The successivo thing I woke up to was a siren. It blared loudly and it's red colori swirled over the sky. There was plenty of commotion, people we're running around frantically, and I saw nurses carrying pills, medicine, and antibiotics. I was in a hospital bed, with a white sleeveless hospital gown. My head was spinning in hundreds of directions right now, and my eyesight was blurry. When I finally came to my consciousness, I saw Shadow sitting successivo to me, his hand grasping mine. He saw I was awake and he smiled happily, "Your awake! I'm so happy! I knew te wouldn't dream of leaving me now." Shadow kissed my forehead and hand. I giggled softy and settled back into my bed. I was really tired still, a bit closer to my full strength. Shadow still looked pleased with my recovery and sat successivo to me. He pressed a red button successivo to my letto labeled, "CALL FRIENDS." Shadow spoke into the microphone to tell the nurse to bring my Friends in. Tails was still a bit young to enter a hospital room, and everyone was afraid of him freaking out like a miniature maniac. But I persuaded Shadow to let him in. I knew he was very worried about me and it would pain him to not see his only person closest to being a mother. Sonic, Amy, Sally, Tails and Rouge entered, carrying roses, boxes and presents. Tails held Sally's hand and had tears in his eyes. His legs were shaking like a couple of forks being banged together. I laughed out loud and Shadow kissed me on my head. "Your laugh brightens up this room like a lamp in a dark alley." Sonic and the others' eyes widened and they immediately set their presents down. They cheered and hugged me tightly. I smiled and yawned. Tails' eyes got huge and he screamed happily, "ZOEEE!!!!" I sat up so he could jump onto my lap like he usually did. He jumped on my lap with such great force that I had to calm him down. He snuggled underneath my breasts and hugged around my waist. I kissed him on my head and whispered softly in his ear, "Hun, don't ever worry about me, I'll always be here. No matter what. da the way, I bought te something that I trusted Amy with."

Amy nodded her head and picked up a good-sized box with a red bow on superiore, in alto of it. Tails sat up in my lap and extended his hands. "May I please see it?" He asked politely. Amy gave him a friendly nudge and handed it to Tails, "Sure Tailsy, te deserve it!" Tails scanned the package like it was a supercomputer built out of paper clips and delicately removed the bow. He removed the covering and saw the amazing gift. Tails' eyes widened and he cheered loudly. I saw a glimmer of happiness in voice and he pulled out the contraption. It was a binary code decipherer that he always wanted. I bought it for a lot of money that I saved. Tails pressed all of the buttons, scoped every nook and cranny, and even twiddled around with the antenna collector. "WOW! Zoe, te didn't even need to do this! I could've bought it with my piggy bank money.....this costed over like, $2000! I just.....oh thanks soooo much Auntie Zoe! I Amore this gift! But the thought te put into the gift is the most important!" Tails shrieked again with joy and Shadow and I smiled gleefully. Sonic clapped at my determination to please Tails and Rouge applauded. She walked over to me and sighed, "Zoe, I'm very sorry for all those horrible things I said. It's just when Shadow detto that I knew nothing about him, something snapped in my brain. Then my boys just wanted to ruin your life. But my cuore never wanted to do that. Can te ever forgive me?" I nodded yes because I was too tired to even say anything. Shadow closed his eyes, gave me a glance of approval and said, "I'm sorry too Rouge. That was quite mean of me to say that." Rouge nodded and smiled, "It's okay." She sat in a small chair in the corner, watching us with watchful eyes. The others handed me their presents, which I promised to open when I left the hospital. The doctor came in then.

He was a very classy doctor dressed in a white lab cappotto with a corpulento, birra di malto creamy beige mustache. He had a bald shiny head and some red glasses that went perfectly well with his glossy red pants. His name was Dr. Laloloza and he wore black loafers. Dr. Laloloza carried a check-board in his hand that had my name on it. Wrinkles sagged underneath his smeraldo green eyes and his hands looked sweaty. Dr. Laloloza walked towards me and smiled. "Hello Ms. Zoe," he detto formally with a small Brazilian accent, "How was your rest? And can I please have te be escorted to the scanning room? We want to see the cause of your collapse." I nodded my head and was helped up da Shadow and Sally. "Don't push yourself too hard Sugarplum." detto Sally lovingly. I managed to get out of the comfy letto and Tails was heaved out of my lap da Rouge. "Alright Doctor, I'm coming right now." I walked beside Dr. Laloloza and he explained a long procedure of what I needed to do. I asked politely if Shadow could come along with me, just to make me feel più comfortable. The doctor's lips pursed slightly because he probably thought Shadow was a bit dangerous, but agreed anyways. Shadow tagged along, wrapping his arm around my waist protectively and baciare my head. We made small talk while the doctor lead me to the room. He pointed to a circular white soft chair that I needed to sit on. I gladly plopped my butt down on the chair. The doctor then started the examination process.

