taichis-girl208Wow, you're always so fast to review. Thank you so much. It means a lot to me. Thanks, I wasn't sure if I put in the Koumi in the right way… I'm so relieved that you liked the characters. It was nice to write with Mr. Ishida as well, it added a whole new experience to writing the last chapter. And sorry for the cliffie. I couldn't help myself. I found out that my last chapter was sooooo long and then I suddenly decided that this would be a nice cliffie. Also, about their clothes…. I couldn't help myself. I'd say both have the same size. Maybe Taichi's a bit taller…. Maybe Yamato's a bit taller…. you decide. Anyway, thanks for being so fast to review! And I liked your virtual cookie! I like to bake so I made one for you too! blushes while handing you the cookie…… Also, yay, I got a nickname happily bounces through room

Dragon77I'm very glad you liked it! I put in a lot effort!

PynteeYay, new reviewer! Happily bounces through room…. again Anyway, don't worry, those people will get what they deserve….Whoops, getting a bit ahead of myself Evil smirk

KoumiLoccnessWell, glad you liked it. I don't know about those other pairings yet. In fact, I already have an ending in mind, and the odds are very low that any other pairing will show up. Oh people, don't worry, this story won't end with Yamato dying…. Don't worry, it'll actually be quite the……… Evil smirk Sorry but I can't tell you anything right now. In this chapter it will all unfold…. Most of it….. I think….

Sakura UchihaLol, I wasn't even aiming for that. But I'm glad that it turned out in a way that you liked. Well, thanks for reviewing! It means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm trying to lift the mood a bit…. It's not working, is it? Pouts

Echelon: Hm, I normally don't reply to anonymous reviews, but I'll make an exception this time. Thanks for praising this story so much. I didn't think it would go this well, but here I am, writing chapter 8! And it's all thanks to you guys! Thank you so much!

Sovereign of Silence3Thanks, I put in quite the amount of effort to lengthen the scenes. And I'm glad you think I succeeded. And I really liked writing with Takeru and his father. They added some refreshment to writing. Anyway, I hope you like this story!

"..." Talking

'….' Thinking (Yamato)

/….\ Thinking (Taichi)

[…. Thinking (Takeru)

Sights

"Silence itself cannot be uncomfortable. The thoughts crossing the people's minds and not knowing what the other thinks, can."

Chapter 8

Rising

They now stood before that dreaded room. Room # 7A28. Yamato's room. Taichi sighed. This is where Yamato is. Where he would see Yamato… Taichi let out another shaking sigh.

"Well then, I'll go in first." Mr. Ishida said. He firmly knocked on the door twice before entering. Taichi caught a glimpse of what was inside. However , he couldn't see much as there was a curtain surrounding a bed, probably Yamato's. Then, the door closed again. He could hear some muffled voices from inside but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Taichi felt himself becoming a little sweaty.

/Am I really that nervous?\

After a few minutes Mr. Ishida came back.

"Okay boys, you may see him, but one at a time. Also, he's asleep right now so don't make a lot of noise when you're inside." Taichi placed his hand on Takeru's shoulder.

"You go first." Taichi said. It hurt him a bit as he really wanted to see Yamato badly. But he knew that brothers should go first. And so Takeru entered the room. And thus more waiting followed. However, it was only a minute later that Takeru came back again. His face was white, as if he'd seen a ghost. He was also slightly trembling. As if Taichi wasn't scared enough yet.

/Is it really that bad? Oh boy, can I handle this? …Well, I have to! I have to go and see Yamato. This is a time where I need to be strong and be there for him!\

And with that thought, Taichi took in a deep breath, steadied himself and opened the door…

Taichi opened the door, stepped into the room, closed the door behind him and looked around. The curtain was still surrounding Yamato's bed. Taichi hesitated.

/This is it. I have to walk past those curtains and face him. I must try to help him in any way I can.\

Taichi took a deep breath again. The bed surrounded with curtains was on the right side of the room, the furthest one in the back, 3 other beds available in the room, however, unoccupied. Then, someone from behind the curtains must've noticed he entered the room. From behind them no other than Mr. Michealson appeared.

"Ah, Taichi was it?" What nobody knew was at the mention of Taichi's name a faint smile formed on a certain blonde's face, hidden behind the curtains.

"Well then, I suppose you want to see Yamato." Mr. Michealson walked closer towards Taichi and leaned in, lowering his voice.

