A TRUE DESTINY
PART 3
BY GOLDENHEART


At first there was darkness. . . Darkness everywhere... But now, he could see a bright light, and as Ash's dreary eyes fluttered open, he wakes up to a pale blue celing. For one merry second he thought he was home, back in his nice, warm bed, but then he remembered, his celing was white. And this one, unlike his own, had a strange yellow streak in the center. But if he isn't home, then where is he?
He turned to look around, but a sharp pain zipped up his spine and down his arms. Ash winced. It was then when he first noticed the heavy bandage wrapped tightly around his head. And both of his arms were tucked neatly into casts, and so were his legs. What had he gotten himself into? Whatever it was, he couldn't remember a thing. All he remembered was when he had climbed out the window, and the rest was a giant blur. Whatever trouble he had gotten himself into, it looked pretty serious.
He tried to get himself to a sitting positon, but it was useless. The pain kept him pinned down. He slightly turned his head to the left, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw another bed. Also, tucked into it, was another person. A kid, most likely.. And beside that, a metal table with grizzly looking instruments. The floor was white tile, and the air smelled of medicine. Oh no.. He wasn't in a.....
"Hello sweetie-pie!" a kind, but unfarmillar voice squeeled. He turned his head in the direction of the voice, and more pain. The owner of the voice was female, clad in a white top and skirt. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and her eyes sparkled a dazzling blue. In her left hand she clutched a clipboard, and in her right, a pen. It was then when Ash's worst fears were relized.. He was in a hospital....
"My name is Nurse Joy, what's yours?" She was talking to him like a three-year-old who dosen't understand words yet. He wanted to say: Hey, don't patronize me Joy. I'm smarter then you think. But instead, mumbled: "A..A.. Ash." His voice crackled, and had to clear his throat.
"It's Ash," he repeated. "My name's Ash."
She smiled warmly.
"Ash. What a nice name!"
He rolled his eyes. He needed a sweet-talking, (not to mention patronizing,) nurse like he needed a hole in the head.
"Looks like you had a bit of an accident," she said unhappily.
Ok. NOW he was starting to get a little peeved. Whoever couldn't see that he has had an accident was either stupid or blind. In his head he felt like he was in the middle of a Twighlight zone episode. He was in a strange hospital, and he didn't have a clue why. But unknowingly, in the next room, all of his questions are being answered.
" How's he going?" Ash's mom implores the doctor with tears in her eyes. The doctor (Dr. Kennings to be exact) looked at his charts, studying them closely.
" Accually," he said with happiness in his voice, "He's doing quite well for a paitent in his condition." Ash's mom looked relieved. But then the doctor took his eyes off the charts and fixed them on her.
"But, " said the doctor, his voice now serious. "Your son's case is a remarkable one."
" He has aquirred a very, very rare type of concussion."
"How rare?" she asked.
"Well, Mrs. Ketchum, we estimate that one person out of every billion people have the same case."
"Every billion?" she asked, mezmorized.
"Yes. What makes it so rare, is the fact that the concussion only erases the memory of the accident. And, what's even stranger, is that the effect is temporary, but very long lasting."
Mrs. Ketchum's eyes widdened.
"How long?"
"I estimate, the the effect can last up to... well, about three or four years. And then the effect wears off, and the memory is restored."
At this point, Mrs. Ketchum is amazed. She stands there, jaw dropped to the ground, and eyes the size of half-dollars.
" And one more thing, Mrs. Ketchum." he said as a final note, "Since a certain part of his brain has been damaged, your son will probably experience sudden and unexpected black-outs later on. I wouldn't let him to far out of your sight."
__________________
Back where Ash is staying, he is savoring every moment that the annoying nurse isn't there with him. She treated him like he was dumb, which only made him feel worse.
To his left, Ash could hear the rustling of sheets. He turned slowly to see the paitent in the bed next to his, rise up, drearilly, and rub her eyes. Ash watched as she stretched and yawned. She had fiery red hair. But there was something different about that hair. It was brighter and livlier than most hair he had seen.
