Chapter 6: Weird Behaviour
Authors Note: A day after the prologue
"What now?" Mondo asked softly still staring in the direction of James. The male was still sitting on his bed staring into space. Meowth shrugged not knowing what else to say. What could he say? It felt like they had lost everything in the space of a few days. "Meowth?" Mondo tried again. "Don't you go all spaced out on me too"
"I don't know what ta do Mondo!" Meowth screamed "I've tried everything I know of and still he sits dare! I just don't know anymore!"
Mondo recoiled and pulled Meowth into his lap. "I know Meowth. It's been hard for me too."
"I know. I'm sorry Mondo"
Mondo set Meowth down and went over to James "Come on snap out of it" he shook him gently. James looked at him and pulled away. "Leave me alone Mondo"
Mondo encouraged by the fact that he had spoken persisted. "James you have to talk about this. I know you loved Jesse but you can't bottle up what you are feeling. It really isn't any good"
"And you know what I am feeling?" James shouted suddenly. "You don't know half of it Mondo"
"I was only trying to help"
"Well don't"
"I've had enough" Mondo said. His patience with his friend was thin and frayed and now at breaking point. "Meowth and I need you James. We've had to deal with this too! Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and talk to us!"
James was as surprised at Mondo as Meowth was and stood up.
"Where are yous going now?" Meowth demanded.
"Out" was the reply.
Mondo was sobbing quietly now. Meowth sighed and walked from the room. What was happening to them? Shouldn't Jesse's death bring them closer together? But no it was driving them further apart.
James ran outside and down to the river. Once there he broke down sobbing uncontrollably. He hadn't meant to shout at Mondo but the boy didn't understand what he was going through. No one could and that made James feel even more alone and afraid. Afraid that they would find out what had happened and that Meowth too would leave him. It hadn't been his fault. It wasn't his fault that he was so weak and useless. All the things Jesse had called him came racing back into his head. She had been right about him. James didn't deserve Mondo and Meowth's concern. He deserved nothing now. He was wrong, it had to be his fault. The phone hadn't stopped ringing but none of them had bothered to answer it. Time had stood still for them. James just didn't know what to do anymore. He was all alone and if he tried to talk to them then they would hate him. James knew this but also knew that there was no way that they could possibly hate him as much as he hated himself.
When Jesse woke again she was feeling stronger but the pain of the fact that James had tried to kill her was still tearing her up inside. It was two days later and Jesse was still thinking of how she had felt yesterday. Her mind had been right. All the facts were there but her heart was telling her different. James wasn't a violent person. He hated violence and was always so together. But that fight they had. Jesse had said some unforgivable things. Maybe this and the fact that he was going to be fired tipped him over the edge. Jesse also didn't understand why James hadn't come to see her. The only ones who had been in the room were Cindy and Millie. Millie was in the black squad and it had been her and her partner Rich who had found Jesse floating down river. Rich had dived in after her and had pulled her from the water. Millie told Jesse that she had been almost dead when she was brought into the makeshift infirmary in the HQ. Jesse didn't know what to think of Millie. Millie used her status to lord over Cindy a bit. Cindy was the quieter and the more likeable out of the two of them. Cindy had left school wanting to be a nurse as Jesse had and like Jesse failed miserably. Cindy had joined Team Rocket because Giovanni offered to pay for someone to give her the basic medical training. Team Rocket never had enough medical staff. For a time Jesse had considered doing the same but decided that she would rather be out on the field. She had to live up to Miyamoto's name and Jesse wanted to stay with James. If she became a nurse for Team Rocket James would be put with another partner and Jesse hadn't wanted that. Cindy was also very shy. She had long pink hair that fell down over her face covering a pair of bright blue eyes. She was short for her age and Jesse supposed these factors contributed to why Millie bossed her about. Cindy didn't seem to care very much about it through. She was the one who made the effort to talk to Jesse. Rich and Millie had given up yesterday. Jesse knew that she was being ungrateful but if she spoke then she was afraid that she would let slip what happened to her. The last rocket to go bad was dealt with swiftly. Jesse couldn't recall the girl's name but she had been in the black squad. The power had gone to her head and she began killing trainers and stealing their Pokemon. Team Rocket did not tolerate that kind of behaviour. The killings gave the organisation media exposure that they didn't need and resulted in two dozen arrests and the HQ in Lavender Town being taken down. Giovanni's assassins dealt with the girl in question. Only members with Giovanni's permission were allowed to kill and there were rarely any cases of trainers being killed by Team Rocket agents. The kind of people who were killed was people who knew too much and for an outsider to have damaging information on Team Rocket was a rarity in itself. The girl…Donna Jesse thought her name was had started off by killing her partner. Since that event Giovanni ordered that his black squad saw the Team Rocket psychologist every year to check their mental state. This insured that nothing like what happened with Donna ever happened again. The white squad was not considered dangerous and did not have these checks. What the hell am I thinking? Jesse asked herself angrily. James would never hurt me. There had to be some other explanation. But try as she might Jesse couldn't think of one. If James just happened to be up there then why didn't he save her? Jesse didn't want to think about this anymore.
