Hi there guys! Welcome back to Secrets, now back down to T rating. Now, we weren't sure about this at first but FernClaw and I came to the consensus that the material is suitable enough for a T rating.
"TsukiyoTenshi" - No kidding, I pretty much would do the same if I had the means too. It's messed up what they did to Takuya. Now, for the matter of his state of mind, we'll go more into that this chapter so hopefully it answers some of your questions.
"The Keeper of Worlds" - Cerberumon sure does have really really good timing. Takuya's going to need a lot of help is he going to recover. Like, a lot of help.
"Flaming KitKat" - Wow, thanks, glad you're really liking the story. As for a sequel... we toyed with the idea but I hate to say it's probably not going to happen. However, this story is far from finished so hopefully that makes up for it. Hope you keep up with the story and remember, we up date every Wednesday.
"adventuremaker16" - Sorry, Cherubimon isn't a Digimon they have to worry about. We appreciate the ideas but we got a general feel of where we're going with the story. Thanks again and hope you enjoy the story.
"AngeGirlmon" - ^^ Yeah, Takuya's safe but he's not out of the woods yet. At least he's out of that nasty place. Now comes the part of fixing the poor boy up. It'll be a lot of hard work and Takuya will definitely make it difficult. Only time will tell when Takuya will be back to his normal self.
"Something dictionary related" - Sorry friend, no Bokomon or Neemon and you'll see why later on in the story. But till the, enjoy the updates as they come.
"Guest" - Ouch... guess it really is hard with the feels huh? Hope you're ready for more of it... cuz we abuse the feels like nobody's business.
"DD Leader Dark heart of Water" - Who needed Shinoba anyway, right? Didn't expect people to be interested in his character though. We'll be sure to keep an eye out on that. Thanks for sharing friend.
"DiaSphere" - Yay! Takuya is free! Now we just gotta fix him. Uh... yeah, that might take a while... here's hoping the guys can do it!
"BlueFlamedWolf" - Yeah, no kidding but hey, stuff happens and yeah, Takuya probably wouldn't have lasted another week. Hopefully he feels better. Thanks for the support. Now's hoping we can reach 400.
"Spirit Dragoness" - Break out the champagne! Um... after Takuya's all better. Anywho, enjoy the chapter!
"myra the fox" - Hopefully we won't have to see those jerks again any time soon. Hope you keep on readin'.
"Fanime-club" - Glad you enjoyed it and hope you keep coming back for more.
"woflstar" - After the last time they used catnip you'd think it'd be the last thing they'd use but hey, I'm sure it'll be okay as long as they don't completely dope him up on the stuff.
"Akrisakara" - We'll be getting more action eventually. After all, we still need to get Takuya's human data back. But now, we definitely just have to worry about getting him back to normal. Glad you enjoyed the chapter and enjoy the rest of it as we keep going.
"FlamingWind" - Ah, glad to know they're sharing the story with friends. Thanks for doing that for them. (I'm sorry for your loss Dark, I hope you have your friends and family with you through this time) and don't worry Light, we brought the rating back down to T so you got nothing to worry about with it. Hope I hear from all of you next time.
"JapanRules555" - Hope you didn't have to pull an all nighter there, and also hope that you had fun reading the story and will keep on reading.
"ChiMoira" - Things kinda just happened really fast when Cerberumon attacked. Convinient as all hell, I know, but hey, Kouji and the others sure aren't complaining what so ever. We'll consider Shinoba's role in the story and maybe figure something out with him. And yeah, Takuya has a lot of trauma to fight if he's going to get any better but it's definitely going to be very difficult. Glad you enjoyed the chaper and don't worry about the review (we know that school sucks like that).
Okey doke, with that said let's get on with the show.
Chapter 35: Skin and Bones.
Kouji snuck off to the bathroom and ran water for a hot shower. He knew he'd have to wash himself as a Digimon before changing back or else the layers of grime would coat his human body instead. He snorted in disgust at the thought.
He showered quickly and shifted back to his human form to dry off and conserve some energy. He felt utterly exhausted, but he could only guess how terrible Takuya felt. He could probably use a hot shower too, but not tonight. The poor boy had endured enough for one day.
