Whoo!

Here's my second little story and I feel I've gotten way better at writing this past year since Pokemon: Survival Of The Fittest was started.

There may be small sections including other ships, but for now, the main focus point is Ikarishipping because it's my favorite!

If you have not already read Survival Of The Fittest, I encourage you to check it out. But please note that when I started it, I had pretty much no idea what I was doing so the writing seems like that of a beginner. As for this story, I will put all of my effort in to give you guys something to look forward to. This fanfiction will be updated at the same time as the other one at least once every week.

So I'll be doing my best to juggle school work, art, and writing at the same time.

I guess I'll just do a brief introduction:

This is not a fantasy story and is in fact a realistic-fiction fanfiction. There is the usual school involved, but I promise I'll make it more interesting than most other fanfics that involve highschool. Oh, and romance is of course, one of the more important themes of this along with acceptance of others which you'll end up seeing later on.

Without further a do, I present Lovely Mine!

Disclaimer:*

I don't own Pokemon

Chapter 1: My Shock

o-o-o

"I can't believe it..."

"Neither can I."

"My baby will never be able to fall in love!"

"But, Ms. Berlitz, why are you telling us and not Dawn?"

Three figures stood in a dark hallway, two just barely shorter than the other standing before them. Johanna, the mother of Dawn, let her face rest in her hands. She just shook her head, refusing to listen anymore to the two other figures. It had been years since her loving husband had disappeared without any traces to be found. And now, she was going to lose the treasure that got her up in the morning.

"Are you trying to ask us to tell her for you?" One of the figures, Leaf fiddled with the hem of her skirt. The woman hesitated before slowly nodding in response.

"You're her mother! Why on earth should you not be the one to break the news to her?!" May, the last figure, almost screamed, glaring at Johanna. Her fists clenched and she was about to say more, but Leaf grabbed her hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

"I... I can't!" Johanna cried out, lifting her head from her hands. Tears rolled down her face and the woman's posture looked very tense, causing May's gaze to soften. "How on earth can I tell my little ball of sunshine who smiles so much for me when I'm like this?!" She choked, quivering slightly.

"W-well..." Speechless, the girl dropped her head to look at the ground. May tightly clutched Leaf's hand for support, biting her lip and saying nothing else.

"Shh... Dawn's right behind that door." Leaf murmured, glancing over to the light gray entry to Dawn's hospital room. It was about four in the morning and hardly anyone but the doctors treating Dawn were there along with any other patients that maybe suspended to the hospital.

"Leaf, she can't hear us anyways, she's probably behind that door continuing to flail about and gasp for breath while they work." May snorted, looking back up at Ms. Berlitz who knew very well that her daughter was still suffering every second they wasted talking. But then again, there really was nothing that they could do but wait.

"That was rude... Ms. Berlitz, don't mind May, she just gets a bit... careless with her words. Dawn will be fine." The girl yawned before ushering Johanna to a nearby bench, right across the hallway. Just minutes ago, they were called to the hospital when Dawn's lungs began to fail on her. Apparently she had just barely gotten to the nurse call button.

"She's got about a year left... I honestly knew that this day would come for her... But I shunned the thought to live in the moment." Johanna sniffed, wiping away the tears. It had been three years since Dawn was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, surprising everyone as the disease is extremely rare among children. She was confined to a wheel chair after too many of her motor neurons were damaged in the second year and had been doing fine, until just yesterday when she was brought into the hospital. The muscles she could control in her legs were hopeless but her teachers didn't worry much as she could still complete work. However now, Dawn could not move the muscles in her right arm and hand. Her sudden lung failure surprised them all as everything seemed to be crashing down on her at once. It was miracle enough that she'd get to live through the fourth year.

"Living in the moment..." May grumbled, shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath. "I guess that was the right thing to do... For Dawn, at least."

"I just... I don't know what I'll do if she doesn't get through this.." Johanna's words hung in the air as neither Leaf nor May said anything else. A period of silence which seemed like hours overtook them. Muffled sounds just barely passed through the thick wall separating them all from the girl, causing the worry among them to raise and atmosphere to thicken.

