Knuxouge - Clipped Wings

Tails gets a cameo

"Actually! Sorry, can you stay here a bit longer? You can set the ladder down," Tails rushed back into the house. Knuckles and Rouge looked at each other and placed the ladder on the grass. Tails came back out quickly, holding a strange apparatus in his arms. He was beaming with excitement.

"This is your new and improved cast!" Tails told Rouge as if this was a sales pitch, "It has rigid splint-like areas to hold your bones in place while they heal correctly, but this cast has something others don't; hinges! They act like joints!" Tails showed his invention off. It looked like a big, cushioned wing. It had purely-cast sections for each wing bone, but mechanical hinges to situate them. It was all held together by a stretchy material similar to spandex and it separated into two parts, front and back, for easy application. Rouge was impressed, but couldn't stop skepticism from crossing her mind.

"I know what you're thinking— should you really be moving joints when your bones are broken? Well I talked to the doctor and he okayed my invention since the actual cast part is sturdy. Your bones shouldn't be bothered, but you can move your wing around using this remote that controls the mechanical hinges," he explained further while he handed Rouge a silver remote with a simple wing graphic and dials on it..

Rouge turned one of the dials, and the corresponding joint on the machine moved. She smiled.

"Why Tails, this is wonderful. You're a genius," she gushed.

"Thank you!" Tails blushed a little at being complimented.

"Are you kidding? I should be the one thanking you! This will be so helpful, it's amazingly sweet of you to make this," she cried. A deep affection for Tails was spreading over her. "Could I... Is it possible this will let me fly?" She choked.

"Oh no! No, it'll just be more comfortable," Tails replied quickly. Rouge was a little disappointed, but this new cast was still more than she could have asked for.

Knuckles cut into the conversation. "Are you going to try it on right now?" He asked.

"I'd better, since Tails is right here and he can show me how to do it correctly," Rouge decided.

"Okay, but we'll have to go back inside to change your cast, I've got to do this on a table. Knuckles, do you mind staying out here?" Tails agreed, then queried.

Knuckles seemed confused by the request, but agreed. He stayed outside while Rouge and Tails found a clean table inside to switch casts on.

It was a relatively quick process. They cut off the old cast, making sure Rouge was resting her wing and wouldn't move it, then enclosed the new mechanical one over it and they were done. Rouge was glad she'd chosen to wear a backless dress so she didn't need to take anything off during the process. Tails had Rouge test out how it felt moving the joints and it was fine, no pain or anything. The new cast was even lighter than the old stiff one, being made partly from fabric. Once everything was sorted out Rouge hopped off of the table.

"By the way Tails, why did Knuckles have to wait outside for that?" Rouge asked.

"The patient needed to be completely calm during the procedure," came the reply, "and if Knuckles was in here he would have distracted you."

"Is that a comment on me or him? Does that mean I'm obsessed with him or he's distracting?" Rouge challenged lightheartedly.

Tails offered no further comment, simply leading the way back outside. Knuckles perked up from his assumed position slouching on the grass. He got up to examine the new cast and see it move, expressing his awe and respect for Tails as he saw the machine in action. Tails accepted the compliments graciously.