He borrowed a pair of black sweatpants and a dark purple t-shirt from his brother's closet and dressed himself quickly and quietly. He then changed back into Strabimon knowing Takuya would feel safer around another Digimon rather than a human.
The wolf Digimon slipped back into the living room and saw that Takuya was still fast asleep, though not sleeping peacefully as Kouji had hoped. His eyes were squeezed tight and his face was scrunched up in discomfort.
There was a noise at the front door. Turning his head, Kouji saw his brother and friends coming into the living room. They looked tired, worried, and relieved at the same time to see them here. And Zoe was quick to make her way towards Takuya.
"Whoa… easy." Kouji stopped the girl before she could get too close. "We just got him to rest… he needs this. And… I don't know what happened but… he's… he's very skittish."
"W-what do you mean… what happened to him?" Zoe stepped cautiously towards the boy and saw the condition he was in. She nearly burst into tears when she saw how poor his condition was. "Oh my god…" The others came up to her and saw their friend's state. There was a deathly silence that stilled in the air. They were completely horrified.
"I-is he going to be okay?" Tommy asked his voice quivering as he fought to not weep for his friend.
Kouji shrugged. "Mom cleaned all his wounds… but he's malnourished I think."
"That's an understatement..." Kouichi remarked quietly.
JP peered closer to the heavy collar still locked tightly around the boy's neck, "What's that?"
"I'm not sure, but we need to get it off and destroy it," Kouji said simply.
Zoe trembled holding Tommy close. They seemed to be the most rattled by Takuya's horrific state of being. "Oh Taku... What have they done to you..."
Tomoko came out and took the girl by the hand and led the pair into the kitchen. "Come on now. Let's figure out a way we can help Takuya get better, does that sound good?" Tommy and Zoe nodded slowly and followed the mother into the kitchen
Kouichi and JP meanwhile looked closer at the wicked collar. "Think you can get it off JP?" Kouichi asked the elder boy.
JP looked at it carefully keeping his distance. "Maybe...? I'm not sure, but he'll have to let me get close to him."
"Well… we had an issue with that… Mom couldn't get near him at first without him freezing up and backing away from her." Kouji stated, keeping his gaze trained on Takuya.
The older twin ran his fingers through his hair and sighed weakly. "I dunno… if he won't let us get close to him… how did Mom get to help him?"
"We used the catnip left from before. Mom found it and gave him a pinch so she could get near him." Kouji answered. "…I don't like doing it but… but we might have to give him more if we're going to get close to him…"
JP and Kouichi looked shocked. Neither of them had expected the catnip to be used again, not after their fiasco with it prior to the DemiDevimon attack.
"Well, he seems to be fine around you, kind of." JP stated as an observation.
The wolf Digimon shrugged. "I guess he's fine with Digimon… he's just, not good with humans I think…"
"This is insane," Kouichi whispered.
Takuya moaned softly and curled up closer to Kouji. The wolf Digimon sighed softly and carefully put his arm around Takuya's thin shoulders. He shuddered at Kouji's touch but settled back down.
"He's so pale... and so thin..." JP observed.
Kouji nodded slowly, "He's cold too... He could get sick- if he's not already... He's been hurt so badly..."
"We know brother... We'll help him get through this," Kouichi reassured him. "Just try and rest Kouji. Come on JP, let's try and find a way to remove that collar."
JP nodded and followed the older twin into the kitchen to join the others. Kouji yawned tiredly and leaned back in his seat. He closed his eyes and nodded off in a matter of moments.
The four children were seated at the table, none of them sure what to do next. Kouichi and JP looked over to their other friends. Zoe and Tommy were taking this thing really hard.
"Come on now everyone, Takuya is going to be okay." Tomoko insisted, trying to bring the children out of their funk. "He's here now. We can help him get better."
"But… but look at him… Takuya's really hurting…" Zoe muttered weakly, keeping her sad gaze trained on the table.
The mother made her way to the distressed girl and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, a gentle gesture. "We have him back. We have the time to help him dear. We just have to be patient and do our best to help him."
