With Faith and Prayers
By RyAnn Winner
DISCLAIMER: You all know it, but I guess I need to say it again. Don't own 'em. Never will.
NOTES: Well, here is my attempt at a Mimato. For some reason, I just pictured Matt doing this for a living.
Also, I don't know Matt and TK's dad's name. I couldn't find it anywhere. So, he is either Mr. Ishida or Matt or TK's dad. Their mom, I had a name for.
Ah well, enjoy.
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." - Hebrews 11:1
Matt Ishida grabbed his helmet on the way out of the garage. He adjusted his fire suit, and walked over to his car. He crawled in the car and his crew chief helped him put the steering wheel on. He made sure everything was in working order before giving his chief a thumbs up. The crew chief raised the net and latched it. Sitting there in the car, he waited for the four most famous words in motorsports.
After the prayer and the singing of the national anthem, he heard them. "Gentlemen, start your engines." When the Grand Marshall was done, Matt reached over and pushed the button that would start the engine. Soon, he was in a pack of forty-two other racers all taking the warm up lap. He heard his spotter say the pace car was pulling away. Not long after that, the race was under way. Matt felt the familiar rush of adrenaline run through his body. He began the process that would hopefully take him across the finish line first and into the winner's circle.
From her point on top of the tower, Mimi watched the race with her heart in her throat. She worried every time Matt got in a racecar. She had seen some nasty wrecks over the years, and had heard that people had even been killed on the racetrack. Her husband was good; there was no question about that. All the papers and magazines were talking about him as if he was the next Jeff Gordon. Sports Illustrated even had him on the cover of their annual race preview as "The Next Rookie of the Year".
Soon, the race had finished and Matt had finished second, only less than a half second behind the leader. Mimi left her spot and made her way down to the pits where Matt would be waiting for her.
They had been married about five years. Matt had moved to New York to pursue his music career. Not long after he arrived, he and Mimi ran into each other in a deli. They quickly realized that they didn't need long to get back to where they were before she left for America. He called her up and asked her out for that next weekend. She went out with him, and never looked back. They were married one weekend when they both went back to Japan to visit all their friends.
Also while in New York, a friend of his got him to go to a race one weekend and from then on, he was hooked. Matt wanted to start racing himself. He had actually raced some friends on the streets of Odaiba. He started racing in a small league, and gradually he had gotten good enough to advance to the Winston Cup Series. This was his first season, and it was half over. He wasn't too far behind in the point's race, and was first in points in the rookie standings. He even continued his music career during the off season.
Spotting his wife through the throngs of reporters, he wound up the interview and walked over to her.
"So, did you see me?" Reaching her, he gave her that smile that always made her knees go weak.
"Of course I did. I always watch you." She returned the smile with one that always made Matt forget what he was going to say next.
"I'm glad to know you're not watching anyone else."
"I would never." Matt noticed more reporters coming his way. He gave his wife a quick kiss and told her he would meet her in their trailer later. She walked off with a wink and a sway to her hips. Matt then promised himself the interview would be kept short.
The very next weekend, it started all again. This was one of the most popular races, and the crowds were a sell-out. There wasn't a seat open. Matt had qualified in the second position, and his goal was to gain the first position soon, and hang on to it. The green flag went down, and it wasn't long when Matt had achieved his goal. He was leading the pack, and wasn't about to let go.
After five hundred miles, he had done it. He hadn't led the whole race, but he did when it counted. He made his victory lap and headed over to Victory Lane.
Mimi had been on her feet the last five laps of the race. Matt was close to winning. He would pull away, but second would catch back up. It continued like this until the end. But the only thing that mattered, was when the checkered flag went down, Matt was ahead. Mimi screamed so loud, all their friends in Japan probably heard her. She hugged Matt's teammate's wife and ran down the stairs to meet her husband in Victory Lane.
Later, after their own private celebration, they were sitting in bed in their trailer.
"Matt, do you ever worry that something will happen to you while you are out there?" Mimi asked while absently playing with his wedding ring.
"Yeah, I do. Up until the race. During the race though, all I can think about is the race. What's going on around me and how my car's doing." He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Why do you ask?"
"I don't know. Tonight, while I was waiting for you to finish all your interviews, I got this bad feeling something was going to happen." Mimi's eyes filled with tears.
Matt kissed her temple and wiped away her tears. He hugged her tighter to him. "I can't promise nothing will happen to me, that is just a part of the sport. But, I can promise that I will do all I can to prevent that from happening."
Knowing that's all he could do, Mimi nodded her head. She still couldn't shake the feeling she had. Matt knew she was still worried, so he did what he could. He pulled her closer to him, kissed her, and then continued their celebration.
Matt had a weekend off the next weekend. It was a weekend off for all the drivers. He and Mimi went back to New York to see her parents. When they reached her parent's house, they went in the door and were surprised by what happened next.
"Surprise!!" All their friends from Japan were there.
Tai walked over to Matt and shook his hand. "We all heard you won your first big race, so we thought we would come here to tell you congratulations in person."
Mimi was in tears as she hugged all her best friends.
When hugs and greetings were finished, the couple got a good look at their old group.
It seems that Tai and Sora were as happy as they were at their wedding three years ago. TK and Kari were closer than the last time; it even looked as if there was a distinct sparkle on Kari's left hand. Ken and Yolei, though not officially together yet, looked as if they were heading closer to making it official. The others all looked pretty much the same, although slightly older.
The weekend went by quickly, too quickly for everyone's liking. Sunday came around and everyone got packed and ready to leave. They had all stayed at Mimi's parents.
At the airport, everyone said goodbye. Well, to everyone but Joe, TK, and Kari. TK and Kari were on break from college, and Joe had taken some time off work.
The next weekend, everyone went with Matt and Mimi to the race. Matt had even managed to get them pit passes. Mimi went to join the other wives, and Kari went with her. TK and Joe got to watch the race from the top of Matt's trailer. TK had watched his brother race on TV, but never live. When the green flag dropped, TK felt the same rush of adrenaline he knew his brother must have been feeling. Joe just coughed and sneezed from all the dust.
The race was a close one. Matt and two other drivers were vying for the top spot. For five laps the three of them traded the lead. It was on the next to last lap when it happened. Matt's car suddenly began to smoke. The car behind it couldn't see because of the smoke. The car behind Matt got up into the bumper of the car beside him, and that car in turn spun around into the back panel of Matt's car. The car that slid into Matt must have hit him at just the right angle, because Matt's car became airborne. After flipping two or three times, the car came to rest on its roof on the inside of the track, in the grass.
Mimi and Kari were both on their feet during the last few laps watching Matt race for the lead. When Matt started to wreck, life became slow motion for Mimi. She felt someone put an arm around her waist, and instantly knew it was Kari. She would have fallen if it weren't for the arm around her. Somehow on instinct and pure autopilot, she made her way down to the infirmary.
In the pit area, it was pretty much the same. TK was watching the race, with baited breath, for his brother to overtake the top spot and pull down a second victory. All of a sudden, time was in slow motion for him too. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at Joe and saw the comfort in the older man's eyes. Not even using the ladder, both men ran for the infirmary.
TK and Joe made it before the girls. Matt hadn't even been brought in yet. He had just been cut from his car and placed in the track ambulance. He was brought to the infirmary, just as Mimi and Kari arrived. Kari went straight for TK, wrapping her arms around him, offering all the love and support through her gestures, rather than her words. Mimi stood there, a lost look in her eyes. Joe went over to her, and wrapped his arms around her. He was offering her all the support he could give her.
After the infield doctor was through examining Matt, he walked in to where Matt's family was.
"He's unconscious. There was some trauma to his head. We're not exactly sure how much; we'll know that when he wakes up.
"He also has a broken leg, and some bruised and broken ribs. We're moving him to Memorial, which is only a short time away. He's stable, so he's safe to be moved."
"Thank you Doctor. You said he was unconscious." The Doctor nodded his head at Joe. "He will wake up?"
"We're hopeful he will. Patients like this usually do." Joe just nodded his head in agreement. Being a doctor himself, he knew the probabilities.
They got Matt loaded into the ambulance. Mimi was offered the chance to ride with him. She would only go if Joe was with her. They agreed.
Matt's crew chief offered to drive TK and Kari to the hospital in his rental car. They thanked him, very much grateful that neither one would have to drive. They didn't think they were up to it, especially since they didn't know the area very well and had too much on their minds to think clearly enough to maneuver around the strange city.
They finally made it to the hospital, and both of them ran straight for the emergency room. Mimi and Joe were already there. Mimi looked as if her whole world had come crashing down around her. It had in fact. Kari walked over to her and just put an arm around her, comforting her. TK sat beside Kari and she reached over and took one of his hands. Joe sat on the other side of Mimi, holding one of her hands. The four sat like that; just reveling in the comfort they gave each other.
Hours later, the doctor finally came out. Joe was the first to spot him. He stood, and when he did, the other three noticed and looked up.
