A/N: I need to remind myself that late night fanfiction writing is not fun.
Disclaimer: I do not own the awesome series that is called Yu-Gi-Oh!
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'Doctor, we have a patient in the ER with severe bleeding and bruising. She needs to be placed in the ICU now.'
'Severe? How bad is it?'
'You might need to see it for yourself to believe me.'
"At that time, I thought the nurse was over exaggerating when she said it was 'severe.' Naïve as I was, I still kept my head up, preparing to take on whatever was going to be thrown at me. When we entered one of the rooms of the ER, a team of nurses were already handling the situation. When I walked in, I realized that I took the nurse's words for granted. What I saw was a blue-haired girl in an oversized shirt whose little body was covered in black and purple bruises every where. But that wasn't just it. There were fresh bloody wounds that were all over her body, as if she was whipped repeatedly on her already raw skin.
'H-how did she end up like this?' I asked one of the nurses.
'I don't know,' she told me. 'One of the nurses spotted her lying in the parking lot, half-conscious, like she was dumped there. Poor thing, what monster would do this to her?'
"While the nurses and an older doctor continued desperately to keep the girl alive, I stood there like a useless fool, wanting to know the answer to that, as well.
"Luckily, she survived. After all that effort, we helped her weasel her way out of death and she was on her way to a full recovery.
"The next day, a nurse and I went to the patient's room in order to monitor her status and condition. The moment we came in, the young girl was already awake, staring out at the window and at the cloudy sky. I couldn't help but show her pity since the night before when I first saw her, as well as the rest of the staff in the hospital. When she looked at us, I discovered that she had blue eyes that weren't filled with pain or sorrow. They seemed innocent and full of wonder, like any child you'd see would have. Despite taking that into notice, we gave her medical and health tests and we recorded them. While the nurse changed her bandages, she tried to have a conversation with her and surprisingly, she spoke to us with a tiny, but cheerful voice.
'I'm Kisara! What's your name?'
"Even with the trauma she went through, her mentality was still strong, and that amazed me. We continued sharing conversations with her and asking her questions, and she would always reply to us in a cheerful way. We learned that she was about eight years old, about to turn nine in December. She loved eating strawberries and hated broccoli. She told us she liked flowers, origami, fairytales and books and wanted to grow up to be a princess. These were the basic answers you'd hear form any child, but we liked hearing her talk in that happy voice.
"In time, we began asking her serious questions. Where were her parents? Where did they live? Was there any way we could get into contact with them? Her happy and cheerful replies disappeared and soon it was replaced with quiet and short answers.
'My mommy… is at home,' she told us.
'Do you have her phone number so that we can call her to tell her that you're in the hospital?'
"At first she seemed reluctant, scared even, to answer our question. Eventually, she gave us her home phone number and after finishing up her check up, I went to my office and personally made the call.
'Hello?' I heard a woman answer. I assumed she was her mother.
'Hello ma'am. I'm Dr. Ichinose from Domino City Hospital.'
'Oh, hello doctor. How may I help you?'
'Ah, well, I just called to inform you that we have your daughter under our care as of now and is currently undergoing treatment. I understand that you are probably worried sick about her whereabouts and all but rest assured, you have nothing to worry ab-'
'I don't have a daughter.'
"She hung up right after. After that brief call, I already knew that she didn't want any involvement with Kisara. I came into realization that this woman was probably the cause of Kisara's condition. Needless to say, I didn't have any evidence to prove my suspicion and was unable to take this matter anywhere further.
"For weeks, Kisara stayed at the hospital to regain her strength. Her bruises were nearly gone and her scars began fading. She became to be well liked by everyone in the hospital, patients and staff alike. Her cheerful and positive outlook in life gave new found hope to even our sickest patients. In time, I grew attached to Kisara and became like a foster parent to her. She would read all the time during her recovery and my, was that girl was intelligent. She could read almost any book you can throw at her!
"I learned something new from her everyday and cherished them. However, the only thing I was only able to learn was her likes and dislikes. She kept all the personal information only to herself, as if she didn't want the rest of us finding out. I respected her actions, but I knew that sooner or later she would have to tell us.
