Author's Note: I know this chapter took a while, and I'm really, really sorry. My life's been really hectic lately. I've barely had time to work on fanfiction or even go online. Well, here's the chapter we've all been waiting for! I had a lot of fun writing this story, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I still have one chapter to go after this, which I have already written. It's kinda short, just a nice little ending to finish this up. I'll post that up when I get say, a couple nice reviews on this chapter? Pleaz?
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
I dedicate this chapter to yamatoforever. You've been with me the whole time, and I can't thank you enough for reviewing. You rock! ^_^
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I cracked my eyes open. I see seven circle round objects above me. My vision slowly focuses itself. The circles turn into heads. Digidestined heads.
"Tai? T.K.?" Ugh, my voice sounds so bad.
"Jackie, you're awake!" Everyone had tears running freely down their faces.
"What happened? Where am I?" I say.
"Um, you're in a hospital and…" Tai seems really uncomfortable. I try to think back. First it's all blank, then gradually the memories came back.
"Oh god. Where's Matt?" I ask when everything fell to place in my mind.
"He's over there." Tai reluctantly moves aside, knowing that nothing he said would prevent me from thinking about Matt. I sit up and instantly my head began to spin. Tai gently pushed me back down.
"You've been here for about six hours-" Tai started.
"We were so worried about you!" Mimi said. T.K. just climbed into my bed in put his arms around me. Kari had her hand wrapped around her big brother's arm. Sora, Izzy, and Joe were standing around my bed smiling.
"When you called me I was really freaked out. I called the police and told them to send an ambulance. Then I ran over to Matt's apartment. I thought I saw smoke coming from the side so I ran over to check it out. Then I saw the ladder. I guess he wouldn't let in huh?" Tai says.
"Yeah. Don't even start with the breaking and entering stuff. I had no other choice." I said.
Tai smiles then continues. "I climbed into the apartment and saw that the kitchen was on fire. The smoke was everywhere. I was afraid something really bad had happened to you guys. Then I saw Mr. Ishida throw you against the wall. I came running into the room and we fought for a while. I gave him what he deserved. No one hurts my friends and gets away with it." Tai smiles victoriously. Matt's Dad must've been beat up pretty bad. No one messes with Taichi Kamiya. Never doubt the powers of Friendship!
"The police broke down the door. They immediately arrested Mr. Ishida. The firemen came in next and put out the fire. Then ambulance people came in with stretchers and loaded you two on them. Matt had blood all over his shirt and you weren't waking up. I was scared. Really scared. It was the first time I ever felt like that." Tai looked really shaken. I reached up and hugged him.
"Thanks Tai. You saved our lives."
"I didn't do that much-" Tai started to object.
"Yes you did. I don't even want to think what would've happened to us if you hadn't showed up. Right guys?" I asked the rest of the team.
"Yeah!" Chorused everybody. "To our Leader, Tai!" Cried Sora.
"Hip, hip, hooray!" Cheered all of us. I started coughing.
"Are you ok?" Asked T.K. still on my bed.
"I'm fine." I tried to reassure everyone between coughs.
"I suggest you let her rest." Said an unfamiliar voice. I stopped coughing.
"Who's he?" I asked.
"I'm Dr. Thomas." He was a tall skinny man, looking to be in his early thirties. He seemed nice enough, I decided. "You breathed in a bit of smoke. Not enough to do any lasting harm but you should rest. You have various bruises on your body. They should heal with time."
"That's great, but what about Matt? Is he gonna be ok?" I asked. The Digidestined all looked expectantly at Dr. Thomas.
"Well, we stitched up his shoulder and that should heal eventually. For some odd reason he seemed to have a high fever, strep throat, and his lungs were congested. Some form of pneumonia, I think. His fever broke a few hours ago, and we have him on the respirator because he still hasn't begun to breathe by himself. We gave him medicine for his throat and in a couple of days that should be completely gone. Although he will be very weak." Dr. Thomas pauses.
"Onii-chan's gonna be ok?" Asked T.K.
"He lost a lot of blood. If he can wake up and start breathing he'll be fine, but he's showing no signs of that." The doctor says remorsefully.
"There *is* a way of making him breathe right?" Demanded Tai.
"Right now we think it's best to just let him rest and recover before we try anything. Maybe he'll start breathing by himself tomorrow. You never know." Dr. Thomas hopefully. He leaves the room just as Ms. Takaishi and Mrs. Kamiya enter.
The expression on Mom's face seemed relieved at first, but then it suddenly turned angry.
