You should be taking it easy on yourself.
You should be making it easy on yourself.
Cause you and I know it's all over the front page,
You give me road rage.
It's up to you boy, driving me crazy,
Think you're maybe, losing your mind.

Katatonia- Road Rage



Izzy's POV



I didn't even see the car swerving toward me. Funny, who one spilt second can ruin you life completely. I was so grief stricken over Joe that I guess I wasn't paying attention to the road. And when I finally did, it was too late.

Now, as I lay buried and crushed in my car, all I can think about are my parents. The ones I never knew. Could fate be so cruel, as to grant me the same fate as them? Or was this some twisted way of God telling me my time was up? I really didn't care at this point. All I wanted to do was get out of my totaled automobile.

I felt it hard to feel my legs. In fact, I could barely feel anything below my elbows. Great. 'My back is probably broken.' I thought as I lay dying there. The sirens from the police and ambulances, were now deafening. You could tell there was someone outside of my door. They were barking orders loudly.

But I couldn't hear them. I couldn't hear anything. My eyes began to droop down, but I willed myself to stay awake. I needed to keep my eyes open, if I wanted to stay alive. Then I thought to myself, why would I want to live exactly? I had lost everything I held dear to me. Joe was dead. The love of my life, buried only hours ago. My family had died long time ago. In fact, everyone I loved, was dead.

So I thought to myself. Why don't you just join them? You could be happy again! You can be with them again! But I knew deep in my soul I didn't want to die. Not yet anyway. I heard the buzzing of a saw to my left-hand side. They were cutting the door open.

Small sparks were flying all over the inside of the car, but I could barely see them. My eyes had begun to swell from the impact. God, if I could, I would have started laughing. Why? I wasn't exactly sure. But I was just realizing several things, which I found amusing. Like the fact my face had been smashed against the windshield of my car, and a large amount of blood was covering the left-side of my face. Trickling down onto my lips and neck.

I had let a little of my blood into my mouth, and swallowed for the hell of it. It was a bitter, bitter taste, as it traveled down my throat. Also, my hands must have been crushed in front of me, because the mind-boggling pain had just begun to set in. At least I was able to feel my body again. That's a good sign. Right? Hell. I'm supposed to be smart. Shouldn't I know these things?

'Well Izzy,' I told myself sarcastically. 'You didn't exactly major in Suffering 101.' man. If only Joe were still here with me. He would know what to do. Joe always knew what to do in a type of situation like this. God. I don't think I've ever missed someone like I miss him. The door was now being pried from its hinge. I felt a cold blast of air, as the paramedics finally got the door off.

"Sir! Sir can you feel your legs?" was the first thing the man asked me. I had always seen these drunk driving commercials; where the policeman would always ask you a series of questions like that. I never thought it was actually true.

Well, I could honestly say, that at a time like this, feeling your legs is the last thing on your mind. "No." I chocked, as a spit out a small amount of blood. It splattered against the windshield. That's how close I was.

"We'll get you out soon sir!" the man yelled again. Even though I could barely feel any part of my body, I felt this strong pair of hands wrap around my waist, and tug lightly. I screamed out in pain, as my right leg moved. It must have been smashed, or the bone must have been sticking out. Because all I could feel was this mind numbing amount of pain, rush up and down my body, sending me in and out of consciousness.

My head began lobbing down, and it was a struggle to keep awake. All I wanted to do, was sleep off the pain. Fall into a deep sleep, and leave the pain behind. But I knew that sleep, equaled death. If I slept, I would never wake up. I was just too young to die! I mean. I'm only 24! What could I have done wrong, in such a short time, to deserve this type of punishment?

There was this saw that was working a mile a minute, obviously cutting through the top of the roof. They figured they couldn't get me out through the door, so they went to the next best thing.

All I was worried about, was them cutting open my head. It was jammed up close, and it was extremely painful. Humn. As if any part of this was painless. The sweet release of death seemed like the only option right now. If it would stop the anguish, I would welcome it with open arms. A piece of metal was jabbed beside me. A loud winding sound, echoed through the car, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. But, I felt the hard pressure of the seat, loosen.

They were prying apart the car! I was saved! Almost immediately, three men gently pulled me out. I hadn't noticed it before, because I couldn't see down, but there was a deep pool of blood, lying beneath my feet. I thrust my eyes shut. Not wanting to look at my mangled body. It was just, so sickening, I could barely take it.

The three men then placed me on a stretcher, and a paramedic came over, and began bandaging my wounds hastily, so I didn't lose any more blood.

