Well, I know it's been eons since I've updated this story... I had a LOT of trouble with this chapter... But I finally finished it!
There's a few people I wanna thank though.
First: Ismini, for beta-reading, encouraging me, and be so incredibly nice!
Second: Cherry Seraphym, for encouraging me, and inspiring me to finally finish this chapter.
Third: Lavendar Ana, for all your help with the story so far.
Fourth: Everyone who reviews my stories, it's why I actually finish these things...
So, I'm sorry about the delay, the chapters should come out faster from now on. Please, erad and review, it makes me write faster ^_^
TWELVE MONTHS
By: Laura
Chapter Three: October 2027 - Life of an Innocent
October was my favourite month when I was younger. The
first thirty days are spent anticipating the
thirty-first. Costumes, and candy were on the minds of
all children. Frightening scary stories of Hallowe'en
were forgotten, and the fun of dressing up and getting
treats was embraced.
The true tragedy of Hallowe'en was so often
overlooked.
The life of an innocent is a precious thing. When that
life is cut short, the impact is far greater than
anything else. I've experienced tragedy before in my
life, a great deal of it during these twelve months,
but nothing could've prepared anyone for this kind of
tragedy.
~Anaia Izumi
-- -- --
"You be good for your mother while I'm gone, alright?"
Matt Ishida stared down at the faces of his two sons.
"She'll tell me everything."
His sons nodded and raced down the hallway to finish
playing video games.
Matt turned to his former wife and placed a hand on
her shoulder. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked
softly. She had been through a lot in the past month,
and it didn't help that it was only four days into the
month of October and he was leaving her to care for
both the children.
"I'll be fine." Sora assured him. "You go on this
mission, and bring back mars rocks or something for
the boys."
"I always do."
-- -- --
Kari Kamiya sipped her coffee happily, as she walked
into the teacher's lounge at Odaiba Elementary School.
Her class was in Gym at the moment, so she was able to
sit and relax for a little while.
"Ms. Kamiya?"
She glanced up and found herself staring at Mr.
Igmanco, the vice-principal. "Oh, hello!"
"Do you have a few minutes to spare, Ms. Kamiya?" He
asked, a sharp edge in his voice.
Kari blinked and set her coffee aside. "Of course Mr.
Igmanco!"
The stern man sat across from her, frowning. "Your son
was sent to my office again." He stated flatly. "It's
the seventh time since school started. Gareth has a
real discipline problem."
She blinked again. "Surely, you're-"
"Kidding." He finished flatly. "No, Ms. Kamiya, I'm
not. Your son has no respect for authority, let alone
his peers. He's mouthy, and outright rude to most of
the staff."
Kari merely blinked once more... it all seemed so
strange. Her son? Rude? He was a little angel... "I'll
speak with him, sir." She said softly.
He nodded and patted her hand in an attempt to
comfort. "See that you do, Ms. Kamiya. See that you
do."
-- -- --
This was the last straw. She'd had enough. No more.
Kevlyn Azuno stood abruptly from the couch and threw
the remote control violently across the room, narrowly
missing Davis' head.
He blinked and raised his eyes to hers, setting aside
what he had been reading. "Something wrong?"
Growling, Kevlyn was surprised there wasn't steam
coming from her ears. "Something wrong? Of course
something is wrong you insensitive prick! I didn't
dent the wall with the remote because I thought it was
too boring!"
Davis' eyebrows raised, and the only thought going
through his mind was 'PMS...'
When he said nothing, Kevlyn screeched with
frustration once more and stalked from the room.
Seconds later, she returned, clutching a photo album.
"See this Davis?" She demanded, waving the photo
album. Opening it she began going through. "Look, it's
us at Sora and Matt's wedding. Us at Tai's wedding. Us
at you cousin's wedding. Us at Ken and Yolei's
WEDDING."
He nodded. "Alright, the point to this is?"
"If I have to tell you, then... then..." She made
another frustrated noise and stalked off.
Davis blinked again. "I guess she's out of Midol."
-- -- --
Exhausted from a long day at school, Kari set her bag
down on the couch. As Gareth went to do his homework,
she picked up the phone, and dialed her brother's
number.
"Hello? Kamiya Residence, Brady speaking."
