Disclaimer: Don't own anything in this fic except Danny and Amber...nothing you have not heard before.
OK, sorry about the long wait for this chapter, but I was having a bit of writer's block. Some of you were wondering who sang that song that Brock and Suzie sang in the last chapter. Faith Hill sang it, and it's called I've got This Friend. (I think.) I think I finally have the rest of this fic figured out...
~~~
Misty coughed. Amy coughed. Everyone else coughed.
"Everyone, out of the house now!" Misty shouted.
Everyone fled from the house. One thought flew to Misty's head: The Pokemon! Most of everyone's Pokemon were up in her room! She had to get them out. Misty raced up the stairs. She could see smoke coming from her room. She went inside, and saw all the Pokemon backed into a corner. She couldn't use her water Pokemon, because they were in her Pokeballs in the Pokemon Center.
"Everyone, get onto Pidgeots back and go out the window!" Misty screamed.
Pikachu slapped his forehead. *I could have thought of that!*
"Yeah, well, ya didn't. Now GO!
Soon all the Pokemon were piled on Pidgeots back. He flew out of the open window.
Misty turned around. The stairs were blocked by fire. Her room was blocked by fire. The bathroom didn't have a window. She was trapped! Then, all she saw was a blessed darkness.
~~~
"Misty? Misty, can you hear me?" Misty could hear voices, but her eyes felt as if they had weights on them. She moaned softly, to let them know she was awake. Slowly, she pushed her eyes open, and found Ash, Brock, and Delia standing above her.
"What h-happened?" Misty asked slowly. "I remember something hot, then...nothing." Then it all came back. The fire...the Pokemon...
Ash smiled lightly. "I'm glad you're awake. You were saving the Pokemon, remember? When you didn't come out, we were worried. Finally the Squirtle Team came and saved you. You're badly burned, but the doctor said you'd be out in in about a week. Don't worry, your lungs weren't hurt, so you can still sing, while sounding a bit scratchy for a while." Misty smiled at Ash's attempt at humor.
The next morning, Brock was the first one in Misty's room. "Glad to see you're awake." (HA!) Brock smiled. "How's the food?"
"Horrible. Look at this gunk!" Misty help up her spoon, with some gunk clinging to it. "I can't even tell what it is!" She said, laughing. Brock looked disgusted.
"Lucky for you, I snuck in some of my homemade chicken noodle soup." Misty looked delighted, and was really glad to have something other than...well, whatever the stuff they fed her here was.
A week later, Misty was finally able to go home. Ash threw a surprise party, and all the Pokemon had funny little gifts to say 'thank you.' She even got a burn heal from Pikachu!
"Misty, wanna go have pizza with me tonight?" Ash caught Misty off guard.
"You mean, as a date?" She asked.
"Yeah, you could call it that, I guess." He answered, smiling at her dumbness.
~~~
"The girl's father is back in town." Said a dark voice.
A curly haired boy nodded. "I know. She doesn't know that though. In fact, she thought her parents were killed."
A guy with slick black hair nodded. "I know, son. Just keep going after her, as we planned. As far as she knows, you're just Danny Olson, someone that wants to out with her---even if it kills you." He emphasized the word "kill".
Danny gulped. "Yes, father."
~~
Ash and Misty walked into Pizza Hut. They ordered a large pepperoni pizza with two large sodas. Suddenly, a wave of pain hit Misty. She clutched her head.
"Mist, you ok?" Ash asked.
"I'm fine. Just a little headache. It will go away in a few minutes." She stared at the table. Ash was still worried, but trusted Misty's judgment.
"Anyway, Misty, the reason I wanted you to come here with me tonight is..." He trailed off.
"Go on, Ash." Misty urged. She had a feeling what he was going to say.
"OK, I'll just come out and say it. Will you be my girlfriend?"
Inside, Misty wanted to scream. Instead she said calmly, "Yes. Yes, Ash Ketchum! I will be your girlfriend!"
"Well, then would you consider wearing this? It's a promise ring." Ash explained as he slipped it onto her finger. Misty was overjoyed. The pizza arrived and they sat talking happily.
~~
"Misty, you should see a doctor. These headaches aren't normal." Ash said.
"I know. I'm scheduled for this afternoon."
Later that afternoon, Ash and Misty were in the waiting room. "Misty Waterflower?" A nurse called.
They stood up and followed the nurse into the office.
"First we will be drawing blood, to make sure it is normal." The nurse explained.
Misty gulped. She felt a prick on her finger, and a soft feel on her other hand. Ash. Soon it was over.
"There now, that wasn't too bad. The doctor will phone you tonight with the results. Before you leave, I need to ask you a few questions."
~~~
Misty flopped down on the couch, exhausted. She needed to go to bed. That nosy nurse had prodded everything she could out of Misty, from what her symptoms were to what she had been doing last month. Suddenly, she remembered Clover. She hadn't seen her horse in a few weeks, and Starlight was still missing! She gathered up all of her strength and bolted out the back door.