"We set his leg and put it in a cast. All we could do for the ribs was bandage them. As for his concussion, there wasn't anything we could really do. He's still unconscious. All we can do with that is wait."
"Thank you doctor. Can we see him?"
"He's being moved to a private room at the moment, but I will have a nurse come tell you when he is settled." The doctor left the room.
Joe nodded and smiled his thanks. He turned to the others gathered there. "I'll go call the others. I know it's late there, but they'll want to know."
"Thanks Joe. I'll go call my mom and dad. Then I need to call the school and tell them Kari and I won't be back to classes for awhile." The two men left to find phones.
Kari was left with Mimi. She didn't offer any words, because she knew that wasn't what would help. Mimi and her share the same type of bond with the brothers, and she knew in a situation like this, that words would not be enough. She just continued to hold Mimi.
"Mmm...Hello?" A very sleepy Tai answered the phone.
"Tai, it's Joe."
"Joe, what's up? Why are you calling so early?" Tai was very blunt in the mornings, especially when he was woken up. Well, Tai was blunt all the time, just more so in the mornings.
"Listen, I don't really know how to say this, so I'll just come right out and say it. Matt was in an accident."
"What happened?" Tai was fully awake now.
"It happened on the track. I'm still not really sure what happened to cause it."
"How is he?"
"He suffered a concussion, so right now he's unconscious. He also has a broken leg and some broken and bruised ribs."
"We'll be there soon."
"There's no need. TK and Kari are staying and I'll be here. TK's calling his parents and I'm sure they'll be on the next available flight."
"Alright, just please keep us posted."
"Will do. I need to call everyone else now."
"No need, Sora and I will do it. You don't need to run up an even bigger phone bill. Besides, there's no way we can get back to sleep now."
"Thanks Tai, I really appreciate it."
"No problem, and thanks for calling. Bye."
"Bye."
Tai hung up and turned to Sora. He couldn't get through all of it without pausing to collect himself. With all that went on back in the digital world, he and Matt had become best friends. Sora herself was crying, but knew Tai needed the comfort more than she did. She just gathered him in her arms and held him.
TK heard the phone pick up, and before Nancy Takaishi had even said hello, he spoke.
"Mom, sorry to have woken you."
"TK, honey, are you all right? It's pretty early here."
"I know Mom. And I'm fine. It's Matt. He's been in an accident."
TK's mom didn't say anything, but TK could hear her tears.
"He's unconscious, he suffered a concussion. He broke his leg and has some broken and bruised ribs."
"My baby. I'm coming. I'll be there as soon as I can get a flight out."
"Okay Mom, I'll see you soon."
"Oh, TK, how are you holding up?"
"I'm doing alright. Kari is here, and she helps a great deal."
"I'm glad. I'm going to call the airport now."
"Sure. Bye."
"Bye, and I love you son."
"I love you too Mom."
When Ms. Takaishi heard the dial tone, she dropped the phone and slid down the wall that was supporting her. She hung her head in her hands, and started crying. Her and Matt were never as close as her and TK, but lately, they seemed to be getting closer. She couldn't believe this was happening. As soon as she recovered herself enough to talk, she called the airport and got on the next available flight.
"Hello?"
"Hi Dad, did I wake you?"
"No, I was up. I have to be in early today. What's the matter? Why are you calling at this time?"
"Well, Dad, Matt's had an accident."
"Matt....What happened?"
TK recounted the accident and the injury's again to his dad. When he was done, there was silence on the other side of the line.
"Dad..?"
"What, I'm here. Sorry, I just spaced out that's all. I'm going to get the next flight and be there as soon as I can."
"Alright. Mom's also on her way. I just talked to her."
"That's good. Bye son, I love you."
"I love you Dad." They hung up.
When Mr. Ishida placed the receiver back in it's cradle, he saw some tears fall onto his hand. He wasn't one to show emotion. He also wasn't one to tell his sons how he felt, but something like this makes you realize that you may not get another chance. He picked the phone back up and dialed the airport, then he made a call to his ex wife.
By the time Joe and TK returned to the waiting room, Mimi's parents were there. They had seen the accident on TV and rushed to be with their daughter. Mrs. Tachikawa had taken over Kari's position with Mimi. Kari was sitting across the room, so TK went over to her. He put his arms around her. He knew his fiancée. She would give comfort to anyone around her who needed it, but she would always put herself last.
A few minutes later, a nurse came by and said Matt was in his room. She told them the room number, and the group went to find husband, brother, and friend. The group said nothing as they rode the elevator up. In fact, the only thing that could be heard was the occasional sniffle.
At last they reached their destination. As one, they made their way down the stark, white, sterile hallway. 'Why do hospitals always have to seem so dreary.' TK thought to himself.
When they stood outside the door, everyone froze. They all wanted to see him, but they didn't. They didn't want to see bright, vibrant, full of life Matt lying inactive on a hospital bed. Finally, Joe and TK decided they would go in. Taking a deep breath, TK opened the door.
Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. He wasn't sure what to have expected, but not this. Matt just looked like he was asleep. Except for the leg cast, and oxygen tube, it just looked like he was taking a nap. TK walked over to him and took his hand.
"Hey bro. It's me. We're all here. Well, Joe, TK, and Kari are here. Mimi and her parents, too. Mom and Dad are on their way. Joe called Tai and Sora. They wanted to come, but Joe told them to stay there. Tai said he'd call everyone there. There's a lot of people who care for you." TK couldn't say anymore. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and smiled a watery smile at Joe.
They heard the door open and turned to look. Kari and Mimi's parents were standing there. The men motioned for them to enter. Kari went straight to TK's side and took his free hand.
"Mimi's still outside. She doesn't want to come in here." Kari told the guys. They just nodded. They understood.
TK continued to hold his brother's hand and sent up a silent prayer to watch over his brother.
It was hours later and Joe, Kari, Mimi, and her parents went down to the cafeteria to try to eat something. TK offered to stay with Matt. Kari promised she would bring him something back. He heard the door open, and thinking it was them, turned around. It wasn't them, it was his parents. He got up and went to hug both of them. When his mom had given her youngest a hug, she rushed to the bedside of her oldest. Taking his hand, in the same way TK did, she told him "Mommy's here baby." She stroked his hair back out of his face and gave his forehead a kiss.
TK and his dad went out into the hallway to give her time alone.
"How's he doing?"
"There hasn't been any change. The doctors are never sure with head injuries." TK's dad just pulled his son into a hug. It had been so long since he had held either of his boys like this. He just hoped he would get a chance to hug his oldest one again.
"How's everyone else taking it?" His dad asked him.
"Well, Kari and Joe are handling it about like I am. We're hanging in. The Tacikawas are like us. But, to be honest with you, I'm worried about Mimi. She hasn't been in to see him yet. She just sits in that chair and stares. Every now and then, a tear will run down her face, but that's it."
At that moment, Nancy came into the hall. TK's dad went in to see his son. TK hugged his mom. That's how everyone found them a few minutes later. Nancy gave Kari and Mimi hugs. She took a little longer with Mimi. TK had filled her in too.
Later, Nancy and Matt's dad told TK and the others to go get some sleep. There were some arguments at
first, but after they were reassured that someone would call them if there were any changes, they agreed. Going to the nearest motel, they got three rooms. Originally, it was supposed to be Mimi's parents in one, and TK and Joe shared an adjoining room with Kari. That didn't last long.
TK heard a faint noise. He wasn't sleeping well anyway, so the noise woke him up completely. He looked over at Joe, who appeared to be dead asleep. He laid there for a few minutes, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from. He heard it again, only this time it was louder. This time, he recognized it as coming from Kari's room.
He got out of bed and made his way to her room. They had left the door open, just in case. He walked in and saw Kari sitting up in bed with tears flowing down her face. He walked over to her bed, sat down beside her, pulled her into his arms, and held her. He didn't ask what was wrong, he knew she would tell him.
When she had calmed down enough, she told him. "I had a dream, more like a nightmare. I dreamed that Tai had had the accident, and not Matt. We were all at the hospital, but instead of surviving, like everyone told us he would, he didn't make it." Kari started crying again. TK offered her no words, just kissed her temple and rubbed her back.
TK made sure she was okay, and stood to go back to his room. Before he got off the bed, he felt Kari's hand grab his arm. He looked over at her. There were unshed tears in her eyes, making her maroon eyes glow in the soft light. "Don't go." Her eyes pleaded with him to stay.
He never could say no to her. So, he just crawled in under the covers with her, took her in his arms, and together they drifted to sleep.
At the hospital, Nancy was in the room with her son, Mr. Ishida went to get coffee, and Mimi was sitting in her chair, just staring at the door to Matt's room.
She soon felt someone wipe away the few tears she didn't even know she was shedding. She turned surprised eyes to see Joe looking at her.
