Chapter Ten

"I'm really sorry guys. I had no idea he'd pass out like that." Ash said as Daisy came by with a plate of food.

"Don't worry about it, Ash. None of us could have known." She said kindly, "thanks for staying for dinner. He's not eating again." Ash shook his head at that.

"Think he'll recover this winter?" He asked. Daisy only shrugged. She had no idea. He looked into the corner where Eevee and Umbreon were eating. The dark evolution of the Eevee had seemed to cheer the first form up, and they were getting along rather well. "What did the doctor say?"

"He told us to keep an eye on him, and if his status didn't improve, to call him again." Daisy said. Ash nodded.

"Well, I hope he's fine. He hadn't passed out in a long time. I hope the hit he took to his head didn't give him a concussion." The Pokémon Master fretted, earning a pat on the shoulder from the professor next to him.

"He didn't hit it too hard, I'm sure he's fine." Samuel said, "Frank didn't say anything."

"He's an odd doctor," Ash muttered, "he doesn't give me a bad vibe; but sometimes it seems as if he's hiding something."

Samuel frowned, "I have to agree. But he's done so much for Gary; no one else could have fixed his face. And the rest of the scarring was downed considerably as well." He tried to keep talking, but he choked on his words and simply shook his head, looking down at his plate. Ash had looked down also, picking at his food. He had gotten the call right before the match between him and the previous master. He'd called off the match and had rushed to the hospital. He had been the first one there other than the rangers. Jack had been there, and Keegan, the head of Jack's base. Both had been pale and in a slight state of shock as they had been the first to respond to the accident.

The young man rubbed his face, trying to erase the image from his mind. He'd seen Gary as the doctors had taken him from the ER, only a few hours before the professor and Daisy had gotten there. Just imagining him like that, even stitched and cleaned up, it had been a horrid sight.

But Samuel Oak was right. From the start, Frank Allen Scott had been bound and determined that Gary made it back onto his feet. He seemed almost, obsessive or desperate. But he had also done a lot of good. "I'll go check up on him." He said suddenly. Ash needed to do something, and checking on his friend was a great idea. So he got up and headed for the stairs, and eventually stood in the doorway to his friend's room, watching him sleep soundly. He could tell it was a normal restful slumber that he would wake from, probably in the morning. He looked exhausted, and most likely was.

"Don't let yourself die, Gary," Ash said quietly, "don't you do dare do it." He shook his head and turned away in time to miss the sudden twitches and shudders that shook his body as he slept.

-x-

Gary woke with a start, gasping for air and sitting straight up in bed. He was covered in a cold sweat and trembling

It was going on year three now… He had begun to learn to despise warm weather.

The red head looked to his right to see that Eevee and Umbreon were in their window basket. His head throbbed painfully, making him wince, but he didn't pass out thankfully. It had taken a long time for the poor Pokémon to get used to him, since he tended to pass out around her. Instead of getting up for the day, he dug into his side table drawer quietly, and brought out his pen and journal, and began to write about what he remembered of the day before; it wasn't much as he had passed out shortly after breakfast. Those random fainting spells were what drove him crazy the most. Sometimes even a smell could set them off.

After writing, he watched the sun rise, his head resting on the headboard of his bed. It was a few hours later that the Pokémon stirred in their basket, Umbreon first, his fur warmed by the sun's rays. He stretched, his butt going up into the air, tail standing straight up even as he stretched out forward, yawning widely. He stepped out of the basket as Eevee stirred, stretching each of his back legs in turn. Eevee was a little more graceful. She stretched much the same way, but shook herself to fluff out her fur; and then they both bounded to Gary. He paid special attention to Eevee, Umbreon wriggling in under his chin. He did enjoy having these two, they made him smile. That was a motion he was having trouble with lately.

Bird Pokémon sang outside the window, he heard Daisy laughing as she left for work, the slam of the car door cutting off her voice. He hadn't laughed in a long while either, he realized. He hauled himself out of bed and down stairs, feeling sick at the sight of the plate Daisy had left for him, and settled for orange juice again; seemed to be his primary diet when he got this way. Eevee and Umbreon trotted after him, eating their own food and then followed their trainer out to the Pokémon labs, playing as they went, dashing around in the taller grass and chasing leaves blowing in the wind, fully enjoying the warm days that were upon them.

"Gary!" Heather exclaimed in surprise as the young researched walked through the doors of the lab. The Ninetails she had brought in so long ago had indeed stuck around, and he was currently lounging on the cool tiled floor of the lab. When Gary and his Pokémon walked in, he lifted his head and his tails started smacking the floor happily. The smaller foxes were just as happy to see him and pounced into his tails, clambering over his body.

"Hey, Heather," Gary said, grabbing his clipboard "How are you doing today?"

"Oh, pretty good." She replied, trying to mask her concern for the young man. He looked worse than he probably realized. Nobody had been able to move on from his accident since he hadn't. He was alive, but he simply existed, there was no life in anything he did. No one could do much; even his doctor couldn't get him to do anything. Gary Oak was wasting away in front of their eyes; no one gave him more than a year.

"I'm just going to make the rounds." He said finally, to which the woman nodded, watching him go. Eevee and Umbreon perked up, and then bounded after. They played around their trainer's feet as he flipped through the papers and took notes as he observed each of the Pokémon pens. He worked through lunch, and after he was finally chased out of the lab, he skipped dinner as well; sitting under the same tree he had made his spot as the Pokémon vanished, and then reappeared beside him, romping through the grass or napping on his lap well past the time the sun went down.

-x-x-

"Adam…" a woman's voice spoke quietly, although it seemed quite loud in the dark room.

"Hm?" was the sleepy reply from beside her, Adam shifting a little to look at her, an arm draping over her side, pulling her closer to his warmth.

"Are you sure I can't tell the kids? I hate keeping a secret from those two…" She whispered, curling up close.

"I'm sorry, Heather, I really am. But no one can know I'm here." Adam sighed, kissing her head. He rubbed her back gently, tucking an arm under his head. Heather sighed as he said that, hugging the pillow under her head. Adam let his eyes focus on the woman beside him, smiling slightly. Damn he was one lucky man. "Soon enough I won't have to hide any longer."

"I know. I can't wait for that." Heather sighed, stretching. "It's going to be a wonderful day."

"Agreed" He smiled, kissing her neck gently, "Now get some rest, you have to be up early." He said. Heather smiled and snuggled closer to her secret lover and nodded even as she frowned.

"It's so depressing going to the labs now." She murmured. "Gary's hardly moving. It's sad to just sit back and watch him waste away when you know he can get better."

"I know, he'll turn around, you'll see." Adam reassured her, rubbing her shoulder and kissing her cheek. She turned to him, her eyes glimmering slightly in the dim lighting.

"I'm glad to have you here, finally." She murmured. "Been too long since I saw you last…" He smiled, running a hand through her hair as she snuggled closer to him and closed her eyes.

"Yeah," He agreed. "I know." He watched her dozing for a moment before he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep himself.

Authors Note: Sorry for being a day late! We had our 4th of July party this weekend instead of during the week or next weekend due to several family members including my mom who have to work on the 4th, and would thus miss the party.

Hope you liked this chapter, kinda a mash of different points of view, looking more at Gary's melancholy.

Next update next week!

For those it applies to, have a wonderful 4th of July, and have a great party!