Life Goes On, Or Does It? pt3-Moving
Midget: This one is slightly longer than the last part. It's written from Cody's point of view. If you haven't read my fic Life Without You, you might want to do so. It explains what happened to T.K. from Kari's point of view. If you have any questions that might help clear things up a bit.
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of the characters. I merely borrow them for my writing.
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As I stop at a red light only a block away from Matt's house I look up to see the house and I have to force my sorrow down again. Every time I look at it I'm reminded of T.K. and it just gets worse once I go inside.
I take my time parking, needing a few minutes to prepare myself for the memories. Each time I enter the image of T.K. the last day I saw him alive haunts me. He was lying against the couch arm, his eyes almost completely vacant. No surprise there, since he'd already lost his sight. The tumor had cut it off, along with most of his hearing.
Whenever I allow myself to remember I'm filled with anger at how unfair fate can be. T.K. was only twenty, with a wonderful wife and two beautiful children. His family was pretty close, at least he and his brother were close. He was a great person, always worrying about others and doing whatever he could to help. Fate took all of that away from him. I might have been able to deal with it better if it weren't for the way he died.
Day by day we watched him slowly fade away as the tumor took over. The first symptoms were the gradual weakness. Then came the terrible headaches and blurry vision. Once he was on the pain medication the headaches weren't so bad, but the medication left him drowsy. His hearing started to go, then his ability to speak clearly. One by one, the tumor stripped him of the aspects of life that made up the T.K. we all knew and loved. The worst thing it took, though, was his memory.
I still remember visiting and watching it happen. After a few months T.K. started forgetting people's names. Then he'd forget who a person was. At first it was only people who didn't visit, but then he began to have trouble remembering the rest of us. It steadily progressed to the point where the only two people he could remember at all were Matt and Kari.
Taking a deep breath, I push aside those memories. I can't let myself get side tracked while I'm here. We need to get Matt to Izzy's, where he can be away from the constant reminders. A person could go crazy having memories like those confronting them every single day.
Walking in the door, I blink in surprise. I'd been expecting to see the photos still scattered on the floor, but Davis was already picking them up. A noise caught my attention, so I went over to take a peek into the kitchen. Mimi, Sora, and Kari were trying to clean up the mess in there.
"Gross," Mimi said, her voice slightly off because she was pinching her nose as she poured a drink that had mold on it down the sink. The mold was green and apparently not very solid because it made the whole thing look like runny green pudding.
"I'm almost afraid to look in the refrigerator," Kari commented, staring at the sight with a disgust expression. Her face was slightly pale.
"I know, but we'd better check," Sora replied in a resigned voice. She slowly inched the door open, looking away from it. Once she had it open enough for her to look in, she started to peek her head around it. Then she closed it quickly. "I just can't do it!"
"I'll check it for you," I volunteer quickly, although I'm no more anxious than they are to see what was growing inside the refrigerator. At least I could be of some help that way.
All three women swing around to stare at me. I fidget in place give them a shy smile, feeling a little un-nerved. Usually the only time everyone in a room stared at me was after I said or did something wrong.
"Really," Mimi asked hopefully. "Oh, thank you. None of us want to know what could be in there."
"Thanks, Cody," Kari said cheerfully, looking slightly better.
"Yeah, thanks," Sora chimes in, her relief evident in her tone.
I have to fight back a smile as I walk over. These three women had faced digital monsters with more enthusiasm than they did that refrigerator. Shaking my head, I open the door as I say teasingly, "Don't worry, I'll save you from Moldmon."
"Hahaha," Kari retorted sarcastically, but there was a hint of rueful laughter in her tone. "Very funny."
The atmosphere sobers quickly, probably due to my lack of response. Vaguely I realize that I should say or do something, but I just can't move. In front of me I see bottles of medication, T.K.'s medication to be exact. His name glares out in bold lettering, right next to the date. All of these are from two years ago, while T.K. was fighting to live. What bothers me the most is that almost all of them are full. One had only half left.
"Cody, what is it," Sora asked worriedly, moving closer.
I quickly shut the door and give them a teasing grin. "Oh, it's just worst than I thought," I reply jokingly. One look in their eyes and I can tell that they see through me, but I don't want them to know what I found. "You don't want to look in there, trust me. It looks like one of the jungles in the digi world."
That did it. All three looked like they were going to be sick.
"Why don't we just stick to cleaning the rest of the kitchen," Mimi suggested hopefully. Kari and Sora nodded.
