Chapter XXXI: Confrontation
Welcome back, everyone, to the next chapter of The Jedi League of Duelists! I'm glad you want me to continue and I'm pleased to do so! I'd now like to thank syrusfanatic12, Invader101, dr-fan/mai-lover and newcomer Lightsaber209 for reviewing. I'm always glad to hear from you and if you're not reviewing because you're only now joining the story, don't let that stop you! I like knowing what you think! And I know this story is a long read, but I hope it's something worth reading. I really enjoy writing it. There won't be much dueling at all in this story, folks. I know the anime, but not much of the card game, I'm afraid. So if you're looking for that kind of action, that isn't happening. Sorry.
Disclaimer: Peach Wookiee doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters. She owns Lisa and likes giving established characters middle names. She also owns no prayers. She just researched them on the Internet and has worked for a wonderful family that is Catholic.
Warning and Author's Notes, some time later: This chapter contains references to previous violence and abuse. This may get fairly intense. Also, I shortened the previous AN and made some minor changes. Thank you for your attention.
Joey Wheeler awoke on Wednesday morning to blue skies and sunshine. The fifteen-year-old boy knew that he should feel good about today, but instead he felt rotten inside.
Y
I wish I could just go back to sleep and wake up tomorrow and find everybody had cleaned my apartment. I've got to do this, though. I have to go back there… For the first time since the night Dad almost killed me, I have to go back to the hellhole I lived in with him. At least…at least it'll be the last time. Oh, man… I don't know if I can do this. Lisa says I've got my friends, my mom, my sister and God on my side, but why do I feel so alone?
Joey took a deep breath and let it out. He glanced at the digital clock. Six AM…I think I'll pray the Rosary. There's plenty of time. He picked up a set of rosary beads Father Pat had brought him while Joey was in the hospital, his hands trembling slightly. And so, Joseph Aaron Wheeler began to pray.
A little bit before six, Lisa, Seto, Mokuba, Elizabeth, Serenity and Mai all awoke, sensing Joey's emotional turmoil. Seto, Lisa and Mokuba emerged from Mokuba's bedroom, while the Wheeler women and Mai emerged from their bedroom. "Is…is Joey..?" Elizabeth asked the kids.
"He's awake, and he's definitely upset," Lisa answered softly.
"Lisa?" Mokuba whispered, feeling the achiness of Joey's heart.
"Mokuba…shhhh…" The group of six quietly padded their way down the hall toward Joey's room. They stopped, and the Jedi teens and kid used their abilities to heighten their hearing and heard his prayer.
Leese? Seto sent, questioning.
He's praying the Rosary, she sent back. Mai and Serenity nodded in agreement.
Joey prayed, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen." He had only begun the rosary, and so he took a deep breath and continued, "Hail Mary, f-full of grace, the Lord is w-with you. B-blessed are you among w-women, and b-blessed is the F-fruit of your womb, J-Jesus. H-Holy…M-Mary… M-mother of God…" Joey's voice broke at this moment and he managed to say, "Sorry, Blessed Virgin, I can't do it," and then he broke down, crying. Elizabeth looked at Lisa in an unspoken plea and the teen doctor nodded. The mother took a breath and pushed open the already-ajar door.
"Joey? Sweetheart?" she asked, coming into the bedroom. Joey lifted his head.
"Mom? What..?"
"We all woke up and the girls said it felt like you were upset. I needed to check on you."
Joey took another shaky breath. "Mom, I don't know how I'm going to do what I have to do." Mother and son hugged as they had when the boy was little and his dad had been drunk and beaten his mother. He remembered how she had hugged and tried to console him back then, but now it was different. He started really sobbing now, broken and anguished sobs. Liz just held him.
Outside the door, the teens and small boy stood against the wall. Mai and Serenity looked at Lisa, pleading to be in with boyfriend and brother. Lisa, Mai sent, pleading, but the doctor shook her head.
I know it's hard, Mai, but Joey needs Liz right now, not us. You girls will be in there in a little bit, though. The blonde and redheaded girls nodded understanding, but still looking toward the door, hearing normally tough-guy Joey sobbing inconsolably. He's getting better, but the fact is, it's going to take time. Mai and Serenity nodded.
Mokuba pulled on his brother's pajama top. Seto, can you pick me up? he sent. Seto nodded and picked up the little boy. Is Joey going to be okay? Seto, he's so sad.
