Chapter 3: A Frightening Diagnosis
When the ambulance got to the hospital, Misty was very concerned about Ash's condition as the paramedics loaded him out of the ambulance and rushed him into the hospital. Misty was just about head inside with Pikachu to be with Ash when she heard Carla call out to her.
"Hey, Misty. Wait for me!"
"Carla. Thank you so much for following. Where's Tracey?" Misty asked as Carla hugged her.
"He went to park the car. He said he'll meet us inside." Carla whispered as they hurriedly went inside to find Ash.
* * * * *
Once inside Misty was told that the doctors were in the process of running some tests on Ash so she would have to wait in the waiting room. The nurse promised to let Misty know as soon as she could see her husband.
"Oh. I just realized something. Someone needs to call Brock and Angelica to let them know what's going on. He and Ash have been close ever since we were all pretty young." Misty gasped.
"Do you want me to call them?" Carla offered.
"No. It's my responsibility. You should stay here and wait on Tracey so that he knows where we are." Misty managed a weak smile as she turned and went to find a phone to call Brock.
* * * * *
At the Pewter City Gym, Brock and Angelica were just finishing having some lunch alone together. Brock's father was taking care of his brothers and sisters so Brock and Angelica could have a couple of days to themselves. Just as they were clearing the table where they had eaten the phone began ringing.
"I guess someone needs to go answer that." Brock groaned.
"You go ahead, hon. I'll finish up here." Angelica said, giving Brock a quick kiss as he went to answer the phone.
"Pewter Gym, Brock here. Oh, hi Misty." Brock smiled as he answered the phone and realized who was calling.
"Brock! Oh thank God I got you." Misty cried when Brock's image appeared on screen.
Seeing the fear on Misty's face, Brock's smile faded. "What's up, Misty? Is something wrong?"
"Yeah. It's Ash. He was having a battle with Tracey in our back yard and when they were coming to the house, Ash collapsed and we don't know why. They're running tests on him now so I don't know much else. We really need you Brock." Misty sobbed into the phone.
"Wait a second. Misty, calm down and tell me where you guys are." Brock soothed as he tried to get as much information as he possibly could. Just then Angelica came up behind him and, catching the tension in Brock's voice and the look on Misty's face, became instantly worried. She stepped closer as Brock held a finger up to signal her to hold on as Misty spoke again.
"We're at the hospital in Viridian City. Can you and Angelica get here?" Misty whispered.
"We're on our way. We'll be there in about 45 minutes. See you soon. Hang in there, Misty." Brock said quickly as he cut the connection.
"What's happened? What is it, Brock?" Angelica asked, suddenly very startled.
"That was Misty. Ash collapsed after a battle with Tracey and they are running tests now to see if they can figure out what happened. Ash is at Viridian City Hospital and we really need to get there. Come on." Brock said, trying very hard not to panic.
"Oh no. Let's get going then. We need to hurry." Angelica gasped as she and Brock ran out to the car, leaving everything just as it was.
* * * * *
While Misty was on the phone, Tracey had finally found a place to put his car and came running into the hospital. It didn't take him very long to find Carla but he was very confused to find that Misty wasn't with her.
"Hey. Where's Misty?" Tracey asked.
"Oh. She went to find a phone. She's going to call Brock and Angelica so they can know what's going on. She should be back soon." Carla said quietly.
Just then Tracey caught sight of Misty. She had finished talking to Brock and when she saw him she hurried up to them.
"Hey. There you are. Did you find a place to park your car?" Misty asked.
"Yeah. It took me forever though. I never realized how many people there were at a hospital. Any word on Ash?" Tracey replied and as he talked he made sure he didn't meet Misty's eyes.
About half an hour later, Brock and Angelica came running down the hallway in search of their friends. They were hoping that Misty had some news on Ash. Angelica was also worried about Brock because he had been hit hard when Misty had called them.
"Misty!" Angelica cried out suddenly as she spotted their friend in the waiting room along with Tracey and Carla.
"Brock! Angelica! I'm so glad you're here." Misty cried as she rushed forward to hug the two when they approached.
"First of all, how's Ash? Do you have any news since you called us? Second, are you holding up okay?" Brock asked.
"No one has told us anything about Ash's condition since we got here. I'm holding up alright but I wish someone would come tell me something. Those people are running tests on my husband and no one will tell me a thing." Misty was nearly hysterical with fear and anger.
"Shh. It'll be okay, Misty. I'm sure someone will tell us something as soon as possible." Brock tried to reassure his long time friend and gave her a comforting hug.
