Osteogenesis Imperfecta
by Joshua Falken
Thanks to BenRG for beta-read and edit this chapter :-)
Author's note: Osteogenesis Imperfecta is an Alternate Universe fic, where Ash has the disease of the title. Also, this genetic disorder is real, it really exists. For more info, access http://www.oif.org
Beta reader's note: And thanks to George Lucas for writing the coolest telekinetic attack in cinematic history :-)
Now, the chapter 7! :-)
Chapter 7 - Flatliner
Pokémon Global League
Headquarters
June 17, 2063
Brock Harrison (Boulder Badge) and Misty Williams (Cascade Badge) observed the movement in the main room of the building, trying to get the feel of the gathering besides the atmosphere of tension that seemed physical enough to cut. Gym Leaders of the Pokémon Global and Regional Leagues attended and several of them looked discreetly at Brock and Misty, as if they were from another planet.
Now I know how the Clefaries feel... Brock thought.
Others asked how Ash was doing and asked to pass on their best wishes for a fast recovery to the trainer. Among these were Lieutenant Robert Lyman Surge, the Vermilion City Gym Leader (Indigo League), Luana Scanlon, the Kumquat Island Gym Leader (Orange League), and Whitney Miller, the Goldenrod City Gym Leader (Johto League). Misty smiled when she remembered how poor Ash had almost died from embarrassment, when Luana hugged him on that beach, thinking that he was her son, Travis... She had never seen Ash so totally frozen in shock as in that moment...
The last Gym Leaders to come arrived for the Emergency Meeting.
There was a sudden 'whoosh' of displaced air and a tall woman with dark green-hair and blue eyes materialised in the middle of the room. She was the Saffron City Gym Leader, Sabrina Bowman. Brock and Misty became nervous when the telepsychic woman approached them, with her serious face (they remembered how rare it was to see her smile)... Their nervousness was understandable, both remembered the pain and fear when she used her astounding abilities to turn them into dolls, playthings for her amusement. Misty didn't know what to expect, but Sabrina surprised them both.
"How is Ash?" she asked, in a concerned tone. Hearing of the murderous assault on the boy had affected her in ways she had not expected. There were just two people in the whole world that she could thank for saving her from falling into the abyss of madness she had been digging for herself, and they were Ash Ketchum and Dr. Ben Gough...
"Recovering," Brock answered. He didn't want to speak more than absolutely necessary about his friend's condition.
"Was he... badly wounded?"
Why doesn't that psychic bitch just suck the information out of our heads? Misty thought angrily, and immediately censured herself for such thoughts. She's concerned, Misty, give her the credit for that and showing enough respect for us to ask us rather than simply taking what she wanted.
I deserve your enmity, Misty, a voice suddenly said in Misty's head. Misty turned her surprised gaze to the gently smiling Sabrina. But, please, trust me now. I am no longer your enemy.
"He will have to stay in hospital for at least nine months," Brock said matter-of-factly. There was a long, shocked silence among the Gym Leaders surrounding Brock and Misty.
Misty looked at the clock: there were still fifteen minutes to go until the scheduled beginning of the meeting.
In that moment, Giovanni Carpenter, the Viridian City Gym Leader, entered, accompanied by his deputy, Amanda Blackstone (as always in her black leather 'armour'). Brock noticed that a small, cold smile was on Giovanni's lips. There was something about Giovanni's whole demeanour that made Brock come out in a cold sweat...
Others Gym Leaders noticed that too. They all knew that there was something a little rotten about that smile...
At one o'clock, Elite Four Member and Global League Co-ordinators Council member, the Water and Ice Pokémon Specialist Trainer Lorelei Taylor opened the doors of the Auditorium, summoning them for the meeting. All 117 Gym Leaders entered.
Viridian City General Hospital
June 17, 2063
Dr. Ben Gough was going in direction of the eighth floor, after speaking with the doctors responsible for the physical treatment of his new patient. They wanted to give him the clearest impression of what the trainer had suffered with the attack and what his current physical condition was. They wanted prepare the psychologist for what he would see in Room 814. His old friend, Dr. Brenda Wiggins, walked beside him.
They arrived at the room and they asked to Officer Jenny to call Ash's mother. She appeared in the door of the room and the psychologist and the patient's mother looked at each other for the first time.
