*4*

Ash walked back to the hospital room a tray of food in one had and drinks in the other. He wasn't the most balanced person in the world, often needing to stop to get a better grip on the tray of food. Once or twice running into a wall here or a nurse there. Ash used his hip to open the door to Misty's room, which was a bit trickier than he first expected it to be but the door was cracked open so he didn't work at it for too long. What he wasn't expecting was Misty to be topless, facing away from him. He gaped, the bruise on her back was already a horrific deep purple stretching just below her shoulders to her bottom. Ash almost fell over at the site of it.

"Mi-Misty?" Ash stumbled turning his face to the floor. He couldn't seem to leave, or fully look away at this point. He instead just directed his eyes to his shoes and bit his lip.

Misty looked back lethargically at Ash. She was tired, and didn't much care how he saw her but managed to look slightly surprised by him being there anyway. She slipped her t-shirt on and her sweater. Her bra hurt too much to put on, but she felt weird with it just sitting on the counter. "Sorry." She peeped, not actually sorry at all. "Guess I should have locked the door."

"Or maybe shut it all the way. It wasn't even latched. You could have had creepy old hospital men peeking in on you." Ash walked over, placing the tray on the bed. He'd even gotten a sandwich for Pikachu, who figured out quickly which one was his. "I got you a sandwich. All they had was ham and cheese on wheat bread or turkey and cheese on white. I'll eat either."

Misty sat, imagining the peeping old men. She smirked thinking of them holding their oxygen tanks to their mouth as they tried to look as if they weren't doing anything at all. Bringing their wheel chairs as close to the door as possible with knocking into it. Looking back at Ash, who held the sandwiches up to her, she smiled. "Thank you." She took one eating it slowly, not able to pay enough attention to realize which one she really had. It never occurred to her how much she depended on her back till it hurt. Every small breath, every movement made her want to scream. Not that Ash needed to know that. He seemed happy that she was up and moving. She didn't hide it too well despite her obvious efforts to. Misty could see happy turn to upset concern.

Ash watched her concentrate on eating. Not really something you usually concentrate on doing. "If it hurts you could just stay here longer. I can email you Professors saying there was an accident. Im sure they could help this early."

"No." She moved to turn and face him, which turned out to be a bad idea. As she turned the sheets moved, causing her to slip off the bed onto her back. She landed with a loud thud.

Ash flinched as Misty fainted, not fast enough to save her from the fall. He sighed, and rolled his eyes. Pikachu was panicking, running in circles around her, pushing her with his small paws.

"Pikachu, calm down. She'll be fine. She's just..Sleeping, is all." He walked over, lifting her back into bed.

"Pikaachu!" Pikachu didn't really seem any calmer at all.

The nurse walked in as Ash was putting her back in bed. "What are you doing!!" She ran over, pulling the sheets back for him. The nurse looked like a mother Kangaskhan ready to charge him.

"Helping her stupid ass back in bed. I should have known better than to let her move around so much." He pushed her hair back out of her face. He couldn't believe he's actually thought she was doing alright. Ash had seen her bruising for himself. He complained when he got bruises on his knees. "She's stubborn. Might do this again before we leave."

"The doctor has given her strick orders not to get herself so worked up." The nurse pointed at Ash with a scowl. It was very obvious who she thought was at fault for this.

"Whhaat!~" Ash growled. "It's not MY fault she can't follow directions!"

The nurse came up behind Ash, pushing him out of the room. "Shu Shu now. She needs to rest. REST. Not be bothered by little boys."

"Little?!" Ash fumed, but the nurse was already gone. Ash grabbed a chair setting it next to the door. Leaning it back on two legs he pulled his hat down over his face, deciding to nap while he waited for Misty to get released. Or at least until he could go back into the room.

Ash didn't know how long it had been before someone had woke him up. He was told it was time to take Misty home now, that she'd be fine with more rest. He was still worried though, especially after she'd passed out so suddenly like that. He was happy to find out they prescribed some low dose pain pills for her. Ash stood as the nurse wheeled her out of the room. After spouting a list of things Misty shouldn't and couldn't do for a couple of week, the nurse stepped back, allowing Ash to take over. "I guess we should cancel our how-to-binge-drink-while-skydiving classes then. Right Mist?"

