Chapter 2:
Empathy
Slowly her senses began to return to her, pain at the forefront of her mind. Eevee's limbs felt as though there were weights tied along their length; most concerning was the one that refused to move at all. As her hearing returned, muffled noises became much clearer. Voices were speaking around her, but they didn't belong to any of the few pokémon she had acquainted herself with in the forest. It wasn't until an icy sensation that soothed her head did she finally snap to reality, granting a degree of clarity she sorely needed. The cold but easing weight sat upon her cheek with thin appendages wiggled beneath her opposite side. She dared not move in such a precarious position.
Opening her eye, Eevee took in her surroundings. It was clear that she was no longer outdoors. The darkness outside the window was a stark contrast to the light she found herself in. A human, and an old one at that, stood next to the window looking outside. Her heart nearly froze when it dawned on where she was.
"They took me inside their home!" She began to panic. "What do they want with me?"
Eevee began looking around for somewhere to flee, but found none. As she dismissed the notion of immediate escape, she began to weigh her options. Ideally, she could break the window and flee through it, but would her battered body allow her to pull it off? The appendages beneath her wiggled again as the chilled weight on her head shifted positions. Yet another realization struck her, there had to be more than one human. This unseen human held her in place by her head and was holding something chilly against her shut eye and cheek.
"I don't understand… I thought they would kill me," Eevee thought to herself.
None of these humans' actions made sense to her. It was common logic to most wild pokémon that humans usually slay or enslave trespassers to their territory. Eevee looked back towards the old human and all her current thoughts disappeared as the two locked eyes. The old man smiled at her but made no move towards her, talking to her instead. His voice was rough with age but carried a friendly tone.
"Well, well, well… Welcome back little one."
Eevee didn't respond, she didn't blink, and she didn't dare move. Eevee had no idea what was going on anymore. A different voice spoke from above her, beyond her line of sight. It was much more feminine and conveyed slight unease. The human's fingers beneath her stopped moving and the cold pressure alleviated slightly. At a glance, it was obvious she was not in any immediate danger. Keeping her breathing steady, she forced her heart to slow and her body to relax a bit.
"Wait, is she awake?" the voice asked. The old man broke eye contact and looked up.
"Yes hun, no sudden movements, she's scared."
The human slowly slid her fingers from beneath Eevee's head and lifted the compress from her face. The girl took a few steps back and gave Eevee a wide berth as she circled around to join the older man. With the two keeping their distance, Eevee was able to calm down even further and regain some semblance of composure. Eevee was able to get a better look at the two without the girl holding her head in place.
The older man was bald, average height, and dressed in baggy overalls. He was generally unremarkable aside from his sharp blue eyes and kind smile. The girl however was almost his polar opposite. Dressed in frilly black pajamas and her golden blonde hair draping past her shoulders. Her only shared feature with the old man was her eyes, if anything a richer shade of blue due to her young age.
The man took a step closer and knelt down to her eye level on the table; his eyes wandered all over Eevee's body. Feeling uncomfortable, she let out a hiss. Chuckling, the old man didn't flinch but made no move to get any closer.
"Oh-hoh! You're a feisty one!" The man laughed.
"Don't worry, we aren't gonna hurt ya, and don't try to move too much right now," he continued. "You've had one hell of a night, you're safe now."
Eevee continued to stare, now dumbfounded at the human's words. Their actions defied everything she thought she knew instinctively.
"You're lucky you know, if grandpa hadn't stopped the bleeding, you'd be a goner by now," the younger girl added.
Her leg hadn't stopped throbbing this entire time, but her panic and urge to survey her surroundings drew her attention away from her wounds temporarily. After being reminded of her injuries, she tried to stand up and immediately regretted it; her vision swam as red blotches briefly dotted her vision. From the corner of her eye she could see a hand reaching towards her. Without thinking, she spun her head around and bit into the owner's forearm. In the middle of her reaction she was able to realize what was happening and held back, her teeth leaving deep indentations without breaking the skin.
"OW! You little rat! I'm only trying to help!" she yelled, clutching her arm to her chest.
The old man reached over, tugged her back, and inspected the bite. Eevee's eye grew wide as she felt the gravity of what she had done. Eevee's ears drooped to the back of her head as she shied away as best she could. If the man's words could be taken at face value, they were her saviors and she had attacked his family. Biting her lip, she awaited punishment.
