Ashes in May Ch. 16 Hospital Days

Herro, peoples, I'm Love_Actions and I'm here to say something. I'd like to thank POKEMON FAN (Guest, lol) for your feedback. Honestly, I've put a lot of thought into what you said truly and that's why I'm saying this; at the time of your review I've already written out the next four chapters in advance. So, chapters 16, 17, 18, and 19 are already written and as you put it, sad and depressing, and well I planned it that way cause I want you all to understand that things are going to get real epic later.

NOW, because of your review, I started to really think of, look up, and imagine all kinds of positive things for them. I now realize that, yeah, it's definitely getting too sad and depressed, I truthfully admit it that's why I am going to easy the fun and wonder back in. After, all I did say there were going to be many slices of life moments. ALSO, I'VE BEGONE WORK ON A FEW TIME TRAVEL CHAPTERS THAT I THING YA'LL WILL LIKE! I'm truly grateful for the input and I'm glad it wasn't offensive, for that, I've given it serious focus to make this story to my vision but also enjoyable to you guys.

Also, special thanks to:

Stephbethallen – for a short comment but showed you interest. It's the best a writer can ask for.

Southparkfan – for being one of the few who got to read the original and still read it even after so long

Shane – for the, "…Show that asshole, Drew, a thing or two…" haha, also, stay safe and healthy, too!

Jackie – for reading and taking interest even though you're not all that into Pokemon like the nutjob I am, haha

As for the many Guests review, I glad most of you like it and I appreciate the feedback. I'm also glad a few of you also recognized this story from before. I know this story isn't perfect and I'm not trying to make it perfect, but I'm glad it's at least readable.

Day four of the typhoon yielded thunder that rumbled and crackled in the sky leaving the people of Alola to bunker down in their homes. Those in the hospital in Hau'oli city wait in a tense state, so many in surgery, others in recovery. In most cities, their hospitals were overrun and very much understaffed, even with the aid Ash had set up in different parts of the region. It caught to the point where some stable patients had to be placed in the halls to allow those recently out of surgery space to recover. One of those people being Gary himself who laid back in his hospital bed which was raised up. Gary was drained of energy just silently watching doctors, nurses, and regular people pass through the hall he was in. He had been thinking, sleeping, and more thinking, rinse and repeat. Slowly, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat for a few minutes waiting for the moment the hall cleared enough from him to move also in order to physically and mentally prepare his body to stand. It was against the doctors' wishes for him to go for a walk by himself as he was physically drained, and his heart was still recovering from his cardiac arrest. Still, Gary was not one to stay put when he had other things in mind. Now out of sheer luck, the nurses had found a shirt in the lost and found he could wear instead of the awful hospital gown; the shirt was actually a size smaller than what Gary normally wore so it was a bit of a close-fitting shirt. Of course, that meant he had to stay in bed anyways as he had nothing in the pants department to wear. Sure, he could have been given some clean scrubs but with the nurse and doctors constantly needing to change every few hours they could not give such sparse resources to patients. Thankfully, when they had cut through his suit that had missed his boxers and when the suit was off his body, they simply slide the boxers off thus he now had a tight t-shirt and his pair of boxers-briefs as his only clothing.

Ah, nudity something Gary was not afraid to show in the least, I mean he was proud of his athletic body and his package being as big as it was, it was just a very nice added bonus. However, he was in a hospital so walking around naked would not be appropriate in terms though definitely appreciated by some if you know what I mean. Still, he was grateful to have at least some clothes even if he left very little to the imagination, but hey I'm sure the nurses won't complain if he walked around in a shirt, tight boxers, and the less than appealing hospital socks. He stood up taking a breath as he straightened his back the proceeding to stretch careful to not pull the iv needle. A young male nurse was passing by and was forced to stop and stare at the distraction before him. There stood a tall handsome brown-haired guy in a skintight shirt allowing for a full discernment over the flexing muscles underneath the fabric. Not to mention how the black boxers the young man wore were just about halfway down his thick thighs and clung just as tight as the shirt. Gary didn't notice the nurse as he continued to bend down a bit to stretch his legs as he had been incredibly tense since the lightning had caused his muscled to contract very painfully. It was when he stood back up, did he see the nurse who hadn't stop staring between his legs. For the first time in three days, Gary felt a little bit like himself as he clicked his tongue to get the young nurse's attention. The male nurse's head snapped up to see the professor giving him a lewd smirk that had him bright red with embarrassment. Gary had to admit he liked it when people stared at least staring in this way; hey, can you blame him, he has an incredible body, big package and had the sex drive of a wild, er…Pokemon?