"I couldn't sleep. I heard TK get up and go into Kari's room. I tried to go back to sleep, but it was useless. Besides, I felt you needed someone here."
She just nodded. She hadn't spoken since they arrived at the hospital. Now that he thought about it, Joe realized she hasn't really said anything since the accident.
He sat down beside her and just took her hand. He rubbed it lightly. There was a time when he would have given anything to go out with this girl. Shortly after she left for America, he realized it had been just a crush. Since then, every time she came back to Japan, they made it a point to get together for lunch or something. They grew close over the years, and now, he considered her his best friend. She knew things that even Izzy didn't, and they had been best friends longer than he and Mimi.
The two sat like that for a few minutes. Suddenly, Joe heard a soft whisper beside him. He turned to look at the source of the sound. Mimi was playing with her wedding ring and mumbling something. Straining his ears to hear her, he could eventually make out what she was saying.
"I had a bad feeling about this. I should have tried harder to stop him. I should have insisted he not race today. Last week, I told him I had a bad feeling. It's my fault. It's my fault."
Joe had never heard Mimi talk like that. She was usually quick to say it wasn't anybody's fault. It broke his heart to see her like this.
"Mimi, look at me." She turned tear filled amber eyes to him. "It's not your fault." He shook his head at her when she started to protest. "It's not. No matter what you say. There was no way you could have known what would have happened.
"You know Matt better than anyone. Do you honestly think you could have changed his mind? Especially on something like this. You know how he gets. Remember in the Digital World, the fight he and Tai had. Nothing could change his mind."
Mimi thought about what Joe had just told her. She realized he was right. There was nothing anyone could do to change that stubborn man's mind. She just started crying then.
"Oh, Joe, you're right. I'm just so scared. I don't know how I would make it if he wasn't around."
Joe stood up and brought Mimi with him. He gathered her in his arms. He told her, "you would be fine. There are plenty of people who care enough about you to see that you are fine. But, you're not going to have to worry about that. He will pull through. He's a survivor. We all are. Look what we have been through. We're all still here."
"Thank you. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here."
Joe smiled at her and wiped her tears away. It really was a useless gesture. As soon as he got some wiped away, more would just replace those. There were a lot of tears that needed to be shed.
"Is that why you won't go in?" Joe gently asked.
"Partly. I don't think I could stand seeing him like that. The last memory I have of him is the two of us before the race, in our trailer."
"Oh, Mims. I'm not an expert on cases like this, but I've heard that unconscious people can hear you. It won't hurt to go in there and let him hear your voice. I know if I heard that voice, I would want to come back."
Joe always knew what to say. Mimi smiled the best smile she could. Stepping back from Joe, she smoothed her hair down. She turned to the door that led to her husband. Holding her head high, she walked up to the door. Turning around, she saw Joe give her a reassuring smile. With a courage she wasn't sure where from, she pushed open the door.
Matt's mom was sitting by the bed when she heard the door open. Turning her head, she saw her daughter-in-law standing in the doorway. She knew this was the first time Mimi had been in the room. Standing up, she leaned over and gave her son a kiss on the cheek. On her way out of the room, she gave Mimi a hug.
When Mimi came further into the room, she felt her breath catch. Matt was just lying on the bed. A far different cry from the last time she had seen him. Walking over to his bedside, she sat in the chair just recently vacated by her mother-in-law. Taking his hand, she rubbed her thumb over the place where his wedding ring would have been. He had never taken it off for anything, but the hospital had taken it off for cautious measures.
Remembering what Joe had told her, she started talking to her husband. "Matt..." She had to stop and clear her throat, otherwise the tears wouldn't let her speak.
"Matt, baby, it's me. I'm here. I'm sorry I haven't been in to see you yet. I hope you understand. I just wanted to remember the last time we were together. Do you remember, the morning before the race? We had our 'pre-race ritual'.
"I miss you. So many things are going on now. TK, Kari, and Joe are still here. My parents are here. They came that night. There not here now, well Joe is, but the others are back at a hotel, sleeping. Your mom and dad are here. They arrived a few hours after my parents. They came together, can you believe that? That must mean they put aside whatever, just to come see you.
"When you wake up, I have something to tell you." She started running her fingers through his hair, brushing it back from his face. "We're going to be parents. In about six months. I found out last week. I was going to tell you after the race.
"Wake up soon, baby. I miss you. I miss your arms around me at night. I miss your kisses. Please come back to me soon." She leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek.
Mimi couldn't help the tears that were flowing. She closed her eyes. "God, help us. Help me be strong for Matt. He's usually the strong one. I don't know if I can be. Help Matt make it through this. There are a lot of people who need him. I need him, his brother needs him, his family and friends need him, and this baby needs him. We need You now more than ever."
The door opened, Mimi opened her eyes and turned around. She saw Matt's dad standing there. He walked into the room and offered Mimi the other cup of coffee he had. She took it and smiled her thanks. She never once let go of her husband's hand though.
Soon, Nancy came back in, followed by TK and Kari. Nancy walked over to Mr. Ishida. He put his arm around her shoulder. TK and Kari stood in a corner, with their arms around each other. Mimi still held on to Matt's hand. Joe had gone back to the hotel to get a shower and some rest.
The five of them sat in silence offering their own prayers. The only sound being that of the machine that helped Matt breathe.
Time passed, and it was a week later. Mimi was the only one in the room. She was talking to Matt, telling him all about the racing season, and who had sent cards and flowers. She was also telling him all about the baby. It was as she was telling him about the baby, that she felt the lightest touch in her hand. She stilled and hushed. She felt it again. Looking at the source of the movement, she saw it. Her husband's hand was slowly tightening its grip around hers.
As she was staring at their hands, she heard it. A low groan came from the bed. Tearing her eyes away from the hands, she looked toward the noise. Her eyes grew big and tears formed. Matt's eyes were slowly opening.
As soon as those blue eyes she dearly loved were fully open, she sobbed.
"Where..."
"Shh...don't talk." Mimi leaned over and hit the nurse call button. "You're in the hospital. Do you remember why?"
Matt nodded his head, and Mimi heard something that resembled "wreck". She smiled at him and leaned down to kiss his lips.
The nurse came in with the doctor and they asked Mimi to leave. When she did, she saw confused faces in the hall looking at her. She must have looked confusing, with tears and a big smile on her face.
"He's awake." Everyone jumped at the strawberry blonde. "He just woke up. As I was talking to him I felt a flutter at my hand. Then, I heard a groan. I looked at his face, and that's when I saw his eyes open. Those beautiful, blue eyes opened." She just stood there grinning. She knew she looked foolish, but she didn't care.
The doctor came out then. Everyone turned hopeful faces toward him. "I am happy to report that everything looks fine. There are still more tests to be run, but from what I just saw, he should make a full recovery."
No one could stop the smiles that spread from one person to another. TK hugged Kari, the Tachikawa's hugged each other, Joe hugged Mimi, and even Nancy and Matt's dad were hugging each other. Mimi closed her eyes and offered a quick prayer of thanks. Her husband was awake and was going to be all right.
TK had gone to make some phone calls, and Kari went with him. Everyone else went in to see Matt. Matt's parents went straight to him. There were no more tubes, so when they hugged him, he was able to hug them back. Nancy was crying, and there were tears in Mr. Ishida's eyes. They moved back and Mimi's parents got their turn to hug him.
Finally, it was Mimi's turn. She flew to him and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back as tight as he could. She pulled back from him, and he wiped her tears away. She smiled at him. This was the first real smile she had smiled in the past few weeks.
TK and Kari came back in. TK raced over to his big brother's side. He too wrapped his arms around Matt and held on. Kari was smiling gently at him. She leaned over and gave Matt a kiss on the cheek.
Everyone caught Matt up on what was going on until the nurse came in and said that visiting hours were over. They had been allowed to stay while he was unconscious, but now that he was awake, they had to leave. Everyone gave Matt one last hug and left out the door. Everyone but Mimi. She was staying the night with her husband.
After they all had left, it was just Matt and Mimi alone in the room. He motioned for her to join him on the bed. She made her way over to the bed and sat down beside him. He reached out and pulled her closer to him. She let herself be drawn into his arms. The couple just stayed like that.
"Mimi, I'm sorry." Mimi turned to look at her husband. She saw tears threatening to spill out of his eyes.
"For what?"
"For putting you through this. I promised I wouldn't get hurt. I broke it." Tears did fall then from his blue eyes.
"Oh, honey. Don't be sorry. It wasn't your fault. You only promised to do everything you could not to let anything happen to you. It was an accident. I don't blame you." Mimi wiped away his tears as Matt was wiping hers away.
Matt didn't say anything then, just took her head and guided her lips to his.
After the kiss, Matt looked at Mimi. "Mimi, where is my ring?"
"I've got it here. They took it off in case something happened. They didn't want to have to cut it off." Mimi took the ring out of her pocket, and slid it back onto her husband's finger. Both of them remembering the promises made on their wedding day.
