Okay, boys and girls, children of all ages… do not read this fic. For it's not a kiddies' story. What it is, is a pretty little Taito. Good Lord. Who ever thought that me, such a wholesome, clean-cut, Sorato zealot would go down and mess with Matt/Tai romance stuff. But never say never, so here to the request of Shin-Chan, my dearest friend and a girl I can't possibly say "no" to, I threw this fic together. It's called "the Survivor" and is a sequel of "Night in Kyoto", but fear not, my space cadets, you don't have to go back and read that fic unless you feel like doing so. Everything you need to know about the previous adventures of Tai and Matt is right in here.
Now, I do not own Digimon, I do not own Bee Gees and their lyrics, yada yada, bla bla, bla, etc etc.
There. Plz read, voice your opinion, respect your elders, go to the church and don't do drugs.
God bless!^^
THE SURVIVOR
… He didn't quite know if he was dead or alive at first. When the pain came, he felt happy. At least he was still alive.
A young man lying in the bed in white, clean and silent hospital ward opened his eyes and looked around. Then he realized his one leg was bandaged, the other in cast. And they were aching like hell. Pain in the bruised ribs was making his breathing difficult and a nasty cut above his right eye was stitched and hurt too.
Still, he was happy. Happy to see the sun shining in clear blue sky through the large window, happy to hear voices from the corridor, happy to feel cool currents of air from the conditioner on his skin.
The door opened and a nurse, slim and pretty girl in white hospital robe, walked in, carrying a bunch of flowers and a couple of "Get well" cards. Seeing the youth being back in his senses, she clapped her hands, dropping the flowers onto the floor and hurried over to the bed.
"Oh, Taichi! At last! How do you feel?"
He remembered then, his name was Taichi, or Tai for close friends
(FRIENDS)
(Roaring beast with shining eyes, they are burning and blinding, those two fireballs from hell…)
, he was 20 years old and a student in Tokyo university.
"Hello, nurse," - he smiled, ignoring the growing pain in his legs. - "What happened to me? I don't seem to remember…"
"Just a minute," - her warm smile dimmed somewhat, turning more official. - "I have to inform Dr.Asari you're awake. He asked me to do it as soon as you regain your consciousness…"
When the nurse left, Taichi leaned back on the pillow and frowned. He wasn't all that happy anymore. And not because he knew he got into some sort of an accident or a fight, he was sure he'd remember everything pretty soon, but because of something else which he couldn't determine. It had to do something with
(Those blinding lights, those lights, the monster is approaching, soaring from
the darkness, can't see, can't…)
some other person. But who? He lay there for a few minutes, biting on his thumb nail, but couldn't remember a thing. Finally, he decided just to relax and let that Dr.Asari explain what happened
("LOOK OUT !!!")
and how came he winded up in a hospital.
Someone in the ward next door turned the radio (or was it TV? or a tape?) on. Taichi closed his eyes and grinned.
I see your smile in the morning sun
I feel you touch me in the pouring rain
And the moment that you wander far from me
I wanna feel you in my arms again
And you come to me on a summer breeze
Keep me warm in your love and then softly leave
And it's me you need to show
Good old BeeGees were playing "How Deep Is Your Love". Favorite song of… of…
(SORA!!!)
Eyes opened wide, Taichi jerked himself up in a sitting position, ignoring pain.
"NUUUUUUUURSEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!"
* * *
Two dark silhouettes - a guy and a girl - are walking down the empty night street, her head resting on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her waist.
"Sora, come on, you gotta get your head out of the books for once."
"But, Tai, it's a very important exam, and I have to study…"
"But, Sora, this very important exam will take place in two months" - he says, copying her tone. The girl giggles. - "Not in two days, not in two weeks - two months. Who you've been listening to lately, Joe?"
Sora keeps quiet and he continues, "So, what do you say we just go out and have some fun, come Sunday? We could catch some tan on the beach, then, well, I dunno, watch some movie, maybe go to a discotheque, stuff like that."
"Tai," - Sora starts again, sounding not all that convince though. - "I really have to study…"
"Please?"
"Tai…"
"Pretty please?"
"Oh, get this snoop puppy look off your kisser!" - Sora laughs, pushing him lightly.
"Hey, stop pushing me around!" - pretending to be angry, he chases the girl; laughing, they jump off the sidewalk and onto the road…
Two-stored, red and white bus turns around the corner, blinding Sora, who's standing right on it's way with it's lights. The girl freezes paralyzed by fear, unable to move out of the harm's way. Time almost stops; seconds passing seem to be like hours. Here she stands in her long-sleeved blue and orange striped shirt, old light-blue jeans and white sneakers; one hand brought to her face, trying to defend the eyes from the bus's lights; night breeze playing with her short, honey-colored hair that now seems to red, as if set on fire…
"Look out!!!" - Taichi yells desperately, rushing to her aid, hoping against all odds to push her aside, and that's when the bus, brakes screeching, sparks flying from underneath the tires, hits Sora head-on.
