Fate's Bullet

Check Up

Third POV:

"This is City Central Hospital, how may I help you?"

"Hello.. um, I'd like to ask about a patient please."

"Unfortunately due to legal reasons we aren't able to give out the personal information of our patients sweetheart."

"O-oh no, I'm not looking for information. I just wanted to ask if he was doing okay."

"Oh, well of course! Can I get a name hun?"

"Silver! ..Silver the hedgehog?"

"Oh...well, from his last wellness report, which was about an hour or so ago, he's not conscious yet.."

"Oh.."

"But it says that his physical condition is doin' just fine!"

"I see.."

"That will be all, thank you."

"No problem dear, our visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. so you can check up on him if you'd like!"

"Okay..thank you."

"Take care hun, buh-bye!"

Espio set down the old telephone onto its stand, hearing the little click that attached the phone to the base. "Sorry kiddo, maybe he'll be up later." Vector reassured Espio, his attempt having little effect on him. "You wanna stop by and check up on him?" Vector weakly smiled, unsure of how the chameleon would respond to his awkward attempts at confronting him. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go.." Espio mumbled, his voice worn and husky. "That's the spirit, let's go!" Vector smiled, grabbing the car keys beside the door and swinging the keychain around his finger. Charmy buzzed ahead of Espio swinging the door open. "I'll be a moment, I need to put my shoes on." Espio mumbled, slowly walking back up the stairs. He heard the door shut from downstairs accompanied by Charmys energetic blabbering being heard from in front of the house. The door to his room creaked open, a cold breeze brushing past Espio as he entered. He sat on the edge of his bed, leaning over to grab his shoes beside his nightstand and slowly slipping them on. Subconsciously he was going slower than usual. He wanted to see Silver, of course, but his heart sank just envisioning him lying on the hospital bed. He couldn't bear to see him so motionless but it hurt even more to not be with him in person. With a heavy heart he finished slipping into his shoes, choosing to leave his gloves behind and making his way back downstairs and into the car.

Espio stayed quiet during the car ride, gazing out the window to avoid awkward eye contact with Vector or Charmy. He could already feel the sinking in his stomach, going the extra mile to keep his full composure whilst speaking to either one of his colleagues seemed like an unnecessary waste of what little energy he gained from his horrid sleep last night. Vector skipped through the radio channels whilst Charmy hummed out whatever children's nursery rhyme was running through his head at the moment. Espio tensed up whenever Vector paused too long on a radio station that was addressing the recently destroyed library, which to Espio seemed like all of them. Vector did his best to skip those as fast as he could but Espio couldn't help but listen in on the little things the news reporters had to say about the situation. "Looks like we're here!" Vector exclaimed, aggressively shutting off the radio that was ever so clearly bothering Espio.

He rolled into the closest parking space, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out the car, Espio and Charmy following. Together they made their way to the front desk, Espio standing behind Vector as he spoke to the woman on the other side. "Hello, we're here for a visit!" Vector beamed. "Name of patient?" The woman asked, a phone held to her ear and a large stack of papers in her hands. "Silver the hedgehog." Vector responded watching the woman place the stack of papers down and give him a clipboard with a paper on it and a pen attached to a chain. "Fill this out." She bluntly responded returning to her phone call. Espio quickly grabbed the clipboard from the woman's hands, swiftly filling out the entire form and answering all the pointless questions. Within 30 seconds he slid the clipboard back to the woman who skimmed over it before pointing in the direction of the hallway to their left. "Down that hall and to the right is where his room should be." Espio nodded at the woman, quickly swinging open the doors with Vector and Charmy following behind him. "Slow down there Es he's not goin' anywhere." Vector called out from behind Espio in attempts to ease him or at the very least slow him down so they could walk together.