"You must know that he's pretty bruised up. I'm sorry to say but it isn't really a pretty sight. Are you sure you wish to continue?" Taichi could only nod, swallowing thickly. Mr. Michealson let out a short breath and then grabbed the sides of the curtains. He opened them up slightly, revealing a stoic white bed. On it laid a familiar, yet so unfamiliar blonde. Taichi's breath was caught in his throat as he witnessed his beaten up love. The blonde was covered in bandages. His always beautiful face was now hidden behind a lot of white. His eyes, nose, ears and mouth were still visible, as were parts of his pretty hair, but the bandages still masked away most of it. Yamato's left eye was black, with some cuts. It looked as if something shattered his glasses and the broken pieces cut in his face. But besides the bandages and the black eye the blonde's face looked not too bad. However, his entire body seemed to be wrapped in bandages. His hands were free, though his arms were also tightly wrapped in those dreadful bandages. A nasty looking IV-needle was injected in Yamato's right hand. Taichi looked at his chest but they were also wrapped in those damn bandages. The rest of the blonde's body was hidden beneath his white blanket. However, judging from all the needles, wires and monitors and all the other expensive looking equipment it was safe to assume that beneath those bandages lied heavy wounds. Taichi trembled. He wanted to get closer to the blonde but he was afraid. Afraid to hurt the boy only by coming close. Afraid of touching the blonde. Afraid of…. The blonde himself. He couldn't even begin to describe what went through his head at that moment. However, he felt like he fell into some trance and slowly he walked towards the blonde. His eyes were fixed on the blonde's face. Taichi felt a lone tear flowing over his cheek as he approached the bed. He finally stood next to it, and had to take a moment and a deep breath to steady himself. He then, slowly, hesitantly and ever so softly and gently he laid his hand on the left hand of the blonde. Taichi winced as he touched the blonde's hand. It felt slightly cold, but at the same time warmer than normal. The blonde's hand was soft, but Taichi didn't dare to touch him fully, afraid of unintentionally hurting the boy. Taichi gazed at the blonde for a while, a few more tears rolling down his cheeks. He closed his eyes. He was about to break down again so he wanted to break the contact and leave the room but he was interrupted.

"T…ai…c…ch…i…" A soft voice murmured. Taichi opened his eyes, wide open as he stared at the blonde's slowly moving lips. It looked as if the blonde wanted to say more but he couldn't find the strength. This simple act did it, tears were now freely flowing down the brunette's cheeks. Taichi took a few steps to the right and bowed over, his face now above Yamato's. Two teardrops fell onto the blonde's face. Taichi moved his face in closer and very softly he whispered:

"Don't worry, Yamato. I'm here. It's going to be….okay." Taichi lifted himself again, trying to stop his flow of tears. But it was in vain. Taichi closed his eyes, letting his tears flow as his hand remained softly upon Yamato's. He wanted to lean in again and say more to the blonde but a soft cough from behind reminded him that he wasn't alone. He suddenly turned around, breaking the contact with Yamato. This resulted in a small moan from the blonde. Taichi noticed it and quickly turned around again, leaning in.

"Don't worry, Yamato. I'll stay close to you." And with that, he turned around again. He didn't even say anything to Mr. Michealson. He was afraid that anything he'd try to say right now would turn into a sob. And with that, he opened the door and walked out. Closing the door he was faced with Takeru, still as white as a blanket. Mr. Ishida had an inviting arm wrapped around his son, holding him close. Taichi suddenly longed for that as well. Mr. Ishida seemed to notice this and reached out his other arm to the brunette. The brunette gladly accepted and allowed himself to be comforted by the strong arm of Mr. Ishida wrapped around of him. He still couldn't stop his crying and he finally decided that it would be alright to just let it flow. Taichi closed his eyes and leaned into Mr. Ishida's inviting warmth. Mr. Ishida in turn had to also close his eyes, to prevent tears from falling down. Right now, even though he wanted nothing more than breaking down, he had to stay strong for the two boys he held in his arms.

