Mokuba lay in bed, shivering and burning with fever, eyes glazed over.
Seto knocked on the door. "Mokuba, time to wake up," he said in his normal cold manner.
Mokuba moaned and rolled over. Seto stopped and opened the door. "Mokuba! Wake up!"
Mokuba groaned louder. "Seto, I don't feel well."
Seto really hated staying home from school. But sick was sick, and that was what Mokuba undeniably was.
"Okay, kiddo, let's take your temperature," Seto said softly but with a tinge of bitterness.
Mokuba only noticed the sour hostility. "Seto, I-I'm sorry! I know you hate-wait, I have an idea!" he cried sleepily.
Seto smoothed back Mokuba's raven-black hair. "Hmm? What would that be?"
Mokuba yawned. "You can go to school, and I will, too."
The elder Kaiba brother wasn't so sure. "I don't know…let's take your temperature, as I said before."
As he did, Mokuba fell back asleep. He pulled the thermometer out of the younger Kaiba brother's mouth and read 102.6 degrees. He called into Mokuba's school and left a message on the attendance line, saying Mokuba would not be in that day.
Mokuba woke up and slurred, "Seto, what time is it?"
"Mokuba, you're not going to school."
Mokuba yawned and blinked. "But why?"
Seto managed a small smile. "You've got a fever, Mokuba."
"Oh…" Mokuba trailed off. He then rolled over and began to snore softly.
The young CEO left the room. He strolled downstairs and picked up the phone to call his own school.
"This is Seto Kaiba and I will not be in today, as my brother is sick," he barked into the recording system.
Later on, after school, Mokuba seemed to be worse. He had begun throwing up and coughing. Mokuba was even delirious.
"Seto!" he screamed, awaking from his slumber.
Seto ran upstairs. "Mokie, Mokie," Seto murmured soothingly, "did you have a bad dream?"
Mokuba opened his eyes. "Yes! It was terrible! Your Blue White Dragon card got stolen and then…" he sobbed.
"Then what?"
"I don't want to talk about it…" Mokuba responded, snuggling closer to his brother.
Seto held Mokuba, eyes closed.
But there was always the bright side-Mokuba would get better…
Right?
Of course he would!
Meanwhile…
Yugi was scared. Kaiba NEVER missed school. Never.
And yet, today he was gone.
Tea looked at Yugi. "Hey, Yugi! Earth to Yugi?"
Yugi looked up. "Hey. Don't you think it's…um…a bit ODD how Kaiba wasn't in school today?"
Joey shrugged and stuffed a handful of potato chips into his mouth. "No. That idiot was probably skipping."
Tea rolled her bright blue eyes. "Joey, YOU skipped today…duh."
Tristan smirked. "Dumbass!"
Joey flared up. "WHY, YOU LITTLE-" then he jumped on Tristan instantly.
Yugi rolled his eyes.
Later on…
Kaiba was still holding the sick and sleeping Mokuba. He gently eased Mokuba into a more comfortable position. Mokuba sighed in his sleep and rolled over. Seto brought his laptop into his little brother's room and began to work until the phone rang.
"Is your refrigerator running?" a familiar voice floated through the receiver.
Kaiba scowled. "That one is SO OLD, Joey."
After slamming the phone down, he made a mental note to take his phone number out of the phonebook.
He decided to watch TV. The news would be on, and so would the stocks.
Seto flounced down the stairs and drifted off while watching the news.