I woke up at 6, as usual, the next morning, and I noticed the nurses
weren't around. I decided that they must've been sleeping in. I went up to
the coffee machine, pressed the hot water button, and put an Ocra tea bag -
I carry them around with me everywhere in case there's an emergency like
this. I spent half an hour thinking about what I was going to do about
Vera. Then my thoughts were interrupted by a nurse.
"Cael? Could you come in here, we need an extra pair of eyes."
What did they mean, an extra pair eyes? It was something to do, though. "Uh, sure. What should I do?"
I asked, and the nurse led me to a small room. There was a pokémon there, covered in an operating cloth, surrounded by four other nurses.
"Now, see this machine here? You have to let us know if this number," She pointed to a large number in the top right corner of the machine, on which a ghostly green line was traced. "Drops to less than half of this number," She said, indicating the smaller number below it. I nodded; it wasn't all that hard to do that. The nurse looked relieved, and the group of them started doing some sort of operation; I had no idea what the words they were saying meant, all medical terms. Every now and again, one of the nurses would say something to me, explaining about what'd happened. I managed to find out that they were operating on a Mareep, that was in very bad condition. It had been left outside the centre by someone late last night, or early this morning. After about an hour, the nurses had managed to stabilise the sheep-like pokémon. By then, two other people had come in to have a look-see. It was this time Vera came in. I'd had time to think about what I was going to do. I had to act sensitive and caring if I was going to impress her. She walked into the room. She knew her way around pokémon centres, since her mother worked in one. "What ha-" She started to say, and I motioned for her to be quiet - she had to, the Mareep needed rest. She walked up to me, and, studying the Mareep, whispered. "What's that?"
I thought for a second. I couldn't agree with her, or make a really sensitive response to that. I could if I explained a bit about how it got here. "A Mareep. Its trainer took it in here; we've got no idea what happened to it. The poor thing, I hope it'll be okay." I said, trying to sound more concerned than I must admit I felt; I knew it'd recover, now the nurses were on the case. Whatever happened to it was probably its own fault, anyway. Some sparks erupted from its tail orb, causing Vera to jump in fright, gripping my hand. Her touch, once again, made my skin tingle, in a nice way, though. I fought back an urge to hold her hand back, so to speak. It didn't stop me from hoping she wouldn't let go, though. I remembered I had to reassure her.
"Don't worry, Vera. Just a few sparks, and they mean the Mareep is recovering."
"Oh." She said, in reply. I wondered if being sensitive was having a better effect on her than being all macho. I also wondered what to say next. I decided to ask the nurse if the Mareep would recover; perhaps what she was wondering herself. "Do you think it'll make it?" I asked one of the nurses.
"Of course it will! We got it just in time."
Vera looked relieved, and I tried to look it, too.
"I hope it recovers."
"I hope so too." I said, truthfully. I was unable to resist the urge to squeeze her hand. I hoped that doing so wasn't going to have a negative effect on her. I didn't think it did, though.
We stayed in there for hours upon hours. Vera or no Vera, it was incredibly boring. I actually dozed off, only to be woken soon after. When she woke me, I was halfway through a dream. What was it about? Uh, that's not for you to know.
"Watch!" She whispered. I looked at the Mareep, wondering why she woke me up when I was having a nice dream for once. It just yawned, and opened its eyes. It was good for it to be awake, but it's not like I wasn't expecting it to wake up.
"Ooohh!! It's SOOO cute!" Vera said excitedly. I'd never known her to go crazy over cute pokémon. Mareep wasn't all that cute, anyway. "I hope she pulls through!"
I had to agree with her, like Jason said to. Which was okay, because I actually did hope she would pull through, even though I knew she would anyway.
"I hope so too,"
"Uh, do you think we should get the nurse or something?"
Being agreeable was easier than I thought. If this was really the best way to impress Vera, I'd have her all over me in no time. "Good idea!" I said, leaving the room, telling the nurse that the Mareep was awake, and then going back in. the nurses did some stuff to the Mareep, putting it in a less severe looking bed.
In the coming weeks, Vera gave the Mareep a name, Hope, and was allowed to adopt it if its trainer didn't come for it. I soon realised that being agreeable wasn't impressing Vera. It was amusing her, and making her more likely to tease me. Which either meant she didn't like me at all, or she was testing to see how agreeable it was. I hoped it was the latter at the time. Either way, I phoned Chris. Jason's advice didn't work. I'd been pretty sure that Chris would have something more helpful to tell me. I punched his number into my mobile phone. He has his own extension, so I didn't need to talk to a butler or anything.
"Hey, Cae."
He said, having known it was me from his caller ID feature.
"Hi, Chris. I phoned Jase the other day-"
"'Bout your girl? He told us. How'd it go?"
"Not good. I think Jase was wrong, to tell you the truth."
"Prolly was. What'd he say?"
"He said to be agreeable and sensitive."
"What? Jase? That's pretty stupid advice. I say, be direct. She's probably crazy about you if she's still hanging around you. You tell her how you feel, and just try to be really direct. No stuffing around with poems and stuff."
"Really? Thanks, Chris. I didn't think Jase's advice sounded too good."