The tick tocks of the clock mounted on the wall above the doors only added to their stresses and worries. Leaf folded her hands and placed them in her lap, nervously looking around. Meanwhile, May checked her phone for any notifications before turning it completely off and standing up, attracting the eyes of both Leaf and Johanna.

"I've got to go, my mom and dad are demanding that I leave... I'm sorry that I can't stay.." Guilt flooded over her as she gathered her things.

"But it's a Friday and Dawn is a friend!" Leaf's eyebrows knitted together. Being left alone with a woman she'd have to calm down and console did not seem like the easiest thing on earth. Unlike May's, Leaf's parents didn't seem to care about her whereabouts or what she did which made her extremely jealous of her friend. However she pushed that thought aside and flashed May a hopeful look.

"Sorry, Ms. Berlitz, May, but I can't." Shaking her head, May waved before walking down the hallway towards the exit. Her footsteps rang in the heads of both Johanna and Leaf, causing the earth around them to seem even more lonely. Silence. The cold bench was the only thing that kept them awake as they waited for what seemed like hours more.

Just as Leaf was about to close her eyes and fall sleep, the glowing red light just above the doors to the Emergency Room darkened. Her eyes widened and anticipation lit up her face along with Johanna's. Hard footsteps against the floor thud and made their way towards the entry. With a loud bang, the gray doors slammed open, doctors and surgeons filtering out of the room. Dawn's mother was the first to stand and make her way closer to the doorway where a man dressed in all white like the others was filling out a patient report. He handed the clipboard he was filling out to a nurse and sent her on her way down the hall.

"Dr. Joyce..." Her throat was dry and the words she uttered were thick as she thought about what to say next. The said man turned and looked at Johanna before flashing her a small smile and adjusting the glasses on his face. Seconds later, Leaf stood and slowly made her way across the hall to stand beside the woman to hear the news.

"She's quite tired, you can visit her and possibly take her to school tomorrow. Let her have the rest of the day to rest before you try to visit her. We will contact you if anything happens." Dr. Joyce crossed his arms and watched as relieved smiles crossed their faces.

"Thank you so much." Johanna wiped at the tears that were beginning to well up in her eyes. However upon saying that, Joyce's warm expression faded into a more serious look.

"Don't rest and let your guard down now, Dawn just barely made it through the procedure. The next time, she may not be so lucky as her diaphragm is now weaker than most people's. Though she'll never walk even if she survives longer than the expected year, try to limit her movements." He sighed, handing her some of Dawn's papers. It seemed as if the pile of papers was getting even bigger as the months passed by, causing Johanna to purse her lips as she took the documentation from his hands.

"I see... Thank you anyways." She flashed him a grateful look before folding the papers and placing them carefully in her purse.

"I'll be going now." Dr. Joyce nodded before looking over to Leaf. "I think you need to get this young lady home soon."

"Ah.. Yes, we'll head out now. I will stop by tomorrow to take her over to the school, until then, make sure she recovers quickly today." Smiling, the woman gently tapped Leaf on the shoulder before walking towards the exit. Smaller footsteps echoed as Leaf followed right behind her as Johanna was her ride.

It hurt Leaf a little to only be able to watch as her friend's mother's shoulders shook as she let out tears. On the way, Leaf couldn't rid herself of the image of Johanna's tears being lit up by the headlights of cars. Of course it'd be painful for her mother, but she herself was worried about Dawn. Johanna wasn't the only one concerned for Dawn. Leaf would miss her friend dearly if she died, but she was prepared for the worst anyways. Even if Dawn passed, she'd always have May and on the bright side, the girl's suffering from the disease would end.

There was nothing much anyone could do now but wait. Wait until the year passed and wait until an inevitable death.

"Thank you for taking me to school today!"

Dawn smiled gently as her mother opened the car door and wheeled her out of the backseat. She felt comforting warmth as the sun hit her face and familiar sounds of the other students rushing to get to homeroom entered her ears.

