Finally, we're back to this story! :)

~Dawn's POV~

"Wait, what?!" Suddenly, what Drew has said sinks in. "These things are poisonous!" I groan when he nods. "Oh, that's just peachy..."

"Well, most of them are poisonous. There are a few here that aren't," he observes.

"But, we'll stay far away, right? Because, are they contagious?" I ask. They might all spoil from one bad berry. Aw, that should be a book; One Bad Berry-

"We're not here to make a child's book, Dawn." I'm still getting used to Drew's sarcastically dry humor; it makes me jump. Paul doesn't really attempt at humor, and Ash...well, he doesn't really have to try, per say, to make everyone laugh. Heh heh. Oh, Ash.

"...ello, Dawn?" Drew snaps his fingers in my face. "Are you even aware that you're thinking aloud?"

"What?" He groans. "Great. And by the way your blabber sounds, I'd say you're going delirious."

"Delirious?" I shriek. "Am I gonna die? This is absolutely maddening! How can I possibly be delirious?! Is that a disease? Did I catch it from the water? Anything is possible, you know!" I tell Drew, totally serious. For some reason, he sighs. "Why? What have I done? Oh, no, Drew, you must have it too! It might be contagious! Oh, I know just what to do!" I adamantly pound my fist into the other hand as a brilliant idea strikes me. "We can't have each other catching it from each other! I'll build us a sand castle, and you can live on one end, and I'll live on the other! Then we won't say anything to each other, we won't touch each other, and we won't get each other sick! Isn't this just perfect?!"

~Drew's POV~

...Yup.

She's lost it.

~Ash's POV~

It's our third morning; the second night has passed. And sheesh; I don't think I have ever been so tired or hungry before. It's all I can do but start talking really - REALLY - loudly to hide my growling tummy. Our berry supply of twenty has shrunk to seventeen; one per "meal" and water is what Misty has. I just go watch her. (Wow, that sounds pretty creepy.) But I'm hungry, and those berries look so good; they are a bright red with green leaves. "...you even listening to me?" Misty has been saying, and I snap to attention.

"Sorry."

She rolls her eyes. "Eat a berry, Ash. I demand it."

"Demand?" My mouth feels dry as I see her eyes flare with determination.

"Yes, demand, Ash Ketchum! I, Misty, say that you have orders from me to eat at least one berry and drink at least one cup filled with water!" She holds out both, glaring at me. "Eat!"

~Misty's POV~

This is perfect. This is the way I will get Ash Ketchum to eat, and not starve himself to death. Why he isn't eating, I really have no idea. And he seems to be constantly swaying on his feet and yawning, like he didn't get any sleep. I brandish the berry at him. "Eat it, Ash!"

"B-But, Misty, I'm not hung-" And that's when his stomach grows, louder than I have ever heard from him (and that is certainly saying something)! Ash's face turns red, but he just scowls. A huge epiphany occurs to me - Ash is doing all of this pretending for me.

I look at him closely. There are dark marks under his eyes indeed, and his eyes are tired and dull. "Ash," I say in my no-nonsense-voice, "When was the last time you slept?"

There is a very long pause before he sighs and looks down at his feet - which are bare, by the way; our shoes were so water-logged that we just tossed them. "...The night before we got on the ship," he admits, and I gasp. So I was right after all. He wasn't sleeping at night. "And the last time you ate?"

"...On the ship."

"But, Ash, why?" My eyes begin to blur with tears.

"Because!" he suddenly yells. "I've gotta protect you! What if there's something past the boulders?! What if the tide comes in high? What if it gets too cold? I gotta watch out for you, Misty! I can't sleep!" His mouth shuts and his face flushes, but I've already heard it all. It's all a huge sacrifice that he'a actually willing to take, no matter what the consequences are, because it's for my own good! A smile slowly breaks across my face, and I instinctively hug him, probably scaring the daylights out of him as well.

I love you, Ash Ketchum.

~Drew's POV~

Dawn is delirious from the exposure and exhaustion, I know it now. She was never the strongest to begin with, and being in the water for almost forty-eight hours clearly took its toll. But the berries-! There are tons of them, most of which I recognize. Some are for humans, some are for Pokémon, some are for both, and then there are the purple-and-yellow poisonous ones. "Wait, Drew! Are you suuure they're poisonous?"

I sigh and press my fingers against my temples. "Yes, I'm sure. But it's a different kind of poison. They won't kill you, or hurt you permanently. But they will make you delirious. Well, even more so," I mutter to myself.

Dawn falls quiet for a moment, and I breathe a sigh of relief. And then it's over. "Wait...am I delirious? What's that again? And where is Piplup?" Then her face goes white. "PIPLUP!" Her eyes dart around and her hands fly to her face, letting out a cry. "Piplup? Piplup! Where are you, Piplup! And Buneary! Pachirisu! Mamoswine! Where are you guys?"

I don't know what to tell her.

Unfortunately, she finds out the answer herself. Sort of. "Piplup! There you are!" She takes off, and I whirl around in surprise, only to see Dawn hugging...

...a rock. It's about a foot tall and almost perfectly smooth, but it's a rock. She is hugging a rock, twirling around and grinning, laughing happily. An urge to knock her out with the rock hits me, but I growl and wave it off. Now I have to watch this crazy, temporarily unstable girl, as well as myself so I don't end up like that too.

We're doomed.

~Misty's POV~

I get Ash to eat the berry and drink the water, and then another berry, and then another cup of water, but he refuses any more. Then I drag him over to the sand - er, you know, part of the sand; that's all that this island is! - and say, "Sleep."

"What?" he blinks.

"Sleep, Ash. I'll be okay; it's broad daylight and high tide already passed. Plus, there isn't much of a high tide anyways." Ash looks about to argue, but I can't let him do that. "C'mon, Ash. Sleep." He falls asleep without another word, snoring loudly. It's almost cute, I have to admit that to myself.

Okay, so I've never met a delirious person before, so this is the best that I've got. What do you think is happening to Paul and May? Are the going to drown? Is Drew going to knock Dawn out with a rock? Is Ash ever going to wake up? Stay tuned! :)

Reviews and PMs are appreciated! :)