"DESIREE!" Ash screamed, immediately using his mana to teleport from where he was, to where SHE was.

"Holy hell!" he exclaimed, as he looked at her, and the injuries she had sustained.

'Need to take her to a hospital. NOW. he thought, as he paused for a moment, wondering if she would be taken from him if this came to light.

He knew she needed medical assistance, but he also knew that if she was taken from him, and put into the system, it would be even worse for him.

If he had to, he'd take her to OLA, but there was one person he knew he could rely on for this. But her number was... non-existent.

"...all I can do is try." he mumbled, taking out his cell phone, going to Emma's messages, and replying to the last one she sent him.

Desiree's hurt. She needs help. it read.

'...question later.' was all Ash thought.

He then carefully picked Desiree up in his arms, making sure not to aggravate her injury, and stood up, as they both disappeared in a swirl of black fire, appearing right outside the medical wing, in a designated emergency incoming zone.

He then quickly stepped through the doors, and looked around.

"Hm." he muttered, before quickly making his way further in, attempting to find Emma.

"I don't dare go elsewhere." Ash responded.

"I know if I do, I'll just end up coming back here again and again, wanting updates." he sighed.

"So... may as well, just wait and see." he told her.

"And yes, I know you're a miracle worker, and this will be nothing for you." he then quickly added. "I just know how I'm gonna act if I leave... as irrational as it may be." he sighed.

Ash was silent, and nodded.

"Right." he said.

He then made his way to the chair, and sat.

And waited.

As he waited, he wondered what had happened back there. Why it had happened. What did it mean?

'...are things much worse than I had originally thought?' he wondered mentally.

"I see..." Ash muttered.

"Well, at least she'll heal." he said.

"That's good." he reasoned.

"...I have to find out what's happening." he then said, seemingly out of nowhere. "This... this isn't good." he mumbled, shaking his head.

"I thought I could be someone to help her..." he added, trailing off and sounding a little more dejected than before.

"Was I wrong...?"

"That's... simultaneously a relief, yet frightening." Ash admitted.

"Regardless, thank you" he said.

"People already don't like me raising a child." he muttered. "The last thing they need is ammo to reason that I'm not fit to care for a child." he added, shaking his head.

"How bad was it?" he asked.

"I know her leg was broken, but how badly?"

"...wow." Ash muttered.

"Just... just... wow." he said.

"That's unreal." he commented. "I'm... glad I took her HERE." he then commented.

"Guess I should try and get some answered, though." he continued.

"I don't need this to happen again." he reasoned. "And neither does SHE."

"You've helped more than enough." Ash responded.

"Seriously. The fact that she won't need a cane is help enough." he told her.

"I guess this is just something Desiree an I need to work through." he then sighed.

"I hope I can find this out." he said quietly.

"Makes me wonder if this is because of her past." he went on.

"Did her family create wounds that run THAT deep?" he wondered aloud, shaking his head some.

"Sorry, just thinking aloud." he apologized to Emma.

"Mm." Ash muttered, before pausing.

"Wait." he said.

"Genetics...?" he mumbled quietly, an eyebrow raised up a little.

"Well, I guess we can't immediately discount that possibility." he reasoned with a shrug.

"Maybe she should get a battery of tests done, see if anything unusual crops up." he then said, seeming to be thinking out loud once again, before looking at Emma.

"What do you think?" he asked. "Would some tests be worth doing?"

"I can't afford to leave any stone unturned, any corner unexplored." Ash responded.

"So.... yeah, guess she's getting a battery of tests." he said.

"Hopefully something turns up." he sighed.

"I want to get to the bottom of this." he told her further, severity in his tone and eyes.

"Desiree can't keep living this way."