(A/N): One of the more serious chapters of this story. Where Ash displayed his non-childish behaviour.

Chapter 4: Illness

Ages

Ash: 13

May: 12

Fridays were always children's favourite day of the school week. Despite the tired look on their faces after school has taken its toll on their brain, they were excited for the weekend. The things they could do during the weekend. Visiting their friends' house, going to the amusement park, take a break at their house, the possibilities are as limitless as space itself. However, any signs of excitement could not be seen on two people. The look on one of them showed either depression or extreme exhaustion and the look on the other one showed concern.

Lunch had just ended and both of them were heading to their next class. Ash has noticed that May was acting strangely the whole day. Something's a bit odd about May. She's walking slowly, her face is red and she's spacing out a lot. Is there something on her mind?

"May, are you alright?" May was looking at the ground, clearly not listening to Ash's questions. Ash waved his palms in front of her, trying to get her attention. "May, is anything wrong?" May jerked her head, finally hearing Ash's words.

"What do you mean wrong? I'm perfectly fine…" Her voice was slowly fading. Ash decided to believe May's words and walked through the hallway. As he was walking, he noticed that there was no one besides him. He stopped walking and turned his body and saw that May was walking slowly and in a shaky manner. He walked towards her and gestured her to walk faster. A few moments later, the exact same thing happened. As he was about to turn his body again, he heard something hit the floor. He looked to his back and was thoroughly surprised. May was on the floor, with her head making contact to the floor. Ash was yelling to May, not caring about school rules at all, but received no response. By now, he was sure that May was unconscious. He rushed to May, gently flipped her body over and placed his palm on her forehead. It felt as hot as a Moltres.

Ash was hitting the floor with his fists in frustration. Guilt was evident in his thoughts. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why didn't I notice it earlier? If anything happens to her, it's my responsibility. Realising that being angry would only serve to cloud his judgments even more, he put both his & May's bag on the ground and proceeded to carry her to the sickbay. As he arrived in front of the sickbay, he prepared to knock the door as he usually does but with both his hands occupied with May he stopped to think about alternatives. He found one, it was rather impolite and could result in punishment, but with May's condition, he'd rather get punished. His alternative was to kick the door, albeit gently, to convey the message to the nurse that he has no ill intent. The nurse heard the knock and opened the door. Needless to say, the sight shocked her.

"Arceus! What happened?"

"I don't know! She suddenly collapsed and she has a high fever. Please help nurse."

Ash placed May on the bed and let the nurse check her while he sat at the chair. He was afraid, worried that something bad could happen to her. It couldn't simply be a fever. A regular fever doesn't cause someone to just collapse like that. Pessimistic thoughts surfaced in his mind. What if May is in a coma? What if she could… pass away? No, Ash! Don't think like that! She will be just fine. Despite Ash trying to convince himself that nothing will happen to May, his worry haven't subsided at all. He saw that the nurse has finished checking May and the look on her face told him that there was bad news.

"What's her name and class?"

"May Maple. Class 8B. What's wrong with her, nurse?"

"She has caught a terrible sickness. I will have to bring her to the hospital. Now you go back to your class. Thanks for all your help."

Ash walked back to his class. He walked very slowly. His mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of May in a less-than-well condition to realise that he was 15 minutes late for his next class. As he was in front of his class, he opened the door, which disrupted the lesson.

"Over 15 minutes late. Explain, Mr. Ketchum!"

"S-sorry. I was walking here with May when she suddenly collapsed. So I brought her to the sick bay. That is why she's not here."

"Just take a seat."

As Ash walked to his desk, a snicker could be heard from Gary and Dawn. He sat and attended the lesson. The lesson was nothing out of the ordinary, with the teacher giving the usual lectures and exercises. However, Ash felt something odd. There was usually a person next to him. Helping each other with exercises, sharing jokes. This time, that person was sick. Ash couldn't pay attention to his teacher, as the only thing on his mind was May.

During the day, all of Ash's teachers noticed that he was not listening to any of them. It was easy to tell, Ash was usually active on the class. Constantly asking questions, eagerly answering the teacher's questions, and more. Compared to the usual Ash, this Ash was like an impostor masquerading as him. One other thing they noticed was that the seat next to Ash was empty. There was usually a brunette girl who almost always sat next to him. A single question was asked by every single teacher to themselves. Coincidence?