"Mrs. Ketchum, this is Dr. Ben Gough," Dr. Wiggins said in her cheerful voice.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Ketchum," Dr. Gough said with his best professional smile. He offered his hand and noted that Delilah Ketchum did not immediately accept it.
"Hello, Doctor," Delilah said calmly. "Dr. Wiggins has said a lot of good things about you."
Dr. Gough watched Delilah and decided that she was studying him carefully, evaluating if she could entrust her son's safety to him. He had already seen that glance several times during his work. Whatever Delilah saw must have satisfied her, because she shook his hand and offered him a tired smile.
He entered in the room where the patient awaited, immobilised in his bed. The psychologist managed to hide his astonishment when he saw his state. The briefings could not have prepared him for the sheer horror of Ash Ketchum's condition. Surrounded by bone casts, orthopaedical braces and life-support machinery and with strips of bandages covering his face, he resembled a robot with a mummy face rather than a human being. The strange brown-on-blue eyes turned to observe him.
"Hello." Ash answered. The voice was just a whisper.
"Hello, Mr. Ketchum. I'm Dr. Ben Gough."
Through the bandages, Dr. Gough saw the attempt at a wry smile. "Excuse me for not getting up to shake your hand," Ash said quietly. Dr. Gough noticed that Ash's hands were encased in special orthopaedical gloves. The boy was more a collection of surgical appliances than a person right now.
"That's all right," he replied gently. Dr. Gough sat down in a chair close to the door and spent a moment gathering his thoughts. Now the most difficult part in any course of therapy was upon him: to open the conversation and build the critical bond of trust with his patient.
Ben observed Ash's eyes: they had a gleam of maturity that surprised him. I have to remember that he is much maturer than his age would normally allow, he thought. He took a second to consider the huge amount of surgical intervention to the patient's body and the near-toxic level of painkillers being pumped into his body. Brenda told him that, although this was an extreme case, Ash had been in hospital for four of his thirteen years. The suffering involved beggared the imagination. Yes, the boy is mature, he reflected, but... he has to be.
Pokémon League Main
Auditorium
June 17, 2063
Kimberly Steeleyon, the Grand Master of the Pokémon League, appeared in front of the stage. At her side, were her four Champions, the Elite Four: Lorelei Taylor, Bruno Sexton, Agatha Cassini and Lance Silver. Kimberly breathed deeply and then began her opening statement: "I thank you for your presence and your effort to attend this Gym Leaders emergency meeting. The subject, due to recent events, is of the most extreme importance. We are here to discuss a proposal made by Viridian City Gym Leader, Giovanni Carpenter. He moves for... the suspension of Pokémon Trainer Ash Ethan Ketchum's Trainer's License..."
The auditorium was filled with whispered exclamations of astonishment, making it impossible for her to continue. She saw that Gym Leaders Williams and Harrison were angry, as were many other Gym Leaders from Indigo, Orange and Johto. Given Ash's popularity, Kimberly had anticipated this reaction. What puzzled her was Lance's reaction. The dragon-type Trainer's expression remained a mask of neutrality... This was unusual as Lance hated Giovanni with a passion and would normally oppose any motion originated by the Viridian City Gym Leader on that basis alone...
Think about it later, Kimberly advised herself. Acting as chairman, she recognised Giovanni so that he could make a statement explaining and justifying his motion. The Gym Leaders in the first row noticed the short poisonous glance exchanged between Gym Leader and Grand Master. Everybody knew about the rivalry among the two greatest Pokémon Trainers of their generation (and possibly any generation)... and that was a rivalry with its origin in a battle that took place a long time ago...
Indigo Pokémon League Stadium
Indigo Plateau
October 20, 2017
"Okay, the referee has confirmed the outcome," the commentator told the enthusiastic capacity crowd at Plateau Stadium. "Giovanni Carpenter's Jolteon has beaten Kimberly Steeleyon's Gloom. That leaves the score tied as we go into the final bout. Everything is up for grabs here, ladies and gentlemen. Whoever wins this bout will be the League Supreme Champion for 2017!"
At the 'green' end of the arena, a red-haired fourteen-year-old girl stared at the scoreboard, which read: 'Carpenter 2 – 2 Steeleyon.' Kimberly sucked in her breath and looked at the nineteen-year old man with the slicked-back black hair and the arrogant smile standing at the 'red' end of the arena.
Trainer Giovanni Carpenter smirked and shouted out to his opponent. "And so, little girl? Do you want to give up?"
