NE::Megaman NT Warrior: Memories

by Litintha

Dr. Hikari has invented a way to have Navis appear in the real world. Megaman is the first successful test, but Lan gets Amnesia! Can Megaman's love help Lan get his memories back? LanxMegaman yaoi. Chapter 17 is up. Please R & R and vote in the poll!

12. Chapter 12: Shocking Developments Pt 2

Here it is! The second part of "Shocking Developments!"

This Chapter will have several flashback sequences, which will be shown as italicized text. Some will be long. Some will be short. All of these flashback sequences will be Megaman's, but will be written in the third-person.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 12 – Shocking Developments Pt. 2

The room was an interior room. There was little light inside, as there were no windows and the fluorescent lights were dimmed. It gave off an eerie feeling for anyone who would walk inside. Although it was an interior room, the rain outside could still be heard. It was raining heavily, much more heavier than it did for this time of year. Various other sounds could be heard from the many different machines in the room.

Megaman sat in the room, silent. His mood had not changed over the past 5 days. 5 days...he was in that exact room for 5 days straight. He had never left, not even to eat, sleep, or take a shower. He couldn't stand being anywhere else at the time. He couldn't think of even being more than 10 feet from what was in front of him. His eyes were completely fixed on the only person who he ever truly loved in this world, the only person who understood him more than any other human or NetNavi could, the only person who gave him a sense of happiness, a sense of appreciation, a sense of purpose.

'...Lan...'

Megaman couldn't stand to see Lan the way he was. Just laying in a hospital bed, completely motionless. The sight alone was just tearing at Megaman from the inside out. He just couldn't bare seeing him like that. It was just such a sad sight for him to look at. What made it even sadder was that he was actually getting use to it. The first few days, Megaman found himself crying at the very sight. Now, it was as if it didn't phase him anymore. It was as if he had finally come to terms with the reality of the situation. But, at the same time, it just felt too surreal, like it was all a bad dream. Megaman half-expected to walk up inside his PET, being told that no M-Program existed, ultimately meaning he would be stuck as a plain old NetNavi for the rest of his life, never able to touch Lan again.

'No...I can't think that. He will walk up!' Megaman leaned forward and took a hold of Lan's left hand. It was still warm to the touch. This feeling did reassure Megaman to an extent. Lan had been unconscious for 5 days now. He had several IVs sticking out of his arms. One of them was some kind of pain killer, another was some liquid that would keep Lan hydrated, and another was supplying his body with nourishment. Megaman couldn't figure out what the fourth one was for. It had a name on the bag, but it was in medical terminology, which the Navi did not understand. He could only assume that it was something that would help keep Lan's condition stable until he finally awoke from his semi-coma.

Despite the painful sight, the warm feeling Megaman got when he took a hold of Lan's hand showed that the boy was still alive. It showed that there was still a chance that Lan would eventually walk up from his motionless slumber. But, most important of all, it showed Megaman hope. The Navi focused on that, as it was the only thing that he could really hold onto right now.

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As the debris fell to the ground, Lan found himself being snatched up in someone's arm and quickly moved out of the falling debris' path. Lan's eyes were closed tight. He couldn't bare to open them, as he was prepared for the worst possible outcome. It took him several movements to realize that he was no longer under the falling objects and had been moved to another location within the Dimensional Area, almost completely out of harm's way.

Finally finding the courage to look, he opened his eyes to find that he wasn't where he thought he was only moments ago. Looking around with a confused expression on his face, he discovered that someone had taken a hold of him and moved him to safety. Looking from his position, which happened to be sitting on the ground, Lan discovered that it was Chaud that had rescued him.

"Chaud? When did you get here?"
"Gee, your welcome. And, I came here after I got word that you requested another Dimensional area."
"Where's Megaman! Is he alright?"
"The Paralysis Program's side-effects still have a hold of him. But, he is fine."

"Well, well. If it isn't Japan's top NetSaver, Chaud Blaze. What a hero." Cannonman was both surprised and glad to see Chaud enter the fray. His first mission failed with Megaman defeating him. To Cannonman, it appeared as though fate was dealing him a second chance, and he was about to take advantage of it anyway he could.

Taking that into account, Cannonman aimed his left arm, which was still a Mega-Cannon, and took a shot at CrossFusion Protoman. The blast impacted a mount of debris behind Chaud, as he was more than fast enough to evade the attack. However, Lan was still in the surrounding area of the blast, and felt the resulting shockwave from the explosion. He was thrown off-balance while trying to stand up, resulting in the boy falling back to the ground.

Megaman still laid on the ground, still unable to move, still thanks to the Paralysis Program's side-effects, still unable to help Lan when he needed it most. Luckily, the Navi was still able to move his head around, thereby giving him the ability to look around the area, if only a little bit. He saw Chaud run in and grab Lan, which put his own mind at ease, knowing that Lan was safe. However, the shot from Cannonman looked like it hit Lan when Chaud evaded the strike. This worried Megaman once more, as all he could do was look on, unable to take any action.

"Attacking a human when you know they cannot defend themselves. Can you honestly say you are proud of that, Cannonman?"
"My pride is of none of your concern, Chaud Blaze! Your fate is the same as that of Lan Hikari's."
"I wonder about that, seeing as I have the upper hand."
"Wonder what you want. The end result will be the same!"

Megaman continued to watch as Chaud and Cannonman continued their assault on one another. Their exchange of words had already ended as they were now letting their physical attacks do the talking for them. Chaud had downloaded the VariableSword BattleChip and was attempting to hit Cannonman from a distance using his Sonic Boom attack. Cannonman had a similar plan in mind, as he uploaded 2 Hi-Cannons onto his arms, shooting off rounds as he dodged Chaud's Sonic Booms.

Several of the attacks made contact with each other, causing several more explosions, which shook the ground, making it even more difficult for Lan to stand up on his feet. It was hard enough for him to try and stand without the ground shaking, as he was still in a bit of shock from nearly loosing his life to falling debris.

Megaman's eyes left the scene of Chaud and Cannonman's battle as he looked in the direction of his NetOp. 'Lan...he's ok. That's good to know.' Megaman, once again, felt at ease knowing that Lan was safe and had once again avoided getting in the middle of what looked to be a rather intense battle.

Despite the felling that a great weight was lifted off of his shoulders, Megaman was still not able to move any other part of his body, besides his head. To the Navi, the paralysis side-effects this time around seemed to be worse than when it was the actual program. Megaman tried as best as he could to move his arms and legs, but, even now, it was still to no avail.

Chaud continued his assault on Cannonman, as Cannonman did the same to Chaud. Both were still using ranged attacks as they attempted to gain the upper hand. Lan was finally able to get on his feet, and began to wonder why Chaud was trying to keep a distance between himself and Cannonman. Since the other Navi could only use attacks that were ranged, getting up close and using a sword-type weapon would have given Chaud the advantage he needed to win. So, why wasn't he doing that?

The two fighters ceased their attacks momentarily.

"I hate to admit it, but for a human, you put up quite a fight."
"Gee, thanks. I'll have to remember that next time."
"Sadly for you, there will not be a next time, Chaud Blaze."
"Says you. It takes but one arrogant comment to seal a person's fate."
"Don't screw with me, Chaud Blaze! Your fate is sealed!"

Cannonman, without knowing what he was doing, began to charge forward towards Chaud. During his charging assault, Cannonman was also firing off rounds with his Hi-Cannons, all of which were either evaded by Chaud or sliced in half with his VariableSword.

"Cannonman, I think it's time we end this little scuffle. HeroSword, BattleChip in!"
"Don't think for a minute I will let you win that easily. Hi-Cannon, upload. Program Advance. Zeta-Cannon!"

Cannonman's hands shimmered a radiant white light as he combined the Hi-Cannons into the Zeta-Cannon Program Advance, all the while Chaud took the opportunity to charge forward with his VariableSword and HeroSword both at the ready. 'This is what I was waiting for. Catch him off-guard while he charges up his Program Advance!' Chaud's planning made him get a little full of himself, a feeling that he often had.

However, his carefully laid out plan crumbled as Cannonman charged up the Zeta-Cannon much more quickly than Chaud had thought. 'What! How can he be done already?' It normally took 10 or so seconds before the Zeta-Cannon would be fully charged up. How was Cannonman able to do it in such a short amount of time?

"You have a surprised look on your face, Chaud Blaze."
"How did you charge the Zeta-Cannon up so quickly?"
"Well...that's for me to know and you to find out."
"Answer me!"
"If you insist. I was compiled from all kinds of Cannon, Hi-Cannon, and Mega-Cannon data. I am the Master of their Program Advances. It takes me only 20 percent of the normal charge time to fully charge it up!"
"I see. Because your Navi data is so similar to the BattleChip data, it is easy to manipulate."
"A conclusion only the top Japan NetSaver, Chaud Blaze, could make. And, a correct one it is. You are out of your league, Chaud Blaze!"

Megaman peered is vision towards the voices his ears heard. He only got a look at Chaud and Cannonman briefly before Cannonman unleashed the power of the Zeta-Cannon, aiming it directly at Chaud. The vast orange colored beam swirled around as it made it's way from the barrel of the cannon to it's destination. Chaud remained motionless as the swirling orange energy made it's way towards him.

"Chaud! Do something...quickly!" Megaman tried his best to yell as loud as he could, attempting to reach out to Chaud before he became a victim of Cannonman's onslaught. Chaud quickly returned back to reality, only to see the Program Advance coming towards him in full force.

He had to think of something, and quick. It was too late to try and evade the blast from the Zeta-Cannon. "Shit! LifeAura, BattleChip in!" Chaud's desperation had saved his hide, as a LifeAura appeared around him, deflecting the Zeta-Cannon attack away. The orange energy bounced off of the LifeAura and went into a different direction.

