Chapter 13: The Journey Home

Drimogemon's room no longer felt hot and humid, but Hisoka still sweated quite a lot. Maybe the air was indeed burning, and his anxiety merely intensified the heat.

With Homare's leg, or rather, a leg made of a cluster of golden particles in his hands, Tasuku commented, "Mikage, you're really good at this."

Hisoka continued to silently wrap the bandage around Homare's leg. Of course he was good at this; the Organization had hammered the knowledge of combat trauma life support into his brain after all. Moreover, he used to treat August's and even Chikage's wounds. Whereas Chikage would complain and nag a lot, August would grumble at the pain and kindly ask him to work faster...

No. Hisoka shouldn't spare even a second for reminiscing. Homare would join August in the afterlife if he did.

After taping the bandage, Hisoka helped Tasuku put down Homare's leg as gently as possible, as if it were the most fragile thing in the world.

"This should do," Tasuku said.

Hisoka looked at the comatose Homare from head to toe and winced at the bandaged head, his heart hurting as if someone drove a knife into it. To have one of your eyes covered because it was wounded… Damn. Hisoka knew that feeling all too well.

It was the very reason why his right eye was in a lighter shade of green, almost yellow even. But unlike Hisoka, Homare had never entered the battlefield; how would the man react when he finally woke up?

To make things worse, Homare's breathing looked off; the left side of his chest fell when he inhaled and rose when he exhaled. When he finally woke up, he had to endure the pain of breathing with broken ribs as well.

If he did wake up.

"I wish this Digital World had recovery items like in the game," Tasuku muttered. "Medicine is only for treating wounds and illness."

Hisoka knelt beside the bed and held Homare's hand, which barely had any warmth. "Arisu…" Hisoka sobbed into it. "Please don't go. I don't wanna lose someone precious to me again."

Of course Homare wouldn't answer, but it took a load off Hisoka's shoulders.

"Mikage."

Hisoka looked at where the voice came from. A teary Tasuku stood beside him, a hand on his shoulder.

"I understand how you feel." Just as tears began running down his cheeks, Tasuku looked away. "We aren't the nicest people to him, are we?"

Did Tasuku really have to say that? Did he really have to twist the imaginary knife in Hisoka's heart? But Hisoka didn't even feel like yelling at Tasuku, who appeared to rub his face with his sleeves again and again.

"We- no, I don't deserve him," Hisoka finally spoke. "Tasuku, you repair Arisu's pocket watch whenever it breaks, carry him home whenever he gets too drunk in a bar, and much more. I don't remember doing anything good to him."

Tasuku returned his gaze to Hisoka, whose eyes widened at the sight. This was the first time Hisoka saw Tasuku cry that much, to the point that tears kept flowing out of his eyes and nostrils and he had to keep wiping them off.

"You did," Tasuku told Hisoka, his voice shaky. "You… You helped him so much during our second troupe play and asked me to repair his watch." He paused. "And just now, you treated his wounds so quickly and neatly."

"Those are nothing compared to what Arisu has done to me." Hisoka stroked Homare's hand, the hand that had always put marshmallows in his mouth, the hand that had written countless poems for him. "I never thanked him for anything. I just complained and asked for more whenever possible."

"How about we...do something nice to him once he's up?"

Hisoka smiled a bit. "Let's do it."

"I wonder what will make him happy." Tasuku stroked his chin. "Maybe we can bring some Super Carrots to the restaurant and ask Digitamamon to cook various carrot dishes?"

"Super Carrots?"

"Special carrots from Vegimon's farm."

"That sounds good-" A tall, familiar figure descending the ladder of the bunk bed cut Hisoka off.

Guy had woken up and was now approaching them, with disheveled hair and a pair of half-closed eyes.

For a moment, there was nothing but the droning of engines in the room.

Tasuku looked at Guy and finally broke the awkward silence. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm only a bit tired. I do not sustain any serious injury however."

Tasuku smiled. "Your evolution line lacks mobility compared to others, but has a very thick armor to make up for it."

Hisoka's and Guy's gaze met, and Guy looked sideways, his poker face crumpling into a sorrowful one. Of course this would happen; he'd badly injured Homare after all. However, Hisoka still wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Guy was their troupe mate and also too kind to ever do something this horrible to Homare.

They really had to talk, but how should they start? Hisoka had always been direct, which would only make him sound accusatory. Guy didn't look like he could even start a conversation. Tasuku, knowing how much he sucked at this kind of thing, probably wouldn't dare to step in.

The awkwardness lingered until Guy asked Tasuku, "How can we bring Arisugawa to the clinic? It's quite far from here. Carrying him all the way back will aggravate his wounds."

"Drimogemon will lend us the tunnel's minecart," Tasuku answered. "I first thought I'd just send Mikage to rush Arisugawa to the clinic, but now that you're up, it's better for you to go together."

And the awkward silence befell them again. Tasuku could only give them a pained look, a look that came from how much he wanted to help them reconcile but couldn't.

A moment later, he took a deep breath and said, "I know I'm just a pot calling the kettle black here, but you two need to talk."

Yeah, Hisoka remembered what happened when Winter Troupe had just formed. Tsumugi and Tasuku had something going on between them, yet neither would, or should Hisoka say, could talk about their problems. Tsumugi was hesitant to approach the grumpy Tasuku, while Tasuku had mixed feelings about Tsumugi.

