"How do you feel?"

"I...feel like I'm going to faint."

Tails blinked. He had expected that Sonic would downplay his injuries, pretend as if he were fine and dismiss the kit's worry. He swallowed his nerves and offered the pale hedgehog a smile.

"Just hang in there, okay?" His smile faltered when Sonic's only response was a raspy cough.

The hedgehog was sprawled out on the charred grass. His usually blue fur was faded and bloodied, and a gash stretched across his stomach.

There was thick, billowing smoke drifting overhead, which only served to worsen Sonic's coughing fits. It dimmed and obscured the already dark field of debris. Tails attempted to fan the black smog away, but it returned in sluggish puffs. He bit the inside of his cheek and turned back to the hedgehog.

Sonic's eyes had glazed over at this point. Tails shook his shoulders.

"Stay with me," he said firmly, "stay with me."

Sonic gasped and gulped up a greedy amount of air. His chest rose and fell slowly, and he vaguely looked at Tails. "How...how long?" His voice was scratchy and his words slurred together like a smoothie.

A frown. "What do you mean?"

Sonic hacked up a bit of blood and Tails began to tremble.

"When..." A sharp intake of air. "When'll they be here?"

"Amy said she called the paramedics—" Tails' eyes dilated. He was all the more aware of the fog that surrounded them. 'What if they can't see us through the smog?'

He kept the realization to himself, opting to gently apply pressure onto Sonic's wound.

Despite the scalding heat(no doubt a product of the explosions that had gone off just minutes before), he shivered like he was waist deep in glacial water.

'I couldn't give Amy an exact location, and I don't even know where we are. And why are Sonic's eyes so glassy?' Another shudder.

As seconds of wait and applying pressure to the gash became minutes, Tails knew they wouldn't be found through the smoke. He attempted to call Amy back for the 6th time, but was greeted by the words NO SIGNAL sprawled across the little screen.

The twitching and quivering had spread to his fingertips now. He breathed in and out slowly to calm himself. Panicking wouldn't get him anywhere.

"Sonic? I'm going to move you. The paramedics won't find us if were obscured by the smoke."

The hedgehog groaned.

Tails slipped his arms under Sonic and pulled him upwards. His knees buckled for a second before he found his balance. He held the hedgehog bridal style, and began navigating through the thick fog.

He stifled a cough. He trudged through the burnt grass and obstinate smog, doing his best to not disturb Sonic.

"You awake?"

"Hnh."

Tails shook him gently. "Don't worry, we're almost there." He bit his lip. "Just...Don't fall asleep, okay?"

He continued his half-blind journey. At some point, the smoke began dissipating.

"Is there anybody out there?!" It was a voice, a few miles away.

The two-tail felt the weights on his shoulders disappear, and he had a sudden urge to burst into tears. He tightened his hold on Sonic and ploughed towards the voice.

When he arrived, his eyes met with a ambulance. His heart's beating slowed and he almost careened backwards. Adrenaline had faded into exhaustion, and he was tempted to just faint.

But.. He glanced down at Sonic. No, he needed to stay awake. He continued forward, feeling as if he was wading through mud. "Over...Over here!" His throat ached, and his voice was almost unrecognizable.

One of the paramedics perked at his shout. She turned around, made eye contact with Tails, then turned back to her team. "I found them!"

————————

Tails snuggled into Sonic's side, allowing his heavy eyes to slip shut. "How're you feeling?"

The hedgehog chuckled, then winced at the action. He settled for a thumbs-up. "Much better. Thanks, bud...you did great out there."

The fox felt his cheeks warm, and his pupils dilated. "You...You think so?"

"I know so."