Unfortunately, the direction in which the Zeta-Cannon attack was now heading also happened to be in the general direction in which Lan was located. Megaman's eyes trailed the orange energy wave, as, from his point of view, was going to make contact with Lan. 'No...NO! Not that way!'

"Lan! MOVE AWAY," Megaman cried out as the energy wave got closer and closer to him. Chaud stood inside the LifeAura, knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to get to Lan in time. He was completely motionless and speechless. He didn't even want to be looking in Lan's direction. Just the thought of witnessing what could be the boy's end forced him to close his eyes behind his visor.

Lan stared at the energy wave, shocked that it was even heading in his direction. Luckily, he snapped out of his shock, eyes wider than a computer screen, and jumped to his left, completely avoiding the attack that was coming his way. Megaman breathed a quick sigh of relief, seeing that the Program Advance had missed Lan.

However, that sigh of relief was about to change.

The energy from the Zeta-Cannon exploded as it hit the ground to the right of Lan. The explosion was intense, as to be expected from the amount of energy that was released when Cannonman fired the shot. Not only did the impact cause the resulting explosion, but it also caused a large amount of already fallen debris to be hurled into all different directions. That included the direction in which Lan had jump to avoid being hit by the energy.

Chaud finally opened his eyes behind his visor and watched on with Megaman at the horror that unfolded before them. A large piece of what looked like wood from an office desk went Lan's way from the explosion that occurred only seconds beforehand. The speed at which the piece of wood was moving could have easily been estimated to have been 30 miles an hour. Lan didn't see what was happening, and didn't know what was about to happen. He stood up, only to have the piece of wood barrel down on him, smashing against the right side of his head, causing what had to have been untold pain, along with breaking his skin, resulting in a gashing wound. Lan's body was still for a moment, then fell to the ground, out of Megaman's sight.

'Lan...no...' Megaman's eyes were ready to erupt in tears. That impact from the debris probably killed Lan, for all he knew. It all happened so suddenly, and Megaman could kill himself for not being able to help the boy. He cursed his complete and utter helplessness.

"Lan, NOOO!" Chaud could do nothing but scream at the top of his lungs. After witnessing the exact same thing that Megaman did, Chaud couldn't help but feel the exact same way that Megaman was feeling; helpless.

"HAHAHA! What happened here? Did poor Lan Hikari just DIE from that piece of wood? How convenient!"
"How the hell can you laugh at that? He could be DEAD!"
"Which would be music to my ears, as my mission would then be complete!"
"You heartless bastard! I'm taking you down!"
"Not today, Chaud Blaze. Today, the day of Lan Hikari's demise, is over. I bid you...adieu."

Cannonman quickly thrusted his hands towards a nearby piece of machinery that appeared to still be working. Chaud broke his LifeAura and charged at the UnderNet agent full force, sword drawn and ready to delete. However, he was too late. A beam of red light emitted from Cannonman's hands as he jacked into the machinery. Chaud's attack struck the leftover copyroid, slicing through it like a knife through butter.

'Lan...Lan...' Megaman couldn't move his eyes from the direction in which Lan had fallen. Even though he didn't move his gaze from Lan's direction, he heard Cannonman's comment, and feared that the worst had happened. He feared that Cannonman was right, and that the wood which hit Lan over the head had ultimately caused the boy's untimely death. Megaman was still in shock. He didn't even realize that the Paralysis Program's side-effects were wearing off.

"Lan! Lan! Say something!" Chaud had ran over to Lan's body. He, like Megaman, was also fearing the worst for the boy. He yelled into his ear and slapped his face. All of which gained no response from him. Chaud was running out of ideas on what to do. All of the fighting and the initial shock of seeing what happened when Lan got impaled by the wood were still settled into Chaud's mind and body. He put his index and middle fingers together and placed them at the top of Lan's neck, just below the jawline.

Megaman, who was still fearing everything that could happen, finally realized that he could move his body, but only slowly. If he moved too fast, he might have a relapse, therefore making things much more difficult than they already were. He steadily got up and made his way over the rubble scattered throughout the area to where he heard Chaud's voice.

It only took him a few moments, but he arrived at his destination, only to be in for more shock than what had already happened. He saw Lan in Chaud's arms, who was checking the boy's vitals. But, it wasn't that sight which shocked him. It was the amount of blood that was running down Lan's head from the wound that he received after the piece of wood hit him over the head.

"He still has a pulse. But, he is losing blood fast. We have to get him to a hospital. Let's go, Megaman!"

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Megaman sighed, still holding onto Lan's hand. Him remembering what had happened only 5 days earlier only made him feel worse than before. It was bad enough to have to see Lan the way he was, but remembering how Lan got this way made Megaman feel as though he was still powerless to help the boy in front of him. He tried his best to hold back a few oncoming tears, as the memory of the fight only made Megaman worry more about Lan's current condition.

The day him and Chaud brought Lan in, the doctors had taken him into an operating room for emergency surgery. They needed to stitch up his head wound, as well as fix a small fracture in the boy's skull, most likely caused by the impact from the wood. For the rest of that day, as well as the next day, Lan was on several other machines, two of which were tubes that went down his throat. Megaman had figured out one was a feeding tube, while the other was for breathing. 3 day ago, they decided to take him off of both, as he was starting to breath on his own, and they switched him over to an IV for nourishment.

Megaman could only be thankful that Lan was able to breath on his own now. It would have made him sob uncontrollably to see Lan still on a machine that would breath for him, not to mention for 5 days straight. Even though Megaman knew that Lan was breathing on his own, the hospital still had him on oxygen. That way, he would remain in stable condition.

The Navi let out a sigh, as he let go of Lan's hand and got out of the chair he was sitting in. He still didn't want to leave the room. Megaman knew that Lan wouldn't leave his side if he was in such a position. However, he was sitting for a long time, and needed to move his legs.

As he rounded the bed, Megaman looked at Lan once more. 'I wonder if he is thinking about anything...' Megaman wasn't even sure if Lan had any thoughts going on in his head. He didn't know enough about this type of injury to determine whether or not Lan could have thoughts when in a semi-coma. All he could do was wonder what Lan could and couldn't do inside his head in his current condition.

Megaman passed Lan's bed, deciding to examine some of the equipment that was in the room. Since this was an extended-recovery room, a lot of equipment was kept inside, in case something happened with the patient and a specific machine or device was needed.

'Hmmm...' Megaman looked at one of the pieces of equipment, which was mounted in a case against the wall next to the bed. It has several knobs and buttons on it, as well as 2 cords that were attached to 2 paddles. From what Megaman saw, it appeared to be a defibrillator, used on a patient who's heart has stopped beating. He knew from researching on the Net that it's electrical pulses, which are emitted from the paddles, shock the heart so that it will start beating again. Megaman hoped that it would never have to be used while Lan was in this room.

He let out a silent sigh as he turned to examine another piece of equipment. This one had several small wires that came out of the machine and went to Lan's chest. It had a screen which showed Lan's heartbeat, monitoring it to make sure he doesn't code. That was the last thing that Lan needed; his heart to stop beating, thereby cutting off the supply of blood to his already injured head.

The Navi looked at the screen on the machine. He noted that Lan's heartbeat was low compared to the normal, which would be about 70 beats a minute. It was currently at about 58 beats a minute. However, given Lan's current condition, he figured that 58 beats a minute was to be expected.

Megaman took a look at a small panel above the head of the bed Lan was in. It had several buttons on it, each one color-coded for a different purpose. They also had writing on them, informing the patient or visitors to each button's function. Megaman looked at the one on top; yellow, with the writing "call" on it. There was another one below that one; orange, with the writing "nurse" on it. Yet another button was below that one; red, with the writing "emergency" on it. One last button was all that remained; a blue button with the writing "code" on it.

Trying to take his mind off of everything that had happened, Megaman decided to go back to his seat next to Lan's bed. He walked a little past the foot of the bed as he, once again, turned to face Lan. The expression on the boy's face was very indifferent, a look that Megaman solemnly ever saw. Normally, Lan would always be smiling. Every now and then, he would have some kind of serious look on his face, and rarely, one of anger. But, even rarer than his angry face would his look of indifference, a look that showed true for the past several days.

Bending his knees, Megaman sat down in the chair once more. It was the most uncomfortable thing in the world to sit in. There was little to no cushioning on either the seat or back parts of the chair. One would even look at it and believe that it would cause some kind of pain after sitting in it for an extended period of time, like Megaman had been doing the past 5 days. However, after such a long time, and with what Megaman thought Lan had to go through, he shrugged off the pain, knowing that it was nothing compared to what he has faced before, or what Lan is even facing right now.

"I've heard..." Megaman was struggling to get the words out of his mouth. "I've heard...that people in comas can still hear what is going on around them." True, Megaman had found a study while browsing the Information Exchange in NetCity that, even though people were in comas, some of their senses would still be active, specifically their sense of hearing.

Megaman continued. "If you can even hear me, Lan. I just...I just wanted to tell you about the time I finally realized how I really felt about you." He had planned on telling Lan this story once they had gotten some time after visiting Miyu the day of Cannonman's second attack.

"Well, I told you that it was after the Pharaohman battle. Actually, it was right after..."

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'Finally. We defeated him.'

Megaman was glad that Pharaohman was finally out of the equation. After almost an entire day of being in control of the entire Cyberworld, Pharaohman was finally beaten by Protoman and him, thanks to some well-placed teamwork and a perfectly executed double Life Sword Program Advance.

"Megaman!" The Navi turned his head up, with a smile on his face. He didn't remember what happened after the first appearance of Pharaohman, the appearance that deleted him. However, the one thing he remembered before that fateful moment was Lan's voice. It was the voice of his NetOp that he remembered the most. It was the one thing that was so vivid in his mind that he never let go of it.

"Lan!"
"You did it! Welcome back."
"I'm glad to be back. Listen, Lan. You're not gonna believe who saved me just as I was about fall into the lava."