"No way!" Kimberly Steeleyon answered with complete certainty. On a whim, she pulled her black League cap down and reversed its' brim. She sounded confident, but she knew she was in a weak position: Giovanni still had three Pokémon strong enough to fight: A Venusaur, a Rhydon, and an Arcanine. She only had a choice left: Magne, her Magneton... She drew in a breath and awaited his choice, knowing that he also knew of his advantage...
"Go Rhydon!" A massive rhino-like Pokémon appeared.
She closed her eyes. Giovanni was no idiot, and he had chosen the one Pokémon that gave him a massive advantage. Rhydon was a rock-type and rock is strong against electricity...
"I choose you, Magne!" she shouted. The bio-robotic Pokémon materialised and floated forward to take its' place at the starting circle.
The whole world seemed to hold its' breath for a moment, then a loud siren blared, the last bout was on.
"Rhydon, Horn Attack!"
"Rhyyyyyyyyyyy!" Rhydon lowered his impressive armoured head and charged right at Magne, his quartz crystal horn rotating like a massive power drill.
"Magne, Dodge... UP!"
The Magneton jumped upward thirty feet, but the fast-moving Rhydon only missed it by a few inches. Kimberly decided not to give her opponent a chance to respond. "Magne... Sonic Boom!"
"Mag...ne...TOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"
The magnetic Pokémon emitted a powerful sound, similar to the huge displacement of air created when an aircraft went through the sound barrier. The massive sonic pulse caused the rock-type Pokémon to vibrate at its' resonant frequency, disrupting its' nervous system. Simultaneously, the shock wave of air blew it off of its' feet.
Kimberly and Giovanni were both knocked back too. "Wow!" Kimberly muttered in amazement. Magne obviously had felt its' Trainer's urgency. He had never put so much into an attack before.
Giovanni sprang to his feet, his fists clenched. "Rhydon, get up, damn you!" he shouted. The rock-type staggered and managed to get onto its' feet, glaring at Magne in fury. "About time," Giovanni shouted. "Now, Omni Blast!"
But before the Rhydon could comply, Kimberly used a special trick she and Magne had worked on for years. "Magne, THUNDER WAVE!" Magne released a massive wave of electrostatic charge that washed over Rhydon, shorting out its' nervous system and making it twitch and howl in pain. It wasn't enough to stop one of the powerful rock-type Pokémon, but the attack wasn't over yet.
"ZAP CANNON!" Kimberly yelled.
"MAGGGGG... TOOOOOOOOOOOON" Magne shouted. This was the final part of the move: Magneton launched a beam of electromagnetic force from its' central eye. The force beam struck Rhydon and blew the creature back into the far wall of the arena. The dust settled and Rhydon was still imbedded into the concrete, its' eyes crossed over in a strangely comical way.
Giovanni could only look on in disbelief... He had lost to that little girl?!
The referee's verdict was a formality: "Rhydon cannot continue," he announced as a crane moved forward to dig the rock-type loose. "Bout and Match: Magneton and Kimberly Steeleyon!"
The crowd went wild; they loved the style and odds-defying nature of this victory. For decades, the last bout of Carpenter vs. Steeleyon 2017 would be known as the "David against Goliath" bout
Kimberly ran onto the arena and hugged tightly her robotic Pokémon, who blushed (although how it did this, no one knows...).
She barely heard the announcer's voice: "Kimberly Steeleyon of Celadon City, becomes the Supreme Champion of the 2017 Pokémon League!..."
Pokémon League Main
Auditorium
July 17, 2063
As Giovanni made his speech, Misty and Brock's blood seethed with rage.
"...due to the fact that the Pokémon League cannot take the responsibility for Trainers who are irresponsible with his or her own health. I ask you, my friends, how can we entrust a Pokémon, one of the deadliest and most powerful creatures in creation, to someone whose bones break for no reason at all? Or to someone whose actions are, for any practical purposes, attempted suicide?"
"... The original certification of Ash Ketchum's License can be considered primarily an act of charity. One cannot truly expect that someone suffering from such a grave medical condition can possibly perform in a manner worthy of our august and respected League..."
"... Due to that it should be considered in the best interests of the League, and of Mr. Ketchum, to immediately suspend his license as Pokémon Trainer for an indefinite period..."
