Dr. Jou and Nurse Mimi pay Gennai a House Call
"Mimi-kun! This is not the tree! The one back there was not the tree! The one we passed half an hour ago is not the tree! The one we passed ten kilometers ago is not the tree! The next time you say this is the tree I am going to hang myself on it!"
"But I swear! We're almost there!" The two Chosen's voices could be heard clearly outside Gennai's home. "Just hang with me! Gennai-san's counting on us!" She pleaded.
"Well the next time Gennai needs us he should try moving his house somewhere where we can find it and not get lost and eaten by a Kuwagamon or something equally horrifying. If I get eaten by a wild digimon I will make sure you never live it down!" Jou's face was reddening as much from his ranting as from the fatigue of their unexpected hike through the digital world.
Mimi was about to retort when she saw they were approaching Gennai's house. "Aha! There! See! I told you I knew where we were going!"
Jou blew a strand of hair out of his face. "Yeah, through about twelve miles of digital wilderness. At least Gennai has a nice place," he commented.
Mimi made a clear point to ignore Jou. "S'not like you'd ever stop and ask for directions..." She muttered below her breath. She sharply rapped her knuckles on the door, and called inside. "Don't get up, Gennai-san! We're coming in!"
Jou put his hand on the doorknob. "What directions? The only digimon we saw who could talk wouldn't stop composing haiku about the wonders of conditioner." He eased the door open and peered inside. "Gennai-san?"
The Agutastics sat on the sofa and looked bored. Biggie had Shai sitting on his belly who quietly snored. The polite Agumon put a finger to his mouth when he heard Jou calling. "Shh, you rude Chosen! Gennai says it hurts him if you speak louder than... uhm, if you speak at all," he whispered.
"Oh! Sorry!" Jou called back, then changed his register to a whisper. "I mean, oh, sorry!" He quietly removed his shoes and snuck inside with his bag slung under his arm.
Mimi turned to Jou and fwapped him loudly on the shoulder. "Quiet, you oaf!" She hissed below her breath. She stepped in timidly and joined the Agutastics at the sofa. "He isn't doing any better, huh?"
"Worse, I'd say," the little Agumon sighed. "He's hiding in his bedroom, and... really, he says he's okay and everything -- well, he rather croaks it --, but when I touched his forehead it was so hot. Even for an Agumon!"
Jou frowned and stood beside the sofa. "Where is his bedroom?" he said in a perfect hospital whisper.
Shai hopped against Jou's chest. "Shai will show you!"
Biggie and his brothers slowly moved from the sofa. They all yawned when they stood. "We'll come with you. Just in case you need someone to hold him down or so," the polite Agumon said.
Mimi gave Jou a worried look. "Did they say 'hold him down?'"
Jou yelped as the tiny black digimon baby leapt into his chest and he held it against his chest and staggered backwards despite the almost nonexistent weight. "Wo-orks for me!" He chirped quietly.
Mimi put a hand on Jou's back to catch him, apparently unfazed by his usual awkwardness. It was practically second-nature to her.
Jou straightened up and held the baby in his hand. "Thank you, Mimi-kun. Now what's this about holding Gennai down?"
The polite Agumon grinned at Mimi and Jou. "He's quite testy lately." After a wink, he opened the door to the corridor which lead to their bedrooms. "Let's go already." He ran to the end of the corridor, where the last door had a sign with 'Gennai' written on it.
Jou followed the Agumon and placed the baby on his shoulder to check his pockets, making sure his thermometer, tongue depressor, and pen light were in his shirt pocket. He pulled a stethoscope out of his bag and slung it around his neck as he approached Gennai's door. "Mimi-kun, you should probably wait out here."
Mimi made a sour face of protest. "Now listen here! It was me who brought you here in the first place!"
The Agutastics rolled their eyes in unison and opened the door. "What's the matter? She won't kill him, and he won't kill her... I think," Biggie said, with not much certainty.
Jou flatstared Mimi. "With all your wonderful sense of direction, thank you very much." He followed the Agumon inside and paused while his eyes adjusted to the darkness. "Gennai-sama?" He whispered into the dark.
Mimi nearly stumbled. "...'-sama?!'" She gave Jou a weird look.
Jou looked back and shrugged and sweatdropped. "Sorry, work follows me around sometimes."
Something moved under the blanket; it pulled the blanket even more over its head.
"Gennai, you weirdo. Come out now!" the Agutastics exclaimed. As soon as they said it, they added a whispered "sorry!"
Mimi grinned wickedly, and went over to Gennai's bed. "Gennai-saaaan..." She sang softly. "We're here to make you feel better~!"
Jou shushed the Agumon and Mimi. "Don't disturb him!" he hissed as he knelt beside the bed. "Gennai-san. It's me, Jou. I'm here to take a look at you."
Mimi sat near the head of the bed, lightly patting the mound beneath the covers. "Open up, sleepy-head."
A grumpy voice came out of under the blanket. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you, leave me alone."
Shai let himself fall down from Jou's shoulder where he thought Gennai's head might be. "Shy-ny must come out! Shy-ny is ill! Sho will make him healthy!"
Mimi looked up to Jou, twisting her face to a distorted grimace, pointing to the Gennai-mound.
Jou wasn't about to be deterred by such a weak excuse. "I've heard better excuses from men who could barely talk. Now come on out. The Agumon say you're burning up and you already said that's not normal."
The polite Agumon climbed onto the bed and pulled on the blanket. Usually, Gennai was strong enough to hold against, but now he let go of it the moment he felt someone tugged on it. "But I'm super-healthy, don't you see?" He tried to smile, but his eyes watered from the sharp pain the changed expression caused. "Ouch."
Mimi gasped, and she put her hands to her face. "You poor thing!" She put a hand on Gennai's face, and then to his forehead, feeling the temperature of his skin. "You are burning up!"
Gennai winced at that and turned his head away. "No, I'm not."
Mimi took his face gently with both of her hands and turned him back to face the two Chosen. "Stop being stubborn, you're making this worse than it has to be!"
Jou flatstared Mimi and sighed as he turned to the Agumon. "Could one of you get me a pitcher of water?"
He removed his thermometer and turned the digital device on. "Here, hold this under your tongue. I wasn't sure if a mercury one would work, so I brought digital."
Mimi grinned and elbowed Jou playfully. "What a smart boy!"
The polite Agumon placed himself on Gennai's chest to hold him in place. "I told you he's testy." He sighed, gesturing dramatically. His youngest brother ran out of the door to get the water.
Gennai pouted for a second, but took the thermometer. "I'm sure this will show you how super-okay I am!"
The polite Agumon laughed at that. "Man, and I thought Biggie was childish."
Mimi flatstared at Gennai. "Shut up and let the doctor work."
Jou elbowed Mimi back. "Hey! Doctor at work here! Do you see the sick patient and the stethoscope around my neck? Doctor."
Mimi turned to Jou and twiddled her fingers in her face. "Ooh! Color me impressed! Well, that makes me your assistant then!" Mimi folded her arms proudly and shifted on the mattress. "Like Pinoco!"
Wouldn't he have to half-suck a thermometer, Gennai thought, he'd have sticked out his tongue.