Megaman turned his body around so that just a little bit of the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of Protoman. Being the polite NetNavi that he was, Megaman had to give credit where credit was due. "It was Protoman." The red-armor clad Navi simply looked down at the ground, or, at least, that is what Megaman thought. He couldn't see what Protoman was looking at because the black of his visor was so dark that his eyes couldn't be seen.

Megaman turned his body all the way, as Protoman turned away. "Thanks a lot. I own you one." Protoman didn't even move a muscle. Perhaps he wasn't the type to accept any type of thank yous from people. "You don't owe me anything, kid. I was only doing what I was told to do."

Even though he was still looking at Protoman, Megaman couldn't help but think about Lan. Something inside him was telling him something, but he couldn't put his finger on it. It was almost like there was a feeling inside him...a feeling that was telling him that Lan wasn't just his best friend. It was almost like it was telling Megaman that Lan could be...should be...would be...something more.

'What's this feeling? What...am I feeling?' Megaman's thoughts couldn't sort out this feeling, either. All that was running through his head was Lan's voice, which only seemed to have made the mysterious feeling stronger and stronger the more Megaman thought about Lan's voice. 'Could it be...nah. It can't be...can it?'

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"Right after the final battle in World Three's cyberspace, I realized what that feeling was. Strange...a fight brought out how I really felt about you, Lan."

Megaman let out a heavy sigh, as he sat back in his chair. He closed his eyes, wanting to imagine what his life would have been like after that moment if he had told Lan how he really felt. 'Would he have accepted it? Would have have thought it was weird, not to mention something he may have never wanted? Would he have shot me down, saying that friendship was as far as we could go?'

His thoughts trailed off as he felt like he was falling asleep in the chair. He didn't want to, but, aside from what little sleep he got the past 5 days, his body just decided that it was time to get a little bit of sleep before he became an insomniac.

Unfortunately, sleep wasn't going to come that easily for Megaman today. As he finally felt like his body was going into a hibernation state, he heard the door to the room open and close. The Navi figured that either Mrs. or Dr. Hikari had come to check up on their son. Or, perhaps, one of Lan's friends, probably Maylu or Yai, decided to stop and visit Lan while they were in the neighborhood. Hell, he even thought that Dex might have gotten off of work at #1 Curry so he can visit Lan at the hospital.

With great reluctance, as he wanted to finally get some sleep, Megaman opened his eyes to see a woman in light blue clothing. She had a clipboard in hand and was looking at the various equipment that was around Lan's bed. All the while, she was writing stuff down on the piece of paper that was on the clipboard. He didn't quite process who she was for a few moments. However, he pulled his mind together and came to the conclusion that she was one of the nurses that worked in this area of the hospital, which explained the light blue clothing she was wearing, as they were her scrubs. Megaman figured that whatever she was writing down on her clipboard was probably Lan's vitals, IV fluid levels, and a general description of his current condition.

Megaman fully opened his eyes, deciding that he should ask the question he had been asking for the past several days. "How is he doing, nurse?"

"Well, I can't say he is doing good. But, I can't say he is doing bad."
"What do you mean by that?"
"His vitals are still below what we want them to be at, but he is in no immediate danger of lapsing into a permanent coma, or even dying, which is what we want to avoid."
"Is there anything that we can do?"
"All we can do is keep up with his current treatment and make changes according to the Doctor's orders."
"I guess that's good. But, it does mean that nothing has changed. Thanks for the update."
"You're welcome. You look tired. You should probably go home and get some sleep."

The nurse finished up her work and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind her. Megaman was thankful that the nurse was able to give an update on the situation, even though the update only proved that Lan's condition had not changed since the last time a nurse came in to check on him.

Megaman put his head against the wall behind the chair, trying to get comfortable. He could have gone back home...well...one of his two homes...to get some sleep. However, he wanted to say by Lan more than anything. He could have gone back into his PET and went into sleep-mode, but it just wouldn't be the same as it was now. Inside his PET, Megaman would be right next to Lan, in a sense, but it just wouldn't feel the same as being in the same physical world as Lan. To Megaman, it was more important to be in the human world with Lan than to be in his PET right next to Lan.

With heavy movements in his eyelids, Megaman finally closed his eyes, trying to get what sleep he could. In his mind, he imagined Lan finally waking up from his semi-coma, with a warm smile on his face, the same smile that he had come to grow fond off over the 2 years he had known Lan. The visualizations grew more and more vivid, as Lan wrapping his arms around the Navi in a loving manner, a manner that he hadn't felt in days. The last time Megaman had felt this way, the feeling that wanted him to at least feel a touch from Lan...was almost 2 years ago, right after Lan left for Jawaii Island on his around-the-world trip.

'Yeah. After the N1...'

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The airplane was already high in the air, probably 30,000 feet, like most airliners. It was carrying close to 200 passengers, all heading to the same vacation spot in the south sea: Jawaii Island. Jawaii Island was one of the hottest vacation spots around the world, totally over 2 million tourists over the course of a year. Now, after the N1 Grand Prix, Lan finally got the chance to see the island paradise for himself, being the first spot in his around-the-world trip, the prize for taking second place at the competition.

A dinging sound was heard throughout the coach and first-class cabins. The overhead lights signaled that PET use, as well as movement around the cabins, was now permitted. Lan looked up at the lights and smiled, knowing that he could now talk to his newly restored NetNavi.

Lan lifted the device from it's holster, which was strapped to his waist, to about the same level as his chest. Wasting no time, he pushed the B button on the PET. It came out of Stand-by mode, displaying the standard operating system desktop. Only a second later, hundreds of pixilated boxes appeared, converging on a central point in the bottom center of the screen. The boxes took form, showing an image of Megaman, a look of joy and bliss on his face.

"Lan."
"Megaman."

A flash of light from Lan's window caught his attention. He turned his head and the PET camera to look out the window. 30,000 feet in the air, a height Lan had never been to. The sun rising from a horizon made of clouds made for a remarkable sight, both for Lan and Megaman. It was an absolutely stunning sight for the both of them.

"A lot has happened, eh, Lan?"
"You could say that. Really, a lot."
"Lan."

Megaman look straight into Lan's eyes, while lifting his right hand up to the PET screen. For the Navi and NetOp, it was a sign of friendship, a sign of their victory over the nearly devastating opposition which had only occurred days before. It was a moment that Megaman wanted to remember for all time. He hoped that Lan wanted the same thing.

"Megaman." Lan put as much of his fingers onto the screen of the PET, trying to match that of Megaman's hand. Neither of the two moved. They didn't want anything to disturb the moment they were sharing, a moment of friendship. At least, that is what was for Lan. Megaman wanted more, though. Lan moving his fingers to match his glove...he wanted to actually feel the boy's hand. He wanted to give Lan a handshake, a hug...a kiss.

"Welcome back, Megaman!"
"I'm home, Lan!"
"We'll be together from now on, Megaman."

Without hesitation, Megaman gave the only response that came to his mind. "Yeah."

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Megaman opened his eyes, knowing exactly what he had just dreamed about. The feeling, the want, the need, to have physical contact with Lan, be it through a handshake or kiss, resurfaced somewhere inside the Navi. Lifting his head up from the wall behind his chair, Megaman leaned forward and took a hold of Lan's left hand again. He look at the boy in front of him and, for the first time in 5 days, he smiled.

Even to that moment, it amazed Megaman that he was still able to hold Lan's hand. He had a feeling that lasted, even till now, that it was all some dream, and he would eventually wake up from it. However, given the current situation, one might believe that the "dream" turned into a nightmare. In truth, Megaman was starting to want everything to be a dream. It hurt him a lot to see Lan the way he was. He knew that if it all was a dream, things would return to normal, meaning that Lan would not be in the hospital.

Even if it meant that he could never touch Lan again, Megaman, somewhere in the back of his mind, wanted this all to be a dream, and was ready to sacrifice that one thing he now cherish, just so that Lan's pain would end.

The latch on the door could be heard as it was lifted up on the other side. Megaman turned his head towards the door, instinctively let go to Lan's hand, and sat against the backrest of the chair once again. He watched the door open completely, revealing 5 figures standing behind it. Even though it was still dimly lit inside the room, Megaman was still able to make out who it was standing behind the door. In walked Ms. Mari, Dex, Maylu, Yai, and Tory.

Ms. Mari was the first of the group to make any kind of statement. "Megaman. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Oh, hi Ms. Mari."
"You look tired, Megaman. Have you gotten any sleep?"
"Not really. Maybe about 10 hours total over the past 5 days."
"Oh, my! You really should get home and sleep, Megaman. You don't want to become sleep deprived."
"I'll be fine, Ms. Mari. Don't worry about me."

That was just like Megaman. Him and Lan were so much alike. They both cared for everyone else in their lives, but never cared much for themselves. They were both in the mindset that everyone else's lives were much more important than their own, which is probably the baseline for their sometimes...irrational behavior, which would be running into battles with no plan, testing experiments that are dangerous, and putting themselves in harms way, just to name a few.

"How is Lan doing, Megaman?" Maylu couldn't help but let a tone of worry slip into her voice when she spoke.
"Yeah. Will he be ok?" Dex had a similar tone of worry.
"Is there anything we can do?" Tory was also no exception.
"Do the doctors think Lan will ever recover?" Of all the visitors, Yai sounded the most worried.

Megaman was taken aback slightly by the bombardment of questions that came his way. They all knew that Megaman hadn't left Lan's hospital room in the 5 days Lan had been there. They were all hoping that Megaman knew something that they did not, which made them want to know even more. They were all worried for Lan. He had gotten himself hurt in the past, but all of those injuries turned out to be minor. Lan was never injured this badly before.

The Navi looked around at the group of children and adult chaperon, trying to find the words to explain Lan's current condition. He wasn't one for speaking in medical terminology, so he knew that he was going to avoid using such words. Instead, he decided that he would try his best to use simpler words that everyone would understand.