Lisa's right, Mokie. It's going to take some time before he's really all right again. In some ways, he had it worse than we did.
Mokuba looked straight at his brother. Really, Seto? he asked, his eyes wide.
Yeah, because he was alone and it was his own dad. He didn't have a little brother to keep him smiling inside. Mokie, I would've given up if you hadn't been there. In response to this, Mokuba hugged his brother.
Love you, big brother.
I love you too, little brother. Leese? the teen CEO sent to his fiancée.
Yeah, honey?
Should I talk to him later?
Lisa smiled. That would be a good idea. You understand him better than you know.
Back in the room, Joey's sobs quieted. He held onto his mother as if she were a life preserver. Even though he was quite a bit bigger than the last time his mother held him when he was scared, he could still hear the beating of her heart. He could also feel her hand gently rubbing his back. "Joey, it'll be all right, angel. It's okay to cry, sweetheart," she soothed as she had for the past several minutes.
Joey lifted his head and wiped his eyes. "Thanks, Mom. I think I'll be oc—ow!" Joey winced, placing a hand on his ribs.
"Joey?!" She got him to lie back down and called, "Lisa?!" Lisa moved into the room quickly.
"Joey, where does it hurt?" she asked briskly.
"My ribs," he said softly. She nodded, quickly pulled up his shirt and examined his chest.
"Mai?" Lisa called, and the blonde girl poked her head in the room. "Could you go and get my medical bag? It's on the dresser in our bedroom." Mai nodded and ran down the hall quickly. She came back with an old-fashioned black doctor's bag and handed it to Lisa.
"Can I help?"
"Actually, you can," Lisa answered. "Pull out that blue jar, will you?" Mai did. "All right, Joey," the doctor said, "this'll help your muscles relax. And I think you need to go back to sleep for a little bit, all right?" The boy nodded tiredly and the blonde-brown haired girl opened the jar and rubbed on the salve. And then she placed bandages over the area. "Okay, Joey, take a rest," she said, pulling his pajama top back down and using Jedi Calm to relax him. Within seconds, Joey was asleep again. Serenity padded into the room as Mai, Liz and Lisa got off Joey's bed.
"Is he..?" Elizabeth nodded to her daughter and placed her finger to her lips so Serenity would stay quiet. The four women tiptoed out of the room and Lisa quietly shut the door.
"Okay," Lisa said softly when they were all outside the bedroom. "Joey is going to sleep for a while longer now. I used Jedi Calm on him. That's all he needed. We can all get ourselves ready while he sleeps and get some breakfast. We'll feed him when he gets up."
"Um… Lisa? Could I sit with him after I'm done getting dressed?" Serenity asked.
"Of course," the teen doctor answered. "We'll get someone to bring up some breakfast and we can have it in Seto's and my room, all right?" Everyone nodded and went to get ready. Serenity got into the guestroom she shared with her mother and Mai first, and then got herself dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt with the outline of a pink rhinestone butterfly on the bust line. After she pulled on her socks, Serenity headed down the hall to her brother's room. She crept into the room and pulled a comfortable chair next to the bed.
It had been a long time since Serenity and her brother had slept peacefully under the same roof and an even longer time since the home they were in together was truly peaceful. And now the redheaded girl sat at her brother's bedside, just watching him sleep. Joey's left arm remained encased in the Red Eyes Black Dragon cast and would until later this morning, but at this moment, his right hand was unencumbered and laying over the comforter. Serenity slipped her hand into his, willing a little of her own strength into his soul and still-battered body.
Though they had been apart for six years, Joey had been Serenity's strength. The two had managed to exchange letters and videos (the videos were from Serenity to Joey) and therefore kept track of each other. Somehow, though, Joey had kept the fact that their father had been beating him a secret, even from her.
Why, Joey? Why couldn't you just tell Mom and me what was going on? We could've… but no…You wouldn't have left your friends…or Dad. Serenity sighed and crossed herself, praying silently. Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. And Lord, she added, please help all of us. I want Mom, Joey and me to be a family again. Amen.
Y
At 7:30, Serenity got up from her seat and padded down to Seto and Lisa's bedroom. Her mother and Mai were sitting on the couch drinking mugs of something hot and eating croissants while Seto and Lisa were sitting on the bed doing the same. "Hey, Serenity, want some breakfast?" Seto asked, getting up.
