Author's Note: I've finally updated, and I apologize for it being extremely slow…and I would like to thank Azure-Wulfe, Yuki, and Digi Yo for reviewing.
Drowned Out
Chapter Six
Matt began to tremble, his shoulders slouched while his body slumped in complete disbelief.
He stared wide-eyed at his open arms, but now, they were empty, and the feeling of warmth that had once rested against them was fading.
Feeling the cold seep in, he tore his gaze from his shaky arms and shut his eyes, hoping that the few minutes that had conspired were nothing more than a cruel fantasy that his anxious mind had conceived. But when he opened them again, it only shed more light to the reality of Gabumon's death.
Realization finally made its connection with the blonde as everything surrounding Matt seemed to fall into an eerie silence.
Suddenly, Matt felt something brush lightly on his shoulder. Breaking out of his trance, he turned around to see T.K. drawing back his hand as he looked down at him, with a worried expression on his face.
Seeing the disturbed, vacant look glinting in Matt's eyes frightened T.K., but the younger blonde managed to regain his composure as his blue eyes stared back into his brother's lifeless ones.
"A-a little bit after you left, Matt," T.K. began nervously, "Patamon and I went into the Digital World ourselves looking for you. I-I couldn't bear the thought of you getting hurt out here! Unable to cry for help with no one around…"
T.K. stopped short of his sentence, taking notice of his brother's lack of interest until Patamon spoke up.
"Hey, T.K., wasn't Gabumon in some kind of trouble?"
The Bearer of Hope paused. "You're right! He was! But, where is he?"
Upon hearing the question, Matt's hand slowly crept up the side of his pale face as he lowered his head, avoiding T.K.'s gaze.
T.K. stared, confused at first by his brother's sudden change in behavior.
Then, something inside him clicked.
"Matt, did something happen to Gabumon?"
Breathing heavily, Matt slowly dug into his coat pocket and held out his digivice in the palm of his quivering hand as T.K. observed the tiny machine.
"W-what are you trying to tell me, Matt?"
The Bearer of Friendship lowered his hand away from his face, briefly looking up back at his brother with a glazed expression before taking in an uneasy breath.
T.K.'s face fell as the shocking revelation was rapidly beginning to make sense of Matt's current state of being.
"Y-you mean that you were…and n-now Gabumon is-"
Matt nodded, carelessly dropping his digivice into the soft dirt.
And burst into uncontrollable tears.
He made several efforts at trying to stop, but all of the guilt that weighed heavily on his heart only caused his tears to come down heavier.
T.K. stood in utter silence, watching his brother cry. Never in his life, even when their parents split apart, had the younger blonde seen his brother so broken. It filled him with growing discomfort as he continued to listen to Matt's sobbing.
Fighting back the tears forming in his own eyes, T.K. averted his gaze to Patamon, who was on the verge of crying.
I thought at first that Patamon wouldn't come back after he digivolved and defeated Devimon… he thought, Then Ken lost Wormmon…and now Gabumon's dead. But then, Digimon can never truly die, they just-
His thoughts were cut short when he heard a harsh coughing fit coming from Matt.
Matt sputtered as more tears squeezed out from under his eyelids each time his breath hitched from the crying. But as he tried to stop it only prolonged the fit.
Quickly kneeling to help, T.K. placed a gentle hand on Matt's back and immediately felt the heat radiating off his older brother.
Ignoring the fever burning against his palm, T.K. wrapped his arms around his grief-stricken brother. The latter returned the embrace, shaking as his coughing gradually subsided.
This is entirely my fault, the Bearer of Hope thought bitterly, I should've let Matt see Gabumon even though he was getting sick…but I didn't…I was thinking about Kari…Gabumon would still be here if I hadn't-
T.K. suddenly blinked, feeling droplets of water soak through the sleeve on his shoulder.
"Oh, Matt," he whispered soothingly, tightening his hold in a protective manner.
"Gabumon will come back. He will."
Matt pulled away and looked at his brother through bleary tears, nodding weakly. He sniffled, drying his eyes with T.K.'s handkerchief from earlier before tending to his already streaming nose.
Once he was finished, T.K. draped Matt's arm around his shoulder while his right arm supported Matt's torso.
"Let's go home."
…
Upon returning to the Ishida apartment, Matt's sickness escalated once more, draining his strength to the point that T.K. practically dragged him out of the office and into his bedroom.
