Archive of Our Own

A blade blazed between Charmy's antennae - they waved back on reaction after the speeding knife sailed over his head and to its target.

The mighty machine in front of them felt the kunai lodge into its knee joint and slowly bent its lumbering form to remove it. Now, its head was bent forward, with a balled shine reminiscent of Eggman's own dome. Charmy felt a hand on his back and braced with a wicked glee.

Vector threw Charmy like a cannon lobbed a ball at the giants skull, and he curled up letting the force spin him. A satisfying Clang let the team on the ground know Charmy had hit it by the helmet, and he bounced up into the air with a spin to show them he was okay. Little birds flew around its head, but they had always been there; something about this particular genus of mega robots seemed to tempt the birds from the telephone wires to rest on their shoulders. Charmy had carried one up with the speed of his bounce, and it seemed just as confused as he did about the situation.

The robot staggered and flailed, swinging its arms around that Vector and Espio dodged with some grace and some tumbling; they scampered in opposite directions, crossing paths with Vector passing before Espio so he could use the split second cover to vanish. From his high vantage point, Charmy could still see where he whipped the dirt in streaks, but he knew that only told him where he'd been: Espio could turn on a dime and leap into the air to hide his next direction.

With the two of them seemingly inaccessible, the Goliath lunged at Vector; but the braced crocodile arms never met metal to wrestle, as it staggered on its knee that still had a knife stuck in it, and tumbled to the ground. Now was their chance, but Charmy couldn't see Espio to be sure where he wasn't.

"Incoming!" He shouted, and dove for a joint between metal panels where a collar bone would have been.

His stinger pierced the connection and splintered it with his weight and speed, and the thing jerked, but now he was stuck by the backside. Vector didn't even have time to react before the invisible man had tugged him by the armpits and with his foot pressed on the metal Espio tugged Charmy free, stinger aching but not damaged.

"Again! Throw me up I want a boost!" Charmy squeaked. It seemed like something Espio would have rolled his eyes at, but he did it anyway, swinging him under-arm into the air by one hand before dashing around in a loop to build speed and crash that wave into the fracture Charmy made, severing arm from torso in a crunch. At its damaged leg, Vector shivved with the knife to get purchase and pulled, separating it of its movement as easily as a normal man might have moved a sofa.

Charmy let the throw carry him up and up, only flying higher when he'd run out of steam to reach his optimum height. He was bigger than he was last year, and had learned to judge where he'd reach terminal velocity based on the trees, power lines and horizon. He looked it top to bottom, and decided the neck was his.

Too high to call out to them, he whistled as he started his descent, feeling the air whip his fur. He tucked his wings as tightly as they could be tucked, and smacked down like a bomb into the crevice under the robot's chin where an Adam's apple would be.

The thin metal shell cracked, and from the fault lines burst a particularly shoddily installed spring joint that snapped into sharp points that tore at Charmy, shredding his hoodie and trousers and scuffing his helmet. From his spine, he felt a sharp bolt of pain as one of his wings tore.

His throat immediately filled with sick feeling, and his hands formed fists. The robot he'd plummeted into shivered to a stop, and he stayed crouched in its shattered neck.

"Nice shot Ch- whoa, are you okay?"

Vector was over his shoulder, and he pulled the perpetrator from his back. Charmy squeaked, then decided to turn that into a stretch, which hurt more so he closed his eyes and rattled his head.

"Y-yeah! Did you see me? Did you see how fast I was going?"

"We sure did, but is that a cut on your left wing? Right in the middle, you poor thing, let me take a look-"

"Hey, geddoff me!" Charmy swung a fist at Vector's gentle hand. Espio re-appeared on his other side as he turned his back to Vector.

"Charmy, that's quite a tear. You must be more careful in future." Espio said seriously, and Charmy felt that sick in his throat again, and couldn't look in his eyes.

"Oh, yeah that, it's a bit sore, but it's just a wing, it doesn't feel like an arm."

