks like I just won again!" He proclaimed proudly.

She poked his tummy playfully and he chuckled. The two little hedgehogs took a moment to catch their breaths and compose themselves. Amy looked around at the mess they had accidentally created through their playtime together.

"We better clean this up before we get caught." She stated, sliding off the bed.

"You're right." He agreed.

They picked up cards, checkers, pawns, and other pieces that went to several different games and began to organize them. They placed the boards in their correct boxes along with the matching pieces that associated them. Lastly, the Connect Four game that had fallen onto the floor along with its pieces was all that remained.

Amy picked up the stand and placed it on the bed as she gathered up the pieces. As Sonic was about to grab the stand to put it in the box Amy had gone to do the same. He found himself accidentally placing his hand on top of hers. The two little hedgehogs both blushed and withdrew their hands quickly.

"Sorry." They both said in unison. Their cheeks both flushed even more.

Sonic let out a nervous laugh as he grabbed the remaining pieces and placed them in the box. Amy took the games and put them back on the floor by the bed before sighing in relief.

"Now they'll never know." She whispered with a giggle. He smiled.

Exhaustion suddenly taking over her, Amy laid down on the bed beside him. He smiled sheepishly, feeling his cheeks getting hot again. She smiled wearily at him. "I just wanna rest for a little while...before I head back to my room." She whispered softly.

He nodded. "Okay." He whispered. He grabbed the blankets and pulled them over himself and her as he made himself comfortable. They both laid on their sides facing one another, emerald and jade orbs locked in an intense gaze. "Gosh she's pretty..." He found himself unconsciously thinking.

They stayed like this for a while. Amy had closed her eyes and Sonic found himself battling to keep himself from closing his own.

"Sonic...?" She whispered softly to him.

"Yeah?" He asked, opening his heavy eyes.

"We'll always be friends...won't we?" She asked.

He smiled tiredly. "Of course we will..." He whispered.

"Do you promise?" She opened her heavy eyes to look at him.

"I pinky promise." He chuckled softly. She smiled wearily.

He lifted up his hand and held out his pinky finger for her to take. She did the same and moved her hand to his. They both smiled at each other, never taking their eyes off the other while they linked their pinky fingers to seal their promise.

XXXXX

It was around two thirty in the morning and to say Cathy felt exhausted would be an understatement. She had just finished chugging down a cup of hot coffee and was doing her rounds, checking on the sleeping patients on that ward. She yawned tiredly as she headed towards a certain pink hedgehog's room. She had to periodically check on her at all times in case her illness picked up again.

She walked down the quiet hallway reaching her destination. She let out a gasp in sheer horror as she entered the little hedgehog's room only to see an empty bed with unmade sheets.

"Amy?" She called out in a whisper, looking around the room nervously. "Amy, where are you?"

When she realized the little girl was no where to be found within the room she began to panic. She left the room in a rush and began checking around the hallway.

"Amy..." She sighed in frustration. She just knew it. Amy was sneaking out a lot more than she had let on. This wasn't good. Why can't that girl understand she needs to stay in bed.

Worried, she began to search throughout the floor for the missing child, checking patient's rooms, the hallways, and even the restrooms. "Oh, where could she be?" She thought, panic stricken.

She then found herself remembering the events of the other night when she had caught Amy out of bed. With her last hope of finding Amy before having a panic attack, Cathy headed towards Sonic's room. She quickly reached the little boy's room and opened the door quietly, ready to gently scold a certain pink hedgehog for sneaking out of bed.

She stopped herself short as she entered the room and looked towards the bed. The two little hedgehog's in question were sleeping soundingly next to one another, their pinky fingers still linked together. She felt her heart warm up at the adorable sight. It appears Sonic figured out who his secret admirer was after all. Had it been any other doctor or nurse to walk in on them, they both would have had a good talking to. Even Sophie would have scolded the two of them. She could be such a prude sometimes.

"I suppose I could let the two of you off the hook this one time." She thought to herself with a smirk.

She quietly walked over to the edge of the bed and gently pulled the blankets down. Leaning down, she gently picked up the sleeping girl, holding her bridal style and pulled the blankets back over Sonic.

"Mmm..." Amy mumbled softly in her slumber.

Cathy quietly left the room and slowly walked Amy back to her bedroom. She tucked the little hedgehog in the bed she's supposed to stay in, kissed her cheek, and smiled at her. She found the whole relationship between the two little ones endearing. She wouldn't be surprised in the least if the two of them fell in love as they grew older. She placed a hand on Amy's forehead and was relieved to find no fever. Knowing all was well, she headed back towards the bedroom door.

"Sweet dreams little miss Rose." She whispered before quietly exiting the room.

XXXXX

Sonic waited impatiently for Amy's arrival. She was running awfully late tonight. He let out a sigh as his eyes stayed glued to the door. "What if she got in trouble?" He thought to himself, beginning to worry. He remembered falling asleep after making his promise to her and when he woke up the next morning she wasn't there. "She probably left while I was sleeping." He tried assuring himself.

Time seemed to be passing painfully slow as he continued to wait. "What if something bad happened to her?" He thought uneasily. Unable to stand it any longer, he slide himself out of bed. He was happy to finally have the IV removed from his arm this morning. Sophie had told him he'll be released from the hospital tomorrow morning. He couldn't wait to be reunited with his mother, but he really wanted to see Amy again one more time before he left.

He wobbled at first, almost tumbling over as he took his first couple of steps. He held one hand against the counter for support as he steadied himself. He hadn't left his bed in a week and his legs felt like jelly. "She said her room was across the hall from mine." He reminded himself as he slowly opened the door. He looked around the deserted hallway cautiously before stepping out of the room.

He looked around the hallway curiously as he sped walked, trying to find her room. It was times like these where he wished he knew how to read better, as he passed by different rooms, each having a chart by the door with the patients name and information written on it. He passed by a room that caught his eye and stopped. He peaked through the open doorway to make sure no nurses or doctors were inside.

When he knew the coast was clear, he walked in cautiously. He looked around the room in a bit of awe. It almost looked like a little girls bedroom rather than a regular hospital room such as his. He saw multiple stuffed animals laying around in a corner, some bedroom furniture, and pink curtains over the windows. The bed also had thick, pink blankets and frilly pillow cases.

This had to be her room. She did say she lived at the hospital sometimes. He still wondered about that. How can somebody live here? Where did her parents sleep? His mind swam with different unanswered questions. He sighed in disappointment as he sat on the bed. It was nicely made, showing no evidence of anyone having laid in it. "Amy didn't say anything about leaving..." He thought, feeling confused. It was as if she simply disappeared into thin air.

He sniffed the air in the room. He could smell the scent of strawberries mixed with the scent of the hospital's unnaturally sterile air. It was her sweet smell. This was definitely her room. There was no doubt about it in his mind. He found himself laying across her bed, arms crossed behind his head, staring up at the ceiling in deep thought. "Where could she be?" He wondered.

He laid there for a couple of minutes before getting up. He sighed, hanging his head low dejectedly as he left her room. He walked stealthily back to his own room, distracted by his racing thoughts. He sat back in his bed feeling sullen. He wanted to see Amy again before he left. He wanted to introduce her to his mother tomorrow when she came to take him home. "Where did she go? Why didn't she say anything to me?" He thought sadly.