"Nooooooo, Soraaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!"
The bus makes a U turn, in attempt to slow down, and hits Taichi with it's side on the way as well. He is thrown into the wall, crashes against it hard and slides down onto the pavement. Blood dripping into his eyes, Taichi still manages to see Sora's body fly through the air, lifeless, like a rag doll, landing on the asphalt with a sickening thud and rolling a few feet before congealing and laying still, motionless, quiet.
"Sora," - he whispers and makes an attempt to crawl, but then Taichi's legs explode with pain, he screams in agony and blacks out…
* * *
"NUUUUUUUURSEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!"
The door opened and she came running in accompanied by little thin man in white hospital robe and glasses.
"Taichi? Taichi? What happened? Are you ok?"
"Sora," - he grabbed the man whom he considered to be Dr.Asari by the lapel of his robe. - "Where is she? Is she ok?"
The doctor, frowning but speaking calmly, was trying to make him lay down, "Young man, you need rest. Any stresses are prohibited. You have to relax and try to sleep now, fine?"
"Where is Sora?!" Taichi demanded, almost yelling.
The lovely nurse bit her lip. Taichi was looking at her, at Dr.Asari, back at her.
"She is going to be fine?" he asked, trying to look in their eyes, pleading. "She's ok, right? Right?"
Dr.Asari sighed, then sat on the bed and took Taichi's hand in his.
"I am truly sorry," his voice was quiet and sympathetic. "There was nothing we could do to help her. She was dead before the ambulance arrived…"
His world froze for a second, then came crumbling down.
Taichi fell back onto the pillow, every muscle in his body relaxed, eyes open wide and staring at the ceiling without blinking.
"She didn't suffer at all," Dr.Asari was saying meanwhile, but he wasn't listening. Neither did he react when being given an injection which caused him to close his eyes and slip into a nightmare filled with monsters who creep in the shadows and darkness waiting for a young girl to step into their territory…
* * *
A month later, Taichi was still laying in the same ward. The stitches were taken off, leaving only a small pale scar on his forehead, the ribs were ok, and the cast was taken off from his leg. What wasn't healed, however, was his mind. Gone was happy-go-lucky, always on, reckless youth. Taichi became a broken man, withdrawn, indifferent, unsecured. Neither the therapist nor almost every day visits from his parents, Kari and his many friends helped. He couldn't walk unless there was someone assisting, though the doctors were saying his broken leg was now 100 per cent. He spent days laying on his back and just staring at the ceiling and at nights he slept restlessly, tossing and turning and often waking up from his own scream, soaking wet in perspiration.
Just like that other night.
Taichi was thrashing about on the sheets, writhing and groaning, then sat up with a muffed cry. No monsters. No demons. No ghosts. He was in his ward, the time was half past one a.m. and the only illumination were neon city lights, lightening the room through the opened window.
And there was some dark figure standing in the shadows, hands folded on the chest.
Taichi's throat went dry as his fingers clawed the sheets.
"Who's here? Who are you?" he croaked.
"Tai,"
The stranger stepped out of the shadow and into a beam of neon light. Slim, hard muscled figure. Black thin sweater, black jeans, black shoes. Long, a bit messed blond hair. And a stare of icy-blue eyes.
"Matt? Is that you?"
Tai instantly recalled their last meeting - first meeting in years. Five years ago, in the age of fifteen, Yamato, after being raped by his drunken father, disappeared from Tokyo (and Mr.Ishida woke up next morning and put an end to his life) and no one saw or heard from him - until last year Taichi bumped into him in Kyoto. Yamato's story shocked him, shocked even more than the fact that his friend was gay now (not that Taichi had any problems with sexual minorities) making a living by entertaining wealthy businessmen, industrialists, politicians and such. Living in expensive, fashionable flat and having more money than he could spend, Yamato hated and despised himself; when they were saying goodbye, he asked Taichi not to tell anyone they met and he kept his promise.
"Matt"
"How do you feel?"
Taichi smirked and sat up in the bed.
"Better than ever. How did you get in here in the middle of the night?"
Yamato tapped on his jeans' pocket.
"Money move the world around, my friend. A few thousand yens to the watch nurse and the doc and voila, I am here."
He took a chair, brought it to the bed and sat down.
"Sorry about Sora, man. I really mean it. I do miss her."
Taichi kept quiet, staring down. Then he said, "She didn't deserve to die. It was so… stupid. Shouldn't have happened. One moment she was alive, she was laughing… and the next second she was no more. Gone. Fucking wiped out by that stupid bus."
His voice was quiet and expressionless as he continued,
"And she died so young. So fucking young. We were talking about what are we going to do in life the other day. Sora, she had such a big plans. Wanted to travel around the world. There are so many beautiful places to visit, she said. Niagara falls, Disney World, London, Venice… Oh, how she dreamed about going in there. And then she said she would open her own business, sort of a firm, clothes designing…"
Taichi fell back on the pillow and continued, staring at the ceiling.
