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Misty's Awakening
Part 15
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The Doctor listened to Misty breathe, holding his stethoscope to her back as it rose and fell a few times. "Things seem good..." he informed her, drawing the device away, "...exceptionally good." He shook his head, putting his things back into a bag. "I've never seen a coma patient come out of their sleep so smoothly, and then continue to recover at such a quick rate."

Misty relaxed, watching carelessly as the Doctor jotted down a few notes on a pad before placing that, too, in his bag. She hadn't *expected* for there to be any problems. . .but somehow she'd felt a little nervous as Ash had brought her down the steps. Anything that forced her to remember her days in the hospital made her edgy.

"However..."

There was always a 'however', Misty thought. There was always something that wasn't mentioned to her in the first place. She hadn't been through so much already to have things told to her with a sugar coating.

"...May I suggest that you continue to be careful? The recovery period after a coma is usually long and slow-paced. Even though you've become remarkably better in just a few weeks, you must be cautious, just to be sure..." He snapped his bag shut and took it in his hand, looking to Misty for a sign of consent.

She nodded promptly. So she would be careful. Wasn't she *already* doing that? "I will," she said.

Ash came in from the other room, smiling at Misty as he entered. "How's she doing," he inquired.

"Great...she's getting much better. I'll be in for another check up in a couple weeks. So, I'll see you then?" He headed for the door.

"OK," Misty waved. "Thanks." The door closed softly.

"Well then," Ms. Ketchem, who had been eavesdropping, entered. "Everything sound good...

"Yeah, I'd say so."

"Ok...it's getting late, and I haven't gotten to making dinner quite yet. What do you say we go out tonight?"

Ash and Misty brightened. "Really?" Ash asked.

"Sure...I'll pay and everything. You game?"

"Of course!!"

Ms. Ketchem smiled broadly. "Well, you'd better get out to the car before I change my mind!"

And with that, they were all grabbing their coats and heading for the door.


* * * *


"A little lower...now...just and inch to the left...ahhhh...."

Ash kneaded his palms into the back of a pajama-clad Misty, sitting on her canopy bed as he gave her a back rub.

"Mmmm...I've been so sore lately. Thank you, Ash, I needed that." His hands slid off of her shoulders, and she turned back to face him blissfully. The feeling of his fingers on her back made her tingle with contentment all over. She held to one aching shoulder with her hand, suddenly remembering what she had just been saying. "Really...I've been real tense..."

"It might be stress," Ash told her, taking in his hand and braiding a small section of Misty's hair, "you've been pretty busy lately, and I know it isn't getting any easier. All these things you've missed for years coming back to you, and then the wedding coming up. Heh, and not to mention your super-long therapy session tomorrow..." He stood up, pulling the sheets over the girl.

"That's true... I'd almost forgotten about that. Why'd you remind me?" She smirked, but Ash just smiled back playfully as he tugged the comforter up to Misty's chin. "Oh, well, it's not so bad. It may be stressful, but I'm looking forward to the wedding."

Ash nodded. "Yup. In fact, we're supposed to help get some decorations for the reception tomorrow, aren't we? Does your sister always wait for the last minute to do things?"

"Dunno," Misty said with a faint shrug, "I thought Brock was in charge of the decorations committee. But still, given that the wedding is on Friday. . ."

"Well, at least it's actually going to happen, and it's really exciting. I'm glad Brock is settling down, and even if it's hectic, I'm still happy to help out."

"Yeah, it's neat."

Ash leaned down to Misty and gave her a kiss. "Goodnight, Mist ...see you tomorrow, bright and early." He moved up from her forehead, but Misty pulled him back to her lips for an even longer, more intense kiss.

Ash stood up straight after a few moments, the captivated smile slyly obvious on his face. He opened his mouth to speak something, but for a moment he lost his words as he looked at Misty's face.

"It's...it's late," he whispered at last. "Goodnight."

A smile fluttered across Misty's lips. "G'night, Ash."

The light turned off, and Ash left, slowly closing the door behind him.

* * *


Upon entering the hospital the next morning, Misty found that she felt an air of excitement around her that she hadn't expected to experience. It wasn't that she *wanted* to go to therapy— she never had— but it was more of the fact that it was almost completely over with. And, as she limped into the therapy center, one simple yet all so real thing made her grin. Today, Misty was confident, she would walk on her own.

"Good morning, Misty!" It was Dr. Johnson's voice.

"Hi," Misty said, meeting the lady in the center of the room, "I'm ready to get started— right away."