"Yeah, thank you, Seto," the girl said. And so Seto went to the bureau drawer and got a mug which he filled with hot chocolate from a china teapot and handed it to her along with a croissant on a plate.
"Is he still sleeping?" Lisa asked, and Serenity nodded. "Okay, then. We'll let Joey sleep a few more minutes and then I'll wake him and get him into a hot bath. I need to see how he's moving. I need to be able to give Scout a good update on Joey this morning when we go to get the cast off. We'll do that a little after ten. And then the hard part begins. Clearing out the apartment will be therapeutic but it also will be emotionally hard for him. We'll just have to keep him as relaxed as possible. Just be there for him, all of you." They all nodded. "I'm going to go wake him up now. After he's done getting dressed, we'll feed him."
"I'll help you with that, babe," Seto said. She nodded. He could sense that everyone's pain was taking a toll on her. When this is over, I will make sure she relaxes or at least doesn't let the weight of the world rest on her shoulders alone.
Joey Wheeler awoke at eight o'clock to a familiar voice and someone gently shaking his shoulder. "Joey, I wish I could let you sleep longer, but I need you awake now," Lisa was saying. Joey got his eyes open to see the young doctor sitting on the edge of his big bed. "Welcome back, Joey."
"How…how long was I..?"
"About an hour and a half." Lisa helped him into a sitting position. She had her blood pressure gauge and stethoscope with her and placed the cuff of the gauge around the teen boy's arm. "Just relax. I need to check you out." He nodded. She pumped the cuff and after she was done, listened to his heart and took his pulse. "Okay," she said, straightening. "Joey, you'll be all right. I'd like to observe you for a bit so I'm going to get a bath drawn."
"Leese, I can take a shower…hold up, did you say you wanted to observe me?" Joey asked, eyes wide. Is she comin' on to me?!
"Joey, I'm a doctor; I am not coming onto you," Lisa said with a wry smile. Joey grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry, I forgot you could hear that," he said. "It's just…"
"I'm your peer. I forget that sometimes. But for the record, you're more like a brother. And you're not my type," she added, smiling. Joey blushed.
"You think of me like a brother?" She nodded. "How come?"
"You remind me of Eddie," she answered simply. And so Lisa got the bandages off from around Joey's midsection. He was still really bruised, so she gently probed at the incision site at his abdomen. "Any pain?" Joey shook his head. She checked where Joey had had stitches and was relieved to see everything was healing well. She filled the bathtub and helped Joey get undressed and into the warm bath. He moved slowly and gingerly, but perhaps it was more mental anguish than physical anguish. She helped him wash his hair and then let him be for a few minutes, getting a fresh outfit for him and laying it on his bed. Lisa returned to the bathroom and helped Joey from the tub, guiding him into a bathrobe.
"Joey, I got your clothes out, but before you get your top on, call me back in here. I want to put some more salve on you and put your bandages back on, okay?" He nodded, tying the bathrobe carefully. Lisa left the room and Joey walked slowly to his bed. On the bed was a set of forest green sweats, white athletic socks and boxer shorts.
Nice, the boy thought. He fingered the inside fuzz of the sweats, enjoying the feel of the brand new clothes. And then he pulled on his boxers, his socks and his pants. "Lisa? I'm ready!" he called. The doctor walked in and got the salve, rubbed it on Joey and then replaced his bandages. She helped him into his shirt.
"Joey, I'd like you to lie down for a few minutes while I go get you some breakfast, okay?" Lisa said as she exited the room. Joey lay down and relaxed as best he could.
"Lisa, is he..?" Elizabeth Wheeler asked as the doctor emerged from the bedroom.
"He's a bit sore, Liz, but physically, he'll be okay. Emotionally, though, Joey is going to have a hard time today. We'll just have to rally around him and let him know he'll be all right. From what I've heard, he's been strong for everyone else, and now it's our turn to be strong for him. I'll go and get him some breakfast." Mai stepped forward.
"Lisa, can I..?"
"Not yet, Mai. He'll definitely need you later. What he needs right now is to just get his physical strength up. So I'll go get his breakfast now."
"Leese, I'll help you with that," Seto said. "Mokuba, why don't you head to your room for a little bit? You can play some video games."
