Author's Notes: After writing Rain, I got a few requests to write another Mimato. Here it is. It's similar in format to my first fanfic. I'm sorry if it's confusing. I hope you enjoy.
Dedication: This one is for Crystal Yumi. After not getting any reviews for quite awhile, she wrote me one and it rekindled my desire to write once again. This is the best way I know how to show her much I appreciate it. ::Bows to Crystal:: Thank you, my friend.
Now, on with the fic.
Alone
By Melissa
[America]
Mimi stood before the mirror in her house in the USA. She looked at her reflection very closely. Mimi had been so very tired lately, and her appearance proved that. The dark circles under her eyes spoke for themselves. It made no sense to Mimi. She slept every chance she got but she still could not get any rest.
She sighed. At first Mimi thought that it had been stress about moving to America, but that had happened several months ago. There was no way she should still be feeling the effects, if it was just stress. She absolutely enjoyed living in this country. As much as she loved living in the States, her heart still belonged to Japan, and to one boy in particular. Even if he didn't know it.
Besides constantly being tired, Mimi had also not been feeling well for quite some time. She always seemed to have a cold, or a cough, or a headache, etc. They just wouldn't go away.
As part of her routine, Mimi stepped on the scale. What she saw almost made her faint. She had lost another five pounds in less than a week's time. It was getting to a dangerous point. Mimi was getting worried, because this weight loss was in no way on purpose. She would admit that she had been losing her appetite, but she was still eating even if she didn't feel like it.
'This is so not good,' Mimi thought to herself. 'I'll have mom make me appointment with the doctor's tomorrow.'
Mimi took one last look in the mirror and sighed again. She then continued to get ready for another long day of school.
[Japan]
Yamato Ishida stood before a sold out crowd in a local sports arena. He and his band were just finishing up their second encore performance. He sung the last note and it resonated through the night air.
"Goodnight, Odaiba!!!" he yelled into the microphone to the ecstatic crowd, which was giving him an standing ovation.
Matt and his band mates went back stage to rest from their long performance. Matt flopped down on the couch and rested his head on the back. He closed his eyes and was almost asleep when he heard security shouting at someone.
"I'm sorry, you can't go back there!" the guard said forcefully.
"Hey buddy, we're friends of the lead singer," a familiar voice shot back.
Matt knew who it was. It was the only people he would allow near him after a performance. He called out to the guard.
"It's OK, they're my friends. And in the future, they are allowed to see me at any time. Are we clear?"
The guard poked his head through the door and gulped nervously. "Yes, of course, Mr. Ishida. I'm sorry, I had no idea."
"That's OK, no harm done. Why don't you go outside and make sure no crazy fans make their way back here."
"Yes sir," The guard said as he made a hasty exit.
A moment passed and then a group of children came backstage. Izzy entered first and was followed by Kari, TK, Joe, Sora and Tai.
"Any crazy fans besides us, you mean," TK said with a grin.
"Geez, what was his problem?" Tai asked.
"Chill out Tai. The guard was probably new. He didn't recognize us, so how was he to know that we are friends of Matt's?" Kari replied.
Izzy broke into the sibling's bickering. "Hey Matt, that was a fantastic show!" The sentiment was echoed by everyone else in the room.
Matt gave everyone a small smile as a way of thanks. He was so glad that they had all come to the concert. It was the one time that they all took a break from their lives to see each other and catch up. However, the one person Matt most wished was there, was half a world away.
Everyone settled down about the rooms, starting their own little conversations. Matt felt someone come and sit next to him on the couch. He cracked open an eye and saw it was Sora.
"Hey Sora," he said as he closed his eye again.
Sora sat and stared at Matt intently. "Matt, can I ask you a question?"
"You just did. But go ahead and ask me another."
Sora paused a moment before asking her question. Finally, she spoke. "You miss her, don't you?"
Matt's eyes snapped open and he whirled around to face Sora. He stared at her, mouth agape. He was absolutely shocked.
"H...How...," Matt stuttered.
"How did I know? C'mon Matt, give me a little more credit than that. You should see yourself when you were around her. Your face would light up in a way that I can't even describe. The day she left, that light went out. You haven't been the same since."
"I thought that I was really good at hiding how I felt," Matt said, rather glumly. "Is it really that obvious how I feel?"
"No, it isn't that obvious. And you are extremely good at hiding your feelings. However, there are just some things that a person can't hide. Like being in love, for example. And, you must remember that my crest is that of love, so I'm more in tune to these things than others."
Matt lowered his voice. "Please, Sora, don't tell anyone about this. Especially Mimi."
Sora took his hand. "Matt, you have my word as your friend that I won't say anything about this to anyone. Can I offer you a piece of advice, though?"
Matt nodded, visibly relieved.
"You should let her know how you feel. Not knowing is one of the worst things, I believe, that can happen. If you tell her, and she doesn't feel the same way, then you can have time to heal and then move on. If she does feel the same way though, you will have found something that most people spend all their lives looking for and never find. True love, Matt. Do you have any idea how rare that is? Don't let a chance to find it slip away. Or even worse, never taking that chance at all."
Matt looked thoughtful as he processed what Sora said. "Thank you," he said, squeezing her hand, with the utmost sincerity in his voice.
"Anytime," she replied, squeezing his hand back.
[America]
Mimi sat in an exam room in a local hospital. She absently rubbed the spot on her arm where they had taken her blood.
'Why did they have to take so much anyway?' Mimi wondered to herself.
She didn't get to contemplate it any further as her mother returned from getting some coffee. Mimi smiled at her mom, and then cautiously peered around her.
"Hello hun. Are you looking for someone?"
"Huh? Oh no. I was just making sure that those vampires disguised as nurses weren't coming back to finish me off."
Her mother chuckled. "I would never let that happen."
"Why did they take so much of my blood anyway?" Mimi inquired.
"They needed to test it just to make sure that your body is working the way it is supposed to."
"Yeah, I know. I hope they figure it out soon. This waiting is killing me."
Mimi's mother smiled and squeezed her daughter's hand. Mimi smiled right back.
About fifteen minutes past before there was a knock on the exam room door. A nurse opened the door and was followed in by a youthful looking doctor.
"Hello, Mrs. Tachikawa. My name is Dr. Edwards. And this must be Mimi," he said as he offered his hand to the two.
"Hello, Doctor," Mrs. Tachikawa replied. "Did your test results turn up anything?" she asked, cutting right to the chase.
The doctor suddenly became very serious. "Mimi's earlier symptoms; he fatigue, weight loss and constantly being ill were indicative of a much more serious problem. That is why we needed to run some tests on her blood. The results of those tests confirms what I had originally feared. Mimi has a rare form of leukemia, or cancer of the blood."
The instant that Mimi heard the word cancer, she could feel the color draining out of her face.
"Are....Are you sure? Couldn't there be some sort of mistake?" Mrs. Tachikawa asked in a pleading tone of voice.
"I'm sorry, but we ran the tests over and over again, just to be sure. And the results came back the same each time," the doctor said apologetically.
Mimi felt herself go completely numb. She couldn't even feel her mother gripping her hand.
"Right now, I would like to discuss treatment options with you. We must begin to combat the cancer right away.....," the doctor went on and on.
Mimi knew that the doctor was speaking but she couldn't hear a word that he said. All she could do is sit there, with one thought running through her mind. She had cancer.
An hour later, they were on their way home. Mrs. Tachikawa and the doctor decided to try chemotherapy to combat the cancer.
They pulled into their driveway and Mimi hopped out of the car. She waited for her mom to unlock the front door, then they both went inside.
Mrs. Tachikawa placed her hand on Mimi's shoulder. "Why don't you go and get some rest. I'll wake you when your father gets home. We can talk some more then."
Mimi nodded ever so slightly and then made her way down the hallway and into her room. She gently closed the door and then sat in her chair at her desk. As exhausted as she was, she couldn't go to bed just yet. There was no way her mind would let her sleep. She had to do something to distract herself, so she turned on her computer.
She scrolled down and saw e-mails from all of her fellow digidestined friends. She smiled slightly, and silently thanked the creator of e-mail. If it wasn't for this technological wonder she would be almost totally cut off from her friends in Japan. This way she was able to communicate with them almost daily.
Mimi stopped reading for a moment as a thought occurred to her. How was she going to tell her friends that she was sick? It wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world to do. Mimi pondered this for a very long time. Every time she went to type, words just failed her. She sighed bitterly and closed her mailbox.
'I can't worry them like that,' Mimi thought to herself. 'I'll just wait and see. Hopefully this treatment will kill the cancer and I won't have to tell them at all.'
Mimi let out a large yawn. It felt like her eyelids weighed a ton. She got up and made her way over to her bed. She flopped down and was asleep before her head hit the pillow. And this time, she welcomed the blessed oblivion.
[Japan]
Matt sat in his room and was staring at his ceiling. He had been trying to practice his music, but his heart just wasn't in it. It was too busy being occupied thinking of someone else.
Matt decided to check his e-mail. He flipped on his computer and opened his mailbox. He scrolled down the screen. "Junk....junk....Tai.....Joe.....Izzy.....junk.....," Matt mumbled to himself as he read the screen. The one piece of mail he had been looking for wasn't there though.
It had been several weeks since he had heard from Mimi, and he was extremely worried. It wasn't like Mimi to disappear without a trace. Her e-mails had been getting more and more infrequent and had now stopped coming all together. Matt decided to write to her, yet again.
To: PrincessSincerity
From: TrueFriendship
Mimi,
I'm sorry if this seems like I'm bugging you, but I was wondering where you have been. It's been a long time since I've heard from you and I wanted to make sure everything is OK. Are you mad at us? Did we do something wrong? Please write back. We're all worried about you.
Matt
Matt sent it with a click of the mouse. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. Even though he had wrote 'we' in his e-mail, he really meant 'I'. He had been debating over whether or not to tell Mimi how he really felt about her. He couldn't remember all the times he had sat down and wanted to write in words what he felt in his heart and soul. Every time he went to type though, words failed him. He longed to be able to tell her in person. He was given that chance once, the day that she was leaving Japan to move to America.
*Flash Back, 8 months ago*
Mimi stood in the airport in Odaiba, surrounded by her friends. All the digidestined had turned out to wish Mimi a fond farewell. Everyone was trying to hold back their tears, but doing a very poor job of it.
TK and Kari approached Mimi and wrapped their arms around her waist and hugged her. Mimi smiled and hugged them back. There were no words said, there wasn't any need.
Izzy was next. He handed Mimi a black bag. Mimi looked at him quizzically.
"It's a laptop. I just got a new one so I thought you might have use for this one. This way we can all stay in touch with one another through e-mail."
Mimi smiled, having no idea what to say.
"I know Mimi. And you're welcome," Izzy said, with tears in his eyes.
Joe was the next to speak. "Here Mimi," he said as he handed her a piece of paper. "You're going half a world away and since I don't know how good their medical care is, this is my pager number. If you ever have any questions about anything medical related, you just give that number a call and I will get right back to you."
