Hey people who actually read my story! I haven't updated for a while since I had a vacation for Holy Week. I cannot believe I actually got some reviews. I also got flames but I don't mind them. I just want to say something. I think you guys may have gotten the Christian Values all wrong. I don't mean that Ruki/Rika is a Christian. I just wanted to show values in the way Ryo and the others care for her. No pervertness (kabastusan). And also, the fic did take place while the Digimon were still gone (I must confess that I do not live in the U.S.A. so I get news late because as I said, I do not live in U.S.A. How should I know that the Digimon returned in 6 months when I only knew about Tamers in 2003! (Seriously). So please give me any news if I got anything wrong.)
Also, I will announce something new. According to a suggestion, I will not let Ryo call Ruki pumpkin or wildcat any longer (HOW SHOULD I KNOW I WAS JUST COPYING THE ENGLISH VERSION). And I don't care if you flame me. They help me improve and I will not go into any person's face for flaming and throw a tantrum like a baby…yuck. I'll take off the too much author's notes too…sorry I can't help but put some humor…its hard to make serious fics!^^
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. If I did…who knows?
What are friends for? : Chapter two: hearts shattered to pieces
A smile spread across her lips (Her back was facing Ryo so he didn't see) as she went inside her house. There, she saw something that would change her life forever…
As soon as Ruki slid open their door, there, in the middle of the room, was her mom, kneeling and crying. Beside her was what shocked Ruki. Her grandmother was sprawled on the floor, blood covered her face and shirt and she could hardly see the rising and falling of her grandma's chest. She couldn't say anything. No words came from her lips. Rumiko eyed her and beckoned to her daughter. She kneeled beside her mom as she [Rumiko] embraced her daughter, still crying. Ruki tried to comfort her mom and returned the embrace. Mother and daughter just kneeled there for awhile, comforted with each others company and with the same thought in their heads 'Will mother/grandma live?' Horror struck them as they thought about the opposite…death…
~Meanwhile with Ryo~
Ryo was still outside the gate, a smile still spread across his face, Rumiko and Ruki's state still unknown to him as he recalled what had happened earlier. He had tricked Ruki pretty easily and was planning on another plot against her for the next day, but of course not crossing the line. His mischievous thoughts were interrupted by the siren of an ambulance heading his way. He turned to see that the ambulance had stopped right in front of the Makino residence. He quickly rushed over to the side of the gate and stood, too shocked to say anything and just watched.
Ruki and her mother emerged; they were too horror-stricken to notice the boy standing shocked at their gate. They were shortly followed by some men carrying a stretcher which contained Ruki's grandmother. He watched as they slowly brought the stretcher and its components inside the ambulance. Rumiko, too, climbed in and was about to be followed by Ruki until the men stopped her.
"Sorry miss but this sickness could be contagious. Also, we are prohibited to bring children without any sickness in the ambulance to the hospital as you may easily catch a disease there."
Ruki stared at him and tried to push her way to the ambulance but was once again stopped by the men who were holding her shoulders firmly. He turned towards Rumiko. The panicked mother just argued that she couldn't leave her child alone in the house, considering the time and the situation. "Anything could happen!"
"Sorry ma'am but we are to stick to the rules. There are a lot of emergencies you know and any could just go into your daughter. If you decline then its either you stay or you go. It's that simple."
Rumiko worriedly looked around her, face filled with sorrow. Her mother was dying and her daughter…who knows what could happen? Then se spotted Ryo, still frozen at the side of the gate. She beckoned to him and he went over to them, suddenly snapped back to reality.
"You're Ryo, Ruki's friend, right?"
"Yes Ms. Makino." He bowed.
"I hope you won't mind doing our family a favor. I know it's quite late but I can't leave my daughter alone in the house. She can't be taken to the hospital also. Will you please just stay with her until I return? I promise I won't take long and I promise to pay you back."
Ryo didn't want to be paid but he also did not want to delay the situation any longer. "Yes Miss Makino. I promise I will stay with Ruki until you return." With this he bowed. He took a quick glance at Ruki. He meant to try to make her laugh a little with his being too-polite. He had tried to bow deeper and maybe lift her spirits a little but it turned out that she really didn't hear the conversation. She was staring absently into space.
"Thank you very much Ryo…Akiyama?"
"Yes Miss Makino."
