Eisethe spat into the sink, the mouthwash burning the open wound inside of her mouth where her teeth had cut into the soft inner flesh of her cheek. On the outside, there was a light brown bruise, but it might as well have been a branding of personal shame-one that she'd have a hard time living down. Still, the stinging pain was better than having to endure the taste of blood any longer.

As she ran her fingers roughly through her hair, a long, thin tendril slithered into view behind her, holding forth a towel. It was enough to bring a fleeting grin to her lips as her gaze dropped to meet the large, oval eyes of the Bulbasaur at her side, looking back up at her with concern.

"...thanks, Bud," she said in a still voice that seemed to lack the same emotion that she had shown during her encounter with that girl in the subway. Now her tone was gray and hollow, almost tired-sounding, and she took the towel, burying her face into it.

She'd never expected that girl to put up a fight like that. She was too used to people buckling when she started in on the intimidation routine, but this one... That defiant look in her eyes threw Eisethe completely off her game. She'd even started to sound like her father there towards the end when she started threatening her, which even now pissed her off way more than the fact that she'd lost to a complete newbie.

She let out a disgusted sigh and stepped back a little, pressing her back against the cold tile wall behind her before sinking down to sit on the floor, not even seeming to care about the fact that this was a public restroom.

For his part, the little green Pokémon approached, stopping at her side and looking up at her with a gurgling coo. Eisethe just stared at the ground in front of her, but her hand still found its way to the creature's wide, gleaning forehead where she rested it. It gave them both a little sense of reassurance, and at the same time allowed her mind a moment to wonder what she should do now.

She reached for her bag with her free hand, snatching up the old, beaten-up smartphone that she'd gone through all that trouble to retrieve, and turned on the screen.

Twenty-seven messages, and yet, she didn't have the energy to open most of them. This whole ordeal had sucked the willingness to care about that part of her life completely out of her which, all things considered, wasn't all that new. Even today, it had taken all the effort she could muster just to get out of bed. In fact, the only driving force to making that decision was...

She flicked through the list of messages, eyes skimming only the senders' names.

No...

...no...

...no...

Her fingers stopped scrolling, finally finding a name that conjured something beyond apathy. Unfortunately, however, that feeling was a very sudden a dreadful sense of panic, and she hadn't even finished reading the text before she leaped to her feet, shoving the phone into her bra and grabbing for her bag. The Pokémon, though surprised by the sudden change in its owner's demeanor, quickly followed suit, and together they made quickly for the door.

The transition from the dim, yellowy bathroom into the bright light of the convenience store was enough to make Eisethe wince, but it was over just as quickly as she stepped back out onto the city street, greeted by the loud blare of a supply truck pulling out of the nearby alleyway. Any other time she would've stopped to give the guy a piece of her mind for just driving out into the street without watching where he was going, but right now, she had more important things to attend to.

As they made their way quickly down the street towards the bus stop, the Bulbasaur followed close behind, urged on by the sense of haste in Eisethe's frantic movements. Nevertheless, he kept a wary eye on their surroundings, even stopping to look in both directions before they slid into the bus that was only just finished emptying its passengers onto the sidewalk in front of them.

By now, Eisethe had slipped on an old baseball cap from her bag and popped the collar on her jacket in an effort to avoid notice, though this time, she didn't need it: this particular driver was new, probably only recently hired on. She knew them all by now, and there was a real chance she could've slipped past him and gotten another 'free' ride, but...no. She didn't have the time to deal with the bullshit if she screwed up again. Besides, this kid looked spry enough that he might actually be able to catch her if she ran, though she doubted he'd be able to do much beyond that.

For the next half an hour, Eisethe's leg refused to stop jittering, and though her eyes stared out the window at the world moving past, she was, in truth, far from that place and instead lost deep inside of her own mind.

Eventually, the bus pulled up to her destination, and there was only an instant between Eisethe rising from her seat to leave and her feet hitting the sidewalk, leaving the perplexed-looking young man driving the bus still holding the change as she sped off.

Of the many things that Century City was known for, the hospital was perhaps the most prestigious. Corel Heights Medical Center was practically the hub of all medical research, and it was the place to go for those seeking top-of-the-line medical care. People came to this place from all over the world hoping to find answers to questions that no one else seemed to be able to answer in terms of diseases, afflictions, and anything else that would require a medical mind. That said, it certainly wasn't cheap, and just walking in the door with a problem could set a white-collar worker back almost two month's pay.

As one could imagine, the place was sleek and modern, the staff was all prim and proper, and there was a certain order to everything about it, from how the tile fit perfectly snug between the walls, to the uniform appearance of the lobby. So to say that Eisethe stood out when she walked in with her hair ruffled, her jeans tattered, and her face bruised would have been an understatement. For a moment, she was the center of all attention as she burst through the door and ran hell-bent towards the stairwell. Not that she noticed.

When she finally made it to the sixth-floor lobby, she was almost out of breath and she looked up to see a group of familiar faces standing with a plump, gray-headed doctor who seemed to always have a scowl on his face.