She opened the barn door, and there was Clover...with Starlight! Brock was standing there, giving Starlight a rubdown.
"I found her tied to a tree in the woods, looking healthy, right after you landed in the hospital. I guess the person that took her got bored. I had been taking care of Clover 'till you remembered about them. I've really grown fond of them."
Misty was speechless. "I-I...thank you, Brock." It was all she could say. Then a thought struck her. "Would you like to help me take care of the horses? I mean, I may get more."
Brock agreed quickly.
Misty rubbed Starlight's nose absentmindedly.
"Misty? Misty?!" Brock waved a hand in front of her face. "You seem to be really out of it. Are you ok?"
Misty nodded, shifting her weight from her right to her left. "It's just this blood work I had done this afternoon..." She trailed off.
Brock nodded. "And you're worried?"
Misty nodded. "They usually don't do blood work for a checkup, do they?"
"Well it depends on what they think you have."
"But she took the blood before she asked me all these questions. It was the first thing she did. Then, she took my temperature..." Misty went on naming all the things the nurse did.
Brock widened his eyes in surprise. (Hehe.) "Hmmm..."
Suddenly, Misty burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?
"I-I...just realized that I spent an hour with the stupid nurse and she never even told me her name!" Misty managed to choke out. After a few seconds, Brock started laughing too.
Misty heard the faint sound of the phone ringing. "I'll be right back!" She called over her shoulder as she sprinted toward the house. Brock followed.
"Hello?" Misty asked breathlessly.
"Misty?" Said a male voice on the other end.
"Yes." She answered.
"This is Dr. Collins. I have the results of your blood work here. It's pretty good, considering..."
"Considering what?"
"Considering we found out what you have."
"Well, what is it?" Misty asked after the doctor didn't say anything.
Dr. Collins hesitated. Then he went on. "You have meningitis."
"Mening-whaty?"
"Meningitis. It's a disease you could have picked up anywhere. The beach, a party..." There was a long list of things.
Misty slumped against the wall, because she couldn't stand.
"Of course, you'll have to take immediate action if you don't want the effects it leaves you with. Blindness, deafness, and sometimes death. There are many more things that could happen too." Before Dr Collins could go any further, Misty hung up.
Meningitis, The thought echoed in her head. Blindness, deafness, and sometimes death. The words rang in her ears. I've got to call Ash. It was really hard to punch in his number, and it took her 4 tries.
~~~
Ash ran and ran and ran. A song he had heard on the radio came to his head. It used to be one of his favorites, until he felt what the song actually meant.
My Dad chased monsters from the dark
He checked underneath my bed
And he could lift me with one arm
Way up over top his head
He could loosen rusty bolts
With a quick turn of his wrench
He pulled splinters from his hand
And never even flinched
In thirteen years I never seen him cry
But the day that Grandpa died, I realized
Unsinkable ships sink
Unbreakable walls break
Sometimes the things you think would never happen
Happen just like that
Unbendable steel bends
If the fury of the wind is unstoppable
I've learned to never underestimate
The impossible
Then there was my junior year
Billy had a brand new car
It was late, the road was wet
I guess the curve was just too sharp
I walked away without a scratch
They brought the helicopter in
Billy couldn't feel his legs
They said he'd never walk again
But Billy said he would, and his Mom and Daddy prayed
And the day we graduated he stood up to say
Unsinkable ships sink
Unbreakable walls break
Sometimes the things you think would never happen
Happen just like that
Unbendable steel bends
If the fury of the wind is unstoppable
I've learned to never underestimate
The impossible
So don't tell me that it's over
Don't give up on you and me
'Cause there's no such thing as hopeless
If you believe
Unsinkable ships sink
Unbreakable walls break
Sometimes the things you think would never happen
Happen just like that
Unbendable steel bends
If the fury of the wind is unstoppable
I've learned to never underestimate
The impossible
Ash stopped short. Misty's words echoed in his head. It's over, Ash. My life is over. That wasn't true. At least, he hoped it wasn't true. He had finally found someone he really cared about, and he was going to lose her too.
NO! He said to himself. Don't you dare think negatively! Misty is in trouble, and when she needs you most, you're running away? Ash scolded himself. Then a line from that song came to his head.
So don't tell me that it's over
Don't give up on you and me
'Cause there's no such thing as hopeless
If you believe
Did that mean there were such things as miracles? He knew that meningitis was a terrible disease, and many died from it, or had serious effect long after it was gone. What was that word Misty had told him? Faith. That was it. Right now, he felt as if he didn't have too much faith in anything.
~~~
OK, ok, so now I suppose you're mad at me? It's been, what, a month since I last posted. Reviews are really appreciated. Other writers reading this: Ya know how sometimes when you read a review, it just makes you want to laugh? Tell me if anyone ever feels like that after a review. Reviews are what have kept this going. So, was it worth the wait? I hope so. The next chapter is actually almost done, so it will be posted Sunday or Monday.
~StarPikachu