"Hi Brady!"
"Aunt Kari!" The boy's voice was filled with delight.
"Daddy was just gonna call you to see if I can stay
this weekend. Can I?"
Mentally, Kari sighed. Again? Brady had spent more
time at her home in the last few months than his own.
It wasn't the child's fault, she reminded herself. "Of
course Brady, you're always welcome here. Can I speak
to your dad?"
"Just a minute!" Kari could hear him covering the
phone with his hand, and then a muffled yell of
'DADDY! AUNT KARI'S ON THE PHONE!' Moments later Tai
picked up.
"Yeah?"
"Hey Tai. How come you want Brady to stay over here
again? Is something wrong?"
"Of course something is wrong!" He shouted, and Kari
sighed again. He was gonna rant at her, she could just
feel it. "My wife left me, I think I'm allowed to be
depressed!"
"Tai, I really think you should see someone about
this. I'm sure Joe knows a good-"
"Shrink? I don't need therapy Kari, what I need is my
wife back. I'll bring Brady over in an hour." With
that, he slammed the phone down.
Kari leaned against the wall, tears welling up in her
eyes. "Oh Tai…" She whispered softly.
-- -- --
The pillow felt softer than usual under Toicy's head.
It was like she was floating above it, barely brushing
the material. Her eyelids were heavy, her breathing
growing more labored with each moment...
The life was draining slowly out of her... Everything
was falling away... Her heartbeat slowed... Her
breathing ceased... her pulse...
Cody sat up in bed covered with sweat. "A dream...
Just a dream..." He whispered, softly. Glancing beside
him, he could see his wife, silhouetted by the faint
moonlight. Her cheeks were pale, but her chest rose
and fell with her soft breathing.
Stroking a lock of hair from her face, Cody gently
kissed her cheek. "I will take care of you, Toicy. I
promise."
The words were a whisper. A whisper of a promise that
he didn't know if he could fulfill... "No matter what,
I will take care of you..."
-- -- --
"Dad?"
Ken looked up from his work, into the eyes of his son.
"Yes Sam?"
The boy shifted nervously from foot to foot. "Can I
ask a question, Dad?"
"Of course."
"Well... I heard Mommy talking to Aunt Kari, and they
were saying that Uncle Tai is sad. And then they
started saying mean things about Brady's Mommy... Why
is Uncle Tai sad? Would he be happy if I made him a
picture?"
The innocence in the boy's question tugged at Ken's
heart. "Well, Tai is sad because someone hurt him,
Sam. Someone did something very mean and it's making
Tai sad. If you want to draw him a picture, I'll make
sure he gets it. That would probably be nice."
Sam's face lit up slightly. "Okay! I'll draw him a
really happy picture!"
Once he left, Ken sighed and hung his head. "If only a
picture could make him happy." He whispered, his heart
going out to Tai.
-- -- --
Gareth Kamiya looked around nervously, if his mother
caught him, she'd be really mad. Slipping his shoes
onto his feet, he reached for his jacket...
"Gareth?"
He groaned, cursing his cousin. "What do you want
Brady?" His young voice was harsh.
"Where are you going?"
"The bathroom. Just go to sleep."
"I hafta go to the bathroom too... Can I come?"
Impatient, Gareth sighed. "Sure, fine, just hurry up
and then go back to bed, okay?"
A few minutes later, when he was sure that Brady was
fast asleep, Gareth slipped from the house.
-- -- --
It was Devil's Night. Or at least, that's what some
people called it. The night before All Hallows Eve. A
night when some groups of people decide to get their
kicks by playing nasty pranks on others.
My first clue should've been the thump at my window,
but I ignored it. I know that blaming myself won't get
me anywhere, it won't help anyone. Sometimes I wonder
why I'm the last one left... Why I'm the one writing
these memoirs? So many people deserved it more than I
do.
I was barely a part of their lives, merely a watcher,
as I've said many times before. But they've all passed
on now. And I live. I'm old, and most likely somewhat
senile, but I live.
Why should I still be here when a single child
couldn't live through Devil's Night?
What came before it was merely a prelude to the first
true tragedy of these twelve months... But it wouldn't
be the last... That would've been too easy.
