Monochrome

Chapter 15: Sick Day

Trigger warning: fainting, being yelled at, and getting beat up

Monochrome

Chapter 15

Sick Day

At first it was a light cough, and it advanced into a bit more of a cough as the days grew on. By the end of the week Ariel was fully sick. Emmet sat down in the doctor's office with her while Ingo went to work. They couldn't afford days off when they didn't have them. They had a baby now.

"Thank you for coming with me Emmet. It was very kind of you." The woman was sluggish and feverish. Probably one having to do with the other.

Emmet smiled as he bumped her with his shoulder. He actually enjoyed talking to her. She was incredibly interested in pokemon but apparently team Plasma stole them including the small Joltik he had given her the year before. It turned out to be Cain with his 'buddies.' It was the main reason she ran from him. It was the last straw.

"Excuse me miss. While in the hospital please keep all the pokemon in their pokeballs." One of the nurses said as she walked by. Ariel was slightly confused. She didn't have any. At least until she looked down at her shirt pocket.

Emmet chuckled and plucked the infant joltik from her pocket. It was big enough to fit in the very center of his hand.

"She's not old enough to go into a pokeball yet. You stay in here now...keep quiet...check safety." He put his finger to his lips. The Joltik peeped at him before curling into a tiny ball.

"Sho!" One of the nurses called. Ariel stood up and stumbled toward the nurse.

"Are you alright?" Emmet asked. Ariel heard him, really she did. But her head was spinning. She felt someone's hands on her shoulders to try and steady her. But her eyes rolled into the back of her head. The last thing she remembered was the sound of a baby crying.

(0)

Ariel heard garbled voices and a serious tone. She opened her eyes and looked at Ingo and Emmet as they were talking to a doctor. Along one wall was a small bed with an infant inside. The infant was obviously crying, but that too was garbled.

Finally after a few moments of trying her best to get the 'cotton out of her ears' she finally got to hear them.

"And she had a child without going to a hospital! She should be home for her month of bed rest! What kind of father are you! Letting your wife and child out in the cold!" Emmet didn't say anything and neither did Ingo.

"I'm sorry..." Ariel's voice was so low and she could barely hear herself. She was amazed that they heard her. "I didn't mean to get sick."

Emmet turned around and walked over to Ariel. Ingo picked up Akari and walked over.

"Don't be sorry Ariel." Ingo said, placing Akari into Ariel's arms. Ariel nuzzled the little girl and sighed.

"Only when you're feeding her. You don't want that sickness to spread." The doctor told her. Ariel nodded, pulling up her shirt and started to feed her daughter. Ingo placed his jacket over them.

"Sorry for scaring you." Ariel said, her daughter suckled rather noisily.

"I hear you down there." One of the nurses walked in with a small tray with various foods on it. "She's eating well." The nurse fawned over Akari. She waved as she left the food.

"Dinner time already. I guess I should go off and grab us something to eat as well." Emmet pulled his jacket closer and walked out of the room. "Be careful Emmet, it's freezing. Ice hides." Ingo wasn't joking

Emmet was glad they had put salt down on the steps or he'd really be falling. He walked down the sidewalk toward a local diner. It wasn't much, but it still had good food. Although he really wanted pizza. He looked at the side wall where someone had painted the original owner of the diner on the side with a pancake flipping in the air.

At first Emmet wasn't sure what happened. Did he slip and fall? He was on his back side, but his face hurt. Okay so did the back of his head.

Standing over him was none other than Cain and what looked like a few friends. Who let them out of jail?

"Hey look, it's one of those Subway Bosses that Ari has been hanging around with." He snapped his fingers and the two guys grabbed Emmet, throwing him against the wall, and held him tightly. "So we're going to play a little game."

Where was Ingo when he needed him, Emmet was the mouthy one, but he was all bark and no bite. It was Ingo who was the fighty one.

"I see uh...so I can relay a message."

"Oh you'll relay a message alright. I want you to tell her how much pain they caused. She took my key...and I want it back. If she doesn't give it to me...I'll do this again." Do what...?

The pain that went through Emmet wasn't unusual; this had happened to him before when he worked nights on the subway.

Being hit in the ribs so he couldn't breath and then having his collar grabbed. He couldn't breath, he had a sour taste in his mouth too.

"Do you understand the message then?" Emmet nodded. Cain smiled as he motioned for him to be dropped. Emmet fell onto his hands and knees trying his best to catch his breath.

He was okay, he can leave now right?

He felt a horrible pain as Cain kicked his stomach. Whatever air he had in his lungs was gone now. He felt someone pull him up and look him in the eyes.

"And remember...that baby is mine. You...are just a stand in." He felt the fit as it hit his face. He fell backward onto the pavement.

"Emmet!" He heard it...was that Ingo? "Emmet, oh dragons...are you okay?" He felt Ingo pick him up and hold him close. His normally all white clothing was different colors.

"Cain...Cain wants key..." It was all Ingo got from his brother before he passed out.