Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon nor do I own any of its characters

Here is chapter 12, enjoy!!!

Waiting

"ASH!! ASH!!!" Misty yelled as she struggled against the grip of the rescuers, preventing her to run back to the danger zone "ASH!!! PLEASE GET HIM OUT OF THERE!!!" it was a stupid statement because right now, the rescuers is pulling ash out of the debris and putting him on a stretcher.

"ASH!!!" she broke free of the rescuers' grip and ran towards the unconscious boy lying on the stretcher on the ground. She gasped when she saw his condition. Dirt, sweat and blood stained his chest. Blood oozed out of his forehead and mouth. More blood came out of the stab wound from the steel bar that pierced his shoulder. She felt herself slowly sink.

"Ash…" her lower lip trembled as she fell to her knees. "Ash…" her hands made their way to his head, wrapping it on a tight embrace "…Please, be alright. Please…OPEN YOUR EYES!!!" her voice is raw and broken and she sniffed for every word she says.

A rescuer placed his hand on misty's shoulder in sympathy "Don't worry miss, we'll take good care of him" with that, the group of rescuers left carrying her loved one away.

"Misty, we were worried about you" Brock, now fully dressed, approached the obviously depressed misty followed by Pikachu and togepi.

"Pikachu" the rat pokemon stared with sorrowful eyes at the orange haired girl.

Misty crouched down and put a hand on top of Pikachu's head. "Don't worry Pikachu, ash will be alright. He's strong and kind. He'll never leave us, not like this" her smile was a bittersweet one.

The loud crying of togepi seemingly echoed in her ears as the egg pokemon expressed his grief for his 'father'

"Togepi" Misty whispered as she embraced the baby in her arms. She may have said it but even she is unsure whether or not ash will come back. They can only hope, that's all they can do.

Seconds felt like hours, minutes like days and hours like years. That is what misty felt right at this moment, here, in the waiting room of the hospital.

"Well, they said the doctors are trying their best to heal the injured and so far have their hands full" Brock came back from talking to the nurse, inquiring about when they'll be able to visit ash.

Misty nodded absentmindedly, her thoughts still focused on ash. They left his pokemon at the pokemon center for a check up.

"Do you think…he'll make it?" her voice was small and the only subject of her eyes is the marbled floors of the hospital room.

"Of course he'll make it misty!" Brock exclaimed "we just have to believe in him like we do during his pokemon battles against gym leaders and pokemon leagues. He's a strong guy misty, he can make it"

"My fault" she whispered in a very low volume.

"Huh?"

"My fault…" this time, the volume was higher "…it's my fault that he's like this. If I haven't been so absent minded on the mall. If I hadn't dragged him there, none of these would be happening. We would all be on the road, walking happily side by side, eating together on a clearing, sleeping on the tent together. If I hadn't been so stupid…" she broke down as tears flowed freely down her cheeks. She brought her hands up to cover her face.

"Misty…" Brock whispered in a hushed tone.

"Excuse me…"a nurse approached them. "Are you friends of Ash Ketchum?"

"Yes we are" Brock answered since his companion is still in sorrow.

"I see, the doctor informed me that you may see him now"

"Where?" Misty's face shot up to look at the nurse with teary red eyes "What's his current condition?"

The nurse took time to recompose herself since she was taken a little aback by the girl's sudden 'enthusiasm' but she answered nonetheless "they've managed to stabilize his condition despite his injuries. These injuries include: Stab wound on the left shoulder, which nearly damaged his heart, nearly 50 lacerations on the back caused by falling debris, Dehydration, massive internal bleeding and four broken ribs. With all these injuries, it's a miracle he's still alive. Though they've managed to stabilize his condition, he's still in danger of…well…not making it"

Misty's skin paled as ash's injuries sank in her mind 'That many?' she thought. Her lower lip trembled and her eyes threatened to spill out tears. "W-when can we see him?"

"You may see him now but only for a limited number of hours. He's in room 1013…" the nurse replied "…I'll take you there" with that, she walked towards the elevator followed by Brock gently pushing misty to follow as well as the girl is still in partial shock.

"Here he is" the nurse stepped aside and let the two visitors see their injured friend.

Misty gasped and covered her mouth as she saw the state he was in

To be continued

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