"How are you feeling today?" Cindy asked coming into the room with a tray of food.
Jesse shrugged and looked away. Cindy sighed and set the tray down beside the bed. "I brought you some food. Jesse I think you should try to eat. This is not doing you any good"
Jesse shrugged again and scowled at the young woman. Cindy pretended not to notice and added, "The Boss is coming to see you later. He has been trying to get in contact with your partner…James wasn't it?"
Jesse nodded and looked at the sandwich Cindy had brought her. She was hungry but resolved not to eat until Cindy was gone. "I got you some clean clothes" Cindy tried again. "There's a shower round the corner if you want to clean up before Giovanni gets here"
Jesse smiled at Cindy slightly. The woman then left her alone deciding that there was nothing more she could do for the difficult woman with the red hair. Jesse ate the sandwich first and then gathered up the clean clothes Cindy had left on the end of her bed. Jesse hurried round the corner and did indeed find a small bathroom area. Jesse took a warm shower and then stopped to examine the damage the fall from the bridge did to her. She had a huge bruise on her temple and various other cuts and bruises all over her body. The worst of these cuts was the one on her back when she had hung for those few seconds over the side of the bridge. Jesse could see the neat stitches in the cut and debated whether calling Cindy to put a fresh bandage on the wound. Deciding against it Jesse put the clothes, which consisted of a pair of blue jogging trousers and a yellow blouse, on and went back into the room. Jesse knew she looked a mess but didn't really care at the moment. Her back was starting to ache and all she wanted to do was rest. Cindy was clearing away the tray when she entered the room.
"You found it all right then?" she asked. Jesse nodded and sat down on the bed.
"I know there not the nicest clothes but it was all that would fit you're size" Cindy indicated the clothes Jesse was wearing. Jesse shrugged and started to help Cindy make the bed when the door opened. Cindy looked up and left when she saw her employer standing in the doorway. "Jessica" Giovanni said softly moving over to Jesse as he spoke. "How are you? We have been quite worried about you"
Jesse knew better than not to answer Giovanni. "I've been better sir"
"Cindy's been treating you well I hope?"
"Yes sir she's been very kind"
"Good, good now Jessica I'll be blunt with you. I want to know what happened. My first thought was that you fell but after I had Rich and Millie look at the bridge in question there is no way that you fell from it."
Jesse knew she'd have to lie. Giovanni could not find out that it was James.
"I did fall," she said softly. "We were coming to see you but I wanted some air first. I went up to the bridge and sat on the rails. A noise from a wild Pokemon startled me and I slipped".
Giovanni nodded and seemed to believe her. "This will teach you to be more careful in future," he said seriously. Jesse nodded Giovanni was making her feel like a child. Who did he think he was telling her to be more careful? Jesse held her tongue and asked instead "Do James and Meowth know what happened?"
Giovanni looked uncomfortable for a minute. "When they were summoned here I was informed that you were dead. I have been trying to contact them in the cabin but they are not answering the phone."
Jesse gasped despite herself. For two days they thought she was dead? How the hell did Giovanni make a mistake like that? "I am making every effort to contact them," Giovanni added. "I will inform you when I have got through to them". Giovanni left after that and Cindy came back.
"How the hell did he make a mistake like that?" Jesse demanded angrily at the woman. Cindy was taken aback but showed relief that Jesse was speaking again. "It was my fault," she said lowering her eyes to the ground. "When you were brought in Rich had already performed CPR. You were breathing but you didn't look good. I said to Millie that the chances were not good. She went and informed Giovanni that you were dead. I had to take the blame; Millie doesn't want to get in trouble with the Boss you see. I think she and Rich want to take over Team Rocket when Giovanni's gone. I tried to tell Giovanni what happened. He was already with James and Meowth. He told me to get out. He wouldn't even look at the clipboard. I'm sorry this is all my fault"
Jesse stared at Cindy for a few seconds. This was Millie and Giovanni's fault not Cindy's and as much as Jesse wanted to reassure the woman she didn't want Cindy spending vast amounts of time with her in this room. Jesse wanted to go and find James herself. She knew once she asked him if it were true that he did push her then her mind would be put to rest one way or the other. Jesse gave Cindy a nasty look and she left the room. As soon as she was gone Jesse found some shoes and slipped out of the room and down the corridor. Once she had found James then she could rest.