"Something else she told me. Said, Tai, in the end I would like to wind up living in a nice small cottage in some quiet suburban neighbourhood with a little nice lawn in the front yard and two cars in the garage. I'd be married by then and we'd have two cute kids, a boy and a girl. And a white, fluffy cat. And we'd all live happily ever after."
Yamato raised his eyebrows.
"I thought you were going out,
"We were, yes. But it was more of a friendly kind of thing. We always were more friends than lovers. Well you know Sora, don't you? She was like… like…"
"Like a sister."
"Exactly," Taichi nodded. His eyes were half closed now as his memory took him back to the past - happy, cloudless years.
"Even back then when we were in the Digi world she used to be like an older sister…"
"Yes. To all of us.", Yamato nodded, a shadow of sorrow and nostalgia on his face.
There was silence in the room for a few minutes, until Taichi interrupted it.
"She's gone.", he said; his voice was trembling. " She won't laugh anymore. Won't draw one single picture. She won't travel anywhere. And won't open that firm. And won't marry. And… and…"
A tear slipped from underneath his eyelid, then another one, as Taichi lay relaxed, never trying to wipe his eyes and only crying silently. Yamato took his friend's hand in his and squeezed lightly, but said nothing.
"How did you know I'm here?" - Taichi asked finally.
"Well I was out of country for a few weeks, someone… well you don't know him, we've been to California, then three days ago I returned to Kyoto, and while sorting the mail I bumped into an article about that accident. I called you then, Kari picked up and told me you're still hospitalized… she didn't recognize me, of course, I changed the voice while talking to her. So I wanted to check you out. Was afraid you're seriously hurt, but I'm glad to see you're not."
Taichi sighed.
"I am. I don't know what happened to me, but I'm hurt. Can't walk. Probably never will." He smiled bitterly. "You know what I want the most, Matt? I want to turn the time back. To go back in six, seven years. When remember, we all were together and everything was fine. Izzy, Mimi ,Joe, Kari ,TK, Yoley, Davis, Cody, Ken. And you were right there with us. And Sora was alive. Everything was fine then. And now… it's all gone. It's all lost. You know, sometimes I don't even want to live. What for? Life is bitch and then you die."
"Tai, I barely recognize you," Yamato said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'm supposed to be life-hating whiner around here, not you. You are the leader of the Digidestined, remember? Act like one! What happened to you? You were such a strong, positive guy and…"
"That's the point, Matt. Was. Not anymore. Not after what happened. I feel… feel a part of me died there as well."
"Oh, save the drama for your mama!" Yamato snapped. "Listen, I understand, you miss Sora, I miss her too, but that's not a reason to become a human wreck. You think lying here whining will do her any good? Bring her back to life?! Or…"
"I knew you wouldn't understand," Taichi sighed and turned on the other side, facing the wall. "Thanks for visiting, Matt. I wish to sleep now."
Frustrated, Yamato got up and called his friend's name. After no response came, he simply grabbed Taichi by the shoulders and before he could yell "What the fuck?!" pulled him from the bed and to the floor.
"Are you fucking out of your mind?! What do you think you're doing?", Taichi screamed angrily, wincing as he struggled to get on his hands and knees.
"Don't yell like a madman, Tai. I'm helping you" Yamato answered cooly.
"Go take your wiseass somewhere else," he grunted and wanted to return to the bed, but Yamato stepped in front of him. "Outta my way, Matt. Cut the crap. I mean it."
"Get to the window."
"What are you talking about?! I'm injured, I can barely crawl, are you kidding me!?"
"I said get to the window. Do not crawl and do not use crutches. Walk. I want you to walk."
Taichi cursed, but Yamato kept staring at him from above, hands crossed on the chest, cold look on his face.
"Matt, I mean it. Get the hell out of my way. I'm not performing any stand up comedy today. Get lost."
"Get to the window."
"I'll call the nurse and the cops will be here faster than you can blink," - Taichi growled.
"So that's what we've come to. Tai Yagami, are you really going to yell "Help, nurse, help?!" You, the Child of Courage? A guy who once fought Lord Piedmon one on one? Who had the balls to stand up against Apoclymon himself? Oh well, go ahead, cry for help Make my day, dude-o."
Taichi bit on his lip and bowed his head - a young man in green hospital robe, kneeling on the cold linoleum floor.
"Fuck you, Matt. Fuck you."
His tormentor only smiled.
"Tai, Tai, Tai. You're forgetting something here, aren't you? To me, it's not an insult but merely a proposal, which, in the light of resent events, I shall decline."
"Very funny, Miss Priss." , he growled, raising his head again, this time his eyes were burning with rage. "Don't you understand I can't walk?! I C-A-N-T fucking walk! I'm a cripple, can't you understand that? You get your kicks out of mocking cripples?!"