"Kari, can I ask you something," I question softly. At her nod I continue, "Who was the one who gave T.K. his medication?"
"Matt did," Kari replied mildly. "Why?"
"Oh, I was just wondering," I answer, giving her a vague smile. "Thanks. I'm going to go see what the other guys are doing."
"When you find them please ask them if they all want to go out to eat," Sora asked absently, most of her attention focused on a plate that looked like the floor of a forest.
Mimi whirled toward her, a happy smile lighting her face. "Hey, that's a great idea! Then we can kind of celebrate Matt's life taking a new turn," she exclaimed excitedly.
As I walked out the door I could hear the three of them making plans. We're all getting more than we bargained for, I guess. Now I'm starting to wonder why Matt didn't give T.K. all of his medicine.
"Hey, Cody, what's up," Davis asks from the living room.
I look in to see him surrounded by stacks of photographs. "I'm fine, and you," I reply courteously. "Need some help?"
"Well, if you could possibly find a box, I'd be grateful," Davis answers ruefully. He gives me a slightly embarrassed look as he explains, "I think Matt would prefer to keep these with him. They mean a lot to him, you know."
Nodding, I give him an understanding smile. "I know he'll appreciate it, Davis."
He nods solemnly, his expression falling somewhat. The photos remind us both of the friend we lost.
As I turn away a photo he missed catches my eyes. It's one I'd never seen before. Picking it up, I feel some of my anxiety over my earlier discovery fade away. The photograph showed T.K. stretched out on the couch, looking very pale. He had his arms crossed and his face to one side. Matt sat beside him, spooning some soup into his mouth. Izzy stood behind the couch, shaking his hand at the stubborn young man who was refusing to eat.
"That was a little over three years ago, just before Kari and T.K. got married," a voice says softly at my shoulder.
Turning in surprise, I find Izzy standing there. He gives me an amused smile as he takes the picture.
"Kari was the one who took the photo," he tells me in a reminiscent tone. "T.K. had the flu and he didn't want to eat. He gave us all a hard time, but we eventually got him to eat. I'll have to go through the photos sometime and see if I can't find the one where Matt and I try to get him to take his medicine."
"T.K. didn't like taking medicine," I ask curiously.
"Nope," Izzy answers with a wry grin. "He had to be pretty out of it before you could get him to take any. T.K. acted that way with pain killers, too. So did Matt. But then, they lost a friend of their dad's through an accidental overdose, so that could be why they used to act that way."
"I didn't know about that," I say, shocked. So that's why there was medicine in the refrigerator.
"Not many did," Izzy informs me, smiling gently. "Neither ever liked to talk about it."
I nod, understanding. It makes sense now, from their perspective. They probably didn't want to take a chance that T.K.'s life would be cut any shorter than it already was.
"Cody, did you find a box yet," Davis shouts from the living room.
"He's putting all of the photos in a box to send with you," I explain as I turn toward the front door. "I'm going to get one from outside. I'll be back in a minute."
It only takes me two minutes to grab the boxes from my back seat. I figured I might as well bring all of them. You never know when they might be needed.
When I return I find Izzy talking with Kari and Davis. I set the boxes down and wait for their attention.
"We're going try to get everyone to go out to eat at a nearby restaurant," Kari tells them happily. "It's a nice, homey little place according to Mimi. She can't remember the name, but she knows what it looks like. So, do you guys want to come?"
"Sure, I'd love to," Davis answers enthusiastically.
"I think it would be good for Matt," Izzy comments mildly. "And it would be good for me since I don't think he's inclined to listen to if I try to get him to eat when it's just me."
Kari frowns at the thought. "He can be so stubborn and bull headed sometimes! And it always seems as if he's that way only when he can contradict someone else."
"Well, with all of us there I'm sure we can persuade him," I tell them soothingly. "And Izzy can always threaten to have us come over if he won't eat there, right?"
"That's a good idea," Izzy says with a grin. "I'll have to remember that one."
"Here are the boxes I brought," I announce, pushing them forward with my foot.
Davis grabs one. "Thanks. Now I can pack these things up."
"We could use one or two for the stuff in his bedroom," Joe states mildly from behind me.
I barely managed to keep from laughing when I saw him shirtless. It was even harder when I realized how soaked the two shirts he was holding were after they started dripping on his shoes. Then I heard Izzy chuckling and I couldn't help it. Kari started giggling at the same time.
