DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokémon. Is anyone else getting really sick of those disclaimers? I sure am…

A/N: Okay fine readers, today's chapter is slightly short with something that is probably gonna result in a couple of flames but oh well, you get that. Here it is, let's read on!

Chapter Thirteen - Bombshells

The next day I had convinced myself that I had fully recovered, but the doctors thought otherwise and said I had to stay one more day. I was sitting up, I was eating, I didn't see any reason to stay. Alas, it is impossible to argue with a doctor, so I stayed.

My cast was slowly becoming decorative, thanks to my sisters and their messages of what I think were sympathy and caring. Couldn't quite tell.

"Nice one sis, this is impressive! Luv Lily."

"Hurry up and get out of that hospital, it's way too sterile. Violet xxoo."

"At least you're not swimming anymore, that wouldn't have been good. This thing is ugly but at least it helps. DaIsY." She honestly did write her name like that, which both amused and puzzled me.

I was sitting up, gazing out my room's sole window at the mingle of Autumn colours when Ash walked in, only ten minutes after my mother had left. I knew I would never be so grateful to my sisters again in my entire life.

"Hey Ash" I greeted him as he bent down to hug me.

"Hi sickie. I bought you these." Ash placed a box of chocolates on my bedside table and my eyes instantly lit up.

"Oh my God, thank you Ash, you have no idea how badly I need proper food" I said gratefully. I was preparing to dive into the sugar infested delictables but was interrupted when the same doctor from the previous day walked in, holding a clipboard and wearing the same coat as when I had last seen him. In fact, the only thing that was different about him was the expression on his face. It was solemn, almost grave, a look that sent panicked shivers up my spine.

"Hey doc" I tried to say cheerfully. My nervous anticipation only increased when he sat down at the foot of my bed and sighed heavily.

"Misty…something's come back from that blood test we took yesterday." The words froze my throat over and I felt Ash squeeze my hand. "You might not want to stay for this" Dr Peterson added to Ash.

"No, Ash can stay. Whatever you have to say to me you have to say to him" I said solidly.

"I'm suspecting that, actually" Dr Peterson mumbled. "Now, before I tell you what's happened I just need to ask you a few questions. Remember, everything you tell me is completely confidential, okay?" I nodded, butterflies breeding in my stomach. "How old are you, Misty?"

"I'll be sixteen in two weeks."

"Okay. Have you noticed anything strange happening to you lately, mood swings, weight gain…?"

"Oh yeah, I've gained a bit of weight but only cos I've been eating so much. Mom has started scolding me for it" I laughed. Dr Peterson didn't laugh with me and I eyed him with anxious eyes. "Please, just tell me what's going on."

"A few more questions first, Misty. I'm really sorry but I'm afraid I'll have to dig into your personal life a bit here. Do you remember the last time you got a period?" I could see Ash turn red at the word and I wracked my brain for an accurate answer.

"Must have been four or five months ago. Yeah, it was before summer. My periods have never been regular, I once went six months without one" I explained.

"I see. I know this is extremely personal and I'm truly sorry" Dr Peterson apologised.

"It's okay, let's just get it over with" I said.

"Can you tell me how many times you've had sex and with whom? I can only hope there aren't too many for you to remember" Dr Peterson grinned, making me laugh and slightly lifting the mood.

"No there was only one guy. Him" I smiled, indicating Ash and grasping his hand tighter. "It only happened once, over the summer."

"And I presume you used some sort of protection?" The question caused my eyes to be directed to the ground and I inhaled deeply before I answered in a trembling voice.

"N-no." I paused and eyed the surprised doctor with a vacant expression. "It was stupid, I know, and I don't know why we…" I trailed off as a realisation hit me. I knew what had happened now. All these questions the doctor was asking, it was obvious even to me. Well, at least I thought so. My eyes went wide and I felt my whole body automatically tense up at what I was about to say. "I've caught something, haven't I?"

"Well, not really -"

"Oh no, no! What have I got, HIV, clamydia, ovarian cancer? That's it isn't it? I've got cancer, oh my God, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna -"

"Miss Waterflower, please, calm down. You do not have an STD, which the both of you should be eternally grateful for. Nor do you have cancer of any kind. However, you have something, and it's going to affect the both of you for the rest of your lives" Dr Peterson said seriously.

"Come on, just tell us then! How bad can it be?" I asked. Looking back, I cringe at how naïve it sounded and really was.

"Misty, you're nearly three months pregnant. Now you tell me how bad that is."

Never before had a single sentence made my whole world crash, burn, dissolve and disintegrate all at the same time, so I wasn't quite prepared when the doctor announced this as bluntly as he did. I literally fell back on my pillow, as if the shock was physical and had just smacked me right between the eyes. Ash's hand had now left mine and out of the corner of my eye I could see his face the complete opposite to his name.

"P-p-preg…pregnant?" I whispered. Dr Peterson nodded and I tried to regain some sort of normal breathing. "No, I can't be, there's just no way."

"Why ever not? You had unprotected sex, it was a risk you chose to take" Dr Peterson said matter-of-factly.

"We didn't choose to take it!" I said forcefully.

"You chose to have unprotected sex, didn't you?" I fell quiet at the doctor's rhetorical question and closed my eyes, as if the blackened world would be my escape from this horrible reality. Fifteen-year olds didn't get pregnant. It just wasn't done. This was soap opera material, not my own life material. I suppose the fates and the gods and whoever else saw to my life had it in for me somehow, or got a kick out of seeing me miserable.