"Of course, as long as you're feeling better." Johanna hummed, caressing the side of her daughter's face. It wasn't long until Dawn's eyes set on May who was walking with Leaf. They waved at her before May stepped forward and latched onto the handles of her wheelchair. "I'll leave you to your friends."

"Thanks!" She thanked her mother again before watching as the woman closed that back door and walked around to the front. In a matter of seconds, her mother was gone, the sound of the rumbling engine still ringing in her ears. "Hey guys." Dawn looked up at her friends.

"Long time no see, Dawn!" May grinned, pushing her towards the school gates. Leaf was soon walking right next to them as they headed straight for class. It had been a couple days since her lungs failed on her and she was sent to the ER. Now Monday, she was back at school. Faintly, she could remember her world spinning and getting blurry as the surgeons worked until finally, light broke through and it was the middle of the afternoon. There were no visitors for her which saddened Dawn a bit, but she shook it off and slept some more when her doctor told her that she'd be able to leave for school the next morning. For her, going to school was exciting as usually she spent time in the hospital, at checkups, or at home. Her mother used to tell her everyday that things were going to get better and she'd be able to marry and have children then attend her funeral. However she stopped reassuring Dawn years ago which made her a bit skeptical.

Dawn waved to the students whom she recognized around her with her working left hand. From the waist down she was paralyzed as a result of ALS, but it was beginning to take over her body, starting with her arms. She could feel eyes on her, burning into her as May wheeled her by to the classroom. Awkward, the girl stopped waving and rested her left arm next to her right.

"Hey... Who's that?"

"Don't you know? That's Dawn?"

"Why is she in a wheelchair?"

"What's she doing at school?"

"Did we have someone like that at our school?"

"She'd be really pretty if she didn't have that bulky wheelchair."

"Don't look at her."

"Apparently it's bad to make eye contact with her, it's a bad omen."

"Isn't she diseased?"

"Diseased?!"

"Ew, gross!"

"So that means she's contagious, right?"

"What the hell is she doing here then? She's going to get everyone sick!"

"What's her disease?"

"Well, apparently it's Lou Gehrig's disease."

"So ALS, right?"

"Sucks to be her, that's life-threatening."

Leaf and May shot glares at the others around them as they made way for her. Dawn lowered her head, not wanting to look at her fellow peers anymore. Murmurs and whispers filled the hallways until finally, they neared the classroom. Sliding it open for her and May, Leaf let them pass before following and directing her to where her desk is. It had been so long, Dawn had almost forgotten where she was seated.

A chair which was at her desk was removed by May and before she knew it, she was being pushed into it. Sending them both grateful looks, Dawn reached and pulled a notebook out of a black compartment attached to her wheelchair. The mutters and snickers that she heard in the hallway carried to the class as students began to arrive.

"I feel bad for her parents."

Freezing, Dawn slowly set her things down on her desk with small tapping noises. One more, her two friends circled around her like hawks, only they were sending death looks to the ones outside of the circle. Her head went down again to look at her useless limbs and right hand which she could no longer move. It made her feel pathetic and want to do more with herself. However, there were not many jobs that could be done well with only one arm and a non-dominant one to add. In all, she was pretty much dead weight to her mother who would have to find out that she'd wasted thousands of dollars raising Dawn if her disease really was going to end up killing her soon.

Clenching her left hand into a fist, Dawn bit her lip and shut her eyes. If she cleared her mind of such thoughts, then they wouldn't bother her. Although, doing so was very difficult even when she had Leaf and May around her hushing those who rudely spoke of her.

"Don't pay any mind to them."

A friendly voice came from in front of her and her friends. She lifted her head to take a good look at whoever possessed such a kind tone. Her eyes settled on a boy with odd green hair and a flirtatious look on his face. Next to him was a spiky brown-haired boy who had the same expression, though it seemed to be directed towards Leaf.

"You're not going to win her heart by giving her false support, Drew." May laughed, crossing her arms and plopping down in the desk diagonal from Dawn's and in front of Leaf's. Rather than sticking over by her, the one called Drew trailed right after May.