At this point, the audience was divided: many agreed with Giovanni's arguments, but his arguments were facing an almost ferocious opposition from the Gym Leaders that had faced Ash. They all knew that what Giovanni was saying was nonsense! The boy was no more disabled than any one of them
Sabrina had watched Giovanni's presentation like an Arbok about to pounce on a Rattata. When the Viridian City Gym Leader sat down, she spoke without bothering to ask permission. "So, Mr. Carpenter," she remarked, "if I am correct, you are proposing to suspend Trainer Ketchum's license on the grounds that he has a genetic abnormality that makes it unsafe to allow him to continue in the League. Am I correct?"
Giovanni frowned suspiciously at the Saffron City Gym Leader for a long moment before answering. "Yes, Ms. Bowman, that is correct." he said.
"Is there any indication, apart from some brief spells of hospital treatment, that the Trainer's condition in any way negatively affects his performance?" Sabrina asked pleasantly.
"Well..." Giovanni scowled at his notes. He felt a tingling in his head, telling him that Sabrina was reading them too... through his eyes.
"I 'see' not," Sabrina said. "You know, Trainer Ketchum and I are much alike in many ways. We both suffer from a curse, not of our choosing, caused by random genetic mutation. He has fragile bones, and I must live with the constant babble of other persons' thoughts in my mind. He breaks his bones so easily, and I must continually fight madness. Surely you should also propose my own removal from the leadership of my Gym."
Giovanni pursed his lips. Sabrina was a well respected and even a much-loved Gym Leader; to even suggest it would invite scorn. "Your cases are entirely different," he replied at last, his voice low and angry. "Ash Ketchum is in constant danger of disabling injury and death, from which we have a moral duty to protect him."
"I can testify that Ash is more than capable of protecting himself," Sabrina replied, earning nods and grins from many Gym Leaders who had faced the boy. "What is more, the only time he has ever experienced injuries serious enough to threaten his life is after he has been assaulted by Team Rocket." Sabrina smiled gently at Giovanni. "I am sure you will agree that any Trainer would be at risk of serious injury or death under those circumstances."
Giovanni looked up sharply. Was it possible that she knew? he asked himself. No, his researchers promised that the anti-psychic training he had received would prevent that witch from learning his secrets in a casual contact, and she would never initiate a deep scan without his permission in front of so many witnesses.
"In summary," Sabrina concluded, "I, for one, find this motion to be without merit. I would therefore like to make a counter-proposal: that this motion be stricken from the record of the League and that Giovanni Carpenter be censured in the strongest terms for wasting the time of this body on this nonsense."
There was a dangerous pause. Giovanni went bright red with fury and lunged to his feet. "That is outrageous!" he snapped. After a moment, he regained control. "As you will be aware, my friends, Ms. Bowman's... unique perspective has blinded her to reality in more than one occasion in the past," he said in a snide tone of voice. "She should be forgiven if the psychic impression of the Ketchum boy's suicidal determination has made it impossible for her to make an objective assessment of this matter." Giovanni's arguments took on an air of oratory. "Ms. Bowman's arguments are based on emotion and subjective impressions and, frankly, she is" Giovanni paused and cleared his throat. Sabrina's expression had not changed, but Misty saw hardness in the young woman's eyes. "She is is incapable" Giovanni's eyes bulged. The veins on the side of his head began to stick out. He started making a choking noise and he fiddled with the collar of his shirt.
There was a tension in the auditorium. Sabrina had half-raised her right arm, her hand open as if holding something. "I find your lack of faith disturbing," she told Giovanni in a dangerously pleasant tone of voice.
There was a heaviness about the air that made everyone feel utterly terrified. No one seemed inclined to interfere with whatever the telepsychic Gym Leader was doing. Even Amanda leaned away from her Gym Leader, her normally pale face now white with terror. Giovanni was going purple now, not with rage, but with asphyxia. His Adam's Apple bobbed up and down as he tried to breathe and sweat began to bead his forehead.
"Sabrina!" Kimberly Steeleyon snapped.
"Yes Kimberly?" Sabrina asked pleasantly.
"Release him! Immediately!"
Sabrina shrugged and lowered her hand. "As you wish." Giovanni collapsed onto his knees and he could only kneel there for a moment, gasping for breath. Amanda rushed over and helped him to his feet. Everyone noticed that he never looked Sabrina in the eye ever again.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, if we have finished squabbling and hurling insults like first-year Novices," Kimberly said coldly, "then we can proceed with this meeting in a civilized manner." She drew in a deep breath. Misty lifted her arm to request permission to speak.