And like that the three remained for a long time. They didn't move or speak, only letting their emotions flow and seek comfort in one another…

A pretty long while later three men stood again in the now despised, huge, white waiting room. Once again they took their seats in the uncomfortable, hard chairs. It had been a while before they managed to break away from Yamato's room. 2 hours had passed and now they were waiting, again. The sun was still shining brightly through the glass ceiling, however, preparing to lower itself on the horizon and hide itself beneath it until morning would come again. By now it was past 5 pm and due to the lack of food, three stomachs were now grumbling loudly. Takeru was the first one to answer his stomachs desperate calls.

"Dad, can I pleeeaaassee have some money to get something to eat in the restaurant." Takeru whined, sinking deeper in his ever so hard chair, clutching his stomach. The boy was still a little bit white and shocked but all that soon made place for hunger.

"Ah, you're hungry too. Well, I certainly wouldn't mind something! What about you, Taichi?" Mr. Ishida turned around, facing the brunette. The brunette seemed to ignore both his stomach and Mr. Ishida's question as he continued gazing at the space in front of him. He was obviously still in shock from what he had witnessed a mere 2 hours ago. Mr. Ishida sighed as he looked at him. He hated to see such young boys, children actually, already having to bear these kinds of burdens.

"Taichi, I take it that you like burgers?" No answer. "Well, I'll just bet on it then. There's a snack bar near by. I'll go get us something. Besides, I can use the walk and fresh air. Takeru, care to join me?"

"Nah, I'll stay here with Taichi." Mr. Ishida nodded, understanding his youngest son's motives. He was proud of his son, so responsible for his young age. With an almost satisfied, yet suppressed smile he exited the large waiting room and entered the quickly cooling down outdoors. Takeru sat next to Taichi. He was about to wrap his arm around the brunette but a noise interrupted them. It was… A mobile phone? Taichi didn't seem to register the sound as his own and ignored it. However, as a few seconds went by Takeru shook his shoulder slightly, lifting him from his trance. Taichi blinked a few times, trying to recognize his surroundings. After a few seconds he finally registered the noise coming from his pocket. He lazily fished his phone out of his pocket and looked at the tiny screen. It read 'Home'. Taichi took a deep breath and then finally answered the call.

"Hello?" He said, sounding a bit uninterested. Also, his voice seemed to creak slightly from all the strain caused by his previous crying.

…

"No…. I'm still at my friend's place."

…

"Oh that…. Umm…. I'm fine, really. We're… watching this film, and it's really sad. That's causing my voice to creak a bit."

…

"No, I won't. I'll eat here." And before the person at the other end of the line could say anything else Taichi muttered a quick goodbye and hung up. He sighed deeply and turned his phone off, wanting to prevent this from happening again.

"Your mom?" Takeru asked, only half interested, just trying to make some conversation.

"Yeah." Was the only short reply. An uncomfortable silence took over. The person, Taichi's mom, who was so suddenly disconnected looked at their wireless home phone with a confused look. When had Taichi become emotional?

Mr. Ishida returned with two bags in his hands. As he entered the waiting room, foul looks from other people met his, the smell of burgers gradually filling the huge room. Mr. Ishida smiled as both boys, even Taichi, jumped up at his arrival. He signalled them to follow him outside.

Once outside, they found a nice bench, big enough for the three of them to fit on. It was positioned so that the gradually weakening rays of the sun shone it's last light on the three. They ate their junk food in silence, their stomachs gladly accepting the incoming, unhealthy material. Even long after they had finished their food, they sat in silence, enjoying the last warm glances the sun would give them for that day. The sun soon disappeared behind the large building, and eventually it disappeared completely, letting the weakly shining stars and moon gradually grow stronger. The three sat there, only occasionally speaking a few words.

At some point it become too cold to enjoy and they decided to move back inside. The harsh lights in the waiting room were once again turned on, giving the entering people a 'warm' welcome. The two boys took, for one to many times in these 24 hours, their uncomfortable, hard waiting chairs. Mr. Ishida walked up to the desk, now being occupied by a woman, seemingly in her mid-thirties. He seemed to ask her something and she looked it up in her computer. She shook her head but this time Mr. Ishida didn't seem as if he'd received bad news. In fact, he seemed almost relieved.

"They say there hasn't been a change in Yamato's condition. I suppose that's for the better." Mr. Ishida sighed as he took his seat. They remained silent again, however, only 10 minutes had passed until Taichi jumped up, deciding he'd had enough of all this waiting.