"I told you, no sudden movements. You reached out to her and got what you deserved," the man chided.
"But grandpa!" she protested. "I-"
The girl's words were caught in her throat as she caught a quick glare from the old man.
The man patted her on the back as he released her arm... "You'll be fine. Look, you're not even bleeding. Just say you're sorry and go to your room."
"I'm sorry Eevee… That was careless of me," the girl apologized sulkily.
The exchange bewildered Eevee. She bit the girl and SHE was the one being apologized to? In the human world she knew heard of, such an act was considered unforgivable. Eevee didn't get a chance to respond as the girl walked out of the room shortly after. Guilt pecked at her mind as the elderly man spoke up.
"Oh, you don't know my name yet! My name is Robert! My rude granddaughter is Sasha, and my daughter is Delilah. Delilah isn't here right now ya see, she's fetching you a doctor."
Suspicion began to mount in the back of her mind. If she became healthy again, would these humans capture her and force her to obey them? Eevee lifted her head and once again tried to look at her bound leg. Robert made no move to stop her, instead choosing to give her a warning.
"Hey girl, don't mess with them bandages. They're the only thing keepin' you from bleedin' out right now. I ain't a professional but, I did my best there."
The effort sent a spider web of pain throughout her chest, her cracked ribs groaning from the strain. Eevee gasped and laid back down. Looking back at Robert, she noticed he had lost his smile. His friendly demeanor changed into one of concern. Raising one hand, he held it in the air.
"I'm gonna to touch you, is that alright?" he asked. "Need to see where you're hurtin'."
It was obvious that he was going to, regardless of her decision, so she nodded. Slowly his hand reached down and used two fingers to softly touch her flank in the same location as Sasha had. Instantly, she squirmed and hissed at his touch, the mere brush alone caused her pain to flare.
Robert frowned at once, her reaction halting his movements.
"Looks like you might have some broken ribs there."
Eevee rolled her eye and for the first time responded aloud.
"Oh, you think so?" she spouted.
The pokémon and human language barrier lost her words, but her actions were enough to get the message across.
"Oh! And sassy too!" Robert laughed as Sasha returned.
Not getting the same enjoyment out of the situation, Eevee just laid her head back down and flicked an ear in Sasha's direction. The ice pack had melted as it sat unused and Sasha had just returned with a fresh one. After her last interaction with the pokémon, she was much more slow with her movements as she placed the ice on Eevee's cheek while Robert sat on the couch.
"Eevee, you just take it easy and rest, you hear?" Robert began.
"Delilah shouldn't be too much longer and hopefully you'll be fixed up soon."
After a few awkward minutes, Robert shooed Sasha to go back to bed. With Sasha gone, she was left without the soothing relief of the ice pack. It didn't take long for the familiar throbbing to regain its strength as her own heartbeat worked against her.
Inadvertently yawning, Eevee laid her head down and began to ignore the old man as well. All things considering, this was the safest she could be as far as she could tell. With any luck he would keep to his word and she could leave as soon as she would be able to. She didn't realize at the time that her "help" had arrived as she let fatigue take her back to sleep.
Robert sat patiently in the living room as he watched Delilah and the doctor approach the front door. Robert groaned to himself as he watched the doctor enter the living room, he was a shorter man, looking not much older than Sasha. He was sporting a pair of almost comically oversized glasses and lab coat, complete with blonde disheveled hair. If this situation were anything but serious, Robert would more than likely laugh at his absurd appearance.
Stepping forward, Robert greeted his odd guest.
"Thanks for coming on short notice and so early in the morning, doc. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Robert," Robert said while extending his hand.
Clasping Roberts hand firmly, the doctor replied. "It's my pleasure! I understand a wild pokémon is wounded? I also have been told that it's outside its natural habitat?"
"Yeah, it's an eevee from what my granddaughter told me."
As he pulled his hand free, Robert noticed the business card that had been slipped into his hand. It was made of paper that had been laminated with a photo of him on its surface. It read: Office of Dr. Gene Bolton, General Pokémon Medical Practitioner. Beneath the title and name listed his contact information as well as the Goldenrod PokéCenter address. While slipping the card into his wallet, Robert looked at the doctor and noticed how light he was traveling.