Jou's face turned red and his glasses fogged up. He tried to look focused on his work, but his mind was heading for cloud nine. "Just like Black Jack..." he thought as the world changed around him. Now he was Black Jack, world-famous underground surgeon and his wife/crowning acheivement, Pinoco! And Gennai was another patient thrusting his life into the mysterious doctor's hands. Suddenly all his dreams were coming true before his eyes.
Mimi noticed Jou's stagnant position, and blinked. She mischeviously smiled and took this opportunity to pilfer his stethoscope and put it on. She held it up, earpieces placed. She grinned at Gennai, and held up the diaphragm. "Let's take that shirt off and have a listen!"
Jou was still in a clouded haze, but the sound at least brought his attention back to his work. "Let's wait for the thermometer to register, Pinoco," he said in a dreamy voice. His glasses were still fogged and his hands were unconsciously emptying his bag and filling it back up.
Mimi gave Jou a confused look, and went back to Gennai, her fingers wiggling playfully as she reached for his shirt. "Let's get you shirtless!"
The youngest Agumon just came back with the water, balancing the pitcher on his head. "Back, yo!" He placed it beneath Jou's feet, then joined his polite brother on Gennai's belly. "Strip? We heard a song on MTV. It's like 'get naked, get naked'!"
"NO!" Gennai tried to shout, but a raw cough broke him off. "I told you -- I'm super-healthy!" he croaked, holding his shirt pressed to his body.
Mimi climbed up further on the bed and straddled Gennai between her legs, wresting the shirt off of him. "We can't give you a proper physical if you keep fighting us, Gennai-san!"
"I'm not fighting!" God, did it hurt to get out of the shirt. His muscles felt so stiff, every little movement hurt. Mimi getting him undressed was hurting even more than moving by himself. "Stoooop, Mimi, ouch... hatchoooo... ouch." He breathed heavily.
Jou turned red again, this time embarassment mixed with anger. "Mimi-kun! Don't...straddle Gennai like that! Geez, if I didn't know better I'd say you were coming on to him."
Mimi felt her face turn red, and her fingers fanned out to release the shirt, dropping the poor Gennai back onto the mattress.
"Ouch," he whined, letting his mouth wide open to catch enough breath for living another five minutes at least.
The Agutastics giggled madly. "Finally it's him who has to bear that!"
Mimi flatstared at Gennai critically. "Hard to believe this is the guy who saved our butts so many times."
"Hey!" said Gennai, giving her his Piedmon-like danger look.
The themometer beeped as it fell from his mouth. He picked it up and checked the temperature. Thirty-nine degrees. Strong fever. Oh, and Mimi-kun, if you don't mind getting off Gennai as well I'm sure he'd appreciate it as well."
Mimi glared back at Gennai for a moment, her face reading, I could take you. before climbing off of him.
Shai cried quietly. He still sat on Gennai's head. "Shai ish sho shad! Shy-ny ish actinsh shrange!"
Mimi lightly poked a finger into Gennai's cheek. "See? You made Shai cry, you meanie."
"I'll remember that when I have to treat you," he muttered under his breath. "Gennai, can you answer some questions for me? And where's my stethoscope?" he asked as he felt all over himself.
Gennai pushed Mimi's finger away. He almost said 'shut up', but closed his mouth just before it could come out. "What questions?" He turned to Jou for a change.
Jou put on a pair of gloves and pulled out his pen light as he leaned over Gennai. "What exactly are your symptoms?"
"I don't have any symptoms, you fake doctor. Because if you were a real doctor, you'd see that I'm obviously healthy."
The Agutastics gasped. The polite one slapped Gennai gently. "Stop acting all bitchy. Your data is all mixed up because of the fever, and that is fine, but could you please stop hurting Shai, Mimi, and Jou!?"
Mimi rolled her eyes and looked to Jou. "I say you should give him a sedative...like morphine or something."
"I am a real doctor and I'm not hurting him!" Jou whined. "And somebody better give me back my stethoscope before I do start hurting him. Do you have any idea how much those things cost?"
He held Gennai's left eyelids open and shined the light in his eye and observed his pupils contracting.
"I am a real doctor and I'm not hurting him!" Jou whined. "And somebody better give me back my stethoscope before I start hurting Gennai. Do you have any idea how much those things cost?"
He held Gennai's left eyelids open and shined the light in his eye and observed his pupils contracting.
Mimi scoffed, and took up the stethoscope. "I'll go wash the dishes." She stood from the bed, grumbling. "Men are such babies when they are sick."
"And you're a baby when-" Gennai tried to call after her, but Biggie, sitting next to him, was fast enough to put his paws over his mouth before he could end his sentence.
Jou snatched the stethoscope from her and cradled it to his chest. "Go ahead. You'll make a great assistant that way."
Mimi stuck out her tongue at Gennai. "Watch it, I'll sneak laxitive into your food, see how you like that." She bumped her hip intentionally rough against Jou's shoulder as she sauntered out of the bedroom.
Jou staggered and fell over at her bump. "Yeah, that should be just enough to kill him if his diagnosis is as bad as his complaining."
"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not sick!" Gennai bit into Biggie's paws who jumped off the bed then.
"He's totally mad!! Do something -- just anything, Jou!!" Biggie said.
Jou sighed. "Sure." He decided to skip examining the other eye and put his stethoscope on. "You are going to sit through this examination whether you like it or not, even if all it does is answer my question about your physiology. Now lie still or I'll stick this in that pitcher of ice water and make it even colder than it already is."
Gennai swallowed hard and lay back. "Whatever."
Jou placed the diaphragm on Gennai's chest where his heart should have been and closed his eyes and listened. He heard a rhythmic thumping coming through the headphones. It sounded similar to a human heartbeat, but there was something different about it he couldn't place. He put that aside and shifted the device to the right a little more to listen to his lungs.
"Breathe."
"I am!" And he really did breathe. Slowly, with a few raspy noises, but he was breathing. "Do you think I'd be alive if I weren't breathing?"
Jou glared at him as though he could turn into Dr. Kiriko at any moment. A strange demonic light illuminated him and cast his face into partial shadow. "I am trying to make sure your cough isn't being caused by fluid filling your lungs, which we humans call pneumonia and kills about a million people a year, Gennai-sama. So if you want this to end quickly since you're not sick, let me do my job or so help me I will make a drug cocktail from what's in my bag and see what happens when I inject you with it."
"Oh... uh. Okay?" Gennai stared at him, blinking a few times. He nodded silently and didn't say any further comment.
"Oh, you're so great!" said the youngest Agumon. He hugged Jou's leg.
Jou smiled and everything went rosy again. "Thank you! Now please breathe deeply."
"My pleasure..." Gennai said, admittedly a bit scared by the Chosen. He took a deep breath, but it hurt and so he ended it with a cough instead with breathing out. When he tried again, it worked.
Jou frowned and moved the diaphragm to the left side. "Again, please." Jou sat back and took the stethoscope out of his ears. "That should be enough. When did the symptoms start?"
Gennai opened his mouth to answer, but the polite Agumon was faster. "He had a light fever one week ago, but all this strange behaviour and croaking and so is just two days old."
