Thank you again for your kind reviews. This is another one of those transition chapters between my original second short story to the third. I spent a lot of time on it so hopefully it will seem better than the last time I tied my stories together.
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Chapter Seven
It took several days for the doctors to agree to release Jounouchi even though the blond was showing remarkable healing. The entire time, Kaiba and Mokuba refused to leave the heavily guarded room. None of the three wanted to be away from the other. Jounouchi's friends visited him during the afternoon after they got off from work. Kaiba would move about the room, attempting to gain strength back in his legs and arms. Everything seemed to be returned to the time before Kaiba disappeared except for the fact that Kaiba seemed more distant. Jounouchi never questioned. He gave the CEO as much space as he needed. Roland kept not only the press but the police away from all three men. He didn't want their recovery to be stunted by stress.
Jounouchi sat up in his bed, staring at the night sky. He was excited about being released the next day and could barely sleep. He was bored at seeing the same walls and yearned to be free of his prison. Pain still spiked from the bullet wounds but must of the time it was a dull ache. He rolled his head to the side and looked at Kaiba who slept in his own bed. For the past several days the brunet showed more patience than Jounouchi ever saw coming from the man. Kaiba never yelled or pushed the nurses and doctors into releasing them. In fact, the CEO was far more silent than he was in the past. The silence bothered Jounouchi. He wondered what happened to his lover and feared the psychological damage even though Kaiba barely showed it. The blond silently hoped that when they arrived at home that Kaiba would open up to him. He didn't want the brunet burying everything as if it didn't happen.
Hours slipped by while Jounouchi stayed within his thoughts. The nurses came and went throughout the night, not disturbing the two Kaibas as they slept. Finally it was time for their release. Jounouchi and Kaiba were handed several papers to sign and read through. The brunet was barely awake appearing to need a shot of caffeine or a cup of coffee. He didn't speak to anyone beside the grunt he made when Mokuba wished him a good morning.
The first time that Kaiba spoke was in the back of their limousine. "Roland informed me that the police will be waiting at the mansion to take our statements. If either of you are not ready we can delay them."
"I would think you would be the one to need more time," Jounouchi answered. "You haven't spoken about it at all and want to ignore everything that happened. Or, are you trying to hide it for our sakes?"
Kaiba glared at Jounouchi. "Neither. I didn't think it was an appropriate time to talk about it while we were healing. Don't jump to conclusions. It'll take more than someone torturing me to break me."
The blond stared at him. It still seemed like Kaiba was hiding his feelings. Deep down Jounouchi wondered if Kaiba was hiding it from himself. He sighed and placed his hands in his lap. "Okay, but don't forget that we are both here to help you."
The CEO calmed instantly. He didn't want to take anything out on the blond when he was only trying to help. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," he said.
Mokuba moved closer to Kaiba. "Nii-sama, Jounouchi is right. You don't have to be strong for our sake, and if things are too much, we can get you help."
The brunet melted more into the seat. "If it makes you two calm down, I'll let you stay in the same room with me when I give my statement to the police."
Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "We were planning on staying in the room anyhow so you didn't have to tell your story twice." He slid closer to Kaiba and wrapped his arms around his lover's stiff shoulders. "I would like to say I know you pretty well, but Mokuba knows you better. We can see that you're stressed and want to get this over with as quickly as possible. Clearly they did something to you that you want to hide."
"I'm not saying that it wasn't painful. I survived. I won."
"This isn't a game, Kaiba! It takes a lot of gusts to stand up after everything that they did to you, but it's not a game with winners and losers. You may think you are alright and this wasn't a big deal, but something is defiantly off about you. Even though you know I accepted you as a lover, you still refused to be in the same bed as me except for that one night. You barely hug Mokuba, but I seemed to remember you always touching him before you disappeared. You don't like the nurses helping you or touching you. I don't see fear in your eyes, but I also don't see that soft gaze you used to have whenever you looked at Mokuba. You also didn't harass the doctors and nurses about letting you out of the hospital, and you never suggested that they release us so your private doctor could help us at home. You could easily protect everyone from the press and police from your mansion, but somehow, you don't seem to fight anymore. You go along with anything anyone says. I bet that Roland wanted to keep the police away for another day, but since they've been getting pushy lately, you caved."
