A White Tomorrow [A Team Rocket Fanfiction]

Chapter 32

Before breaking his ribs, James felt like he took moving around freely for granted. Now, simply trying to take a shower was one of the most painful regular things he had to do, so for the first couple of weeks, his showers consisted of just standing still under the water until the bathroom fogged up too much.

It was a major victory when he could pick up a shampoo bottle without wanting to cry. It put him in such a good mood, looking at the fading cuts and black eye on his face didn't make him grimace anymore.

James walked out of the bathroom with just his bottoms on as he was still drying his hair with a towel. "Hey, Jessie, I just finished in the bathroom, can you help me re-wrap... my... bandages?" James trailed off when he noticed Jessie standing in front of the mirror, looking disgruntled as she stared at the reflection of herself.

"Yeah," she grumbled, holding the same face as she looked at him through the reflection. James backed off a little, knowing from experience that interacting with an angry Jessie was like petting an ursaring. Jessie stood sideways in front of the mirror for a moment longer as she adjusted her shirt but at this point it did nothing. Giving up, she walked over to grab a bandage roll from the dresser and she lifted his hand to inspect his wrist. She was in the middle of wrapping it when she stopped and narrowed her eyes at him. "It's not nice to stare."

James' eyes flickered back up to her eyes and he chuckled nervously. He decided to play it dumb, any wrong comment about her changing figure would get him another broken rib for sure. "Huh? S-sorry, I was just, uh, admiring how pretty your eyes are,-"

"Liar." She brought the bandage roll around his wrist again and tightened it.

James eventually sighed. "I think you look fine."

"Your definition of 'fine' concerns me. I look like a snorlax," she objected, though it was a clear exaggeration. Meowth lifted his head from where he was curled up on the mattress and laughed.

"And ya sleep like one too! Last night you was all like-" Meowth flipped onto his back on the mattress and snored loudly. James winced as Jessie picked up a hairbrush and chucked it at the cat.

"Somebody's going to notice soon," Jessie continued as Meowth's scream drowned out her voice, "And I'm not ready for that conversation."

"So what do you want to do?" James asked.

Jessie just shrugged and set down his wrist. "I have no idea. I would have told you if I did. I don't want to stay here, that's for sure." She grabbed a wet cloth and dabbed it under his left eye. "We can't rely on these twerps for everything. I'm sure Delia already has her hands full and those kids think about nothing but pokemon! As nice and helpful they would be I refuse to rely on ten-year-olds for something we're supposed to handle ourselves. But, we can't handle this ourselves. At least not yet. We're just a broke, idiotic duo who can't even take care of themselves half of the time. I'll be surprised if this kid makes it past a month old!"

"We'll think of something," James assured.

"And we'll have to do it fast." She looked down at herself and squeezed the cloth out of frustration, making water drip onto the floor. "I'm a ticking time bomb. The sooner we get out, the better."

James gave her a half-smile and pulled the cloth from her hands and tossed it onto the bed.
"I understand where you're coming from Jess, but we need to wait until I'm healed enough to go out again. If something happens I want to make sure I'm able to..." Saying 'protect you' would make her mad. "...um, make sure nothing happens to you. O-Or me. Or the baby."

Jessie narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't need protecting."

James saw that coming. "Of course you don't! I just... want to make sure nothing happens in general-"