Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Harsh Memories ❯ The mask comes off ( Chapter 2 )

Takeru never realized just how good it felt to be able to move his jaw. It had only been about three hours since the nurse had removed the oxygen mask, and TK was still experimenting with which exact movements seemed to cause pain. So far he had reasoned that he could at least talk legibly for a small amount of time before the pain became too great to continue. He couldn't help wondering when he would finally be able to eat something that didn't come in either a tube, or some other liquid form. < I can't actually believe I'm fantasizing about hospital food! Something is seriously wrong. >

He was still restrained, and he still couldn't really look around too much, but slowly he was able to take in his immediate surroundings. < I wonder who left the flowers? Probably either Yama-chan, or Kachan. Those are the only two that still seem to come around these days. > It had now been over five days since he had been run down. So far the only information he could glean about the accident was that it should have been a hit and run case , but that something had gone wrong as the person tried to get away . Takeru sighed softly as he slowly began to drift back into sleep .

" 'Keru-chan , you're not going to go to sleep on me already are you? " An obviously feminine voice questioned, just as Takeru's eyes managed to shut themselves. is eyes snapped open as he thought quickly. < It's too young of a voice to be either Sora-san or Mimi , so that leaves either Hikari-chan, or Miyako. > " Hello Hikari-chan , how are you doing? " He managed to say before wincing at the pain in his jaw .

" I'm surprised , I didn't think you could talk yet , and as for my health, I'm more interested in what the doctors said about your condition, " Hikari spoke , as she moved closer to his bed so that he could finally see her fully.

" They said as long as I took it easy ... and didn't talk, " he spoke, trying to hid the pain in his voice " I should be just fine in a few weeks. "

" I'm sorry then , I probably caused you some pain just by asking, and making you respond. "

In response , Takeru attempted to shrug his shoulders while being restrained at the wrists.

" You look so funny writhing like that! " Hikari laughed as she shook her head from side to side." Sorry , I didn't really mean to laugh at you, but you should see how comical the whole situation looks from someone else's point of view. By the way , how long until they said you could take off these restraints? " she asked as she massaged the white wrist straps holding him down.

" They said I would be off IV's in about three days, but that's just an estimate. " He smiled up at her as she gently brushed his tussled hair back.

" You have to know that me and niichan feel pretty responsible for all this. I mean if we hadn't asked you to stay for so long, you wouldn't be here like this. "

" Its not your fault Hika-chan, " Takeru began before coughing roughly. " Hika-chan do you mind if I stopped talking now? Both my throat and jaw are a little sore, " TK managed to finish sourly.

" Yeah , sure Take-chan. You wouldn't believe how though Yama is taking this though... " Hikari began to ramble off on a tangent as Takeru managed to tune most of the banter out.

He was currently entertaining himself by watching the fluid from a saline IV flow into his body when something Hikari said caught his ear. " I still can't believe what happened to you two. it seems so unreal that someone would do that. I guess because of the warrant he wasn't thinking straight, but still, now he'll have at least two more charges against him. "

<So , I guess the guy who ran me down was wanted then. No wonder he ran afterwards... Wait , didn't she say the two of us? Who else was there? > Takeru tried to ask this very question , but as he opened his mouth a blast of pain quickly informed him that he wouldn't be asking any questions very soon. < Damn , looks like it will be awhile before I can even figure out what happened. > He began to retune his ear towards Kari as she plowed through, never registering either the look of pain that had crossed his face, or the look of confusion he now held.

" Unfortunately he's still in critical condition , but at least they were able to stabilize him. If all goes well for the next few days, maybe he'll be moved in here, ne? You'd like that, right, Take-chan? I mean he did kind of save your life and all. " Hikari was still smiling down as she said this, causing Takeru to wonder about the girl's sanity, until a nurse came in and requested that Hikari leave while she checked over Takeru's status.

Unfortunately for Takeru's curiosity, the nurse gave him a sleeping pill, and he didn't wake up until long after Hikari had left. < Hope she made it home okay. > He thought as he began to move his head in a circular motion, attempting to feel out his new range of vision. < Yeah ! I got a whole inch more of vision! I... am... completely pathetic. > Takeru sighed in exasperation. < At least I can see the far wall now. That would be helpful if this wasn't a hospital, or conversely, if there was anything but white paint on the wall. > Takeru sighed as he looked over to the end table, where he had previously seen his digivice and d-terminal laying the night before. Unsurprisingly, it was now missing from said spot. < I sure hope it was Hikari that took it , and not just some passer by who thought it would make a good present for their kids, > He thought bitterly as he looked at the spot where it had laid. < God , I wish Pata-chan were here, I could sure use his cheery voice right about now. > Just as Takeru thought this , he could have sworn that he heard the soft flutter of wings from somewhere to the left of his body . < He couldn't have gotten here! Not on his own at least, there are no open windows around, > he mused as he craned his neck to the left, trying to see what it was that had drawn his attention.

" Hey Otouto-chan , look who I brought with me! " came the familiar voice of Yamato Ishida as he not so gently dumped a pot roast sized yellow lump onto Takeru's chest. " 'Keru-chan! " The small angel type digimon screamed as he hugged his partners neck lovingly." He promised me that if anyone who wasn't one of us came into the room, he would act just like a doll. " Yamato informed as he pulled a chair over to his little brother's bed. Takeru, however, was too busy trying to reassure his small partner that he was in fact fine , and soon would be back up and about. " Pata-chan, I already told you that I should be out of here by next week, at the most two weeks. Okay? "

" You can't blame him for being worried, since no one has really been by to tell him just what happened to you two. All he knew was that everyone kept running around buying flowers, and talking about how bad off you were. " Yamato said quietly as he began to stroke Takeru's hair.

< There they go again, saying "two". Who else could have been there? I have already seen Hikari and Yama, and I have heard Tai mentioned as being home and worried. Unfortunately, that leaves a lot of possibilities, and I have no idea where to start. >

" Yama-chan, you said two, who else was there during the accident? " Takeru spoke softly, trying to not strain either his sore throat or jaw.