"Well, Chaud and I brought Lan in 5 days ago. They did some surgery on his head wound to stitch it up and fix a possible fracture in his skull." Megaman felt like he was beginning a long speech, like what Dr. Hikari would give to Lan and him about their conduct or otherwise. Such speeches were given to the duo more than both of them wanted. However, Dr. Hikari felt it necessary to give such lectures when he felt they were needed.

Nonetheless, Megaman continued. "For the rest of that day and the day after, Lan was on feeding and breathing tubes, since he was already in his semi-coma and couldn't breath or eat on his own. Then, three days ago, they took the tubes out, because they discovered he was starting to breath on his own, which was a good sign, and switched him to some liquid IV for nourishment."

Megaman's explanation was interrupted by several sighs of relief which came from the children, as well as Ms. Mari. He could see it in their eyes and even on their faces. They had had extremely worried expressions on all of their faces. Hearing what Megaman had to tell them helped to put their worries to rest, for the most part. They all noticed that Lan still had yet to wake up from his semi-coma.

The Navi continued. "Lan's been like this for 3 days now. He hasn't moved an inch, as well as his vitals being a little below what the doctors want. At least, that is what the nurse who was in here earlier said. But, she did say that he wasn't in any danger of going into a deeper coma or even dying."

Everyone's attention was turned to Lan, still lying motionless in the hospital bed. Even if they were no longer worried, they still didn't like seeing Lan the way he was. It simply broke their hearts seeing Lan like that. He was never one to let physical injuries get in the way of him doing what he wanted or needed to do. However, this time was different. He didn't have a choice in the matter.

An awkward silence fell upon everyone in the room. Megaman had effectively finished his explanation and update of Lan's condition, but something still didn't feel right to him. One by one, the children and Ms. Mari shifted their attention from Lan to him. Megaman couldn't shake the feeling that they didn't just come to see Lan today. Something inside him was telling him that he was also going to be a person of interest in the children and Ms. Mari's visit.

His feeling proved to be true, as Tory broke the silence which still had a grip on the room.

"It's good that Lan isn't doing the worst that he could be. However, we also didn't come here to see just Lan. We're concerned about you as well, Megaman."
"Me? Why me?"
"Well, since the incident 5 days ago, we all know that you haven't left the hospital, let alone this room."
"You don't have to worry about me. Lan is the one that you should worry about."

"But, it isn't exactly normal for someone to not leave a hospital room for 5 days, Megaman. That is what concerns us." Ms. Mari had added her comment into the fray. All the other children simply nodded their heads in agreement with their teacher. Even though he was not in a position to admit it, Megaman did find it a little strange for a person to stay with someone for such an extended period of time in the hospital. A day or two would have been considered "normal." However, 5 days straight just seemed very...excessive.

However, Megaman stood his ground. "I know that it is strange, but...I have to be here with Lan. I just...feel like I am suppose to be here, if that makes any sense."

Everyone just stared at Megaman. Unfortunately for him, his statement didn't make much sense to them. He still couldn't tell them the real reason he was there. That information shouldn't need to be known to them at the time, not with Lan the way he was, anyway. They continued to give the Navi blank stares, which made him feel uncomfortable. He decided that he had to say something that would make sense so that more questions were not asked.

"If something like this had happened to me, I know that Lan would be doing the same thing I am. That's why I have to be there all the time. He would do the same for me."

Ms. Mari, being the teacher she was, decided to play psychiatrist, hoping to get the root of Megaman's thinking.

"Is it because he is your friend that you feel obligated to be here all the time?"
"I guess so...but it still feels like something more...something else."
"You don't know what that feeling is?"
"Well...I feels like...it's my responsibility."

"Responsibility?" Dex, Maylu, Yai, and Tory all said the same thing in unison, while also interrupting Ms. Mari's attempts to find out why Megaman had not left the room. The four children were all confused as to how Megaman believed that it was his responsibility to stay with Lan while he was recovering...or as close to recovering as he could get at the moment.

"What do you mean by that, Megaman?" Maylu's curiosity was sparked.
"Yeah. It's not like you are his babysitter or something." Dex tried to lighten the mood, but to no avail.
"Even if he is like this, you can't stay here forever." Tory's power of observation was uncanny.
"You can't be his crutch forever. He has to recover on his own." Yai's logic was flawless, as usual.

Megaman looked around the room, taking note of each of the comments that were directed at him. They made him think hard about what he was doing. Did Lan really want him to spend all his time by the boy's bedside, without even so much as leaving the room? Would Lan really do the same if he was in the same position? The statements and observations of the other children in the room were starting to make Megaman question his own motives.

But, he had to keep is ground. He wasn't going to leave Lan alone, not in the condition he was in. "Listen, guys. Ms. Mari. I really do appreciate your concern for me. But, I know I am fine."

They all simply stared at Megaman, apparently not buying into his explanation. They all knew that he wasn't acting like himself. If anything, Megaman had never acted the way he is now at any point in the past. He was always optimistic, even though he would look at a situation from all angles. But, that never put him down, as he always hoped for the best and worked towards that goal.

This was his only chance. He had to plead his case one more time.

"It's just that...I have to be here out of responsibility because I'm the cause of all this." He tried his best to hold in any emotions that threatened to surface at that moment. It seemed to work, as his expression was a little bit indifferent, but still had a sense of worry. The other people in the room were now perplexed by his statement. It didn't take long, but Maylu decided to ask the question that was on everyone else's mind.

"What do you mean by that, Megaman? How is this all your fault?"
"If...if I hadn't been the NetNavi that stopped World Three, Grave, Nebula, and all those other crime organizations, then they wouldn't have targeted Lan. He wouldn't be in this situation. It's all because of me."

"You are so selfish, Megaman!" Everyone's attention turned to the source of the rather rude comment. They all recognized the voice. It came from the girl with the pink dress and yellow braids in the back of her head. That's right. They all turned their attention to Yai Ayano. Needless to say, everyone in the room was shocked at what just came out of Yai's mouth. She was never the really rude type, but she had been known to be overzealous on occasion.

"Yai! How can you say such a thing?" Ms. Mari was obviously upset.
"Come on, Yai. It isn't that bad." Maylu wasn't angry, but more or less shocked.
"Cut him some slack, Yai." Dex was a little more on the stern side.
"That wasn't a respectful thing to say, Yai." Tory concluded with everyone else.

Yai, being the stubborn girl that she was, stood by her comment. "Just because Lan was attacked by someone, doesn't mean it is your fault, Megaman."

"But, that is why it is my fault!" Megaman was about to begin shouting at this point. Aside from his battles with hostile NetNavis, he had never felt so insulted, and from one of his friends, nonetheless. "I was the one who beat all of those criminals. Because of that, they targeted Lan. And now, look what happened to him. It's my fault!"

"And, that is where you are wrong." Yai was also ready to start shouting, not so much out of anger, but more or less to get the point across to Megaman. "You did what you did because that is what you do. You and Lan do the right thing in the world. You fight so that people like World Three, Grave, and Nebula don't control our world. They were evil by nature. If anything, it is your fault that we live in the peaceful world we do. It is your fault that we can go about our daily lives without fear. It's your fault that...that..."

Yai wasn't able to continue. Her eyes were starting to swell up with tears, and her voice was starting to get muffled. She quickly wiped the tears away with her wrist, attempting to regain her composer so that she could finish what she started.

"It's your fault that our NetNavis are even here. You have saved them countless times. What happened to Lan happened because the UnderNet Mafia wanted it to. It had nothing to do with you stopping other organizations in the past. It was their doing and nothing more."

Everyone was at a lose for words. They had never seen Yai so upset when talking to one of her friends. In fact, this was probably the first time that she had really "blown up" at someone and let them know what she was thinking, without holding back, to say the least. But, out of them all, Megaman was probably the most stunned of them all. Not even Lan had been this rough on him if he was ever feeling down or depressed.

"Yai...I just... I just..."
"Don't say anything, Megaman. Just know that it's not your fault."
"I just...I just want to be here. I just want to be with Lan."

"I guess we can't change your mind, Megaman. But, please. Make sure you take care of yourself. Your own well-being shouldn't be overlooked on account of what happened to Lan." Ms. Mari seemed to be conceding her argument, but still trying her best to make sure that the Navi got the message that were still worried about him. This was enforced by the shear amount of worry that was coming from her eyes as Megaman looked at the older woman.

No matter how much he didn't want to acknowledge it, Megaman knew, somewhere inside him, that he really wasn't taking care of himself during his 5 day isolation. As that is exactly what it was: isolation. He didn't leave the room. He didn't see anyone besides Lan, who probably didn't even know he was there. He didn't talk all that much. He just completely shut himself in and tuned the rest of the world out.

"I will. And, thanks for coming. I'm sure that Lan..." Megaman paused in the middle of his sentence. Just the mere mention of Lan made Megaman uneasy, as well as depressed, since he knew the boy was laying right in the same room as him, completely motionless and most likely completely unaware of his surroundings. But, he finished his statement. "Lan would be thankful, as well."

All the visitors could do was nod their heads in agreement with the Navi. Lan was the thankful type, when it came to big things, or rather, things that he took notice of. Most often, people would do stuff for him and he wouldn't even notice, unless they made a mention of it. Lan could be very oblivious at times, which would normally drive his family and friends crazy. Because he didn't pay a lot of attention to his surroundings, he would act on impulse, thereby making things worse than better.

"Children, we should probably get going. You do have an assignment, after all." Ms. Mari heard a few moans from the children, as they knew that the assignment wasn't an easy task. However, they did feel like it was time to go, and allowed Ms. Mari to usher them out of the room. Megaman looked on as the visitors slowly went into the hallway. However, he took note that Maylu was still left in the room.

"Maylu, are you coming with us?"
"Oh, no Ms. Mari. I'm going to stay a little bit longer."
"Well, don't stay too long. It will be dark outside soon."
"I won't. Goodbye, Mr. Mari."

