Chapter 6: the way home.
The next 2 weeks in the hospital apart from the occasional pain when tubes and wires were removed was incredibly boring, sure Alex had a TV to watch but it was restricted to channels that had pre-revolution cartoons and post post-revolution cartoons made to entertain humans. He ended up bugging Scorch and Nina during their daily visits for a laptop and when he did he almost regretted it when they both aawed.
"You're bored baby boy?" Nina asked with a smile but Alex stopped caring about the cutsie nicknames assuming they called him that pre-revolution since he did recall having problems sleeping without them around, "yes incredibly bored I need something to do with my hands" Alex said lifting up his hands for emphasis which he lowered after another aw from the both of them.
Within 3 days Scorch came back setting up a bulky laptop on a table that hung across Alex's lap, Alex with hands having been freed made his bed sit him up to be able to use it. "Fritz put it together for you Alex, said it should be 'trainer proof'" Scorch said chirping out a laugh making Alex both blush and eye roll.
His ghostly Zoroark always had a fascination with all the tech that he used to carry around even dismantling his desktop then putting it back together again just like the goblins of an old story book he once read, though calling it 'trainer proof' showed that Fritz's skills have gone above simple reassembly.
"Wait Fritz? What happened to Cinder and Jessy?" Alex asked wondering what happened to his whole team, "don't worry baby boy" Scorch said patting his Alex on the head getting only a stern look from his boy "we are all still together we managed to get an old manor in Ballonlea to live in though we do have a flat here in Motostoke for when we are in town" He added.
Alex nodded in understanding as Scorch sat down by him turning on the TV with the remote inputting a code on the remote "I think someones had enough of baby shows" Scorch said, "finally" Alex muttered "I was talking about me" Scorch said with a smile giving an expression that Alex recognized as his 'I am joking' face.
The news blurted out onto the screen mostly just weather rainy as usual for this time of the year as winter was turning to spring, the screen then went to the presenter a Mr Rime that announced that they had received news that the 'Rifleman' runaway has not only been recovered but has been adopted announcing his relief that this human quote "won't be a threat to his own safety any more".
The presenter then started talking to another Pokemon on screen that both Scorch and Alex went wide eyed at, David that Pikachu was on screen discussing what he saw with Alex even sharing pictures of the boy from the recovery ward after his various surgeries. Scorch grabbed his phone from his pocket dialling for Nina, as Scorch chirped in a panic with her Alex felt dread and anxiety filling his chest.
During his time running despite the lack of human contact other than to do the occasional job his voice had become monotone almost robotic due to him suppressing emotional responses, being trapped and forced to run that lead to.. this as he looked at what was left of his legs made his emotions flow anew unregulated way as if the years of repressing it had caught up with him to hit him with feelings he kept to the side.
His face went from being in the shadow to being on the 12'o'clock mid day news and already he hated it, his mind rushed through every scenario of what might happen making his breathing become unsteady with anxiety and dread. That is when he felt Scorch begin to lift him gently being careful of the 2 last tubes running from him bringing over the stand that held the peebag and low level painkillers that helped dull everything.
"It's ok Alex I am here" Scorch said being careful with where his hand rubbed only going up and down the top portion of his left arm, Alex's right arm flew up and wrapped around Scorch's shoulder forcing himself closer into the Cinderaces chest fluff.
Scorch felt the tears on Alex's face and resting his chin on his head slowly moved back and fourth on his chair. Despite hating to admit it this motion along with the strong thrum of Scorch's heart made Alex feel better despite his crying which eventually went to straight up bawling muffled by the fluff.
A nurse peaking in to check at what was going on was quietly shushed out of the room by Scorch and the eventually after a few minutes Alex stopped crying just dropping to sleep in the others arms. Nina floated into the room a few minutes after that taking out her phone and took a picture of the precious scene.
"does this mean we move him sooner?" Scorch asked in a hush tone and Nina nodded in response gently shaking Alex's good shoulder, Alex groaned nuzzling back into Scorch's fur and whilst not only pulling at her heart strings Nina also just wanted to let the boy sleep but he needed to be awake for this bit.
She gently shook his shoulder again being sure to take his chin in her hand stirring him back to consciousness, Alex still felt exhausted barely holding his eyes open. "Now darling we are going to need these last 2 tubes out this may pinch a bit ok" Nina said and the Gardevoir closed her eyes for a moment calling out with her mind then a nurse walked in.
Nina removed the painkiller tube in his left hand and Alex looked away as the nurse went between his legs working on the catheter in his urethra, with the catheter deflate the nurse looked up from under Alex's gown saying that "this isn't going to hurt I promise" the Gothitele nurse said with a smile. Alex clinged as tightly as his pain level would allow to Scorch with one arm whilst Nina bandaged up his other, "on 3" the nurse lied "1-" then slid the tube out quickly and smoothly out.
