When the world was still new and the night was still dark, Sin created disease and unleashed it upon humans and Pokémon. Young and healthy men fell dead in the fields. Parents watched their newborn children wail as pestilence overtook them. Entire villages were wiped out in a matter of days.

On the darkest night of the year, a comet flew over the sky, a tiny village living in the sky. Tziráchi the Star, a being who dwelt in this village, saw the horrible diseases in this world and flew down to help.

"I see your pain. I see your sickness. Come forth to me and bring your foreheads to my hands. Let me touch them so that this disease may leave you."

And so they did. Humans and Pokémon came from far and wide in search of Tziráchi's healing, and with a mere touch, their disease disappeared from them. Everyone marvelled over the miracles and great works they beheld, and were ever-grateful for the Star and their salvation.

But then, after many days and nights, the Star grew tired from their healing. Rekkoúza came down, and told them to rest.

"Oh Mediator of the Sky," said the Star, "I cannot rest. How could I when there are so many who are still suffering?"

"There is no one person in this world who knows all. None who can do all."

Rekkoúza departed and left the Star to ponder this wisdom for three days. At its end, Tziráchi came upon a pool of crystal-clear water. The Star dipped a hand in the pool, then flung the speckles of water into the air.

A thousand stars filled the skies, twinkling and sparkling. the Star smiled and spoke:

My children, I must rest so I can heal the world in its times of great need. Go to the highest mountains and the deepest seas, and heal the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the righteous and the sinful. May you pass your knowledge onto your children, so the world will always have healers.

-

Wallace Papadakis

19, M

Ruptured esophagus, malnutrition

Suicide precautions

Sister Dymphna held the report in her hand as she ran through the hallways of Tzirachi's Mercy Medical Center. It was two in the morning, but she had to take on this duty. She had to help Wallace. As a Chansey, it was her birthright to help others. As a child of the Sky Dragon and the Mother Star, it was her duty.

In the elevator, she took a moment to take a few deep breaths and collect herself. It was important to remain calm in her field of work, both for her patients and for herself. As the doors opened, she put aside her worries for later and put up a professional front.

You can do this, she said to herself before she entered Wallace's room.

Wallace was laying in bed, unconscious, deathly pale, bruised, scarred. He was hooked up to several machines and an IV. Sister Chara Joy had the endoscope snaked down his throat, and Sister Aphrodite was using Heal Pulse on Wallace. There were clothes in the sink—bloody clothes.

Sister Aphrodite looked up from Wallace and over at Sister Dymphna, who pointed to the sink. The Gardevoir nodded before Sister Dymphna waddled over to the sink, hopped onto a stool, and began washing the clothes.

For the next few minutes, the air filled with the hum of psychic energy, the splashing of water, and the scrubbing of sponge against cloth. From the bed came the erratic beeping of the heart monitor and the inflating and deflating of the blood pressure monitor. There was the metallic smell of blood and the sour smell of vomit. Such smells filled Sister Dymphna's heart with dread, no matter how used to them she was.

The stark light overhead flickered every few seconds as she worked. In a way, it all felt like walking the city streets at night: the world wasn't empty, but it was still scary.

Then the psychic humming stopped. The beeps became much more hollow, much more lonely. The two women at the bed were looking up at each other.

"It looks good," Sister Chara Joy said. "You can begin retracting the endoscope. I'll talk to Sister Dymphna."

Sister Chara Joy stood up and walked over to the sink, sighing and resting a hand under her chin.

"Six phone calls tonight," she sighed. "Poor thing's gone through the worst night of his life, and it's not even over yet."

Sister Dymphna took a deep breath. That could mean many different things, and Sister Dymphna had to be prepared for every option.

("What else should I know about the patient?") she finally asked.

"Apparently, Mr. Papadakis has a history of drug abuse and self harm. And he…" Sister Chara Joy inhaled deeply. "…He was sexually assaulted not long before his guardian called the ambulance by a Gym Leader from Kanto. Ren Mizutani."

Sister Dymphna's heart stopped. She had seen and heard of tragedy her whole life, but it never made such stories hurt any less. No one deserved to go through something like… that.

And the report said he was only nineteen… Only nineteen, barely an adult. A child with a whole life ahead of him.

"He had a BAC of .19 and an estimated weight of just barely over 45 kilograms," Sister Chara Joy continued. "We had to perform an emergency gastric suction."

Sister Dymphna nodded, wincing a bit.

("The report mentioned a ruptured esophagus. Is it bulimia, or prolonged alcohol use?")