"Thank you, Joe."
Joe simply nodded his head in reply.
Tai decided it was his turn next. "You're leaving us again, Mimi," Tai said playfully. "Wasn't once enough for you?"
Mimi shook her head and grinned. Humor was defense mechanism Tai used to keep from being hurt. She knew this, as did most of the digidestined.
"Tai, you know I wouldn't leave all of you if I had a choice. However, just like last time, I promise that I will come back and rejoin the group."
Tai didn't say anything. He gave her a look that said, 'I know......I just needed to hear you say it.'
Sora was up next. The look on her face tore at Mimi's heart strings. It was obvious that she was trying to keep from breaking down into tears.
Mimi took a couple of steps forward and enveloped Sora in a hug. Sora hugged her right back.
"Best friends, right?" Sora asked quietly.
"Always. And distance will never change that," Mimi replied, just as softly.
Mimi released her friend, and Sora joined the rest of the group.
Last but certainly not least, was Matt. He had been warring with his feelings for Mimi for quite some time. He had tried to convince himself it was a crush and that it would go away. Every time he thought he was over her, she would do something like laugh, or smile at him, or put her arm around him, and all those feelings he fought so hard to repress would come flooding back in full force. Now, she was leaving him.
Matt stood there for a moment. 'This is it, I have to tell her how I feel,' he thought.
He approached Mimi and took her arm, to lead her away from everyone else. He needed at least a little privacy if he was going to do this.
Mimi as well had feelings for Matt. They had grown from the moment that she had met him at summer camp. She never said anything though. Why did it have to be one of her closest friends? Mimi would never do anything to jeopardize her friendship with Matt. And sadly, revealing how she really felt would be risking what they all ready had. Mimi was just not willing to do that.
After moving a small distance away, Matt turned to face Mimi.
'This is it,' he thought. 'Now or never.'
"Mimi, there's something that I've been wanting to tell you. I....," Matt was interrupted by an announcement.
"Last call for flight 219 to New York. Last call. Please report to gate."
There was a moment of silence between the two. Mimi finally spoke. "I have to go, Matt. What was it you wanted to tell me?"
Thanks to the interruption, Matt had lost all of his nerve. "I just wanted to tell you.......to have a safe trip."
Mimi looked a little disappointed. "Oh. Thanks."
'Argh! I had my chance and I blew it,' Matt scolded himself.
Mimi turned to leave. Matt reached out and stopped her.
"Wait! Mimi, take this." Matt reached around his neck and removed his crest and tag. He pressed it into the palm of her hand. "Something to remember me by."
Mimi smiled. "I'll return it when we see each other again," she said as she wrapped her arms around him.
As Mimi hugged him, Matt felt his heart hammering against his chest. So much so that he thought it might actually burst through. Her holding him had the power to steal his breath away. He had never felt anything in his life that felt so right as this. He put his arms around her and returned the gesture.
As much as he wanted to stay in that moment forever, Mimi released her hold. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. As she turned to leave, she whispered to herself, "I'll always remember."
And just like that, she was gone. On the plane and out of his life.
*End Flashback*
Matt had cursed himself everyday after that for not telling Mimi how he really felt. He would admit, only to himself, that he had been scared that she didn't feel the same way. He thought of what Sora had said at his last concert. She was right, he would never know for sure unless he tried.
He went back to contemplating his ceiling, praying that Mimi would contact him soon.
[America]
It had been a month and a half since Mimi had started undergoing radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was the use of drugs to try and treat her cancer. At first she had only been on the chemotherapy. However, doctor's had determined that it wasn't working, so they prescribed radiation treatments. The radiation was being used to try and send the cancer into submission. Unfortunately, in the case of cancer, the treatment is often worse than the disease.
Mimi had just finished her latest bout with the radiation treatments, and was on her way home from the hospital. She watched the scenery as it passed by. She didn't have the energy to do much else.
When they arrived home, her father picked her up in his arms and carried her into the house. He brought her to her room and gently laid her on the bed.
Mr. Tachikawa had to bite his lower lip to keep his composure. Seeing his little girl in her present state, tore him up inside. Not long ago, Mimi had been a lively and vibrant young woman. Now, she was like a shell of her former self. She seemed so small. She was also extremely thin and frail, thanks to the radiation treatments and the cancer.
Mimi saw the pain in her father's eyes and gave him a small smile. "I think I'm going to get some rest now, Dad."
"OK, sweetheart. Do you want me to wake you for dinner?"
Mimi shook her head. Just the thought of food made her feel sick to her stomach.
Her father nodded. "I'll check on you in a little while then. Sweet dreams, Princess."
He got up and shut the door to Mimi's bedroom. He made his way down the hallway to the living room. He almost had made it when he broke down in tears. He lowered himself onto the couch as his body shook with sobs.
Mimi's mother, who had been in the kitchen, heard her husband and went to see him. She joined him on the couch, and held him while he cried. She too having tears in her eyes.
Mimi struggled to get up from her bed. Moving even the slightest bit took all of her energy and concentration. Slowly, gingerly, she made her way over to her computer desk. She turned on her computer and checked her e-mail. She had felt so guilty. It had been over a month since she had been able to read her e-mail. She just didn't have the time of the energy.
She went through and deleted all of the junk and then proceeded to wade through a ton of messages from all her friends in Japan. They were all worried about her. After a half hour of reading, she finally got to the last message. It was from Matt. After reading it, Mimi decided to respond to everyone in one fell swoop. She started typing, very slowly.
To: TrueFriendship
From: PrincessSincerity
Cc: AngelOfHope, AngelOfLight, Dr. Reliability, FountainOfKnowledge, TrueLove, CourageAlways
Hi Guys,
First off I want to apologize about not writing for so long. You didn't do anything wrong, nor am I mad at any of you. Things have been very hectic around here lately. I haven't had any time to check my e-mail, let alone do anything else. I hope none of you are mad at me. I promise to stay in touch, more than I have been of late. I love you all.
Mimi
Mimi sent the mail with a click of her mouse. She would have wrote more, but she didn't have any energy left. Carefully she got up and went back to bed. She had really wanted to tell her friends the truth about what was happening in her life. No matter how much she thought about it though, she just could not think of a way to tell them.
'It not like I can just tack it on to the end of an e-mail,' she thought to herself. 'Oh, and by the way, I have a life threatening disease. That's why I haven't been around much lately..........I don't think so,' Mimi thought and just shook her head. There was no way she could do something like that to her friends.
She crawled under the covers and silently prayed that this god-awful treatment was working. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. 'Just a little bit more...........I just have to hang on for a little while longer..........' That was the last thought she had as she closed her eyes.
_______________________________________________________________
A year and a half later..............
[America]
Mimi had continued to undergo her treatments for another six months. The cancer had then finally gone into remission and had stayed that way for almost a year now. The treatment had been pure torture on both her body and mind. It had been worth it when she had heard the doctor tell her that she didn't have to go for the treatments anymore, that her cancer had stopped growing. In every sense of the word, Mimi had gotten her life back.
Right now it was the end of summer in America. Mimi was looking forward to starting her sophomore year in high school. Two weeks before school started though, Mimi got sick with what she thought was a cold.
'I'm sure it's just a temporary thing. It'll go away soon enough,' Mimi thought to herself.
She was wrong though. As the days past, she just kept feeling worse and worse. The tiredness and fatigue had returned as well, now worse than ever. Mimi was still convinced that she was just feeling under the weather, and nothing more. She went about her life as she normally would, never giving it a second thought.
The morning that school was starting, Mrs. Tachikawa was setting the table for breakfast. "Mimi! Let's go! Or you're going to be late," she called down the hallway.
Ten minutes went by and there was still no sign Mimi. Her mom was starting to get annoyed. She marched down the hallway towards her daughter's room. "Let's go, young lady. I'm not going to say it again........," she said as she opened the door.
The sight that confronted her made her scream. Mr. Tachikawa was awakened from a deep sleep when he heard his wife. He jumped out of bed and tore through the house. When he made it to Mimi's room he saw his wife on the floor cradling their unconscious daughter in her arms.
"Call an ambulance.....I can't wake her up......," his wife said through her tears.
Mr. Tachikawa raced to the kitchen and dialed 911.
When Mimi awoke she found that she wasn't at home. She was in a room that was entirely too white for her taste. You name it, and it was white. There was an empty bed next to hers and she was attached to a monitor that was beeping steadily. She also had an IV in her right arm. She realized that she was in a hospital.
The last thing she remembered was getting ready for her first day at school. She also remembered feeling really dizzy, and then everything went black.
Mimi sat up and surveyed the surroundings. She only contemplated them for a moment because her parents walked into the room. They saw her awake and they rushed to her side.
Mrs. Tachikawa enveloped Mimi in a monster hug. "Oh honey, we're so glad you're awake!!"
"Mom? Mom, you're squishing me." Mrs. Tachikawa released her death grip on Mimi. "What's the matter? I just passed out, right?"
Mimi's parents exchanged worried looks with each other.
"Right??" Mimi asked more frantically.
"Princess, you've been unconscious for the past 12 hours," her father said softly.
"What?? How is that possible? I was just feeling a little dizzy."
"Honey, I'm afraid that's it's a bit more than that."
As if that was a cue, Dr. Edwards walked into the room. He nodded to Mimi's parents, and they nodded right back.
Mimi had had just about enough of all the secrecy. "Would someone please tell me what's going on??"
"Mimi, please calm down. We need to talk," the doctor said somberly.
Mimi obediently shut up.
"There is no good way to put this, so I'm going to come right out and say it. We ran some tests to determine why you passed out. Mimi, your cancer has returned."
Mimi just sat there and blinked. A moment of silence passed before she spoke. "But.....but you said that it was in remission.....," she said weakly.
"It was, Mimi. The problem with cancer is that there is a chance it can resurface. And, sadly, that has happened in your case."
Mimi just sat there in complete shock.
"There's more," the doctor said, looking Mimi right in the eyes. "The reason your cancer came back was because that the treatment failed to eradicate it. It also means that the cancer is now immune to the treatments. Because of the leukemia, you're very prone to getting frequent, severe infections. That's why you collapsed."
Mimi knew exactly what that meant. She decided to no longer beat around the bush. "How much time do I have?"
The doctor was momentarily surprised by Mimi's question. He decided that honesty was best course. This girl knew what was happening to her. There was no sense in sugar coating it. "We're not really sure. The cancer affects your immune system, making it hard for it to fight infections, sickness and disease."
Mimi nodded. She stole a look at her parents, both of which had tears in their eyes. Mimi guessed that they had heard this from the doctor while she had been unconscious.
"I am so sorry. I leave you alone now," the doctor said as he got up and took his leave.
As the doctor closed the door Mimi's parents got up and sat on either side of her on the bed. Her mother finally got up the courage to speak. "Honey, are you OK?"
'As well as can be expected, now that I just found out that I don't have long to live," Mimi thought to herself. She didn't say anything though.
"Princess, please say something," her father pleaded. "Is there anything we can do for you?"
