Don't Open Your Eyes

By MistressAli

All chars, places and etc © Archie/Dic/Sega.

A/N: Contains er...violence, I guess. Wahhh.

Don't...open your eyes.

Was that Sally's voice? It was strained.

A thought was in Sonic's head upon waking. 'Why didn't he kill Sally?' A very strange thought...

You don't want to see.

Maybe he had killed her? Her hand touched his shoulder. Was it wisps of translucent white – her ghost come back to love him despite –

He hadn't killed her!

He opened his eyes to a horribly bright light. Maybe –he- was the one dead. They said you saw light when you died. So many people claimed it...so it must be...

But people claimed all sorts of stupid, false things.

He didn't feel dead. He was sore. His eyes burned and it wasn't from the momentary glance at the light-of-death.

He coughed. "What's going on?"

She didn't answer; he had the feeling she wanted to run away, or at least pretend she wasn't there. Too bad she hadn't removed her hand before he spoke. Otherwise…he might not have known she was there.

He wanted to sit up, but his body was weak - legs felt numb too. He had felt this before, it was the feel of being doped up. When the drugs wore off, he knew he was gonna hurt.

"Sal?"

Why didn't she answer? He wanted her to know he wasn't weak. Even though he was lying in bed, doped up.

He hated pity, but did she pity him? He didn't know. A blockage was in his head...it felt stuffed with cotton. His brain was cramped against the side of his skull. It couldn't get blood and air, couldn't function correctly.

"Sally, what the hell?" He was getting angry. "Talk to me!"

She removed her hand. Was she leaving? She walked so quietly, he couldn't tell. He thought he heard a door close.

Fine...he'd go back to sleep, or maybe he already was, maybe this was a stupid dream. "Hey. If you ain't gonna talk, at least get something for my head. It's killing me."

"Just go to sleep, Sonic."

FINALLY! He inched his eyes open. Damn light was still there. He saw her, standing near the door. He couldn't make out the room, not with the brightness everywhere. It smelled sterile. Knothole's infirmary?

"Can't sleep when my head is aching like this."

"Ok." Her voice was still strained. She rummaged through something nearby. Her fingers slipped into his mouth to deposit a pill.

"Water." She put a glass to his lips. It was warm, but he didn't care. The knowledge of relief being digested into his veins was heartening.

"Turn off that light, please? It's blinding me!"

"Can't do that. Doctor's orders. The lights have to be on or off."

"Off!"

She left. There was a click. Then she was back by his side; he could smell her. Another click. He raised an eyelid. Pitch black!

"Funny. Didn't mean turn –all- the lights off."

He –was- in the infirmary. Probably for the best….he felt like shit. "I'm hurt, aren't I…?"

Silence again. He sniffed, a smell of singed fur on his arm. It was familiar...a laser beam had grazed him.

He'd been in Robotropolis. That was not the epiphany he'd hoped for. He was ALWAYS there.

Think...

Through the fuzz, he heard someone screeching. Antoine, maybe? Maybe it was someone screeching ABOUT Antoine, yeah, that was more likely.

He'd been in Robotropolis for Ant? Months ago, he'd broken his collarbone rescuing that 'fuel'. And now he was injured again.

"Man, when I get my hands on him…"

Sally's voice sounded...distant. "I have to go. Sleep for a while."

The door opened, letting in light. He was in a room for long-recovering patients. Sally's lithe figure silhouetted the doorframe. Then she was gone, the door closed. Darkness.

Sonic sighed. He drifted from the waking world into dreams. His head felt better. The cotton tickled, coming out of ears to gust away on the dry sterile air.

A picture shimmered in his half-sleeping mind. Antoine was running, screeching. "Eet ees Bunnie!"

Antoine hadn't been captured! A large wad of cotton fell to the floor. Something stirred in his brain. A dark cold laugh.

He'd been in Robotropolis for Bunnie.

She'd been there with Antoine to visit Uncle Chuck. But Antoine had come back alone. He was breathless, his hair tousled, his uniform full of pickers. He'd clearly struggled to return quickly.

Think..

Thinking wasn't his forte. Sally ribbed him about that, good-naturedly, irritably. Sometimes Sonic got annoyed. He wasn't a brainchild like her...but he wasn't brain-dead, either!

His hand moved to his cheek, scratching. That felt good. He caught another scent. He moved his hand closer, sniffing. Blood...under his claws.

'Why didn't he want to kill Sally?'

He rubbed his hand all over his face. He wished that thought would go away.

A voice whispered. It chuckled through breaths. "Because she won't be able to stand you now."

His eyes snapped open. It sounded like the voice was right here! But he was alone.

A line of light came from under the door. His eyes took it in greedily.

The metal footboard shone dimly.

Another stir in his mind...A sliver of metal…what was it? He feared it.

Someone was holding it. A gun...a knife?

'You don't want to see…'

He knew what he had to do. Turn on the light.

He moved one weak arm to the mattress, pushing down. His muscles pulled, but he didn't stop. It was worth the effort… he rolled onto his side.

"Just a little more…"

When he toppled off the bed, he was exhausted. He barely felt the thump. They had him doped up pretty good. He tried to kick the blankets off, to no avail.

It took a long time to get to the wall. The dope was wearing off, and he –ached-. Fighting SWATbots wasn't as hard as this!

He could barely see the switch.

Attempting to stand, he couldn't find his feet; his legs were useless lumps. He hated it. Cold laughter resounded in his head.

He stretched his hand towards the switch. A cramp hit his shoulder; a flare of pain shooting down to his elbow.