"What can we do?" Tommy asked. "He won't let us near him…"
"It'll take some time, but Takuya will need time to adjust and learn to trust us again."
They all nodded glumly, hoping that her words would ring true sooner rather than later. In the mean time though JP decided to try and find a way to remove that collar from Takuya's neck without harming the boy further.
Zoe took Tommy home as it was starting to get late. Kouichi setup a place for JP to crash and sleep when he got off his computer, and went to lie down himself after checking in on Kouji and Takuya. Kouji had fallen asleep with Takuya still curled up in a tight ball beside him. He might have thought it cute if Takuya hadn't been tortured.
Tomoko found it difficult to fall asleep knowing how much pain Takuya could be in. She worried about him, hoping that his wounds would heal, both physically and mentally. Morning came slowly and brought a fresh start and the beginning of the arduous road to recovery Takuya was about to take.
She entered the living room and examined the boys sleeping on the couch. Kouji was peacefully asleep but Takuya was not so peaceful, still wrapped tight in a protective ball. She bit her lip, feeling for the poor boy as he shivered and whimpered. She wondered what horrors were committed that would leave Takuya in such a fragile state.
Deciding that perhaps breakfast would be a good way to start in their attempt to help Takuya recover, the mother stepped quietly into the kitchen and began working on a hefty breakfast.
Soon the smell of eggs drifted into the air gently waking the Digimon from their slumber, their sensitive noses picking up the scent instantly.
Takuya slowly opened his eyes and sat up in fright, having forgotten he was no longer in the lab. The sudden movement had stirred Kouji swiftly out of his sleep.
"Takuya? Takuya, what's wrong?" Kouji asked, quickly trying to calm his friend down. Sensing his fear, he decided best to try and calm him down. "Hey, it's alright. You're safe now."
The boy cried out, pushing Kouji away and holding his arms up defensively.
Kouji sighed softly, gently touching Takuya's forearm. He flinched as Kouji carefully moved the smaller Digimon's arms away from his face. "Easy there Takuya, It's just me. Remember?"
He whimpered softly, looking up at Kouji miserably. He calmed down after a moment, studying Strabimon carefully. He edged away from Kouji but relaxed visibly.
"Oh Takuya..." Kouji whispered sadly. It broke his heart seeing the boy act this way, so timid and vulnerable.
Tomoko appeared in the doorway of the kitchen holding two plates of food. Takuya immediately tensed up and curled up in a protective manner against the far corner of the sofa. Kouji shook his head before rising to get the food from his mother. "Thank you."
"It's nothing sweetie, Just make sure he eats- but not too fast or too much at once," Tomoko said warmly. She stroked the back of Kouji's head gently before returning to the kitchen.
Kouji nodded and looked down at the plates before glancing to Takuya. Now was the tricky part of trying to get Takuya comfortable enough to eat. The small fire Digimon looked thin and was looking down at the plates given to them.
Takuya watched Kouji carefully, and looked down to the plate placed for him. He looked back up at his companion and hesitantly reached for the plate. Seeing Kouji take another bite from his food, Takuya took his plate and brought it close.
Kouji saw it as some progress as Takuya sniffed and poked at his meal. It made him feel bad though, seeing his friend become so cautious of everything.
Forgoing the utensils set for him, Takuya scooped his food into his mouth, taking it in small bites. After a moment, deeming it safe, Takuya gave into his hunger and shoveled as much food in his mouth as possible.
"Takuya! Slow down!" Kouji grimaced, knowing that if Takuya ate too much or too fast he could easily upset his fragile stomach and vomit. Takuya flinched at Kouji's sharp words, and pushed the food away.
Kouji rubbed the back of his neck. 'Great, I spooked him...' the wolf Digimon thought sourly, mentally kicking himself for being so stern.
"It's alright Takuya... You just need to slow down," Kouji tried to explain, demonstrating by putting some rice in his mouth little by little.
The flame Digimon watched him anxiously. Kouji nudged the plate of rice back towards the boy. He carefully took it up again, still watching Kouji carefully. He tried picking up a spoon laid out for him and scooping the rice up into it. He put the spoon of rice into his mouth and swallowed it.
