[fanfic] Digimon Adventure 02: Fireflies: Chapter 11

[higuchimon]

Story Title: Fireflies
Word Count: chapter: 3,006||story: 32,275

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Click. Click. Click. This remote makes the weirdest clicking sound when I change the channels. I don't really like it that much. I want to be back home, where the remote doesn't click at all and where I’m actually comfortable. But I'm not getting out of here until tomorrow. And I can't even get out of this bed to go and do things while I am here. I'm 'under observation'. I wonder what they’re observing me for. So I dislocated my shoulder and got a little scraped up. I don’t think that means I should be watched over, even if I was knocked out for nearly an hour. But what do I know about medicine? Still, you'd think I was going to do something like blow the hospital up or try to sneak peeks under the nurses' skirts or something like that.

It wouldn't be any fun to do any of those things, so why would I bother? Besides, I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a pervert. I'll leave that to some of the other guys in my class. Let them get blown up and stuck in the hospital overnight if they want to see what a nurse has on under their skirt. Probably the same thing I do, just in a female kind of way. Besides, I'm pretty sure if I even tried, Miyako and Mimi would rise up from the hospital floor or come down from the ceiling or just appear out of nowhere in order to beat me over the head with a steel baseball bat or something a lot harder. That’s not even saying what Jun would do to me. I think I’d rather have the baseball bat. It wouldn’t hurt as much.

“When is tomorrow going to get here, Daisuke?” V-mon looks about as bored as I am. I’ve seen this before, and I know what it means. Why aren't people running in fear from this? I know I would be, if I could be. But since I can't, I'm going to deal with this. Not like I'm not used to it, though. If anyone can deal with V-mon and being bored and V-mon being bored all at the same time, it’s me.

“Still got a while to go.” Am I going to get released in time for school tomorrow? Hard to say if I really want to be or not. All I’m certain of is that I want to be ready to go on that date when Saturday gets here. If I have to miss too much school this week, the parental types will probably not let me go. You'd think being tossed into a wall by an exploding gas station was something to worry about. I don’t. I’ve been through a lot worse.

“Is it tomorrow yet, Daisuke?” V-mon asks that about two minutes later. I'd thought only bratty little kids did things like that. Guess being a Child Digimon qualifies. But he’s not really a brat. He just doesn’t get the passage of time all that well. Or if he does, he doesn’t want me to know it just yet. He teases me more than most people would think.

“Not yet. I'll let you know when it is.” He's about to open his mouth again, and I put a finger on it, shaking my head, and feeling a lot like my dad. Ew. I am not old enough to feel like my dad yet. “I won't forget to tell you. So don't keep on asking, okay?” He nods a little bit, and I move my finger. I'm betting it won't be all that long until he starts asking again. This is my partner, after all. I know I’d do it, just to annoy the other person, so he might do it just to annoy me.

I’m glad he stayed here with me. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be alone in this place. My parents made arrangements for a private room. It’s going to cost them, but they didn’t bat an eye over it. I think they did it because they knew that V-mon was going to stay with me, and not everyone else is comfortable with having Digimon around in their hospital room.

I still can’t remember where I met Dr. Maruyama before. But I’m really sure that I have. He didn’t give us any trouble over V-mon staying. That’s something else that makes me certain we’ve met. He hasn’t said anything to me about it, though. Maybe he’s waiting for me to remember. I’ll have to ask Ken. I bet he knows. I just hope Ken comes by. Hikari said she was going to let everyone else know what happened.

Until then, I’ve got nothing else to do but sit here and stare out the window. There isn’t much to this room other than the bed, some of the medical things they have jabbed into me, a closet, a television, a couple of chairs, and that window. I can just barely manage to look out of it. It’s not really worth it when I can, either. The view from this place sucks. I think it would be better if it were sunny, but it's not, so it sucks. Thick icky gray clouds all over the place. Not so much as a speck of blue sky in sight. This all rolled in last night or really early this morning. I was too busy studying to actually notice the clouds. Fireflies, yes. Clouds...why bother? They're just up there out of the way. And keeping the sunlight and everything else that's interesting out of the way. I think I could learn to hate clouds. Or at least dislike them a lot.

