Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ Brothers ❯ Nobody ( Chapter 2 )

Tails woke to an angry voice.

"What do you mean he had a concussion?!"

"Mr. Sonic, that's exactly what happened. Scans show that he had a concussion. The second impact gave him SIS. If that Emerald hadn't been right there, Tails would be dead. Or severely disabled."

"What could have possibly hit him that…hard…" A frown was in Sonic's voice now. "Are there noticeable symptoms of a concussion? Things that even a person who has it could notice?"

"Yes. Things such as headaches, nausea, vomit—"

"I don't want to hear it. Is he going to be okay?"

"Yes. Because of your quick actions with that Emerald. It must have stopped the bleeding and the swelling. We can still tell he had a concussion, so it didn't take everything away. Doctor's orders are that he is to be monitored. Closely, mind you. I want to see him next week for more scans. Do you understand me?"

"Yeah, doc. I gotcha. I ain't leavin' his side. Trust me."

There was the sound of the door closing half a minute later. Sonic's footsteps came back and sat down somewhere beside him. There was nothing but breathing for a minute. Then Sonic spoke in a low, dangerous tone.

"Did you or did you not know that you had a concussion, Tails?" There was more silence then Sonic literally growled, attesting to their baser animal selves. "Answer me, damn it! I know you're awake."

Tails whimpered and nodded. Sonic swore violently. "How dare you? How dare you?!"

The twin-tailed fox opened his eyes to see his best friend absolutely livid. He noticed that he was in his room in Sonic's rarely lived-in house. Sonic jumped up and started pacing, bringing Tails' attention back to him. He was muttering under his breath, hands twitching, eyes wild.

"Sonic, really I'm just fi—"

"Don't you dare say that, Tails!" Sonic boomed, green eyes holding hellfire. "I just about lost you! You heard that woman! If I hadn't had that Emerald with me at that moment, you would have been dead! You're so lucky that Eggman has some sense of honor, twisted as it may be, because he is the one that got you to the hospital so fast! I didn't know what to do! I had never seen you like that! And the blood! There was so much b-blood…"

Sonic dropped to his knees and began to sob. Tails blinked. He had never seen Sonic like that. He was…crying. Because of him. Sonic almost never cried. Tails had only seen it twice. Twice in all the time that he'd known him. Tails got out of bed, caught his balance, and staggered over to his friend.

"Sonic? I'm okay. Really I am," Tails argued softly.

"Why would you lie to me?" Sonic asked, covering his eyes with one hand.

"You never asked if I had a concussion."

"No. But I asked if you were okay when it happened. I asked you again at Tubby's. I asked you again at home. I called you every day and asked, usually at least twice. I knew something had to be wrong. Your voice was slurred. Then I come over and it wasn't. So I thought that it was just the phone connection. I asked you, Tails. And you always said fine. Always."

Tails blushed, looking away. "Part of me knew I should have told you. I didn't listen."

"Why not?"

"I…" Tails sniffled. "I wanted to be like you."

"Be like…me? How is that being like me?"

"You aren't bothered by anything. So I didn't let it bother me."

Sonic moaned. "Really, Tails? That's not…You really think I wouldn't worry about a concussion?" The blue hedgehog paused, looking up. "Lay back down. You need food."

"I'll help."

"You get in that bed or, so help me, I will weld you there."

Tails had heard Sonic speak in that particular tone only to Eggman, and even then, in extremely perilous situations when he was truly considering killing him. He got back into bed without a lick of argument and was left alone with his thoughts. His focus was the cursing. Sonic never cursed, and not just around him. Sonic hated cursing as much as Eggman did. While Tails was certain they had different reasons, the fact was the same: it was hated. Yet Tails distinctly remembered cursing. He didn't know what to think.

"Here. Chicken noodle soup. It's hot." Sonic sat down to eat his.

Tails ate gratefully, though he felt a little nauseated when he was done. He set his bowl on the bedside table, swallowing hard.

"What's wrong? And I swear if you say 'nothing' I will kill you myself."

"I just…Nausea. It's not as bad as it was, though. I promise!" Tails said, holding up his hands at the threat in Sonic's eyes.

"Are you going to throw up?"

"I'll tell you if I am. My stomach feels weird for about a minute before I do, and my mouth waters."

"Alright then." Sonic took the bowls out to the kitchen then returned with several bottles of water.

"Drink. Finish one. But don't make yourself sick."

"I take it you went to the store?" Tails asked, drinking about a quarter of the bottle.

"Yeah. I'm going to have to go again. Chicken noodle soup is all well and good, but I don't have enough for us to last a week. And I know for a fact that I will be sick and tired of it by day two."

"Oh. Well you can go, I won't mind."

Sonic appraised him. "You will either be in bed or the bathroom when I get back. Or else."

"I don't feel like doing much. I have a headache."

Sonic was gone and back in three seconds. "Here. Take one. If it doesn't get better within half an hour, take the other one. I will be back in thirty minutes, tops. Bed or bathroom. Understand?"

