Hahaha... Sorry it's so late. Another one of them spurs came in handy.
Now, seeing as I have school in like, six hours, I better go to bed. n.n;;
"Oh dear."
The nurse sighed as she closed the door behind her, staring at the heartbreaking scene. Bakura was still on the bed, in a deep, exhausted sleep, Ryou in his arms. She bit her lip as she crossed the room, gently leaning down, and shaking the yami's shoulder. Bakura gasped, his eyes snapping open. He looked around the room for a moment, before his gaze settled on the nurse.
"Oh." Bakura murmured, slumping into the pillow. He instinctively clutched the whitenette close to him, burying his nose in Ryou's silky hair. His leg was hurting more than ever, but he forced it down. "'S only you…" He sighed, blinking furiously. "What's th' time?"
"Almost five." The nurse said gently. "Has Ryou made any movement at all?" Bakura shook his head weakly, staring down at the limp teenager. She sighed.
"He's gonna die." Bakura whispered heartbrokenly, resting his forehead against Ryou's fluffy white head. "Ryou's gonna die… Isn't he?" He pressed his lips together, his shoulders shaking. He was beyond caring about what people thought, about how weak he looked. Ryou was dying. It was like a boulder of ice in Bakura's stomach. The person who dragged him out of his funk, who loved him and cared about him…
"We're not so sure yet." The nurse said gently. "Now… I need to get Ryou lying down flat so I can check his vital signs." Bakura shook his head, clutching the trembling frame closer to him.
"No." He whispered. "Leave him alone…" Ryou was still in his arms. "Don't touch him." Bakura was shaking, one hand cupping the back of Ryou's head, the other looped around his slim waist, trying not to touch his back.
"Bakura, please."
"No!" Bakura was sobbing, clinging tightly to Ryou. "Leave him alone. Just… Just…" The nurse took a step back, letting out a long sigh. Bakura heard her footsteps as she walked out of the room, clacking down the hallway. He let out a long sigh, gently cradling Ryou against his chest. He'd snapped. "C-Can't they just leave me in peace to have these last few minutes with you?" Bakura placed a quick, fleeting kiss on Ryou's forehead. "Y-You have to pull through." He whispered. "Because I'm going to help you get better. I'm going to take you home and we're going to put all of this behind us. I know it took you ages to get better last time, but this is different, I swear." The yami sniffed, gently rocking the teen from side to side.
"Bakura." He froze at the doctor's voice, tightening his hold on Ryou. "Look… There's still a somewhat decent chance Ryou is going to survive… We need you to let go of him so we can make sure… And he needs to remain as stationary as possible."
"No." Bakura muttered. "You can't…" The doctor sighed, jerking his head towards Bakura. The yami's eyes widened as the male orderlies entered the room, strong and burly. "No…" He repeated.
"Restrain him." Bakura's eyes widened as a set of strong hands grabbed each arm, forcing his limbs to his sides.
"Fuck off!" Bakura yelped, struggling as hard as he could. "I mean it, let me go, or…" He watched as the doctor extracted the needle from his pocket. "No!" He gasped. "You can't…"
"It's just a sedative." The doctor said calmly, rolling up the sleeve of Bakura's hospital gown until it was at his shoulder. "It's only going to be a tiny prick, and then you'll go right to sleep." Bakura shook his head madly, hissing as the tiny piece of metal pierced his skin. He could only watch in horror as the vial was emptied into his veins.
Almost immediately, the effects of the drug started taking hold. Bakura closed his eyes as he started feeling dizzy, his tense muscles going lax. He was so sleepy, and the mattress of so comfortable… Maybe he should just shut his eyes for a short moment…
The doctor and the orderlies watched as Bakura passed out, slumping into the mattress with a long moan.
Bakura groaned as the bright light glared through his closed eyelids, staining them red. He rolled his head over to one side, opening his eyes open a crack. He felt like crap. His left leg throbbed in a dull ache, and all over, he felt weak… The sedative may have worn off, but Bakura was hooked up to huge amounts of morphine, dulling his pain, and his wits.