"The weeks became a month and a half and soon Kisara was fully recovered. We celebrated with a night out for dinner of her choice and later on, at the park. She enjoyed her time there while I watched from the benches for a good while. As the night grew darker and the street lights came on, we both sat on the swings and it became quiet. It was then that I decided to ask her what her life was like, determined to at least get some answer out of her.
"I chose my words carefully so that she could answer them without feeling like she was being interrogated. I asked her where her father was and she told me that she didn't have a father. He had died a year earlier, leaving her and her mother behind. When I asked how he had passed on, she replied that she didn't know. Her answer after that explained what she did know.
'Mommy says it's my fault that daddy died,' she told me in a sad voice. 'I don't know what I did, but I told mommy that I was sorry. But mommy still told me that it was still my fault, and that saying sorry wouldn't bring daddy back.'
"Hearing that made my heart break. So young to go through so much pain and still manage to look and act strong was truly amazing. I wanted to ask her if her mother abused her, and if she so, why? But I already knew the answer to that. When at last I couldn't hold it in anymore, I broke down. I took the child in my arms and cried: for her and for myself.
"The time I've spent with her grew longer and soon Kisara was under my care. I took her to school and even continued her studies when she came back. I became the lost father she had found and treated her like she was my own daughter. I had phoned her mother again to let her know that I would be taking care of Kisara for a while. She agreed to it and said nothing else. When she turned nine at last on the month of December, it was then that I finally came to the decision that adopting her was the next best thing. I filed an adoption request and later went to the agency to hopefully legalize everything. However, I was denied.
'Her mother still has legal custody over her,' they told me. 'Unless she confirms it herself that she breaks all ties with Kisara and is willing to transfer the custody on to you, you cannot adopt her.'
"Crushed as I was, I couldn't go against them. Neither could I even take this matter into the court, as I did not have any hard evidence to prove to them that her mother had abused her and left her for dead. I broke the news to Kisara when I returned, but she didn't show any signs of grief. Instead, she just smiled and told me that I did what I could. In her own words, it seemed to her that she was supposed to return to her mother anyway. I asked her if she loved her mother even though her mother clearly did not love her back. With that usual smile of hers, she replied, 'She's my mom. I was taught at school that I was a blessing for my parents and that I have to love my parents no matter what.'
"I took her to her own home the following week, cherishing the rest of the time I could have with her. When we arrived at her home, we were greeted by her mother. And my, was that woman a complete mess. The moment she saw her daughter, I knew that she seemed unhappy to see her. As much as I knew what that woman's feelings were, I kept my mouth shut. After their reunion, I took my leave. As I was drove away from their home, I remembered seeing Kisara being pushed into the house and hearing the sound of the front door shutting.
"For six years, Kisara never showed up in my life again, until not long after. While I was reading over medical reports in my office, I received a call from the police department. By some stroke of luck, it was concerning Kisara and her mother. I went there as quickly as I could, and found Kisara, all grown up as a young teenager since the last time I saw her, sitting in the office wrapped in a blanket. Her mother was in a cell, handcuffed and sitting in a corner. When I asked what happened, the police gave me their report.
'We received calls from the neighbors that they heard loud noises coming from the house. When they looked through the window, they found the young girl being physically and verbally abused by her mother for unknown reasons. We rushed as soon as we could and arrested the woman. When we asked if there was anyone in particular that she wanted to be with right now, she gave us your office phone number.'
"The whole discussion continued with what they had done, how that the seriousness of this would most likely go to court, and how I had be one of the witnesses of the said court hearing. It ended with paperwork and Kisara was left under the custody of a temporary foster home.
"On the day of the court hearing, we went through the basic questioning and answering with the witnesses and plaintiff. The principal of her school informed us that Kisara had been arriving to school with quite a number of bruises and was under the impression that she was being abused when she lied about the origins of the marks. Neighbors testified that they had been hearing violent arguments and most often times, broken glass. With all of the evidence provided, it clearly proved that her mother was guilty of domestic violence. When she was to be given her sentence, her mother suddenly snapped and lashed out at her daughter. Luckily, security restrained her and took her away before she caused any harm to Kisara.
