Another test.
He groaned as loudly as he dared, scratching his head and penciling his notes. So many tests coming up. Next Wednesday would be one of the most stressful days of the month! With trig and chemistry… now he'd have to cram study History also. What a week… and that was only if they succeeded in finding Tai quickly.
It was never easy. Especially if the Digiworld was involved. Because the Digiworld had a habit of complicating matters to the Nth degree. If it was connected… he ought to just say goodbye to that perfect score now and get it over with. He'd still try, sure.
Part of him wondered why he was even still sitting here. The Digimon were all out there, right now… they were on their own in the city, where there were so many people… Any single one of them could get into a situation… caught or sighted… If they were recorded, it could bring back the "hysteria" that plagued the city, and cause a new uproar.
It was really hard to concentrate, and he rubbed his head in a poor attempt to rid himself of the headache that threatened to overtake him. 'Man… I can usually take the droning without a problem, but Mr. Takakawa's voice is grating on me today. Can this day be over? I feel like I need air.'
Air. Air… Breathe!
Joe, Breathe!
The sharp pain that struck deep in his chest took him by surprise, and he immediately wondered if he'd let his stress get too far out of hand. He knew it had gotten very quiet around him, all pencils stopping their motions… the soft tap of Tutu's shoe on the ground ceased, as did Korin's heavy breathing. Mr. Takakawa's inquiry was sharp and annoyed, and Joe couldn't care less.
Because that pain went deeper than anything he'd ever felt before. It was sharper than a knife twisting in his gut, and it hurt worse than heartache. But it was the near silent beeping that sounded just barely over his racing thoughts that snapped him from the poorly constructed metaphor of his sudden and random pain.
He slowly stood, feeling horror bubble up around the unwanted sensations that were beginning to pin-prickle throughout his body. That sound was his Digivice… and it sounded so quiet. Did anyone else hear it? No… how could they hear it when they were asking so many questions?
Feeling suddenly very weak, he shakily reached for his bag and shucked it over his shoulder in one fluid motion. 'Gomamon…' He had to get to his partner! He had to leave. He strode quickly out of the class room. His stride quickly became a panicked run.
He really had no idea where he was going. It was like a fog had invaded his thoughts, and everything else around him didn't matter. He could only run. Through the streets, in front of cars… he had to get there. Where ever there was.
"Gomamon…!" he breathed, lost in his mind.
He'd run like this when they'd first met. Back when he was so very sure that he was mostly hallucinating but that it didn't hurt to play it safe and run from the floating mini-seal looking thing that had been so happy to see him. The weird creature that had gleefully chased after him when he'd promptly screamed like a little girl. He'd run… And now he was running again… this time not scared of Gomamon… but scared for him.
It was scary, how similar it felt to Gomamon Digivolving… warped by the sharpness that was far from welcome. If not for that dizzying sensation, he'd have figured his partner was now Ikakumon… maybe even Zudomon... fighting some perceived threat and hopefully getting Tai back. But it was wrong. And his Digivice's beeping was getting quieter, even as its sounding grew quicker in timing.
"Gomamon!" he shouted, nearly tripping on the curb. Vaguely realizing he was in a park and that there was a river or some form of water nearby, he bolted further onto the grass. There were no people, which would normally sit wrong with him… but as he ran, he spotted Were-Garurumon. And there was Yamato, knelt down at the Ultimate's side, head cast down.
His heart felt like it stopped.
The blond's oceanic eyes were shadowed by his hair, but there was a stiff sort of shaking in his shoulders, and Joe collapsed to his knees beside him, staring down at what the other was holding. "No… Gomamon…" he reached out and touched the Digi-Egg with gentle fingers.
Matt didn't turn to face him, and it didn't matter anyway. "I'm… I'm sorry." Sorry didn't ease the sense that he'd let his partner face whatever happened alone… Sorry didn't get him here fast enough. But he nodded, knowing it wasn't the other's fault.
It was his own, and he would have to accept that. He couldn't blame anyone but himself. And as he took the egg and held it close to his chest, he wished his white purple and orange partner would crack a funny one liner… and didn't care that he began to cry.
=/=/=
A/N: Short and sweet… or not. Anyone wanna kill me yet?