Disclaimer: man I am running out of ways to put in the disclaimer!!! This is what…disclaimer no. 47?? Well, for the 47th time, I don't own Digimon. :) happy?
OO I KNOW!!! Its been SO LONG since I've updated…bordering on five months or more, isn't it? Well, I did put in a warning last chapter…but I never thought it'd take me so long…I am truly sorry. But some real serious shit has been happening at home. My mum is really sick and my dad's being a prick. On top of that, my work has decided that I should work both Saturday and Sunday, and school is getting harder…whine im so tired!!! GAH. TT well, now I leave a warning – THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL TAKE A WHILE TO COME OUT. I WARN THEE NOW. I have exams in…3 weeks screams so it definitely wont be out within that timeframe. After that, however, extended holidays, so expect an update within a month or so. I'm really sorry!
Warnings: well, the usual now. Some swearing, and now some psychological trauma. Woohoo…
Hope you like!!
"Here we goooo!"
Taichi grins mischievously as he tips Matt's wheelchair onto its back wheels and speeds off down the hallway, leaving me to run after them.
"Ta-Toshio!" I cry, catching myself before I ruin our plan. "Slow down!"
And they do.
Taichi stops abruptly and lowers Matt's wheelchair, Matt letting out a gust of breath as his joyride ends. Taichi eyes the doctors standing near him, hoping they don't approach him about 'what he was doing'. The doctor we saw 'counselling' Yamato raises an eyebrow at Taichi as I finally catch up with them, slightly breathless. Taichi grins innocently and begins to steer Yamato's wheelchair towards the elevator at a normal pace. We get in, and just as the doors are closing, Taichi waves enthusiastically at the aforementioned doctor.
"Bye, ya miserable son of a bitch," Matt mumbles, a tone of smugness not left out of his voice. Taichi laughs, and I roll my eyes.
"Tai, you coulda got us caught!" I hiss, more good-naturedly than an actual threat.
Tai sniggers, "And? Oh come on, it was just one joyride!"
I raise one delicate eyebrow. "Just one?"
The elevator stops, and Taichi grins. "Ok, maybe two." He laughs as he tips Matt's wheelchair again and speeds out of the elevator, manoeuvring amongst the people with almost pinpoint precision.
"Tai!" I hear Matt cry as Tai almost crashes headlong into a row of chairs. I roll my eyes as I walk briskly to Takeru's room, surprisingly catching up with the boys at his door. I cast a quick glance at Yamato, finding him extremely tense and almost at the verge of bolting, before Taichi knocks and opens the door. I look to find T.K slowly turning to us. Taichi pushes Yamato's wheelchair into the room, laughing softly.
"Hey T.K, look what we found hanging 'round the nuthouse." He says, pushing Matt haphazardly towards T.K's bed. T.K's eyes widen in pure surprise and delight as he realises who it is.
"Matt!" Takeru cries, pure elation laced into his voice.
"T.K!" Matt cries, sorrow and regret in his tone as he launches himself at his younger brother and pulls him into a crushing hug.
"M-Matt! You're ok!" T.K says, relief washing over his pale features.
"T.K…I'm so sorry…I-I…" Matt stutters, crying almost silently onto his brother's slight shoulders. "I-I…"
"Hey, calm down Matt…" T.K laughs, hugging his brother tightly. I lean onto Taichi, smiling sadly at the two blondes, knowing their happiness would soon be shattered by the temper of their father.
And so soon…
"It's so good to see you Yammie," Takeru breathes, referring back to the nickname Yamato had earned when T.K was too young to pronounce his name properly. "I was so worried 'bout you…"
"I'm sorry," Yamato squeaks, his voice trembling with emotion. "I'm sorry! I d-didn't mean to! I-I j…"
"Shhh…" T.K interrupts, trying to calm his hysteric sibling. "Don-"
A soft clicking noise interrupts T.K. I turn around, finding myself looking into the surprised eyes of Mrs. Takeshi.
"Y…Yamato?" she asks, voice breathy and shaky. An uncomfortable silence fills the small space. I bite my bottom lip in apprehension as Yamato shifts himself away from his mother, almost as if wanting to get as far away as possible, and sends his gaze to the floor. Mrs. Takeshi opens her mouth as if to say something, but suddenly turns to look out the door. Her head whips back around, her previous expression of surprise replaced by fear.
"Quickly!" she whispers urgently, "Hide Yamato! You're father's coming!"
Taichi reacts with lightning speed, leaving no time for emotional responses. Scooping a petrified Yamato into his arms, he runs into the adjoining bathroom, me quickly following with the wheelchair. I noiselessly close the door as the heavy footsteps of Mr. Ishida reach the hospital room. The tense atmosphere intensifies as I turn to face a shivering Yamato sitting on the counter, his hands gripping Tai's as if he were to die if he let go. A wave of pity washes over me. I have never seen Matt so bad. Ever.
