New Beginnings

Chapter 5 - New Experiences

His cheeks still as hot as the lava in his city Silver rushed down the stairs, tumbling into the living room and scrambling to Espio's side where the other laid on the furniture. He barely noticed both Vector and the chameleon call out his name, pulling his knees against his body and grasping his head as he ignored his chest screaming at him in pain. The hedgehog flinched to the side as Espio grasped his arm and turned him around so they were making eye contact. "What happened to you?!" the other firmly asked as he gestured towards Silver's body.

With wide eyes Silver stared at him, his panting breath very slowly calming down to more manageable levels. "...I attacked Sonic," he mumbled eventually as he ran his hands over his quills over and over. They tingled and burned where the speedster's hand had been, though the feeling was incomparable to the absolute chaos that was his mind right now. Sonic had said he was proud of him... after everything he had done to antagonise the other?

"Why?" Espio asked in a tone that made Silver cower.

"Thought he was going to hurt me, but he didn't," he mumbled even more softly, shame and embarrassment settling into him even further with the other's sharp voice. "It's not his fault," he added in a whisper when he took in Espio's face. It had been morphed into an expression of disappointment, though Silver could see it was overshadowed by immense exhausting. Wrapping his hand firmly around his arm he stared at his lap. It was all his fault, and now Espio was angry with him too.

"It's alright!" Sonic cheerfully threw into the conversation as he bounded into the room as well, everybody present looking at the Blue Blur with various amounts of doubt. "We talked things out, so it's all cool. But you do really need to get those checked, Silver."

The grey hedgehog flinched as Espio pulled his arms to the side so he and Vector could take a better look at his torso, and he had to rip himself away from the thoughts bouncing around in his head to do the same. The wounds were no longer bleeding, but the sticky red liquid still seeped out from the discoloured cloths wrapped around his midriff. With a grimace he noted the familiar sting of pain coming from the area.

"I'll go grab the medical kit," Vector resolutely said as he crouched in front of the hedgehog, getting up and briskly walking out of the room. The three people other people in the room were left in an awkward silence as the door quietly shut behind him. Silver thought he could hear Charmy's voice coming from the kitchen as he refused to look up at either Sonic or Espio, keeping his eyes trained on his lap and not daring to move one single quill.

"Silver?" He heard Sonic ask after a while as the Blue Blur dropped down to one knee in front of him, bright green eyes making their way into his vision as he stared down. "I'm not mad at you, buddy," the other hedgehog gently assured him. He only mumbled in response, shrinking in on himself even further. They were all being so kind and patient with him... and yet he couldn't let go of his worries and memories, the instincts ingrained in his body and mind that came from the desperate struggle that survival had been. He wanted to trust them and yet he couldn't.

Espio shifted a little closer to him. "I'm not angry either, but..." He paused. "Silver, you must know that we want to help you. We mean well, and we're going to take care of you. But we need you to cooperate with us, to ensure we get the best results."

"I know..." Silver murmured back as he peeked to the side to take in Espio. He didn't deserve the kindness and forgiveness they constantly showed to him without a second thought, not after the way he had acted to Vector and Charmy and Sonic. Not to mention Espio, the first time they had run into each other. He had been convinced he hated the Blue Blur especially, with his cocky attitude and utter disregard for the safety of the world, but then all three of them had come in and shown only goodwill and a desire to help the frightened psychic. And he had no idea what to make of it...