Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or any of the characters. Just the random plot bunnies that my mind creates.
Chapter Warnings: Language, blood/gore, surgery
Chapter 17 - Pain
He's on fire.
He must be on fire based on the sheer amount of heat radiating from his back. His ears are ringing. Everything is muffled and hazy.
What's that saying again? Stop, drop and roll? I'm already on the ground though.
Fuck I can't move.
What just happened?
Where are Pikachu and Charmander? Are they okay?
Ash glances down and makes out the two small pokemon in his arms. Charmander is quivering close to his body, small orange hands pressed tight to the sides of his head. Pikachu is still limp with unconsciousness.
I have to check his pulse. Please be alive buddy. Ash attempts to reach forward but at the movement, his mouth opens to scream out in agony. He hears nothing but the ringing.
Charmander cowers further at his voice. Trying to get closer to his trainer. Trying some way to help.
Ash's gaze is blackening. Everything is just so blurry.
He sees a shape running towards him in slow motion. Watches as a mouth moves but no sound comes forth.
The last thing he sees is a pair of worried emerald eyes.
xxx-War of the Dragon Riders-xxx
Gary had protected his grandfather. As soon as he saw Ash throw the collar, he pulled the old man to the ground and quickly covered him with his own body.
The explosion had rocked him to his very core. Louder than any gunshot he had ever heard. His ears are still ringing in his head.
He quickly looks down to see his grandfather under him. Ears covered, slightly shaking, thin dusting of ash covering his bright lab coat, but overall seems to be alright.
Looking out, he sees a small smoldering pile of twisted metal coated in flames. Such a big explosion for something so tiny. Would the explosion have been smaller if the collar wasn't damaged?
He glances towards his partner. Green eyes open in horror.
Ash was too close to the explosion.
Blood splattered over the ground in front of his partner. The raven lies on the rough ground, curled in a fetal position protecting his pokemon.
The brunet watches, frozen in place, as an arm reaches out towards the yellow mouse. The downed body of the raven stiffens in pain as a hoarse cry is pulled from his lips.
Gary stumbles to his feet and races towards his partner's side.
"Ash!"
Brown hazy eyes meet his gaze before closing slowly. His body falls limp.
No.
The brunet quickly places two fingers on the vein on his partner's neck and leans down to watch his chest. He feels a slight puff of air on his face and low throbbing on his fingers. Still alive. Thank God.
Feeling wetness on his other hand, he looks down to see a small puddle of blood near Ash's shoulder. Where is he injured?
Peering over the prone raven's body, Gary gasps out at the condition of his partner's back. Blood leaks out of a multitude of slices in the fabric. His jacket is in tatters and burnt to a crisp. The pressure wave from the explosion must have sent shrapnel flying right towards him. If he wasn't wearing his Kevlar shirt to slow the momentum...he would probably be dead right now.
Gently prying Ash's pokemon from their trainer, he passes them off to the nearby Professor. The brunet then very carefully slides his arms underneath his partner's knees and shoulders. Lifting Ash up slowly, he steadily walks back towards the lab.
Walking up to a long stainless steel table, he walks to the edge and slowly places Ash's legs down. Using his now free hand, he stretches his arm across the raven's chest and slowly leans the unconscious man forward so he can slide Ash backwards onto the table on his stomach.
Once situated, the Professor steps forward with a pair of scissors to remove the ruined jacket. Gary's mouth falls open at the savage injuries riddling his younger partner's back.
Multiple tears throughout the Kevlar slowly ooze blood. The edges of each cut are burned and oozing a clear fluid mixing with the blood. Pieces of metal emerge from a few of the cuts.
This is bad. Really, really bad.
"Gary, you have to get him to the hospital in Viridian. The only surgical experience I have is on dead pokemon that I can dissect or minorly injured pokemon that don't need much fixing up. I can't help with this."
Gary reaches forward to lift up his partner once more when a hand grasps his wrist. Startled, green eyes meet hazy brown.
"Ash! Are you alright? I am going to take you to the hospital in Viridian. Just let me get Pidgeot and we can go." He can hear the worry in his own voice but neutralizes his expression before the hazy brown orbs can focus on his face.
Worrying him will just make this worse.
"No." A hoarse voice struggles out. The tan hand tightens around his wrist. "I can't go to the hospital. They will tell the League, and they will come to investigate. I won't let them re-collar or punish Pikachu."
The raven's hand slips from his and back onto the table. He's out cold once more.
Gary throws an exasperated look towards his grandfather before heading over to the pile of pokeballs he placed in the lab before the explosion.
Just as he is about to pick up Pidgeot's ball, he feels a hand on his shoulder.
"He has a point Gary. The military will blame Pikachu for this, and he will most likely be tortured and re-collared. No pokemon deserves that. Especially since it was not his fault that the collar malfunctioned." His grandfather explains softly.
