Terminality
Part
Four: Till Death Do You Part
By Chris Devlin
E-Mail: devlin1983@hotmail.com
Genre: Romance
AN: Well, this is part four of my Terminality series. If you haven't
read parts one, two and three then you can find them, as well as all my other
fics, on Fanfiction.net.
"Misty, I... I'm dying..." Ash said, the
damp streaks left by tears distinct in the moonlight. Misty moved back slightly,
pure shock running through her system. "How long did they say you
have?" she asked, her voice flat and devoid of emotion. "A year. Two
at most." he answered, the occasional sniff giving away his regret and
sadness. Misty slumped on the bench, thinking furiously about what he had just
told her. A part of her found it quite ironic and funny in a dark, weird kind of
way. Had things went a different way she could have been telling Ash the same
thing. Her thoughts soon turned to how they would cope with this. Could they
continue living their life's they way they had? No, that much was clear to
her. Their lives would change drastically because of this. There was now a
chance she might never marry him, never have his children. They definitely
wouldn't grow old together. That last part hurt Misty most of all, she couldn't
bear the thought of him not being there in twenty or thirty years time. But she
wasn't about to let this spoil what little time they had left. She would make
the most of it. She turned to look at him. His head was resting in his hands,
the occasional tear rolling down his cheeks. Turning his head he saw Misty
looking at him, a spark of something in her eyes. "What?" he asked.
The next day was a huge rush, a tangle of phone calls and
quick decisions. Misty was beginning to brim over with excitement as she hung up
the phone. Looking over at Ash she smiled at him. "Well, your mom,
Professor Oak and the others will all be here tomorrow by noon. I think that
everything is dealt with now." she said a huge grin on her face. Ash merely
smiled and nodded at her from the couch on the other side of the room. "Try
to show a bit more enthusiasm." she said to him, her eyes alight with
mischief as she skipped over to him before jumping onto the couch beside him.
"Oh I'm enthusiastic alright. It's just that all this planning in the space
of a day takes it out of a guy." he said as he put his arms around her and
pulled her close. "Hmm, what do you mean? You hardly did anything!"
she scolded him, her grin still firmly in place. "Hey, I handed you the
phone book, be grateful." he said, his voice dripping with fake sincerity.
"Oooh, look at the working man!" Misty joked as she kissed him. Ash
smiled at her again. "You sure we're doing the right thing?" he asked
her. Misty looked up at him, straight into his eyes. "I'm sure. This is the
right thing." she replied. "It's just I don't want it to hurt you more
than it already will." he told her. Misty thought about this for a second.
"It would hurt me more if we didn't. To have you go without knowing if we
could have done it would probably kill me. Besides, I let you go once before. I
can't do it again." she told him. Ash pulled her tighter. "Thank
you." he said as he leant in to kiss her passionately.
The dress mirror stood in front of Misty reflecting her
image back to her. In it she could see her sisters bustling around behind her,
checking their hair and dresses. Misty looked back at her own reflection as
Daisy walked up to her. "You look perfect Misty." she told her.
"Probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." she added. Misty
smiled at her, turning round to face her. "Thanks." she said as she
leant in to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, careful not to crush the
pure white dress Misty was wearing. Around her neck hung a small Tentacruel
pendant that Ash had given her. Her hair had been put up into a bun, with
the occasional cluster of long hair hanging out. She was surprised how quickly
they had managed to arrange the wedding, and in around two hours she would be
married to the most loving, caring man she had ever met.
"Do you Ash Ketchum, take thee Misty, to be your
lawful wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death
do you part?" the Minister asked Ash as they stood in the large church. The
room was quite empty, due mostly to the suddenness of the wedding. The
only people present apart from Ash, Misty and the Minister were Misty's sisters
and their boyfriends, Brock, Tracey, Professor Oak and Mrs Ketchum. Mrs Ketchum
was currently sobbing into a handkerchief as were Misty's sisters, overcome by
their emotions. "I do." Ash answered as he smiled at Misty. She was
the most beautiful thing Ash had ever seen; her white dress complementing her
looks and figure perfectly. The minister then turned to her, before reciting the
same words. "Till death do you part." Misty whispered to herself,
forcing the tears back before they even had a chance to emerge. "I
do." she replied, trying to smile without bursting into tears. The minister
smiled, closing his book. "I now declare you man and wife. You may kiss the
bride." he said to Ash. Ash glanced at him. "I intend to."
he told him, a broad smile on his face. Lifting the thin white veil, Ash
moved closer to Misty before pressing his lips to hers. She kissed him
back. Mumbling through her teeth she said "I love you."
