Hey guys! How's it going?
This chapter is a little unusual for me but I actually like it which usually means others will dislike it, damn the rules of contrariness!
Anyhow, I don't own the characters but I do own the story and I do own Doctor Fox and the story is mine.
If you want to get in contact with me, my address is on my profile
Please read and review.
Hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 5
"And when precisely did this occur?"
A tall lean man, stood with his back straight and his arms firmly by his side.
"We can't be sure, when Dr. Fox entered the perimeters, the subject was gone. We have no reason to believe it's not at full capacity and given its maximum speed and frantic frame of mind, there's no possible way to determine how far or in which direction it travelled" he answered automatically.
"And we have no tracking device implanted?"
"Dr. Fox said such a measure would interfere with the procedure, although…" the man let out a snort. "It seems, to me at least, that Fox just screwed up and forgot about something so obvious"
"Then it's obvious why you weren't put in charge of this operation and why I didn't ask for your opinion"
"Of course, sir" he replied.
"Send Fox in! I think its time he and I discussed this. You are dismissed"
A small man with unkempt light brown hair with streaks of grey in it, fidgeted nervously outside the huge doubles doors of the room.
The doors opened slowly and a smug looking man stepped out, sneering at the older man.
"Fox, the boss wants a word" he said with glee.
The older man swallowed nervously and straightened out his lab jacket.
He took a few steps into the room and jumped when the doubles doors slammed behind him.
He took an apprehensive glance around the room.
Shelves of books ran the length and height of the room.
Many of these books were volumes of notes, notes on past experiments, mostly failed experiments, notes on the subjects and on anything related to 'the bosses' dealings.
A dark mahogany desk stood at the furthest wall away from the door and a tall maroon chair was turned with its back to the nervous man.
His feet barely made a sound as they connected with the pristine carpet.
Fox let out a cry of surprise as he felt something warm and soft slink around his legs, when he looked down he saw a large sleek Persian wrapping itself around him.
It looked up at him for a moment before latching its sharp claws up his leg and sinking them into his skin.
Fox bit his tongue, knowing that saying or doing anything to the prized Pokemon would result in agony of the unfortunate victim who dared cross the boss's cat.
"Ahh Dr. Fox. Good of you to join me. Sit down" a cold controlled voice said from the direction of the chair.
Fox picked up the Persian as carefully as he could and cradled it like it were his own child while limping towards the desk where a small chair sat in front of it.
He let the cat crawl out of his lap and over the desk amusing itself with a set of balls hanging off a metal frame that.
Fox watched the cat for a small while, temporarily distracting himself from the matter at hand.
"Dr. Fox" the cool voice began, breaking the icy silence.
"Yes sir?" he asked, trying not to let his fear override his brain.
"You know why I need to speak to you, how could this happen?"
Fox swallowed again, summoning all his courage.
"Well sir" he was pleased that his voice was relatively steady. "The subject is powerful, immensely powerful and there was always a danger that it would reject our"
"ENOUGH!" the cool voice was raised to a roar.
The man in the chair pounded his fist on the armrest, scaring the Persian on the desk and Fox jumped.
"There has been too much time, effort and money pumped into this project for this to fail"
"But sir" Fox tried to reason but was cut off.
"And if anyone were to find out this excursion, there would be a great many links back to me and of course certain other activities that I'm involved in would be brought to light"
"But sir, it's impossible to track"
"Yes, I find that detail very interesting" the man remarked, his tone suspicious.
Fox looked at the ground, praying that the boss wasn't after catching onto it.
"But in any case, you've toiled over this project since the start and I believe you want to see this succeed more than anyone else involved so I leave this in your care. Find the subject, return the subject, wipe out any sorts of indications that it ever existed and continue"
"Yes sir" Fox said softly.
"You're dismissed, but one more thing. If I don't like how this incident turns out, I'm not opposed to disposing of everything that was even vaguely related to it. Take the file and leave"
Fox paused and closed his eyes, letting threat sink in.