Gary scoffs. We can worry about that the League being pissy later. I have to get him to the hospital.
"Ash is severely injured Gramps! He needs surgery and you said it yourself that you can't do it. I am taking him to the hospital!" He yells out angrily. The withered hand doesn't move from his shoulder. Reaching up to throw it off of him, he freezes at the older man's next words.
"Will you help me?"
Gary turns around completely frustrated. I couldn't stop him from getting hurt and now both of them keep trying to prevent him from taking Ash to get healed.
"Help you with what Gramps? You need to stay here and watch the lab and take care of Pikachu. I'm the one taking him to the hospital."
His grandfather shakes his head slowly. His mind clearly lost in theories and calculations as his face pinches together in thought.
"Help me with Ash's surgery. If I have help, I think we can manage it. Since Ash has a smaller build then you, he should fit in the small X-Ray machine that I have for medium-sized pokemon. We can see where the shrapnel is and remove it. I can stitch him up but I need someone to hand me tools and wrap him up afterwards."
Emerald eyes wide, he glances between the Professor and his partner. Can he heal him?
"What if we miss one? What if something happens? Or an artery is nicked or something? I won't lose him now. I can't."
His grandfather's arms wraps around him as he pulls him into a tight hug. Green eyes don't leave Ash's still form.
"He's stable now Gary. Even the bleeding has slowed down since the hot metal cauterized the cuts. He will survive without a doubt. His recovery time all depends on how this surgery goes, so let's do this right so he is back to his normal cheerful self as soon as possible alright?" Professor Oak states soothingly.
Taking a deep breath, Gary's eyes narrow in determination. I will take care of you. You are going to be fine Ash.
xxx-War of the Dragon Riders-xxx
Gary flinches as another groan of pain emerges from the raven's mouth. Almost done Ash, hang in there. He applies more pressure to the last cut as his grandfather finishes sewing up the previous one.
With a nod, he moves away as the impromptu surgeon pulls the skin apart carefully. Reaching in with a pair of sterilized tweezers, he pulls out a bloody shard of twisted metal. Placing it in the bowl with the others, the professor cleans up the area quickly before threading the needle through the skin once again.
Gary winces in sympathy as Ash tenses up once again. Deep breaths of an obviously forced variety can be heard from the face pressed into the table. Spots of condensation appear on the stainless steel table underneath him.
With a measured sigh, the older Oak lays down the needle and pulls off his gloves. He walks over and starts preparing a jar of some kind of liquid. Gary reaches out and places his hand on the back of Ash's forearm.
The raven's head turns toward him and offers a painful grimace.
"So how bad is it?"
"You are going to have some scars Ashy-boy. Will be a great story to tell all the babes you'll attract at the beach."
Brown eyes rolled in annoyance. A small smile emerges on his partner's face.
Finally. A smile suits him so much more than that pained wince.
"More like send them running for the hills." The raven groans out, voice rough from pain and exhaustion.
Gary hums noncommittally. He gives Ash a quick pat on his arm and lets go once the professor returns with a greenish-gray paste.
"Ash this is a special burn paste I made. It's a combination of aloe and Burn Heal to help treat the burns, Stun Spore to numb the area, Sleep Powder to help you sleep and some other odds and ends. Gary will have to put this on for you and change the bandages every few hours."
At a nod from the two soldiers, he passes the jar to Gary and leaves them be. Green eyes stare at the jar before moving to the mess that is Ash's back.
Grabbing a handful of the cool, thick cream, he carefully plops it onto his partner's back before lightly spreading it. His fingers are already tingling with slight numbness. Geez Gramps. How much Stun Spore did you put in this? But perhaps this is a good thing. He's not flinching anymore.
Gary quickly washes his hands off and flexes his fingers to get some feeling back into them. He carefully helps the now drowsy raven sit up on the table. Sliding his arms around the tan torso, he wraps line after line of bandages around the damaged skin. Taping the end in place, he throws the raven's arm over his shoulder and slides his hands once more under his partner's knees and upper back.
With Ash tucked comfortably into his chest, he climbs up to his room. No way he is sleeping alone tonight.
Reaching the top of the stairs, he hears a voice call out to him before they can retreat to his room.
"Gary, he might have a concussion as well since he was so close to the blast so wake him up every three hours alright?"
Nodding in acknowledgment, he enters his room and lays Ash out on his stomach near the center of the bed. Carefully crawling over him, he tucks himself against the wall and observes his slumbering partner.
I could have lost him today.
Fighting away the shivers of horror that wrack his body at the disturbing thought, Gary turns towards the ceiling as he prepares for a long, sleepless night.
xxx-War of the Dragon Riders-xxx
AN: Sorry. I just had to. Ash can be too reckless for his own good sometimes. Gary needs to take care of his partner after all!
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Next up: Chapter 18 - Mission