"Symptoms aren't babies," the youngest Agumon said. "Or are they?" He gave Jou a puzzled look.
Jou smiled nervously, remembering the recent digi-discussion on the origin of babies. "Uh, no, that's perfectly okay. So two days?"
Gennai half-shrugged, half-nodded. "I think so. Can't remember the last hours that well, to admit."
Jou frowned and rubbed his chin. "Have you been urinating frequently?"
"Sorry!?!" Gennai stared at him in disbelief. At least thanks to his fever his face already was red, so he could hardly blush. "I... er... uhm. Don't... do that sort of thing," he admitted, shyly looking down on the blanket.
Jou shifted in discomfort. Awkwaard..."Oh, uh, sorry. Common medical question. Sounds like you've been sleeping it off, mostly. Can you drink something?" He offered, filling a glass with water from the pitcher.
"Er... well. You don't have to say sorry for that." He took the glass and sipped the water slowly. It burned down his throat. He knew it was cold, but still... though he didn't gave an 'ouch'.
Jou watched him carefully. He knew sick people usually gulp water, not sip it. "How is your throat?"
Gennai's first thought was 'fine, I'm healthy!', but he said, "It feels like a frayed cable."
Jou nodded. "Right. Let's have a look." He pulled out his pen light and tongue depressor and scooted close to Gennai. "Open your mouth wide and say ah."
"Eeeh?" Gennai shook his head. He closed his eyes because it made him dizzy. "I mean - aaaah."
Jou leaned in close and jammed the tongue depressor into Gennai's mouth. He turned the light on and shined it into Gennai's throat. "Now let's see-HOLY CRAP!" He snapped back away from Gennai, the depressor still in his mouth.
Gennai choked on the depressor before he spit it out. "Wha- what is it!?"
A soft stampeding noise could be heard down the hallway, and the door swung open, Mimi panting. "What's wrong?!"
"I think Jou is going crazy now. Seems like I infected him. Hahahaha!" Gennai coughed on his own laughter. "Ugh."
Mimi stood at the doorway, her eyes shifting quickly to Jou.
Jou glared at Gennai and looked at Mimi uncertainly. "I'm not really sure. I need a second look." He leaned over Gennai and flicked the light on again. Once more please, or I use the depressor."
"Yeaaah... but promise not to try killing me again with that ... thing!" He obediently opened his mouth again.
Mimi walked over to the bedside, and watched with keen interest. "I'm surprised, you actually got him to behave for you." Mimi whimsically said to Jou, her tone indicating as though Gennai were a feral dog.
Jou smiled at her from the side of his face. "We doctors have our tricks." He shined the light into Gennai's throat and took a thorough look. "Whoooaah, cool."
Gennai glared at Mimi, but before he could say anything mean, Jou was lightning up his mouth again. "Wha-?"
"Shhhh!" Mimi scolded.
Jou stared silently at Gennai, trying to collect his thoughts, trying to think of the best way to tell Gennai. Finally, all he could say was, "It's green. Like a pear."
"Go figure." Gennai chuckled, apparently not knowing why this was so 'cool'.
Mimi shoved herself in, wanting a looksie. "What's green? His throat?!"
Jou nodded excitedly. "Yeah! Just like your cell phone! Gennai, open up again!"Jou flicked on the light as his eyes wandered to heaven. "I've never seen anything like this. Nobody's ever seen anything like this! The digital world is uncharted medical territory, Gennai-san! If you would be my case study, I could be famous! The youngest winner of the Nobel Prize ever! Not even thirty and I'm already winning mankind's most prestigous award!"
Gennai sighed and pushed Jou back. He smiled, even if it did cause unhuman pain. "Well, as I'm not a Digimon, I think I'm not the best case study for the Digital World. I'm like... Bigfoot, or Nessie. A Yeti."
Mimi snorted a giggle, and turned away at the thought.
Jou snapped his fingers. "Legendary creatures with ties to prehistoric species! Even better!"
"B-B-but..." Gennai had no more words. He just stared at Jou.
Mimi returned to the bedside, "Now, lay back down! I'll go make you some soup or something--you need to have something on your stomach. When was the last time you ate something?"
Gennai blinked at Mimi. He was still shocked, so, once again, the polite Agumon spoke for him. "We tried to give him something this morning, but he refused to eat it. He even punched me... brat."
Mimi turned back to Gennai, her mouth agape in shock. "You didn't!"
Jou sensed something was coming and moved the pitcher farther away from the bed.
Gennai bowed his head in shame. "Well, just a pat, rather."
"Pat!?! Are you serious!?" the polite Agumon exclaimed. "You threw me out of this room!!"
"Would you please SHUT UP!" Gennai shouted back as strongly as he could.
Mimi gasped and fwaped Gennai on the shoulder. "Be nice, you old goat! They're only kids!"
"You shouldn't be raising your voice and stressing your throat out," Jou quietly interjected.
"I AM nice," he said a little more quietly.
Jou cleared his throat. "Some food would do you good. Regardless of what you are you do need energy. Something nice and slimy, like pasta might do you some good."
The polite Agumon sobbed. His brothers comforted him, and shot Gennai a deathly glare. "He doesn't deserve food!"
Jou looked at them curiously. "Didn't you guys ask for help in the first place?"
They all pouted. "Yes... sorry. But you have to say he's really not clear today!"
Gennai pulled the blanket back over his head. "If my data would just explode and make me braindead by that."
Jou sighed and facepalmed. "Make him something salty. Any type of cheese pasta, or ramen will be good. No salads or acidic things like orange juice or tomatoes until his throat gets better, and try to do a saltwater gargle four times a day, Gennai-san."
"Doesn't sound funny..." Gennai mumbled from under the blanket.
Mimi smiled, and looked down to the Agutastics. "Tell you what, I will leave you my recipe for fettucine alfredo! It's the best!" She winked.
The sobbing Agumon looked up to her. "What is that?" He sniffed.
Mimi crouched down and softly rubbed his snout. "It's a creamy, slimy Italian pasta dish! It's soooo yummy and cheesy!"
Jou's eyes went starry again. "Cheese...."
He sobbed again. "I might like that. Mimi~? You think Gennai will like us again when he ate something?" He snuggled against her.
Jou scratched his head in thought. "It might work. When people get hungry their blood sugar goes down and they tend to get more and more irritable as a result."
"I AM SUPER-NICE," said Gennai, already regretting it the moment it was said because he had to sneeze and cough. "Whatever. What is it, by the way? The ultimate Yeti flu? Green throat included?"
"But your throat is always green," Biggie said, grinning at him. "I have to know, I put things in your mouth when you sleep! Er... I ... didn't say that..."
Mimi winked at the Agumon, "Don't worry, I won't get off his case until he is all hearts and roses again!"
The polite Agumon hugged Mimi. Almost so hard that he scratched her with his claws. "Oh... Mimi!!!" His brothers started to cry too, and hugged Mimi together. "We want our Gennai bahahahahaaaaack!!"
Jou took that as his cue. "Okay! Everybody out! The sick man needs his rest! Go make him feel better somewhere else!" he declared as he began shooing everyone toward the door.