Mokuba, who'd been set down and was sitting on the plush carpet, stood up. "Serenity, would you like to play video games or something? You can come, too, Mai, if you want," the small boy invited. The two girls followed the little boy down the hall and Elizabeth headed to her room. Meanwhile, Seto followed Lisa down to the kitchen, concern on his features. His love looked incredibly stressed and he wanted to help her somehow.
"Lisa," he asked when they were alone in the kitchen, "babe, are you all right?"
"Yeah," she said in a dull tone that slightly frightened him. She hadn't had that tone of voice since the events of about ten days previously.
"Lisa, something is bugging you. I know that tone in your voice. You're having a hard time with this, aren't you?" Her back was to him and she turned around, revealing her strained expression. He hugged her wordlessly against him.
"It's so hard," the teen girl whispered. "Sometimes, Seto, this ability can be a curse." She held tightly to him for a moment, needing reassurance as he sent some of his strength into her. "I'll be okay. I just hope Joey will be." They released and together got a tray of breakfast ready to take up to the blonde boy. They carried it up to the room where Joey was lying on his bed.
"Hey, Leese. Oh, hey, Seto, what are you doing up here?" the blonde boy asked, sitting up a bit. Seto held the breakfast tray, so Lisa moved forward and propped Joey up with pillows.
"Obviously," the teen CEO answered, "I'm here to help you eat breakfast, so eat up, Joey."
Joey grinned wickedly. "I never thought I'd see the day…"
Seto knew what Joey was thinking, but asked anyway, emptying his face of humor, "You never thought you'd see the day..?"
"That you'd be waitin' on me, rich boy!" Joey said, laughing. Seto and Lisa too laughed. Joey ate a croissant, a piece of bacon, a mandarin orange, and drank down half a mug of hot chocolate. There was more food, but the boy just didn't have appetite for it. "Sorry, guys, I guess I'm just not that hungry," he apologized.
"It's okay, Joey," Lisa soothed. "Go get yourself ready and we'll get you to the hospital to get your cast off. I think Scout will let you just have a regular bandage and a sling today." And so the couple took the breakfast tray away and Joey went to brush his teeth, use the bathroom and brush his hair. Lisa, meanwhile, took the tray downstairs, while her fiancé headed to his brother's room to play video games for a little bit.
Y
At ten AM, the Wheelers, Mai, the Kaibas and Lisa arrived at Domino Children's Hospital to get Joey's cast removed. Fortunately, the press wasn't around, so the group could get in through the front door. Lisa was expecting Scout to be there to greet them, so she was surprised when she saw Darla Truesdale, standing with her tiny sons.
"Hi, Lisa," Darla greeted.
"Darla, hi! I thought Scout would be here. What..?"
"She had an emergency appendectomy to do and she wanted me to tell you. I brought the boys with me today. Is it okay if they watch?" Lisa looked at Joey, who nodded.
"That'd be fine," Lisa answered. "Hi, Zane. Hi, Syrus!"
"Hi, Dr. Lisa," Zane said, coming up for a hug, which Lisa gladly gave. Then little Syrus came as well.
"Hi, Dr. Lisa. How's your arm?"
"Much better, sweetie," she answered. "Boys, this is Joey. We have to get his cast off his arm today."
"Joey Wheeler?" Zane asked, impressed. "You came in second at Duelist Kingdom! Can I have your autograph?"
Joey grinned. "Of course… Zane, right?" The dark-haired boy nodded. "You too, little guy?" Syrus nodded shyly. "What's your name?" the big boy asked, kneeling down to the little blue-haired boy's level.
"Syrus… Syrus Aidan Truesdale," the tiny boy said. His big gray eyes took in Joey. "You're a good duelist."
"I bet you will be, too, someday, Syrus Aidan Truesdale." Joey moved to shake the little boy's hand and Sy hugged him. Strangely, Joey was reminded of Yugi. I wonder if Yuge would've been like this when he was two.
"All right, do you boys want to see a cast come off?" Lisa asked cheerfully. The Truesdale brothers nodded eagerly. "Okay, then!" And everyone headed into the cast removal area. The cast was off in the space of ten minutes. "All right, Joey, flex your fingers a little," Lisa said.
Joey flexed his fingers. "It feels pretty good, Leese. But it feels kinda tired."
