Okay... I am so terribly sorry for this late update! The thing is.. I have a job now and stuff and my lovely boyfriend gave me his bastard illness so I have been sick for a while :3 but I am getting better now. and also I am going to be writing a novel after I have finished this fic :3
So... i'll just tell you that you might wanna keep a tissue handy when reading this, I won't say why... just its good to be prepared and stuff ^^
Ah, not long left to go i'm afraid until it's over... but all good things must end. Anyway I'll give you the next update :)
Chapter Seventeen: A match into water
Don't you just hate it when you are perfectly comfortable and snuggled up in a nice warm bed and then your bladder tells you that it's time to get up? Yeah... I hate that. Why couldn't it just wait a few moments longer?
Somewhat reluctantly I opened my eyes, which were still groggy from being half asleep, as the realisation that I really needed to pee settled in my brain cells.
Damn it! Stupid bodily functions always getting in the way.
Rubbing my eyes sleepily I tried to look around the dark room.
Gary was still beside me, sleeping peacefully. The gentle rise and fall of his chest and the sound of his soft breathing was the only thing that made me realise that this time it was for keeps. He wasn't going to get up and tell me that I was a mistake, this time it was proper and there was no way I was going to give this up now. I cracked a weak smile as I shuffled to the edge of the bed, feeling a cold chill attack my bones.
It wouldn't matter if I popped to the bathroom naked would it? I mean what's the likeliness that Mr Mime would waltz in and see my junk? Exactly, so why not?
Getting out of the perfectly warm and comfortable bed I trudged sleepily towards the door, trying not to walk into any inanimate objects along the way. After all, I didn't want to wake Gary up through my own clumsiness.
Rubbing my head I left my bedroom and walked inside the bathroom. It was now I noticed that I really needed to freshen up. The antics from last night were kind of glued to my stomach and it didn't look very appealing, not even to my half asleep eyes.
So that was settled, after I had relieved my needs I would have a quick shower and then hopefully get back in bed before Gary woke up. Damn him and his early body clock. Then again I had no clue to what the time actually was.
After feeling the relief of emptying my needy bladder I combed my fingers through my hair.
It was all unkempt and wild looking, and I didn't even use all those hair products that Gary used to get it to look like this. Just one wild night of passionate sex was enough to make my hair look like I had been pulled through a hedge backwards.
Sighing I grabbed the baby blue towels that hung lazily on the radiator and placed them nearby before I decided to switch the shower on.
I really hoped that the noise of the shower wouldn't wake up the emerald eyed boy, after all, I did want to seize the opportunity of him being sound asleep and being powerless against me. I doubted the likeliness of that happening though, Gary would probably wake up at the drop of a hat.
Switching the shower on I tested the temperature of the water with my fingers.
Well the thought of scalding myself wasn't that appealing.
As the water started to warm up my mind lingered on thoughts of last night, and how amazing it was.
Yes, okay, my ass is feeling a little sore but it's nothing I can't handle, and it certainly doesn't put me off doing it again.
Gary and I just seemed to connect really well when we made love last night, like something electric surged through me and made me feel alive. I have never felt that way before.
I snapped out of my thoughts when the water got a little too hot for my liking and I quickly withdrew my hand.
Mixing some cold water into the hot I waited a little longer before deciding that now was the time to get freshened up before Gary woke up. A small part of me also prayed that Mr Mime would not randomly walk inside while I was in the shower, he was probably traumatized enough after last night.
I bet he heard everything... shit. Yeah, totally traumatized.
It took me approximately ten minutes to have my shower, which was a new record for me. Usually I can't be bothered to rush and so take my time, but considering I wanted to get back into bed and snuggle Gary before he woke up gave me that added boost I needed.
Rubbing my wet hair dry with one of the towels I gazed at my reflection in the mirror.
It was now I noticed that I really had matured a lot recently, and not just with how I was behaving. Even my appearance had changed slightly. I had lost that babyish appearance I used to have that made me 'cute' according to the girls.
I mean come on, calling a guy cute isn't really flattering is it?
But, now I guess I just lost some of that cuteness and I was starting to look more like a man. Of course I could never look as manly as Gary did. He looked more manly than I did even when we were kids.
He just has that look about him you know? A sophisticated appearance that makes him look older than he actually is.
He would never get mistaken for a fifteen year old on the bus and get away with paying child fare like me. Even though it riled me up at least if I needed to use the bus it would be cheaper.
Taking one final look at myself I decided to head back to the bedroom, back to the sleeping emerald eyed boy who was blissfully unaware of his surroundings.
As I entered the bedroom it was still incredibly dark and it took me awhile to figure out where it was safe to walk without stubbing my toe on the edge of the bed, or on various inanimate objects scattered around.
Smiling to myself I saw Gary's figure curled up amongst the bed sheets, his mouth slightly a jar as one of his arms was raised above his head.
How could he sleep on his back? God, if I did that I would snore for England and then I would get a nasty punch in the ribs.
Gary never snored or fidgeted, or anything actually. He was a pleasure to sleep with, in both senses of the phrase.
