Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, I'm not a Digimon God, I'm just a student.
Warning: Taito, swear words, some drug issues... Stay away, kids.
I made small corrections to Chapter 6, namely took away the lemon, but the fic is still rated R. Eventually, I'll post the whole fic on Mediaminer.org, but I don't think anybody will miss that lemon. It was RenxYamato anyway.
Ages:
Taichi, Yamato, Teishirou - 13
Hikari, Takeru - 10
Akiji, Gozoku - 23
Ren - 16-17 - not sure and who cares?
- What's Wrong With Being a Blonde -
Chapter 9

(Taichi's POV)

The sky was milky white, wrapping the city in mist. It was cold, the sun hadn't come up yet to wake the metropolis up. The hospital was noisy despite early morning hours. Shivering, two boys sat in the hall, waiting for they didn't know what.

"Yamato," Taichi whispered in his friend's hair. Tsunomon and Koromon worriedly nudged their knees. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Yamato took Taichi's hand. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything. I'm always getting us into trouble."

Taichi looked into his eyes. "It's okay now. You're safe. That's all that matters…" His eyes flickered to Yamato's lips and the boy turned his head away uneasily. "It's okay," he whispered and leant onto his shoulder. His body was so warm and peaceful, he felt comforted just lying there in his arms. Taichi forgot about his aching ribs for a single moment. //I'll make you happy again, Yamato. I'll do everything to make you happy,// he thought.

A small crowd burst through the doors and Taichi looked up to see the worried faces of his parents and Hikari. Teishirou was there, as well as Ishida Hiroaki and Takeru. Several doctors and police officers accompanied them. The small hall was at once full of people and Taichi's head began swimming from the loud voices.

"Taichi!" Teishiro said anxiously. He was shoved aside by Yagami Yuuko, who rushed to her son, sobbing.

"Yamato!" his father caught him in his arms. He studied his son's tight face: he suddenly realized that his little Yamato had grown up over the last two years. Takeru hugged his brother who was clearly embarrassed by that display of affection. Takaishi Natsuko was nowhere in sight.

"Oh my poor child!.." his mother wept. Taichi tried to get away, uncomfortable. He was a big boy already. Hikari was crying and asking if he was all right. Taichi felt light-headed and the room was suddenly fading out of focus.

"Koromon!" Hikari kneeled near the chair and lured the confused digimon into her lap. "Tsunomon!" She hugged them. "You helped them, right? Thank you."

"Taichi!" his father strode up to him and tore him away from his wife. "Taichi, why didn't you tell us?!"

The brunette glanced at Yamato and Teishiro, who shrugged and scratched his head guiltily, and said, "Tell what?"

"Why didn't you call the police?!" his father almost yelled. "It could have cost you your life!" Taichi noticed that his father's hands on his shoulder were shaking. He felt very tired now and every breath he took echoed with dull pain in his chest. The doctors steadied him when he almost fell over. A police officer grabbed his shoulder.

"Who did this to you?" he asked steadily.

"Don't tell them anything!" nearly hysterical voice cried across the room. Yamato. Taichi turned to him wondering why he would say that. His father tried to calm him down but Yamato smacked his hands away from his shoulders and fought the doctors who stood patiently by his side.

"Come on, we need to check on you," the doctor was steadily drawing the blonde boy away.

"Let me go! I'm okay!" he panicked and grabbed Takeru's hand. "Don't touch me!"

"Yamato, they'll help you..." his father tried to persuade his struggling son.

"I'm OKAY!!" yelled the blonde with tears in his eyes. The doctors tugged on his arms and he almost collapsed, a painful expression crossed his face.

"Yamato!" the brunette shouted.

"Yamato, they'll help you," his father repeated again in shock.

"Please, oniisan!"

"Who did this? Give me the name!" the police officer demanded again but Taichi only spared him an irritating glance. //Yamato..//

"Come on, Taichi," the nurse coaxed and Hikari nodded, pulling her brother to the door where he could be healed.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Yamato shouted.

The doctors led Taichi away. It has been awhile before they released him. They checked him twice, gave him some disgusting medicine, checked him again, put some bandages on his wounds, took his blood, gave him some more medicine, finally left him with Hikari and his parents in a little ward with a bed. Taichi wanted to sleep and to know where Yamato was.