Yamato waved him away.
"It's your imagination. Get up and walk to the window. We still have plenty of time; if you like lying on the floor and getting pneumonia, then be it. If not, do as I say."
"Get the hell out of my way, you damn queer or I'll beat the shit out of you!!!" bewildered Taichi bellowed and swung his arm trying to nail the mocker. The punch was weak and didn't hit the target; instead, Taichi lost his balance and fell face-first onto the floor, hearing Yamato's quiet laugh and feeling blind fury raising within him.
"Oh yeah? Let me see you try, pal,"
Yamato, gracefully skipping aside and winding up in front of Taichi, laughed again as he kicked the fallen youth lightly in the shoulder. Taichi, snarling, tried to retaliate with another punch and again, black-clad figure eluded the blow.
"What's the matter, Tai? You can't even hold your own against a sissy boy like me? Come on, Tai, you used to beat me every time!"
Another light kick, this time in the hip.
"I'll kill you, you fucking queer!!!"
"Tell me, how it feels like to be beaten by a queer? What it makes you look like?"
And another kick… But the next second enraged Taichi leapt on his feet and growled furiously, as his fist smashed into Yamato's face, sending the blond flying through the air and crashing against the wall.
"How do you like this, huh? HOW DO YOU LIKE THIS?!!"
Clenching his fists, Taichi made a couple of steps towards Yamato, who was trying to remain vertical while wiping the blood streaming from his busted lower lip. But when his hand came down, Taichi was shocked to see a smile.
"I did it, didn't I?", Yamato said.
"What the…?"
And then Taichi realized he was actually standing - standing on his feet, without any assistance, and feeling no pain or weakness at all!
"Matt," he whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. - "I can stand… And I can walk…"
"Told you so,", he replied, wincing slightly in pain. "I just had to psych you up, otherwise you'd never realize that… and guess it worked."
Slowly but surely, a smile appeared on Taichi's face. Second later he stepped forward to embrace his friend with a hug.
"Matt," he said. "Matt, thanks. Thanks. And I'm so sorry I hit you, I…"
"Hush," he replied softly, smiling. "It's OK."
And all of a sudden, in the neighbour ward, a tape came to life again:
I believe in you
You know the door to my very soul
You're the light in my deepest darkest hour
You're my saviour when I fall
And you may not think
I care for you
When you know down inside
That I really do
And it's me you need to show…
* * *
Three weeks later an exhausted Yamato arrived to his apartment after spending a wild party night - Goth party night - in one of Kyoto's fashionable after-hour clubs. Without turning the lights on, he walked into the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. Glowing display of a watch on the table was showing 3:35 am; Yamato yawned and looked upwards, in the big mirror located in the ceiling over the bed (one of his friends, who liked freaky stuff, presented it to him a few months back) and saw himself - tall, slim youngster dressed in black web t shirt, black tight trousers with laced eyelets on the sides, and heavy, metal-decorated New Rock boots, with massive, claw-looking rings on his fingers and nails painted black; with strange, exotic white, silver and black face paint and blond hair done up in ponytail which was dyed crimson. Freaky indeed, he thought, smiling half sadly half sleepy, and the next moment he was already in the Dream Land.
Next morning he woke up at 11 am, undressed, took off the rings and headed to the bathroom in order to wash away the face paint, the hair paint and the hangover he was having from drinking too many cocktails last night. He'd just entered the shower, when the door bell rang.
Quietly cursing, Yamato stepped out of the booth, wrapped a towel around his hips, put the slippers on and went to open the door, wondering who could be bothering him, the night creature, in the morning.
Standing in the doorway was Taichi.
"T-Tai?", Yamato stammered, eyes wide in amazement. "What are you doing here? I mean, I'm glad to see you of course, but…"
Taichi looked down at his sneakers, like as if he was going do say something, but then hesitated in the last moment.
"Matt,", he finally said, barely audible. "I've been doing a lot of thinking since last time we've seen… Was trying to straighten up my head and be honest with myself… And…"
"And?" Yamato asked, raising his eyebrow. "Tai, why don't you come in and have a sit? I think whatever you want to talk about can wait, can't it? Come on, get in here and take a sit, and I'll see what I have left in the fridge. You're probably hungry, after coming here all the way from Tokyo."
"And Matt… I…" Taichi took a deep breath and sad softly, "I love you."
* * *
Next morning Taichi woke up and without opening his eyes ran his hand over the sheet on the other side of the bed. It was empty. Panic-stroken, he opened his eyes and sat straight up, fearing everything that happened last night was nothing but a dream, and now that dream had faded away…. But then he heard something that caused him to beam and jump out of the bed.
Taichi entered the salon, to find Yamato sitting on the sofa, playing his guitar quietly.
"Morning, Tai," he said, winking.
