Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I do own Neko.
"Good afternoon Yugi." Dr. Tralane said as he strode into the room.
"Good morning Doctor." Yugi responded, giving him a smile. A tray full of half eaten food lay on Yugi's lap. Yugi was eating a little more every day, getting a little healthier looking all the time. Yami sat beside him, and as usual, the duo was holding hands. Yami was so pleased to see his little one doing so well. After a week and a half in the hospital, the doctor informed them that it was time for Yugi to begin his physical therapy, and that today was the day Yugi would be getting those wire stitches out of his chest and shoulder. Yugi was a little afraid of that. He really didn't want to see the scars left behind.
"Are we ready for what's happening today Yugi?" Dr. Tralane asked. Yugi wanted to say no, but instead he nodded his head.
"Sure Doctor. Ready when you are." Yugi said. The doctor smiled.
"Great. We'll have a nurse come and get you with a wheelchair, and after you get your stitches removed, we're going to take you down to a certain room. That's where you'll have your physical therapy. We'll start you off small, since you haven't been active for almost a month, and don't worry; you'll be on your feet and out of here in no time." Dr. Tralane said. Yugi nodded.
"I'll be happy when I can finally go home." Yugi said.
"Well, we'll work hard so that goal can be reached Yugi." Dr. Tralane said. "See you soon." He turned and strode out of the room. Yugi turned to Yami and sighed, worry clouding his amethyst eyes.
"What's wrong Yugi?" Yami asked.
"I'm scared. I'm happy that I'm well enough that I don't need stitches and that I can try to walk and get better again, but I'm scared. I'm going to have scars, and what if I trip and fall on my face?" Yugi asked. Yami chucked and leaned over, kissing his forehead.
"Don't worry about scars. They won't matter. You're beautiful Yugi. Scars or no, you're beautiful. And you won't ever hit the ground if you trip. I'll be right there to catch you." Yami said. Yugi giggled as Yami brushed his lips over a sensitive spot on his neck. Yami so badly wanted even just a sip of Yugi's blood, having gone without it for so long. Other people's blood just didn't do it for him the way Yugi's did, but he did not dare while Yugi was still in the hospital. He contented himself with caresses and kisses instead. Yugi's health was more important than anything else.
"You're sweet Casanova." Yugi teased. Yami laughed.
"I live to make you happy, my sweet one." Yami said. Yugi giggled.
"So where is everyone this morning?" Yugi asked, wondering why everyone had been gone for so long this morning.
"I sent them back to school. They've been out long enough, and since you are getting better, I thought it was high time they all went back." Yami said. Yugi's eyes widened in a sudden panic.
"Oh no school! I've probably missed so much that there's no way I'll catch up!" Yugi groaned. Yami began to play with Yugi's bangs.
"Don't worry about that. The school knows some of what happened; all they need to know really, so you'll have some extra time to make up your work." Yami assured him. Yugi slumped against the head board of the bed with a sigh.
"That's good news. I'd hate to flunk out of high school because I spent too much time in the hospital." Yugi said.
"I won't let that happen." Yami said. A few moments later there was a knock at the door and Sandra appeared with a wheelchair.
"Good morning Sweetie. Ready to get those stitches out?" Sandra asked. Yugi shook his head, enticing a giggle from the older woman. Yami chuckled as well and stood up, walking around the bed to join Sandra.
"Would you like me to help you?" He asked her. Sandra nodded.
"Sure Honey. Just pick him up and set him in the chair." Sandra said. Yami nodded and turned back to Yugi. He picked him up out of the bed bridal style, setting him down in the wheelchair. Yugi smiled sweetly at him as Sandra placed her hands on the handles of the chair, turning him around and wheeling him out of the room. Yami followed them; knowing Yugi would want him to be there. They arrived in a little room not long after that, and Sandra had Yami pick Yugi up one more time and set him on the little table in the center of the room.
"Alright, I'll be back to get you when the doctor's done with you." Sandra said. Yugi waved at her as she left. Yami sat down in one of the chairs by the table, crossing his arms over his chest and resting his head against the cream colored wall. Yugi twiddled his thumbs nervously.