"I don't understand Jackie! If you knew about this, *why* didn't you *tell* someone? I know Matt had a problem with the I-don't-want-anyone-to-think-I'm-weak thing, but you! I thought *you* were *responsible* enough, *smart* enough, to make good decisions. But no…you put *your* life in danger and *Matt's* life in danger. How could you be so *stupid*?! You could've gotten yourself killed! You and Matt are only in this hospital because of your stupidity. I-" Shouted my Mom.
"Shut up." Said Tai coldly.
"What?" Said my Mom incredulously.
"You heard me. Shut the hell up." Tai stood in front of my bed with his arms crossed.
"Jackie did everything she could to protect Matt." Said Kari from her brother's side.
"You should be very proud of her." Said Joe, going to stand next to Kari.
"Instead you start yelling at her." Said Izzy, standing by Joe.
"Onii-chan is alive because of Jackie." Said T.K., jumping off the bed and standing next to Tai.
"You are lucky to have a daughter like her." Said Sora, standing next to T.K.
"And Matt is lucky to have her as a friend." Said Mimi, from Sora's side.
"As are we. No one insults our friends!" The Digidestined said as one.
"Thanks you guys." I smiled, with tears in my eyes. "You are the best friends in the entire world. Real and Digital." Everyone turned to face me.
"Group hug!" Yelled the Leader. Everyone crashed together on my bed. I hugged everyone, and in the end we all ended up on the bed, somehow.
"Actually, Nancy, Jackie did tell someone. She told me." Said Mrs. Kamiya from the door. She walked into the room and hugged me. "I'm glad you're alright honey." She sits on my bed, holding Kari.
My Mom fell to her knees. "Oh I'm so sorry! I had no idea. I don't know what was wrong with me. You are right. All of you are right. I'm very proud of you Jackie."
"It's alright Mom. Thanks." I say. "That reminds me. How did my Mom and all you guys know what happened? I thought only T.K., Tai, Kari, and Mrs. Kamiya knew."
"I called everyone from the hospital. The nurse told me to call your family and my family, which I did. Then I called the rest of the Digidestined. Jim, Joe's brother, drove them here. He should be coming to pick you guys up again soon." Tai says. As if on cue, Jim strides into the room.
"Jackie! I'm glad you're ok." He smiles. "Now the rest of you have to go home before your parents start to worry."
"We're coming." Joe, Izzy, Sora, Mimi say reluctantly. They all leave and it's only left with us.
"Tai, Kari, I think we should be going too. Jackie needs her rest and you two haven't had dinner." Says Mrs. Kamiya. Tai's stomach growls. Everyone bursts out laughing.
"I guess you're right." Tai stops by Matt's bedside before leaving. "You're Da Man, remember? You always end up ok, no matter what. Don't make this an exception." He squeezes Matt's hand then follows his sister and his Mom out the door.
"T.K. we should go too." Said Mom.
"No! I wanna stay with Jackie and Matt. Please Mommy?" Asked T.K.
"But T.K. this is a hospital. You don't want to bother the doctors, do you? We can come back tomorrow, ok?" She says.
"No, I wanna stay here!" T.K. whines.
"T.K., you can't. Now come here like a good little boy and let's go." Says Mom. T.K. bursts out crying.
"Aww, T.K. It's ok, don't cry. You can stay here with us." I hug T.K. while he cries.
"Really Jackie?" He looks up hopefully.
"Of course. You can share a bed with me, just like we used to before we got separate rooms. Now wipe away those tears." I say playfully.
"Yes sir! I mean ma'am. I mean girl. Wait!" T.K. bursts out laughing. I start tickling him.
"Sir? Ma'am? Girl? What are you talking about T.K.?" I ask as I tickle him.
"Stop, stop! Mercy!" Cries T.K. between giggles.
Mrs. Takaishi's POV
As I watch my son cry and be comforted by Jackie, I realize how much she means to him as a big sister. I know I've been calling her my daughter, but I guess I haven't really meant it. Those Digidestined kids really are an amazing bunch. They taught me a lot just by each kid saying one line. They taught me of their friendship, their love, their loyalty, their compassion. They taught me how wrong I was to yell and they showed me how to fix it. Now my son's screaming for mercy from…my daughter. I can say it now, with meaning. I think I *will* let him stay here tonight.
"T.K.?" Jackie stops tickling him and both heads turn towards me. "I think you can stay here tonight."
"Yay! Thanks Mommy!" T.K. runs over and hugs me. I pick him up and go sit by Jackie. I set him down on the bed.
