Ryou walked through the hospitals dimly lit hallways, quiet at this late hour. He eventually found himself outside in a small courtyard, a fountain made calm splashing noises and the cool night air soothed him. He sat down on a bench and placed his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes so that yellow spots flashed in his vision. He groaned loudly and tried not to think of Bakura. Easier said than done. Ryou was annoyed. Annoyed with Bakura. Annoyed with himself. He curled up into a ball on the bench and a dry choked sob escaped his lips. Bakura was right. He really was pathetic. He sat there alone in the cold air and thought about all Bakura had done for him. Done to him more like. The memories of the various beatings ran through his head, but the pain was not what he remembered most, it was Bakura's expression. Angry, disgusted, hateful. The way he'd push him away afterwards, wiping his hands on his jeans, as if Ryou were contaminated and he couldn't stand to touch him. That was what upset Ryou most. He didn't really have friends. Not since Bakura put them into comas or scared them away. Even if he did have friends, he would barely see them. Ryou missed lots of school, Bakura was never too careful where he struck and often Ryou's face told a different story to his mouth. Ryou had begun to run out of excuses, the teachers growing more suspicious with every absence. Ryou sighed and stood up, pacing back and forward in front of the bench, winding a lock of white hair around one finger as he tried to work out what to do. Bakura had told him to get out. But Ryou wasn't sure if he meant the room, or the hospital, or his entire life. He was sure Bakura wouldn't miss him if he just disappeared. Nobody would. He sunk to the ground and curled into a ball, hugging his knees close to him, tears racking his slender frame.
"Ryou?" A concerned voice came from the doorway into the hospital and Ryou looked up, drying his eyes on his already damp sleeve.
Tired brown eyes met worried honey and immediately looked away, ashamed.
"What'cha doing here Ryou?"
"Bakura got attacked." But Ryou was unsure, he didn't actually know what had happened.
There was a sharp intake of air from the other boy and he walked over to Ryou, placing an arm around his shoulders comfortingly and rubbing warmth into his cold back.
"Why don't'cha come inside, it's freezing out here."
Ryou nodded and sniffed, allowing Joey to pull him upright and lead him inside. Joey led him through the corridors to the virtually deserted cafeteria, a woman sat behind the counter reading a magazine and sipping on a mug of something hot.
"How long have ya been here Ryou?" Joey asked.
"I don't remember..." Ryou's head felt fuzzy, the humming of the drinks machines was giving him a headache and the artificial light made it difficult to sense time going by. He felt he could have been there years.
"Have ya eaten anythin'?"
Ryou shook his head. "I'm gettin' ya sumthin to eat then, and a hot drink, you're freezin'."
Ryou tried to object, but a violent shiver racked his body and he simply nodded up at Joey.
Joey smiled and placed a hand on Ryou's shoulder, "Go sit down and I'll be back in a minute okay?"
Ryou nodded and walked away unsteadily, virtually collapsing into a wooden chair in a corner and resting his head on the table. He felt drained, despite how much he'd slept. His stomach gave an unhappy rumble and he realized how hungry he was. He heard a gentle chuckle behind him and turned to see Joey carrying a tray with two boxed sandwiched, two polystyrene cups and two cakes sealed in plastic. He sat down opposite Ryou and placed the tray in front of them.
"Dig in." He smiled, passing Ryou his sandwich and drink.
Egg salad, peach tea. Two of his favorites. Ryou allowed a small smile to grace his face.
"Thanks Joey."
Joey just waved his thanks away, taking a bite of his own sandwich.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, Ryou eating hungrily and sipping his tea, feeling his muscles relax and his body slowly warm up.
"What are you doing here Joey?"
"I was visitin' my sister, she's in surgery now. It's a pretty long operation but I promised her I'd stay until she wakes up." Joey gave a small smile but Ryou could see the worry in his eyes.
Ryou nodded. "I'm sure she'll be fine Joey."
Joey smiled, "So what happened with Bakura?"
Ryou sighed, and relayed the entire story to Joey, who listened in a mixture of horror, concern and anger.
"Ryou, I'm so sorry. None of us knew. We just thought you were ill a lot. I mean we knew Bakura wasn't all that nice but we never imagined he'd do anything like that!"
Ryou just gave a small, cruel smile and drained the rest of his tea.
Joey gave Ryou one last pitying look and glanced down at his watch.
"Awh crap! It's 7AM! They said she'd be out of surgery by now! I'm really sorry Ryou I gotta go. I'll come to the ICU and check on you later okay?"
Ryou nodded. "It's fine Joey. I hope your sister's okay."
"Thanks Ryou!" Joey yelled back as he practically ran from the cafeteria.
Ryou sighed heavily and rested his head on the table. He hated being pitied. He sat there until 7.30 watching the cafeteria get busy, not sure what to do. Not wanting to go home, not wanting to stay. In the end he decided to go to the ICU and ask the nurses how Bakura was doing. Then he'd go home. Honest.
"Excuse me, are you Bakura Ryou?" A smiling nurse with pretty blonde curls stopped Ryou as he made his way to Bakuras bed.
"Yes, is something wrong?" Ryou played with his sleeve nervously, his mind instantly imagining worse case scenarios.
