"Big brother..." Mokuba whined, his voice dry and course. He felt like his body was on fire. His throat was sore and swollen. Even though he took the path to his brother's office every day, he wasn't sure where he was right now. He kept his eyes on his feet as he stumbled through the hall. "Seto..."
"Mokuba?" Seto responded from behind him. Mokuba threw his head up a bit and turned. He had over shot the office door by at least six feet. He shook his head clear and stumbled up to his brother. Seto quickly slipped to his knees and looked his brother in the eyes. "What's the matter?"
"Huh?" Mokuba started, looking upwards. For some reason, he couldn't make out what his brother said. He shook his head and unscrambled the words in his head. "I don't feel well," he admitted, his eyes falling closed. He swayed slightly, unbalanced on his feet. "I don't think I can go to school..."
Seto didn't really like the idea of this. Missing school wasn't something to be taken lightly. He'd have to arrange a lot. He'd have to hire a Nanny to make sure Mokuba followed his "home-sick" rules. He'd need to pick up his homework so he could do it. But he could tell by looking at his little brother that he was in no place to be going to class. Seto didn't care about spread his germs, but he did care about over working Mokuba's tiny body to the bone.
"Alright, you can stay here today," Seto complied, pushing back a bit of Mokuba's hair to put a hand on his forehead. "But you know the rules."
"Straight to bed," Mokuba started, smiling a bit at the cold of Seto's hand against his forehead.
"No TV," Seto continued, pulling away and reaching in his breast pocket for his cell phone.
"No video games–"
"–Or card games–"
"–Or board games–"
"–And no junk food."
Mokuba sighed a bit and nodded, hanging his head again. He then held a hand to his chest. That sigh kind of hurt. But all those rules; that was why he hated being sick. He wasn't allowed to have any fun. But knew his brother knew best, and he knew it would be immature to fight.
"Now go back to bed. I'll send Roland to fetch your homework package from school," Seto told him, holding the phone to his face. "Change your pyjamas first, and I'll get someone to bring you more blankets and a cup of hot milk." He turned a bit to talk into the receiver, but he turned back at the tugging of his coat.
"Won't you bring me those things, big brother?" Mokuba asked shyly, fighting to keep his gaze on Seto's. He automatically began to feel guilty. He couldn't ask his brother to take time away from the company just because he caught a cold. Seto pushed a smile across his face and used his free hand to ruffle his brother's hair.
"Alright, I will. And after Roland gets back, I'll bring my laptop to your room and work with you on your homework so we get it all done," he offered, turning back to his telephone. Mokuba's face heated even more and he smiled, his eyes glowing. He would have said thanks, but somehow, the words couldn't escape him. He let go of Seto's jacket and tried to take a step, but he completely missed his footing and fell into his brother's legs.
"Mokuba?" Seto asked, turning away from his phone call. He turned down to his brother. His eyes were closed and he was panting lightly against the fabric. Seto began to grow more worried now. He bent at his hips and pushed Mokuba straight up before bending at the knees and throwing the body over his shoulder, snapping his phone shut.
When Mokuba woke up, he was under his normal covers as well as three blankets from the guest room. Cool water was dripping from his temples and a thermometer was hanging from his lips. He shifted upwards a bit, but he was quickly scolded.
"Stay in bed, Mokuba," Seto told him from the foot of the bed. His eyes were on his laptop screen as his fingers worked across the keyboard. "Your fever is too high."
"But what about my homework, Seto?" Mokuba managed to say, closing his eyes again. The heat was unbearable. His throat was stinging and swollen. It was hard to breathe. Why was he under so many blankets, anyway? It was only making it worse. The heat was more intense, and it was heavy on his chest.
"I'll read the questions and write your answers," Seto answered, clicking around a bit on his track pad and closing the laptop's lid. "Do you want to do it now?"
Mokuba sighed a bit and pushed up slightly. The facecloth fell from his forehead as he sat up fully. He shook his head as he moved the cloth to the side, exchanging it for the glass of water next to him. It was cool to the touch and when he drank it, it felt heavenly in his throat. "I want to write my own answers," he refuted, putting the glass back.
