AURTHOR'S NOTE: welcome to chapter 2! thank you to my two reviewers! Ao Kudo (of course i'll continue!) and madjack89 (Tommy is great comic relief!)
Disclaimer: i'm 17 do you think i own Digimon?
--Oh what a tangled web we weave,
when first we practise to deceive!
Marmion. Canto VI. Stanza 17
After six intense weeks of scans, tests, and visits from his friends in the ICU Kouichi was released. The five friends stood in the lobby anxiously waiting for Kouichi to be released. Over the weeks they had spent at least six hours a day with Kouichi, keeping him company as well as entertained. A nurse wheeled Kouichi over to his friends while Ms. Kimura filled out the release papers.
"Kouichi, you need to take things easy for at least the next month. Also, if at any time you feel lightheaded or tired just find a place to rest but if the pain starts to affect your everyday activity come back. You're a lucky young man most would not have been able to recover from such an injury," the nurse smiled as she bid Kouichi farewell. Over the weeks she, as well as most of the hospital staff, had grown fond of the boy and his friends.
"Dude, guess what!" Takuya burst out after rolling his eyes at the length of the nurse's speech.
"Quiet, we get to tell him," Zoe smiled as she shoved Takuya and received disapproving glares from the hospital staff. "Scusi," she muttered apologetically. "Anyways Kouji and I are switching schools! So we'll all be together," she beamed as Kouichi looked from her to Kouji who, in spite of himself couldn't help but look pleased.
"Yeah, everyone except me," said Tommy said glumly and they all laughed good-naturedly at his disappointment.
"Don't worry little buddy, we'll all still hang out," Takuya smiled as he swung his arms around Tommy and J.P.'s shoulders.
"Yeah, besides I won't be there either," J.P. said pushing Takuya off of him.
"We'll all be within a mile of each other, it'll be fine," Zoe said dismissively while the others nodded in agreement.
"But I still won't be with you guys," Tommy pouted.
"Ok, everything's set," Ms. Kimura said walking over to the group. "Are you ready to go?"
Kouichi opened his mouth in response only to be interrupted by his mother's cell phone's ringtone "Yes but…I know it's just…of course not…no it's no trouble at all." The woman said with a sigh. "That was my boss. Kouichi, the doctors said you're allowed to walk. If you're up to it could you walk home?" She said looking pained that she'd even have to ask that of him.
"I'll go with him mom," Kouji said before Kouichi could respond.
"Thank you. I'll be back as soon as possible." Ms. Kimura said hugging Kouji who looked slightly taken aback by the sudden display of affection.
"I'll go too; I don't trust those too alone." Zoe chimed in, walking over to Kouji's side. Ms. Kimura smiled warmly at her sons' friend and quickly left the hospital.
"But Z, I thought my dad was taking us home," J.P. whined, narrowing his eyes slightly. He would never admit it, but he didn't like how Zoe seemed to be drawn to the twins slightly more than the rest of the group.
"Well yeah but I haven't gone on a nice walk in a while. Besides it's a beautiful day." Zoe said avoiding J.P.'s gaze.
"Oookay umm, come on Tommy I think my mom's here," Takuya said while dragging Tommy to the door trying to avoid the awkward situation.
"But it's not that late…I don't wanna… let go!" Tommy moaned trying to free himself from Takuya's grip.
"Fine!" J.P. sighed exasperated, turning to follow Takuya and Tommy from the lobby.
"Next time J.P., I promise," Zoe said as she waved to their departing friend. "Actually I hope we're never here again," she said as she turned to her friends and shuttered at her surroundings.
"I'll be sure to stay away from stairs from now on I swear," Kouichi chuckled as he stood up shakily, grabbing Zoe's shoulder to steady himself.
"Are you ok to walk?" Zoe said, looking Kouichi over nervously.
"I'll be fine," Kouichi said blushing slightly and releasing Zoe when he realized what he was doing.
"Well let's go," Kouji said in a slightly impatient voice. The other two were not surprised by his tone. Ever since the incident with his father Kouji's temper was shorter than usual. They knew his anger was not directed at them so they allowed it without a second thought.
The three walked in silence towards Kouichi's house for nearly a half-hour until Zoe's curiosity final got the best of her. "Have you talked to him?" Zoe asked in a barely audible whisper. She knew that mentioning the twins' father was a risky thing to do but she couldn't help herself.
"Why would I? I have nothing to say," Kouji said indifferently, quickening his pace slightly. Kouichi gave Zoe a look to drop the subject. Zoe just shook her head and turned her attention back towards the younger twin.
"Kouji," Zoe stared at him sympathetically. Suddenly Kouji turned and took off in a sprint down a seemingly deserted road.
"Kouji!" She screamed at the boy's back. She met Kouichi's gaze, looking torn at what to do.
"Come on," Kouichi said as he too began to run down the street.
"Can you?" Zoe said a little surprised that he seemed to be running at his normal speed that she sometimes struggled to keep up with.
"I don't really have a choice, come on" Kouichi repeated as they began to catch up with him.
"This is crazy" Zoe gasped after a few minutes of running. Kouichi didn't respond to her comment he just continued to follow his brother who had yet to look back. Kouichi could tell that Kouji wasn't trying to avoid them, he was leading them somewhere. To where, he had no idea.
After nearly ten minutes of running, Kouji reached a bend in the road where he waited for the other two to catch up. "Follow me," Kouji said without looking towards the others. Zoe and Kouichi exchanged anxious looks and followed without questions. He led them off the road towards a giant oak tree that stood a short way from the street. "See this," he said when they reached the tree it was more of a comment then a question. Both peered over his shoulders at a plaque mounted at the base of the tree. Kouichi gasped at what it said.