Mimi let out a feeble squeak as the Agumon brothers squeezed the life nearly out of her.
The Agumon sobbed and cried, but walked out of the door with no protest
Mimi awkwardly led the Agumon out into the hallway, trying to comfort them. She couldn't help but wonder in the back of her mind if the events of last week's karaoke party had anything to do with Gennai's bitter countenance.
The youngest Agumon took Mimi's hand. "Mimi, and it's sure he'll be back to normal soon? Please! He was so stiff and sad the whole week. And now he's so angry! I really don't like him this way."
Jou sighed as the door shut behind him, leaving he and Gennai alone. He knelt beside their old ally and gathered up his things. "Think you'll be okay?"
Mimi crouched down again in the hallway, pulling the Agumon into the corner. "Sad, you say?"
"I honestly don't know, Jou." He panted slowly and closed his eyes. "My body hurts, my head... it's... dreadful." He smiled sadly. "It was long ago I felt this way."
The young Agumon shrieked. He nodded eagerly. "Y-yes, sad I said!"
His brothers nodded in agreement. "He was walking around like dead and when we tried to make him laugh he just patted us and went away."
Jou paused. "What did you do then? How did you make the pain stop?"
I knew it. Mimi thought to herself. There's more to this than just some weird bug going around. "Has he said anything?"
"I didn't do anything. I fell asleep sometime, and when I woke -- I was an ugly old man." He turned to face Jou. "Funny, isn't it?"
The Agutastic brothers exchanged a look full of worries. "No, not a single thing. Why? Do you know something about this?"
Jou smiled. "Hah, yeah." He felt his insides shrink. Didn't Apocalymon's influence twist Gennai into an old man? Did this mean something was happening to the Digital World once more? Gennai and the digital world did seem to have some kind of bond. This could be more serious than some bug...
"I'll leave you some medicine I brought and some instructions for the Agumon. Let me know if the symptoms get any better, worse, or persist for too long."
Gennai put an arm before his face. "Thank you, Jou."
Mimi lowered her eyes, and shook her head. "Not enough, I'm afraid...I wish I could help somehow..."
"Don't mention it. You've been a great patient." Jou stood to leave. "Oh, whatever you do, don't take too many of these painkillers. You'll regret it."
The youngest Agumon stared down. "What if it doesn't get better? What if... what... we can't live without him." He watched her, his big eyes glowing with sadness.
"Great patient... haha. Yeah." Gennai sighed. He wouldn't take any of the pills, he was sure. "I'll see that I don't eat them like candy."
Jou scratched his head. "Uh, you can't eat them. They taste like chalk mixed with cement mix. You have to swallow them whole with water."
Mimi hugged the Agumon gently, and sighed. "Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to him."
"Don't say that. I can't taste a thing for two weeks by now. I believe I could eat - I'm sorry - shit." Gennai laughed, though he didn't think that was so funny.
The young Agumon nodded. "I trust you, Chosen. Don't disappoint me, my brothers, or Gennai. Especially Gennai. He loves you like you were his Children." He sobbed louddly.
Jou nodded hopefully. "You think you can eat? Good! That's a start. you have to be strong if you want to get over this. Anything else you need, Gennai-san?"
He shook his head slowly. Then he shrugged suddenly. "A new body? But that's probably asked a bit too much."
"We have plenty of cadavers at the university!" Jou joked.
"That is gross." Gennai shook his head again, this time a bit faster. "I think I'll try to get healthy instead."
Mimi shrank back a bit, and lightly patted the Agumon on his head again. "...I know...shh...calm down a bit, ne? He'll be fine. Nothing's going to happen to him on my watch."
"Good choice. Okay then, see you later, Gennai-san!" He bowed to Gennai as he excused hiimself from the room.
The polite Agumon folded his arms. "I wouldn't be too sure. He looks a bit... how should I explain that -- uhm, transparent at times. His body, I mean."
Biggie slapped him softly. "Gennai told us not to say a thing!"
Mimi froze in terror at that last statement, and the color washed from her face. "...what?"
Gennai waved a tired goodbye to Jou, then hid himself under the blanket again. Now he only hoped to wake the next morning. In his natural shape.
Biggie patted her. "It's nothing! Nothing!! He didn't say a thing, that stupid Agumon. Ahahaha!"
Jou stepped out and closed the door, then turned around and found himself in the middle of what was probably a very interesting conversation. "Um, am I interrupting something?"
Mimi abruptly stood, and lightly pinched at Jou's shirt sleeve, tugging on it gently. Her eyes were fixed on the ground--or moreso, his shoes. "--we'll talk when we get back." Her voice was almost a whisper, taking great care not to let Gennai hear.
The Agutastics, all of them startled, looked up to the two Chosen Children. "Hey! What is wrong now?!"
Jou nodded, then turned a smile on the Agutastics. "Nothing! We just need to get back to the real world and get back to our lives. You know, we have jobs and dates and stuff to keep up with."
Mimi rolled her eyes at that. "I have jobs and dates. You just have jobs."
Jou elbowed her. "Not in front of the children, dear."
Mimi flinched at Jou's poke, and roughly jabbed him back.
"Jou and dates? That sounds so strange," said Biggie. "Isn't Jou asexual or something?"
The polite Agumon moaned. "You idiot. Look at his crotch!"
Mimi promptly stumbled at the polite Agumon's declaration. "GAAAH!"
Jou's reaction mirrored Mimi's, though he subconsciously covered his crotch. "You don't just talk about those things out loud!"
"SHHHH!" Mimi hissed. "Gennai-san is trying to sleep!"
The Agutastics blinked. "Why not?"
The polite Agumon sighed. "I think he got confused with you and Gennai. However that is possible... Gennai looks way better."
"Though he is what I thought Jou were?"
"I don't know for sure, I told you so more than one time." The polite Agumon shrugged.
The little Agumon nodded, thoughtfully tilting his head to the side. "He never gets naked in front of us. The guys on TV do it all the time!"
Mimi blankly stared at the Agumon. "....."
Jou's expression once again mirrored Mimi's. He took her by the arm and began ushering her sideways around the Agumon.
"Thanks for your hospitality guys!" he said a little too cheerfully. "Let us know how Gennai is doing!" He quickly ushered Mimi around them and down the hall.
The Agutastics sighed while waving after them. All together they exclaimed, "Humans are like the weirdest thing ever."
Mimi, hunched up awkwardly, was dragged along by her Sempai towards the doorway. She cast a look towards the Agumon, and called back to them. "Keep me posted on how he's doing, okay? I'll stop by later with a care package!"
"OKAAAY!" Biggie screamed to her. Then he turned to Gennai's door. "Sorry!"
Mimi smiled, and then turned back to face Jou, darkly glaring at him. "Sempai! I know my way to the door!"
"Sorry!" said Jou, releasing her. He slipped his shoes on and shook his head. "Do you think that's what happens to Digimon when they don't have a partner?"
"The Agutastics, you mean?" Mimi did the same.
"Yeah. And by that I mean go completely weird."
Mimi smiled slightly, and tapped her toe on the floor. "I dunno, I'd bet you'd say the same about Gomamon, what's his excuse?"
