15Hello! Strobe is a collection of oneshots that are directly related to my ongoing fic, Skittles. If you haven't read that yet, Strobe probably won't make any sense, so its highly suggested. I will be updating both stories at the same time, posting new Strobe chapters when the corresponding Skittles chapters comes out. Skittles is from Yamato's POV, so sometimes he misses things. If there's a moment in Skittles where you go, "Oh man, what just happened?" or "Why is so and so acting like such a poop?" there is probably going to be a Strobe chapter for it.
At one point all of Strobe was smushed into Skittles, but all the POV changes hurt my head and messed up the flow.
This first chapter gives us a little insight on why Patamon was so smug in chapter 4, and why Sora was all blushy about it.
The Digital World was quiet. Sunlight filtered down through the rustling leaves, casting constantly moving shadows across the forest floor. Curled up for a nap on a wide tree branch were two small digimon. Or at least one of them was napping, the other was having no such luck.
Patamon was restless. He yawned and stretched and tried to relax and close his eyes, but sleep would not come. He picked at some bark, unable to stop his fidgeting. He was growing increasingly unsettled as the sun made its way across the sky. His small paws rubbed at his eyes and he laid down once more. His companion peeked an eye open at him.
"How's a digimon supposed to get some sleep with you making such a racket?" Tailmon grumbled.
Patamon's ears drooped.
"Sorry, I just... Something's wrong."
Tailmon groaned and opened her other eye to give her friend a flat stare.
"Takeru's been late visiting before, Patamon. Last time you were freaking out and what happened?"
The orange digimon huffed and looked anywhere but at Tailmon.
"His coach kept him late for basketball practice."
The cat like digimon smiled at her companion.
"And he showed up a little late and apologized and everything was fine, remember?" She added.
Patamon remained unconvinced.
"But this time my tummy hurts and I really think somethings wrong. Its Saturday, he doesn't have anything like basketball today," He countered. His stomach was definitely funny. It was as if he was worried for Takeru as he did during a battle, but there had been peace in the Digital World for over a year. Takeru was not here. There were no evil digimon threatening his partner. So why was he scared?
Sighing heavily, he tried for a third time to settle down for a nap. He had barely slept the night before, feeling uneasy and anxious.
Barely five minutes had passed before a faint calling disturbed them from their rest.
"Patamon!"
Both digimon's ears perked up and they peered into the trees.
"Is that Piyomon?" Tailmon asked.
Patamon didn't bother answering. He took off in her direction at once, earning a disgruntled shout from Tailmon. As he flew he was vaguely aware that she had climbed down the tree and was running along underneath him.
"Patamon, there you are! I was looking for you," Piyomon stopped and hovered in midair when she saw her orange friend hurrying her way.
"Is Takeru here?" He cried anxiously. The sight of Piyomon normally brought joy to his heart, but today it filled him with dread.
She shook her head, motioning for him to follow her as she flew back in the direction she had come.
"No, but Sora is, and she said she needs to talk to you."
Patamon felt like crying.
It wasn't long before Sora came into view. Patamon wasted no time, practically dive-bombing the poor girl and bombarding her with questions.
"Sora! Where's Takeru? Is he okay? Something happened, didn't it? I have a belly-ache and Tailmon thinks I am overreacting but I think somethings wrong and Takeru was supposed to visit hours ago, and he isn't here!"
Sora gathered the flustered digimon in her arms and held him to her chest for a moment before pulling back.
"Hey, its all right. Calm down. I'm going to take you to him, okay?" She rubbed a comforting hand down his back and took a steadying breath. The chosen of love opened her mouth to continue, but was interrupted by another digimon hurrying through the trees.
"Oh good, Gabumon, you're here!"
Patamon clung to the thick fabric of Sora's sweater. She needed to talk to Gabumon too? Fear churned more solidly in his gut. Had something happened to Yamato too? Did something bad happen to the whole family? He held back a small whine.
"Sora, Agumon said you wanted me?" Gabumon looked up at her concernedly. "Patamon are you okay? You look a little sick."
Sora knelt down, taking Patamon with her, and rested a hand on Gabumon's back.
"Okay, you two, I need you to listen and try to stay calm okay?" The problem was that Sora herself did not sound a hundred percent calm. Her voice wavered just the smallest bit, but Patamon heard it. Sora's brow furrowed and she held the little digimon a bit tighter.
"Sora, where's Takeru?"
"Patamon, Takeru's... He's in the hospital."
Patamon's heart fell into his stomach. Sora continued slowly.
"He was on the bus last night and there was an accident. Takeru is going to be okay, Patamon, but he had to go to the hospital. He- He hurt his head pretty bad and his wrist and he's kinda banged up right now, but he's awake. I think he'd like to se- I'm sure he wants you there."
Patamon caught the stumble in her sentence, but wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He just held on tight to her sweater and tried to control his trembling. His partner had needed him and he wasn't there to protect him? He was hurt and in the hospital?