"And you'll never get a boyfriend with that attitude." He grinned before receiving a punch in the shoulder.

"Screw you." She scowled before turning back to Dawn. "While you were absent, we met two little fuckers."

"Little fuckers?" Dawn laughed a little bit, causing both Gary and Drew's faces to redden in both embarrassment and anger.

"Filter please." Leaf rolled her eyes, shoving her books in her desk and getting out a notebook and pencil before copying down something on the electronic board at the front of the room.

"That sweet sweet angel is just running her mouth." The chartreuse-haired boy coughed, flicking his hair.

"Leafy, you free this weekend?" Gary completely ignored the conversation, sitting on the other desk next to Leaf. She ignored him, beginning to write down the same thing in May's notebook.

"Drew and Gary. They're both flirt-nuggets, but don't worry, they're also worthless." May smirked a little at Dawn who raised an eyebrow and said nothing in response.

"I'm not a 'flirt-nugget', I'm a sexy beast and you know it, Maple." He ran his fingers through his hair before waggling his eyebrows.

"That 'sexy beast' is definitely a beast." She grumbled, averting her eyes to the notebook that Leaf had filled out in front of her. Drew pestered her a bit more before returning to his own desk a couple rows away.

"You children, take your seats... I don't get paid enough.." The teacher stumbled in, muttering the last part to himself. Obediently the remaining students fled the halls to the room and took their seats while the others quickly closed off their conversations. Dawn giggled silently to herself, missing her teacher's moping and self-pitying grumbles.

It felt amazing to have a group of friends. Usually it was just May and Leaf switching off as Leaf paid a whole lot of attention to her studies while May talked to her in class. On the other hand, Leaf frequently visited her in the hospital and hung around her after school while May wasn't allowed to go out a whole lot and usually had make-up classes to take. But, there were rare times when all three of them would be together.

Class seemed very fast compared to the medical procedures that seemed to last forever. Conversing was over as soon as the professor walked in yet started up as soon as it was over. This repeated over and over, the same old boring things that Dawn found herself loving. Again and again she was wheeled as hours passed and different classes began and ended.

"Do you have to go to the bathroom?"

May yawned, stretching as the final period came to an end much to Dawn's disappointment.

"No. But will you be around to help me outside?" She replied, placing her textbook in the compartment attached to her wheelchair.

"Yeah, but wait outside the classroom for me." Her friend smiled before taking the handles of her chair and pushing her out the door. May scooted her off to the side before leaving her. Winking, she waved and headed off in the direction of the girls' bathroom.

Leaf and the other two boys had their final class on the other side of the school so there was a low chance that they'd see each other in the hallways now. Since May didn't have any extra classes today, it was decided that she would be the one to escort her to the car. However, it took a bit of walking to get to the bathroom from here and it seemed like it would be a while until she got back. Even so, Dawn had all the time in the world as she was scheduled to go to a check in with her doctor immediately after-school and would do anything just to stall.

Patiently, she leaned back in her wheelchair and stared up at the ceiling. She was feeling a bit drowsy as her vision began to blur and her eyelids began to shut. Soon, the loud purr of the students moving through the halls and talking to their peers began to slow and grow quiet. It had only been a couple minutes since May had left her there and a majority of the others in the school were already gone or at least out the doors.

"Paul.."

"Hey Paul!"

"Listen to her.."

Feminine voices filled Dawn's ears and seemed to be getting closer to her. Choosing to ignore it, she simply kept her eyes closed in hopes that they wouldn't try to question her or make comments towards her.

"Paulie, stop looking at your phone and pay attention to us!" A girl whined loudly.

In an instant, her eyes shot open as her chair was slammed into by something and roughly tipped over. A clacking sound rang out and a loud grunt was heard. Crying out, Dawn panicked, looking everywhere and trying to pull herself upwards with her one good arm. Pain seared through her torso due to part of her wheelchair falling down on her. However, the nerves in her lower body could not be felt at all and were most likely bruised a bit now.