Misty snorted, tilting her head back so she could see him. "Damn, I was so looking forward to that too."

The nurse shook her head, heading off down the hall wordlessly.

"I know this is an odd request finding you just saved me and sat around the hospital all day with me. But, do you think we could go to the grocery store? I still don't have any food at home." Misty looked up at Ash, finding him handsome at this angle, which made her smile.

Ash looked down, smiling back. "Alright, but next time you're pushing me in the wheel chair. This thing is pretty bitchin'."

"Deal."

Checking out of the hospital was fast. Students had full coverage so all Misty had to do was sign some papers, get her prescription, and listen to another lecture by a nurse. Getting into the car was another ordeal altogether though. Ash was afraid to pick her up finding all but a couple hours ago she'd passed out on him. After a little bit of bickering about it Ash picked her up and moved her into the car. Misty cried (but quietly. She had her pride to think of), making the car ride to the grocery store more awkward than she really wanted it to be.

Shopping was strange. Ash wouldn't allow Misty to leave the car, demanding that she just make a list for him to pick up. She let him win this, finding she was more tired than she was expecting to be anyway. He came back with just the items she'd requested. "That was man like of you." Misty snickered.

"Man like? I got what you wanted!" Ash protested as he put the groceries in the trunk of his car. He had ran out to the car at least three times during the progression of things to verify and amend the list to begin with. Ash grumbled mentally about demanding women, slamming the door shut. "Well, I'm not going back in. Lets head back to the dorms. This is gonna be hard enough to explain as it is."

"I hope Togepi is okay." Misty whimpered. She had only meant to leave her baby egg alone for a few hours not a whole day.

"I'm sure Alex did something heroic for Togepi that will make you swoon over him for a couple of days. It sounds like something he would do." Ash couldn't help the undertone of spite that came with that sentence. Alex was starting to get under his skin as it was, now he know that Alex and Misty had something going, just made Ash all the more angry. Though Ash couldn't really pinpoint why it did at all.

Misty leaned against the window, thinking of Alex busting into her room to cradle the crying Togepi. An imaginary wind blowing through his blond locks and his billowing cape as he breaks in the door screaming " Have no fear Togepi! I shall save you!" Then all of her pokemon and Alex marching around twirling batons. It was about all she could do not to cry out with laughter. "I haven't known him that long! I doubt he'd break my door down to help my pokemon!" Misty protested.

Ash just stared at her for a moment, doubtfully.

He would. wouldn't he?" She giggled.

"I can help you to get to your classes if you want. I'll just talk with some of my teachers if our classes clash." Ash thought about it, the only classes he really needed to attend was biology. After that he could more than likely get notes from other classmates and just show up on important days. Plus, he figured, he'd only need to do it for a week or so. After that she should be fine.

"I'll be alright, I'm sure."

"I've got a wheelchair and groceries in the back of my trunk." Ash looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "And a broken you in my front seat."

"I told you not to rent it! Neither of us had the money for that, you know it."

"The doctor listed off a ton of stuff you cant do for at least two days. Walking was included in it. Plus I'm just fine on cash thank you."

"Doctors are just paranoid. I'll be fine."

Ash tapped the breaks lightly making the car jerk. The look on her face answered his question for him.

"Ash Ketchum! You don't have to be such a jerk!" There was more of a whine in her voice than real anger, but she hit him just for good measure.

"And you don't have to lie to me. You moved wrong earlier and passed out. I'm not stupid you know." Great, fighting on the way home. It wasn't really what he wanted to be discussing. Ash moved his neck from side to side, stretching it. She was so stubborn sometimes it made his teeth grind. She started ranting after that, and he ignored her from there. Ash was tired, he had only had that nap earlier and really did sleep well then either. A chair in a hallway wasn't the most comfortable thing ever. He just figured Misty needed something to keep her mind off of her injuries so he just let it keep going.

