|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
"James? James? Come on, wake up." He opened his eyes to see Misty staring down at him. He sat up in the chair and looked around. Eevee perched on his lap, staring up with concern. James hugged Eevee and kissed her head. He stood and went to the window, looking in on Jesse. For an interminable time, he simply stood there and stared, memories of her and them flooding his hazed mind. He made his way to the door and sat down by her bed. He put Eevee on the bed and Eevee padded up to Jesse's head, licking her nose. "Eui?" She said softly. With no response, Eevee put her head down and walked over to James. "Eui." James smiled at the little one. "I know, Eevee. I know. I miss her too." A tear fell from Eevee's sad eyes and James choked on a sob. He hugged Eevee tight. "She'll come back….I know she will." Eevee's head was buried in his chest. James fell asleep with Eevee in his arms and his head upon the side of the bed.
James awoke to Misty's voice. "James?" He looked up as Eevee jumped down. Misty was holding a plate of food toward him. "I thought you might be hungry." James simply blinked. After all the trouble they had caused the three kids in the past, they were being so nice to him. "Thank you." He took the food and Misty bent down, setting a plate for Eevee. Eevee said her thanks and began to eat. James picked at his food and Misty sat down. "How is she?" James shook his head. His voice was so shaky. "No change." Misty looked from James to Jesse. "What happened to Meowth?" James looked up. "He's at home." Misty nodded. Brock and Ash appeared in the doorway, munching on a mutual bag of chips. Misty shook her head at them and they were quiet. James sighed as the nurse came in to record Jesse's vital signs. The nurse smiled patiently at James. "How is she?" The nurse could only smile sadly. "She's stable." Something went through James. "I know she's stable….but how IS she?" The nurse sighed. "We don't know. There is no change as you can see. If she wakes up, we don't know how she'll be." James shook slightly. "If she wakes up? What do you mean, you don't know how she'll be?" Eevee stretched up to offer comfort to James. The nurse closed the clipboard. "Sir, I don't know what to tell you….she could be perfectly normal, she could be handicapped, or she could never wake up." The nurse left them, saying her apologies. James cried then, horribly. He held Eevee to his chest. His whisper was wracked with pain. "Oh god, please don't leave me. I love you, Jess….please wake up." This so pained the other three. Misty hugged herself and wiped her eyes with a tissue. James continued to cry until his energy was gone. Brock found him a blanket and James managed to find some comfort in the chair, propped against the bed, with Eevee snuggling against his hair. Even Pikachu hopped up and sat down by them, offering what comfort he could. He held Jesse's arm and cried himself to sleep.
Jesse remained in the coma for nearly a week, with Brock, Misty, Ash, and Pikachu watching her when James fled home to change and check on the house. He brought Meowth with him, who had been horrendously worried. Meowth perched on Jesse's chest and yelled at her when he first saw her, which only caused James and Eevee to cry. Meowth apologized and hugged him and Eevee, and sat down in the corner, curling up and waiting.
Snow had begun to fall outside and James remained in the room as he always was, staring at Jesse, crying off and on as memories would come and go. Eevee was curled on his lap and Meowth sat next to him, curled into a ball, staring at the walls. Misty and Brock sat near him, offering company. Ash and Pikachu had gone to get dinner. They returned as the nurse came in for her rounds. Ash handed James and Meowth a sandwich and laid a plate down for Eevee. James looked up tiredly at the nurse. "How is she?" This nurse was compassionate with him. "There's no change, but she'll be fine, I'm sure." James' head dropped and Meowth stopped eating. He looked up at James and even Ash knew what he was going to say. "James, you're going to have to face that she may not wake up." They all looked at him and he was silent, staring at the floor. His voice was very low. "I know." Meowth bowed his head. "I know it's hard." James brought his head up and nodded. "I know," he whispered.
James fell asleep against the bed. Brock, Misty, Ash, and Pikachu had gone with Meowth back to their house to see the rest of the Pokemon and to get some rest. Eevee was quiet as she lay down in Jesse's mane of hair and snuggled against her head.
Meowth and the group returned the next morning, bringing three indignant
Eevee sisters. The hospital staff would have sent them away had they not
felt so bad for James. The door opened and James' head came up. Eevee jumped
down to greet her sisters. Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon gathered around
James, offering him what comfort they could. James smiled sadly, holding
them all close, as Eevee snuggled against his chest. Vaporeon rested her
paws on the bed and looked at James. "Por?" She brushed a paw against Jesse's
shoulder. "Por!" Vaporeon turned and looked at James. James explained to
them what was going on and comforted them as Flareon leaned against
the edge of the bed and cried to Jesse. She batted Jesse's hand angrily
to wake up and James petted her softly. Flareon whimpered and jumped down.
James looked over to where the others stood. "Thank you…..for bringing
them. I missed them…..and Jesse would want them here" Night fell and the
snow was heavier. The Eevee sisters settled at James' feet and Meowth dragged
in a chair to curl up on. James remained vigil at Jesse's side until he
could no longer stay awake. He did not know what to do anymore. Tears filled
his eyes as he leaned forward to kiss her. His lips trembled as they touched
hers and he closed his eyes. After a long moment, he drew back and looked
at her, drawing in a ragged breath. "Please come back to me. I don't care
if you're blind or deaf, I need you with me in this life." He fell asleep
with his head against her side.