Mieko Minamoto
September 18 1967 - November 21 1996
Her memory is enshrined in our hearts
"Mom," Kouichi whispered, realization spreading across his face. This was the grave marker that their father had probably shown Kouji to keep up the façade that their mother was dead.
"Kouji," Zoe's shaky voice said as she laid her hand on his shoulder.
"She hit a deer then was forced into this tree. I never thought it odd that she wasn't buried in a cemetery supposedly I was almost two. He'd always say that it was more personal this way but I know now, I know now," he said, voice cracking just before he sat on the ground with tears streaming down his face as the lies his father told him came crashing down on him. Zoe fell to the ground and attempted to comfort the boy.
Kouichi's eyes glazed over as he took in his surroundings. He wondered how many times his brother had come here to mourn the loss of his mother while she lived across town ignoring the life she once had. Kouichi sat down on Kouji's other side and he sat listening to Kouji's occasional whimper and Zoe's comforting whispers along with the faint sounds of the city where no one knew of the agony two brothers were going through.
The sun had begun to set while the three teenagers sat in silence staring at the same slate of granite they had been for well over an hour now. "Come on," Kouji said suddenly standing up, "It's getting late." he turned to offer the other two his hands. "I'm sorry that was something I had to do."
"Of course," Zoe said placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Besides," Kouji said with a smile, "I'll never be going there again instead I'll just hang out with you," he smiled as he slapped his brother on the back.
"Hey watch it buddy, I just got outta the hospital and I'd rather not go back," they all laughed as Kouichi raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Buddy? I see you've adopted Takuya's catch phrase," Zoe teased as the made there way towards Kouichi's apartment.
---
"It's weird but it feels like it's been years since I've been here. Hold on, I need to call my mom," Kouichi said as he unlocked the door to the small apartment and went into the kitchen to find the phone.
"He, they shouldn't be living here." Kouji whispered, his voice laced with hatred that Zoe knew was directed towards his father.
"Kouji, please." Zoe began as Kouichi returned from the kitchen.
"She'll be back in a couple hours. You guys don't have to stay" Kouichi said, looking slightly uncomfortable.
"We know." Zoe smiled as she and Kouji went to sit on the couch. "Oh, who's this little guy?" Zoe practically squealed when a small orange and white kitten came prancing up to her.
"That's Midas. Want anything to eat?" Kouichi asked as he laughed at Zoe who was now on the ground playing with the kitten.
"I'm Zoe Orimoto of course I do!" She said as though the answer was obvious.
"Kouji?" Kouichi asked as he turned back towards the kitchen.
"Hmm? No I'm good." Kouji said, hardly paying attention to the question.
"Ok, you can turn on the TV if you want." Kouichi said as returned to the others and threw a bag of chips at Zoe who began flipping through the channels.
After nearly two hours of sitting on the couch and watching House Kouji finally broke the comfortable silence the three had lulled into. "What was our grandma like?"
Kouichi looked across Zoe at his brother, slightly surprised by his question until he saw that Kouji had picked up her picture that was set up on the coffee table. "She was the best. She was completely selfless and yet sometimes stubborn. I remember on my sixth birthday mom was working and I was home sick so she asked me what I wanted most for my birthday. I told her I wanted to go to the circus again. We had gone a while earlier and I was in love with it. Anyways it had already left town and I wasn't supposed to leave the apartment, I think I knew I couldn't go but I still wanted to. Grandma knew that so she told me to go play in my room and she would call me when I could come out. She called me ten minutes later and I came running from my room and she made me cover my eyes before I went in the living room. Well, she had draped bed sheets over the living room so it'd look like a tent. And she put on a circus for me. I was ecstatic. We pretended to tame a "lion," our old cat, Vader. We also pretended to be acrobats and a lot of other things. She was always going out of her way for us. Even after she got sick. She was diagnosed with lung cancer about five years ago. She would never let mom miss work to take care of her. She knew mom couldn't afford to miss work. Well, eight months ago she caught pneumonia. She never recovered." Kouichi finished looking nostalgic.
"I wish I could have met her," Kouji said placing the photo back down and smiling at his brother.
"You would have loved her. What are dad's parents like?" Kouichi asked only to notice Kouji tense up at this question.
"They both died before we were born. At least I think I'm not sure what to believe anymore," Kouji said sarcastically.
"Kouji," Zoe began in a gentle tone that she was soon growing accustomed to using on the twins.
"Would you believe it?" Kouji snapped, causing both Zoe and Kouichi to jump slightly.
"I'd want to," She mumbled quietly and turned her attention back to Midas who was curled up on her lap. They quickly dropped the subject of family and continued watching the House marathon.
"Kouichi?" Their mother's voice rang through the apartment after a few more hours. Her arrival startled all three who had been struggling to stay awake.
"Can I spend the night?" Kouji asked as soon as his mother entered the room.
"Of course. If your dad says it's ok," Ms. Kimura said as she hung up her jacket.
"It's eleven! Crap I gotta go." Zoe said standing up so suddenly Midas was thrown to the ground.
"I can't let you walk home this late, I'll drive you," the twins' mother said putting her jacket back on.
"Thank you so much," Zoe said before turning to the twins who had also stood up.
"See ya," she said leaning forward and hugging both twins. Kouichi blushed profusely at this while Kouji just laughed and shoved her towards his mother.
AURTHOR'S NOTE: well there you go! i hope you like it and will stick with me! i'm starting winter break so my goal is to get maybe two more chapters in before i go back to school. well anyways look forward to chapter 3!