Subject: [PW!] Lean on Me Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2001 07:10:52 GMT From: "Marco262, I _am_ the WooMaster" <res0eymx@verizon.net> Reply-To: marco262@yahoo.commuting.sucks Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon "Just what in the name of sweet Goddish do you think you're doing?!" Darian stumbled, leaning all his weight on his arm to keep himself standing. His hand slipped off the polished bed knob and he fell heavily on the linoleum floor. A shadow fell over his prostrate form. He rolled onto his back and glared up into the glowering face of Lisa Charity, his nurse. "Get back in bed right now! Doctor Wonker said you're not to be moving about for weeks!" Darian got up into a sitting position. "I'm fine. I can walk as well as anyone else," he grumbled, trying to get into a standing position. Failing miserably, he settled for hoisting himself up to sit on the edge of his bed. Lisa just shook her head. "You know," she said, grabbing his legs and swinging them up on the bed, "You are the most difficult patient I've ever had. I don't know why I put up with you anyway!" She pushed him back onto the bed, and pulled the covers up to his chin. "Then, why don't you just leave me alone?" Lisa stopped tucking him in and put a finger on his nose. She leaned in and smiled coyly at him. "Because you'd be completely helpless without me." Darian shot up indignantly. "I would not be helple--" "Oh, lay down you big baby," she said giggling, pushing him back down as quickly as he had sat up. She pulled the covers up again and tucked them around him. Darian couldn't help but notice the grace with which she did everything. He turned his head to the side and gazed out of the hospital window up at the stars in the night sky, hardly any light coming in through the window from the moonless ocean horizon. "You know," Lisa said, crossing her arms across Darian's chest and laying her head on them, "The doctor's been saying that, if you keeping recovering like your doing now, he may shorten the rest of your stay, even going as far as giving you a clean bill of health in three days." Darian's head snapped around. "Are you serious?" He tried to sit up again, but Lisa held him down. "Goodness! Stay down!" she said. "What do I have to do to keep you to keep still?" She stood up and smoothed down the front of her nurse's uniform. "Promise me you'll try and go to sleep? Staying up all night reading isn't good for you, especially for someone who's been comatose for 5 years." Darian grimaced, ready to complain, but then saw the concern in her eyes and decided against it. "Alright, I'll try." Lisa smiled, her hands behind her back, and, after making a few cursory checks of the displays in the room, left his hospital room, shutting off the lights on the way out. Darian waited a few seconds, listening to her footsteps receding and a few others coming and going past his door. It was late at night, around bedding down time, and most people were either asleep already or at home with their families. He reached under his bed, pulling out a box and removing his pokéball belt, which he'd been wearing when he'd been brought into the hospital. Two pokéballs were on the magnetic latches: Mens'osc the Alakazam, and Ćther the Fearow. He'd let them out occasionally to let them get acquainted with their new surroundings, and to tell them what had happened so they wouldn't think he'd forgotten about them. Right now, as with most nights right before he went to bed, all he could think about was the empty space in the bed next to him. The place where Pardus usually lay against him, both of them huddled around each other for warmth in any convenient resting place. His vision blurred at that thought, and he slid the box with his belt in it back under the bed. Darian lay on his bed, clearing his mind of all thoughts, and felt his eyelids slowly get heavy. When they were almost closed, he recited in his mind his evening ritual. "I swear on all things that are good: I will find you Pardus. This, I promise." His eyes closed completely, and his body relaxed, given to the peaceful surrender of sleep. ******************************** (Three days later:) "We'll all miss you, Darian." Doctor Wonker shook Darian's hand. Darian squeezed slightly, and readjusted the strap of his brand-new bottomless backpack, that he'd gotten as a going away present, on his shoulder. "I'll miss you all as well," he said ernestly. He looked through the familiar faces surrounding him, gathered to wish him off. He frowned slightly. "Where's Lisa?" Doctor Wonker looked around. "Beats me. I haven't seen her all morning. It _is_ strange that she wouldn't show up to say goodbye." "Well, it's not like I need to see her before I leave." Darian turned aside, so no one could see the look of sadness that crossed his face. "Goodbye Darian!" someone yelled. Everyone joined in shouting their goodbyes and waving. Darian waved goodbye to them, and walked upright out the doors for the first time in his life. The sunlight made him squint slightly, then he turned towards the harbor and started off, wondering what kind of boat he should take to get to the mainland. "Wait! Hold on!" A brief wave of relief washed through Darian, but outwardly he just threw back his head in annoyance and turned to see Lisa running up to him. His jaw dropped. Lisa stopped in front of him, a little out of breath. She had, for the first time he'd ever seen, discarded her nurse's outfit, wearing instead a form-fitting white t-shirt and jeans. She'd also let down her bun, another first. Her now long hair was braided down her back to her waist. A red and white baseball cap sat snuggly on top of her head, shielding her eyes from the sun. She carried a duffel bag over her shoulder. Lisa saw Darian's shock at seeing her out of her uniform, and turned around to show off her figure. "What? Am I destined to wear a snooty nurse's dress for all eternity?" Out in this light, she noticed how tall he really was, compared to her. And how handsome too. She waggled her jean clad bottom at him. Darian couldn't help but stare for a second, then shook his head. "Who cares what you wear? Aren't you supposed to be back at the hospital?" Lisa turned around to face him completely. "Not anymore. I quit. I'm going to be traveling with you now." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and stuck out her chest defiantly. "You WHAT?!" Even Lisa took a step back from the verbal barrage. Darian was positively fuming. "What could possibly make you think I'd want you to come along with me?" Lisa, regaining her composure, winked at him disarmingly. "Because, like I said. You're helpless without me." Darian was completely lost for words. His mouth flopped open and shut. His hands clenched and unclenched. The vein his forehead and twitch in his eye steadily becoming more pronounced. Finally, he took a deep breath and slumped down, defeated. "Alright, alright, you can come. But," he added, before Lisa could say anything, "You're basically on your own. I'm not paying for anything of yours: food, hail styling, whatever. And if your pokémon faint in battle, I'm not going to help you." Lisa shrugged. "Fair enough. Now let's get going!" She skipped ahead of Darian, eager to get going. Darian sighed, and set off for his second time that morning, yet strangely happier this time. TBC... (OOC: I'll have their WG up soon.) -- -Marco262, Aspiring Regular ***************** Points: 20 Toaster Points 300 I Read Mecha's Fics Points 15 Y2Tech Points 1 Mewtwo? Been Done Point 200 AGNP love points 1 Defibrillator point 10 Amoe points ________ Points freely given ***************** AIM: Marco262 _________________ | | | PLEASE DO NOT | | FEED THE | | TROLLS | |_________________| | | | | /\/\/\/\|/\/\/\| |/\/\|/\ ()/)