Disclaimer: I don't own any of the digimon franchise

Lifeline

Chapter 8

Through the next couple of days, not much changed for Emiko and those waiting for Tai's condition to improve. Kari, TK, Matt and Sora took turns to stay at the hospital while the rest went home to rest and look after their families. However, today there was concerning news about Tai. As Emiko and Kari sat with him, Doctor Yoshida stepped in to the room, her red glasses ever present.

"Excuse Mrs Takaishi," She called, "Can we talk?"

"Ehh, Sure." Kari replied, unsure.

"Outside, please."

With a reassuring smile to a now worried Emiko, Kari stood up and followed the doctor outside the room. It was quickly clear that what she had to said wasn't positive.

"We have been monitoring your brother's condition since he came in and we are getting worried. Ever twelve hours, as you know, we've been carrying out tests to gauge the depth of your brother's coma. Tests to see how responsive he is to outside stimulus. His pupils reacted to light, which is positive, but nothing else has brought on a response."

"What does that mean for him?"

"Well, we're going to see if he can breathe for himself. We'll take him off the ventilator and see how long it takes for him to begin breathing on his own."

"And if he doesn't?"

Doctor Yoshida didn't answer but Kari could see it in her eyes. If Tai failed to breath for himself, it would mean he was beyond help.

"When do you want to do this?"

"As soon as you can pry Emiko from him. I don't think it would be good for her to watch."

"I'll talk to her."

Kari turned then headed back in to the room. It took serious persuading but eventually, Emiko agreed to leave her father in the hands of the medics. However, she refused to move further than outside the door itself. For the next few seconds, Emiko stood, eyes fixed on the door.

'Please, Dad. You can do it.'

But as his loved ones prayed, Tai wasn't as far away from them as they feared.

The first thing he became aware off after blacking out was opening his eyes to a white expanse that seemed to be endless. Everywhere he looked, above, below, side-to-side, was nothing but white. There was no noise and no sign of life.

"Hello?!" He called out.

But there was no response. Not even an echo. Where was he? Then, his memory kicked in. He could remember the last few moments before passing out. The sound of grinding metal and screeching tyres. He could still the look of horror on the other driver's face and the jolts as his car flipped over.

"Damn… I must be dead," He realised, "But, I don't feel like I'm done."

"Maybe because you're not." A voice replied.

Startled, Tai turned to a staggering sight. The moment he heard the voice, he felt his heart pound. Heart? Anyway, there stood before him was someone he had dreamt of every night.

"Akira?"

"Hello Tai."

Akira looked like she did in life. Her golden brown hair fell perfectly in waves on to her shoulders while her sapphire eyes sparkled dazzling. She smiled gently at her husband as tears filled his eyes. Tears?

"Where am I?"

"It doesn't really have a name but this is the whiteness people describe when they almost die but are revived. It can be accessed by those previously dead if required."

"Wow, so that's how both of us came to be here. But why?"

"Like you said, you're not done with living yet. I'm here to stop you going any further and to send you back to the conscious world."

"What if I want to stay? I've missed you."

Akira sighed sadly. She had been dreading him saying that. She wanted to see Tai again after so long but didn't want to give him a reason to join her.

"And I've missed you too. But, like you said, you're not ready to die yet."

Tai slowly frowned at her words. "Are you saying that you were ready?"

Akira's eyes widened with surprise at Tai's words. She knew instantly what he was alluding to. Her own death. The lead up was a difficult period for the family. After almost two years of intensive cancer treatments, they received the heart breaking news that none had worked. However, it wasn't as heart-breaking for Akira as it was for Tai. She had already accepted her fate before the prognosis but he reacted to news with anger and fear. It felt like she had given up completely. Tai tried desperately to get the doctors to continue finding treatments for the cancer but they kept saying that it was pointless and Akira already knew this. But soon he calmed and she was able to assure him it was best. Tai had watched his wife suffer on with the side effects of the treatments. She was in agony, she vomited often and was sometimes so weak that Tai had to help her feed herself. And those where the milder side effects. Occasionally, the treatments made Akira confused and disorientated or even delirious. Once she had the confirmation that the treatments hadn't worked, she wanted to spend her remaining time with Tai and Emiko without all those awful side effects. She wanted to be the great mother and wife she had always been.

"I didn't want to hurt you but I would've died regardless, Tai," She reminded him, "I had already fought to stay alive but I lost. You've not even tried to fight yet. Tai, you have the choice I didn't get."

Tai sighed and looked in his wife's eyes. Although losing her had hurt worse than he anticipated, he accepted that it would've been worse if she hadn't died in the manner she did. With a clear head, she was able to prepare Emiko for her death and able to maintain her dignity even as the sand in her hourglass ran out. Tai was proud of how she bravely handled it all and that pride was still strong in him. And she was, once again, right. He hadn't died yet and had the power to do something about it.

"And I'd hate myself for letting our baby girl be alone."

A shot of guilt hit Tai hard as he understood who Akira was referring to.

"Emiko."