Seto gave him a bit of annoyed pout, but he managed to turn it upwards. "Alright, but don't over work yourself." He pushed the lid upwards again, running a finger over the track pad again. "And tell me if you need any help."
Mokuba nodded gently in response and bent forward, reaching for the package. He grunted a bit at the pain in his chest, but he grabbed his book and settled back regardless. Great, math. Mokuba was good at math, but that didn't mean he actually enjoyed it. He pulled open the book and read over the pages. "Write the following numbers as words," he echoed aloud, his face screwing. He hated this. It was so redundant and stupid. No matter how many numbers you threw in there, it would always be the same. "Ninety-nine thousand, four hundred twenty eight and ninety-six."
Seto looked up a bit at his little brother as he wrote. That was a quick answer. He smiled a bit before turning back to his computer. He was glad Mokuba wasn't struggling. His eyes wandered over his own work. He could only wish that he could have snap-fast answers, as well, but somehow he couldn't even begin to pull it off. Monitoring his stock holders, making sure they kept their numbers up, even in the recession, working on improving the Duel Disk graphics, making sure to speed up production when Christmas came around, imputing graphics and fight sequences for any new cards Industrial Illusions managed to manufacture. It was a lot to handle. He was glad he at least had his little brother to stick by him through it all.
The thermometer began to beep and Seto shook out of his stupor and closed his computer again. Mokuba threw his head up, keeping his pencil on his paper as he leaned forward for Seto to tug the device from his mouth. It hurt his throat and chest to move that way, but he kept it to himself. Seto read the number and his face fell a bit with a sigh.
"What is it, Seto?" Mokuba asked gently, setting back down against his pillows, giving his brother an odd look.
"I don't think you'll be going back tomorrow," he admitted, tugging one of the alcohol wipes from the first-aid kit beside him and wiping the tip down before putting the lid back on. "103."
Mokuba sighed a bit and finished writing his answer before folding his book over his pencil and eraser and dropping them to the floor. "Does that mean I can't play any games until Saturday?"
"It's likely," Seto responded before getting to his feet, his laptop under his arm. He headed over to Mokuba's bedside and picked up his washcloth and cup. "I'll refresh these. Try and sleep, okay?"
"Alright," Mokuba responded sadly. He pushed himself back under his blankets as Seto left. His eyes wandered over to his television where all his video games were. He really wanted to play. He wasn't tired enough to go to sleep. He panted a bit from the heat. When Seto dropped off his stuff, he'd pretend to be asleep. Then, after Seto left, Mokuba'd get out from under the blankets and go play his Mario game. All he needed was thumbs for that one. It wouldn't make him any worse. He smiled and slipped under the covers, nuzzling close to the pillow with his eyes closed and a happy smile.
When Seto returned, he gave his brother an odd look before smiling gently. He placed down the new cup of water and sat down next to Mokuba, pushing him onto his back and slipping the cloth under his bangs. He partially wished he could stay here with his brother, but he knew he had work to do. He could bring his laptop back down, but he typing might disturb his brother's sleep. So, instead, he sat there for a moment, petting his brother's head before sighing through his nose. He then pulled his hand away getting back to his feet.
Mokuba's eyes shot open at the sound of the door slamming closed. A smile crossed his lip as he threw his covers off himself. The breeze felt nice. His body was still so hot, and being piled in blankets wasn't helping. He pushed up from his mattress and paused, his head feeling a bit light. Once it was back to normal, he slipped to the floor and crawled forward, turning on his Wii and pulling the remote towards him.
The music instantly began blasting and Mokuba's back straightened. The pain in his chest shot upwards, and he let out a small cry before pushing to his feet. He threw himself back into bed after switching the television off and hid completely under the blankets, his face glowing from the movement. This was getting unbearable. He kicked off his blankets and flopped to his back, panting heavily up at the ceiling. So... hot. His throat burned as his eyes dropped further and further closed. Why was he in so much pain? This was just a fever!
Seto pushed through the door, his heart racing with worry. "Mokuba!" he shouted, stumbling over to the bed. He pushed his hand against Mokuba's head. "You're getting worse... Did you get out of bed?"
