Welcome to Gaia! ::

Sleep came to him in fitful naps through out the day. Every time he closed his eyes, he was back in that building, sometimes trying desperately to stop the explosions, other times walking through the bodies of rockets, uniforms torn and bloody. Cal’s body in that party dress, crumpled in a heap. Alia’s face, pale and wide eyed staring at him.

Not even cold water could wash the images away.

Being awake was hardly any better. Every breath was hell. His entire left side throbbed at the lightest touch. Sitting up took to much work, laying down aggravated the bruising. Every twist and turn was like being stomped over by a marching band. And then there was the coughing.. It had started out as something that only happened with he tried to move too fast, his rib’s rioting protest at any activity that required more then normal heart rate.

Now it was when he laid down, when he sat up, when he was standing, he couldn’t escape it. The room got hotter and it was only by Shade’s reassurance that he had been sure that the Ho Oh had not come after them. Then it was freezing, as if something that thrown a blizzard attack. Breakfast didn’t look that appetizing.

He couldn’t lay any longer, it was too much, he was too hot. The cold water of the shower did little fix the feeling. The bed was too far, he couldn’t make it back.

Shade had his back turned playing with two rambunctious pokemon, keeping them occupied for his trainer, when he hear a thump behind him. “Gar?” the agent was on the ground, curled up. “Gar!”

No amount of shaking could rouse Panther back to his feet. Shade could not ask what was wrong, though he tried. There was little response any kind from his attempts. All the agent managed out was a few coughs, and moan that sounded vaguely like, “leave me alone.” Shade continued his attempts, touching open skin, only to find that the human was as hot as Nika’s flame.

Humans weren’t supposed to be this hot. Swiftwing was staring from his corner of the room, and make a questioning warble. Shade asked the bird to keep an eye on the human and the little ones, to which he got a nod.

Shade would get help. He flew off, going directly to a certain agent’s room, only to find it empty. Where could he find her? He didn‘t know, panic started to rise though his liquids, wait there was one more. Maybe she could help, she had been visiting several times since the moment he broke them. He flew off and found a certain grunt’s room.

The agent was either incredibly lucky or a very quick healer because nothing seemed to be out of place. However, her poking at his ribs called up a response. “Sebastian go away damn it.” He didn’t even open his eyes as he shoved her hand away. “That hurts.” he curled into himself a red flush tingeing tan cheeks. His breathing was uneven, and raspy, but he was still managing to do it.

Swiftwing had the smaller pokemon by him and looked up, relived when she walked in, he settled to occupying the smaller pokemon looking less worried.

On the other hand Shade floated right next to her, “Gengar, Gar!” he explained waving his hands about. One second he was ok, and the next he was on the floor, the Gengar didn’t understand quiet how human illnesses worked. All he knew was one second the agent was up and about even if he hadn’t yet touched his breakfast which sat on the deck, the coffee cold, even if he hadn’t spoken much, even if he was coughing more extensively then he had been the day before, and then the next he was downed.

The few days had been strange. No nightmares; Leila took care of that. She could practically gorge herself with the fear emitted for Cal when she slept. But when she awoke, she could hardly remember a thing about the dream- or nightmare- that night. She would begin the night by tossing and turning, fighting the calm of rest, but when it took her, she slept rather peacefully.

Though when she awoke to the painful reminder of her own injuries, then the realization that Aila's death had not been some sort of sick, lucid dream, she would try to collect herself. She kept a strict regimen. The busier she was, the less time she had for idle thought. Cal took care of Panther, trained, ran errands, whatever she could do to keep her mind from wondering. The agent found herself exceptionally tired at the end of the day, actually welcoming sleep.

But maybe she was too calm? She brushed her hair back over her left eye, composing herself. Her training for that day had ended, giving her pokemon a nice workout. Now for the next scheduled task- check on Panther. Her lips curled into a small frown as she made her way to his room. If she had planned her day better, she would have gotten Panther a snack. "There's always time later." She muttered to herself, making her way down the labyrinth of halls she used to get lost in. Now she just runs into things on occasions.

She rounded a familiar corner, hearing some sort on ruckus nearby. Her realization that the noise had been a grunt on crutches coming around that same corner was late. She ran into the girl with enough force to knock a person with normal standing down. She cursed under her breath, afraid to have hurt the girl... More than she was injured already. "Are you alright?" Her lips turned down at the corners and her brow furrowed with worry.

Cal had apparently ran into a frantic girl. She was babbling on about something... And it seems she was looking for her. "Why yes, I am Cal." She nodded happily, glad that the girl didn't look like she was any worse. Then she went on about Panther. "What about Panther?" She scrambled to hep the girl up. "Nothing happened, has it?" There was a worried quiver in her voice. She should have just stayed with him longer...

Once the girl was on her feet, Cal sprang into action. When she entered the room, her eyes fell upon Panther, curled up in a ball on the floor. "Oh Arceus...." She felt his forehead with a shaking hand. That girl had been right, he was burning up! "Come on Panther," she sized him up, looking for the best approach to try and lift him. "You need to get back in bed." She turned to look for the girl. "Do you know what happened to him?" Cal's eyes were a bit teary at this point, trying not to let on how worried she really was.

Shade floated, glancing between the humans and the agent who hadn't even looked up at Cal's arrival. "Gar." he wondered what they would do, his human hadn't moved much in the time they were away, remaining in his prone position face down on the floor.

Nika tried to wander back over with a curious "char" but shade shooed her back over to Ayako and Swiftwing.

The owner of the room mumbled something about bellsprout and pulled a hand over his face.

The agent was semi conscious, so getting him into bed wasn't that difficult, his feet dragging across the ground on their own in a fashion that was half walking half swimming. Once there, he fell limp against his bed and coiled on the bed in a coughing fit.

The water made him sputter and pull an arm across his face to hid from the water but he his response was half mumbled, sounding to be along the line off "Don't."