Ash Ketchum: Hunt For Jade Dragon

Ch. 39 Waffles and Maps

When I woke up the next morning, Clemont was standing next to my cot.

"What's up?" I said groggily.

"Not you."

"What time is it?"

"It's like noon," he said. "Can you smell that?"

I breathed in. "Yeah. It smells good."

"Good? Dude, Iscan's making waffles."

I sat up. "There aren't waffles in Taiwan. "

"Do not be too sure of it," Iscan said. I looked up to see Iscan standing in the doorway. "Get up. I have made American-style breakfast."

"Give me a minute," I said.

After Clemont and Iscan had left the room I pulled on my pants and shirt, then walked barefoot out to the kitchen. There was a plate stacked tall with waffles. Serena was standing at the stove making omelets with bacon and peppers. "Good morning, sleepy-head," she said.

I walked over to her side her. "Omelets?"

She pecked me on the cheek. "Yes, but without cheese. Apparently the Chinese aren't into cheese."

"Nearly ninety percent of people of Asian descent are lactose intolerant," Clemont said. "That means they can't digest milk. The most common type of lactose intolerance is 'primary intolerance' which is genetic."

"My family was lactose intolerant, but I'm not," Korrina said.

"That's because you're special."

"I know," she said, smiling.

"Would you like an omelet?" Serena asked.

"Yes. Thank you."

She scooped up an omelet and put it on a plate. "There you go. Waffles are on the table."

Marnie was sitting at the end of the table next to Brock and Korrina. Calem was sitting on the opposite end next to Shauna. She was rubbing his back.

"How are you feeling?" I asked Calem.

"Better. Now it only hurts when I breathe," he said wryly.

"I think they broke every rib he has," Shauna said.

"Not all of them," Brock said.

"I forgot we had a human X-ray," Calem said. "So how many are broken?"

"Eleven."

"How many ribs does he have?" Shauna asked.

"The human body has twenty-four ribs," Clemont said. "Though ten of them are called false ribs since they aren't connected to the sternum."

"Another lesson," Shauna sighed.

"How are you feeling?" Calem asked me.

"Better. I think Marnie did a good job with those stitches."

Marnie smiled. "Anytime"

"I hope not," I replied. I took a waffle from a stack on the table, then sat down next to Marnie. "Where're Zeus and Iris?"

"They're on the roof," Calem said.

"What are they doing on the roof?"

"They're on lookout."

"When did we start doing that?"

"This morning."

"There's syrup," Serena said. "At least a version of it. It's made from boiled sugar." She pointed to a saucepan on the table. "It might be cold."