Healing the Hurt- Chapter 6

The last chapter! Woohoo!

Minutes later, Joe had been woken up, and Izzy had given him a brief rundown of the situation. The young doctor-to-be was now crossing over to Davis, rubbing his hands together in a slightly eerie fashion.

"What's with the hands?" asked Davis, amused but nervous. "Like some creepy scientist thing."

"Oh, just… I should be washing my hands, is all." Pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, Joe looked around. "Matt. Izzy. You two come over here. Everyone else, I'm gonna have to ask you to take off for an hour or so."

Ken's eyes widened. "I'm not going," he gasped.

Joe rounded on him. "Yes, you are. Sorry, Ken, but I need to tend to Davis- and talk to him- without you around." Then his expression softened. "Don't worry. It's only for an hour."

Violet eyes turned to red-brown. "D-Davis, don't make me go. Please."

Joe's eyes narrowed. "He's not making you go, Ken. I am."

"I… I…" Ken bowed his head. "I will go."

Kari smiled at him. "Hey, Ken, you should come back to my place. We can call Cody and Yolei, and watch movies or something."

"Good idea," TK grinned, slipping an arm around Kari's waist.

Davis squeezed Ken's hand when he saw how much the newest member of their group was about to panic. "Ken. Beautiful. Go on, love; you'll have fun. I'll be there soon."

"Alright," Ken submitted. Stood. Glared at Joe. "Take good care of my Davis."

"I will."

"Okay." Picking up Wormmon, Ken allowed TK and Kari to lead him into the nearest computer. He smiled at Davis as they vanished into the screen.

Tai put his hands on his hips. "Leaving me all alone, huh? Can't I take Matt with me?" He lowered his voice. "…please?"

The blond blushed a charming deep red.

Joe chuckled. "I suppose one extra pair of hands will do. You two can go make out."

"Thanks, Joe!" Tai grabbed Matt's hand and dragged him out of the digiworld. Then again, it didn't look like Matt really minded.

Heaving a deep sigh, Joe knelt down by Davis. "Alright. Let's have a look at you, huh?" Taking out a sharp pocket-knife, he cut Davis' shirt from him. "This much blood will never come out anyway… Izzy, help me lie him down."

"Sure thing."

"Hey! What am I, unconscious?" But despite his protests, Davis realized that having help to lie down made it considerably less painful. Soon enough he was lying comfortably face-down, hands folded under his cheek.

Joe flicked a smile at Izzy, before turning his knife to the bark brown, blood-encrusted bandages. To distract Davis from the pain as he lifted them, he said, professionally, "Can I ask you some questions, Davis? Personal ones?"

"Uh… I guess."

"I don't suppose… uh… Ken used any kind of lubricant on you."

Izzy choked, and looked away.

Davis closed his eyes. "No."

"And… he was- he used force?"

"Yeah. Quite a bit."

"You bled?"

"Yeah."

Joe bit his lip, and asked delicately, "Have you been bleeding since? Any blood on your underwear? Pain, discomfort moving that's not from your back?"

Sighing, Davis answered. "Yeah. It aches. It hurts to sit down. I dread taking a crap. Ah… the first time, I bled a fair bit, and a little bit the next day. The second time wasn't so bad. I haven't bled there since then. Will that do?"

Joe nodded. "Yes. Thank you." He considered for a moment. "You'll probably be alright, physically. Muscles- epithelial tissue- would probably be stretched or torn…" He carefully didn't look at Izzy. "You understand, of course, that under normal circumstances, that can be done without pain. If done with due care and gentleness, it should be a pleasant experience."

The redhead was blushing hotly, looking anywhere but at the other two.

"At any rate, you should heal by yourself in that aspect. Give it a couple of weeks, and if you still have that pain," Joe gave an abashed smile, "See your doctor. Now, here we go."

In one smooth movement he lifted the matted mass of bandages from Davis' back.

A scream of agony ripped through the air.

"Oh g-god!" Joe choked, laying it back down as gently as he could.

A second scream.

"Izzy, stay with him! I'll be back in ten minutes. I just need some supplies."

True to his word, Joe returned in exactly nine minutes, carrying a small kit. He knelt next to Davis again and took a small syringe out of the kit. "Don't ask where I got this," the raven-haired youth admonished absently, filling it out of a small clear bottle. "You don't want to know."

"Wassat?" Davis murmured curiously.

"Morphine. Don't want you awake while I'm making patchwork of your poor back." Joe flicked the needle a few times, then slid it into the thick muscle of Davis' shoulder.

A few moments later, the wounded boy was dead to the world.

Izzy knelt by Davis' other side, sitting back on his heels. "Is he gonna be okay, Joe?"

"Yeah… we might be sewing for a while, though. Give me a hand with this."

Working together, they peeled the mass of bandages free and flipped it onto a plastic sheet.

When Izzy got his first good look at Davis' back, he had to get up, run several steps, and throw up everything he'd eaten in the last week.

It was truly a sickening sight. The skin was covered with deep, vicious gashes, some so cruel they had puckered white edges. Every surface was encrusted with dried or trickling blood. And, in three or four places, finger-sized strips of skin had actually peeled off with the bandages, angry, raw flesh visible.

Gagging, Joe plucked those strips from the mess and laid them back in place. "You okay, Izzy?"

"Y- yeah." Wiping his mouth, Izzy walked back over. "Oh god. That's fucking awful. How can he just walk around as though he was perfectly uninjured?"