"I will thank your father also…Domo arigatou gozaimsu (Thank you very much)."
He bowed again saying "do itashimahite (Your welcome)."
Rumiko climbed the ambulance again and they took off into the distance. He turned to Ruki. She was still staring absent-mindedly, this time at the retreating car. "C'mon Ruki, lets get you inside. I sense rain." He held her shoulders and slowly and gently pushed her inside. They entered the room where Ruki had first seen the situation and, to their horror, saw blood on the floor. Ryo was quite shocked but Ruki just got more depressed.
"Ryo…I…I want to go…outside…I don't want to stay here…" Ruki's voice was nearing a whisper as she strangled tears. She exited and went over to the terrace and sat there facing the lake. Ryo seated himself next to her and also stared at the lake. Silence slowly reigned them, making the atmosphere even more depressing. Ryo shattered this silence with a question, but neither turned to face each other.
"You're really close to your grandma, huh?"
Ruki strangled more tears at the word 'grandma'. She couldn't get her voice out so she simply nodded.
Silence once again seeped in. This time, Ruki broke it.
"She was the only one…who really…understood me…" Ryo just nodded and told her that he knew how she felt. His mom had died when he was young and she was the only one who truly understood him. His story could relate to Ruki's. While he was motherless, she was fatherless, and, most probably be grandmotherless. Tears suddenly streamed down the girl's eyes, flowing down her cheeks and dropping silently on her lap. It was hard for Ryo to see her like this. How can the fiery hot-tempered ice-queen suddenly shed tears? He put a comforting arm around her shoulders and patted her back.
Rain slowly began to pour accompanied by thunder and lightning. Ruki shivered. Ryo felt her body shake under his arm. He stood up and removed his jacket and raped it around her shoulders. Her shivering stopped instantly and she mumbled a 'thanks'. "Lets go inside. Maybe we can fix something up. Something like…hot chocolate maybe?" He tried to cheer her up. She just nodded and stood up.
"Ryo…I don't want to go back…inside…" She recalled the blood still on the floor.
"…Where can we pass, then?"
Ruki lead them around the mansion and to the kitchen, avoiding the entrance room where blood was still spilled on the floor. Ruki sat down as Ryo desperately tried to find the hot chocolate. He opened the fridge and looked. No hot chocolate there…but there was ice creamJ. He mentally slapped himself. 'Its raining and ice cream will make her shiver more…' He looked in this place, none there. He began quickly opening and closing cupboards, closets and the like but with no luck. He was so quick you couldn't see his movements anymore. A short laugh escaped Ruki's lips as she watched the desperate Ryo trying to find the hot chocolate. She stood up, went over to a cupboard, opened it and pulled out a container saying; hot chocolate.
He was amazed and bewildered. 'How can she find it so easily when I looked in every corner of this room?! Oh well…it is her house…'
They settled down in their seats, waiting for the hot chocolate to cool down a bit. Ruki didn't look Ryo in the eye, fearing that his concern might just bring out more tears. She stared at the hot, rising air of the drink, slowly enveloping her face and causing some sweat. Ryo's jacket was still around her. She didn't want to take it off just yet. The rain poured harder in the background, falling in sheets. At long last, she took a sip and the warmness of the drink melted some of the ice that had been in her stomach. Ryo looked at her, concern in his eyes, wanting to take away this sadness and bring back the real Ruki. She felt Ryo's gaze for some reason, and for once stared into his eyes also. What she saw shocked her for here, in Ryo's eyes, the boy who was always cheerful, annoying and happy she saw fear, pain, sadness and hope. Most of all, she saw concern. He had felt her pain sometime in the past. At these few seconds that their eyes met, they understood everything. Without saying a word, each understood how the other felt.
Ruki broke the gaze as she felt the tears. She successfully prevented it from falling but Ryo had seen it well up in her eyes. He dared not say anything. It might make the situation worse. They just listened to the falling rain, so careless and care-free.