"Hope you enjoyed the view," Gary said giving a wink, and this time the young nurse blushed a deep red as he stuttered unrecognizable words before excusing himself in a hurry. As the nurse left Gary smirked hearing the boy mumble something about big feet to match. When he was gone the young Oak chuckled, 'I know what he meant, but my feet are perfectly proportioned to my body, I'm just hung…' To Gary it could sometimes be fun to tease people and it was easy to get what he wanted, but he knew who he wanted, so as much as the nurse looked cute and tempting to his cock, he wasn't going to take it. Though not to say he wasn't cunning enough to get what he wanted without his looks, it's just easier that way. Actually, he had combined said looks and cunning to get information of May since the doctors refused to tell him anything; the day before, he had spoken with a female nurse that in his opinion was very cute and she was smart eventually giving it…a bit. He was only been able to get her room's location but nothing else. He thought back to the night before he had been unconscious for about two days waking up early that night. He had been in so much hurt, still, he insisted that the best way to get better was to put an effort into gaining his mobility back. So later that night he snuck away to May's room.

There she was lying in a bed looking as if her life had been taken from her. Her natural enthusiastic glow was absent from her skin, her hair was untied frizzled a bit, and her face bared a pain expression. Her arm in a white cast while her fingers look dark and bruised. His heart broke while looking at the girl he loves and cares about looking so hurt. He scanned her over and the room spotting her suits utility belt along with her Pokeballs still attached to it on a table at the foot of the bed along with a binder. He picked up the one corresponding to her started Pokemon and release the fire type. With the usual flash of light, the fire type materialized beside the bed as Gary grabbed the binder and sat in a chair on the opposite side of the bed. He adjusted the placement of his iv-drip stand so it didn't get in the way as he took a look at the binder's content. Blaziken looked distraught looking down at its trainer who it had failed to protect. It coed softly as if to apologize to her; it gently used its knuckles to pet the girl's cheek. Gary could see how sad the fighting type was and by the looks of the summary, he just read it wasn't its fault. Gary bit his lip before speaking up, "Blaziken, it's not your fault you know. Yes, the tree swiveled around and hit her, but you saved her life." The bird Pokemon looked Gary in the eye with sadden Lillipup eyes. "If you hadn't jump in when you did that tree would have hit May full force and she surely would have died, so thanks to you the hit was less damaging and she's alive. May will get better and she will thank you for what you did, I know it." The blaze Pokemon nodded turning his attention back to its trainer leaving Gary to continue to read what he could.

The redhead was not a doctor and he admitted he didn't understand a lot of the terminology that was written in the report, but he did get the gist of it and it shook him to the core. From what he gathered May had been taken to surgery because of massive internal bleeding, damage to her kidney, and other internal organs. The young beauty also had a broken arm, and a few broken ribs, as well as other complications due to severe blunt force trauma. Then when Gary read what was on the next page his froze in disbelief. His gaze slowing rose to May his eyes wide as a tear fell from his eye; he could only imagine the pain May will go through when she finds out. Honestly, he was having trouble processing this information. Okay, first: May was hit by a flying fucking tree. Two: She almost died in surgery. Three: May had been pregnant before the hurricane hit. Lastly, Four: May lost her baby and didn't know it yet. SHIT! This was messed up even by his standards. Who was the father? May had been in very few relationships and the recent of which had ended badly. That meant that May had been pregnant with Drew baby! Wait, was the baby the reason they broke up, or did May not tell Drew? 'Okay, Okay, Okay, think, think,' the professor thought to himself. For crying out loud he had one of the brightest minds in the world and could solve complicated dilemmas, problems, mathematical and scientific problems, and even was better with Pokemon knowledge, yet at this moment he felt as though his mind was moving slower than a snail. Suddenly, he felt cold and his body had begun to shiver, you'd think it was because he was in a t-shirt and boxers, but it was not that at all. He set the binder down and with a bit of a struggle he got up and headed to find Ash, he needed to talk with him.