Walking closer I sat down gently on my side of the bed, feeling the warmth his body emitted through the bed sheets. It was a rare sight to see him asleep as usually he was awake before me.
Maybe last night really knackered him out? Then again, I am not surprised.
Settling back into the bed I felt a rush of body heat wash over me and Gary's distinctive scent tickled my nose as I inhaled.
God, I loved that smell.
Whenever I was near him it radiated off every inch of his body like expensive cologne.
Smiling to myself I breathed in the atmosphere of having the emerald eyed boy so close to me, happy that in fact just this simple moment meant so much to me. Even though he was unaware that I was awake it was nice knowing he was still here and didn't freak out this time.
Perhaps a part of me thought he would?
Turning to face the brunette I kept that smile on my face, watching the soft rise and fall of his chest, as his arm twitched involuntarily whilst in slumber land.
God... he looked so gorgeous even when asleep!
I wished I could look like that when I slept, so innocent, so beautiful. A picture of perfection.
Slowly I wrapped one of my arms around his toned stomach and snuggled up against him.
Sighing in contentment I felt him shuffle a little at the contact but it soon settled down again. As I rested my head on his chest I could hear the soft fluttering sound of his heartbeat, pulsating deep within.
The sound was so soothing it was almost sending me off to sleep again.
Not quite though.
"Mr Mime!"
I cringed, knowing immediately who was calling.
His voice was so incredibly loud for this early in the morning it made me tense up and try to ignore it. I knew I wouldn't be able to for much longer.
"Mr Mime! Mime!" Mr Mime called out.
It sounded like he was in my bedroom and with that thought in mind I sighed.
Great, just what I didn't need, a psychic Pokemon ruining my bedroom antics Then again, maybe I owed him an apology for what happened last night.
I sat up reluctantly, feeling Gary's body shuffle under the covers as I just stared at the Psychic type.
By the look on his face he did not look too thrilled, okay, I was totally screwed. He must be scarred for life now.
"Will you keep it down! Gary is sleeping!" I whispered in rage, indicating to the emerald eyed boy with my thumb.
Mr Mime folded his arms and pouted, obviously unhappy with something.
The living arrangements? Well, that was obviously going to be a problem. I doubt even I would want to hear what happened last night, and after all we were kind of loud.
"Mime... Mr Mime..." He murmured, those large eyes flickering to the carpet in annoyance.
Scratching the back of my head I thought.
It was actually very unfair that he had to hear all of our shenanigans, perhaps he would be better off staying with Professor Oak until Mom came back?
But, maybe he wouldn't take too kindly to being pushed out of his home because of two hormonal and very rampant teenagers.
"Hey... I'm sorry okay,"
I tried my utmost to make my apology sound convincing to the Psychic type.
Well, I was kind of lost in the throws of passion so it was not like I could help it.
"Mime..." He almost whimpered.
My attention was swiftly diverted to the shuffling felt beside me.
Gary was waking up, like I said, it wouldn't take a lot to drive him out of slumber land.
"Who are you... talking to?" He groaned, rubbing his eyes with his hand as his body pushed up into a sitting to face the brunette I could not help but sigh.
God, why did he look so gorgeous even when in grumpy-just-woken-up-please-don't-disturb-mode? It was just unreal.
"Mr Mime came in... he's not too pleased,"
Upon saying those words Mr Mime nodded and huffed in annoyance.
Gary frowned for a moment before blinking, finally acknowledging our little visitor.
"Why?"
I coughed uneasily and nudged him in the ribs.
I didn't want to actually say it out loud, Mr Mime was already feeling a little rough about the ordeal.
With wide eyes Gary mouthed an 'Oh' with his mouth and smirked.
Well, I don't think Mr Mime found it amusing.
"Well it's all your fault anyway," Gary commented, ruffling his wild hair with one hand as he yawned loudly.
Raising an eyebrow at the emerald eyed boy I could not believe that he just blamed me for upsetting the Psychic type.
"Hey! Don't blame me for this! If it wasn't for you then I wouldn't have made so much noise"
Again he smirked, making me cringe.
"Okay then, fair enough. Let's say we are both in the wrong and call it quits"
I nodded, actually surprised that Gary so willingly dropped the dispute. I had half convinced myself that he would keep blaming me when in actual fact he was the one ultimately to blame.
"Mr Mime!" Mr Mime bellowed, huffing once again and then turning to leave the room.
My apology must not have gone down too well then.
Gary turned to look at me and simultaneously we just shrugged.
He was such a strange little guy to figure out.
"What time is it?" He asked, trying his best to gaze at his watch, but the lightning conditions were just too poor.
I shrugged, not really caring.
I had a rough idea that it was way before 6am so it was okay to lounge around in bed for a while longer until we had to get ready to see Mom.
Oh yeah... Mom's operation is today.
Frowning I looked downwards at the bed sheets, wondering if today would be the day when she would start to get better properly.
After this she would come back home and everything would return to normal again. That was what I wanted after all, even so, I felt slightly saddened about it.
Maybe it was because when Mom got better Gary would move out again and I wouldn't see him as often as I would like?