The months past and with them Ash's health slowly began to
deteriorate. Misty would find him sleeping a lot more, and some days he would
spend the entire day in bed, too exhausted to do anything. After two months
Misty became pregnant, which seemed to motivate Ash more. He would exercise as
often as possible, slowing down the process, but never really stopping it. He
wanted to earn as much money as possible to provide for them, but his work at
the Gym provided only enough to live on now that he had to cut down. Misty took
shifts at the Pallet Gym most of the time with him, both to keep an eye on his
health and to earn some more cash. Soon enough though she had to stop, the
baby's birth getting closer every day. It was some eleven months after the
wedding that Misty finally went into labour.
Misty lay on the hospital bed, going through her breathing
exercises as best as she could. Contractions would distract her occasionally but
now they were getting closer, causing her to concentrate on them. They had
beeped the pager Ash had several times within the last two hours but still no
sign of him. Misty was getting angry. Here I am going through utter agony
and that bottom-feeder is nowhere to be seen. I'll give him a piece of my mind
when he shows up. He'll wish he never got me pregnant! Misty thought to
herself. Then she reminded herself that she was on medication and that this was
just a side effect. Still, he'll have to answer some questions when I see
him. She continued thinking to herself.
Soon enough she was well into the birth and still no sign
of Ash. The doctors were all standing with her, making sure that everything went
fine. A couple of Nurses also stood by her bed, holding her hand and giving
words of encouragement. All Misty could do was scream in agony every so often,
and pray that Ash would hurry up. As she continued a nurse entered the room and
walked towards one of the doctors. Whispering into the doctor's ear, she
glanced at Misty before turning round and leaving the room. Misty watched her
leave. Misty turned towards the doctor, her pain forgotten for the moment.
"What is it?" she asked. The doctor looked up at her. "Nothing.
Just concentrate on having this baby." he told her. Misty eyed him
suspiciously before a killer contraction re-focused her on the task at hand.
Half an hour later the baby emerged, crying loudly. Misty
smiled proudly before slumping back in relief. "What is it?" she
asked, breathing deeply. "It's a boy." the doctor told her as they
dried him off and placed him in a blanket. One of the nurses brought him to
Misty, a smile on her face. "Congratulations." she told her.
"Thank you." Misty replied, her face beginning to run with tears of
joy. She looked down at her son. He was so similar to Ash it was uncanny. The
same dark hair and slightly cocky look on his face made it clear that he was his
father's son. "Where's Ash? Is he here?" Misty asked as she looked
up. The doctors looked at each other for a second before looking back to
her. "Mrs Ketchum. Your husband is currently in a critical condition down
in intensive care."
The doctor opened the door to the room Ash had been put
in, before pushing Misty in a wheelchair into the room. Ash lay on the bed in
front of her, his face was so pale and white, Misty almost thought he was dead,
but the rise and fall of his chest as well as the comforting beep of a heart
monitor gave her some relief. She put her hand out to hold his. The movement
roused Ash from the sleep he was in. Slowly he opened his eyes, looking
straight into Misty's. He smiled at her. She smiled back. "You know Ash, I
was all set to give you hell for missing the birth, but now... Now I'm just glad
you're still with me." she said, smiling weakly at him. Ash allowed himself
a weak laugh at this. "I'm sorry Misty. I wanted to be there, it's just
that as I got the beeper message, I just collapsed. Luckily some trainer came
round for a battle and found m...." Misty placed a finger to his lips,
cutting him off in mid-sentence. "Don't worry about it." she said to
him. "Misty, I don't have long now. I doubt if I'll make it through the
rest of the day." He told her. Misty just squeezed his hand, tears
streaming down her cheek. "It's a boy." Is all she said. Ash
smiled. "Well at least you'll always have a part of me." he told her,
before coughing violently. "Can I see him?" He asked once he'd
stopped coughing. "Sure." the doctor said and left to get the child.
Misty just looked at him. Eventually she looked down at her feet. "Ash, I'm
scared." Ash frowned slightly. "Why?" He asked. "I...
I just don't know if I can go on without you." she sobbed. Ash continued to
frown. "Misty, listen to me. You have to go on. If not for yourself then
for the baby." he needs you now." Ash told her. Misty just nodded. The
door opened and the doctor entered carrying the baby. "Here he is."