It wasn't till they got on campus again that Misty stopped talking. Ash didn't even know what she was going on about anymore. He pulled the wheel chair out of the trunk, fiddling with it to set it up.

"Need help with that?"

Ash looked up as Misty stood over him staring at the chair. "Damn it Mist. You aren't supposed to be walking around."

"You take too long." She was being defiant as usual. "Plus I need to check on Togepi."

"You're gonna hurt yourself." Ash scolded. He didn't like her doing this. It was one thing to be independent, another all together to forget your own health to continue that. None of the latches on the wheelchair wanted to go together quickly though and he wasn't gonna tackle her to get her to sit still. So, it seemed, he'd just have to deal with it for the time being.

"As long as I go slow, and your bring the groceries up for me, I'll be just fine."

Ash just stared at her, angry.

"I'll make you dinner OK?" She waved, walking away from him.

"Pikachu, jump on. Might as well push someone." Pikachu gladly did, happily sparking as Ash headed towards the dorm room. Ash grumbled the whole way up about overly stubborn women, ignoring the odd looks as he did.

Pushing the wheelchair off the elevator on the top floor of the door rooms, Ash didn't even bother looking up until he'd knocked into someone and fallen over. He cursed, looking at the scattered groceries. Amongst those groceries he saw a pair of legs and a skirt trying to pick herself up.

"I'm sorry. I was clumsy and wasn't paying attention." Ash pushed the wheelchair off of him.

"Ash! How wonderful to see you!" An overly girly voice chimed. "Oh! Did you fall out of your wheel chair?!" Ash recognized the voice almost at once. He found this weird, and humorous all at once though because if he had just been knocked over by a wheel chair he wouldn't sound so happy.

"Sorry for running you over Jessica." He pushed the stuff off of himself, walking over to help her up.

Jessica giggled in a rather ditsy sort of way. "Why are you apologizing silly?" She latched onto him as he helped her up. She leaned in close, Ash blushed deeply at the site of her low cut top, glancing up at the sky to avoid looking at it. "I just wanted to make sure you were going to sit next to me in Biology tomorrow. I'd be terribly upset if you didn't." She pouted a little, leaning closer to him. "Or maybe a dinner in my room?"

"O-of course." Ash choked out. "I-I wouldn't dream of anything else."

"Good!" She pecked him quickly on the cheek and slipped into the elevator as it was closing. "I'll see you then." With a wink she was gone.

Ash fell back down, dumbfounded. This college was a weird thing to him, in most places girls weren't even keen to talking to him. Let alone talking to him, hugging up on him, inviting him to dinners at their dorm rooms. All after only meeting him only once! Maybe I'm more charming than I realized. Ash smiled at himself feeling very debonair.

Straightening his back and strutting just a bit Ash loaded the groceries onto the wheelchair. They had managed to scatter themselves around, but nothing that would paticularly hurt them. Pikachu rolling some of the loose produce back over to him. Strolling the wheelchair down the hall way with his new found appreciation for himself Ash headed to Misty's room. He pushed the door open with his back, rolling the wheelchair in. "Mist, where do you want all this stuff-" Misty was already in bed, curled around Togepi. It looked like she was crying, but Ash guessed it was from back pain. He wasn't too surprised. "Togepi, ya hungry?" He pulled out some bread, waving it at Togepi.

"Pi pi!" Togepi squirmed out from Misty's arms, pouncing onto the loaf.

Ash laughed watching Togepi attack a loaf of bread that was almost the size he was. As Togepi and the other's ate Ash did his best to unload the groceries. Misty seemed to be resting well, which made Ash feel better. It wasn't long before someone came knocking on the door.

Ash huffed, pulling the door open. Alex stood on the other side smiling stupidly until he realized it was Ash and not Misty. "What do you want?!" Ash barked, but only as loud as he could without waking Misty up.

"What do I want?! What are you doing in Princess' room!?"

"We had a long night together." Ash smirked, not really caring what he knew he was implying. It was at least half truth, he hoped he could use that as an excuse later to keep Misty from beating him up. Though he wasn't too hopeful.