"Are you okay?" He asked, turning his head to face me.
I glanced across at him, wondering if I should tell him my concerns about him moving out, but I pushed it to the back of my mind for now.
That was to be bought up another time.
"I'm alright," I lied.
"Oh yeah, your Mom's operation is today," Gary mused, shuffling a little to get closer to me.
I nodded.
"I know, I just hope everything goes well. I don't think I could deal with more bad news"
The brunette wrapped an arm around my waist to pull me closer so I was resting my head against his chest.
"I'm sure she will be fine. The Doctor assured us that there is high probability that she will make a full recovery"
I weakly nodded.
I was just being stupid and negative about the whole situation.
Well, my luck with hospitals so far wasn't extremely great was it? Every time I went there something new showed up to ruin my mood.
"I sure hope so,"
"You worry too much you know that?"
Sighing I leaned into his embrace, loving the feeling of his arms around me. It was actually helping me calm down and relax a little about the operation.
Of course she would make a full recovery, it's my Mom after all.
After a few hours of just lounging around in bed with the love of my life, talking about random things from the operation to the problems confessing about our sexuality, we both finally decided to get up.
I didn't want to get up, truth be told, but it was now or never. I needed to get moving otherwise I wouldn't be able to visit Mom before she went into theatre for the operation. I promised myself that I would be there for her.
Having an operation was probably scary after all.
It took me all of three minutes to figure out what to wear for the occasion.
I just just threw on my usual black t-shirt and some baggy light blue jeans, nothing too fancy.
Gary on the other hand spent absolutely ages trying to figure out what to wear.
I mean why is that? They are just clothes, nothing special, you don't have to spend thirty minutes trying on various coloured shirts and asking for an opinion on them. Well, Gary did.
Eventually he managed to decide on a light blue shirt, which was loosely buttoned up and some tight fitting dark jeans.
Of course I did not object to that.
Gary in tight clothing equals oh my God nosebleed!
Once he had finally vacated the bathroom, after being in there over forty minutes grooming and styling his hair we both managed to walk down the stairs and head towards the kitchen.
My stomach was making growling noises so breakfast was in on the cards.
Strolling into the kitchen I started opening up the cabinets in search of edible content I could use for breakfast.
We had cereal and bread for toast, but nothing substantial.
Well, it would do, and I was sure Gary wouldn't mind having toast.
As I took out two slices of bread and placed them into the toaster I watched the brunette walk into the kitchen and stand beside one of the counters.
It was still early, well incredibly early for me and surprisingly I was fully awake. Not walking around like a zombie. This was new even to me.
"Is toast okay?" I asked, turning to face him.
He nodded and gave me a small smile.
"Yeah, just don't burn it. I don't want the taste of burnt toast in my mouth,"
I rolled my eyes and continued to watch the toaster, checking it every so often to ensure it wasn't cremated.
Nobody likes cremated toast and if they do... well, they are just stupid.
"I'm not that useless you know,"
"Just making sure," He returned coyly.
I sighed.
Why did he always make me out to be an idiot? I am perfectly capable of cooking things and not setting the house on fire. Have some faith in me Gary!
The brunette casually strolled towards the fridge and opened it, quickly retrieving the butter and placing it on the counter in front of me.
Mentally I thanked him but I wasn't going to say it out loud, I mean who forgets to butter toast?
"I've been thinking..." Gary mused quietly, loudly enough for me to hear. As I checked the toast again I answered;
"Yeah, what about?"
"About Gramp's... he knows I am gay, but he doesn't know about us. Do you think we should tell him, like when the dust has settled a little?"
Turning to face Gary I saw that he was deadly serious. His face was scarred with guilt, probably because he lied to him in the first place.
"It's up to you, after all, he's your Grandpa" I answered, not wanting to get was not my place to say.
Gary sighed and nodded as I watched the toaster ping.
Slowly removing both pieces I placed them onto a plate and started to butter them.
"I know that, it's just... do you think he'll be okay with it?" Gary continued.
"Well, if he is okay with you being gay why would he have a problem? It's not like he doesn't like me is it?"
As I buttered the last piece I turned and handed the butter back to Gary. Without even telling him he placed it back into the fridge and closed the door.
"I suppose you're right, maybe I'm just over thinking about things,"
I smiled and handed the plate to the brunette.
"Since when don't you over think?" I commented, nudging his arm slightly as I lead the way back to the living room.
That was one of his traits unfortunately, he always thought too much about things, even if they were not that important. That is why he spends so much time on his appearance, he over thinks about people judging him on his appearance when to me that doesn't matter.
He always looks great to me, and always has.
As we both settled down on the sofa and started to eat our breakfast Gary still seemed troubled by this issue. Taking a bite out of my piece of toast I just watched him with eager eyes, anticipating his next move, his next word.
"What would you do... if you had to tell your Mom about us?" He asked, slowly and cautiously taking a bite out of his piece.
I sat there for a moment to contemplate, but then already knew the answer.
"She would be fine with it, I know that already"
"But... how can you be sure?" He pursued.
