Rose Petals

By Ruki Minamoto

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon…on with the fanfic please!

Chapter 3: Hanging Onto Hope

Yamato and JJ returned to the hospital and saw Sora sitting in Takeru's room with her head in her right hand. Her left hand was on top of Takeru's. He had an odd tube in his neck. Yamato and JJ guessed it was the dialysis machine.

"I guess you've heard." JJ mumbled as he watched Takeru, praying for the boy. He didn't want to think of what he must have been like when Sora told him that his best friend was dead.

"I told Takeru. He was so upset, so the nurse had to give him a tranquilliser just to calm him down."

"Let's just hope that this becomes one of the differences between our families." Yamato whispered as he watched his little brother. He found himself praying as well. Praying that everything worked out for the best in the end.

The next week passed uneventfully. The Kinomoto's wanted to hold off Yuya's funeral until Takeru could get to it. Takeru went on dialysis everyday and seemed to be at least a little more with it'. But that pale sickly look still remained in his eyes.

Yamato, JJ and the other Digidestined (minus TK) were all back at school by now. For

Joe, it was his first year of high school, for the rest, they stayed at the same schools.

"Heard about Yuya…Sorry JJ." That was what JJ heard the most since he returned to school. People also were telling Yamato that they hoped everything worked out for

Takeru. Nothing made it all feel better though.

Yamato and JJ were heading to Japanese History once when they saw everyone crowded around a notice board. The two boys managed to catch Mimi as she walked off.

"Hey, Mims." Yamato said. "What's going on?"

"Beginning of school dance. I don't know whom I'll ask out though. Maybe I'll invite Jyo or someone." Mimi answered, shrugging. "You should ask Sora though, Yamato."

Yamato shook his head wildly.

"No! I've got more things on my mind than whether or not I should ask anyone to a dance! You know…like my brother!" Yamato stormed off. JJ couldn't help but notice that Yamato's face had gone a bright shade of pink. He caught up with Yamato.

"Yamato!" Yamato stopped and turned. "I think you like Sora."

Yamato looked to his feet.

"Do not!"

JJ looked at Yamato suspiciously. Yamato finally caved in.

"Okay…I like Sora. But I'm not going. Takeru's going on dialysis and I want to be there

for him. You losing Yuya taught me the lesson that I need to appreciate what time I have with Takeru." JJ brightened a little at the idea that Yuya's death wasn't a waste of life after all.

"Sora…Are you gonna go to the dance?" Mimi asked Sora when she caught her in the halls. Sora stopped, considered it, and then shook her head.

"Nah. I want to see Takeru that night. Either that or I'll be training for soccer."

"Oh you are so boring!" Mimi wailed. "Yamato's not going and nor are you! Maybe Taichi'll go at least. I'm gonna invite Jyo."

Sora shrugged and wandered off. She wasn't Mimi and unlike her, she didn't like dances. They like a waste of time to her.

A week after the dance was announced, Yamato's mother finally went in to be tested to see if she could donate for Takeru. Mr Ishida couldn't because he had had a transplant earlier in life.

Yamato was with Takeru and his parents when Dr Kido came in with the results.

"Negative, I'm sorry." Dr Kido sighed. "Mr and Mrs Kinomoto also got tested, but they aren't matches for Takeru either. Yamato - you're next."

Yamato nodded and looked to Takeru. Takeru was certainly a lot better. He now had returned to normal sleeping habits for the most part. He also was almost like the old Takeru, except that he was also trying to grieve for Yuya. They had had Yuya's funeral and had had a memorial service at the hospital so Takeru could say goodbye. At least it felt like it was closed to some extent.

"Sorry, squirt. Looks like your mother isn't a match." Mr Ishida sighed. "Maybe Yamato will be."

Takeru nodded and looked to Yamato who had a look of terror in his eyes. He remembered that look. He remembered it well. It was the same look that had emblazoned his face when he had called Jyo over back in Digiworld when he had first gotten sick.

He prayed that he would never have to see that look again.

The next day, Yamato left school at lunchtime. JJ watched as the boy parted.

"Yamato…where are you going?"

Yamato turned and smiled weakly.

"To the hospital. I'm going to be tested to see if I'm compatible with Takeru."

"I hope everything's OK." JJ added. "Good luck."

Yamato nodded and left.

That night, they got the results back.

Yamato was reading Harry Potter to Takeru.

"So Harry…Oh…Dr Kido." Yamato stopped and closed the book.

"So Harry what?" asked Takeru, even though he knew the seriousness of what was going on.

"Another negative. Sorry, guys." Dr Kido sighed and entered the room. He checked the cover of the book Yamato was reading to Takeru. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, huh? My favourite by far."

"Yeah…it's cool." Yamato agreed as he continued with the story.

Tomorrow, he'd tell the Digidestined that they should get tested.

That morning was Saturday and Sora and Taichi turned up at the crack of dawn to be tested.

"Well you're enthusiastic, aren't you?" Yamato joked. They laughed sarcastically, except for Sora. She had a solemn expression on her face. Something had happened at school that could change everything for good.

"Yamato…JJ was attacked yesterday during last period."

Yamato froze in place. JJ…

"How? What happened?"

"Some psycho decided to stab him with a pair of scissors. According to the psycho, JJ had taken his place in the lunch line in the cafeteria. I know the line is really long and taking someone's place is terrible, but JJ's dead."

Yamato stormed off and curled up in a corner. Why was life worth living any more?

"I'm sorry, Yamato." Sora apologised. "But if it's any consolation, Mrs Kinomoto gave me this." She handed Yamato a package. "She said that JJ would have wanted you and Takeru to have it."

