At his father's call, Matt flew out of Izzy's apartment without a word of goodbye. His fever be damned, he was not wasting time! Only once he arrived at his motorbike did he remember that Kari still held his keys from their previous ride. Luckily, both Kari and Izzy had followed him to the parking lot. Their eyes were frantic with worry as Matt had not told him why he had bolted away.
"Matt, what happened?"
"Keys." Matt held out his hand expectantly. He was only a second away from forcing the keys out of Kari's pocket.
"No," Kari withdrew, "tell us what's happening!"
"Tk! They found Tk!"
Kari's eyes widened and she started digging for the keys, "I'll drive."
"Don't be silly, I'm not letting either of you drive as you are. My car is over here." Izzy gestured to the left and started walking. Matt and Kari did not argue but as they made their way through the city they consistently pressed Izzy to go faster.
Upon arriving at Nancy's apartment, Hiroaki explained further what they knew while Nancy, her face trembling, paced around the apartment silently.
Blue eyed, blonde haired John Doe had been found unconscious in a rural part of northern Japan in the late hours of the night. His rescuer, a farmer woken by and investigating howling sounds in his fields, had originally thought him a foreigner. However, the police's connection to Takeru Takaishi was swift. Hiroaki booked passage to the nearest airport and the separated family would depart at noon. Until then, everyone had to wait. And, it was an agonizing wait.
Tk did not look good in yellow and purple bruises. Nevertheless, he was alive. At the time, Matt only cared that he was alive. As the doctor explained that the young man had been fading in and out of consciousness since his arrival, Matt was relieved. His brother was whole and returned to him. However, the doctor had not stopped her briefing. Yes, there was severe malnutrition, facial swelling, and a broken arm, but more importantly the woman recounted that Tk was not responsive while awake.
"What do you mean responsive?" Nancy gripped Tk's sleeping hand fiercely.
"He is not engaging with the staff."
"Isn't he drugged?" Matt hostilely questioned. He had hoped to see his brother's shinning eyes when they finally arrived.
The doctor calmly shook her head, "Not significantly so. Even with the mild sedative he was given when we broke and reset his arm, he has shown few signs that he is aware of his surroundings. He has reacted physically to signs of discomfort and pain, but otherwise has not responded to any questions, sounds, or visual attempts at communication."
Before Matt could barrage her with further questions she held up her hand, "This is not entirely unusual. Though I can only guess the full extent of what Takeru endured for the last several weeks, it is clear it was physically and emotionally traumatic."
Nancy trembled at the numerous terrifying thoughts that rushed through her head and Hiroaki placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He asked the doctor, "What can we do?"
"We have a psychiatrist on staff who will be rounding on Takeru during his stay here. He can also offer recommendations for outpatient therapy when Takeru is ready to go home. Other than that, it is important to remember that sometimes mental scars are the hardest to heal. Be patient and be kind."
.
.
.
After 8 days, Tk was discharged from the hospital. However, it was unlikely that he realized what was happening. Tk did not recognize his mother, father, or Matt. The most attention they had received during his hospitalization was fleeting, forlorn stairs from hollow eyes. Otherwise, Tk didn't seem to process anything around him.
Both the hospitalist and psychiatrist had assured him that they did not have a physical explanation for Tk's behavior. They had performed additional neurologic testing but the findings were negative. All evidence pointed to this being a psychological condition.
Of course, that was hardly comforting to a torn family who was dealing with a new form of their own trauma. A son and brother who was so…so lost to them. To make matters worse, the police had informed them that there had not been any significant advances in their investigation. They, like the family, hoped Takeru would be able to provide information of the circumstances of his disappearance but were left disappointed. In sum, Tk was found but all else had stalled.
.
.
.
It had been a month since Tk returned home and the improvement was far from inspiring. It was a chore just keeping him clean and fed. Nancy and Hiroaki had no choice but to return to their jobs as the financial burden of Tk's situation become more apparent. Matt, as much as he had originally wanted, also could not be around Tk contanstly. The more time he spent with Tk the less he was able to cope with the boy's lack of engagement. Tk's new psychiatrist recommended the family hire a caregiver and it was a blessing for everyone.
The caregiver, practiced in handling dependent patients, was able to keep Takeru on a regular diet and even prod him on short walks. His care was exceptional and as much as the family hated to admit it, they were happy to have at least a few moments a day free from their loved one's vacant face.
Matt tried to keep the digidestineds and Tk's other friends away. He warned them it would hurt. Of course, no one listened though many wished they had. The Tk they visited was a far cry from what they remembered.
Guilt was not the darkest emotion to cross some minds. Still, the police had yet to announce further findings though they continued to declare it an open case. It made many imaginations run wild.
"How are you holding up?" Tai passed Matt a bottle of beer. The disheveled blonde brought it to his mouth for a swig before answering.
"Fine."
"Matt."