Sister Chara Joy shrugged. "No one mentioned binge eating, but we'll… have to wait for him to wake up to know for sure."

Sister Chara Joy looked back over at Wallace and Sister Aphrodite. "There are… There are also signs of strangulation. We're not sure if it's from the assault or—"

Sister Dymphna froze. Strangulation. Strangulation. Strangulation. Sister Dymphna knew damn well that strangulation could have lasting effects, even if they weren't immediately obvious.

Internal injuries.

Brain damage.

Death.

("Strangulation?!")

Sister Chara Joy flinched at Sister Dymphna's sudden rise in tone.

"Sister Aphrodite performed the Healing Wish procedure when Wallace first came to the emergency room. He…" Sister Chara Joy sighed. "He seems to have been strangled in at least the past few days. But it's okay. He's going to be okay."

-

Sister Dymphna ran back to Wallace's room. Sister Chara Joy had to take care of another emergency patient, and someone had to be there for Wallace. It was too dangerous to leave him alone: he could purge or cut himself or try to—

Oh no.

He was gone.

Sister Dymphna tried to calm herself down with deep breaths, but that couldn't do much when one of her patients was missing. She ran back out of the room, shouting, ("Where is he? Where is he?!")

She opened every door she came upon in the hallway: the janitor's closet, the elevator, the bathroom—

That was where she found him. Wallace was laying on the floor. His IV was still in his arm, but he was on the floor of the bathroom.

Sister Dymphna tried to pick Wallace up, but it was hard given how much taller he was than her. Sister Chara Joy noticed the two from the hallway and bolted into the room.

"What happened?" she gasped.

Sister Dymphna shook her head worriedly.

("I found him here. I don't know what happened!") Sister Dymphna helped hand Wallace over to Sister Chara Joy. ("I don't… I don't think he hurt himself.")

Sister Chara Joy looked up and down Wallace's arms. No fresh wounds. Thank The Mother Star. It didn't look like he had come here to do anything bad to himself. Maybe he just needed water or to use the restroom.

Sister Dymphna exhaled with relief, and the tension building up in her body faded away

But Mr. Papadakis still needed someone to be with him. Suicidal thoughts usually went away after at most 72 hours, and Wallace had barely been in the hospital for 12. And besides, he still needed to be evaluated for a potential mental illness diagnosis. He still needed to be evaluated on whether or not he was at risk to himself.

-

("Hello there! My name is Dymphna, and I'm going to be your nurse alongside Sister Chara Joy. We'll be trading places back and forth so you have someone with you at all times.")

Wallace sat up in bed awake in his hospital room, but his half-lidded eyes and tired frown showed he was still exhausted. His posture suggested boredom or shame, and his gaze was just barely directed toward Sister Dymphna.

She smiled and walked over to his bedside, climbing onto the chair next to it and handing him a clipboard and pen.

("The doctors have deemed you well enough to take a few assessments for us. Nothing bad, just assessing your mental state so we can take care of you as best as we can.")

Wallace stared at the page on the clipboard for several, long seconds before taking it. Sister Dymphna nodded.

("Answer all of the questions honestly. It will help us in your treatment plan.")

This was all standard procedure, and standard procedure like this—paperwork and surveys—tended to be the least stressful part of the job for Sister Dymphna.

"But what if I choose the wrong answers?" Wallace mumbled.

Dymphna sighed, a small chuckle escaping her lips. ("There's no right or wrong answers. Just tell us what's true for you.")

That seemed to be enough; Wallace went right to work filling in bubbles with the pen. He was very precise with his penwork, filling in every bubble with not a blank spot or stray mark. It made for a slow process, but if he—

Wait, was Wallace a he?

("Wallace, your medical records list you as being male. Are you… comfortable with me addressing you as such? Would you prefer that I use pronouns other than he?")

"I'm whatever Megalos needs me to be," Wallace replied without looking up. "So male."

Megalos, the mayor. Right, Wallace was the mayor's protégé. Some people said that Wallace had been chosen to go on to be Megalos's successor, others said he seemed too rebellious for the role.

Megalos wasn't the best mayor, to say the least, but this Wallace person seemed… not too bad, just troubled.

Sister Dymphna shook her head and turned back to Wallace. ("But when you look into your heart, when you ignore Megalos, who are you?")

…Oh dear. Wallace's eyes were getting misty now, and he dropped the clipboard on his lap.

"I—I don't know."

("Well… what would you like me to call you during your stay here? What pronouns would you like me to use?")

A pause.

"I like the name Wallace. I like 'he' and… 'they'… and 'she'?"