After laying Matt gently down on the bed and wrapping the soft blankets around his shivering form, T.K. hesitantly placed a hand on his brother's forehead but drew it back in an instant.
He's hot to the touch! T.K. thought, biting his lip, I've got to bring his fever down fast!
Just then, he remembered the phone call with his mother earlier as well as her last remark.
With Patamon standing guard over his frail brother, the Bearer of Hope hastily left the bedroom and rushed into the living room. After picking up the phone, about to dial the numbers, he heard a knock on the door.
Puzzled, he put the phone back on the hook, leaving the living room and walked towards the door, opening it.
"Mom?"
"I know I told you to call me if something happened," Nancy started, "but I felt like I had to be there for both you and Matt."
"How is he, T.K.?" she asked.
"He's burning up with a fever," he replied in a worried tone.
"I knew it," she confirmed, "something was wrong."
Closing the door behind them, T.K. led his mother through the darkened hallway to her eldest son's room. Hearing both of their voices coming closer, Patamon quickly disappeared into the computer room before the pair arrived.
Turning on the light, Nancy leaned over Matt's bed, her brow furrowing with great concern as she felt her son's feverish cheek against her fingers.
Matt's eyelids slowly cracked opened at her touch, seeing her gently standing over him. He pulled a shaky hand out from under the bedsheets to hers, letting it rest against her open palm. Nancy carefully placed her free hand over his in response.
"It's alright, baby," she whispered, "I'm here…I'm finally here."
Matt gave a heavy nod just as his sight began to dim and he quickly faded back into sleep.
"Do you think we need to call the doctor?" T.K. asked, taking notice of his mother's uneasy expression.
"We need to get his fever down soon." Nancy answered.
For the next few hours, the two vigilantly stayed by Matt's side, but T.K.'s guilt had been gradually consuming him from within. All he could think about was what he had done and what he could have done.
So much has happened to Matt already…and I'm only making it worse for him! If I had gone with him when Gabumon was in danger, we could have saved…
T.K. shut his eyes tight, feeling the tears threatening to spill out from them.
And they did.
Matt…I…I'm so sorry!
A pained whimper from the younger blonde caught Nancy's attention.
"T.K., what is it?"
"I-it's…M-matt…" he stuttered.
"I know that you're worried about him too," she said, "but he will get better."
Despite her hopeful words, they provided little comfort to T.K. and Nancy saw the combined stress and exhaustion swimming in her youngest son's tear-filled eyes.
"I'll take care of him now, T.K."
T.K. hesitated. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "I'm sure, now try to get some rest, dear."
"I will, Mom."
As T.K. left, Nancy pulled up a chair next to her son's bedside and throughout the remainder of the evening, she sat diligently, dabbing Matt's forehead with a damp washcloth.
She then heard the door of the apartment open, followed by heavy, dragging footsteps.
That must be Hiroaki. Nancy thought.
She listened as her ex-husband's footsteps came closer and closer to Matt's room until she heard the doorknob turn and open, revealing the man she once loved.
"Nancy?" Hiroaki said in a puzzled voice, "I saw T.K. sleeping on the couch when I came in…Why are you both here?"
He glanced over her and saw Matt, shivering a bit with a faint red flush across his cheeks.
"W-what's wrong with Matt?" he asked, setting the briefcase down before joining her.
"He's been sick with a severe cold," she said, brushing away a loose strand of golden hair from out of her eldest son's face. "I don't see how Matt came down with it so fast…"
"I know how," Hiroaki frowned sternly, "Yesterday, Matt wouldn't change out of his wet clothes after he and I found out what was causing his muteness. How is he doing now?"
"He's still warm," she replied, "but I think his fever's getting close to breaking."
Hiroaki sighed in relief. "That's good to know…um Nancy?"
"Yes?"
"While I was at work today," he said, "I have been looking up various treatments for people with psychogenic aphonia and I managed to find someone who could help Matt get his voice back. Once Matt's better, I can schedule an appointment for him."
"And starting now," Hiroaki said, pulling his ex-wife close to him, "He's going to need all of us."
At that precise moment, the computer suddenly began to hum in an almost human matter. Following the humming, numbers appeared on the monitor began to come together. The numbers then slowly started forming an outlined shaped on the computer screen.
-To be continued…