He said as he handed him to Misty. "Thanks doctor." she said in
between sobs. The doctor just smiled and left the room. Misty held the baby up
so that Ash could see him. Ash smiled. "He's beautiful." he
gasped. "Just like his mother." he added. Ash reached his hand out to
touch the Childs face. "Take care of him. For me. Treat him like a
king." he asked her. "I will." Misty replied. Ash lay back on the
bed, closing his eyes. The heart monitor began to register a slowing heart rate.
Misty quickly reached over for Ash. "Please stay with me?" she pleaded
to him, even though she knew he couldn't. "I will always be with you
Misty." Ash replied weakly. "Both physically, in our son, and
spiritually. I will always watch over you both. I love you." he whispered,
the heart monitor slowly cycling down to a constant beep. Gripped his hand, the
tears a constant stream down her face, but with a smile. Ash's suffering was
over. He had lived to see his child, the one part of him that would live on.
Misty looked down at the child. "Well Ash, say goodbye to daddy.".
The cold breeze filled the Pallet Town cemetery with an
eerie atmosphere as it gently moved leaves around the ground. Misty stood in
front of the grave looking down at the freshly covered mound. Her eyes ran with
a steady flow of tears. In her arms Ash moved in his sleep. She looked at him.
He was all she really had left of Ash. She'd named him after his father, both as
a mark of respect and so that she would always have a part of him with her.
Behind her, Violet approached. She placed her hand on Misty's shoulder causing
her to jump slightly. "For what it's worth Misty. I know he's watching over
you both now." she told her solemnly. Misty turned to face her sister,
wiping away the tears from her eyes as best she could. "I know. And thank
you." she said, as she hugged her sister. "Here, can you take Ash for
a few minutes? I'd like to be alone for a second." she asked Violet. Her
sister just nodded and took the small child from her. "We'll be at the
car." she told her. Misty nodded in acknowledgment before turning her
attention back to the grave. As Violet walked away Misty dropped to her knees in
front of the head stone. "Well Ash, in some ways I'm sad you're gone.
You'll won't get to see our son grow up an become an adult, you'll not get to
give him one of those father-son talks." she said, tears again filling her
eyes and running down her cheeks. "But now you no longer have to suffer. I
will always remember and love you Ash. This ring..." she said motioning to
her wedding ring. "This ring will never leave my finger. In some small
way I suppose that means you'll never leave me either." Now she just broke
down, crying over the soft soil. She continued crying for a few minutes until
she heard soft footsteps approaching her. "Pika?" came the slightly
depressed voice of the footsteps owner. Misty looked round to see Pikachu
standing there. In the distance she could see Professor Oak waiting for him.
"Pika?" the small yellow Pokémon repeated. "I'm as good as I can
be expected." she replied, giving him a weak smile. Pikachu just sighed and
walked up to her. "Pika, Pikachu, Pika, Pika Pikachu." It said. Misty
laughed weakly. "Yeah, he was the best." she said to him. Pikachu
jumped into her arms and she held him tight. "Thanks Pikachu." she
told it as she stood up and started walking towards Professor Oak.
"Misty. How are you?" he asked as she reached
him. "Ok, considering." she replied to the aging researcher.
"Hmm. Well, Ash wrote to me way back, just after you got married. He'd left
Pikachu to stay with me. He told me that when he passed on, he wanted you
to have Pikachu." Misty smiled at this and Pikachu just hugged her closer.
Pikachu was Ash's most precious Pokémon, there were very few things he held
closer. Misty was one of those things. "If that's what he wanted, I'll do
it." she told him. Professor Oak smiled back at her. "What are you
going to do now?" he asked her. "I'm not sure. I don't really want to
bring Ash up in the city. I'll probably stay in Pallet town or something. I
think Ash would have liked that." she said to him. Professor Oak nodded.
"I think you're right Misty, I think you're right." he said, taking
her arm in his and walking her out of the cemetery. As they reached the gate
Misty looked back, a smile on her face. "I'm positive he would have liked
it."
The End
Well it took me long enough to write this didn't it. Anyway all I ask for
is a review telling me what you think. Preferably constructive criticism. Thanks
and I hope you enjoyed it. Also I am now working on a new Ali G/Pokémon Fic, so
keep your eyes open for that in the near future.