-- -- --
Anaia Izumi was lying peacefully in bed, wrapped in
her husband's arms when a soft thump at her window
awoke her. Groggily glancing at the clock, she made a
face. 1 AM. She had class tomorrow, this was no time
to be worried about things going bump in the night.
Snuggling closer to her husband, she closed her eyes
once more.
The next sound to awaken her was a scream.
Pulling on a robe she went to her window to
investigate, and nearly fainted from the shock of what
she saw.
Three young boys were crowded in her backyard, two
clutching eggs in their hands and leaning worriedly
over the third. He was unconscious.
Putting on her glasses, Anaia gasped once more. The
unconscious child was Gareth Kamiya. Shaking Izzy
awake she told him to call an Ambulance, and rushed
outside.
"What happened?" She shouted, as she ran towards the
boys. The other two bolted immediately upon seeing
her, and Anaia fell to her knees beside Gareth's
unconscious body. "Oh God..." She listened for
breath... Nothing... His pulse was weak...
"IZZY! Hurry and get an ambulance here! He isn't
breathing!" She screamed, and began CPR on the child.
There was blood leaking from his head, he had
obviously fallen from something... the tree in her
backyard?
She continued CPR, praying to whatever deity she
believed in that the Ambulance would get there soon.
Izzy rushed out to join her, Kyelli following him. He
covered his daughter's eyes when he saw the sight.
"Kyelli, go wait for the ambulance in the driveway."
He said, as calmly as possible.
The girl did as she was told, obviously freaked by
what she had seen.
"His pulse is growing weaker... he's losing a lot of
blood." Anaia's voice was frantic. "Go call Kari! Make
sure she meets us at the hospital! Hurry!" She
continued with her CPR.
The sound of an ambulance's siren broke the relative
silence of the chilly October night.
-- -- --
Dragging Brady by the hand, still in her nightgown,
Kari burst into the emergency ward. Frantically
searching for a nurse, she grabbed the first woman she
saw. "My son! Where is my son?!" The normally calm
woman demanded.
The nurse gave her an impatient look. "What's his
name?"
"Gareth. Gareth Kamiya."
"I'm afraid he's in surgery, but the family that
brought him in are in the waiting room, speaking to
the police." The nurse motioned to her left, removed
herself from Kari's grasp and walked off.
Still dragging Brady, Kari ran towards the waiting
room.
Anaia was there, sobbing onto Izzy's shoulder. Kyelli
was buried against her father's leg and Izzy was
speaking to the police man. They all turned when she
entered.
"What happened?! Where's my son?!"
The police officer frowned. "Are you Hikari Kamiya?"
He asked.
Kari nodded. "Yes, Gareth's my son."
"I'm afraid I must ask you to come with me." He turned
back to the Izumi's "That's all we need of you for
now, but we may be in touch later."
Leaving Brady with Anaia, Kari followed the police
officer to a smaller room. "What happened?!"
"Ms. Kamiya... Are you aware that your son was outside
throwing eggs at houses tonight?"
She shook her head dumbly.
"Well, after throwing some at the home of the family
who brought him in, I understand they're friends of
yours."
She nodded.
"Well, it seems he fell from a tree and suffered a
very nasty bump on his head. They've taken him in for
emergency surgery, but the doctors aren't sure if the
brain was damaged in the fall."
Kari swallowed.
"Your son was with two other boys, but they ran off
when Mrs. Izumi ran outside. Can you tell me the names
of any children you son is friends with?"
"I... no, Gareth's never introduced me to any of his
friends. His teachers say he spends all his time alone
when he's at school... There has to be some mistake,
my son would never go around throwing eggs at houses.
Especially not Izzy's house!"
The police man looked at her sadly. "Alright, Ms.
Kamiya. I'll question you further when you've regained
your composure."
She returned to the waiting room, where Anaia
immediately embraced her. "Oh Kari, I'm so sorry! I
tried to give him CPR... he lost so much blood..."
Kari was numb, unable to do anything but nod once
more.
"The doctors should know something soon." Anaia was
trying her best to sound reassuring.
-- -- --
Joe Kido sighed as he pulled into his parking space at
the hospital. Another dull work day. Grabbing his bag
he walked into the building.