Sister Dymphna smiled. ("That's good. All of us Chansey are what you humans call female. I like 'she' and 'her'.")

Wallace picked up the clipboard again and began filling out the questions. The silence and scratching of pen on paper soon became… lonely.

("Um… what do you like to—")

"What does this question mean?"

Sister Dymphna stood up on her tippy toes to get a better view. Wallace was pointing at the last question in the assessment:

Have you ever in your life attempted to take your own life?

Yes No

Well, that was the… first time Sister Dymphna had been asked about… that question. It wasn't exactly the most fun of the questions, even for a depression assessment.

("It's asking if you have ever attempted suicide,") Sister Dymphna explained.

Wallace's expression didn't change. Something else was wrong.

"I don't remember whether or not I've attempted suicide, and even the times I do remember… don't count."

Dymphna froze. ("What… what do you mean?")

Wallace shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe I was drunk or high and tried to do something. I wouldn't remember. I only remember my LSD trips." He stared back up at the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought. Or tears. "And well… There have been times where I crossed the street without looking, or drove a car recklessly without wearing a seatbelt, or went into a dangerous part of town, and my logic was…"

Wallace covered his eyes with his arms. "… My logic was 'if I die, oh well'." His voice cracked a bit. "But that doesn't count, does it? There's a chance that Megalos had sex with me when I was drunk, but I'm not going to accuse Megalos of infidelity. There's a chance I tried to kill myself when I was drunk, but I'm not going to accuse myself of having attempted suicide."

Sister Dymphna was at a loss for words. There was a lot in Wallace's words. Too much.

("Megalos didn't… He didn't rape you, did he?")

"Of course not!" Wallace shot back, seemingly insulted. "There's... vague memories of sex in his office..." He shook his head. "But he didn't rape me, how dare you say that! And even if he did have sex with me, I only started drinking at eighteen"—he stared at Sister Dymphna angrily.—"so if you're implying he's guilty of pedophilia—"

("It doesn't matter if you're both above the age of eighteen,") Sister Dymphna interjected. ("No one in a position of power like that should take advantage of a person below them. No one should take advantage of someone when they're drunk. No one should take advantage of anyone—")

"You're not going to snitch on me, are you?"

That question caught Sister Dymphna off guard. Wallace's eyes were wild with terror, and their face had gotten even paler.

Sister Dymphna forced a smile. ("Wallace, do you know about patient confidentiality?")

Wallace shook his head. "No."

("Under the oath every nurse makes, I won't tell anybody else what you tell me—unless you are at risk of hurting yourself, hurting someone else, or being hurt by someone else. And well… you're being hurt by Mega—")

"He's not hurting me!"

Sister Dymphna flinched. The sharpness of Wallace's words was startling, and his whole body was shaking.

"Are you a registered priest?" they asked frantically. "You're a child of The Mother Star, right? Can I make this a confessional? I might as well if you're going to snitch on me."

Sister Dymphna held up her hands defensively, trying to calm down Wallace.

("Wallace, Wallace, I'll only tell what I—")

"I had sex before marriage," Wallace blurted out. "I had sex with a prostitute once to try to figure out how sex works. I had sex with men! I had— I had—" They shook their hands in front of them, as if trying to conjure up thoughts. "I had sex just to satisfy my own degenerate desires! I— I'm—"

His voice cut off with a choked sob, and he weakly hit his forehead as he collapsed on the bed and curled up like a scared, scared child.

"Miku did worse things than whatever Megalos did," Wallace said, not looking up. "Miku is bad. Miku is very, very bad."

'Miku'? Was that… Was Wallace referring to themself in the third person? Was it a coping mechanism? But aside from that, it was clear Wallace had been through… so, so much. He needed respect more than ever.

She took a few deep breaths before speaking again:

("Wallace.") Her tone was calm. ("You're a priest in training, aren't you?")

Wallace was still for a moment, then he nodded.

("Do you know about Lokásoúvia?")

Wallace nodded again, tears streaming down his face. "Goddess of love, marriage, fertility, and friendship. She's one of the most important deities in Runekyō scripture, and she's the most important to the Megalos family. She represents perfection. I-I… Miku has to know about our gods and goddesses to—"

("Did you know that Lokásoúvia was a prostitute?")

There were several moments of silence.

"…No?"

Sister Dymphna put a hand on Wallace's. ("Wallace, prostitution, homosexuality, premarital sex, sex for personal pleasure… none of those things are wrong or sinful. As long as it's safe and consensual, there's no fault in fulfilling physical needs.") She paused. ("And before you say anything, do not blame yourself for what Ren or Megalos did to you. Rape is not an act of love; it's an act of violence.")

