Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Hidden Knowledge ❯ It's Just Nerves ( Chapter 4 )

Ruddy Kitty = not owning Digimon..ness. Yes.

 

Hidden Knowledge

 

Chapter 4 - It's Just Nerves

 

Joe slowly flicked his eyes open in the ill-lighted room. He thought he heard a light ruffling followed by feet hitting the carpet.

 

He sat up tiredly and reached a hand over to turn on the lamp on his bedside table.

 

Tentomon stirred awake from his sound slumber and blinked in confusion against the light.

 

Joe looked worried as he realized that Izzy wasn't anywhere in the room. Only Tentomon remained at the foot of the air mattress on the floor. The blanket was tossed carelessly to one side of the make-shift bed.

 

Joe got up and slid himself out of bed, staggering slightly until he gained his balance. He left the dimly lit room and found himself in the hallway of his apartment.

 

Glancing around quickly, he saw artificial light spilling from the bathroom, the door open halfway.

 

Joe gasped as he ran quickly to the bathroom, afraid that Izzy might be cutting himself again.

 

He peeked inside and was relieved to find that Izzy wasn't cutting himself, but his relief was replaced with worry as he gazed at Izzy's teenage figure sitting in front of the toilet, his arms folded over his stomach.

 

Joe walked inside cautiously and stood near Izzy. “Izzy, are you okay?”

 

Izzy responded by leaning forward and violently regurgitating into the toilet.

 

“Oh Izzy…” Joe said as he sank down to the floor with Izzy. He massaged his back lightly and found Izzy to be shaking, his hair damp and his skin clammy with sweat. Izzy coughed roughly and threw up again.

 

“It's just nerves,” Joe patted his back soothingly, Izzy trembling under his hand. “You'll be okay.”

 

Izzy moved one hand over his mouth and shut his eyes tightly, trying not to concentrate on being sick. He tried to hold back a forceful gag and groaned exhaustedly.

 

“Izzy don't try to make yourself not be sick,” Joe scolded with sympathy. “It's the worst thing you can do.”

 

Izzy's breath was uneven and harsh, only becoming worse as he moved his hand away to cough up more vomit.

 

After a few more gags propelled with vomit and a bout of painful dry heaving, Izzy's body became terribly weak as it slumped over. He would have hit the cold tile if Joe hadn't been there to catch him. Joe supported the boy and propped his back against the outside of the bathtub. Izzy's breathing returned to normal in an achingly slow manner, his shivering disappearing. He forced his eyes open to look tiredly at Joe.

 

“You alright now?”

 

Izzy could only muster a sleepy hum in response. Joe placed his cool palm to Izzy's sweaty forehead.

 

“You have a fever,” he said quietly, taking his hand away and standing up. He leaned over to flush the toilet, then disappeared from the room temporarily. Joe returned moments later with a glass of cold water from the refrigerator and an ear thermometer.

 

“Here,” he said, forcing Izzy to grip the cool glass for himself. “Take little sips,” he instructed with Izzy complying. Joe took the glass away from him and set it out of the way on the floor. He lightly pushed Izzy's head to the side to expose his ear to the thermometer.

 

After Joe withdrew the device from Izzy's ear, he read the less than good news.

 

“102.4,” he announced, looking back at Izzy. “You are going back to bed right now.”

 

Joe helped lift his friend off the ground and had him lean against his body for support as they walked back to Joe's room.

 

Tentomon was wide awake and standing near the head of Izzy's air mattress. He looked worried as they came back into the room. “Is he okay?”

 

Joe carefully helped Izzy lay down on the make-shift bed, loosely covering him with the feather light sheets. “No, he's really sick,” Joe responded matter-of-factly.

 

Tentomon was just about to panic and start questioning Izzy's health in a shouting voice when Joe held his index finger against his lips. “He needs rest,” he said softly.

 

Joe stood up and walked out of the room, returning shortly thereafter with a damp face cloth and a bottle of medicine in one hand, the glass of cold water in the other. He stood in the doorway momentarily to flip the switch for the ceiling fan on, then came over and leaned down next to Izzy, wiping his face softly with the folded face cloth and placing the damp material on his forehead.

 

Joe opened the medicine bottle and poured out two pills into his palm, then closed it.