"Ah, maybe you're right. We wouldn't know I guess…" Vector scratched his own back as he thought; "Still, better rest that flipper 'til it fixes itself. Take it we're walking to the next-"

"This can wait," Espio interrupted: "Until tomorrow, when Charmy is feeling better."

There he went again; Charmy gritted his teeth.

"It doesn't hurt! I feel fine, and we gotta keep going, this roads never gonna be opened again if we don't get rid of them all!"

"You may feel fine, but you'll feel better tomorrow. Then, we can take it twice as many."

Espio didn't insist on many things, but when he did he was stubborn as rocks: he was already collecting his kunai and checking how long it would take them to get home at a run. Charmy turned to Vector for help, but he had a 'hmm' face that told Charmy he was not about to get his way, whatever it was Vector thought.

"Nah, he's got a point. There could be loads more of these right up to the Tey Bridge. It's a marathon, not a sprint, all that."

Charmy growled and shook his head, helmet wobbling around where a strap has been torn by the spring. That seemed to decide it for Vector.

"Lemme have that-" he lifted the helmet easily over Charmy's antennae, inspecting the broken strap; "I'll get that fixed up, can't have you dive bombing with your fuzzy hair exposed."

Charmy knew he was defeated, but continued to whinge and whine that he didn't want to go home as they cleared up their mess while Espio inspected the strange aura around its head, that was even now attracting birds and small rodents. He swallowed hard and often as they hefted the parts over to the side of the motorway, his back sparkling as he tugged the arm by himself.

"I got that, you have a rest-"

"Shut up! Leave me alone, I can do it!" He snapped. Vector's easygoing smile - frightening to strangers, sure, but with an unmistakable warmth - slipped. His eye twitched for a moment, and though he kept smiling his teeth looked in sharper relief. Charmy's face felt hot, his arms shaking as his back burned.

"Well that's not nice, I'm tryna help you."

"Shut up! You tell me to shut up all the time, so just - buzz off!"

Vector finally stopped smiling; his eyes narrowed and he thought, but he didn't have anything to say back to that. He picked up the other end of the arm, ignoring Charmy's sour face for him.

They jogged home in silence. Charmy's legs quickly began to ache, his chest stinging as he tried to breathe slowly. And worst, at the top of every breath his back twinged anew, so the pain came in tingling waves - the receding was almost worse, because he knew it would come back, and he could only not breathe for so long.

Espio jogged in front of them, examining a huge glass bead he'd found in the robots one beady camera, rolling it around in his palm and watching the world through it. He glanced at the others for mere moments, but quickly absorbed himself in the orb.

Vector, however, was looking at Charmy out the corner of his eye the whole way, but didn't say a thing. Charmy half hoped he might offer to give him a piggy-back like he would when Charmy was dead tired and little. But he was glad he didn't, because Charmy couldn't imagine anything that would make him feel more sick right now. Why did they have to coo over him like that? They never did that for each other. When Vector got his tail shut in a train door on a chase, Espio laughed for the first time that month. When Espio tried to do a flip and it turned into a flop with legs stuck out either side in a splits, Vector brought it back up in a game of pictionary just for the sake of telling all their friends. Objectively, those were funny, but they never got all soft over their own injuries. And it wasn't fair, because he was sure if Vector would just stop looking at him like that, like he was a baby who might start crying any moment, then he was sure he would stop feeling that bubble in his throat and prickling in his eyes.

Vector made curry, one of Charmy's favourites, but he still was still not talking to Charmy. Espio grunted as it was placed in front of him, still staring at the palm sized globe as he held his spoon by his tail and wolfed it.

"Oi! Eat properly! What sort of an example are you setting Charmy?" Vector barked. Espio grunted, placed the glass ball in a box and sat up at the table. Charmy breathed in to laugh at him, but now his whole middle ached in a band around his ribs. He visibly sulked into his chair, and braced himself before every bite.