"Damn it..!" A rough, masculine voice cursed. Looking up, she watched as the blurry figure in front of her stooped to pick up what seemed to be his glowing phone. It seemed as if he had been walking and unexpectedly ran into her wheelchair. Vision clearing up, Dawn locked eyes with the boy in front of her. He had an expressionless face with purplish hair and coal-black eyes that glared straight at her. "What the...? Why aren't you getting u-"

He froze as he realized that the thing he ran into was not a simply desk chair but a wheelchair. His eyes trailed down to her paralyzed legs which were slim and definitely delicate-looking. Luckily, Dawn had chosen to wear long, pitch black socks which pulled up to her mid-thigh that morning so hardly any flesh was exposed. However despite having quick, brief flash of guilt show on his face, the boy simply stared down at her before turning to one of the girls standing around him.

There were two girls, one, a sly yet somewhat cute looking girl with curly pink hair who wore a uniform that did anything but follow the school's dress code. Her skirt was short and her socks did nothing to cover the exposed skin. Jewelry hung from her wrists, ears, and neck while she did nothing to cover up her cleavage which seemed to burst from the white dress shirt and blazer she wore.

And the other, a girl who looked admittedly attractive, possessing bleach-blonde hair, a petite frame, and a uniform that actually covered more skin than needed. This girl wore a long sleeved white dress shirt which was buttoned to the top along with a cream colored sweater vest which matched her hair. The blazer she wore was buttoned up halfway but her skirt was mid-thigh length and her socks also met her thighs like Dawn's. A very modest look.

Though the way she dressed may have just been decided due to the fact that it looked good, either that or she came from a very modest family. Dawn bet that the uniform she wore was blazing hot, even though it was only the beginning of January. Still struggling to stand, Dawn shook her opinions of the people standing before her away before scooting a bit further from the boy's feet.

"Who is this girl?" The boy asked the other girls who had either unfriendly or awkward looks on their faces. Obviously, at least one of them were irritated because Dawn had unintentionally interrupted their flirt attempts however the other looked plain uncomfortable. But, the thing that attracted Dawn's attention the most was the fact that the boy questioned the girls with no menace at all in his voice.

"That's... Dawn Berlin, I think." The girl with blonde hair replied slowly. It was a good shot at her last name, but at least she knew her first name.

"No, that's ALS Alice." Laughing, the pink haired girl pointed her finger at Dawn, a somewhat cruel look crossing her face. Blondie just stayed quiet, though hesitantly nodding her head as if agreeing with the other girl.

"ALS Alice?" The boy muttered in confusion. He shoved his phone in his pockets and directed his full attention to Dawn.

"If you say 'ALS' really fast, it sounds like 'Alice'. So that's her official nickname. She usually ditches school which is why you've probably never heard of her." The girl grinned before chuckling at her own explanation. She harshly elbowed the blonde in the side, causing her to wince and urging her to laugh.

"I don't ditch school..." Dawn murmured silently, trying to sit up but falling forwards instead. Holding herself up once more with her left arm, she struggled again.

"What was that, Alice?"

"Ursula, we should just go." Furrowing her eyebrows, the blonde girl tried the pink haired girl whose name was apparently Ursula.

"Shut up, Brook, we're not leaving yet, it's just getting good between Alice and Paulie." Ursula roughly shoved the one called Brook when she tried to extend her hand to Dawn. She stumbled and crashed into the lockers, a bit shocked with the harsh way her friend had just treated her.

"ALS... Lou Gehrig's disease?" 'Paulie' grumbled.

Nodding, Dawn's face flushed with embarrassment and the shame that she shouldn't be feeling. Falling back against the closed door to the classroom which was now empty, she stopped her struggles. Her chest heaved as she gasped for breath, it had been a while since she'd moved around so much. He reached for her, but Ursula slapped his hand away causing him to send her a look that could kill.

"Paulie, don't touch her, ALS is a life-threatening disease! You might catch it." Ursula looked down at Dawn, ignoring Brook's slightly frustrated pleads to just leave the school.

