Disclaimer: I own nothing. The only thing that I do own are the OC's of the story. I apologize for any errors in grammar and/or if I was not accurate in reference to something.
A/N: We get back to the main story as we learn of the disaster of going through Nome.
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Chapter Five: Sickness In Nome
The sun was starting to set as Hol kept looking towards the town, thinking about Mist. He had a smile as he thought about how beautiful and caring she was. Flapper came up and hopped up on another box and saw the look on his face. Then he questioned, "And what is so interesting?"
Hol gave out a sigh as Flapper walked up a little closer. Then with his ears falling against his head, he said, "Mist."
"It's love." Flapper said as he knew what this was about. Hol looked to him as the Hawkmon then advised, "So go make move."
Hol glanced back to the town as Flapper then described the feeling of love, making Hol smile a bit, "When the angels' balalaikas strum on the sweet song of love…" Flapper then struck a pose as he said, "mambo!"
Then watching the Hawkmon dancing to the rhythm, Hol then looked back and shook his head, "Nah, she's not my type."
This caused Flapper to stop dancing and look to the Garururoc. Then becoming a little more serious he asks, "And why not?" When Hol didn't say, Flapper got an idea then guessed, "This Digimon business again?" Pacing around on the railing he questioned, "And what is so wrong with being half and half, I'd like to know."
He came up to Hol and wrapped a wing around the Garururoc's shoulders and told him, "Sometimes I wish like crazy I was half Pokémon as well. And at the very least I wish I was half Arcticuno."
Hol shook his head while chuckling as he asked, "Why?"
"Better profile one thing. Hmm," Flapper said as he wiped something from his eye. Then an idea came to mind as he said, "and no one eats you, for another. Especially with their ice attacks."
Then he said, "Plus, you don't know how she feels unless you try."
Flapper then turned and hopped off of the box. Hol knew that Flapper had a point as he looked back out to the town. Taking a deep breath, Hol jumped off the edge of the boat and started towards Nome.
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Mist stood outside of the doctor's office in town, looking for any sign of Bonnie. But all she could see were other children and older people and nurses. She was worried about Bonnie ever since her parents brought her here. She moved over to the big window and could finally see her. Mist could see her having another violent cough.
Inside the doctor's office, Bonnie continued to cough, as did a lot of children while they were being tended to by the doctors and nurses. One of the worried parents reassured their child, "You're alright now."
When Bonnie had stopped coughing for the moment, she could hear someone shouting Houndoom. Looking around she sought the source and said, "Mist?"
Then looking outside, she saw her Pokémon friend standing out there. Seeing her Houndoom brought a smile unto Bonnie's face as she shouted, "Mist!"
Mist kept calling her Pokémon name while both her and Bonnie ran to the door and shouting, "Mist!" Then opening the door she happily said, "Hi, girl!"
Bonnie ran down the steps and they run to each other. Bonnie and Mist ran in a circle around each other before Bonnie stops with another coughing fit. Becoming very worried for her girl, Mist whimpers and rubs against her girl's arm. Mist knew something was wrong as she could feel the odd warmth coming from Bonnie. Bonnie then placed a comforting hand on Mist's head. Bonnie's father came to the door and said, "Rosy! Rosy," Then walking out to meet her he said, "come on. You're gonna catch your death out here."
"Okay, Dad." She said as he put her coat on her shoulders. Her father then told her, "Come on, honey. The doctor's waiting."
Mist was really worried as she watched Bonnie go back inside and enter another fit of coughs. When the door fully closed, Mist ran up to a little box in front of the big hospital window and jumped up to see if she could see Bonnie. But all she could see were a few other sick children and hear muffled chattering and coughing coming from inside. Then jumping down from the box, Mist ran around the side of the building to look through another window. Hopping up on a barrel she looked into another room of sick children, but not hers. Then jumping off of the barrel she went over to a stack of logs and looked through the window over it. Mist smiled when she saw her girl, but it dropped when she could see that Bonnie was really sick. She watched as the doctor gently placed his hands on Bonnie's throat and she swallowed so he could find out what was wrong with her. Mist became more worried by the minute as she didn't know how to help her girl.
Hol walked down the street and came up to the hospital. He could see Mist looking through a window. But before he could approach her, he stopped by a puddle and looked down at his reflection. Noticing a few strands of fur standing on his head, and tried to make them go down. But it didn't work as the strands stood back up. He slightly glared before trying again, a little more vigorously this time. But it just bounced back up again. Deciding not to let it bother him too much, Hol looked up before glancing to see if anyone was around before walking up to the Houndoom standing at the window.
Mist continued to stare through the window as Hol walked up and said, "Mist?"
When she didn't seem to hear him, Hol cleared his throat and Mist could hear it as he said, "Uh, Mist."
"Hol." Mist said as she looked to the Garururoc standing behind her. Then she offered a, "Hi."