An idea came to Sister Dymphna. She opened the drawer in the nightstand, and inside was a copy of To Chon—the most important book to any Rounékyoist . Pretty much every patient who came to the medical center was a practitioner of the faith. Unsurprisingly, most hospitals in Hoenn... didn't respect their religious needs.

She opened to the Book of Mánafi and sat in the chair next to Wallace's bed.

("When Kaióga first slumbered, he sent his child to us to watch over our daily lives. The Princess of the Sea came up from the foams of the early morning sea, coat shining like a blue pearl. The first ones to spot the child were not the nobles or the merchants, but the children of the fishermen.

("'Who are you?' asked the children. 'Are you a human or Pokémon? Are you a prince or a peasant? Are you a boy or a girl?'

("The Prince of the Sea laughed. 'Do you really think it's as simple as being one or the other? Tell me, what does it mean to be a human or a Pokémon? A prince or a peasant? A boy or a girl?'

("'That doesn't make sense,' said the children.

("'Many things don't make sense, little ones. Many things can't make sense until we spend a day in the body of others who are different. Only then can we realize that we all have fears and hopes, loves and hates, flaws and strengths, joys and pains. The body matters not, for it is the mind that carries who one truly is.'

("At this, the children—")

"With all due respect," Wallace interrupted, "I don't see the point to any of this."

Sister Dymphna looked up at Wallace. Well, perhaps her choice in passages wasn't conventional. For most patients, she would have turned to the Book of Tziráchi and the Song of Healing. But it wasn't just the Prince of the Sea's connection to water that made his book relevant to this moment with Wallace.

("It seems you've been told throughout your life that you must look or act a certain way to deserve respect. But you already deserve respect, no matter who you are or how you look or where you come from.") She smiled. ("I have to do a lot of analysis of religious texts, and I think it's notable that To Chon uses both masculine and feminine language for—")

Sister Dymphna stopped as Wallace looked down in his lap. He didn't seem to be feeling any better.

"I'm disgusting. I'm a gross, disgusting person."

Sister Dymphna shook her head. ("You're not disgusting at all.")

"I threw up on my girlfriend. Several times."

Sister Dymphna swallowed. That sounded rough.

("Well, I can't speak for your girlfriend, but when Nurse Joy called her…") Sister Dymphna shuddered. When Nurse Joy called Winona, the poor girl was inconsolable. ("…she didn't seem to be any less worried for you because you were sick a few times.")

"I had to stop going to the dentist and just bleached my teeth so I wouldn't get found out for purging. And so my dentist wouldn't see my fucked-up teeth."

Sister Dymphna sighed. ("Well… we'll be sure to help you find a dentist who specializes in treating patients with eating dis—")

"Sometimes…" Wallace's face was red with embarrassment. Sister Dymphna didn't want to say anything just yet; it seemed like Wallace just needed to vent.

"Sometimes Megalos would discipline me and I would… I would…" He stopped for a second. "I would lose control of my bodily functions."

Sister Dymphna's heart stopped. ("How did he… discipline you?")

Wallace put his hands around his neck, tears returning to their face. "Miku is a disgusting little pig who needs to be treated like a baby and—"

He was cut off by a hiccup, and he tried to rub away the tears in his eyes.

"Younger Miku needed to go to the hospital a lot. Miku couldn't eat or stand up or even use the bathroom without help. A-And look at Miku now!"

Wallace held his legs against his body, shaking again.

"Miku can't even force himself to choke down food without vomiting it up immediately afterwards like a sick dog! Miku is a disgusting junkie whore who uses drugs every damn day! Miku is a damaged slut who sleeps around with people who don't even like him! Miku is a pathetic coward who can't even take being disciplined like he deserves without pissing or shitting himself like a frightened bird half the time!"

His body and expression were twisted up into something so unrecognizable, so angry, so scared. His posture was sharp with despair, eyes violent with pain.

"Miku never deserved to be loved by Megalos! Megalos was a perfect mentor, and Miku—Miku is just a worthless, fucked-up freak!"

He crumbled into loud, shaky sobs. The poor thing… The poor thing…

Sister Dymphna felt her body tense up with anger. Wallace was so young, so weak. He had been abused for so long, and his mind was trying to make him feel disgusting for it.

She put a hand on Wallace and took a few moments to think of a response: ("Incontinence is a… common occurrence in victims of strangulation. It's okay to not be in control of your body during times like those. There's nothing to be ashamed of. You aren't at fault for the abuse you suffered.")