He lay in bed on his front, wishing he could stare up at the sticky stars on the ceiling instead of the his book. His skin was still wet under his clothes - he couldn't bring himself to bend to dry himself with a towel after the agony that had been the shower.

A knock on the door made him jump, so he didn't have enough time to pretend to be asleep.

Vector pushed in without opening the door all the way as to not let the light in. He lumbered over to the bed and perched on the end, and cleared his throat.

"How's your wing?"

"Fine."

"Not hurt? 'cause I can take a look, or we go to the doctor-"

"Leave it alone!"

"I don't like how you're speaking to me today, Charmy."

Charmy glanced at him bitterly.

"Sorry…" He mumbled

That you're super annoying today, he thought.

Vector must have been an amazing detective, because he looked like he heard the second part, but he didn't say anything.

"But you weren't wrong, it's not anything I haven't said to you."

"Mmhmm."

"So, uh, I'm sorry, Charmy. I'm only ever saying it in a friendly way."

"Mm."

"But it's not alright, clearly, so I'll try and be a bit better." He said softly, but Charmy just rolled his eyes. Vector was always coming up with ways they were going to change things up: they were going to all eat healthier last month, and the month before that they were supposed to get their side hustle as entertainers off the ground. And here they were, greasy and poor still.

"Mm. It's fine."

"Well alright, you don't believe me. You'll just have to watch me."

"It's fine. I'm tired though, can you go?"

"So cold! Don't you want me to read you a story, since you got hurt today?"

Charmy craned his neck to frown at him; "No! I haven't had a story since I was like 5! Stop making such a fuss!"

"Ah well, I guess that's a while ago then. Alright, alright."

Vector patted his shoulder softly as he got up, and Charmy seethed, not least because it hurt.

That night, past two in the morning when Espio had finally gone to bed, Charmy crept out of bed and to the bathroom, carrying his dressing gown. He turned the mirror and the little shaving pop out to look at his own wings while he sat in the sink, and rifled through the first aid bag.

He couldn't reach to put the antiseptic cream on, so he tried a spray. His ankles kicked against the sink in pain and his throat burned, but stared hard at the mould on the wall through squinted eyes.

None of the plasters were the right size for it, but with some of the tape he could hold it together to an extent, and then it didn't hurt as much when he moved. Finally, he approached the pills.

The dosages were for adults, and done by body weight. Vector didn't use these because they didn't do anything for him, but they instructed 1 for small, 2 for medium, and 4 for large people, so he took one. It still looked big to him, and he remembered the last time he'd had a painkiller it was liquid that tasted like strawberry, so perhaps this was the solid form.

He crunched it, then immediately spat it out, then spat out his spit which tasted awful from it. Why didn't all painkillers taste like strawberry, anyway? He thought about flushing it down the toilet or crushing it in the sink, but something stayed his hand: everyone does this. Espio took these all the time for headaches. There were loads of them in the shops, so it must be fine. He crunched it miserably but with resilience, then crept back to bed, where the taste lasted for hours.

-

Charmy lay on the sofa on his side playing on his games console. Espio sat at the table, staring.

"Espio! Put that ball away!"

Espio jumped and stuffed the crystal ball into the shoebox again, looking guilty. Vector barged in with his jacket on and his boots, then grimaced when he saw Charmy.

"I, uh - I mean please could you put your treasured weird thing off the table?"

"I heard you the first time." Espio remarked drily. His eyes were dazed and glazed, but he was looking in Vector's direction.

"I'm heading out, my nose is telling me there's something fishy going on at the fairground that just popped up, so I figured I'd better take a look."

"If you feel it's right."

"Mm."

Vector knocked Espio on the back of the head.

"… Of course, there might be some rides here and there."

"Oh, yes I suppose so." Espio said lazily, but Vector was glancing over at Charmy; Charmy refused to look up.

"… And of course it would be rude not to get cotton candy."

"Yes, it would indeed."

"… Any detectives want to come with?"

Vector was looking at him again. Charmy shrugged:

"Nah, I'm good. Have fun."