"The Chair recognises, Cerulean City Gym Leader, Misty Williams." Kimberly announced.
Before that the orange-haired girl could open her mouth, Giovanni loudly protested that her opinion could not be considered due to her well-documented emotional involvement with the Trainer in question. Misty's face darkened with rage and she turned to face Giovanni and her all-to-obvious outrage caught Kimberly's attention. She decided to intervene before Misty said what she really thought of the Earth Gym Leader or (and here Kimberly had to restrain a grin) Sabrina finally lost her temper and crushed Giovanni's windpipe like a cardboard tube. Fortunately, her voice had a lot of natural authority that caught everyone's attention.
"I believe that Miss Williams and Mr. Harrison's opinions should be considered very carefully in this case. Please remember, my friends, that we are forming our opinion from a position outside the reality of this case. However, the Gym Leaders of Pewter and Cerulean Cities live with Mr. Ketchum, and they can offer us personal testimony regarding his safety and about his performance. You will recall that the only issues that Mr. Carpenter has raised concern are Mr. Ketchum's safety during his Pokémon Journeys and the quality of his participation in the League."
Several Gym Leaders agreed: some emphatically, others with doubt. However, being Grand Master had a lot of powers, and one of them was that she decided how these meetings proceeded. And no one else.
Misty gestured to Brock to speak for her. She had not calmed down enough yet to defend Ash in a coherent way. The Boulder Gym Leader began to speak:
"Well, as the Grand Master suggests, I would like to discuss the points that Mr. Carpenter mentioned. Firstly, he said that Ash could not perform well in the League due to his disease. However, if Mr. Carpenter chose to examine the League's own ranking, he would have seen that Ash is statistically one of the best Trainers of recent times." Brock struck the cushion of the chair in front of him for emphasis as he continued. "Ash reached in 16th place in the Indigo League of 2060, the first year of his Journey. He was the Orange League champion in 2061 and of the Johto League champion in 2062. Besides, these facts, he has obtained all the necessary badges to be accepted in these competitions, as several Gym Leaders here present can confirm." Brock made a gesture in the direction of the audience.
Including your Earth Badge, your S.O.B.! Misty thought, looking daggers at the man with slicked back black-hair sitting on the stage. The murmurs became stronger as the Gym Leaders absorbed these facts.
"Secondly, Mr. Carpenter argues that Ash is irresponsible." Brock laughed in an ironic way. "Well, I won't deny that he has lead Misty and me into several pretty dangerous situations. But I can assure you all that he is not irresponsible: he is perfectly aware of his disease and its consequences for his health. He is simply determined not to allow his condition to control his life!"
Brock breathed in deeply. "Finally, Mr. Carpenter argues that we can't trust Ash with a Pokémon, well... Ash Ketchum shows more respect and love for his Pokémon than any other Trainer I know does. He never forces them to fight, to evolve or do things that don't want, and he never keeps them if they want their freedom. He worries deeply about them, and he will do everything to his reach to prevent them from being hurt... and if that doesn't show that he is a great Trainer, I don't know what will!"
In the beginning, Brock's defence of Ash had been calm and controlled, but in the end, his revulsion with the whole situation had become very clear. He sat down, exhausted, and Misty smiled at her friend in pride.
Silence reigned in the Auditorium for a long minute before Misty spoke up. "If I remember," she said, "the whole reason for becoming a Pokémon Trainer is to prove, to yourself and others, that you can transcend your limitations and 'be the very best, like no one ever was'"
Kimberly Steeleyon smiled when Misty recited the first two stanzas of the Pokémon Trainer's oath. "I believe that we can vote the motion now."
Brock had the feeling that the Grand Master had smiled and winked at them.
Viridian City Pokémon Center
June 17, 2063
Misty badly could contain her happiness.
"He lost!" She exclaimed to Professor Oak. "Giovanni's motion was defeated! All thanks to Brock! He seemed like a lawyer from those old movies, who proves the innocence of his client and gets the bad guy to confess on the witness stand!"
The Pewter City Gym Leader blushed. Misty hadn't told the complete truth. The final vote had been a very close call: 56 votes in favour of the expulsion of Ash Ketchum from the League, 58 votes against it. Abstentions: Misty Williams, Brock Harrison and Giovanni Carpenter (for the obvious reasons).