My depressive thoughts are interrupted by the conversation occurring beyond the door.
"Where is he?" Mr. Ishida's voice, laden with forced calm, comes.
"Who?" Mrs. Takeshi responds, her voice quavering ever so slightly.
"That conniving son-of-a-bitch who decides that restrictions don't apply to him." Mr. Ishida's voice was now dripping venom. Yamato's shaking increases.
"Yamato is not h-"
"Not bloody Yamato!" Mr. Ishida interjects angrily. "That damn asshole friend of his, Kamiya!"
I turn to Taichi, watching his features go from calm composure to deadly fury. If looks could kill-
"I'm bloody sick of his interfering!" Mr. Ishida continues, his voice becoming almost insane. "And don't think I don't know you're in here."
I hear his footsteps approach; panic flaring within me as I turn to Taichi for an escape plan. But I shut my mouth instantly as I see the look on his face.
Dangerous…
Deadly…
A sharp jolt runs up my spine as his eyes darken to black.
Black as the darkest night…I banish my thoughts as I slip past him, desperate to get away from his gaze. I silently sit on the counter, placing my arms around the violently shaking Matt in an attempt to calm him, and hopefully, calm myself.
Fear…fear…unadulterated fear…I shiver as I cling to Matt, frightened to the core of the unmoving Taichi. I gasp as the door bursts open, a ropable Mr. Ishida glaring at the object of his hate – our saviour Taichi. Matt screams and buries himself in my embrace, pure terror paralysing his form. I hug him tightly as Mr. Ishida approaches us, intent on ripping Taichi apart, limb from limb. But Taichi stands tall, even if Mr. Ishida's anger gave him the impression of being over six feet tall.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Mr. Ishida asks, a deadly calm anger in his voice.
"Bringing Yamato to his brother." Taichi answers, unmatched determination laced into his tone. Mr. Ishida's eyebrow twitches. I whimper silently.
"And what makes you the authority on what Yamato does, in this state?" Mr. Ishida asks, that deathly calm still unnervingly there.
Taichi lets a small smirk twitch at the corner of his mouth. "Because I know him better than you ever will. Ever." Mr. Ishida's face darkens. "Unlike you, Mister Ishida, I actually know what's best for your son, and that fuckwits like you don't deserve the gift of children, let alone the care of Yamato. So why don't you just go back to work, and leave us alone, like you normally do."
Tears stroll down my cheeks as Mr. Ishida's facial expression becomes murderous.
No, Taichi no…"No!" I scream as Mr. Ishida lurches towards Taichi in a fit of rage.
Time suddenly slows.
I watch in sheer terror as Mr. Ishida's right arm slowly retreats, his gnarled hand balling into a fist. I hear Matt gasp, before an ear-splitting scream escapes his parted lips and reverberates around the room. My heart races as the fist begins to make its descent towards Taichi, every fibre of my being in shock over what Mr. Ishida had become.
"No!!!"Two guards suddenly appear from the doorway, shouting something my mind cannot comprehend and restraining the livid madman who was about to maim my brother. Time returns to normal speed as Mr. Ishida begins to struggle, cursing and staring directly at Taichi, his eyes saying more than words could.
I will be back. And you will pay…My heart stops as the gaze is sent to me, and I whimper, backing up against the wall. No…please no…
Mr. Ishida sends Yamato one last disgusted look before he disappears with the guards, leaving a shaken Mrs. Takeshi sobbing quietly in the doorway.
"Are you okay sir?" one guard asks as he approaches a deathly quiet Taichi. Taichi continues to stare out the door, a lethal glare following the path of the guards. My attentions are drawn from him as a small, pained whimper escapes Yamato, his limp form collapsing into my arms seconds later.
"Yamato!" I cry, worry coursing through me instantly. Taichi breaks his gaze and runs over to us.
"Matt?" Taichi asks, lifting Matt's form out of my arms. "Matt?! Can you hear me? Shit, c'mon!" Taichi shakes Matt gently, his expression a mixture of anger and concern. I faintly hear Mrs. Takeshi calling for a nurse as I stare into Matt's colourless face, a violent wave of memories suddenly crashing down.
Oh please, not again…I beg, trying to maintain my slipping focus. But images of Yamato in a dark alley flash before my eyes, Taichi's unrest and pain following…
A small cry of pain drags me from my prison of memories. My eyes snap towards Taichi, my eyes widening in fear as I watch the colour drain rapidly from Taichi's face and another gasp of pain escaping his lips. My eyes flick to Matt's form Taichi was holding to prevent him falling off the bench.