His hand reached for the thick file on the desk.
The tall young man who had been in the office earlier was leaning against the wall outside the room when Fox left the room.
"How did it go?" he asked with mock sympathy.
"Didn't the boss find some toilet for you're to clean out with your tongue like the little lap dog you are?" Fox demanded, glaring at the young man and then walking away, seeing that the younger man was stumped.
He entered his lab once again and sank into his chair burying his face in his hands.
He sat up straighter and opened the folder up, examining the notes and photo's.
This folder was particularly thick with all the photos, graphs and notes.
The photo's started from when they received their test subject till' the day before they lost it.
"Where are you?" he sighed, his mind clouded over with concern.
Standing up, he brushed himself and collected his files, slipping them in a briefcase.
He walked out of the room with the case in hand and left the building.
Nurse Joy looked up in alarm when she heard someone crashing through the doors.
Two boys were standing at the door with a frenzied look.
The younger boy was holding a red haired girl who looked terrible.
She recognised the girl as the one who had taken the Oddish earlier and she felt like her heart might stop beating at any second.
"Nurse Joy, you have to help us!" the younger boy cried out his fear showing.
The centre was absolutely still, no one dared to make a move and just stared at the red head handing on by a thread.
Nurse Joy snapped to her senses, and called for a stretcher which was brought in by two Chanseys instantly.
Ash laid the girl down gently and swallowed a lump in his throat.
"She's going to be ok, isn't she?" he asked in a small voice, sounding like a scared little boy.
"I don't know. I'm afraid I'm out of my depth here. I was trained to heal Pokemon. I'm not sure I can" Nurse Joy placed a hand on her forehead and it was clear to everyone that she hugely upset by this.
Ash was about to start pleading with her when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder and turned around to see a tall man standing behind him.
"Excuse me, I'm a doctor and I think I can help" he explained calmly and for good measure, adjusted his glasses.
Nurse Joy didn't need to be told twice.
"Of course, Dr.?" she asked as she ushered him through the doors into the operating theatre.
"Dr. Marron" he replied after some hesitation.
"Please anything you can do to help this girl" Nurse Joy begged earnestly.
The Doctor walked into the room, threw once glance towards the girl and then turned to Nurse Joy.
"I can handle this alone, please" he said politely but there was underlying steel in his tone.
Nurse Joy left him and waited with the boys outside the door.
The red light flicked on above the door and with a heavy sigh, Nurse Joy returned to the counter.
For a while, the centre was devoid of movement or sound.
Everyone was staring at the doors and Ash and Brock has taken up residence in front of the operating room.
Slowly, the centre filled with voices and movement and things were carrying on as usual with a heavy atmosphere.
Nurse Joy cured Pokemon but she kept throwing sidelong glances to the doors where Ash and Brock were rooted.
"She's gonna be ok, isn't she?" Ash asked.
Brock swallowed.
Ash and never been close to death, unlike Brock who lost his mother and Ash was scared.
This was a situation he never had to face before and no amount of training or cheerful talking would help.
"I don't know" Brock answered honestly.
Inside the room, the doctor was working away, trying to pull this girl back from the brink of death
"Come on, kid. Wake up! Wouldn't be very grateful of you to break those boys' hearts, after they went to all the trouble of bringing you here "he whispered gently.
About an hour later, he emerged from the room only to be greeted with three worried faces.
"I've done all I can but the rest is up to her. She's the only one who can decide if she's gonna fight, she looks like a fighter" he told them, avoiding eye contact.
"Thank you doctor" Nurse Joy said gently.
Deep in the recess of Misty's mind, she had woken up and was in a standing the bank of a glistening lake.
Behind her, a long path stretched back into blue sky.
Misty blinked, wondering what was going on but when she looked at her hands she noticed they had a strange white glow around them.
"How am I not dead?" she asked no one in particular.
"You are, kind of" a familiar voice answered.
Sound the Bugle now
Play it just for me
Misty looked around and was shocked to see herself standing behind her, except it was like a different her.
