It was the evening before Nick's Birthday and he was waiting for his Mother to arrive home. He was sitting in the Lounge room when he received a call.
"Hi, Mum! Are you on your way back?". Nick asked him Mother.
"Darling…I wont be coming home tonight". She told him.
"Why not? Is everything okay?". He replied.
"Yes, dear. I just need to stay in a bit longer". With despondency in her voice.
"But what about getting my Pokemon? I can't miss it!". Nick replied in an angry manner.
"Darling, I'm sorry". His Mother said. "There is nothing I can do".
"This isn't fair! I can't believe you're making me miss this!". Nick said while storming the room.
"Don't worry, I'll be out soon and we can go to the lab". She replied.
"Fine!". Nick said.
"I love you darling. I'll see you soon". She told her son.
"Love you too". He said with a disappointing tone as he hung up.
Nick's Birthday came and went. He spent the day with Aston, but without his Pokemon, it was not a good birthday.
A week after his birthday passed and his Mother was still in hospital. Another week past, and another. Eventually, a month had passed and she still wasn't home. Finally, in late March, Nick visited his Mother in hospital with Aston and her parents. That's when he received the news.
"I'm dying". Nick's Mother told him.
Sadness swept through him like a wave of despair. He was stunned. He sat down next to her bed and started to cry.
Nick found a way to speak through his tears. "Is there anything they can do?".
"No, darling. I'm sorry". She replied while trying to keep back her own tears. She needed to be strong. "Everything will be okay. We will figure this out. I'll always be with you". She tried to reassure him.
Nick didn't say a word and he didn't say another word while he was there. They all left later that night. Nick slept on Aston's lounge while she slept next to him on the floor. He didn't sleep all night, instead, he stared at the ceiling. Aston stared at him most of the night waiting for a chance to say something, but the moment never arised.
The next day they all went back to the hospital. When they arrived, his Mother was unconscious. They stayed for a few hours until they were told she probably would not wake up for a while. Nick told her he loved her and they left. It was another sleepless night with Aston next to him. Again, he spent the night staring at the ceiling with Aston waiting to say something.
The next morning Nick and Aston were startled by her Father running into the room.
"We have to go to the hospital now". He told them.
They got ready straight away and left. Nothing was spoken during the drive there, but Nick and Aston knew what was happening. They arrived, ran to her room to see her unconscious, and hooked up to many machines.
"There isn't anything we can do and she doesn't have long left". The doctor informed them. "I'm sorry".
The doctor left the room and everyone was in shock. Nick went and sat by his Mother's bedside. Silence again filled the room. Nick held his Mother's hand. 10 minutes passed. He was waiting for her to wake up, but it was a lost cause. He told her he loved her. Seconds later the machine she was hooked up to started beeping. The doctors ran in the room but there was nothing they could do.
The tears flowed from everyone, but especially from Nick. He sat there and held her hand until it was cold. They were told by the doctors they needed to move her. Nick said his final goodbyes and they left the room. They drove him in more silence. Nick sat at the back and stared outside the window. It had all happened so fast.
Every hour that passed was the slowest he had experienced. He didn't sleep, he didn't talk, except when it came to the funeral planning. The days went by and it was time for the funeral. Nick was inconsolable, as you would expect. How do you say goodbye? He didn't know. He was in a frozen state and he stayed that way for the whole funeral.
Everyone then moved to the cemetery for the burial. By the time it had finished, it started to get dark. Everyone started to leave and it was time for Nick to leave. They went back to Aston's house, had dinner and everyone got ready for bed. It was a tiring day and everyone went to bed early. Aston was again set up next to Nick in the lounge. This time, Aston couldn't stay awake. Nick didn't want to spend another night looking at the ceiling.
Nick got up, left the house and rode his bike to the cemetery. He sat by the grave. Eventually he got tired. He took his hoodie off, rolled it up and used it as a pillow. He placed it next to the grave and laid down. He nodded off for an hour or two before he was woken up by a noise. He opened his eyes and was surprised to see a ghost hovering around…
It was a Misdreavus.