"Where.. Yamato?" he asked Hikari. His tongue was rolling heavily in his mouth. They must have given him some kind of sedative. His parents were in a mess; his mother was crying by the window. Taichi would have shaken his head if he could. //They act as if I'm dying!//

"They're still checking him," Hikari said. "Oh, Taichi, you scared us so much! Teishirou called and said you were fighting yakuza!"

Taichi frowned and hazily thought that he'd kill Teishirou for that.

"And Koromon?"

"I and Takeru hid them in the car."

"I want to sleep..."

"Okay.. Sleep, oniisan... "

The voices faded away immediately as soon as he closed his eyes. Was this the end to his battle? Did they finally win? //I want to see Yamato...// he thought. Then the thoughts whirled about in his head and the events of the night were dimmed and scattered away by deep sleep.

***

Ishida Hiroaki stared wordlessly down at the pad and his mind blocked the doctor's words completely. He didn't understand why it was so but the pad said that his son was at least raped. It said that he needed the help of psychologist and had to be treated immediately.

"But…" The man looked up at the waiting doctor. "Who did it to my son?" he asked in shock. There was no way that something like that could have happened to Yamato. His poor son… //What kind of father I was?!// he asked bitterly.

"I know who did it," said a voice from the corner of the room. "I need you to sign that paper and I'll start a case against that.. man."

There was a silence as the doctor ignored the policeman and flipped through his pad. Yamato's father slowly processed the information.

"Do you accept the help of our psychologist?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah…" Ishida nodded absently.

"The other boy's parents already signed the paper. Look, I'll find that man and send him to prison.." the man in the uniform said nervously, playing with the paper roll.

"Yeah, okay…"

"And I can question your son?" he added hopefully. The man nodded without really hearing him.

"Yeah…"

The policeman strode out of the room and the annoyed doctor watched him leave.

"Your son denies everything," he said carefully. "He needs time to realise what happened to him. There is someone he wants to see. Yagami Taichi. His friend?"

Ishida-san raised his head and nodded. //I wasn't a good father… And he doesn't even need me anymore…//

"I think Taichi has already woken up. I'll make necessary arrangements," the doctor exited the room, leaving astonished and disbelieving father behind.

***

The officer was rocking on a chair beside his bed in a small hospital room.

"Yamato-kun," he started patiently. "You have to tell us everything."

"I have NOTHING to tell!" the blonde snapped from his bed. He stared at the bedsheets. They were a mild shade of green and looking at them, he felt the anger and confusion leave him. But that man in the uniform, he was bringing it all back... Pain, misery, shame.

"Alright, then sign this paper," the officer said. The legs of the chair landed on the floor and with a start Yamato realized the policeman had stood up. He sank deeper into his pillow and held his breath. He only wanted to forget, why didn't that man let him forget everything? Forget about Ren?!

"Give us the name of the man who did this to you."

Sickness rose in the back of his throat. If only his father were here. Takeru. Gabumon. Taichi. Anyone but this monster in the uniform. Yamato swept the room with his eyes and his breath quickened.

"He didn't do anything to me.." he muttered, fighting the tears.

"You were raped."

"NO!" Yamato screamed.

"Yamato, doctors checked you and know you were. Stop denying it."

The blonde hit his fists on the blanket.

"I was NOT!"

"All you have to tell me is the name and I'll make sure he'll be punished."

Yamato frantically threw the blanket off his legs and swung them off the side of the bed. He turned his face to the man.

"NO!!"

"Two words, Yamato," the officer stepped to him. The blonde grabbed the blanket and stared at him with wide eyes. He shook his head in protest.

"Think about other boys who he might rape!" the officer insisted. Yamato froze inside. //Takeru..// A shocking thought ran through his head like a bolt of lighting and he felt empty.. //If he touches Takeru…//

"We need your evidence..."

//Ren is a psycho.. Get rid of him.// Yamato shook his head unable to speak and shaking with terror. //Takeru... Ren... No, I was NOT!...//

"No, he didn't do anything. He was..."

"Who? Hakada Ren? Both you and I know that he did it! Say it and I'll hunt him down! I want you to say this name aloud. Hakada Ren. Say it!"

Yamato moaned. His hand covered his eyes. "Go away."

"Do you want other boys to be raped as well, Yamato?" the officer demanded. He put his hand on the boy's shoulder. The blonde sprang up and dashed away to the end of the bed.

