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The last time Sonic was sick he was twelve, snowed into his cave. He'd only been trapped for a day, and yet the cold and lack of food (courtesy of his fast metabolism) had wrecked his immune system for the rest of the season. He'd been careful to take care of himself since then.
But - well, maybe absorbing strange emeralds isn't such a good idea when you don't know what the side effects will be.
"Hm." Maddie hums, checking the thermometer she's retracted from his mouth. "Looks like Knuckles was right...that is higher than normal. 'S not too bad though."
Sonic smiles, relieved. "Good! So I can still go-"
"Hup up up," she halts, pushing him back into his messy race car bed gently. "No. It's not too bad, that doesn't mean you're not still sick."
Sonic groans. "What am I supposed to do then? Can't I go watch TV or something?"
Maddie thinks for a moment, then tilts her head. "I guess. But you have to stay on the couch where I can see you! I don’t trust you not to overexert yourself."
She reaches out to carry Sonic, but he waves her arms away teasingly. "I'm too old for that. And I'm not that sick anyways, I can still walk!"
Maddie nods in agreement as he bounds off the edge of the bed - the sudden movement makes him nauseous but he'd never admit that. "I know, I just worry."
The two find their way downstairs easily, and Sonic plops onto the couch, laying across it with his cheek on the armrest. The surface is cooler than his bed had been, and he closes his eyes to relish in the feeling. Now that he thinks about it, he is kinda hot.
"Hey Tommy," Maddie calls into their bedroom. Sonic listens as he closes his eyes - they're his only source of entertainment at the moment. "One of us should call off work."
When Tom exits the room, he's already in uniform. "Oh. I mean I can probably get Wade to cover…"
Sonic furrows his brows, annoyed, when he hears Knuckles' suggestion. "There is no need for you to shirk your duties. I will be here to watch over Sonic."
Sonic rolls his eyes. It makes his head pound. "You act like you're fifty," he calls into the kitchen.
"Be nice," Tom calls back, without lifting his gaze from the sixteen year old beside him. He glances at Maddie, and, at her nod, addresses Knuckles. "Looks like you're on babysitting duty."Baby...sitting?"
"Nevermind. Just make sure no one dies."
"That is easy. Though it has nothing to do with babies…"
Tom walks through the living room to get to the front door, stopping to hand Sonic the TV remote. While he's there, he crouches to talk to him. "Hey bud. If this doesn't work out-" he gestures towards Knuckles. "-you can call me or mom and let one of us know, 'kay?"
Sonic nods. "It's not different, dad. We're home alone every day."
"Yeah but…you're right. But still, you're sick, so call if you need anything!"
Sonic's second nod is accompanied with an exaggerated thumbs up, which Tom reciprocates as he walks across the hall to the front door.
"Bye, boys! Love 'ya!" Maddie calls, halfway out the door in her own uniform.
Tom isn't far behind. "Make sure you guys don't skip meals!"
"'Course not!"
Knuckles peers out the window at the statement. Sonic has noticed that Knuckles completely ignores the many digital clocks in the house, instead opting to use the sun as a teller of time. "It is closer to midday than morning. Maybe I should start lunch…"
"Can I help?" Sonic beams at the voice from the staircase. He doesn't know where Tails has been, but it doesn't matter, 'cause at least he's here now.
Knuckles nods. "What should we make?"
"Pancakes!" Tails' eyes widen excitedly at his own idea.
"That isn't lunch."
Sonic mocks pity as he stares into the kitchen. "Oh my dear brother, have you never heard of brunch? Anything can be lunch if you set your mind to it."
Knuckles hums thoughtfully. "I guess," is his final answer, which is drowned out by Tails' cheer.
There's something off about the noise that Sonic doesn't think to investigate.
The hedgehog allows his attention to wander to the TV, where an episode of Voltron has begun playing. Knuckles must have left it open on Netflix.
Tails would make a good Pidge, he thinks vaguely. And then he wonders who Knuckles would be, and decides maybe Shiro would be a good choice, if only because leadership is something he seems to be okay at. Except Keith might be a better fit, with all his running off to do his own thing. Knuckles has done that several times already, and the Wachowski's have learned to let him. He'll always be back.