"Hey doc, you sure you got everything you need there?" Robert asked, gesturing to the case.
"Of course! I have my limitations of course but I should have everything I need!" the doctor replied, tapping the side of his plastic carrying case. It was a simple white case, barely 2x2 feet with a single latch. It's only defining features were a small PokéCenter logo on its latch and a pokéball keychain that dangled freely on its side.
"If you'll excuse me, I would like to get started. It looks like it's in rough shape and I need to make sure it isn't bleeding internally," the doctor said while pointing to the sleeping pokémon.
"Yeah, She has had a rough night," Robert agreed.
As Gene began to perform a physical examination, Robert filled Gene in on what had happened and what he had found himself. The young doctor quickly but carefully examined each area that Robert had mentioned. After succeeding in probing the areas that had previously proven to be painful to the touch, Robert felt some respect to the young man. Not a single time during his physical did the eevee so much as stir.
After some time, Gene finished his inspection of his patient, he pulled out a small pad and a Pokéball with the PokéCenter logo on it. Robert figured the logo was standard at this point and looked on as he began scribbling notes onto his pad.
"What did you find doc?" Robert asked as his curiosity got the better of him.
"I was just checking her muscles, she seems malnourished," Gene replied as he began to pull out various other tools and set them around his patient. Robert noticed the young man seemed to be in a slightly sour mood but didn't want to interrupt.
"In here is my Rotom, a pokémon capable of possessing electronics and enhancing their features," he explained as he pointed to the pokéball.
"With this pad here and my Rotom, I can do x-rays, various scans, as well as monitor the vitals of most pokémon I'm working with. I beg your pardon but I need to work fast just in case this pokémon's injuries have internal bleeding."
Robert nodded and sat on the couch, unsure why the doctor was already in a foul mood. While Gene set up, he heard the doggy door flap open and close. It struck him that this entire time that Bones was nowhere to be found. Leaning towards the hallway he gave a low whistle. A quick bark and the scampering of claws on the floor revealed the orange canine barreling into the room, his bushy tail bouncing back and forth with each stride.
"Where the heck were you boy?" Robert asked. It wasn't like him to ignore Delilah's instructions.
"He was making patrols around the house dad," Delilah answered for Bones, making Robert jump in his seat.
" Son of a bi-… Dammit girl, don't sneak up on me like that." Robert said scowling, readjusting himself in his seat. He could hear the young man snicker as he was facing away; Robert ignored him.
"Why didn't you come in through the front door?"
Delilah only cracked a grin and walked to her faithful pup, rubbing his ears.
"Don't get all mad. I didn't mean to. Besides, Bones here was doing his job as our guard dog. I went out back to check on him."
The canine thumped his foot on the floor as she rubbed his sweet spots, giving Robert a smug look.
"Yeah, I know hun. Just wish he would let me know before he runs off. You know I get worried when he's outside alone at night in these woods. Just look at that eevee." Robert sighed, ignoring him while waving towards the other pokémon.
"Oh, he can handle himself. After all, his best traits are how strong and tough he is. Head to bed, Bones." Delilah chuckled as she headed towards the kitchen after waving in the direction of her room.
Robert watched the dog trot into the hallway and enter Delilah's room.
"Do you boys want some coffee?" Delilah asked as she poked her head around the corner.
"OH, yes! Thank you very much! I like mine black!" Gene said happily before returning his attention to eevee. Obliviously to the doctor, Robert and Delilah cringed at his request.
Robert got up and pulled a chair over to the side to watch the doctor, impressed by his dedication to his craft. He was holding the pad over the pokémon as it scanned her. Without looking over, the doctor kept an eye on the pad as it poured information at an incredible speed, as well as display the skeletal structure of the eevee. With a frown, the doctor paused for a moment before continuing as he addressed Robert.
"You know, if you had just captured her, I could have used my portable healing machine. It has a capacity of only a single Pokéball at a time and only holds enough juice for one session, but it would have been much faster," The doctor said to Robert.
"I didn't know such a thing existed, however, I'm not a trainer. Even if I was, I don't agree with catching something without its permission."
The doctor laughed softly. "Well, that's one way of thinking I suppose."
"But consider this," he continued as he activated his pokéball, releasing his assistant. "Capturing a pokémon to help it isn't the same as capturing it to add it to a team. You could have captured it, set it to stasis and then always release it when it's healthy again. You could have even brought the used pokéball to a vendor for recycling."