Now here he was on his fourth day in the hospital on his way to see May. He had eventually met with Lima who had explained a bit more of what had happened that day with May as well as the situation with Ash. Moreover, it was the lack thereof because there was no information about the Champion. Ash had simply disappeared and no one in Alola seemed to know where he was. Through landline communication, the authorities, and island officials updated each other of their status as well as if anyone had an update of the Champion. No one did. One minute he was in the hospital the next he was gone. In the end everyone hoped that he found shelter somewhere out there to bunker down to wait out the storm, but Gary was worried as the Typhoon didn't seem to be passing anytime soon. Just their luck, huh, getting the one rare storm that could last a few days.

Gary silently took each step towards May's room through the loud and busy halls, but the only thing he could hear was the sqwuer sound of his sock when he lifted his foot to take a step. His muscled were painfully sore and every so often he felt out of breath, not to mention the excruciating and very random cramps he would get. The doctors said he coded and stopped breathing, so in truth, he had died and was so for about a minute. Luckily and mercifully he had come out of it with little brain damage, now that would be awful after all he had such a beautiful brain it would be a shame if it went to waste. At this Gary snorted at the thought, if he had said that in front of May or Ash they surely would have called him silly or corny. So, stepping into May's room he took his seat near the bed glancing over the unconscious girl he loved so much for. May had yet to wake from her sleep even though the medication she was under was long gone from her system. He questioned the doctors with unrivaled rage that eventually broke the doctor's will and told him that May was not in a coma, if anything her body was resting as much as possible before waking up…okay, Gary was sure that was a coma. Either way, he hoped she would awake soon even if only for a minute, that would at least assure him that she would wake up again. He thought of calling out Blaziken but decided against it since the doctors had spoken to him that it was best for Pokemon to remain in their pokeballs, well, all except Pikachu. Oh, right up until this moment Gary hadn't mentioned him. Well, you see Gary can only understand so much of what Pikachu says, only Ash could fully understand his Pokemon. From what he got was that he had been looking though the hospital when he found May. He refused to leave her side even when the doctors tried to get Gary to take Pikachu with him back to his bed. The professor assumed that he had been looking for Ash when he disappeared and stumbled upon May instead. He was also sure that he was worried for his trainer but at the moment he knew he needed to stand guard over May while she was out.

The small electric type would sit curled up at May's feet looking just as downdraught as Gary himself. Pikachu would even refuse to eat preferring to sit still waiting for May to wake up and it wasn't until Gary kneel on the floor to be at eye level with him, did Pikachu have a different reaction. Gary looked at Pikachu with tears running down his cheeks, "Pikachu, I know you're worried, I am too, and I wish we could fix this, but we can only wait. Please, I need you to eat something, imagine how Ash and May would feel if they saw what you're doing to yourself." Gary held out a small open cup of jello offering it to the small rodent. Pikachu nodded ever so slowly moving closer to eat. Once he was finished, he took a seat in Gary's lab as they silently waited for their friend to return from the land of dreams.

[Day Five]

Just like the day before the young researcher woke up feeling sore and discontent. He was check-up by a female nurse, the cute one from before, then had the doctor come in for a personal check-up. Around noon the eye of the hurricane passed overhead and Gary took instant action to call his grandfather on his Rotom phone. "Hello…Gary are you there?" the older man asked as he looked at his grandson's image falter a bit. "Yes, gramps it's me. It's a bit spotty because the eye of the storm is overhead. At least the call went through, right?" The grandfather nodded with a serious face, "Gary, what happened you look very tired?" Gary looked at his grandad's concerned face and he didn't know how to explain things and in a rush of emotions he just blurted out the first thing that came to him. "I died," was all he said as he burst into tears. Damn it, Gary wasn't usually this emotional as his control was impeccable but with everything going on and having no one to talk about it with, he exploded. At that moment he wasn't the young adult he was, no, right now he was a small ten-year-old who need comfort from his grandfather. The older Oak quickly shifted in dad mode upon seeing his grandson so vulnerable and sad. "Gary, hey, hey, breath for me, okay. You're going to be okay, my boy. I'm here, calm." Gary only nodded as he will his body to calm though it did nothing to stop the tears from running. "Gramps, I got hit by a lightning strike and so did Ash and Pikachu." Professor Oak senior looked horrified but before he could question it Gary continued. "And…(sniff) May got hit by a tree that was uprooted by the storm. Now, it's been four days since the storm hit and s-she isn't awake. (Sniff) She's hurt bad and I'm w-worried. Grampa, May was pregnant before the impact, (Sniff), how wi-wi-hah-will she react when they tell her. Gramps, Ash is missing. He disappeared after we both woke up from the lightning strike. I-I don't know what to do?! (Soft sob)."

