Into The Unown

Anticipation

Over the course of next couple of days Serena was kept under constant surveillance either by the doctors, Gary or the walls of the castle.

The blonde had left the hospital and moved on to her own room, the interior of which resembled the hospitals. The room was spacious, much more than the one she had in Haldfest. It had high vaulted ceilings that seemed to stretch endlessly upward. A grand four-poster bed dominated the space with its white curtains  swaying gently with the air-conditioning. Majority of her time was spent lolling on the bed, she had familiarised herself with every detail of its intricate craftsmanship.

Serena's food was brought to her room by either Gary or Charlus, who stayed put until she finished every bite. Sometimes when he wasn't busy, Gary would spend entire days with her, updating her on all that was going. Apparently they had all turned into archaeologists given the recent advancements. Dawn was in Sinnoh and Calem in Orre, both finding connections to the City of Fallen.

Though he avoided touching the topic of Ash, from what she could decipher, he was still with Spencer on a mission that was supposed to over in a day or two, but had instead turned into weeks.

"Are you still angry at him?" Gary asked in between a game of cards.

Serena looked up, colour quickly draining from her face. This was the first time that Gary had prompted a question aimed directly at Ash, usually he'd just walk on his tip toes around her.

"Why would I be angry at him?" She answered.

Gary shrugged, "There are some very pretty obvious reasons."

There was damming evidence supporting Gary's claim. But in Serena's court of law, none of them were applicable.

"I don't," she said, "I've known Ash since we were little kids. I know for a fact that he wouldn't do anything to jeopardise another persons life... least of all me."

"Then why did you leave?"

If she had a penny for the amount of time she was asked that question, she would have ten. They weren't a lot, but it was enough to weigh down her pants if she'd been wearing any.

"You wouldn't understand," She answered.

Serena didn't want to explain her actions to anyone.

It was getting lonesome sitting in a room all day having nothing to do except stuff her face with food. There was a limit to the number of times she could play cards, write songs, or brush her Pokémon's hair, and she had just reached it. Eventually she found herself lying flat on the floor underneath her bed staring at the frame for fun.

"Hello,"

The sound of another presence in the room made her jolt up from surprise, which wasn't a very wise decision given the lack of space. She let out a cry as she bumped her head against the frame.

The floor vibrated as footsteps advanced towards her. "Why are you sleeping on the floor? Is the bed not to your liking?" It was Ash, back from his expedition with Spencer.

Serena's breath got caught up in her throat. The last that she'd seen of him, he was cradling her in his arms after she took a bullet to her gut, calling her a moron for doing so.

"I was getting bored," she said.

Ash frowned, expressing his displeasure before he scooched down next to her. The two of them laid there is silence, starting at the black frame. The two of them sat close beneath the bed, the dim light of the chandelier cast a soft glow on their faces, illuminating every nook and crevices.

Though no words were spoken, the air still felt thick with unspoken word. As time went by, Serena felt herself stealing glances at Ash; her heart beat faster with every look she stole. Though he looked exactly the same the last time she saw him, there was something about him she couldn't pin point. Just by being in his vicinity, she could tell that Ash had grown. The way he talked and held himself; it was similar to the way sometimes Charlus behaved. The way a seasoned veteran behaved.

"You look like you want to say something," Ash turned, his eyes directly falling into hers.

Serena wanted to ask him a million things. But of them all, what she wanted to ask him the most was whether or not he loved her still, or had he found solace in the arms of someone who wasn't as broken and battered as she was, someone who had stayed by his side and comforted him in times of distress.

"Do you blame me for leaving?" She said, her cerulean orbs fixated in his.

"No," he said, without skipping a beat, "Do you blame me for staying?"

No, Serena wanted to say. I don't blame you, after all, someone had to stay.

But instead, what came out was, "Yes, a bit."

"I blame myself too," he confessed, "at the airport, every part of me wanted to follow you, to chase you and hug you tight and never let go, but my legs refused to move. They just... didn't. I spent every minute of every day trying to find you and when I did... I couldn't hold on."

"Why?"

"I couldn't put you in danger... again," Ash said, pulling a strand of her hair behind her ear, "whatever happened was my fault irrespective of what people say. If I wasn't so weak minded, I could have prevented it. I wanted to run after you, but only when I had earned the right too."

She stared at him, point blank, as the flashback of their last interaction replayed in her mind.

"Are you?" She asked, "capable now?"

"Yes,"

Neither of them spoke a word afterwards, but the silence conveyed their unspoken feelings of longing and anticipation of what was about to come.