A/N: Sorry for the delays, but I got really busy this past week. Hope you enjoy this episode!
Disclaimer: Kenshin doesn't own Pokemon...or Ash...or Brock...or Team Rocket...or Misty (sadly). All he owns is the story's plot and Jessica. {Does anybody want her, by the way? She's up for sale if you want her!} *THUD* {Ow, my head! Jessica get back here with Misty's mallet!}
Errr, oh yeah, the fanfic!
"Miss, we're almost there," one of the paramedics informed her. He then turned to the radio and called in their status to dispatch. "Single victim trauma, inbound to Viridian General. ETA, 3 minutes." The ambulance soon pulled into a parking lot and came to a stop under a large awning. The back doors burst open and a pair of hospital staff members pulled the gurney out of the ambulance. They discussed James' condition with the paramedics as they rushed him to an open trauma room.
"What's his blood type?" the doctor asked Jessie, a hint of urgency in his voice. "I don't know," she said. "Are you sure you don't know?" he quizzed. "I-I really don't know! He never told me that. P-Please, you have to help him!" she said frantically. The doctor nodded and turned to a nurse. "Get me six units of O neg on the rapid infuser!" The nurse rushed to complete the task.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to wait outside," a nurse informed Jessie as he gently tugged her toward the door. She fought against his pull. "No! I won't leave him!" she cried. The nurse pulled her harder, but that only resulted in her fighting him more strongly. "Miss, please. Give the doctor room to work," he said. Another hand gently rested on Jessie's shoulder. "Jess, come and sit with the rest of us. James will be fine." Jessie turned to see her sister staring back at her. She slowly nodded before reluctantly following Jessica into the waiting room.
She sank into a seat in the waiting room without so much as a glance at anyone. "Are you okay?" Misty asked her. "Yeah," Jessie replied in dejected tones. "Don't worry. We got James here quickly and this is the best hospital in the area," Brock tried to assure her. She sighed and looked over at Jessica. "Can I talk to you, sis?" she asked quietly. Jessica nodded. "Alone," Jessie elaborated. Jessica nodded again and stood. "Come on, we can talk outside."
They stepped out into the evening sunlight. "So, what do you want to talk about?" Jessica asked after a minute or so of silence. Jessie waited a few seconds before responding. "James." Jessica waited for her to continue. "You know, I always liked him, even before we joined Team Rocket. I've known for a while now that he's more than a friend and a partner, but I never knew how much I really cared until I saw him lying on the ground, bleeding and unconscious. Maybe I'm just overreacting, but...I think I love him." Jessie paused, as if she were trying to process and comprehend this information as she said it aloud. Jessie squeazed her sister's shoulder knowingly. "I know what you mean, Jess. All I can say is, tell him. Tell him soon. That and...do you want some help?" she finished with a sly grin.
Jessie couldn't help laughing lightly trough the tears that had appeared in her eyes. Jessica hugged her sister warmly and smiled at her. "Don't worry, Jess. James will pull through, then we can let him know how you feel. I'm sure he feels the same about you." Jessie looked into her sisters eyes and asked seriously, "Do you really think so?" Jessica nodded, "I do. I know these things, you know, because I'm a matchmaker." Jessie couldn't help chuckling slightly again. "Yeah, but does the matchmaker need help making her own match?" Jessica blushed slightly and fidgeted, staring at the ground. "Oh, come on, spill it! I know you like somebody! Please, tell me!" Jessie asked, shivering with anticipation. "Well...I do like **whisper**" {Yes, Kenshin is evil!} Jessie's face lit up. "Really? I never would have guessed." Jessica nodded and blushed again. "Hmm, you always did have interesting tastes...and you picked a toughie, too, but I think you can manage it." Jessica was slightly encouraged by her sister's vote of confidence. "Of course, you still have to find him, which could take some time, but traveling with Ash will help."
Jessica faced her sister again. "I have an idea! Why don't you travel with us, at least for a while? I don't think the others would mind. In fact, I think they might even enjoy your company." Jessie looked apprehensive. "Do you really think so? All James and I have ever done is give Ash, Misty, and Brock grief," she said. "Now, that's not true at all. What about the times you've helped them out, like when you cheered on Pikachu during the gym battle with Lt. Surge?" Jessica asked. "Well, there were a few times, but mostly we just tried to steal from them. I don't know if they'll accept us or not," Jessie said, still not convinced. "Well, they helped you take down Giovanni, didn't they? I'm sure they know that all the stuff you did wasn't by choice. I think they've forgiven you already." Jessie finally sighed and nodded. "I guess you're right...well, it can't hurt to ask, once James is fit again, that is. Until then, I'll just have to be patient and try to make up for the bad things that he and I have done in the past." Jessica nodded her understanding and led her sister back toward the hospital entrance.
