Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or 'At The Sign Of The Sugared Plum'

Chapter 11

Taking Hold

There was an order from the Lord Mayor of London the next morning that there were to be no more church bells tolling mournfully to tell of the latest death, because the people of the city were fed up with hearing them. People of the city that could still be out and about to hear them, that is, for many of the population of London were shut up in plague filled houses or dead or had fled to the country.

"Jaden, I want you to be careful today. There's been a rumour that there's a man in this area who's recently contracted plague but can't be caught. I don't want you running into some freak who refuses to be shut up" Aster said to Jaden, who was preparing to go and visit his enclosed bluenette. "Don't go near anyone who looks sick or scared or anything."

"Aster, leave me alone" Jaden whispered, hiding his face. "I'm going to see Jesse."

"I know. Just be careful, will you?"

"I'll try" the brunette shrugged. "I don't know when I'll be back."

"Whenever you're done swooning over Jesse" Aster smirked.

Jaden made a move as if he was going to hit his cousin, but relented at the last moment and turned away. It wasn't that he didn't want to cause his cousin any harm - he really did want to hit Aster, preferably by punching his face - but more that he didn't want Aster to see the tears in his eyes.

Jesse was miserable and that thought alone was enough to frustrate the brunette. Knowing that there was a possibility that his friend - more than a friend - could get the dreaded sickness was hurting him more than he'd thought was possible.

"I won't be too long" Jaden muttered, before running out the door and towards the house he longed to see and feared so much.

Mapleside Manor looked much the same as it had the previous day, and Jaden went around the back and called up to his friend. Jesse appeared at the window almost immediately, the baby Vicky in his arms, a worried look on his face. He tried to smile at Jaden, failed, and looked away.

"Jess, what's wrong? What's happened?"

"It's the servants, Jaden" the bluenette whispered. "They're completely shut off from us now, at the request of the mistress. The butler is sick, he has the …"

"He has the plague?" Jaden said, so quietly that he had to repeat the question before Jesse could hear him.

"He does. And so do most of the servants and so does … the master most likely has the sickness, too." Jesse shuddered and took a minute to regain control of himself. "I don't know what to do any more. I think I'm going mad. Blair has a fever, too, and she's still trying to take care of Louisa - she won't let me help."

"Blair has the plague?" Jaden burst out.

"No! Don't say that!" Jesse cried, and then he sighed softly. "I don't know, but we're very good friends. She can't …"

"Your master and mistress?" Jaden asked fearfully. "Zane and Alexis, right?"

"Zane, the master, he's … I don't think he's moved from bed for two days, he seems to be barely conscious. Alexis - that's the mistress - she's all right for the moment, but she continually comes down here to see the children and I fear she's bringing plague germs down with her. She says she has to be with her children now, but she could be hurting them more, and if they get it …" Jesse trailed off. The brunette gave him time to once again regain control before he continued "…I don't think I could stand it if the baby were to get sick."

Suddenly, there was a crash from the bottom floor of the house, followed by a horrific, high pitched scream, and the sound of running footsteps. Then more cries of worry, from many different people, it sounded like. Jaden looked fearfully up at Jesse, but the bluenette stood still and silent.

"Jesse, what just happened?"

No answer.

"Jesse!"

"Someone's … somebody just died, Jaden. That scream was the same as the cook cried when she was sick." Jesse let out a small cry and had to lean against the window frame, the crying baby clutched to his chest. "Shh, Vicky. Don't cry" he whispered to the baby. He then turned to Jaden. "The death cart will be along soon, to collect the body."

"Who was it that died?"

"I don't know. It was a woman, one of the maids. Probably Abigail or Rebecca, they were both looking likely to die at any moment last time I saw them."

"Jesse, you have to get out of there, before you …"

"Jaden, I can't leave. I want to, believe me, but there's no way. Even if I got out, I'd be spreading the sickness and I can't do that to people."

Jaden understood now that Jesse was a truly kind-hearted person. He'd rather endanger his own life than risk spreading the sickness to others he'd never met. Jaden looked up when Jesse spoke his name.

"You have to go now, Jay. Before they come."

"Jesse … I don't want to leave you. I …"

"I know, Jay, but you've got to go" Jesse interrupted him. "You can come again tomorrow, right?"

"Of course I will."

"I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Wait for me, Jess. I'll be here."

"I trust you."

And Jaden ran off while Jesse fell to his knees as a sharp pain flooded up him. He watched his friend run off but closed his eyes in realisation.

Jaden, meanwhile, realised that he had very nearly told Jesse the truth. He knew that he loved him, and he would soon tell Jesse that. He had to, because it seemed that the plague was taking hold in Mapleside Manor.


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