A Dream, A Destiny 2

Everything gonna be all right

Serena POV

I stared at the neat handwritten declaration for a long time, swallowing past a lump in my throat. Oh, Ash... My eyes were swimming with tears as I finally looked up at Delia, only to see her wipe away tears of her own. Her body language was very known, but deep inside i knew she was strong.

"I didn't-," I started, blinking back the tears. My voice broke and I cleared my throat, managing to speak every word out from my mouth. "I didn't know he felt this way."

Gently patting my knee, Delia said "You're obviously very special to him. Hope told me that Giovanni was trying to keep you apart by telling him to dump you but he never listened to his 'advice'." Delia shook her head, looking disgusted at Mr. Ketchum's intended manipulation of Ash. "That sounds like love to me."

"But when he tried to explain that to me, I bit his head off." A tear trickled down my cheek as I remembered just how unforgiving I'd been when Ash had let what his dad had said slip. And now it was eating me up inside because I hadn't gotten a chance to say sorry. "I wish I could take it back. I wasn't even that mad at him, my pride was just hurt."

Sighing sadly, Delia nodded at my tearful explanation as though she understood where I was coming from. "I know a little about hurt pride," she said cryptically, twisting her lips up in a humorless smile. I looked up at her, sure that she was talking about her relationship with Mr. Ketchum, but she didn't elaborate. "You're here now and you had to go through hell just to be by Ash's side." She stared solemnly at my bruised and bandaged face. "To me, that says a lot about you. So you can stop beating yourself up about anything else."

I smiled at Delia, the action hurting my bruised up face, and was rewarded by a genuine smile back. "Thank you, Delia," I whispered in a cracking voice just as the door to the room opened and Hope walked back in, seeing her face stained with tears on both cheeks.

"I'm sorry I had to leave, I get squeamish," she explained, sitting down next to me on the bed.

Delia smiled kindly. "I think I did a pretty good job. Numbed your skin before I got started- you didn't even notice I gave you stitches did you?"

"No." I touched my cheek, startled, before looking up at Delia, my eyes filled with gratitude. "You're a really good doctor."

Shrugging like it wasn't a thing; Delia said "Well, I try. I never wanted to be the type of doctor that owns a practice and charges exorbitant fees, you know? And I'm glad I'm living my dream. I go from place to place, just helping those who can't get medical help. Last month I was in Kanto. If Ash- when Ash gets better, I'm going back there."

She rubbed at her eyes wearily. I knew she was trying to stay strong, mostly for Hope's benefit, since Hope looked like she was ready to go into hysterics any second. Not that I blamed her, I felt the same way. My whole body was tense and I felt weepy, like I still had a reservoir of tears I needed to use up. All I wanted to know was what was happening with Ash, or even where he was.

Even as those words ran through my mind, I wondered if I could believe them. Sucking in a shuddering breath, I wrapped my arms around my body, hugging myself even though the room was pleasantly warm and our moment conversion died down in an instant.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened and in stepped a tall, stout man with a somber expression on his face. Hope absently glanced up, the blood draining from her face as her eyes landed on him. He stopped as soon as he walked in to the room and hovered nervously by the doorway, his hands clasped in front of him.

"Hello, Mrs. Ketchum; ladies," he said courteously, nodding towards Delia and I. "For those of us who have never met, I'm Ash's doctor, Dr. Brock."