Kouji smiled with approval. This seemed to empower the frail boy. He finished his meal without inhaling it like a starved animal, which in his defense, he was at this moment.
"There, maybe next we can get you all cleaned up." Kouji suggested and he took the plates away into the kitchen. He returned with two steaming cups of tea; one strong and black like Kouji liked it, and the other herbal and soothing for Takuya.
Takuya stared down at the cup of tea, as if trying to figure out what it was. Seeing Kouji drink from his glass, however, made Takuya a little more trusting and took the cup in his hands.
It was a relief to see Takuya drink his tea without much effort to convince him. Kouji leaned back in his seat and let himself to relax a little as he sipped his tea.
The peace ended however when the small fire Digimon saw Kouichi enter the living room. In an instant Takuya went on the defensive, frozen in his spot and watching Kouichi fearfully with wide eyes.
"Uh…" the older twin held up his hands defensively, trying to be as unthreatening as possible. "I'm not going to hurt you…"
"Easy Takuya, Kouichi's not going to hurt you." Kouji tried calming his friend down, gently placing a hand on Takuya's rigid shoulder.
Takuya flattened his ears as Kouichi crept past them and into the kitchen. He leaned in towards Kouji's side. A soft whimper escaped him as Kouji carefully wrapped his arm around him.
"Shh, It's okay Takuya..." he soothed.
Kouichi looked to his mother as he sat down at the table, "Why is he so afraid of us?"
"Oh sweetheart, I wish I knew... I want him to get better as much as you do," Tomoko replied somberly. She hugged her eldest son around his shoulders. "We'll get him back."
"I want to believe that. It's just that… I can't help but imagine what horrible things they must have done to them to make him so afraid of us." The older twin responded to his mother and shivered at the thought. "It must have been just dreadful…"
Tomoko sat in the seat next to him and took his hand in hers. "Try not to think about that. Takuya's safe now. We just need to do our best to help him heal."
Kouichi nodded slowly, knowing that dwelling on these terrifying thoughts wouldn't work to help them. "What can we do if he won't let us near him?"
"We gain his trust of course. Slowly start working on what we can and help him become comfortable with us." The mother was quick to answer, feeling her suggestion being the right thing to do. "It might be a slow process but it'll help him."
"I know..." the elder twin replied. "Thanks mom."
The mother smiled, "Let's work on making Takuya feel safe and secure."
He nodded again. Kouji got up and hugged his mother. He then peered into the living room, Kouji still had Takuya clinging to his side. Kouji looked mildly annoyed but continued to calm the flame Digimon to the best of his abilities.
"Kouji? Do you need anything?" he asked softly
The wolf looked up. Takuya hid his face in Kouji's arm and curled up tightly against his side. "I think we're fine."
"Alright. Um, just call if you need anything."
Kouji nodded to his brother in response. "Thanks. I'll keep it in mind. Maybe we should wake JP up, see if we can get to work on getting this collar off of him."
"Good idea." The older twin nodded. "I'll see about waking him up." Kouichi gave Takuya one more concerned look and left to go wake their sleeping friend.
Takuya watched Kouichi disappear before finally relaxing a little, the tension in his shoulders fading ever so slightly. The stress was still visible from the look in his to his quivering hands.
The wolf Digimon exhaled and took another sip from his tea, hoping his example would get Takuya to finish his tea and finally start the ease up if only just a little.
Eventually Takuya had managed to finish his cup and he yawned weakly, a small sign but a welcomed one.
"How're you feeling Takuya?" Kouji ventured to ask after taking their cups back to the kitchen. He returned with a warmed, wet washcloth and planned to use it on the smaller flame Digimon to clean him up.
The boy looked up, still looking distressed. He eyed the washcloth nervously as Kouji brought it closer to his face.
"Relax now, Okay? This won't hurt," he said, trying not to spook Takuya any further, "It'll be alright Takuya..."
Takuya flinched away when Kouji put the washcloth to his face. He eased up after a moment and Kouji began to wash away the layers of grim, blood, and dirt that coated the boy's skin. Kouji sighed with relief, knowing that despite everything that he was making progress in gaining the boy's trust.
