Forgotten Soul: Espio the Chameleon

Part 8:What Hurts Most

Sonic folded his arms and stared at Silver's sleeping form.

"Let's see, you tell me not to stay up and get rest, but here you are, staying up," Knuckles said leaning onto the door frame.

"I'm just thinking about what to do about Shadow and Espio, and when Silver wakes up, I'm scared that he'll go after Shadow, and with the state he's in, any sudden move could cause him to bleed out somewhere in the forest alone... and if Shadow..." Sonic trailed off and sighed.

"Hey, don't think about it, Shadow's tough, and Espio's tougher, that monster will get what's coming to him too, don't worry," Knuckles said, he was still standing in the door way with a stern expression, he used that expression when he didn't want people to know what he was thinking, and it usually works.

"Knux, what if Shadow goes too far, he thinks Espio's a traitor."

"He was just angry Sonic, he knows Espio, they've been friends since the whole Black Arms thing started, err they've known each other since then, plus he knows very well that Silver would beat him to a pulp if he so much as scratches Espio, hurt or not."

Sonic grinned.

"Would you do the same if someone hurt me?" he asked sheepishly, and Knuckles nearly choked.

"I-I... um... I mean, of course I would, your my... friend... and I care about you," Knuckles said flustered.

Sonic chuckled.

Then the mood changed, and Knuckles frowned.

"If anyone even threatened you, I'd make sure they pay... even if they overpower me by a hundred..." Knuckles said, the last part dull, he then cleared his throat and sighed.

Sonic gestured for the echidna to walk in.

"Come here, sit down, your form is faltering," Sonic said, and Knuckles realized that he was indeed shaking.

"You have been taking care of yourself like you promised? Right," Sonic asked, and Knuckles nodded, he was telling the truth.

Sonic sighed as he took Knuckles' wrist when he approached, not forcefully, he took his glove off and ran a hand over the scars that covered his hand.

"How are you healing?" Sonic asked looking up into Knuckles' amethyst eyes.

"Fine... Just worried about Espio..." he said with a heavy sigh.

Sonic nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure Espio will be fine, even after he practically wanted to kill me after the metal virus, he was still loyal, he didn't give up, he doesn't give up," Sonic said, caressing Knuckles' cheek.

"I know that too, Sonic, some treating me like I'm a child with lack of knowledge..." Knuckles whispered.

"Knuckles... I know you hated it too... knowing that you're friend was hurting because Vector and Charmy got infected, after he fought Zazz and got hurt... I know you don't believe that he would ever betray us willingly," Sonic continued.

Knuckles pulled away from Sonic with a growl.

"Sonic, stop..." the Echidna said, coldly.

"No, I won't, Espio is fine, and you know it, it's just nerves talking, Espio would never betray us, I bet it hurt him a lot to go with Eclipse, but he was doing it to protect you, me, Silver, Shadow, and everyone else," Sonic said, and Knuckles pulled away from him.

"What if he's dead when and if we find him?"

Sonic's eyes widened.

He then grabbed Knuckles and pulled him closer.