"Don't touch me!!" he screamed hysterically.

"Say his name…"

"I wasn't!! You lie!" He was shaking with anger or terror - there was no telling it. "Go.."

"Just give me the NAME! Hakada Ren!!" the officer interrupted him and took a step to the frenzied little blonde. Yamato backed away, breathing like a hunted animal. A window was behind him. The door to the hall was across the room, hidden by the stout figure of the advancing man…

//Taichi… Where's Taichi…// A small panic seized his brain.

"Say it and I won't ask you anything else.. If you officially admit the fact of the rape by Hakada Ren, he would face the court."

"I wasn't…" Yamato shook his head. The door… //Taichi…//

"You were, Yamato!"

The blonde licked his dry lips and glanced at the door. //Taichi, help me..// The officer came up to him and Yamato reacted instantly - he darted past him to the door.

"Wait, you! Stop right there!"

The blonde struggled with the doorhandle, opened it, and ran into the empty hall. The man nimbly followed, shouting for him to stop. Helplessness getting a sickening grip on his heart, Yamato ran as fast as he could down the hall that was distressingly empty.

"Taichi!"

"Stop!! Say that damned name! It was Ren, wasn't it?!"

Was he getting closer? Yamato threw a look over his shoulder. He bumped painfully into somebody and that somebody grabbed his shoulders and forcefully held him in place.

"Hey, Yamato!" said the familiar voice. After a brief moment of complete panic, Yamato looked up and recognized Akiji. The officer halted momentarily.

"Ogata," he said tiredly.

"If it isn't officer Tanaka," murmured Akiji far too pleasantly. "Hunting Ren-san again?"

"YAMATO!!"

Taichi appeared swiftly round the corner and limping ran up to his friend. Yamato grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight.

"Tai.."

"I need that blonde boy. Let him go, Ogata."

Akiji pressed Yamato to his chest with his hand. "Yamato needs rest."

"After what your maniac of a yakuza did to him?" the officer snorted. Taichi scowled at him. It was the same policeman that was bugging him and his parents in the morning. And now he was hurting his Yamato!

Taichi felt Akiji tug on his shirt as the young man started to lead them away. "Let's get out. He's mad," he said cheerfully to the boys. The policeman became red in the face.

"Your young yakuza will end up in jail!" he shouted to his back.

In the reception room Akiji sat Yamato and Taichi in the chair. Two nurses passed them frowning down on the accurate bandages on Taichi's forearms.

"What did you tell him?"

Taichi looked over at Yamato, who was still in shock, and decided to answer for both of them.

"Nothing."

"Good."

"What are you doing here, Akiji-san?" the brunette asked.

"I've come to check on Ren."

Yamato started hauntingly at the name.

"Ren?" Taichi growled. "Where is he?!"

"He's here. Intensive Care Unit. He is in coma."

Yamato gasped painfully. "What?!"

"Overdose of heroin."

The boys froze.

Akiji had been kneeling before them, now he stood up and shook his head sadly. "We nearly lost him… I didn't even know he had heroin on him! I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch who sold him that fucking shit! Hell, when I saw him I thought he was dead…"

Taichi looked over at Yamato and there was horror in his eyes. "Ren's.. a junkie?!" he said with difficulty.

A nurse came up and said something to Akiji.

"Come on, I've been cleared. Let's go," the young man said.

"Where?"

"To see Ren."

Taichi shook his head determined to stay in the hall, but Yamato pulled him up.

"What are you doing, Yama?"

"I don't know."

Akiji led them quickly through the labyrinth of passages. The brunette was glaring at his blonde, failing to understand why he wanted to see the man who did.. this to him.

"How did it happen?" Yamato asked emotionlessly. The details didn't interest him, obviously, he disliked the man, but he wanted to know if Ren tried the drug because of him. He didn't want him to die, but not because he was forgiving. Taichi could understand this; if Ren died Yamato would never forget him, and that would be unbearable… He squeezed his hand in reassurance.

"He was in his room, locked the door. We thought he was asleep - he had some alcohol after Gozoku brought him back… Gozoku was worried, he told me he could smell heroin, and we broke in…" Akiji took a deep breath. "There was nothing we could do. It was narcotic shock and then he stopped breathing… I tried to revive him, but he was already in coma." He shook his head and stopped before a door that was guarded by a yakuza. "And I think," he added, "I think he did this on purpose…"

"Ogata!"