"That'll go away. You haven't used the arm in about two weeks," she answered, pulling some lotion from a cupboard. "This should help your arm feel a bit better," she said as she rubbed on the lotion. Joey's skin under the cast had gotten very dry and scaly, so it needed some attention. "Any pain?"
"No," Joey answered. "I think I'm okay. Thanks, everybody." Everyone around him smiled. With Darla's help, Lisa bandaged Joey's left arm and got it into a sling. And then, the teens and Elizabeth said thanks and goodbye to the kind OB/GYN and her two darling boys. "You kids be good to your mom, okay?" Joey told them, and they nodded. "I bet you guys are already, but just always think of that, okay?" They nodded solemnly.
"Thank you, Darla," Lisa said as her love, her friends and her friends' mother headed back to the limo. Darla hugged her.
"We've missed you, sweetie. Lisa, we'll be glad when you get back. Good luck today."
"Thanks, Darla. Tell Scout, Hiro and Jayda hi for me, and tell them to give the kids hugs for me."
"All right, sweetie," the bluenette said, squeezing the girl. "And you take care of your family and your friends, pumpkin." And with a last goodbye, Lisa headed to the limo.
"All right, guys, we're heading to Domino High to get the rest of the gang and another limo with parents and grandparent will be there, too. Liz, if you'd like," Lisa said. "With so many people, and since this isn't an emergency situation, I thought it would be nice if the adults had time to talk. Does that sound good?" Everyone nodded, and the limo headed to Domino High School where parents, a grandfather and five teens were waiting.
At 11:15 on Wednesday morning, ten teens and one child sat in one limousine, all quiet and lost in their own thoughts. Mai Valentine held the hands of her little brother and her boyfriend as well, willing her strength into them. Serenity Wheeler, too, gripped her brother's hand, hoping to help him through this. Yugi, for his part, was drawing on his spirit buddy/brother to help his corporeal surrogate brother. But no one in this limo spoke.
Meanwhile, in the other limousine, eight adults sat, making quiet conversation about their children or the kids they'd watched grow up. "How's Joey doing today, Liz?" Sam Taylor asked.
"He woke up really upset this morning," Elizabeth answered. "The truth is I'm worried about Joey and Serenity right now. Serenity didn't even see her father after we left. Both of them are upset."
Rose Gardner and Amanda Taylor moved close to the redheaded mom. "We're here for you, Liz and the kids, too. We'll be here, all right?" Elizabeth nodded and joined in the hug the two other women gave.
"Solomon," Amanda asked, "how's Yugi doing?"
"It's been rough on him. He's glad that he has a sister now, and I am glad to have a granddaughter. That part hasn't been rough, but ever since Mokuba and then Joey got hurt, Yugi hasn't slept well, and he hasn't been eating as well as I'd like to see him. He's been worried about everyone."
Roland smiled at this. "Yugi is a very special young man, Mr. Muto. He's a very good boy and I think Mr. Kaiba and the other kids are lucky to have him." Bryce, the other security man, nodded his agreement. "They're all good kids."
And then, the convoy arrived at the apartment complex where Joey had suffered at his father's hands for six years. Everyone piled out of the limos, and surrounded the blonde-haired fifteen-year-old boy. Mai slipped her left hand into Joey's right.
Joey, I'm here, she sent.
Mai, he sent back, I don't know if I can do this.
You aren't alone anymore. We're all here, hon. The amethyst-eyed blonde girl laid her head on Joey's shoulder for a moment. Dressed in jeans, a purple long-sleeved t-shirt and sneakers, Mai stood only a little bit shorter than her boyfriend. She was glad to give him some sort of strength. And Serenity slipped her arm into the crook of her brother's left arm, careful not to hurt him. Each member of the group with Jedi training sent mental reassurances to Joey, strengthening him as best they could.
And then Yugi came close to his surrogate brother and hugged him gently. "We're all here, Joey, and we're gonna help," he said softly. Yugi, as his grandfather had said earlier, hadn't been eating as well as he should have been and hadn't been sleeping well. But oddly enough, today, the small teen gained strength in helping the older brother God had given him. "We're all here no matter what."