Rotom buzzed around the room for a moment, seemingly to inspect its surroundings before zipping into the pad. The electronic pad buzzed for a moment before Rotom's face flashed briefly on its surface. The pad seemed to glow brighter now that the electric type was in control. Shortly after, Gene began sticking small pads to eevee's chest, digging them deep into her fur so he would hopefully avoid having to shave her.
"Don't worry, Rotom is collecting data for me to review while I attach these electrodes."
Robert didn't bother to reply to him. Instead he was too preoccupied with what Gene had said. After a few moments he spoke up to defend himself, sure he was in the right.
"I see what you're sayin' doc, but I would still prefer not to. After all, you're here aren't you?"
"Yes, you are correct. I am here…this time," Gene swiftly replied as he reached for his pokémon/pad hybrid and began tapping away on its screen with increasing speed.
"However, if I had been unavailable for any reason, this pokémon would have surely died. You handled the first aid yourself; how could you not know how severe these injuries are?" His words became increasingly sharp and contemptful.
Robert looked at the sleeping pokémon on the table, her face still slightly contorted. He knew her injuries were severe, but didn't understand what Gene had meant. If a doctor couldn't get here, he could have taken the eevee to Azalea Town.
It was then a series of thoughts struck him: Delilah had taken his truck, Ilex forest was dangerous at night, even if he were escorted by Bones, and although he had bandaged her exterior wounds, he had not taken account that she could have been bleeding internally. In his mind he was doing what he believed what was right, but in reality, Robert was taking a very unnecessary risk.
Robert slumped in his chair slightly, visibly defeated. He leaned forward and put his head into his hands as he took in what could have happened.
"Damn it, he's right. We should have put her in a ball when we found her," Robert thought to himself, remembering the small lecture he gave Sasha. "Guess Sasha would have been half right in this case."
He made a mental note to correct his previous lecture to her in the morning.
Robert rubbed his eyes before sitting back up, his lack of sleep beginning to catch up to him. Delilah returned with their beverages, distributing them before taking hers off of the wide plate she had carried them in on. The two men thanked her for the treat and fell silent again. After a few awkward moments, Delilah spoke up to break the silent atmosphere that had taken root.
"Dr. Bolton, I understand you're upset, but try to understand that this all happened very fast. We just didn't have the time to think of everything. I had just woken up myself and didn't think of it either; things could've gone much smoother if we just went to the pokémon center in the first place."
After rummaging through his equipment case again, the doctor pulled out another, smaller, case held shut by an electronic lock. Snapping his fingers, the Rotom in the pad moved to the lock with a low zipping noise. A moment later and Rotom unlocked it for Gene before returning to the pad.
Gene took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he let out a sigh.
"You misunderstand, Ms. and Mr. Reed; I am not upset with your decisions, I am simply informing you of what would have been the better course of action, in case a similar event were to happen in the future; you are living next to Ilex Forest after all."
Pulling out three differently colored vials from the smaller case, he began to draw a small amount of fluid from each of them with a syringe before setting it down onto the table. The fluid in the syringe seemed to move on its own accord slightly as its color changed. After a few moments, the liquid settled into a bright yellow as it ceased its changes.
"So, no, I'm not blaming you or your father. I think you are wonderful people for going so far for a wild pokémon. If anything, I'm frustrated with the limited support I'm only allowed to give wild pokémon on a house call. If it were officially caught, I could have simplified this process without having to follow these restrictive procedures...but you are correct, taking this pokémon to the treatment center would be the most efficient method of seeking care."
"Good, now that's settled, but what exactly do you mean limited support? Why can't you treat eevee the same as my growlithe?" Delilah asked as she walked to the couch to sit down.
"As I said, I could have just used the machine, however, she has no pokéball. I can assume that since I made it here with no issue, putting her in one would conflict with your beliefs," He finished as he gestured to his case.
Gene sipped his coffee before picking up his needle. After a careful inspection, he gave its needle a quick flick. Robert and Delilah exchanged a worried glance as the doctor turned back to Eevee.