"Oh great..." said one of them. A tall fellow easily more than twice her age, with a pair of beady brown eyes that only shrunk even more as he narrowed them at her. His white-blonde brow knit together whenever he did this, creating a rather comical-looking face. "I was wondering when you'd drag your worthless ass up here."

"Where is she?" Eisethe snapped between heavy breaths, fangs bore almost straight out of the gate. Her tone was meant for the one who had addressed her, but her words and the fierce look in her eyes were for the doctor who put up his hands as if expecting her to assault him.

"Relax, Miss Crowe, we've only just moved her to the eastern corridor, room nine-two-nine" he explained, his voice belying a far gentler persona than his visage gave credit, "No complications. I believe your friend is-"

Eisethe had already started to turn on her heel before he'd even gotten to the rest, and she could hear the other man-her uncle-yelling after her, though the words were lost to her. She practically slid as she came to the room indicated and peered in, her eyes immediately settling on the young form in the bed. It was instinct by now to watch her chest to make sure she was breathing, and Eisethe released a heavy breath as the blankets rose and fell.

"She's fine..." came a voice from within the room, prompting Eisethe to peer around the corner. A woman, probably no more than a decade older than herself, sat in the corner, trails of straight black hair streaming down her past her shoulders and almost to the floor. Her face was soft and curved, and her eyes cut a little lower from her brow, making it look like she had a large forehead. Sillow was probably the closest thing that Eisethe had to a close family friend, and had been the one who had texted her earlier.

Eisethe crossed the room and knelt down next to the bed, taking the hand of the fail young girl moored there and looking over her, like she were unable to fully trust even Sillow's word.

She was pale, though this was exaggerated by the fact that she was fair-skinned with deep, scarlet hair like Eisethe's, and though it was difficult to make out her features due to the ventilator, it was plain as day that the girl was sickly, especially her hands. They were thin, to the point where Eisethe could almost feel each of the individual bones in her knuckles, and she carefully clasped the girl's hands in her own, as if wary that too much pressure might crush them.

It wasn't long before the party-her uncle, aunt, and grandfather, as well as the doctor-made their way to the room and, as ever, the former made himself quite known, clearing his throat loudly. It was the doctor, however, who spoke first.

"As I said, it all went well. The transfer, I mean, and I-"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Eisethe interrupted, turning her head to give them all a dark glare, "You don't have the right to just move her around wherever you want, she's my responsibility!"

"Don't forget yourself, girl," her uncle, Curt, growled back, eager to try and stifle the wild teenager's wrath, "You only hold half of her power of attorney, remember? Your grandfather made the decision. The hospital agreed to lower the rate of the room if we moved her to this side of the hall."

"Yeah, that's no wonder, you moved her to the nosebleed section," Eisethe snapped back, releasing the hand she was holding and rising to face her uncle, "What if something happens? It'll take that much longer for someone to get to her if she needs help!"

"Eisethe..." came Sillow's voice, "...please keep your voice down." She nodded to the form on the bed, who was visibly clenching a little in response to the yelling. Despite her want to unload right then and there, the sight was enough to quell Eisethe's rage, if only for a moment.

Taking a deep breath, she looked over to the doctor, "The agreement was that both he and I have to make these decisions together."

The doctor nodded, frowning "You're right of course," he began, taking off his glasses and cleaning them with a small cloth from his pocket, "But that agreement was made with the idea in mind that you would be sharing the financial burden of her housing and care. Since your grandfather is the one who has been responsible for that-"

"I said that I'd get the money to you by the end of the week!" she growled, though caught herself before the volume of her tone got too high.

"Be that as it may..." the doctor started, though was again interrupted, this time by the uncle.

"You ungrateful little brat," he said, waving to the older man standing beside him, "Your grandfather made the decision to help both of you ease the costs! Unlike you, he's thinking about her long-term care and yours. Maybe if you'd stop acting like a child, you'd be able to see that."

Eisethe tightened her fingers a little in an otherwise vain attempt at channeling all the negative emotions she felt for the man. Her uncle had always been this way ever since her father-the brother of the uncle standing before her-had married her mother, and it had only gotten worse since the former died and the latter skipped town. Eisethe was the only thing left for him to pour his grief at. A part of her couldn't blame him, but it was only a small part; the rest just wanted to punch him in the jewels.

She looked over, searching the face of the elderly man with them. Her grandfather, Eimond. Even now, he seemed to cower away from both her and her uncle, unwilling to face either. Unwilling to choose a side, as always it had been even when her father was still alive. And despite his social standing, the man was easily manipulated, particularly when it came to the whims and wishes of his progeny. He would have never made this kind of decision on his own. No...this was her uncle's doing.

"Anyway," the doctor said, trying both to diffuse the growing tension in the room and help ease the girl's worry, "You needn't concern yourself. I assure you that our responders will have no more of a problem attending to her while she is in this room than as before."

"Yeah, pretty sure that's what they said when dad-" Eisethe started to say, but was swiftly interrupted by the form of her uncle moving towards her, raising his hand to strike her.

That slap, however, never made it to her cheek, stopped halfway by a pair of vined appendages that at first only held him back. The more he resisted, however, the harder they tightened and he looked down to scowl at the small, green creature at Eisethe's feet which growled back up at him threateningly, slowly forcing the older man towards his knees.