The words had just left Brock's mouth when a nurse approached them to give them an update on Ash's condition.
"We've just finished running the tests on Ash and they've been sent to the lab to be read. We're moving Ash to a private room now. You can see him if you'd like." The nurse said to Misty, who was holding a nervous Pikachu in her arms.
"Is Ash awake yet?" Tracey asked suddenly.
"He did regain consciousness while we were running some of the tests but he was complaining of a little pain and he kept wanting to get up so the doctor gave him something to stop the pain as well as something to relax him and keep him still so he's sleeping right now."
"I'm going to go to Ash. Come on, Pikachu." Misty said to her four friends as she took Pikachu and followed the nurse down the hallway to be with her husband.
"You go ahead, Misty. Ash needs you now. We'll catch up to you in a little while." Carla said as Misty was leaving.
* * * * *
When the nurse left Misty outside Ash's room she stood there for a moment because she was afraid of what she might see. Pikachu noticed her fear and started nuzzling Misty's head.
"Pi pika pikachu, Pikachupi?" (Are you okay, Misty?) Pikachu asked quietly.
"I'm okay. I guess I'm just afraid, Pikachu." Misty reached up and patted Pikachu on the head.
"Pika chu ka Pikachupi. Ka Pikapi pika pikachu." (I'm scared too Misty. But Ash needs us.) Pikachu whispered.
"You're right. We do need to be with Ash. Let's go." Misty conceded as she opened the door to Ash's room and stepped inside.
When Misty walked in the room she quietly approached the bed where Ash was sleeping and slowly took his hand. She had to move around very slowly and quietly so that Ash wouldn't be disturbed. Just then Misty felt Pikachu squirming nervously on her shoulder so she sat him gently on the bed and he walked up and sniffed Ash's still face.
"Pikapi." (Ash.) Pikachu whispered sadly.
Just then, Ash opened his eyes and blinked slowly taking in his surroundings. They were very unfamiliar except for the fact that Pikachu was sitting beside him on the bed where he was laying.
"Misty?" Ash asked groggily, scanning the strange room in search of his wife.
"I'm here, Ash." Misty whispered, once again reaching out and taking Ash's hand.
"Where am I, Mist? What happened?" Ash was extremely confused.
"You're in the hospital in Viridian City. After you and Tracey finished battling and were coming back to the house, you collapsed and passed out. When they first brought you here, the doctors ran some tests to figure out exactly why that happened. We should know more in a little while." Misty smiled a little and tried to be positive.
"That explains a few things. I remember winning the battle with Tracey after having Pikachu use a Thundershock against Scyther." Ash paused for a moment and patted Pikachu's head. "Then after that I didn't remember anything until I came to earlier and was in some sort of lab or something. I was hurting a little and I was trying to leave and find you but someone gave me a couple of shots which took away the pain but caused me to black out again." Ash was still a little weak so his voice was barely above a whisper.
"I know you must have been scared. We were scared for you." Misty tried to reassure her husband.
"Hang on. What are you talking about 'we'?" Ash asked.
"Tracey and Carla followed the ambulance here. Then when we got here I called Brock and Angelica and they got here just a few minutes ago. I figured that you needed all of the friends and family you can get right now." Misty explained.
"Does my mom know what happened?"
"Not yet. Professor Oak tried to help you after you collapsed and he mentioned to us that your mom was shopping. He said he's going to tell her as soon as she gets back. They'll probably get over here before too long."
"I hope that Professor Oak breaks the news to her gently. You know how protective my mom can be." Ash pointed out weakly.
"Don't talk to much right now. You need to keep up as much strength as possible. Try to rest now." Misty soothed.
"That's probably a good idea. I don't understand why I'm so weak and tired. On top of that I'm still feeling the effects of whatever they gave me earlier and it's making me really groggy. But will you do me a favor, Mist?" Ash whispered.
"Of course I will, hon. What is it?" Misty asked.
"Will you stay here with me until I fall asleep. It's very comforting having you here."
"Sure I will. I'm going to stay right here with you until you drop off and then I'll go give the others an update on how you're doing." Misty agreed quietly.
"Pi pika chu pikachu pika, Pikapi." (I'm not going anywhere either, Ash.) Pikachu insisted.
"Thanks Misty. I love you so much. Thank you too, Pikachu. You are such a loyal friend. I don't know what I would do without you guys." Ash smiled tiredly as his eyes began drooping slightly.