"Hi." Hol said back as she looked back through the window. Hol then said, "Look, uh…" He found it a little hard as he tried to find the words, "just a small shot in the dark, but I-I was wondering if, uh-" Hol tried to think of something for them to do, "maybe you'd like to go chase a few sticks by moonlight."
Hol chuckled as he knew that he was slightly bad at asking a girl out. But when he looked to her, he sighed as she hadn't paid him much attention. But when she started sniffling, he then began to understand that it wasn't him. Hol stepped a little closer and asked, "Mist?"
Hol hopped up onto the wood pile and she told him, "Bonnie's in there."
"In the hospital. Why?" Hol questioned as he thought that she looked fine earlier today. But Mist shook her head as they watched the doctor continue to check on Bonnie, "She feels warm. Even fire types can sense the heat off of others. And she has a terrible cough."
Both canine Pokémon and Pokémon/Digimon hybrid looked worried as Bonnie had coughed and was now clutching her throat in pain. Hol didn't like was going and neither was Mist as she looked to him and asked, "Hol, what's wrong with her?"
"Huh." Hol said as he couldn't tell from out here. But then he said, "I'm not sure, but I do know how we can find out." Then with a gesture of his head he told her, "Come on."
Hol led Mist away from the window and around the corner of the building. They soon came by a locked door and Hol stopped here. Nodding to the door he said, "I have the keys to the city."
Then hopping up on his back legs, he reached to move a pin out of place on door's hinge. It fell to the ground with a clatter and Hol dropped down to do the other. Hol pushed the door open and gestured with a paw like a gentleman, "After you."
As Mist walked up to the door, she notices how big his paws are. Hol became a little embarrassed as she lightly teases, "Hol!"
Chuckling he then said as he walked in, "Big paws kinda run in my family." He stopped beside a boiler and adds while glancing back, "At least one side of my family."
Then he ducked as he entered a crawlspace that went under the hospital. Mist ducked her head too as she followed in after him. As she came up right beside him, Hol looked to her and said, "Stay close."
She chuckled too before saying, "No problem there."
Hol took the lead as they kept moving through the crawl space and Mist looked around. Hol took a left as she felt creeped out and said, "It's so gloom down here." Then she added, "Not that I'm scared or anything."
But she stopped with a gasp as she nearly ran into a web. Hol looked back and asked, "Gloomy?" He used his tail to knock the web away and said, "You kidding?" The kept moving and he said, "It's the most beautiful spot in the world."
Ducking his head under a cloth of some kind and then looked back as he said, "Pokémon travel for years just to be right here." Then he slightly felt depressed as he added, "At least that's what my father told my mother."
Mist came up next to him, having something on her snout, "Really?" She was disgusted by whatever it was and admitted while Hol removed the stuff from her snout, "I can't see why."
"That's cause you're looking at the bowl half empty." Hol said while leaning as she cleaned herself up. Mist looked to him as he walked underneath a grate to a collection of broken bottles. Looking down at the shards he said, "See this?" He pushed most of them under the light of the grate, "It's the polar ice caps."
"Hol," Mist said while looking to him with a look as she came closer, "those are broken bottles." Then she points out the obvious, "And they're not half empty, they're all empty."
Hol didn't stop as he moved under the grate and gestured to a lamp above. Then he whispered, "The sun."
"Ahh, Hol." Mist shook her head, feeling as if he were playing some game and backed away. Hol then looked in a certain direction while moving one of the bottles, "And… to the north-"
When he moved out of the way, the light cast a glow over the bottles and they in turn cast a light throughout the crawl space. Mist gasps as she looks in the same direction to a wall and recognized, "The Northern Lights!
"Ohh!" She said as she thought that it was quite a sight. Hol came up next to her and she said, "Oh, Hol, you're right." Her breath was truly taken as she said, "It's beautiful."
"Yeah." Hol said as he wasn't staring at the lights, but at Mist. He took a deep breath before saying, "Beautiful."
Mist caught what he meant and looked to him. The two looked into each other's eyes as Hol's smile faded. The two moved their heads towards the other but fate had other ideas for the night. Something blocked the lantern from above and both Hol and Mist looked to hear footsteps over them. Moving to the grate, they looked up as they could hear the doctor, "Good night, Bonnie."
"I'm so cold." Bonnie said, making Mist look up with worry. Hol looked to her as he too was worried about Bonnie. They moved to where they could see up through the grate. They heard the doctor tell Bonnie, "Well then, I have another blanket for you right here. You stay warm and get some rest."
Hol and Mist watched as the doctor walked over the grate and out of the room. Bonnie started coughing again as the two mons followed the doctor's footsteps to another grate and looked up. They heard Bonnie's father ask, "Doctor, how is she?"
"Exhausted from all the coughing." The doctor told him with a sigh. Both men walked in as he then said, "And her fever's getting worse."
Mist gasps with worry and Hol looks to her. But before he could say anything, they heard the doctor say, "Looks like diphtheria." The doctor sighed as he said, "She's the eighteenth case this week so far." He looked to the shelf where the medicine is stored and regrettably said while grabbing a bottle of Aspirin and sitting down, "And I'm out of antitoxin."
