Disclaimer: "I do not own Yugioh."
"Talk"
'Thoughts'
Flashback
...
"Please don't leave me." He begged again, hand slapping her face lightly to get a response from her, but no use. She was as limp as a rag doll.
"Wake up." He urged her but again, he received no response from her.
He could feel his heart beating against his chest like a jackhammer, but her heart was silent.
He could feel his body shaking with fear, but she was unmoving.
"No. This can't happen." He said, picking her up in his arms. "You can't go. I... I won't let you." He placed her on his bed and with shaking hands, reached for the phone. Dialing a number he hadn't dialed for 15 years, he spoke.
"H… hello. Dr. Wanton…. Can… can you come? An emergency." In his current state, he was unable to form complete sentences. He hung up soon after and sat beside Tea again. His hand reached for her face and removed the blood soaked bangs from her bloody forehead. It only ended in splattering stains all over her face. Disgusted, nauseated, and afraid at the same time, he grabbed a Kleenex and made an attempt to clean her face. But the more blood he wiped, the more came out from her weeping wounds.
"Dammit." He yelled in frustration and threw the now red Kleenex on the carpet not caring if it left a stain. He placed a finger under her nose again, hoping to feel a gust of wind, but was disappointed again. His hope was extinguishing with every passing second.
"Please Tea." He begged, placing his forehead on the pillow besides her. "Don't leave me." His voice began to crack and a sob threatened to escape his throat, but his pride kept it inside.
"I… I don't… I don't want to be alone again." A lone tear managed to leave his already moist eyes. "Please, I'm… I'm begging you."
"Mr. Kaiba?"
Seto's head whipped in the direction the voice had come from and was relieved to see a familiar face. Getting up, he went to the door where a man in his mid fifties stood.
"Dr. Wanton. Please… look at her. She… she won't wake up." The doctor seemed bewildered, and remained rooted to the spot staring at Seto. He had never seen Seto Kaiba act like this before, so afraid, so insecure. But his mute demeanor was enough to snap Seto out of his unusual state. Overcome by rage at the doctor's lack of response, Seto grabbed the elder man by his collar and threw him towards the bed.
"Don't just stand there, tend to her." He yelled in anger. The doctor, having gotten his senses back, shot a pitiful look towards Seto and turned his attention to the figure on the bed. As soon as he had done that, a horrified gasp left his lips.
"My god." He said in shock. "What… what happened to her?" He asked, his hands reaching for her nose to feel breath.
"Don't fucking waste time. Make her wake up." Seto growled from behind him.
"This… this is… oh God." The doctor was panicking much like Seto had upon discovering her condition. His hands roamed her body, pressing here and there. "How did she get in such a condition?" Dr. Wanton said, stopping his ministrations and turning towards Seto with accusing eyes.
"That is none of your business." Seto answered. "Just… just help her."
"I can't." Dr. Wanton's words caused his blood to freeze.
"What… what do you mean?" Seto's expression was of a deer caught in headlights. "Why?" Dr. Wanton sighed.
"She… she is in a very bad condition. I can't detect any vital signs. I don't think she's even al-."
"No." Seto cut him off suddenly. "She's alive. She's not dead." An uncanny glint appeared in his eyes as he stared at Tea. "She's alive. She can't be dead. She's alive." He moved towards her and placed his finger under her nose. "She'll be fine. Just do your job."
"I-." Dr. Wanton began, but Seto was quick in cutting him off. Again.
"I don't care what you have to do. You'll help her." He took a menacing step towards Dr. Wanton. "You're getting paid handsomely for your service, so make yourself useful." Sighing at the disturbingly familiar words, the doctor turned his attention back to Tea and took emergency medical equipment out of his small case. He tried to revive her vital, signs, but no use.
"Mr. Kaiba, the equipment I have with me is obsolete in comparison to her condition. I can't do much. I'll have to take her to the hospital."
"No." Seto said, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "She'll stay here. And you'll do your job."
"I… I'll try my best, but I can't guarantee anything." The doctor said in defeat, knowing there was nothing he could do once a Kaiba had made up his mind. He restarted his efforts to get a response from the unconscious girl. Beside him, Seto prayed over and over in his mind. His hand was shaking under her nose, anxious to feel a flicker of breath, a gust of wind. But nothing came. The doctor took out various contraptions from his case and attached to her body to feel her heartbeat, but nothing. Seto was beginning to panic. His body had moved from shaking to trembling as he struggled to keep his cool.
'She is alive. She is fine.' He kept repeating over and over in his head, giving himself false hope.
'She is going to be fine. She-' Warm breath hit his finger.
"She's alive." Seto exclaimed in relief and joy. Surprised, the doctor checked and confirmed Seto's discovery. She was alive… but barely. Satisfied, Seto moved away from the bed, letting the doctor do as he saw fit. His body had stopped shaking, and he seemed a lot like the normal Kaiba, calm and stoic. After his withdrawal, Dr. Wanton immediately set to work, securing her life as best as he could. Seto stood behind him, watching like a hawk. After a full hour, the doctor stood straight and turned to Seto.
