Chapter 4: Feelings of Guilt
Delia and Professor Oak had just arrived after the doctor finished giving his diagnosis of Ash's condition. Now Delia was afraid because her son was sitting in a hospital bed looking pale and afraid, her daughter-in- law was sobbing in the corner and the others were looking on in total shock.
"Will someone please tell us something?" Professor Oak demanded from where he stood at Delia's side.
"Well." Dr. Adams began.
"No. It's better than my mom and stepfather hear this from me. Thank you." Ash nodded to the doctor gratefully. "The tests they ran when I got here came out worse than anyone thought. Dr. Adams says that my liver is weakening and I need to get a transplant soon. That's why I've been so tired and sick lately."
"Oh, God. How can this happen to Ash? Why?" Delia cried and buried her face in her husband's shoulder.
"Actually, one of you may be able to help Ash. I can test each of you and if you prove to be a match for Ash, we can give him a partial liver transplant and it will regenerate into a whole one and the donor regenerates as well. We can test all of you tonight and I'll have the results in the morning." Dr. Adams explained.
"Well let's go for it. Hopefully we can help. I think Ash and Misty need some time alone anyway. She can catch up later." Gary suggested as he and the others followed the doctor from the room, leaving Ash and Misty alone.
"Oh, Ash. I can't believe that this is actually happening. I would do this for you if I could. You don't deserve this at all." Misty said shakily.
"It's okay, love. You can't get rid of me that easily. I love you too much." Ash whispered soothingly as he pulled Misty to him and she sobbed into his chest. "Besides, if things go the way I'm hoping that they will, we may have a solution to this problem as soon as tomorrow."
"I hope so." Misty cried.
* * * * *
About an hour later, the others had finished being tested to see if they could possibly be a match for a partial liver transplant for Ash and they had gone down to the cafeteria to try and get something to eat.
"Tracey, are you okay?" Carla whispered as she noticed that he wasn't eating much and she knew he hadn't eaten since that afternoon.
"Not really. But I don't want to talk about it right now." Tracey sighed. Carla just put her arm around him and laid her head on his shoulder, but decided not to push the issue.
"I hope that one of us a match for Ash. He really needs to get better because he has a family and several Pokemon who really need him." Gary said.
"Yeah. You're right. Hey, can I ask you a question, Gary?" Brock asked.
"Sure. Go ahead."
"Why did you come here when you heard about Ash? I always thought you two hated each other." Brock casually put the question.
"No. We do have a strong rivalry but we don't hate each other at all. I've always thought of Ash like a brother and you should know how siblings bicker and have rivalry since you have raised all of your brothers and sisters. I'm doing what I've done today because I know that, even though Ash and I have had our share of arguments and disagreements, if the tables were turned then he would do the same for me." Gary explained as Brock nodded, clearly satisfied with this.
"He certainly would. Ash's friends mean everything to him." Delia smiled as she took Gary by the hand momentarily.
"Tracey, what's the matter? You don't look so good." Professor Oak quietly pointed out to his young assistant.
"I'm fine, Professor. I just have a headache." Tracey lied.
"You've had a long day. Ash's doctor set up the lounge across from his room for us tonight. Why don't you go and lie down for a while." Delia suggested.
"That sounds like a pretty good idea. It may help me get rid of this headache." Tracey said as he got up and headed toward the door of the cafeteria.
"I'll come with you." Carla chimed in as she took her leave as well and hurried off in Tracey's wake.
* * * * *
Once Tracey and Carla reached the lounge that Professor Oak had told them about, they realized that the hospital staff had gone out of their way to take care of all of them. There were several cots in the room for them to sleep on and some other things that they might need. All of this in a location where they would all be able to be near their friends in case they were needed for any reason.
"Wow. They really do a good job of taking care of patients' friends and families around here." Carla observed.
"Yeah." Tracey said.
"Tracey, will you please tell me what's wrong now? It's obvious that something's got you down. I want to help but I can't unless you tell me what's bothering you." Carla whispered as she sat down next to Tracey on one of the cots.
"Okay. I'll tell you what's bothering me. I feel responsible for Ash being here. If I hadn't agreed to have a battle with him this afternoon then he never would have collapsed. Misty told us that he wasn't feeling well, I should have known better." Tracey said as he put his head in his hands and cried.
"Shh. Honey, it isn't your fault. Ash wanted to have a battle and you were just doing what he asked. You were both having a good time. There was absolutely no way you could have known that anything bad was going to happen. Don't blame yourself." Carla said soothingly as she pulled him into her arms and tried to comfort him.
"When Ash went down I couldn't even do anything for him. I just stood there while Pikachu went for help." Tracey managed to choke out.
Carla just sat at Tracey's side and held him close to her as he let out his emotions in her arms. She wished that she could convince Tracey that he wasn't at fault for what had happened and no one blamed him but all she could do was comfort him until he became exhausted and eventually cried himself to sleep. Then Carla laid him down on the cot and lay a blanket over him, never leaving his side as she dozed off at his side. Neither of them even heard Brock, Angelica and Gary come in and turn in for the night.
About an hour later, Delia and Professor Oak came up from the cafeteria and decided to check on Ash before they tried to get some rest. Professor Oak cracked the door and peeked inside. He and Delia both smiled at what they saw. Ash was sound asleep and Misty was also sleeping with her head pillowed on his chest. Assured that the two were okay, they quietly pulled the door closed and walked across the hall and slid two of the cots together and went to bed, being very careful not to wake the five youths who were already sleeping there.