Jou laughed. "He keeps me in line." He pulled the door open and sighed as the fresh digital air rushed into the house. "Now which way did we come from?"
"But I swear! We're almost there!" The two Chosen's voices could be heard clearly outside Gennai's home. "Just hang with me! Gennai-san's counting on us!" She pleaded.
"Well the next time Gennai needs us he should try moving his house somewhere where we can find it and not get lost and eaten by a Kuwagamon or something equally horrifying. If I get eaten by a wild digimon I will make sure you never live it down!" Jou's face was reddening as much from his ranting as from the fatigue of their unexpected hike through the digital world.
Mimi was about to retort when she saw they were approaching Gennai's house. "Aha! There! See! I told you I knew where we were going!"
Jou blew a strand of hair out of his face. "Yeah, through about twelve miles of digital wilderness. At least Gennai has a nice place," he commented.
Mimi made a clear point to ignore Jou. "S'not like you'd ever stop and ask for directions..." She muttered below her breath. She sharply rapped her knuckles on the door, and called inside. "Don't get up, Gennai-san! We're coming in!"
Jou put his hand on the doorknob. "What directions? The only digimon we saw who could talk wouldn't stop composing haiku about the wonders of conditioner." He eased the door open and peered inside. "Gennai-san?"
The Agutastics sat on the sofa and looked bored. Biggie had Shai sitting on his belly who quietly snored. The polite Agumon put a finger to his mouth when he heard Jou calling. "Shh, you rude Chosen! Gennai says it hurts him if you speak louder than... uhm, if you speak at all," he whispered.
"Oh! Sorry!" Jou called back, then changed his register to a whisper. "I mean, oh, sorry!" He quietly removed his shoes and snuck inside with his bag slung under his arm.
Mimi turned to Jou and fwapped him loudly on the shoulder. "Quiet, you oaf!" She hissed below her breath. She stepped in timidly and joined the Agutastics at the sofa. "He isn't doing any better, huh?"
"Worse, I'd say," the little Agumon sighed. "He's hiding in his bedroom, and... really, he says he's okay and everything -- well, he rather croaks it --, but when I touched his forehead it was so hot. Even for an Agumon!"
Jou frowned and stood beside the sofa. "Where is his bedroom?" he said in a perfect hospital whisper.
Shai hopped against Jou's chest. "Shai will show you!"
Biggie and his brothers slowly moved from the sofa. They all yawned when they stood. "We'll come with you. Just in case you need someone to hold him down or so," the polite Agumon said.
Mimi gave Jou a worried look. "Did they say 'hold him down?'"
Jou yelped as the tiny black digimon baby leapt into his chest and he held it against his chest and staggered backwards despite the almost nonexistent weight. "Wo-orks for me!" He chirped quietly.
Mimi put a hand on Jou's back to catch him, apparently unfazed by his usual awkwardness. It was practically second-nature to her.
Jou straightened up and held the baby in his hand. "Thank you, Mimi-kun. Now what's this about holding Gennai down?"
The polite Agumon grinned at Mimi and Jou. "He's quite testy lately." After a wink, he opened the door to the corridor which lead to their bedrooms. "Let's go already." He ran to the end of the corridor, where the last door had a sign with 'Gennai' written on it.
Jou followed the Agumon and placed the baby on his shoulder to check his pockets, making sure his thermometer, tongue depressor, and pen light were in his shirt pocket. He pulled a stethoscope out of his bag and slung it around his neck as he approached Gennai's door. "Mimi-kun, you should probably wait out here."
Mimi made a sour face of protest. "Now listen here! It was me who brought you here in the first place!"
The Agutastics rolled their eyes in unison and opened the door. "What's the matter? She won't kill him, and he won't kill her... I think," Biggie said, with not much certainty.
Jou flatstared Mimi. "With all your wonderful sense of direction, thank you very much." He followed the Agumon inside and paused while his eyes adjusted to the darkness. "Gennai-sama?" He whispered into the dark.
Mimi nearly stumbled. "...'-sama?!'" She gave Jou a weird look.
Jou looked back and shrugged and sweatdropped. "Sorry, work follows me around sometimes."
Something moved under the blanket; it pulled the blanket even more over its head.
"Gennai, you weirdo. Come out now!" the Agutastics exclaimed. As soon as they said it, they added a whispered "sorry!"
Mimi grinned wickedly, and went over to Gennai's bed. "Gennai-saaaan..." She sang softly. "We're here to make you feel better~!"
Jou shushed the Agumon and Mimi. "Don't disturb him!" he hissed as he knelt beside the bed. "Gennai-san. It's me, Jou. I'm here to take a look at you."
Mimi sat near the head of the bed, lightly patting the mound beneath the covers. "Open up, sleepy-head."
A grumpy voice came out of under the blanket. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you, leave me alone."
Shai let himself fall down from Jou's shoulder where he thought Gennai's head might be. "Shy-ny must come out! Shy-ny is ill! Sho will make him healthy!"
Mimi looked up to Jou, twisting her face to a distorted grimace, pointing to the Gennai-mound.
Jou wasn't about to be deterred by such a weak excuse. "I've heard better excuses from men who could barely talk. Now come on out. The Agumon say you're burning up and you already said that's not normal."
The polite Agumon climbed onto the bed and pulled on the blanket. Usually, Gennai was strong enough to hold against, but now he let go of it the moment he felt someone tugged on it. "But I'm super-healthy, don't you see?" He tried to smile, but his eyes watered from the sharp pain the changed expression caused. "Ouch."
Mimi gasped, and she put her hands to her face. "You poor thing!" She put a hand on Gennai's face, and then to his forehead, feeling the temperature of his skin. "You are burning up!"
Gennai winced at that and turned his head away. "No, I'm not."
Mimi took his face gently with both of her hands and turned him back to face the two Chosen. "Stop being stubborn, you're making this worse than it has to be!"
Jou flatstared Mimi and sighed as he turned to the Agumon. "Could one of you get me a pitcher of water?"
He removed his thermometer and turned the digital device on. "Here, hold this under your tongue. I wasn't sure if a mercury one would work, so I brought digital."
Mimi grinned and elbowed Jou playfully. "What a smart boy!"
The polite Agumon placed himself on Gennai's chest to hold him in place. "I told you he's testy." He sighed, gesturing dramatically. His youngest brother ran out of the door to get the water.
Gennai pouted for a second, but took the thermometer. "I'm sure this will show you how super-okay I am!"
The polite Agumon laughed at that. "Man, and I thought Biggie was childish."
Mimi flatstared at Gennai. "Shut up and let the doctor work."
Jou elbowed Mimi back. "Hey! Doctor at work here! Do you see the sick patient and the stethoscope around my neck? Doctor."
Mimi turned to Jou and twiddled her fingers in her face. "Ooh! Color me impressed! Well, that makes me your assistant then!" Mimi folded her arms proudly and shifted on the mattress. "Like Pinoco!"
Wouldn't he have to half-suck a thermometer, Gennai thought, he'd have sticked out his tongue.