Nodding to those he knew, Joe made his way to the
emergency ward, where he was working that morning.
"What's new today, Tatsuka?" He asked the nurse.
"Two victims from a car crash last night, they're in
stable condition. There's a kid with gross
hemorrhaging and possible brain damage, he's been in
the Operating Room since 2:30 last night... It's not
looking favorable."
Joe made a face, he hated hearing about children
getting injured. "What's the kid's name?" He asked.
"Kamiya. Gareth Kamiya."
Joe choked on his coffee.
-- -- --
Kari was a wreck, pacing back and forth in the waiting
room. It was growing dark outside, and she still
hadn't heard anything about Gareth. Izzy and his
family had left, taking Brady with them. Laughter
could be heard from the open window, as three children
in Hallowe'en costumes passed, eager for their
promised candy.
"Kari?"
She broke from her pacing and turned, finding herself
facing Joe... his face was tense. "Joe!" She took a
deep breath. "Please find out how my son is doing! I
want to know when I can see him! You can find out,
right Joe?"
He looked nervously at the floor. "Kari, when I got
here this morning and heard about Gareth, I
immediately went to the OR to assist with the surgery.
The best surgeons in the hospital were working on
it... Gareth hit his head too hard, he lost too much
blood..." He removed his glasses to wipe at them. "I'm
sorry Kari, there was nothing else we could do..."
Joe watched as one of his fellow Digidestined let out
a wail, and crumpled to the ground, trembling. A small
tear leaked out of the corner of his eye. He has asked
to be the one to deliver the news merely because he
knew her... he just wished there was more he could've
done.
Gently placing a hand on her shoulder, Joe opened his
mouth to reassure her, but he couldn't find the words.
The life of an innocent is a horrible thing to lose...
-- -- --
the winter here's cold, and bitter
it's chilled us to the bone
In her Manhattan apartment Mimi Tachikawa-Samson got a
phone call. News from Japan... Patrick watched as his
mother began crying, her hand shaking, nearly dropping
the receiver.
we haven't seen the sun for weeks
to long too far from home
In Japan, Sora Ishida held both of her children
tightly against her, shaking with sobs. She rocked
back and forth on her heels, not wanting to let them
go. She needed to hold her children...
I feel just like I'm sinking
and I claw for solid ground
TK Takaishi sighed as he sat his son down. Gareth had
been Jesse's friend... Why did so much tragedy have to
happen?
I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
It was a night like any other for Tai. He sat in a
bar, drowning himself in alcohol... It was the only
escape he could think of... It was the only escape he
had...
oh darkness I feel like letting go
Yolei was a sobbing mess, and Ken held her tightly.
The news of Gareth's death had been horrible... It
made him feel so powerless...
if all of the strength and all of the courage
come and lift me from this place
Kari Kamiya lay crumpled in her car. She didn't have
the energy to drive, she didn't have the desire to
move... Her baby boy, her life... her everything had
been taken from her... it was all her fault... all her
fault... all her fault...
I know I could love you much better than this
full of grace
Somewhere above the rotation of Earth, a space shuttle
flew towards its destination. Its crew, sleeping...
Unaware of the tragedy brewing within the engine of
the small shuttle... Moments later there was an
explosion.
full of grace
my love
-- -- --
October was my favourite month when I was younger. The
first thirty days are spent anticipating the
thirty-first. Costumes, and candy were on the minds of
all children. Frightening scary stories of Hallowe'en
were forgotten, and the fun of dressing up and getting
treats was embraced.
The true tragedy of Hallowe'en was so often
overlooked.
The life of an innocent is a precious thing. When that
life is cut short, the impact is far greater than
anything else. I've experienced tragedy before in my
life, a great deal of it during these twelve months,
but nothing could've prepared anyone for this kind of
tragedy.
~Anaia Izumi
Next Time: Chapter Four: November 2027 - Downward Spiral.
News of the explosion in space reaches Sora,
Kari copes with her tragic loss, and Cody's life takes
a turn for the worse... and Yolei Ichijouji is forced
to become the grip on reality for them all...
-- -- --
Well? How was it *crosses fingers* Not my best work, I know... but I tried!
Please review! ^_^
Ciao!