The sisters walked back into the hospital, both greatly relieved after their talk.
Several days passed, and James was still unconscious. The worst was over, but his body was still struggling to recover from the injuries it had sustained. He had survived the trauma room treatments and the emergency surgery, and was now in intensive care. Jessie stayed by his side every second she had been allowed to. She held his hand hopefully, waiting for him to wake up.
"Jess, it's time to leave now. Visiting hours are over," Erika said quietly from the doorway. Jessie looked up and nodded sadly. Erika and Jessica were the two people who took it in turns to stay with Jessie. Jessie was glad that her sister and her sister's friend cared enough to do that for her. It felt good to finally have friends, besides James. The others were just as nice to her, but Erika and Jessica were her caretakers: her first real friend and her sister. Jessie slowly stood and followed Erika out of the ICU. "Hungry?" Erika asked. Jessie shrugged. Erika sighed lightly and led Jessie to the cafeteria anyway. Jessica met them there and they shared a quiet meal. "The doctor said that James has a good chance of regaining consciousness within the next 24 hours," Jessica said hopefully after they had finished eating. Jessie's eyes looked up at her sister with a small amount of hope glittering in them. Jessica smiled at her sister and patted her hand affectionately. "Don't worry, Jess. He'll wake up soon."
Jessie was asleep in a waiting room when she woke up to somebody shaking her. "Wake up, sis," Jessica said urgently. She slowly regained consciousness, then her eyes snapped open in panic. "James! What's wrong?!" she asked hysterically. Her sister tried to calm her, patting her hand. "Shh-shh, nothing's wrong. He's awake, that's all." Jessie's panic turned into euphoria. "He's awake? Can-can I see him?" she asked, hoping feverishly. "Yes, that's why I woke you. Honestly, have you lost all rational thought?" her sister asked critically. Jessie stood and took the lead on the way to the ICU where James was being monitored. Jessica shooed her in when she hesitated at the door, then entered after her.
Jessie stopped in front of the door of James' room; that familiar door she had been through many times. "Sis, what if-if he...I can't!" She backed away from the door, but Jessica pushed her toward it with all her might. "Oh, no. You're not chickening out now! Get in there and confess yourself!" She gave Jessie a final shove, and she was through the door.
"J-Jess?" said a weak voice from the bed. Jessie's heart fluttered at the sound of his voice. He was going to be okay. "Yes, James. I'm here," she said as she slowly walked to his bedside. "How long was I out?" he asked. "A week." James took some time in processing this information. After a few seconds he asked, "Giovanni?" Jessie had prepared herself well for this question. "Dead. Officer Jenny found his body in the wreckage of that...thing. He's dead, James." Relief swept over James' face. "So then...it's over," he said. Not a question, but a statement of fact. Jessie nodded. "Team Rocket is gone. Most of the old agents have either been captured or turned themselves in," she said, still scarcely believing it herself. James locked his gaze on her eyes. "So...are you leaving then?" There was something in his voice. Concern, or possibly fear. "I-" Jessie began, then shut her mouth. She had to act now, but how to begin?
"Jessie, I'm glad you're all right." The comment threw Jessie completely off-balance. "B-but you're the one who's..." James shushed her. "I have to say something to you, and I want you to let me finish before you say anything, okay?" She nodded dumbly, wondering what he was going to tell her. 'Maybe he's ready to part ways,' she thought in a panic. Her heart was racing for all the wrong reasons. "Jess, we've always been together since Pokemon Tech," he began. 'And now it's time to go our seperate ways,' she thought sadly, guessing at his next words. "I'm not going to sit here and go through all our experiences, you remember them as well as I do, maybe better. We've stuck together a long time, and I want to ask you to do something for me. I'll give you my reasons as well," he said, waiting for her to give her consent to ask his favor. She nodded, fearing what he would ask.
"Don't leave, Jess. Please. I don't want you to go away now that Team Rocket's gone," he said, on the verge of tears. Now Jessie was confused. This is not what she had expected to hear. "Why?" she asked. "I would miss you if you left, Jess. I would miss you so much. I would miss you, because I love you," he finished explaining quietly, not daring to look at her. Jessie's heart started pounding faster, fluttering with excitement now. "James..." she began. She couldn't find words, so she reached for his hand and took it in her own. "James, I love you with all my heart. I could never leave you," she said, tears staining her own cheeks. She leaned over him and kissed him softly, sweetly. "Jess...thank you."