"That's enough!" Kaiba hissed. "What right do you have to preach to me about how I have changed? You don't know me that well. You said that yourself." The limousine stopped and within a second the door was opened. "Let's get this over with so you can return to your life, Jounouchi. I appreciate you taking care of Mokuba while I was gone, but I'm back now. There is no reason for you to stay. I'll arrange for a ride to take you home after we finish talking to the police." The brunet got out of the car and left the two stunned people.
"Jounouchi."
"Don't. It's okay. He's angry and has a right to be. I shouldn't have cornered him like that." Jounouchi ruffled the smaller man's hair. "I'll just leave after we make our statements and stay away for a few days. He may need to adjust. I'll keep in touch though."
Mokuba nodded before moving out of the limousine and into the house with Jounouchi close behind them. When they entered the living room, Kaiba was already seated among several uniformed police officers and two other people that looked like they could be detectives. He was sipping from a cup and looked completely relaxed compared to how he was a few moments ago. Wordlessly the two sat down in the only two seats remaining. Mokuba chose the one closest to his brother upon seeing Jounouchi's reluctance to choose that seat. "You may begin," Kaiba spoke evenly.
"Did you get a good look at the people that did this to you?" The lead detective said, opening his notebook while the other detective did the same. He brushed his long black hair out of his black eyes.
"No. They kept me in a dark room and kept their faces hidden behind sunglasses or hoods with masks."
"Could you recognize voices if we found any suspects?"
"Probably, but they were just the ones sent to torture me. I know someone else was behind it. He or she never came to the room or spoke to me."
"Start at the beginning and try to give us as much details as possible."
"It was the same day that I dropped Jounouchi-san off at his house. I was driving home, planning on taking Mokuba out for dinner when three large vans boxed me in at an intersection that was deserted. Everything happened quickly. They ripped the driver side door open almost breaking the door and pulled me out, tossing me in the back of the van next to me. I heard something metal which sounded like a tow-truck attach to my car before the van I was in sped off. I don't know where we went or how long I was in that car. A man climbed from the front to the back, wearing a ridiculous looking werewolf mask. He grabbed me, but I wasn't planning on making it easy for them. I fought until someone else grabbed me from behind, pulling my arms behind my back. They put a wet rag over my mouth, and I black out."
Kaiba placed the cup on the table, ignoring everyone around him as he continued his story. "When I came to, I was alone in that dark room for several minutes. They came soon after, asking me for the security codes to Kaiba Corp. They wanted access to all my files. I refused. No matter what they did to me, I never gave them the codes. I don't know why they would want them, but if I gave it up, that could mean the end to Kaiba Corp. I wasn't going to let something like happen to my company. They kept asking and torturing me until they realized that I wasn't giving in. They threatened to bring Mokuba to me, but I told him that with them kidnapping me, they could never get to Mokuba. I guess they found that out on their own." Kaiba stopped, seeming to not want to go on with the story.
"How many men were there?"
"Four different voices. There could have been more, but that's all who came into that room."
"Can you give us details on what they did to you during the questioning?"
"You don't need that. The medical reports have a listing of all my injuries. You can read through those."
The detective didn't seem to like that answer. Jounouchi glanced at Kaiba. He was still refusing to talk about what happened. "Fine, we'll move on. When did they burn your fingertips and why?"
"After noticing I was going to give them nothing, they planned on leaving me somewhere to die and didn't want anyone to identify me. Someone dumped me in an alleyway beside a hospital. I could hear the ambulances coming and going. I tried to crawl my way to it, but I lost consciousness before I could get far. I woke once in the hospital, but the doctor that was in the room wasn't someone to trust. He told me that he was going to keep me in a coma until I cooperated. I don't know how much time went by, but he kept waking me only to ask me the same questions. I still refused."
"The doctor said the same thing, but he refuses to tell us who he's working for. From what we can tell, someone has been depositing money into his account every month, but it comes from different sources and can't be traced back."
Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't expect him to say anything or you to find anything that would lead you to whoever is behind this. I'm sure who that person is has the capability of killing the doctor no matter where you hide him. They had enough sense and power to keep me hidden for a year. Anyway, let me continue so you can get on with your investigation. Through the haze I heard a familiar voice talking to me one day. I don't know how I did it, but I managed to wake up while Jounouchi-san was visiting me. He kept the doctor away from me and got help, but not before that assassin came into the room and shot him twice. After that, you all know what happened."
The onyx haired detective sighed. He was hoping to get more details out of Kaiba, but judging by the way the CEO talked, that was as far as they were getting for that moment. "Thank you, Kaiba-sama. We'll turn to Jounouchi-san next. Can you tell me if you noticed anyone following Kaiba-sama's car after he dropped you off?"