"I'm going to take a look around." Without waiting for an answer Taichi began walking, no real destination in mind. He wandered the many halls of the huge building, occasionally glancing inside a room, only to quickly look away from the horrors that sometimes resided in them. He wandered for about 30 minutes, feeling as if he'd been in this specific hall a hundred times before. Deciding to take search higher up he took the elevator. He randomly pressed a button and allowed the elevator to take him to wherever it was going. He slipped out of the elevator the second it opened up and noticed he ended up on the highest floor of the hospital. He took a few steps forward, gripping the railing in front of the big windows. Taking a few deep breaths he watched the buildings beneath him. He watched the many cars pass the hospital, the people walking on the streets and the happy lights that filled the streets with warm colours. He calmed down from the sight of it. He looked at the movements of the peoples, the cars, the lights and basically everything else in sight. He suddenly wished that Yamato was with him to watch the pretty sight together. But that would be a wish that wouldn't come true… Not even after this all was over…ever… Taichi feared that more tears would come at this thought, but much to his surprise they didn't. Instead, he calmed down some more, trying to imagine what Yamato would say if he could see what he saw right now. His mind wandered not to the painful past 24 hours, but instead to all the times he spend with the blonde. The first time they met in the music shop, that time in the park when his glasses broke, the first time they kissed… Taichi's mouth curled up slightly as he thought back at that particular memory. And then there was that blissful time in the park; the time they spilled ice cream over his shirt. Taichi was now smiling full on. For the first time in those dreadful 24 hours he felt relaxed. He stood there, just enjoying the view for a while. However, he soon decided that he shouldn't keep the Ishida's waiting too long. He took a deep sigh and a last glance at the beautiful sight and then turned back to the elevator.

He returned to ground floor and met the worried faces of the two Ishida's. He smiled a bit more.

"Sorry to worry you guys. I had to clear my mind, that's all."

"And?" A worried Takeru asked. Mr. Ishida remained silent, understanding that the brunette needed some space and he was glad that he took it.

"I feel a lot better. Thanks." Taichi gave a reassuring smile towards the blonde. This seemed to calm the boy down.

"So, any changes?" Mr. Ishida shook his head.

"No, he's still sleeping. But the doctors say it's looking good. Sleep is what he needs most right now. They say that if he gets enough rest, you guys can visit him again tomorrow." Taichi felt relief wash over him. Things were finally looking better.

Taichi had once again spend the night at the Ishida's residence, not getting any more nightmares but still ending up sleeping in Yamato's bed again. After some refreshing and nearly choking on his breakfast they were finally ready to leave. Now they were standing in that big, white waiting room again. However, the tension was considerably less than the day before. The three waited in mutual peace as they longed for the doctor to come to them and tell them that they could visit the beloved blonde again. It took only about 30 minutes of waiting before the male behind the front desk called out their names again. And he again yelled at the two enthusiastic boys as they began running towards the elevator. They stood before room # 7A28. This time however both Ishida's, as if pre-discussed, allowed the brunette to go first. The brunette hesitantly, but gladly, accepted. He entered the room and looked around. The three remaining beds were still unoccupied and the curtain was no longer surrounding Yamato's bed. The equipment however, remained. And as did the bandages. Taichi slowly walked forward, the blonde looked as if he were asleep, though that was hard to make out since the blonde had his eyes closed as always. As his gaze remained on the blonde's eyes he noticed that the black eye was already slightly lessening, though it would still be easy to see it for the next few days. Taichi reached the bed and watched Yamato's slow but steady breathing. He smiled a little bit as he laid his hand again on Yamato's left one. The blonde still seemed fast asleep, though his expression betrayed him as a faint yet content smile crept up the blonde's face as soon as Taichi touched him. With a hoarse, soft voice he said:

"T--….Taichi…" Taichi's eyes lit up at that. With a soft and gentle voice he replied.

"Hey there." The faint smile on Yamato's face widened slightly at the sound of his Taichi's voice. Then, with a slight concerned undertone he asked:

"H-How…Do I look?" Taichi hesitated.

/What the heck am I supposed to say right now? Say that he looks as if he was nearly beaten to death?\

"You really wanna know?" The blonde let out a soft whimper, he would've simply nodded if it wasn't for the consistent headache in the back of his head.

"You look like a living dead." The blonde actually let out something that could've been recognized as a chuckle.