"Morning, Matt". Taichi couldn't help but smile happily like a child.
Looking at him, Yamato smiled too, as he ran his fingers over the strings and sang
gently:
How deep is your love?
I really need to learn
'Cause we're living in a world of fools
Breaking us down
When they all should let us be
We belong to you and me
So how deep is your love?..
The End
Now, I do not own Digimon, I do not own Bee Gees and their lyrics, yada yada, bla bla, bla, etc etc.
There. Plz read, voice your opinion, respect your elders, go to the church and don't do drugs.
God bless!^^
THE SURVIVOR
… He didn't quite know if he was dead or alive at first. When the pain came, he felt happy. At least he was still alive.
A young man lying in the bed in white, clean and silent hospital ward opened his eyes and looked around. Then he realized his one leg was bandaged, the other in cast. And they were aching like hell. Pain in the bruised ribs was making his breathing difficult and a nasty cut above his right eye was stitched and hurt too.
Still, he was happy. Happy to see the sun shining in clear blue sky through the large window, happy to hear voices from the corridor, happy to feel cool currents of air from the conditioner on his skin.
The door opened and a nurse, slim and pretty girl in white hospital robe, walked in, carrying a bunch of flowers and a couple of "Get well" cards. Seeing the youth being back in his senses, she clapped her hands, dropping the flowers onto the floor and hurried over to the bed.
"Oh, Taichi! At last! How do you feel?"
He remembered then, his name was Taichi, or Tai for close friends
(FRIENDS)
(Roaring beast with shining eyes, they are burning and blinding, those two fireballs from hell…)
, he was 20 years old and a student in Tokyo university.
"Hello, nurse," - he smiled, ignoring the growing pain in his legs. - "What happened to me? I don't seem to remember…"
"Just a minute," - her warm smile dimmed somewhat, turning more official. - "I have to inform Dr.Asari you're awake. He asked me to do it as soon as you regain your consciousness…"
When the nurse left, Taichi leaned back on the pillow and frowned. He wasn't all that happy anymore. And not because he knew he got into some sort of an accident or a fight, he was sure he'd remember everything pretty soon, but because of something else which he couldn't determine. It had to do something with
(Those blinding lights, those lights, the monster is approaching, soaring from
the darkness, can't see, can't…)
some other person. But who? He lay there for a few minutes, biting on his thumb nail, but couldn't remember a thing. Finally, he decided just to relax and let that Dr.Asari explain what happened
("LOOK OUT !!!")
and how came he winded up in a hospital.
Someone in the ward next door turned the radio (or was it TV? or a tape?) on. Taichi closed his eyes and grinned.
I see your smile in the morning sun
I feel you touch me in the pouring rain
And the moment that you wander far from me
I wanna feel you in my arms again
And you come to me on a summer breeze
Keep me warm in your love and then softly leave
And it's me you need to show
Good old BeeGees were playing "How Deep Is Your Love". Favorite song of… of…
(SORA!!!)
Eyes opened wide, Taichi jerked himself up in a sitting position, ignoring pain.
"NUUUUUUUURSEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!"
* * *
Two dark silhouettes - a guy and a girl - are walking down the empty night street, her head resting on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her waist.
"Sora, come on, you gotta get your head out of the books for once."
"But, Tai, it's a very important exam, and I have to study…"
"But, Sora, this very important exam will take place in two months" - he says, copying her tone. The girl giggles. - "Not in two days, not in two weeks - two months. Who you've been listening to lately, Joe?"
Sora keeps quiet and he continues, "So, what do you say we just go out and have some fun, come Sunday? We could catch some tan on the beach, then, well, I dunno, watch some movie, maybe go to a discotheque, stuff like that."
"Tai," - Sora starts again, sounding not all that convince though. - "I really have to study…"
"Please?"
"Tai…"
"Pretty please?"
"Oh, get this snoop puppy look off your kisser!" - Sora laughs, pushing him lightly.
"Hey, stop pushing me around!" - pretending to be angry, he chases the girl; laughing, they jump off the sidewalk and onto the road…
Two-stored, red and white bus turns around the corner, blinding Sora, who's standing right on it's way with it's lights. The girl freezes paralyzed by fear, unable to move out of the harm's way. Time almost stops; seconds passing seem to be like hours. Here she stands in her long-sleeved blue and orange striped shirt, old light-blue jeans and white sneakers; one hand brought to her face, trying to defend the eyes from the bus's lights; night breeze playing with her short, honey-colored hair that now seems to red, as if set on fire…
"Look out!!!" - Taichi yells desperately, rushing to her aid, hoping against all odds to push her aside, and that's when the bus, brakes screeching, sparks flying from underneath the tires, hits Sora head-on.
"Nooooooo, Soraaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!"