When the day ended, Ash immediately went to the sickbay only to see that the nurse was the only one in the room. The beds were empty, the blankets were neatly folded as if there were no traces of anyone occupying them. This worried Ash even more.

"Nurse, where is she?"

"Oh! I called her parents and they brought her to the hospital."

"Where is it? Where is the hospital?" The tone used by Ash showed that he was impatient, he was panicking.

"Calm down. They said it was the one at Petalburg City."

"Thanks nurse!" Ash said before storming out of the sickbay.

Petalburg City was an hour away from Littleroot by car so walking was definitely not an option. The choice of asking May's parent to pick him was ruled out as it was impolite and they wouldn't leave May at the hospital alone. This leaves Ash with one more choice. It's not exactly a desirable choice but it has a chance of success and a chance, no matter how little, was better than no chance at all. He then took his phone out of his pocket and dialed Giovanni's number. The dialing tone lasted for a minute before Giovanni answered the call.

"What's up, son?"

"Emergency, dad! Can you pick me up at school now?"

"Sure. I'll be done with work in like 30 minutes so I'll be there in about an hour. In the meantime, why don't you play with your girlfriend?"

"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Ash yelled to the phone before abruptly ending the phone. Even after enduring more than half a decade of his father's teasing, he still hasn't gotten used to it. Despite disagreeing that May was his girlfriend, he hoped he could spend the hour playing with her, which unfortunately was impossible. While waiting for his father to be at school, he went to the school library and did his homework. Images of his sick friend kept surfacing on his head, which somehow distracted him from his work, but he managed to complete one by the time his father arrived. Both of them walked to the car and as Giovanni turned the key to switch the car on, he asked Ash.

"What is this emergency you speak of, son?"

"It's about May. She collapsed suddenly and had a very high fever. She's now at the hospital in Petalburg City. Can you bring me there?"

"Sure son! What kind of boyfriend would leave their girl in the hospital?"

Ash's usual reaction to his father's teasing was to yell at him with a slight blush on his face. However, his concern for May far exceeded his embarrassment so he stayed silent. Giovanni looked at him and looked slightly puzzled, Ash rarely showed his serious side so he stopped the teasing. He decided not to talk to Ash as he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts so the whole trip was spent in complete silence.

They went to the receptionist and asked for the location of May's room. After a while, the receptionist was convinced that they were an acquaintance of May and gave them her room number. Ash ran as fast as he could to her room while Giovanni attempted to keep up with his pace. In front of the room, Ash gently knocked the door and a woman opened the door.

The room was relatively large for a hospital. There were a large couch that could easily fit 4 people and several chairs surrounding a table and a television. It was as if the room has its own living room.

"Oh it's Ash & Giovanni! What a pleasant surprise! Come on in."

"Caroline! Nice to meet you! Where's Norman?"

"He's at work. I bet your son forced you to bring him to his sick girlfriend."

"Heh. You got that spot on. On the way here his face was very serious, not a that face I often see. Ah young love!"

While both adults were talking about him and teasing him, Ash rushed to May's bed, not hearing what the parents were talking about, where she was still unconscious. Tears were shed from his eyes and fell on her. Finally, he can release all of his pent-up anxiety, frustration, and worry.

Giovanni looked at his watch. It was time to pick Delia up at the mall so he quickly excused himself from the room while asking Caroline to take care of Ash. Ash was just staring at the helpless body of May, patiently waiting for her to wake up. However, even after waiting for hours, May's eye hasn't opened. The sun was setting and Ash's stomach growled, telling him that he need dinner but he did nothing about it, either ignoring it or was not aware of it. Caroline understood Ash's concern for her daughter but she didn't want him to starve so she went to the cafeteria and bought a quick meal. He ate it unenthusiastically, May's sickness have affected him a lot as he usually devoured his food.