A doctor with a funny beard hurried to them.

"Kuwashima!" Akiji turned to him. "It's been ages, man! You're a doctor now?"

"Nope, not yet. I wasn't the brightest student as you know."

"You heard about Hakada?"

"Yep, his father is coming here."

Akiji cringed.

"Is Sei there?"

"Sure, but he wouldn't let anyone in."

The doctor glanced pointedly at the two boys.

"I won't go in!" Yamato panicked and grabbed Taichi's elbow. The door opened. Gozoku appeared in the doorway. Taichi looked at him and the young yakuza stared back..

"You!" Gozoku started towards him, his hand diving beneath his jacket.

"SEI!" Akiji and another yakuza threw him back at once.

"Are you crazy, Sei? There is pol…"

"I'd like very much to see what happens next," interrupted a smug voice down the hall and smirking officer Tanaka walked up to them. "By the way, Ogata, you would know that Japanese laws don't approve of storing drugs? And I heard, it was heroin, huh?"

"Get out," Gozoku growled.

"Wonder, you're still alive. I was hoping I would be fishing for parts of you in the gutter this morning, just after I heard you failed your job…"

"Sei!" Akiji pushed the young man into the ward and gestured Taichi and Yamato to follow immediately. Their only choice was to stay outside with a crazed policeman who would question them, and so they retreated into the ward.

"He's right, I failed, Akiji!" the young man grabbed his head and walked up to the bed that contained something that was covered with wires and tubes. "I don't deserve to live. If Ren dies, I'll die too."

"Cut the crap, Sei. You will stay with him."

"Ren is DYING now, okay?! And if he won't die, he can be paralyzed all his life, or will be blind, or deaf!…"

"Stop being pathetic. He'll be fine." Akiji went to the bed to check the half-visible figure of the unconscious boy under the covers. "He'll be fine…" he repeated dully.

"He was never fine. I couldn't make him fine!"

He needs you."

"He needed HIM!" The man turned and furiously pointed to Yamato.

"Leave the boy alone." Akiji put his hand on Yamato's shoulder. "I'll go get them out before Ren's father sees him…"

At this the door opened and a stout big man dressed in a white suit, strode in. He was accompanied by a group of serious-looking men in shirts and jackets. They lined around the room at once and stood still. Taichi unconsciously pulled Yamato closer.

"Hakada-san," Akiji and Gozoku bowed. Akiji cast a worried glance at the two boys by the window. Gozoku bowed lifelessly.

"You're still alive?!" boomed the man and pointed at the bowed yakuza. "After what you did to my son?!"

Gozoku didn't straighten his shoulders. He looked like he had been waiting for this, and he didn't hope to escape his punishment.

Akiji nervously stepped out. "Hakada-san," he said. "I told him to keep his life - for Ren."

"Get out of my way!" The man came up to the bed and looked down at the pale form under the blanket. Taichi didn't like the man at all. Now he understood why - he looked a lot like Ren. As he was staring down at his son, his face was unreadable. After a few moments of complete silence he turned sharply to the two boys.

"Who are they?!" His voice was intimidating. Akiji opened his mouth but was shoved aside. The man peered closely at Yamato. "That … blonde!"

"Hakada-san!" Akiji said fearfully. He was afraid for the boys now.

"It's you who made my son like this!"

Taichi sprang to stand in front of Yamato, pushing his friend back to the window and warily glancing at all the yakuza.

"Kill them, Gozoku," ordered the man.

Then a voice spoke out in the room.

"It's not my fault, Hakada-san," Yamato raised his face.

"What did you say?"

"You heard him!" Taichi said angrily. He gave a furious touch-me-and-you'll-die glare to all the men in the small room.

"I'm sorry about Ren, I didn't want him to end up like this," Yamato said. His shoulders twitched. "But it's not my fault… I didn't choose to stay with him…"

Taichi gave another death glare and started to pull Yamato who was unpleasantly shaking now, from the ward. The man Hakada watched them go sullenly. A yakuza barred the door and Taichi clenched his fist.

"If you try to do anything funny to Yamato, you all are going down that window," he informed the yakuza darkly. Ren's father smirked.

"You're a cheeky lad but do you think your threats can be taken seriously?"

"I'm a very serious guy, Hakada-san," Taichi said. The man grinned and pulled out a cigarette out of the inner pocket of his white jacket.