Yamato opened it weakly and saw a gift that made him gasp. The gift was two stuffed animals. One looked like Gabumon and the other like Patamon. He remembered when JJ had stumbled across Yamato's drawings of the two creatures. JJ had asked if he could keep the pictures. Now, here were two stuffed animals.

Yamato rose to his feet and placed Patamon next to Takeru who had been listening and watching in shock. Nothing was safe anymore…Not even the classroom had any safety about it.

"Mrs Kinomoto also said that you and Takeru could have any or all of Yuya and JJ's stuff. She said that they had no need for it anymore and may as well give it to you two." Sora added. "Taichi and I originally came to be tested, but I thought that I'd better be the one to tell you what happened to JJ so you don't hear it from someone else."

Yamato nodded.

"Thanks guys."

As it turned out, neither Sora nor Taichi were matches for Takeru. By now, Yamato was losing hope. The only thing that made him feel any better was how good he'd feel when Takeru was better. But he was about to have a major scare himself.

Yamato was trying to catch up on the work that he'd missed after he took two weeks off after JJ's death. Sora was helping him by being there and loaning him her books. She doubted that he wanted to be alone all the time. He always stayed in Takeru's room. He was becoming very withdrawn and cold. She didn't want the old Yamato back from before JJ had arrived.

But Dr Kido was going to blow their worlds apart.

Takeru was sitting up in bed, playing his Gameboy that Ms Takaishi had bought him a week ago. Sora was holding up her maths book so Yamato could see.

The doctor came in.

"Yamato…could I talk to you?"

Yamato nodded and left the room. Dr Kido braced himself before speaking.

"Yamato…I've had a closer look at your results…"

"And I'm a match?"

"No. Far from it. Yamato…Every Ishida male has had bad kidneys. It's genetic."

Yamato had caught on by now. He backed away.

"You mean…"

"I want to find a match for you too. Before you find yourself in Takeru's position. Once

you're in that spot, you're playing a desperate game against time." Dr Kido tried to hold down a feeling that he would throw up.

"You mean I need a transplant too?" Yamato's arms were folded. Well…that was one way to get out of school.

"In short - yes." Dr Kido tried to subdue the butterflies in his stomach. "I want your parents, the Kinomoto's, Sora and Taichi back in to be tested. Since we've already had JJ's funeral, there's no hope in trying to see if he would have been a match."

"I'll go tell Sora." Yamato said as he put his hand on the doorknob. "Please call my parents. I just don't think I could tell them myself."

Dr Kido nodded.

"We could be chasing rainbows, but I want to be safe rather than sorry. You and Takeru won't cross over into one donor because you weren't compatible with him."

Yamato nodded and went back into the room. Takeru was on dialysis today.

"Yamato…what was that about…Yamato? Something's wrong…isn't it?" Sora asked.

Takeru watched, unsure of what to say.

"Nii-san…are you okay?" Takeru asked with the same concern that Sora's voice showed.

Yamato slumped down next to Sora and wiped a tear from his cheek. Takeru spoke again.

"Is it me?"

"No. Sora…how would you like to be tested again?" Yamato asked. Sora looked taken aback.

"Why…did they make a mistake with mine?"

"No. But I need a donor too." Yamato waited to see what Sora and Takeru's reactions would be. If he wanted big, then he got what he wanted.

"WHY DO YOU NEED A DONOR!" Sora screamed at the top of her lungs. She was so worried. Had the same thing happened to Yamato?

"Dr Kido said that all Ishida males have bad kidneys. Each one has had to have a kidney transplant at some point in their life. It's been that way for the last hundred years or so. He looked back through the records. The ones before transplants were around usually had had kids before their kidneys failed." Yamato sighed.

"Why not give you a transplant when you need it?" Takeru asked. Yamato shrugged.

"He wants to solve the problem before it gets to this stage." Yamato indicated to the dialysis. "He said once it gets to this stage, we're playing against time. I don't like the idea much either, but I'd rather get it over with now rather than put my parents through this again or put Takeru in my position."

Sora nodded and tried to force a smile.

"Well…Sure - I'll be tested again. For you - I don't care." Sora put a reassuring hand on Yamato's shoulder. It had been one hell of a three months, but maybe it would be over by Christmas.

Yamato explained to everyone Dr Kido's fears and they all agreed - although Mimi needed convincing - to be tested for both. Koushiro and his parents tested next and none of them were compatible with neither Takeru nor Yamato.

"This sucks." Yamato mumbled. "Only Jyo and Mimi left for Takeru."

"Yeah well - at least you've still got options." Sora said, trying to cheer Yamato up. She'd just gone through and had herself tested again so that Dr Kido could see if she'd be compatible with Yamato.

Yamato sighed and buried his head in his hands. The two were at the park to escape that awful hospital room. Unfortunately, Takeru wasn't given that option.

"Thanks for being tested again." Yamato whispered. "I really appreciate it."

Sora smiled and brought her knees up to her body. The two had been lucky in one sense - the beginning of school dance had been called off indefinitely after JJ's death.

"These last three months have been hell." Sora mumbled under her breath. "It'd be a shame if Takeru was in hospital over Christmas."

"Hey Sora," Yamato began, suddenly cheered up. "You remember how Koushiro said that we could get back to Digiworld?"

"Yeah…" Sora trailed off. She did remember, but the last thing that had been on her mind since Takeru's diagnosis had been her partner Biyomon.

"Maybe if we remind Takeru of Patamon and tell him that when he's better, we'll take him to Digiworld…" Yamato sighed, before stopping. "Oh, what's the point?"

Yamato couldn't comprehend his life since going to summer camp. First, he went to a whole other world, then he had to fight Devimon, then his brother became very sick, then Yuya died, then JJ died and now Yamato needed a transplant himself.

How was a kid meant to cope with all that as well as normal things?