She paused for a moment. ("And I'm… sorry to say Wallace, but you will need a doctor to watch you at all times, including when you shower or use the bathroom.")

Wallace's eyes shot wide open, but Sister Dymphna's continued:

("I know this will be difficult for someone like you, but believe me when I say that we're doing all of this because we want you to be safe. And there's nothing for you to be ashamed of. You are worthy of respect, and nothing can ever change that.")

-

Fear. Fear when Winona rushed out of Wallace's room, crying, screaming that Wallace was convulsing. Fear when Sister Dymphna ran into the room, praying that Wallace was okay. Fear when she went through all of the steps of first aid, laying him on his side, cushioning his head, timing the seizure. Fear that the worst would happen. Fear. Fear. Fear.

But then… the worst didn't happen. The seizure ended. Wallace was okay, and Doctor Angelopoulos and Sister Dymphna were discussing its aftermath outside of his room.

"The symptoms Wallace has been exhibiting are in line with those of alcohol and drug withdrawal," he said.

Sister Dymphna nodded. Doctor Angelopoulos was a very old and very wise doctor. He knew a lot about medicine—for the body, for the mind, for the soul. She trusted him to do what was best for Wallace.

"Is Chara with Wallace?" he asked.

Sister Dymphna nodded, and Dr. Angelopoulos began to leave.

"All right, then. I'll go discuss this situation with his partner. I was going to discuss Wallace's diagnosis with her anyway."

She followed the doctor for a bit to ask, ("What's the diagnosis for Mr. Papadakis?")

"Major Depressive Disorder, Purging Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, abuse of almost every substance you can name," the doctor replied. "We'll put him on sedatives, since we have those handy, but you'll have to keep an eye on him while he's under their effects. They are one of the drugs he abused before his admission."

Sister Dymphna put a hand to her chin. She was a bit… confused by Dr. Angelopoulos's plan. ("Then why would we put him on sedatives?")

"Because it's the best we can do. Better to have him on sedatives under careful supervision than let him keep having these adverse effects."

Sister Dymphna nodded. She trusted Doctor Angelopoulos. And with that, she turned to walk back to Wallace's room.

She pushed open the door. Wallace was sitting at the table in his room, staring into space with glazed eyes, frowning. Nurse Chara Joy was sitting in the corner of the room.

("Wallace? How are you doing?") Sister Dymphna asked.

He held his hands together in front of him, opening and closing them. Her smile fell.

("Mr. Papadakis, do you need something?")

"Wallace," Nurse Chara Joy sighed, "can you speak?"

Wallace shook his head.

What a predicament. The poor thing was so mentally shaken by his seizure that he couldn't even speak. Though… perhaps they were speaking in home sign…

An idea struck Sister Dymphna. She ran out of the room and to the waiting room, where Doctor Angelopoulos and Winona were talking.

"...He's in good hands," Doctor Angelopoulos reassured Winona, whose face was wet with tears. "We'll take good care of him."

("Winona,") Sister Dymphna interjected. ("Do you know what it means when Wallace opens and closes his hands? Does he need something?")

Winona wiped away tears and looked over at Sister Dymphna. "Both hands together?"

Sister Dymphna nodded. Winona's sad expression sharpened into something more professional.

"Um… can I… can I see him? I think he might want me."

("Of course!")

Dr. Angelopoulos shot a glance towards Sister Dymphna.

"Are you sure?" Doctor Angelopoulos asked.

But Sister Dymphna didn't respond, because she was already running off to Wallace's room. When she got there with Winona, Wallace was still staring into space, still opening and closing his hands. Except now Sister Dymphna knew what it meant!

("Wallace, do you want Winona?")

Without looking at Sister Dymphna, Wallace nodded.

As if on cue, Winona came into the room. She made her way in and knelt by the side of Wallace's chair, and Wallace turned towards her.

"Hey, Wallace," she whispered, "how are you doing?"

Wallace put his head in his hands. Winona smiled sympathetically.

"Not good, huh? Is there anything I can do to help?"

He wrapped his arms around himself.

"A hug?"

He nodded.

Winona smiled and wrapped her arms around Wallace. She hummed like a chipper little bird.

"I love you, Wallace, and you're going to be okay. Okay?"

Wallace shook his head. Winona nuzzled against him, glancing over at the bedside table. Her and Steven's presents for Wallace sat atop it.

"The doctors will take good care of you. Steven and I will visit. It's going to be okay. Do you think opening your presents might help?"