"Hakada-san, it isn't allowed to smoke here," Akiji said nervously.

"Shut up."

Yamato took an angry step to the yakuza.

"Are you mad?" he said. "You're going to smoke here while your son can't even breathe by himself?! He's your SON!"

Ren's father frowned and handed the cigarette to Akiji. "You two are nuisance. I heard you used some secret weapons against my men. What were these weapons?"

"These were our friends," Taichi told him and pulled Yamato to the door again. "Let's go, Yama, your father will be worried. Come on, you have to speak to the doctor too."

Yamato was glaring at the man who frowned back.

"Let them go," Hakada said finally. "And the cheeky one with bushy hair, when you get older, consider joining my gang."

Taichi made a serious face and gave it some thought just to show the yakuza that he really considered the generous proposition. "That was very kind of you, but no. I'm going to be a famous soccer player. Thank you very much."

Yamato smiled - for the first time that day, perhaps. The yakuza chuckled. "Good luck then," he said and the boys were out of the gloomy ward that very instant.

The bartender hushed them down the hall. No word was exchanged between the three of them.

***

In the main hall Mrs. Yagami was looking for Taichi to remind him that he had to take some medicine. The brunette said okay and turned to Akiji for explanation.

"Why did you call him Sei?"

"Because Gozoku is not his real name."

"You know Ren's father?"

"Unfortunately," was the curt reply.

"Is Ren a junkie?" Taichi asked. They found a quiet corner and occupied the only couch there. Yamato stared into space. He stayed silent, either thinking about something or simply horrified by what was happening around him and pulling all his defenses around himself again. It would take time to heal.

"Look, I don't think I have the right to tell you anything…"

"We have the right to know!" the child of Courage said stubbornly.

"Okay." There was a long silence. "You don't know why Ren fell in love with Yamato, right?" Akiji sighed. "He likes blondes."

Taichi snorted. Yamato shivered. "I don't want to be like this. What's wrong with me? What's wrong if I'm a blonde?" he said. His partner drew him closer and kissed his soft hair.

"You're the best," Taichi murmured. The blonde closed his eyes. He relaxed a bit into his embrace as if the boy beneath him was a pillow.

"He likes blondes. His mother was blonde. She was American," Akiji continued ignoring their reaction. "She lives in Texas with her husband and her second son. That's all I know. Ren never talked about her.

"I saw him first when he was 12. He hardly knew any Japanese. Hakada Yoshiki, Ren's father, didn't have an heir, but he knew that this American woman had his child. Ren was stolen and shipped to Japan, that's when he first met his father. He tried to escape. Twice.

"Sei... I mean Gozoku, was Ren's teacher and the only friend. He then became his bodyguard because several other powerful clans weren't happy with Hakada's heir. Our club was build as a fortress to keep Ren safe and I was put there to keep away the police. My uncle is the chief of police."

Akiji smirked.

"Yoshiki-sama wasn't happy with Ren either. He wanted a son not some sissy, he said. Then Ren turned out to be gay, and his father was furious. He even threatened to kill his mother, since he blamed it on her.

"I don't know who gave Ren drugs. He smoked marijuana. His father found it out and placed him in a private hospital to cure him, as he said, once and for all. He spent a year there alone, and I think that's where they broke him. Hakada-sama couldn't keep him in Tokyo, he sent him away, to the quiet mansion in the country. That's where Ren met Yamato.

Taichi looked down at the blonde's pale face. His eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily. He must have fallen asleep. Akiji fingered his shirt button.

"There was another blonde. Before Yamato. American, blue eyes, didn't know a word in Japanese - you name it. He was a nice boy but one day he just disappeared. I think his name was Thomas. Ren's father thought he introduced his son to the drugs. He always hated blondes.

"I'm sorry, Yamato, for getting you involved. We thought that maybe Ren would be happy with you. But it was wrong and it's not getting any better. I don't want you and Taichi to hurt so much and I'm so sorry. I didn't try to protect you and I couldn't protect Ren either. I'm sorry.

"I don't know, maybe it'll be better for Ren to stay in coma. But for Sei… He really loves him."

a/n

Suggestions? ^_^ I hope this chapter is okay, because I don't know anything about Japanese hospitals. And if you didn't understand some things, ask me. This is a crazy chapter.