"Yes, Sonic."

For ten minutes, Tails sipped on his water until it was down then decided to take a shower. His fur was matted from sweat. Not just sweat, he discovered, but blood. He must have bled a little since they cleaned him up at the hospital. Once he got in the flow of warm water, he didn't want to do anything but sit there. That's how Sonic found him seven minutes later. Sonic watched him for a minute.

"Tails? You okay?"

"Ye…No. I'm not okay. I feel sick. I think I have a fever, I'm still hungry, I've got a headache, my vision's a little blurry, the light hurts my eyes, the water hitting the tub makes my ears hurt, I feel like I'm moving through mud, thinking is nearly impossible, and I'm exhausted."

Sonic took that in then turned off the water. He steadied Tails when he got out then toweled him off as best as he could. After supporting Tails over to his bed, he blurred away and came back with…

"Cheese pizza!" Tails' eyes lit up, and he smiled. "Oh, Sonic, thank you!"

"Eh, no problem. I can go get another tomorrow. Eat slow, okay?"

Tails finished two pieces then couldn't eat anymore so Sonic polished it off. When he had thrown the box away. Tails popped the other Tylenol then lay back. Sonic brought a book into the room and began to read. The fox watched Sonic, his two tails resting on his side. He stared at them and shifted.

"Part of the reason I didn't tell you was because I wanted to be like you. The other part was because I didn't want you to know how…uncool I am. I'm nothing like you, Sonic. I'm a geek. Everybody we meet makes fun of my…abnormality. Even foxes. Especially foxes. Part of me was afraid, no, is afraid that you'll make fun of me, too. I can't control that I was born with it. Just…don't hate me…"

Tails was still staring at his tails. He felt Sonic's weighty gaze on him. There was a thump as the book hit the floor.

"Tails, look at me."

"N-no."

"Why not?"

"Then I'll c-cry."

"Who cares? It's fine to cry when you're with friends. I'm tryin' to be here for you Tails, and you're makin' it hard. Don't you trust me?"

"I don't know." Tails' voice was small now, and he was beginning to lose the fight.

"Why don't you know?"

"Because I can't trust anybody with me. I always get hurt. My parents. My uncle. My cousins. They all just abandoned me because I'm a worthless freak that they don't have time for."

Sonic crawled up on the bed, Tails still refusing to look at him. He wrapped his arms around the fox then tilted his head up. The younger being began to cry, just as he said he would. Sonic didn't care about his abnormality, and that alone made the eight-year-old sob and cuddle close. His back was stroked as the hedgehog just held him. That was more than any of his family had ever done, and he told Sonic that when he was just tiredly relaxing into his friend.

"I ain't them, Tails. I'm part of you real family. I'm your big brother. And nobody is allowed to make fun of you. You tell me when they do, and I'll set 'em straight. I guarantee you that I will."

Tails giggled. "I guess it's nice to have a big brother."

"Yeah. We're both freaks."

Tails looked up at the blue hedgehog. "What?"

Sonic met his eyes, and, to Tails' immense surprise, there were tears in them. "You think I wasn't made fun of, Tails? You think they didn't point and laugh when I couldn't control how fast I went? When I slammed into people, animals, buildings with no control? Yeah, you think I'm cool now, but there is a reason I won't go back to Christmas Island. I know this is hard to believe, but it's the truth. All I am is a freak who's saved the world a gazillion times. That gets you some street cred."

"I never…I didn't know that, Sonic."

"Nobody does. Nobody but the people on Christmas Island. And me. And now you."

"Why wouldn't people think going supersonic is cool?"

"Why wouldn't people think flying at speeds past Mach 1 for over an hour is cool?"

Tails blinked. "Really?"

"Yep. Trust me on this, Tails. It's only cool if you've done something for them. And both of us have. So I'm gonna straighten them out." Sonic punched his own palm. "Because nobody gets to hurt my little brother. Now, I want you to sleep. You've had a long, tiring few days."

"Could you stay in here with me?"

"Sure."

Tails snuggled close, closing his heavy eyes. He drifted contentedly off to sleep, and when he woke up, Sonic was there. Sonic was always there. And Tails didn't have to pretend anymore. It was a relief. And as they ate burgers for lunch, Tails realized that he didn't have to be afraid of Sonic anymore. He wasn't being thrown away. Tails giggled at a thought, and Sonic looked at him questioningly as he swallowed.

"I was just thinkin' about what you said. And I think the reverse is true, too!"

"Which is?

"Nobody gets to hurt my big brother, either!"

They laughed joyfully. "I think that's the truest thing I've ever heard. What would you do, though?"

"How do I defeat Eggman robots one on ten?"

Sonic snickered. "Bombs."

"Electro-shock should do it. I'll have to carry more on me."

The yellow fox smiled as Sonic laughed, but he was dead serious. Nobody got to hurt his big brother. Nobody. And he would make sure of it.