The bus makes a U turn, in attempt to slow down, and hits Taichi with it's side on the way as well. He is thrown into the wall, crashes against it hard and slides down onto the pavement. Blood dripping into his eyes, Taichi still manages to see Sora's body fly through the air, lifeless, like a rag doll, landing on the asphalt with a sickening thud and rolling a few feet before congealing and laying still, motionless, quiet.
"Sora," - he whispers and makes an attempt to crawl, but then Taichi's legs explode with pain, he screams in agony and blacks out…
* * *
"NUUUUUUUURSEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!"
The door opened and she came running in accompanied by little thin man in white hospital robe and glasses.
"Taichi? Taichi? What happened? Are you ok?"
"Sora," - he grabbed the man whom he considered to be Dr.Asari by the lapel of his robe. - "Where is she? Is she ok?"
The doctor, frowning but speaking calmly, was trying to make him lay down, "Young man, you need rest. Any stresses are prohibited. You have to relax and try to sleep now, fine?"
"Where is Sora?!" Taichi demanded, almost yelling.
The lovely nurse bit her lip. Taichi was looking at her, at Dr.Asari, back at her.
"She is going to be fine?" he asked, trying to look in their eyes, pleading. "She's ok, right? Right?"
Dr.Asari sighed, then sat on the bed and took Taichi's hand in his.
"I am truly sorry," his voice was quiet and sympathetic. "There was nothing we could do to help her. She was dead before the ambulance arrived…"
His world froze for a second, then came crumbling down.
Taichi fell back onto the pillow, every muscle in his body relaxed, eyes open wide and staring at the ceiling without blinking.
"She didn't suffer at all," Dr.Asari was saying meanwhile, but he wasn't listening. Neither did he react when being given an injection which caused him to close his eyes and slip into a nightmare filled with monsters who creep in the shadows and darkness waiting for a young girl to step into their territory…
* * *
A month later, Taichi was still laying in the same ward. The stitches were taken off, leaving only a small pale scar on his forehead, the ribs were ok, and the cast was taken off from his leg. What wasn't healed, however, was his mind. Gone was happy-go-lucky, always on, reckless youth. Taichi became a broken man, withdrawn, indifferent, unsecured. Neither the therapist nor almost every day visits from his parents, Kari and his many friends helped. He couldn't walk unless there was someone assisting, though the doctors were saying his broken leg was now 100 per cent. He spent days laying on his back and just staring at the ceiling and at nights he slept restlessly, tossing and turning and often waking up from his own scream, soaking wet in perspiration.
Just like that other night.
Taichi was thrashing about on the sheets, writhing and groaning, then sat up with a muffed cry. No monsters. No demons. No ghosts. He was in his ward, the time was half past one a.m. and the only illumination were neon city lights, lightening the room through the opened window.
And there was some dark figure standing in the shadows, hands folded on the chest.
Taichi's throat went dry as his fingers clawed the sheets.
"Who's here? Who are you?" he croaked.
"Tai,"
The stranger stepped out of the shadow and into a beam of neon light. Slim, hard muscled figure. Black thin sweater, black jeans, black shoes. Long, a bit messed blond hair. And a stare of icy-blue eyes.
"Matt? Is that you?"
Tai instantly recalled their last meeting - first meeting in years. Five years ago, in the age of fifteen, Yamato, after being raped by his drunken father, disappeared from Tokyo (and Mr.Ishida woke up next morning and put an end to his life) and no one saw or heard from him - until last year Taichi bumped into him in Kyoto. Yamato's story shocked him, shocked even more than the fact that his friend was gay now (not that Taichi had any problems with sexual minorities) making a living by entertaining wealthy businessmen, industrialists, politicians and such. Living in expensive, fashionable flat and having more money than he could spend, Yamato hated and despised himself; when they were saying goodbye, he asked Taichi not to tell anyone they met and he kept his promise.
"Matt"
"How do you feel?"
Taichi smirked and sat up in the bed.
"Better than ever. How did you get in here in the middle of the night?"
Yamato tapped on his jeans' pocket.
"Money move the world around, my friend. A few thousand yens to the watch nurse and the doc and voila, I am here."
He took a chair, brought it to the bed and sat down.
"Sorry about Sora, man. I really mean it. I do miss her."
Taichi kept quiet, staring down. Then he said, "She didn't deserve to die. It was so… stupid. Shouldn't have happened. One moment she was alive, she was laughing… and the next second she was no more. Gone. Fucking wiped out by that stupid bus."
His voice was quiet and expressionless as he continued,
"And she died so young. So fucking young. We were talking about what are we going to do in life the other day. Sora, she had such a big plans. Wanted to travel around the world. There are so many beautiful places to visit, she said. Niagara falls, Disney World, London, Venice… Oh, how she dreamed about going in there. And then she said she would open her own business, sort of a firm, clothes designing…"
Taichi fell back on the pillow and continued, staring at the ceiling.