"I love you too, Ash. Now close your eyes and get some rest." Misty whispered soothingly as she took Ash's hand in her own. Then she started to hum quietly as she remained by her husband's side.
Misty's humming had a very calming effect on Ash and after a few minutes his eyes slid closed and his breaths became deeper. Misty felt Ash's grip on her hand loosen as he slid into sleep.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, back at the Oak laboratory, Professor Oak was pacing the floor trying to figure out how he was going to break the news to Delia that something had happened to Ash when the telephone ringing startled him out of his thoughts. As he went to answer the phone he was hoping in the back of his mind that it wasn't his wife. He was slightly relieved when it wasn't.
"Hey Grandpa. What's going on there? How is everything?" Gary Oak asked when his grandfather's image appeared on the screen.
"Gary, can I call you back tomorrow please? Now is really not a good time at all." Professor Oak answered, trying in vain to keep the worry he had for his stepson out of his voice.
"What's the matter? Did something happen?" Gary frowned, concerned when he saw the expression of Professor Oak's face.
"Yes. I suppose I should tell you, Gary. Ash is in the hospital in Viridian City. He collapsed earlier today in his yard while Tracey and Carla were over there visiting. He and Tracey had just finished having a Pokemon battle. I'm afraid that Ash may be ill."
"What! Is Ash okay? Misty must be completely freaked out." Gary exclaimed as he let the knowledge sink in of what had happened. "I'm going to close the gym to battles for the rest of the day. I'm here in Viridian so I'm on my way over there right now. Ash and Misty both need all the support they can get. Wait, why aren't you there, Grandpa?"
"I'm still at the lab because Delia is shopping and she doesn't have her cell phone with her. So I'm going to have to wait until she gets back so I can try to tell her what happened. Then we'll head over to the hospital too." Professor Oak explained.
"Oh. That's a pretty good idea to wait on Delia. I'll see you two later. Give Delia my love and tell her that we won't let anything happen to Ash." Gary said quietly.
"Bye Gary." Professor Oak said as the connection broke.
No sooner had Professor Oak hung up with his grandson than he heard the door open to the lab as Delia returned from her shopping trip. He was overcome with nerves at the prospect of telling his wife that her child was in the hospital.
"Sam! Honey, I'm home! Where are you?" Delia called as she walked in the door and dropped a few packages onto a table.
"In the living room, Delia." Professor Oak called back as his wife came to him and found him sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.
"Is something wrong, honey? Do you have one of your headaches again?" Delia asked. As she headed to the kitchen to try to get some aspirin, her husband caught her arm and stopped her short. She turned to him, suddenly very afraid.
"Delia. Come over here and sit down sweetheart. I need to talk to you about something." Professor Oak said slowly, taking a deep breath as Delia sank down next to him.
"What is it? What has got you so upset?"
"Darling, something happened today while you were shopping. I was working on some research when Pikachu came running in hysterical telling me that something had happened over at Ash and Misty's." He began as Delia's eyes suddenly went wide. "So I went over there and found that Ash had collapsed in the front yard. I stayed with them until the ambulance arrived to take Ash to the hospital and then Misty and Pikachu went with him in the ambulance and Tracey and Carla, who were visiting them at the time, followed in Tracey's car while I came back here to wait on you."
"Oh no. Sam, is Ash okay? Where did they take him?" Delia immediately panicked at hearing that her only son was in the hospital.
"I don't know how Ash is because I haven't talked to Misty or Tracey since they left here. I do know that they took Ash to Viridian City Hospital. Come on, I'll take you to Ash." Professor Oak whispered to Delia who was crying in his arms.
"Okay. Let's hurry. I need to be with my baby." Delia cried as they ran out the door and headed for Viridian City.
* * * * *
Back at the hospital, Tracey and Carla were sitting in the waiting room together waiting on Misty to return. Angelica had gone looking for a restroom and Brock was down in the cafeteria getting some drinks for them. Suddenly they heard a voice call to them.
"Tracey! Carla!" Gary shouted as he hurried down the hall, followed closely by his Umbreon.
"Gary? What are you doing here? How did you know that we were here in the first place?" Tracey asked confused.
"I called the lab a little while ago and Grandpa told me about what happened. So I closed the gym to battles and posted it on the doors then I got Umbreon and came straight over here. How's Ash?"
"We don't know how Ash is. They ran some tests on him when they first got him here. About 45 minutes ago a nurse said that they had moved Ash to a private room. Misty and Pikachu are with him now." Carla replied.
"How's Misty holding up? Is she okay?" Gary inquired with concern.