"No!" I gasp, grabbing Yamato and hauling him off Taichi's injured arm. Taichi falls forward, grabbing the bench to steady himself as he tries to control the pain radiating through his arm. Tears form at the corners of my eyes as I watch my brother trying to maintain his strong façade. The nurse rushes in, and carefully placing Matt in a sitting position against the back wall shines a small light into his eyes. I jump down from the bench and throw my arms around Taichi, rubbing my hand up and down his back soothingly. Oh no! Taichi! I pull back and take his right hand, gently rolling back the sleeve of his shirt to get a look at his wound. I inhale sharply as spots of red blood stain the white bandages.
"Oh Taichi…" I whimper, gently holding his trembling arm. I look up into his face, and find him staring intensely at something. I follow his gaze, and watch as the guard who had been standing at the door lift up the lifeless form of Matt and walk out the door, the nurse closely following. The second they disappear out of sight, Taichi tears his arm out of my grasp and whirling around, smashes his left fist into the wall behind him.
"Damnit!" He hisses, anger radiating off him. I wince, scared at his sudden outburst. A heavy silence falls between us, before a defeated breath leaves Taichi, his fist uncoiling and head leaning against the wall. His body trembles as I slowly approach him, slipping under his left arm to see his face. Tai pushes himself off the wall, looking at me as he turns and leans his back against the wall.
My heart breaks.
Upon his face is the most helpless expression I have ever seen. And the worst part is, it's on him. On Taichi, the Legendary Child of Courage. On the one person who has held everyone together. Everyone's strength.
One solitary tear trickles down his cheek as he closes his eyes and slides down the wall. I immediately drop next to him, looking into his distressed face. He opens his eyes, his clouded gaze staring straight into the cupboards opposite.
"I hate this so much," he breathes, his voice sounding as if coming from far away. I shiver as his expression contorts into anger.
"I hate this so much!" he hisses, burying his face into his hands, his fingers digging into his hair. I look up as Mrs. Takeshi steps silently into the doorway. Her expression dies as she finds the shivering Taichi. She looks to me helplessly and mouths, "Can I do anything?"
I shake my head, before an idea comes to me. I mouth back, "Call Sora." Mrs. Takeshi nods and silently leaves again.
I turn back to Tai, who was now shaking and clinging to his hair more desperately. I swallow the lump in my throat as memories of what happened not so long ago rise in my mind, and I reach out tentatively to touch Taichi's shoulder. Tai jumps at my touch and tear his hands from his face, looking around wildly, before settling his restless eyes on me, breathing heavily. I open my mouth to say something, but no noise comes out. Tai looks away from me, his gazing flicking restlessly around the room as he tries to regain control of himself and calm down. His arms began to shake as he holds them out in front of him, staring at them intently. A low whimper escapes him.
"Why now?" he asks, more blood appearing on his bandaged arm. My own emotions racing, I slowly wrap my arm around his shoulders, trying to comfort him. My heart beats wildly against my chest as Tai's anger flares again.
"Why?" He cries, smashing his fist against the ground. I flinch. Tai whimpers slightly as the pain reverberates through his wrist, his anger fading into helplessness.
"Why can't I be strong anymore?" his voice fades at the end. Tears stream down my face at his defeated tone, and I bury my face into his shoulder.
"But you are strong Tai," I mumble, tightening my hold around his shoulders.
"But I couldn't save Matt…" He whispers, his voice sounding strangely strained. I sit silently, waiting for more, realising this was something he'd been holding within him for ages. Tears prickle beneath my eyelids as it dawns on me that he had been brooding on this for all this time, and it had haunted him day and night that he believed he was too weak to stop all this.
And he had told no one.
"Oh oniisan…" I whisper, burying my head into his shoulder. "Please stop blaming yourself. It wasn't yo-"
"Stop it!" he shrieks, pulling away from my touch. "Stop trying to make me feel better with lies!" His suddenly wild eyes glare angrily at me, half blurred by tears. "It is my fault! I'm supposed to be his best friend! And where the hell was I when he was so depressed?! I was kicking a fucking football! I was off celebrating 'victories' while he was struggling with his own life!" Tears now streamed down Taichi's face, his breathing more ragged. I sit in a fearful state, petrified of what Taichi is going to do. Taichi wipes his left hand across his eyes.
"Do you have any idea how that makes me feel…?" he mumbles, his voice forlorn and lost as he gazes intently at the floor, his body trembling from his previous outburst. "That I abandoned the closest friend I've ever had for a pizza?"
He drags his hand across his eyes again before letting it fall to the floor. His exhausted eyes rise to meet mine.
"I traded my best friend's life for…for a pizza."
ÜBER-CRAPPY CHAPPY! so bad…cries please don't hurt me too badly…I'll try to write a make-up chapter. I'm thinking maybe Matt's story or maybe Tai's…hmm…tell me what you think. Thank you for putting up with this crap, and please review! thank you…now I must run from Taichi before he guts me for writing such a horrid, so-called 'piece of writing' runs like the wind