Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers and readers. Please enjoy the new chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu gi oh it is the property of Kazuki Takahashi.

Narration ( )

The Quiet One: Unexpected Aide

(Yugi stood in the bathroom his back pressed against the door and his pyjamas hanging off his thin frame. His faced was flushed red and his eyes were half closed in exhaustion.)

The heat was almost painfully intense and my head felt like someone had encased it in a giant ball of wax. I could vaguely hear someone talking loudly to me through the door, but I couldn't bring myself to acknowledge them. A persistent beeping brought me far enough out of my fuzzy daze to fully open my eyes. I looked at the thermometer as the digital numbers blinked back at me. It was high way too high. I have to go to the doctor I have to-

"Yugi, come on I am not going to tell you again!"

Have to go to school.

I stumbled back to my room and mechanically began to collect my stuff for the day. I slowly reached into my drawer and pulled out the beige fishing hat. It had been a joke gift on my last birthday. So far no one had really questioned it for that I thanked my lucky stars. Oh, there had been a lot raised eyebrows and giggling from my classmates. Joey and Tristan had jokingly asked if I was trying to hide a horrible haircut, and Grandpa had only told me to take it off during dinner. That had earned him the best Yami-esque glare I could muster. It must have been pretty decent because not a word had been mentioned since. Still I was worried, I knew my luck wouldn't hold out forever someone was bound to take the direct route one day and just rip it right off me, and it was probably going to be one of the teachers. It was against the school dress code to wear hats after all. Then again it was also against the code to add buckles, sequence, and neon coloured shoe laces to the uniforms, but that didn't stop more than half the school from doing it anyway.

Knowing I was just going to have to risk it I jammed the hat my head and went down to meet Yami tapping his foot on the floor as Grandpa shoved a lunch bag in my hand and all, but threw us both out the door yelling that we were are going to be late.

The walk to school was relatively quiet for the first bit and for that I was eternally grateful because I didn't think I could handle ideal gossip over the pounding of my head. It wasn't until I almost walked straight into a lamppost that Yami tried to make any sort of conversation.

He chuckled. "You know, Yugi, those posts wouldn't jump out and surprise you if you kept you eyes off the sidewalk."

"Yeah, sure, Yami, whatever you say," I mumbled not even attempting to look at him just trying my best to make my voice sound as normal as possible and splitting my attention between two things was enough to make me stomach start trying out for the circus. It all just made me want to curl up into a ball on the pavement and die. Could this be any worse?

"You're worried about that test in math today aren't you? Well don't be you'll do just fine."

The test! Oh man, I forgot, ack someone shoot me!

&&&

"All right all you wimps today we are going to run laps. Now everybody warm up and get out there!" The teacher blew his whistle and everyone got form the bleachers everyone, but me that is.

He walked over and stared at me with his blue beady eyes. "And why do you think you're exempt from this, Mutou?"

"My doctor recommended that I don't do any unnecessary physical activity."

"Did your so-called doctor give you a note?"

"No."

"Well without a note you can't slack so get out there and run!"

With no other choice left I got off the bleachers and started after my classmates. It was in that one moment trotting in the heat that I saw with great clarity just how far I'd fallen. I use to be such a good runner I should have been able to leave everyone in the dust. It was then that I made what was to be one of the stupidest decisions of my life in the name of pride. I began to push my body harder forcing my legs to move me towards the crowd. I just had to make it ahead of them for just a moment.

If I could just run fast enough then everything would melt away. I wouldn't be sick anymore, my friends would come back to me, and everything would just like it use to. A little more…just a little farther. I kept going, kept pushing even as my stomach churned and I felt the bile slowly rise up my throat, swinging my arms and legs wildly even as I felt them hit the pavement, and the world blurred and went black.

&&&

Am I dead yet? I thought as I came to. I blinked and recognized the plain white ceiling of the nurse's office. How did I get here? I turned to the side and was met with the sight of a pair of ice blue eyes illuminated by the glow of a shiny silver laptop. He didn't bring me here did he? Seto looked up from his work just then as if hearing my question, closed the top of his computer and put to the side.

"Before you ask yes I did bring here I couldn't just leave you in the middle of the track like that after all you were blocking everyone's path. No I did not stay here out of the goodness of my heart, but as an excuse to get out of that waste of a class and do something productive."

Without thinking I moved my hand down from my mouth my palm open. 'Thank you'

'You're welcome. Don't expect me to do it again.'

If I hadn't already been sitting down I would have fallen flat on my butt. 'You know sign language?'

'When you run an international company it comes in handy.'

He walked over and stood by the side of the bed. He had strange look in his eyes and if I hadn't known any better I would have thought it was concern.

"I've seen you run, Yugi. You could beat the pants off of anyone on that pathetic thing they like to call a track team without breathing hard, yet you pass out today after less than ten minutes. It's not like you."

Whether from the stress or from an extreme desire to have someone know I wasn't sure, but either way I grabbed my notebook out of my short's pocket and wrote I have cancer on it in big bold letters and showed it to him.