"Hahaha, very funny," Joe grumbled irately. "You try forcing Matt to take a bath. It's not a pretty sight, believe me."
That only made us laugh more. It took all three of us a good two or three minutes to calm down again.
"I told you it wasn't a good idea," Izzy informed him in an amused tone. "Tai and I have had to do it before with pretty much the same results."
"Well, at least there's that," Joe replied in a grumpy voice.
Kari shook her head. With a smile she asked, "Would you like me to stick that in the dryer for you?"
"Yes, if you would please," Joe answered gratefully. "Tai says he'd like his dried, too."
"I bet he does," I say, grinning as I gesture to the still dripping garment. "Though it would be kind of funny to see him walk into the restaurant wearing that."
Izzy grinned at the idea. "I can just imagine what he'd say when everyone stared at him," he informs us merrily. "Probably something like 'They must like the way it's plastered to my skin.'"
I chuckle as Joe rolls his eyes. "Just imagine if it were Davis," I tell them, grinning at their groans. "We would be in trouble."
"It would be worse if it were T.K.," Davis replies from the living room.
Our laughter dies quickly. Even a year later the reminder has enough power to completely sober the atmosphere.
"Hey, Izzy, Joe, I need some help with these clothes," Tai shouts from the bedroom.
"No you don't," Matt growls as he opens the door. "I'm staying right here and so are my clothes."
"No, you're not," Tai retorts heatedly, grabbing his arm. "Now sit down. You aren't strong enough to try to stop us."
"Oh, yeah," Matt demands hotly, ignoring the way his body swayed slightly.
"Matt, you need to rest," Izzy said his tone scolding as he hurried to his side. Joe was right behind him.
"Matt, they're right," Joe informed him in a sensible tone. "You need to take care of yourself."
The three of them ushered Matt back into the room and made him sit down on the bed. I silently followed, carrying the last two boxes.
"Here are some boxes," I announce mildly, setting them in the middle of the floor. "Would you guys like some help?"
"Sure," Tai agreed readily. "That'll let us keep one person watching him," and he gestured with one thumb toward the darkly glowering form on the bed, "while three of us pack his stuff."
"Don't you dare," Matt growled, lunging off of the bed. Izzy caught him and pushed him back down.
"Sit still or we'll have to tie you up," Izzy told him sternly.
Matt gave him a disbelieving look.
"We'll do it for your own good," Joe states in a no-nonsense tone of voice.
The entire time we worked Matt glared at us but refused to say one word. I kept glancing at him to see if my first impression was true. His outfit was one I'd seen before. It had fit him snugly, but not too tightly, the day we all went for a picnic. That was before we found out about T.K.'s tumor. Now, it hung loosely around Matt's thin frame. I guess I never realized just how thin he had become. With all of those baggy clothes he wore, it just didn't register. Although now that I think about it, all of his clothes used to be well fitted. I think the weight loss was so gradual that I didn't notice the fact that he had gotten thinner. For some reason, I just thought he'd decided to start wearing baggy clothes.
Thinking back carefully, I try to pin-point when it began. Not surprisingly I find it started shortly after T.K. find out about the tumor. Matt had been gaining back the weight he lost after his father's death at the time. Now he's much worse.
"Well, that's it," Tai announces, startling. "Is everyone else ready?"
I glance up to see him setting two suitcases by the end of the bed. Izzy is putting the last of the bottles that had cluttered the dresser top in a bag. Joe was putting tape over the top of the other box. I quickly finish the last of my packing and close the lid.
"I need some tape for this and then I'll be done," I inform him calmly, not giving away how upset I am. In a way, I feel like I've let my friend Matt down.
"Here you go," Joe replies cheerfully, tossing me the roll of duct tape. Then he turns to Tai. "I'm ready, but who is carrying what?"
"Nobody is carrying anything," Matt tells him, speaking for the first time in half an hour. All four of us ignore the comment.
"Why don't we carry what we packed," I suggest a tad shyly. The older guys didn't always like my suggestions. At least they weren't quite as patronizing as Yolei and Davis used to be. "Since Izzy only has a bag, he can help Matt."
"I don't need help because I'm not going anywhere," Matt retorts angrily. We ignore his comment again.
The three look at each other questioningly. Then they nod.
"That should work," Tai states as he picks up the bags. "We can fit some of this stuff in my van."
"Let's put the suitcases in my car and the boxes in your van," Izzy says as he walks over to help Matt stand. "My car isn't big enough for the boxes, anyways."
