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Goh sighs deeply as he sits by Ash's bed.
Goh grabs Ash's hand, Cinderace tries to cheer Lucario up as they wait. Cinderace gave up on cheering up pikachu, who was resting on Ash's chest. It hadn't moved for days now.
Goh feels his shoulders shake as he nearly burst into tears again.
Ash had gotten hurt. Really hurt.
He nearly died, all because Goh pissed off the wrong Pokemon. Goh shudders as he remembers how hard Ash had gotten hit by the Pokemon. He pissed off by throwing a pokeball at it. Ash hadn't even gotten a chance to move as the Pokemon dived towards him, sending him falling off a nearby cliff.
Goh still remembers the sickening crunch he heard.
Pikachu went crazy; it defeated the Pokemon, but Goh was too worried about getting down to Ash to try and catch the KO'd Pokemon.
Goh had to figure out how to get Ash back home by himself as they were deep in a forest. With the help of his Pokemon, he was able to get to the nearby Pokemon center, where Ash was brought into surgery.
Goh was a wreck while he waited. He couldn't help but feel like it was his fault. Like if he didn't go out and run after the Pokemon, Ash wouldn't have been hurt. If he didn't piss off the Pokemon by throwing a pokeball at it before battling.
If Goh had stopped and thought Ash wouldn't be in a hospital bed as he rests in a medically induced coma.
Although Ash should be waking up within the hour, having been deemed healed enough to not be in agonizing pain if he was awake.
Goh's shoulders shake as tears slip down his face. He's barely gotten any sleep the past week. Every time he fell asleep from exhaustion, waking back up from nightmares quickly. Feeling more exhausted than when he fell asleep.
Goh runs his finger over Ash's knuckles, feeling no comfort in the way his hands stay limp to the point Goh has to gently close his hand around Gohs. Goh takes comfort in the rough calluses he feels while holding his hand. Scared from years of traveling. Goh rests his head on the bed, tilting his head towards Ash's hand. From here, Goh can see the scars decorating Ash's hands and arms, some from accidents, some from Pokemon attacks, and some from Pikachu's electricity.
Goh finds it strange whenever Ash talks about him and pikachu not getting along at the beginning. The two are so close, practically reading each other's minds. Heck, sometimes Ash seems to understand Pikachu's language more than he does human language.
To know how pikachu used to shock Ash so hard to scar is baffling to Goh. Especially when Goh realizes that Ash must have been hurt to get scared like that. To continue on with the relationship and get closer? Goh doesn't think he would have been able to do that.
Goh feels a few tears fall as he continues running his thumb over Ash's knuckles. Ash should be waking soon. Goh just has to wait.
Waiting is hell. Goh had to stay in the waiting room while Ash was having surgery, unsure if Ash would ever walk again. Goh had to wait days for someone to update him on Ash's condition. He's not approved for medical information for Ash. After all, he's just Ash's friend. It took Ms Delia literally sending a legal document letting him know what was going on for them to tell Ash's condition. Every day, Goh has been kicked out of the hospital sent to the Pokemon Center to sleep after visitor hours close in the hospital. And he was back every day when the visitor hours opened again. Goh just has to wait another hour, and then Ash can start his long recovery of healing. Growing strength, learning to walk, physical therapy. The whole lot.
Ash was lucky to survive. The fact he's going to be able to walk again is a miracle.
Goh sighs, bringing Ash's hand to Goh's forehead. He's gonna stick with Ash through it all, Helping him with his recovery.
It is Goh's fault that the Pokemon attacked anyway. He owed it to Ash.
Goh feels Ash's hand twitch in his own. Goh jerks his head up as Ash's hand closes around his.
Goh looked over to Ash, whose face scrunched up cutely as he tried to open his eyes. Lucario quickly shuts off the light switch to be better on Ash's eyes.
"Ash? You awake?" Goh asks quietly as Ash groans slightly, his eyes fluttering.
"Mm. I- I'm awake." Ash confirms softly, shifting his eyes to look over at Goh.
"You look awful," Ash says, and Goh wetly snorts.
"I think you look worse." Goh shakes his head. Ash smiles, squeezing Goh's hand as hard as he can. He fried his nerves pretty severely. The fact he could squeeze Goh's hand at all is a miracle.
"What happened anyway?" Ash asks, forcing himself up. Goh puts an arm on his chest to stop him. Goh doesn't want him messing with his injuries. Ash looks confused, but he lies back down. He didn't have much strength to fight Goh anyway.
"Careful." Goh chides before tensing, wondering what he was going to tell Ash.
"Let's just say you might have fallen off a cliff after getting attacked by a Pokemon I was trying to catch," Goh says, cringing. He doesn't want to tell Ash it was his fault he got attacked.
"It wasn't your fault," Ash says as if reading his mind.
"But-" Goh tries to cut in. Ash shakes his head.
"Nope. No matter how guilty you feel, it wasn't your fault." Ash states, and Goh feels a fresh set of tears well up in his eyes.
"Okay, Ash."