"Don't spread such lies about Princess!"

"Quit calling her Princess! At least Mermaid would be more fitting!"

"I don't know where you come up with such ridiculous nick names Ash Ketchum, but I demand to see Misty right now."

"Demand all you want. She's resting." Ash snubbed Alex promptly shutting the door in his face. "Bastard." Ash grumbled, upset that he was rooming with that kind of guy. Ash sat down on the floor leaning against Misty's bed frame going over in his mind the different reasons why he didn't like Alex. At the top of Ash's list, that nickname Alex kept calling Misty.

He's only known her two damn days. Ash growled mentally.

Pikachu and Togepi ran around, playing what looked like a game of tag consisting of two players. Usually things the did together where enough to distract Ash from most of his problems. Today, he fumed. Nothing seemed to go right.

Ash sighed, closing his eyes. He could at least rest. He knew Misty might not like him sleeping here, but he was beginning to realize each ache and pain starting to rise up and complain in his body. His eyes were heavy from lack of sleep, his legs hurt from running, his mind hurt from worry, his arms hurt from carrying Misty. Little by little each stood its ground with complaints until finally Ash gave in, dozing off where he sat.

Ash managed to wake up in the morning before Misty. He was able to find her class schedule and the doctor's note. Ash figured after the weekend she should be fine to go to classes again, if what the doctor said was true. The way she was going he'd have to tie her to the bed just to get her to rest though. He continue to growl to himself.

"Bulbasaur come out." Ash pulled out his pokeball tossing it up.

"Bulba!"

"Good. Stay here with Misty. Make sure she doesn't more around too much okay. Especially make sure she doesn't leave this room." Ash gathered up all of the pokemon, having Pikachu and Bulbasaur explain the situation while he went to gather all the work from their classes. Now he knew everything would be fine.

Grabbing Misty's room key Ash headed out only to find Alex still perched outside Misty's room. "You idiot. What do you want?"

"I want to talk to Misty."

"Too damn bad, she's sleeping." Ash pulled the door firmly shut. "If you wake her up I'll beat your face in!"

"I'd like to see you try."

They both held up fists and growled at each other, ignoring the people passing by, until the door behind Ash opened up again. There stood Misty, in her wrinkled sweater and jeans, rubbing her eyes. "I was trying to sleep!" Thumped them both on the head. "Now shut up! Quit being so insensitive." She look to Alex, lightening up a bit. "Come back later. I had an..." She paused for a second, thinking. "Interesting night last. So now I need to sleep."

"Of course Princess! Whatever you say!"

Ash made a face, almost sick over how cutesy Alex was with Misty. " I'll make you breakfast when I get back. Just go to sleep." Ash pulled his hat down forcefully, walking off.

"Yeah sure."

Ash could hear the door close, but didn't know if Alex really left or not. Ash didn't much like him.

Ash took most of the day to get around to all the teachers, explain the situation get the work and get back. Not only did every professor want to know exactly what happened (which Ash left out the part where she forgot her pokemon.) but wanted to give their long exaggerated opinions on why it shouldn't have happened, ways she could have prevented it and what she should do to make herself feel better. Ash told them she wouldn't be back in class till late into the week, just to cover things. He didn't want her to get worse instead of better then get in more trouble.

By the time he made it back he was starving and his head was throbbing. Ash almost forgot to go to Misty's room at all, passing it for his own bed. After looping around and spending a couple minutes fiddling with her dorm key he got back.

Misty was still asleep curled against the wall half under her blankets half on them. Togepi sat, perched on her hip giggling. Pikachu was hiding under the bed popping out every few seconds and twitching his ears. Togepi would explode with giggles and roll in a circle. Ash just shook his head placing a stack of paper work on Misty's counter.

Ash pulled off his cap, setting it down as he leaned against the counter. Closing his eyes Ash ran his hands through his hair rubbing his scalp. He didn't think he should be as stressed out as he really was. Pushing himself into one of the chairs Ash sighed dozing off again.