When nobody spoke up, Tasuku sighed. "Wish Tsumugi is here."

The awkward silence resumed. Then amid the rumbling of engines, metal scraped against the rough earthen floor. Drimogemon pushed a minecart into the room and stopped beside the bed. "Sorry. Took us some time to clean it up and get the mattress."

"It's all right. Thank you." Tasuku slipped one arm beneath Homare's shoulder and the other arm beneath Homare's waist. "Let's move him."

Hisoka nodded and together with Guy, lifted Homare by his legs. Homare felt unusually light, and upon seeing Tasuku's widened eyes, Hisoka could feel his heart drop.

After hauling the body into the cart, Tasuku pushed the cart out of the room. "He doesn't have much time left!"

Hisoka, Guy, and Drimogemon followed Tasuku and stopped before the staircase to the tunnel exit. It had small steps, but Hisoka doubted they could push the cart up without damaging the wheels.

Fists clenched, teeth gritted, Tasuku stomped the ground. "Dammit!"

"It's okay, human. Let's carry the cart."

These idiots could've made a lane for carts and whatnot, Hisoka thought. But at least Drimogemon had offered to carry it with them.

For some reason, the cart felt really light. It was only him, Hisoka could tell, as everyone else panted as soon as they arrived at the tunnel exit and put down the cart.

Maybe August's spirit was lending him a hand. Or maybe his fear of losing his treasured family again strengthened him.

Wiping the sweat off his temple, Tasuku asked, "You know the way back, Guy?"

Guy nodded. "I've memorized the map. Even if we're somehow lost, there are the signs on the floor."

"Then go now." Tasuku turned and ran down the staircase. "I'll catch up with you once I get the Fireball from Lava Cave."

"There's nothing left there, but be careful," Guy replied.

"I will."

Drimogemon waved a hand. "Be careful, y'all!"

Guy dashed past Hisoka and out of the tunnel. "Follow me, Mikage."

Despite pushing the cart by himself, Hisoka felt like pushing an empty shopping trolley. His legs could still go on although he'd run along the cliffside and the mountain trail without stopping, with barely any trees shielding him from the scorching sunlight. Whatever was giving him so much strength, it'd better stay until he reached the destination.

The further they went, the more trees and shrubs they found. And soon, they wound up in a forest. Beams of golden light peeked through the canopy and showered down upon them. Leaves and twigs crunched under rapid footfalls and metal wheels.

On the forest floor lay a screen, which contained directions to File City, but Guy didn't even look at it. And he went the right path and led them to another floor monitor, the one that was very close to File City. As expected from Guy, a man with excellent memorization skills.

Hisoka's ears registered a continuous crackle from behind. He almost turned around, but Tasuku's "He doesn't have much time left!" replayed in his head and suppressed the reflex.

Guy rushed past him. Pushing the cart, Hisoka glanced over his shoulder.

Lightning bolts hurtled towards Guy, who swatted them away to the sky. Glaring at the incoming gang of ModokiBetamon, he put a foot in front of him and bent a knee.

Hisoka remained frozen in place, his mouth agape. Back in the dorm he often saw Guy practice karate moves and smash roof tiles with Kumon, and it was neat. But this time, the fighting stance alone exuded a very different aura.

Guy wouldn't hesitate to annihilate the ModokiBetamon gang; Hisoka could feel it. Even the ModokiBetamon shivered and crept back.

"Leave now, Mikage!" Guy shouted. "Arisugawa's heart can't possibly handle another electric shock!"

Hisoka blinked. What did Guy mean by that?

The ModokiBetamon leaped and spun, whizzing towards Guy as red circular saws.

"Leave!"

Hisoka nodded and pushed the cart away, not without stealing a glance at Guy. His jaw dropped in awe; Guy weaved through the blades with such dexterity and grace. His punches and kicks, flowing and crashing like the water, sent the ModokiBetamon slamming into the stout tree trunks.

Hisoka could fight just as well, but never as elegantly as Guy. The Organization never cared about aesthetics when they taught him how to fight.

The detritus-filled forest floor finally came to an end, and so did the palisades of trees around the path. Hisoka smiled broadly as soon as his foot thudded against the asphalt floor. "Arisu, hang in there," he said, gazing at the comatose Homare in the cart. He was still breathing, although weakly.

Even without its sign, one could identify the clinic from the big capsule on its rooftop and the green cross rug on its entrance. It'd need a sign if the town were bigger and had a pharmacy building though.

As soon as the automatic door opened, Hisoka rushed into the clinic and shouted, "Anyone here?"

The blue curtain beside Hisoka swayed, and a centaur galloped out of it.

"Agumon! Emergency!" Its voice muffled through its metal helmet. Pushing the cart through the curtain, it told Hisoka, "Please take a seat. I'll tell you once we're done stabilizing him."

"Thanks."

Hisoka's legs quivered as he limped towards the bench, wondering what Guy meant with, "Arisugawa's heart can't possibly handle another electric shock!"

Hisoka gasped, breaking out into a cold sweat as he froze on the spot. Didn't Homare sustain broken ribs on his left side?

Did Homare's heart stop beating before this?