Dr. Laloloza pulled a steel lever with a red handle that started the machine. A spark of blue light came from a big circular machine with black and green buttons. "Now, Ms. Zoe, I'm going to ask te to open your eyes and stare into that farm over there. Good...." I looked into the farm with my arcobaleno eyes and saw it as clear as day. I knew nothing was wrong with my eyesight, I definitely would have noticed. Shadow placed his gloved hands on his muzzle and nodded. The doctor smiled. "Nothing seems to be afoot inside your eyes. Everything is in check. Now, if Mr. Shadow is okay with this, can te remove your camicia and bra?" My blush turned 100 shades of red and rosa combined. Shadow blushed also, but slowly nodded his head. He walked over to me and whispered in my ear softly, "Zoe my love, are te okay with this for real? I don't know if this doctor will stare at your breasts, I have because we had sex. He better not think of any ideas...." I sighed. "Shadow, honey, I can trust Dr. Laloloza, just help me take my bra off? Don't stare either--" Shadow nervously took of my camicia and I inclined my bra. My blush got redder and while the doctor left to go get the materials for the successivo test, Shadow gently groped my breasts. I moaned softly and kissed his head. He nibbled my neck and sucked on it gently. "Shadow, what if the doctor catches us? Save it for at home, but thank you." Shadow nodded. "Anytime for you." He slowly, yet passionately kissed my lips. Shadow got up and sat in the corner. The doctor came back and saw I had no camicia on. Shadow's eyes raised and he clenched his fists. Dr. Laloloza stopped staring and cleared his throat. "Now Zoe, please lie down on your back and let the machine pass over you." The machine slid past me in a couple of secondi and shut off. The doctor came back from the results room just when Shadow helped me slip my clothes back on. His face had tears. Shadow and I stared at each other worriedly and waited for the news.

"Mr. Shadow, I have very bad news about your girlfriend. She has developed NIDS, an incurable disease. Also, she has become pregnant at the same time. Her children and her will both die in a matter of months. We have on the charts at a 25 percent chance of overcoming the disease and living, but that is very low......I'm sorry." My cuore cracked loudly; I could've sworn I heard it. Shadow's eyes filled with tears and his body trembled. We stared at each other for a while. I cried and sobbed. Shadow held me close and cried also. We stopped. The Doctor had already left due to the emotional pressure. When Shadow and I left the building, our Friends stared at us with smiling faces. But when we told them the news, their smiles faded. Cries filled the air. Shadow and me didn't dare to talk to each other. Tails wailed the loudest, and took the whole matter to heart. Sonic rented and apartment for all of us to stay in, and I slept with Shadow in the same room. My pregnant belly was visible, and my NIDS disease didn't change how I looked. Still the same. I wore a white toga, abito with blue ribbons at the bottom, and Shadow wore a blue t camicia and plaid shorts to bed. We laid there in the bed, awake. My belly made the sheets uneven, but Shadow didn't mind. Finally, Shadow spoke up. "How many kids are we supposed to have anyways?" He detto sadly.

I looked at the ceiling and said, "Six." disappointedly.

"Wow, that's a lot."

"But to me it's just enough."

"Yes.....Zoe, this whole thing is my fault. I bet I caused this disease to get you."

"No, it isn't Shadow. te didn't do anything. It probably came from my mom when she had me.....and now it's passed down to me. I still Amore you, no matter what.

"Really? I thought because of the no-talking thing that te hated me."

"Haha. Not true. Shadow? Remember the doctor detto I have 25 percent chance to live?"

"Yes. Why?"

"That still means I have a chance to live right?"

Shadow's eyes lit up. I smiled. He opened his mouth, but didn't say anything. He knew I was right. Shadow grinned and kissed me. "Maybe you'll make it....maybe our kids will make it too...." Shadow sighed as he rubbed my belly. I smiled, then fell asleep. I might've lived. I might've died. But there was still hope right?