Mimi thought for a moment. "Yeah, there is. Mom, Dad, I want to go home."
Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa looked at each other. They both knew that Mimi wasn't talking about their house, when she meant she wanted to go home. She was talking about Japan.
"Of course, Mimi. We'll leave as soon as possible."
[Japan]
Matt was having a little get together at his house for himself and the rest of the digidestined. They were just going to watch movies and hang out with one another. He was just finishing putting out the snacks when he heard him computer beep. He went to his room to check it out.
On the screen, the little mailbox was flashing. Matt wondered who was writing to him. He was hoping that no one was writing to cancel.
He opened his mailbox and was pleasantly surprised to see that the e-mail was from Mimi. He clicked on it and started to read.
To: TrueFriendship
From: PrincessSincerity
Cc: AngelOfHope, AngelOfLight, Dr. Reliability, FountainOfKnowledge, TrueLove, CourageAlways
Greeting from the USA. I just wanted to let you know that I shall be returning to Japan next week. And this isn't one of those little one week visits either. I'm coming back for good. That's right, it's not a misprint:) I'm coming back home, where I belong. I can't wait to see everyone again.
Before I forget, I do need to talk to everyone. I request that you all meet me in Odaiba Park one month from this Sunday, around 2pm. Is that OK with everyone? If not, write me back and I'll change it. If it is, then I'll see you all then.
I'm counting down the seconds.
Love,
Mimi
Matt finished reading and had a huge grin on his face. Mimi was coming home to stay! He couldn't believe it. He read the e-mail over and over again just to make sure. Mimi wasn't the only one now counting down the seconds until next Sunday.
Even though it had been over two years since Mimi had left, Matt was still in love with her. Everyday the feeling had just got stronger and stronger. Matt smiled to himself. 'Fate has given me another chance to tell her how I feel. And this time, I'm not going to blow it.'
Matt heard the doorbell ring and he got up to answer it. He couldn't wait to tell the others that their group would finally, once again, be whole.
One month from that Sunday.........
[Japan]
Mimi sat on a bench wringing her hands together. When she noticed this she went to fiddling with Matt's crest, which hung around her neck. She was going to keep her promise and return it to him. She was extremely nervous about seeing her friends. While she was happy to be seeing them again, she was not looking forward to telling them her secret. She took a moment to glance at her watch. It read 1:55pm.
Mimi had gone over in her head what she wanted to say, but every time she said it out loud the words sounded so hollow. How do you tell your closest friends that you're dying? Sure, in the grander scheme of things, everyone was dying. Mimi was just doing so a whole lot quicker than she had planned or wanted to.
She had come back to Japan three days ago. Her parents were renting an apartment in uptown Odaiba. She had spent the last couple of days trying to decide what to tell her friends. She had come up with absolutely nothing. It didn't help that she had fallen ill again, and this time it was much more serious than anything before. The dizzy spells had been coming more and more frequently. Her skin was so very pale, and she was also looking extremely gaunt. She had another doctor's appointment tomorrow, at the hospital, to try and determine what she was sick with now.
Mimi suddenly heard the sound of footsteps on grass. She turned her eyes towards the sound. Walking towards her was Izzy, followed closely by Joe, TK, Kari, Tai, Sora and finally Matt. Mimi got off the bench and greeted everyone. After hugging everyone, she motioned for them to have a seat.
Everyone did as they so. Kari was staring intently at Mimi as she took a seat next to TK. "Mimi, are you OK? You're looking a little pale."
Mimi gave Kari a weak smile. 'Why am I so cold?' she thought to herself? She shook her head, and addressed Kari. "I'm fine in the fact that I'm here with you guys again," Mimi said, avoiding the real question.
Kari arched an eyebrow. "That's not what I meant. Are you feeling well? You look like you're feeling a little under the weather."
Izzy echoed the sentiment. "She's right, Mimi. You also look a whole lot thinner than the last time we saw you. Are you all right?"
Mimi suddenly felt dizzy and started to sway. Matt quickly stood up and took her arm to steady her. "Mimi? Please talk to us." he whispered, absolute fear in his eyes.
Mimi was taking heavy, raspy breaths while trying to regain her composure. She was suddenly very aware how difficult the action of breathing had become. She started to speak. "I...brought....you all...here.....because I ....needed...to tell.....you something......," she said, pausing, trying to catch her breath. Mimi never finished what she wanted to say though, as her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed into Matt's arms.
Everyone stood in shock for a moment. Izzy had the presence of mind to whip out his cell phone and call an ambulance.
A short time later, the seven digidestined stood/sat in the waiting room at the hospital. A mixture of worry, fear and sadness etched on all of their faces. They had no idea what's going on and none of the hospital staff would tell them anything.
TK couldn't stand the silence any longer. "What do you guys think it was that she wanted to tell us?"
"If I had to hypothesize, I would say that she was going to tell us something very important. Probably having to do with the circumstances involving her return to Japan," Izzy replied.
Joe absentmindedly flipped through a magazine. There was something familiar about the way Mimi looked, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The pale skin, the extreme weight loss, the dizziness, the difficulty breathing.....it all added up to something. Where had he seen that before?
Joe went back to the magazine when a youthful looking nurse stepped into the waiting room and addressed the group. "Excuse me? Are you the ones who accompanied Miss Tachikawa?"
Everyone nodded or sad yes..
"Please follow me then. She's asking to see you."
Even got up and followed the nurse down a long corridor. She led them to a small room towards the end of the hallway. She opened the door for them and they all filed in.
They were confronted with the sight of Mimi lying on one of the beds. The was hooked up to all sorts of machines. There was a constant beeping from the heart monitor and the hissing of air from the oxygen mask that covered her face. She looked so small, like she was going to be swallowed up by the enormous bed.
Sora, who was obviously trying to fight back tears, sat down next to the bed and took Mimi's hand in hers. In response, Mimi opened her eyes, ever so slightly. After a moment, she slowly reached up and took the oxygen mask off of her face.
"Hi guys," she said weakly.
"How are you feeling?" Izzy asked, taking her other hand. "You gave us quiet a scare."
'You haven't heard anything yet,' Mimi thought to herself.
"Mimi? What was it that you wanted to tell us?" Tai inquired.
Mimi closed her eyes and started to speak. "First off, I want to apologize to you all. I've been keeping something for you for a long time. I didn't want to worry you. But this little episode has kind of spoken for itself." She paused for a moment before speaking again. "The reason I collapsed today is because I am sick."
Tai interrupted. "Yeah, but you'll be better soon. So how long until you can blow this joint?"
Mimi sighed. Matt elbowed Tai in the ribs, signaling him to be quiet.
"You don't understand. I'm not going to get better. I have cancer."
Everyone's jaw dropped open.
Mimi continued. "The reason I collapsed today was because I have a severe infection. I think the doctor's said something about my lymph nodes, but I'm not really sure. Anyway, the cancer is affecting my immune system and it can't fight the infection off."
No one said anything. They were still in shock.
"Do you guys remember, over a year ago when I stopped talking to you guys for awhile? It was because I was undergoing treatments for my cancer. Thanks to drug and radiation treatments, my cancer went into remission. Everything was fine, for awhile. Then, when I was getting ready for my first day of school, I collapsed. I was taken to a hospital and they told me my cancer had returned."
"Isn't there anything the doctor's can do?" Kari asked, quietly.
Joe fielded that one. "I'm afraid there's not. The problem with radiation treatment is that it is a win or lose situation. It either sends the cancer into remission and it never resurfaces, or the cancer returns, and is thus immune to the effects of further treatment."
"But that means......you're gonna......" Tai couldn't bring himself to complete the sentence.
Mimi nodded. "I came back because this is where I belong. I want to spend the rest of my life here, however short it may be."
Mimi finished and looked at her friends. They all were avoiding her eyes.
A moment later, Mimi's parents burst into the room and immediately started talking to Mimi. Izzy motioned for the others to follow him out. "We'll come visit you soon, Mimi. Get some rest."
Mimi nodded to her friends as they left.
Outside the hospital, everyone just stood around, not knowing what to do or say.
"Joe, how much time do you think she has?" TK asked, voicing the question on everyone's minds.
Joe took off his glasses and wiped his eyes. "Not very long. She's very sick, and I'm not sure how much longer she can hold out."
"It's getting late, we should probably get going," Izzy mentioned.
Everyone nodded, and they all went their separate ways, alone with their thoughts.
Over the next couple of days, Mimi's health continued to deteriorate. Every day several of her fellow digidestined came to visit her. She was happy to see them each time. However, the one she most wanted to visit hadn't come to see her since the day she collapsed.
'Where are you, Matt?' Mimi wondered sadly to herself.
Matt had spent most of the week locked in his room. Ever since he heard that Mimi was dying, he was beside himself. He couldn't eat or sleep. All he could do was think that the love of his life was on her death bed.
He didn't know why he hadn't been to see her since that day. He wanted to so very badly. Every time he thought he would go out that door and to the hospital, something stopped him. He thought about was how Mimi was going to be leaving him again, this time for good.
It was a rainy Sunday afternoon, one week since Mimi had been in the hospital, when Matt heard a knock at his door. Matt didn't want to deal with anybody, but against his better judgment he got up to answer it.
Standing there with her arms folded across her chest was Sora, looking none too happy.
"Hi Sora. Won't you come in?"
Sora stepped across the threshold. Matt shut the door, crossed the room and sat down on his bed.
A tense moment of silence passed.
Finally, Matt spoke. "Is there something you wanted?"
"Yes. Just the answer to one question."
"And that question would be?"
"Why on earth have you not been to see Mimi?" Sora said, boring holes into Matt's forehead with her stare.
Matt cringed. "It's......complicated," he said at last.
"Don't you dare give me that!! She's your friend. And she's dying, Matt. Don't you care at all??"
That definitely hit a nerve. "How dare you insinuate that I don't care about her!! I care more about her then I ever thought it was possible to care for a person!! I love her. And now that I finally have come to realize it, she being taken away from me. And it tears me up inside!"
Sora's eyes widened slightly. She knew Matt was in love with Mimi. And such an emotional outburst was just so uncharacteristic of him.
Tears started to form at the corners of Matt's eyes. He wiped at them furiously. As he did so, Sora crossed the room and sat down next to him.
"I'm sorry Matt. I know you care about Mimi, and I'm sorry I implied otherwise. You have to realize something though. If you don't see her soon, you may never see her again. You have to tell her how you feel. It's better to regret something you did, than something you didn't do. She's not long for this world. Matt, this is your last chance."
Matt was trying so desperately to fight the tears. He looked at Sora, she too having tears in her eyes, and slowly nodded.
Matt got up and got his coat. Before leaving he went back and gave Sora a hug.
"Thank you," he whispered.
He let go and went out his door. Sora watched him leave, the tears now flowing in full force. She was praying that he wouldn't be too late.
Matt ran through the rain to the hospital. By the time he got there he was soaked. He went inside and walked down to Mimi's room. When he reached it, he gently knocked on the door. When he heard someone say "Come in," he entered.
Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa were sitting on either side of Mimi's bed. It was obviously that both had been crying. Matt's eyes strayed to Mimi. What he saw made his heart leap into his throat. She was so thin and pale, much more so than the last time he had seen her. She looked so helpless.
Mr. Tachikawa gazed at Matt for a moment. He saw, in Matt's eyes, the same look that he had for his wife. Slowly, he got up from his chair.
"C'mon hun, we should really go home. We need some rest."
Mrs. Tachikawa looked for a moment like she was going to object. When she saw the look on her husband's face, she just nodded and kept silent. "We'll be back tomorrow morning, hun," her mom reassured Mimi. Mimi nodded to her parents. Hand in hand, Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa left the room.
Matt felt as if his feet were made out of cement. He had to use all of his will power to get them to move. Finally he went over and took a seat next to Mimi.
As he sat down, Mimi opened her eyes. She just stared at him for a moment. The only sounds to be heard were the beeping of the heart monitor and the hiss of the oxygen mask.
Very slowly Mimi brought her hand up and held it out to Matt. It was obvious that she was holding something.
Matt looked at her quizzically for a moment and opened his hand. Into it Mimi dropped his crest. After doing so, she removed the oxygen mask.
"I told you.....I would return that.......," she said, with her difficulty breathing.
Matt just stared at the crest as the events of him giving it to her came flooding back. This time, there was nothing he could do to keep back the wave of tears. The emotional walls he had spent years building finally crumbled. He laid his head on her bed and cried.
"I'm sorry..........Please forgive me.........I'm so sorry..........," he said between sobs.
Mimi laid her hand on his head. "Shhhh...it's OK. I knew you would come to see me. I never doubted you."
Soon the crying slowed, and eventually stopped. Matt lifted his head and looked at Mimi.
As he looked into her eyes, he suddenly found the courage to speak the words that had been in his heart for so long. "Mimi, there's something you should know. I came here not just to see you. I need to do something I should have done a long time ago."
Mimi didn't say anything, just watched Matt expectantly.
He took her hand in his. "Do you remember the day the you left Japan for America?"
Mimi nodded. How could she forget.
"It was that day that I wanted to tell you something. Something that I've felt for so long but had only acknowledged then. I wanted to tell you that I'm in love with you. I was all ready to tell you that day at the airport, but I lost my nerve. Part of me was scared. Scared at how you would react. Scared that you would reject me. I was such a coward then."
Mimi opened her mouth to speak, but Matt cut her off.
"Please....let me finish. Mimi, I love you. I love you more than any person has a right to love someone. Each day I am with you is better than the last, and my first day with you was the best day of my life. I'll completely understand if you don't feel the same way. I had to let you know, or I would never be able to forgive myself."
Matt watched Mimi, waiting for her reaction. Her eyes shimmering with tears that threatened to break.
Finally she spoke. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting to hear those words from you?"
Matt's eyes widened as he almost fell off the chair. "W....What?!?"
Mimi gave him a small smile. "Matt, you're not the only one who's been a coward. For so long I tried to deny how I felt about you, because I was so sure that you didn't feel the same way. Hearing you know makes me wish I had had the courage to say what I felt in my heart long ago. I love you, Yamato Ishida. I always have, and I always will."
Mimi was barely able to get all those words out before she had a very bad coughing fit. Matt helped her put the oxygen mask back on. After a few breaths, the coughing slowed. A single tear traced it's way down Matt's cheek, as he moved the mask away from her face.
Mimi raised her hand and gently wiped it away. Matt got up from his chair and sat on Mimi's bed. Mimi laid her head on his chest as Matt wrapped his arms around her. The same feelings came flooding back to him from the last time he held her in his arms. He finally felt whole.
"Please don't leave me. Not after I finally found you," he whispered, almost too quietly to be heard.
"I'll never leave you," Mimi said through her tears.
Some time past. They just sat there, Matt holding Mimi, sharing each other's company.
After awhile, Matt finally spoke. "Mimi?"
"Hmmm?" she answered, barely awake.
"Does it hurt?"
Mimi smiled. "Not anymore."
Matt held her for a few more minutes. He then gently stroked her hair and let go of his embrace. He got off the bed and turned to face her. "You should really get some rest. I shall visit you tomorrow."
Mimi nodded, not saying anything.
Matt gently leaned over and kissed her on her forehead. "Until then."
"I love you," Mimi whispered.
"I love you too." And with that, Matt took his leave.
As the door shut, tears streamed down Mimi's face. This was the last time she would see Matt. Deep down, she knew that she would not live to see the morning's light.
Slowly, she leaned over and opened the drawer of the night stand next to her bed. She pulled out several sheets of paper, envelopes, and a pen. Using the last of her strength, she set to writing.
An hour later, after finishing eight letters, she sealed seven of them in envelopes and then put them all into a manila envelope and sealed it. On the front she wrote "Yamato." She laid the eighth letter on top of the manila envelope. On the front of it was written "Mom and Dad."
Mimi settled back against her pillows, her strength completely gone. Her breathing was shallow and her heart beat was slowing. The pen dropped from her hand and clattered to the floor.
Her eyes were so very heavy, she couldn't keep them open any more.
'I love you, Yamato.' It was the last thought she had as she closed her eyes, for the final time.
The next morning, Matt's dad dropped him off at the entrance of the hospital on his way to work. Matt walked through the sliding doors and was walking by the front desk, when he was stopped by a nurse.
"Excuse me? Can I help you?"
"Not really. I'm just going to visit Mimi Tachikawa."
Worry lines creased the nurses brow. Matt noticed this.
"What's the matter?" Matt inquired.
The nurse sighed. "I'm so sorry. Ms. Tachikawa passed away last night."
Matt just stared at the nurse. "That's impossible. I was here last night.....I saw her!!"
Matt broke into a run down the hallway, the nurse calling after him. He reached the door and burst through. Inside there were two empty beds, both neatly made. Matt had to steady himself against the frame of the door as he realized that Mimi was truly gone.
Matt stumbled back down the hallway towards the nurse's desk, barely capable of keeping himself upright.
"What...What happened?" Matt asked.
"She was a very sick girl. The infection just overwhelmed her body's defenses," the nurse said. After pausing for a moment, she continued. "You wouldn't happen to be Yamato, would you?"
Matt turned and blinked a couple of times before answering. "Yes, my name is Yamato Ishida."
The nurse handed his a manila envelope. "We found this on Ms. Tachikawa's night stand. It's addressed to you. And once again, I am so sorry."
Matt nodded and went out of the hospital. Sitting on the curb, he opened the envelope. Inside he found seven envelopes, one address to him and the rest of the digidestined. Matt briefly contemplated opening his envelope. Shaking his head, he decided not to. He wanting to wait for the others. Sadly, he got up and started walking towards his house. He had a lot of phone calls to make.
Matt tried to convince himself that it was OK for him to cry, but years of hiding his feelings wouldn't allow him to express the sorrow that was consuming him. 'Sometimes,' he thought to himself, 'it just hurts to much to cry.'
Five days later, the seven remaining digidestined were standing in a grave yard. They had all attended Mimi's funeral and had come to wish her a final farewell. They all stood around Mimi's casket, which would soon be lowered into the ground.
Matt cleared his throat and address the rest of the group. "Guys, before she passed away, Mimi wrote us all some letters. The nurse said that they were found on Mimi's night table," Matt said as he pulled the letters out of his breast pocket. He passed them around.
Everyone stood around, looking at the envelopes and each other. No one said anything or opened theirs right away.
Taking a deep breath TK tore into his. He unfolded it and started reading it to himself.
TK,
You never gave up hoping, even when the rest of us had, and you had every reason to. And that's what I admire about you. Never, ever, lose that. You're are my little guardian angel. You would always watch over me, over all of us. To return the favor, I will now watch over you.
Joe opened his next.
Joe,
I know that you will make a fantastic doctor one day. It is a very noble to thing to devote your life you helping others. Just like when you stayed with me all those years ago in the digital world. That meant the world to me. And I wanted to tell you, because I never did back then. Thank you. You're my rock, Joe. Unfaltering, and always there.
Izzy opened his.
Izzy,
Sweet, adorable Izzy. Your knowledge saved us countless number of times. I have a favor to ask. Would you take care of Palmon for me? You know the most about computers and the digiworld and how it works. I wouldn't trust this to anyone but you. You taught me to expand my horizons. You're my muse of wisdom, Izzy.
Kari, Tai, Matt and Sora all looked at each other, not sure who would be next. Kari shrugged and ripped open her envelope.
Kari,
You brought us back together countless numbers of times. A beacon through the darkness. The goodness inside of you can never be matched. You are my other angel, and my guiding light, Kari. Keep your brother in line for me. Somebody has to:)
Tai,
I thought this quote would fit you perfectly. "If you follow me, I may lead you straight into hell, but if you trust me, I'll lead you right back out again." And you always did lead us back out again, Tai. Always. You gave me courage, even when my own had deserted me. I want to ask you one last favor. Please look after Sora for me. And don't act so surprised, I've seen the way you look at her. I know you love her Tai, and I can't think of a better person to ask to take care of her. :)
Tai's eyes widened as he read the last sentence. He looked at the coffin and then back at the letter. How did Mimi knew that he loved Sora? She was always full of surprises.. He smiled sadly and whispered, "Don't worry. I will."
Sora,
Somehow, I sense that you had something to do with convincing Matt to finally come and see me. Call it sincerity's intuition:) Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Somewhere, a higher power deemed me worthy of being your friend. And for that, I am truly grateful. I love you, Sora. Don't ever forget that. Best friends, right?
Sora wiped away a tear. "Always," she said quietly.
Matt stood absolutely still, holding the envelope in his hands. He could feel the weight of everyone else's stare in him. Sighing, he opened his envelope and started to read.
Matt,
I can't express in words how much your friendship and love have meant to me. Time and distance couldn't touch the bond between us. And death won't be able to either. I'm sorry I had to leave so soon after we found each other. At least we did find each other though. How many people can say that they actually found their soul mate? I can. Yamato, I will love you, always.
P.S. Look in the envelope. Something for you to remember me by.
Matt read the last sentence and realized that there was something else in his envelope besides the letter. He turned it over, and into his hand fell Mimi's crest. Slowly he took it ad put it around his neck. It came to lay on his chest, right next to his crest of friendship.
Matt placed his hand over the crests and squeezed them tight. Tears streamed down his face. Everyone else too had tears in their eyes. They all stood around, weeping in silence, saying good-bye in their own way.
After awhile, slowly, the digidestined began leaving. It was getting late and they all needed to get home. Soon, Matt was the only one left in the graveyard.
He knelt down. Wiping his eyes, he read the headstone of his beloved.
Mimi Tachikawa
1989-2004
Beloved Daughter and Friend
(Epitaph) Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.
"Until we meet again, my love," he whispered.
With that, he laid his head on his arm and wept. He couldn't fight it anymore. Death couldn't take love away from him, ever. Even though Mimi was gone, he knew that he would never be alone again.
