Rigorous Relationships

Lullabys and Bad Guys

Dena walked out of the cafe, four coffees in one hand and a bag of biscuits in the other. She strolled through the clinics hallways until she came upon a room with the words Ketchum and Ren written across the door. The doctors had decided to keep everyone who'd been poisoned under surveillance for the night and had assigned them with their own room.

Putting the biscuit bag in her mouth Dena grabbed the door handle and entered the room, saying "I have returned with life restoring beverages", upon her entry. However with the bag in her mouth she sounded more like, "Mh hmm mmhmh mhm mhh mmhhmh mhhmhm!"

In the room Ash and Cal lay sound asleep on two hospital beds, Diana, Aura, Braxien and Serena were all scattered around the room. Aura and Diana had taken refuge at a small table and had been keeping themselves awake with a game of War. Serena and Braxien had each set up camp next to Ash's and Cal's bedsides, respectively.

All four looked up from their seats at Dena's theatrical entrance. They were very confused as to her mmhming and looked at her as if she had lost her marbles. It was only after she spat out the bag that they understood what she was saying, but by that time the mood had been lost. Dena felt discouraged by their lack of appreciation for her dramatic entrance and decided to toy with them by holding their coffee hostage.

"You would deprive us of our coffee!?" Diana asked in horror.

"Dena, think of the innocent." Aura said. "Look at poor Serena. She's been up all night watching over Ash, and looks like she'll drop at any moment."

Serena did look rather exhausted but still refused to sleep, "No, I'm...yaaah... fine. I just need meh coffee." She said with a sleepy yawn.

Aura quickly recanted her remark about Serena needing coffee and changed it to her needing sleep, which earned her a cup of joe. Dena continued her tyrannical embargo on the coffee for another five minutes but eventually became bored with her tomfoolery  and gave Diana, the life sustaining nectar she required. When Serena reached for it, however, she was greeted with empty air.

"Oh no, none for you." Dena said coldly as she passed her drink off to Braxien who slurped it down with gusto.

"M-my coffee." Serena whimpered, broken heartedly. Her gaze hardened for a second on her traitorous Pokémon, who simply smiled at her from across Ash's chest.

"We're doing this for your own good, Serena."

"Uhhhhhhhh." Was Serena's only reply as she buried her head in the sheets of Ash's hospital bed.

"Serena you've been up all night. Ash isn't going anywhere and you need to get some rest. You're no good to anyone as you are now."

"Nooo. I'mm pearfectly okay." She protested with half her face drooping in exhaustion.

Dena could take no more of Serena's antics, "That's it no more Mrs. nice girl. It's time for the heavy artillery."

The way Dena had phrased her sentence awoke an old memory from Serena's childhood causing her dreary eyes to open wide in horror. Just judging from her reaction Aura and Diana knew they were in for a show and took up seats next to Braxien as they waited for the spectacle to unfold.

"Dena, no!"

"Too late, it's happening sweetheart." Dena responded and promptly began singing in an enchanting, honey rich, mezzo-soprano pitch.

"To the Fear-ow on high;
To the Spear-ow that fly;
Hear, my parting, lu-ul-aby."

"Dena... stup... Ehm... nut...-." Serena groggily protested, to which Dena simply closed her eyes to block out the distraction.