He slumped against the wall, massaging the cramp. No go. He couldn't reach it.

'Sleep.'

Maybe he –should- admit defeat. He was tired from his long journey to the wall. Just sleep...rest his head against the door…

'The door handle's lower than the switch…'

Couldn't sleep! Had to get the light! He forced weary arms into action. His fingers barely brushed the handle; he grunted, stretching his torso to its limit. One finger hooked around it!

He wrenched down hard. His finger slipped... But...the handle had clicked.

He grabbed the unlatched door.

'You don't want to see.'

Why would she say that? It must be horrific -

'She won't be able to stand-'

He heard his voice screaming. Fear, dark, bitter, a mouthful of mud.

He almost couldn't bear to open-

Open the damn door!

He pulled, letting the sliver of light-

Metal, a knife?

-in; a wide swath, illuminating-

He never shirked from truth; he didn't live in illusion.

He seemed uninjured. In the next room, he saw empty beds, but there lay Antoine…unconscious? Quack was tending to him.

Only one thing left hidden. Sonic threw off the blanket.

Quack's head jerked up. Antoine twitched…

...as the room resounded with screams.

--

'You don't want to see.' She was right.

SWATbot lasers were potential death or capture. Sonic regularly danced among the beams with laughter. He wasn't always quick enough. Several times, he'd received nasty burns. In most 'Hedgehog' cases though, the robots switched from lasers to stunners. Robotnik didn't want a robot to have –that- particular glory.

It was like that today, Sonic imagined. It explained the transition of fighting outside to waking up in Robotnik's headquarters.

His eyes opened to blinding white. Interrogation. Been here, done this. What a joke – he always got away. He laughed through splitting head-pain.

"You're laughing now…" came a nasal voice. "Everything's a game, eh? That's good. We've a fine game for you today."

"Ever get tired of kissing Buttnik's ass, Snoot?"

"Constantly. It's worth it though, when it gains -me- a chance to put forth ideas. He listens when he's been suitably buttered up."

"What 'greeeeat' idea you come up with?"

"Just look."

Snively was grinning, holding a scalpel. Sonic wasn't used to physical torture. Robotnik's games were usually psychological.

"You're going to sleep a while, and when you wake up…. Oh, why spoil the surprise?" Snively's fingers clinked against a syringe.

The needle was sharp. The rush of black sleep came...

...Sonic awoke. A different place, a different occupant.

A cold laugh greeted him. "Glad to see you're well, hedgehog."

"Shove off, Buttnik."

"You might not want to open your eyes."

Sonic never listened to Robotnik.

He really wished he had.

Robotnik had Bunnie. They had taken her arm and legs. She lay propped up with her flesh arm, terrified.

"What's the deal, Buttnik?"

"I thought long on this plan. Snively wanted the Princess. But my mind is brighter than his... As much as I've wanted to kill her...Sally simply wouldn't do."

Sonic frowned.

Robotnik nodded to two SWATbots. Their laser-arms aimed towards Bunnie.

"A brilliant adjustment, sir," For once, Snively seemed to truly approve. "…She won't be able to stand you..."

"Snively, don't give it all away…" Robotnik rolled his eyes. "For goodness sakes."

"Get on with it!" Sonic spat, ready to crouch, dash, and grab. He and Bunnie would be far away soon. Rotor could make her new limbs…

"Very well. A little game, hedgehog. I call it… 'Rescue the Rabbot.'

...SWATbots! NOW!'

A laser lanced through Bunnie's shoulder. Another went through her ear. She screamed.

Sonic threw himself forward. He didn't go far. Something was…wrong…with his legs and…

He fell on his stomach. More lasers – Bunnie's arm, hand, her back. No. NO. Not fatal, not yet, He could still…

"What will dear Sally think of her 'hero'…?"

Sonic tried to stand...couldn't... Pulled with his arms, dragging. He was so far from her! This was a nightmare; he was too slow! He reached back to undo whatever restraints had him.

He…couldn't…feel…anything…

--

Quack fumbled with a syringe. Sonic hit it away.

"...Can make you new ones, Sonic, stop!"

"…can't…bring her back…"

Sally came in the infirmary door, she saw him..she looked away with her mouth curled in...disgust...

She couldn't stand him. His voice broke. "It doesn't matter," he said; he knew this was Robotnik's victory, but he didn't care.

--

The monster was laughing, the wraith was shrieking, and the belle was tolling its last peal. If only real life were as poetic as pretty words. He could write a book and shelve it, never to be read again...

He struggled to her. Bandages come undone – he left a smear of red in his wake. He knew all they said was true. Sally hated him – she wanted him to close his eyes, sleep forever – she could remember a hero instead of this –

Helpless thing. Pathetic thing. His worst fear. Not able to save them.

He reached Bunnie finally, cradling her. Her eyes were closed, lips bloodied. But peaceful now, at least. His mouth to hers...an apology whispered – filling her lungs with one last breath.

He fainted then, the fallen hero sprawled upon his dead damsel.

Robotnik leaned down, his fat hands taking up bandages. Retying them, lovingly, around the twin stumps that had been Sonic's legs.

He'd put Sonic at the forest's edge, return him to Knothole. It'd happen soon. The foundation of the Freedom Fighters – Sonic and Sally – would fall.

Collapse, like so much termite-ridden wood.

A pity, so sad...he could cry.

He laughed instead.

--

Sonic, mummering in Quack's grasp, slept before the syringe left his arm.

They all told him not to open his eyes -

He wished he had listened.