"Since there are three boxes, I'll take one in my car," Joe tells them as he lifts his box.
"Three," Tai asks, looking around. "I only see two."
"The other Davis is packing with all of the photos and photo albums," I explain as I follow them down the hall.
"He did WHAT?!?!" Matt's voice rings throughout the house.
"You know, as much as I like my friend, I'm glad he's staying with Izzy," Mimi says wryly from her place at the end of the hall. "He gets to deal with his temperament and his mood swings."
"You're not the only one who feels that way," Sora informed her dryly. "The kids are bad enough."
We guys just look at each other and shrug. There's no arguing with women about their homes. Not these women, anyways.
"I'm hungry," Davis announces, looking around. "Is anybody else ready to eat?"
"Definitely," Tai replies, glancing back at Izzy who was all but dragging an unwilling Matt up the hall way. "Is there any food at your house?"
"Why, we're going out to eat," Izzy answered, looking slightly confused.
Kari walks in with two freshly dried shirts. "They're ready for you to put on," she says with a grin.
"Just in time, to," Joe informs her with a smile. He puts his box down and quickly puts on his shirt. "Thanks, Kari."
"Thanks, sis," Tai says as he does the same. Then he picks up the suitcases again. "Are we all ready to leave?" They all nod their heads. Izzy claps his free hand over Matt's mouth, muffling his protest. "Then let's go!"
Mimi and Sora walk over to take either of Matt's arms, relieving Izzy of the duty. They start chattering to him, knowing he's too polite to interrupt them. Kari is the last one out.
She locks the door and pockets the key. Then she joins the rest of us as we try to get everything settled.
I'm not sure if anyone else noticed the sorrowful look she and Matt exchanged. It was hard for both of them to lock up the house. Kari will do all right, she's managed to so far. Like everyone else, I'm worried about Matt. He looks like he did the day we laid T.K. in the ground. His look says he's lost something important and I guess that if he felt close to T.K. there, then he did. Hopefully, it will turn out to be a good thing.
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So, what do you think of my latest effort? The next part will probably be set two or three weeks after this one. You'll get a chance to see how Matt and the others are doing. I hope you enjoyed this. Thanks for reading.
Midget: This one is slightly longer than the last part. It's written from Cody's point of view. If you haven't read my fic Life Without You, you might want to do so. It explains what happened to T.K. from Kari's point of view. If you have any questions that might help clear things up a bit.
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of the characters. I merely borrow them for my writing.
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As I stop at a red light only a block away from Matt's house I look up to see the house and I have to force my sorrow down again. Every time I look at it I'm reminded of T.K. and it just gets worse once I go inside.
I take my time parking, needing a few minutes to prepare myself for the memories. Each time I enter the image of T.K. the last day I saw him alive haunts me. He was lying against the couch arm, his eyes almost completely vacant. No surprise there, since he'd already lost his sight. The tumor had cut it off, along with most of his hearing.
Whenever I allow myself to remember I'm filled with anger at how unfair fate can be. T.K. was only twenty, with a wonderful wife and two beautiful children. His family was pretty close, at least he and his brother were close. He was a great person, always worrying about others and doing whatever he could to help. Fate took all of that away from him. I might have been able to deal with it better if it weren't for the way he died.
Day by day we watched him slowly fade away as the tumor took over. The first symptoms were the gradual weakness. Then came the terrible headaches and blurry vision. Once he was on the pain medication the headaches weren't so bad, but the medication left him drowsy. His hearing started to go, then his ability to speak clearly. One by one, the tumor stripped him of the aspects of life that made up the T.K. we all knew and loved. The worst thing it took, though, was his memory.
I still remember visiting and watching it happen. After a few months T.K. started forgetting people's names. Then he'd forget who a person was. At first it was only people who didn't visit, but then he began to have trouble remembering the rest of us. It steadily progressed to the point where the only two people he could remember at all were Matt and Kari.
Taking a deep breath, I push aside those memories. I can't let myself get side tracked while I'm here. We need to get Matt to Izzy's, where he can be away from the constant reminders. A person could go crazy having memories like those confronting them every single day.
Walking in the door, I blink in surprise. I'd been expecting to see the photos still scattered on the floor, but Davis was already picking them up. A noise caught my attention, so I went over to take a peek into the kitchen. Mimi, Sora, and Kari were trying to clean up the mess in there.