"She's really afraid. Actually she held up pretty good until Brock and Angelica got here earlier, then she broke down a little bit. I think she'll be a lot better after she spends some time with Ash." Tracey said.
"I think so too. Hey, Gary. When did you get here?" Brock cut in. He had just arrived with some sodas and Angelica was standing at his side.
"I just got here. I called my Grandpa earlier and he told me what happened to Ash so I got here as soon as I could."
"Okay. Do you want something to drink? I got a couple of extra sodas?" Brock asked.
"Yeah. Thanks." Gary smiled a little as he accepted the drink that Brock handed him.
Just then Misty came down the hall and rejoined her friends. She walked up to Gary and looked at him with both appreciation and confusion in her eyes.
"Hi, Gary. I assume Professor Oak told you what happened." Misty said.
"Yeah. How are you holding up, Misty? How's Ash?" Gary asked with tension with his voice.
"Ash is sleeping now. I'm so scared for him, Gary. He's been really tired lately but now he's so weak." Misty said as she started crying and allowed Gary to hug her.
"Do you have any idea when they'll get those results back from the tests they ran?" Tracey asked.
"I wish I did but I have no clue. Hopefully it won't be very long." Misty sighed.
* * * * *
Thirty minutes later, a young nurse came into the room and approached the worried group. They were hoping that she had some kind of news for them.
"Excuse me. Are you Ash Ketchum's wife and friends?" She asked.
"Yes. Is there any news?" Misty asked quickly.
"Not yet I'm afraid. I came to tell you that Ash is awake now and is asking to see all of you."
"Okay. Thank you very much." Misty hollered back over her shoulder as she and the others nearly trampled each other trying to be the first one out the door.
As soon as they got to Ash's room, they walked in and saw him sitting up in the bed looking tense with Pikachu sitting on his lap. It was obvious that there was a reason Ash wanted to see them.
"What's wrong, Ash? Are you okay?" Misty asked frightened as she went to Ash's side.
"Nothing's wrong exactly. It's just that the doctor said he was on his way down to the lab and coming back to tell me the test results and I really wanted you guys to be here with me." Ash whispered and smiled as he noticed his long time friend and rival standing near the door. "Hi, Gary."
"Hey, Ash. You feeling okay?"
"A little better. I'm worried about the results of these tests though." Ash admitted.
Ash cut his words short as he appeared to be looking at something behind Gary's left shoulder. The others turned around and the mood in the room was nervous and tense as they saw the doctor standing in the doorway with a serious expression on his face.
* * * * *
When Professor Oak and Delia got to the hospital they first went to the reception desk to find out what room Ash was in. Delia was terrified as she thought about her son being here.
"Excuse me. Can you tell us what room Ash Ketchum is in?" Professor Oak asked the receptionist.
"Are you friends or are you family?"
"I'm his stepfather and this is his mother. We need to know where he is." Professor Oak answered snappishly as the receptionist keyed some information into her computer.
"Okay, here it is. Ash is in room 314. You can take the elevator right over there." She gave them the information and pointed them to the correct elevator.
"Thank you." Delia whispered as she and her husband dashed to the elevator.
"I hope that Ash is okay. I'm so afraid." Delia said as they stepped into the elevator and punched the button for the third floor.
"I know you're afraid sweetheart. I'm scared too. Let's be positive. There has to be some simple reason that Ash collapsed." Professor Oak soothed his wife, trying to reassure himself as well as Delia.
* * * * * "Do you have the results of my tests, Dr. Adams?" Ash spoke first voicing the question that the others were scared to Ash.
"Yes, I do. I'm afraid that the problem is more serious than we first thought." Dr. Adams said quietly.
"What's wrong? How serious is it?" Misty choked out. Her knees were shaking so badly that Tracey and Brock had to support her as Gary placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Well I'm afraid that the reason that Ash has been lacking in energy lately as he told me and what caused him to collapse today is that his liver is weakening and it is making him very sick. I'm not sure why this is. It may be either a genetic problem or it may be because of an old injury. The best chance Ash has of making a full recovery is to have a transplant." Dr. Adams gave the diagnosis with a touch of sadness for he knew Ash rather well.
"Pika." (No.) Pikachu whispered as he cuddled close to Ash.
"I can't believe this is happening. Why does this have to happen to my family." Misty cried as Tracey got a chair under her as her legs gave out. The others were in too much shock to say anything.
"What's going on here? Something's wrong isn't there?" Delia asked as she and Professor Oak stepped in from the hallway to the horrified looks on the faces of all present.