Akira smiled softly. It felt like yesterday that Emiko entered their lives. Being three weeks early, Emiko made an entrance for sure. The pregnancy had gone well with Akira only suffering the obligatory back pain, swollen feet, cravings and Braxton hicks. Then her waters decided to break early. It was a terrifying experience but the doctors confidently delivered the precious bundle after twelve hours. Emiko was immediately placed on Akira's chest and filled the room with her squawking. Overwhelmed, a teary eyed Tai reached over and gently touched her head. As soon as he touched the fine dark hair on her head, she responded to her father's first contact by quietening to nothing more than a gurgle. Despite a nervous start to parenthood, Tai and Emiko quickly built the bond that would only strengthen as she got older and more independent. Seeing her take her first tentative steps and hearing her say daddy for the first time were some of the most precious memories that Tai had. As he relived these memories, he shut his eyes in a frown. Akira watched as her smile turned sad. She then reached out a hand.

"Come and see." She said softly.

Curious, he took her hand and let her lead him away from where they stood. Soon, out of the bleakness, a window, slanted up towards the sky, emerged. Tai frowned then looked at Akira, who merely gestured for him to go and look. With a shallow gulp, he obeyed and walked over. The sight he was greeted by was shocking. He could see himself. He was looking down at his own body lying in the hospital bed. He had wires and tubes all over him and machines were beeping softly next to the bed. But then Tai spotted what Akira wanted him to see. And it hurt. There, sitting as close as possible to the bed was a girl, her head buried in her folded arms as she sobbed. Akira watched as tears started appearing at her husband's eyes.

"Emiko." He whispered.

"Please Daddy. Don't leave me!"

"She's grown so much," Akira smiled softly, "You've done an amazing job with her."

"I can't believe how tiny and vulnerable she was when she was born. She's the amazing one."

"Yes, but she's still, in some ways, vulnerable. She maybe a digidestined and a teenager but she still needs her father at her side. I can't be there for her. But…"

"I can."

He turned to her and smiled sadly at her. She knew immediately what the smile meant. He had made his decision. It was going to hurt but she knew they would be together again one day.

Back in the hospital, Doctor Yoshida and her team had taken Tai off the ventilator and had waited for a response. The machine connected to his breathing started alarming but then after a few seconds, it went back to beeping quietly. Tai was breathing on his own. The tube sticking out of Tai's mouth had been replaced by a tube in his nose. But his breathing and heart rate were still very weak and slow so he wasn't out of the woods. The doctor allowed Emiko back in to the room.

"He's still critical," The doctor warned Kari and Emiko.

Kari flashed a glare at the doctor for being so bunt with Emiko but the teen was more interested in being with her dad. When she stepped through the door, a part of her hoped to find him suddenly awake, proving Doctor Yoshida wrong. But, to her dismay, he was still exactly the same. The hum from the ventilator had gone and the nasal tube was less alarming then the tube in the throat. But still Tai remained motionless.

"Daddy?" She called softly.

Struggling to stay positive, she sat back down in the chair, which had become her makeshift bed. She watched her father for a few seconds then began to feel the tears again. Why wouldn't he wake up? Would she never hear his voice or see him smile again? Finally, she leant forward, folded her arms on the bed and began crying in to them, burying her face in to her arms. What Emiko missed, as she sobbed, was what was going on next to her.

His ears adjusted to the sounds of beeping around him. His entire body felt heavy as he tried to flex his fingers. This heaviness supported by the bed beneath him. He soon became aware of the tube attached to his nostrils. It was interesting but not unpleasant. Finally, his eyes opened just a crack but enough to meet the glare of the hospital lights, despite being dimmed somewhat. For a few seconds, he stared at the ceiling, waiting for his body to feel lighter. Then his attention was drawn to sound of someone crying beside him. His eyes turned and fell on her. She was sobbing heavily, her slender shoulders trembling. The sight made his heart hurt. She needed him. Keen to comfort his baby girl, he reached his hand towards her. As Emiko sobbed, she slowly began to feel something. It was something brushing against her hair. At first she thought it was just Kari coming to soothe her. But then she felt the fingers gently stroking her hair. They weren't Kari's. The only person it could be was… Her eyes shot open and her crying stopped.

'It can't be…'

Slowly, Emiko lifted her head slightly and turned to her right. Immediately, her eyes widened as her heart leapt. It didn't seem real. There, gazing back at her were the deep brown eyes and warm smile she began to believe she'd never see again.

"D-Dad?!"

"H-hey, kiddo." Tai choked out.

"DADDY!"

Overwhelmed by the tidal wave of emotions, Emiko suddenly launched herself and wrapped her arms around her dad. For a moment, Tai lay, surprised. But quickly he smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her hair.

"It's ok now, Emiko," He cooed, "I'm here."

At that moment, Kari rushed in. She had heard Emiko's exclamation and thought something bad was happening. She stopped as soon as she realised what was seeing. Her brother was awake and hugging a very happy and relieved Emiko. Tai looked over and smiled at his younger sister, a smile she returned with tears. He then returned to enjoying the feeling of his daughter in his arms again.