Chapter 9: Waiting Game
Once Ash had been moved into the operating room, Misty and Tracey stood there with Pikachu for the longest time, neither of them daring to say anything. It took a few minutes before Tracey spoke.
"What are we going to do now?"
"I don't know. We'll go to the waiting room with the others I guess. There really isn't much else we can do." Misty said quietly.
"Pika pikachu, Pikachupi." (I'm scared, Misty.) Pikachu said as Misty bent down and picked him up.
"So am I, Pikachu. So am I."
"Well, let's go to the waiting room and join the others. That way we can see how Angelica's holding up too." Tracey said as he led Misty out of the room.
On the way back to the waiting room, Misty decided to say something to Tracey that she had wanted to say before but she was to speechless with fear from what she had witnessed that she hadn't been able to.
"Hey, Tracey." Misty whispered.
"Yeah, Misty."
"I just wanted to thank you for being there to support me back there when they were getting Ash ready for surgery. I wouldn't have been able to get through that without help."
"It's no problem. I'm just glad that I was able to be there for you. That's what friends are for, you know." Tracey smiled and gave Misty a quick hug.
"Hey, that's where we need to be." Misty said as she and Tracey walked into the waiting room.
* * * * *
When Misty and Tracey arrived in the waiting room the others were waiting for them. Angelica had already arrived there and was standing in the corner talking to Gary. Misty walked over to talk to Angelica.
"Hey. Are you doing okay?" Misty asked.
"I guess I'm as good as I can be. I can't stop being afraid. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do standing there and watching as Brock was knocked out." Angelica sighed.
"I know what you mean. I was there while they prepped Ash and it terrified me. I hope I never have to go through that ever again." Misty said.
"How are we even supposed to know whether or not they're doing okay? Is someone going to keep us up on what's happening?"
"Yeah. Dr. Adams told us that someone would come out every hour and give us an update on how they're doing." Misty assured Angelica.
"Well that's one good thing. At least we won't have to guess what's happening." Angelica said.
The first hour was full of agonizing waiting because no one knew what was going on. This was obviously taking a toll on Misty and Delia noticed this and decided to try and comfort her.
"Are you all right, dear?" Delia asked softly.
"I'm just so scared, Mom. I wish someone would come and let me know something. I'll feel a lot better if I know that Ash is doing okay. I can't handle this not knowing." Misty said shakily.
"I understand how you feel. I wish I knew something too. But remember that you have a lot of support here. You're not alone."
"Thanks, Mom." Misty smiled a little and gave Delia a hug.
* * * * *
About ten minutes later, a nurse came out to give them an update on the surgery. As soon as Misty saw the nurse she made a beeline for her so she could have an update on Ash's condition.
"The first hour of the surgery went very well. They're getting ready to take the donor liver portion out right now and take the damaged liver out as well. Then they'll put the new liver portion into Ash. Both Ash and Brock are doing well. I hope that makes you feel a little better." The nurse said with a small smile.
"It makes me feel a lot better knowing that they're okay." Misty said.
"Me, too." Angelica agreed.
"I need to get back now. I'll be back in an hour to give you another update."
"Thank you." Delia said.
When the nurse left everyone was very relieved to hear that things were going well. Tracey was so relieved that he took Carla in his arms and hugged her so hard that she felt like she would break in half.
"What was that for?" Carla asked.
"Just because I love you so much." Tracey said.
"I love you, too."
"Hey, is anyone else hungry. I was too wrapped up in this whole thing to think about it before but now that we know that things are good, I just realized that I'm starving." Gary said.
"Pi pika pikachu." (I'm hungry too.) Pikachu said
"I think we're all hungry. Why don't we go and get something to eat." Professor Oak suggested. A suggestion that greatly pleased everyone.
The group left the waiting room for a while to get something to eat from the cafeteria after leaving with the desk nurse where they would be if they were needed. A few minutes later they had arrived in the cafeteria and had gotten some food. Misty sat there for a few minutes playing with a sandwich but wasn't eating very much. Delia noticed this and became concerned for her daughter-in-law.
"Misty, are you okay, dear? You haven't eating very much. I know you have to be hungry because you haven't had a thing since we got here." Delia asked.
"I am hungry, mom, but I just can't eat. I don't know what it is but I just don't feel very well. I got a little dizzy earlier but I'm sure it's all related. I think the stress of this whole situation is finally getting to me. I should start feeling better now that I know that Ash is doing okay." Misty said quietly as she took a small bite of her sandwich and sipped on some juice.
"Pi pika pika chu ka pika, Pikachupi." (I hope you're right about that, Misty.) Pikachu said as he climbed onto Misty's lap.
After everyone had finished they went back to the waiting room to wait on some more news on Ash and Brock. While they were walking back Misty felt her head begin to spin as she heard all of the unsettling sounds in the hallway around her. She took a few more steps and then Misty's vision began to blacken and she felt herself falling as she began to faint and dimly heard a startled cry as Tracey sprang and caught her as Misty collapsed in his arms.
"Hey, hold up guys. Misty fainted." Tracey screamed and brought the others rushing back to him.
"Honey, what happened?" Carla asked.
"I'm not really sure. I heard Misty stumble and turned around in time to see her falling. It's a lucky thing I was able to catch her.
"What's going on here? What's all this shouting about?" A nurse asked and became suddenly startled when she saw the reason for all of the commotion. "What happened to her?"
"Her husband is in surgery right now and I believe the pressure is just a little much for her." Professor Oak calmly explained.
The nurse ran over to the nurse's station and grabbed a telephone and hurriedly punched a few numbers into the base. "Send someone to the third floor nurse's station! The wife of a patient just collapsed and we need to get her to a room now!"
"Pikachupi." (Misty.) Pikachu whispered as Delia scooped him from the floor and held him in her arms.