"You should have seen the face that Giovanni made when the Grand Master read out the verdict!" She still laughed.
Sam Oak could imagine the indignation that that arrogant imbecile had felt very well. And he smiled because of that, wishing that he had seen it... "Please tell me that you took a picture," he said with a grin.
They all laughed at Prof. Oak's joke.
"Well, the important is that now there is nothing to worry Ash." Brock said, completing. "Beyond making sure he recovers soon, I mean."
Edward Jenner Building
June 17, 2063
The man and the woman that were observing Ash's hospital room were looking at each other with bored expressions when the telephone rang. It was the end of the afternoon, and they had expected their sponsor to contact them at this time. As expected, no face appeared on the screen, only an electronically distorted masculine voice that spoke the words they had hoped to hear.
"You can continue. The payment is already in your account."
The man smiled at his partner and informed her about the order. They smiled at the device close to the window.
Viridian City General Hospital
June 17, 2063
Dr. Ben Gough sat in the doctors' ready room, writing up his notes of the first interview that he had with his patient.
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"What kind of doctor are you?" Ash asked. He imagined that he was the doctor who would handle his nanorobotic therapy.
"I'm a psychologist." Dr. Gough noticed that Ash was surprised. He continued: "They want to guarantee that you will be in good health when you begin the therapy: not just your body, but also your mind."
"I understand." Ash should had expected that...
They were silent for some time, evaluating each other.
"So, are you a Pokémon Trainer?" Ben asked. Sometimes asking the basic questions was the best way to begin a conversation.
"Yes, for three years now," Ash's eyes were alert and Ben noticed the boy's passion for his profession. "Did you see a Pikachu and a Chikorita? In the corridor?"
"Yes, I saw them. They were sleeping outside in a sofa. Are they yours?"
"Yeah, they're my best Pokémon. Were they OK?"
The doctor thought a little. What he knew about Pokémon he could write in metre-high letters on the wall of a toilet cubicle. "Well, they seemed a little tired." Yeah, Ben, that may have been something to do with them being asleep.
Ash nodded. The psychologist didn't miss one reaction from his patient. His experience taught him that everything was important. He stored away Ash's responses and reactions for future analysis.
"Uh Doctor?"
"Yes?"
He saw Ash form a smile. "Well, as I already spent more time in hospitals than I would like, I know that Dr. Wiggins and Dr. Rupertson would have already told you everything about me. It's the standard procedure. But I don't know anything about you."
Ben laughed. "Fair enough. Where do I begin? Well, I'm 30 years old; I have doctorates in Psychology and Parapsychology from the University of Saffron. My Psychology doctoral thesis was in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders, but I've also done research into psychic phenomenon. I'm considered a competent doctor and my mother insists that I can cook a decent pizza." He smiled. "What else? I like mid-to-late 20th Century Rock 'n' Roll I read Sci-fi and I love Sci-fi and adventure films." He shrugged. "Uh never had a girlfriend, never even had a serious relationship yet Got a phobia about flying insects Just your common-or-garden academic really."
Ash laughed at the end of Ben's description. "Thank you for the information, doctor."
"You are welcome." The psychologist looked at his patient's record again. "Your full name is Ash Ethan Ketchum. Is 'Ethan' your father's name?"
The smile disappeared from Ash's face for one moment before he answered. Ben picked that up immediately. He would later discover that Ash's birth certificate listed no father, something unheard of in this era of comprehensive DNA records and genetic medical treatment.
"No, it is a homage to my mother's father."
"To your grandfather?"
Ash nodded again. "He was a jetliner pilot for Articuno Airlines. Ask any commercial pilot about Captain Ethan Robin Ketchum, and he will tell your everything about him. He was famous due to some miraculous feats that he accomplished with his airplanes."
Later, Dr. Gough would return to that point. He had already noticed that Ash feared any reference to his own father. "Do you have a girlfriend?" he asked. Sigmund Freud still had a lot of influence on psychology.
Ash's eyes widened with alarm and embarrassment at the question. "No! People say that Misty is my girlfriend, but she is just my friend. Just that."
"Of course, Ash," Ben replied in a soothing voice. "I've had that problem myself." You are lying, kid, even to yourself. Ben thought and then wrote 'Classic early-pubescent sexual/emotional denial' in his notes. Ash's eyes screamed that he liked the girl, far more than simple friendship...