"Don't worry, this is a cocktail of a mild anesthetic, harvested Ditto cells, some pain killers, and antibiotics. These will keep eevee from waking up as I work, encourage cell regeneration and help fight off any current infections that may try to set in," The doctor explained, inserting the needle into the pokémon's thigh. After placing the used equipment into a small hazmat bag, he turned back to face the two.
"Aside from the rare allergic reaction, there has been minimal side effects no different than human medicines to prepare for surgeries but it will take a minute or so to kick in since an eevee's metabolism will attempt to process it, so in the meantime, I would like to ask for a favor while we wait," he said as he pulled a folded piece of paper from his breast pocket and handed it to Robert.
"If it's reasonable, sure," Robert replied as Delilah nodded from her seat.
"Great!" Gene beamed. "Now as I said before, I'm limited to what I can do to help a wild pokémon so I would like to ask for you to join a program the regional champion implemented himself. In cases like this where a pokémon requires medical attention but is wild, we ask for volunteers to assist by caring for the pokémon in question until it is healthy or leaves on its own accord."
"What's the catch?" Robert asked, crossing his arms.
His smile grew wider as he looked Robert in the eyes.
"The only catch, Mr. Robert, is you or your daughter will have an extra mouth to feed. Being wild may bar this pokémon from the standard healthcare practices that Pokémon Center's usually provide, but this program will cover any future house calls and costs of medicine for the bare minimum of four months."
"We'll have to talk about it," Robert answered. The attitude the doctor had shown him so far also discouraged the idea of wanting to do him any favors; nonetheless Robert liked the ideals of the program.
"Of course. However, before I begin, I must warn you of this eevee's current condition. As you had guessed: she has swelling from blunt force trauma, her hind leg has a torn vastus lateralis, and two cracked ribs. However, she is also suffering from malnutrition and will require a diet to regain the muscle mass and body fat she is lacking," Gene explained. "I can immediately help with her leg and swelling, but her ribs are damaged too close to her thoracic vertebrae and will need to heal on their own. As this eevee is a wild pokémon, I require permission from the homeowner to operate in your home. This is mostly permission to operate here despite it not being your pokémon and that you're willing to let me take her to an appropriate care center should you decide not to enroll into our program once the procedure is complete.
As Gene finished speaking, the pad he had been using floated into the air and came to a stop in front of Robert. Robert looked at the doctor skeptically.
"Don't worry Mr. Reed, you have a month after signing to back out of the program if you wish to."
Taking it from the air, Robert signed its surface with his finger before releasing it. Satisfied with the proper paperwork out of the way, the doctor began to store his unneeded tools before producing new ones, an assortment of scalpels, needles, surgical pliers, etc.
"Hell, how does he fit so much stuff in there?" Robert thought to himself. As much as he wanted to ask, he knew that the young man didn't have the time to answer such a question.
"That's everything, I'll get started then." The doctor said. "I need as little disturbances as possible as I have to stitch together her muscle before the Ditto cells regenerate it as is.."
Not completely understanding, Robert motioned for Delilah to follow him to the front porch, leaving the doctor to his work. In his hand was the application to the program.
After stepping outside, Robert looked to the sky. Dawn had begun to arrive, the warm colors of the sun slowly driving away the night sky as it rose. Living next to Ilex forest, Robert had the luxury of witnessing the morning sky without the sun directly shining on his house during the early hours of the morning. As Delilah shut the door to the house behind her, Robert turned to face her.
"Well? Do you think we should do it?" Robert asked while handing the paper to Delilah.
She furrowed her brow as she began reading through it. Not giving an answer immediately, she folded her arms. It was clear that the question had an obvious answer to her.
"I don't see why not, Dad. If all we are responsible for is food, I can just pick up some extra shifts at work," she offered.
"Money isn't the issue hun, time is. Do you think one of us will be around at all times to care for a hurt pokémon? This isn't Bones we're talking about, one of us needs to be here to take care of its needs."
Shaking her head, Delilah pointed at the paper.
"I think this is a good chance to do some good, Dad, besides it's not like Sasha can't help. All she can think of is getting her starter and going to challenge the gym circuit."
Robert ran his hand over his scalp.
"Well… She may be my granddaughter but you're her mother. If you think we can do this, then let's do it."
Delilah beamed at him, proud as can be.
"If anything, this could help Sasha learn to care for a pokémon besides Bones. She's still in trainer's school after all and could use the experience," she added.