TK and Kari came back the next day. Matt told them to go home, they had missed enough school already. Reluctantly, they agreed. They had missed enough school. They were going to leave the next weekend. TK wanted to spend some time with his brother.
Mimi had gone to the hotel to freshen up and take a nap and Kari had gone with her. Now that Matt was awake, she was less reluctant to leave him. Mimi's parents had to get back to New York and Matt and TK's parents were also at the hotel. Now, it was just TK and Matt.
Matt had to know, so he asked his brother bluntly. "TK, tell me the truth, how did Mimi handle it when I was unconscious?"
"I don't know if I should say. That's something you should ask Mimi." TK didn't want to step over any boundaries between the two of them.
"Please, I gotta know. I won't tell Mimi you told me. Hopefully, she'll tell me the truth herself, but if she doesn't..."
"Alright." TK hesitated, not sure where to begin. "She didn't speak at first. She just sat and stared into space. Only shedding one or two tears at a time. She didn't even come in here. She was too afraid to see you like that.
"I'm not really sure what happened or what Joe said, but one night while Kari and I were asleep, Joe came here to the hospital, and talked to Mimi. Like I said, I'm not sure what was said, but she came in here with you that night. A week later, you woke up. That night was also the first time she really cried." TK looked at his brother, and saw tears shimmering in his eyes. He knew how he felt. If anything he had done, directly or indirectly caused Kari any kind of pain, he would feel the same way his brother was feeling now.
"I'm sorry I caused you all so much grief."
"Don't worry. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have helped what the other drivers did."
"What happened, anyway?" Matt was still groggy when it came to the details of the wreck.
"To be honest with you, I'm not really sure. It all happened so fast. All I know is that smoke started coming from your car, and the next thing that happened was that you were flying through the air."
Matt just nodded his head.
The two brothers sat there and talked awhile. TK told Matt details concerning the wedding, school, everyone back in Japan, and other things. Matt just listened. Both were glad they were getting another chance to talk to each other.
After TK and Kari had left the next weekend, Joe was the only one remaining. He was planning on leaving the next day. He and Mimi went out for a quick dinner before he left.
While they were eating their dessert, Mimi told Joe she was grateful to him.
"It was no problem. You are my best friend. You would have done the same for me."
"Really Joe, you don't know how much you helped me through this. I'm just glad you were here. If you weren't, I don't know how I would have gotten through." Mimi's eyes started shining from unshed tears.
"You would have been okay. You're a strong woman. One of the strongest I know."
Mimi just smiled at him, and he returned it.
It was just Matt and Mimi alone in the room. They were catching up on everything that had been going on.
Mimi started crying. Matt was surprised because she had started for no apparent reason. He tightened his grip on her hand and with his other hand, brought her face so their eyes were meeting.
"Mims, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
She didn't say anything, just continued crying.
"Mimi, what is it?" Matt was getting worried now. He had never seen her like this. Yes, she would cry, but she would always tell him what was wrong. "Tell me, please." He was begging her now.
"I'm sorry." She said it so low; he had to strain to hear her.
"For what?" Matt just looked at his wife in confusion. There wasn't anything for her to be sorry for.
"Because I didn't come in here right away. It was about a day later when I finally came in here. I couldn't. I was too scared." She started again, this time even more forcefully.
"Mimi, look at me. Look at me." He had to repeat himself.
She didn't want to. She didn't want him to see the shame in her eyes. She didn't want to see the look of disappointment on his face.
"Look at me." He forced her chin up with his hand. This time, she did. She was surprised. There was no disappointment on his face. In fact, there was only love. "I don't need your apologies. There's nothing to apologize for." He brought his hand up to wipe away the tears. "I'm glad you told me. I have a confession to make. I asked TK to tell me how you handled all this. He didn't want to at first, but you know me. When I have my mind on something, you can't tell me no." He saw his wife vaguely nod and smile a small smile.
"That's alright. I'm not mad at him. I probably would have done the same thing if the situation was reversed." Mimi told her husband.
"Now, I have a confession to make." Mimi started. "I told you earlier, but I'm sure you didn't hear me." She smiled a wry smile. Mimi stopped and looked at her husband. Looking him in the eyes, she told him again. "You're going to be a father. We're going to be parents." She saw the exact moment what she said registered. His eyes gained a sparkle, making them even bluer. A wide grin split his face. If he could have jumped, he would have. "When?"
"In about five months. I found out about three weeks ago. I was going to tell you after your race, but..." She couldn't finish. Matt understood and pulled her down beside him.
He stayed in the hospital another three weeks; to give his leg and ribs time to heal. The night he came home, it was more than he expected. Instead of just him and Mimi, the house was full. Mimi's parents were there. His parents were there. Many of his fellow racers were there. They all spent a good deal of time talking and catching up. When they were gone, he made his way to his and Mimi's room, and there, he got a second surprise of the night.
Standing there, were all the destined. He couldn't believe it.
"What are you all doing here?" Matt asked surprised.
Izzy answered for them. "Mimi called and said you were coming home. So, we all got together and decided to come welcome you home."
"But it's too expensive. You shouldn't have spent so much on a plane ticket." He knew all of them, while successful in what they did, didn't need to be spending so much. Not on him.
"Nonsense. My best friend is coming home after being in the hospital. Tyrannamon couldn't have kept me away." Tai walked over to where Matt had sat down. He leaned down and gave him a hug. "I'm glad you got better." When they pulled away, Matt could have sworn there were tears in Tai's eyes.
"Besides, with a little help from the second set of destined, the trip didn't cost a penny." Joe explained.
Matt was confused, so Izzy clarified. "You see, we traveled through the Digi-world to get here."
"But I thought it was impossible."
"Apparently not. It seems Kari and the others can open a gate anytime they feel like it."
"That's right. How awesome are we?"
"Can it Davis."
"I don't want to Yolei."
"You better."
"NO." With Davis' answer, Yolei pounced on him. Everyone there just hung their head and sighed.
"Guys! Will you two just stop for one evening. We're not here to listen to you two argue. If we wanted to do that, we could have stayed in Japan. We're here to see Matt. Now stop!" Davis and Yolei looked at Sora. They both stopped pulling each other's faces and backed away from each other.
"We're sorry." They said in unison.
Matt laughed. "That's alright. It's kinda nice to have some real noise. Hospital beeps and buzzers can get quite annoying."
Everyone just smiled and started catching up. Soon, it was time to go back to Japan. Everyone said his or her good-byes. Matt and Mimi promised they would come home as soon as they could. And this time, it wouldn't be just the two of them.
"What do you mean Mimi?"
"Well Yolei, everyone, we'll be bringing the newest Ishida with us."
"You're pregnant?" A shocked Kari asked.
"Yep." All the girls squealed and jumped on the mom to be. The guys walked over to Matt and shook his hand.
"Congratulations man. I can't wait to meet 'em."
"Yeah, but when will be meeting the newest little Kamiya?" Matt teased his best friend.
"Um, not for a while yet." Tai stuttered the answer out.
All the guys laughed.
Good-byes were said one last time, and all the destined disappeared through the computer.
When they were gone, Matt gestured for Mimi to join him. When she walked over to him, he grabbed her hand and brought her down into his lap. When she was seated, he brought her head down and proceeded to kiss her. When they finally came up for air, Mimi settled into her husband's arms and put her head on his shoulder. Matt just ran his fingers through his wife's hair. Only stopping on occasion to plant feather kisses on the top of her head. The couple sat like that for who knows how long. Each was just glad to be able to revel in the feel of each other's arms around them. They had come too close to losing the chance. But now, neither would take a moment like this for granted anymore.
"I love you."
"I love you."
**seven months later**
The couple stood on the front porch, waiting for someone to answer the door. They were keeping the promise they made several months ago. They had returned home for a visit.
Matt and Mimi Ishida had been through so much the past year, but with a little faith and prayers, everything came out. Matt is now fully recovered, and racing a toned down schedule. Mimi is still scared each time Matt gets in a racecar, but she is learning to control her fears. Matt has also picked up more time with his band. In fact, they have their second CD coming out soon.
In Matt's arms is the newest member of the family, little Faith Ishida. With hair the color of her mother's and eye's the blue of her father and uncle, she will be a heartbreaker. She is her mother's living doll, and the apple of her father's eye. She, in turn, has him completely wrapped around her finger. And she's only two months old.
The couple looks up from playing with their daughter when they hear the front door open. Standing there, Tai motions for them to come in. They enter and the door shuts behind them.
Laughter and joy could be heard coming from inside the house. Life was, and will be rough, but with a little faith and prayer, you will get through.
NOTES: There it is. My first Mimato is finished. Again, sorry for the length. I don't know why, but I just see Matt as a race car driver. This idea actually came to me while I was playing a game on PS2.
Anyhoo... Hope you enjoyed.
As always, reviews are appreciated.
