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Misty's Awakening
Part 11
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Misty looked nonchalantly at the shirt in her hands, sitting amidst her three squealing sisters. She wasn't sure of how much more of this she could handle.

"Ah! Like, this is *so* you, Misty!" Lily shoved yet another particle of clothing to Misty, who had already accumulated a fairly large pile on her lap.

Misty remembered a time when she had enjoyed shopping, indeed, she still would if she didn't have something more on her mind.

"Misty, do you like pink?" Daisy was holding a frilly, pink dress before Misty. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Oh— Okay. I guess you've always been a tomboy... would you like it better in green?"

Misty sighed. This might never end.


At last, after Misty had tried on another load of clothes, they checked out and left the store, going back out into the mall.

"Misty," Violet began, tossing her hair, "you act like you're in, like, such a hurry!"

Lily nodded. "Totally! What is *with* that?! I remember when you'd *beg* us to take you shopping with us!!"

"Um, well..."

Daisy huffed. "Oh, come on, girls! Isn't it obvious enough?"

"Huh?" Violet and Lily were staring dumbly.

Daisy shook her head as she pushed the wheelchair. "She *obviously* wants to go back because of someone that she *obviously* wants to be with!"

Lily and Violet looked at each other. "Huh?"

Daisy spoke slowly. "Hell-o! The Ashy- kid. Why *else* do you think she's staying at his place?!"

Misty bit her lip. Was it just her, or was it suddenly 100 degrees in there?

"So you *do* like him!" Violet taunted, winking at Misty.

"Ooooh! That is *totally* so sweet!!" Lily put her hand to her heart. "The guy who came to see you everyday— and now you're in looove..."

"Oh, you guys..." Misty said helplessly, wishing she could pretend she wasn't with them.

"Oh, Misty, it's okay," Daisy comforted. "We've all been in love before...well, *most* of us..." She shot a superior glance at Lily.

"Like, shut up!!" Lily huffed.

"Anyway," Daisy went on, "we know what it's like! And Ash is, like, a cute kid and stuff. He wasn't when we first met him...what an annoying brat...but now he's a cutie!"

"Uh...thanks..." Misty muttered.

"So," Violet prodded, "did you guys...heh...kiss and stuff yet?!?" She looked intently to Misty.

"Well...we...um..." Misty didn't know what to say, or if she should say anything at all.

"You *did*, didn't you?" prompted Lily.

"Well...yeah," Misty admitted, trying to look busy by examining her long nails. What *else* was she supposed to say?

"Ooooh!!" all three of her sisters squealed in unison. "How *sweet*!"

Misty almost found herself smiling. "It was..."

"What happened? Was it on the lips? Did you like it?!"

Misty told them about it, vaguely at first, but then found herself telling them about it in more and more detail...more than she would have initially liked to. But she felt like, now, she had something to make them jealous.

"Ohh, that's *adorable*!!" Daisy cooed as they continued through the mall. "My first kiss with Darren wasn't as romantic."

Violet looked wistful. "Well, *my* first kiss with my fiancee was okay..."

"Oh?" Misty asked mechanically, "and what's *his* name?"

"Oh— you mean Brock?"

Mist went suddenly stiff. "E..excuse me— who?!"

"Brock— my fiancee's name is Brock." She smiled. "Aw, he's so sweet!" She once again looked dreamy.

Misty laughed. "Ha...what a coincidence...but it can't be...uh, what's his last name, anyway?"

"Slate," Violet replied, "but I don't see why you care so much..."

Misty grinned. "Oh my gosh!! Brock!!!"

"You...*know* him?" Violet asked.

"Yes! I knew him years ago!! Wow, I can't believe it— you're going to marry my old friend!! You'll have to let me talk to him sometime, okay?!"

Violet shrugged. "Er, yeah, I..I guess..."

Misty couldn't get over the irony of it all...Brock Slate, marrying her sister!!! Well, then again, maybe it wasn't *so* ironic...

"Ooh— we *have* to go in here!" Daisy said suddenly, stopping in front of Claire's Boutique.

"Aw, do we *have* to?" Misty asked.

"Look, Misty— Ashy-boy can wait. Right now, you need to accesorize!"

Misty rolled her eyes. "Here we go again," she muttered to herself.

* * * *

It was seven O'clock that night, and Misty was lying on her side on Ash's bed.

"...and so I told Violet that I wanted to talk to him sometime soon...she never really understood why, but I can hardly believe it myself!"

Ash was sitting on the floor, his arm intertwined with Misty's as she told him about her interesting shopping experience.

"Wow..." he said, "so *that's* what happened to Brock..." He laughed at the thought. "I guess Nurse Joy kept rejecting him."

Misty snickered. "I guess. I wonder why he never tried to contact you or anything, though— after he left."

"Who knows," Ash said, resting his head on the bed side. "I always thought he was crazy, the way he went after every girl he saw. I never thought that he'd decide to settle down-- let alone with your sister!"

"Mmmm..." Misty yawned quietly and moved a little closer to Ash. "It's a small world..."

~ ~ ~ ~

Misty sat alone among the red rosebushes, staring out at the field of flowers below an overcast sky. She breathed in the sweet air, loving her very existence, stretching out her arms and feeling the warm air around her skin, encircling her being...

She smiled, watching carefully as another figure came up from behind the bunch of bushes in front of her.