Wallace nodded. Winona let go of them and stood up to pick up two boxes from the nightstand. One had been from her, the other had been from Steven.

"Do you want to open them, or should I?"

Wallace pointed to himself, and Winona handed them the boxes. He slowly stripped off the wrapping paper, folding it neatly on the table.

There were watercolors inside of the boxes. Wallace's eyes glowed brighter than the shades of blue and purple paint within.

And then, Wallace hugged Winona and buried their face against her body. Winona gently ran her hand up and down Wallace's back.

Sister Dymphna sighed out of relief. Wallace seemed to trust Winona. They seemed to trust that Steven man too, even though he punched walls. That was good. Having a support network was vital for recovery.

Wallace had Pokémon, right? Maybe those Pokémon could help, too!

-

As it turned out, Wallace's partner Victoria liked to help, she just…

("I shouldn't have ever let it come to this point. Was I not a good enough healer?")

…Well, perhaps it would be mean to say that Victoria was bad at her job. She clearly cared for Wallace and wanted the best for them. But… But…

Sister Dymphna swallowed and tried to sort her words out. ("Victoria, do you know what codependency is?")

Victoria's brow scrunched. ("What do you mean by that?")

Sister Dymphna stopped in the middle of the hallway, and Victoria stopped some seconds later. For a few seconds, Sister Dymphna let the buzz of the radiator fill the silence. Then she spoke again:

("Well, it seems as though Wallace has been… quite dependent on you, and in turn you've enabled many of his more unhealthy—")

Victoria's tail slapped! on the floor.

("Enabled?!") she shouted, eyebrows furrowed with anger. ("Do you think I would let Wallace suffer?! Do you think me caring for them is just as bad as letting them hurt themself for so long?!")

Dymphna held up her hands, signalling Victoria to pause and take a moment to calm down. Victoria's body still seemed tense, but her tail slowly fell to the floor.

("Victoria, it's important to have family and friends to help you in difficult times, but when it gets to the point where you put the needs of others over your own well being…") Sister Dymphna began. ("When you forget that you're a person too, when you put a little bandage on a broken leg and don't address the underlying problem… that's when it becomes a problem.")

Victoria's body relaxed a bit, and Sister Dymphna smiled. ("I don't think you're a bad partner, Victoria. And I don't think Wallace is a bad partner. But—")

Victoria turned to leave down the hallway.

("Wait!") Sister Dymphna gasped. ("Where are you going?!")

("I don't want to hurt Wallace anymore,") Victoria said, eyes sharp with worry and anger.

Victoria dashed down the hallway. Sister Dymphna almost ran after her, but she decided against it. Victoria needed time. Everyone did.

-

Reports of abuse were to be taken very seriously. Sister Dymphna took Wallace's testimony to the police as soon as she had the time.

"You have reached the Sootopolis City Police Hotline. For human services, press 1. For Pokémon services, press 2. For—"

Sister Dymphna pressed "2".

"Thank you. Please wait while we connect you with a dispatcher."

Barely a few seconds passed before a dispatcher came:

"How may we help you?" The voice on the other end of the line was firm yet calm. Sister Dymphna felt safe.

("I need to report a case of abuse.")

"A case of abuse? Would you mind elaborating?"

Sister Dymphna nodded, before remembering that the dispatcher couldn't see her. The Pokémon services tended to be handled by… well, Pokémon. Human-Pokémon verbal communication tended to work better when both parties were near each other.

("I have a patient who has… confessed to being physically, emotionally, and… and sexually abused by… by…") Sister Dymphna swallowed. ("...by the mayor. Matthias Megalos. For at least a few years.")

"...I see. Do you have any evidence of the abuse? Do you have photos of the victim's injuries? Has she—"

("'He'. The victim is a 'he'.") Well, Wallace was more than a 'he', but Sootopolis City didn't seem too fond of anything outside of strict ideas of 'male' and 'female'.

There was a brief silence.

"Alright then, has the patient taken a forensic exam?"

("I don't believe that's possible anymore. It's been… a bit since the victim was last in contact with Megalos. But there are still visible bruises I can take pictures of.")

"Alright then. You can send those into the police department. Can I have the patient's name?"

("Wallace Papadakis.")

"And can I have your name?"

("A—Dymphna. No last name.")

"Okay, Dymphna. We will call you back once we look further into this case. Thank you for reporting this."

Sister Dymphna never got a call back. A few days later, news came that Ren had been acquitted of her charges.

-

"She can't come in!"

"Wallace, Sister Dymphna won't hurt you!"