"You can't be serious."

Ah, Seto Kaiba ever the sceptic. I reached up and pulled the cap off my head, which remarkably had stayed on, and watched him recoil in shock. If it had been at any other time I would have found the sight hilarious.

He suddenly stumbled backwards I reached out to him only to realize a second later what a stupid move it was as my stomach threatened an encore presentation. I got very dizzy and fell back on the cot. I felt his cool hand and my forehead.

"You have a fever."

'I know.'

"And you came to school why?"

'Grandpa made me.'

"Are you that much of a child that you need his permission to deal with this?"

'He doesn't know.'

He got that god-smacked look on his face again and just stood there gaping like a Flying Fish in water.

"Oh."

'Thank you again' I said and slowly made my way off the cot.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

I finished tying up my shoes and turned back to him. 'I can't stay they told me to contact them that it was dangerous if this happened.'

"Well why didn't you just tell me?"

Before I knew it I was being scooped up in his arms and he was on his phone telling Roland to bring the limo around.

"Yugi, don't spread it around that I am such a nice guy. I have a reputation to uphold."

I just nodded numbly and went limp in his hold as we headed out into the parking lot.

&&&

"You should have contacted me immediately, Yugi, you know how serious this can be."

"It came on suddenly and we weren't really in a position to come here directly, sorry."

Thankful that Seto could think on his feet in times like this and had come in with me. Doctor Scott normally wasn't one to take any sass, but she was probably just thankful that I'd finally brought someone with me after they told me every session how important support was.

"Yes well do make sure you are more careful next time. In the meantime I'll put you on antibiotics for the next two weeks to be on the safe side. Will continue with the treatments for now, but if you show any adverse affects from this I will have to postpone them."

With that I got ready to go. I expected Seto to simply leave as he'd fulfilled his good deed quota for the year, so I pick my prescription and prepared to start the long trek home. Only to have Seto grab the collar of my jacket with one hand as the other pressed into my back and guided me back towards the limo.

"Take us home," he instructed the driver.

I just gaped at him.

"Did you really think I was going to let you go home in this condition? I may be a cold-hearted creep, Yugi, but I am not stupid."

'I need my stuff.'

"You can never just take a hospitable gesture at face value can you? Fine have it your way."

We pulled up on front of the Game Shop and I went in and grabbed my things as fast as I could. Only I made the mistake of going out the shop door instead of the side one.

"And just where are you going, Yugi?" Grandpa asked peering over the top of his newspaper.

"To a-a friends house just for the weekend," I answered and quickly went out the door before he could question me further. It was getting painful to talk and I didn't want to waste what little voice I had left.

The drive to Seto's mansion was silent. It wasn't until we had arrived and he had showed me to one of the many bedrooms that I got up the nerve to speak.

"Why are you doing all this for me?"

"You know, Yugi, I'm not interested in your proclamations of friendship and never have been…Still there are some things no one should face alone and this is one of them. And don't talk you sound even worse than you look."

I nodded taking off my jacket and climbing into the king sized bed. I was ready to just to collapse and forget this crazy day all together when I felt my stomach flip over again. I leaned over the side as it emptied whatever was left in it. My face was flushed in embarrassment as I sat hunched over the bed until nothing came up, but dry heaves.

"I'm so sorry, Seto."

"It's all right carpets can be cleaned that's why I have a maid, and I told you not to talk."

I went into the bathroom to clean up where Seto continued to hover over me like the mother I'd never had. Why does insist on being close every second? And why do I like it?

As he led me back to bed we ran into Mokuba in the hall.

"Hey, Yugi, what are you doing here?"

"I-"

"He is slowly learning that when I say don't talk I mean it!"

He just looked at us quizzically. "Okay then."

"We'll talk later, Mokuba, right now I want to get Yugi settled he'll be with us for a few days."

With that I went back to my unofficial room and lay down, as Seto all but shoved the spoonful of medicine down my throat. I swallowed and fell back amongst the mountain of pillows already feeling drowsy and grateful to finally be able to just leave this day behind me.

&&&

I woke up a little later and looked at the clock to see I'd been out for about three hours. Feeling ten times better I decided to test myself and brave going downstairs in search of food. Carefully inching my way down the stairs my hands gripped the banister tightly my feet pushed into the plush carpet to keep my body steady. I heard voices coming from a room by the landing. Looking through the rungs of the stairs I saw that the door was open and I could make out who was inside. Seto sat in a plush arm chair Mokuba curled up in his lap. Knowing I shouldn't barge in on what was obviously very a private moment I just sat there and listened.

"Seto, if something happens to Yugi what-what we'll do? I mean I know you've never really liked him, but I've always thought of him as a friend and…and, why does everyone I get close to leave?!"

"Life will go on without him, Mokuba, you know that. As for him leaving those are the risks you take when you let emotions cloud your judgement."

"Isn't there anything we can do?"

"There are some things in life that not even money and power can fix. The best thing we can do is spend as much time with him a possible because I'm not sure how much more we're going to have."

Wow, he really does care.

(End chapter 7)