There was only silence after Yami had finished addressing the court. Seto watched, unnerved as Yami slowly hitched the crutch back under his shoulder, and lurched his hobbling path back to the bench where Solomon and Yugi were seated. Both the Motos looked equally surprised, as Yugi whispered something to Solomon, who only shrugged and lay a reassuring hand on his grandson's shoulder. Yami shuffled past Seto's legal team, and halted for a moment, to peer at Seto. Seto opened his mouth to hurl the astonished question. Yami seated himself back in the protective cluster of his family, and did not look back to gage Seto's reaction.

Yugi scooted over, and scowled when he saw Yami wince as he moved something wrong. The scowl only deepened when Yami finally arranged his injuries enough to notice Yugi's puzzled glare, and silence. Troubled, Yami turned to him and asked, "Yugi? What's wrong?"

"How can you just act like Seto did nothing to you?!" Yugi hissed. Yami stiffened in surprise at the uncharacteristic venom. "Yugi, I-" Yami attempted an explanation, but was halted by the slam of the gavel on the docket desk as Judge Gabel glowered at them into uneasy silence.

She looked at Seto, distastefully, and shook her head, and then squinted down at Yami with a minute shake of her head.

"Very well. We will have a brief recess of one hour. I will be back with my decision then."

The bailiff boredly chanted, "All rise," as the judge swept out of her perch and back into her chambers. The bailiff followed, leaving the uneasy crowds awkwardly flicking glances at each other, clearly at a loss as to what to do. Solomon looked at both of his grandsons, and with a brightly false attempt at cheer, announced, "Since we have a few minutes, what do you boys say to getting a bit of lunch?"

Yami glanced up at his grandfather, and then to Yugi, before he curtly nodded, and attempted a polite smile. "I'm actually quite hungry, and it will take me a bit to hobble my way to the cafeteria." Without glancing back at Yugi, he hobbled forward after Solomon. It was an attempt to distance Yugi and his unexpected snarl from his own uneasy thoughts about Seto's punishment, and a temporary reprieve. Yugi was seething, but managed to keep his anger in check as Yami tensed at his glare. Yugi sighed a long, cleansing breath, and offered a reassuring smile for Yami's benefit. Yami's eyes narrowed and he raised a questioning eyebrow, as Yugi only shrugged it off. Solomon was either unaware, or ignoring the unspoken tension as the three made their way to the small cafeteria, with its tired selection of pre-packaged food. Solomon, sensing the unease between his two grandsons, took it upon himself to go order lunch of some sandwiches served on the Styrofoam trays.

Yami waited until the old man was out of hearing, before he levelly stared at Yugi. Sighing, he lay his palms down on the table after leaning his crutch against his chair.

"Yugi, I know that you are so angry about this situation because you care deeply about how injured I am. I wouldn't get through this at all if it weren't for your patience and compassion in helping me out in doing so many things that I can't do for myself.."

Yami paused, as he shut his eyes, and gently lay his good hand over Yugi's.

"What happened to me was terrible, but I'll recover from it, and move on with my life. My injuries are already healing, and soon, I'll be well. I know that what happened to me has also affected you, and I'm sorry that you couldn't be spared from this. Please don't think I don't know how much this has rattled you. You almost lost me, and that is not something that should be dismissed or taken lightly. I know that you don't agree with what I said in court. Yugi, I want you to understand something. I want to focus on regaining my ability to walk, and moving on. I can't do that by hating Kaiba. Neither can you."

Yugi's face twisted as he blurted out, "But, Yami, he nearly killed you! Maybe you can let that go, but I can't! Yami, you almost died! "

Yami said nothing, only maneuvered his good arm over Yugi's quaking back and drew him into a fierce, one-armed embrace.

"It is precisely because it nearly killed me, Yugi. I don't want to waste time on bitterness and hate, especially when I know how uncertain time can be. I know that this is difficult for you to understand, Yugi, but Seto is already imprisoned, in a way. He has to live with what he's done. There's no escaping that sort of punishment. Not court mandate will free him from that."

Yugi attempted a trembling smile as he finally answered. "I can't say that I don't agree with Seto not being incarcerated, but when you put in those terms, it's a bit more bearable."

Yami wryly shook his head. "I am glad that I have eased some of your discomfort over the situation, Yugi."

Unknown to them, Seto heard the snatches of conversation, as he silently sipped his tea and huddled in the small refuge of the corridor that shielded him from view. Guilt and sorrow and remorse all gnawed at him anew as he wearily resumed his slump and miserable thoughts. Were it not for Mokuba being left alone, he would have taken the punishment in place of this massive guilt he could not erase. Rolland, noticing the pinched line of pain that had settled on Seto's forehead, came over, worriedly.

"Sir? Are you alright?"

Seto stared up at him, blinking without seeing for a long moment. Frightened, Rolland touched his arm to dredge him back up from whatever horror his tortured thoughts were inflicting now. Seto tensed beneath the touch as he finally shut his eyes, and shook his head.

"No matter what the outcome is, Rolland, I can't forgive myself for this. I can't ever be free from it, and I I don't know how in the hell I'm supposed to live with this….." Seto's voice trailed off again.