Robert took the paper back from his daughter to look over again. Aside from the PokéCenter logo, it listed the benefits of becoming a volunteer and an "Inquire Within" on it. It being just a flier, Robert just folded it up again and put into his breast pocket of his overalls.
Gene's words echoed in his mind.
"If anything, I should do this because I owe her," Robert thought; a somber expression was on his face as he turned away from Delilah.
"Well that settles it, we can talk to him when he's done," he stated flatly. "but on the condition the eevee agrees to this arrangement. We aren't slavers."
Delilah headed to her room to nap for a few hours as Robert sat back down onto the couch. Realizing the tv wasn't an option, Robert pulled a book from his end table and began to read. The cover of the book was well worn and the spine was beginning to fail. On the cover the title read in a simple font: "The Life, Love, and Loss of a Rose." As he read, the world around him all but ceased to exist as he immersed himself within its pages until the doctor finished working.
Muffled sounds could be heard as Eevee woke up yet again. Light was streaming into the room from the window, a sign that nearly a half a day had passed since she had last woken up. The events of the previous day replayed in her mind; her home invasion, her fight, her saviors…everything had happened so fast, she could scarcely believe she had survived.
"Well now, look who's awake!" a voice called out.
Eevee shook her head, she couldn't get rid of this foggy feeling over her head. It clouded her thoughts and left her feeling both tired and well rested; the most bizarre state of mind she had experienced so far. After failing to be free of this uncomfortable sensation, she looked around to take in her surroundings sluggishly. Robert and a man she didn't recognize were standing next to her.
"Hello Eevee, I'm a doctor from the pokémon center in Goldenrod city," the man introduced himself.
"Ms. Reed came to the PokéCenter to pick me up after Mr. Reed called me. Now, I've already gone through the operation details with Mr. Reed but I have some simple questions for you."
Eevee simply nodded, wanting to know what had happened to her while she slept. Stealing a quick glance at Robert, she saw him standing off to the side scribbling away on multiple sheets of paper. She tried to get his attention but her throat was too rough and her voice failed her. Taking notice, the doctor quickly called him over to stand next to them before continuing on.
"You're a very lucky pokémon, Eevee. You have severe bruising in your periorbital skin, two ribs cracked near your spinal column, two additional bruised ribs, and the muscle tissue in your vastus lateralis received severe lacerations."
The doctor looked up from his notepad, making sure he still had her attention.
"Your leg was the most alarming to be sure, but didn't match up with the claw patterns of any Patrat or Watchog that I know of. I need to know Eevee, did another pokémon wound your leg?"
Eevee shook her head, blaming her assailants didn't seem to make any sense. Shortly after she shook her head she remembered what had bit into her; the nails in the fence she had broken through were the likely culprit. The doctor moved onto his next question, one she feared.
"Do you remember what could have caused it?" he asked.
Eevee vigorously shook her head, causing a wave of nausea to assail her. Eevee kept her head movements to a minimum as this game of twenty questions continued. The doctor asked her yes or no questions about her life, where she came from, and how often she ate.
After roughly an hour of the tedious exchange, the doctor finally began to bring things to a close.
"Okay, I think Robert has a final question for you before I leave," he said, waving Robert closer and stepping back.
The old man squatted down to be the same height as her.
"Alright girl, I know you're tired and I promise we'll move you to a better spot to sleep soon but I have an offer for you. You're a wild pokémon and normally can't get help from the PokéCenter if it's not an emergency, but if you stay here until you get better, we can get other help for you no problem; but you see, I need to know if you're okay with staying here..."
Eevee blinked a couple times, perplexed. This human was offering to nurse her back to health and still hadn't asked anything in return, not that she could have given anything but herself.
"Why are you doing this? I don't understand…" she nervously asked, a combination of suspicion and frustration began to bud in the back of her mind.
The doctor and Robert looked at each other, lacking the means to communicate verbally, her words fell on deaf ears.
"Little one, I need you to nod or shake your head. I can't understand you," Robert said.
Frustrated, Eevee laid there and thought hard about what this meant. If she accepted, she could easily flee from them as long as they didn't force her into a pokéball. Becoming a slave to a human repulsed her fiercely, but the humans so far haven't even done anything indicating that.
If they pull some sort of stunt, I can always just run away. I broke through their fence once; I can do it again, Eevee thought. Especially if I'm at full strength.