"N...No," Mokuba lied through the panting, wearily cracking his eyes at his brother. The panting was making his chest and throat burn from pain. "I'm so hot, Brother..."
"I know you are," Seto agreed, letting out a worried sigh. "We should get you in an ice bath for a while. I'll send Roland to the store. Get undressed, okay?"
"S-Seto I don't want to," Mokuba cried, reaching for his brother's sleeve. His chest throbbed again and he seethed a bit. "It'll be cold."
"Do you want me to go in with you?" Seto offered reluctantly. He could put his laptop over the tub's table... But that ice would be so cold to sit in. He let out a relieved sigh when Mokuba shook his head.
"You don't have to sit in the tub but will you sit in the bathroom?"
Seto was a still a bit reluctant, but he nodded anyway. "Yes, I'll sit with you. Don't worry, it'll be cold at first but it'll feel nice after a while." It was then that it caught his eye. His face fell a bit before he threw his hand at Mokuba's chin and forced his mouth open with his thumb. "Mokuba. Your mouth is full of blood."
"It is?" Mokuba asked, a bit worried. He tugged away and wiped a finger against his gums. And sure enough, when he pulled his hand away, the digit had a thick layer of blood on it. "What does that mean, big brother?"
Seto ignored the question at first, reaching for his phone and quickly dialling across it. "It means I'm getting a doctor here to see you. Is there any other pain you're not telling me about?" He looked at his brother expectantly as he grunted into the phone. "I don't care what time it is. I don't pay you to sit by yourself and wait for my sick brother to get there. I pay you to get off your ass and help him!"
Mokuba flinched a bit. Seto didn't swear often. He was afraid of telling him now. He might get really mad. But if this really is serious... He took in a deep breath as Seto snapped his phone shut and turned back to his brother. "My throat is swollen," he admitted, rubbing his hand against his neck, "and it really hurts deep in my chest."
Seto didn't know what that meant for sure, but he knew it was more serious than just a fever. He reached forward and grabbed Mokuba's water glass. "Swirl this around your mouth and spit it out so I can figure out where the blood is coming from."
Mokuba felt a bit guilty for lying to his brother, so he did what he was told without another word. The water in the cup began to turn pink as the blood diluted through it. He opened his mouth wide again and Seto peered inside, holding Mokuba's lip with his thumb.
His gums are bleeding? Seto thought to himself, his eye brows curling in both frustration and worry. He pushed to his feet and spun to the end of the bed again, getting the thermometer from the kit he had left there. He shoved it back into Mokuba's mouth and sat down on the mattress, leaning over his brother. "Make sure it hasn't gone up."
Mokuba nodded silently, curling his fists over his lap and looking down sadly. He shouldn't have lied. He could tell Seto was mad and it was all his fault. He leaned forward when the beeping started again, falling back once the thermometer was in Seto's hands.
110... shit! Seto threw himself up again, going through the same process as before. "Stay in bed. Don't get up for anything. Do you hear me? I don't care if you have to go the bathroom or whatever, just do it there and someone will change your sheets. Do. Not. Get. Up."
Mokuba flinched as his door slammed. He didn't want to go to the washroom in bed... That was just weird! Thankfully he didn't have to go. He only had a small gulp of the water Seto had brought him earlier, so he should be fine for at least another hour or so. Hopefully the doctor didn't take that long.
And thankfully, he didn't. Seto returned with their family doctor only twenty minutes later. Mokuba was near panting now, the sweat beads forming and falling more frequently than he had ever experienced. Seto wanted to stay there, but he knew that Mokuba would be more comfortable with the doctor alone, so he waited outside the door, chewing on his lip while his entire body trembled.
The wait felt like forever. His weight shifted nearly fourteen times before Mokuba's door finally cracked open and the doctor slipped out, pulling it shut behind him.
"Well?" Seto started expectantly, pushing off the wall and clenching his fists. The doctor gave him a sad look and sighed a bit, turning to his feet. This was worrying, and Seto began to tremble a bit.