The smell of food wafts from the kitchen, and Sonic realizes that he hasn't even been absorbing the show at all. Oh well , he thinks. Not my speed anyway.
It's barely five minutes later - five minutes of torture - when Tails wobbles out of the kitchen with a tray of food in his hands. Sonic sits up on the couch, ready to speed over if Tails wobbles too far to one side, but the kid is able to make it without spilling anything.
He beams up at Sonic. "I made the pancakes, and Knuckles made the bacon and eggs, that's why they're a little burnt. And I - oh I forgot it!"
Sonic chuckles as Tails hurries back to the kitchen, almost running into Knuckles on his way. The echidna plops onto the couch next to Sonic wordlessly, stifling a cough.
"You okay, Knux?"
"Mm," he responds dismissively, already enamored with the episode on TV.
"Here," Tails says as he returns, holding a warm mug carefully in his hands. "I made you some tea!"
Sonic smiles, genuine happiness flooding through his bones. He pulls Tails onto the couch next to him with one hand, balancing the tea with the other.
He isn't prepared for the taste when he takes a sip. "Ooh - that's a lotta mint."
Tails' face falls. "Is - is it bad? You don't have to drink it if you don't-"
Sonic slaps Tails' hand away where it's begun to creep towards the mug. "No! I'm drinking it." He takes another gulp, trying not to gag at the strength of it. He succeeds, thankfully. "It's really good!"
As soon as Tails seems placated, Sonic sets the mug aside, instead going for the bacon and eggs.
The episode ends and another one starts. Sonic, finished with his food, taps his foot restlessly, even as Tails leans his head on the hedgehog's shoulder and clings to his arm. By the end of the second episode they’ve watched, Sonic feels as if he’s going insane. His head is foggy, there's a weird sort of pressure behind his eyes, and he’s already cooked up about fourteen ideas for entertainment, none of which he can do unless Knuckles goes away somewhere…
Hm. Idea.
"Can we watch something a bit more calming?"
Knuckles raises an eyebrow. "Why? That is an unusual request for you."
"Mm, I dunno. I didn't get much sleep last night…cause I'm, y'know, sick?"
Knuckles hums. Sonic almost feels bad, considering how gullible the echidna is. "Okay. What do you -"
"Nature sounds. Look it up on YouTube."
Tails perks up at Sonic's side. "Nature sounds? That's bor -"
"Shhhh," Sonic urges, looking at Tails in a way he hopes conveys that he has a plan.
Tails nods, understanding.
Sonic has learned, after many sleepless nights with the echidna, that the best way to put the guy to sleep is to set nature sounds up. Sometimes, Sonic thinks Knuckles doesn't even notice when he puts them on - he just falls asleep faster, and with less nightmares at that.
So after ten agonizing minutes of listening to the sounds of rain, Sonic turns to Knuckles to ask to turn the volume up.
But Knuckles has already fallen asleep.
“‘S weird,” Tails notes, nose stuffy. “He doesn’ normally sleep in the day.”
Sonic shrugs Tails’ head off his shoulder as he stands, much to the fox’s immediate chagrin. “Well. It gives us a chance to have some fun!”
Tails fidgets as Sonic stumbles into the garage, reemerging with his skateboard and several slabs of cardboard in hand. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Not really. But it’s a fun one. C’mon.”
Sonic leads Tails up the stairs, laying cardboard down as he goes. He doesn’t feel much like running right now - which should be a red flag, but to Sonic it just means he can participate in…well, slower kinds of fun.
“Okay,” he states, lifting Tails onto one end of the skateboard, with just a little more difficulty than normal. His hands hold the other end so it can’t descend down the homemade ramp quite yet.“When I say ‘three,’ I’m gonna let go. It’s like a slide, it’s gonna be fun.”
Tails sniffs, no doubt pouting where Sonic can’t see. “I don’t think I should. The cardboard isn't strong 'nough to hold me, considering -”
“C’mon dude, just do it!”