The End
More Author's Notes: ::winces:: Well? Please let me know what you think:) Thanks for reading. Until next time.
Dedication: This one is for Crystal Yumi. After not getting any reviews for quite awhile, she wrote me one and it rekindled my desire to write once again. This is the best way I know how to show her much I appreciate it. ::Bows to Crystal:: Thank you, my friend.
Now, on with the fic.
Alone
By Melissa
[America]
Mimi stood before the mirror in her house in the USA. She looked at her reflection very closely. Mimi had been so very tired lately, and her appearance proved that. The dark circles under her eyes spoke for themselves. It made no sense to Mimi. She slept every chance she got but she still could not get any rest.
She sighed. At first Mimi thought that it had been stress about moving to America, but that had happened several months ago. There was no way she should still be feeling the effects, if it was just stress. She absolutely enjoyed living in this country. As much as she loved living in the States, her heart still belonged to Japan, and to one boy in particular. Even if he didn't know it.
Besides constantly being tired, Mimi had also not been feeling well for quite some time. She always seemed to have a cold, or a cough, or a headache, etc. They just wouldn't go away.
As part of her routine, Mimi stepped on the scale. What she saw almost made her faint. She had lost another five pounds in less than a week's time. It was getting to a dangerous point. Mimi was getting worried, because this weight loss was in no way on purpose. She would admit that she had been losing her appetite, but she was still eating even if she didn't feel like it.
'This is so not good,' Mimi thought to herself. 'I'll have mom make me appointment with the doctor's tomorrow.'
Mimi took one last look in the mirror and sighed again. She then continued to get ready for another long day of school.
[Japan]
Yamato Ishida stood before a sold out crowd in a local sports arena. He and his band were just finishing up their second encore performance. He sung the last note and it resonated through the night air.
"Goodnight, Odaiba!!!" he yelled into the microphone to the ecstatic crowd, which was giving him an standing ovation.
Matt and his band mates went back stage to rest from their long performance. Matt flopped down on the couch and rested his head on the back. He closed his eyes and was almost asleep when he heard security shouting at someone.
"I'm sorry, you can't go back there!" the guard said forcefully.
"Hey buddy, we're friends of the lead singer," a familiar voice shot back.
Matt knew who it was. It was the only people he would allow near him after a performance. He called out to the guard.
"It's OK, they're my friends. And in the future, they are allowed to see me at any time. Are we clear?"
The guard poked his head through the door and gulped nervously. "Yes, of course, Mr. Ishida. I'm sorry, I had no idea."
"That's OK, no harm done. Why don't you go outside and make sure no crazy fans make their way back here."
"Yes sir," The guard said as he made a hasty exit.
A moment passed and then a group of children came backstage. Izzy entered first and was followed by Kari, TK, Joe, Sora and Tai.
"Any crazy fans besides us, you mean," TK said with a grin.
"Geez, what was his problem?" Tai asked.
"Chill out Tai. The guard was probably new. He didn't recognize us, so how was he to know that we are friends of Matt's?" Kari replied.
Izzy broke into the sibling's bickering. "Hey Matt, that was a fantastic show!" The sentiment was echoed by everyone else in the room.
Matt gave everyone a small smile as a way of thanks. He was so glad that they had all come to the concert. It was the one time that they all took a break from their lives to see each other and catch up. However, the one person Matt most wished was there, was half a world away.
Everyone settled down about the rooms, starting their own little conversations. Matt felt someone come and sit next to him on the couch. He cracked open an eye and saw it was Sora.
"Hey Sora," he said as he closed his eye again.
Sora sat and stared at Matt intently. "Matt, can I ask you a question?"
"You just did. But go ahead and ask me another."
Sora paused a moment before asking her question. Finally, she spoke. "You miss her, don't you?"
Matt's eyes snapped open and he whirled around to face Sora. He stared at her, mouth agape. He was absolutely shocked.
"H...How...," Matt stuttered.
"How did I know? C'mon Matt, give me a little more credit than that. You should see yourself when you were around her. Your face would light up in a way that I can't even describe. The day she left, that light went out. You haven't been the same since."
"I thought that I was really good at hiding how I felt," Matt said, rather glumly. "Is it really that obvious how I feel?"
"No, it isn't that obvious. And you are extremely good at hiding your feelings. However, there are just some things that a person can't hide. Like being in love, for example. And, you must remember that my crest is that of love, so I'm more in tune to these things than others."
Matt lowered his voice. "Please, Sora, don't tell anyone about this. Especially Mimi."
Sora took his hand. "Matt, you have my word as your friend that I won't say anything about this to anyone. Can I offer you a piece of advice, though?"
Matt nodded, visibly relieved.
"You should let her know how you feel. Not knowing is one of the worst things, I believe, that can happen. If you tell her, and she doesn't feel the same way, then you can have time to heal and then move on. If she does feel the same way though, you will have found something that most people spend all their lives looking for and never find. True love, Matt. Do you have any idea how rare that is? Don't let a chance to find it slip away. Or even worse, never taking that chance at all."
Matt looked thoughtful as he processed what Sora said. "Thank you," he said, squeezing her hand, with the utmost sincerity in his voice.
"Anytime," she replied, squeezing his hand back.
[America]
Mimi sat in an exam room in a local hospital. She absently rubbed the spot on her arm where they had taken her blood.
'Why did they have to take so much anyway?' Mimi wondered to herself.
She didn't get to contemplate it any further as her mother returned from getting some coffee. Mimi smiled at her mom, and then cautiously peered around her.
"Hello hun. Are you looking for someone?"
"Huh? Oh no. I was just making sure that those vampires disguised as nurses weren't coming back to finish me off."
Her mother chuckled. "I would never let that happen."
"Why did they take so much of my blood anyway?" Mimi inquired.
"They needed to test it just to make sure that your body is working the way it is supposed to."
"Yeah, I know. I hope they figure it out soon. This waiting is killing me."
Mimi's mother smiled and squeezed her daughter's hand. Mimi smiled right back.
About fifteen minutes past before there was a knock on the exam room door. A nurse opened the door and was followed in by a youthful looking doctor.
"Hello, Mrs. Tachikawa. My name is Dr. Edwards. And this must be Mimi," he said as he offered his hand to the two.
"Hello, Doctor," Mrs. Tachikawa replied. "Did your test results turn up anything?" she asked, cutting right to the chase.
The doctor suddenly became very serious. "Mimi's earlier symptoms; he fatigue, weight loss and constantly being ill were indicative of a much more serious problem. That is why we needed to run some tests on her blood. The results of those tests confirms what I had originally feared. Mimi has a rare form of leukemia, or cancer of the blood."
The instant that Mimi heard the word cancer, she could feel the color draining out of her face.
"Are....Are you sure? Couldn't there be some sort of mistake?" Mrs. Tachikawa asked in a pleading tone of voice.
"I'm sorry, but we ran the tests over and over again, just to be sure. And the results came back the same each time," the doctor said apologetically.
Mimi felt herself go completely numb. She couldn't even feel her mother gripping her hand.
"Right now, I would like to discuss treatment options with you. We must begin to combat the cancer right away.....," the doctor went on and on.
Mimi knew that the doctor was speaking but she couldn't hear a word that he said. All she could do is sit there, with one thought running through her mind. She had cancer.
An hour later, they were on their way home. Mrs. Tachikawa and the doctor decided to try chemotherapy to combat the cancer.
They pulled into their driveway and Mimi hopped out of the car. She waited for her mom to unlock the front door, then they both went inside.
Mrs. Tachikawa placed her hand on Mimi's shoulder. "Why don't you go and get some rest. I'll wake you when your father gets home. We can talk some more then."
Mimi nodded ever so slightly and then made her way down the hallway and into her room. She gently closed the door and then sat in her chair at her desk. As exhausted as she was, she couldn't go to bed just yet. There was no way her mind would let her sleep. She had to do something to distract herself, so she turned on her computer.
She scrolled down and saw e-mails from all of her fellow digidestined friends. She smiled slightly, and silently thanked the creator of e-mail. If it wasn't for this technological wonder she would be almost totally cut off from her friends in Japan. This way she was able to communicate with them almost daily.
Mimi stopped reading for a moment as a thought occurred to her. How was she going to tell her friends that she was sick? It wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world to do. Mimi pondered this for a very long time. Every time she went to type, words just failed her. She sighed bitterly and closed her mailbox.
'I can't worry them like that,' Mimi thought to herself. 'I'll just wait and see. Hopefully this treatment will kill the cancer and I won't have to tell them at all.'
Mimi let out a large yawn. It felt like her eyelids weighed a ton. She got up and made her way over to her bed. She flopped down and was asleep before her head hit the pillow. And this time, she welcomed the blessed oblivion.
[Japan]
Matt sat in his room and was staring at his ceiling. He had been trying to practice his music, but his heart just wasn't in it. It was too busy being occupied thinking of someone else.
Matt decided to check his e-mail. He flipped on his computer and opened his mailbox. He scrolled down the screen. "Junk....junk....Tai.....Joe.....Izzy.....junk.....," Matt mumbled to himself as he read the screen. The one piece of mail he had been looking for wasn't there though.
It had been several weeks since he had heard from Mimi, and he was extremely worried. It wasn't like Mimi to disappear without a trace. Her e-mails had been getting more and more infrequent and had now stopped coming all together. Matt decided to write to her, yet again.
To: PrincessSincerity
From: TrueFriendship
Mimi,
I'm sorry if this seems like I'm bugging you, but I was wondering where you have been. It's been a long time since I've heard from you and I wanted to make sure everything is OK. Are you mad at us? Did we do something wrong? Please write back. We're all worried about you.
Matt
Matt sent it with a click of the mouse. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. Even though he had wrote 'we' in his e-mail, he really meant 'I'. He had been debating over whether or not to tell Mimi how he really felt about her. He couldn't remember all the times he had sat down and wanted to write in words what he felt in his heart and soul. Every time he went to type though, words failed him. He longed to be able to tell her in person. He was given that chance once, the day that she was leaving Japan to move to America.
*Flash Back, 8 months ago*
Mimi stood in the airport in Odaiba, surrounded by her friends. All the digidestined had turned out to wish Mimi a fond farewell. Everyone was trying to hold back their tears, but doing a very poor job of it.
TK and Kari approached Mimi and wrapped their arms around her waist and hugged her. Mimi smiled and hugged them back. There were no words said, there wasn't any need.
Izzy was next. He handed Mimi a black bag. Mimi looked at him quizzically.
"It's a laptop. I just got a new one so I thought you might have use for this one. This way we can all stay in touch with one another through e-mail."
Mimi smiled, having no idea what to say.
"I know Mimi. And you're welcome," Izzy said, with tears in his eyes.
Joe was the next to speak. "Here Mimi," he said as he handed her a piece of paper. "You're going half a world away and since I don't know how good their medical care is, this is my pager number. If you ever have any questions about anything medical related, you just give that number a call and I will get right back to you."
"Thank you, Joe."
Joe simply nodded his head in reply.