"I bet…that's right back…at ya." The blonde muttered with as much strength as he could manage. The brunette smiled inwardly at the blonde's answer. In a soft voice, ending with a sigh he answered:

"Yeah…"

"I'm sorry—"

"Don't be. This is not, in any way, your fault."

"But I—" Taichi cut of the blonde with a soft yet firm tone:

"Listen to me Yama. This. Is. Not. Your. Fault. You hear me? Don't let me catch you blaming yourself." The blonde looked as if he was about to say something back but he lacked the strength. Instead, he accepted the fact that Taichi was right. He allowed himself to relax and just enjoy Taichi's company. However, that didn't last very long.

"Yamato, Takeru and your dad are waiting outside. Want me to bring them in?" Yamato looked as he was torn between two things. He wanted nothing more and nothing less than Taichi's company. But, the blonde realized that his younger brother and father were probably worried sick. As a result, the blonde slightly pulled away from Taichi's comforting touch.

"Yeah." Was Yamato's short reply that ended in a tired sigh. Taichi, against his own wanting, let go completely of Yamato's hand and walked towards the door. Opening it, he allowed the next person to enter. That person was Takeru. Apparently Mr. Ishida didn't mind going last, knowing that his youngest son was hiding much worry behind his young and innocent face. Taichi stepped aside as he let Takeru pass and then made his own way to the hall. Taichi joined Mr. Ishida in leaning against the wall. The door to room # 7A28 closed in front of them.

"And?" Mr. Ishida asked, half knowing what the answer would be.

"Better than yesterday." It remained silent for a while after that. A clock could be heard ticking somewhere, a few doctors talking to each other in medical terms and a few children were playing with blocks at the very end of the hall. But besides that… It remained peacefully quiet. The silence was broken a few minutes later. Takeru exited the room and entered the hall, carrying a much better expression than the last time he came out of that room. Mr. Ishida walked towards the door and for a short amount of time he allowed his hand to rest upon Takeru's shoulder. The said young boy took his fathers place against the wall, next to Taichi.

"And?" This time the question came from Taichi.

"Much better." Came the reply, sounding relieved. Again silence remained in the hall. However, it was not an uncomfortable one. The two boys had just seen their beloved blonde, who was looking slightly better in a doctor's opinion, but showing a world of difference to the two boys. After a few minutes, the longest time yet, the door opened again and Mr. Ishida entered the hall.

"Well then, that was it for morning's visiting hours." The older man seemed just as relieved as the boys after seeing how the blonde looked.

"How about we take a walk outside until afternoon's visiting hours? I could use a bit of fresh air." The two boys complied, having no better idea. And so they took the elevator, returned to ground floor and exited Central Hospital. They welcomed the fresh air and took in deep breaths. They made sure their walk took its route a good distance from said building. All the while the sun shone brightly and warmly, as if congratulating the three.

It was already 4 pm when the three returned to the hospital. After taking their much needed walk they entered a small, nice looking restaurant and enjoyed their well-deserved lunch. Even after finishing their food they stayed in the restaurant, just sitting and relaxing. The tension in their bodies that had developed and steadily increased these past few days seemed to finally lessen. At some point they noticing the time and hurried back to the hospital. They were eager to visit Yamato again. They entered the waiting room, for the first time not noticing the harsh lighting and the uncomfortable mood that hung in the wide open space. Instead they headed for the elevator immediately. Impatiently they waited for the elevator to reach its destination and they quickly slipped out. They were about to enter the blonde's room but were halted by a familiar person. It was no other than Mr. Michealson.

"Ah, the Ishida's! How are you doing? I'm glad to inform you that Yamato is doing quite well. The bleeding hasn't had a chance to start again, the chance that it will has been significantly decreased. The dose of painkillers has also been slightly lowered. I'm quite sure that you are all eager to visit him but he's currently sleeping. I advise you to let him rest and not visit him at the moment. The more rest he gets, the better. If he is to sleep throughout the entire visiting hours, I will make some arrangements so you can visit him later this night. But for now, please hold your horses!" Mr. Michealson chuckled slightly and his ever so serious tone was now filled with sincere happiness.

"We'll be sure to do that, sir. As long as Yamato gets better." Mr. Ishida answered, slightly disappointed that he couldn't see his son right now. However, this didn't weigh up to the fact that all was going well with Yamato and that the boy was now sleeping peacefully.