"I guess I'll stay here with Charmy. I have much to consider-"

Vector dragged Espio by the shoulder to the kitchen.

"What? Why are you being so strange?" Espio hissed.

"Me? I'm being strange? You're the one who's too busy being a freak about that stupid marble to notice Charmy's being weird!"

Espio blinked dimly, then quickly.

"I suppose you're right, he hasn't left the house all week."

"You suppose? It's unheard of, have you ever known that boy to sit in a room and- right, I'm going out. You talk to him, you're young-"

"I'm not much younger than you, but perhaps your crotchety attitude ages you out of reach."

"That is exactly how we're not talking to him! I don't want Charmy to grow up thinking it's okay to talk to people like this!"

"Hm, that's why you've been speaking to us like a newsround presenter."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Vector spat through gritted teeth with a smile.

He let Espio go, then strolled nonchalantly back through the living room.

"Alright… I'm going to the fair… See you later… have a nice afternoon doing nothing…"

"See you, Vector."

"Yeah. Bye."

Charmy didn't look up. Espio stood in the corner of the room awkwardly for a moment, but his fingers itched to be back staring at his latest fixation. Charmy wouldn't notice, he thought, but with a surge of self control he sat on the sofa.

"Do you want to play a game? I could set up the console,"

"Nah, you can just sit there with your thing. I don't care."

Espio sat quietly, his fingers twitching for a moment before they started to remember how to be still.

"I think I should take a break from that… it has an aura I find most intriguing."

"Yeah, you've been acting like a total freak."

"Uncalled for."

"Vector calls you that."

"When?"

"Just now. While you two were talking about me in the kitchen."

"We weren't talking about you."

"Vector shout-whispers."

"Ah."

Charmy grunted, pulling a mean sort of face.

"Well, he's not wrong. You have been strange."

"He's been strange. Trying to read me stories and cutting my food up smaller! It's weird!"

Espio nodded, winding his focus back onto Charmy every time it wandered over to the shoebox.

"And what did he say when you raised this with him?"

"He said 'please don't say bugger off, it's not nice'." Charmy gave a terrible impression of Vector, and was put out when Espio didn't laugh, and just watched him in silence.

Espio was good at silence. He crossed his legs and considered Charmy deeply. His face was lined and he was perpetually squinting his eyes. He hadn't moved at all from laying on the sofa, but he was tense where he lay.

"I think something is bothering you. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"No? I can't be helpful then."

"No, you can't. Neither of you can be helpful because all you can do is;" Charmy screwed up his face; "'Ooh baby Charmy! Don't fight robots! Don't be rude! Be a good little boy and go bed on time' Then you go away and fight robots and be rude and stay up way after me!"

Espio chewed through the projection being thrown on him, finally interested in something beyond the glass bead. Charmy's frown wasn't angry when you watched, it was trembly. He wasn't wearing his favourite orange jumper, instead an old grey hand me down and baggy trakkies. He brushed his face hard and went back to glaring at the game.

"Alright," Espio changed tack: "I can't help you."

Charmy 'hmph'd.

"And neither can Vector, evidently. We're not trying to patronise you, but evidently we have done."

Another huff.

"But if I may suggest: it isn't like you to ignore a challenge. You are known for your ambitious attitude and enthusiasm to get things done."

"You're talking like a newsround presenter."

"Well they're very wise. So whatever is the problem, I expect you to rise to it with the same enthusiasm you always do," Espio said thickly, and on the spur decided to push the aggressive persuasion; "That's the mature way to handle it."

Charmy shifted in his hoodie, shrinking into it.

"I'm trying."

"Good, what have you tried?"

"… If I tell you, you won't get all weird on me?"

"I will do my best."

Charmy shifted in his hoodie again, then shunted the hoodie off his head, and sat up very gingerly without a shirt on.

"I tried strapping it down, and I tried all the creams, and I tried your yucky medicine, but it won't-"

Charmy coughed, rubbed his face and swallowed.