God bless 'til next time. - R. Winner
By RyAnn Winner
DISCLAIMER: You all know it, but I guess I need to say it again. Don't own 'em. Never will.
NOTES: Well, here is my attempt at a Mimato. For some reason, I just pictured Matt doing this for a living.
Also, I don't know Matt and TK's dad's name. I couldn't find it anywhere. So, he is either Mr. Ishida or Matt or TK's dad. Their mom, I had a name for.
Ah well, enjoy.
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." - Hebrews 11:1
Matt Ishida grabbed his helmet on the way out of the garage. He adjusted his fire suit, and walked over to his car. He crawled in the car and his crew chief helped him put the steering wheel on. He made sure everything was in working order before giving his chief a thumbs up. The crew chief raised the net and latched it. Sitting there in the car, he waited for the four most famous words in motorsports.
After the prayer and the singing of the national anthem, he heard them. "Gentlemen, start your engines." When the Grand Marshall was done, Matt reached over and pushed the button that would start the engine. Soon, he was in a pack of forty-two other racers all taking the warm up lap. He heard his spotter say the pace car was pulling away. Not long after that, the race was under way. Matt felt the familiar rush of adrenaline run through his body. He began the process that would hopefully take him across the finish line first and into the winner's circle.
From her point on top of the tower, Mimi watched the race with her heart in her throat. She worried every time Matt got in a racecar. She had seen some nasty wrecks over the years, and had heard that people had even been killed on the racetrack. Her husband was good; there was no question about that. All the papers and magazines were talking about him as if he was the next Jeff Gordon. Sports Illustrated even had him on the cover of their annual race preview as "The Next Rookie of the Year".
Soon, the race had finished and Matt had finished second, only less than a half second behind the leader. Mimi left her spot and made her way down to the pits where Matt would be waiting for her.
They had been married about five years. Matt had moved to New York to pursue his music career. Not long after he arrived, he and Mimi ran into each other in a deli. They quickly realized that they didn't need long to get back to where they were before she left for America. He called her up and asked her out for that next weekend. She went out with him, and never looked back. They were married one weekend when they both went back to Japan to visit all their friends.
Also while in New York, a friend of his got him to go to a race one weekend and from then on, he was hooked. Matt wanted to start racing himself. He had actually raced some friends on the streets of Odaiba. He started racing in a small league, and gradually he had gotten good enough to advance to the Winston Cup Series. This was his first season, and it was half over. He wasn't too far behind in the point's race, and was first in points in the rookie standings. He even continued his music career during the off season.
Spotting his wife through the throngs of reporters, he wound up the interview and walked over to her.
"So, did you see me?" Reaching her, he gave her that smile that always made her knees go weak.
"Of course I did. I always watch you." She returned the smile with one that always made Matt forget what he was going to say next.
"I'm glad to know you're not watching anyone else."
"I would never." Matt noticed more reporters coming his way. He gave his wife a quick kiss and told her he would meet her in their trailer later. She walked off with a wink and a sway to her hips. Matt then promised himself the interview would be kept short.
The very next weekend, it started all again. This was one of the most popular races, and the crowds were a sell-out. There wasn't a seat open. Matt had qualified in the second position, and his goal was to gain the first position soon, and hang on to it. The green flag went down, and it wasn't long when Matt had achieved his goal. He was leading the pack, and wasn't about to let go.
After five hundred miles, he had done it. He hadn't led the whole race, but he did when it counted. He made his victory lap and headed over to Victory Lane.
Mimi had been on her feet the last five laps of the race. Matt was close to winning. He would pull away, but second would catch back up. It continued like this until the end. But the only thing that mattered, was when the checkered flag went down, Matt was ahead. Mimi screamed so loud, all their friends in Japan probably heard her. She hugged Matt's teammate's wife and ran down the stairs to meet her husband in Victory Lane.
Later, after their own private celebration, they were sitting in bed in their trailer.
"Matt, do you ever worry that something will happen to you while you are out there?" Mimi asked while absently playing with his wedding ring.
"Yeah, I do. Up until the race. During the race though, all I can think about is the race. What's going on around me and how my car's doing." He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Why do you ask?"
"I don't know. Tonight, while I was waiting for you to finish all your interviews, I got this bad feeling something was going to happen." Mimi's eyes filled with tears.
Matt kissed her temple and wiped away her tears. He hugged her tighter to him. "I can't promise nothing will happen to me, that is just a part of the sport. But, I can promise that I will do all I can to prevent that from happening."
Knowing that's all he could do, Mimi nodded her head. She still couldn't shake the feeling she had. Matt knew she was still worried, so he did what he could. He pulled her closer to him, kissed her, and then continued their celebration.
Matt had a weekend off the next weekend. It was a weekend off for all the drivers. He and Mimi went back to New York to see her parents. When they reached her parent's house, they went in the door and were surprised by what happened next.
"Surprise!!" All their friends from Japan were there.
Tai walked over to Matt and shook his hand. "We all heard you won your first big race, so we thought we would come here to tell you congratulations in person."
Mimi was in tears as she hugged all her best friends.
When hugs and greetings were finished, the couple got a good look at their old group.
It seems that Tai and Sora were as happy as they were at their wedding three years ago. TK and Kari were closer than the last time; it even looked as if there was a distinct sparkle on Kari's left hand. Ken and Yolei, though not officially together yet, looked as if they were heading closer to making it official. The others all looked pretty much the same, although slightly older.
The weekend went by quickly, too quickly for everyone's liking. Sunday came around and everyone got packed and ready to leave. They had all stayed at Mimi's parents.
At the airport, everyone said goodbye. Well, to everyone but Joe, TK, and Kari. TK and Kari were on break from college, and Joe had taken some time off work.
The next weekend, everyone went with Matt and Mimi to the race. Matt had even managed to get them pit passes. Mimi went to join the other wives, and Kari went with her. TK and Joe got to watch the race from the top of Matt's trailer. TK had watched his brother race on TV, but never live. When the green flag dropped, TK felt the same rush of adrenaline he knew his brother must have been feeling. Joe just coughed and sneezed from all the dust.
The race was a close one. Matt and two other drivers were vying for the top spot. For five laps the three of them traded the lead. It was on the next to last lap when it happened. Matt's car suddenly began to smoke. The car behind it couldn't see because of the smoke. The car behind Matt got up into the bumper of the car beside him, and that car in turn spun around into the back panel of Matt's car. The car that slid into Matt must have hit him at just the right angle, because Matt's car became airborne. After flipping two or three times, the car came to rest on its roof on the inside of the track, in the grass.
Mimi and Kari were both on their feet during the last few laps watching Matt race for the lead. When Matt started to wreck, life became slow motion for Mimi. She felt someone put an arm around her waist, and instantly knew it was Kari. She would have fallen if it weren't for the arm around her. Somehow on instinct and pure autopilot, she made her way down to the infirmary.
In the pit area, it was pretty much the same. TK was watching the race, with baited breath, for his brother to overtake the top spot and pull down a second victory. All of a sudden, time was in slow motion for him too. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at Joe and saw the comfort in the older man's eyes. Not even using the ladder, both men ran for the infirmary.
TK and Joe made it before the girls. Matt hadn't even been brought in yet. He had just been cut from his car and placed in the track ambulance. He was brought to the infirmary, just as Mimi and Kari arrived. Kari went straight for TK, wrapping her arms around him, offering all the love and support through her gestures, rather than her words. Mimi stood there, a lost look in her eyes. Joe went over to her, and wrapped his arms around her. He was offering her all the support he could give her.
After the infield doctor was through examining Matt, he walked in to where Matt's family was.
"He's unconscious. There was some trauma to his head. We're not exactly sure how much; we'll know that when he wakes up.
"He also has a broken leg, and some bruised and broken ribs. We're moving him to Memorial, which is only a short time away. He's stable, so he's safe to be moved."
"Thank you Doctor. You said he was unconscious." The Doctor nodded his head at Joe. "He will wake up?"
"We're hopeful he will. Patients like this usually do." Joe just nodded his head in agreement. Being a doctor himself, he knew the probabilities.
They got Matt loaded into the ambulance. Mimi was offered the chance to ride with him. She would only go if Joe was with her. They agreed.
Matt's crew chief offered to drive TK and Kari to the hospital in his rental car. They thanked him, very much grateful that neither one would have to drive. They didn't think they were up to it, especially since they didn't know the area very well and had too much on their minds to think clearly enough to maneuver around the strange city.
They finally made it to the hospital, and both of them ran straight for the emergency room. Mimi and Joe were already there. Mimi looked as if her whole world had come crashing down around her. It had in fact. Kari walked over to her and just put an arm around her, comforting her. TK sat beside Kari and she reached over and took one of his hands. Joe sat on the other side of Mimi, holding one of her hands. The four sat like that; just reveling in the comfort they gave each other.
Hours later, the doctor finally came out. Joe was the first to spot him. He stood, and when he did, the other three noticed and looked up.