"Here, here," Bakura Ryou added softly. While the British boy didn't have the training that the other kids did, he could somehow still feel the camaraderie among the group. He might not have their abilities yet, but he still was part of the team. I might not have the training, he mused, but I'm still here. But deep in the dark recesses of the adolescent's mind, the darker presence scoffed, He honestly believes they will share with him someday. Pathetic fool… But the light, gentle Bakura didn't hear this dark presence at the moment. "We won't let you face this alone, Joey." Joey nodded, looking up toward his old apartment and took a deep breath.
"I… I guess we've got to go in there, don't we?" He looked at his friends and their families, seeing their concern.
Serenity said, "We're all here, big brother. You aren't going in there alone."
Solomon Muto added, "We wouldn't let you."
"Thanks, Grandpa," Joey said softly and began to walk, everyone with him. But even with his girlfriend, sister, mother, surrogate brother and friends with him, this was the hardest thing he had ever done. Together, the group of nineteen people headed into the building. It took three elevator trips, but soon everyone was on the fourth floor of the building where Joey had spent about six years of his life.
"Lisa," Mokuba whispered, "it feels wrong here." Lisa, in response, squeezed Mokuba's chubby hand. Most of the apartments had an aura of happiness, a reflection of the inhabitants within. But the apartment down the hall had a darkness about it and as the entourage closed in, they could smell the rank odor of cheap beer. Everyone could sense the fear, anger, pain, sadness and longing that came from the apartment, a mingling of Joey's emotions and that of his late father's. Everyone had varying signs of distress at this, ranging from Mokuba's anguished whisper to Mai's clenched fists, from Tristan's visible guilt to Yugi and Serenity literally fighting their own tears. Lisa, for her part, felt incredibly sad that Joey had had to shoulder such a burden and had tried to do it alone.
Joey took a deep breath as he pulled the apartment key from his pocket. He unlocked the door and took a few steps into the room. He hadn't turned on the light, so Tea used her abilities to do it, and when she did, she wished that she hadn't. "Joey, why didn't you tell us?" she asked in a pained horrified voice just above a whisper. The room had changed very little since the horrible night that a badly injured Joseph Aaron Wheeler had dragged himself out of the apartment. Near one of the bedrooms was a broken glass table with blood on a jagged edge. The blood could only have been Joey's, and it was on the carpet, too. There was a swath of blood the size of a dollar bill below the table and blood drops showing the progress of the fight and then Joey's path out of the apartment. Again, Lisa marveled at the clear miracle that Joey had managed to make it to safe haven, much less out of that room.
Joey was silent, but everyone could sense his pain. "Joey?" Yugi probed softly. Then Joey sank to his knees, eyes to the floor.
"I…should've died here," he said softly, eyes tearing. Yugi, on impulse, threw his arms around his best friend, a lot like Mokuba would do to his brother if Seto were in the same way.
"But what would we do without you?" Yugi asked softly, as his sister and the two Wheeler women joined in the hug. Joey smiled at the warmth of the hugs and the emotions of all those around him. Finally, the teen boy got back on his feet.
"Thanks, guys," he managed. "So now what, Lisa?"
"Well," the teen doctor answered, relieved that Joey was feeling a bit better, "we'll start cleaning up out here, and then we can move onto the other rooms. Roland, Bryce, if you two would head out and get what we discussed…"
"Yes, Lisa!" The two men went outside quickly.
"They're getting a dumpster and will be out there when we start moving out trash. Adults and Bakura, I'd like you guys to help us with collecting trash, packing donations and moving boxes. Joey, you'll have to help us sort, okay?" Joey nodded. "Okay, then. Jedi, today we will be working on our levitation skills. Ladies and gentleman, we will be lifting trash from here out to the balcony and then out to the dumpster. Yugi, stand right there," she said, pointing to a spot in the center of the room.
"Okay," he answered. "What now?"
"Just stand there, Yugi. Now," Lisa continued, "levitation is both fun and dangerous. It's fun because you can lift things, but it's dangerous because if you lose control, you can drop something or someone and cause injuries. So today is a good opportunity to practice because we can't really hurt anything or anyone."
"So how do we do it, big sister?" Mokuba asked.
"Everyone, watch Yugi. You find your calm center and then you concentrate on the object you want to lift and then," she said, lifting her hand, "you lift it." As soon as she said the word "lift," Yugi found himself suspended a foot off the ground.
"Lisa! Wow!" Yugi exclaimed as she set him down. "This is great! When can I try it?"
