Chapter 20(I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH)
Atem woke to the annoying rhythmic beeping and the burning sting that were the tell tail signs of the hospital. He couldn't remember how he had gotten there everything was so muggy and he felt fuzzy. There was a considerably painful weight in his heart and he couldn't concentrate long enough to figure out what it was caused by and soon the rhythmic beeping lulled him back into sleep.
The next time he woke it was dark in his room there was still that annoying beeping and there were voices coming just to his left. "Has he woken up yet?"
"No, he hasn't." Atem knew that voice it was one of his friends, Ryo's it was Ryo's soft voice and the others… He couldn't tell it was too hard to think to painful so he listened.
"I don't want to be the one to tell him, he's going to freak, so I'm glad he's still a sleep." The mystery voice said.
"He's got enough to handle when he wakes, let's try to put it off for as long as possible, it'll make it easier…hopefully." Ryo said, he said something else but Atem was being pulled under again. When he woke again he was truly awake, he still felt like he was floating a bit but he was finally able to focus on the words he heard last time he was conscious. Did they think he was still asleep, who was going to freak? And where was Yugi what happened to him, he couldn't remember what had happened after being shot the first time, everything was so fuzzy. What happened? As his mind roused even further he felt the tight pain in his heart and fear claimed his body.
He forced his eyes open and had to close them to the light, even though it was still dark in his room and only a faint glow from the hallway lightened it. More slowly he opened them and glanced around, he must have made some sound because a slouched head of white hair moved then stood quickly.
"Atem, thank god you're okay. You were out for days you lost a lot of blood and they had to rush you to surgery." Ryo explained everything but what Atem wanted to know most.
"…gi" he tired but it hurt to breath and speak, his throat was dry and felt raw.
"Here take a sip of water first." Ryo held a straw to his lips and he sipped the cool liquid, it felt like fire going down.
"Yu..gi. Where is he, what happened to him?" Atem asked his voice a soft croak, he became more agitated the more he thought it was strange that Yugi wasn't here.
"Easy Atem take it easy, you need to stay still." Ryo cautioned as he saw his friend becoming more agitated and restless.
"Tell me what happened."
"He's-"
"You're awake." A voice said from the door way, and something in Atem released its terrified death hold as Yugi was leaning heavily in the door way. "You're awake." He said again quieter this time then he collapsed to the floor, his legs refusing to hold him up any longer.
"Yugi. What were you doing you shouldn't be moving around in your condition, your still recovering." Ryo admonished and left the bed ridden patient to help lift Yugi from the floor and guided the shaky man to a seat. It was now that Atem took note of the bandaged wrapped midsection under the open light blue cotton sleeping shirt. Yugi let out a relived sigh and took Atem's hand into his shaking one, it was pale and his grip was much weaker than it should have been.
"You didn't wake up, they said you should have woken up sooner but you didn't. You almost died, you took two-" Yugi had to stop as his voice broke a bit in fear relief and sorrow. "Two bullets in the torso. You scared me." Yugi said and unsuccessfully tried to keep the quaver out of his voice.
"I don't remember much after the first bullet, just flashes."
"That's completely normal." A doctor said coming into the room. "Dr. Mouto you may be a dr. but you are not supposed to be moving around your injuries aren't anything to sneeze at. What am I going to with you and Mr. Wheeler, neither of you are going to heal properly unless you get some rest."
"Come on Doc. Give us a break, our friend almost died." Joey said also squeezing into the room on crutches. "Yo partner, in the future please refrain from giving me heart attacks, both of you." Joey said the last part while giving Yugi a dirty look, who actually looked sheepish. The doctor gave an exasperated sigh and began checking over the monitor and jolting down the information.
"So how are you feeling?" he asked after he finished his tests.
"Still a little floaty." Atem replied.
"That would be the pain killers, and trust me when I say you'll be wanting to stay floaty the next few days at the very least. Now that you've all seen he's alright you two get back to your rooms and let him rest. You can talk to him in the morning." The doctor said and shooed a protesting Joey out and half carried an annoyed Yugi out the room leaving just Atem and Ryo.
