Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the digimon franchise

Lifeline

Chapter 7

The next morning, Kari could feel her body beginning to wake up. After the stresses of the last couple of days, the comfort of her own bed was a welcome relief. But as she became more aware of her surroundings, she began to hear TK's anxious voice calling her.

"Kari! Babe, wake up!"

Finally, she opened her eyes to meet her husband's worried expression.

"TK?"

"Sorry, to wake you. But Emiko's gone."

"What!"

"I went in to the bedroom to check on her but she wasn't there. She's got her stuff and left. Must have been while we were all asleep."

Kari swiftly climbed out of bed and dashed to the spare room. She trusted TK's words but she needed to see for herself. When she got to the door, she felt her heart pounding. The only evidence that Emiko had been there at all was the set of pyjamas left strewn on the bed. Immediately though, Kari knew where her niece was likely to be.

"Who's at the hospital with Tai?"

"Uh, I think it's Matt."

"Call him and ask if Emiko's there."

TK quickly found his phone and went to call his brother. But, as soon as he picked it up, he found the text message from Matt. He sighed in relief as it confirmed what Kari was thinking. He turned the phone to his wife, letting her read. Kari sighed too but it didn't seem to settle her.

"Can you look after the boys?" She asked, "I'm going down there."

"Of course," TK replied, "But, Kari, she's ok. You don't need to go there right now."

But, she didn't listen to him as she got herself freshened up and dressed then head off. After a tense drive, Kari finally arrived at the hospital and ran to Tai's room. As she got closer to the room, she spotted Matt stepping out of the door. When he heard footsteps coming towards him, he looked up. The sight of Kari marching towards him was a surprise.

"Kari?"

"Where is she?"

"Emiko? Where she usually is."

Without a hesitation, Kari went straight in to the room. As expected, Emiko was in the chair, watching Tai. The sound of footsteps alerted the teenager, causing her to turn around. When she met her aunt's hazel eyes, she immediately felt guilty. She had caused her mother figure to panic and worry about her. Seeing her niece safe, Kari finally smiled a relieved smile.

"Emiko." She sighed.

"Sorry to worry you, Aunt Kari," Emiko said quietly, "I had an awful nightmare and wanted to be with Dad."

"I'm just glad that you're safe."

Kari walked over and pulled Emiko in to a warm hug. Emiko buried her face in Kari's shoulder, breathing deeply as Matt watched, smiling softly. He glanced over at Tai then quietly slipped out of the room, leaving the family alone for now.

But Matt was in for a surprise. As he walked away from the room to get a drink, he looked up to see Arashi walking towards him. He was dressed in the familiar uniform Matt and Tai once wore. He had the white shirt, blue tie, green blazer and grey pants along with a pair of navy shoes. He had his school bag with him as he walked through the hospital. When he spotted Matt staring at him, he began to blush.

"G-good morning, Mr Ishida." He greeted, shyly.

"Morning, Arashi," Matt replied, "What are you doing here? You were here only yesterday."

"I know, but I couldn't stop thinking about Emiko and Mr Kamiya. I just wanted to check in on my way to school.

Matt stared, stunned, at the young man. Arashi had already gained a reputation as a gentle and polite boy. He insisted on addressing Tai, Matt and the other adult digidestined by the last names, despite being given permission to call them by first names. He showed care for his team, despite a rough start, and dedication to them. But it was becoming more clear that Emiko meant a lot to him. It wasn't hard to see why. She was the first to accept him in to the fold and the one who convinced the others to do the same. Seeing the concern for her in his hazel eyes, Matt finally smiled then led Arashi to the room. He knocked on the door then popped his head in the room to meet the eyes of Emiko and Kari.

"Emiko," He said softly, "You've got a visitor."

"Who?"

"Arashi."

Emiko looked at both Kari and Matt with confusion, eyebrows raised. What was he doing here? She had seen the card that Arashi, Rhea and the others had sent to her father. It was the kindest thing she'd ever witnessed from her friends. She knew she'd need to thank them personally as soon as her father was awake. But why was Arashi back and so early? Kari saw the look and smiled softly.

"Go and talk to him," She urged, "At least say thank you for the card. He is obviously concerned about you."

With a sigh, Emiko smiled softly and stood up. Matt opened the door, letting her out. He then slipped back in to the room, giving the teenager's space. As he walked over to Kari and Tai, he smirked.

"Looks like we've found Tai's future son-in-law." He teased.

"Yeah, looks like it." Kari giggled, softly.

Outside, Arashi had been waiting patiently when Emiko found him. He smiled softly as she walked over. He blushed slightly as he spotted the confusion on her face.

"Arashi? What's up?" She asked.

"Nothing, really," He replied, "I just wanted to make sure you were ok. Did you get the card we made for your dad?"

"Yeah, it's amazing. Tell everyone I said thank you."

"I will. So how is your dad?"

The smiles disappeared as Emiko broke eye contact. Arashi felt his heart hurt as he spotted the sadness in her eyes. He had never seen her like this before. Emiko was always bright, cheerful and fun. Right now, however, her usually sparkling eyes were filling with tears.

"He's stable but still unconscious. He's attached to machines with wires and tubes. There's big bandage around his head. I just can't believe he's like this. It feels like a bad dream."

Arashi sighed deeply as he tried to picture what Emiko was describing. It was hard to picture. The Tai Kamiya Arashi had got to know was strong and confident. So the thought of him helpless and weak was hard. As he thought about it, his attention was brought back to Emiko when he heard her begin to cry softly. He looked up, eyes wide with shock. Right now, she looked so vulnerable. Without thinking about what he was doing, Arashi stepped closer and put his around her shoulders. But, instead of pushing away and getting upset, Emiko relented and allowed him to hug her.

Just as they were hugging, however, Arashi spotted the clock on the wall. He sighed irritated by what he read. It was time for him to get to school. He really didn't want to leave Emiko like this but he knew there wasn't a legitimate reason for him to skip school. They were fine with Emiko missing classes while her father was critical but no way would they accept Arashi missing out. So, reluctantly, they ended the hug. Emiko looked up into Arashi's eyes and managed to smile, albeit sadly.

"Are you going to be ok?" He asked her.

"Hope so," She sighed, "Thanks."

"Anytime for you, Emiko."

With a reassuring smile, Arashi turned and headed off to school. Emiko watched as he disappeared then went back to her father, a shy smile on her lips.