Unless I were watching them with Hikari. We did that a few weeks ago. Well, I can't really say that we did it, since everyone else was there, too, but I remember that she was on one side of me, and Ken was on the other, and V-mon was snuggled right into my shoulder, and it was probably the best time I've had in months. We just stared at the clouds and talked about what they looked like. So cheesy, like someone's bad fantasy, but fun. If I like my fun cheesy, then I've got the right to. So there. Nyah. I’m not the only person in the world like that. Double nyah.

So, what to do for the rest of the day, that’s the question. There's not that much I can do. I can sleep if I want to. Dr. Maruyama told me that I don't have a concussion. I'd have to stay awake if I did, or if they suspected I might, but since I don't, I can sleep. I don't know how they know. Some of their doctor mumbo-jumbo. Jyou tried to explain it to us once, when he was studying that part of things, but it never made any sense to me. Anyway, I'll take the doctor's word for it. What else can I do?

Not sleep, that's one thing I can do. I don't want to. Getting knocked out for a bit seems to have cleared up that little bit of exhaustion from not having slept quite enough last night. I'm glad no one bothered to bring in my schoolbooks, or leave them with me if they did. I don't think I could handle looking at all that biology stuff again. Half of last night was more than enough. I bet I'll have to take a make up test, though. Maybe I can get someone to tutor me for it then. This explosion thing is looking like more of a blessing in disguise the more I think about it. I think I'll get Saito and Candmon something to say 'thank you'. I wonder if they make 'thanks for making sure I have a second chance to study for this stupid biology test' cards yet. Maybe I can get Takeru to help me make one if they don't. He's not that good at art, but he could write a little haiku or a poem or help me compose a proper thank you letter or something. If they come by after class, I'll talk to him about it.

Oh, wait, I know who can draw it for me! Ken! He's really good at that art stuff, when he wants to be. I wish he'd actually pay attention to that. I've seen a few of his drawings. He told me that he used to do more of them when he was younger, before Osamu died, but he stopped after that happened. He's only started up again in the last year or so, but they've been getting better all the time. He's more talented than he wants to admit. He can play music, he can draw, he can play chess and soccer, and he's got all those brains packed away too. I don’t know how talented he is.

I wish they'd hurry up and come. I wish it would be after class so they could get here. Ken's school lets out a little earlier than mine, but unless he hitches a lift with Stingmon, he'll probably get here a little after they do. That's because that cram school thing he goes to. I don't know why he really bothers, but that's Ken for you. For a while, he really thought he'd lost all of those 'brain cells' that he thought the Dark Spore gave him. But he didn't.

I told him for the longest time that the Spore didn't have a thing to do with how smart he was. It just made him all majorly focused on things, and really stuck up and thinking he was better than everyone else. But he was still smart. He always had it in him. He was just too little when his brother was alive to know it then, and I think back then, he didn’t want to be as smart as his brother. Then all of that whole Spore thing and the rest of it happened. He lost his confidence in his ability to be smart without it.

I fixed that, though. I had to be sneaky about it. All I had to do was get Koushirou to talk to him about some of those genius things they’ve bored me to death with talking about every now and then. Then I casually commented that you just had to be a genius to be able to follow all of that without needing a quick plunge in a swimming pool to deal with all the dryness. Ken looked so funny trying to say something, and I swear, I could've taken the prize for 'smug' that day.

But after that, he stopped denying that he was every bit as smart as he wanted to be. If he ever gets down on himself, all I have to do is remind him of that, and he shuts up pretty fast. I'm so good at what I do. He’s learned not to contradict me because of it. When I’m right, I’m right.

Not that I’m always right. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes. I’m only human, after all.

I wish someone would come and see me sooner than after school. The doctor won't be by until this afternoon, and none of the nurses can really do anything for me. They'd talk to me, I'm sure, if they had the time. The thing is, they don't. They've got lots of things to do that aren't just make small talk with a fourteen year old almost superhero. Oh, well, their loss. At least I know someone is coming. A lot of someones. Eventually. I just have to be patient enough to wait for them to get here.

Now that I think about it, I don’t really have to be too patient. They’ll come whether I am or not. But it’ll be less stressful on me and everyone else if I don’t freak out about how long they’re taking. So I guess I’ll try to find something to do to keep myself occupied. I’ll try the television again. What have I got to lose.