Authors Note: A day after the prologue
"What now?" Mondo asked softly still staring in the direction of James. The male was still sitting on his bed staring into space. Meowth shrugged not knowing what else to say. What could he say? It felt like they had lost everything in the space of a few days. "Meowth?" Mondo tried again. "Don't you go all spaced out on me too"
"I don't know what ta do Mondo!" Meowth screamed "I've tried everything I know of and still he sits dare! I just don't know anymore!"
Mondo recoiled and pulled Meowth into his lap. "I know Meowth. It's been hard for me too."
"I know. I'm sorry Mondo"
Mondo set Meowth down and went over to James "Come on snap out of it" he shook him gently. James looked at him and pulled away. "Leave me alone Mondo"
Mondo encouraged by the fact that he had spoken persisted. "James you have to talk about this. I know you loved Jesse but you can't bottle up what you are feeling. It really isn't any good"
"And you know what I am feeling?" James shouted suddenly. "You don't know half of it Mondo"
"I was only trying to help"
"Well don't"
"I've had enough" Mondo said. His patience with his friend was thin and frayed and now at breaking point. "Meowth and I need you James. We've had to deal with this too! Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and talk to us!"
James was as surprised at Mondo as Meowth was and stood up.
"Where are yous going now?" Meowth demanded.
"Out" was the reply.
Mondo was sobbing quietly now. Meowth sighed and walked from the room. What was happening to them? Shouldn't Jesse's death bring them closer together? But no it was driving them further apart.
James ran outside and down to the river. Once there he broke down sobbing uncontrollably. He hadn't meant to shout at Mondo but the boy didn't understand what he was going through. No one could and that made James feel even more alone and afraid. Afraid that they would find out what had happened and that Meowth too would leave him. It hadn't been his fault. It wasn't his fault that he was so weak and useless. All the things Jesse had called him came racing back into his head. She had been right about him. James didn't deserve Mondo and Meowth's concern. He deserved nothing now. He was wrong, it had to be his fault. The phone hadn't stopped ringing but none of them had bothered to answer it. Time had stood still for them. James just didn't know what to do anymore. He was all alone and if he tried to talk to them then they would hate him. James knew this but also knew that there was no way that they could possibly hate him as much as he hated himself.
When Jesse woke again she was feeling stronger but the pain of the fact that James had tried to kill her was still tearing her up inside. It was two days later and Jesse was still thinking of how she had felt yesterday. Her mind had been right. All the facts were there but her heart was telling her different. James wasn't a violent person. He hated violence and was always so together. But that fight they had. Jesse had said some unforgivable things. Maybe this and the fact that he was going to be fired tipped him over the edge. Jesse also didn't understand why James hadn't come to see her. The only ones who had been in the room were Cindy and Millie. Millie was in the black squad and it had been her and her partner Rich who had found Jesse floating down river. Rich had dived in after her and had pulled her from the water. Millie told Jesse that she had been almost dead when she was brought into the makeshift infirmary in the HQ. Jesse didn't know what to think of Millie. Millie used her status to lord over Cindy a bit. Cindy was the quieter and the more likeable out of the two of them. Cindy had left school wanting to be a nurse as Jesse had and like Jesse failed miserably. Cindy had joined Team Rocket because Giovanni offered to pay for someone to give her the basic medical training. Team Rocket never had enough medical staff. For a time Jesse had considered doing the same but decided that she would rather be out on the field. She had to live up to Miyamoto's name and Jesse wanted to stay with James. If she became a nurse for Team Rocket James would be put with another partner and Jesse hadn't wanted that. Cindy was also very shy. She had long pink hair that fell down over her face covering a pair of bright blue eyes. She was short for her age and Jesse supposed these factors contributed to why Millie bossed her about. Cindy didn't seem to care very much about it through. She was the one who made the effort to talk to Jesse. Rich and Millie had given up yesterday. Jesse knew that she was being ungrateful but if she spoke then she was afraid that she would let slip what happened to her. The last rocket to go bad was dealt with swiftly. Jesse couldn't recall the girl's name but she had been in the black squad. The power had gone to her head and she began killing trainers and stealing their Pokemon. Team Rocket did not tolerate that kind of behaviour. The killings gave the organisation media exposure that they didn't need and resulted in two dozen arrests and the HQ in Lavender Town being taken down. Giovanni's assassins dealt with the girl in question. Only members with Giovanni's permission were allowed to kill and there were rarely any cases of trainers being killed by Team Rocket agents. The kind of people who were killed was people who knew too much and for an outsider to have damaging information on Team Rocket was a rarity in itself. The girl…Donna Jesse thought her name was had started off by killing her partner. Since that event Giovanni ordered that his black squad saw the Team Rocket psychologist every year to check their mental state. This insured that nothing like what happened with Donna ever happened again. The white squad was not considered dangerous and did not have these checks. What the hell am I thinking? Jesse asked herself angrily. James would never hurt me. There had to be some other explanation. But try as she might Jesse couldn't think of one. If James just happened to be up there then why didn't he save her? Jesse didn't want to think about this anymore.