JP and Kouichi entered the living room, carefully as to not make Takuya anymore afraid of them. They were sure to move slowly and keep their hands up in clear view to avoid looking suspicious or having ill intent.
Takuya did tense up in their presence but their gesture did keep him from freaking out like how he had before. He just watched them carefully.
"Easy Takuya, they're our friends. They're not going to hurt you." Kouji insisted, trying to sooth his friend's state of mind. "We're going to help you, okay?"
Flamon looked to the wolf for a brief moment. He was trying to understand but his attention was still kept on the two humans.
The two gulped weakly, hoping that Kouji's attempts to persuade Takuya would be enough for them to get close enough to help. Their first concern was getting the collar off of Takuya's neck and in order to achieve that, they'd need him calm enough to let them get close.
Kouichi moved closer to Kouji, with JP right behind him. "Mom gave us a bit more catnip if we need to use it."
Takuya sat there watching the boys, rigid and nervous. "It might calm him down- for a bit at least..." Kouji mused quietly.
"Are you sure Kouji?" JP asked, producing the pouch from his pocket.
He nodded with a solemn sigh. "Give it to me, he trusts me." JP passed the wolf Digimon the pouch. He took a small pinch of the green leaves and held it out to Takuya.
The flame Digimon took a sniff of the leaves. His pupils grew and his formerly tense body relaxed. Kouji nodded to JP and pulled Takuya upright. JP immediately set to work and began to loosen Takuya's collar.
"Whew, this is some fancy piece of tech." JP muttered, examining the collar carefully while trying his best not to hurt the zonked out Digimon. "This might be a little harder to work with than I thought."
"You can still do it though, right?" Kouichi asked, watching over them from the back of the couch.
The eldest member nodded weakly. "I can still try. It might just take a little longer than I thought."
"Well, try to take your time. Rushing it might hurt him a bit." The wolf Digimon stated while making sure to keep Takuya from fidgeting while JP got to work on the collar.
Takuya meanwhile had fallen asleep in his drug-induced daze. Kouji rolled his eyes at the flame Digimon, expecting no less from the boy despite everything that's happened to him. Then is occurred to him that he had no idea what exactly had happened.
Kouji frowned, looking down at his friend's peaceful form, knowing it wasn't going to last. "What do you think they did to him?" The younger twin asked his brother and JP quietly.
JP didn't look up from the collar when he spoke, "I'm not sure we want to know..."
"I know, but-" the wolf faltered, "How can we help him if we don't know what he's been through?"
Kouichi pursed his lips in thought. "I'm not sure brother. I'm sure he'll come to tell us- well more likely you, in time. Until then we just have to be careful and gain his trust."
"Well, getting him cleaned up and comfortable should be able to get him to trust us a little." JP offered as he continued to fiddle with Takuya's collar. There was a frustrated look on his face, something that showed that he was having difficulty with the device.
"Are you sure you're okay with that thing?" Kouichi asked curiously after seeing the look on JP's face.
JP nodded and wiped the sweat off his brow. "It's fine. Just stubborn is all." There was a click and the older boy smile widely. "Ha! Got it!"
The collar came undone and JP was able to easily slip the device from around Takuya's neck. Their excitement was short lived when they saw the condition of their friend's neck. Takuya's neck was red and puffy, the collar having bit and chaffed at his skin.
Takuya immediately came to his senses once the collar was off and his raw skin exposed to the air. He yelped in pain and pawed at his neck, only making the already irritated skin worse. Kouji grabbed the boy's hands and held them away.
"You're only hurting it more!" Kouji tried to reason as Takuya struggled in his grasp.
Kouichi sprang into action once Kouji secured Takuya's hands. He quickly applied antibiotic cream to Takuya's neck, much to the boy's discomfort. He then wrapped gauze around the injury carefully, and secured it.
Kouji released the boy from his grip once JP and Kouichi had retreated to the kitchen. He immediately pulled on the gauze. Kouji took his hands again, "Takuya, stop. You need this."