“Mm…fine.”
“Yes! Okay one, two,” Sonic releases the skateboard. “Three!”
The next few moments occur in quick succession, and the only way Sonic can really process it is to list it in his mind.
First, Tails yelps at the sudden lack of support, and Sonic hears the skateboard thump down the stairs.
Second, Sonic can hear Knuckles abruptly wake and sprint towards the staircase - faster than any human could've, but probably not fast enough to stop the impending impact.
Three, Sonic runs down the stairs in a flash to catch his little brother - finally realizing that maybe he should’ve tested his idea first.
Luckily, Sonic does manage to stop the skateboard - and Tails - before any major injuries can occur. But now he’s lightheaded, and Knuckles is angry, and Tails is holding back tears in his arms, and - yeah Sonic’s in trouble.
Knuckles attempts a deep breath, but it comes out shallow - as if he’s trying to hold back a cough or a sneeze, or maybe he's just that mad. “SONIC!” He yells.
And then Tails throws up.
~ ~ ~
Knuckles fiddles with the thermometer confusedly. “How do you -”
Sonic sighs frustratedly, now tucked back into his bed. When Knuckles is determined to be a caretaker, he sure doesn't allow room for any objections. “Press the button and put it in his mouth.”
“Ah.”
Tails, tucked in right next to Sonic - and grasping his arm tightly - opens his mouth obediently for the device.
The thing beeps, and Knuckles appraises the numbers. A few moments pass, and he hands the thermometer to Sonic. “Is that good or bad?”
Sonic sluggishly examines the results. 101.3. “Bad. He’s sick too.”
Knuckles averts his gaze, mumbling in another language. Soon enough, he turns back to the duo in bed, face too solemn on a sixteen year old. “I have let them down. Tails has become sick on my watch.”
Sonic shrugs. “It woulda happened if they were here too.”
“I want my mint tea,” Tails mumbles, uncaring of the conversation occurring around him.
Sonic grins. “I’ll get it -”
Knuckles’ fist blocks his way, shoving him roughly back onto the bed. “ I will do it.”
Sonic groans, flipping around to bury his face in the pillow. Tails grumbles until he has Sonic’s arm in a death grip once more.
Knuckles returns later - later than should have been the case for the task given to him. The scowl on his face is more pronounced than normal. “Here,” he mumbles, thrusting the mug into Tails’ hands before the fox has a chance to sit up.
Sonic chuckles, the sound grating in his throat. “Hey Knux, y’think we should check if you’re sick too?”
Knuckles doesn't hesitate. “No. I’m not.”
“You’ve been breathing the same air as us though.”
“But I’m not as weak.”
Tails pouts. “‘M not weak. I’m strong - strong as Hulk!”
“You’ve been reading my comics?” - “Who’s Hulk?”
“Jus’ see if you’re sick, Knuckles,” Tails snaps, burrowing his face between Sonic’s body and the mattress.
“Fine!”
The room falls silent in anticipation as Knuckles pops the thermometer in his mouth.
Sonic reaches to take it as it beeps, reading the temperature. “101.7! HA! You ARE sick!”
“You cannot lie to me, let me see the stick!”
“You can’t even read it -”
"I CAN READ IT JUST FINE-”
"Ugh," Tails groans, apparently fed up with the bickering. He grasps Knuckles' forearm, tugging the echidna as far into the bed as he can. "Jus' get in."
~ ~ ~
When Tom arrives home, it’s quiet. Too quiet.
“Maddie,” he calls questioningly.
“In here,” she responds, and he follows the voice to the living room - where she’s seated, alone, on the couch.
Suspicious.
“Where are-”
Maddie smiles, as if she's been anticipating the question since she arrived home. “C’mere,” she giggles excitedly, pulling him up the stairs - and then farther up, into the attic.
“Look at them,” she squeals quietly, gesturing into the room.
Tom smiles at the sight, shaking his head fondly.
How can that little race car bed even fit all three of them, he thinks.
“At least they’re getting some sleep."