Ryou.
Bakura's eyes snapped open, clenching his hands into the sheets. His heart skipped a beat, before sinking in deep guilt. With a low moan, the yami lifted his head, looking around him. He spread out carefully in a gurney, his left leg in a traction. Bakura blinked at the thick cast that was from his thigh to his skin, but ignored it, struggling to prop himself up on his elbows. When Bakura had finally accomplished this task, he looked over to his left. It was nothing but a smooth, blank wall, close to him. There were now only three bags hooked into his arms, but, despite the grogginess, Bakura had to admit he felt a lot better.
Bakura turned his head to look to his right, expecting to see another blank grey wall. What he really saw, however, made his heart stop.
There was a hospital bed, right next to him. The gurney was so close to him. If he reached out far enough, Bakura's fingers would be able to touch the edge of the other bed. The figure was hooked up to various bags and machines, and his upper half was almost covered in bandages. He was so unrecognizable, it took a moment for Bakura to click.
"Ryou." Bakura gasped in shock, his eyes wide. "O-Oh God…" He stared at Ryou, who's chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. It took Bakura another moment to realize that it the bright light that filtered through the small window was sunlight. "Oh…" Bakura stared at the small window between the two beds, his heart lifting. It must be mid morning… The yami gasped as he managed to force himself into a sitting position. He leaned over the side of the bed, keeping one hand on the metal frame to brace himself. Bakura extended his free arm, leaning over a little more. He managed to grab Ryou's shoulder, and started to shake the teen.
"Ryou…" He breathed his eyes filling with tears. "Ryou… You're alive. Y-You're alive…" Bakura sniffed. He shook the teenager still, biting on his lip hard. "Oh God…" His heart swelled in joy. His smile stretched almost from ear to ear. He continued shaking Ryou's shoulder.
It was the soft knocking on the door that broke Bakura's concentration. The yami gasped, and looked up as the door opened, a tall nurse standing on a threshold.
"O-Oh!" She gasped, seeing Bakura conscious. "Oh, my." The woman looked down at her clipboard, before walking between the two beds.
"Ryou." Bakura looked up desperately to the nurse. "What's going on? How is he?" The nurse sighed. "Is he okay?"
"Depends by what you mean by okay." She cast a glance over to Ryou's flicking, beeping monitors. "If you means he's going to live, then yes. He hasn't regained consciousness, but we're confident he's going to live."
"Yes!" Bakura grinned, and let out a long sigh of relief. The nurse smiled weakly, and then bit her lip.
"But…"
"But what?" Bakura panicked. "H-He's going to live, isn't that all that matters? You said he was going to live!" The yami's hands clenched into fists as he sat up straight.
"He is!" The nurse promised. "But… his quality of life is going to be greatly compromised, you have to understand…" Bakura frowned.
"What… I don't know what you mean…" Although he didn't, the yami was sure it wasn't good- His heart thumping in his chest was definitely not a good sign.
"His eyes…" The nurse slumped her shoulders. "Bakura, Ryou's eyes were horribly damaged by the battery acid. The doctors tried everything they could, but I'm sorry, there wasn't anything they could do…"
"What?" Bakura gasped, his voice hoarse. "Y-You mean… He-he can't…"
"We had to surgically remove the remains of his eyes." She said gently. "When he heals a little more, Ryou can have some eyelids remade from donor skin, but his eyes…"
"No."
"I'm so sorry, but Ryou's never going to be able to see again."
"No." Bakura shook his head from side to side, holding a hand over his mouth. "Y-You… You can't… Please… Ryou… You have to do something!" He burst out, tears welling in his eyes. "Y-You're doctors, aren't you? I thought you could cure anything!" The nurse let out a long, long sigh, and sat on the edge of the bed. Bakura buried his head in his hands, and sobbed. "'s not fair. Ryou never deserved this…"
"You're very tired." The woman stood back up, placing her hands on Bakura's shoulders, gently but firmly making Bakura lie back down on the bed. "You need lots of sleep and recovery…" Bakura groaned, shaking his head. He looked over to Ryou, biting his lip.