"There's nothing we can do at this point, Mr. Kaiba. It's spread too far at this point."
Seto's heartbeat began to drown out everything he could possibly hear. His legs began to tremble and he could hardly hold up his own weight. "W-What is it?" he managed to sputtered, holding himself up against the wall.
"It's rare condition known as Lassa fever. People usually contract it from wild rodents or through infected people. Symptoms usually don't arrive for two weeks after someone is infected... So even if you called the moment he came to you..."
"You're lying!" Seto shouted back, his fists trembling. He pushed up to his feet again, huffing as his eyes welled. "This is bullshit! You can't tell me my little brother's going to..." He couldn't even choke out the last word. He ducked his head, doing the best he could to choke back his tears.
"He probably doesn't have much time left, sir," the doctor admitted, slipping a hand on Seto's trembling shoulder. "You should have some fun while he still can."
Seto forced a nod, and tugged away from the man and slipping into Mokuba's bedroom without another word. Once he was inside, he was afraid to even look in Mokuba's direction. He stayed at the door, wiping his face clean.
"Big brother," Mokuba called from his bed, trying to sit up. Seto took in a deep breath and spun around, finally forcing himself to his brother and sitting down next to him. He pet his brother's head, tugging his hair back. His hand was immediately drenched in sweat, but he didn't care. Blood was still seeping from between Mokuba's lips. It was an uncomfortable sight, but the older Kaiba knew he had to pay attention to this.
"Mokuba," he started, taking in a sigh. He was about to continue, but Mokuba's hand fell on top of his.
"I'm going to die, aren't I, Seto?" he asked gently, smiling calmly up at his brother. His voice was strained and choppy. It was obvious it was hurting him to speak. Seto forced himself away now, still chewing on his lip. "I don't care if you cry, Big brother. It makes me happy."
Seto threw himself back and bent down over his brother, wrapping his arms around him and hugging him close. "I'm sorry, Mokuba... All those hours I made you stay in bed without any fun..." He couldn't hold the tears back now. His grip got tighter and tighter as his shoulders threw back in sobs.
"I know you were only doing it for me, Seto, please don't worry." Mokuba wanted to hug his brother back, but he couldn't find the strength in his arms. "I should have told you about my throat and chest."
"This isn't your fault!" Seto refuted, throwing his face in Mokuba's neck. "You didn't do anything wrong... nothing..." Seto let himself sob for a while longer, keeping Mokuba close the entire time. His chest was aching like wild and his limbs began to feel heavy and weak. But he couldn't even think about letting Mokuba go.
"Big brother," Mokuba started, smiling a bit as he let his first two tears escape his own eyes. "Will you... just one last time... M-Mokie..."
Seto pushed up and looked at his brother in desperation, but there wasn't another word uttered. Mokuba smiled softy as his eyes fell closed. Seto's entre body stiffened and his hair flew up as a chill crawled up his spine. Mokuba's limbs fell limp and his head dropped backwards.
"No... Mokuba... Wake up. This isn't funny." Seto managed to shake the body in his arms, but nothing moved. "Mokuba, I swear to God... This isn't funny!" His head threw itself downwards again and his chin smacked against his chest, free tears rolling down his cheeks and smacking against Mokuba's pyjamas. They absorbed in and disappeared. Seto bent down one more time, throwing his head into Mokuba's neck and letting a loud sob escape his lips, rocking back and forth with the body in his arms.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Seto's eyes continued to drain as he cracked them open. His pillow was damp under his head. He pushed upwards on his knees. 5:30; this was the time he always got up. He'd have a shower, get dressed and get some work done before... Before going downstairs and waking Mokuba up. He bit down hard on his lip again, more tears escaping.
Once he was out of bed, he skipped his usual three steps. He ripped his house coat from his chair and stomped downstairs right away. He knew he couldn't see his brother's face again, but he could only hope he could absorb a bit more of Mokuba's scent. Spend time with some sort of imprint he left in there.