"Mr. Kaiba. I need to speak to you about her."
"Hurry up." Seto said, eyes still focused on Tea. The doctor didn't fail to notice this.
"Mr. Kaiba, I have tried my best to help her, but I could do only so much with what I had with me." Seto sneered, obviously, not wanting to hear any of this. "In my 25 years of practice, I have never seen anyone is such a bad condition, not even after a horrible accident. Her state is even worst than your condition after a lesson form your father."
"Gozoburo was not my father." Seto spat venomously. The doctor only sighed.
"You still haven't told me what happened to her." Seto's response was a glare, but Dr. Wanton had his answer already. "Mr. Kaiba, she is alive, but barely. I have seen cases like this before, not as bad as this, but close enough. And what makes this one different than the others is not the amount of injuries, but the response of the patient." Seto still had no interest in what the old man was saying. To him, Dr. Wanton was wasting time he could be spending with Tea.
"Just get to the damn point."
"Other patients fight for their lives. They struggle to be awake. But in this case, I've noticed a complete submission to the darkness." At this, Seto's eyes widened. What was this old man trying to say? Noticing the surprised and curious look on Seto's face, the doctor continued.
"She had given up." Seto's eyes widened in shock. That wasn't true. His Tea was a fighter. She loved life, and she loved him. She'd never deliberately want to leave him. Never.
"You lie." He said in an accusing tone. The doctor shook his head.
"No. I'm telling the truth. Her mind didn't make a single attempt to grasp consciousness. It is as if she didn't want to stay alive." He locked his eyes with Seto's cold one and said. "Mr. Kaiba, she wanted to die."
"No." Seto said, the same glint appearing in his eyes again. "Not Tea. Not her. She didn't want to die. She won't die. She won't." The expression on his face was of an obsessive man, a mental patient. Dr. Wanton didn't forget to make a note of it.
"Do you have any clues as to what could cause her to be so submissive?" Seto's eyes hardened immediately.
"As I have said before, it is none of your business. And I think your work is done here. You need to leave." The elder man didn't say another word and began gathering his stuff.
"Mr. Kaiba, I haven't been in this mansion in 15 years. But I still remember every one of my visits I made years ago. I remember them. They are memories that haunt me." Dr. Wanton said, his back to the irritated Kaiba. "I still remember the day Gozoburo Kaiba hired me." Seto's hands curled into fists at the mention of his stepfather's name.
"I remember my very first day in this mansion. The beauty, the class of it awed me. But when I was led into a small room, I was shocked by the horror, by the ugliness of the situation. A little boy was lying on the bed, bathed in his own blood. His face was swollen, and there were gashes all over his body. His vital signs were present, but very faint. Do you remember that Mr. Kaiba?" Seto chose not to respond. He remembered it well. It was a daily occurrence for him during his childhood.
"I remember it very well." The doctor continued. "I remember trying my damn best to secure the life of that little boy, while another one cried beside me, begging me to help his big brother, begging me to save him. I remember the injured boy struggling for life, struggling to stay awake, struggling to overcome the pain. I remember it because it is etched in my memory. I can hear the moans of pain of the boy; I can hear his silent cries. And I can still hear the sobs of the little boy. I still hear his prayers to save his big brother."
"What the hell are you getting at?" Seto yelled, not appreciating the nature of their conversation at all. The truth was that he remembered it all as well, but he had pushed all of it back to the dark corners of his mind. And this bright conversation was bringing back emotions he thought he had lost completely. The doctor sighed at his tone.
"I was a young man, fairly new at my profession. Success and money were my top priorities. My ambition overcame my conscience and I remained silent of what I witnessed on a regular basis. I didn't want to make an enemy in Gozoburo Kaiba. But over time, my morals broke me down. My conscience demanded that I help the poor boy. So I offered him my assistance. I offered him my help. Every time I treated the young boy for his injuries, I asked him why he took the abuse? Why didn't he just tell someone? Why did he suffer so much?" The doctor paused to take a deep breath before continuing. "And do you know what the boy answered Mr. Kaiba? Do you remember?" Behind him, Seto gritted his teeth, struggling to keep his control as unwanted memories assaulted his mind.
(Flashback)
"I can help you." A young Dr. Wanton said, wrapping bandage around Seto. The boy winced in pain as the doctor tied a knot to keep the bandage intact. Immediately, a much younger boy with black hair began crying. Seto reached out to him, stroking his hair in a fatherly manner.
"You don't deserve this." Dr. Wanton said, watching the display of affection. "This is inhumane. Even animals aren't given this kind of abuse."
"Thanks for the offer Dr. Wanton," Seto said, still comforting his little brother, "but I'd rather not do anything at this point."
"Why not?" Seto's eyes grew misty, as a far away look housed in them.
"I don't want to do anything at this time. There is much that still needs to be done. I made the choice to be adopted by Gozoburo because I wanted to give Mokuba the best life has to offer. And I won't give up until I have fulfilled my decision. It was my choice and I will suffer the consequences." A determined look appeared in his eyes. "I will see through it. I love my little brother and I'd do anything I can to secure a future for him. Anything." To Dr. Wanton's surprise, his voice remained exceptionally calm and collected. The young doctor stared at the young boy in front of him with admiration and respect.
