another chapter done and hopefully one more to follow quickly, as i had to pry myself away from this chapter to end it and start the next one =] (that means it should be good ;])
9: Almost Perfect
Ash looked at her stupidly.
"Ash! Now! Suitcase! Motorcycle! Go!" Misty began shouting commands at a stunned Ash. For once, he did as he was told. Misty waddled into her room to change. She pulled on sweatpants and an old t-shirt from the pokedoll festival. She just wanted to be comfy as she rode out the rest of the contractions. So far it wasn't too bad. Maybe she was tougher than she thought.
Misty doubled over. Well, as best she could, considering how big her stomach was. She had thought too soon. This was a crippling pain. She could not believe what she was going through. Ash ran into the room.
"Okay, everything is all set." He ran over to her. "Misty, are you okay!?"
"No, no I am not okay! I am going through childbirth! I'm going to have to do it twice! All because your dumb sperm had to be egg happy and make two babies! Did I mention there were two babies in me ready to get out? Two!" Misty was having a mild panic attack. At least it seemed to snap Ash into action. He became very calm and lifted her up. He carried her down the stairs and out to the motorcycle. He placed her carefully behind him and put her helmet on her.
"Now honey, just hold on and think of the two beautiful babies we will have at the end. We don't get to have fun with just one, but we get two. Double the fun."
Right, think of after. Misty tried to put only this thought in her head. She knew she wanted these babies. At the moment though, she wasn't feeling too sure. It seemed like too much for her to handle. But she had to think of after, how great it would be.
Ash was driving carefully, and it took them twice as long to get to the Center. Ash carried her in and sat her in a chair while he signed in. He was so calm; Misty had no idea how. A chansey came with a wheelchair to bring Misty to the birthing center. She brought her into a cheery room.
The next hour was a blur. Between nurses and pokemon running in and out and the pain, Misty couldn't concentrate on anything but Ash's steady grip on her hand and his presence by her side. This was what she had always dreamed of. Ash coming back and them starting a family together. This was the time to start. After a lot of pain and pushing, she heard the wail of their first born child.
"Congratulations, it's a girl!" Nurse Joy said excitedly, wrapping the baby in a soft red blanket. She placed the baby in Misty's arms. She felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes as she gazed at the new life in her hands.
"She looks, she looks just like you," Ash said in awe. He was right. Her head was covered in an orange peach fuzz. She had the shape of her eyes as well. Her nose was all Ash's. the tiny button nose. She was glad there was a part of him in there too. She kissed the babies forehead.
"I want to name her after you," Ash said to Misty. "She reminds me of you."
Misty blushed.
"Well, we can't call her Misty, how confusing would that be?"
"Not Misty, but something else…what about Melanie?"
"Melanie…"
"It's nice. And it starts with an M, just like Misty."
"Yes, I like Melanie. But I want to name her after you too."
"Don't worry honey, we have a whole other baby on the way."
"Speaking of which," Nurse Joy began. "We better get started on." She handed baby Melanie to Chansey and she left to run tests. Misty began the struggle again. She felt it was easier this time, knowing what the prize was. She felt her baby leave her body, but heard nothing. She rested her head on the pillow, not registering it at first. She was so tired. She was glad it was over. But was it?
"Is the other baby born? I didn't hear it." Misty asked Nurse Joy. Nurse Joy had her back to her and was doing CPR on someone. Her baby! It wasn't breathing!
"What's happening?! What's going on?" Misty asked in a nervous voice. She felt the tears again and this time they weren't from joy. Ash was on his feet beside her. The look of concern on his face grew worse as Nurse Joy spoke quietly and quickly to him. Then she rushed the baby out of the room on a gurney. Ashe returned to Misty's bedside.
"What is going on!" Misty demanded.
"Well, the baby, it's another girl. She wasn't breathing because her heart wasn't beating blood. It was too small due to a hole in the main part of the heart. The pressure on it to pump all the blood through one area, since the other was blocked by the hole, caused a small tear in her artery. It could kill her if not treated. She's going into surgery now. It will fix the artery and hopefully she can fix the hole."
"And, if it doesn't?"
"Well, the artery will just keep tearing."
Misty looked at Ash disbelievingly. He too had tears in his eyes, threatening to spill over.
"This is my fault. I said I didn't want two babies, and now one is going to die."
"No. No Misty this is not your fault. And she is not going to die. If she is anything like either of her parents, she is a fighter. She will not quit, no matter how hard it is. No matter how much pain she is in. I believe our daughter is a fighter."
Misty wanted to believe him. Chansey came into the room. She looked sad for them. She was pushing Melanie in a cradle. She was crying. Ash, who could understand pokemon well, told Misty that Chansey said she wouldn't stop crying. He picked her up and placed her in Misty's arms. Melanie's screams stopped as she began to nurse. Misty looked down at her, but found herself unable to smile. She was too worried. Once the baby was full, she continued to whimper, like a sad puppy. Misty and Ash both found that they felt like doing the same.