"Don't call me that, it's just Paul." He snapped before adjusting his blazer and dark red tie which hung loosely around his neck. "And I'm not stupid, ALS is not contagious."

Dawn's head had begun to hurt a little as she let herself slump. Reaching up with her left hand, she rubbed her temple. It had been about ten minutes since May set off to the bathroom and she still wasn't back to help her. She was about done, dying of embarrassment and shame while her chest and lungs began to hurt.

"Ursula, let's go!" Brook shouted, pulling at Ursula's arm. However, Ursula's other hand simply flew backwards before connecting with her face. Hurt and furious, the blonde roughly grabbed onto her and wouldn't let go. Without bothering to see if Paul was coming, Brook dragged her 'friend' down the halls towards the exit. Just before, Dawn could've sworn she flashed her an apologetic look.

Leaving just Paul and her. She stayed quiet, not daring to say a single word in hopes that he would just walk away. Her eyes stared down at the ground until a rattling sound entered her ears. Shock overtook her as she looked up to see the said boy picking up her wheelchair and placing her books back into it's compartment.

"So... You're the famous 'diseased' student." He muttered, reaching out to help her up. Though she would've gladly accepted his help earlier, Dawn didn't feel like doing it now. Especially when he just stood by and stared at her wondering who she was rather than helping her. It was mortifying and it made her feel something as stupid as ashamed of herself for something Dawn could not help. With as much force as she could muster, Dawn smacked his hand away with her left hand.

"Do not call me that. I am not infected." She spat bitterly, feeling tears well up in her eyes as her breathing grew more ragged.

"Well then you're Dawn Berlin, right?" Paul quietly questioned, letting his hand fall to his side as he looked down at her.

"Berlitz... Dawn Berlitz." The girl's throat felt like it was on fire and she could hear her own heart beat rapidly.

"Berlitz.. I see... Paul Shinji." He mumbled awkwardly, looming over her. Though she was sitting down, Dawn bet that if she could stand, he'd be at least a foot taller than her. His voice was neither cold nor friendly and it was more like he had nothing to do or at least, didn't know what to do.

"Well then go home, Paul. There's nothing else to see here." There was something wrong. The familiar burning sensation in her lungs was beginning to return and it was getting harder for her to breath.

"Sure... I'll see you tomorrow.." Not bothering to fight back, he turned to walk away.

"What the fuck did you do to her?!"

May screeched, dashing down the halls of the school. She looked furious and worried as she stormed right at Paul. He did not budge from his spot, letting her ram in right into the wall beside the door that Dawn leaned up against.

"A friend of yours..?" Paul grunted, eyes flickering towards her before he moved just in time to dodge May's punch. Wincing, she pulled back her fist and made an attempt to hit his face. However Paul reacted faster, grabbing her fist with his before shoving her off of him.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Paul?! She's fucking handicapped and a good-girl yet you push her out of her god damned wheelchair?!" Now breathing almost as heavily as Dawn, May took her red bandana, which was originally tied around her wrist, and wrapped it around her forehead. Paul laughed at her either habit or attempt to be serious. "I'm not shitting around, you bastard!"

"Calm yourself, it was an accident." He stopped laughing and met her furious glare.

"Doesn't look like it!" May stepped towards him, fists clenched and ready to fight him. But, Paul didn't look even the littlest bit interested in fighting her.

"May, it was an accident originally, but some stuff happened.." Dawn coughed and choked, muscles beginning to spas and limbs starting to flail about. Tears of pain slipped down her face as she gasped and cried out in an attempt to gather more air in her lungs. They were failing on her once more and this time, Dawn knew for sure that was what was happening.

Everything ached and her eyes grew bloodshot. She wanted to scream her lungs out and suck in air, but nothing was going in or out.