I put that down to the fact my Mom had always told me she wouldn't think any less of me regardless to who I bought home. As long as I was happy then she was too.
I obviously assumed, considering she always liked Gary that there wouldn't be a problem.
"Mom isn't the sort of person to get mad over something like this. She always said to me as long as I am happy then she is okay with it, regardless if I bought home a girl or a boy,"
Gary frowned slightly at my answer and took another bite out of his toast.
"Yeah... your Mom is amazing,"
I smiled.
Well of course I knew that, she was one of a kind and even though she fussed over me non-stop and nagged me to wear clean boxers everyday I still loved her.
I even missed it now it was no longer around.
As I finished off my toast I aimlessly glanced around the living room.
Mr Mime was not here, but then again why did that come as surprise? He liked hanging out in the garden more than staying indoors.
Was he still upset over last night? Poor little guy.
"Well... it's 8am now, if we have a slow walk down to Viridian City we should be there way before 11am," Gary stated as his eyes glanced at the clock.
I turned to make sure it was the right time.
8am, not long until my Mom would be under the knife, having the operation that would make her better. I sure hoped everything would go well and nothing would go wrong.
As the brunette finished off his toast and placed the plate down on the coffee table I couldn't help but just stare at him.
There was something missing in his eyes, that sparkle had faded.
Maybe it was because of all the things rushing around in his mind concerning his Grandpa and whether or not he should tell him about us? Even so I hated seeing him like this.
We finally headed out of the house at 8:30am, after all I didn't want to hang around at the reception waiting to see Mom. It was bad enough going into the place let alone hanging around waiting.
Luckily for both of us the weather was good again, overcast but pleasantly warm. As long as the rain laid off then today would be perfect, but as large dark clouds loomed overhead I was doubting that possibility.
"So...what are your plans once all this is over?" Gary asked me, intertwining his fingers with mine as he held my hand.
I shrugged a little, unsure of my future.
"I have no idea, I don't know whether I want to continue my journey as becoming the greatest Pokemon Master any more,"
Gary's face seemed shell shocked at my words, like he never expected such negativity to come from me.
Then again I surprised myself.
"Why would you say that? You're a great trainer! You are in your prime, you shouldn't give up now. I know your Mom wouldn't want that,"
I nodded response as we walked towards Viridian.
"I know that Gary, and it isn't because of my Mom that I am thinking of giving up. These past few weeks have really opened my eyes, and showed me that there is a lot more to life than constant training and battling. I guess I have just grown up a lot in a short space of time"
Gary squeezed my hand slightly.
I could tell he didn't want me to give up my dream, but then again it wasn't so much a dream any more. I had done way more than I ever expected to, getting this far was an achievement in itself.
The brunette looked away.
"Yes but, won't you regret it if you give up now?"
I shook my head.
Deep within I kind of knew what I wanted after all this was over.
I wanted to stay with Gary, okay I wouldn't completely give up battling and training. Maybe I could look into becoming a Gym leader or something in the near future?
There were always possibilities.
"Do you regret becoming a researcher?" I asked him.
Gary seemed vacant for a while before responding.
"Well, not exactly. But, there are times when I want to go back on the road and do all the things I used to do when I was a kid. I suppose that's just because of the nostalgia and stuff,"
I understood where he was coming from.
It was only natural to miss something you did vigilantly everyday once you didn't do it as often any more. I would probably feel like that if I went ahead and gave up on my dream.
"But Ash, you have to think about it long and hard. I wouldn't want you to ever give up on something you were passionate about, and if you decided to keep on going then we could find a way of sorting something out. It's not like we wouldn't ever see each other,"
Mentally I cringed.
That was what I didn't want, I wanted to continue living with Gary, as a couple. The past few of weeks really proved to me that we could make it work, and that was what I wanted.
I didn't want it to end.
"But... I like living with you," I murmured, squeezing his hand tightly.
Turning to look at the emerald eyed boy I saw him smile at my words.
"Yes, I know, but that is not a good enough reason to quit your journey. If you said you genuinely was fed up and wanted a change of pace then that is understandable. If it's because of me then that is totally not okay,"
Sighing I knew he was right, as always.
I felt like he was telling me off like my Mom used to when I did something wrong.
Then again my decision was not predominately down to Gary, it was also down to myself.
I wanted to try something different, move on with my life after all I would be Eighteen soon, an adult. I needed to start growing up and moving away from the things I associated with my childhood.
"Gary... it is my choice. I just want to try something new, you know? See the world in a different light and travel around for a whole different reason,"
"I see what you're getting at, but still, I can't help but disagree with your decision"
Well, I wasn't expecting him to be all for it, after all, it was a big bombshell I just released. Wanting to give up my dream of becoming a Pokemon Master for the quiet life? It sounds so unlike me, even I knew that.
But, maybe it was down to Gary and his influence.
"So... where are you going to go after Mom comes home?" I asked him quietly, already subconsciously knowing the answer.
As we continued walking towards Viridian Gary looked away, his face paned with anxiety.
"I actually don't know,"
"Are you going to stick around? Like... in Pallet Town?"