"No." Bakura whispered. "Ryou… Ryou… When's he gonna wake up? I need to see him…" The nurse sighed. "Fuck." Bakura swore, and leaned back on the cushions. "Oh fuck. I am going to kill that bitch. I am going to rip his fucking lungs out and play 'em like a set of bloody bagpipes." The nurses eyes widened, and she took a step back.
"Oh-Kay…" She looked down at her watch. "Well… I have to go, anyways, The detective wanted to speak with you and Ryou when you wake up… He'll be in shortly." Bakura smirked as she almost ran out, and relaxed against the pillows.
"Heh. Bakura man, you still got it." Bakura smiled smugly, stretching and yawning. The yami let out a long sigh, closing his eyes. He always liked scaring stupid mortals…
Bakura froze when he heard soft moaning beside him. He sat up with a jolt, wincing as his tender stomach was moved, and then looked over to the bed beside him. Ryou moaned again, shifting in the bed. He whimpered gently. Bakura's heart soared.
"Ryou," he gasped, reaching out and grasping the metal frame of Ryou's bed. He dragged the bed closer to him, but not to far away that the tubes were pulled out of his arm. Bakura was too afraid to move the traction that kept his left leg suspended in mid-air. "Oh God… Ryou." He gently cupped the side of Ryou's face, the male's bed just a few inches from his. The whitenette groaned softly, lolling his head to one side. "Oh God…" Bakura repeated, leaning out of bed. He managed to press his head against Ryou's lips in a soft, gentle kiss, just for a moment.
"K-Kura?" Ryou finally managed to breathe, his voice shaking. Bakura felt like crying all over again as he stared at Ryou, carefully laid down on his stomach, bandaged so thickly… "My back hurts…" The yami bit his lip, and extended a shaking hand. He started combing Ryou's long white hair with his fingers, while he started talking to Ryou in the softest, calmest voice he could muster.
"Ryou… You have to remain calm, okay?" He said gently. "I know you're scared an in pain, but you don't have to be scared anymore, you understand?" Ryou whimpered softly, and Bakura sensed the fear radiating off the teen.
"K-Kanaye…"
"Ryou." Bakura repeated firmly. "Listen to me. You're in the hospital, okay? And I'm here, and they're gonna try and make you better. Kanaye and Sadahiro are never going to touch you again." He continued stroking Ryou's long white hair.
If Ryou's tear ducts hadn't been melted by acid, and then surgically removed, he would have cried. Instead, he shook silently. His right hand, however, his 'good' hand, slid under his chest, despite the discomfort, and then up the pillow, until he found Bakura's hand. The yami froze, staring at Ryou, who clung to his hand like a lifeline.
"K-Kura…" He whispered weakly, trying not to move. He was disorientated, scared, and groggy… "D-Don't leave…"
"Hey." Bakura whispered, tightening his hold on Ryou's hand. "I'm not going to leave you, Ryou. I'm going to stay right here. I'm going to be at your side forever." He leaned over again, kissing Ryou's forehead. The mans' shaking decreased, just a little bit, and he relaxed slightly.
"Tired…" Ryou groaned weakly, still clinging to Bakura's hand. "Hurts…"
"I know…" Bakura whispered. "I… I don't know what time it is, or even what day it is… But that doesn't matter." He breathed. "Because we're here. We're safe. And even better, we're together. Nothing's gonna tear us apart Ryou, you hear?" Bakura clenched tightly onto Ryou's hand, and the gentler whitenette nodded, still clinging to Bakura.
"Hello?" Bakura gasped, and looked up as a tall, thin man entered the room. "Shit… who the hell are you?" He tightened his hold on Ryou's hand instinctively.
"What is it?" Ryou murmured softly, weakly.