Espio leant back on the chair to see his wing; the torn one was now hanging limply, the edges curling and a brownish stain spreading from the connection to his back. As he moved, both wings flexed slightly with every small move, and Charmy winced each time. Espio's mouth became very small.

"Don't be weird! I'm cleaning it and stuff!"

Vector ran into the pull door at the front if the Pterology clinic. Charmy watched him through the window of the clinic room, and put a hand on his face. That sick feeling in the throat had barely left since his talk with Espio that lead him to be bulldozed into this expensive hassle, and now Vector was here to embarrass him completely.

Espio surmised Vector's movements from Charmy's expression.

"Apologies, I'll just step out to catch our colleague up to speed." He said briskly, and the doctor hummed.

Espio couldn't, it seemed, not be weird. He had instead forgone the weird of treating Charmy like a puppy, and opted for the weird of being professional with Charmy instead. He heard them hisspering outside and looked at his shoes.

"I can't continue the examination without a chaperone," The doctor began. They were a tall butterfly with the most splendid wings stretching head to toes. Charmy wondered if having such impressive wings lead one to studying the medicine of flight, or if you just got beautiful wings when you knew how to care for them.

"Yeah, yeah, I figured."

They looked out the window and muttered to their computer; "… such a lot of show and dance, ridiculous… you'd think we were on the ICU…"

Charmy kicked his legs with a small pride.

"They're always fussy like this, see. That's why I didn't tell them."

"Well, if you ask me, people ought to read up on divergent feature health before they adopt a child. But what do I know?" They grumbled. The feeling of pride was polluted with drips of guilt.

"No, I mean they do alright. And it's not like I'm their kid, I just live with them."

The butterfly doctor tutted again, tapping their pen, then they got up.

"When you two have quite finished, I'd like to proceed with the consultation."

Espio shuffled in first, tossing Vector a stony glance.

"Yes. I have paid for the full hour."

"Right then, sure, let's get that hour." Vector said with a smile but is voice was hoarse and his eyes crazy as he looked at Charmy.

"Alright, Charmy - I think you'd better answer these;" the doctor began, giving a sideways glare at Espio and Vector.

"Sure, we already filled out the desk form."

"Fine: so you are a frequent flier? Use your wings at least every 2 days?"

"2 days is a lot? I'm always flying."

"Okay, flying for mode of travel, leisure, sport or other?"

"Yeah all of those."

"And when is the last time you visited a wing specialist?" They glanced back at Espio and Vector, but Charmy cleared his throat.

"I thought you were asking me! The normal doctor looked at them when I went in for my jabs, said they looked really strong."

"And that was a few years ago, okay. I'm going to have a look now, if you could just sit on the bench - there we are;" they lowered it all the way down for Charmy to step on, then raised it all the way up so his feet were swinging 4 feet off the ground. He had nowhere else to look while the Wing specialist bent and moved his wings about except straight ahead at the chaotix. Espio kept his face very still, but nodded at him. Vector tapped his toes, ground his teeth, whipped his tail in the chair and shivered. His face shifted between abject misery and furious glances at the doctor as they made Charmy wince, shining their light over it taking pictures with a flash camera. Every time Charmy tried hard not to flinch it was as though Vector took the pain in a transfer, and he looked like - almost like, but he couldn't surely…

Was he going to cry?

The thought took the floor out from under Charmy, and he gripped the squashy doctors bed.

"You," they began suddenly; "Are very lucky you're young."

They all just stared with deadpan frowns at the doctor for a moment.

"Charmy is very capable for his age-"

"The most capable! He's wise beyond years, I'll tell ya-"

Vector and Espio began from the peanut gallery, before they stopped as Charmy hid his face. The doctor ignored them.

"If this happened in ten years time, we'd be into stitching, rods, and possibly never recovering. But you haven't hit puberty yet, so your body still knows how to make wings."

"Did you know he could do that?" Vector whispered, with a voice so loud Charmy could hear it plainly across the room. Espio actually whispered back so he didn't hear the answer, but it tickled him all the same.

