Yeah, this revision has been needed since I thought it was a good idea to post this. Um, about 5 years ago.
Disclaimer: Don't own it, doubt I ever will. Nice to dream though, isn't it?
Walking down the street, Jounouchi dragged his feet behind him. He had had a terrible day and was not looking forward to it getting worse when he got home, which he was sure it would. He looked up at his apartment complex seeing his father smoking out front. This was unusual, because his father generally stayed inside to smoke as going outside took too much effort that could be used on other things, like beating his son. Slowly trudging up the steps, Jou hoped to at the very least delay the inevitable.
A sharp command barked, "Get up here boy!"
Jou resisted the urge to yell back, he would someday get his revenge. Or at least leave, he wasn't sure he could truly hurt the guy. He didn't want to deal with this today, but knew that it would only be worse later if he hadn't shown up at all. He cringed lightly as he smelled the acidic smoke from his father fill his nose, as well as the stench of alcohol mixed in. It amazed him how much his father could drink without getting alcohol poisoning, it would have made college frat boys proud.
Taking a deep breath and stealing himself Jou waited for the first of many punches to come, and he had known by the unusual behavior his father was exhibiting that there would be many. His body was numb by now, and he rarely admitted to any pain felt, but his body still had its limits. After a final cuff to the head, he felt his eyes water and after being kicked in the groin, he collapsed on the ground, hit head hitting the wall he had been slowly pushed up again. With a small groan, he passed out cold.
Awakening, Jou attempted to pry his eyelids open, unsure of where he was. His nose burned from the startling smell of anesthetic and the underlying stench of sickness and death. His mind quickly placed the terrible smell as a hospital.
His mind then kicked into overdrive, trying to piece together anything he could remember. He had blacked out, that must be why he was admitted to the hospital, however that didn't explain who had taken him here or had at the very least contacted someone to get him here. Pulling his eyes open with some considerable effort he then struggled to sit up, to see if he could find any other clues as to who had helped him.
Blinking slightly longer than necessary he opened his eyes again to be find he was being stared at by seven sets of eyes. A little sound of surprise escaped his lips as he looked at all the faces belonging to Yami and Yugi, Bakura and Ryou, Honda and oddly enough Kaiba and Mokuba.
He grinned as nonchalantly as possible, "Hey guys, sup?"
There was a chorus of Jou!'s as he looked at each face separately, maybe lingering a bit to long on Kaiba wondering why the hell he was there as well.
"Jou, do you know what happened to you? Or how you got here?"
"Eh-heh, I was kinda hoping you could fill me in?"
"Sorry buddy, we only know as much as you do apparently," voiced Honda.
"Yeah, Grandpa just got a call saying you were here, since he was on your emergency contact list, we have no idea how you got here either! I mean, um, we're glad you are and all… but it's rather confusing, isn't it?" Yugi was the next to join in the conversation.
"Ugh, seriously? Lame. I wanted to know who had helped me. And question, what are those two doing here?" He asked pointing at Yami and Bakura. Last time he had checked they were sentenced to staying home due to some less than satisfactory behavior they had displayed the last time they were out together.
"Eh, we figured they had enough time locked away, besides we figured they could behave while in a hospital," Ryou shrugged.
"So, how long am I in for?" Jou asked.
"That depends on how you came to have all these blunt traumas and other various injuries," a nurse stated as she walked over with a clipboard, marking a few things on it checking his IVs and EKGs. Setting down the clipboard on the foot of is bed, she looked at him.
Shrugging, Jou smiled, "My old man, we all get knocked around every once in a while, don't we?"
The nurse shook her head and walked out.
"Man! What does she have up her butt?" Jou declared loudly before trying to shift, and cringing as a small pain run up the back of his skull.
"Your dad Jou? Why didn't you ever tell me?" Yugi looked extremely hurt and his lower lip began its journey to sticking out in a pout.
Rolling his eyes, Jou replied, "That's exactly why." Turning his attention to a so far silent member of his little awakening party he addressed Kaiba, "Hey Kaib' not that I'm at all complaining, but last time I checked, you didn't make a habit of hanging out in a hospital room, much less mine."
Kaiba shot him his ever famous glare, "That remains to be seen."
The younger Kaiba seemed to find this not very nice, "Big brother! Don't be so rude! Although to be terribly honest, he's here because I am."
"Ah, makes sense. Thought it was a little off he was here." The blonde nodded and looked over towards the door as the nurse from earlier entered with a man in a business suit trailing behind him.
The man stepped forward, "Son, you say that your father did this to you?" Jou just shrugged in response, and this seemed to anger the man. "This is not a light offense! So much worse could have happened if you had not been found! I cannot allow you to go back with that man!"
Looking over at him with a sidelong glance Jou growled lightly, "And where do you propose I go, exactly? I know it may be hard for you to believe, but I don't really have another choice."
"I don't care, we will find you a more suitable place to stay!"
Yugi stopped his pouting that had been previously ignored, "He could stay with us!"
But Yami stepped up and shook his head, "I'm sorry Jou, but as eager as Yugi may seem, we just don't have the room for you currently." And with that Yugi went back to his pouting.
Eyes roved around the group, seeking out an answer to his now problem, but everyone seemed to shift uncomfortably and look away, well everyone except Kaiba. And Mokuba for that matter, he was bouncing up and down which was strange, considering the situation.
"Uh hey, Mokuba, ya gotta pee or something?" Jou asked, staring at the younger boy.
"No! Jou you could stay with us! We have MORE than enough room, right Seto?"
Seto looked down at his little traitor of a brother, "I suppose if nothing else can be arranged, I can be a last resort option. But I will make it clear now that if this is chosen to be the only solution, it's my house, my rules. No exceptions."
Rolling his eyes again Jou sighed, "Well I think we both hope it doesn't come to that."
The man he assumed was a social worker cleared his throat, "Sorry, but it has."
Hahaha, cliche much? I have some interesting twists up my sleeves, no worries. This is a COMPLETE revision (I'm even pretty sure this clashes with the next chapter, oh well. I'll get to that later)