"I don't know…" Bakura muttered. "Some random in a suit… Who are you?" He repeated. The tall man smiled, and dragged a moulded plastic chair from the corner of the room. He also took the small table on wheels that was supposed to go over the bed, and lifted his black briefcase onto it. Bakura watched in odd fascination as he extracted a notebook, a manila folder, a pen, and a tape recorder.
"My name is Detective Kenta Nakamura." He said softly, setting down his suitcase. Bakura sat up, holding Ryou's hand. "I've been assigned to investigate your attempted murder."
"You mean Sadahiro." The yami muttered, casting a glance over to Ryou. He nodded.
"Yes… You claim this to be the work of Sadahiro Makoto-"
"I don't claim," Bakura spat. "I know. I know him when I see him, and I know that he-"
"Let me finish." Nakamura held up a hand. "I never for a moment said that Sadahiro was not responsible for this. I only want details." Bakura frowned.
"So do I." He said. "I'll tell you what you want, as soon as you tell me what I want to know." The detective nodded simply. "Okay. What happened? How the hell did we end up here? And where were we?"
"You are obviously in a hospital…" Nakamura frowned. "We found you two about three days ago, by a couple who were passing by on a road a few miles away from the town. They saw the school on fire, and decided to investigate. Originally, the town had been fenced on, but something had broken it town." Sadahiro. "They rang the fire department, but as soon as they saw you and Ryou, they rang for an ambulance. You were both very lucky that one of them was a doctor, or else you wouldn't be here right now." Bakura frowned.
"So…" He muttered, staring at the floor. "Why was the town fenced in? And why was it so abandoned? It was like a ghost town."
"You mean… You don't know?" Bakura tilted his head to one side, noticing the look on the detectives face.
"Huh? Know what?" He blinked. The detective sighed.
"Well, you probably would have only been a kid when it happened… Bakura, there used to be a power plant on the outskirts of the town. It was only small, it was experimental, more than anything. Everything was fine for the first ten years or so… But then there was an accident." Bakura frowned, still confused. Ryou listened silently, still grasping Bakura's hand tightly.
"Accident?" The detective nodded.
"Yes. There was a meltdown. Hardly anyone was killed, and there was minimal damage, but the radioactivity was huge. Everyone had to be evacuated, and some houses were moved. Most had to be left behind, though. They cordoned off the area, and no one ever went there…"
"Perfect place to commit a murder." Bakura muttered, clenching his hands into fists. Nakamura nodded, letting out a long sigh. Bakura rubbed his eyes with his free hand, and looked down. "All right…" He sighed a few minutes later. "What is it that you wanted to know?"
"Well…" Nakamura pressed play on the recorder. "It's simple, Bakura. I want you and Ryou to give me a full account of everything that happened to you two at the hands of Sadahiro, including the incident seven years ago." Bakura paled.
"Do… Do we have to?" Bakura looked down at Ryou, who tensed. "I… I mean, I don't mind that much, but Ryou… He's shaken up enough as it is, do we have to force him to relieve it again?" Nakamura sighed.
"Bakura… We need an account from you two as evidence. You and Ryou are witnesses, as well as victims. The only witnesses. We have to have an account from you. We can stop at any time you like, Bakura. And Ryou too. You don't have to feel pressured." Bakura looked down, silent. He didn't speak for about five minutes. He just sat there. Ryou was clinging to Bakura's hand, silent. He trusted Bakura. Although the thought of reliving it all, of recounting every horrible second in that hell made him want to curl up and die, Ryou would if Bakura wanted him to.
"Okay…" Bakura finally sighed grudgingly. "I guess I did agree to it anyway. I suppose that… That it all really started seven… almost eight years ago. It's all Ryou's Dad's fault, really, he was the one that told Ryou he needed a job…"
And there ye go. Okay. Next chapter. The last one. I promise it is...
I hope none of that was too confusing... I tried to make it as clear as possible..
R&R!