"SHE'S GOING TO KILL ME! EVERYONE IS GOING TO KILL ME!"

Wallace and Sister Chara Joy were fighting—loudly. Wallace had been refusing to sleep, insisting that he wasn't tired. One night of restlessness was understandable, but three nights of no sleep was taking its toll on his mind and mood. He was more irritable. He was talking to himself. He was… different. It started once Wallace started taking antidepressants, progressively getting worse as the month continued on.

Was this a side effect of those antidepressants? The nausea and dizziness that accompanied the sleep problems seemed to line up with the side effects, but what about the…?

…This wasn't psychosis, was it? Was it the LSD he supposedly took? Was it schizophrenia?

Sister Dymphna left the room, heart aching with pain. She couldn't help herself from rocking side to side. It was a self-soothing behaviour that had been with her since infancy. She was so, so worried about Wallace. His own mind was turning against him and making the people around him into enemies.

But psychosis wasn't a common symptom of depression, was it?

She looked back into the room. Wallace was pacing around the room, speaking rather than shouting now.

"All of them want to kill me. All of them want to kill me. They want to kill Sootopolis City. Use me. That's all I'm good for. Use me and drug me and beat me and choke me and fuck me IT'S NOT ABUSE IT'S DISCIPLINE!"

…His condition was getting worse. It was supposed to be getting better, but it wasn't.

Wallace was safe with Sister Chara Joy, so Sister Dymphna ran to Doctor Angelopoulos's office and told him about Wallace's condition. His stoic face turned grim.

"Talking to himself?" Doctor Angelopoulos said. "Oh dear…"

The world stopped for Sister Dymphna. It was never good when Doctor Angelopoulos said "oh dear". "Oh dear" was not having the medication to treat a patient. "Oh dear" was finding out that a patient had terminal cancer.

"Oh dear" was bad. Very bad.

"Has Wallace been happier than usual?"

Sister Dymphna looked up at Dr. Angelopoulos, who was resting his chin on a finger. It was a strange question, but she replied, ("Sometimes, but not really. Just more… energized.")

"More self-confident?"

("I can't really tell. He's just been screaming about how everyone wants to kill him and Sootopolis City.")

"Is he speaking faster than normal?"

Sister Dymphna was starting to suspect what Doctor Angelopoulos was suspecting. ("Yes.")

Doctor Angelopoulos's frown grew more grim.

"This sounds like it might be a manic—"

"YOU DON'T FUCKING UNDERSTAND!"

Sister Dymphna ran out of the office at the sound of Wallace's scream. He was still screaming, and now Sister Chara Joy was too, but Sister Dymphna couldn't hear it.

Wallace ran out of his room, Sister Chara Joy pursuing him. He crashed into the window at the end of the hall, banging desperately on the glass until it shattered. Why didn't the hospital have enforced glass? Why didn't the hospital have enforced glass? Why didn't it have the funds for enforced glass?!

("WALLACE!")

He stared down at the ground outside the window. First floor; not a height that would kill. He still looked… sick in the brief moment he looked out the window.

("Wallace, please!")

He grabbed a shard of glass and held it to his throat, panting and staring at Sister Chara Joy and Sister Dymphna with eyes wild like a storm.

"IF YOU STEP ANY CLOSER, I'LL SLIT MY FUCKING THROAT!"

Memories flashed before Sister Dymphna's eyes: a young woman, a child of The Mother Star, standing at the edge of the Sootopolis Crater.

("Please, Dymphna. I love you. Your family loves you. So many people love you. It will get better, I—")

"Whenever it gets better, it just gets worse."

Then there was silence, nothing but those two.

Then there was just one.

There was no serenity in Wallace's eyes, nothing like Dymphna's, but there was that same fear, that same despair.

From that day forward, Avi—no, Sister Dymphna made it her mission to save as many people from her lover's fate as she could.

"I HATE IT HERE!" Wallace shrilled. "I ALREADY FAILED MEGALOS! I ALREADY FAILED SOOTOPOLIS CITY! I NEED TO DIE! I WANT TO DIE! I WANT TO DIE I WANT TO DIE I…I…" Their voice fell to a whisper. "I want to die I want to die I want to die…"

Their mantra continued as their grip slackened and they dropped the glass. Blood dripped from their hands. There was no more anger. Just fear. Just despair.

Sister Dymphna caught Wallace before they could fall to the floor. His blood was warm on her fur. So were his tears.