"Something else she told me. Said, Tai, in the end I would like to wind up living in a nice small cottage in some quiet suburban neighbourhood with a little nice lawn in the front yard and two cars in the garage. I'd be married by then and we'd have two cute kids, a boy and a girl. And a white, fluffy cat. And we'd all live happily ever after."
Yamato raised his eyebrows.
"I thought you were going out,
"We were, yes. But it was more of a friendly kind of thing. We always were more friends than lovers. Well you know Sora, don't you? She was like… like…"
"Like a sister."
"Exactly," Taichi nodded. His eyes were half closed now as his memory took him back to the past - happy, cloudless years.
"Even back then when we were in the Digi world she used to be like an older sister…"
"Yes. To all of us.", Yamato nodded, a shadow of sorrow and nostalgia on his face.
There was silence in the room for a few minutes, until Taichi interrupted it.
"She's gone.", he said; his voice was trembling. " She won't laugh anymore. Won't draw one single picture. She won't travel anywhere. And won't open that firm. And won't marry. And… and…"
A tear slipped from underneath his eyelid, then another one, as Taichi lay relaxed, never trying to wipe his eyes and only crying silently. Yamato took his friend's hand in his and squeezed lightly, but said nothing.
"How did you know I'm here?" - Taichi asked finally.
"Well I was out of country for a few weeks, someone… well you don't know him, we've been to California, then three days ago I returned to Kyoto, and while sorting the mail I bumped into an article about that accident. I called you then, Kari picked up and told me you're still hospitalized… she didn't recognize me, of course, I changed the voice while talking to her. So I wanted to check you out. Was afraid you're seriously hurt, but I'm glad to see you're not."
Taichi sighed.
"I am. I don't know what happened to me, but I'm hurt. Can't walk. Probably never will." He smiled bitterly. "You know what I want the most, Matt? I want to turn the time back. To go back in six, seven years. When remember, we all were together and everything was fine. Izzy, Mimi ,Joe, Kari ,TK, Yoley, Davis, Cody, Ken. And you were right there with us. And Sora was alive. Everything was fine then. And now… it's all gone. It's all lost. You know, sometimes I don't even want to live. What for? Life is bitch and then you die."
"Tai, I barely recognize you," Yamato said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'm supposed to be life-hating whiner around here, not you. You are the leader of the Digidestined, remember? Act like one! What happened to you? You were such a strong, positive guy and…"
"That's the point, Matt. Was. Not anymore. Not after what happened. I feel… feel a part of me died there as well."
"Oh, save the drama for your mama!" Yamato snapped. "Listen, I understand, you miss Sora, I miss her too, but that's not a reason to become a human wreck. You think lying here whining will do her any good? Bring her back to life?! Or…"
"I knew you wouldn't understand," Taichi sighed and turned on the other side, facing the wall. "Thanks for visiting, Matt. I wish to sleep now."
Frustrated, Yamato got up and called his friend's name. After no response came, he simply grabbed Taichi by the shoulders and before he could yell "What the fuck?!" pulled him from the bed and to the floor.
"Are you fucking out of your mind?! What do you think you're doing?", Taichi screamed angrily, wincing as he struggled to get on his hands and knees.
"Don't yell like a madman, Tai. I'm helping you" Yamato answered cooly.
"Go take your wiseass somewhere else," he grunted and wanted to return to the bed, but Yamato stepped in front of him. "Outta my way, Matt. Cut the crap. I mean it."
"Get to the window."
"What are you talking about?! I'm injured, I can barely crawl, are you kidding me!?"
"I said get to the window. Do not crawl and do not use crutches. Walk. I want you to walk."
Taichi cursed, but Yamato kept staring at him from above, hands crossed on the chest, cold look on his face.
"Matt, I mean it. Get the hell out of my way. I'm not performing any stand up comedy today. Get lost."
"Get to the window."
"I'll call the nurse and the cops will be here faster than you can blink," - Taichi growled.
"So that's what we've come to. Tai Yagami, are you really going to yell "Help, nurse, help?!" You, the Child of Courage? A guy who once fought Lord Piedmon one on one? Who had the balls to stand up against Apoclymon himself? Oh well, go ahead, cry for help Make my day, dude-o."
Taichi bit on his lip and bowed his head - a young man in green hospital robe, kneeling on the cold linoleum floor.
"Fuck you, Matt. Fuck you."
His tormentor only smiled.
"Tai, Tai, Tai. You're forgetting something here, aren't you? To me, it's not an insult but merely a proposal, which, in the light of resent events, I shall decline."
"Very funny, Miss Priss." , he growled, raising his head again, this time his eyes were burning with rage. "Don't you understand I can't walk?! I C-A-N-T fucking walk! I'm a cripple, can't you understand that? You get your kicks out of mocking cripples?!"
Yamato waved him away.
"It's your imagination. Get up and walk to the window. We still have plenty of time; if you like lying on the floor and getting pneumonia, then be it. If not, do as I say."