"How are you feeling today?" Cindy asked coming into the room with a tray of food.
Jesse shrugged and looked away. Cindy sighed and set the tray down beside the bed. "I brought you some food. Jesse I think you should try to eat. This is not doing you any good"
Jesse shrugged again and scowled at the young woman. Cindy pretended not to notice and added, "The Boss is coming to see you later. He has been trying to get in contact with your partner…James wasn't it?"
Jesse nodded and looked at the sandwich Cindy had brought her. She was hungry but resolved not to eat until Cindy was gone. "I got you some clean clothes" Cindy tried again. "There's a shower round the corner if you want to clean up before Giovanni gets here"
Jesse smiled at Cindy slightly. The woman then left her alone deciding that there was nothing more she could do for the difficult woman with the red hair. Jesse ate the sandwich first and then gathered up the clean clothes Cindy had left on the end of her bed. Jesse hurried round the corner and did indeed find a small bathroom area. Jesse took a warm shower and then stopped to examine the damage the fall from the bridge did to her. She had a huge bruise on her temple and various other cuts and bruises all over her body. The worst of these cuts was the one on her back when she had hung for those few seconds over the side of the bridge. Jesse could see the neat stitches in the cut and debated whether calling Cindy to put a fresh bandage on the wound. Deciding against it Jesse put the clothes, which consisted of a pair of blue jogging trousers and a yellow blouse, on and went back into the room. Jesse knew she looked a mess but didn't really care at the moment. Her back was starting to ache and all she wanted to do was rest. Cindy was clearing away the tray when she entered the room.
"You found it all right then?" she asked. Jesse nodded and sat down on the bed.
"I know there not the nicest clothes but it was all that would fit you're size" Cindy indicated the clothes Jesse was wearing. Jesse shrugged and started to help Cindy make the bed when the door opened. Cindy looked up and left when she saw her employer standing in the doorway. "Jessica" Giovanni said softly moving over to Jesse as he spoke. "How are you? We have been quite worried about you"
Jesse knew better than not to answer Giovanni. "I've been better sir"
"Cindy's been treating you well I hope?"
"Yes sir she's been very kind"
"Good, good now Jessica I'll be blunt with you. I want to know what happened. My first thought was that you fell but after I had Rich and Millie look at the bridge in question there is no way that you fell from it."
Jesse knew she'd have to lie. Giovanni could not find out that it was James.
"I did fall," she said softly. "We were coming to see you but I wanted some air first. I went up to the bridge and sat on the rails. A noise from a wild Pokemon startled me and I slipped".
Giovanni nodded and seemed to believe her. "This will teach you to be more careful in future," he said seriously. Jesse nodded Giovanni was making her feel like a child. Who did he think he was telling her to be more careful? Jesse held her tongue and asked instead "Do James and Meowth know what happened?"
Giovanni looked uncomfortable for a minute. "When they were summoned here I was informed that you were dead. I have been trying to contact them in the cabin but they are not answering the phone."
Jesse gasped despite herself. For two days they thought she was dead? How the hell did Giovanni make a mistake like that? "I am making every effort to contact them," Giovanni added. "I will inform you when I have got through to them". Giovanni left after that and Cindy came back.
"How the hell did he make a mistake like that?" Jesse demanded angrily at the woman. Cindy was taken aback but showed relief that Jesse was speaking again. "It was my fault," she said lowering her eyes to the ground. "When you were brought in Rich had already performed CPR. You were breathing but you didn't look good. I said to Millie that the chances were not good. She went and informed Giovanni that you were dead. I had to take the blame; Millie doesn't want to get in trouble with the Boss you see. I think she and Rich want to take over Team Rocket when Giovanni's gone. I tried to tell Giovanni what happened. He was already with James and Meowth. He told me to get out. He wouldn't even look at the clipboard. I'm sorry this is all my fault"
Jesse stared at Cindy for a few seconds. This was Millie and Giovanni's fault not Cindy's and as much as Jesse wanted to reassure the woman she didn't want Cindy spending vast amounts of time with her in this room. Jesse wanted to go and find James herself. She knew once she asked him if it were true that he did push her then her mind would be put to rest one way or the other. Jesse gave Cindy a nasty look and she left the room. As soon as she was gone Jesse found some shoes and slipped out of the room and down the corridor. Once she had found James then she could rest.