-Laura,
http://www.fireflypond.com
There's a few people I wanna thank though.
First: Ismini, for beta-reading, encouraging me, and be so incredibly nice!
Second: Cherry Seraphym, for encouraging me, and inspiring me to finally finish this chapter.
Third: Lavendar Ana, for all your help with the story so far.
Fourth: Everyone who reviews my stories, it's why I actually finish these things...
So, I'm sorry about the delay, the chapters should come out faster from now on. Please, erad and review, it makes me write faster ^_^
TWELVE MONTHS
By: Laura
Chapter Three: October 2027 - Life of an Innocent
October was my favourite month when I was younger. The
first thirty days are spent anticipating the
thirty-first. Costumes, and candy were on the minds of
all children. Frightening scary stories of Hallowe'en
were forgotten, and the fun of dressing up and getting
treats was embraced.
The true tragedy of Hallowe'en was so often
overlooked.
The life of an innocent is a precious thing. When that
life is cut short, the impact is far greater than
anything else. I've experienced tragedy before in my
life, a great deal of it during these twelve months,
but nothing could've prepared anyone for this kind of
tragedy.
~Anaia Izumi
-- -- --
"You be good for your mother while I'm gone, alright?"
Matt Ishida stared down at the faces of his two sons.
"She'll tell me everything."
His sons nodded and raced down the hallway to finish
playing video games.
Matt turned to his former wife and placed a hand on
her shoulder. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked
softly. She had been through a lot in the past month,
and it didn't help that it was only four days into the
month of October and he was leaving her to care for
both the children.
"I'll be fine." Sora assured him. "You go on this
mission, and bring back mars rocks or something for
the boys."
"I always do."
-- -- --
Kari Kamiya sipped her coffee happily, as she walked
into the teacher's lounge at Odaiba Elementary School.
Her class was in Gym at the moment, so she was able to
sit and relax for a little while.
"Ms. Kamiya?"
She glanced up and found herself staring at Mr.
Igmanco, the vice-principal. "Oh, hello!"
"Do you have a few minutes to spare, Ms. Kamiya?" He
asked, a sharp edge in his voice.
Kari blinked and set her coffee aside. "Of course Mr.
Igmanco!"
The stern man sat across from her, frowning. "Your son
was sent to my office again." He stated flatly. "It's
the seventh time since school started. Gareth has a
real discipline problem."
She blinked again. "Surely, you're-"
"Kidding." He finished flatly. "No, Ms. Kamiya, I'm
not. Your son has no respect for authority, let alone
his peers. He's mouthy, and outright rude to most of
the staff."
Kari merely blinked once more... it all seemed so
strange. Her son? Rude? He was a little angel... "I'll
speak with him, sir." She said softly.
He nodded and patted her hand in an attempt to
comfort. "See that you do, Ms. Kamiya. See that you
do."
-- -- --
This was the last straw. She'd had enough. No more.
Kevlyn Azuno stood abruptly from the couch and threw
the remote control violently across the room, narrowly
missing Davis' head.
He blinked and raised his eyes to hers, setting aside
what he had been reading. "Something wrong?"
Growling, Kevlyn was surprised there wasn't steam
coming from her ears. "Something wrong? Of course
something is wrong you insensitive prick! I didn't
dent the wall with the remote because I thought it was
too boring!"
Davis' eyebrows raised, and the only thought going
through his mind was 'PMS...'
When he said nothing, Kevlyn screeched with
frustration once more and stalked from the room.
Seconds later, she returned, clutching a photo album.
"See this Davis?" She demanded, waving the photo
album. Opening it she began going through. "Look, it's
us at Sora and Matt's wedding. Us at Tai's wedding. Us
at you cousin's wedding. Us at Ken and Yolei's
WEDDING."
He nodded. "Alright, the point to this is?"
"If I have to tell you, then... then..." She made
another frustrated noise and stalked off.
Davis blinked again. "I guess she's out of Midol."
-- -- --
Exhausted from a long day at school, Kari set her bag
down on the couch. As Gareth went to do his homework,
she picked up the phone, and dialed her brother's
number.
"Hello? Kamiya Residence, Brady speaking."
"Hi Brady!"