Delia and Professor Oak had just arrived after the doctor finished giving his diagnosis of Ash's condition. Now Delia was afraid because her son was sitting in a hospital bed looking pale and afraid, her daughter-in- law was sobbing in the corner and the others were looking on in total shock.
"Will someone please tell us something?" Professor Oak demanded from where he stood at Delia's side.
"Well." Dr. Adams began.
"No. It's better than my mom and stepfather hear this from me. Thank you." Ash nodded to the doctor gratefully. "The tests they ran when I got here came out worse than anyone thought. Dr. Adams says that my liver is weakening and I need to get a transplant soon. That's why I've been so tired and sick lately."
"Oh, God. How can this happen to Ash? Why?" Delia cried and buried her face in her husband's shoulder.
"Actually, one of you may be able to help Ash. I can test each of you and if you prove to be a match for Ash, we can give him a partial liver transplant and it will regenerate into a whole one and the donor regenerates as well. We can test all of you tonight and I'll have the results in the morning." Dr. Adams explained.
"Well let's go for it. Hopefully we can help. I think Ash and Misty need some time alone anyway. She can catch up later." Gary suggested as he and the others followed the doctor from the room, leaving Ash and Misty alone.
"Oh, Ash. I can't believe that this is actually happening. I would do this for you if I could. You don't deserve this at all." Misty said shakily.
"It's okay, love. You can't get rid of me that easily. I love you too much." Ash whispered soothingly as he pulled Misty to him and she sobbed into his chest. "Besides, if things go the way I'm hoping that they will, we may have a solution to this problem as soon as tomorrow."
"I hope so." Misty cried.
* * * * *
About an hour later, the others had finished being tested to see if they could possibly be a match for a partial liver transplant for Ash and they had gone down to the cafeteria to try and get something to eat.
"Tracey, are you okay?" Carla whispered as she noticed that he wasn't eating much and she knew he hadn't eaten since that afternoon.
"Not really. But I don't want to talk about it right now." Tracey sighed. Carla just put her arm around him and laid her head on his shoulder, but decided not to push the issue.
"I hope that one of us a match for Ash. He really needs to get better because he has a family and several Pokemon who really need him." Gary said.
"Yeah. You're right. Hey, can I ask you a question, Gary?" Brock asked.
"Sure. Go ahead."
"Why did you come here when you heard about Ash? I always thought you two hated each other." Brock casually put the question.
"No. We do have a strong rivalry but we don't hate each other at all. I've always thought of Ash like a brother and you should know how siblings bicker and have rivalry since you have raised all of your brothers and sisters. I'm doing what I've done today because I know that, even though Ash and I have had our share of arguments and disagreements, if the tables were turned then he would do the same for me." Gary explained as Brock nodded, clearly satisfied with this.
"He certainly would. Ash's friends mean everything to him." Delia smiled as she took Gary by the hand momentarily.
"Tracey, what's the matter? You don't look so good." Professor Oak quietly pointed out to his young assistant.
"I'm fine, Professor. I just have a headache." Tracey lied.
"You've had a long day. Ash's doctor set up the lounge across from his room for us tonight. Why don't you go and lie down for a while." Delia suggested.
"That sounds like a pretty good idea. It may help me get rid of this headache." Tracey said as he got up and headed toward the door of the cafeteria.
"I'll come with you." Carla chimed in as she took her leave as well and hurried off in Tracey's wake.
* * * * *
Once Tracey and Carla reached the lounge that Professor Oak had told them about, they realized that the hospital staff had gone out of their way to take care of all of them. There were several cots in the room for them to sleep on and some other things that they might need. All of this in a location where they would all be able to be near their friends in case they were needed for any reason.
"Wow. They really do a good job of taking care of patients' friends and families around here." Carla observed.
"Yeah." Tracey said.
"Tracey, will you please tell me what's wrong now? It's obvious that something's got you down. I want to help but I can't unless you tell me what's bothering you." Carla whispered as she sat down next to Tracey on one of the cots.
"Okay. I'll tell you what's bothering me. I feel responsible for Ash being here. If I hadn't agreed to have a battle with him this afternoon then he never would have collapsed. Misty told us that he wasn't feeling well, I should have known better." Tracey said as he put his head in his hands and cried.
"Shh. Honey, it isn't your fault. Ash wanted to have a battle and you were just doing what he asked. You were both having a good time. There was absolutely no way you could have known that anything bad was going to happen. Don't blame yourself." Carla said soothingly as she pulled him into her arms and tried to comfort him.
"When Ash went down I couldn't even do anything for him. I just stood there while Pikachu went for help." Tracey managed to choke out.
Carla just sat at Tracey's side and held him close to her as he let out his emotions in her arms. She wished that she could convince Tracey that he wasn't at fault for what had happened and no one blamed him but all she could do was comfort him until he became exhausted and eventually cried himself to sleep. Then Carla laid him down on the cot and lay a blanket over him, never leaving his side as she dozed off at his side. Neither of them even heard Brock, Angelica and Gary come in and turn in for the night.
About an hour later, Delia and Professor Oak came up from the cafeteria and decided to check on Ash before they tried to get some rest. Professor Oak cracked the door and peeked inside. He and Delia both smiled at what they saw. Ash was sound asleep and Misty was also sleeping with her head pillowed on his chest. Assured that the two were okay, they quietly pulled the door closed and walked across the hall and slid two of the cots together and went to bed, being very careful not to wake the five youths who were already sleeping there.