Never Expecting This

Chapter 61

   You found yourself waking up before the sun. For some odd reason, you couldn't sleep soundly that night. Perhaps it was the suspense of your prank unfolding or maybe the adrenaline from the last mission was still coursing through your veins. Either way, you groggily pulled your body and tired soul out of the comfy, warm bed. Your bare feet stomped across the room as you got ready for the day.

If you were correct, the next stop would be Efrika which was the exact opposite of Artika. At least the atmosphere would remind you of your home. Sure, you were mainly used to lush green and exotic rainforests, but the plains and quaint atmosphere of the Savannah Citadel would bring back fond memories of your village. Were you homesick? Slightly, but the adventure was definitely worth it. You finished your thoughts as you completed brushing your (H/T).

You stepped out into the quiet hallway outside your bedroom. All the other sleeping quarters were either dead silent with their locks engaged or erupting with loud snores. There one room that gave off the feeling of a ghost town: Tails' bedroom. The poor kid ended up with a concussion and had to stay in the medical bay for the night. The young fox would probably be unable to go on the upcoming mission which made you feel guilty. Why do the cute ones always get hurt?

You decided to pay the genius a visit, but you didn't have to go very far. In the bridge was the yellow child himself sitting at the table with T-Pup on his lap. Bandages coated on his head and an ice pack rested on the table. You felt a slight shiver run down your back when you thought about your hurt teammate, but you didn't understand why. It felt as if your mind wanted to recall something important, but no memories appeared. You shrugged the feeling off as you sat across from Tails.

When he heard your footsteps echo off the floor, Tails' ears perked up and he acknowledged your presence by giving you a smile. You returned the gesture with a sweet curve of the lips and a gentle wave. You could tell through his eyes that the kid was still in pain. His eyes seemed tired and dull as if someone sucked life had been sucked out of him. You wished you could help somehow, but you had no clue on what to do.

"How are you holding up, Warrior?" You asked softly. You were scared that your loud voice wouldn't cause the kid a headache.

​​​​ Tails smiled at the nickname you have him. "My head and back hurt, but I'm okay," the fox replied quietly as he rubbed the head of his robotic pet. "I woke up in the medical bay, but I didn't want to stay in there by myself. When I saw that no one else was up, I decided to stay in here. "

You nodded your head in understanding. Being the only one in the medical may have made the fox feel weak or something. You couldn't read minds, but you wouldn't want to stay in that room either. You grabbed the cloth ice bag from across the table and frowned in displeasure. The bag was simply warm water in a blanket. What use would it be for migraines and a throbbing head?

"Why don't we fetch a different ice pack for you, get ourselves some breakfast, and wait for the others to wake up from their beauty sleep?" You asked while keeping your calm tone of voice and smiling at your friend.

Tails gave a very short laugh before nodding his head very lightly. Even that action made the genius grimace in pain. His face contorted in agony as the fox lifted a hand to his head to hold his throbbing and aching brain. The adorable T-Pup licked the child's face with his mechanical tongue. Even though it may have hurt Tails more, it was still a very sweet action. You chuckled at the cuteness before you as the fox pet his metallic friend.

You quietly pushed your chair backwards from the table and stood up. Tails did the same, but he was slower than you. His hurt back and throbbing head made it harder to do the simplest of tasks. T-Pup jumped from his arms and ran around in circles with the two of you in the center. Even though you saw the dog's mouth open and shut, no noise erupted from the voice box in the android. The Fox must have put the pup on mute!!

You rushed to help the genius keep up as you headed to the medical bay for a new ice pack. Tails seemed to have a small limp in his right leg, and you noticed that it hurt him to put pressure on the ankle. Your eyes filled with concern as you watch the poor kid have a bad time. Soon, you couldn't take the guilt anymore. You persuaded the Fox to let you give him a piggyback ride. He might as well have fun when he's in pain, and he seemed to enjoy it. A small smile formed on his lips as the stress lifted from his ankle and back. You tried not to hop too much for the kid's headache. Cute little T-Pup ran beside you with silent barks of delight and a tail wagging at a speed that would make Sonic jealous.

Soon, you arrived at the medical bay. You helped Tails sit in a chair and propped his right foot up for you to see. Did Rotor miss a dislocated ankle or something? As you struggled to pull off the child's sock and shoe, you knew the answer was a definite yes!! The muscles were swollen and throbbing, and the skin was the disgusting mix of black, blue, and purple. It was almost as if an artist dipped the fox's foot in a bucket of mixed paints....but the artwork needed glitter in your opinion. Tails appeared dazed by his misshapen foot. Did he sleep with his shoes on last night or did he not see it when he put his clothes on this morning? It was kinda hard to miss, but it may have been less severe earlier in the day.
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You grabbed some medical tape, a couple of ice packs, and whatever else you would need to help the kid with his injuries. You wrapped his foot in a tight but comfortable hold of sports tape. You weren't a pro in the medical field, but it would be good enough until Rotor had time to look at it himself. You didn't put his shoe back on since it probably wouldn't fit due to how much it had swollen and with the amount of tape you out on. The sock was good enough for the two of you. You decided to rewrap a new coat of bandages of the child's head. You were curious to see if there were any lumps on Tails' head.

Everything seemed to look normal to you. You had a hard time finding the sore spot, but when you accidentally placed pressure on a certain place, the fox hissed in pain. It was right at the back of the head, and his forehead was pretty banged up as well. After all, the poor kid was squished between a metal wall and a killing machine for Pete's sake!! You marked 'X's on the bandages over the spots that hurt the most. You did it for future reference so you wouldn't hurt him again. When the two of you were done in the medical bay, you gave the fox another ride to get some breakfast.