"I don't know. The fool's only made it worse." Joe shook his head grimly. "This guy is in for two weeks of complete bedrest." He pulled out a needle, plastic thread, and several pairs of forceps. "You okay to help me with this, koi?"

"I- I guess, if you just tell me- koi?"

"Hmph?" blinked Joe. "Waddaya mean, 'koi'?"

"You said, and I quote, 'You okay to help me with this, koi?'"

Joe looked at him strangely. "I said, '… help me with this, Izzy?'"

"You said koi."

"I said Izzy."

"You said koi."

"Geez, Izzy, does it even matter? Hold that down, huh?"

There was silence for a few moments as they figured out how best to tie a knot.

Another stitch. A third.

"It does matter, you know."

Joe's hand trembled. "Yeah. I guess it does."

"You said koi."

"I- It slipped out. I'm sorry."

Izzy smiled secretly.

"Wishful thinking, I suppose…" mused Joe. Dared a sideways glance at his friend as he pulled another stitch tight.

"Really…" Izzy moved his forceps to hold a thread. "You have feelings for me?"

Joe swallowed. "Can I tell you something, Izzy?"

"Always."

He finished another stitch, checked his watch, and carefully injected their patient with a little more morphine. "I had a crush on Matt for three years. When he finally let me touch him- I thought I couldn't be happier." Another stitch. "It was… good… but something, you know, wasn't right." He bit his lip. "When it was finished, he told me I called him Izzy."

The redhead drew in a sharp breath.

"I did a lot of thinking, that afternoon, last night. I realized I had been doing pretty much what Tai had been doing."

Silently, Izzy listened.

Joe kept working, about halfway down Davis' back. "I had constantly fantasized about Matt for all that time. It was- I suppose it was a release for all those teenage hormones. Purely a sex thing."

"Stop talking about Matt," Izzy growled.

Ignoring those words- except for a quiet smile- Joe continued. "It was uncomplicated. Simple. The ideal way to forget about… deeper things."

Another stitch.

"Tai… he talked about nothing but you for three years, because it was easier for him to be infatuated with you then to be in love with Matt."

Stitch.

"That's what I've been doing, I guess."

Stitch.

Stitch.

Finally, Izzy spoke. "Do you mean… do you love me?"

Stitch.

Stitch.

"Yes."

The redhead leaned over Davis' wounded back to give the brunette a deep, thorough kiss. Then sat back with a self-satisfied smile." We have twenty minutes to get this guy up and moving, you know," he commented exactly as though nothing had happened.

Joe swallowed. Stared. Swallowed again. "Well- uh- we'd better get sewing, then."

Occasionally grinning at one another, the two youths hastened their work. And when one's hand brushed the other's, both blushed just as hotly.

When the stitches were done, Davis beginning to stir, Joe and Izzy sat him up, lathering a jar of thick antiseptic salve over his entire back before rebinding him. By the time they were finished, the newest goggle-boy was blinking his way back into awareness.

"Hey… hey, guys. Feels better," Davis managed.

Izzy smiled. "After one hundred and ninety-two stitches, I'd hope so."

"How long was I under?"

"You have ten minutes until Ken assumes you don't love him any more."

Davis staggered groggily to his feet. "I'd better go then. Doctor's orders?"

Joe's lips twitched, and he stood up too. "You'll feel better now, but that doesn't mean you're healed. I recommend complete bedrest, but I know you'll ignore me. Don't over exert yourself. Try to avoid raising your arms above your shoulders. Change the bandage once a day, preferably using an antiseptic cream- any infections would be really unpleasant. And if I see any blood on your shirts I will- I'll set Ken on you."

"Okay." Davis nodded gravely. "Thanks."

Izzy waited calmly until the brunette had vanished into the computer.

The young doctor carefully folded his equipment back into his kit, shyly trying not to look at his friend. "Uh, Izzy?"

Coal-black eyes narrowed… Izzy pounced on his prey.

"Eep!"

Davis pushed TK aside to get into the lounge room, eyes seeking his beloved. "Hey everybody," he said absently- "Where's Ken?"

"Hey," smiled Kari, dusting off TK's shoulder. "Ken!"

"Hmph?" Ken stepped out of the kitchen. Smiled. "Davis. You're two minutes forty one seconds late. I guess you don't love me anymore."

Chuckling, Davis walked over, gently slipping his arms around his love's waist. "All stitched up and ready to party." Leaning forward, he very lightly touched his lips to Ken's.

When he leaned back, Ken's eyes were still closed, an unbelievably sweet smile on his freshly kissed lips. After a breath or two he looked up again. "That was nice… how many stitches, love?"

"Hundred ninety two…" He shrugged a little. "I feel better."

Ken gave him another soft kiss. "Doctor's orders?"

Davis smiled. "Bedrest for two weeks. I need to be babied. I only need to eat lollies and hamburgers, vegetables might kill me. And- and no homework." He leaned closer to whisper in Ken's ear. "Are you getting along okay with these guys?"

Nodding slightly, Ken answered, "Cody doesn't like me very much, nor Yolei. Kari and TK are trying to be nice, but… I'm not used to having friends." He ducked his head. "I'm trying. I don't know what I'm supposed to do or to say to them."

"Whatever you want to. Or nothing. Don't worry about it, beautiful." He took Ken's hand and led him back out into the lounge room.

(contented sigh) It's done. Finally. Took me long enough! New stories soon. Please review and let me know what you thought of it… please? I love reviews, and I've been starved of them of late…

Angelicorn.