"Hey honey. Are you ok?" I ask.
"Yeah." She says. I think she feels kind of uncomfortable around me now. Good job Nancy! Look what you did.
"Jackie I'm so sorry about what I said before. I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me." I apologize.
"It's ok Mom, I forgive you." She says.
"Really?" I ask not quite believing that it was that easy.
"Really." Jackie smiles and we hug.
"Well I have to go. T.K., be good. Bye!" I say walking out of the room.
"Bye!" We said together.
Jackie's POV
After she left I asked T.K., "Do you wanna go sit on your brother's bed?"
"Will we hurt him?" T.K. asked.
"As long as we don't touch any of those tubes and stuff I don't think we will. Besides I think we'll do more good than harm because he'll know we're here for him." I answer.
"Ok! But Jackie can you get up?" He asked.
"Seeing that there's nothing keeping me down, and there no doctors around, let's risk it." I grin. "I feel fine." We walk over to Matt's bed and we sit down next to him. He's so pale. Oh Yamato, please wake up. Please be ok. I'm sorry, so, so sorry. I wish…I wish…none of this had ever happened.
"Matt…" Two wet spots appeared on the sheets. No, I can't be weak now, I can't let T.K. see me like this. I have to be strong, if not for me, at least for him. I hastily wipe away my tears. T.K.'s on Matt's other side holding his hand.
T.K.'s POV
I watched Jackie sit by Matt. I don't think she knows, but I could hear what she was thinking. I think she's too distracted to block her thoughts. Even if I couldn't hear her I could tell by the expression on her face. I saw the tears fall and the move of her hand as she wiped them away.
Oh onii-chan, Jackie's crying for you, the Digidestined came and they all cried for you. Please hear our wishes and wake up. I-I love you and I miss you. What am I gonna do without you? How could I possible go on without you?
I tried to stop my tears from falling but they did anyway. Jackie came over and put her arms around me. No words were said, we just sat there and hoped.
A doctor came in and yelled something at us. I wasn't paying attention. Jackie stood up and I put my arms in the air. She leaned over and picked me up. I buried my head in her shirt and I cried. We lay in bed and I snuggled close to her. I cried myself to sleep that night.
Jackie's POV
Poor T.K. I took him close as he went to sleep. Please be ok Matt… I wished as I fell asleep.
"Onii-chan, onii-chan!" I awoke to T.K.'s mumbling. "No, don't leave me. No!"
"Shh…It's ok. Matt's not gonna leave you. I'm not gonna leave you. We're all right here for you." I put one arm around T.K., and used the other arm to pull up the blanket. T.K.'s breathing slowing went back to being steady and relaxed. I fell back to sleep.
The next day the Digidestined came back, but Joe had to go to summer school, Sora had work in the flower shop, and Tai had a soccer game. They all came for a little while to see Matt, then they went off to their separate activities. Kari came and convinced her Mom to let her stay with us until Tai's soccer game was over. Her and T.K. went off somewhere then came back and sat by Matt. Mimi came to talk to me, but she had to leave because her parents were going out. No one's heart was in to anything they did. Everyone's mind and heart was on this one boy, the Chosen Child of Friendship.
The next day I was allowed to go home, but I refused. T.K. and I were gonna stay in Matt's room until he went home.
Mrs. Takaishi's POV
I was at work when I got a call from the hospital. They had asked me to come down to the hospital to make some decisions and to see someone.
"Ms. Takaishi. The doctors and I have come to an agreement. We feel that it would be best to take Matt of the respirator." Said a doctor in a billowing white uniform. I didn't bother to figure out which one it was. We were in Matt's room sitting around his bed.
"What!!!" Screamed Jackie, T.K., and Kari all at once.
"Why on earth would you want to do that?" I asked.
"Because right now Matt's living off this machine. There is no way that he is going to start breathing by himself while he's still dependent on it. If we take him off, maybe he would force himself to start breathing. It's the best chance you have." The doctor explains.
The children huddle together in a group. "What do you think?" Asked Kari.
"I dunno. I'm scared, but if what the doctor said is true…" Jackie starts.
"I say we should." T.K. states firmly. "If it's the best chance we got I say we go for it and hope for the best." He lifts out a gold tag with the crest of hope in it. Jackie and Kari smile in recognition of the crest.
"If you say it's a good idea, I agree with you. After all Hope and Light go together as one." Said Kari, pulling out her pink crest.
"Right. Maybe he'll feel our Hope, Light, and Compassion and that'll help him through his pain." Jackie said pulling out her own silver crest.