The Misty that was standing there had long flowing red hair without any blue and it fluttered gently in the soft breeze.
Her cheeks were pale while Misty's own were always flushed and there was no black choker around the second Misty's neck.
She was wearing a long skirt with a sleeveless blue top and seemed to be floating.
As the seasons change
Remember how I used to be
"Ok how can you be me?" Misty asked
"If it makes it easier, call me Kasumi and I'm not you"
"All evidence would point otherwise" Misty cried out,
"Well I'm you I'm what you could have been, if everything hadn't gone wrong and well you could be me now." Kasumi said with a soft smile.
Now I can't go on
I can't even start
"And what makes you so sure that I want to change who I am?" Misty asked, trying to hide her uncertainty.
"Because I know. Listen, what have you got left back there? A nasty history that you've been running from all your life?"
I've got nothing left
Just an empty heart
Misty looked away but Kasumi took her chin and stared into her troubled eyes.
"You want to fight for that?"
I'm a soldier
A wounded soldier
And I must give up the fight
Misty sighed and looked at the girl.
"You're asking me to die? Just to give it up, without ever trying?" she asked although she already knew.
There's nothing more for me
Lead me away
Or leave me lying here
"Why do you want to stay? I want you to be happy and you're not here. Sometimes it easier to lay down. You don't have to go down fighting. You were dealt a bad hand and maybe you should fold"
Sound the bugle now
Tell them I don't care
There's not a road I know that leads to anywhere
Misty stared back at the empty road that seemed to travel on forever.
"That's what I have to do?" Misty asked quietly.
The road was so long and she was wondering if she really did want to try it all again.
She turned to the lake and dipped her toe in wonder.
Without a light
I feel that I will stumble in the dark
Lay right down and decide not to go on
Kasumi approached her.
"If you want to try, I won't stop you. I want you to be happy"
A faraway voice echoed around the plain, a boy's voice that was choked up with tears.
Misty looked up to the sky and listened.
And then from on high
Somewhere in the distance
There's a voice that calls
"Hey you don't know me, but I saved you and they said I could come in and talk to you if I wanted and I did" the voice paused
Remember who you are
If you lose yourself
Your courage soon will follow
"Please don't die because I really want to get to know you. I want you to be ok because
I want you to ...I want you to not die. And you look tough, the doctor said you were a fighter and you have to be!
So be strong tonight
Remember who you are
"When you wake up you can tell me everything about yourself and I'll tell you all about me and we can be friends" the voice continued, sounding childish in his hope.
Yeah you're a soldier now
Fighting in a battle
To be free once more
That's worth fighting for
Misty looked at Kasumi with a determined look.
"That's why I have to go back. As long as someone out there thinks I can do this, I have to fight. It's what I do and I can't give up when I'm close to being happy. Besides I've got some major battles to take care of"
Kasumi smiled brightly at her and hugged her.
"Then I wish you all the luck"
"What are you anyway?" Misty asked as she walked down the road.
"The part of you that didn't want to keep on fighting"
That's the last thing Misty remembered before she was back.
She moaned but didn't waken; she was too tired from everything for that.
Ash looked up, eyes wide.
She was breathing normally again and her heart monitor had picked up and she was ok.
He rushed out to Nurse Joy.
"SHE'S OK! I mean she's still really, really hurt but she's ok and she's alive and she's not gonna die" the words rushed out in excited gibberish but Joy was able to pick out enough words to understand and she rushed into the room and let out a laugh of joy.
The girl was going to be ok.
Just around the corner, doctor Marron smiled in relief and leant against the wall.
"I knew you wouldn't let me down, Misty" he whispered to himself and then slipped out of the centre unnoticed by anyone.
To be continued.
I didn't realise it was going to be so sad or abstract, it was weird, even by my own admission but I liked writing it and it did have an uplifting end so that makes me feel better.
I hope you enjoyed it.
Please read and review.
Lots of love
Nibbs