"We set his leg and put it in a cast. All we could do for the ribs was bandage them. As for his concussion, there wasn't anything we could really do. He's still unconscious. All we can do with that is wait."
"Thank you doctor. Can we see him?"
"He's being moved to a private room at the moment, but I will have a nurse come tell you when he is settled." The doctor left the room.
Joe nodded and smiled his thanks. He turned to the others gathered there. "I'll go call the others. I know it's late there, but they'll want to know."
"Thanks Joe. I'll go call my mom and dad. Then I need to call the school and tell them Kari and I won't be back to classes for awhile." The two men left to find phones.
Kari was left with Mimi. She didn't offer any words, because she knew that wasn't what would help. Mimi and her share the same type of bond with the brothers, and she knew in a situation like this, that words would not be enough. She just continued to hold Mimi.
"Mmm...Hello?" A very sleepy Tai answered the phone.
"Tai, it's Joe."
"Joe, what's up? Why are you calling so early?" Tai was very blunt in the mornings, especially when he was woken up. Well, Tai was blunt all the time, just more so in the mornings.
"Listen, I don't really know how to say this, so I'll just come right out and say it. Matt was in an accident."
"What happened?" Tai was fully awake now.
"It happened on the track. I'm still not really sure what happened to cause it."
"How is he?"
"He suffered a concussion, so right now he's unconscious. He also has a broken leg and some broken and bruised ribs."
"We'll be there soon."
"There's no need. TK and Kari are staying and I'll be here. TK's calling his parents and I'm sure they'll be on the next available flight."
"Alright, just please keep us posted."
"Will do. I need to call everyone else now."
"No need, Sora and I will do it. You don't need to run up an even bigger phone bill. Besides, there's no way we can get back to sleep now."
"Thanks Tai, I really appreciate it."
"No problem, and thanks for calling. Bye."
"Bye."
Tai hung up and turned to Sora. He couldn't get through all of it without pausing to collect himself. With all that went on back in the digital world, he and Matt had become best friends. Sora herself was crying, but knew Tai needed the comfort more than she did. She just gathered him in her arms and held him.
TK heard the phone pick up, and before Nancy Takaishi had even said hello, he spoke.
"Mom, sorry to have woken you."
"TK, honey, are you all right? It's pretty early here."
"I know Mom. And I'm fine. It's Matt. He's been in an accident."
TK's mom didn't say anything, but TK could hear her tears.
"He's unconscious, he suffered a concussion. He broke his leg and has some broken and bruised ribs."
"My baby. I'm coming. I'll be there as soon as I can get a flight out."
"Okay Mom, I'll see you soon."
"Oh, TK, how are you holding up?"
"I'm doing alright. Kari is here, and she helps a great deal."
"I'm glad. I'm going to call the airport now."
"Sure. Bye."
"Bye, and I love you son."
"I love you too Mom."
When Ms. Takaishi heard the dial tone, she dropped the phone and slid down the wall that was supporting her. She hung her head in her hands, and started crying. Her and Matt were never as close as her and TK, but lately, they seemed to be getting closer. She couldn't believe this was happening. As soon as she recovered herself enough to talk, she called the airport and got on the next available flight.
"Hello?"
"Hi Dad, did I wake you?"
"No, I was up. I have to be in early today. What's the matter? Why are you calling at this time?"
"Well, Dad, Matt's had an accident."
"Matt....What happened?"
TK recounted the accident and the injury's again to his dad. When he was done, there was silence on the other side of the line.
"Dad..?"
"What, I'm here. Sorry, I just spaced out that's all. I'm going to get the next flight and be there as soon as I can."
"Alright. Mom's also on her way. I just talked to her."
"That's good. Bye son, I love you."
"I love you Dad." They hung up.
When Mr. Ishida placed the receiver back in it's cradle, he saw some tears fall onto his hand. He wasn't one to show emotion. He also wasn't one to tell his sons how he felt, but something like this makes you realize that you may not get another chance. He picked the phone back up and dialed the airport, then he made a call to his ex wife.
By the time Joe and TK returned to the waiting room, Mimi's parents were there. They had seen the accident on TV and rushed to be with their daughter. Mrs. Tachikawa had taken over Kari's position with Mimi. Kari was sitting across the room, so TK went over to her. He put his arms around her. He knew his fiancée. She would give comfort to anyone around her who needed it, but she would always put herself last.
A few minutes later, a nurse came by and said Matt was in his room. She told them the room number, and the group went to find husband, brother, and friend. The group said nothing as they rode the elevator up. In fact, the only thing that could be heard was the occasional sniffle.
At last they reached their destination. As one, they made their way down the stark, white, sterile hallway. 'Why do hospitals always have to seem so dreary.' TK thought to himself.
When they stood outside the door, everyone froze. They all wanted to see him, but they didn't. They didn't want to see bright, vibrant, full of life Matt lying inactive on a hospital bed. Finally, Joe and TK decided they would go in. Taking a deep breath, TK opened the door.
Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. He wasn't sure what to have expected, but not this. Matt just looked like he was asleep. Except for the leg cast, and oxygen tube, it just looked like he was taking a nap. TK walked over to him and took his hand.
"Hey bro. It's me. We're all here. Well, Joe, TK, and Kari are here. Mimi and her parents, too. Mom and Dad are on their way. Joe called Tai and Sora. They wanted to come, but Joe told them to stay there. Tai said he'd call everyone there. There's a lot of people who care for you." TK couldn't say anymore. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and smiled a watery smile at Joe.
They heard the door open and turned to look. Kari and Mimi's parents were standing there. The men motioned for them to enter. Kari went straight to TK's side and took his free hand.
"Mimi's still outside. She doesn't want to come in here." Kari told the guys. They just nodded. They understood.
TK continued to hold his brother's hand and sent up a silent prayer to watch over his brother.
It was hours later and Joe, Kari, Mimi, and her parents went down to the cafeteria to try to eat something. TK offered to stay with Matt. Kari promised she would bring him something back. He heard the door open, and thinking it was them, turned around. It wasn't them, it was his parents. He got up and went to hug both of them. When his mom had given her youngest a hug, she rushed to the bedside of her oldest. Taking his hand, in the same way TK did, she told him "Mommy's here baby." She stroked his hair back out of his face and gave his forehead a kiss.
TK and his dad went out into the hallway to give her time alone.
"How's he doing?"
"There hasn't been any change. The doctors are never sure with head injuries." TK's dad just pulled his son into a hug. It had been so long since he had held either of his boys like this. He just hoped he would get a chance to hug his oldest one again.
"How's everyone else taking it?" His dad asked him.
"Well, Kari and Joe are handling it about like I am. We're hanging in. The Tacikawas are like us. But, to be honest with you, I'm worried about Mimi. She hasn't been in to see him yet. She just sits in that chair and stares. Every now and then, a tear will run down her face, but that's it."
At that moment, Nancy came into the hall. TK's dad went in to see his son. TK hugged his mom. That's how everyone found them a few minutes later. Nancy gave Kari and Mimi hugs. She took a little longer with Mimi. TK had filled her in too.
Later, Nancy and Matt's dad told TK and the others to go get some sleep. There were some arguments at
first, but after they were reassured that someone would call them if there were any changes, they agreed. Going to the nearest motel, they got three rooms. Originally, it was supposed to be Mimi's parents in one, and TK and Joe shared an adjoining room with Kari. That didn't last long.
TK heard a faint noise. He wasn't sleeping well anyway, so the noise woke him up completely. He looked over at Joe, who appeared to be dead asleep. He laid there for a few minutes, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from. He heard it again, only this time it was louder. This time, he recognized it as coming from Kari's room.
He got out of bed and made his way to her room. They had left the door open, just in case. He walked in and saw Kari sitting up in bed with tears flowing down her face. He walked over to her bed, sat down beside her, pulled her into his arms, and held her. He didn't ask what was wrong, he knew she would tell him.
When she had calmed down enough, she told him. "I had a dream, more like a nightmare. I dreamed that Tai had had the accident, and not Matt. We were all at the hospital, but instead of surviving, like everyone told us he would, he didn't make it." Kari started crying again. TK offered her no words, just kissed her temple and rubbed her back.
TK made sure she was okay, and stood to go back to his room. Before he got off the bed, he felt Kari's hand grab his arm. He looked over at her. There were unshed tears in her eyes, making her maroon eyes glow in the soft light. "Don't go." Her eyes pleaded with him to stay.
He never could say no to her. So, he just crawled in under the covers with her, took her in his arms, and together they drifted to sleep.
At the hospital, Nancy was in the room with her son, Mr. Ishida went to get coffee, and Mimi was sitting in her chair, just staring at the door to Matt's room.
She soon felt someone wipe away the few tears she didn't even know she was shedding. She turned surprised eyes to see Joe looking at her.