"Awww, that's so cute!" Jessie turned to discover her sister leaning against the door frame, a dreamy look in her eyes. Jessie's face turned crimson with anger. "JESSICA!" she screamed. "Heh-heh...I'll j-just be...going..." Jessica said, edging her way toward the ICU's exit. "Jessica, get back here! How dare you intrude our moment like this?" Jessica broke out into a full run, spurred on by a strong instinct of self-preservation. "Now, now...Sis, you're overreacting! I'm SORRRRRRY!" she screamed as she sprinted for the hallway. *CRASH!* The ICU door opened just before Jessica could reach it, knocking her to the ground, senseless. "Ahhh!" Erika shrieked when she saw what she had done. Jessie was beginning to calm down a little, so she helped Erika carry Jessica out into the hallway and into a waiting area, though she may have handled her a bit roughly. She quickly regained her composure, however, as the happiness of knowing how James felt was too much to allow her to remain angry.
"So, how did it go?" Erika asked as they dropped Jessica into a chair to let her recover. "How did you know about...Jessica! Who else knows?" Jessie demanded. Erika sweatdropped and backed away a little. "Umm, just me," she replied, gulping. Jessie sighed and sat down next to her sister's still-limp form. "Yeah, it went pretty well...til sis here interrupted." Erika smiled and sat down, relieved that Jessie wasn't going to maul her. "So, it's just like JC thought, then?" she asked. "JC?" Jessie asked quizically. "My nickname for Jessica," Erika explained, "She doesn't like it, but who cares?" Jessie laughed. "It actually suits her, in a weird way." The two talked about James and Jessica and traveling with Ash until JC started to come around.
"Ohhh...where am I?" she said, holding her head. She opened her eyes, then squinted them as the light hurt them. "Well, it looks like you're going to be okay. Think you need to see a doctor?" Jessie asked her sister. "Oooo...what happened to me? I feel like a got hit by a jet liner," she said, still holding her head. Her face was scrunched in pain. "Eh-heh-heh, that was me. Sorry, you ran into a door I was opening," said Erika. Jessica chuckled lightly. "It was my fault, too. I was the one that was chasing you...but it was because of something stupid that you did, so I guess it's your own fault, ultimately." Jessica finally opened her eyes fully and sat up. "I don't care whose fault it was. I just want some tylenol." She stood and began to walk unsteadily to the pharmacy. Erika and Jessie rose and helped her down the hallway, laughing at her apparent drunkeness.
"So, when is James being released?" asked Ash, who hadn't been to the hospital lately. He had been keeping Brock, Daisy, and Misty company instead, leaving the three girls to handle anything pertaining to James. (Mostly, he had been spending time with Misty, letting Brock and Daisy have some alone time.) {Note to all you Hentais: Ash and Misty have not, I repeat, not done anything beyond kissing. Brock and Daisy on the other hand...let's just say I'll leave that up to your capable imaginations, k? k.} "Actually, he was released this morning," Erika told him. "Really? That's great!" Ash replied. "I'm glad he's okay," said Misty, looking relieved. Ash nodded in agreement. He felt slightly responsible for James being hospitalized, despite Brock's and Misty's reassurances that it wasn't his fault. "So, like, what are we going to do now?" Daisy asked. Everyone stared at Ash, expecting an answer. "Ummm, Cinnibar Island, remember?" he asked, scratching his head. Misty nodded slowly, but Jessie interrupted. "What about James? He's been discharged, but he's still recovering. I don't think he can travel yet," she stated, concerned that they would be left behind by the only friends the ex-rockets had ever had. "Okay, then we wait," said Brock, summing up everyone's feelings on the matter. They all nodded in agreement.
"You-you mean you would wait for us?" Jessie asked, choking back tears. "Like, sure. Why wouldn't we?" asked Daisy. Jessie started to sob happily. Erika patted her back comfortingly. "Jess, we're your friends. Don't you worry about anything. We're here to help you," she said soothingly. Jessie dried her tears and laughed a little, drawing puzzled looks from Ash and Brock, who weren't very sensitive to this kind of behavior. "It's just...I've never really had friends before. Between all of you looking after us and James recovering...I feel so happy, I could burst."
Everyone had fun that night. When James finally was released from the police station, where he had to file some reports and give a statement to Officer Jenny, they all welcomed him back and decided to play some games. After endless rounds of poker and monopoly James grew very tired, so he decided to call it a night. Jessie helped James to their room.