"Dawn!" Directing her attention from Paul, she approached her side and hauled her towards her wheelchair, but it was difficult with her moving about so frantically. Her heart sped up as May began to grab at her and drag her to the wheelchair causing more pain and panic. Quietly, Paul whipped out his phone and dialed 911, quickly speaking in his low voice to answer questions about whereabouts. In a matter of seconds he was done, wordlessly helping May lift Dawn into her wheelchair. Though it would've been faster to carry her, May probably wouldn't let him, despite the scenario.

"Stop moving around! You're just wasting oxygen!" He leaned down, towards her ear and growled, causing her movements to cease as he ran beside May who blasted down the halls towards the exit. As long as they could get to the gates of the school, she'd have less of a wait to get to the hospital. Why he was doing so much for a girl he just met? Paul himself didn't know.

Dawn felt chills as she shook, trying her best not to move around too much. It was difficult to calm herself and she could feel herself getting light headed. Everything was fuzzy and blurry as she was rushed towards the exit. The familiar sounds of doors slamming open shocked her ears and sunlight blinded her even more than she already was. Even though she was in a whole lot of pain and fear was beginning to take over, Dawn couldn't help but think that she should be used to this by now.

For a brief moment, she felt herself being lifted up. Whoever was holding her was struggling a little and their arms felt thin and less muscular. It was most likely May who was holding her and running with her. Of course, May was protective of her. She probably refused to let Paul touch Dawn before picking her up and moving towards the ambulance without him. Her guess was proven correct when whoever was carrying her stumbled, giving Dawn a flash of a

In a matter of seconds, sirens sounded off. They weren't as scary as they were when her body first began to break down. Honestly, they were now more like repetitive lullabies to her. If she heard that sound, it meant that she was going to get help, not that she was going to die. That sound was pacifying, though somewhat terrifying to others her age.

She heard her name being called numerous times, going along with the hums of the sirens. Pressure could be felt in thick horizontal lines going across her body. Dawn smiled lightly, knowing that it meant that May must've gotten her to the ambulance and that she was now being transported. Sure, May was strong, both physically and mentally, but Dawn knew that both she and her friend owed a lot to Paul. Paul, who had just met her compared to May, who was used to this procedure, was pretty amazing in her own opinion.

A cold breathing mask could be felt, pressed against her face and tubes were slid into her mouth and nose. Her lungs seared with pain and more tears fell from her face. Then, she could just barely sense antibiotics and drugs being slipped into her body. Feeling herself calm down, Dawn took a deep breath of air. It felt incredibly good to have the cold, fresh air slip down her throat again.

Dawn could not hear much, but her vision was beginning to clear up. More drowsy than before, she slowly shut her eyes, too tired to keep them open.

"We're going through with it, but I am serious when I say that she now must have an escort with her at all times."

Dr. Joyce ran his fingers through his hair in stress before writing out yet another prescription for Dawn. Putting her on the new medicine would help her keep from exerting herself too much.

"I see..." Johanna had rushed to the hospital upon receiving an urgent call from Joyce. May had told them everything but another boy, who showed up with her, had told a whole different side of the story. Either way, she couldn't bring herself to be mad in the current crisis. As she sat down to fill out paperwork, a sigh escaped her mouth. She would much rather have Dawn die than suffer this much. However the fact that such a thought crossed her mind disgusted her.

"This is all your fault!" May hissed, voice echoing down the hall. The girl seemed to be having a stare down with the boy named Paul. His eyes were dark along with his expression as he stared back. Johanna lifted her head to look at the two teenagers, pursing her lips. If he really had pushed her daughter out of the wheelchair, then the woman would've been furious. But something was stopping her anger. It was hard to believe that someone like him could even get acquainted with someone as sunny and kind as Dawn.

"I told you, I didn't do anything!" Paul growled, pushing her back a couple feet and away from him.

"You totally did! You're lucky Dawn was nice enough to defend you!" She snarled, throwing a punch. However, the boy effortlessly moved out of the way, hands shoved in the pockets of his pants.

"If she dies... You'll be the one to blame!" May pointed an accusing finger at him. He stepped back away from her, regret flooding over his body. But really, he wasn't the direct cause of Dawn's lung failure, right?