"Don't be so nervous Yugi. It'll be fine." Yami assured him. Yugi glanced at him and bit his lip.
"I'm afraid to see the scars." Yugi admitted. Yami rose from the chair and walked over to Yugi, moving around the table so he stood in front of his lover. He cupped Yugi's face in both hands and stared into those violet gems.
"Don't worry about the scars. You're beautiful Yugi. A whole body full of scars would not change that." To emphasize his point, Yami leaned down and kissed him. They were in the middle of this heated kiss when the door opened and Dr. Tralane walked in. The doctor jumped and laughed nervously as the two boys instantly broke apart. Yugi blushed crimson and ducked his head, embarrassed. Yami merely smirked and re-claimed his spot in the chair.
"Oops. Guess I came at a bad time huh? Sorry." The doctor teased. Yami chuckled. Dr. Tralane went to his counter and got down some supplies. "Alright, how about we get those stitches out, huh Yugi?" Yugi nodded his head. "Good, good."
"This won't hurt, will it Doctor?" Yugi asked.
"No, though you might feel some discomfort. I'll be as gentle as I can Yugi. Now, let's get your shirt off." The doctor helped Yugi slide his hospital gown off his shoulders and arms, leaving the top half of his body exposed. The doctor then set to work removing the bandages, revealing the wires that were still in his flesh. Shiny tears filled Yugi's eyes and Dr. Tralane stopped, worrying clouding his own blue eyes. Yami tensed in the chair, his eyes gazing over his lover intently.
"Are you alright Yugi?" Dr. Tralane asked. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" Yugi shook his head.
"No. I'm sorry; please continue." Yugi said softly. The doctor hesitated only a moment before setting back to work, working on getting all the stitches out of him. Once the last piece had been removed, Dr. Tralane flashed him a smile and ruffled his hair.
"There, all done." He noted the look on Yugi's face as he stared down at the long mark now marring his torso. His eyes softened. "Yugi, scars fade over time. It may look bad now, but give it some time. You'll even forget it's there." Dr. Tralane tried to soothe him with comforting words. Yugi looked up and gave him a teary smile, nodding his head.
"You're right Doctor. Thank you." Yugi said.
"Sandra will come for you soon. Can you manage getting your gown back on?" Yugi nodded his head at the doctor's question. "Good. Your first physical therapy session is later today, so Sandra will come again this afternoon to take you to your trainer, okay? Have a good day Yugi." Dr. Tralane waved at him and then left the room. Yami left his chair a moment later, striding to Yugi's side and picking up the strings on the Yugi's gown. Yugi looked up at him, noting the look of sorrow on Yami's face. Yami allowed Yugi to get his arms back in the sleeves before he pulled the gown up and retied it behind Yugi's neck.
"Are you alright?" Yami asked.
"Yes." Yugi said, his hand coming up to trace his scar even though the gown was back in place. Yami grabbed his hand and stopped him.
"I'm sorry." Yami said, releasing his hand a moment later and looking away.
"Yami, I love you." Yami glanced back at him, giving him a half smile.
"I love you too Yugi." Yami said.
"This sucks! I wish Yugi was here. Or Yami." Malik grumbled, chewing on his pencil. Marik crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at the albino thief sitting across from him, who was currently scratching his head as he stared at the paper in front of him. Ryou sighed and rolled his eyes. This project was going badly.
"Why do we need the King or his midget?" Bakura said. "I'm doing just fine."
"We're going to fail because of you." Marik grumbled.
"Yeah! At least Yami and Yugi know these blasted answers!" Malik chimed in. Bakura growled at them, showing his fangs a bit. Ryou laid a hand on his arm to calm him. Bakura backed down, still glowering at his paper.
"Guys, give Kura a break. None of us know these answers." Ryou said with a sigh. Malik and Marik settled down, matching looks of shame on their faces. Ryou and Malik didn't notice Yugi's two friends suddenly leave their seats and come over to their joined tables, but Marik and Bakura did. They remembered what happened that day with Neko and Joey, and they weren't too happy to see the blond at all. Instinctively, Marik let out a small growl. Bakura kept staring at his paper, glancing at them every now and then.