When the ambulance got to the hospital, Misty was very concerned about Ash's condition as the paramedics loaded him out of the ambulance and rushed him into the hospital. Misty was just about head inside with Pikachu to be with Ash when she heard Carla call out to her.
"Hey, Misty. Wait for me!"
"Carla. Thank you so much for following. Where's Tracey?" Misty asked as Carla hugged her.
"He went to park the car. He said he'll meet us inside." Carla whispered as they hurriedly went inside to find Ash.
* * * * *
Once inside Misty was told that the doctors were in the process of running some tests on Ash so she would have to wait in the waiting room. The nurse promised to let Misty know as soon as she could see her husband.
"Oh. I just realized something. Someone needs to call Brock and Angelica to let them know what's going on. He and Ash have been close ever since we were all pretty young." Misty gasped.
"Do you want me to call them?" Carla offered.
"No. It's my responsibility. You should stay here and wait on Tracey so that he knows where we are." Misty managed a weak smile as she turned and went to find a phone to call Brock.
* * * * *
At the Pewter City Gym, Brock and Angelica were just finishing having some lunch alone together. Brock's father was taking care of his brothers and sisters so Brock and Angelica could have a couple of days to themselves. Just as they were clearing the table where they had eaten the phone began ringing.
"I guess someone needs to go answer that." Brock groaned.
"You go ahead, hon. I'll finish up here." Angelica said, giving Brock a quick kiss as he went to answer the phone.
"Pewter Gym, Brock here. Oh, hi Misty." Brock smiled as he answered the phone and realized who was calling.
"Brock! Oh thank God I got you." Misty cried when Brock's image appeared on screen.
Seeing the fear on Misty's face, Brock's smile faded. "What's up, Misty? Is something wrong?"
"Yeah. It's Ash. He was having a battle with Tracey in our back yard and when they were coming to the house, Ash collapsed and we don't know why. They're running tests on him now so I don't know much else. We really need you Brock." Misty sobbed into the phone.
"Wait a second. Misty, calm down and tell me where you guys are." Brock soothed as he tried to get as much information as he possibly could. Just then Angelica came up behind him and, catching the tension in Brock's voice and the look on Misty's face, became instantly worried. She stepped closer as Brock held a finger up to signal her to hold on as Misty spoke again.
"We're at the hospital in Viridian City. Can you and Angelica get here?" Misty whispered.
"We're on our way. We'll be there in about 45 minutes. See you soon. Hang in there, Misty." Brock said quickly as he cut the connection.
"What's happened? What is it, Brock?" Angelica asked, suddenly very startled.
"That was Misty. Ash collapsed after a battle with Tracey and they are running tests now to see if they can figure out what happened. Ash is at Viridian City Hospital and we really need to get there. Come on." Brock said, trying very hard not to panic.
"Oh no. Let's get going then. We need to hurry." Angelica gasped as she and Brock ran out to the car, leaving everything just as it was.
* * * * *
While Misty was on the phone, Tracey had finally found a place to put his car and came running into the hospital. It didn't take him very long to find Carla but he was very confused to find that Misty wasn't with her.
"Hey. Where's Misty?" Tracey asked.
"Oh. She went to find a phone. She's going to call Brock and Angelica so they can know what's going on. She should be back soon." Carla said quietly.
Just then Tracey caught sight of Misty. She had finished talking to Brock and when she saw him she hurried up to them.
"Hey. There you are. Did you find a place to park your car?" Misty asked.
"Yeah. It took me forever though. I never realized how many people there were at a hospital. Any word on Ash?" Tracey replied and as he talked he made sure he didn't meet Misty's eyes.
About half an hour later, Brock and Angelica came running down the hallway in search of their friends. They were hoping that Misty had some news on Ash. Angelica was also worried about Brock because he had been hit hard when Misty had called them.
"Misty!" Angelica cried out suddenly as she spotted their friend in the waiting room along with Tracey and Carla.
"Brock! Angelica! I'm so glad you're here." Misty cried as she rushed forward to hug the two when they approached.
"First of all, how's Ash? Do you have any news since you called us? Second, are you holding up okay?" Brock asked.
"No one has told us anything about Ash's condition since we got here. I'm holding up alright but I wish someone would come tell me something. Those people are running tests on my husband and no one will tell me a thing." Misty was nearly hysterical with fear and anger.
"Shh. It'll be okay, Misty. I'm sure someone will tell us something as soon as possible." Brock tried to reassure his long time friend and gave her a comforting hug.