"Yamato and Mr. Ishida are there with him, Patamon. I promise he isn't alone. You know Yamato would never let that happen," She reassured the shaking digimon.
"How is Yamato?" Gabumon asked quietly.
Sora sighed.
"Taichi stayed with him all last night at the hospital and Yamato slept over at his house. He says Yamato is doing pretty well, considering. But I am sure he would love nothing more than to have you home when visiting hours are over. I was planning on taking you to the Yagami's. Taichi and Hikari are there right now, so if Agumon and Tailmon want to come too, they can. But you're going to come to the hospital with me, Patamon. Its a good thing you are so small, right?" Sora faked a smile for him, but Patamon wasn't looking at her.
The walk to the hospital from the Yagami's apartment wasn't very long, but it was chilly. It was the perfect cover for having Patamon bundled up in what looked like an extra jacket. The little digimon hadn't let go o the chosen of love the whole time they gated back. Taichi briefly mentioned that Yamato had sent out an email telling everyone what had happened, and that at the moment, Takeru wasn't up for visitors. Patamon couldn't help but tear up at that, but everyone present tried to assuage his fears and told him that Takeru was probably just tired and would want him there no matter what.
"Patamon?" Sora broke the little digimon out of his thoughts.
"Hmm?"
She hesitated a little, not knowing quite what to tell Takeru's partner. It was better that he knew a little something before going in to see Takeru. Would the digimon understand medical terminology?
"I just wanted you to know what's going on before we see Takeru. Remember how I said he hurt his head?"
She felt Patamon nod against her.
"Well... when humans hit their heads really hard a lot of different things can happen. Sometimes they just have a headache or get really dizzy, or feel sick to their stomach. But sometimes it's more serious and they get confused, or forget things."
The orange digimon started at that.
"Like those forgetfulness mushrooms we almost ate? Did Takeru forget me?" He asked in a frenzy.
"Oh no, Patamon. Yamato didn't say anything about him forgetting anything. I don't think he has any amnesia," Sora consoled him quickly. "And even if he did, it usually goes away on its own for this kind of thing, I think."
She felt Patamon slump against her more.
"Good," He looked up at her with his big blue eyes full on worry. "Sora, what's wrong with him?"
The girl sighed.
"I don't exactly know, Yamato was pretty vague... But he said that Takeru can't really see well right now. The doctor doesn't think its permanent!" She finished hurriedly when a look of horror crossed his face. "It sounded more like his eyes hurt, like they're really sensitive right now. He'll get better, I'm sure of it. Yamato just wanted you to know so you didn't get too upset when you saw Takeru," Sora floundered.
Patamon was quiet as they entered the hospital, staying as still as possible. After checking in and being directed towards the elevator, he allowed himself to relax in Sora's arms. A thought crossed his mind.
"Sora, if Takeru doesn't want to see anybody, why did Yamato say you could come?"
A light flush graced her cheeks for a moment before she cleared her throat.
"Er, well I told him I was bringing you of course! If Takeru doesn't want to see me I can drop you off with Yamato and go home."
Patamon was confused by her flustered tone, but ignored it in favor of addressing what he saw to be the more important issue.
"It wouldn't be very nice for you to do all this work and not get to see Takeru."
"Its okay, really. If he doesn't want to see anyone right now I can hardly force myself on him. He needs to recover and rest."
Out of the corner or her eye she caught the digimon smiling at her.
"I don't think Takeru will send you home," He said confidently.
Sora paused halfway down the hallway, looking down at the digimon in her arms suspiciously.
"Patamon, he apparently didn't even want Hikari to visit. I don't think he'll want to see me."
Patamon rolled his eyes at her.
"Of course he didn't want to worry Hikari. Takeru wouldn't want her all sad and concerned about him. If she came to see him he would pretend everything was fine."
Sora had to agree with him there.
"Why do you think he would see me when he won't see his best friend?" She said skeptically.
Snuggling smugly in her arms, Patamon replied bluntly.
"Because you are important to him."
Sora was taken aback. Not that Takeru wasn't important to her as well, but to hear it so directly was different.
"Takeru really looks up to you," Patamon continued, oblivious to Sora's bewildered expression. "He has for a long time. He loved that you never treated him like a baby back when you all were in the digital world the first time. You always helped him, but in the same way you would help anyone on the team, you know?"
The chosen of love tried to hold back the smile that was threatening to take over her face. She remembered being so worried about Takeru when they first began their adventure. He was so much younger, so much smaller, and so sensitive. Yet again and again he proved himself to be a resilient kid, going through perhaps the most of any of them, and still coming out the other side a happy, optimistic child. Sora admired him in her own way. He had done nothing but impress her since she met him. A warm feeling bubbled in her stomach at Patamon's statement.
"Let's go see him," She said softly.