"I hope you succeed."
(End flashback)
"I saw something in that boy that gave me hope and assurance that everything will be fine. I saw strength to withstand the deadliest of storms. I saw courage to face the worst of demons. But most importantly, I saw a kind heart that would never be over shadowed by the darkness of hate and anger because it glowed with love; love for a young brother, love for a better life, love for a brighter future." He turned so now he could see Seto in the eye as he spoke.
"I believed that nothing would taint your heart; nothing would blacken your soul. I believed that all of Gozoburo's attempts to turn you into his son were futile." A pause during which Seto breathed harshly while the doctor struggled to keep his voice calm. "But I was mistaken. I underestimated Gozoburo and overestimated you. I see the results of my mistake now and it pains me to see that you are exactly what Gozoburo had wanted you to become."
"Shut up." Seto screamed, advancing towards the older male. "Just shut up. You don't know what you are talking about. Shut up."
"I won't shut up." Dr. Wanton raised his voice for the first time, standing up to face the monstrous wrath of Seto Kaiba. "I followed that path for the past 15 years and made the worst mistake of my life. But I won't make the same mistake again. I won't let you destroy that girl's life."
"You don't know her. You don't know anything about her."
"I know she is an innocent girl who is a victim of your anger, of your disturbing past, of your lonely present, and of your possibly bleak future." The doctor said, unfazed by Seto's anger. "I know you were the one who brought her to such a miserable state. I know it was you who did that to her. You are the one who caused her to give up on life and embrace death. You really are Gozoburo Kaiba's son, Seto Kaiba."
"No." Seto said in a somewhat horrified tone, more to himself than to the doctor. "That's not true. It can't be true. I am not like him. I'm nothing like Gozoburo."
"Just look at yourself." The doctor yelled in frustration. "Look at the poor girl who lies half-dead in bed because of your abuse and then look at yourself in the mirror. Look and tell me what you see. Don't you see a monster that nearly killed an innocent girl? Don't you see a heartless bastard who hurts without any regrets? Someone who has pushed everyone away from him to be alone? Someone who only cares for himself? Someone who is feared and despised? Someone who is so powerful that he has forgotten that he too is a human? Tell me?" Seto had no answer to these questions. He had no response.
"Gozoburo turned you into a monster while I watched at the sidelines. I watched and did nothing. But I won't stand silent any more. I won't let another Gozoburo or Seto be born. I won't."
"You can't take her away from me." Seto said, standing protectively in front of the bed where she lay. "I won't let you." The doctor stared at Seto long and hard. He watched the faint glint of something dangerous linger in his cold eyes. But he wasn't quite sure what it was. Grabbing his case, he began walking down the stairs, leaving a shaking Kaiba behind.
"I will come again tomorrow to check on her." He said in a strict tone. "And if I see another scratch on her body, I'll report it to the authorities."
Seto watched the old man leave, his eyes focused on his frail frame. As soon as he was out of sight and the door shut, he turned and ran towards Tea. A wave of relied flooded him with just one look at her. She was still there, lying in his bed, still with him. She was covered in bandages, with an IV tube connected to her arm. He moved towards her to touch her, to hold her but stopped short.
'I know she is an innocent girl who is a victim of your anger.' Dr. Wanton's words echoed in his head and he immediately took a step back.
'I know you were the one who brought her to such a miserable state. I know it was you who did that to her.' But he had a valid reason. Didn't he?
'Look at the poor girl who lies half-dead in bed because of your abuse and then look at yourself in the mirror. Look and tell me what you see.' He didn't know what compelled him to follow the doctor's words, but before he knew it, his feet were carrying him to the dressing table mirror. He stood before it, staring at himself. Beside him, he would see the image of Tea, lying still, yet struggling to stay alive.
'You are the one who caused her to give up on life and embrace death. You really are Gozoburo Kaiba's son, Seto Kaiba.'
"No." He said, staring at his reflection. "It's not true. I'm nothing like him. I'm nothing like that monster." His eyes darted back to Tea's figure and for a second, he felt like he was staring at a younger version of himself lying in the same state. His heart sank to the bottom of his stomach.
He saw his reflection change from his to a familiar one and he found himself staring at the face of his fear, his demon, and his enemy. Desperately, he tried to wipe that reflection off the mirror, but his attempts were futile. That image remained, laughing at his misery, mocking his very existence.
"No. I'm not him." He said again and rubbed his palms on the mirror, trying to erase the image, but the same face stared at him.
There was no denying it.
It was crystal clear.
He used to be the one on the receiving of such inhuman abuse, but now he was the one delivering it.
He was the one who was doing exactly what Gozoburo did to him years ago.
He was following in Gozoburo's footsteps.
He was becoming someone he hated, someone he swore to never be like.
He was becoming his stepfather.
He was becoming Gozoburo Kaiba.
…
…
He had become Gozoburo Kaiba.
...
Hey guys. I'm not gonna bother you guys with a note this time. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