"Aunt Kari!" The boy's voice was filled with delight.
"Daddy was just gonna call you to see if I can stay
this weekend. Can I?"
Mentally, Kari sighed. Again? Brady had spent more
time at her home in the last few months than his own.
It wasn't the child's fault, she reminded herself. "Of
course Brady, you're always welcome here. Can I speak
to your dad?"
"Just a minute!" Kari could hear him covering the
phone with his hand, and then a muffled yell of
'DADDY! AUNT KARI'S ON THE PHONE!' Moments later Tai
picked up.
"Yeah?"
"Hey Tai. How come you want Brady to stay over here
again? Is something wrong?"
"Of course something is wrong!" He shouted, and Kari
sighed again. He was gonna rant at her, she could just
feel it. "My wife left me, I think I'm allowed to be
depressed!"
"Tai, I really think you should see someone about
this. I'm sure Joe knows a good-"
"Shrink? I don't need therapy Kari, what I need is my
wife back. I'll bring Brady over in an hour." With
that, he slammed the phone down.
Kari leaned against the wall, tears welling up in her
eyes. "Oh Tai…" She whispered softly.
-- -- --
The pillow felt softer than usual under Toicy's head.
It was like she was floating above it, barely brushing
the material. Her eyelids were heavy, her breathing
growing more labored with each moment...
The life was draining slowly out of her... Everything
was falling away... Her heartbeat slowed... Her
breathing ceased... her pulse...
Cody sat up in bed covered with sweat. "A dream...
Just a dream..." He whispered, softly. Glancing beside
him, he could see his wife, silhouetted by the faint
moonlight. Her cheeks were pale, but her chest rose
and fell with her soft breathing.
Stroking a lock of hair from her face, Cody gently
kissed her cheek. "I will take care of you, Toicy. I
promise."
The words were a whisper. A whisper of a promise that
he didn't know if he could fulfill... "No matter what,
I will take care of you..."
-- -- --
"Dad?"
Ken looked up from his work, into the eyes of his son.
"Yes Sam?"
The boy shifted nervously from foot to foot. "Can I
ask a question, Dad?"
"Of course."
"Well... I heard Mommy talking to Aunt Kari, and they
were saying that Uncle Tai is sad. And then they
started saying mean things about Brady's Mommy... Why
is Uncle Tai sad? Would he be happy if I made him a
picture?"
The innocence in the boy's question tugged at Ken's
heart. "Well, Tai is sad because someone hurt him,
Sam. Someone did something very mean and it's making
Tai sad. If you want to draw him a picture, I'll make
sure he gets it. That would probably be nice."
Sam's face lit up slightly. "Okay! I'll draw him a
really happy picture!"
Once he left, Ken sighed and hung his head. "If only a
picture could make him happy." He whispered, his heart
going out to Tai.
-- -- --
Gareth Kamiya looked around nervously, if his mother
caught him, she'd be really mad. Slipping his shoes
onto his feet, he reached for his jacket...
"Gareth?"
He groaned, cursing his cousin. "What do you want
Brady?" His young voice was harsh.
"Where are you going?"
"The bathroom. Just go to sleep."
"I hafta go to the bathroom too... Can I come?"
Impatient, Gareth sighed. "Sure, fine, just hurry up
and then go back to bed, okay?"
A few minutes later, when he was sure that Brady was
fast asleep, Gareth slipped from the house.
-- -- --
It was Devil's Night. Or at least, that's what some
people called it. The night before All Hallows Eve. A
night when some groups of people decide to get their
kicks by playing nasty pranks on others.
My first clue should've been the thump at my window,
but I ignored it. I know that blaming myself won't get
me anywhere, it won't help anyone. Sometimes I wonder
why I'm the last one left... Why I'm the one writing
these memoirs? So many people deserved it more than I
do.
I was barely a part of their lives, merely a watcher,
as I've said many times before. But they've all passed
on now. And I live. I'm old, and most likely somewhat
senile, but I live.
Why should I still be here when a single child
couldn't live through Devil's Night?
What came before it was merely a prelude to the first
true tragedy of these twelve months... But it wouldn't
be the last... That would've been too easy.