When she turned her head to face Ash, He noticed her huge, warming smile, and her deep aqua-blue eyes. Almost like pools of water. He couldn't take his eyes off her. He kept looking deeper into those eyes. And staring at that red , vibrant, hair. She gave him a strange look. She was about his age, tall, with a smile that could melt a man.
"Uh . . . hi." she said, keeping that strange look on his face. A look that said, do you eat paint-chips for breakfast?
"Hi. . ." he responded. They both looked away, both trying to think of something to say. There was an awkrard silence, and then:
"My name is Ash," he replied happilly. "What are you in here for?" she laughed and pointed down at her foot. It was rested in a cast. At that moment he felt very stupid. DUH! he thought to himself. How could I have missed that? But then he remembered. He could've cared less about her feet. He was busy staring at her face.
"Well," she said. "You look pretty bad. What happened to you?"
He opened his mouth to speak. But nothing came out. He dosen't remember.
"I. . .I . . . I can't remember." He said this as both a question and a statement. He was surprised he couldn't remember. You don't foget things like this.
Soon they were talking like they have been friends for years.
"So," She said with a smile on her face. "What do ya think of that nurse?"
Secretly Ash rolled his eyes. He knew exactly how to answer.
"What do you think about her?"
"Me?" She asked. She leaned back and thought. He didn't know why she had to think so hard. The answer was obvious.
"Well," she said with a strange note in her voice, "Do you think she's a little..."
"Crazy?" Ash asked.
"No, maybe-"
"Wacko? nuts? annoying?" Ash was running out of ideas.
"No, nothing like that," the red-head said in a humorus tone. "It's like she's trying.... to sugar-coat something, you know, lieing to make something seem better, when the truth is. . ." That's when she cut off her sentence short. But Ash knew what she was trying to say.
"I know," Ash said solemly. "Believe me, I know."
__________________________________
Soon it had been three weeks, and Ash and the mysterious red-head had been talking ever single day. Shooting the breeze about anything they could think of.
"Did you see that paitent in room 406?" Ash would ask. "It looks like somebody ran her over with a train!"
or:
"Did you taste that lime jello? It tastes like sour, disgusting milk!"
But soon it reached the point where it had been five weeks, and the girl Ash had had been friends with for all this time, had recieved some bad news.
"Hey, uh... Ash?" she asked him with nervousness in her voice.
"Ya?"
"I uh... have some bad news."
Suddenly Ash looked up from his magazine, (Sports Illustrated, to be exact. Well, I guess some things never change, do they?)
"What is it?" Ash said as he began to sweat.
"It's.. uh. . ."
Ash began to tremble.
"WHAT?" Ash couldn't help yelling. He was now very upset.
"Listen.. . . Ash, I- I'm going home."
At that statement, Ash's heart sank faster than the Titanic. A knot - a horrible, painful, knot, was now tied in the pit of his stomach. He felt hot tears brimming , but he couldn't cry. No, not now.
"I' m . . . so sorry."she replied unhappily.
Ash had never felt this bad since he first arrived here. Deep-down, he knew that this day would come, but somehow, he never expected it. His trembling lips moved, but no sound came.
"Good-bye Ash," she said with the saddest voice he has ever heard. He could see the tears streaming down her face.
Just then, somebody rapped on the door. The door slowly opened, and there stood, none other than .. . The damn nurse.
"Well sweetie," she said to a blubbering girl, "It looks like your going home."
She slowly rose out of bed, and slowly crutched to the door, with the nurse helping her. She turned to face Ash once more.
"Good-bye." she said again. And she turned around, and left. Left Ash, as well as the friendship, all behind. But Ash didn't notice. His eyes were fixed on what was behind the door. A tall man, clad compleatly in black attire. Even his hat, which reminded him of Indiana Jone's, was as dark as midnight. His face was masked in shadow, and he stood completely still, his eyes fixed on Ash. As the door slowly closed, he dissapeared. Right in front of Ash's eyes.


Well, as Ash wiped away his final tear, he vowed, never to fall into a friendship that quick again. He didn't want to get hurt again. He sunk his head low, and put it all behind him. But there was one thing he couldv'e kicked himself for. . . . . .He never got her name.

END PART 3
Well, SPOOKY eh? a man dressed in black, hm... I wonder. Well, send me some comments. Tenchu14@cs.com!!!part four coming soon