The evening was spent in total silence. Ash was looking blankly at May again. There was television in the room, it had the kind of programmes Ash would enjoy but he wasn't in the mood. What kind of person would be having fun while their best friend that's right next to them was ill? It was supposed to be boring and dull to stare at the same place while not moving for hours. Ash's head only consist of the thought of May waking up and the joy Ash would feel so time passes by without him noticing. By midnight, the emotional turmoil and exhaustion has taken its toll on him and he fell asleep in a sitting position with his head resting on May's stomach.

The next day, the bright sunlight shone through the hospital's window and the ray happened to be incident on Ash's eyes, which instantly woke him up. He yawned and stretched before standing up and seeing a smiling Caroline.

"Did you have a good sleep, Ash?"

"Not exactly. When May is helplessly lying on the bed, it's hard to sleep well. Anyways, I'm going to get some fresh air."

Several minutes after Ash left the room, May's eyes started to move before they opened. She was still feeling weak but strong enough to speak. She can only see her mother in the room. She was feeling a little odd, waking up to find that she's in a foreign place.

"Mum, where am I? The last thing I remember was walking with Ash and I suddenly blacked out."

Caroline ran to her daughter and hugged her. She was very happy that her daughter finally woke up after almost a day.

"You suddenly collapsed so Ash brought you to the sickbay then the nurse called us so we can bring you here. You should've seen how Ash carried you to the sickbay."

May was surprised at what her mother told her about Ash. She has always known that Ash was a very kindhearted and caring person but still, she doesn't know that it was to this extent. Now, she wished that he was here so she could thank him for everything he did but she was sure he was at his home sleeping. Guess no one can win them all.

"Mum, did Ash say that he would be visiting today? I know it sounds selfish but I really wish he was here."

Caroline showed a confused look but quickly realised that May had no idea about Ash's whereabouts. "What are you talking about May? He was here all night long. See that chair next to the bed? That's where he was sitting ever since he came here. All he did was stare at you, waiting for you to wake up. He didn't even eat like he usually did. He must be very worried of you. You should be thankful you have a friend like him. He's definitely one of a kind."

May was crying, she was touched by Ash's behaviour. Now she was confused on how to thank him for what he did and apologise for the trouble she caused him.

"W-where is he now?"

"Downstairs, getting some fresh air. He should be back in a few minutes. Now just lie down and relax. You'll recover quicker that way."

A few minutes later, Ash finished cooling down and entered the room to check on May's condition but when he saw her open eyes, he was overjoyed, as if he won the ultimate treasure in his life. He ran to May and hugged her tightly. This was the first time Ash had ever hugged May in such manner, it's usually the other way around.

"May! You're alright! I was very worried about you. You wouldn't open your eyes even after several hours. I once thought that you would never open your eyes again. Thank Arceus you're fine!"

"I've heard about everything you did. How can I ever thank you?"

"There's no need for that. What are friends for? Besides, you waking up is more than enough."

As Caroline was watching the interaction between the two friends, she smiled and remembered Giovanni's teasing about them being a couple. However seeing Ash, rather than a boyfriend who was concerned about his girlfriend, his worry for May looked more like how a husband was worried about his wife. She wondered if these two would be married in the future.

May noticed that her bladder was about to leak and attempted to walk off the bed, but struggled and failed due to her physical condition. Seeing this, Ash slid both his arms under May's back and lifted them so that she was in a sitting position. Then, he took one of his arms off her back and slid it under her legs instead before turning her so that her feet were touching the floor. After that, he gave a gentle push on May's back while still holding her legs to help her stand up. Finally, he put her right arm on his right shoulder and his left arm under her left shoulder so that he could support her while walking. They walked slowly, but surely to the bathroom. Seeing this, Caroline doubted that they were only friends. Ash had showed no signs of annoyance at all, he was genuinely happy that he could help May while May was smiling, glad that Ash was there to help her. When May's stomach growled, Ash chuckled before putting her back on the bed and asking what she would like to eat. Ash went to the cafeteria to buy the food. He returned with two bowls of porridge and gave one of them to May. She tried to hold the spoon firmly but she was unable to do it. Seeing that May was unable to feed herself, Ash put his bowl aside and slowly took her porridge and spoon from her before putting the spoon in front of her mouth. She was frustrated that she was unable to do it herself but was delighted that Ash was the one feeding her instead. She loved the feeling, the warmth that was radiating from him. She felt so comfortable, being under the care of Ash, her crush.

