Chapter 2 is here!
I hope you enjoy!
When I woke up, my head felt extremely heavy, like it was made of lead. My sight was still so blurry, and even breathing hurt.
"Yeah, it's probably a good thing I found ya first. Others mighta not taken too well to a giant walkin' suit of armor carryin' a half-dead body around."
"Is he going to be alright?"
"Hard ta say. I ain't a doctor, but, havin' ta deal with affixin' automail to someone, ya get ta know what the human body can take when it comes ta pain. Tristan ain't back yet, maybe ya could ask 'im. He helps when 'e can, an' knows more 'bout medical stuff. He was da one who wrapped Yug' up best he could. He jus' left ta get more bandages an' stuff. Besides, Yug's pretty strong. Ya night not know dis, but before you came 'round, We were….well, not very nice ta him, ta put it lightly. And, although I hate ta say it, if he could take what we threw at 'im, he can handle everything."
J-Jou…?
Why were we at Jou's place?
"Do you think he's awake by now? I know I keep asking, but I'm worried about him. He lost so much blood. I was so terrified that he'd bleed to death."
"Let's go check on 'im, den. It's been a while, anyway."
I heard two sets of footsteps coming to the room. One was human, but the other sounded hollow and metallic. I shut my eyes, remembering just how I got here.
I failed trying to give Atem a human body.
I failed.
And now,instead of a human body, or even being in the puzzle, Atem was connected to a suit of armor. And I...Because I attempted it, I now couldn't do anything, especially with a missing arm and leg. The footsteps stopped in the room. I opened my eyes again. Atem immediately came to my side.
"You're awake," he said happily.
"..." I didn't respond. How could I? I was my fault he was like this. He couldn't even switch to my body anymore.
"Yugi…? Are you alright?" Atem asked gently.
"'M sorry. I'm so sorry, Atem," I said softly.
"Don't worry about that. Right now, all that matters to me is that you're alive," Atem said.
"But, I can't do anything like this, Atem. I can't walk. I wouldn't even be able to use crutches, since I have no right arm. I'm stuck like this," I said.
"Well, dat ain't completely true," Jou said. I turned my head to him.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, ah, it ain't the most comfortable solution, but, I, ah,could give ya automail. Bout, considerin' it'd be two limbs instead'a one, well, it wouldn't be too pleasant. It'd be quite painful, and we'd have'ta wait 'til Tristan got home, because I wanna give ya the least pain possible, and attatchin' both at once would be the best way," Jou explained.
"...Could I have time to think about it, Jou? I don't even know how long I've been out," I said.
"You've been out for a total of three and a half days," Atem said.
"Of course. Automail ain't somethin' ya can just change ya mind 'bout once it's on. Take as much time as ya need, Yug'," Jou said. At that moment, Tristan came into the room.
"You're awake? Good. This is a good chance to let me change your bandages again," he said. I nodded silently, and he sat on the bed slightly, and got to work carefully unravelling the bandages on my torso. As he got closer to the missing limb itself, Atem stood up and left the room. A few minutes later, Jou left as well. Tristan sighed softly.
"Why'd you do it, Yugi? Y'know, it's one thing to get tangled up in strange Ancient Egyptian magic because of that Puzzle, but then you had to mix your alchemy into it? What made you think that you, mainly an amateur at alchemy, could do something as advanced and as taboo as human transmutation?" Tristan lectured.
"I...I just wanted to give Atem his own body, so he could experience life here to the fullest, without having to use my body, or, wait for his 'turn' with it, if that makes any sense-ah!" I hissed as the last part of the bandage came off and brushed the large wound I had. Tristan just sighed again, grabbing a new roll of bandages.I gritted my teeth in pain as he started to place them.
"Well, you always did try to help others with your alchemy. You weren't a novice, but you weren't a pro, either," Tristan said, "But still. I think you bit off more than you could chew with this one. Like I said, human transmutation is taboo to everyone, even pros, and yet you attempted it, and look where you ended now, Atem's not even in the Puzzle anymore. He's a suit of armor," Tristan scolded.
"I don't need to be lectured, Tristan. I'm not five years old. I'm eighteen," I snapped slightly.