Samuel hadn't seen his boy this broke since he had lost his daughter, Gary's mother, along with her husband in a plane crash years ago. Samuel remembered the bitter day they had buried empty caskets as no bodies could be recovered from the wreckage. Gary didn't know this because it was definitely something a seven-year-old shouldn't know about, along with the knowledge that his parents had died. In that moment the older man desperately wished to be there to comfort his beloved grandson. Professor Oak senior like Oak junior was known for his calm collected attitude to all situation but he had been a father not only to his own children but to the boy on the other side of the screen as well. "Gary, my dear boy. Look at me. (The boy did so). Remember, when I took you to that apple tree by the lake and we sat there for a few hours. (The teen nods). Do you remember that was the day of the funeral? That day a lot in your life changed and a lot of hurt held you, much like now."

[Flashback]

Samuel Oak held his six-year-old grandson from his now-deceased only child. Gary cried and trembled clinging to his grandad's torso like a Komala to its log, his face buried in his grandad's shoulder. The man said nothing as he walked through the forest simply rubbing the sobbing child's back. Samuel felt sadness in his heart knowing that he would never see his little girl ever again and that the child in his arms would never see his beloved mother or father again. He contemplated the words he could say to his grandson all the way to his destination. When he had reach said destination, he reached up with one hand to pick two fruits from above, one that was ripe and had a bright red shine to it while the other was will mostly green with a bit of red showing through. Having done that, he took a seat cross-legged leaning back against the trunk of the large plant. "Hey, Gary," the older man spoke softly getting the boy's attention only for the boy to try and bury his face deeper into his shirt. Samuel pried the boy from his body and turned him around and sat him in his lap facing away from him. Gary didn't even bother to open his eyes bring his hand to rub the tears from his eyes.

Taking hold of the boy's wrist he moved them to his side, "Gary, I want to show you something, open your eyes. I am certain you will love it!" Gary pouted refusing but with a bit more coaxing from his grandpa, he opened his eyes slightly squinting trying to adjust to the light of the day. Once he could really see he say a big sparkling lake a few feet away from where the two of them were. He saw many flowers of all colors on the lakeshore opposite their location. The grass and trees had a deep emerald color that showed the peak condition of the plant life. The water had a turquoise coloring, yet it was clear enough to see things underneath the water in detail. In the distance a few Pokemon like Stantler, Deerling and Sawsbuck drank water while some Poliwags and Poliwhirl swam in the water keeping their distance from the two humans. It was a bright and sunny day and the world around them was teeming with life and color. Eventually, the small child's gaze rose to see that they were under the shade of a large fruiting apple tree. He leaned his head back so far that if not for his Grampa being behind him, he would have toppled over as he tried to see the tree in its entirety. "Wooooaaah," the boy cooed earning a chuckle from his new guardian. Gary continued to stare up at the large tree with tens of ripe red apples. "Where are we Grampa?!" asked Gary with wonder momentarily forgetting his sorrow. Samuel smile at the boy, steeling his nerves her spoke to his orphaned boy, "This is a special place your mother and I found when she was about your age. Would you like to hear a story about when you mom was your age?" Gary turned slighting to his grandfather looking slightly confused before looking excited, "Yeah, please!" Oak senior laughed giving the boy a tickled before leaning back. "When we found this place your mother wanted to call this place Sparkle, Sparkle, shiny lake." Gary's cute little face scrunch up not liking the name his mom wanted. Samuel laughed full heartedly at that, completely understanding the boy's thoughts on the name. "I know how you feel my boy, so I suggested a name that we both like and would call it to this day. Mada Mizu, it means still water. Your mother and I would come here to spend time, here we could play and have fun without worrying about school or work. It was still and happy." Gary stayed quiet as he listened carefully. The professor knew that Gary was a smart kid and would understand what he was trying to say.