Takuya whimpered softly as Kouji let his hands go. He clenched his hands into fists but didn't paw at the bandage.
"Just try to calm down Takuya, you're going to be okay." Kouji told the boy.
Takuya moaned and twitched his fingers in agitation from the cream and gauze. The small fire Digimon groaned and tried his best to hold still. The gauze was uncomfortable, something he wished he could tug off and be rid of.
Kouji heaved a heavy breath and looked to the metal band that lay abandoned on the floor. He picked up the collar and examined it closely. "…is this a shock collar…?" he was horrified with the idea that these people had electrocuted the poor boy during his captivity.
Takuya winced and shied away when Kouji picked up the collar.
Seeing the reaction Takuya was having to the collar, Kouji quickly put it away the collar and keeping it out the frightened boy's sight. "It's okay now. It's gone."
The boy shivered once, but settled back down. He looked so lost and frightened- like a child separated from his family. Kouji shook his head at the all too true thought. He pulled the boy close, and hugged him gently.
"It'll be okay Takuya, You'll see. Until then, we're all here for you. We'll protect you," Kouji soothed, feeling Takuya relax slowly. "Feel better?"
Takuya looked up at the wolf Digimon. He didn't say a word as he shrugged weakly. This struck Kouji as odd, normally Takuya wouldn't shut up. Now he was completely silent save for his moans of discontent.
"Takuya...? Can you... talk?" Kouji ventured to ask, afraid of what could be the answer. The boy looked away solemnly. He held a hand up to his injured throat, and scrunched his face up as though in pain.
"It's okay; you don't have to force yourself if it hurts."
Takuya nodded weakly and kept quiet, letting himself calm down and put his hand back down to his lap. The wolf felt his blood grow a little cold. Had the experience really been bad enough to make Takuya unable to speak like this? They had hurt his friend in ways Kouji couldn't and didn't want to imagine.
Kouichi and JP peaked into the living room, seeing how Kouji was handling the situation with Takuya.
The look on Kouji's face had scared them for a moment, seeing the pure malice and anger in his sharp gaze. The wolf's grip tightened, threatening the crush the collar in his hand.
"What do you think is going on?" JP asked the older twin. Kouichi only replied with a shrug as they watched from the doorway.
The next few days passed painfully slow as Takuya started to readjust to his friends. He still shied away from sudden advances towards him, but he tolerated Tomoko's presence near him. He also seemed to be less timid around Kouichi and JP. Zoe and Tommy still spooked the boy as they couldn't visit as often and socialize with him as much.
"It's progress," Kouji stated watching Takuya nap from the kitchen. Tomoko had just changed the boy's bandages around his neck a bit before he had fallen asleep.
Zoe sighed, sitting across from Kouji. "I know I just worry about him..."
"Well, we're doing all we can to make sure he's comfortable. We just need to give it a little more time. He'll come back to us eventually." Kouichi pointed out, hoping that the idea enough would be able to make Zoe feel better about the situation.
JP nodded with his friend, agreeing with the idea. "We just need to give Takuya some time. And we don't have to worry about those scientists looking for him with the collar gone."
"What about Cerberumon? What if he comes back like he did back at that building?" the blond asked, nervous about the prospect of running into the devil dog again. "He could still be looking for him."
They group remained quiet for a moment, no one really having an answer about the possible confrontation. Kouji knotted his fingers and went over in his mind his possible chance of fending off their opponent.
Strabimon was strong to a point, but not nearly enough to compete with Cerberumon's raw power. If possible, the Warrior Spirit should be able to contend against it but the issue was how difficult it was to maintain the use of Lobomon's Spirit. Kouji just didn't feel sure enough to rely on it in battle should the time call for it.
"Zoe..." Kouji began, "Look, I'll be honest, I'm not sure about Cerberumon coming after Takuya. What I am sure of is that I will NOT let him harm Takuya."
This didn't ease the girl's fears any but it did make the topic drop. Takuya yawned from the other room, waking up. Kouji rose from his seat and took his Digimon form.
"Takuya?"
The boy lifted his head, and smiled seeing Strabimon enter the room.
