Two days later, the consequences of Bakura's little outdoor 'excursion' became clear.

"Oh dear... I knew being out in the rain wasn't good for you, but I didn't expect you to get this sick..." Ryou was currently fretting over the ailing hybrid. Bakura had started to act odd two days ago- he began to eat less and complained that the house was too hot (when it was barely above room temperature). Then the poor feline-sapien managed to literally pass out, right in front of his concerned landlord.

Ryou insisted on bed-rest and plenty of fluids, but it was soon clear this was more than just a quick cold."I think you caught a bad virus- this won't be a fun week, I'm afraid." Ryou sympathetically informed his tenant. Bakura just groaned and rolled over in his bed- the lab had been a very sterile environment, so he'd rarely gotten sick there. But this- this was a new kind of hell. Now his under-experienced immune system was facing the onslaught of a billion foreign germs. It was little surprise that his body had been hit so hard, but it still sucked.

So the hybrid reluctantly stayed in his room, giving his unusual body time to recover. Ryou felt sorry for the bored guest, and managed to set up a spare TV set in the room. It wasn't really much help; as Bakura slept through most of the day, but it was still appreciated.

The next afternoon, Bakura was feeling slightly better, so he managed to gulp down a bit of chicken with some plain rice. Ryou had looked online and found a recipe that was meant for 'pretty much anyone with an upset stomach.' Of course, the overly-eager feline-mix had eaten far faster and much more than Ryou had suggested. But at least he was eating again, which reassured his 'landlord.'

'I'll have to tell dad about this 'sickness'- though thankfully it seems to be waning off...' Ryou wandered off to find something to do while his house-guest finished his meal.

Bakura was still in the kitchen, and was ready to head back to bed for more rest. But his balance was off- he felt incredibly dizzy, and for some reason his stomach was churning. He glanced back at the now-empty bowl, starting to think he'd made a mistake in scarfing down the whole thing.

Suddenly, Ryou came in the room, looking for something. "Bakura, I'm sorry to bother you, but did you see a blue, hardcover novel lying around? I was in the middle of a really good detective story, and now I can't find it." The slender teen stepped a little closer to the ailing hybrid as he glanced over the kitchen countertops.

Unfortunately, this was very bad timing; as just then Bakura's stomach decided it didn't feel like keeping anything down anymore. With a sudden heave, the half-breed managed to expel most of his stomach contents directly onto his landlord's feet.

"Urgh..." The sick creature was rather confused. He'd never suffered a real stomach virus before.

As his head continued reeling, Bakura slowly realized what he'd done. He cringed at the sight of his host's floor and indoor shoes.

'Sh*t- I just threw up all overhim!" His entire body quickly tensed in revulsion and fear. The hybrid realized that he may have just seriously angered his one ally. "He's gonna hate me now! He's gonna get rid of me, or kick me out, or hit-'

"Ew. Well, I guess these sneakers were pretty old, anyway." The unfazed teen quickly removed his stained shoes and moved towards the kitchen garbage can. "You should probably head back to bed... or if you're too dizzy to make it up the stairs, you can lie down on the couch. In which case, I'll bring you a mini-trash can from the bathroom, if you need. Alright, Bakura?"

"Eh?!" The bewildered half-breed stared in shock as the boy threw the tainted shoes into a plastic trash-bag. The teen then grabbed some cleaning supplies from under the sink and started taking care of the rest of the 'mess.'

'He's- he's not even mad?!'

"Bakura, I'm sorry, but I really must insist that you lie down for a while- you're pushing yourself too hard. The more you rest now, the faster you'll get over this- I promise; ok?" Ryou's words were firm, but kind.

The reassuring words calmed the dazed feline-sapien, and he nodded faintly. "Ngh... ok." He turned and dizzily made his way towards the upper floor of the home.

Halfway up the stairs, Bakura felt that horrible churning in his stomach again. This time, he knew what it meant, and his eyes widened in panic. He wordlessly raced into the bathroom and knelt in front of the toilet.

He made it just in time. His pale body shivered as he retched. His white tail was sticking straight out backwards in distress, and he could feel thick beads of sweat rolling down his neck.

'This sucks- this sucks- this sucks- this sucks-'

"Bakura?"

The former experiment could hear Ryou calling for him, but he couldn't respond just yet. There wasn't much left in his system, but he was still expunging some vile-colored fluids.

A faint tremor of shock ran through his body as he felt someone step behind him and carefully touch the back of his neck.

"I'm just gonna pull your hair back, ok?"

Bakura relaxed as he focused on his aim. He nearly jumped again when he felt something moving up and down his back.

Ryou was holding the hybrid's long hair with one hand, and gently rubbing soothing circles into his back with the other. He was also quietly whispering words of comfort. "Sshhh... it's ok- this sort of thing happens to everyone- just try not to tense up too much- it's alright."

Bakura wasn't sure if it was only the bitter stomach acid that was making his eyes tear up, but he had a feeling it wasn't.

He managed a single nod before staggering to his feet. Ryou handed him a cup, and the ill creature gratefully gulped down several mouthfuls of fresh tap water.

"I think the worst is over- let's get you back to bed now."

Exhausted, Bakura tried to make his way towards the upstairs hall. His balance was still off and he felt like the whole house was swaying. Worried, Ryou quickly offered his own shoulder as a crutch. The teen let the disheveled experiment lean on him as he guided the patient to his bed.

"There's a trash can on your right, in case you feel ill again- and some fresh water on the nightstand. I'll be downstairs, so just call if you need me for anything."

The weakened cat-boy only nodded in acknowledgment. Sometimes the injections he'd been forcibly given at the lab made him sick... but none of the scientists were ever this kind, or concerned. They always stayed a safe distance away, jotting down their notes on those damn computers; watching with stoic neutrality as he suffered.

He wasn't used to someone caring for his well-being like that. At least, not without a darker motive.

"Nhgh..." Bakura felt his mind reeling again as he laid down on the soft bed. 'Why?'