'It's your damn fault I became like this! If only you weren't born, then my husband wouldn't have died and I wouldn't have to deal with you!'
"The judge made his decision after watching the entire scene. The court ruled that her mother was mentally unstable and sentenced her to a three month's stay at an asylum and for Kisara to be placed at a foster home. However, by Kisara's request she wished to continue to stay with her mother after her sentence. When asked, she told us why in that usual sad smile of hers.
'Because she's my mom.'
"When her mother was released, she claimed that she had completely changed and was under medication to control her mentality. But we all knew that when security wasn't looking, she'd still beat Kisara, but just enough so that she wouldn't be suspected of any domestic violence. Despite the continued abuse, Kisara remained with her mother. I didn't understand why she would stay with that woman, but Kisara always reminded me that because she is her daughter, despite all the pain and abuse she has to go through, she told me, or more so to herself, that she has to stay by her ill ridden mother's side.
"From then on, Kisara has made periodic visits to the hospital concerning her health and, just recently, self-mutilation. We found out that she was physically starving herself as well. From lack of food or choosing to, we had no idea, but we took her in and gave her nutrient supplements. Every time I see that girl, she's usually on her best, cheerful behavior and always makes sure that we don't worry about her too much. It's a flawed plan, but we play around just to make her happy. It's wrong, but we just want to see a smile on that girl's face when she thinks we're fooled into thinking she's fine."
Ichinose wiped his eyes and put his glasses back on. "And that's my story. I apologize if it was a little heartbreaking, but it's how it came to be."
He looked over to Seto with an apologetic look to see if his story had reached out to him. He expected to see some shift in position from the boy, but there was none. The young CEO just stared at the doctor without any change of feeling on his face.
"Sad, yet captivating story, doctor. It nearly moved me to tears," he said in a slight sarcastic manner and unfolded his arms.
The doctor got up from his seat abruptly and glared at the young man. "Boy, I've heard that you were a stone-cold human being but are you really that heartless?"
Seto rose from his seat and calmly made his way to the window. He watched the rain splash itself against the glass with his usual expression that showed no emotion. It was then that Ichinose began seeing a different side to this young man.
"I apologize if you think that I don't really give a damn about this matter, but believe me; I am truly moved by your story." Seto shoved his hands into his pockets and relaxed his shoulders. His eyes also softened. "To tell you the truth, I've been under the same situation before when my brother and I were adopted. Gozaburo Kaiba adopted us not too long ago, and we were subjected to verbal and physical abuse whenever we misbehaved. I took more of the abuse for Mokuba in order to protect him from that bastard.
"When I found out that he had died and that I was to receive the inheritence, it was the happiest day of my life. Not so much on the inheritence, no, it was because that bastard was finally out of me and my brother's lives. On the day I took over, I swore that when I became the head of Kaiba Corporation, I would protect my younger brother from future harm, even at the risk of my own safety from bastards like him."
Ichinose's stiff position loosened and he was soon filled with guilt for accusing the boy of not caring. "I see."
Seto shrugged and turned to face the doctor. That same business-like and unemotional cold stare was back, as usual. "Getting back on topic. Now, this may sound rude to you, but what does all this have to do with me?"
Ichinose returned to his seat and smoothed out his white coat. "Well, firstly I'd like to thank you for taking Kisara to us, ah, Seto, may I call you Seto?"
"I'd prefer that you didn't, but whatever."
"Right, thank you. As her doctor, I am very grateful for your generosity. If you hadn't brought her here, she might've not made it. I feared that her weak health would've been the one making it hard for her if the car accident wasn't enough."
"It's all in a sense of good deed, doctor," Seto replied arrogantly and smirked. He started heading for the door. "Now is that all you have to say or can I take my leave now? I'm quite busy and I've got a lot of work to do."
Ichinose pushed his glasses up. "No, I'm not quite finished, Seto. I still have yet to tell you the most important thing."
Seto stopped in his tracks and turned to face the doctor. He narrowed his blue eyes at him. "Then spit it out. I don't have all day."