The words had just left Brock's mouth when a nurse approached them to give them an update on Ash's condition.
"We've just finished running the tests on Ash and they've been sent to the lab to be read. We're moving Ash to a private room now. You can see him if you'd like." The nurse said to Misty, who was holding a nervous Pikachu in her arms.
"Is Ash awake yet?" Tracey asked suddenly.
"He did regain consciousness while we were running some of the tests but he was complaining of a little pain and he kept wanting to get up so the doctor gave him something to stop the pain as well as something to relax him and keep him still so he's sleeping right now."
"I'm going to go to Ash. Come on, Pikachu." Misty said to her four friends as she took Pikachu and followed the nurse down the hallway to be with her husband.
"You go ahead, Misty. Ash needs you now. We'll catch up to you in a little while." Carla said as Misty was leaving.
* * * * *
When the nurse left Misty outside Ash's room she stood there for a moment because she was afraid of what she might see. Pikachu noticed her fear and started nuzzling Misty's head.
"Pi pika pikachu, Pikachupi?" (Are you okay, Misty?) Pikachu asked quietly.
"I'm okay. I guess I'm just afraid, Pikachu." Misty reached up and patted Pikachu on the head.
"Pika chu ka Pikachupi. Ka Pikapi pika pikachu." (I'm scared too Misty. But Ash needs us.) Pikachu whispered.
"You're right. We do need to be with Ash. Let's go." Misty conceded as she opened the door to Ash's room and stepped inside.
When Misty walked in the room she quietly approached the bed where Ash was sleeping and slowly took his hand. She had to move around very slowly and quietly so that Ash wouldn't be disturbed. Just then Misty felt Pikachu squirming nervously on her shoulder so she sat him gently on the bed and he walked up and sniffed Ash's still face.
"Pikapi." (Ash.) Pikachu whispered sadly.
Just then, Ash opened his eyes and blinked slowly taking in his surroundings. They were very unfamiliar except for the fact that Pikachu was sitting beside him on the bed where he was laying.
"Misty?" Ash asked groggily, scanning the strange room in search of his wife.
"I'm here, Ash." Misty whispered, once again reaching out and taking Ash's hand.
"Where am I, Mist? What happened?" Ash was extremely confused.
"You're in the hospital in Viridian City. After you and Tracey finished battling and were coming back to the house, you collapsed and passed out. When they first brought you here, the doctors ran some tests to figure out exactly why that happened. We should know more in a little while." Misty smiled a little and tried to be positive.
"That explains a few things. I remember winning the battle with Tracey after having Pikachu use a Thundershock against Scyther." Ash paused for a moment and patted Pikachu's head. "Then after that I didn't remember anything until I came to earlier and was in some sort of lab or something. I was hurting a little and I was trying to leave and find you but someone gave me a couple of shots which took away the pain but caused me to black out again." Ash was still a little weak so his voice was barely above a whisper.
"I know you must have been scared. We were scared for you." Misty tried to reassure her husband.
"Hang on. What are you talking about 'we'?" Ash asked.
"Tracey and Carla followed the ambulance here. Then when we got here I called Brock and Angelica and they got here just a few minutes ago. I figured that you needed all of the friends and family you can get right now." Misty explained.
"Does my mom know what happened?"
"Not yet. Professor Oak tried to help you after you collapsed and he mentioned to us that your mom was shopping. He said he's going to tell her as soon as she gets back. They'll probably get over here before too long."
"I hope that Professor Oak breaks the news to her gently. You know how protective my mom can be." Ash pointed out weakly.
"Don't talk to much right now. You need to keep up as much strength as possible. Try to rest now." Misty soothed.
"That's probably a good idea. I don't understand why I'm so weak and tired. On top of that I'm still feeling the effects of whatever they gave me earlier and it's making me really groggy. But will you do me a favor, Mist?" Ash whispered.
"Of course I will, hon. What is it?" Misty asked.
"Will you stay here with me until I fall asleep. It's very comforting having you here."
"Sure I will. I'm going to stay right here with you until you drop off and then I'll go give the others an update on how you're doing." Misty agreed quietly.
"Pi pika chu pikachu pika, Pikapi." (I'm not going anywhere either, Ash.) Pikachu insisted.
"Thanks Misty. I love you so much. Thank you too, Pikachu. You are such a loyal friend. I don't know what I would do without you guys." Ash smiled tiredly as his eyes began drooping slightly.
"I love you too, Ash. Now close your eyes and get some rest." Misty whispered soothingly as she took Ash's hand in her own. Then she started to hum quietly as she remained by her husband's side.