"I couldn't sleep. I heard TK get up and go into Kari's room. I tried to go back to sleep, but it was useless. Besides, I felt you needed someone here."
She just nodded. She hadn't spoken since they arrived at the hospital. Now that he thought about it, Joe realized she hasn't really said anything since the accident.
He sat down beside her and just took her hand. He rubbed it lightly. There was a time when he would have given anything to go out with this girl. Shortly after she left for America, he realized it had been just a crush. Since then, every time she came back to Japan, they made it a point to get together for lunch or something. They grew close over the years, and now, he considered her his best friend. She knew things that even Izzy didn't, and they had been best friends longer than he and Mimi.
The two sat like that for a few minutes. Suddenly, Joe heard a soft whisper beside him. He turned to look at the source of the sound. Mimi was playing with her wedding ring and mumbling something. Straining his ears to hear her, he could eventually make out what she was saying.
"I had a bad feeling about this. I should have tried harder to stop him. I should have insisted he not race today. Last week, I told him I had a bad feeling. It's my fault. It's my fault."
Joe had never heard Mimi talk like that. She was usually quick to say it wasn't anybody's fault. It broke his heart to see her like this.
"Mimi, look at me." She turned tear filled amber eyes to him. "It's not your fault." He shook his head at her when she started to protest. "It's not. No matter what you say. There was no way you could have known what would have happened.
"You know Matt better than anyone. Do you honestly think you could have changed his mind? Especially on something like this. You know how he gets. Remember in the Digital World, the fight he and Tai had. Nothing could change his mind."
Mimi thought about what Joe had just told her. She realized he was right. There was nothing anyone could do to change that stubborn man's mind. She just started crying then.
"Oh, Joe, you're right. I'm just so scared. I don't know how I would make it if he wasn't around."
Joe stood up and brought Mimi with him. He gathered her in his arms. He told her, "you would be fine. There are plenty of people who care enough about you to see that you are fine. But, you're not going to have to worry about that. He will pull through. He's a survivor. We all are. Look what we have been through. We're all still here."
"Thank you. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here."
Joe smiled at her and wiped her tears away. It really was a useless gesture. As soon as he got some wiped away, more would just replace those. There were a lot of tears that needed to be shed.
"Is that why you won't go in?" Joe gently asked.
"Partly. I don't think I could stand seeing him like that. The last memory I have of him is the two of us before the race, in our trailer."
"Oh, Mims. I'm not an expert on cases like this, but I've heard that unconscious people can hear you. It won't hurt to go in there and let him hear your voice. I know if I heard that voice, I would want to come back."
Joe always knew what to say. Mimi smiled the best smile she could. Stepping back from Joe, she smoothed her hair down. She turned to the door that led to her husband. Holding her head high, she walked up to the door. Turning around, she saw Joe give her a reassuring smile. With a courage she wasn't sure where from, she pushed open the door.
Matt's mom was sitting by the bed when she heard the door open. Turning her head, she saw her daughter-in-law standing in the doorway. She knew this was the first time Mimi had been in the room. Standing up, she leaned over and gave her son a kiss on the cheek. On her way out of the room, she gave Mimi a hug.
When Mimi came further into the room, she felt her breath catch. Matt was just lying on the bed. A far different cry from the last time she had seen him. Walking over to his bedside, she sat in the chair just recently vacated by her mother-in-law. Taking his hand, she rubbed her thumb over the place where his wedding ring would have been. He had never taken it off for anything, but the hospital had taken it off for cautious measures.
Remembering what Joe had told her, she started talking to her husband. "Matt..." She had to stop and clear her throat, otherwise the tears wouldn't let her speak.
"Matt, baby, it's me. I'm here. I'm sorry I haven't been in to see you yet. I hope you understand. I just wanted to remember the last time we were together. Do you remember, the morning before the race? We had our 'pre-race ritual'.
"I miss you. So many things are going on now. TK, Kari, and Joe are still here. My parents are here. They came that night. There not here now, well Joe is, but the others are back at a hotel, sleeping. Your mom and dad are here. They arrived a few hours after my parents. They came together, can you believe that? That must mean they put aside whatever, just to come see you.
"When you wake up, I have something to tell you." She started running her fingers through his hair, brushing it back from his face. "We're going to be parents. In about six months. I found out last week. I was going to tell you after the race.
"Wake up soon, baby. I miss you. I miss your arms around me at night. I miss your kisses. Please come back to me soon." She leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek.
Mimi couldn't help the tears that were flowing. She closed her eyes. "God, help us. Help me be strong for Matt. He's usually the strong one. I don't know if I can be. Help Matt make it through this. There are a lot of people who need him. I need him, his brother needs him, his family and friends need him, and this baby needs him. We need You now more than ever."
The door opened, Mimi opened her eyes and turned around. She saw Matt's dad standing there. He walked into the room and offered Mimi the other cup of coffee he had. She took it and smiled her thanks. She never once let go of her husband's hand though.
Soon, Nancy came back in, followed by TK and Kari. Nancy walked over to Mr. Ishida. He put his arm around her shoulder. TK and Kari stood in a corner, with their arms around each other. Mimi still held on to Matt's hand. Joe had gone back to the hotel to get a shower and some rest.
The five of them sat in silence offering their own prayers. The only sound being that of the machine that helped Matt breathe.
Time passed, and it was a week later. Mimi was the only one in the room. She was talking to Matt, telling him all about the racing season, and who had sent cards and flowers. She was also telling him all about the baby. It was as she was telling him about the baby, that she felt the lightest touch in her hand. She stilled and hushed. She felt it again. Looking at the source of the movement, she saw it. Her husband's hand was slowly tightening its grip around hers.
As she was staring at their hands, she heard it. A low groan came from the bed. Tearing her eyes away from the hands, she looked toward the noise. Her eyes grew big and tears formed. Matt's eyes were slowly opening.
As soon as those blue eyes she dearly loved were fully open, she sobbed.
"Where..."
"Shh...don't talk." Mimi leaned over and hit the nurse call button. "You're in the hospital. Do you remember why?"
Matt nodded his head, and Mimi heard something that resembled "wreck". She smiled at him and leaned down to kiss his lips.
The nurse came in with the doctor and they asked Mimi to leave. When she did, she saw confused faces in the hall looking at her. She must have looked confusing, with tears and a big smile on her face.
"He's awake." Everyone jumped at the strawberry blonde. "He just woke up. As I was talking to him I felt a flutter at my hand. Then, I heard a groan. I looked at his face, and that's when I saw his eyes open. Those beautiful, blue eyes opened." She just stood there grinning. She knew she looked foolish, but she didn't care.
The doctor came out then. Everyone turned hopeful faces toward him. "I am happy to report that everything looks fine. There are still more tests to be run, but from what I just saw, he should make a full recovery."
No one could stop the smiles that spread from one person to another. TK hugged Kari, the Tachikawa's hugged each other, Joe hugged Mimi, and even Nancy and Matt's dad were hugging each other. Mimi closed her eyes and offered a quick prayer of thanks. Her husband was awake and was going to be all right.
TK had gone to make some phone calls, and Kari went with him. Everyone else went in to see Matt. Matt's parents went straight to him. There were no more tubes, so when they hugged him, he was able to hug them back. Nancy was crying, and there were tears in Mr. Ishida's eyes. They moved back and Mimi's parents got their turn to hug him.
Finally, it was Mimi's turn. She flew to him and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back as tight as he could. She pulled back from him, and he wiped her tears away. She smiled at him. This was the first real smile she had smiled in the past few weeks.
TK and Kari came back in. TK raced over to his big brother's side. He too wrapped his arms around Matt and held on. Kari was smiling gently at him. She leaned over and gave Matt a kiss on the cheek.
Everyone caught Matt up on what was going on until the nurse came in and said that visiting hours were over. They had been allowed to stay while he was unconscious, but now that he was awake, they had to leave. Everyone gave Matt one last hug and left out the door. Everyone but Mimi. She was staying the night with her husband.
After they all had left, it was just Matt and Mimi alone in the room. He motioned for her to join him on the bed. She made her way over to the bed and sat down beside him. He reached out and pulled her closer to him. She let herself be drawn into his arms. The couple just stayed like that.
"Mimi, I'm sorry." Mimi turned to look at her husband. She saw tears threatening to spill out of his eyes.
"For what?"
"For putting you through this. I promised I wouldn't get hurt. I broke it." Tears did fall then from his blue eyes.
"Oh, honey. Don't be sorry. It wasn't your fault. You only promised to do everything you could not to let anything happen to you. It was an accident. I don't blame you." Mimi wiped away his tears as Matt was wiping hers away.
Matt didn't say anything then, just took her head and guided her lips to his.
After the kiss, Matt looked at Mimi. "Mimi, where is my ring?"
"I've got it here. They took it off in case something happened. They didn't want to have to cut it off." Mimi took the ring out of her pocket, and slid it back onto her husband's finger. Both of them remembering the promises made on their wedding day.
