Song of inspiration this time:
"Take me down to the river bend... Take me down to the fighting end... Wash the poison from off my skin... Show me how to be whole again..." - "Castle of Glass" - Linkin Park
I had it on repeat the entire time while writing this... maybe it'll match the tone if you listen while reading?
A Dark Night
Chapter II: Worry and Despair
The image of her sad face engraved itself in my mind. Such a wonderful… yet terrible thing to have to watch as I wait to come back up… I heard the voices.
I can hear people. What are they saying…?
"Make sure he stays under throughout the-…"
Throughout what?
"-You need to… … Miss, you need to wait out-…"
I examined the sad face of the girl. Her brown eyes are filled with tears.
Why is such an innocent person so sad…? I looked at the image longer. She was crying. Hovering over me…
Her hair fell from the sides of her head, almost touching my mane.
Do not worry about me, stranger. It is what I do… It is what I must do.
Even if I was biased against you… my nature is to help those whose fate is ill. Please do not cry.
The image remained.
It made my mind stir with emotions. Please… Just don't worry about me…
"-moving. You said you double-checked-…"
I calmed myself down and tried to clear my head. I could feel the sixth sense picking up on something.
If I get worked up… I fear things will not go well for me.
In whatever manner I could, I took a deep breath and opened my mind to the image once again…
I called my parents and explained everything. They didn't like that I was up at the Pokémon Center so late, but I made my point that I was staying.
I simply sat in the chair and thought the whole night over.
I almost died. The words echoed in my head as a chilling whisper.
A Pokémon saved my life- Was the only thought I could use to fight the overwhelming realization.
The doctors said I was lucky. 'Not many people have a fate that an Absol could- or would- bother to interfere with.'
Mom might be here soon. I glanced to the door that led to the operating room. If you can hear me, I worded in my head (thinking the Absol might pick up on my thoughts and whereabouts), I will be back in a bit. I promise.
I began walking down the hallways, wiping my eyes of any tears or smeared makeup. I spent the time, straightening the wrinkles in my jacket, trying to look as "together" for my mom as I could.
It didn't last long because she started crying right when she saw me in the waiting room.
"Amy, oh my lord." She rushed up to me and hugged me tightly, wrapping a firm hand behind my back and my head. "Never scare me like this again." My mom struggled to say before breaking down into tears.
I couldn't hold back. Maybe I'm just a dramatic teenager, but I have never felt so fragile and scared in my entire life. I pulled away from the embrace and motioned for her to follow me towards the Absol's room.
"They said he'll live, but won't be able to walk for a while." I gestured towards the door, and mom immediately peeked through the small, glass window on the door. I already tried to watch from the window, but the surgeons did a good job of blocking the view. Admittedly, it would have driven me mad if I could have watched them work. Thankfully, the only thing I could see was a bit of white fur and the black sickle protruding from his head.
"Now I don't blame you for running." She said quietly, after seeing his form.
"I'm so stupid." I said as I plopped down on the chair.
Mom sat down next to me and stroked my back, "No one is blaming you, Amy."
"If it weren't for me, he wouldn't be in there." I yelled frantically.
"If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be here." She point out, calming me down. "It was his choice, Amy. I can't say I would have known about his… 'Sense'." She took her hand from my back. "You just need to be thankful and think about what is happening rather than what could have happened."
The image is gone, and I can hear the voices better now. I can feel my mind winding down from the drugs that have been keeping me asleep. I heard the name of it when the surgeons finished,
"Mark, they need an anesthesiologist in room 18. We can clean up-…"
I am alive… but now I must deal with whatever these humans have planned for me…
Time is going by quickly for me, but as consciousness seeps close towards me, I am becoming more aware of the pain arching across my entire body.
"You can come in now if you want to. He'll wake up later, but he'll still be a little loopy from the anesthesia." The surgeon announced to mom and me.
"Oh, my…" Mom said as she came in after me. "That's quite a scar." She came closer to the stitches lining a scar that ran from his upper hip down underneath the cast frame. She came closer to me as I simply sat down in one of the chairs they had placed next to the bed. "Honey, you didn't say anything about him getting cut and…" She couldn't bring herself to ask about the blood.
"It was bad…" I muttered. I was a little fuzzy from shock, but I can still clearly remember the accident from a few hours back.