Those emerald eyes gazed into mine and I could tell by that simple gaze that even he didn't know.
A part of me prayed he said he would so then I could stop with Mom for a while when she got back home, but deep within I knew that it was unlikely.
"I have no idea. It might be a good idea to head back to Sinnoh and check on things over there but, I don't know yet,"
Swallowing hard I squeezed his hand, not wanting to let go.
The thought of him gallivanting back over to Sinnoh made my stomach knot violently. If he stuck around then I would see him more often.
"Oh..." I answered plainly.
"It's not for certain Ash, so don't look at me like your whole world is crashing down,"
I weakly nodded as we continued our journey.
Well, if Gary went off back to Sinnoh then I would go with him. I was there anyway before I was called about Mom. I would just be picking up where I left off. Even so, moving on without Gary constantly there with me would be hard.
"I'm sorry," I apologised, not wanting to make him feel terrible about his job being a researcher.
If he had to return then there was nothing I could do about it.
"You don't need to apologise, it's fine. We will cross that bridge if we ever come to it, so stop worrying and smile," He said fiercely, giving me one of those glances that told me to do as he said.
I reluctantly forced a smile which he returned as we walked towards the hospital.
To be honest I wanted that bridge to burn to the ground and never be crossed, because if we crossed it then I would have to accept it. To accept the fact that he would be returning to Sinnoh, back to work, without me.
After a while of walking and constant chit chat about lighter subjects to try and take my mind off other things we both hardly noticed the hospital building until we were standing directly in front of it.
The large white building was already having negative effects on my emotional balance deep inside.
Gary placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently.
"Everything will be okay, you'll see,"
I sure hoped he was right.
I had this horrible gut feeling that things were not going to go as plain sailing as I would of liked, but nevertheless I tried to stay positive for Gary's sake. All this negativity would only weigh both of us down.
I didn't want that.
Taking a deep breath I bravely headed towards the large doors of the hospital, ready to take on anything that was thrown at me.
As long as Gary was here beside me I knew I would be okay.
As we both entered the large white building surprisingly there were fewer people here than any other time I had visited.
Only about 5 people were waiting at reception for some reason or another, and the lady at the desk was on the phone, furiously writing down something on a bit of paper.
I wondered if I had to enquire about visiting my Mom at the desk or not, usually the Doctor took us only this time I couldn't see him anywhere.
Gary gently tapped my back, issuing me forward.
Giving him a cursed glance I sighed and trudged reluctantly towards the desk, waiting for the lady to finish scribbling down on the paper and to hang up. As she peered at us over the top of her glasses we were both greeted with a huge smile.
"Good morning, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Yes, we are here to visit Delia Ketchum," I answered, feeling very odd when I called my Mom by her first just didn't feel right.
The lady nodded and turned to her computer.
As she started tapping away at the keyboard I snuck a look at the taller boy standing behind me.
He nodded and smiled, giving me the courage that I needed.
This place was enough to drive every ounce of courage back to the pits of cowardice.
"Ah yes! She is scheduled to have an operation at 11am, is that correct?"
I nodded and she continued typing on the keyboard, her eyes completely consumed by the writing on the screen in front of her.
"Okay then, if you would like to take a seat her Doctor will be along shortly to lead you to her room,"
I nodded and both Gary and I walked over to a couple of empty seats to wait for the Doctor.
It was weird to me, this was where it all began and when I saw Gary again after so long.
It was like the beginning was looped to the ending and for some reason I didn't like it.
"Wow, ain't this weird. This was were I caught up to you again after so long," Gary mused, leaning back in his seat as his eyes glanced at a random picture on the wall.
Something to do with Tuberculosis.
I gave him a weak nod.
"Yeah I know... and now we are back here again,"
Now he got me staring at the God forsaken poster! What was so interesting anyway?
"Don't worry Ash, the Doc will be here soon and then you can see your Mom before the operation. You just wait and see, everything will be fine,"
"I hope you're right"
I really did, the last thing I wanted was more bad news, some good news would really be great right about now.
As we both sat in the rather uncomfortable foldaway seats I sighed.
Why was this taking so long? Even the other people waiting looked impatient, but then again they were waiting longer than we were. Maybe I was just anxious about it, about seeing Mom again.
"I bet your Mom has been so worried over you," Gary mused, turning his gaze to me.
Yeah that was typical of her, always worrying about everyone else.
"Probably, when really she should be worrying more about herself"
"But Ash that is just your Mom's nature, you can't change that no matter how much you would like to,"
I nodded, obviously knowing that he was right.
I wouldn't want to change my Mom in anyway, she was perfect the way she was, even if she worried all the time.
"Ah, there you are!" Came a rather jovial voice.
Of course I recognised it immediately, it was Mom's Doctor.
I turned around in my seat to face the authoritative man, who just smiled at both Gary and I.
Maybe he had some good news for us?
"How is she?" I asked eagerly, wanting to know if she was actually healthy enough for visitors.
The kind man smiled as he held a clipboard in his arms.