"Miss Crowe..." the doctor replied again, gently, "You have my word. I'll watch her like a hawk. Now please..." His eyes went down to the Bulbasaur which, at her word, eventually released Curt's arm, though maintained a steady, defensive stance in case he should get any more less-than-clever ideas.

"...fine," she said eventually with a grumble. It was always about money with people like that. This is why she hated the nobility. "But if there are any incidents, she goes back to the other room, and I'll pay the costs myself."

"Tch," her uncle started in on a smart remark, but her aunt, who had up until this point been quiet and otherwise as motionless as a boutique store mannequin, stopped him by touching her hand to his wrist. Thus he only grumbled out "Not likely," and then turned to leave.

Eisethe's eyes drifted over to her grandfather, who looked towards her sadly, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze and left without a word.

Once they were all away, Eisethe all but collapsed into the chair beside the bed, leaving forward on her elbows and burying her head in her arms.

"It was the right thing to do," came the voice of Sillow, making Eisethe jump a little. She'd almost forgotten that she was in the room and she looked up, her dour glance falling on the woman's form. She hadn't even moved, and simply sat there, slowly turning the page of her book.

"You always say that yelling and screaming is the worst way to handle your problems," Eisethe said, somewhat bemused.

"I meant transferring her," Sillow's voice came without even skipping a beat or wavering in tone, "It's only a few doors further from the nurse's station, and the hospital halved the cost of her stay for the next six months. It'll save you money in the long run. Money that you can use to put towards her care."

"...maybe," Eisethe said, leaning back against the wall, "Doesn't mean I have to like it..." Now that the encounter had ended, the emotion was slowly draining out of her tone, leaving her once again sounding exhausted.

Something nudged at her leg and she looked down, seeing her little green companion rubbing its head against her in an effort to console her. She reached down, picking the creature up and putting him on her lap, rubbing his head. In response, it gurgled happily and settled in.

Ultimately, however, Eisethe's gaze fell back upon the young form beside her, watching the rhythmic breathing induced by the ugly machine strapped to her face.

"...she's going to make it," Eisethe said eventually, not taking her eyes off the sleeping figure before her. "Right...?"

Sillow closed her book, looking up for the first time with a pair of hazel eyes, "She's strong...like you."

"...I'm not that strong. I got my ass kicked by some newbie trainer in the subway," Eisethe said, a fleeting smile passing across her face, "...and I somehow managed to lose that Pokemon I got for her in the process."

"Ah, that's right...you got a Vulpix for her, didn't you? That one was her favorite, wasn't it?"

"Is," Eisethe growled. "It is her favorite. Don't talk like she's gone. That pisses me off."

"My apologies, Miss Crowe..." Sillow said, eventually standing and collecting her purse from the nearby sofa. "I need to go home now. I'll be by the day after tomorrow to check in on her."

Eisethe shook her head, "...thanks, Sill," She still hadn't taken her eyes off the girl in the bed, but at least now, she felt like she could breathe a little easily.

"It's no problem," said the older woman, "I'm happy to help out. Both of you. I am, as ever, still your au pair. And your friend." As she left, she stopped at the door, turning a little, "You should get some rest too, mistress. You've been pushing yourself too hard recently. Not even you can take that kind of punishment, you know."

Eisethe just laughed a little through her nose, shrugging, "No rest for the wicked..."

"There's nothing wicked about you, Miss Crowe. Much as you would believe otherwise," Sillow replied, then stepped out, closing the door behind her and leaving the fiery redhead alone-mostly.

Eisethe continued to watch her, to the point where eventually, her breathing synced almost perfectly with the girl in the hospital bed. There was no avoiding it now. She'd have to spend the night. Her heart couldn't take any more 'surprises'. She'd just crash right there and tell the nurse she 'fell asleep on accident' again. They had to know that she was playing them by now, but for whatever reason, they didn't seem too quick to reprimand her or send her packing-something that Eisethe was incredibly thankful for.

"...what now...?"

The question had been weighing on Eisethe's mind for the past two weeks, though now it felt almost twice as heavy

She reached up, digging the phone out of her bra and opening it, navigating her way back to the messages screen and flicked through until she found the one she wanted.

[- I have a new job for you. Risky, but it'll be big bucks. Call me if you're in. -L -]

Risky, huh? Eisethe had a pretty good idea what kind of work this guy defined as 'risky', and it was never good for anyone.

...but when he said 'big bucks', he meant it.

She looked up, eyeing the slumbering figure on the bed. In the end, it didn't really matter what Eisethe thought. After all, none of this was for herself. It was all for her.

She yawned and, as if on cue, the Bulbasaur did as well, causing Eisethe to smile a little, "You too, huh?" She patted the little creature, who got up and spun around in her lap, finding a more comfortable position, and settled in. It was a little uncomfortable for her, but she didn't mind in the end.

Eisethe laughed again through her nose as the Pokemon snuggled into her stomach, "Good night, Bud..." Then she looked up, offering a similar smile to the only other person in the room. The only other person in her life that really mattered.

"...good night...sis..."