The Eevee Sisters

Chapter 11

"Now you're acting pretty childish," Paul pointed out.

"Yeah, you really are," Ash agreed.

"You are as well," Paul said.

"No I'm not!"

"I'm not going to argue with you," Paul shrugged, starting upstairs after Dawn. Lucas thought for a moment before going upstairs as well.

"He's right Ash!" May sang, linking her arm through Marina's. "I'm going to the Gym!"

Marina reluctantly got up, but dutifully helped May towards the stairs.

"I need to build up my strength!"

"Poor child, I seriously doubt that she will ever be at her full strength again," Jimmy commented sadly, making a long face at Marina and May's retreating back, because of May's predicament, or because Marina was walking away from him, no one would know.

Barry sighed along with him. "It is pretty sad."

"Yeah," Jimmy agreed.

"But I guess I'll have to fine you for being rude," Barry finished, turning around and following the rest of the boys upstairs.

"Yea-" Jimmy started. He stopped, took off his cap and scratched his head in confusion. "Wait a minute."

"Come on May," Marina urged, her face looming above May's. May struggled to push the large weights apart, grunting in effort. Her vision swam as sweat ran down her face.

"Dr. Hamilton said its good to start nice and slow," Marina said.

"Slow?!" May panted, straining.

"Yes," Marina answered, "Slow."

"This ain't slow! I'm like...dying!" May gasped dramatically, but then she actually started heaving. Marina immediately let go of the weights, dropping onto the floor.

When May's breathing finally started slowing down, Marina brought her a bottle of water, almost hesitantly.

"What if I never get any better? I joke around now, but everything hurts, and I'm just so weak now. I can't do half the things I could before. I feel vulnerable." May whispered into the water bottle, staring glumly at her trembling, frail body. "What if I just become, a useless...burden? The weak link."

"Oh May," Marina laughed lightly, brushing back May's hair almost motherly. "You could never be a burden. You're friends with all of us. You bind us together, however much we hate that sometimes. Your...our backbone. We all need you somehow, as a leader, friend, sister...May, you'd never be a burden. And you're not our weak link. You're one of our strongest. Without you, we fall apart. That mini-mission that we did without you was absolutely horrible."

"But what if I'll never be able to do missions that way again? Go out...and help people? What if I'm weak and crippled for life? I know you guys are worse without like...my leadership, not to sound shallow, but you guys are used to taking orders from me and Paul, so it's weird when it's Calem. But now, I'm so bad, that...what if I just make the team worse? I don't want to stop being an agent, even though sometimes...I hate the killing, and carnage, and just...ruin we leave behind," May admitted guiltily, glaring at herself.

Marina sat with May on the exercise chair. "May, look in the mirror, tell me what you see. Everything you see about yourself."

"Huh?" May said, "Well...I see a weak, tired, girl. Sweaty, brown hair. Blue eyes. Small nose. Uh...workout clothes. Quivering muscles. A useless...freak."

"You're not a freak May, if anything, you're the normal one around here," Marina shook her head. "And I guess I was right. You're being self-criticizing, and pretending to be someone you're not. Why are you suddenly so...self-berating?"