But I had no one to blame here but myself. I knew that clear as day. Ash had a part in it too, but I could've said something, I could've clicked my brain into gear.

"Hey hold up, I heard an old wives tale that it's impossible to fall pregnant on your first time" Ash finally spoke up. He'd been deathly quiet. Not that I could blame him.

"Well kid, you proved that to be exactly what it is" Dr Peterson said.

"A load of shit" Ash muttered.

"Yup." This doctor wasn't exactly sympathetic or anything, he wasn't lifting my spirits at all. I don't think anyone could have at that point. "I feel sorry for you guys, you're only kids yourselves. You're both from fantastic families, I can tell, but it'll be hard for them to see this as just a small glitch. I can tell your parents if you like, or if you'd rather tell them yourselves you can."

"No, I'll tell Mom" I whispered.

"Yeah, same here" Ash added.

"Okay, if that's what you want to do."

"So doctor…where exactly do we go from here?" Ash asked timidly. It was a question that was playing on my mind too, but my dried up mouth was preventing me from speaking the words.

"Well I know it seems like all hope is lost, but you do have some options here. It's not too late to have an abortion, which is what a lot of teenagers in your situation seem to do. But time is running out for that, in a month it will be too late to undergo the procedure."

"I don't know…" I said uncertainly. "I can't really fathom the thought of taking a child's life when it hasn't even begun."

"Fair enough. Remember, you've still got time to think about this. The other option is adoption, which is what most pregnant teens go for next. You'd be able to interview prospective foster parents and choose who you would want to raise your child."

Adoption. To me, that was defined as giving up a part of myself to complete strangers. But I knew there was very little choice here. I was fifteen, I was pregnant, and I had been in enough hot water with Mom already.

"We'll probably have to do that" I said softly, choking back the tears in my eyes.

"You've still got a while to sort out your options. I daresay your parents will want a say in this too" Dr Peterson said as he stood up. "I'll give you two some time to yourselves. I'm sorry to be the bearer of such bad news." And with that the doctor walked out, seemingly unperplexed by the whole thing. Then again, he wasn't the one who had to deal with this. We had to.

"Oh God" Ash mumbled, burying his head in his hands. "Oh God, God, what the hell do we do?"

"I don't know" I whispered. It was the most honest answer I could give him.

"I'm sorry Mist, I'm so sorry, I'll never forgive myself for this -"

"Oh shut up Ash!" I suddenly snapped, causing him to reel. "Here you are, tying to be all noble and apologetic, when we both know the truth - we are both to blame for this and apologies don't really prioritise in a situation like this!"

"Christ, remind me to never try to rectify myself to you again" Ash muttered.

"Don't mock me, Ash!" I yelled.

"Well you're asking for it when you won't even accept a damn apology" Ash said coldly.

"I…I can't…" I was starting to lose my grip on sanity and finally broke down into sobs. No one could expect me to accept this right away. All I could do was lie flat on my back, tears mercilessly rolling down my cheeks.

"Oh Misty, shhh, shush. I'm sorry, you gotta let me apologise this time, I'm sorry" Ash apologized, enveloping me in a hug I felt I couldn't let go of. "We've got to stick together through this. Neither of us can get through this on our own." He slightly pulled away and wiped away the tears that refused to stop their path. "I love you, and I'm just as scared as you right now. I've never had to deal with anything like this before in my life."

"Neither have I" I managed to get out between sobs. "I'm so scared Ash, Mom is gonna…a baby…what am I gonna…"

"I'm thinking exactly the same things you are. Look, I'm gonna have to make you a few promises again, and you know I can keep them. First up, straight out and always, I'm gonna be here for you. This isn't gonna be easy for the both of us and it won't get any easier if we don't have the other to lean on. So I'm here for you, okay?" He eyed me seriously and I nodded. "Okay. Part of that promise kinda goes into the next one. When you get home, I'll be with you when you tell your mom."

"No Ash, you can't, she won't listen to you. I have to tell her" I said.

"What, and act like this is all your fault? No Misty, I'll be with you."

"But what about the League?"

"They can wait. They'll have to. We get time off for family emergencies, and this is one hell of an emergency, don't you think?" Ash asked rhetorically. I nodded again and waited for him to go on. "Also, I'll try and figure something out where I can still see you without your mom going ape. You know I'll wanna check up on you."

"I know" I smiled. "Don't go to so much trouble. We just have to keep our heads high and hope that we can come out on the right side of this."

"Yeah, but coming out on the right side of this doesn't magically happen by itself. We're gonna have to work to survive these next couple of months, but I know, despite how terrible this all is, that we can get through it. You have to believe it too" Ash said.

"I will in time. So much is just going on in my head, and I don't understand any of it. Why were we so stupid?"

"Well you can't call all of it stupid. For one thing it's brought me back here" Ash grinned.

"I suppose that's an upside."

"You suppose?!" Ash asked, sounding teasingly offended.

"Well no actually. If something good has to come out of this, that would be it" I agreed. He kissed me again after hearing this, and through the love and hope that kiss portrayed, I could also feel the determination and reassurance that was surging throughout him. I believed him. I just wished I could believe myself when I said the same words.

A/N: Eeek! It was a biggie! And apart from that I've run out of things to say, except thanks for reading and reviewing, and another chapter on the way. Woohoo!