I lied; at the time, I thought what Jason told me to do was logical. But, then again, back then, I thought Chris' advice was logical, too. We talked a bit more, I don't really remember what about. Probably what's been happening at their all-boys high school. I didn't like the idea of all-boys schools. I knew nothing about girls, and I didn't think my friends knew much more. But, back then, their limited knowledge was better than nothing. Looking back, I think that not listening to any of the advice I received might have been the best idea.
What did they mean, an extra pair eyes? It was something to do, though. "Uh, sure. What should I do?"
I asked, and the nurse led me to a small room. There was a pokémon there, covered in an operating cloth, surrounded by four other nurses.
"Now, see this machine here? You have to let us know if this number," She pointed to a large number in the top right corner of the machine, on which a ghostly green line was traced. "Drops to less than half of this number," She said, indicating the smaller number below it. I nodded; it wasn't all that hard to do that. The nurse looked relieved, and the group of them started doing some sort of operation; I had no idea what the words they were saying meant, all medical terms. Every now and again, one of the nurses would say something to me, explaining about what'd happened. I managed to find out that they were operating on a Mareep, that was in very bad condition. It had been left outside the centre by someone late last night, or early this morning. After about an hour, the nurses had managed to stabilise the sheep-like pokémon. By then, two other people had come in to have a look-see. It was this time Vera came in. I'd had time to think about what I was going to do. I had to act sensitive and caring if I was going to impress her. She walked into the room. She knew her way around pokémon centres, since her mother worked in one. "What ha-" She started to say, and I motioned for her to be quiet - she had to, the Mareep needed rest. She walked up to me, and, studying the Mareep, whispered. "What's that?"
I thought for a second. I couldn't agree with her, or make a really sensitive response to that. I could if I explained a bit about how it got here. "A Mareep. Its trainer took it in here; we've got no idea what happened to it. The poor thing, I hope it'll be okay." I said, trying to sound more concerned than I must admit I felt; I knew it'd recover, now the nurses were on the case. Whatever happened to it was probably its own fault, anyway. Some sparks erupted from its tail orb, causing Vera to jump in fright, gripping my hand. Her touch, once again, made my skin tingle, in a nice way, though. I fought back an urge to hold her hand back, so to speak. It didn't stop me from hoping she wouldn't let go, though. I remembered I had to reassure her.
"Don't worry, Vera. Just a few sparks, and they mean the Mareep is recovering."
"Oh." She said, in reply. I wondered if being sensitive was having a better effect on her than being all macho. I also wondered what to say next. I decided to ask the nurse if the Mareep would recover; perhaps what she was wondering herself. "Do you think it'll make it?" I asked one of the nurses.
"Of course it will! We got it just in time."
Vera looked relieved, and I tried to look it, too.
"I hope it recovers."
"I hope so too." I said, truthfully. I was unable to resist the urge to squeeze her hand. I hoped that doing so wasn't going to have a negative effect on her. I didn't think it did, though.
We stayed in there for hours upon hours. Vera or no Vera, it was incredibly boring. I actually dozed off, only to be woken soon after. When she woke me, I was halfway through a dream. What was it about? Uh, that's not for you to know.
"Watch!" She whispered. I looked at the Mareep, wondering why she woke me up when I was having a nice dream for once. It just yawned, and opened its eyes. It was good for it to be awake, but it's not like I wasn't expecting it to wake up.
"Ooohh!! It's SOOO cute!" Vera said excitedly. I'd never known her to go crazy over cute pokémon. Mareep wasn't all that cute, anyway. "I hope she pulls through!"
I had to agree with her, like Jason said to. Which was okay, because I actually did hope she would pull through, even though I knew she would anyway.
"I hope so too,"
"Uh, do you think we should get the nurse or something?"
Being agreeable was easier than I thought. If this was really the best way to impress Vera, I'd have her all over me in no time. "Good idea!" I said, leaving the room, telling the nurse that the Mareep was awake, and then going back in. the nurses did some stuff to the Mareep, putting it in a less severe looking bed.
In the coming weeks, Vera gave the Mareep a name, Hope, and was allowed to adopt it if its trainer didn't come for it. I soon realised that being agreeable wasn't impressing Vera. It was amusing her, and making her more likely to tease me. Which either meant she didn't like me at all, or she was testing to see how agreeable it was. I hoped it was the latter at the time. Either way, I phoned Chris. Jason's advice didn't work. I'd been pretty sure that Chris would have something more helpful to tell me. I punched his number into my mobile phone. He has his own extension, so I didn't need to talk to a butler or anything.
"Hey, Cae."
He said, having known it was me from his caller ID feature.
"Hi, Chris. I phoned Jase the other day-"
"'Bout your girl? He told us. How'd it go?"
"Not good. I think Jase was wrong, to tell you the truth."
"Prolly was. What'd he say?"
"He said to be agreeable and sensitive."
"What? Jase? That's pretty stupid advice. I say, be direct. She's probably crazy about you if she's still hanging around you. You tell her how you feel, and just try to be really direct. No stuffing around with poems and stuff."
"Really? Thanks, Chris. I didn't think Jase's advice sounded too good."
I lied; at the time, I thought what Jason told me to do was logical. But, then again, back then, I thought Chris' advice was logical, too. We talked a bit more, I don't really remember what about. Probably what's been happening at their all-boys high school. I didn't like the idea of all-boys schools. I knew nothing about girls, and I didn't think my friends knew much more. But, back then, their limited knowledge was better than nothing. Looking back, I think that not listening to any of the advice I received might have been the best idea.