Once Ash had been moved into the operating room, Misty and Tracey stood there with Pikachu for the longest time, neither of them daring to say anything. It took a few minutes before Tracey spoke.
"What are we going to do now?"
"I don't know. We'll go to the waiting room with the others I guess. There really isn't much else we can do." Misty said quietly.
"Pika pikachu, Pikachupi." (I'm scared, Misty.) Pikachu said as Misty bent down and picked him up.
"So am I, Pikachu. So am I."
"Well, let's go to the waiting room and join the others. That way we can see how Angelica's holding up too." Tracey said as he led Misty out of the room.
On the way back to the waiting room, Misty decided to say something to Tracey that she had wanted to say before but she was to speechless with fear from what she had witnessed that she hadn't been able to.
"Hey, Tracey." Misty whispered.
"Yeah, Misty."
"I just wanted to thank you for being there to support me back there when they were getting Ash ready for surgery. I wouldn't have been able to get through that without help."
"It's no problem. I'm just glad that I was able to be there for you. That's what friends are for, you know." Tracey smiled and gave Misty a quick hug.
"Hey, that's where we need to be." Misty said as she and Tracey walked into the waiting room.
* * * * *
When Misty and Tracey arrived in the waiting room the others were waiting for them. Angelica had already arrived there and was standing in the corner talking to Gary. Misty walked over to talk to Angelica.
"Hey. Are you doing okay?" Misty asked.
"I guess I'm as good as I can be. I can't stop being afraid. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do standing there and watching as Brock was knocked out." Angelica sighed.
"I know what you mean. I was there while they prepped Ash and it terrified me. I hope I never have to go through that ever again." Misty said.
"How are we even supposed to know whether or not they're doing okay? Is someone going to keep us up on what's happening?"
"Yeah. Dr. Adams told us that someone would come out every hour and give us an update on how they're doing." Misty assured Angelica.
"Well that's one good thing. At least we won't have to guess what's happening." Angelica said.
The first hour was full of agonizing waiting because no one knew what was going on. This was obviously taking a toll on Misty and Delia noticed this and decided to try and comfort her.
"Are you all right, dear?" Delia asked softly.
"I'm just so scared, Mom. I wish someone would come and let me know something. I'll feel a lot better if I know that Ash is doing okay. I can't handle this not knowing." Misty said shakily.
"I understand how you feel. I wish I knew something too. But remember that you have a lot of support here. You're not alone."
"Thanks, Mom." Misty smiled a little and gave Delia a hug.
* * * * *
About ten minutes later, a nurse came out to give them an update on the surgery. As soon as Misty saw the nurse she made a beeline for her so she could have an update on Ash's condition.
"The first hour of the surgery went very well. They're getting ready to take the donor liver portion out right now and take the damaged liver out as well. Then they'll put the new liver portion into Ash. Both Ash and Brock are doing well. I hope that makes you feel a little better." The nurse said with a small smile.
"It makes me feel a lot better knowing that they're okay." Misty said.
"Me, too." Angelica agreed.
"I need to get back now. I'll be back in an hour to give you another update."
"Thank you." Delia said.
When the nurse left everyone was very relieved to hear that things were going well. Tracey was so relieved that he took Carla in his arms and hugged her so hard that she felt like she would break in half.
"What was that for?" Carla asked.
"Just because I love you so much." Tracey said.
"I love you, too."
"Hey, is anyone else hungry. I was too wrapped up in this whole thing to think about it before but now that we know that things are good, I just realized that I'm starving." Gary said.
"Pi pika pikachu." (I'm hungry too.) Pikachu said
"I think we're all hungry. Why don't we go and get something to eat." Professor Oak suggested. A suggestion that greatly pleased everyone.
The group left the waiting room for a while to get something to eat from the cafeteria after leaving with the desk nurse where they would be if they were needed. A few minutes later they had arrived in the cafeteria and had gotten some food. Misty sat there for a few minutes playing with a sandwich but wasn't eating very much. Delia noticed this and became concerned for her daughter-in-law.
"Misty, are you okay, dear? You haven't eating very much. I know you have to be hungry because you haven't had a thing since we got here." Delia asked.
"I am hungry, mom, but I just can't eat. I don't know what it is but I just don't feel very well. I got a little dizzy earlier but I'm sure it's all related. I think the stress of this whole situation is finally getting to me. I should start feeling better now that I know that Ash is doing okay." Misty said quietly as she took a small bite of her sandwich and sipped on some juice.
"Pi pika pika chu ka pika, Pikachupi." (I hope you're right about that, Misty.) Pikachu said as he climbed onto Misty's lap.
After everyone had finished they went back to the waiting room to wait on some more news on Ash and Brock. While they were walking back Misty felt her head begin to spin as she heard all of the unsettling sounds in the hallway around her. She took a few more steps and then Misty's vision began to blacken and she felt herself falling as she began to faint and dimly heard a startled cry as Tracey sprang and caught her as Misty collapsed in his arms.
"Hey, hold up guys. Misty fainted." Tracey screamed and brought the others rushing back to him.
"Honey, what happened?" Carla asked.
"I'm not really sure. I heard Misty stumble and turned around in time to see her falling. It's a lucky thing I was able to catch her.
"What's going on here? What's all this shouting about?" A nurse asked and became suddenly startled when she saw the reason for all of the commotion. "What happened to her?"
"Her husband is in surgery right now and I believe the pressure is just a little much for her." Professor Oak calmly explained.
The nurse ran over to the nurse's station and grabbed a telephone and hurriedly punched a few numbers into the base. "Send someone to the third floor nurse's station! The wife of a patient just collapsed and we need to get her to a room now!"
"Pikachupi." (Misty.) Pikachu whispered as Delia scooped him from the floor and held him in her arms.