"No. There was no one on my street at the time. After I saw his car turn the corner, I went into the house. I didn't know he was missing until Mokuba came knocking on my door. He asked me if Kaiba stayed here that night. I told him no. We went to the police to file a missing person report and then started a press conference announcing that Kaiba was missing. From there, I spent all my time at this mansion, operating the hotline and relaying all the information to Kaiba's private security. For the first few months we were busy with tips of Kaiba's whereabouts, but none of them came back with any results."
"How did you know where to find Kaiba-sama?"
"I didn't. My savings account ran out so I knew I had to get a job in order to keep sending rent to my friends who I live with. It was suppose to be a simple experimental job that the doctor was trying. He believed by reading and talking to coma patients, you could some how draw them out of the coma. The nurses didn't believe it could happen and even went to say that they had never saw someone waking from that ward. Kaiba was my first person. I didn't know it was him nor did the nurses. I started talking about myself and Mokuba, and finally, he opened his eyes. That's when I realized who he was. I accused the doctor of not reporting a John Doe properly and Kaiba seemed to not like him. I refused to let the doctor give him anything and kept everyone away from Kaiba until Mokuba, Roland and Kaiba's private doctor came."
Jounouchi clenched his fists thinking about everything that happened. "While I waited there with Kaiba, the door suddenly opened and there was this tall hooded man with a gun. I didn't know what came over me. I threw the newspaper that I had been reading to Kaiba while he was in that coma at the man, blocking his shot. I wrestled with him, knocking the gun out of his hand. He managed to get the gun and shot me in the shoulder before turning towards Kaiba. I moved without thinking and blocked the shot with my body. I felt something hot in my back before I blacked out. The next thing I remember is waking in a different room with Kaiba next to me."
The detective nodded. "That man is refusing to talk and a lawyer was already sent for him. He's actually a hired hit-man with no ties to any crime lords. We recognized him right away from his wanted pictures. It'll be much harder to find the criminal mind behind all of this. He knows the system, but I can assure you that you won't be seeing him again. Thank you, Jounouchi-san. Mokuba-san, during the entire time your bother was gone, did you see anything or anyone suspicious around your employees?"
Mokuba shook his head. "If they were connected to my brother's disappearance, they were not apart of Kaiba Corp. The first thing we did was question everyone with a polygraph test. Everyone passed including the board members who wanted nothing but to replace me after Seto's disappearance. Whoever is behind this was someone that was a business rival or someone that wanted to destroy Kaiba Corp."
"Prior to Kaiba-sama's disappearance, did you notice anything strange around your house."
"No. Usually if there is someone that keeps appearing or a suspicious car, Roland is notified, and they put a stop to it or watch it more closely, but nothing like that was around."
"The day your brother disappeared, what did you do?"
"At first I thought he went to the office or decided to stay with Jounouchi even though he said he was coming right back. Seto would do that sometimes if there was an emergency at the office. If he wasn't going to return that night, he would call me and let me know where he was. I didn't realize he was missing until the next morning. I tried calling his cellphone and even traced his car. That's when we found the car in the parking lot of a train station and his cellphone went right to voicemail. I went to Kaiba Corp. to check his office, but they said they hadn't seen him. I checked all the messages, wondering if he might have had an emergency at one of the Kaibalands, but nothing was in the records, plus he wouldn't use a train to get anywhere. After I checked all the leads, I went to see Jounouchi, but Seto wasn't there either. Jounouchi helped me through filing a police report and getting a press conference together. In fact it was his idea to let the public know Seto was missing. He said it would be better if people were looking for him instead of ignoring someone that may have looked like Seto."
Mokuba ran his slightly sweating hands together. "I asked Jounouchi to stay with me at the mansion and help me run the hotline. At first, we ran it together, but after a few weeks it was decided that I had to run the company. Roland informed me that the board members were starting to make motions to have me replaced as acting CEO. I foiled all their plans and fully took my brother's spot as CEO. After that they continued to push to replace me, but it was denied the whole time."
"Do you think they could be responsible for Kaiba-sama's disappearance?"
"I already told you they passed the polygraph. Plus, they wouldn't need his security codes to access his reports in order to take over. They had copies of everything and could make motions, but didn't have the say so unless the CEO said it was okay. If the board members were responsible, I think they would force him to sign over his rights as CEO or kill both him and me."