-- -- --
Anaia Izumi was lying peacefully in bed, wrapped in
her husband's arms when a soft thump at her window
awoke her. Groggily glancing at the clock, she made a
face. 1 AM. She had class tomorrow, this was no time
to be worried about things going bump in the night.
Snuggling closer to her husband, she closed her eyes
once more.
The next sound to awaken her was a scream.
Pulling on a robe she went to her window to
investigate, and nearly fainted from the shock of what
she saw.
Three young boys were crowded in her backyard, two
clutching eggs in their hands and leaning worriedly
over the third. He was unconscious.
Putting on her glasses, Anaia gasped once more. The
unconscious child was Gareth Kamiya. Shaking Izzy
awake she told him to call an Ambulance, and rushed
outside.
"What happened?" She shouted, as she ran towards the
boys. The other two bolted immediately upon seeing
her, and Anaia fell to her knees beside Gareth's
unconscious body. "Oh God..." She listened for
breath... Nothing... His pulse was weak...
"IZZY! Hurry and get an ambulance here! He isn't
breathing!" She screamed, and began CPR on the child.
There was blood leaking from his head, he had
obviously fallen from something... the tree in her
backyard?
She continued CPR, praying to whatever deity she
believed in that the Ambulance would get there soon.
Izzy rushed out to join her, Kyelli following him. He
covered his daughter's eyes when he saw the sight.
"Kyelli, go wait for the ambulance in the driveway."
He said, as calmly as possible.
The girl did as she was told, obviously freaked by
what she had seen.
"His pulse is growing weaker... he's losing a lot of
blood." Anaia's voice was frantic. "Go call Kari! Make
sure she meets us at the hospital! Hurry!" She
continued with her CPR.
The sound of an ambulance's siren broke the relative
silence of the chilly October night.
-- -- --
Dragging Brady by the hand, still in her nightgown,
Kari burst into the emergency ward. Frantically
searching for a nurse, she grabbed the first woman she
saw. "My son! Where is my son?!" The normally calm
woman demanded.
The nurse gave her an impatient look. "What's his
name?"
"Gareth. Gareth Kamiya."
"I'm afraid he's in surgery, but the family that
brought him in are in the waiting room, speaking to
the police." The nurse motioned to her left, removed
herself from Kari's grasp and walked off.
Still dragging Brady, Kari ran towards the waiting
room.
Anaia was there, sobbing onto Izzy's shoulder. Kyelli
was buried against her father's leg and Izzy was
speaking to the police man. They all turned when she
entered.
"What happened?! Where's my son?!"
The police officer frowned. "Are you Hikari Kamiya?"
He asked.
Kari nodded. "Yes, Gareth's my son."
"I'm afraid I must ask you to come with me." He turned
back to the Izumi's "That's all we need of you for
now, but we may be in touch later."
Leaving Brady with Anaia, Kari followed the police
officer to a smaller room. "What happened?!"
"Ms. Kamiya... Are you aware that your son was outside
throwing eggs at houses tonight?"
She shook her head dumbly.
"Well, after throwing some at the home of the family
who brought him in, I understand they're friends of
yours."
She nodded.
"Well, it seems he fell from a tree and suffered a
very nasty bump on his head. They've taken him in for
emergency surgery, but the doctors aren't sure if the
brain was damaged in the fall."
Kari swallowed.
"Your son was with two other boys, but they ran off
when Mrs. Izumi ran outside. Can you tell me the names
of any children you son is friends with?"
"I... no, Gareth's never introduced me to any of his
friends. His teachers say he spends all his time alone
when he's at school... There has to be some mistake,
my son would never go around throwing eggs at houses.
Especially not Izzy's house!"
The police man looked at her sadly. "Alright, Ms.
Kamiya. I'll question you further when you've regained
your composure."
She returned to the waiting room, where Anaia
immediately embraced her. "Oh Kari, I'm so sorry! I
tried to give him CPR... he lost so much blood..."
Kari was numb, unable to do anything but nod once
more.
"The doctors should know something soon." Anaia was
trying her best to sound reassuring.
-- -- --
Joe Kido sighed as he pulled into his parking space at
the hospital. Another dull work day. Grabbing his bag
he walked into the building.