Misty's humming had a very calming effect on Ash and after a few minutes his eyes slid closed and his breaths became deeper. Misty felt Ash's grip on her hand loosen as he slid into sleep.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, back at the Oak laboratory, Professor Oak was pacing the floor trying to figure out how he was going to break the news to Delia that something had happened to Ash when the telephone ringing startled him out of his thoughts. As he went to answer the phone he was hoping in the back of his mind that it wasn't his wife. He was slightly relieved when it wasn't.
"Hey Grandpa. What's going on there? How is everything?" Gary Oak asked when his grandfather's image appeared on the screen.
"Gary, can I call you back tomorrow please? Now is really not a good time at all." Professor Oak answered, trying in vain to keep the worry he had for his stepson out of his voice.
"What's the matter? Did something happen?" Gary frowned, concerned when he saw the expression of Professor Oak's face.
"Yes. I suppose I should tell you, Gary. Ash is in the hospital in Viridian City. He collapsed earlier today in his yard while Tracey and Carla were over there visiting. He and Tracey had just finished having a Pokemon battle. I'm afraid that Ash may be ill."
"What! Is Ash okay? Misty must be completely freaked out." Gary exclaimed as he let the knowledge sink in of what had happened. "I'm going to close the gym to battles for the rest of the day. I'm here in Viridian so I'm on my way over there right now. Ash and Misty both need all the support they can get. Wait, why aren't you there, Grandpa?"
"I'm still at the lab because Delia is shopping and she doesn't have her cell phone with her. So I'm going to have to wait until she gets back so I can try to tell her what happened. Then we'll head over to the hospital too." Professor Oak explained.
"Oh. That's a pretty good idea to wait on Delia. I'll see you two later. Give Delia my love and tell her that we won't let anything happen to Ash." Gary said quietly.
"Bye Gary." Professor Oak said as the connection broke.
No sooner had Professor Oak hung up with his grandson than he heard the door open to the lab as Delia returned from her shopping trip. He was overcome with nerves at the prospect of telling his wife that her child was in the hospital.
"Sam! Honey, I'm home! Where are you?" Delia called as she walked in the door and dropped a few packages onto a table.
"In the living room, Delia." Professor Oak called back as his wife came to him and found him sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.
"Is something wrong, honey? Do you have one of your headaches again?" Delia asked. As she headed to the kitchen to try to get some aspirin, her husband caught her arm and stopped her short. She turned to him, suddenly very afraid.
"Delia. Come over here and sit down sweetheart. I need to talk to you about something." Professor Oak said slowly, taking a deep breath as Delia sank down next to him.
"What is it? What has got you so upset?"
"Darling, something happened today while you were shopping. I was working on some research when Pikachu came running in hysterical telling me that something had happened over at Ash and Misty's." He began as Delia's eyes suddenly went wide. "So I went over there and found that Ash had collapsed in the front yard. I stayed with them until the ambulance arrived to take Ash to the hospital and then Misty and Pikachu went with him in the ambulance and Tracey and Carla, who were visiting them at the time, followed in Tracey's car while I came back here to wait on you."
"Oh no. Sam, is Ash okay? Where did they take him?" Delia immediately panicked at hearing that her only son was in the hospital.
"I don't know how Ash is because I haven't talked to Misty or Tracey since they left here. I do know that they took Ash to Viridian City Hospital. Come on, I'll take you to Ash." Professor Oak whispered to Delia who was crying in his arms.
"Okay. Let's hurry. I need to be with my baby." Delia cried as they ran out the door and headed for Viridian City.
* * * * *
Back at the hospital, Tracey and Carla were sitting in the waiting room together waiting on Misty to return. Angelica had gone looking for a restroom and Brock was down in the cafeteria getting some drinks for them. Suddenly they heard a voice call to them.
"Tracey! Carla!" Gary shouted as he hurried down the hall, followed closely by his Umbreon.
"Gary? What are you doing here? How did you know that we were here in the first place?" Tracey asked confused.
"I called the lab a little while ago and Grandpa told me about what happened. So I closed the gym to battles and posted it on the doors then I got Umbreon and came straight over here. How's Ash?"
"We don't know how Ash is. They ran some tests on him when they first got him here. About 45 minutes ago a nurse said that they had moved Ash to a private room. Misty and Pikachu are with him now." Carla replied.
"How's Misty holding up? Is she okay?" Gary inquired with concern.