Alex for lack of better phrasing screamed his head off though not literally, Scorch found himself almost being strangled by what to him was a scared little boy. "D-DADDY! HURT!" Alex blurted out between screams involuntarily his brain needing something Nina holding back his left hand from going to his crotch, "sssshhhh it's ok, I know, I know" Scorch said then felt something on the side of his leg.
"I think this ones dam does not exist, il go get towels" the nurse said rolling up the tube and quickly exiting the room, "oh dear it's ok we got you" Nina said also fussing over Alex looking under the gown to inspect the damage.
She sighed in relief no blood the tube had done its job but in both her opinion as his new mother and a doctor Alex needed to be put in diaper. Alex calmed down after some time then it suddenly dawned on the three of them, "you called me daddy?" Scorch said slowly and it clicked in Alex's head had the weeks of watching nothing but those dumb shows meant for humans rotted his brain so soon?
The human groaned burying his head in his Cinderaces fluff as if hiding his face made everything just vanish, the nurse returned with towels mopping up the urine from Scorch's leg and the floor.
After a short conversation Scorch had a dufflebag on his back and Alex was back in bed stripped of his gown allowing him to not only see the full extent of his surgical scars and his wrapped up stumps to the chronic damage he had let his body get into.
"we haven't got more comfortable ones so plain white hospital ones will have to do" Nina said lifting the remains of Alex's legs sliding what Alex recognized as a diaper under the boys butt, "HANG ON!" Alex exclaimed trying to roll out from under Nina who held him down by his waist getting him powdered and all taped up as if she had done this with humans vastly stronger.
"Alex I am going to be very clear with you on this," Nina said giving an expression that looked like she would not argue any alternative options "you have no legs, you cannot go to the bathroom on your own so it's either the diapers or we can put the tube back in your choice" she said as a semi-threat. Alex horrified with the idea that the tube would have to go back in elected to stay in the diapers, with that resolved Scorch handed Nina a white bodyglove from the bag and Alex found himself being dressed up in it.
A nurse came into the room pushing a black and blue pram the size of a wheelchair and in a mixture of indignation, embarrassment and discomfort of the hospital diapers practically cutting into his leg joints Alex wriggled and fussed in Nina's arms then against the restraints of the pram.
"everything packed up?" Nina asked and Scorch nodded tucking the laptop into the bag, acting like as if Alex was not there and thrashing against the restraints only stopping and slumping in his seat because he was running out of energy.
"A normal wheelchair would do the job" Alex said panting flinching a bit as small amounts of pain returned to his system, "consider it blending in besides you look adorable" Nina said pulling the rain shield over Alex giving him a slightly wonky window into the outside world. He winced after giving the weak plastic sheet a kick the bottom of his right stump still raw as he was pushed out of the hospital room and out into a lift.
"If we are quick we should be able sneak out the front with other patients" Nina said and despite not being able to see it he assumed Scorch nodded in agreement as they left the lift moving almost at a jogging pace, being pushed along despite the situation was some what calming though Alex chalked up the exhaustion he has been feeling recently to 2 years of not sleeping properly.
He was about to drift back off to sleep when 7 figures stood in front of the 3, questions came rapid fire directed at Scorch and Nina asking them anything from "are you two going to keep hunting?" to "how does it feel to have the 'Rifleman' under your care?". The match met the gas when a hand began to lift the rain shield, Alex felt his chest tighten and flinched as a pair of camera flashes went off.
The cold outside air stopped and there was a yelp as Scorch put his foot down literally onto the reporters hand, "do things to me sure, do things to my baby NO!" Scorch said in a tone of voice that Alex had never heard the happy go-lucky rabbit use before one filled with so much guttural anger he could feel the heat on the words.
"If it's an interview and pictures you want make an appointment like everyone else, do this again and you will see the inside of the court room am I clear?" Scorch added in a controlled but raised voice, the reporters cleared off and Alex let out a sigh of relief.
"Wow I didn't have to mop them off the ground this time, you're learning" Nina said with a giggle, "I learn from the best" Scorch said and Alex could only assume all the chatter between the two over the years was them talking smack to each other.
The plastic that protected him from the weather really came into use as the weather picked up the light spattering of rain starting to grow in intensity, a large trailer the size of a box truck was dragged into site by the stomping hooves of a large Rapidash.