"I... You showed up late to the scene. How the fuck would you know what actually happened?" His eyes were smothered in a scary rage that looked almost calm.

"I saw what I saw! How could you?! Because of you, my best friend is going to die!" In a flurry, the brunette hit at his stomach, trying to find an opening.

"Nn!" This time, May actually landed a punch. Paul drew his right foot back before whirling around and connecting with the girl's chest. She flew back and into the wall, choking out saliva due to the force of his kick.

"For the last time, I didn't do anything and she's not going to die." He grumbled, turning and walking down the hall towards the exit. Stopping as he passed the bench outside Dawn's hospital room, Paul turned to Johanna.

"Please call me when they allow visitors." His hands fumbled through his pockets until he pulled out a slip of wrinkled, blank note paper. Paul hesitated, looking at the woman before muttering. "Pen... Please, ma'am."

"O-oh!" Handing him the pen, she watched as he wrote his number down on the paper. He handed both back to her and pulled out his phone. Turning his flash off, he quickly snapped a picture of her hospital room number before shoving it back into his pocket. Footsteps echoed down the hallway and May slumped against the walls as he took his leave.

Johanna took a quick look at the slip of paper before neatly folding it and putting it in her purse. She found herself staring after the young man, neither angry nor disappointed in him. Despite the fact that he had fought with her daughter's friend, the only thing that crossed her mind was, 'What was he to Dawn?'

"Sorry about that guy, Ms. Berlitz." May choked, taking a seat next to her. Once again, the light above the hospital doorway was bright red. Her eyes concentrated on it while awaiting a response.

"It's alright, don't worry about it." Johanna replied quietly, writing a check to attach to the paperwork. Suddenly, Dr. Joyce pushed open the doors and slipped out.

"Is it over?" May took off her bandana and rewrapped it around her left wrist. Dawn's doctor shook his head before walking over and taking the paperwork and money from Johanna. He pushed up his glasses with a hand before sighing and crossing his arms.

"Unfortunately, no. But it's safe to say that she'll be alright for now." Dr. Joyce stood directly in front of the woman and the girl. Pulling a fairly thick-looking packet from his white coat, he scribbled with a pen a note on it with a star. He handed the packet to Johanna and then gave her a blue bottle filled with white pills.

"What is this?" Johanna questioned, eyes skimming over and through the packet.

"That's information on the physical therapy she'll have to attend. Rather than ten visits a month, we'd like to see her every Wednesday and Saturday for an hour and a half." He answered.

"I see... And will visitors be allowed anytime soon?" The woman rolled the bottle of pills between her fingers. Setting it down, she packed her things into her purse with May's brief assistance.

"Dawn is going to be here until next Monday. You can visit her at anytime, but tomorrow you can only visit her after four PM." Dr. Joyce smoothened out his coat. "Alright, Dawn will be in good hands, we're wrapping up the procedure. I suggest you head on home and settle in for the night."

"Yes..." Johanna muttered, watching as he pushed open the doors and re-entered her daughter's hospital room.

"My dad's here to pick me up... Bye, Ms. Berlitz!" May turned and ran down the hall towards the lobby.

Wordlessly, Johanna waited a couple moments before also heading to the lobby.

Meanwhile, Dawn was sitting through the surgery just beyond the doors.

That's it for now!

I'll try to update as soon as possible.

Once again, I encourage you all to check out Survival Of The Fittest!

This chapter was a bit rushed, but I guess the parts with Dawn are supposed to be. If you spot an error, feel free to point it out and I'll fix it as soon as possible.

What have we learned this chapter?

Obviously, Dawn has ALS

Ursula just loves to pick on her

Drew and Gary are 'little fuckers'

Paul is... like on his period or something with dem' mood swings xD

Leaf is... studious

May is overprotective and so far hates Paul's guts

This fanfiction will go through Dawn's fifth year and conclude at the end of it.

I don't have much to say other than thank you if you started reading this!

I hope you'll review!

Thanks~!

~Bear!