Susan: So here is the next chapter! Thanks to everyone who read this story and a special thanks to everyone who reviewed because that is what keeps me writing! Enjoy!

The Prince freezes, as do all of the guards. "What?" his voice is fuzzy, and my vision is starting to swim. Yugi's just a blurry image next to me.

Something lightly brushes my back, and I cringe away from it. "Atem, he needs a healer." The thing touching me is the hand of one of the men accompanying the Prince.

"Yami," the Prince warns, but Yami ignores him.

"This isn't the time or the place for your pride to interfere! He is dying Atem! Just get over yourself and call the palace healer, or I will." The Prince is struck speechless, and if I had the strength, I would be smiling. "Fine. Mariku, go get Isis and bring her back immediately. Shadow-travel." There is silence for a moment.

Yami tries to shift me so that he can see how deep some of my more serious wounds are, but I guess that he isn't strong enough because after a minute the hands disappear.

My vision is blackening by the second and I'm starting to become cold. A soft hand is placed on my cheek, and I can hear Yugi trying to get my attention. "Adom? Ma was hoping that if you finish early in a few days, and you aren't taking to blame for anyone, that you could help her at home. Naeemah's birthday is coming up. She's turning eight. Ma knows that you've been really busy lately, but she wanted us all together to celebrate. Have you seen Naeemah recently? She is looking much more-" my hearing cuts off. I don't even feel the pain from all the lashes anymore. It has become a dull feeling that is spreading through my body. My only sense left is the feel of Yugi's hand on my cheek, but even that slips away and I am left in darkness.

I wake up to find myself on a bed much too nice to be one of my family's. The cuts from the whips are bandaged, but they are aching and red is appearing through the white clothes wrapped around me. I push myself up on my arms and try to get out of the bed so that I don't bleed on it. A young girl, no more than Yugi's age, stops me by pushing down on my shoulders so that I am laying flat again.

"Lay still, or they will rip open again." Her voice is soft, but I do as she says as she slowly takes off the old wrappings and replace them with new ones. She talks quietly to me as she works, and doesn't seem to be angry that I don't speak. When she catches me looking at her questioningly, she just smiles. "I already know that you can't talk, Adom. But that doesn't mean that I won't speak to you. While you are in my care, you can teach me signs so that we can converse."

I nod, and then grab her wrist loosely when she turns away, mouthing "Yugi" to her. She doesn't understand, so I try "brother", and after a few tries, she seems to understand. The girl disappears behind a corner and I lay by myself in silence for a little while before she comes back with Yugi following her.

He immediately jumps onto me, and I blink back tears as he lands on the cut running from my shoulder to my stomach. "Adom! I was so worried! You've been asleep for three days! Naeemah is going to be so happy! She's been wishing every night that for her birthday that you would wake up and you did!"

I make a quick motion for pain, and he quickly climbs off. "I'm glad that I was able to wake up in time to celebrate. How late in the day is it?" I ask him.

"A bit after mid-day."

"And I've been asleep for three days."

Yugi nods, a confused look on his face. "What is it Adom?"

"Nothing. I'm just going to have to work late for the next week." I lift my right hand and rub my face, feeling all of the scars that decorate it, and thinking of the new ones that would soon be joining them as I tried to make up all of the work that I had missed.

"Oh, no Adom! You aren't ever going to work back there again!" Yugi said happily, sitting beside me. Isis had quietly left the room during our exchange.

"But how else will we get food and shelter if I'm not working with the rest of the slaves?"

"The Prince was upset about what happened and offered us a place here, at the palace, as servants. You won't have to worry about being punished anymore by those brutes who whip you just for fun!"

"Have you forgotten already that the Prince was one of those brutes?" I ask, unable to believe that Yugi had forgotten that quickly.

"N-no, but Yami explained it! He is one of the Prince's personal guards. Yami said that the Prince thought that you were just refusing to answer him. That's why the Prince got mad. Yami says that the Prince won't hurt you anymore, and that is why he has gotten us places at the palace so that you don't have to work outside anymore." Yugi bites his lower lip and I sigh.

I can't keep angry at him when he does that freaking sad face of his! Why can't my little brother look less like a little sister? "I want to get out of this room now. Will you help me up Yugi?"

"Adom! The healer said that you aren't supposed to get up yet. You'll hurt yourself!" he stops protesting when I push myself out of the bed and almost fall to the floor. Yugi automatically comes to help me, but since I am practically twice as big as him, all that happens is that I end up crushing him underneath me. I force myself up on to my feet, leaning on to the wall for support.

I slowly make my way from the healing chambers with Yugi following me, looking around every few seconds as if we were about to get into trouble. "Calm down Yugi," I signed with one hand. "You need to calm down. Where are Ma, Naeemah and Shani?"

"Down that hall and to the left, but Adom, I really think that you should sit down! The healer is going to be angry!"

"You should listen to your brother more often," the commanding voice came from behind us.

Susan: Yeah, I know, it is really short, but with this story I like short chapters more, and that usually means that I will update more often. Thanks to everyone who reads and everyone who reviews as well. I really appreciate it!