Tai decided it was his turn next. "You're leaving us again, Mimi," Tai said playfully. "Wasn't once enough for you?"
Mimi shook her head and grinned. Humor was defense mechanism Tai used to keep from being hurt. She knew this, as did most of the digidestined.
"Tai, you know I wouldn't leave all of you if I had a choice. However, just like last time, I promise that I will come back and rejoin the group."
Tai didn't say anything. He gave her a look that said, 'I know......I just needed to hear you say it.'
Sora was up next. The look on her face tore at Mimi's heart strings. It was obvious that she was trying to keep from breaking down into tears.
Mimi took a couple of steps forward and enveloped Sora in a hug. Sora hugged her right back.
"Best friends, right?" Sora asked quietly.
"Always. And distance will never change that," Mimi replied, just as softly.
Mimi released her friend, and Sora joined the rest of the group.
Last but certainly not least, was Matt. He had been warring with his feelings for Mimi for quite some time. He had tried to convince himself it was a crush and that it would go away. Every time he thought he was over her, she would do something like laugh, or smile at him, or put her arm around him, and all those feelings he fought so hard to repress would come flooding back in full force. Now, she was leaving him.
Matt stood there for a moment. 'This is it, I have to tell her how I feel,' he thought.
He approached Mimi and took her arm, to lead her away from everyone else. He needed at least a little privacy if he was going to do this.
Mimi as well had feelings for Matt. They had grown from the moment that she had met him at summer camp. She never said anything though. Why did it have to be one of her closest friends? Mimi would never do anything to jeopardize her friendship with Matt. And sadly, revealing how she really felt would be risking what they all ready had. Mimi was just not willing to do that.
After moving a small distance away, Matt turned to face Mimi.
'This is it,' he thought. 'Now or never.'
"Mimi, there's something that I've been wanting to tell you. I....," Matt was interrupted by an announcement.
"Last call for flight 219 to New York. Last call. Please report to gate."
There was a moment of silence between the two. Mimi finally spoke. "I have to go, Matt. What was it you wanted to tell me?"
Thanks to the interruption, Matt had lost all of his nerve. "I just wanted to tell you.......to have a safe trip."
Mimi looked a little disappointed. "Oh. Thanks."
'Argh! I had my chance and I blew it,' Matt scolded himself.
Mimi turned to leave. Matt reached out and stopped her.
"Wait! Mimi, take this." Matt reached around his neck and removed his crest and tag. He pressed it into the palm of her hand. "Something to remember me by."
Mimi smiled. "I'll return it when we see each other again," she said as she wrapped her arms around him.
As Mimi hugged him, Matt felt his heart hammering against his chest. So much so that he thought it might actually burst through. Her holding him had the power to steal his breath away. He had never felt anything in his life that felt so right as this. He put his arms around her and returned the gesture.
As much as he wanted to stay in that moment forever, Mimi released her hold. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. As she turned to leave, she whispered to herself, "I'll always remember."
And just like that, she was gone. On the plane and out of his life.
*End Flashback*
Matt had cursed himself everyday after that for not telling Mimi how he really felt. He would admit, only to himself, that he had been scared that she didn't feel the same way. He thought of what Sora had said at his last concert. She was right, he would never know for sure unless he tried.
He went back to contemplating his ceiling, praying that Mimi would contact him soon.
[America]
It had been a month and a half since Mimi had started undergoing radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was the use of drugs to try and treat her cancer. At first she had only been on the chemotherapy. However, doctor's had determined that it wasn't working, so they prescribed radiation treatments. The radiation was being used to try and send the cancer into submission. Unfortunately, in the case of cancer, the treatment is often worse than the disease.
Mimi had just finished her latest bout with the radiation treatments, and was on her way home from the hospital. She watched the scenery as it passed by. She didn't have the energy to do much else.
When they arrived home, her father picked her up in his arms and carried her into the house. He brought her to her room and gently laid her on the bed.
Mr. Tachikawa had to bite his lower lip to keep his composure. Seeing his little girl in her present state, tore him up inside. Not long ago, Mimi had been a lively and vibrant young woman. Now, she was like a shell of her former self. She seemed so small. She was also extremely thin and frail, thanks to the radiation treatments and the cancer.
Mimi saw the pain in her father's eyes and gave him a small smile. "I think I'm going to get some rest now, Dad."
"OK, sweetheart. Do you want me to wake you for dinner?"
Mimi shook her head. Just the thought of food made her feel sick to her stomach.
Her father nodded. "I'll check on you in a little while then. Sweet dreams, Princess."
He got up and shut the door to Mimi's bedroom. He made his way down the hallway to the living room. He almost had made it when he broke down in tears. He lowered himself onto the couch as his body shook with sobs.
Mimi's mother, who had been in the kitchen, heard her husband and went to see him. She joined him on the couch, and held him while he cried. She too having tears in her eyes.
Mimi struggled to get up from her bed. Moving even the slightest bit took all of her energy and concentration. Slowly, gingerly, she made her way over to her computer desk. She turned on her computer and checked her e-mail. She had felt so guilty. It had been over a month since she had been able to read her e-mail. She just didn't have the time of the energy.
She went through and deleted all of the junk and then proceeded to wade through a ton of messages from all her friends in Japan. They were all worried about her. After a half hour of reading, she finally got to the last message. It was from Matt. After reading it, Mimi decided to respond to everyone in one fell swoop. She started typing, very slowly.
To: TrueFriendship
From: PrincessSincerity
Cc: AngelOfHope, AngelOfLight, Dr. Reliability, FountainOfKnowledge, TrueLove, CourageAlways
Hi Guys,
First off I want to apologize about not writing for so long. You didn't do anything wrong, nor am I mad at any of you. Things have been very hectic around here lately. I haven't had any time to check my e-mail, let alone do anything else. I hope none of you are mad at me. I promise to stay in touch, more than I have been of late. I love you all.
Mimi
Mimi sent the mail with a click of her mouse. She would have wrote more, but she didn't have any energy left. Carefully she got up and went back to bed. She had really wanted to tell her friends the truth about what was happening in her life. No matter how much she thought about it though, she just could not think of a way to tell them.
'It not like I can just tack it on to the end of an e-mail,' she thought to herself. 'Oh, and by the way, I have a life threatening disease. That's why I haven't been around much lately..........I don't think so,' Mimi thought and just shook her head. There was no way she could do something like that to her friends.
She crawled under the covers and silently prayed that this god-awful treatment was working. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. 'Just a little bit more...........I just have to hang on for a little while longer..........' That was the last thought she had as she closed her eyes.
_______________________________________________________________
A year and a half later..............
[America]
Mimi had continued to undergo her treatments for another six months. The cancer had then finally gone into remission and had stayed that way for almost a year now. The treatment had been pure torture on both her body and mind. It had been worth it when she had heard the doctor tell her that she didn't have to go for the treatments anymore, that her cancer had stopped growing. In every sense of the word, Mimi had gotten her life back.
Right now it was the end of summer in America. Mimi was looking forward to starting her sophomore year in high school. Two weeks before school started though, Mimi got sick with what she thought was a cold.
'I'm sure it's just a temporary thing. It'll go away soon enough,' Mimi thought to herself.
She was wrong though. As the days past, she just kept feeling worse and worse. The tiredness and fatigue had returned as well, now worse than ever. Mimi was still convinced that she was just feeling under the weather, and nothing more. She went about her life as she normally would, never giving it a second thought.
The morning that school was starting, Mrs. Tachikawa was setting the table for breakfast. "Mimi! Let's go! Or you're going to be late," she called down the hallway.
Ten minutes went by and there was still no sign Mimi. Her mom was starting to get annoyed. She marched down the hallway towards her daughter's room. "Let's go, young lady. I'm not going to say it again........," she said as she opened the door.
The sight that confronted her made her scream. Mr. Tachikawa was awakened from a deep sleep when he heard his wife. He jumped out of bed and tore through the house. When he made it to Mimi's room he saw his wife on the floor cradling their unconscious daughter in her arms.
"Call an ambulance.....I can't wake her up......," his wife said through her tears.
Mr. Tachikawa raced to the kitchen and dialed 911.
When Mimi awoke she found that she wasn't at home. She was in a room that was entirely too white for her taste. You name it, and it was white. There was an empty bed next to hers and she was attached to a monitor that was beeping steadily. She also had an IV in her right arm. She realized that she was in a hospital.
The last thing she remembered was getting ready for her first day at school. She also remembered feeling really dizzy, and then everything went black.
Mimi sat up and surveyed the surroundings. She only contemplated them for a moment because her parents walked into the room. They saw her awake and they rushed to her side.
Mrs. Tachikawa enveloped Mimi in a monster hug. "Oh honey, we're so glad you're awake!!"
"Mom? Mom, you're squishing me." Mrs. Tachikawa released her death grip on Mimi. "What's the matter? I just passed out, right?"
Mimi's parents exchanged worried looks with each other.
"Right??" Mimi asked more frantically.
"Princess, you've been unconscious for the past 12 hours," her father said softly.
"What?? How is that possible? I was just feeling a little dizzy."
"Honey, I'm afraid that's it's a bit more than that."
As if that was a cue, Dr. Edwards walked into the room. He nodded to Mimi's parents, and they nodded right back.
Mimi had had just about enough of all the secrecy. "Would someone please tell me what's going on??"
"Mimi, please calm down. We need to talk," the doctor said somberly.
Mimi obediently shut up.
"There is no good way to put this, so I'm going to come right out and say it. We ran some tests to determine why you passed out. Mimi, your cancer has returned."
Mimi just sat there and blinked. A moment of silence passed before she spoke. "But.....but you said that it was in remission.....," she said weakly.
"It was, Mimi. The problem with cancer is that there is a chance it can resurface. And, sadly, that has happened in your case."
Mimi just sat there in complete shock.
"There's more," the doctor said, looking Mimi right in the eyes. "The reason your cancer came back was because that the treatment failed to eradicate it. It also means that the cancer is now immune to the treatments. Because of the leukemia, you're very prone to getting frequent, severe infections. That's why you collapsed."
Mimi knew exactly what that meant. She decided to no longer beat around the bush. "How much time do I have?"
The doctor was momentarily surprised by Mimi's question. He decided that honesty was best course. This girl knew what was happening to her. There was no sense in sugar coating it. "We're not really sure. The cancer affects your immune system, making it hard for it to fight infections, sickness and disease."
Mimi nodded. She stole a look at her parents, both of which had tears in their eyes. Mimi guessed that they had heard this from the doctor while she had been unconscious.
"I am so sorry. I leave you alone now," the doctor said as he got up and took his leave.
As the doctor closed the door Mimi's parents got up and sat on either side of her on the bed. Her mother finally got up the courage to speak. "Honey, are you OK?"
'As well as can be expected, now that I just found out that I don't have long to live," Mimi thought to herself. She didn't say anything though.
"Princess, please say something," her father pleaded. "Is there anything we can do for you?"
Mimi thought for a moment. "Yeah, there is. Mom, Dad, I want to go home."
Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa looked at each other. They both knew that Mimi wasn't talking about their house, when she meant she wanted to go home. She was talking about Japan.
"Of course, Mimi. We'll leave as soon as possible."
[Japan]
Matt was having a little get together at his house for himself and the rest of the digidestined. They were just going to watch movies and hang out with one another. He was just finishing putting out the snacks when he heard him computer beep. He went to his room to check it out.
On the screen, the little mailbox was flashing. Matt wondered who was writing to him. He was hoping that no one was writing to cancel.
He opened his mailbox and was pleasantly surprised to see that the e-mail was from Mimi. He clicked on it and started to read.
To: TrueFriendship
From: PrincessSincerity
Cc: AngelOfHope, AngelOfLight, Dr. Reliability, FountainOfKnowledge, TrueLove, CourageAlways
Greeting from the USA. I just wanted to let you know that I shall be returning to Japan next week. And this isn't one of those little one week visits either. I'm coming back for good. That's right, it's not a misprint:) I'm coming back home, where I belong. I can't wait to see everyone again.
Before I forget, I do need to talk to everyone. I request that you all meet me in Odaiba Park one month from this Sunday, around 2pm. Is that OK with everyone? If not, write me back and I'll change it. If it is, then I'll see you all then.
I'm counting down the seconds.
Love,
Mimi
Matt finished reading and had a huge grin on his face. Mimi was coming home to stay! He couldn't believe it. He read the e-mail over and over again just to make sure. Mimi wasn't the only one now counting down the seconds until next Sunday.
Even though it had been over two years since Mimi had left, Matt was still in love with her. Everyday the feeling had just got stronger and stronger. Matt smiled to himself. 'Fate has given me another chance to tell her how I feel. And this time, I'm not going to blow it.'
Matt heard the doorbell ring and he got up to answer it. He couldn't wait to tell the others that their group would finally, once again, be whole.
One month from that Sunday.........
[Japan]
Mimi sat on a bench wringing her hands together. When she noticed this she went to fiddling with Matt's crest, which hung around her neck. She was going to keep her promise and return it to him. She was extremely nervous about seeing her friends. While she was happy to be seeing them again, she was not looking forward to telling them her secret. She took a moment to glance at her watch. It read 1:55pm.
Mimi had gone over in her head what she wanted to say, but every time she said it out loud the words sounded so hollow. How do you tell your closest friends that you're dying? Sure, in the grander scheme of things, everyone was dying. Mimi was just doing so a whole lot quicker than she had planned or wanted to.
She had come back to Japan three days ago. Her parents were renting an apartment in uptown Odaiba. She had spent the last couple of days trying to decide what to tell her friends. She had come up with absolutely nothing. It didn't help that she had fallen ill again, and this time it was much more serious than anything before. The dizzy spells had been coming more and more frequently. Her skin was so very pale, and she was also looking extremely gaunt. She had another doctor's appointment tomorrow, at the hospital, to try and determine what she was sick with now.
Mimi suddenly heard the sound of footsteps on grass. She turned her eyes towards the sound. Walking towards her was Izzy, followed closely by Joe, TK, Kari, Tai, Sora and finally Matt. Mimi got off the bench and greeted everyone. After hugging everyone, she motioned for them to have a seat.
Everyone did as they so. Kari was staring intently at Mimi as she took a seat next to TK. "Mimi, are you OK? You're looking a little pale."
Mimi gave Kari a weak smile. 'Why am I so cold?' she thought to herself? She shook her head, and addressed Kari. "I'm fine in the fact that I'm here with you guys again," Mimi said, avoiding the real question.
Kari arched an eyebrow. "That's not what I meant. Are you feeling well? You look like you're feeling a little under the weather."
Izzy echoed the sentiment. "She's right, Mimi. You also look a whole lot thinner than the last time we saw you. Are you all right?"
Mimi suddenly felt dizzy and started to sway. Matt quickly stood up and took her arm to steady her. "Mimi? Please talk to us." he whispered, absolute fear in his eyes.
Mimi was taking heavy, raspy breaths while trying to regain her composure. She was suddenly very aware how difficult the action of breathing had become. She started to speak. "I...brought....you all...here.....because I ....needed...to tell.....you something......," she said, pausing, trying to catch her breath. Mimi never finished what she wanted to say though, as her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed into Matt's arms.
Everyone stood in shock for a moment. Izzy had the presence of mind to whip out his cell phone and call an ambulance.
A short time later, the seven digidestined stood/sat in the waiting room at the hospital. A mixture of worry, fear and sadness etched on all of their faces. They had no idea what's going on and none of the hospital staff would tell them anything.
TK couldn't stand the silence any longer. "What do you guys think it was that she wanted to tell us?"
"If I had to hypothesize, I would say that she was going to tell us something very important. Probably having to do with the circumstances involving her return to Japan," Izzy replied.
Joe absentmindedly flipped through a magazine. There was something familiar about the way Mimi looked, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The pale skin, the extreme weight loss, the dizziness, the difficulty breathing.....it all added up to something. Where had he seen that before?
Joe went back to the magazine when a youthful looking nurse stepped into the waiting room and addressed the group. "Excuse me? Are you the ones who accompanied Miss Tachikawa?"
Everyone nodded or sad yes..
"Please follow me then. She's asking to see you."
Even got up and followed the nurse down a long corridor. She led them to a small room towards the end of the hallway. She opened the door for them and they all filed in.
They were confronted with the sight of Mimi lying on one of the beds. The was hooked up to all sorts of machines. There was a constant beeping from the heart monitor and the hissing of air from the oxygen mask that covered her face. She looked so small, like she was going to be swallowed up by the enormous bed.
Sora, who was obviously trying to fight back tears, sat down next to the bed and took Mimi's hand in hers. In response, Mimi opened her eyes, ever so slightly. After a moment, she slowly reached up and took the oxygen mask off of her face.
"Hi guys," she said weakly.
"How are you feeling?" Izzy asked, taking her other hand. "You gave us quiet a scare."
'You haven't heard anything yet,' Mimi thought to herself.
"Mimi? What was it that you wanted to tell us?" Tai inquired.
Mimi closed her eyes and started to speak. "First off, I want to apologize to you all. I've been keeping something for you for a long time. I didn't want to worry you. But this little episode has kind of spoken for itself." She paused for a moment before speaking again. "The reason I collapsed today is because I am sick."
Tai interrupted. "Yeah, but you'll be better soon. So how long until you can blow this joint?"
Mimi sighed. Matt elbowed Tai in the ribs, signaling him to be quiet.
"You don't understand. I'm not going to get better. I have cancer."
Everyone's jaw dropped open.
Mimi continued. "The reason I collapsed today was because I have a severe infection. I think the doctor's said something about my lymph nodes, but I'm not really sure. Anyway, the cancer is affecting my immune system and it can't fight the infection off."
No one said anything. They were still in shock.
"Do you guys remember, over a year ago when I stopped talking to you guys for awhile? It was because I was undergoing treatments for my cancer. Thanks to drug and radiation treatments, my cancer went into remission. Everything was fine, for awhile. Then, when I was getting ready for my first day of school, I collapsed. I was taken to a hospital and they told me my cancer had returned."
"Isn't there anything the doctor's can do?" Kari asked, quietly.
Joe fielded that one. "I'm afraid there's not. The problem with radiation treatment is that it is a win or lose situation. It either sends the cancer into remission and it never resurfaces, or the cancer returns, and is thus immune to the effects of further treatment."
"But that means......you're gonna......" Tai couldn't bring himself to complete the sentence.
Mimi nodded. "I came back because this is where I belong. I want to spend the rest of my life here, however short it may be."
Mimi finished and looked at her friends. They all were avoiding her eyes.
A moment later, Mimi's parents burst into the room and immediately started talking to Mimi. Izzy motioned for the others to follow him out. "We'll come visit you soon, Mimi. Get some rest."
Mimi nodded to her friends as they left.
Outside the hospital, everyone just stood around, not knowing what to do or say.
"Joe, how much time do you think she has?" TK asked, voicing the question on everyone's minds.
Joe took off his glasses and wiped his eyes. "Not very long. She's very sick, and I'm not sure how much longer she can hold out."
"It's getting late, we should probably get going," Izzy mentioned.
Everyone nodded, and they all went their separate ways, alone with their thoughts.
Over the next couple of days, Mimi's health continued to deteriorate. Every day several of her fellow digidestined came to visit her. She was happy to see them each time. However, the one she most wanted to visit hadn't come to see her since the day she collapsed.
'Where are you, Matt?' Mimi wondered sadly to herself.
Matt had spent most of the week locked in his room. Ever since he heard that Mimi was dying, he was beside himself. He couldn't eat or sleep. All he could do was think that the love of his life was on her death bed.
He didn't know why he hadn't been to see her since that day. He wanted to so very badly. Every time he thought he would go out that door and to the hospital, something stopped him. He thought about was how Mimi was going to be leaving him again, this time for good.
It was a rainy Sunday afternoon, one week since Mimi had been in the hospital, when Matt heard a knock at his door. Matt didn't want to deal with anybody, but against his better judgment he got up to answer it.
Standing there with her arms folded across her chest was Sora, looking none too happy.
"Hi Sora. Won't you come in?"
Sora stepped across the threshold. Matt shut the door, crossed the room and sat down on his bed.
A tense moment of silence passed.
Finally, Matt spoke. "Is there something you wanted?"
"Yes. Just the answer to one question."
"And that question would be?"
"Why on earth have you not been to see Mimi?" Sora said, boring holes into Matt's forehead with her stare.
Matt cringed. "It's......complicated," he said at last.
"Don't you dare give me that!! She's your friend. And she's dying, Matt. Don't you care at all??"
That definitely hit a nerve. "How dare you insinuate that I don't care about her!! I care more about her then I ever thought it was possible to care for a person!! I love her. And now that I finally have come to realize it, she being taken away from me. And it tears me up inside!"
Sora's eyes widened slightly. She knew Matt was in love with Mimi. And such an emotional outburst was just so uncharacteristic of him.
Tears started to form at the corners of Matt's eyes. He wiped at them furiously. As he did so, Sora crossed the room and sat down next to him.
"I'm sorry Matt. I know you care about Mimi, and I'm sorry I implied otherwise. You have to realize something though. If you don't see her soon, you may never see her again. You have to tell her how you feel. It's better to regret something you did, than something you didn't do. She's not long for this world. Matt, this is your last chance."
Matt was trying so desperately to fight the tears. He looked at Sora, she too having tears in her eyes, and slowly nodded.
Matt got up and got his coat. Before leaving he went back and gave Sora a hug.
"Thank you," he whispered.
He let go and went out his door. Sora watched him leave, the tears now flowing in full force. She was praying that he wouldn't be too late.
Matt ran through the rain to the hospital. By the time he got there he was soaked. He went inside and walked down to Mimi's room. When he reached it, he gently knocked on the door. When he heard someone say "Come in," he entered.
Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa were sitting on either side of Mimi's bed. It was obviously that both had been crying. Matt's eyes strayed to Mimi. What he saw made his heart leap into his throat. She was so thin and pale, much more so than the last time he had seen her. She looked so helpless.
Mr. Tachikawa gazed at Matt for a moment. He saw, in Matt's eyes, the same look that he had for his wife. Slowly, he got up from his chair.
"C'mon hun, we should really go home. We need some rest."
Mrs. Tachikawa looked for a moment like she was going to object. When she saw the look on her husband's face, she just nodded and kept silent. "We'll be back tomorrow morning, hun," her mom reassured Mimi. Mimi nodded to her parents. Hand in hand, Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa left the room.
Matt felt as if his feet were made out of cement. He had to use all of his will power to get them to move. Finally he went over and took a seat next to Mimi.
As he sat down, Mimi opened her eyes. She just stared at him for a moment. The only sounds to be heard were the beeping of the heart monitor and the hiss of the oxygen mask.
Very slowly Mimi brought her hand up and held it out to Matt. It was obvious that she was holding something.
Matt looked at her quizzically for a moment and opened his hand. Into it Mimi dropped his crest. After doing so, she removed the oxygen mask.
"I told you.....I would return that.......," she said, with her difficulty breathing.
Matt just stared at the crest as the events of him giving it to her came flooding back. This time, there was nothing he could do to keep back the wave of tears. The emotional walls he had spent years building finally crumbled. He laid his head on her bed and cried.
"I'm sorry..........Please forgive me.........I'm so sorry..........," he said between sobs.
Mimi laid her hand on his head. "Shhhh...it's OK. I knew you would come to see me. I never doubted you."
Soon the crying slowed, and eventually stopped. Matt lifted his head and looked at Mimi.
As he looked into her eyes, he suddenly found the courage to speak the words that had been in his heart for so long. "Mimi, there's something you should know. I came here not just to see you. I need to do something I should have done a long time ago."
Mimi didn't say anything, just watched Matt expectantly.
He took her hand in his. "Do you remember the day the you left Japan for America?"
Mimi nodded. How could she forget.
"It was that day that I wanted to tell you something. Something that I've felt for so long but had only acknowledged then. I wanted to tell you that I'm in love with you. I was all ready to tell you that day at the airport, but I lost my nerve. Part of me was scared. Scared at how you would react. Scared that you would reject me. I was such a coward then."
Mimi opened her mouth to speak, but Matt cut her off.
"Please....let me finish. Mimi, I love you. I love you more than any person has a right to love someone. Each day I am with you is better than the last, and my first day with you was the best day of my life. I'll completely understand if you don't feel the same way. I had to let you know, or I would never be able to forgive myself."
Matt watched Mimi, waiting for her reaction. Her eyes shimmering with tears that threatened to break.
Finally she spoke. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting to hear those words from you?"
Matt's eyes widened as he almost fell off the chair. "W....What?!?"
Mimi gave him a small smile. "Matt, you're not the only one who's been a coward. For so long I tried to deny how I felt about you, because I was so sure that you didn't feel the same way. Hearing you know makes me wish I had had the courage to say what I felt in my heart long ago. I love you, Yamato Ishida. I always have, and I always will."
Mimi was barely able to get all those words out before she had a very bad coughing fit. Matt helped her put the oxygen mask back on. After a few breaths, the coughing slowed. A single tear traced it's way down Matt's cheek, as he moved the mask away from her face.
Mimi raised her hand and gently wiped it away. Matt got up from his chair and sat on Mimi's bed. Mimi laid her head on his chest as Matt wrapped his arms around her. The same feelings came flooding back to him from the last time he held her in his arms. He finally felt whole.
"Please don't leave me. Not after I finally found you," he whispered, almost too quietly to be heard.
"I'll never leave you," Mimi said through her tears.
Some time past. They just sat there, Matt holding Mimi, sharing each other's company.
After awhile, Matt finally spoke. "Mimi?"
"Hmmm?" she answered, barely awake.
"Does it hurt?"
Mimi smiled. "Not anymore."
Matt held her for a few more minutes. He then gently stroked her hair and let go of his embrace. He got off the bed and turned to face her. "You should really get some rest. I shall visit you tomorrow."
Mimi nodded, not saying anything.
Matt gently leaned over and kissed her on her forehead. "Until then."
"I love you," Mimi whispered.
"I love you too." And with that, Matt took his leave.
As the door shut, tears streamed down Mimi's face. This was the last time she would see Matt. Deep down, she knew that she would not live to see the morning's light.
Slowly, she leaned over and opened the drawer of the night stand next to her bed. She pulled out several sheets of paper, envelopes, and a pen. Using the last of her strength, she set to writing.
An hour later, after finishing eight letters, she sealed seven of them in envelopes and then put them all into a manila envelope and sealed it. On the front she wrote "Yamato." She laid the eighth letter on top of the manila envelope. On the front of it was written "Mom and Dad."
Mimi settled back against her pillows, her strength completely gone. Her breathing was shallow and her heart beat was slowing. The pen dropped from her hand and clattered to the floor.
Her eyes were so very heavy, she couldn't keep them open any more.
'I love you, Yamato.' It was the last thought she had as she closed her eyes, for the final time.
The next morning, Matt's dad dropped him off at the entrance of the hospital on his way to work. Matt walked through the sliding doors and was walking by the front desk, when he was stopped by a nurse.
"Excuse me? Can I help you?"
"Not really. I'm just going to visit Mimi Tachikawa."
Worry lines creased the nurses brow. Matt noticed this.
"What's the matter?" Matt inquired.
The nurse sighed. "I'm so sorry. Ms. Tachikawa passed away last night."
Matt just stared at the nurse. "That's impossible. I was here last night.....I saw her!!"
Matt broke into a run down the hallway, the nurse calling after him. He reached the door and burst through. Inside there were two empty beds, both neatly made. Matt had to steady himself against the frame of the door as he realized that Mimi was truly gone.
Matt stumbled back down the hallway towards the nurse's desk, barely capable of keeping himself upright.
"What...What happened?" Matt asked.
"She was a very sick girl. The infection just overwhelmed her body's defenses," the nurse said. After pausing for a moment, she continued. "You wouldn't happen to be Yamato, would you?"
Matt turned and blinked a couple of times before answering. "Yes, my name is Yamato Ishida."
The nurse handed his a manila envelope. "We found this on Ms. Tachikawa's night stand. It's addressed to you. And once again, I am so sorry."
Matt nodded and went out of the hospital. Sitting on the curb, he opened the envelope. Inside he found seven envelopes, one address to him and the rest of the digidestined. Matt briefly contemplated opening his envelope. Shaking his head, he decided not to. He wanting to wait for the others. Sadly, he got up and started walking towards his house. He had a lot of phone calls to make.
Matt tried to convince himself that it was OK for him to cry, but years of hiding his feelings wouldn't allow him to express the sorrow that was consuming him. 'Sometimes,' he thought to himself, 'it just hurts to much to cry.'
Five days later, the seven remaining digidestined were standing in a grave yard. They had all attended Mimi's funeral and had come to wish her a final farewell. They all stood around Mimi's casket, which would soon be lowered into the ground.
Matt cleared his throat and address the rest of the group. "Guys, before she passed away, Mimi wrote us all some letters. The nurse said that they were found on Mimi's night table," Matt said as he pulled the letters out of his breast pocket. He passed them around.
Everyone stood around, looking at the envelopes and each other. No one said anything or opened theirs right away.
Taking a deep breath TK tore into his. He unfolded it and started reading it to himself.
TK,
You never gave up hoping, even when the rest of us had, and you had every reason to. And that's what I admire about you. Never, ever, lose that. You're are my little guardian angel. You would always watch over me, over all of us. To return the favor, I will now watch over you.
Joe opened his next.
Joe,
I know that you will make a fantastic doctor one day. It is a very noble to thing to devote your life you helping others. Just like when you stayed with me all those years ago in the digital world. That meant the world to me. And I wanted to tell you, because I never did back then. Thank you. You're my rock, Joe. Unfaltering, and always there.
Izzy opened his.
Izzy,
Sweet, adorable Izzy. Your knowledge saved us countless number of times. I have a favor to ask. Would you take care of Palmon for me? You know the most about computers and the digiworld and how it works. I wouldn't trust this to anyone but you. You taught me to expand my horizons. You're my muse of wisdom, Izzy.
Kari, Tai, Matt and Sora all looked at each other, not sure who would be next. Kari shrugged and ripped open her envelope.
Kari,
You brought us back together countless numbers of times. A beacon through the darkness. The goodness inside of you can never be matched. You are my other angel, and my guiding light, Kari. Keep your brother in line for me. Somebody has to:)
Tai,
I thought this quote would fit you perfectly. "If you follow me, I may lead you straight into hell, but if you trust me, I'll lead you right back out again." And you always did lead us back out again, Tai. Always. You gave me courage, even when my own had deserted me. I want to ask you one last favor. Please look after Sora for me. And don't act so surprised, I've seen the way you look at her. I know you love her Tai, and I can't think of a better person to ask to take care of her. :)
Tai's eyes widened as he read the last sentence. He looked at the coffin and then back at the letter. How did Mimi knew that he loved Sora? She was always full of surprises.. He smiled sadly and whispered, "Don't worry. I will."
Sora,
Somehow, I sense that you had something to do with convincing Matt to finally come and see me. Call it sincerity's intuition:) Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Somewhere, a higher power deemed me worthy of being your friend. And for that, I am truly grateful. I love you, Sora. Don't ever forget that. Best friends, right?
Sora wiped away a tear. "Always," she said quietly.
Matt stood absolutely still, holding the envelope in his hands. He could feel the weight of everyone else's stare in him. Sighing, he opened his envelope and started to read.
Matt,
I can't express in words how much your friendship and love have meant to me. Time and distance couldn't touch the bond between us. And death won't be able to either. I'm sorry I had to leave so soon after we found each other. At least we did find each other though. How many people can say that they actually found their soul mate? I can. Yamato, I will love you, always.
P.S. Look in the envelope. Something for you to remember me by.
Matt read the last sentence and realized that there was something else in his envelope besides the letter. He turned it over, and into his hand fell Mimi's crest. Slowly he took it ad put it around his neck. It came to lay on his chest, right next to his crest of friendship.
Matt placed his hand over the crests and squeezed them tight. Tears streamed down his face. Everyone else too had tears in their eyes. They all stood around, weeping in silence, saying good-bye in their own way.
After awhile, slowly, the digidestined began leaving. It was getting late and they all needed to get home. Soon, Matt was the only one left in the graveyard.
He knelt down. Wiping his eyes, he read the headstone of his beloved.
Mimi Tachikawa
1989-2004
Beloved Daughter and Friend
(Epitaph) Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.
"Until we meet again, my love," he whispered.
With that, he laid his head on his arm and wept. He couldn't fight it anymore. Death couldn't take love away from him, ever. Even though Mimi was gone, he knew that he would never be alone again.
The End
More Author's Notes: ::winces:: Well? Please let me know what you think:) Thanks for reading. Until next time.