"Gross," Mimi said, her voice slightly off because she was pinching her nose as she poured a drink that had mold on it down the sink. The mold was green and apparently not very solid because it made the whole thing look like runny green pudding.
"I'm almost afraid to look in the refrigerator," Kari commented, staring at the sight with a disgust expression. Her face was slightly pale.
"I know, but we'd better check," Sora replied in a resigned voice. She slowly inched the door open, looking away from it. Once she had it open enough for her to look in, she started to peek her head around it. Then she closed it quickly. "I just can't do it!"
"I'll check it for you," I volunteer quickly, although I'm no more anxious than they are to see what was growing inside the refrigerator. At least I could be of some help that way.
All three women swing around to stare at me. I fidget in place give them a shy smile, feeling a little un-nerved. Usually the only time everyone in a room stared at me was after I said or did something wrong.
"Really," Mimi asked hopefully. "Oh, thank you. None of us want to know what could be in there."
"Thanks, Cody," Kari said cheerfully, looking slightly better.
"Yeah, thanks," Sora chimes in, her relief evident in her tone.
I have to fight back a smile as I walk over. These three women had faced digital monsters with more enthusiasm than they did that refrigerator. Shaking my head, I open the door as I say teasingly, "Don't worry, I'll save you from Moldmon."
"Hahaha," Kari retorted sarcastically, but there was a hint of rueful laughter in her tone. "Very funny."
The atmosphere sobers quickly, probably due to my lack of response. Vaguely I realize that I should say or do something, but I just can't move. In front of me I see bottles of medication, T.K.'s medication to be exact. His name glares out in bold lettering, right next to the date. All of these are from two years ago, while T.K. was fighting to live. What bothers me the most is that almost all of them are full. One had only half left.
"Cody, what is it," Sora asked worriedly, moving closer.
I quickly shut the door and give them a teasing grin. "Oh, it's just worst than I thought," I reply jokingly. One look in their eyes and I can tell that they see through me, but I don't want them to know what I found. "You don't want to look in there, trust me. It looks like one of the jungles in the digi world."
That did it. All three looked like they were going to be sick.
"Why don't we just stick to cleaning the rest of the kitchen," Mimi suggested hopefully. Kari and Sora nodded.
"Kari, can I ask you something," I question softly. At her nod I continue, "Who was the one who gave T.K. his medication?"
"Matt did," Kari replied mildly. "Why?"
"Oh, I was just wondering," I answer, giving her a vague smile. "Thanks. I'm going to go see what the other guys are doing."
"When you find them please ask them if they all want to go out to eat," Sora asked absently, most of her attention focused on a plate that looked like the floor of a forest.
Mimi whirled toward her, a happy smile lighting her face. "Hey, that's a great idea! Then we can kind of celebrate Matt's life taking a new turn," she exclaimed excitedly.
As I walked out the door I could hear the three of them making plans. We're all getting more than we bargained for, I guess. Now I'm starting to wonder why Matt didn't give T.K. all of his medicine.
"Hey, Cody, what's up," Davis asks from the living room.
I look in to see him surrounded by stacks of photographs. "I'm fine, and you," I reply courteously. "Need some help?"
"Well, if you could possibly find a box, I'd be grateful," Davis answers ruefully. He gives me a slightly embarrassed look as he explains, "I think Matt would prefer to keep these with him. They mean a lot to him, you know."
Nodding, I give him an understanding smile. "I know he'll appreciate it, Davis."
He nods solemnly, his expression falling somewhat. The photos remind us both of the friend we lost.
As I turn away a photo he missed catches my eyes. It's one I'd never seen before. Picking it up, I feel some of my anxiety over my earlier discovery fade away. The photograph showed T.K. stretched out on the couch, looking very pale. He had his arms crossed and his face to one side. Matt sat beside him, spooning some soup into his mouth. Izzy stood behind the couch, shaking his hand at the stubborn young man who was refusing to eat.
"That was a little over three years ago, just before Kari and T.K. got married," a voice says softly at my shoulder.
Turning in surprise, I find Izzy standing there. He gives me an amused smile as he takes the picture.
"Kari was the one who took the photo," he tells me in a reminiscent tone. "T.K. had the flu and he didn't want to eat. He gave us all a hard time, but we eventually got him to eat. I'll have to go through the photos sometime and see if I can't find the one where Matt and I try to get him to take his medicine."
"T.K. didn't like taking medicine," I ask curiously.