"Miku wants to die," he muttered under his tears. "Miku's scared to die. Megalos loves Miku. Everyone else wants Miku dead. Miku needs to obey him. Miku's scared to die. Miku needs to die. Miku needs to be disciplined. It's not abuse. It's discipline. Miku doesn't like being disciplined. Miku wants it all to go away. Go away. Go—"

Sister Dymphna could feel him suddenly look up, then he went limp. Two people took him away from her: Sister Chara Joy and Sister Aphrodite. She looked up at them for comfort, for answers, for something.

("Is he going to be okay?") She was supposed to know. She was a nurse. She was a Chansey. They were supposed to know. But now she was just scared, and she didn't know anything.

("We'll put him on a suicide watch,") Sister Aphrodite reassured her. ("We'll remove all hazards from his room, and I'll stay with him at all times. Go call Wallace's next of kin.")

-

Sister Dymphna needed a break after that day.

She took a lot of pride in her duties as a nurse, but even nurses needed a break. As the Book of Tziráchi said, "Eat when you're hungry. Drink when you're thirsty. Rest when you're tired." So it only made sense to take a break, and Wallace was in the safe hands of Sister Aphrodite and Sister Chara Joy, so Sister Dymphna finally had the time.

And if she didn't rest, she would surely go crazy.

It was hard to play instrumental music when one had such short hands, especially with a bouzouki, but Sister Dymphna had built up minor skills in telekinesis. Perhaps she wasn't as skilled as Sister Aphrodite, but she could hold down the chords with her mind while strumming the lute with her hands.

She played a few chords for practice. It had been… so long since she had held her bouzouki. It felt like meeting an old friend, with memories blurry but rediscoverable.

"It's good to see you around again, Sister Dymphna. Where have you been?"

Sister Dymphna stopped and looked up. A pretty, petite woman with bluish-grey hair was walking over to her, a stáchifláouto in hand.

("Sister Markella, Earth and Sea and Sky Above.")

Sister Markella smiled as she sat down next to Sister Dymphna, causing the Chansey to blush. "You look like you need a friend to play with."

("That would be nice, yes. You can play the melody, I'll play the chords.")

For a brief moment in time, Sister Dymphna was at peace, playing nautical and urban songs with Sister Markella—"poor Sootopolitan's music", so to speak. That brief moment reminded Sister Dymphna that the world could be good and kind. She had seen the worst of the world so many times over her life, but these moments of kindness… they were important.

-

Wallace was beginning to stabilize mentally. The order of lithium had finally come in, but it would take time to tell if it was the right medication for Wallace. Different medications worked for different people.

At the very least, things were finally going back onto the path to recovery.

Sister Dymphna noticed Victoria waiting outside of Wallace's room. Well, Wallace still had therapy and wouldn't be back at his room for another hour, so maybe Dymphna could talk to Victoria again.

("Victoria! What brings you—")

Victoria snapped her head down to Sister Dymphna. For the first time since the two had met, Victoria seemed hopeful. ("I want to be Wallace's service Pokémon.")

Well, this was… hm…

("Their… service Pokémon?") Sister Dymphna tilted a bit to the side in confusion.

("Yes, service Pokémon! ") Victoria waved her fin to emphasize her words. ("The ones that help humans who can't see. The ones that help humans who are sick. The ones that help them through panic attacks. I want to be that for Wallace!")

Sister Dymphna forced a small smile. She didn't know… how to word her next statement.

("Victoria… A therapist can't treat their own family. You and Wallace are very close—that's wonderful! But… well, a therapist wouldn't treat their sibling. For practical and ethical reasons, we would need a different Pokémon to be a service Pokémon for Wallace.")

And besides, Victoria needed to learn about boundaries, and about taking care of herself.

Victoria looked shocked at this news, and tears were beginning to form in her eyes.

("B-But I'm supposed to be there for them. I'm their partner Pokémon. How… I…")

She was cut off by a harsh sob. Sister Dymphna hugged her long body.

("But you're just as important as any therapist or service Pokémon,") Sister Dymphna said. ("Family is very, very important. They're just important in a different way.")

An idea suddenly came to Sister Dymphna's mind. Victoria was too close to Wallace, but maybe…

("Are there any other Pokémon Wallace? Ones who maybe aren't as… close with the ?")

Victoria sniffled, but said nothing. After a long silence, she sighed.

("I mean, there's quite a few, but all of them are very close… Not as close as me, but they're also very busy. Duncan… Duncan isn't. He's a Spheal and used to train with Nicole, but he likes helping people more than battling. He doesn't know too much about Wallace. I guess… I guess he can help.")

Sister Dymphna nodded.

("That would be good. For you and Wallace.")