Ichinose leaned forward on his chair and cupped his hands. "When I saw you bring Kisara in, I couldn't help but remember this one thing she told me many years before."
"And that would be…?"
"I'm getting to that, hold your horses, boy!" Ichinose joked. "Now, what was it…" As the doctor continued to ponder, Seto was slowly losing his patience. When he was about to walk out on the doctor, he stopped again after the doctor found the words he wanted.
"Ah, yes. I remember a time when Kisara told me about a dream she had. If I remember correctly, this was what she told me word for word," he pushed his glasses up again and continued. "'I had a dream about this brown-haired boy with blue eyes, who saved me from a bunch of bandits in a giant desert,'" Ichinose took notice of Seto's widening eyes before continuing."'When I woke up, I thought to myself that this boy could possibly be the prince that I've been waiting for that's going to come and rescue me.'"
Ichinose rubbed his chin and shot a curious glance at Seto. "Her description of the boy matches you, Seto. From the moment I met you I instantly remembered that one time when she told me about that dream. I'm curious as what your relation to Kisara is, boy. Do you have any ideas?"
Seto was now lost for words. He thought it over, remembering the dream he had last night and was now matching it up with what the doctor had just said. Should he tell him that he had a similar dream? No, that would be nonsense. The doctor would look at him like he's crazy. He straightened himself up in a dignified manner and regained his composure.
"No, I myself haven't the slightest clue."
The doctor nodded at his answer. He got up and planted a hand on Seto's shoulder. "I understand if you think this is some kind of spooky and weird thing. I myself find it hard to believe. But lately, a lot of supernatural things have been happening around this city, ever since that ridiculous Duel Monsters tournament was over. It almost makes the unbelievable believable, right?"
Seto gave him a stiff nod in agreement and Ichinose removed his hand. "Before you leave, I have but one request."
"What?"
"You remember how I told you that I suspect Kisara's mother to be the leading suspect of the attempted murder?"
Seto remembered. "Yes. What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to help me find evidence that she tried to kill Kisara," Ichinose replied. "I want her to be brought to court if she is proven to be the one who did it. I already know that the woman is mentally unstable, but that doesn't mean that she can use that as an excuse to do whatever she wants on Kisara. Please, Seto. I know you'd rather not associate your time for an old man like me, but as a doctor and her previous guardian, I beg of you. Please help me."
Seto gave him a look that lacked any interest before he turned his head away from the doctor and twisted the doorknob to open the door. "I'll think about it."
The doctor smiled. "Seto, I thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. Please come by and visit Kisara again when you have the time. I think she appreciates it that you do."
Seto gave him another nod and excused himself. He rode the elevator back to the main lobby and into the pouring rain, where his little brother and driver waited at the parking lot. As soon as he came inside, his little brother jumped on him, wanting to know what he was doing earlier.
"Nothing, Mokuba," he replied as he booted up his laptop. "Just had an adult conversation with a doctor is all. Wes, take us back to the mansion."
"Yes, sir." Wes replied and did as commanded.
Mokuba knew that his brother is refusing to say more. He dropped the subject and sat back down on the car seat. He pulled out his Nintendo DS and began playing a game.
Unbeknownst to him, Seto was reflecting upon what the doctor had said earlier. The doctor may think Seto was a heartless man, but he was proven wrong when Seto told his tale of his own personal experiences. However, what interested him more though, was the dream that the doctor told him that Kisara supposedly had. It matched exactly with the one he had before and it seemed to him to be more than just a mere coincidence. The more he thought about it, and as much as he hated admitting it after coming to a realization, he knew that that he had to see him for some answers to this predicament. The supernatural things are like having bad dandruff that always comes back to him after he brushes it off again and again. He knew that sooner or later, it'll always lead to him as it always has been.
When they were nearly back at the Kaiba mansion, Mokuba finally realized something after being preoccupied all this time with his game.
"Uh, big brother?"
"What?"
"I think I left my umbrella back at the hospital."
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A/N: Annnnnd a little comic relief just for the heck of it. I'm a roll now. Next chapter will be released in about this week or later, depending how bad my school work is. Until next time.