 

“Joe…” Izzy's voice came out papery thin, followed by a little whimper.

 

“You'll be okay,” Joe whispered to him, sliding his arm under Izzy's shoulders and lifting his upper body to a slight slant. He presented Izzy with the medicine, Izzy lightly grasping the pills and placing them inside of his mouth. Joe gave him the glass of water again and he took it, raising it to his lips to take a drink. He forced a swallow and Joe took the glass from his hand, laying his friend back down.

 

“Get some rest,” he whispered to the ill boy before going to bed himself.

 

*****

 

The teenage boy with auburn hair stirred soundlessly, feeling a faint brush against his cheek.

 

His eyes slid open in slow motion, his vision fuzzy at first. He blinked and saw Tai sitting next to him, looking down and into his eyes.

 

“Hey,” Tai said peacefully, brushing the back of one hand over Izzy's cheek. He leaned down and laid a gentle kiss on his forehead.

 

Izzy's mind was foggy. What… what's going on?

 

“Are you feeling any better? Joe said you were really sick last night,” Tai whispered, a faint spark being let off in Izzy's memory.

 

My parents…!

 

Izzy's eyes grew wide as he tried to bolt upright to a sitting position. He got about halfway there, then collapsed back on the bed in exhaustion.

 

Tai looked discontent. “You need to rest some more,” he said, reaching up a hand to ruffle Izzy's hair a bit.

 

Izzy glanced around in confusion. “How… how long was I asleep for?”

 

“Long enough to miss school,” Tai said without looking over at the clock. Izzy looked surprised. “Joe wouldn't have let you go anyway, even if you were all better.”

 

As if on command, Joe walked through the door with Tentomon trailing closely behind.

 

Joe carried over a small tray and set it down next to Izzy's air mattress. On it was a large ceramic bowl filled with steaming chicken soup, a glass of ice water, a few saltine crackers and the necessary utensils.

 

Izzy rolled his head over to watch Joe and was greeted by his warm smile. Joe placed his palm on Izzy's forehead.

 

“Well you certainly feel a lot cooler than you were, and you are looking better, too,” he said with confidence. He leaned over to extend his reach to his bedside table and snatched the ear thermometer.

 

Izzy moved his head to the opposite side to expose his ear. Joe lightly pressed the tip in and clicked the button on top, then removed the device and looked at it.

 

“100.9,” he read aloud. Izzy turned back to face him. “That's much better than last night,” he said smiling.

 

Izzy smiled back and Joe nodded. “Make sure you eat, even if it's just a little bit, okay?”

 

Tai gave him a thumbs up. “I'll make sure he does.”

 

Joe smiled at Tai and left the two alone, migrating to the other side of his room to work on his daily homework at his desk.

 

Tai moved himself around and lifted Izzy's upper body to a sitting position, then scooted himself behind the auburn haired teen to support his body. He had already proved that he was still weak and couldn't sit up without help.

 

Tai lifted the tray onto Izzy's lap and he ate in silence. Tentomon sat at the foot of the air mattress and watched without a sound.

 

The contents of the bowl reached just above the halfway mark when Izzy declared himself done. Joe came back over from his studies and took the tray from him and removed it from the room. He returned moments later with a fresh glass of ice water and the same medicine bottle from last night.

 

Joe opened the bottle and tilted it until two pills fell out onto his palm. He gave the medicine to Izzy along with the water. Izzy swallowed the pills without hesitation and Joe took the glass from him.

 

Izzy looked down at the outline of his legs underneath the weightless sheets. Joe placed the glass on the smooth wood surface of the dresser behind him and turned back to pat Izzy's shoulder.

 

“Is something wrong?” he asked. Tai, still supporting the younger teen's back against his body, wrapped his arms around Izzy's waist loosely and rested his chin on his shoulder, studying his face.

 

Izzy sighed without looking up. “You guys didn't tell anyone at school what's going on, did you?” he asked nervously.

 

Joe patted his shoulder again. “I'd never do that to you, Izzy. You're my friend, and friends don't stab each other in the back.”

 

Tai spoke into Izzy's ear. “Yeah, you know we'd never say anything that could hurt you.”

 

Izzy held his head up and smiled brightly.

 

“Thanks, guys.”