14
The first thing Maddie did when she got home was greet the confused looking hedgehog on the couch, she was glad he was up but he looked like crap. Tails and Knuckles played a game of cards surprisingly quiet at the coffee table while Sonic sat so close to Shadow he was practically on top of his lap. He was also uncharacteristically quiet as he looked between Shadow and the card game.
"Sonic sweetheart, can you give Shadow some space? I don't want you getting sick too." She set down the food she bought and went to her room bathroom to get her medical kit.
When she entered the living room again Sonic had begrudgingly moved to the other side of the couch and she thanked him with a smile before crouching in front of Shadow and opening her kit, pulling out a thermometer.
"Can you open your mouth for a second honey?" She spoke gently and Shadow took a second to process her words before opening his mouth wide, showing off his partially grown back canines.
She put the thermometer under his tongue before allowing him to close his mouth again. While waiting for the beep of the thermometer she pulled out a cold pack and placed it on Shadow's forehead, secured in place by an elastic strap on the back.
When the beep went off and she pulled the thermometer back it read 107.94. yikes that was bad, but not as bad as it would be for a human, if Shadow was anything like Sonic than his natural temperature was just a little higher than a humans. Still it shouldn't be that high.
"Can I get a glass of cool water?" She asked to anyone who was listening, setting the thermometer to the side to wash and out back when she was done.
She heard feet patter towards the kitchen as she closed the medkit and stood back up. Tails handed her a glass of water and she help it up to Shadow's muzzle. "Do you think you can try and drink a bit of water?" She asked as she guided one of his hands to hold the glass himself.
He took the glass with shakey hands and took as sip. She smiled and left to start a bath for him leaving him with the water and the boys.
"Are you feeling alright?" Sonic asked as he scooted closer to the ebony hedgehog. The only reply he got though was a slow blink one eye closing before the other. 'Almost like a frog' he thought to himself as he watched.
By time Maddie came back the glass was about a third of the way gone. It wasn't much but it would work for now.
"Sonic, can you get him in the tub, it should be lukewarm." Maddie asked as she went to grab her keys.
"Where are you going?" Tails asked as Sonic basically carried Shadow to the guest bathroom.
"I thought we had more fever medicine but I guess we're out, I shouldn't be long." She promised as she closed the front door behind her.
_
Sonic heard the front door shut as he set Shadow to sit on the closed toilet.
"I'm gonna go outside the bathroom and let you get in yourself, do you think you can do that?" It took a second for an answer but he got a nod eventually.
As be stepped outside of the bathroom he hoped Shadow would start feeling better soon, he was too cool for this. Don't tell Shadow he thinks that though.
A few moments later there was the quiet sound of water moving on the other side of the door and Sonic waited a few more seconds before knocking on the door in warning and opening it to walk inside.
"Do you feel any better? Does the water help maybe."
A pause then a shake of the head.
His shoulders dropped with his face as he sighed and sat down on the floor by the tub, leaning back on the wall. Shadow kinda just watched him with a blank expression on his face. "You okay there?" Shadow tilted his head in response, making Sonic smile slightly and copy the movement.
Sonic froze in place as a small smile placed itself on the other hedgehog's face. Holy shit, did Shadow just smile? At him! Sonic's answering smile almost hurt with how wide it was, but that didn't matter. He actually got Shadow to smile!
The smile however didn't last long as he seemed to notice the blue hedgehog's excitement over it and it faded away, replaced with a small frown. Before Sonic could ask what was wrong the other lifted a hand and pointed towards the sink, water dripping from his hand. Sonic looked over at the sink and back at Shadow, confused.
"Thirsty." It was only one word but Sonic could tell it hurt to speak, Shadow's voice was rough and Sonic could tell his throat was killing him so he stood up and left the room, quickly reappearing with the glass of water he had earlier.
He carefully handed it to Shadow and sat back down as he drank a little more before setting it on top of a shelf by the tub. Shadow nodded in thanks and Sonic just smiled.
There was a knock at the door before Maddie stepped in holding one of those small cups that usually come with liquid medicine. Sonic hated that stuff that came in those bottles and lucky for him he only had to drink the gross stuff a couple times. Unlucky for Shadow though she started pouring that same gross stuff into the cup while it sat on the bathroom counter.
"After you get out take this and then drink some more water." She explained to Shadow as she put the lid back in the bottle of medicine.
Shadow just stared at the small cup before nodding at Maddie and looking back towards Sonic. Maddie also turned her attention to Sonic, he was sitting Crisscross in front of the tub, tapping his fingers on the edge. She's a bit surprised Shadow is allowing him to be this close in his vulnerable state but at the same time she's not surprised at all, Sonic had a way of sneaking into people's hearts. She kissed Sonic on the forehead and pat Shadow's head before exiting the room, leaving the two alone again for now.