Ms. Mari gave a smiling nod as he walked out of the room and quietly closed the door behind her. Maylu took up another chair and sat on the opposite side of the bed Lan was in, making sure that she was able to look at both Lan and Megaman during what little time she had while there.

Megaman simply looked in Maylu's direction, then refocused his sight on Lan, still completely motionless in the bed in front of him. The Navi hoped that after everyone left, he would be able to hold Lan's hand again, wanting to feel the warmth that would still emanate from the hand. However, he couldn't very well do that now with Maylu still in the room. It would completely blow their cover which had worked hard to keep a secret, coming very close to being exposed a few times already.

A silence befell the room. Both Maylu and Megaman just sat in their chairs, staring at Lan, hoping that the boy would soon wake up from his unconscious state. The silence was killing Megaman on the inside. He wanted to keep talking to Lan in only a way that both of them should hear. He didn't want anyone else to hear what he wanted to tell Lan.

"Hey, Megaman?"
"Hmm? Yeah, Maylu?"
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Oh, sure. What's on your mind?"

Maylu finally looked up from the bed and looked over at the Navi, sitting directly across from her. He was still facing down, looking at Lan. He wasn't exactly sure what Maylu wanted to ask him. However, he figured that it was the reason that she stayed behind. Why else would she have remained if not to ask the question that she was about to ask?

"You...you love Lan, don't you?"

Megaman immediately moved his attention from Lan to Maylu. 'How could...how did she...' The Navi's mind started racing with so many thoughts at that moment. How did she know? Did she find out on her own? Were him and Lan not careful enough? What does she think about Megaman now? Is she completely freaked out by it?

Megaman couldn't piece together anything to say at that moment. His mind would not allow him to even speak, let alone think about what he was going to say. Needless to say, Megaman was completely taken by surprise thanks to Maylu's remark. Not only that, but he was also put into a state of shock, He thought for sure that him and Lan had kept their relationship under wraps rather effectively. He thought there was no way that anyone would have been able to find out about it.

"Well...I..." The shock from the initial question made it too hard for Megaman to form a coherent sentence, let alone lie about it, or even tell the truth. He didn't know what he was going to tell Maylu. She was a smart girl. She would be able to figure out of Megaman was lying or not. Hell, at this point, even Dex would be able to figure out if Megaman was lying or not. The shear amount of worry and shock in what little voice he gave off was enough to make even the most oblivious person aware of the real answer.

Megaman sighed, which was all the answer that Maylu needed. "Megaman...does...he love you back?" More good news for the Navi. Yet another question from the girl brought up even more shock and worry. He thought that he had to say something. The shock and worry of what she would assume, as well as think, about his and Lan's relationship was just becoming too much for him to keep hidden. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He wanted to know what she thought of him.

"...Yeah. He does. And...I love him, too." It finally came out.

Maylu simply got up from her chair and started to make her way towards the door. Megaman slowly followed her with his eyes. He was so sure that she thought so much less of both of them now. Megaman's heart became heavy, as he felt like he had betrayed Lan by telling someone about their love for each other. It was something that he knew he would have to tell Lan when he finally woke up.

"Hey, Megaman." Maylu slowly turned to face the Navi.
"Yeah, Maylu?" Megaman was prepared for the worst.
"I'm...happy that you can Lan feel the same way about each other."

He suddenly felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. He feared so much that Maylu wouldn't think of him and Lan the same anymore, that he nearly broke into tears. However, the reassurance of Maylu's comment helped to ease his fears. "I guess...I should say thanks."

Maylu simply giggle to herself in a silent manner, but just enough so that Megaman could hear her. "You know...you and Lan are the first two boys I know who love each other. That's kinda cool." She gave Megaman a smile, letting him know that his and Lan's relationship didn't change the way she looked at them.

As Maylu opened the door to the hallway, Megaman quickly said one last thing. "Maylu, wait!" The girl turned around to see that Megaman had gotten out of his chair and was standing at the foot of Lan's hospital bed, a look of slight concern in his eyes. "Can you...not tell anyone about Lan and me?"

The girl gave a puzzled look at the Navi.

"Why is that, Megaman? Don't you want all our friends to know?"
"That's actually the reason we don't want them to know."
"You mean you want to keep this a secret?"
"Yeah, we do. Lan and I talked about it before this happened. We want to wait until we think the time is right."
"Oh, I see."

Maylu gave Megaman another smile, seemingly showing the Navi a sign of reassurance. Like Maylu had intended, the look on her face made Megaman feel at ease. It showed the Navi that Maylu's friendship with him and Lan wasn't something that could be changed by something as simple as his and Lan's relationship. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks, Maylu."

The short-skirted girl gave Megaman one last smile before leaving the room, closing the door behind her as she finally left. The Navi sat back down in his chair, and, once again, stared that the boy laying in the bed in front of him. He didn't like this. He didn't like the fact that he could still do nothing more but watch Lan. He was always there for the boy, always protecting, always caring, always looking out for him. Now, he couldn't even do any of that. He couldn't do any of that the day of Cannonman's second attack.

He sighed, and, once again, put his head back against the wall behind his chair. He tried to get some sleep not too long ago, but Lan's friends and Ms. Mari visiting interrupted him. Now that all of the visitors were gone, Megaman figured that now would probably be the only time that he would get to catch some sleep before yet another visitor came through the hospital room door.

And, his body agreed with his mind. His eyelids still felt heavy, actually, much heavier than they were the first time he tried to get some sleep that same day. Megaman began to wonder if he was starting to become sleep deprived, which wasn't something that he wanted to happen to himself right now.

So, deciding that now was a better time than any over the past 5 days, Megaman completely closed his eyes, hoping that he would be able to sleep.

~~!~~
~~!~~

"We have an emergency!"

Chaud yelled as loud as he could when he and Megaman entered through the Emergency entrance at DenTech Hospital. The white and black haired boy was carrying Lan in his arms. Megaman would have done that himself, but he was still feeling too weak. That last episode of paralysis took a lot of his strength out of him. He could only be thankful that Chaud was stronger than he let on.

One of the hospital staff members, who also happened to be a registered nurse, was standing behind the counter when he heard Chaud call out. He came out from behind the counter, only to be greeted by the sight of Lan in Chaud's arms, his head still dripping with blood, and his wound still bleeding. Much of the thick red substance had made it's way to Chaud's vest and shirt, staining the clothing in the process.

"What happened to him?"

Chaud tried to be as calm and quiet as he could. "We need to make this quick. Him and I are both NetSavers. We were attacked and he was badly wounded. His name is Lan Hikari. Mine is Chaud Blaze." Chaud managed to pull his PET out of it's holder and flashed the NetSaver ID hologram at the nurse. Without another word, Chaud and the nurse rushed Lan's limp, but still living, body to the double doors leading to the Trauma Ward.

"Who is he? Family? Friend? Another NetSaver?" The nurse was looking at Megaman, who was still following Chaud at the time. Chaud looked at the Navi, not sure how to tell the nurse who the boy standing in front of him really was. However, the black and white haired NetSaver was in a position of authority over the nurse, and he might be able to use that position to Megaman's advantage.

"He is someone of importance. He can follow us."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Listen, we don't have time for that! Lan has already lost a lot of blood and suffered a severe concussion!"

Conceding his argument, the nurse opened the double doors, quickly moving through them. Chaud, with Lan in arms, and Megaman, both followed closely behind. Megaman wasn't sure why Chaud didn't just tell the nurse who he really was. But, given the circumstances, the Navi wasn't really able to think properly at the moment.

They finally reached their destination. The sign outside the room read "Trauma Room 2." The nurse opened the doors and instructed Chaud to place Lan on the table. He then went over to the phone and paged several of the ER doctors who were just wrapping up another case in Trauma Room 6. Wasting no more time, Chaud and the nurse worked on Lan, trying to clean and sanitize his head wound. The last thing they needed was for the boy's wound to get infected before it was stitched up.

The doors opened once again. 2 men and 2 women dressed in teal scrubs and white coats walked in, along with several people dressed in maroon-color scrubs. Chaud figured the first four were the doctors while the rest were the nursing staff for the ER. Megaman was still in too much shock for his mind to process anything at the moment. All he could do was look on as the doctors and nurses started to work on his NetOp.

Chaud had backed away from the table, letting the medical team do their work. He took a stance beside Megaman. "Don't worry. DenTech has some of the best physicians in Japan." Chaud saw the look on Megaman's face. He knew the Navi was worried beyond anything he had ever seen. Even though he tried his best to ease those worries, Megaman just couldn't put his fears and worries on a back-burner, not when his NetOp, his best friend...his love...was right there in front of him, suffering from who knows how much pain and agony.

"Doctor. I have the medical file for Lan Hikari. His blood type is O-."
"Alright. Make a call to blood storage. Tell them we need several pints up here."
"Doctor! His wound is still bleeding."
"Begin suction. Make sure he doesn't loose anymore blood."
"His breathing is slowing down."
"Bag him."
"Start an IV."
"BP is dropping. His heart is slowing down."
"If we can't stabilize him, he'll go into Cardiac Arrest!"
"He's crashing!"

The two boys just stood by the door, listening to the talking and yelling of the physicians. Chaud knew what was going on, as did Megaman. The amount of blood lost was causing Lan's heart to slow down, as there was not enough oxidized blood being send to his brain to help operate the rest of his body. Not only was Lan at risk for dying due to blood loss, but now if he was kept alive, he might be at risk for brain damage.

Luckily, Chaud knew more about medicine than Megaman. However, this wasn't the time to tell Megaman just what could happen if things didn't turn out the way they wanted to. He didn't feel that the Navi should be burdened with such information. Besides, Megaman looked like he was already an emotional wreck. Lan's possible death wasn't something that Chaud should add to the mix.