"Hey." Ryou looked up, startled by the voice of a new comer. He relaxed when he saw it was only Yugi's old friends.
"Hey yourself Joey. Can we help you?" Malik asked, sliding his pencil behind his ear.
"We were wonderin' where you all were da past few weeks. You all came back; so where's Yuge? I'm worried about 'em." Joey asked, glancing nervously at Marik and Bakura. The two men were radiating anger, and he knew why quite well. "And Yami?"
"Shit." Marik grumbled to himself. This was so not what they needed today. Ryou bit his lip.
"Um... Yugi's in the hospital." Ryou admitted. "He got hurt in fight; some guy attacked him." Joey and Tristan's eyes widened.
"Are you serious?" Tristan snapped.
"Why would we lie? We're not hiding the brat from you or anything!" Bakura retorted. "You got your answer, and I don't really see why Joey there would care, so go away so we can finish this damn project!"
"You didn't tell us anything!" Joey said, his honey eyes flashing. "And of course I care! Yuge's still my friend! Which hospital is he in!" Bakura slammed a fist down on the table. Joey was annoying the ever loving crap out of him. He raised his head and opened his mouth to say something nasty, but Ryou rose from his chair, one hand out in front of Bakura, and one hand out in front of the other two.
"Enough. Joey, Tristan, please sit down. We'll tell you what happened if you stay calm and listen." Ryou offered, trying to keep the peace. He did not want a fight to break out in the middle of the classroom. Joey and Tristan nodded, pulling to seats up to the desks. As they sat, Ryou did as well. As he spun the tale of what he and the others agreed to tell people, the two boys listening to his story paled and worry flashed through their eyes.
"But don't worry. He's awake, he's talking, and the doctor said his stitches were coming out today. He's only got to go through some physical therapy and then he can come home. He'll be back at school soon after that." Ryou finished explaining. Joey managed to look a little relieved.
"Glad he's okay." Joey said softly. "Let's go see him after school, okay Tristan?" Joey said, turning and looking at his brown haired friend. Tristan nodded.
"Thanks Ryou. We appreciate it. Sorry for earlier." Tristan said. Ryou smiled.
"Yeah Ryou thanks. And Bakura... I talked wit Yuge before da play and he forgave me. I honestly had no idea why he hated Neko so much. I'm not askin' ya ta forgive me yerself, but I want ta tell ya I'm sorry anyway." Joey said. Bakura grunted.
"Whatever. It's not me you have to get by anyway, it's Yami." Bakura said.
"No problem guys." Ryou piped up after Bakura had said his peace. "I understand your worry. I'm sure Yugi would love it if you went and saw him." Ryou said. The two boys then went back to their own desks. Malik sighed and shook his head.
"You sure are the expert at keeping the peace Ryou." Malik commented. Ryou glanced at him, and then at Bakura, who was quick to look away.
"I don't want to see more fighting." Ryou responded. Malik bit his lip and was quiet.
"Are you ready to go Yugi?" Sandra asked, wheeling the chair up to Yugi's bed. Yugi smiled at her and nodded.
"The sooner we start these lessons, the sooner I can get better and go home." Yugi said. Sandra chuckled.
"True that Sweetie. Alright Yami, let's get him into the chair." Yami walked around the bed for the second time that day and picked Yugi up, gently placing him into the chair. Yugi managed to plant a kiss on Yami's cheek before he was set back down, giggling when Yami gave him a wide smile. Sandra laughed.
"Oh, you two are too cute!" She gushed. Yugi blushed. Sandra turned the chair around and they left the room. Yugi chatted with Sandra the whole way to the training room. Yami smiled, watching his hikari's face light up as he spoke to the nurse. Sandra wheeled him to by two metal poles parallel to each other and stopped the chair. She ruffled Yugi's hair and flashed him a smile.
"I'll be back for you after your session Honey!" Sandra waved and left the two of them alone. Yami glanced around the room. There were all sorts of exercise equipment in this room. Yugi looked up at his lover.
"I'm nervous. I'm going to fall, I know it." Yugi said. Yami stopped his observations to glance down at his hikari.
"And you know I would never let that happen. Yugi, you'll be fine." Yami said, trying to be encouraging. Yugi smiled at him.