Yeah, there's a lot I can do that you don't know, probably.

"So, what, it's gonna repair itself?" Vector asked.

"No, it's not living tissue. But new ones will grow, if you choose to remove them. That would be your best option, as repairing little delicate ones like these has mixed success."

"Remove? You can't cut his wing off, that's inhumane!"

The doctor shrugged; "It's up to you. Remove them, and they'll grow back in a few months. Leave it, this one will probably drop off on it's own at some point, but you've got a higher risk of infection, and if it grows back bigger you'll be flying uneven. If it doesn't fall off at all, then they'll both replace themselves a few more time when you start growing fast. Could be a few years off."

Espio scribbled down every word, and looked up expectantly at the doctor for another cure, but none came up. Vector launched out of his chair.

"This is ridiculous! Can't you put it in a cast or something?"

"No, I can't;" The doctor sighed, running a hand across their own long wing as they spoke; "The muscles on the back will move it anyway. So we recommend removal so we can treat the damage to the wing joint, then they'll grow back straighter."

Vector paced the room, glaring at the Pterologist sharply every few seconds, but all he could say was:

"Well we'll have to think about it. It's a big surgery for just a… A, uhm, well a bee…"

Espio tapped his temple in frustration, as the Doctor sighed.

"As you like it, but it's more similar to a tooth extraction or an ingrown toenail removal. Only a local anaesthetic, very low chance of permanent damage."

"Very Low? That's not enough!"

"Vector." Charmy said suddenly, and the crocodile stopped mid step with the look of a border collie awaiting orders to chase.

"Vector can it be my choice? It's my wing… and it was my fault."

He opened and closed his mouth, making various grumbling and protesting noises before he settles on;

"Of course, it's all your choice, just want you to think about it, that's all."

Charmy felt all eyes on him, and he swung his legs for a thoughtful moment, building up the courage.

1, 2, 3, and-

"Can you take it off today?"

Vector grabbed his head, his hands landing on his nose and clamping it shut. The doctor looked impressed.

"Yes, if you want. You've paid for the hour, the procedure takes about 20 minutes."

"Then… yes I want to. I want to get it over with, I don't want to think about it happening in the future, and I want my wing to be working again and not be all one-sided: so the sooner you do it the sooner it's all over."

The doctor was already printing forms out. Espio dragged Vector to his chair by the tail, and stared fiercely at Charmy.

"That's a good tactical choice, Charmy." He said smartly.

"Hm? Yeah, tactical. Great choice." Vector choked, but as soon as the doctor left the room he was back up out of his chair and pacing, hands within reach of Charmy making his throat bubble again.

"Wish you'd told me… How didn't we know? I thought… I thought it was like an arm, y'know? Arm's heal on their own… do they? I should check with that horrible doctor…" He mumbled frantically as he paced.

"I didn't want you to be like this about it." Charmy sighed; "You always get like this! Why can't you just be chill? Kids get hurt and fixed too, y'know."

"Because you're ours you little brat- Oh geez don't say it like that you horrible-" Vector diverted being angry at Charmy to punching his own fist. Espio crossed his legs in the chair, drumming his fingers.

"It sounds like Vector means to say: We don't care if other children have horrible injuries. In fact we prefer it."

"Oh you're a one - don't you start putting words in my mouth, you absolute-"

Charmy started cackle-laughing, before he gasped and felt his back twinge, and they both flipped back to Sad and Sorry eyes.

"It's fine, just hurts. Still rather you two were sometimes mean but always funny than trying to be all nice always."

They grimaced at each other.

"No, we could talk nicer to each other… but that's another months goal."

"Indeed, what's important now is you're being very brave, Charmy."

"No, I'm not, I'm not scared."

The doctor returned with a gown for Charmy, and gave him a shield to change with. Vector cleared his throat.

"So, what, you're going to like - pull out the wing? Does he get a painkiller at least?"