"She's really afraid. Actually she held up pretty good until Brock and Angelica got here earlier, then she broke down a little bit. I think she'll be a lot better after she spends some time with Ash." Tracey said.
"I think so too. Hey, Gary. When did you get here?" Brock cut in. He had just arrived with some sodas and Angelica was standing at his side.
"I just got here. I called my Grandpa earlier and he told me what happened to Ash so I got here as soon as I could."
"Okay. Do you want something to drink? I got a couple of extra sodas?" Brock asked.
"Yeah. Thanks." Gary smiled a little as he accepted the drink that Brock handed him.
Just then Misty came down the hall and rejoined her friends. She walked up to Gary and looked at him with both appreciation and confusion in her eyes.
"Hi, Gary. I assume Professor Oak told you what happened." Misty said.
"Yeah. How are you holding up, Misty? How's Ash?" Gary asked with tension with his voice.
"Ash is sleeping now. I'm so scared for him, Gary. He's been really tired lately but now he's so weak." Misty said as she started crying and allowed Gary to hug her.
"Do you have any idea when they'll get those results back from the tests they ran?" Tracey asked.
"I wish I did but I have no clue. Hopefully it won't be very long." Misty sighed.
* * * * *
Thirty minutes later, a young nurse came into the room and approached the worried group. They were hoping that she had some kind of news for them.
"Excuse me. Are you Ash Ketchum's wife and friends?" She asked.
"Yes. Is there any news?" Misty asked quickly.
"Not yet I'm afraid. I came to tell you that Ash is awake now and is asking to see all of you."
"Okay. Thank you very much." Misty hollered back over her shoulder as she and the others nearly trampled each other trying to be the first one out the door.
As soon as they got to Ash's room, they walked in and saw him sitting up in the bed looking tense with Pikachu sitting on his lap. It was obvious that there was a reason Ash wanted to see them.
"What's wrong, Ash? Are you okay?" Misty asked frightened as she went to Ash's side.
"Nothing's wrong exactly. It's just that the doctor said he was on his way down to the lab and coming back to tell me the test results and I really wanted you guys to be here with me." Ash whispered and smiled as he noticed his long time friend and rival standing near the door. "Hi, Gary."
"Hey, Ash. You feeling okay?"
"A little better. I'm worried about the results of these tests though." Ash admitted.
Ash cut his words short as he appeared to be looking at something behind Gary's left shoulder. The others turned around and the mood in the room was nervous and tense as they saw the doctor standing in the doorway with a serious expression on his face.
* * * * *
When Professor Oak and Delia got to the hospital they first went to the reception desk to find out what room Ash was in. Delia was terrified as she thought about her son being here.
"Excuse me. Can you tell us what room Ash Ketchum is in?" Professor Oak asked the receptionist.
"Are you friends or are you family?"
"I'm his stepfather and this is his mother. We need to know where he is." Professor Oak answered snappishly as the receptionist keyed some information into her computer.
"Okay, here it is. Ash is in room 314. You can take the elevator right over there." She gave them the information and pointed them to the correct elevator.
"Thank you." Delia whispered as she and her husband dashed to the elevator.
"I hope that Ash is okay. I'm so afraid." Delia said as they stepped into the elevator and punched the button for the third floor.
"I know you're afraid sweetheart. I'm scared too. Let's be positive. There has to be some simple reason that Ash collapsed." Professor Oak soothed his wife, trying to reassure himself as well as Delia.
* * * * * "Do you have the results of my tests, Dr. Adams?" Ash spoke first voicing the question that the others were scared to Ash.
"Yes, I do. I'm afraid that the problem is more serious than we first thought." Dr. Adams said quietly.
"What's wrong? How serious is it?" Misty choked out. Her knees were shaking so badly that Tracey and Brock had to support her as Gary placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Well I'm afraid that the reason that Ash has been lacking in energy lately as he told me and what caused him to collapse today is that his liver is weakening and it is making him very sick. I'm not sure why this is. It may be either a genetic problem or it may be because of an old injury. The best chance Ash has of making a full recovery is to have a transplant." Dr. Adams gave the diagnosis with a touch of sadness for he knew Ash rather well.
"Pika." (No.) Pikachu whispered as he cuddled close to Ash.
"I can't believe this is happening. Why does this have to happen to my family." Misty cried as Tracey got a chair under her as her legs gave out. The others were in too much shock to say anything.
"What's going on here? Something's wrong isn't there?" Delia asked as she and Professor Oak stepped in from the hallway to the horrified looks on the faces of all present.