She looked up to the expectant but patient eyes of Robert and nodded. Immediately a wide smile broke out across his face as she did and rubbed her head. His hands were rough to the touch but it was obvious he was trying to be as gentle as he could in his excitement. Eevee briefly thought back to the lecture he had given Sasha about touching her without warning or permission and felt conflicted. On one hand she didn't want the old man touching her, but on the other she knew he meant no harm and had gone out of his way to help her in her time of need. Her suspicion and anxiety melted away as she came to her conclusion. Satisfied with her answer, Robert turned to the doctor and began to ask questions about how to care for her.
Well he certainly seems like he doesn't have any plans to keep me here at least…
As the two men chatted away and the last of the grogginess began to fade, Eevee felt her stomach beginning to stir. Between her failed food search and being unconscious, Eevee's appetite had caught up to her. Hiding her face into the small box corner, she waited for the inevitable to happen. As if on cue, her belly let out a rumble, vocalizing its need to be filled at the cost of her pride.
The two stopped talking abruptly and stared at her for a moment before continuing on; Eevee assumed they were ignoring what they had heard until she felt a light tapping on her ear. Looking up Eevee saw Robert holding something in the palm of his hand, a small light brown disc that smelled of berries. What berries were used to make this confection were a mystery to her but her appetite won out over reason as she snatched it from his hand. For a moment, she wondered where Robert had pulled the cookie from, but quickly decided not to pursue that line of thought and continued eating.
While she chewed on her snack, she overheard the doctor giving Robert tips on what to feed her and when he should do so. Many of the words were lost on her but she could tell at the very least she might not receive a hearty meal for quite some time. Sadly, the cookie only succeeded in taking the edge off her hunger.
Licking her chops, she noticed that the doctor began to pack up his belongings. If he was leaving, she wanted to thank him and say goodbye. Thinking quickly, she began tapping her paw onto her box/bed while calling out to him. Robert followed her line of sight to the doctor and let out a cough in his direction.
"Wait! You're leaving already?" Eevee barked. Her heart sank, this human was the one directly responsible for setting her onto the road to recovery and, like Robert, had asked nothing in return. She owed him a debt of gratitude at very least since she didn't even know his name.
"Come here! You at least need to say good-bye!" she barked again, this time trying to convey a sense of urgency.
The doctor continued packing while he asked Robert what was going on.
"I don't know doc, she just won't stop staring at you," Robert curtly replied.
Eevee never broke her stare as he approached, eyeing him expectantly.
"Was there something else?" the doctor asked, reaching down towards her.
Catching him by surprise, Eevee leaned over and nuzzled his hand. With no actual method to communicate with him, she did the only thing she could think of, being the one to initiate contact. The doctor's face broke out into a goofy grin as he moved his hand to her right ear, giving it a good massage. His hands moved throughout her skull with incredible dexterity, a world apart from Robert's attempt at affection, all while still avoiding the bruising around her face and eye.
"Thank you for saving me," she purred, becoming lost in the euphoria as he switched ears.
A girl could get used to this, she thought, genuinely pleased and thankful for his help.
Her words didn't need to be heard; her actions were enough to get her point across.
"I became a doctor to help pokémon that were in your position. Try sending some of that gratitude to the ones who actually saved you and will be taking care of you." He grinned while shifting his hand, massaging her other ear. When his hand finally pulled away, the pleasure left with it, Eevee let out a short but satisfied sigh.
Eevee settled into a more comfortable position in her makeshift bedding; she resigned herself to whatever future came. Having escaped death and found herself into a warm home, as suspicious as she still was, was more luck than she had ever dreamed possible.
Delilah quickly walked from her room and hopped into the truck, presumably to bring the doctor back home or to his workplace. Robert turned to Eevee and told her that he would be right back, walking out to the truck to talk to his daughter.
The doctor was last to leave, giving pause to inspect his belongings. As he headed for the door, Eevee gave one last sigh. The only thing on her mind was how to move forward with these people, the humans that defied all she had ever known.
"Well, they say life sucks and then you die right? What do you call this then?" Eevee murmured to herself.
Without missing a beat, the young man turned around and gave her an inquisitive stare.
"I would call it a second chance my dear," he answered matter-of-factly before heading out the door, leaving Eevee too stunned to reply.