The surgeon let the door close and walked up to the opposite side of the bed. "We don't get many Absol' in here… But we were able to get his blood type and get him on a transfusion."
I took the time to look him over. His fur was a shaggy mess, swooping sideways just above his eyes. The sewed-up scar was hard to look at. Despite his condition, he breathed softly and lay still with a serene expression on his dark-skinned face.
I couldn't help but notice the black claws twitching every now and again on his forearms. He's dreaming. The whole thing made me realize just how magnificent he was. I haven't dealt with Pokémon much, living in a big city and all, but I felt as if he were very… magnificent…? I guess he reminds me of the pictures of those rarer species' like Entei and the other two. Just a little more modest in his appearance. I smiled at the thought.
Time passed as I ran the doctor (and technically mom) through the events of the night. They interrupted to ask questions a few times, but the whole conversation left me with a question.
"What's going to happen to him?" I looked back to the doctor.
"Well… We'll have to contact some people about the policy on 'Heroic, Wild Absols'… But most likely will be allowed to recover, and then maybe sent over to the safari preserve." He looked down to the Absol.
They would just send him there… to be captured by some trainer…? He would literally have to fight for his survival. The idea was appalling, and I could see it in mom's expression too.
That's when she said something I never expected, "What if we take him in?"
Light. I- I can see light.
Voices- Wait- I hear her.
I forced my eyes open slowly, taking in the blurry vision and trying to make sense of it.
"He's awake!" I heard an unfamiliar, masculine voice say. The words rang in my head.
"Yes. I am awake. You do not need to yell." I growled at him, pushing my head deeper into the bed.
Maybe you cannot understand me, but just be quiet, please… Arceus, it feels like a Rhydon punched me. I squirmed, trying to relieve the pain.
I only found more pain.
Typographical shift. Note: Same Character POV… just removing the italics… Unless I am typing out thought or L- ….I mean… Absol's speech ;)
"Hey." I felt a soft touch on my cheek, which immediately got my attention.
You… You stayed with me. I left my eyes open and watched as my vision fully returned to me. Sure enough, it was the girl…
Something in me jumped, as if I had finally eaten for the first time in days. I felt my distress over her sadness fade away while I took in the new image of her smiling.
Sunlight gleamed into the building through the shades, which made me wonder how long it must have been. I shifted, only to feel a stab of pain in my legs. A growl and a flinch was my reply.
"Shh, just relax." Her soft voice rang like a melody. "It will take some time before you can walk again." She pet the fur on my head.
Confusion. A million questions must have entered my head. I glanced from her, over to the window.
She noticed and explained my situation.
So it has been a whole night. My legs are broken. I brought my head up to look at my legs, weighed down in the casts. And I have been sewn up. I noticed the stitches on my right, hind leg.
Despair… I think that is the word for how I feel. I looked at my legs again and sadness overwhelmed me. I cannot live with these. I-… There is no way to catch food or run with legs like… I whimpered as the realization took hold of me.
The same, soft hand brought my head back down to the pillow and stroked the fur from out of my eyes. She ran her hand up and down my mane, comfortingly.
"Everything's going to be alright." She said.
She must have seen my doubt, because she spoke again, "My name is Amora Lindengale. Everyone calls me 'Amy', though."
Amora… What a name. I thought to myself.
"I know you're confused and hurt and probably scared," She continued to run her hand through my thick, white fur. "But I can help you… okay?" She pulled something out onto the bed.
I understand now. My eyes could have burnt as hole through the Pokéball, I was staring at it that coldly.
"You don't have to…" She said. "I don't want to force you into anything you don't want to do… But I am worried about what will happen to you otherwise…" She looked away.
Amora… We both know what would become of me… I looked to see her face.
She is sincere. I can see it. She looked to me with genuine sympathy.
"I just can't let you do something like that for me and watch the worst of luck toss you around in the open air." She spoke softly.
I looked to her, and then to the Pokéball. The door opened, and the man left the room, leaving just the two of us.
"Just know that you owe me nothing, Amora." I tried to say.
I brought my head closer to the device she held in her hand. No sensation of dread or fear came over me. My sixth sense had nothing to say as I pushed my nose against the Pokéball.
Please review if you are enjoying the story.
I just need the recognition to feel good about myself.
Review response to Beanboy: I am glad you like it.
Again… no romance for a while… but still a lot of fluff.
Review to give feedback and suggestions!
I just want to feel loved...