Matt looked at his worried best friend and sighed. "I'm not sure I want to talk about it."
"Ok."
"Really? I thought for sure you'd have some rousing speech prepared. Especially since you initiated this evening."
Tai frowned and flipped the sizzling strips of meat on the grill imbedded in the table between them. "I do have a speech planned out if you want to hear it but it…it didn't go so well when I tried it on Kari yesterday."
Matt gave a small smile despite himself. "What'd she do?"
"Cry. Throw some pillows at me. Called me an asshole."
"Were you an asshole?"
Tai immediately took the bait and got defensive, "I certainly wasn't trying to be. I was just offering some advice. I told her we just needed to stay positive."
"Sounds like something Tk would have said."
"That was definitely part of the problem. The other half, she not so politely told me, was that I was trying to tell her how to feel instead of ask her how she felt. But despite what she implied, I learn and evolve," Tai turned down the grill's heat and looked up towards Matt, "so no speech or superfluous advice, how are you, Matt?"
Surprised at himself, Matt began speaking, "I don't know. Tired."
Tai nodded his head but did not interrupt. After a few moments, Matt continued.
"Since the very beginning everything has been off. Tk's disappearance. The lack of evidence surrounding his disappearance. My weird dream the night he was found. His behavior since returning. Everything puts me on edge."
"Not having answers is hard," Tai agreed.
"It is. And my torment is only furthered by a voice in the back of my head that screams this isn't the end of our suffering."
"So, what can we do?" Matt narrowed his eyebrows and Tai instantly waved his hands defensively, "That isn't supposed to sound defeatist. Seriously, what do you think is the next step?"
Matt signed and swirled his food around his plate. He thought deeply about what he or Tai could change, but came up empty. They weren't psychiatric professionals or trained detectives. They were an athlete and a musician. In this circumstance they were nobody.
"C'mon Kari, you have to come."
"I can't."
"I'm not accepting that answer."
Kari opened the previously slammed door to reveal the face of her spiky haired friend, "Davis, I can't."
Davis looked her deep in the eyes and his voice turned serious, "What the hell, Kari? He's your best friend and he's sick."
"Sick?" Kari said with anger, "You call that sick, Davis? He's completely gone. That isn't Tk. Can't you feel it in your soul? He's a husk."
Davis stepped back. He'd never heard Kari yell so forcefully and neither had she voiced those particular thoughts. It shocked him.
"Kari, what are you talking about?"
Kari cast her eyes downwards and bit her lip. She had been suffering from her own guilt since seeing her best friend. And no, it was not the same guilt as the other digidestineds—though she had that, too. This was something different. The moment she saw Tk she knew he was hollow. Something was stripped from him though she could not explain what. That was why she refused to visit him again. His emptiness hurt her more than she could explain. Tai had not understood when they fought yesterday and she doubted Davis would do much better now.
"Kari?" Davis grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "What is it?"
Kari took one steady breath of resolve but then quickly broke. Her eyes bubbled with angry tears and she leaned her head into Davis's chest. "I could feel it, Davis. I don't care what the doctors say, Tk isn't in there anymore."
Davis held Kari close to him in comfort. He did not ask more because he knew she would not answer. This revelation was already too much. After getting her calm and in bed for a nap, he left Kari's apartment and headed for Tk. Only his caregiver, a friendly, middle aged man named Tony, was there at the time. He happily offered Davis something to drink and then made himself scarce to let him talk privately to his old friend.
"Hey TB," Davis said with a forced smile. As with all his previously visits, Tk did not make any acknowledgement that he was there. He looked blankly past Davis with his thoughts on an unknown subject. He was dull both from the color of his eyes and hair, to the sagging of his once lean body. He was a husk.
Davis, in a unusual move, tried to recall some old lessons in meditation that Cody had taught him the summer he decided learning kendo would be fun. Once he stilled his own mind, he began to visualize his own aura. It was vibrant though less chaotic than it had been in his youth.
Expanding outward, David reached for Tk. He found nothing at first but that was hardly surprising. Tk had always been hard to sense by the sheer fact his presence was always subtle. He was like a beam of sunlight on a cold day or a slight breeze during summer. It was the subconscious that felt and appreciated Tk, not the conscious. Thus, Davis meditated for several more minutes on his own wellbeing hoping Tk's percipient spirit would show itself when not the target of direct focus.
Unfortunately, a cramp in Davis's leg eventually startled his concentration before he found anything of note. He signed and opened his eyes slowly. The light blinded him temporarily but after a handful of blinks, his vision cleared and he jumped at the two cerulean eyes staring directly at him.
"Tk?"
The boy didn't react but kept staring. His body was tense and his head slightly cocked in confusion. It was the most emotion Davis had ever seen the man display since he was found.
"Tk, where is it?" Davis reached forward for his friend's hand. As he touched it, a static shock ran up his arm but he ignored it. "I swear it, Tk, we'll find out what happened to your soul."