He took in a deep breath and turned the knob, pushing the door open. His eyes scanned over the room. They landed on the bed and immediately began to water again. He was hoping it was a dream. But the bed was empty. It still wasn't made and looked as if Mokuba was sleeping in it just yesterday. He slowly made his way forward, running his hand along the blankets as more tears poured down his cheeks. He rubbed his sleeve over his face.
"Big brother?"
Seto's entire body tensed and he threw his head up and around. Mokuba was standing at the door way. He was in his flannel pyjamas, rubbing at his eyes. His hair was a bed-head mess and his limbs were limp and tired.
"What are you doing here? You usually don't wake me up until seven."
Seto didn't say a word. He spun around and headed over, dropping to his knees in front of his brother. He was terrified of touching him. He felt like if he accepted his presence, he would disappear. He trembled a bit, his shoulders still bouncing with sobs. He felt the tears trace around his eyes before spilling over.
"Seto?" Mokuba continued, reaching out a hand. Seto flinched slightly, afraid of the boy leaving him. Mokuba's hand landed on Seto's shoulder. His eyes squeezed tight, but cracked open when the pressure remained there for a couple seconds.
"Mokie!" he shouted, throwing himself forward. His arms wrapped around his brother's body, squeezing him to the point Mokuba began to laugh. He kept his face against Mokuba's shoulders, his body trembling in desperation. He felt as if he could never hold him tight enough. His hand ran over every inch of Mokuba's back and arms, still unconvinced that he was actually here.
"Ow! Seto, what's wrong?" Seto pulled back, his face damp with tears again. He smiled brightly and quickly tugged his little brother close again.
"I'm just so happy to see you!" Seto responded, sobbing through clenched teeth. His smile was hurting his cheeks. His grip around Mokuba tightened and tightened, but it just wasn't enough.
"You see me every day, Big brother," Mokuba started with a pout, his eyebrows curling in confusion. "Did you have a bad dream?"
Seto pushed back again and pushed back Mokuba's bangs, rubbing a thumb across his cheekbone. . "A horrible one."
"It was just a dream," Mokuba tried to console him, smiling a bit. It quickly faded into one that was more apologetic "I'm not really feeling all that well, Big brother..."
Seto's face faded and he gave Mokuba a stern look. "Is it a fever? Chest pains? Don't hide anything from me."
Mokuba shook his head and rubbed at his eyes. "No... It's just a stomach ache. I think I ate too much last night. Can I stay home? I promise I won't play any games... And I'll do my homework as soon as I get it..."
"Forget that!" Seto shouted, pushing up to his feet and extending his arms outwards. "So long as you stay in bed, I don't care what we do, Mokie!"
Mokuba didn't know what odd gesture to comment on first, so he picked one at random. "We?" he echoed, cocking his head a bit. Seto nodded and bent down, wrapping his arms under his brother and spinning him around before taking him to the bed and laying him down. He threw himself down next to him and folded their fingers together. Both boys rested their head on Mokuba's pillows, their faces to the side to look at eachother
"Yep. We. We can play Duel Monsters here if you want. And I'll even let you use my cards," Seto told him, smiling the entire time. "Or we can play that Capsule Monsters Chess game you like!"
Mokuba tried to choke a smile. He was genuinely confused. He shook it away and smiled brightly. "Yeah!"
"And you can do your homework tonight. We're spending the entire day together!" Seto told him, petting back a bit of his hair. "I'll get you Gravol and bring down my card case. Just relax here, okay little bro'?"
Mokuba smiled bigger and threw his head down in a nod. "Okay! I will!"
Seto's smile fell into one that was more gentle and he leaned forward, leaving a kiss on the top of Mokuba's head. "I love you, Mokuba."
Mokuba blushed a bit and nodded again, wrapping his arms around his brother's neck. "I love you, too, Big brother!"
It was still early. Seto decided to wait until later before bringing the games to Mokuba. He pulled his brother's door shut behind him smiling calmly. Once it was closed, he started for the bathroom to grab the Gravol. On the way, he pulled out his cell phone.
"Yes, good morning. I'm aware it's early, but I need you to call some exterminators. I want every rodent from this entire building caught and put back where the belong. One of those things could be infected with something my brother does not need."