The rest of the day went by uneventfully. At 8 pm Yamato Ishida was still deep in his dreams, and didn't make any effort to wake up any time soon. Taichi, Takeru and Mr. Ishida could only be glad as their beloved blonde took the rest he so much needed. They shortly visited his room, but no words were exchanged. The only thing the three were granted was the sight of a sleeping beauty. And so the day went by, already in its evening hours. The three decided to go home, determined to get a good night rest. And for the first time in these few days it actually seemed like they could get their well deserved rest as their minds were relieved with the knowledge that the blonde was doing fine. And so the three went home. Their home coming was less depressing than the last time they'd entered the Ishida residence.

The next day, being Saturday, was like the day before. Their so called morning ritual was slightly different though. In the early morning hours Mr. Ishida received a call from his very angered boss. The father of two blondes had never taken the time and effort to call his work and tell them that he wasn't coming. Mr. Ishida's boss didn't really get the story until Mr. Ishida explained all that had happened these past days in accurate detail. And so the man was granted a pardon, the situation obviously acknowledged and accepted. He was even dismissed from the office for another whole week, at which point they'd discuss further. With a loud sigh Mr. Ishida hung up, his peaceful morning officially disturbed. He waited for the two boys to finish refreshing, changing clothes and recovering from the breakfast they'd just had. After a 10 minute wait the brunette was once again seated in the back seat of the Ishida's car as the two Ishida's themselves sat in the front, the one behind the wheel of course being Mr. Ishida. They arrived at the hospital a mere 15 minute drive later. They were again eager to see the blonde, however the three were met with an early disappointment. Yamato would receive some therapy today so he had to get plenty of rest. Thus it was advised that they only spend a few minutes with him now, and let him rest and sleep for the rest of the day. The three were obviously disappointed but they understood that it was actually a good thing that Yamato would receive therapy. It meant that the road to recovery had started. They decided not to waste any more precious time they could have with the blonde and so they quickly made their way to Yamato's room to use those few minutes to their full extend. However, Lady Luck didn't shine upon them that day as the blonde was still sleeping.

"Oh man, does the guy do anything else?" Takeru whined, standing outside of room # 7A28.

"Ah, come on Takeru, you know it's a good thing for him to be sleeping." Taichi said in a wise, yet slightly disappointed tone.

"Yeah yeah, I know. Yama was always a sleepy-head to begin with, so it's no surprise." Takeru said in his childish voice. Mr. Ishida could only chuckle at the show the two boys before them put on. Soon though, they became bored and decided to go back to the waiting room. The sun shone brightly through the glass ceiling, showing it was ready for its summer job. The three men sighed as the rest of that potentially beautiful day went by uneventful…

However, Taichi refused sitting in the hospital the whole time while doing nothing but waiting for something that probably wouldn't even happen. Yamato would probably be sleeping the whole day if it was up to him. And so he decided to once again wander the many halls from the hospital. He walked around, strolling actually since he wasn't walking exactly fast. He wasn't in any hurry after all. He once again threw casual glances at the rooms he passed by. And just like last time he shuddered at some of the sights he was met with. After a while he once again dared to glance inside a room and met a familiar sight. He saw a room with 4 beds, almost the same as Yamato's, except with less equipment. 2 beds were occupied. One by an old man reading a book and the other by a girl with hair that was so unmistakably pink that no one could pass by without noticing. However, this was not what caught his attention. It was the figure sitting beside the bed of the pink haired girl; it was that boy from before, Izumi Koushiro. The redhead seemed to tell the girl some story, as she was practically hanging on to his lips. Koushiro didn't seem to mind, instead it motivated him to keep talking. Taichi smiled at the sight of the cute pair.

/They really make a nice couple. Do Yamato and I look like that when we're together?\

Taichi was interrupted in his thoughts as Koushiro seemed to notice Taichi watching. His face seemed to lighten up even more and he was about to walk up to the brunette. The brunette wanted to walk away but he couldn't. Koushiro looked so happy and he didn't dare to do anything that could make the boy sad. He was pulled inside and was introduced to the pink haired girl. It was Mimi Tachikawa (said in English way of speaking.) The girl had a Japanese surname because he father was Japanese and they lived in Japan for 1 year. However, Mimi had been very young at the time so she couldn't speak any word Japanese. It was funny to hear the girl make an attempt at it though. This and much more was told to the brunette. Taichi caught himself having a good time and honestly, he didn't really care. He was finally laughing and he was sure that Yamato wouldn't want it any other way. And so he passed the afternoon, laughing all the time. However, he noticed that he had again walked off on the Ishida's without really telling where he was going so he decided that it would be best to leave soon. With slight disappointment in his voice he excused himself, returning to the two men waiting for him. However, he wasn't allowed to leave without promising to come back some time. And so he did…