"Get the hell out of my way, you damn queer or I'll beat the shit out of you!!!" bewildered Taichi bellowed and swung his arm trying to nail the mocker. The punch was weak and didn't hit the target; instead, Taichi lost his balance and fell face-first onto the floor, hearing Yamato's quiet laugh and feeling blind fury raising within him.
"Oh yeah? Let me see you try, pal,"
Yamato, gracefully skipping aside and winding up in front of Taichi, laughed again as he kicked the fallen youth lightly in the shoulder. Taichi, snarling, tried to retaliate with another punch and again, black-clad figure eluded the blow.
"What's the matter, Tai? You can't even hold your own against a sissy boy like me? Come on, Tai, you used to beat me every time!"
Another light kick, this time in the hip.
"I'll kill you, you fucking queer!!!"
"Tell me, how it feels like to be beaten by a queer? What it makes you look like?"
And another kick… But the next second enraged Taichi leapt on his feet and growled furiously, as his fist smashed into Yamato's face, sending the blond flying through the air and crashing against the wall.
"How do you like this, huh? HOW DO YOU LIKE THIS?!!"
Clenching his fists, Taichi made a couple of steps towards Yamato, who was trying to remain vertical while wiping the blood streaming from his busted lower lip. But when his hand came down, Taichi was shocked to see a smile.
"I did it, didn't I?", Yamato said.
"What the…?"
And then Taichi realized he was actually standing - standing on his feet, without any assistance, and feeling no pain or weakness at all!
"Matt," he whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. - "I can stand… And I can walk…"
"Told you so,", he replied, wincing slightly in pain. "I just had to psych you up, otherwise you'd never realize that… and guess it worked."
Slowly but surely, a smile appeared on Taichi's face. Second later he stepped forward to embrace his friend with a hug.
"Matt," he said. "Matt, thanks. Thanks. And I'm so sorry I hit you, I…"
"Hush," he replied softly, smiling. "It's OK."
And all of a sudden, in the neighbour ward, a tape came to life again:
I believe in you
You know the door to my very soul
You're the light in my deepest darkest hour
You're my saviour when I fall
And you may not think
I care for you
When you know down inside
That I really do
And it's me you need to show…
* * *
Three weeks later an exhausted Yamato arrived to his apartment after spending a wild party night - Goth party night - in one of Kyoto's fashionable after-hour clubs. Without turning the lights on, he walked into the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. Glowing display of a watch on the table was showing 3:35 am; Yamato yawned and looked upwards, in the big mirror located in the ceiling over the bed (one of his friends, who liked freaky stuff, presented it to him a few months back) and saw himself - tall, slim youngster dressed in black web t shirt, black tight trousers with laced eyelets on the sides, and heavy, metal-decorated New Rock boots, with massive, claw-looking rings on his fingers and nails painted black; with strange, exotic white, silver and black face paint and blond hair done up in ponytail which was dyed crimson. Freaky indeed, he thought, smiling half sadly half sleepy, and the next moment he was already in the Dream Land.
Next morning he woke up at 11 am, undressed, took off the rings and headed to the bathroom in order to wash away the face paint, the hair paint and the hangover he was having from drinking too many cocktails last night. He'd just entered the shower, when the door bell rang.
Quietly cursing, Yamato stepped out of the booth, wrapped a towel around his hips, put the slippers on and went to open the door, wondering who could be bothering him, the night creature, in the morning.
Standing in the doorway was Taichi.
"T-Tai?", Yamato stammered, eyes wide in amazement. "What are you doing here? I mean, I'm glad to see you of course, but…"
Taichi looked down at his sneakers, like as if he was going do say something, but then hesitated in the last moment.
"Matt,", he finally said, barely audible. "I've been doing a lot of thinking since last time we've seen… Was trying to straighten up my head and be honest with myself… And…"
"And?" Yamato asked, raising his eyebrow. "Tai, why don't you come in and have a sit? I think whatever you want to talk about can wait, can't it? Come on, get in here and take a sit, and I'll see what I have left in the fridge. You're probably hungry, after coming here all the way from Tokyo."
"And Matt… I…" Taichi took a deep breath and sad softly, "I love you."
* * *
Next morning Taichi woke up and without opening his eyes ran his hand over the sheet on the other side of the bed. It was empty. Panic-stroken, he opened his eyes and sat straight up, fearing everything that happened last night was nothing but a dream, and now that dream had faded away…. But then he heard something that caused him to beam and jump out of the bed.
Taichi entered the salon, to find Yamato sitting on the sofa, playing his guitar quietly.
"Morning, Tai," he said, winking.
"Morning, Matt". Taichi couldn't help but smile happily like a child.
Looking at him, Yamato smiled too, as he ran his fingers over the strings and sang
gently:
How deep is your love?
I really need to learn
'Cause we're living in a world of fools
Breaking us down
When they all should let us be
We belong to you and me
So how deep is your love?..
The End