"Gary, do you know what kind of tree we're sitting under?" he asked.

Gary nodded, "An apple tree?"

Samuel grinned with an eyebrow raised, "Are you telling me, or are you asking me?" Gary pouted before giving the tree another look.

"It's an apple tree." This time he sounded more sure of himself looking awfully cute in his determined state.

"Your right this is an apple tree and this tree is a bit old. You know someone once planted a tiny little seed in the ground and from it grew this big tree, who do you think planted that seed?" Samuel asked the boy in his lap.

Gary shrugged his shoulders not knowing or having an answer.

"Well, the person who planted the seed was your mother. See, when she planted the tree, she told me she wanted the tree to be big and strong so that once day she could marry her prince and have a baby and the three of them would eat apple happily ever after." This made Gary giggled as he remarked that his mama sounded silly. Samuel nodded, "I know she was really silly, but your mama grew up and found herself someone she knew was her prince which was your papa. (The boy woahed astonished believing that his dad had been a prince. Hey, let the kid image in peace). Though I didn't like your papa at first." The older man made a funny face wanting to make his grandson laugh.

Gary giggled again this time telling his grandfather that now he was being silly. After which Samuel continued his conversation, "Gary, your mama grew up and had you, bring you into the family. Just like your mother grew up and made something wonderful, you, this tree grew alongside her becoming big and strong and finally growing apples."

Now the professor lifted the boy from his lap and sat him down in front of him. He took the two apples he had picked from the tree and showed them to the young Oak. Gary looked cutely confused seeing the two apples waiting for the adult to explain himself. "Here Gary try this one and tell me what it tastes like," Professor Oak suggested offering up the bright red apple to the boy. Taking it Gary took a big bite out of the apple and quickly hummed with joy at the sweet taste of the fruit. "It's so yummy! It's like candy!" "Okay, now try this one." Doing so Gary took a bit of the other apple and almost immediately he spit it out onto the ground with a scrunched-up face. The elder man burst into a fit of laughter causing the boy pout puffing out his chubby cheeks in protest, "Hey, stop it! That's mean, Grampa!" After a bit Samuel calmed himself, he spoke, "Mmm, I suppose it was a little mean, I'm sorry, my boy." The boy looked pensive then smiled with a big toothy grin, he forgave his grandad. Oak senior's expression became more serious looking at the child, "Gary, now I need you to listen carefully and not interrupt me, can you do that for me? (Gary nods) Okay. My boy, life…is one of many things we all have to go through, and it comes even if we don't want too. One day you will grow up and be a strong man, just like this tree here and from your hard work you'll make many accomplishments just like tree make so many apples."

"Sometimes things will be nice and sweet like this red apple. When things are like this you have to remember to enjoy it as much as you can and to never forget to be thankful for those sweet moments. (The boy nodded dramatically assuring he was following so far). Then there will be times where things will be like this green unripe apple; it will sometimes be sour, okay? I know you feel sad that your mama and papa have passed away, I do too, but Gary you're never alone because I'm here with you and for you. Gary look up for me. See, how some of the apples are still green, well life is a bit like those apples. Things are sad and they taste sour like those sour unripe apples, but with time those apples with turn red and sweet and like them so do the sour moments in life, they one day turn sweet. Sometimes we won't know what to do or how to handle it, but we can be certain they will get better and all the more sweet. I miss your parents very much and I know you missed them terrible, so just know that you're not alone. I'm still here. I will always love you, my dear boy."

Gary then tackled his grandfather's chest sobbing so brokenly that it was enough to make Samuel's heart shatter. A few tears ran down his cheek knowing the pain of loss just like the child, quickly he wiped them away and embrace his only grandson in his arms. Right now, his boy need him, he would be his rock, his guardian.