Then the doctor approached the subject of the Ash's condition. "Ash, if you don't mind me saying this, you seem remarkably calm about your situation. You almost seem resigned to your condition and the amount of pain and inconvenience it is causing you."
Ash surprised him by laughing softly. "Hey, it isn't as if I have a choice," Ash commented with perfect calm. "Well, I was born with this, Doc. I cannot change it. My choice is either to simply lie around complaining or to live. I thought it was better to choose the second option."
Given Ash's current state, his casual acceptance of his condition and its' consequences was surprising. Indeed it was abnormal. Ben had never seen an emotional pattern like this in the face of such an overwhelming physical handicap. He checked his notes again. Ash suffered from Level-2 Osteogenesis Imperfecta. All the best doctors in the world insisted that he should be a decade dead and buried. The fact he was alive and active was a tribute to something unsuspected in that boy's head. Ben decided that, if he were to help the boy, he would have to find out exactly what it was.
They talked for more thirty minutes, before Dr. Gough concluded the session with a promise to bring a few of his treasured 'Beatles' CDs for Ash, who was curious about what kind of music was popular a century before.
=====
He noticed that Mr. Ketchum had the very complex personality under his easy-going external facade... This is going to be a long case... Ben thought. Still, today was not a bad start. He seems open enough and I've already identified several possible trauma areas that might be connected with his case-specific amnesia... Suddenly the psychologist's head snapped up. He knew that sound only too well from his time working as a negotiator for the Saffron City Security Police. It was the sound of someone firing a high-powered rifle.
Eldridge Avenue
June 17, 2063
Richie Trenton was with his girlfriend, Christine Weiss, going in direction of Viridian City General Hospital. He wanted to visit his friend Ash. He was laughing about an adventure that both had participated in during the Johto League last year, when he heard the shots. Three shots. Soon after, pieces of broken glass had dropped into the street.
Richie looked at the falling debris with an air of disbelief. He heard when somebody close to him shouted "Look out! Some lunatic is shooting at the hospital!"
The Pokémon Trainer and his girlfriend looked at each other. "The hospital...?" Christine gasped. "Richie, you don't think?"
"Ash," Richie murmured in concern. "Someone is trying to finish the job." They ran in direction to the hospital.
Viridian City General Hospital
June 17, 2063
Dr. Ben Gough, running in the direction of the sound of the shots, realised that they came from the room 814. My God! he thought.
He arrived on time of seeing the medical team racing out with the patient. Dr. Wiggins was kneeling over Ash's body performing CPR on the boy she had known from the moment of his birth. Ben saw that Ash was losing a lot of blood. It was running steadily from three holes in the metal orthopaedical braces.
"ASH!" Delilah Ketchum screamed as she ran in the direction of the doctors. Her face was pale. She had been in the room with her son, and her face and dress were splattered with his life's blood
My God! She must have seen everything! the psychologist thought, aghast at the level of trauma this must be causing the woman.
"Gough! Hold her!" Dr. Rupertson screamed.
The psychologist seized the woman by her blouse. Delilah struggled like someone possessed, begging him to let her go. "Ease down, Delilah," he said urgently. "There is nothing we can do. Just stay out of the doctors' way for now." Delilah sagged in his arms, crying helplessly. "You know that they will do everything they can," he whispered gently. Delilah didn't reply. She might not even have heard. She just stared in the direction of the Emergency Room, crying helplessly.
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The doctors worked for five hours, trying to contain the haemorrhages caused by the bullet wounds, two in the right lung and one in the left lung. Air was being injected through a special device to ensure Ash didn't drown in his own blood.
Ironically, he actually owed his life to the clumsy surgical devices attached to his body. The unknown sniper, realising that their heavy metal structure would act like armour, had used titanium-cored armour piercing bullets. The high-velocity rounds had punched straight through the boy and had imbedded themselves into the floor under his bed. If he or she had used the more common hollow-tipped bullets, Ash would already be dead, his chest literally torn apart by the so-called dumdum effect.
Even so, the loss of blood was threatening to cause the loss of the whole battle. The emergency team lost precious minutes while removing the orthopaedical braces around the boy's chest. Worse still, there was only more two litres of blood Type O Rh negative available for transfusion...
Dr. Andrew Rupertson decided that, to save Ash's life, only the most extreme measures were now possible.
To be Continued... Chapter 8 coming soon!
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