"Nope," Izzy answers with a wry grin. "He had to be pretty out of it before you could get him to take any. T.K. acted that way with pain killers, too. So did Matt. But then, they lost a friend of their dad's through an accidental overdose, so that could be why they used to act that way."
"I didn't know about that," I say, shocked. So that's why there was medicine in the refrigerator.
"Not many did," Izzy informs me, smiling gently. "Neither ever liked to talk about it."
I nod, understanding. It makes sense now, from their perspective. They probably didn't want to take a chance that T.K.'s life would be cut any shorter than it already was.
"Cody, did you find a box yet," Davis shouts from the living room.
"He's putting all of the photos in a box to send with you," I explain as I turn toward the front door. "I'm going to get one from outside. I'll be back in a minute."
It only takes me two minutes to grab the boxes from my back seat. I figured I might as well bring all of them. You never know when they might be needed.
When I return I find Izzy talking with Kari and Davis. I set the boxes down and wait for their attention.
"We're going try to get everyone to go out to eat at a nearby restaurant," Kari tells them happily. "It's a nice, homey little place according to Mimi. She can't remember the name, but she knows what it looks like. So, do you guys want to come?"
"Sure, I'd love to," Davis answers enthusiastically.
"I think it would be good for Matt," Izzy comments mildly. "And it would be good for me since I don't think he's inclined to listen to if I try to get him to eat when it's just me."
Kari frowns at the thought. "He can be so stubborn and bull headed sometimes! And it always seems as if he's that way only when he can contradict someone else."
"Well, with all of us there I'm sure we can persuade him," I tell them soothingly. "And Izzy can always threaten to have us come over if he won't eat there, right?"
"That's a good idea," Izzy says with a grin. "I'll have to remember that one."
"Here are the boxes I brought," I announce, pushing them forward with my foot.
Davis grabs one. "Thanks. Now I can pack these things up."
"We could use one or two for the stuff in his bedroom," Joe states mildly from behind me.
I barely managed to keep from laughing when I saw him shirtless. It was even harder when I realized how soaked the two shirts he was holding were after they started dripping on his shoes. Then I heard Izzy chuckling and I couldn't help it. Kari started giggling at the same time.
"Hahaha, very funny," Joe grumbled irately. "You try forcing Matt to take a bath. It's not a pretty sight, believe me."
That only made us laugh more. It took all three of us a good two or three minutes to calm down again.
"I told you it wasn't a good idea," Izzy informed him in an amused tone. "Tai and I have had to do it before with pretty much the same results."
"Well, at least there's that," Joe replied in a grumpy voice.
Kari shook her head. With a smile she asked, "Would you like me to stick that in the dryer for you?"
"Yes, if you would please," Joe answered gratefully. "Tai says he'd like his dried, too."
"I bet he does," I say, grinning as I gesture to the still dripping garment. "Though it would be kind of funny to see him walk into the restaurant wearing that."
Izzy grinned at the idea. "I can just imagine what he'd say when everyone stared at him," he informs us merrily. "Probably something like 'They must like the way it's plastered to my skin.'"
I chuckle as Joe rolls his eyes. "Just imagine if it were Davis," I tell them, grinning at their groans. "We would be in trouble."
"It would be worse if it were T.K.," Davis replies from the living room.
Our laughter dies quickly. Even a year later the reminder has enough power to completely sober the atmosphere.
"Hey, Izzy, Joe, I need some help with these clothes," Tai shouts from the bedroom.
"No you don't," Matt growls as he opens the door. "I'm staying right here and so are my clothes."
"No, you're not," Tai retorts heatedly, grabbing his arm. "Now sit down. You aren't strong enough to try to stop us."
"Oh, yeah," Matt demands hotly, ignoring the way his body swayed slightly.
"Matt, you need to rest," Izzy said his tone scolding as he hurried to his side. Joe was right behind him.
"Matt, they're right," Joe informed him in a sensible tone. "You need to take care of yourself."
The three of them ushered Matt back into the room and made him sit down on the bed. I silently followed, carrying the last two boxes.
"Here are some boxes," I announce mildly, setting them in the middle of the floor. "Would you guys like some help?"
"Sure," Tai agreed readily. "That'll let us keep one person watching him," and he gestured with one thumb toward the darkly glowering form on the bed, "while three of us pack his stuff."
"Don't you dare," Matt growled, lunging off of the bed. Izzy caught him and pushed him back down.