When May's porridge was empty he took a warm cup of tea and placed it in front of May's mouth before asking her to open it slightly. He then gently tilted the cup so the tea was slowly entering her mouth. The warmth of the tea reflected Ash's feelings and emotions towards May. Blush formed on May's face from this act of affection and compassion. However, Ash interpreted this the wrong way.

"May, what's wrong? Is the tea too hot?"

"No, no, no!" May rapidly shook her head in denial. "There's nothing wrong."

When May was finished with her breakfast, Ash was about to enjoy his porridge but he thought May could be bored with watching him eating so he took the remote, flicking through channels and asking her if she would like to watch any of them. When they settled down on a channel, May was happily watching it while Ash was eating his porridge. He ate it at an average pace, still not his usual pace, but better than yesterday. After that, he watched the programme with May. It wasn't exactly his favourite, but he was happy at the sight of May's childlike expression while she was watching.

The day was almost entirely spent in the room, with half an hour spent by Ash walking around the hospital while supporting May's body. They were having a conversation, with Ash refraining from making jokes to make sure May doesn't overwork her body from laughter. While Ash was enjoying his time with May as a friend, he hasn't forgotten that May was ill and he constantly placed his palm on her forehead to check her condition. Then, his phone suddenly rang. He checked the phone to see who was calling then answered the call.

"Hello mum!"

"Ash! You made me worry a lot. You don't come home last night. Good thing dad told me everything. How is she?"

"She's still weak but at least she's awake. In fact, we're now having fun with each other!"

"That's good news. But now that she's well, it's time for you to go home."

Frown formed on Ash's face. He doesn't want to leave May when she's not well. "But mum, she's still ill!"

"Okay, just go home. We'll pick you up. If you really want to meet her, you can visit her again tomorrow."

As Ash closed the call, he was getting ready to tell May the bad news. Will she take it well? She seems happy to be with me. I don't want to leave her, but I can't disobey mum either.

"Sorry May but I have to go home soon. Mum's making me. But don't worry, I'll come here again tomorrow then we can play together."

May felt disappointed that Ash had to leave. She would now feel lonely, even if only for a day. However, she does't want to cause Ash's parents any trouble either so she nodded. "It's okay. Just promise that you'll come here tomorrow." She offered Ash a little finger. Ash replied the gestured with his little finger and both fingers were tied with each other.

Ash decided to spend the last moment with May this day by watching the television together. Unlike the last programme, both Ash & May enjoyed this one. Ash's happiness doubled with the fact that May was also happy. Her smile has always been infectious.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. There was a knock on the door and two silhouettes could be seen behind the door. Caroline opened the door and the two people that were behind the door were Delia and Giovanni.

"That's enough time with your girlfriend. Time to go home, son!" This was the first time that Giovanni has teased Ash's relationship with May in front of her. The blush on May's face reappeared. Strangely, this time blush also appeared on Ash's face. Ash reluctantly walked away from the room but had enough time to wave May goodbye.

A sensation of loss could be felt by May as she was watching Ash slowly disappearing from her sight. She shrugged it off, however, as she knew that he will be coming back the very next day. She began reflecting on Ash's actions starting from when he carried her to the sickbay to him walking her to the bathroom. A strange feeling could be felt from her heart. She never felt it before, but it felt pleasant. Caroline sat next to her and began to speak.

"Ash. I've never seen a boy who would do so much. What do you think of him?"

"It's as if he was sent by Arceus himself from heaven. I want to repay him but I don't think I could, given how much he has given me."

"So how do you feel that the boy who did so much is your crush for about… 5 years?"

May froze for a moment, thinking. This was a difficult question so Caroline waited patiently for her answer. When May finally spoke, she answered in a firm tone.

"No. I don't think I have a crush on him anymore. I think… I think…" She paused for a while and took a deep breath. "I think… I'm in love with him."

(A/N): The next chapter will not be the confession. There will be one or two more chapters before it. So be patient.