"BP is rising."
"The blood from storage is here, doctor."
"Hook it up and start an IV. Make sure that head wound is clean."
"It has stopped bleeding for the moment."
"Get me an X-Ray machine up here. I want some pictures of his skull."
"Yes, doctor."

One of the nurses spotted Megaman and Chaud still by the doors. "You two should follow me." She motioned to the door, opened it, and ushered the two boys into the lobby. Nothing was said during the walk to the waiting area.

"Nurse. How is he doing?"
"Lan was being stabilized when we walked out of the trauma room. They should have him in stable condition soon."
"That's good to hear. What about his head wound?"
"From how much the IV was putting into him, he lost a lot of blood. Once his wound is fully clean and sanitized, they should be stitching it up."

Feeling that her answer was good enough for Chaud, the nurse left him and Megaman in the lobby, going back through the doors to work on Lan along with the other nurses and the doctors. Knowing that he wasn't going to get anymore answers from the staff, Chaud sat down in one of the chairs. Megaman finally pulled his mind together and realized what happened, sitting down a few chairs from Chaud. Both of them did not say a word to the other.

The lobby was large, filled with row upon row upon row of chairs for those who were waiting to receive treatment. Within the rows of chairs were small tables for those who had a beverage or piece of food, as well as for keeping magazines on them. Megaman looked over at one of the tables and saw a wide variety of reading material. He recognized a few of the titles, such as "NetBattles Weekly," "PET World," and the most popular magazine in DenTech, "DenTech News Network Daily." Even though the newsmagazine was rather new, only ten months old, it grew rapidly in popularity thanks to Ribitta's contributions to the periodical.

Chaud just sat in his chair, staring at the double doors that Lan was now behind. He was worried for the other NetSaver. Lan has been a good friend to him, even when they were rivals at the N1 Grand Prix. He was even told that Lan was rather nice to the former members of World Three while they were running the curry shop in DenTech, even after they tried so many times to delete Megaman.

For someone to be so caring for others, even those who could, and often, would turn into his enemies, Chaud wasn't sure if Lan was too caring, completely foolhardy, or a tactical genius. But, Chaud did crack a small smile at the thought. 'No way Lan is a tactical genius. He's too scattered brained for that.'

More and more people started to enter and leave the Emergency Room lobby. Unfortunately, it seemed to be a busy day in the ER, a day that no one really wanted to see. However, it was a necessary evil, as the people that worked there needed to help people in order to get paid for their work. Even though they don't want a lot of people to come to the Emergency Room for treatment, somewhere in the back of their minds, whether they know it or not, they want people to come and receive treatment. People receiving treatment meant a paycheck to bring home.

One of the nurses working on Lan finally emerged from the Trauma Ward. He was greeted with Chaud standing up quickly, while Megaman stood up rather slowing, considering Lan was his best friend and NetOp.

"There you two are. I'm here to give you an update."

Chaud was still the only one between the two visitors to be talk. "How is he? Will he recover completely?" Though he normally tried to keep an indifferent tone of voice when it came to serious topics, Chaud couldn't help himself. There was a noticeable amount of worry in his voice as he spoke to the nurse.

"Actually...I am going to be honest with you. It isn't looking good."
"What do you by that?"
"The thing is...Lan has lost a lot of blood. As such, there wasn't enough oxidized blood going to his brain, thereby making it oxygen deprived."
"Are you saying that he could be brain dead?"
"Not at this point. You got him here just in time to avoid that. However, with the amount of blood lost, along with whatever caused the wound on his head, Lan has gone into a sort of 'semi-coma.' I wish I had a better explanation for you."
"...semi-coma?"
"Basically, his brain is functioning, but the rest of his body isn't responding the way we want it. We have him on a breathing tube, because his lungs are not breathing for him. We also had to put him on an external pacemaker to keep his heart from stopping."

Chaud and the nurse continued their conversation. Megaman, however, remained silent, but still listening. He understood just about everything that Chaud and the nurse were talking about. He remembered reading about it in NetCity while Lan was sleeping in class several months ago. The odd thing was...even though Megaman heard and understood almost everything that was said during the conversation, he was not phased by it. It was most like due to the fact that he was still in shock over what happened earlier that same day.

"There is another thing. Whatever caused the wound on his head also fractured a small piece of his skull."
"What? Did it cause any damage to..."
"No. His brain was not injured by it. However, it was jarred around a lot, which caused some bruising to occur. Thankfully, that will heal on it's own."
"What are you going to do about the fracture?"
"To make sure it doesn't shatter at some point later down the road, we will have to take Lan into surgery and fuse the fracture together. However, before we can do the surgery, we need consent from his parents or guardians."
"His parents are not here. Do they have to be to sign papers for the surgery to go forward?"
"Not necessarily. If you can get them on the phone, they can give verbal consent. That way, we can help Lan sooner, and they can sign the paperwork later."
"Alright. I'll get his parents on the phone."

The nurse gave Chaud a nod and went back into the Trauma Ward. Megaman just stared at his lap. This was something that he and Lan have never faced before. Sure, they have gotten into tight spots when fighting other NetNavis and whatnot. But, a major surgical operation on his skull? This went beyond anything they have faced together. And, what made it worse, was that Megaman knew, somewhere in his mind, that Lan would have to face this alone. There wasn't anything he could do to help his NetOp.

Chaud saw how distressed Megaman was over everything that had happened.

"Something came up, and they need to take Lan into..."
"I know...I heard everything."
"You don't need to worry. Didn't I say DenTech has the best doctors in Japan?"
"Yeah, but, I wish...I wish that could ease my worries. But...it doesn't"
"I guess that is normal. He his your best friend and NetOp after all."
"It's just that...we never faced anything like this before. And now...he has to do it alone."
"He is never alone as long as you think about him."

The Navi didn't respond to the last comment. Instead, he simply continued to look down at his lap, mood unchanged by his conversation with the white-haired boy. Knowing that he wasn't going to be able to ease the Megaman's worries, Chaud finally did what he needed to do. "I need to call his parents. The sooner he is in surgery, the better."

With his statement, Chaud left the lobby area and went to a small section close to the Trauma Ward. It contained several phones, most likely put in place so that relatives of anyone receiving emergency care could be contacted.

Megaman was left in the lobby. He was still in disbelief as to what has happened, and what will happen to Lan once Chaud gets off the phone with Lan's parents. A feeling inside him finally came out. That feeling made him fully realize the situation at hand, as well as everything that had happened earlier. That feeling made itself known to Megaman in a way that he had never felt before. That feeling made itself into a physical manifestation, the reality of the situation crashing down on the Navi.

And Megaman cried harder than he had ever done in his entire life.

~~!~~
~~!~~

A silent knock was heard in the room. Megaman opened his eyes, hearing the noise. He wasn't sure who could have been knocking on the door to Lan's room. However, his curiosity got the better of him. He slowly got up from his chair, quickly glancing at the clock that was mounted on the wall to the right of Lan's bed. 8:13pm. The Navi vaguely remembered falling asleep around 6:05pm. Still, he didn't remember the exact time.

Figuring that he was sleep for almost 2 hours, Megaman went over to the door and lifted the latch. It opened without a single sound, as the door appeared to have well-oiled hinges. Two figures were behind the door after Megaman opened it. It was the same two people that had come to visit Lan each day for the past 5 days. The two people were none other than Lan's parents, Dr. and Mrs. Hikari.

"Megaman...I didn't realize you were still here."
"Dr. Hikari...yeah. I have been here a little bit."
"Did you leave at all since yester..."

Dr. Hikari paused in the middle of his sentence. He already knew the answer to his question. He knew that Megaman had not left the room since yesterday. He could see it in the Navi's eyes...those emerald green eyes had a look of fatigue in them. Dr. Hikari saw that look, and knew that Megaman had not left the room since yesterday. And, the Navi shaking his head 'no' confirmed the older man's hypothesis.

"My, Megaman! You haven't left Lan's room in 5 days." Mrs. Hikari stated the obvious. Both Dr. Hikari and Megaman already knew that. However, Mrs. Hikari seemed to have stated it in the hopes that she would put an emphasis on the point, thinking that Megaman might finally leave the room, or even go back into his PET, thereby taking a break from the human world and getting back to his Navi friends.

Megaman simply stepped to the side and allowed Lan's parents to enter the room. They moved with very silent steps, almost as if thinking that if they made too much noise, Lan would wake up. Oddly enough, that is what they all wanted. The question of why they moved so silently crossed Megaman's mind. The events earlier that day had been rather noisy, especially when Yai made her opinion well-known to the rest of Lan's earlier visitors.

"Yeah...I've been here for 5 days. Maylu, Ms. Mari, and the others were here about 2 hours ago."
"Really? Was it their first visit?"
"It was. They actually didn't stay too long. Ms. Mari reminded them about an assignment. So, they left early."

The two parents took seats beside their son's bed. And, just like the last 4 times they had visited over the past 4 days, Lan had not moved an inch, save for when the tubes were removed from his mouth and throat. Megaman turned around and took his original seat, the same one he was in beforehand.

There wasn't much talking this time around. The past 4 days when Lan's parents visited, there was a lot of talking. Most of the talking was actually done by Megaman, as Dr. and Mrs. Hikari would be the ones asking questions about Lan's current state. While they did visit him when they could, they knew that since Megaman was basically there 24/7, he would be able to clue them in on what has been happening.

An uncomfortable silence befell the room as the Navi's eyes wandered. The machines were all making some kind of sound, be it a beep, a decompressing sound, or otherwise. Thankfully, in the 5 days that Megaman was in the room, none of the machines made any extremely noisy sounds, like if Lan was in need of more emergency care. Oddly enough, Megaman had been in the same room for so long, that the sounds were actually starting to not be heard by him. He had been hearing them so much, that his brain simply mixed the sounds with everything else, effectively making them inaudible.

"So, how is Lan doing?" Mrs. Hikari broke the awkward silence in the room.

