"You sure he has just the flu?"

Atem woke up.

"yu...?"

" how are you feeling?"

He reached out for Yugi. Yugi grabbed his hand. "What is wrong?"

"co...co...head...sleepy...cold..." he started crying. Yugi held Atem to his shoulder sort of rocking him to calm him.

"Shu don't cry you'll be ok."

Atem starts shaking again. Yugi looks at him. "Atem what is wrong?"

Atem doesn't respond. "Oh no, Atem not again, why does this keep happening?"

"What keeps happenning?"

"He will be awake, start to shake then when I ask him why I get no response other than maybe his dull eyes looking at me confused and/or scared."

"Has he ever had a traumatic childhood?"

"I don't know we aren't related."

"yu...?"

"Atem what is it? Do you need something?"

"don't...don't leave...yu...?"

Yugi relises the hospital isn't going to let him stay with the sick Pharoh overnight. He couldn't bring himself to lie to Atem nor could he say "no i won't be here.'

"Yu..." Atem starts crying again thinking he was being abandoned by Yugi, this time by choice. Yugi ran his hand though Atem's now limp hair.

"Yu...gi...stay...promise..." Atem pleads still crying. Atem then fell asleep still crying.

"He has never been this clingy in all the time i've known him. I know a few people who have known him longer. I hope they can tell me what would cause him to be so clingy."

"I was going to tell you to only see him during visiting hours but i'm scared he might become suicidal if you aren't here after seeing how clingy he was. He will have an MRI and EKG done just to make sure he isn't mentally off center."

Three hours past and it was 7:30, 30 minutes after visiting hours. Atem was waking up. He saw Yugi clinging to his arm.

"Atem?"

"promise...stay...Yugi...promise?"

"Shu...I didn't answer you before because I needed the doctors approval to stay. I got approval so don't worry I ain't going anywhere until your better."

"yu... promise?" Atem gave puppy dog eyes at Yugi with a pouting face. Yugi was surprised to see the former Pharoah use such an expression. He went to Atem's ear whispering "yeah it's a promise."

Atem suddenly strained to sit up yelling. Yugi lifted him up so he could sit.

"Atem why are you strai..." The former Pharoah clung to Yugi's shirt like a child. "Atem?" Yugi asked. He looked at Atem's face.

"Atem I told you I am staying what is wrong? Why are you so clingy?"

Atem falls asleep. His head fell onto Yugi's shoulder.

"Atem?" Yugi rubbbed Atem's back sighing getting a feeling that Atem wasn't going to let go for a while, at least not without some kind of fit.

Atem woke up again clinging tighter.

"Atem?"

(images flash through the mind link between Yugi and the former Pharoah, ones of chibi Atem looking at his father in fear as his father handed him the puzzle saying the words "The curse of the puzzle will force you to die trice, once to save the world, Once after guiding the world back to normal and once again before the one you love, all to bestow you with the ability you need to save this Ra foresaken world."

"But dad why me. Why not Seth or better yet Mahad because Mahad is to strong to die... Why me?" tears flow down the young Pharoah's face and the face of the one in reality.)

The Pharaoh couldn't stop crying Yugi hushed him. When that didn't work he sang to the former Pharaoh a lullaby. The tune calmed Atem.

"You won't die Atem not now, I know the gods would not be so cruel as to send you back only to have such a fate for you right after your return. Have faith."

Atem smiled. Yugi was happy to finally see Atem smile after all that he had been through.

The curse has been revealed yet has the prophecy been fulfilled, Atem seems think not. find out soon.