Mist whimpered in sadness, making Hol look for her, "Mist?"
He saw her quickly leaving the crawl space, Hol tried to make amends and said, "Mist, I'm sorry." He shook his head and tried to say, "I- Mist, I-"
He quickly followed her back into the boiler room. Hol found her with her head hanging and felt bad as he said, "I didn't mean to make you upset." He shook his head and felt stupid, "I shouldn't have taken you down there."
"No." Mist said with a shake of her head. Despite learning what she did, she was still thankful that he had helped her, "I'm glad you did."
A loud crash made them look to the door and they saw a familiar sight buried under a pile of boards. Mist then looked a little worried as she said, "Scree!"
The Mightyena cleared his throat as he carefully pulled himself from the boards and kicked one away. Then looking between them he said with clenched teeth as he was holding a rope of sausages and walked into the room, "Well, well, what's wrong with this picture?"
"Mist," Scree said while slapping Hol with the sausages and then offered to the Houndoom, "join me for dinner." Then wrapping the sausages around her shoulders he put himself between Hol and Mist as he said, "You start at one end, I'll start at the other, and we get to the middle, well…" He laughs before finishing, and pulled her along, "you tell me."
"All right, Scree." Hol said as he planned to intervene. But not wanting to start something, Mist said, "No, Hol."
She pulled the sausages away as he tried to bite at them. She gave a laugh as she walked around the Mightyena and used her tail under to Scree's chin to pull his attention away. Scree chuckled from the attention that he was getting and Mist looked to Hol while motioning with her head. Hol looked in the direction and saw the furnace and a smile grew on his face. He knew that since he wasn't a fire type like Mist, then he wouldn't do so well with the heat as well as she could. Mist looked into Scree in the eyes and said as if she would be delighted by the offer, "Gee, Scree…" She pressed up against him as she said, "I have to admit that your offer is very tempting."
Scree chuckled as she got him to move his hindquarters directly to the furnace, "It is?"
He continued to chuckle as he was backed up while she came closer. But then she told him, "But lately these days, I prefer my meat…" Then she added a little pun to it, "cooked."
Scree's backside pressed up against the hot furnace and it started to burn the fur back there. Scree continued to smile until he could smell burnt fear and suddenly felt a searing pain in his hindquarters. He screamed in pain and threw his head back, freeing Mist. While he danced around because of the pain, Hol looked to Mist and said, "Come on! Let's go!"
The two ran out the door and it closed behind them. But before they could get far, the wooden door behind them shattered as Scree burst through and landed on Hol and Mist. Scree snarled as the sausage link wrapped around his neck. But before anything else between them happened, they heard a man to the right shout, "What's all the noise?"
"I think it's over here." Another voice said as the lantern from a light started to come around the corner. Hol started to walk away while talking to, "Mist, come one."
Both the Garururoc and the Houndoom started to walk off, leaving a worried Mightyena standing in the snow. Scree was worried about what the humans might do to him should they catch him with the sausages, but then a sneaky idea came to mind. With a growl he unwrapped the sausages from his neck and flung them towards the fleeing two. Then with a bark he pointed in the same direction. Hol had let Mist go first as they started to run, but gasped when the sausages wrapped around his ankles and tumbled into the snow. Bonnie's father and the butcher came upon the seen to find Hol lying in the snow as he untangled himself. The Garururoc gasped as he had been framed as Bonnie's father said to the butcher, "Well, looks like Hol's found his way into your meat locker."
"It's a good thing Scree was here." The butcher said as he took the sausages away while Hol backed away from them. Turning to the Mightyena he said, "Good boy, Scree. You've earned these." Scree began to eat the sausages while accepting a rewarding rub to the head. He looked to Hol with a sly grin as the butcher then said, "Besides, I can't do anything with them now after that wild animal's touched them."
"Go on!" Bonnie's father shouted as he kicked snow at Hol. Hol turned tail and began running off as the man continued shouting, "Get out of here, you thief!"
Mist tried to run after Hol, but Bonnie's father grabbed her by the bandana and said, "Come on, Mist, let's go home."
Mist could only watch in sadness as Hol continued to run off and tried to go after him. But with Bonnie's father keeping a firm grip on her bandana, Mist stopped fighting and turned to follow him. She looked to Scree as he still had a smug look on his face, but only turned her head away from him.
Hol panted from the running he did as he came around to the front of the hospital. He tried to slow down to turn, but he ended up sliding before able to find his footing again. He continued running as he passed by the front door. Hol was so concentrated on running that he didn't see a man place a sign on the door. Once the sign was in place, he wiped the snow from it. He had a grim look as the sign said 'Quarantine' in capitalized, bold, red letters.
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Author's Note: And like in the last parody of Balto, I end the chapter here. I don't know if I'll have another window soon, but I'll let you know. I look forward to reading your reviews. Be sure to leave a comment either about if I've done something wrong or if you want something specifically to happen. See you next time.