Jou's face turned red and his glasses fogged up. He tried to look focused on his work, but his mind was heading for cloud nine. "Just like Black Jack..." he thought as the world changed around him. Now he was Black Jack, world-famous underground surgeon and his wife/crowning acheivement, Pinoco! And Gennai was another patient thrusting his life into the mysterious doctor's hands. Suddenly all his dreams were coming true before his eyes.
Mimi noticed Jou's stagnant position, and blinked. She mischeviously smiled and took this opportunity to pilfer his stethoscope and put it on. She held it up, earpieces placed. She grinned at Gennai, and held up the diaphragm. "Let's take that shirt off and have a listen!"
Jou was still in a clouded haze, but the sound at least brought his attention back to his work. "Let's wait for the thermometer to register, Pinoco," he said in a dreamy voice. His glasses were still fogged and his hands were unconsciously emptying his bag and filling it back up.
Mimi gave Jou a confused look, and went back to Gennai, her fingers wiggling playfully as she reached for his shirt. "Let's get you shirtless!"
The youngest Agumon just came back with the water, balancing the pitcher on his head. "Back, yo!" He placed it beneath Jou's feet, then joined his polite brother on Gennai's belly. "Strip? We heard a song on MTV. It's like 'get naked, get naked'!"
"NO!" Gennai tried to shout, but a raw cough broke him off. "I told you -- I'm super-healthy!" he croaked, holding his shirt pressed to his body.
Mimi climbed up further on the bed and straddled Gennai between her legs, wresting the shirt off of him. "We can't give you a proper physical if you keep fighting us, Gennai-san!"
"I'm not fighting!" God, did it hurt to get out of the shirt. His muscles felt so stiff, every little movement hurt. Mimi getting him undressed was hurting even more than moving by himself. "Stoooop, Mimi, ouch... hatchoooo... ouch." He breathed heavily.
Jou turned red again, this time embarassment mixed with anger. "Mimi-kun! Don't...straddle Gennai like that! Geez, if I didn't know better I'd say you were coming on to him."
Mimi felt her face turn red, and her fingers fanned out to release the shirt, dropping the poor Gennai back onto the mattress.
"Ouch," he whined, letting his mouth wide open to catch enough breath for living another five minutes at least.
The Agutastics giggled madly. "Finally it's him who has to bear that!"
Mimi flatstared at Gennai critically. "Hard to believe this is the guy who saved our butts so many times."
"Hey!" said Gennai, giving her his Piedmon-like danger look.
The themometer beeped as it fell from his mouth. He picked it up and checked the temperature. Thirty-nine degrees. Strong fever. Oh, and Mimi-kun, if you don't mind getting off Gennai as well I'm sure he'd appreciate it as well."
Mimi glared back at Gennai for a moment, her face reading, I could take you. before climbing off of him.
Shai cried quietly. He still sat on Gennai's head. "Shai ish sho shad! Shy-ny ish actinsh shrange!"
Mimi lightly poked a finger into Gennai's cheek. "See? You made Shai cry, you meanie."
"I'll remember that when I have to treat you," he muttered under his breath. "Gennai, can you answer some questions for me? And where's my stethoscope?" he asked as he felt all over himself.
Gennai pushed Mimi's finger away. He almost said 'shut up', but closed his mouth just before it could come out. "What questions?" He turned to Jou for a change.
Jou put on a pair of gloves and pulled out his pen light as he leaned over Gennai. "What exactly are your symptoms?"
"I don't have any symptoms, you fake doctor. Because if you were a real doctor, you'd see that I'm obviously healthy."
The Agutastics gasped. The polite one slapped Gennai gently. "Stop acting all bitchy. Your data is all mixed up because of the fever, and that is fine, but could you please stop hurting Shai, Mimi, and Jou!?"
Mimi rolled her eyes and looked to Jou. "I say you should give him a sedative...like morphine or something."
"I am a real doctor and I'm not hurting him!" Jou whined. "And somebody better give me back my stethoscope before I do start hurting him. Do you have any idea how much those things cost?"
He held Gennai's left eyelids open and shined the light in his eye and observed his pupils contracting.
"I am a real doctor and I'm not hurting him!" Jou whined. "And somebody better give me back my stethoscope before I start hurting Gennai. Do you have any idea how much those things cost?"
He held Gennai's left eyelids open and shined the light in his eye and observed his pupils contracting.
Mimi scoffed, and took up the stethoscope. "I'll go wash the dishes." She stood from the bed, grumbling. "Men are such babies when they are sick."
"And you're a baby when-" Gennai tried to call after her, but Biggie, sitting next to him, was fast enough to put his paws over his mouth before he could end his sentence.
Jou snatched the stethoscope from her and cradled it to his chest. "Go ahead. You'll make a great assistant that way."
Mimi stuck out her tongue at Gennai. "Watch it, I'll sneak laxitive into your food, see how you like that." She bumped her hip intentionally rough against Jou's shoulder as she sauntered out of the bedroom.
Jou staggered and fell over at her bump. "Yeah, that should be just enough to kill him if his diagnosis is as bad as his complaining."
"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not sick!" Gennai bit into Biggie's paws who jumped off the bed then.
"He's totally mad!! Do something -- just anything, Jou!!" Biggie said.
Jou sighed. "Sure." He decided to skip examining the other eye and put his stethoscope on. "You are going to sit through this examination whether you like it or not, even if all it does is answer my question about your physiology. Now lie still or I'll stick this in that pitcher of ice water and make it even colder than it already is."
Gennai swallowed hard and lay back. "Whatever."
Jou placed the diaphragm on Gennai's chest where his heart should have been and closed his eyes and listened. He heard a rhythmic thumping coming through the headphones. It sounded similar to a human heartbeat, but there was something different about it he couldn't place. He put that aside and shifted the device to the right a little more to listen to his lungs.
"Breathe."
"I am!" And he really did breathe. Slowly, with a few raspy noises, but he was breathing. "Do you think I'd be alive if I weren't breathing?"
Jou glared at him as though he could turn into Dr. Kiriko at any moment. A strange demonic light illuminated him and cast his face into partial shadow. "I am trying to make sure your cough isn't being caused by fluid filling your lungs, which we humans call pneumonia and kills about a million people a year, Gennai-sama. So if you want this to end quickly since you're not sick, let me do my job or so help me I will make a drug cocktail from what's in my bag and see what happens when I inject you with it."
"Oh... uh. Okay?" Gennai stared at him, blinking a few times. He nodded silently and didn't say any further comment.
"Oh, you're so great!" said the youngest Agumon. He hugged Jou's leg.
Jou smiled and everything went rosy again. "Thank you! Now please breathe deeply."
"My pleasure..." Gennai said, admittedly a bit scared by the Chosen. He took a deep breath, but it hurt and so he ended it with a cough instead with breathing out. When he tried again, it worked.
Jou frowned and moved the diaphragm to the left side. "Again, please." Jou sat back and took the stethoscope out of his ears. "That should be enough. When did the symptoms start?"
Gennai opened his mouth to answer, but the polite Agumon was faster. "He had a light fever one week ago, but all this strange behaviour and croaking and so is just two days old."
"Symptoms aren't babies," the youngest Agumon said. "Or are they?" He gave Jou a puzzled look.