"Cinder good to see you" Scorch said patting the giant flaming equine on the side, Alex recognized the name he gave it since he first caught it many miles south near the cost after several field were set ablaze by an out of control Pokemon. "Master?" he heard Cinder say in a deep gravely voice that due to its familiarity gave Alex comfort, "is that what you called me all this time?" Alex asked before tapping the plastic sheet asking again when Nina lifted it so that he could be heard.
Cinder chuffed "of course that what I call you, you helped me keep head I protect you" Cinder said his burning mane continuing despite the rain, that is when Alex noticed the harness connecting Cinder to the box truck "impressive right? Only way to ride is in style" Scorch said pushing the pram as the plastic sheet went back over him.
When Alex was loaded in via a small lift showing that this had once been a lorry and the sheet peeled back his jaw almost dropped, "welcome to our 'in town apartment'" Scorch said as Alex looked around the small apartment like caravan complete with kitchenete, living room, what he could only assume was a very narrow bathroom and of course on the far side a massive bed built for the Alpha sized Pokemon couple.
Nina and Scorch sat on the sofa holding the pram still between their knees facing Alex towards them, "ok where did you get the money for all this?" Alex said flatly "smart investments here and there plus bounties" Scorch said giving Alex a few moments to think as Nina grabbed an old phone off the wall then began talking to Cinder.
"HANG ON BOUNTIES!" Alex said in alarm grabbing his right forearm with his left hand when it flared up in pain when his muscles tensed, "sweetie if you're in pain please tell us" Nina said separating Alex's hand from his forearm. Alex looked at the surgical scar covered up in a bandage that stretched from wrist to elbow joint, "when is this going to stop hurting?" Alex asked looking up at Nina a blush spreading across the humans face as he realized what the question sounded like given his current position and attire.
"Well we are going to pick up some stuff you need on the way home, we have had complaints from several humans that the diapers hospitals use are not comfortable for everyday use" Nina said with Alex's face giving her an expression that anyone could tell meant 'no shit sherlock.'
Whilst he was not keen on the idea of trying on diapers til he found one that felt like a pillow on his ass he was at least keen on getting out of the cardboard like hospital ones that was currently cutting into his upper thighs, though he did think about what torture he was about to be put through for what they 'need' he did not or even could notice the directions they were going.
"We arrived" came Cinders voice from a speaker on the wall "where exactly?" Alex asked as the door to the back of the caravan was opened.
"Before you assume that because we have money we shop in some sort of high end shop" Scorch says rolling his eyes as the back lift on the back of the caravan lowered them, "he still eats those generic store pizza's" Nina says getting a chuckle from Alex at the memory of their travels together and with how little money they had they couldn't get their hands on proper pokemon food so generic human foods had to suffice.
Alex laid back in his seat some what content until he realized not only what they were about to do but where they were, "OH NO! NO! NO!" Alex exclaimed forcing himself back in his seat as if flailing would stop the prams movement towards the store "are your diapers that uncomfortable?" Nina says with a grin.
When the pram crossed into the store itself that is when Alex locked eyes with the Nidoqueen storekeep, "I know you, you shot at me and gave my baby boy a nasty wound last time you were here" She said and never in his life had Alex ever more wanted to shrink down in his seat.
He thought he felt both Nina's and Scorch's stare focused on him then saw the Nidoqueen walking towards him with the human he punched peeking out from behind some shelves like a frightened child, who was he kidding? For all intense and purposes most humans from what he guessed had an educed infantilism.
"Ah Alice sorry for any trouble our little one may of caused" Nina said smiling the Nidoqueen's expression she had on her face towards Alex was the same as last time concerned, "my baby was right he couldn't understand what I was saying," she said her expression softening up "you just wanted some food didn't you?"
Alex nodded hiding his face behind his hands "just got out of the hospital huh?" Alice said patting her side and her own boy rockets up to her side, "sorry about scaring you" he said and Alex looked at him from between his fingers. "Yea we were really supposed to leave like a week later but of course that thing on the TV now we are here" Nina said as Scorch knelt down to be level with Alex.
"You ok baby boy?" he asked and Alex shook his head in response getting a nod from the Cinderace, "sorry to interrupt but I think we should get what we came for someones getting a bit fussy" Scorch said getting back behind the pram.
It took a few minutes but after having various bodygloves of different colours and patterns Alex managed to convince them to just buy black, dark blue and purple plain ones, when it came to the diapers he just requested anything that was not pink and girly.
When they got to the counter Alex with a blush on his face had to watch the transaction only lowering his hands from his face when a cold glass bottle with a twist top was placed in his lap, "for the little one on me" Alice said with a smile and Alex went wide eyed at what it was… a bottle of lavender cola.
"c-can we just go home now?" Alex asked as he hurriedly opened the bottle and as quickly as they showed up they left.