The rest of the day had gone by uneventful and even in the afternoon's visiting hours Yamato was still sleeping…

And so Sunday came. Neither Taichi nor the Ishida's were religious so going to any church did not bind their morning ritual. However, this Sunday was different. The three had decided that they would in fact visit a church and pay their respects. And so they did, the three of them dressed in their fanciest clothes. Taichi didn't bother to borrow any more of Yamato's clothes and thus he was forced to go back to his own home to fetch some. Mr. Ishida offered to drive him and Taichi gladly accepted. Upon arriving at his home, he pulled out his keys and quietly sneaked in, the residents still sleeping. He made his way from the hall towards his room. However, to do that he had to go through the living room and there he was faced with a yawning and sleepy Hikari for a few seconds.

"Morning, Tai-" Yawn. "-chi." Taichi jumped up slightly, fearing he got caught in his sneaking. But in her own drowsiness Kairi didn't pay much attention to her older brother as she walked right past him, heading for the fridge to make some breakfast. The brunette used this situation to quickly fetch some decent clothes and quietly sneak out of his home. Grabbing what he came for he quickly sprinted for the door, jumped in the waiting car and they drove back to the Ishida residence. As soon as the three of them had put on their clothes, their hair neatly done and everyone had brushed their teeth (under the command of a fatherly Mr. Ishida), the three were ready to go. After a 20 minute drive they arrived at a nice looking church. The huge tower-like thingie (according to Takeru) that stood on top of the building held a couple of those big bells, signalling that it was exactly 9 am. The three stood there for a while, just looking at the pretty building. However, it soon became apparent that it was all going to start and they quickly, but respectfully, entered the spacious chapel.

They found that it was pretty crowded but they still managed to claim some seats in the back row. People were all talking, though their voices muffled and low, but they ceased their talking when the music started playing. They listened at the intro and soon began to sing. However, neither the Ishida's or Taichi knew any hymns so they just listened peacefully. The hymn went on for about 2 minutes. When the music died down it became completely silent in the chapel as a man dressed in a robe (actually, Taichi thought it was a dress…) began to pray. At this, the three bowed their heads in respect, closed their eyes and listened to the prayer. After it ended another hymn was sung after which the man dressed in the robe began to hold a speech. He talked about many things, used some old stories from the bible that none of the three knew of, except Mr. Ishida who faintly remembered some of them from his own childhood. After 40 minutes of listening intently, the man in the robe finished his speech and another hymn was sung. Again, the three in the back could only listen, but this sufficed for the three. After the hymn another prayer was said. As soon as the prayer was finished voices raised again from the filled benches. Takeru and Taichi sighed in what seemed like relief. Though they had found it had been slightly boring, they still felt as if they'd done what they needed to do. Mr. Ishida seemed in some kind of trance, lost deep in his thoughts. The younger boys decided to let him be for a while and they went outside. After about 5 minutes Mr. Ishida joined them.

"Well, boys? What did you think?"

"Boooooooring." Takeru whined, but with a childish smile on his face.

"It was okay." Taichi plainly stated. Mr. Ishida nodded in approval and they finally walked back to the car. They took their sweet time, watching at some buildings they passed, a group of young ducks, the beautiful rays being deflected by a peaceful pond causing one's eyes to hurt when looking at the reflection too long. Since morning's visiting hours would only start in about 1 hour and it was a simple 15 minute drive from the church to the hospital they could afford it all and took this opportunity to relax wholeheartedly. After 15 minutes, which was way to fast for their liking, they reached the car. And so they decided to stop by a small drive-in restaurant to get a drink and maybe a snack. Their breakfast hadn't been much since Mr. Ishida was again the one to make it…

They entered the hospital, the huge entrance hall/waiting room being relatively empty. It was Sunday morning after all. The three decided to once again wait in those dreaded hard waiting chairs. However, Taichi refused to do so. Instead, he wanted to go to the top floor again to enjoy the sight from above. He knew that Takeru was probably bored as well so he decided to invite the boy to go with him.