Jou smiled nervously, remembering the recent digi-discussion on the origin of babies. "Uh, no, that's perfectly okay. So two days?"
Gennai half-shrugged, half-nodded. "I think so. Can't remember the last hours that well, to admit."
Jou frowned and rubbed his chin. "Have you been urinating frequently?"
"Sorry!?!" Gennai stared at him in disbelief. At least thanks to his fever his face already was red, so he could hardly blush. "I... er... uhm. Don't... do that sort of thing," he admitted, shyly looking down on the blanket.
Jou shifted in discomfort. Awkwaard..."Oh, uh, sorry. Common medical question. Sounds like you've been sleeping it off, mostly. Can you drink something?" He offered, filling a glass with water from the pitcher.
"Er... well. You don't have to say sorry for that." He took the glass and sipped the water slowly. It burned down his throat. He knew it was cold, but still... though he didn't gave an 'ouch'.
Jou watched him carefully. He knew sick people usually gulp water, not sip it. "How is your throat?"
Gennai's first thought was 'fine, I'm healthy!', but he said, "It feels like a frayed cable."
Jou nodded. "Right. Let's have a look." He pulled out his pen light and tongue depressor and scooted close to Gennai. "Open your mouth wide and say ah."
"Eeeh?" Gennai shook his head. He closed his eyes because it made him dizzy. "I mean - aaaah."
Jou leaned in close and jammed the tongue depressor into Gennai's mouth. He turned the light on and shined it into Gennai's throat. "Now let's see-HOLY CRAP!" He snapped back away from Gennai, the depressor still in his mouth.
Gennai choked on the depressor before he spit it out. "Wha- what is it!?"
A soft stampeding noise could be heard down the hallway, and the door swung open, Mimi panting. "What's wrong?!"
"I think Jou is going crazy now. Seems like I infected him. Hahahaha!" Gennai coughed on his own laughter. "Ugh."
Mimi stood at the doorway, her eyes shifting quickly to Jou.
Jou glared at Gennai and looked at Mimi uncertainly. "I'm not really sure. I need a second look." He leaned over Gennai and flicked the light on again. Once more please, or I use the depressor."
"Yeaaah... but promise not to try killing me again with that ... thing!" He obediently opened his mouth again.
Mimi walked over to the bedside, and watched with keen interest. "I'm surprised, you actually got him to behave for you." Mimi whimsically said to Jou, her tone indicating as though Gennai were a feral dog.
Jou smiled at her from the side of his face. "We doctors have our tricks." He shined the light into Gennai's throat and took a thorough look. "Whoooaah, cool."
Gennai glared at Mimi, but before he could say anything mean, Jou was lightning up his mouth again. "Wha-?"
"Shhhh!" Mimi scolded.
Jou stared silently at Gennai, trying to collect his thoughts, trying to think of the best way to tell Gennai. Finally, all he could say was, "It's green. Like a pear."
"Go figure." Gennai chuckled, apparently not knowing why this was so 'cool'.
Mimi shoved herself in, wanting a looksie. "What's green? His throat?!"
Jou nodded excitedly. "Yeah! Just like your cell phone! Gennai, open up again!"Jou flicked on the light as his eyes wandered to heaven. "I've never seen anything like this. Nobody's ever seen anything like this! The digital world is uncharted medical territory, Gennai-san! If you would be my case study, I could be famous! The youngest winner of the Nobel Prize ever! Not even thirty and I'm already winning mankind's most prestigous award!"
Gennai sighed and pushed Jou back. He smiled, even if it did cause unhuman pain. "Well, as I'm not a Digimon, I think I'm not the best case study for the Digital World. I'm like... Bigfoot, or Nessie. A Yeti."
Mimi snorted a giggle, and turned away at the thought.
Jou snapped his fingers. "Legendary creatures with ties to prehistoric species! Even better!"
"B-B-but..." Gennai had no more words. He just stared at Jou.
Mimi returned to the bedside, "Now, lay back down! I'll go make you some soup or something--you need to have something on your stomach. When was the last time you ate something?"
Gennai blinked at Mimi. He was still shocked, so, once again, the polite Agumon spoke for him. "We tried to give him something this morning, but he refused to eat it. He even punched me... brat."
Mimi turned back to Gennai, her mouth agape in shock. "You didn't!"
Jou sensed something was coming and moved the pitcher farther away from the bed.
Gennai bowed his head in shame. "Well, just a pat, rather."
"Pat!?! Are you serious!?" the polite Agumon exclaimed. "You threw me out of this room!!"
"Would you please SHUT UP!" Gennai shouted back as strongly as he could.
Mimi gasped and fwaped Gennai on the shoulder. "Be nice, you old goat! They're only kids!"
"You shouldn't be raising your voice and stressing your throat out," Jou quietly interjected.
"I AM nice," he said a little more quietly.
Jou cleared his throat. "Some food would do you good. Regardless of what you are you do need energy. Something nice and slimy, like pasta might do you some good."
The polite Agumon sobbed. His brothers comforted him, and shot Gennai a deathly glare. "He doesn't deserve food!"
Jou looked at them curiously. "Didn't you guys ask for help in the first place?"
They all pouted. "Yes... sorry. But you have to say he's really not clear today!"
Gennai pulled the blanket back over his head. "If my data would just explode and make me braindead by that."
Jou sighed and facepalmed. "Make him something salty. Any type of cheese pasta, or ramen will be good. No salads or acidic things like orange juice or tomatoes until his throat gets better, and try to do a saltwater gargle four times a day, Gennai-san."
"Doesn't sound funny..." Gennai mumbled from under the blanket.
Mimi smiled, and looked down to the Agutastics. "Tell you what, I will leave you my recipe for fettucine alfredo! It's the best!" She winked.
The sobbing Agumon looked up to her. "What is that?" He sniffed.
Mimi crouched down and softly rubbed his snout. "It's a creamy, slimy Italian pasta dish! It's soooo yummy and cheesy!"
Jou's eyes went starry again. "Cheese...."
He sobbed again. "I might like that. Mimi~? You think Gennai will like us again when he ate something?" He snuggled against her.
Jou scratched his head in thought. "It might work. When people get hungry their blood sugar goes down and they tend to get more and more irritable as a result."
"I AM SUPER-NICE," said Gennai, already regretting it the moment it was said because he had to sneeze and cough. "Whatever. What is it, by the way? The ultimate Yeti flu? Green throat included?"
"But your throat is always green," Biggie said, grinning at him. "I have to know, I put things in your mouth when you sleep! Er... I ... didn't say that..."
Mimi winked at the Agumon, "Don't worry, I won't get off his case until he is all hearts and roses again!"
The polite Agumon hugged Mimi. Almost so hard that he scratched her with his claws. "Oh... Mimi!!!" His brothers started to cry too, and hugged Mimi together. "We want our Gennai bahahahahaaaaack!!"
Jou took that as his cue. "Okay! Everybody out! The sick man needs his rest! Go make him feel better somewhere else!" he declared as he began shooing everyone toward the door.
Mimi let out a feeble squeak as the Agumon brothers squeezed the life nearly out of her.