[Flashback End]

"You said, "Sometimes we won't know what to do or how to handle it, but we can be certain they will get better and all the more sweet," and that a sour unripe apple will become red and sweeter, just like life." Gary said softly his breathing calmed and a meek smile grace his lips, "…Thank you, Grampa…" Samuel Oak nodded, "My dear boy, I'm with you and for you, never forget, you're never alone." The two spoke for a bit longer and eventually, Gary decided that it would be best to end the call to give him a chance to call May parents and Ash's while he had the chance. Of course, the next two call were not easy as to how was he supposed to explain to loving parents that their child was either M.I.A and the other had been seriously injured by a flying tree, a tree for fuck's sake. When he had finally came to the dreadful phone call to May's parents, he felt his breath hitch hearing the ring tone. He felt nervous and oddly sweaty in places he wasn't used too, yeah, he thought it was very weird and gross too. After, a few rings the call was answered and on the screen before him was none other than Mrs. Maple. "Hello, this is the Maple residence how may I help you? Oh, Professor Oak, what a pleasant surprise, may I ask why you've called?" Gary was suddenly all too aware of his dry mouth and a bad itch in his throat, "Hello, Mrs. Maple, before I continued, I would like it if you could bring Mr. Maple as well. It's important that you both hear what I have to say." Mrs. Maple gave him a confused yet concerned look but excused herself to go find her husband. For a minute Gary silently said at the screen and at the Maple home's wall which was covered with family photos. Those pictures show a happy and loving family, damn it, how was he supposed to shatter their lives like this. Next thing he knew Mrs. Maple reappeared with her husband in tow. "Professor Oak, it's nice to see you. I must say I'm rather surprised you called, is there something you wanted to tell us?" "Yes, sir. I'm in Hau'oli city Hospital in Alola. At the moment we are in the middle of a typhoon and the eye of the storm is passing over. I'm here at the hospital because May got hurt badly." Both parents gasped in horror. "Max is safe, but May hasn't woken up yet from her surgery. She had been out helping board up homes for the storm when the winds uprooted a tree and send it her way. The tree did impact her, though less harshly thanks to Blaziken who took the brunt of the impact." "Oh, no! How is she?! What happened to her?! How bad is it?!" The questions rained in through the speakers of the phone. Gary swallowed down spit from his seemingly dry mouth as his jaw clenched tightly. Still, he tried answering as many of their questions.

He explained the list of her injuries and just as he was about to mention the lost pregnancy the call was cut. The eye of the storm was passed, and the city was once again pelted by the downpour and ravaged by the winds. As the storm hit the building there was a brief moment where the electricity flexed a bit causing clocks to resent, lights to flicker, thankfully nothing was more happened. With a sigh of relief Gary leaned back into his bed just feeling so tired, at least the doctors said he was recovering remarkably fast due to his very good health. "Pika! Pikapika chu!" yelled Pikachu as he ran at top speed alerting Gary in seconds of something wrong. Pikachu looked frazzled and very worried as he jumped onto Gary's lap pointing in the direction he came. 'Wait Pikachu never leaves May, so if he's here looking so freaked, then,' he then exclaimed, "Oh shit!" He got up as quickly as he could ignoring the faint feeling he got from getting up. It wasn't long before he met up with a nurse looking for him. The nurse was a woman of old age and looked leagues calmer than Pikachu or what he himself probably did. "Mr. Oak, please I need to you to come with me. Ms. Maple woke up and the doctors told her about her injuries as well as her pregnancy. Unfortunately, and sadly unsurprisingly she did not take it well and refused to let the doctors of the nurses touch her." Gary followed the woman at a slow pace while she explained the situation. May, may have reacted badly but thankfully not enough that she needs to be sedated or restrained. All and all she just yelled bloody murdered whenever the doctors and/or nurses tried to get close. Nearing her room, he could a voice, it was raspy and pained, but it was no doubt May's. "Don't touch me! Please, j-just call Gary or Ash and leeeave me alone…p-pleaase…" it was clear from her voice that she was crying. The moment May laid teary eyes at the auburn-haired boy she whimpered like a kicked puppy and extended her arms desperately begging Gary to hold her. Gary didn't hesitate to sit next to her and pulling her into his arms, only getting more whimpers and rapid sniffs from the distraught girl. Even though her body and heart were in nothing, but agony May felt safe in Gary's arms, there were like Ash's, strong, yet gentle and warm. "Shhh, I'm here May, shhh, I'm here with you, and I'm here for you."

There you have it! I'm not sure how I would rate this chapter myself, really. Still, I think it was a good chapter and I hope you all liked it. I would like for you to tell me what you thought and how I could make it better. I like hearing from you because it helps to keep me motivated to continue to write. Anyways hope you liked it and I'll see you next time, AS THE JOURNEY CONTINUES!