"How're you feeling Taku?" Zoe asked standing behind the wolf Digimon. Takuya looked at her shyly, nodding slowly. Zoe smiled weakly, still saddened by her friend's pain.
Kouichi, while doing his best to keep from scaring their friend, knelt down before Takuya to take a look at the bandages to make sure they remained on properly.
Takuya had let the older twin in close to him, having been used to Kouichi's presence when they were changing his bandages. The bandages still itched but Takuya had grown used to that too. It was all just part of their routine now.
"Well, it looks fine so far." Kouichi told the others and got back up to his feet. "Just a few more days I think and his neck should be all good."
"I guess it's a good thing he has that Digimon healing ability." Tommy stated to the others.
Kouichi nodded, "No kidding. But the fact it's still taking so long though... He's been hurt so much more than we could hope to understand."
Takuya flattened his ears, curling up on the couch tightly. Zoe went to his side slowly, sitting beside him. She stroked his mane gently, carefully avoiding the matted tangles.
"When are we going to get him cleaned up? His hair is a mess and he could use a bath..." Zoe asked, still fussing with the flame Digimon's hair. "It'll probably make him feel better."
Kouji sighed weakly. "Well, we'd give him one sooner but the thing is he's still a little uneasy around us and the bath might scare him, especially if it hurts his neck."
"And it might be hard to get him to cooperate with us." Kouichi added in and explained further. "He was tough enough to work with just to get the collar off and I don't want to use anymore catnip on him again."
JP flinched and shivered, recalling his and Kouichi's prank with it. He still felt guilty about it and was nervous with the idea of using it now, despite how useful it was at the time.
"We need to wait until his neck's fully healed, or until he's comfortable enough around us to get him in the shower." The younger twin finished and looked at the Digimon boy. He really was a mess despite their best efforts to keep him clean.
Zoe sigh, "At least get me a pair of scissors and a brush? Cutting these matted parts out and trimming his mane will help."
Kouji sighed, "If you insist." He found Zoe a short pair of scissors and a soft bristled brush. He passed the tools to the girl. Takuya tensed at the sight of the scissors. Kouji moved beside the boy to calm him while Zoe set to work.
The blonde set to work, gently brushing Takuya's mane. She worked out the smaller knots and cut apart the bigger ones to remove them. She also cut the long damaged strands, making it much shorter than before.
Takuya moaned faintly but with the wolf Digimon beside him, he sat through his haircut. He twiddled his thumbs in his lap and watched as his hair gathered in a pile on the coffee table. It felt weird at first but Takuya found himself enjoying the pampering. It felt oddly nice. Without even knowing it, a faint purr had escaped his throat.
Zoe smiled feeling her spirit lift up if only a little after hearing the sound of his purring. She continued to run the comb through Takuya's mane until she was done.
The others watched, thankful to see Takuya purring the way he was. It was a good sign. He was feeling good and comfortable, something they've been trying to do ever since they got him back.
The small fire Digimon continued to purr ever so faintly as Zoe began running her fingers gently through his hair. It was a nice feeling having the girl brush his hair.
Takuya smiled as he dozed lightly. Zoe continued to stroke his mane as the boy slept. "He's getting better..." She commented lightly.
Kouji nodded, "He's definitely getting better around everyone."
"It won't be long before he'll be back to his old self," Kouichi said brightly.
"I'm not so sure," Kouji countered, "Takuya's suffered through a lot. We don't even know the details of his ordeal."
Tommy shuffled in his spot uncomfortably, not sure how he liked what Kouji had just said. "Do you think he'll tell us? You know… when he feels he can talk to us?"
"Maybe… it might be too hard on him to want to recall it all though." Was Kouji's answer. It must have been horrible to make Takuya the way he was; they were certain of that much. No one could just regress to such a state without some sort of intense traumatic pain.
Zoe frowned slightly, feeling a little upset by Kouji's words. "I guess…"
"The thing is though… we do have to know if we're going to help him all the way." Kouji added on to his previous statement. "Until then we just have to give him our full support."
They all nodded solemnly, knowing it would still be a long road to travel yet.