The Agumon sobbed and cried, but walked out of the door with no protest
Mimi awkwardly led the Agumon out into the hallway, trying to comfort them. She couldn't help but wonder in the back of her mind if the events of last week's karaoke party had anything to do with Gennai's bitter countenance.
The youngest Agumon took Mimi's hand. "Mimi, and it's sure he'll be back to normal soon? Please! He was so stiff and sad the whole week. And now he's so angry! I really don't like him this way."
Jou sighed as the door shut behind him, leaving he and Gennai alone. He knelt beside their old ally and gathered up his things. "Think you'll be okay?"
Mimi crouched down again in the hallway, pulling the Agumon into the corner. "Sad, you say?"
"I honestly don't know, Jou." He panted slowly and closed his eyes. "My body hurts, my head... it's... dreadful." He smiled sadly. "It was long ago I felt this way."
The young Agumon shrieked. He nodded eagerly. "Y-yes, sad I said!"
His brothers nodded in agreement. "He was walking around like dead and when we tried to make him laugh he just patted us and went away."
Jou paused. "What did you do then? How did you make the pain stop?"
I knew it. Mimi thought to herself. There's more to this than just some weird bug going around. "Has he said anything?"
"I didn't do anything. I fell asleep sometime, and when I woke -- I was an ugly old man." He turned to face Jou. "Funny, isn't it?"
The Agutastic brothers exchanged a look full of worries. "No, not a single thing. Why? Do you know something about this?"
Jou smiled. "Hah, yeah." He felt his insides shrink. Didn't Apocalymon's influence twist Gennai into an old man? Did this mean something was happening to the Digital World once more? Gennai and the digital world did seem to have some kind of bond. This could be more serious than some bug...
"I'll leave you some medicine I brought and some instructions for the Agumon. Let me know if the symptoms get any better, worse, or persist for too long."
Gennai put an arm before his face. "Thank you, Jou."
Mimi lowered her eyes, and shook her head. "Not enough, I'm afraid...I wish I could help somehow..."
"Don't mention it. You've been a great patient." Jou stood to leave. "Oh, whatever you do, don't take too many of these painkillers. You'll regret it."
The youngest Agumon stared down. "What if it doesn't get better? What if... what... we can't live without him." He watched her, his big eyes glowing with sadness.
"Great patient... haha. Yeah." Gennai sighed. He wouldn't take any of the pills, he was sure. "I'll see that I don't eat them like candy."
Jou scratched his head. "Uh, you can't eat them. They taste like chalk mixed with cement mix. You have to swallow them whole with water."
Mimi hugged the Agumon gently, and sighed. "Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to him."
"Don't say that. I can't taste a thing for two weeks by now. I believe I could eat - I'm sorry - shit." Gennai laughed, though he didn't think that was so funny.
The young Agumon nodded. "I trust you, Chosen. Don't disappoint me, my brothers, or Gennai. Especially Gennai. He loves you like you were his Children." He sobbed louddly.
Jou nodded hopefully. "You think you can eat? Good! That's a start. you have to be strong if you want to get over this. Anything else you need, Gennai-san?"
He shook his head slowly. Then he shrugged suddenly. "A new body? But that's probably asked a bit too much."
"We have plenty of cadavers at the university!" Jou joked.
"That is gross." Gennai shook his head again, this time a bit faster. "I think I'll try to get healthy instead."
Mimi shrank back a bit, and lightly patted the Agumon on his head again. "...I know...shh...calm down a bit, ne? He'll be fine. Nothing's going to happen to him on my watch."
"Good choice. Okay then, see you later, Gennai-san!" He bowed to Gennai as he excused hiimself from the room.
The polite Agumon folded his arms. "I wouldn't be too sure. He looks a bit... how should I explain that -- uhm, transparent at times. His body, I mean."
Biggie slapped him softly. "Gennai told us not to say a thing!"
Mimi froze in terror at that last statement, and the color washed from her face. "...what?"
Gennai waved a tired goodbye to Jou, then hid himself under the blanket again. Now he only hoped to wake the next morning. In his natural shape.
Biggie patted her. "It's nothing! Nothing!! He didn't say a thing, that stupid Agumon. Ahahaha!"
Jou stepped out and closed the door, then turned around and found himself in the middle of what was probably a very interesting conversation. "Um, am I interrupting something?"
Mimi abruptly stood, and lightly pinched at Jou's shirt sleeve, tugging on it gently. Her eyes were fixed on the ground--or moreso, his shoes. "--we'll talk when we get back." Her voice was almost a whisper, taking great care not to let Gennai hear.
The Agutastics, all of them startled, looked up to the two Chosen Children. "Hey! What is wrong now?!"
Jou nodded, then turned a smile on the Agutastics. "Nothing! We just need to get back to the real world and get back to our lives. You know, we have jobs and dates and stuff to keep up with."
Mimi rolled her eyes at that. "I have jobs and dates. You just have jobs."
Jou elbowed her. "Not in front of the children, dear."
Mimi flinched at Jou's poke, and roughly jabbed him back.
"Jou and dates? That sounds so strange," said Biggie. "Isn't Jou asexual or something?"
The polite Agumon moaned. "You idiot. Look at his crotch!"
Mimi promptly stumbled at the polite Agumon's declaration. "GAAAH!"
Jou's reaction mirrored Mimi's, though he subconsciously covered his crotch. "You don't just talk about those things out loud!"
"SHHHH!" Mimi hissed. "Gennai-san is trying to sleep!"
The Agutastics blinked. "Why not?"
The polite Agumon sighed. "I think he got confused with you and Gennai. However that is possible... Gennai looks way better."
"Though he is what I thought Jou were?"
"I don't know for sure, I told you so more than one time." The polite Agumon shrugged.
The little Agumon nodded, thoughtfully tilting his head to the side. "He never gets naked in front of us. The guys on TV do it all the time!"
Mimi blankly stared at the Agumon. "....."
Jou's expression once again mirrored Mimi's. He took her by the arm and began ushering her sideways around the Agumon.
"Thanks for your hospitality guys!" he said a little too cheerfully. "Let us know how Gennai is doing!" He quickly ushered Mimi around them and down the hall.
The Agutastics sighed while waving after them. All together they exclaimed, "Humans are like the weirdest thing ever."
Mimi, hunched up awkwardly, was dragged along by her Sempai towards the doorway. She cast a look towards the Agumon, and called back to them. "Keep me posted on how he's doing, okay? I'll stop by later with a care package!"
"OKAAAY!" Biggie screamed to her. Then he turned to Gennai's door. "Sorry!"
Mimi smiled, and then turned back to face Jou, darkly glaring at him. "Sempai! I know my way to the door!"
"Sorry!" said Jou, releasing her. He slipped his shoes on and shook his head. "Do you think that's what happens to Digimon when they don't have a partner?"
"The Agutastics, you mean?" Mimi did the same.
"Yeah. And by that I mean go completely weird."
Mimi smiled slightly, and tapped her toe on the floor. "I dunno, I'd bet you'd say the same about Gomamon, what's his excuse?"
Jou laughed. "He keeps me in line." He pulled the door open and sighed as the fresh digital air rushed into the house. "Now which way did we come from?"