A little later, a knock was heard at the gate. Ruki and Ryo had fallen asleep, heads on the table across each other but facing the opposite way. The two woke with a start, grabbed an umbrella, avoided the room and headed towards the gate. Rumiko had gone home by means of a taxi and was dripping wet as she hadn't brought an umbrella. Ruki covered her mom with an umbrella and shoved her inside. They went into the room and Rumiko was shocked at the sight of the blood. "I'll clean it later and cover it with a rug," She assured Ruki. Then, to Ryo, "Thank you very much for staying here. I am sorry I got home quite late and it's raining outside. I'll just change into dry clothes and I'll take you home. Ruki will come, too." Ruki knew why her mother wouldn't leave her alone. Last time she had a depression similar to this, she almost killed herself.
"No, its okay Miss Makino. My home is just nearby. I think I can manage." He bowed.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Thank you very much Ryo. I'm sorry to keep you out your schedule."
"It's okay. I am glad to help." He bowed yet again, got the umbrella offered to him and headed out the door. On his way, Ruki whispered in his ear as he passed her, "Thank you, Ryo…"
"Your welcome."
That night neither Ruki nor Ryo got enough sleep. Ruki was too depressed, scared and wondered about what she had seen in Ryo's eyes. Ryo was just too concerned at what might happen.
~Next day, Akiyama residence~
Ryo woke with a start at his alarm clock. He quickly changed for school and met his dad down at breakfast. His dad looked at him as he sat down and gulped down his food.
"I know of the incident over there at the Makino's. Your friend Ruki's grandma has had an attack and vomited blood. She had a hard time breathing and was brought to the hospital. You had been with Ruki that day after school and were there when the ambulance arrived. Ruki wasn't allowed to go to the hospital so you stayed with her until her mom got home. You didn't ask for anything in return for what you have done and you said you were glad to help…" Ryo got quite nervous because his dad may have wanted him to ask for something, considering Rumiko's job. "I am very proud of you son." Ryo got relieved and smiled at his dad.
~Makino residence~
Rumiko had gone to visit Seiko but first made sure that Ruki was on her way to school. She had checked her back for anything deadly and had already wiped the blood away. Although there were still some traces left. She had covered that with a rug. Before she left, she had told Ruki something.
"Ruki dear, I know that you are very sad of what happened to your obosan (grandmother). She told me to tell you not to let her situation disrupt your studies. Be successful in life. I would like to tell you the same thing. Whatever may happen, remember that we will always love you and we will always be here. Don't let anything get in your way and stop you from fulfilling your dream." She embraced her daughter and Ruki embraced her back. Then she saw Ruki off to school.
Ruki was thinking about this as she made her way to school. She sensed Ryo's presence walking beside her but was too deep in thought to mind. They walked silently without a word towards their school. When the time came for Ryo to go the opposite direction, he told Ruki that he'll walk home with her. But of course, he wouldn't ever wait at the front gate again. He'll wait here at the fork. She nodded. Secretly, she longed for company after the incident and was glad that it was Ryo who offered, and not her. Then he left in the direction of his school.
Ruki wasn't able to pay attention in class much. When it came to Mathematics and the teacher discussed the circumference of the circle, Ruki remembered her tutoring with Ryo and the events that had followed. She didn't look anyone in the eye the whole time she was in school, although she was still being bothered on Ryo. 'How can everyone act so normal when grandma…' She dared not think it.
After school she met Ryo at the fork and they walked home. Ryo asked what she did that day.
"I sat down…and breathed…and partly listened…" She said, half-sarcastically.
'At least Ruki is becoming quite her old self' Ryo thought. "I…uhh…learned stuff?"
"Like I asked."
'Ruki's really getting back to her old self.' "Hmmm…you got me there…Actually, I was just telling you…"
"Yeah and besides that," Ruki continued, completely ignoring Ryo's sentence "Everyone was still bugging me about you…"
"Really? Wow I'm so popular…"
Then Ruki thought out loud "How can they act so…normal?"
Ryo decided to keep silent, afraid to worsen the situation. Then, just when things were getting normal, a car stopped in front of them…Ryo's car. His [Ryo] dad shouted from the window. "I've been looking for you two all afternoon! Hurry and get inside the car! Rumiko just called and said that Ruki's grandmother is about to die! The two of you have been given permission to go to the hospital!"
YEHEY! That was the end of chapter two! I am still waiting in vain for some reviews for my other two stories, Hitotsu no Kimochi and Invasion from the Mathosphere. I need some suggestions too…I was supposed to put A LOT of author's notes in between but, according to demand, didn't because it was annoying (people said). Hehehehehehe…R & R!
