13
It took a few hours and an anxious blue hedgehog later for Shadow to finally wake up, physically and mentally. He sat up slowly, pulling the soggy rag off of his head. About a second later he was tackled by the blue hedgehog, rambling about him being okay and worrying all day. Knuckles pulled Sonic off of Shadow as Tails offered a hand to help Shadow up, he thought about refusing the help but he could barely feel his legs so he took the offered hand and allowed the fox the help him back onto the couch.
Tails mumbled something about being back before walking away, to his left Knuckles was scolding Sonic for jumping on a Shadow while he didn't feel well. This was real, he was sure if it. He was so tired after the crazy nightmare like world he seemed to be trapped in earlier that he hadn't even noticed when the small fox had reappeared beside him, holding out a pack of crackers and a cup of what looked like orange juice.
When he quietly declined the offer the fox shook their head and pushed the items back at Shadow. "You have to eat something, if you eat and rest your chaos energy will regenerate faster and start healing you."
Shadow considered the words for a second before sighing and taking the offered items from his hands.
"Mom had to go drop dinner off for dad cause he had to work later than he thought, she should be back soon though. We're not sure when he'll get off." Shadow wasn't sure if he was trying to get rid of the awkward silence or it he was just informing Shadow of these facts, either way Shadow nodded in response and offered a quiet thanks
_
Joline sighed with her hands on her hips as she set down the last box her sister had brought with her. Charlotte was the best sister she could ever ask for, Joline couldn't help but be grateful for her as she watched her sister play with Poe. She really didn't deserve her.
"Welp, that's about all the heavy lifting I can so for now. Anything you need help setting up?" She asked as she approached her sister and the dog.
"I mean if you want we can set up the bedframe so that when Daniel gets here he isn't complaining about being sore and tired." Joline chuckled as she thought about her brother in law. He was always so grumpy when he was tired but when he had a nice sleep and eat he was so sweet.
The two worked together to set up the bedframe and getting the mattress on the frame so Daniel and Charlotte could sleep on it. It wasn't too hard but it definitely wouldn't have been as fast and easy as it was if they didn't have two people. They usually worked better together.
"Hey, do you think we should add some decorations? Maybe some throw pillows or a picture?" Charlotte suggested, her creativity kicking in.
"That's a great idea! Let's make it cozy in here," Joline agreed. They rummaged through the boxes Charlotte had brought, pulling out colorful pillows and a soft, knitted throw blanket that had been a gift from their grandmother.
As they arranged the items on the bed, Joline couldn't help but feel a warmth in her heart. She loved these moments spent with her sister, and the laughter they shared made even the most mundane tasks enjoyable.
"Aw! Poe thinks it's for him!" Charlotte giggled, as the dog tested the comfort of the new bedding by jumping onto the mattress and rolling around playfully.
"Well, we can’t blame him; it does look inviting," Joline laughed, shaking her head. "But let's save it for the humans, shall we?"
Once they finished decorating, Joline stepped back to admire their work. "Perfect! Now, let’s make sure we have snacks ready for when Daniel gets here. I don’t want him to be too hungry after the drive if he's anything like you."
Charlotte lightly pushed her sister for teasing her. "I’ll grab some chips and dip! And maybe cookies too?"
"Sounds like a plan," Joline replied simply.