"Thank you." Yugi said. They waited for ten minutes before a door opened somewhere in the back of the room. Yugi tried to turn to see who it was, but the way that his chair was faced made it hard for him to do so. Yami's gaze traveled over the person walking into the room. He was silently thankful it wasn't a man. The woman walked to the side of the chair. Yugi looked up at the new comer. It was a short woman with shoulder length black hair. Her eyes were a vivid blue, like Dr. Tralane's, and she smiled warmly down at him. She glanced over a clipboard in her hands.
"Good afternoon boys. My name is Marie, and I'm Yugi's physical therapist." The woman said.
"It's nice to meet you Marie." Yugi said, holding his hand up for her to shake. Marie grinned and released his hand a moment later.
"It's nice to meet you too Yugi. Shall we start?" Marie asked.
"Okay." Yugi agreed with a nod. Marie smiled again.
"Great!" She said happily. "We'll just see how far you can go in between these poles, okay? Anytime you get tired, or you think you might fall, just let me know and we'll stop." Marie said. Yugi nodded. He braced his arms on the chair and planted his feet firmly on the ground, ready to lift himself out of the chair. Marie stayed close to his side, ready to offer assistance. Yugi managed to get himself out of the chair, but his legs felt so weak that he was sure he was going to crash back into the chair. Determined to do this, Yugi reached out and grabbed one of the metal poles, shuffling slowly in between the bars.
"Baby steps Yugi. You're doing wonderfully!" Marie cheered. Yami watched, feeling pride swell inside him for Yugi. His little one really was doing great. He felt the exhaustion give in on Yugi's side a moment later and he wheeled the chair forward, catching his hikari as his legs buckled beneath him. Yugi looked up at Marie, his eyes showing how tired he now was.
"I didn't think that would wear me out so much." Yugi commented. Marie smiled and wrote something on her clipboard.
"It's only natural Yugi. Your body is weak from its fight, and you haven't been active for nearly a month. It will take a little time for you to be able to walk again, but don't worry. You did awesomely." Marie praised. Yugi blushed and flashed her a smile.
"Thanks Miss Marie." Yugi said. She grinned.
"You're welcome. I'll give you a few minutes to rest, and then we'll do this a couple more times, okay? Then we'll call it a day and you can go back to your room." Marie said. Yugi grinned.
"Sounds good to me." He said, making Marie laugh.
An hour later, the two bid Marie goodbye and Sandra wheeled Yugi back up to his room, where Yami placed him back into the hospital bed. The little one's eyes were drooping and he was fighting to stay awake. The therapy really had taken it out of him. Yugi had never felt so tired in his life. Sandra left the room once Yugi was out of the chair, and Yami tucked Yugi into the bed. Yugi sighed happily and smiled softly.
"Go to sleep Hikari. You need it." Yami said softly. A knock at the door sounded behind him suddenly, and Yami turned, walking to the door and opening it. His eyes widened when he saw Joey and Tristan standing there. A quick flash of anger flared through Yami's crimson irises. He still remembered Joey's betrayal. The blond shuffled nervously from foot to foot, shooting him glances.
"What are you doing here Joey!" He snapped. Joey placed his hands in his pockets, finally looking up enough to meet his eyes.
"We heard from Ryou dat Yuge was in here. He said we could come visit." Joey replied. "Listen, I'm sorry for before. I honestly had no idea what had happened between him and Neko, but Yuge forgave me and I'm worried about my friend. Could you please let me see him?" Joey pleaded.
"Yami? Who is it?" Yugi called. Yami glanced back at the bed, seeing Yugi up and wide awake, curiousity in his eyes. Yami wanted to let Tristan inside, and his better judgment said to ban Joey, but if his hikari had spoken with Joey and forgiven him... Yami was briefly angry that Joey had been near his hikari after the incident without him around, but there was no undoing it so he let it pass. He glared at Joey and stepped aside to allow them entry.
"I'm watching you." He whispered harshly to Joey. The blond nodded.
"Thanks." Tristan said as he walked past. Yami didn't miss the way Yugi's eyes lit up when he saw it was his old friends come to see him.