I thought this was the most ridiculous thing, anybody could do. He was still criticizing. Even on the verge of my death bed, I still found problems with the way things were done. I guess old habits die hard. But I do have to admit that I feel slightly better. Not amazing, but not horrible. I guess they do teach you stuff at medical school.

Joe would have disagreed with me there. He would always come home after a tiering day at work, and complain his head off, about how the med. students were getting worse and worse.

I would always laugh at him and say he was being too hard on them. They were after all, just students. I feel good about that. Knowing I stood up for them. I never had any idea that one of them would end up saving my life. "You might feel a slight stinging pain sir." the young girl said reassuringly.

Why did I have the feeling that a slight stinging pain, was the least of my worries? She must have given me a sedative of something, because soon after, I felt myself becoming very tired. Something was being attached to my legs and arms. I knew that much. I couldn't feel the pain, but I was positive is was incredible. Thank God for modern medicine.


I woke up later on, inside a scrubbed hospital room. As if I hadn't spent enough time in one of these lately. I tried looking at myself, but I couldn't move my neck, so I just let my eyes droop down.

Both my legs had thick, heavy plaster on them, all the way up to my thigh. So, I didn't just break my legs, I obliterated them. Now, my arms. Well, I was right. Both of them were crushed, because I could see the pins sticking out of them. All the way up my arm, covering almost every square inch. That was going to be hell of a mission to get the bloody things out.

I let my eyes fall back, staring at the ceiling. I hadn't noticed it before, but I was trapped in this type of circle thing. 'Perfect!' I screamed at myself. My back was broken.

Joe had told me stories of things like this. People that had gotten their backs broken doing stupid stunts. I never thought I would be one of them. I kept reminding myself. I had common sense. I wasn't careless. And in the one moment I was careless, I end up in the hospital, with probably every bone in my body broken.

A nurse came in. I recognized her voice, as being the one in the ambulance. "Hello." she smiled happily. "Well Mr. Izumi. The good news is, you're alive. The bad news is, you've broken a lot of your bones."

"Even my spine." I hissed sourly.

"No. You were very lucky. Your spine is fine. A little dented, but otherwise fine. Your other body parts weren't as lucky." she said, as she walked over to me, and adjusted my bed.

"I'm sorry." I told her out of the blue. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. This hasn't exactly been the best day for me."

"I know all about it." she said glumly. "Dr. Kido's funeral, was today, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." I scoffed.

"You were his boyfriend, weren't you?" she said casually.

"Yeah. I guess you could call me that." I said. I couldn't help keep the acidic tone out of my voice. I guess you just can't put a smile on your face when something this horrible's happened to you.

"He was a good man, and a great doctor." she added.

"Excuse me," I squinted so I could read her small nameplate "Miya. Is it possible that we could change the topic? I really don't want to go around, bring up his memory. It's gonna be hard enough as it is." I said softly, trying not to sound mean.

"Oh course." she smiled. "But maybe some other time. My shift is over in three minutes." she said, as she walked out of my room, leaving me behind. I sighed. This was horrible. I couldn't move. Nobody was here, and I could tell I was dying. Why I felt that way, I'll never really know. Well, the only thing I could do was sleep. So, I did. I just shut my eyes, and prayed that I would be able to open them later.


"Miyako. Hey!" shouted a short nurse as she rushed over to her friend's side.

"What is it Dale?" she said rubbing her temples. She was so tired.

"Victim of the car accident you just reeled in. Did you hear the news?" Dale said, as she blew a bubble with her pink gum.

"Yeah. Koushiro Izumi. 34 broken bones, and a back injury. Why?" she said looking up.

"Where have you been?" she said seriously. "Oh my God. You don't know!" She said blown away.

"Know what?" she said becoming impatient.

"Did you read his stats?" she said looking sad.

"Not yet. Did the office get them back yet?"

"Yeah. Shit. You better take a look at them." she said handing her a large portfolio. "It's a medical mystery, on how he's still alive." Miyako 's eyes widened as she looked at the sheets of paper. It must have been her third year at the hospital, and she had thought she had seen it all. But clearly, she hadn't.

Her life at that hospital had been nothing short of crazy. Her first year, she had found the body of a boy that had hung himself. It wasn't a pleasant sight, at all. Mainly because he was so young and dying of AIDS.

A year after that she had helped a man, whose father had beaten him senselessly. He had asked her to keep the meeting a secret, because he didn't want the father to know. Now, entering her third year, she gets to deal with Izzy. His whole body was slowly, but surely shutting down, and there was nothing they could do to help.