TK and Kari came back the next day. Matt told them to go home, they had missed enough school already. Reluctantly, they agreed. They had missed enough school. They were going to leave the next weekend. TK wanted to spend some time with his brother.
Mimi had gone to the hotel to freshen up and take a nap and Kari had gone with her. Now that Matt was awake, she was less reluctant to leave him. Mimi's parents had to get back to New York and Matt and TK's parents were also at the hotel. Now, it was just TK and Matt.
Matt had to know, so he asked his brother bluntly. "TK, tell me the truth, how did Mimi handle it when I was unconscious?"
"I don't know if I should say. That's something you should ask Mimi." TK didn't want to step over any boundaries between the two of them.
"Please, I gotta know. I won't tell Mimi you told me. Hopefully, she'll tell me the truth herself, but if she doesn't..."
"Alright." TK hesitated, not sure where to begin. "She didn't speak at first. She just sat and stared into space. Only shedding one or two tears at a time. She didn't even come in here. She was too afraid to see you like that.
"I'm not really sure what happened or what Joe said, but one night while Kari and I were asleep, Joe came here to the hospital, and talked to Mimi. Like I said, I'm not sure what was said, but she came in here with you that night. A week later, you woke up. That night was also the first time she really cried." TK looked at his brother, and saw tears shimmering in his eyes. He knew how he felt. If anything he had done, directly or indirectly caused Kari any kind of pain, he would feel the same way his brother was feeling now.
"I'm sorry I caused you all so much grief."
"Don't worry. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have helped what the other drivers did."
"What happened, anyway?" Matt was still groggy when it came to the details of the wreck.
"To be honest with you, I'm not really sure. It all happened so fast. All I know is that smoke started coming from your car, and the next thing that happened was that you were flying through the air."
Matt just nodded his head.
The two brothers sat there and talked awhile. TK told Matt details concerning the wedding, school, everyone back in Japan, and other things. Matt just listened. Both were glad they were getting another chance to talk to each other.
After TK and Kari had left the next weekend, Joe was the only one remaining. He was planning on leaving the next day. He and Mimi went out for a quick dinner before he left.
While they were eating their dessert, Mimi told Joe she was grateful to him.
"It was no problem. You are my best friend. You would have done the same for me."
"Really Joe, you don't know how much you helped me through this. I'm just glad you were here. If you weren't, I don't know how I would have gotten through." Mimi's eyes started shining from unshed tears.
"You would have been okay. You're a strong woman. One of the strongest I know."
Mimi just smiled at him, and he returned it.
It was just Matt and Mimi alone in the room. They were catching up on everything that had been going on.
Mimi started crying. Matt was surprised because she had started for no apparent reason. He tightened his grip on her hand and with his other hand, brought her face so their eyes were meeting.
"Mims, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
She didn't say anything, just continued crying.
"Mimi, what is it?" Matt was getting worried now. He had never seen her like this. Yes, she would cry, but she would always tell him what was wrong. "Tell me, please." He was begging her now.
"I'm sorry." She said it so low; he had to strain to hear her.
"For what?" Matt just looked at his wife in confusion. There wasn't anything for her to be sorry for.
"Because I didn't come in here right away. It was about a day later when I finally came in here. I couldn't. I was too scared." She started again, this time even more forcefully.
"Mimi, look at me. Look at me." He had to repeat himself.
She didn't want to. She didn't want him to see the shame in her eyes. She didn't want to see the look of disappointment on his face.
"Look at me." He forced her chin up with his hand. This time, she did. She was surprised. There was no disappointment on his face. In fact, there was only love. "I don't need your apologies. There's nothing to apologize for." He brought his hand up to wipe away the tears. "I'm glad you told me. I have a confession to make. I asked TK to tell me how you handled all this. He didn't want to at first, but you know me. When I have my mind on something, you can't tell me no." He saw his wife vaguely nod and smile a small smile.
"That's alright. I'm not mad at him. I probably would have done the same thing if the situation was reversed." Mimi told her husband.
"Now, I have a confession to make." Mimi started. "I told you earlier, but I'm sure you didn't hear me." She smiled a wry smile. Mimi stopped and looked at her husband. Looking him in the eyes, she told him again. "You're going to be a father. We're going to be parents." She saw the exact moment what she said registered. His eyes gained a sparkle, making them even bluer. A wide grin split his face. If he could have jumped, he would have. "When?"
"In about five months. I found out about three weeks ago. I was going to tell you after your race, but..." She couldn't finish. Matt understood and pulled her down beside him.
He stayed in the hospital another three weeks; to give his leg and ribs time to heal. The night he came home, it was more than he expected. Instead of just him and Mimi, the house was full. Mimi's parents were there. His parents were there. Many of his fellow racers were there. They all spent a good deal of time talking and catching up. When they were gone, he made his way to his and Mimi's room, and there, he got a second surprise of the night.
Standing there, were all the destined. He couldn't believe it.
"What are you all doing here?" Matt asked surprised.
Izzy answered for them. "Mimi called and said you were coming home. So, we all got together and decided to come welcome you home."
"But it's too expensive. You shouldn't have spent so much on a plane ticket." He knew all of them, while successful in what they did, didn't need to be spending so much. Not on him.
"Nonsense. My best friend is coming home after being in the hospital. Tyrannamon couldn't have kept me away." Tai walked over to where Matt had sat down. He leaned down and gave him a hug. "I'm glad you got better." When they pulled away, Matt could have sworn there were tears in Tai's eyes.
"Besides, with a little help from the second set of destined, the trip didn't cost a penny." Joe explained.
Matt was confused, so Izzy clarified. "You see, we traveled through the Digi-world to get here."
"But I thought it was impossible."
"Apparently not. It seems Kari and the others can open a gate anytime they feel like it."
"That's right. How awesome are we?"
"Can it Davis."
"I don't want to Yolei."
"You better."
"NO." With Davis' answer, Yolei pounced on him. Everyone there just hung their head and sighed.
"Guys! Will you two just stop for one evening. We're not here to listen to you two argue. If we wanted to do that, we could have stayed in Japan. We're here to see Matt. Now stop!" Davis and Yolei looked at Sora. They both stopped pulling each other's faces and backed away from each other.
"We're sorry." They said in unison.
Matt laughed. "That's alright. It's kinda nice to have some real noise. Hospital beeps and buzzers can get quite annoying."
Everyone just smiled and started catching up. Soon, it was time to go back to Japan. Everyone said his or her good-byes. Matt and Mimi promised they would come home as soon as they could. And this time, it wouldn't be just the two of them.
"What do you mean Mimi?"
"Well Yolei, everyone, we'll be bringing the newest Ishida with us."
"You're pregnant?" A shocked Kari asked.
"Yep." All the girls squealed and jumped on the mom to be. The guys walked over to Matt and shook his hand.
"Congratulations man. I can't wait to meet 'em."
"Yeah, but when will be meeting the newest little Kamiya?" Matt teased his best friend.
"Um, not for a while yet." Tai stuttered the answer out.
All the guys laughed.
Good-byes were said one last time, and all the destined disappeared through the computer.
When they were gone, Matt gestured for Mimi to join him. When she walked over to him, he grabbed her hand and brought her down into his lap. When she was seated, he brought her head down and proceeded to kiss her. When they finally came up for air, Mimi settled into her husband's arms and put her head on his shoulder. Matt just ran his fingers through his wife's hair. Only stopping on occasion to plant feather kisses on the top of her head. The couple sat like that for who knows how long. Each was just glad to be able to revel in the feel of each other's arms around them. They had come too close to losing the chance. But now, neither would take a moment like this for granted anymore.
"I love you."
"I love you."
**seven months later**
The couple stood on the front porch, waiting for someone to answer the door. They were keeping the promise they made several months ago. They had returned home for a visit.
Matt and Mimi Ishida had been through so much the past year, but with a little faith and prayers, everything came out. Matt is now fully recovered, and racing a toned down schedule. Mimi is still scared each time Matt gets in a racecar, but she is learning to control her fears. Matt has also picked up more time with his band. In fact, they have their second CD coming out soon.
In Matt's arms is the newest member of the family, little Faith Ishida. With hair the color of her mother's and eye's the blue of her father and uncle, she will be a heartbreaker. She is her mother's living doll, and the apple of her father's eye. She, in turn, has him completely wrapped around her finger. And she's only two months old.
The couple looks up from playing with their daughter when they hear the front door open. Standing there, Tai motions for them to come in. They enter and the door shuts behind them.
Laughter and joy could be heard coming from inside the house. Life was, and will be rough, but with a little faith and prayer, you will get through.
NOTES: There it is. My first Mimato is finished. Again, sorry for the length. I don't know why, but I just see Matt as a race car driver. This idea actually came to me while I was playing a game on PS2.
Anyhoo... Hope you enjoyed.
As always, reviews are appreciated.
God bless 'til next time. - R. Winner