"He's right, get some more sleep, we'll talk more in the morning. I've got to go tell the others, there all worried about you. Get some rest." Ryo said and this time when Atem slipped into sleep there was no feeling of worry and he slept fitfully until the noises of hospitals woke him up the next day.
The next morning he had everybody crowded into his room, Yugi and Joey escaped there shared room and had traveled into his and surprising him Solomon was also there walking easily like he had not just gone through a surgery after being on bed rest for six months. They all talked until like clockwork Joey's stomach growled and a nurse came to shoo them all out, except for Yugi who refused to leave and the nurse finally gave up.
"So it seems everyone wants to not tell me what happened, will you?" Atem asked gently.
Yugi made a face but finally spoke. "After that first shot he was going to shoot me as well but you jumped in the way, I'm not sure how you got there in time but you did. You took a bullet for me." Yugi squeezed the hand he held as he relived what happened. "After that well, I'm not totally sure what happened, Joey would be the best to ask for details. But he said I kind of went nuts afterword's and tackled Dedbler with the knife you gave me. We hit the floor and we fought, didn't think he could fight very well with his size, my mistake." He laid a hand on his stomach. "He got a good strike in with a knife across my stomach and side, but I was quicker." Yugi's face darkened as he hesitated to say anymore. "I'll just say he won't be bothering anybody anymore. After words I tried to stop your bleeding, Joey said I started to speak in Arabic, I don't remember but I have an idea of what I said. Anyway I wasn't much help I passed out from my own blood loss just as reinforcements got there. I woke up just as we were getting to the hospital, did you know you have that damn rare blood type."
"No, I didn't." Atem said rubbing his thumb over Yugi's hand.
"Well they need a donation so since I have blood type O I donated, then I got myself stitched up and found out Joey nearly lost his leg. The bullet just missed the nerves that could have left him crippled and I found out what happened to you… Ya, we were all a mess." Yugi said with a halfhearted laugh and gripped the hand he held in both of his bringing it to his lips.
"What did you say to me? What is it that you think you said?" Atem asked.
Yugi huffed a strained laugh, "I've wanted to say it for a while, but I was scared. Leave it to me to make my lover take a bullet for me before I finally say it. I love you." Yugi said those last words in Arabic.
"I love you to, and you didn't make me take that bullet for you. Truthfully I thought it would be a bit longer before I managed to coax those words from you, so this is a pleasant surprise."
Yugi smiled as a tear escaped, "Idoit, you stupid idoit." Atem reached over ignoring the throbbing from his wounds and pulled Yugi closer needing that contact. Yugi lifted his head and kissed Atem gently.

When everyone returned Joey told his side of the story, with few more added tidbits. Then he dropped the big news. "So the Chief contacted me yesterday and told me that according to code …um-" Joey paused as he tried to think of the code number than gave up. "Something about the conditions of are wounds has given us something to an honorary discharge in the military. Basically we don't have jobs and it's all because of some physical tests that we won't be able to complete any more. Its ridicules what are we gonna do all day now?"
"Wow Joey that actually makes it sound like you enjoy work." Mai commented.
"Hey I like work as long as it's something interesting." he defended.
"I'm not sure about you guys, but now that this is over and seeing as I'm jobless I think a long vacation is in order." Atem said.
"I couldn't agree more, but where?" Joey said.
"Well I'm not sure if it's your thing but I have extra seats on the jet I'm flying out to Egypt on, if I decide to go." Yugi said.
"That's right, your excavation expedition. It leaves… what day is it now." Atem asked having lost track of days.
"It's Thursday the 15th. And it leaves in ten days." Yugi answered. "We should all be discharged by that time, and you guys could take it easy for a little while and recover."
"I think I'd like that, it's been much to long since I've been to Egypt. This way I can also get the inheritance and the paperwork with that all out of the way." Atem said. That brought a whole new round of questions and planning. Yugi almost laughed at it; after everything they had just gone threw they were now sitting around a hospital room all banged up discussing travel planes and the best types of food. It was something Yugi could most defiantly get used to, especially if it was with these people and Atem next to his side. As if called by his thoughts, Atem laced their fingers together as they listened to the loud chatter.