"Good night James," she whispered as he laid down. She turned, facing her own bed, but found a hand restraining her. "Jess... will you..." Jessie turned and nodded. She walked around the bed and crawled in beside him. He draped an arm around her, and she curled up next to him. They quickly fell asleep, bathed in the warmth of their nearness to one another.
Elsewhere, a debate was raging. "But we've played Monopoly fifty times tonight! Can't we play something else?" Ash whined. "You just want to play something else because you always lose at Monopoly," Misty lashed at him. "Do not!" "Do too!" "Not!" "Too!" "Like, guys!" Daisy tried to interject, to no avail. "Do not!" "Do too!" "Do not!" "GUYS, KEEP IT DOWN! YOU'RE GONNA DISTURB OTHERS GUESTS! PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE, YOU KNOW? THIS IS A HOTEL!" Brock screamed at the top of his lungs. Misty and Ash snapped out of argument mode, instantly forgetting what they had been bickering about. "Sheesh, look who's talking. You could wake the dead yelling like that, Brock," said Jessica in an annoyed tone. Erika snickered. "Uhh, well, how else can I stop them from arguing?" Brock asked, blushing at his procrastination. Jessica shrugged.
"Why don't we just play a nice game of Parchesi?" Erika asked innocently. When no one argued the suggestion, she pulled a box out of her backpack. "Th-that's!" Brock stammered. The box read: 'Strip Parchesi'. "Where did you buy that?!" Jessica asked critically. Brock, Daisy, and Jessica had each secretly wanted to buy a similar game when they had shopped for Ash's birthday presents this year. "Oh, you know, places..." Erika said, avoiding everyone's eyes by staring distractedly at the ceiling. Misty and Ash, who had said nothing, were both blushing profusely, each thinking of the other stripping while losing the game. Erika slowly opened the box and set up the game board. No hand moved to stop her.
"Pick your color," Erika said seductively, offering the playing pieces in her cupped hands. Brock tentatively took a piece. Daisy quickly followed his example. Jessica also took one reluctantly. Misty and Ash reached for pieces at the same time, grabbing each other's hands instead. They blushed, then looked at one another. As if reaching a silent agreement, they stood and walked out of the room. "Where are they going?" Brock wondered aloud. Jessica stared after them curiously, dropping her game piece as she stood to follow them. "Sit down, JC. Don't you want to play?" Erika asked. Jessica froze in thought for a moment, then sat down and picked up her playing piece.
Erika then stared at each of the remaining players in turn, then burst out laughing. "What?" they all asked. Confusion was written on their faces. "Hehehe...look at the...haha...board!" Erika laughed. They looked at the game board to discover the logo on the board did not contain the word 'strip.' In fact, there was no indication on any part of the game that it was anything but an ordinary box set of Parchesi. Brock and Daisy also started to laugh. "Good one," admitted Jessica. Erika finally stopped laughing and caught her breath. She turned to look at the doorway. "Still, I wonder where they went." she said. Since they all wondered the same thing, they stood and walked out into the hallway, following the young couple. They found them in their room. To everyone's immense disappointment, they were already asleep. "Ash is such a coward. He's not even in the same bed as Misty," said Brock. Daisy punched him lightly in the gut. "Shut your mouth. I'd be worried if those two were in the same bed," she retorted. Jessica shook her head and slowly walked to her own room, followed by Erika. Brock and Daisy finally tired of watching the two sleeping teens and decided to go back to their room (the room that they had been playing games in).
Ash opened his eyes a crack as he heard the door shut. "They're gone," he whispered. No response. "You awake?" he asked, slightly louder this time. Still no answer. He quietly got up and walked over to Misty. He bent down and lightly kissed her on the cheek. He was about to crawl into bed beside her when her arms flashed out around him and pulled him toward her, causing him to crash down on top of her. "I'm-I'm sorry, Mist," he stammered. She giggled in his ear. "It's okay," she said just before she kissed him deeply. As they broke the kiss she whispered, "Good night Ash." Then she rolled over and went to sleep. Ash sighed contentedly before falling asleep himself.
ERRR....END?
Hmm, I guess that's it for this episode. Some of you may note the lack of description for the
game of Parchesi. This is because I've never played the game before! I do own a copy of the game, but...well,
let's just say it's not opened (hehe). This episode probably wasn't very good, but hey, I'm working on it. Anyway, I actually have
an idea for the next episode (*gasp*), so maybe it'll be better...hopefully.
jon_schug@yahoo.com--you know what to do!
Sayonara,
Kenshin