When Miyako looked under his parent's names to phone them, and tell them the news, she found out that they had both died in a car accident, similar to his own. She snapped the book shut, and thrust it back in Dale's hands. "What's wrong Miya?" Dale asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not fair. Why does this happen? I mean, the guy that hit him, was drunk off his rocker! He knew he couldn't drive, but he still did, and because of his careless actions, a young man is going to lose his life!" Miyako snapped.

"Miya, this type of thing happens! We can't stop it no matter how hard we try." she said, as she spun her friend around. "But I've seen you watch people die, and yet you've never acted this way before. What's different about this one?"

"Do you know who he is?" she said slowly.

"Yeah, obviously." Dale said chuckling.

"No, I mean, do you know who he is?"

"No. I don't." Dale said simply.

"Right, that's true. You only moved her a few months ago." Miyako said laughing sarcastically.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"He saved the world." she said smiling happily. "And I had the honor of helping him." when her friend looked at her oddly, Miyako explained. "He was one of the original Digidestined."

"You're kidding me!" Dale exploded. "That means you're..."

"Yeah. I was. Crest of Purity." she said showing her friend. Even after all these years, she still hadn't taken it off.

"My God Miya. Why didn't you tell anyone?" Dale said shocked.

"Well, mostly because I didn't want to be treated differently. You remember the kid that hung himself a few years back?"

"Yeah."

"Takeru. Guardian of Hope. And Dr. Kido had the crest of Reliability. All of us are dropping like flies Dale. Kari, Joe and Tk are dead. Izzy's about to die, Matt and Mimi are off in God know where, and Tai moved out of town. I haven't seen Iori or Daisuke in years."

"I don't know what to say Miya." Dale said hugging her friend. "God. Having to watch one of your closest friends die. That must be horrible."

"Who's the doctor looking after him?" Miya asked, as she pulled away, and fixed her black hair, back into a ponytail. She had dyed it years back.

"Dr. Howard. The American doctor. I think it's because he treated Izzy's parents." Dale replied.

"At least he's in good hands for the time being." she said looking at Izzy's door. "I have to tell him. I don't think it's fair that he should learn this news from a guy he's never met before." with that, she walked over to his room. She just lingered in the doorway, examining him thoughtfully. His hair was plastered down to his face, and he looked awful. Not that she was expecting him to look great or anything. She walked over to his bedside, and sat down in chair that was next to the small bureaux. "Hey Izzy." she whispered.


Izzy's POV




I could hear someone calling my name. The voice was hauntingly familiar, so I opened my eyes slightly. Miya was sitting next to me, but this time, she was different. She just wasn't a nurse who took care of me. She was an old time friend. I tried to place her eyes, because they weren't ordinary eyes. They were ones I had stared into a million times before. "Miyako ..." I gasped after a while.

"Yeah." she said dully. "How you feeling?"

"I can't move. How would you feel?" I said sarcastically. This made her laugh slightly. But her laugh was more bitter than it was happy. She continued chuckling softly, but then exploded into tears. "I'm not gonna make it am I?" I said rather depressed. All she could do, was nod her head.

"I'm sorry Izzy." she said in between chocking back sobs. "Your body was just too badly injured. If we keep you alive, it'll only be for a few more days."

"I knew this would happen." I said cholerically. I let my head slump back, waiting for the tears to fall. But after a few moments, and no tears had come, I understood. I understood everything. Why this had happened to me. Why I wasn't sad, everything. Deep in my subconscious, I knew I really didn't want to live anymore. Like I said before. Everything I loved, and held dear to me, had passed on, leaving me behind.

I guess the car accident was just fate. Fate's way of saying you know where you belong, and it isn't here. "Miyako." I whispered happily. "Can you please leave me?"

"Izzy." she said uncertainly. "I don't think..."

"It's okay. I'll be fine." I told her reassuringly. I watched her, as she slowly walked out of my room, never once taking her eyes off me. When the door slammed shut, I knew my time was up. I kept wondering, if this was how Joe felt. Did he know he was going to die as well? But, at this point, nothing mattered. I knew I would soon be happy, and for me, that was the best feeling on earth. Dead or alive.


EPILOGUE


For the second time that week, the Digidestined gathered around the bleak cemetery, watching another of their friends, be put to rest. Mimi and Matt had come down for Joe's funeral, but their plane had been delayed, so they missed it. But, as luck would have it, they made it just in time for Izzy's.

Now, there was only four Digidestined left. Out of the eight originals, half of them were no longer with the others. Kari was the first to go. So, her tombstone was arranged first. Then it went Tk, Joe, and finally Izzy. All in a row, all containing the bodies of those, the Digidestined would never forget.

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