"She is fine, a bit groggy but she is awake. Today has been one of her better days and we are convinced that after this operation she will be fighting fit in no time at all,"
A large smile spread over my face as those words lingered in my ears.
So, she was really going to make a full recovery after all, just like Gary said. And soon, she would be back home with me, fussing about and worrying just like usual.
"Can we see her?" Gary asked, beating me to it.
The Doctor nodded and gestured with his hand for us to accompany him.
"Why of course! I must admit that having the Pokemon in the room for company has really helped her relax under all this stress,"
I smiled as I stood up from my seat, Gary copying my actions.
I knew having Pikachu and Eevee there for company was a great idea, at least then she wouldn't be lonely.
"That is great news," I beamed, subconsciously grabbing hold of Gary's arm as we walked towards the Doctor.
As he readjusted the clipboard in his hands he lead the way down the narrow white washed corridor to the room she had been inhabiting all along whilst stuck in here.
Gripping his arm tightly for comfort I was still half in shock that the possibility of Mom getting 100% better was actually realistic.
She would not be stuck in this infernal hell hole for the rest of her life.
"Is the collapsed lung showing signs of strengthening yet?" Gary enquired curiously to the older man.
He frowned at his question.
"There are no signs as of yet, but once we have completed the operation it should strengthen and inflate in no time at all,"
Well at least that was something.
Once they could get all the fluid off her chest then she would be able to breathe properly.
Weirdly enough there were hardly any people in the corridor, only us three.
That was odd, usually I would see a couple of nurses or Doctors scuttling about but today it was devoid of human activity.
I wondered why that was.
Finally the Doctor lead us up to her room, the room that held so many bad memories for me.
This was when I was told about her lung collapsing and how we were rushed out of the room so quickly I hardly managed to see her. It was horrible, but this time things would be different.
As the older man pushed the door open Gary and I walked inside.
I refused to let go of his arm, I needed something to keep me sane if anything was to go wrong.
Stop it! Nothing will go wrong, everything will be fine, so stop being such a worry wart!
The first image I was greeted with was a yellow splash of colour smashing me directly in my face, causing me to topple backwards.
God damn it Pikachu! I know you missed me, but come on!
Luckily for me Gary grabbed hold of me to stop me from falling onto the floor.
Pulling the yellow mouse off my head I looked at his face, he was smiling wildly, obviously ecstatic to see me.
"Pika Pika!" He beamed, nuzzling my cheek in excitement.
Smiling I watched as Eevee leapt off the bed and bounded towards Gary.
It was so cute how she was so attached to him, looks like me and her had more in common than I ever imagined.
"Hey there buddy, you been coping okay?" I asked my electric partner who nodded at my question.
Gently scratching the top of his head I looked around the room.
God, this place would forever haunt my dreams for the rest of my life.
The white washed walls, the large machine that beeped incessantly and the deathly still fragile woman that used to be my Mother lying in bed. All of this would burn into my retinas for eternity.
I watched as Gary scooped up the Eevee in his arms and smiled as she playfully licked the tip of his nose.
"Veeeee!"
He smiled and God I loved that smile.
It was just full of warmth, and sincerity. Whenever he used to smile like that around me I knew I had achieved something great, after all, it was quite difficult for him to be so expressive.
Slowly I allowed Pikachu to jump onto my back and perch on my shoulder.
It was easier to walk that way, and besides he preferred that way of travelling anyway.
Gary was right behind me as I slowly and cautiously tread towards the bed.
There she lay, completely still, eyes closed off to the world.
I wondered if she knew I was here, if she worried about me and how she felt about everything that had happened recently.
Pulling up a chair to the side of the bed I settled down, listening to the beeping of the monitor as it registered her heart beat.
"Hey Mom," I murmured weakly, feeling every ounce of courage start to drain out of me.
Her skin was pallid and almost transparent. That lovely healthy rosy tint that illuminated her cheeks was now gone, and I had no idea if that would ever return to her complexion. Her breathing was deep and raspy through the oxygen mask, like she had terrible Asthma.
I knew what the cause was, it was down to this horrible Pneumonia that had tried to take her away from me. Well, I wasn't going to let it beat us, not this time.
Gary pulled up another chair as he held Eevee in his other arm so he could sit beside me.
I needed him here, if he wasn't I probably would not be able to do this.
Yes, I knew that she would get better after having the operation, but right now she was still as sick as ever.
"Pika Pi..." Pikachu cooed softly, his ears drooping as I watched her eyelids flicker slightly.
At least she might be able to talk to me this time, I hated just watching her suffer without being able to ask her if she was okay.
Of course it was kind of stupid, I mean who is okay being stuck in a hospital for weeks on end?
Gary reached out and held my hand, giving it a soft squeeze.
Turning to look into his eyes he gave me a nod, showing me he wasn't going anywhere.
I was forever grateful for that.
"Ash?"
My ears alerted to a hoarse raspy voice emitting from my Mom.
Oh my God, she actually spoke!
I watched as weakly she pulled off the oxygen mask and placed it to the side.
Using my free hand I reached out and grabbed hers, feeling just how fragile and weak she had become.