"Sure, numbing cream. Removal of the damaged wing will take most of the time, as there's a scarring tissue there to avoid. The healthy one will take no time at all."

"Both?" Charmy squeaked, coughed, then squeaked again; "But the other one's fine?"

"You said you didn't want to be lopsided."

"Oh… okay… yeah…"

Espio glared at the doctor with murderous intent; Vector looked to Charmy for instruction.

"Great, I just need to grab my assistant, and then we're ready. Lay down flat."

The door swung, and Charmy slowly descended to the bed, where he held his breath until he couldn't any more.

"I am scared."

Espio stood in a flash, but Vector was already there - he was about to put a hand on his back, before he rested it on Charmy's fist.

"You don't have to do anything."

"Indeed. This doctor seems entirely too enthusiastic, we would be happy to walk out."

"I do want to. It really hurts, and I'm so miserable."

Vector's hand dwarfed his still, he wondered if it always would. His thumb ran over Charmy's knuckles.

"Plus…" Charmy huffed; "We paid for the hour."

Vector snorted, and squeezed his hand.

"You just say the word and we're gone."

Charmy nodded, but he refused to say the word, and dropped Vector's hand when the doctor returned. He didn't say a word even as he heard the first cut through the tingling on his back. Even as he felt his throat fill up and thought he might spew. He didn't say a word, but at one sharp moment a dam finally broke, and the horrible-feeling bubble that had lived in his throat finally burst into a pathetic little whimper-shout. It rattled in the room, and he winced his eyes closed, his face burning hot and prickling all over.

The doctor carried on as though they hadn't heard it. The nurse gave him a small pat on the arm. When he opened his eyes, Espio was white, and Vector had his fists to his snout and tears streaming down his face. Looking at them made it worse, so he grimaced at them then closed his eyes again.

They were almost silent after the procedure, which the doctor seemed very happy with. They offered to show them the wing; Espio surveyed it to make notes and asked to keep it for evidence - the wing was removed from their view. They shivered their way to the car.

"We need to get these supplements the booklet recommends." Espio began, settling in to the passenger seat; "The alternative medicine store has some, but they might not be strong enough,"

"I think I'd like to go home." Vector quivered, hands shaking at the wheel. Espio glanced up, and immediately unclipped his seat belt again.

"Fine, you're not driving, though."

Vector sat in the back seat instead of the passenger, so he was next to Charmy, with a hand over his head and breathing slow.

"I'm the one who had surgery, not you Vector!" Charmy said sharply, then laughed to himself as Vector swished his big tail.

"I wish it was me." He groaned.

"That's stupid, you don't have any wings!" Charmy laughed again, then cut himself off abruptly. They all cringed.

"Right… I don't now either, do I…"

"It's gonna grow back! Remember, the doctor said lucky!"

"Indeed, we'll have to think about how we protect those in future."

"Yeah, no more terminal velocity!"

Charmy sighed, and looked out the window.

"Telling me what to do again, like I don't know…"

"Well, maybe we do that. And maybe we are a bit mean. We'll try harder, sorry Charmy."

"Counterpoint:" Espio began, "You could just speak to us however we speak, and try bossing us about. In fact, you tell us exactly what we're having for dinner, and after, and we'll just have to do it."

"Yeah, that's good! Might teach me to do a bit more listening instead of assuming what I've done wrong."

"We're too easily distracted. You'll have to shout at us Charmy."

Charmy giggled mischievously, leaning forward in his seat to let the connecting muscle where his wings were be free of the back support.

"Yep, absolutely we deserve it. And you earned it, being so responsible… braver than me all blubbering over there."

"I didn't want to cry! We don't cry!" Charmy said firmly, then looked out the window for takeaway inspiration. Vector and Espio looked at each other in the mirror:

Next month's self improvement?

"I think… I think I don't know about dinner. But I have something I want Espio to do."

A glass ball smashed against the concrete ground of their patio. Espio grimaced.

"Now we'll never know what it did…"

"Eh, you heard the bee. We can go get another one."