"Is that the way you should be talking to the guy who's handling all your medical needs?" Tristan asked, humor rising in his tone.
"Could you stop lecturing me, then? I know I wasn't advanced enough, but I still wanted to try-"
"And you nearly got yourself killed in the process. Do you know how close you were to having your heart stop beating? You almost bled out. It was luck that Jou saw Atem carrying you, first. You were still bleeding pretty heavily as he carried you, and your skin was so pale, it was almost white. In fact, I say it's a miracle you've woken up after only three days," Tristan said, finishing the bandages on my torso. He started to take the bandages off what I had left of my leg.
"Jou offered to give me automail," I said, watching.
"So he did. I figured he would. What are you going to do? You going to accept?" he asked.
"I...don't know, to be honest. I mean, I don't want to be useless, not being able to get around myself anymore. What do you think I should do?" I asked.
"Well, if I were you, which right now I'm glad I'm not, I'd take it. I mean, don't you want to, y'know, eventually send Aem back?" Tristan asked. He set the dirty bandages aside, and started wrapping my leg with new ones.
"I mean..ow..if I do, I know...I know I have to have him go back sometime, but, I still want him here. He can't go back while he's...like that," I hesitated.
"You mean trapped," Tristan said bluntly.
"Don't say it like that. It was either the armor, or that….thing would've held him hostage for all eternity. I didn't have a lot of time on my hands with my leg losing blood like crazy," I said.
"What thing?" he asked, finishing with the bandages. He picked up all of the dirty bandages, and threw them away.
"It's hard to explain. But, my point still stands. I didn't want Atem to be held prisoner by it, so, I did everything I could to bring him back here," I said.
"Well, I'm done here for today. Again, if I were you, I'd take Jou's offer of getting automail," Tristan said.
"But I have no way to pay him for it," I said. Tristan laughed.
"You really think he'd charge you for it? Come on. Jou may be a little crazy sometimes, but he's not heartless," Tristan said.
"Can you have Atem come in here? I want to talk to him," I said.
"Yeah," Tristan smiled. He left the room and, a few moments later, Atem came in and shut the door.
"Atem, I...I'm so sorry for what I did to you. I didn't have much time, and I was panicking. I did the first thing I could think of to get that thing to give you back to me. I'm...so sorry," I said quickly.
"Why are you worrying about me. I'm fine. I'm not in any pain at all. But you. I didn't want you to do anything that would get you hurt, and now look at yourself. Your missing an arm and a leg. And you're worried about me. You really are selfless, Yugi," Atem said.
"Atem…," I said softly.
"Yugi, I think...I think you should take Jou's offer. It's what you were going to ask me, right?" Atem asked.
"Yeah, it was. I still want to be able to...somehow get you out of that armor….with your own body. And, I can't do that with two missing limbs," I said.
"I'll be there by your side every step of the way, Yugi. If you want to get me out of this armor, I want to return both your arm and leg," Atem said. I smiled at him. Before I could say anything, Jou came in the room.
"Hey, Yug'? You hungry at all? Tristan and I are makin' some lunch," He said.
"Yeah, I am. Also, Jou? I...I'll do it. The automail, I mean," I said.
"Awight! It'll take a while for me to construct both an arm an' a leg, but I'll let ya know when their done. An' before ya say anythin', you an' Atem are stayin' here while I do it, no objections. Can't have ya wanderin' off while I'm makin' your limbs," Jou said.
"How could I go anywhere, Jou?" I giggled.
"Atem could make off with ya' or you could use a wheelchair," Jou said humorously, making both Atem and I laugh.
We'd be okay.
I knew we would.
I hope you enjoyed!
Oh boy, next chapter.
I may have to rewatch some FMA, specifically the episodes when Ed and Al decided to do said Human Transmutation, and Ed has to get automail. I want to be able to capture Yugi's pain and determination when Tristan and Jou are giving him the automail, just like Ed's determination and pain when Winry and Pinako gave him the automail.
Again, shoutout to Doubledeckerduelist for this idea! They're the reason why I actually made Jou the automail expert.
Until Chapter 3!