"Yes Mom, it's me. I'm here,"
I watched as her eyes opened slightly, revealing just how bloodshot and weary they were.
This was so unlike her, seeing my Mom so sick was making my heart ache. She tried to smile but was too weak to muster it.
"You're... looking well..."
"I wish I could say the same for you,"
I chuckled, trying to get rid of some of this tension that had suddenly engulfed the room.
The Pokemon remained silent, even Gary stayed mute while my Mom struggled to converse with me.
Again she tried to smile, obviously agreeing with me.
"You're going to get better Mom, you'll be home soon," I assured her, giving her hand a comforting squeeze, watching as her eyes became half lidded.
She must have been exhausted, this horrible illness was literally sucking the very life out of her and with every passing second Gary and I were witnessing it.
"Have... you been...eating properly?" She struggled to ask, coughing violently after her words.
I smiled and nodded.
Typical Mom, even though she is fighting for her life she is more concerned about my diet. Some things never change.
I turned to Gary and watched as he smiled at me, still holding my other hand for comfort.
I wondered if Mom had cottoned on yet about us, but then again I knew there was nothing to worry about.
"No need to worry, Gary has been looking after me,"
She stole a glance at the brunette, sighing in contentment.
"I can... see that. Thank you... Gary,"
The emerald eyed boy seemed to get suddenly very shy at the compliment and bowed his head slightly.
"It's no problem, someone has to make sure he changes his underwear everyday, right?"
God.. what a thing to say! And to my Mom! I was sure that she didn't need to know that.
But, regardless of his comment she sort of chuckled and nodded.
The sound of her heavy breathing was crucifying to my ears.
I just wanted everything back to normal, and for her to be out of bed rushing around like usual. But when that would happen I had no idea.
"I am... glad you are happy... Ash," She murmured quietly, now in turn gently squeezing my hand.
I nodded, even though I would be happier if she wasn't in this state.
"I just want you to get better Mom," I whined, looking down at the pure white bed sheets that were coiled around her thin frame.
For an odd reason I could feel myself welling up. Tears stung my eyes and I tried my utmost to remain strong, even if it was so incredibly difficult.
Seeing her so weak and lifeless was hurting me to the point of breaking. I just wanted her to get better and soon.
Gary squeezed my hand to comfort me, making me turn to look at his face.
An awkward yet sincere smile scarred those perfect features and I knew that he would always be there for me, no matter what.
"Gary..." Mom uttered weakly, making the emerald eyed boy look straight at the fragile woman.
"Yes?"
"Thank you... for looking after my baby,"
It was then I felt that intense blush burn my face again, reaching up to my ears.
Did she even know we were a couple? Maybe it was just that obvious, I mean he was holding my hand after all.
The brunette smiled.
"You don't have to thank me, you know I wouldn't let anything happen to Ash"
Biting my bottom lip tentatively I struggled to keep calm and composed.
That was probably the nicest thing he had ever said to me, and in front of my Mom too.
It was just so unlike Gary, after all, being expressive and considerate was not part of his nature.
I watched as Mom smiled, wheezing with every breath.
Frowning to myself I prayed that this operation would help her breathe again, to flood life and colour back into those rosy cheeks, and to see that beautiful sparkle in her eyes.
I really hoped that would be possible.
"Pika..." Pikachu cooed, nuzzling my neck softly as I sniffled, not aware that I was holding back my tears.
It was like the little guy could sense my misery and was trying to make me feel better. Even though it was a simple gesture just him being there for me was enough.
Mom coughed violently, making me cringe.
God, it sounded so painful, like every cough was ripping her insides apart.
I just wanted all that pain to drain from her.
I wanted my Mom back.
"Ash..." She murmured weakly, her eyes becoming half lidded.
I held her hand vigilantly as I looked at her pallid complexion.
"What is it Mom?"
As those beautiful eyes stared into mine I could just see life being sucked out of her with every passing second and there was nothing I could do about it.
"Don't forget... I'll always... love you,"
That was it then, I couldn't hold it back any more.
I felt warm tears trickle down my face as those words lingered in my ears.
I knew she loved me, but the way she was saying it right now was doing excruciating things to my heart.
It was as if it was a goodbye, as if she would never have the chance to tell me ever again.
Bowing my head I bit my lip harder trying not to cry out loud, I didn't want Gary or Pikachu to be alarmed.
"I... love you too Mom," I muttered, trying to keep my voice stable and attempting to quieten down the small shivers that were running down my spine.
She gave a squeeze of my hand and I knew that at this precise moment noting else mattered.
I needed her in my life, truth be told.
No matter how old I got or how old she got we would always need each other.
I would always need my Mom.
Suddenly my ears detected the sound of loud beeping, much louder than before which made me raise my head to look at her.
Her hand was limp in my own, her eyes were shut off from the world and as panic started to flood my system I started to realise I was losing her.
Desperately I looked around the room as the sound seemed to deafen me, getting louder with each second.
Gary's face was a replica of my own, worry, apprehension, concern.
Where were the Doctors?!