So I click again. And click some more. And more. And more.

There really is nothing on television. I thought that was just something people said. Not that I'd know for myself, I don't really watch that much television. Who wants to sit around outside while you could be outside, doing just about anything else? Even Ken understands that. There’s running, playing soccer or basketball, swimming, riding your Digimon partner, and that’s just to start with. I can’t even imagine all of it. But people give up all of that to stare at a flickering screen. To each their own, but that’s still just plain weird.

I can hear all kinds of footsteps going by outside. I got them to leave the door open at least a little way, so I could see the people going by. If I couldn't, I'd be going absolutely nuts not knowing what all those feet were. Some people go this way, some go that way, but they never stop by here unless they're a nurse coming to see if I need anything. There's not too many of them, either, and one or two of them just want an autograph. I don't mind that so much, and some of them are really cute. They're all just a little bit too old for me. Though maybe in another couple of years, they won't be. I bet I can arrange to get hurt so I'm right back here in a couple of years to find out.

One set of those footsteps almost sounds a little slow, as if it's checking on something, or someone. Like a room number. I bet they want one of the people on one side of me. It's still a good two or three hours until any of the others can make it here, and Mama and Dad went back to work. Can't think of who else it might be. Jyou? No, he doesn't work at this hospital, so it wouldn't be him. But maybe it's one of his brothers. Shin, maybe, I think he works here. I don't remember. I know one of them works with Sora's dad, and the other one is a doctor somewhere. But I just don’t remember where that one works at.

“Is he asleep?” It's a quiet voice, and it shouldn't be, because there's no way in the world a Motomiya can be quiet and sound normal. I should know, I drew up the charter for what a Motomiya ought to be. And my sister just does not sound right being quiet.

“No, I don't think so.” That's got to be Shuu. I thought they already came by, so what are they doing back? Wait, better not question it. They might go away, and then I'd be left here all by myself and bored out of my skull. That's a bad place for me to be. Just ask the Betamon and the Elecmon. They found out the hard way. They all laughed about it afterwards, but the look on all their faces was just funny!

I look over at them, and put on my biggest grin to welcome them to my little room. This place is too clean and way too sterile for my tastes, but I’m at least going to have fun while I’m here. I hope they know what they’re getting into. Jun’s had enough experience with me being like this to know. Now, to find out if she remembers. “Nope, I'm wide awake. Now come on in and entertain me! Now!”

Jun just rolls her eyes at the sight of me. “I always thought you were there to entertain me, little brother.”

“You shouldn't think then. You always get it backwards.” I shoot right back at her. I think I'm feeling better already. I generally do if I've got somebody I can do this with. Laughter's not always the best medicine. Sometimes telling your big sister she's got the brain cells of lemon drops is, at least when you're me. And since I'm me, that's all there really is to it. Especially when the big sister is Jun. She can give the snark back to me as good as I give it to her and then some. That’s one reason we get along like we do. Sometimes I don’t think there’s anyone else who understands how our relationship with each other works. It’s not like any of the others that the Chosen have with their siblings. That’s fine with me, though. I like being unique.

Shuu just looks amused as they both settle into the two chairs in the room. There’s hardly room for both of those, but I wish they’d give me more. I’m expecting a lot of company, after all. “We can't stay very long, Daisuke. I was let off work for a while because Jun wanted to come see you once she found out you were awake.”

“I just wanted to be sure you're still the same Daisuke, and cracking your head against a wall didn't make you think you were a chicken.” Jun hastens to reassure me. I can see the teasing in her eyes, but she was really worried about me. That's so sweet. I'm going to have to tease her back about it soon.

“What if I did think I was a chicken?” Soon translates into 'now' if I can manage it. Why waste the time? “Would you pluck my feathers?”

Jun just grins at me, leaning back with the famous Motomiya smirk on her face. I’ve seen it so many times when she had something on me, and I’ve used it on her just as many times. I can’t even count all the times I’ve used it on other people. “No. I'd just make sure you were the main course at your dinner with Hikari this weekend.”

Now how the heck did she know about that?

To Be Continued