They lifted their heads and they said together as one, "Let's do it."
"But wait I'm gonna call the Digidestined." Jackie pulls out her cell phone and proceeds to call all their closest friends, the kids who came together to save the worlds.
"Ms. Takaishi, do you agree with the children's decision?" The doctor asks.
"Yes I do." I said shakily but firmly.
Ten minutes later five kids burst into the hospital room.
"They didn't do it yet did they?!" Shrieked Mimi.
"No, I made them wait." Said Jackie, lifting a tearstained face.
Jackie's POV
I know I agreed with T.K. and Kari, but I'm so worried. What if…what if… Oh Matt, just be ok. God, these stupid tears. I wonder if my face will ever be dry again. Tai's walking over here, leading the rest of them.
"Tai…" I stand up. He puts his arms around me.
"It's ok. It's ok. Matt will be ok. Come on don't cry, you'll make me cry!" He says softly, then grins.
"Thanks Tai." I wipe away my tears.
"Does anyone want to be the one who does it?" Asked the doctor. Nine heads shake violently. The doctor sighs before walking over and pulling the plug.
The machine suddenly goes flat-lined.
It was deadly silent. It was as if no one drew breath. Kari started crying into her big brother's shirt, while everyone else was standing still as stone.
If Hope and Light go together as one, and that power is supposed to save everything, then why did Matt die? Maybe – Maybe my Light isn't strong enough.
I lost one. I lost a team member. I was supposed to make sure everyone got out ok. I – I failed.
No, this can't be happening. Onii-chan, you can't leave me! You promised to always be there for me…please don't go.
This – This isn't for real. I can't let this happen. Matt…
I gaze around the room. T.K. was holding on to Matt's hand, Kari was crying, Tai was crying, everyone had tears running unchecked down their faces.
What's gonna happen to all of us without you? Your little brother, your best friend…The Digidestined aren't anything but a bunch of people thrown together without Friendship to bind them. I can't, I won't, I refuse to let this happen!
My crest flares and I'm engulfed in a silver glow. I feel the Digidestined's stunned eyes upon me. I don't know what's happening, but I know it's good. I feel…so much energy.
An angel appears in the middle of the room. "I am the Digital entity that told you of your connection. Now I see that Compassion has found her power. She is allowed to give her energy for any cause she wishes."
"But how did she find her power?" Asked Tai, as everyone except T.K. and Kari looked on in confusion.
"It has always been there, young Guardian of Courage. In order to access it, she had to understand the deepest, fullest meaning of her Crest and of herself. She was willing to do anything to end the suffering and pain you all felt."
I understood now. I gathered all the energy I had and wished on it. I wish that Yamato Ishida would be alive again. I felt the energy leave my body and settle on Matt, making him have an aura of silver. I hope I did good.
Tai's POV
I kinda understood what the entity just said, but as I was trying to process that information, Jackie seemed to take her silvery glow and give it to Matt.
What did that do?
She collapses on the floor, the entity disappears, and doctors rush into the room.
"Jackie!" I picked her up and gently laid her on her bed. "Jackie? Wake up…" I said shaking her. The doctors pushed me aside and started doing all these tests on her.
Then I heard a beep.
I ran to Matt's bedside, as did all of my team. It was a miracle. Matt was breathing. The doctor was saying something about him being legally dead for ten minutes.
"But…but it's not possible. It's a-a miracle!" Stammered the doctor.
"Of course it is! This is Yamato Ishida we're talking about here!" I said grinning. I was practically dancing around the hospital room.
"I don't understand what happened to her. The tests say she collapsed from exhaustion. From lack of energy?" Another doctor said from Jackie's bed.
"I get it now!" Exclaimed Izzy. We looked at him. "The entity said that in order for her to find her power she had to understand the full meaning of her crest. Remember when she became engulfed in a silver light? I believe that was when she found her power. The entity said she could give up her energy for any cause she wishes. I gather that she gave her life energy to Matt so he could live. That's why the doctors say she collapsed from her lack of energy." Explained the young genius.
"So Matt's alive from Jackie's energy?" Asked Sora.
"Precisely." Answered Izzy.
"And you couldn't just say that!" Yelled and laughed Tai.
"But she's gonna be ok right?" T.K. asked in a soft voice.
"Of course she will! Your brother and sister have that same protective stubbornness that got them into this mess and that will get them out again." I said happily.
Matt's alive, Jackie's gonna be ok, and our team was one again.
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