Dr. Johnson's eyes widened considerably. "Well, you're a bit more eager than usual..."

"I really do want to walk," she said, leaning against her crutches. "And I really don't have much time left..." She drifted off with that last word, then looked back to Dr. Johnson. "...So...let's go."

"Alright, then," the therapist responded, and gestured toward the weights in the corner of the room.


* * * *


It had been two hours. Two miserable hours.

A very exhausted girl with her red-orange entered the white-fenced yard of the Ketchems. The tears burned in her eyes like a river threatening to overflow, begging for her to set them free. She let her body fall onto the white bench, gazing at the dead flowers as the water in her eyes began to obstruct her vision. Everything became blurry, and within her anger suddenly gripped. She held the two crutches in one hand and tossed them forcefully into the dying bushes, her sobbing only continuing to grow.

'Why can't I DO IT?!!' she yelled inside her mind, 'why am I not *READY*?!!'

That's what Dr. Johnson had kept telling her...

She thought back just a little, momentarily recounting all the times that day she had told Dr. Johnson to let her try just once more without the bars or the crutches.

"Don't tire yourself," the therapist had told her, "It won't make it any better. Your just not ready yet..."

"But I HAVE to! I can do it! You just have to help me and I'll get it..."

"NO Misty, I know what I'm saying, and I really mean it. It's not good for you to strain yourself like this. Next time I see you, we'll work on it some more."

That would have been fine, Misty thought, but she wouldn't see Dr. Johnson again until the next Saturday—she was needed out of town for another patient. She had given Misty a list of exercises to be done every other day, but...

"I want to... walk!" Misty wailed softly to no one but the rosebushes around her. "I NEED to walk..."

More hot tears fell, landing in the grass and becoming hidden amidst the green. She just didn't have the balance...just couldn't stay on her feet...

"Misty?"

She froze. 'No....no....please don't let him see me this way...' She began to think, but then it occurred to her— that's all he would want, to be there for her. Right?

"Mist, there you are. I was— Misty?" Ash looked at her, curiously concerned. "Misty? What's going on?"

Misty really wanted to tell him, but she found that when she opened her mouth, all she could do was sob. With that, Ash promptly ran to her and held onto her hand, still asking, "Misty?! Are you OK?"

"Yes...I mean...no..." she gasped, choking on her own sobs. "NO! No, I'm...I'm..."

Ash held onto her tightly, his own concern for her hurting him. He waited.

Misty's breaths became more even, and she slowly found herself able to speak clearly again. "Ash...Ash, I want to walk!"

He looked slightly puzzled. "But, you..."

"No, I won't for a long time! Dr. Johnson told me I'm not...not ready yet..."

"Why not? I think you are, Misty! You just need more practice."

"And that takes time!!"

Ash bit his lip. "Yes...but you have plenty of that. You have a few days..."

"And Dr. Johnson won't be able to help me. She's leaving for a while! I....I..." She broke into crying again.

A few minutes passed in silence, Ash holding on to Misty, doing his best to stop her weeping.

"Misty...Misty....it's alright....I can help you, if you want."

She looked up to him, her cheeks glistening in the sun. Somehow, she hadn't been expecting him to say that. "You...you can?"

He chuckled softly. "Of course I can! And I will! I'll help you walk again, Misty. I really want you to be happy, so I'll do anything if It will cheer you up."

She found herself crying softly again— not for sorrow, but because she felt too lucky to have Ash— he was ready to do anything if it meant making Misty just a little bit happier.

Misty suddenly felt foolish to cry over something like walking again...she knew she would eventually, and in time everything would be fine. Wasn't she just being selfish, then? It wasn't a big deal— now, with Ash's help, she *was* going to walk. She felt better now...she believed him.

"Now come on...we'll work on that later. Brock called, and he says he needs help with the decorations. We're going to help get them ready."

Misty smiled. "Trying to change the subject on me, Ash?"

"Heh, no...actually, Brock was going to be here for us in about five minutes..."

Misty gasped. "Holy cow— I have to get showered!! Wow, I'll be out as soon as I can— " And she jumped up from the bench, going as fast as she could, her crutches with her.

Ash smiled after her, sitting back in the bench to wait for Misty— or Brock— whichever showed up first.



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To Be Continued....
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AN: At last, my friends, I have found enough time for another part of Misty's Awakening!!! Yay! Um, anyway, there is much excitement in store, so don't bail on me yet. In fact, I'm getting pretty pumped about what's coming up. I'll be back soon for another installment. See ya, and thanks a million billion for reading my fic! --StarGlider