You're the thorns to my rose
Attention: Since English is not my mothertongue you might find some spelling mistakes or syntax errors. I apologize in advance. My mothertongue is Swiss-German so I normally imagine a sentence in German and try to translate it as well as possible into English, sometimes there is a lack of vocabulary or I don't find a match or the appropriate idiom but I want to improve my English and become a better writer. Another thing I want to make clear is that I use „..." to introduce direct speech! „ are not commas but the German quotation marks, just to avoid confusion.
The waiting room was cold and uninviting. The walls had gone yellow and it smelled of disinfectant. The water dispenser was empty and there was a mud-green substance paving its way out of the tap. James took a look at the clock on the opposite side. Four hours had passed since he had brought Jessie into the emergency department. James was shaking all over, he eagerly expected clarity. He wanted to hear some good news. Was Jessie over the worst? Did she survive the serious injuries? Will there be any lasting damages?
Why had he been so stubborn? He would have loved to sock himself on the jaw. He was terribly angry at himself. He could have prevented the accident! James reproached himself bitterly. It was his fault, his negligence, his stupid invention.
-Flashback-
Jessie: Prepare for trouble.
The machine under her feet rumbled, smoked and made unusual noises.
James: And make it double.
Jessie: To protect the...
There was a loud bang. Jessie fell from her seat, she got stuck on the edge of James' invention. She tried to find safe support on the slick surface but her strength went off, Jessie slid down the outer sheath, James managed it get hold of her left wrist.
James: Jessie, hold on tight! Don't let go!
Jessie: Hurry up! I can't go on any longer!
James: Try to reach my left arm with your right hand!
Jessie: I can't, you fool!
She slipped and hit the steering lever with her back of the head, eventually falling on the hard stony ground.
James: Jessie!
James climbed down the metal ladder. He ran to his friend, kneeling down next to her.
James: Jessie, are you alright? Did you get hurt?
No answer. Jessie was lying motionless on the floor.
James: Talk to me, Jess!
He tried to wake her up, shook her shoulders. She was still breathing, but her pulse was weak.
James: Oh God, Jessie. What have I done?
He fought against his tears.
James: I need to readmit you to hospital.
James carried the magenta-haired woman in his arms, dragging her to the closest clinic. He pushed open the door and cried out for help.
A Chansey approached Team Rocket, looking deeply dismayed and concerned.
Chansey: Chansey, Chansey, Chansey!
The Pokémon ran as fast as it could and fetched the assistant medical director. The doctor hurried to James.
James: Please, help her.
James' voice broke down. He sobbed and handed his friend over to the practitioner.
Doctor: My name is Doctor Kibou. What happened?
James: She fell from a... from a scaffolding.
He was forced to lie, he couldn't tell the hospital that Jessie fell from a sloppy constructed machine, built to steal other trainer's Pokémon.
-Flashback ends-
„Sir?", a nurse stood in front of him. „The doctor would like to talk to you", she announced. James jumped up. He was terribly nervous, his heart pounded, sweat drops formed on his forehead. He felt that big lump in his throat.
The doctor waited for him in front of a closed double door. He shook James' hand and asked him to take a seat. He kept a straight face. James suspected something bad. The doctor sighed.
„I got some good and bad news", he began. „The good news is that Miss Jessie survived the surgical procedure, the bad news is, she fell into a coma."
James was paralysed with terror. „Coma? For how long? Is there a chance that she awakes from the coma?", he asked.
The doctor shrug his shoulders. „We can't say for sure. She might awake from it in a couple of hours, days or even months – and in the worst case scenario – never again. Can we register you as her legal guardian?", he wanted to know.
James was sunk in thoughts. He nodded.
„Can I see her?"
„She's in intensive care, Chansey will accompany you", he pointed at his helper. Chansey took James by the hand and led him to his friend.
James pressed the handle downwards and looked into the patient's room.
There she was, lying in a large bed, surrounded by cables, an infusion stand and measurement equipment. She wasn't yelling at him, she didn't insult him, no swearing.
She was quiet, and he hated it!
He sat down next to her on a caramel brown armchair.
„Hello Jessie, how are you?", he greeted her.
She was under artificial ventilation, her heart was beating too rapidly.
James didn't know what to do, so he started talking to her.
„Jessie, we've been through a lot. We never lost faith, no matter how many times we've been attacked by Pikachu. Electro Balls, Thunderbolt, Tunder Schocks, we weren't licked. You're a strong woman, you're bouncing back, you show the world every single day how strong-willed, determined and purposeful you are. You have plans and dreams and I'm sure you're not ready to shatter them. You want to become the new Kalos-Queen, my Queen", he carefully took her hand, leading it to his face. Jessie had delicate hands, no wonder, with this consumption of lotion.
„Jessie", he smiled to himself. „I need to confess something to you", he took a deep breath.
„I always thought, that there was more between you and me than just being co-workers and friends", he said. „I noticed our occasional physical contact, the hugs out of fear or warmth, the patting on the shoulder, on the back, the arm linking, putting our hands together, you even wrapped your hands around my neck in order to keep me from crashing into the walls of a vehicle, you did that on purpose, right? The sleeping next to each other, or on top of each other when we were forced to spend the night outdoor on a slide", tears rose to his eyes.
„Jessie, I made you a promise and would like to revive it. I promised you that I would never leave you, no matter how hard life was going to be, how many obstacles we needed to cross, I will never hover over you, you mean so much to me, I will never desert you, not now, when you find yourself in this tricky and hopeless situation, I will always protect you, like I did when Harley used to clobber you, and you protected me in return, you got so furious at the guy who beat me up, you were about to give him a whipping. We're an invicible team, you can't destroy us so easily, we strike back, we're tumblres", he caressed her fingers and didn't want to let go of them.
Suddenly, he grinned rascally.
„Could it be that you were jealous at times?", he wondered. „I remember the day on which I disguised as Juan, my task was to chat with my female fans, paying them compliments, the boyish charmer. You gave me the cold shoulder that evening, you refused talking to me and decided to eat diner in two waves. You never liked it when I spoke to other women, it is true, you wanted me to get married to a girl just to steal her father's Pokémon, but deep inside you were hoping that I wouldn't develop positive feelings for her. You were angry when I raved about Mime Jr., you thought I payed too little attention to you. No need to be ashamed. I admit it, I'm incredibly jealous seeing you joking around with other males. Do you remember the crash we caused and how we decided to help the doctor at the hospital? I agreed on providing assistance in order to keep an eye on you and that dreamy physician", he confessed.
„I wanted you to be proud of me so I decided to buy less candy", he chuckled. „Jessie, I know I disappointed you sometimes, I wasn't the ideal partner but a childish, persistent and lunatic comrade. I'm sorry, I am commited to doing everything I can to please you, to support you, to facilitate your life, but, please, come back! I need you! You're the thorns to my rose, you're the Ash to my Pikachu, the chocolate to my hot, the microwave to my diner, you're a part of me! You're the one who redirects me down to earth, you're the one who tries to sooth me in situations such as the sinking ship, you're the one I want to go on adventures with, you're the last person I want to see when I'm going to sleep and first one when I wake up in the morning, you've been my guardian angel for many times. I beg you, Jessica, wake up", he could no longer suppress his tears.
„Jessie, I, I l...", he began but then he noticed that her fingers twitched.
She slowly moved her right hand. Then she winked and opened her eyes, straining them immediately due to the harsh light.
„Jessie, can you hear me?", James asked.
She tried to open her eyes a second time.
James had the desire to weep for joy.
„You're back, Jessie", he wiped away the tears.
Jessie smiled at him. „Who are you?"
THE END