"Somebody help!" I cried helplessly, releasing her hand and standing up in shock.
I wanted to help her, I wanted to be able to do something for her, but I was powerless.
Doctors and nurses flooded into the room at the sound of the beeping machine, indicating that something was wrong.
Gary stood up, holding Eevee with one arm as he draped the other protectively around my waist.
My eyes were wide and blurry with tears that were spilling from my eyes.
Why was nobody saying anything?!
"What's happening?! What's going on?!"
The Doctor rushed to her side to check her pulse, his face morphed into shock as he spoke;
"She has gone into Cardiac Arrest, charge the panels!"
As both Gary and I were pushed away from the bedside I looked around the room, watching as the nurses scuttled about quickly while life was slowly escaping my Mom.
No... this was not happening. Panels?! What the hell does that mean? Why is nobody telling me anything?!
As Gary and I were told to leave the room my eyes focused on her lifeless form while the Doctors and nurses placed these large panels on her chest and sent electric pulses into her body.
I cringed.
They were hurting her... No! I had to stop them!
"Stop it! You're hurting her!" I pleaded desperately, trying to escape Gary's vice grip to be by her side.
It was no use, I couldn't do anything.
Soon enough I become overwhelmed with sorrow, crying loudly into Gary's chest as we were both shuffled out of the room in a hurry.
The last sound that entered my ears were the words;
"Charged at 30... clear!"
I felt empty, like someone had come along and carved out my heart and stabbed it right in front of my eyes.
My whole body trembled as I sat on a bench outside the room, waiting impatiently for any news.
Pikachu's ears were dropped the entire time as he sobbed quietly beside me.
He knew just like I did that it did not look promising, that there was a high chance we would lose her.
Closing my eyes tightly I placed my head in my hands, trying to fight off the urge to punch something, anything.
She didn't deserve this! Why was this even happening? She was going to have the operation in 20 minutes! Why couldn't she hold on a little longer...
I had just lost it, I was a complete and utter mess.
I cried loudly into my hands, feeling Pikachu's tiny hands rub my arm to try to offer some form of comfort.
It wasn't enough, I needed her, I needed my Mom.
A part of me was beginning to sink deeper into despair as time lingered on, not knowing if she was okay or if she was dead.
It was just excruciating and I was teetering on the brink of a breakdown.
"Ash..." Gary whispered, wrapping his arms around my hunched figure and resting his head on my shoulder.
It was a nice after thought having him here with me, with Eevee and Pikachu, but it just wasn't enough.
Even though I was surrounded by people and Pokemon who loved me I was still lonely.
I sniffled, feeling my nose begin to get stuffy and blocked up.
Furiously wiping my eyes I tried to calm down.
It was obvious I had been crying, my eyes were probably red anyway.
The sound of the door creaking alerted me and made me look upwards.
It was the Doctor that had been looking after her the entire time she had been here. His face looked pained and it was then I knew.
I knew that we had lost this battle.
"No..." I mumbled weakly, shaking my head desperately as tears streamed down my face.
God... no...my heart hurt so much.
Gary continued holding me as I refused to believe it.
This was not meant to happen, she was meant to get better and come home! Not... not be...
"I am so sorry..."
The Doctor apologised, bowing his head in regret.
Closing my eyes tightly I buried my head into Gary's chest, crying loudly.
She was meant to come home! To get better and to come home... back to me.
"NOOOOOO!" I screamed, gripping onto Gary's shirt for dear life as my body shook violently.
I didn't want to hear their stupid apologies, I wanted them to tell em she was going to be okay. But no... that wasn't going to happen.
"Her heart was just too weak to fight the illness any more, we were too late to save her,"
"NOOOOO! No... just... SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" I cried angrily, feeling rage fill my body as the realisation was starting to sink in.
I had just lost my Mom, the one who was always there for me no matter what, the one person who always made me feel better if I was feeling blue, and the one person who I needed in my life.
Now... I just felt empty.
As I gripped Gary he just held me, I knew he was upset too, maybe even shedding a tear.
Pikachu was in pieces, crying loudly just like I was, I could hear him.
He didn't deserve this, he had been there for her throughout the past couple of weeks, and now she was gone.
It was just unreal... I was speaking to her just a few minutes ago and she was fine. Why...?
And as the tears continued cascading from my eyes I felt my body go numb.
It was like a part of me was taken with her, the part of me that wanted to carry on, to be the best I could be.
Without her there for constant support what did I have left? I had Gary yes, but soon enough he would go back to Sinnoh and move on with his career.
I would be stuck in a rut going nowhere.
I just wanted her here... with me, and with every shooting star that passed it would remind me that Pallet Town lost the brightest star that ever lived.
OMFG! CRYING MUCH! Dx I said have a tissue handy! Omg... so much angst! Don't worry, this is essential for the plot to keep moving, so sorry if I upset any of you!
I know this update took ages but I has a job! :) so I is a busy bee now, I'll try to get the next update finished sooner, after all I am almost done with this fic!
Read and reviews are always welcome :) I love hearing from you guys! Anyway ciao for now and see you all again soon!