"Oh no, quite the opposite in fact. I just checked on your friend, he's doing well, he's not losing any more blood and he's managing to stay conscious. Of course he'll need to stay in for a week or so to be monitored, but it's looking good." The nurse smiled at the relief on Ryou's face as he let out an audible sigh and felt tears well in his eyes once again.
"Thank you." He smiled up at the nurse, words sincere and heart felt.
"Just doing my job," her face changed to one of concern, "are you okay? You've been here since he came in haven't you?"
Ryou nodded, noticing the nurses blue eyes flicker to the blood on his clothes, the bags under his eyes and his unusually messy hair.
"Is there anyone you'd like to ring? Family maybe?"
Ryou shook his head, "No thanks, I think I'll stay with him a bit longer."
The nurse didn't look too happy with his answer, but managed a small smile and rested a kindly hand on his shoulder, "If there's anything you need don't hesitate to ask Ryou."
Ryou managed a small smile and a nod of thanks, before the nurse turned to make her way to the nurses station. Ryou watched her walk away, silently thanking Ra and all the other Gods for keeping Bakura safe.
Once he reached the curtain around Bakura's bed he paused, hand resting nervously on the fabric.
'Ryou?' Bakura's voice sounded in Ryou's head, hesitant, nervous.
'Don't call me that.' Bitter, angry. Nothing like Ryou.
There was a tense pause.
'I'm sorry.' Ryou pulled the curtain open angrily, tearing it shut behind him and striding to the bed.
'What?'
'I.. I'm sorry.'
Bakura's face was nervous, he was playing with the hem of the sheet on his bed and he was avoiding looking at Ryou. There were trails down his cheeks where tears had fallen and his eyes were red and puffy. He looked so unlike himself that Ryou began to laugh, quietly at first, a low chuckle, but it soon turned into full scale laughter. Ryou bent double, clutching the end of the bed for support, gasping for breath, laughing like a maniac. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or the shock finally setting in. But Ryou didn't think he'd ever heard anything in his life as funny as Bakura, the proud Thief King of Kul Elna apologizing. To him of all people! His pathetic, worthless, puny Yadonushi.
"Ryou?" The voice was timid, no doubt unnerved by his manic laughter.
Ryou whirled upright, laughter ceasing with Bakura's voice to be replaced with pure rage. "I said not to call me that!"
Bakura actively flinched and Ryou smirked. A Bakura smirk. Any fear he had felt towards Bakura had faded. The boy lying in the bed in front of him was truly broken, defenseless. Now Ryou finally saw who the pathetic one was. His smirk grew.
"You called, oh great Thief King?"
Bakura's face twisted into a disgusted scowl at Ryou's sarcastic tone. "You came back Yadonushi." Bakuras eyes glittered with malice, words dripping off his tongue like honey.
Ryou moved closer to the bed, laughing internally as Bakura watched him warily. "Yes. Well, I thought it was only polite to say goodbye."
Bakuras eyes narrowed into crimson slits.
"I know how you've always taught me to use my manners. Please Bakura, Thank you Bakura, you are so generous Bakura, you spoil me Bakura." Ryou leaned close to Bakura's face, leering at him, voice mocking and face twisted in contempt.
Bakura made no attempt to reply, just glared into the face of his disobedient Yadonushi.
Ryou hovered in front of Bakura for a few more seconds, watching the fear and anger flit through his eyes before moving back to sit in the chair by the bed with a small chuckle.
"What's so funny?"
"Well, I always thought I was the pathetic one. But just look at you." Ryou's words were full of contempt and his sneer contorted his usually pleasant features into an ugly mask. "You had to call me for help. Me! Your pathetic Yadonushi. You were that afraid to die."
"Shut up." Bakuras face was scarlet with rage, red rimmed eyes oozing with fury.
"No! I won't obey you any more!"
"You will do as I say baka, or do you want me to beat you again?"
Ryou snorted at this. Eyes cruelly running up and down the figure of the immobilized boy. "And how are you going to manage that, oh mighty Thief King?"
Bakura growled but didn't reply.
Ryou stood once again and loomed over Bakura, leaning over til his lips brushed his ear. "That's what I thought. Baka." He hissed, all his hatred, his loathing, his years of abuse spilling out in those few simple words.
"Go to hell!" Bakura snarled. Ryou smirked cruelly,
"Oh I plan to." He turned smoothly on his heel and walked to the curtain, looking back to glare in contempt at the puny form of his Yami. "Goodbye Bakura. Don't try to find me."
Bakuras eyes widened at this, then narrowed again in hate. "You'll never escape me Ryou. You know that. How will you cope without me? I have kept a roof over your head, kept you fed, clothed, warm. What will you do without me?"
Ryou snorted, turning to face the curtain once more, one slender hand resting on the material. "You know, it's almost like you don't want me to leave. But why would that be? I'm useless, pathetic, spineless. You've said it before. You should be jumping at the chance to get rid of me, and yet, you're practically begging me to stay. Well it's not going to work. I'll see you in Hell Bakura." He spat, before ripping the curtain aside and striding through the ward, ignoring the worried looks the nurses gave him as they saw his hateful expression.