"Hey Yuge. How are ya?" Joey asked, pulling a chair up to the bed and sitting down.
"I'm good now." Yugi said, giving Joey a big smile. "I'm so glad you guys came to visit!" Joey laughed nervously.
"Yeah, I'm surprised Yami let me in the room." Joey said, glancing at the brooding vampire who was watching him. Yugi sent Yami some comfort through the link.
/Yami, relax./
/I still don't like Joey./ Yami said.
/It's okay. He didn't know he was doing anything wrong. I never told him about what Neko did to me./
/That's no excuse./
/Please relax. For me?/ Yugi felt Yami simmer down at his request, and he gave his friends another big smile.
"I had my first physical therapy session today, and Marie said I did awesome!" Yugi chirped, clapping his hands.
"That's great Yugi!" Tristan said.
"Yeah, dat's awesome! Maybe you'll be back in school soon?" Joey said. Yugi smiled.
"I sure hope so. Call me crazy, but I miss school." Yugi admitted. Joey and Tristan laughed.
"Never thought we'd here you say that." Tristan cracked. Yugi giggled. Yami stood against the wall, watching them chat with his arms crossed over his chest. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he cleared his throat, drawing Joey and Tristan's attention to him.
"Um... Where are Ryou and the others?" Yami asked. Joey blinked.
"Oh! Ryou asked me ta tell you dat he and da others would be here in a little bit; dey had some homework dey wanted to finish before heading' ova." Joey said. Yami nodded his head, accepting the answer.
"Thank you." He said, though his tone was still a little harsh. Joey nodded and went back to chatting with Yugi. Yami sat down in another chair, continuing to watch.
"So Yuge, how did you end up here? Ryou said dat some asshole attacked ya." Joey said, his honey eyes flashing with anger. Yugi's smile faltered and he glanced down at his hands, entwining his fingers.
"Yeah. Some guy did attack me. I don't know who he was, or what he wanted." Yugi lied.
"He sure got you bad enough." Tristan commented. Yugi glanced back up at Tristan and gave him the best smile he could muster.
"Yeah, but I'm okay. I'm okay thanks to Yami and the others." Yugi said, looking behind them at his lover. Something flickered in Yami's eyes that Yugi couldn't identify before Yami looked away, breaking eye contact.
"We're glad Yuge." Joey murmured, leaning over to give his friend a quick hug. Yugi returned the embrace. Yami's eyes flashed, anger filling him. Yugi caught it through the link, and he ended the hug as quickly as he could, wrenching back from his friend. The last thing he needed was to give Yami an excuse to beat the crap out of Joey. Joey mumbled an apology, shooting Yami a look. The crimson eyed vampire merely glared at him.
"I allowed you in to chat with him, not to touch him." Yami snapped.
"I'm sorry." Joey said again. Yugi shot Yami a look that made the elder cringe.
"It's okay Joey." Yugi said, before drawing the two boys into a more comfortable topic.
It was close to an hour later that Ryou and the others finally showed up. It was then time for Joey and Tristan to leave, since Yugi was getting so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open any longer. They each ruffled his hair and gave him a smile.
"Get some rest Yuge. We'll come back and see ya real soon." Joey said.
"Yeah, goodnight Yugi." Tristan added. Yugi smiled softly and lay down on the bed, closing his eyes. The two boys said goodbye with a quick wave and then they were gone a moment later. Yami rose from his chair, which Bakura was quick to steal, and went to the bed, raising the blanket up around Yugi's body and tucking him in gently. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Yugi's forehead, and Yugi made a contented noise, snuggling under the blankets.
"Goodnight Hikari. Sleep well." Yami murmured. Yugi looked up at him and gave him a sleepy smile.
"Thank you for not killing Joey. And I'm sorry." Yugi mumbled. Yami stroked his hair gently.
"Don't be sorry. Let's just let it go. It doesn't matter anymore." Yami said. Yugi smiled again and drifted off a moment later.
"I didn't expect you to let it go." Bakura said from behind him. Yami turned to him and sighed.
"There's no point in getting angry now. And besides," Yami said, glancing back at his sleeping angel. "I've done so many worse things to him."