"...There hasn't been any changes since yesterday."
"So, you are saying that..."
"Yeah. There's been no change in his condition."

Lan's parents both let out a sigh. Each day they came in, they were hoping that something had changed in Lan's condition. Each day they came in, they were hoping that Lan had, at the very least, moved a part of his body, even if it was just an inch. They needed a sign...a sign that told them that their son was going to be alright. However, with each day that had come in to visit, they did not receive the sign they were hoping for.

All eyes were now on the boy laying in the bed. In truth, even though Lan was breathing on his own, the doctors still were not sure why Lan wasn't waking up. Normally, when a patient is able to breath on their own, they would wake up from whatever coma they were in, seeing as their brain functions were starting to normalize. However, Lan's case was different. His brain was functioning, that was for sure. The issue was that, at the moment, he didn't have any consciousness.

Another length of silence befell the room. Everyone's gaze still on Lan, still laying motionless in the bed. His parents listened to the various sounds that were emitting from the different pieces of equipment and instruments around the room. The heart monitor, the occasional BP pack, and the sound of more oxygen being shot into Lan's nose, all swirled together. As they listened to the sounds, the older couple had another reason in mind as to why they came to visit Lan today. Unfortunately for Megaman, it was the same reason that Maylu, Ms. Mari, and the others came earlier that day.

"Megaman..." Dr. Hikari seemed to be the one who would reveal the other reason to the Navi. "What did Maylu and the others talk about with you when they were here?" Dr. Hikari was hoping that the first group of visitors would have brought up concerns about Megaman, as well, thereby making it easier to voice his and his wife's own concerns.

"They came in to see Lan. They basically did the same thing you guys do." Megaman knew he didn't need to elaborate on that, as he knew that Lan's parents already knew what Megaman was talking about, which was checking up on the boy. However, Megaman didn't expect what came out of Dr. Hikari's mouth next. It was almost total deja vu for the Navi.

"It's nice to know that Lan has such wonderful friends. And you as well, Megaman. That is another reason we came here." Megaman knew exactly where this was going, and he didn't like it one bit. Just like Lan, Megaman wasn't a fan of people worrying about him. He was in the total mindset that he is the one that should worry about everyone else, who should then worry about themselves more than him.

"We know that you haven't left in 5 days, and both of us are worried about you."
"Don't worry about me, Dr. Hikari. Lan is who we should worry about."
"We are worried for our son. However, not leaving a hospital room for a long time is very concerning."
"I'm just fine. Maylu and the others had the same..."

Megaman stopped in the middle of his sentence. He didn't want to finish it, as he didn't want Dr. and Mrs. Hikari to know that Maylu and the others came in with the same concerns earlier as they were right now. However, Dr. Hikari was a little too quick on the ball for Megaman, as he was able to pick up on why the Navi stopped in the middle of his own sentence. It became evident to the older man that Lan's earlier visitors had voiced the same worries and concerns that him and his wife were about to voice during their visit.

With a heavy sigh, Megaman looked away from Lan's bed and dropped his head, his eyes now fixated on the floor. He knew that Dr. Hikari figured out what he was going to say, and that could only mean a lecture, be it short or long. However, he wasn't about to let the older man have the first word. 'If I say something first, I might be able to shorten his lecture.'

"I know you are going to say how worried you are, and that staying here for so long isn't healthy. But, I have to be here. I have to be by Lan." Megaman didn't move his eyes from the floor. He wasn't sure if he should look up at Dr. Hikari or if he should avoid eye contact altogether. His mind was going through all of the possible reasons why he should or should not look at the older man.

But, as luck would have it, he wouldn't need any of them.

"I understand, Megaman," Dr. Hikari said, with a smile across his face. The comment made the Navi lift his head up to see the face of the older man in front of him, on the other side of Lan's bed. "You are a very dedicated NetNavi, and a great friend to Lan. If you feel like you need to be here, then I am not one to argue."

Megaman couldn't stop a smile from crossing his face. He was sure that Dr. Hikari was going to go into some long lecture about how this might actually hurt his friendship with Lan or something along those lines. After Yai's reaction earlier that day, the Navi also had no doubts that the older man in front of him would do the same thing, only...more calmly and civilized. However, it was none of that. Dr. Hikari completely understood what Megaman was doing what he was doing. It felt as if yet another great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

"Thanks, Dr. Hikari. You were a lot more understanding than Yai was. She actually yelled at me."
"Ha-ha. That sounds like something Yai would do."
"Yeah. I pretty much for a earful from her. But, it was probably for the better."
"I'm sure it was. But, Megaman. Make sure you take care of yourself. Have something to eat when you can."

"And, you are in luck, Megaman!" Mrs. Hikari, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, finally spoke up, rather excitedly, to be exact. "I remembered how much you liked the salad I made a week ago. So, I made another one just for you to eat while you are here."

Mrs. Hikari leaned down and picked up a small box. It wasn't sealed completely. In fact, the flaps on it were arranged in a criss-cross fashion, so that any of the rain water from outside would not seep into the box. She opened it up rather quickly, but still not ripping any of the flaps. As the final flap was moved out of the way, she put her hands inside and pulled out a medium size bowl with saran wrap on top, handing it to Megaman.

"There you go, Megaman. And, here are some chopsticks and a fork, if you want it. Make sure you eat up!" Megaman sat the bowl on his lap, one of the logical places for the moment. He looked down at the bowl and saw a variety of green delectables beneath the layer of plastic on top.

He raised his head back up and smiled.

"Thanks a lot. I'll make sure I eat every bite of it."
"I'm glad to hear that, Megaman."
"Oh, I should be going. I left an experiment to come here. I should see how it turned out."
"I should probably leave, too. I want to make sure the house is clean for when Lan comes home."

The both of them got up from their seats, exchanged smiles with the Megaman, and said their goodbyes. 'That was probably their shortest visit. I hope Lan wakes up soon.' Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Megaman was still worried about Lan. Even after all of the positive reinforcement from knowing Lan had so many people that cared for him, the Navi still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

The door closed behind the two parents as they left the room. Megaman noted that it closed silently, almost as if afraid that any sound would awaken Lan from his current state. Megaman stared at the bowl of garden greens on his lap, as well as the utensils that were placed on top of the saran wrap. He was hungry. There was no denying that fact. After all, Megaman hadn't really eaten anything substantial in the past 5 days, and this might be the last meal he eats before Lan's parents come tomorrow.

With that in mind, Megaman carefully undid the saran wrap, making sure that he threw it into the small trashcan that was beside his chair. He had already placed the fork and chopsticks on a small end table that was on the other side of his chair. The Navi looked down into the bowl, noting the different kind of garden greens inside: lettuce, spinach, carrots, and even some sliced tomatoes. Even though the carrots and tomatoes were not "garden greens," they were still delicious when combined with the lettuce and spinach.

Grabbing the chopsticks, Megaman took a few pieces of the lettuce and spinach, making sure to save the tomatoes and carrots for another bite. 'It's just as good as ever,' Megaman thought, as he finished off his first stick-full and continued to enjoy his meal.

However, as he stared down at the bowl, something in his mind wanted him to remember something. While the flavor of the meal was good, Megaman's mind started to wander. It wasn't so much that he was distracted, but more or less...moved, so to speak, by the food. He couldn't quite explain it. However, it became clear during his staring contest with the bowl.

~~!~~
~~!~~

Lan walked out of his room and knocked on the bathroom door. "You ok, Megaman? I heard you call me."

"Can you…come in here for a minute, Lan?"
"Is everything ok, Megaman?"
"Well…not really."

Lan walked inside to see Megaman had taken off his boots, gloves, helmet, shoulder pads, backpack, and chest emblem. He was in nothing but his jumpsuit. Megaman's blue hair was matted against his head, save for his bangs on the front and what normally came out from his helmet in back. His green eyes found Lan's brown eye and they instantly locked on each other. Lan looked at Megaman, and had to admit to himself that he looked a little cute like that.

"What's the problem?"

"Well…I've never taken a shower before." Megaman's face began to flush bright red. He was about to explode in embarrassment. "I really don't want to ask you this, but can you…show me how?"

Now, Lan's face started to flush a bright red. He had never been naked in front of Megaman before. Now, Megaman wants him to SHOW him how to take a shower. Couldn't he just tell him? Well…Megaman was his best friend. 'I guess it couldn't hurt to do him this one favor.'

"Sure…I guess."

Megaman gave Lan a thank you nod, and started to strip himself of his jumpsuit. Lan turned around and began to unzip his orange vest, take off his shoes and socks, remove his shirt, and unbutton his shorts. It was only a minute after their conversation that both of them stood before each other, completely naked. Both of the boys' cheeks were still flushed with a bright red embarrassment.

But, they both pressed on, as Lan showed Megaman how to draw water for the shower. Megaman watched to make sure he committed this to memory, seeing that he would be able to come back to the human world whenever he wanted. Lan then tested the temperature of the water, making sure it wasn't too hot or too cold. He gave Megaman a smile to let him know the water was just right, and they both stepped inside.

"Wow. This is such a great feeling. I've never felt actual water before," Megaman exclaimed. He was noting how every drop of the warm water felt when it impacted his skin. And, he agreed with Lan. It didn't make him feel hot, but it didn't make him shiver in cold. It was just right.

"Yeah. A good water temperature feels great after a hard day's work." Lan was standing behind Megaman, letting him get the most water, as he gave Megaman verbal instructions on how to start.

"First, wet your hair so that when you use the shampoo, you will get a lot of suds. That way, it will really clean your hair." Lan gently moved Megaman's head under the shower faucet, making sure that his hair got wet enough for the shampoo to work. Lan then took a small amount of shampoo and started to rub it in Megaman's hair. His hair wasn't as tangled as Lan thought. Megaman then lifted his own hands and imitated the same motions Lan was doing, working the shampoo into his hair and scalp.