"What were you doing the day that Jounouchi-san called you to inform you that he found Kaiba-sama?"
"When he first called, I was in another board meeting. I sent his call directly to voice mail because they were accusing me of being distracted all the time. When he called the second time, I was in Seto's office and the phone that rang was his private extension. Only Seto and I know that number. At first I thought it could have been Seto, but I didn't recognize the voice at first. When I knew it was Jounouchi's voice, I knew that he found Seto. I could hear him fighting to keep the doctor and nurses away from Seto so I asked him to hand the phone over to the doctor. I ordered him to leave the room and do whatever Jounouchi asked. After hanging up with Jounouchi, I called our private doctor and had him in route to the hospital before I called Roland. We arrived at the same time and were on our way to Seto's room when we heard the gunshot. Roland tried to order me to stay put, but I didn't listen. I was afraid that I lost my brother permanently this time. Roland managed to knock the guy out and had him escorted from the room.
After that, the doctor ran in and Seto ordered everyone to not focus on him but on Jounouchi. It took them several hours to repair the damage done by the bullets, but they said thankfully the bullets didn't hit anything vital. The doctors expected Jounouchi to make a full recovery. They also said that Seto would be fine as well. The drug that the doctor was giving him to keep him in a coma was completely out of his system and there shouldn't be any side affects. From the moment that we were all put in the recovery room, Roland positioned several men as security around it as well as placing them on the nearby rooftops to ensure no one would shot through the window."
"Thank you, Mokuba-san. Kaiba-sama, I would like to question Roland and the other members of your staff here as well as your security, but you don't need to be presented while I do that. Will all of you be at this place if I need to ask additional questions?"
"If I'm not here I'll be at my office. Even though I know Mokuba must have done a wonderful job while I was gone, I need to assert myself back into my company. Jounouchi-san will be at his home. I'm sure you'll be able to get in contact with him there, right?" Kaiba asked, finally moving his gaze over to Jounouchi.
The blond frowned before nodding. He wondered if he ruined their relationship with the way Kaiba was addressing him so formally. He sighed softly, knowing that Kaiba must need a lot more space than he originally thought. Maybe in a few days or a week, he could try talking to him again. Jounouchi didn't react to Kaiba dismissing everyone out of the room, nor did he object to Kaiba walking him to the door. He took one last glance at Kaiba's hollow and distant eyes before getting into the car driven by Roland. They weren't like that before "I messed up," he mumbled to himself not expecting any response.
"No you didn't. Kaiba-sama has always been difficult to read, but I think he's afraid of you right now. You saw right through him. Right now he needs to be strong and show not only his employees but the world that nothing affects him. He's afraid that his strong front will fail if he's around you. Once everything has calmed down and life returns to normal, I'm sure you'll be able to speak with him again. He does care for you nearly or maybe more than you care for him. I saw the love and concern in his eyes when he watched over you in the hospital. So, please be patient with him. Don't take anything he says seriously until he's had time to think through everything."
Jounouchi stared in shock. "Thank you," he whispered, happy to have some reassurance. He saw that he was back at home and didn't remember every getting there so quickly. "Protect him for me."
Roland smiled. "I will. We'll be in touch."
Jounouchi nodded and got out of the car. He walked up the stairs to his house and watched as Roland disappeared around the corner, feeling a strange sense of deja vu. He frowned, wishing it was Kaiba who dropped him off just like last time and they could erase that horrible year. He quietly put the key in his door and walked in, knowing that Yugi and Honda wouldn't be home for another couple hours. He locked the door and lied down on the couch, covering his eyes with his arms. He fought the tears that threatened to fall. Even though Roland's explanation made sense, it still didn't quail the fear in Jounouchi's mind. He had a chance to finally be happy with Kaiba, and he goes and calls the man he loves a coward.
A small tear slid down the side of Jounouchi's cheek, dripping off his ear, before melting into the cushion below him. He closed his eyes, realizing that he left his pain relievers in Kaiba's limousine. He clenched his shirt directly above his heart, wondering if any medication would be strong enough to rid him of the pain in his chest. Staring at the ceiling while various thoughts ran through his mind, Jounouchi hadn't noticed that his eyes slowly shut, pulling him into the dream world.
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I hope that was okay. I know this leaves a lot of questions in the air but don't worry. Everything will clear up the further this story goes. Thanks again for reading please review.
Angel Dove