"Hey, Takeru? Wanna see something awesome?" The young blonde seemed a little confused. However, being bored and certainly not having anything better to do, he decided to follow the brunette. The brunette was already heading towards the elevator so the blonde took a small dash to catch up to him. Together they took the elevator and headed for the highest floor. They reached their destination quickly, only being interrupted once by a doctor who had to go three floors higher. Finally arriving at the highest floor, the brunette took the blonde's hand and lead him to the spot he had previously watched from. The sight wasn't as captivating as last night, but it was still beautiful. The small lake beside the hospital reflected the suns warm glows of light and directed them at the huge trees that were planted beside the lake, which in turn created peaceful shadows on the ground. They took their time, just standing there. And when they got a little tired of all the standing, they sat down on a couple of chairs behind them. And like that, in peaceful silence, the time passed. The boys almost hadn't noticed that morning's visiting hours were about to start, were it not for all the cars that suddenly seemed to park in front of the hospital and the sudden rush of people entering the dreaded building. So they decided to go back to ground floor, meet up with Mr. Ishida and then head to Yamato.

They did just that and a mere 5 minutes later the three stood before the infamous room # 7A28. They gently knocked on the door, signalling that they were coming in. And as they entered, they noticed a slight change in the room. One of the three previously unoccupied beds was now taken by an old lady reading some kind of old book. It was the bed on the left side of the room, closest to the door. But that was not what they noticed immediately. Many of the expensive, horrifying equipment that used to surround Yamato's bed was now gone. And even more, the blonde no longer laid in his bed, he was sitting almost straight up!(Well, supported by a big pillow.) And yet even more, some colour returned on the blonde's ever so pale face. The three walked towards the blonde. Yamato almost seemed to smile as he recognized one of the persons sloppy way of walking.

"Hey, Yama." Takeru said in his cheerful voice that was left unused for so long. Yamato smiled as he heard the voice of his beloved younger brother. None of the four noticed the door behind them opening again.

"Hey son, you're looking a lot better. How are you feeling?" Mr. Ishida asked in his fatherly concern, but his voice tainted with the relief off seeing that his boy was getting better.

"Hey dad, thanks. I'm feeling…A lot better." The boy said, actually feeling a little bit dizzy as he tried to maintain his not creaking voice.

"Hey, Yamato… How…are you?" Taichi asked, almost overwhelmed by the happiness that Yamato was doing a lot better.

"Hiya Taichi. Didn't I just…say… I'm doing a lot… better?" The blonde said, not in the least irritated, only happy to hear his boyfriend's voice again. It was silent for a while and the four were just glad to be with each other. Taichi was about to speak again when the person who had previously entered the room decided to walk up to them and speak.

"Yeah, hello to you too, Yamato. Oh, hi Takeru, look at how much you've grown… And…Well well, if it isn't my beloved husband." The owner of the voice now had a smirk on her face and it was not one of happiness. The three men turned around, Yamato only capable of turning his face slightly in the direction of the sound, to see the owner of the voice… Two of the three that had turned around and could actually see the person felt as if heaven had just collapsed on their heads. Mr. Ishida let out a low growl as he recognized the woman standing before them because… Takeru let out a small sound that sounded like a squeal while at the same time a gasp for air. Even Yamato, who couldn't even see the person let out a deep growl, his face darkening. Taichi was dumbfounded as he watched the expressions of the Ishida's grow darker with the second. The reason? Because a few steps away stood no other than former Mrs. Ishida.

To be continued…

AN/

Omg, I'm evil and I know it. This was certainly not planned in my original storyline but I had to find a way to finish this freakin' long chapter and this accidentally came out. Oh boy, how am I going to save myself outta this one….. Hmmmm, that's a nice idea evil smirk again...Also, people, don't forget to re-read Yamato's history in chap. 3 if you haven't done so already. There are two things in there that are/ will be important to the story from now on. Especially that one particular change I made… (sorry if the last part of this chapter seemed a bit rushed!)

Also, this will be the last chapter for at least 3 weeks. I'll be going to my dad's and the computer there is ancient, having no spell check. So, please be patient and don't forget to review!And, what do you prefer? Longer chapters but longer wait time, or shorter chapters and less wait time? I know I've asked before but this length is pretty hard to keep up!

Review!