"Ok, while you let it soak in, take the soap bar and rub it around the parts of your body that the water is hitting. That will clean your skin." Lan grabbed the bar of soap from it's holder on the side of the shower and started to rub it against Megaman's skin, making sure he cleaned. Megaman was still in awe with all of the sensations he was feeling. However, he pulled his mind together and grabbed a hold of the hand Lan was holding the soap in, imitating the same motions.

Both Lan and Megaman's insecurities about being naked in front of the other were starting to diminish. 'This isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I guess I was just being silly," Lan thought, until…

Both of their faces flushed red again as the hand with the soap in it brushed against Megaman's member. Lan was embarrassed that he touched that area, and Megaman was embarrassed that he didn't pay attention as to where he was rubbing the soap.

They stood in the running water in silence. However, it was Megaman who broke that silence.

"I guess I figured out how to do this. If you want to leave, Lan, you can."
"Sure…ok. Here, take the soap."

Megaman grabbed the soap bar out of Lan's hand as Lan stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. Megaman continued to move the bar of soap around his body until he felt it was adequately clean. He then washed the shampoo out of his hair, making sure all of it was washed out. He stepped out, grabbed a tower, and saw Lan sitting on the floor, looking away from the shower. Both of them were a little embarrassed at what happened. Once again, Megaman broke the silence.

"Alright, Lan. It's all yours."

Lan turned around to see Megaman wrapped in a towel, but still dripping from the water.

"Ok, Megaman. Oh, I found you some clothes. I left them on my desk chair."
"Thanks, Lan."

Megaman left the bathroom and proceeded to Lan's room. He found the clothing folded neatly on the chair. He figured that mom must have folded those clothes, as Lan was no good at it. He snickered at the thought.

The pile contained white boxers, blue jeans with an elastic waistband, and a green t-shirt. Megaman took notice that the green of the shirt matched the color of his eyes. He undid the towel and fully dried himself, then placed the boxers on first, followed by the pants and then the shirt.

It was a few minutes later when Lan walked through the door, still dripping from the shower, and wrapped in a towel as well. He looked at his now dressed NetNavi in the chair in front of him. He thought that the clothes suited Megaman well. They fit just right.

Their eyes locked on each other again. However, this time, it was Lan who broke the awkward silence.

"Ummm…Megaman? Would you mind…"

"Oh, sure Lan." Megaman already knew what Lan was going to say.

The little incident in the shower had restored their insecurities about being naked in front of the other. Megaman turned the chair around and faced the window, while Lan dried himself and dressed in his pajamas. He gave Megaman a tap on the shoulder to let him know that it was ok to look. Lan went to sit on the bed, and Megaman soon joined him. As soon as Megaman sat down, he felt a warm embrace from Lan as he was hugged by the boy. He returned the hug as they sat side by side.

"You know, Megaman…I was so worried when I saw your hologram just break up like it did. I thought I lost you."
"Don't worry, Lan. I'm fine now, and everything is fine."
"I know but…the UnderNet Mafia is worrying me now."
"We can beat them, Lan. I mean…we beat World Three, Grave, Neo World Three, and pushed back the Zoanoroids. We can handle what the UnderNet Mafia can throw at us."
"You're right, Megaman."

A soft, but somewhat commanding voice was heard from downstairs. "Lan, make sure you go to sleep soon. You don't want to be late for school in the morning."

Lan got up from the bed and opened the door, which he had closed upon his entry after his shower, and yelled back down. "Ok, Mom. Good night." Lan then closed the door again, and proceeded to turn the lights off, leaving nothing but the light from outside to shine in from the window. He returned to his spot next to Megaman on the bed, tilting his head towards the ceiling in what looked like a thoughtful position.

"This is nice."
"Lan?"
"I mean this situation. You being able to move from the Cyberworld to the human world. It's just so unbelievable. I feel like this is all a dream and I am about to wake up from it."
"I feel the same way. Just being able to eat food was a wonderful experience."
"Yeah…"

Lan kept looking up at the ceiling, while Megaman tilted his head down and looked towards his lap. "You know…I have actually dreamed about it…and there is still one thing I want to do."

Lan heard Megaman's words and was a little confused. "What is that?" As Lan tilted his head down to look at Megaman, he felt a hand go behind his head, gently pulling his head towards Megaman until their lips made contact. Lan couldn't believe what was happening. He was embarrassed when his hand brushed against Megaman's member in the shower, but this really did it in. Luckily, it was too dark in the room for Megaman to see Lan's face blushing profusely.

The moment seemed to last a millennium, and Megaman was enjoying it. He couldn't see Lan's face, as he had closed his eyes and just let his instincts take over. As he opened his eyes, he saw Lan; his eyes closed now, becoming fully absorbed in the kiss.

Lan's eyes finally opened after what seemed to have been hours, but was only 10 seconds. He then broke the kiss to get a breath. His eyes, once again, locked onto Megaman's, and Megaman's onto his. He quickly processed what had happened and figured it out.

"Megaman…I never knew…How long have you had these feelings?"
"Since the Pharaohman incident. I had liked you as a friend before then, but you coming back to save me after I was deleted…I found a whole new level of adoration for you. And that level, I think…was love."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I guess…I was scared that you didn't feel the same way. I was afraid I might get…shot down."
"Megaman…I could never shoot you down."
"Lan…"

Lan could only smile at this comment, and, this time, it was he who pulled Megaman to him and pressed their lips together. However, instead of one hand, Lan wrapped his arms around Megaman's neck.

Megaman sank into the kiss, enjoying every passing second as it dragged on and on. Finally, he broke the kiss to get a small breath of air. Lan only looked at him, still smiling.

"What about you, Lan? How long have you waited?"
"Not as long as you. I think around the time we defeat the Grave Virus Beast."
"Why didn't you tell me, while we are on the subject?"
"I guess for the same reason as you…I was afraid you didn't feel the same."
"Hehe. And, like you…I could never turn you down."
"Megaman…"

~~!~~
~~!~~

"..." Megaman's head shot up from the bowl after hearing a sound that did not come from him. It also did not come from the machines in the room, as he already couldn't hear the noises those made, having been in the room for 5 days straight.

At first, the Navi thought that someone came into the room while he was daydreaming about when he and Lan confessed their feelings for each other. He looked around to see if anyone had snuck in. His first thought was to look for anyone wearing light blue or teal colored clothing, as they were probably part of the nursing staff or even one of Lan's doctors. Unfortunately, his visual search of the room proved to be a failure. There wasn't anyone else in the room besides him and Lan.

"..." Another sound. 'Where are these coming from? Wait...Could Lan be...' Megaman cut himself off in mid-thought as he looked at the person laying in the bed in front of him. He was a little disappointed that Lan wasn't moving at all. But, still, the Navi was baffled as to where the sounds were coming from.

"..." Yet another sound. Now, Megaman was starting to get driven the point of insanity. Where were the sounds coming from? 'Am I hallucinating?' The Navi couldn't be hallucinating...could he? He was, after all, just a program that was in the human world. It wasn't like he would be able to experience a psychological dysfunction like hallucinating. It would go against his programming.

Megaman sighed to himself. "I guess I am just hearing thi..." By chance, Megaman was looking down at Lan's left hand, and was shocked beyond words. He looked on with wide eyes, as Lan's fingers were starting to move. 'Could it be? Is Lan...waking up?'

His mental hypothesis was only confirmed more as Lan's entire left hand was now moving, more or less in a fashion that resulted in his hand turning into a balled-up fist, then back to normal.

Soon afterwards, his left arm started to move, making very slight, but noticeable movement in an up and down manner. It was the moment Megaman had been waiting for! All of his waiting over the past 5 days was finally paying off, as he believed Lan was waking up before his very eyes. He didn't know whether to be more shocked or excited. It was just an absolutely...worthwhile moment for the Navi.

He pulled his mind together, knowing full well that someone from the hospital staff needed to be contacted about the current situation. However, his thoughts were not at 100 percent, as he momentarily forgot where the call button was located, the same one that would open a voice link to the nursing station on that floor of the hospital.

Finally realizing that someone needed to be called right away, he looked around and recalled the various buttons above Lan's bed. He quickly locked his eyes on the small panel and searched for the proper button to press. 'There it is!' Megaman's hand reached out and hit the orange button labeled 'call.'

"Hello? You paged the nursing station?"
"Yes! I am in Lan Hikari's room."
"Is there a problem?"
"No, no! His left arm is starting to move."
"It is? We'll send someone down right way!"

With that, the comm link was closed.

Megaman looked on as more and more of Lan's body started to move. His eyes occasionally looked over at the heart-rate monitor. It was starting to show a steady increase in his blood pressure, as well as other vital functions. He couldn't measure the feelings he felt right now. There were so many running through his head, he didn't know how to feel. Luckily for him, his body decided to make up his mind for him.

He looked back at Lan, tears starting to form under his eyes. However, they were not tears of sadness. Nope. These were tears of joy. All of the waiting that Megaman had done over the past 5 days was starting to pay off. All of the worry, all of the sadness, all of the guilt...it was all behind him. He was concentrating fully on what was in front of him, not what was behind him.

"..." Another sound of Lan. The Navi scanned over the boy's body, looking for the source of the sound. His search came to an end as he saw Lan's eyelids were starting to shake. For Megaman, this could only mean one thing: Lan was very close to regaining full consciousness. Megaman was filled with emotions, almost to the point of being ecstatic with the current situation. 'His eyes are open!' Megaman was filled with joy at the sight.

And, was then filled with horror as Lan muttered the words, "W..w...who are you?"

~~!~~
~~!~~

It finally happened! Lan officially has Amnesia! And, yet another long type for me, as well! WOW! Over 17,000 words! 35 pages in OpenOffice, as well. Talk about some major work here!

Anyway, please remember to vote in the poll in the profile, and please leave a few reviews if you feel like it.

Also! Make sure you look out for a SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT in Chapter 13. I think you will all be pleasantly surprised with it!