Sonic Clash! G.U.N Operatives!

Unexpected Hardware

Roxy's vision is blurred, a dull ache in the back of her head. The white noise in her ears is slowly drowned out by the voices of Shadow and Dr. Prower. She props herself up onto her elbow, and a rush of fresh air swarms in as the top of the pod slides back into itself. "Roxy, Roxy, are you alright? I can't sense anything from you." She hears Shadow fussing, but doesn't answer. "Buh...kit..." Roxy manages to force incoherent sounds out, beginning to haul her upper bod over the edge of the pod. "Bucket? What does that mean?!" the overwhelm in his tone is clear, but Markus knows exactly what that means. "Out of the way!" Shadow is shoved to the side as the doctor raises a bucket to Roxy's mouth, which she promptly vomits into. "Sorry son, didn't mean to push you with that much force." Markus apologises, looking over his shoulder as he waits for Roxy to finish. "It's alright, I'm glad you did." Shadow responds in his usual monotone, focusing on the head in the bucket. "She'll need water, this amount of vomiting will dehydrate her." Knowing Shadow is concerned, Markus makes him useful. Even though Roxy was awake and talking, they weren't out of the woods yet. "Ugh..." Roxy finally finishes retching, taking a few more deep breaths before slumping back over. Markus quickly disposes of the vomit bucket in the joined bathroom, and returns to take her vitals. Shadow is slowly administering water to Roxy, who has managed to sit up. She hears him approach and locks eyes with him. "Hey Doc...guess I gave everyone quite the scare, huh?" Roxy gives him a weak smile and Markus chuckles, he's relieved that she still has her usual sense of humour. "You sure did Kiddo. Bit it's not over yet, we have to check your vitals and figure out what that was." Markus lifts his stethoscope over his head and gets to work.

Shadow stays silent while sitting next to Roxy, trying to hide the guilt stewing in his gut. "You know it's not your fault, right? You were just trying to help." Roxy scares him a little with this response, he had been without her reading him for such a while that he had forgotten what it was like. "Deep breath please." Markus asks and Roxy immediately obeys him. "I thought you would be angry with me." Shadow seems confused as Roxy smiles. "Nah. I couldn't be mad at my fiancé." Giving him a playful wink, even Markus stops working for a moment to process what she had just said. "You...remember?" Shadow asks with his eyes filling with tears. Roxy nods as hers do the same. Before he can stop himself, Shadow throws himself at Roxy in a hug, interrupting Markus in the process. "Alright, alright, I understand this is important but I have to take these vitals! Shadow, go and tell the others Roxy is awake." Roxy giggles as Shadow becomes embarrassed, comforting him as he detaches and leaves, not taking his eyes off of her until the glass became tiled wall. "Sorry Markus, I can only imagine how difficult this situation was for everyone. Roxy apologises as Markus composes himself. "No no, it's not your fault. I guess I'm just turning into a grumpy old man, you two were having a moment." He places a heart monitoring sensor on her finger and strides to get the blood pressure machine. "Maybe a wise and experienced doctor, but never a grumpy old man." Roxy smiles at Markus again. He wraps the band around her arm as she presents it. "You've always been a sweet kid. So tell me, did you see anything while you were out?" He returns to his professional demeanor when he starts the machine, taking a pen and pad from his lab coat breast pocket. "Well, lots of memories. I really got to understand how my relationship with Shadow was before we came to Mobius in that time." The band around her arm tightens as it inflates and Dr. Prower peers over his glasses to check the reading. "That's rather sweet, actually. So what does this mean for you two now?" He asks. "Well...I don't really know. I never really thought of him in that way until I started to remember. But now...I don't know. When I woke up he was the first thing I saw...surely that means something, right?" Roxy looks at her uncle with a childlike sense of wonder. Markus sighs as he takes the blood pressure band off her arm and slides the machine away, then checks the sensor on her finger before finally responding. "Well, I've been around the block a few times, and I can tell you this. That look that Shadow gave you when he left? That wasn't a look a man gives his mother." The pair of them chuckle. "Thanks Markus. Oh, before I forget, how long have I been asleep? Because I'm starving!" Markus is visibly uncomfortable. "That's what I wanted to mention. Don't be alarmed, but you may have some slight muscle loss due to the fact you have been asleep for...about a month." Roxy is so startled by the news she teeters off the edge of the pod, forcing Markus to catch her. "Careful!" He exclaims, and helps her to her feet. "Sorry, I just...one mon- wait, did I miss Midnight's birthday?!" She gasps, jolting so much that Markus starts to lose his own balance. "Steady now! No, you haven't. It's in a couple of days, you still have the opportunity to corrupt my daughter." Finally on her feet, Roxy sighs in relief. 

"ROXY! ROXY ARE YOU AWAKE?!"

A chorus of excited voices follows Sonic calling out down the hall. Steadying herself on Markus, Roxy manages her first step forward. "I sure am, Soni!" Grinning so much her face hurts, tears prick her eyes. One by one all of the gang pile through the door,  and envelope her in a group hug. "Gentle everyone! Roxy won't be able to walk by herself just yet. She's quite weak." a few back off, and Knuckles takes over supporting Roxy from Doctor Prower. "Good to have you back, buddy." He says as he ducks his head under her arm. "It's good to be back, Knuckles." A tear rolls down her muzzle as she shares a gentle fist bump with her strongest friend. "You scared us all to death you jerk!" Sonic teases, going in for a gentle hug. "I only did it to keep you on your toes you know." Roxy squeezes him to the best of her ability, ignoring all the tears that flow. "Just some criticism though, maybe kick the theatrics down a bit next time." The best friends share a wink, but before anyone else can get a one on one moment with her, a loud grumble from her stomach cuts through the air. "Well, I have been without solid food for a month." Roxy shrugs, and the room erupts into laughter.