"Sit still or we'll have to tie you up," Izzy told him sternly.
Matt gave him a disbelieving look.
"We'll do it for your own good," Joe states in a no-nonsense tone of voice.
The entire time we worked Matt glared at us but refused to say one word. I kept glancing at him to see if my first impression was true. His outfit was one I'd seen before. It had fit him snugly, but not too tightly, the day we all went for a picnic. That was before we found out about T.K.'s tumor. Now, it hung loosely around Matt's thin frame. I guess I never realized just how thin he had become. With all of those baggy clothes he wore, it just didn't register. Although now that I think about it, all of his clothes used to be well fitted. I think the weight loss was so gradual that I didn't notice the fact that he had gotten thinner. For some reason, I just thought he'd decided to start wearing baggy clothes.
Thinking back carefully, I try to pin-point when it began. Not surprisingly I find it started shortly after T.K. find out about the tumor. Matt had been gaining back the weight he lost after his father's death at the time. Now he's much worse.
"Well, that's it," Tai announces, startling. "Is everyone else ready?"
I glance up to see him setting two suitcases by the end of the bed. Izzy is putting the last of the bottles that had cluttered the dresser top in a bag. Joe was putting tape over the top of the other box. I quickly finish the last of my packing and close the lid.
"I need some tape for this and then I'll be done," I inform him calmly, not giving away how upset I am. In a way, I feel like I've let my friend Matt down.
"Here you go," Joe replies cheerfully, tossing me the roll of duct tape. Then he turns to Tai. "I'm ready, but who is carrying what?"
"Nobody is carrying anything," Matt tells him, speaking for the first time in half an hour. All four of us ignore the comment.
"Why don't we carry what we packed," I suggest a tad shyly. The older guys didn't always like my suggestions. At least they weren't quite as patronizing as Yolei and Davis used to be. "Since Izzy only has a bag, he can help Matt."
"I don't need help because I'm not going anywhere," Matt retorts angrily. We ignore his comment again.
The three look at each other questioningly. Then they nod.
"That should work," Tai states as he picks up the bags. "We can fit some of this stuff in my van."
"Let's put the suitcases in my car and the boxes in your van," Izzy says as he walks over to help Matt stand. "My car isn't big enough for the boxes, anyways."
"Since there are three boxes, I'll take one in my car," Joe tells them as he lifts his box.
"Three," Tai asks, looking around. "I only see two."
"The other Davis is packing with all of the photos and photo albums," I explain as I follow them down the hall.
"He did WHAT?!?!" Matt's voice rings throughout the house.
"You know, as much as I like my friend, I'm glad he's staying with Izzy," Mimi says wryly from her place at the end of the hall. "He gets to deal with his temperament and his mood swings."
"You're not the only one who feels that way," Sora informed her dryly. "The kids are bad enough."
We guys just look at each other and shrug. There's no arguing with women about their homes. Not these women, anyways.
"I'm hungry," Davis announces, looking around. "Is anybody else ready to eat?"
"Definitely," Tai replies, glancing back at Izzy who was all but dragging an unwilling Matt up the hall way. "Is there any food at your house?"
"Why, we're going out to eat," Izzy answered, looking slightly confused.
Kari walks in with two freshly dried shirts. "They're ready for you to put on," she says with a grin.
"Just in time, to," Joe informs her with a smile. He puts his box down and quickly puts on his shirt. "Thanks, Kari."
"Thanks, sis," Tai says as he does the same. Then he picks up the suitcases again. "Are we all ready to leave?" They all nod their heads. Izzy claps his free hand over Matt's mouth, muffling his protest. "Then let's go!"
Mimi and Sora walk over to take either of Matt's arms, relieving Izzy of the duty. They start chattering to him, knowing he's too polite to interrupt them. Kari is the last one out.
She locks the door and pockets the key. Then she joins the rest of us as we try to get everything settled.
I'm not sure if anyone else noticed the sorrowful look she and Matt exchanged. It was hard for both of them to lock up the house. Kari will do all right, she's managed to so far. Like everyone else, I'm worried about Matt. He looks like he did the day we laid T.K. in the ground. His look says he's lost something important and I guess that if he felt close to T.K. there, then he did. Hopefully, it will turn out to be a good thing.
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So, what do you think of my latest effort? The next part will probably be set two or three weeks after this one. You'll get a chance to see how Matt and the others are doing. I hope you enjoyed this. Thanks for reading.