"Ash..." she whispered, standing up to greet him. The silky dress she wore flowed about her skin in the breeze, shining silvery-white, and she went to him. His smile...oh, she was so in love with that smile... she held his hands in her own and kissed him passionately.

Rain drops fell softly from above, showering everything in a wet mist. Ash held onto her hand firmly, looking off toward the flowery fields beyond. Misty tried to follow him, but she found that her dress was suddenly caught in the rose thorns...

Misty tried to pull herself free, but the more she tried, the more caught she became in the bushes. Blood red surrounded her, branches pulling her into a dark emptiness. Lightening flashed off in the distance, and the rain picked up, fat drops slamming against the roses and the garden in a violent manner.

Misty squinted, the rain irritating her, but also noticing that she was losing grip with Ash's hand.

"Ash!" she cried, salty tears mingling with the rain drops on her face. But all he could do was call back as she was swept away in the roses.

"Misty...come back to me...Misty.... come back...."

His hand slipped away, and Misty sobbed as darkness encircled her completely.

"Ash! Ash!! ASH!"

He was gone...

~ ~ ~ ~

"ASH!!" Misty jolted upright, crying frantically and looking around desperately. Ash's hand was still around hers'-- she lay on his bed, he on the floor. She clung, frightened, to him as he quickly woke up.

"Misty!" he said, quickly sitting by her on the bed. "Misty, what's wrong?! Did you have a bad dream?"

She bit her lip, trying to stifle her tears.

"Misty..." Ash said soothingly, taking her hands.

"Ash," Misty forced, "just hold me, okay...?"

Without hesitation, he took her in his arms and held her close to him. Instantly she began to feel better, but she couldn't relax completely— not with those visions fresh in her mind.

"Misty, you can tell me about it if you want..." He wiped a tear from her chin.

Her crying had lessened, and she drew in a wavering breath. "You were taken away... from me...the darkness grabbed me...you slipped away..." She couldn't contain herself any longer, and she broke down again.

"It's okay...it's only a dream," Ash whispered. He continued to hold her as her weeping became steadily quieter.

Misty, finding that she was exhausted, ceased her crying and closed her eyes as Ash gently lay her down again. He held tightly to her hand, and though she didn't want to slip into sleep and lose sight of him again, it sooner or later got the better of her.

* * * *

The next day, for Misty, seemed normal enough. When she awoke, Ash carried her down to breakfast— Ms. Ketchem didn't even realize that Misty had fallen asleep upstairs, so no questions were shot at them.

But, throughout the day, the thought of Misty's dream stayed with her— she just couldn't shake it.

There was a call from Dr. Johnson, telling Misty to get ready to be picked up and brought to the hospital for therapy. She had gotten some work-out clothes at the mall, so she put those on and waited outside with Ash until the van arrived.

"Ash," she said as they sat down on the white bench, "I'm sorry if I scared you last night."

Ash looked at her, astonished. "Sorry? Misty, don't be sorry for having a nightmare! And if it's about waking me up— well, I'd rather be awake to comfort you than sleep through it all."

Misty felt butterflies. "If you're sure...thank you for being there." She couldn't even *apologize* to him, could she?

They didn't wait much longer for the van. It pulled up about five minutes later, and Ash seated Misty in her wheelchair and rolled her over to the white hospital van.

"Can Ash *please* come with?" Misty pleaded to Dr. Johnson.

Dr. Johnson smiled— she rarely did that— and helped Misty into the van.

"I don't think so today," she said, "but maybe another time. You really need to concentrate completely on therapy."

Ash looked to Misty, and quickly kissed her. "See you later, love..." he said, and Dr. Johnson closed the door.

** * *

The drive was pleasant, Misty thought, as she looked out the window. She would have talked to Dr. Johnson— she had already tried to start a conversation with Misty— but Misty, feeling a little bitter toward her still, opted to quietly watch the scenery.

At the hospital, Misty was taken to the therapy center.

"Your session will be a little longer today," Dr. Johnson informed Misty as she stopped the wheelchair.

Misty wasn't sure if this was good or bad.

They began with the regular stretches, and Misty lifted weights for several minutes. After that, Dr. Johnson took Misty to the west end of the room where two bars, parallel to each other, stuck out of the ground.

"I think," Dr. Johnson said thoughtfully, "that you are ready to try walking again today." She lifted Misty from her chair and situated her between the bars so that she was grasping one in each hand.

Misty shot her a nervous glance. She kept thinking that she would fall on her face if she did it by herself.

"Just try it, OK Misty?" she said, gesturing over the bars. "The sooner you walk on these, the sooner you walk on your own."

Misty, biting her lip uneasily, consented. "Yeah...I'll try."

She began, holding tightly to the metal as she slid over the mat. It seemed easier now in a way, but the fact that Ash wasn't there seemed to, at the same time, make it harder.

She worked hard, realizing then that, yes, she *was* improving. She walked back and forth time after time, losing track of how many. She found that it brought some satisfaction at least to know that she was doing well.

She began to let her legs take on more and more weight instead of supporting it all with her arms, and soon it came easier to her. She was so close to walking on her own!

Misty did it once or twice more before therapy was over.

"It won't be long until you'll be able to start on crutches," Dr. Johnson said. "It's just a matter of days."

Therapy ended, and Misty was bathed and dressed in the extra clothes she had brought. She was wheeled out, and before long she was being loaded into the van to go home. Watching the fields fly by outside the window, Misty thought that with all the good things she was feeling, the dream she had had couldn't possibly mean a thing.


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...To Be Continued...