Nodding to those he knew, Joe made his way to the
emergency ward, where he was working that morning.
"What's new today, Tatsuka?" He asked the nurse.
"Two victims from a car crash last night, they're in
stable condition. There's a kid with gross
hemorrhaging and possible brain damage, he's been in
the Operating Room since 2:30 last night... It's not
looking favorable."
Joe made a face, he hated hearing about children
getting injured. "What's the kid's name?" He asked.
"Kamiya. Gareth Kamiya."
Joe choked on his coffee.
-- -- --
Kari was a wreck, pacing back and forth in the waiting
room. It was growing dark outside, and she still
hadn't heard anything about Gareth. Izzy and his
family had left, taking Brady with them. Laughter
could be heard from the open window, as three children
in Hallowe'en costumes passed, eager for their
promised candy.
"Kari?"
She broke from her pacing and turned, finding herself
facing Joe... his face was tense. "Joe!" She took a
deep breath. "Please find out how my son is doing! I
want to know when I can see him! You can find out,
right Joe?"
He looked nervously at the floor. "Kari, when I got
here this morning and heard about Gareth, I
immediately went to the OR to assist with the surgery.
The best surgeons in the hospital were working on
it... Gareth hit his head too hard, he lost too much
blood..." He removed his glasses to wipe at them. "I'm
sorry Kari, there was nothing else we could do..."
Joe watched as one of his fellow Digidestined let out
a wail, and crumpled to the ground, trembling. A small
tear leaked out of the corner of his eye. He has asked
to be the one to deliver the news merely because he
knew her... he just wished there was more he could've
done.
Gently placing a hand on her shoulder, Joe opened his
mouth to reassure her, but he couldn't find the words.
The life of an innocent is a horrible thing to lose...
-- -- --
the winter here's cold, and bitter
it's chilled us to the bone
In her Manhattan apartment Mimi Tachikawa-Samson got a
phone call. News from Japan... Patrick watched as his
mother began crying, her hand shaking, nearly dropping
the receiver.
we haven't seen the sun for weeks
to long too far from home
In Japan, Sora Ishida held both of her children
tightly against her, shaking with sobs. She rocked
back and forth on her heels, not wanting to let them
go. She needed to hold her children...
I feel just like I'm sinking
and I claw for solid ground
TK Takaishi sighed as he sat his son down. Gareth had
been Jesse's friend... Why did so much tragedy have to
happen?
I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
It was a night like any other for Tai. He sat in a
bar, drowning himself in alcohol... It was the only
escape he could think of... It was the only escape he
had...
oh darkness I feel like letting go
Yolei was a sobbing mess, and Ken held her tightly.
The news of Gareth's death had been horrible... It
made him feel so powerless...
if all of the strength and all of the courage
come and lift me from this place
Kari Kamiya lay crumpled in her car. She didn't have
the energy to drive, she didn't have the desire to
move... Her baby boy, her life... her everything had
been taken from her... it was all her fault... all her
fault... all her fault...
I know I could love you much better than this
full of grace
Somewhere above the rotation of Earth, a space shuttle
flew towards its destination. Its crew, sleeping...
Unaware of the tragedy brewing within the engine of
the small shuttle... Moments later there was an
explosion.
full of grace
my love
-- -- --
October was my favourite month when I was younger. The
first thirty days are spent anticipating the
thirty-first. Costumes, and candy were on the minds of
all children. Frightening scary stories of Hallowe'en
were forgotten, and the fun of dressing up and getting
treats was embraced.
The true tragedy of Hallowe'en was so often
overlooked.
The life of an innocent is a precious thing. When that
life is cut short, the impact is far greater than
anything else. I've experienced tragedy before in my
life, a great deal of it during these twelve months,
but nothing could've prepared anyone for this kind of
tragedy.
~Anaia Izumi
Next Time: Chapter Four: November 2027 - Downward Spiral.
News of the explosion in space reaches Sora,
Kari copes with her tragic loss, and Cody's life takes
a turn for the worse... and Yolei Ichijouji is forced
to become the grip on reality for them all...
-- -- --
Well? How was it *crosses fingers* Not my best work, I know... but I tried!
Please review! ^_^
Ciao!
-Laura,
http://www.fireflypond.com