"In a couple of minutes, Yugi." She stepped out to the balcony to see that Roland and Bryce were in position. She waved to them and headed back in. "Okay, everybody, we'll start sorting and I'll work with each of you on levitating in turn. We'll have small group practice and one-on-one. So, Yugi, Teá and Seto, you three are working with me to lift this broken table out of here." The teens took their positions close to the Jedi girl and concentrated on the pieces of broken table. Tristan gestured at the sliding glass door that led to the balcony and the door opened. The group of four lifted the table pieces and got them out to the balcony and levitated them down to the dumpster perfectly.
"Did we actually do that?" Yugi asked, awed.
"We did," Seto said, also awed.
"This is so totally cool!" Teá added happily, impressed with herself and her friends.
And so began the cleaning out of the place Joey had called home for six years. The blonde-haired boy sorted through what he wanted kept, what he wanted donated and then what could be recycled or thrown away. Bakura and the adults put together and packed boxes and filled trash bags. The Jedi teens and child then sent the filled trash bags and recyclables down to the dumpsters. Within an hour and a half, the kitchen, living room and bathroom had been cleared of stuff and Seto was already taking notes on what would need to be done to fix the rooms so Joey could get the security deposit. Lisa glanced at her watch.
"Okay guys, let's all take a break. I think we need some lunch." It was nearing two o'clock and everyone was a bit hungry. So Lisa went to the balcony and got Roland and Bryce to run to a nearby teriyaki shop that served good food at a cheap price. The group of nineteen ate their fill and at a little after two, the teens and Mokuba headed into Joey's bedroom.
"I…uh…guess you guys never saw my room; well, Tris, you did, anyway," Joey said as he opened the door. Before the whole group had cleaned the living room, kitchen and bathroom, Lisa would have guessed that Joey's room was the cleanest in the apartment. Yugi stepped into the bedroom after Joey did and smiled. The room was painted in white and had a nice plush gray carpet on the floor. There was a window that let in plenty of sunshine and below that window was Joey's desk. It was as Joey had left it the night his dad had almost murdered him. On the desk was….
"Edgar Allan Poe: Portrait of a Raven," Yugi read out loud. "Joey, was this your report for English?"
Joey nodded. "I got it done on Friday night so I'd actually do good on a paper for a change. I'm so dumb, anyway."
Lisa, now in the room, moved over to Yugi and gently took the paper from him. She quickly read it and looked at Joey. "Joey, this is a really good paper."
She handed it to Seto, who also quickly read through it. Surprised, he added, "Joey, she's right. This is…excellent."
"You guys are just sayin' that," Joey said in genuine disbelief.
"Joey, are we just saying that?" Lisa asked. Joey sensed the two who had just read his paper quickly.
"You really think it's good," he said, eyes wide. And then he sighed, "It's too late to turn it in now, though. Miss Kobashigawa has a strict late policy on papers."
"Joey, why don't I take this to her tomorrow?" Lisa offered, also taking his algebra paper. "I'll take this, too. I think I can negotiate with your teachers." Joey smiled in gratitude. His bedroom was cleaned in about 45 minutes. Most of Joey's things were packed into moving boxes to be sent to the family's new home, while his old bed, bed linens, desk and book shelf would be donated to charity. It was decided that the furniture would be moved out toward the end of the day. Posters were rolled up and placed into cardboard packing tubes.
"Thanks, guys," Joey said happily. And then his expression darkened. "I guess we have to clean Dad's room now."
"Joey," Lisa said, "we don't have to do it today. We can do it and you can…"
"No, I have to be the one to do it. And I need to do it now…before I lose my nerve." Joey clenched his teeth and headed out of his room and down the hall. Halfway down the hall, though, he froze. The other Jedi kids could feel the full weight of Joey's emotions as he stood there. It was as if a great weight was clamping down on their hearts. And then Lisa felt the burn of white-hot anger, but it was coming from Elizabeth Alanis Wheeler. The mother was enraged that her ex-husband had inflicted such agony on her eldest child and mentally vowed to help him however she could. The teen doctor marveled at just how strong and powerful a mother's love is.
Joey's fists clenched and unclenched and his shoulders bobbed as he regained control of himself. For cryin' out loud, Joey, get it together! He forced himself to walk another few feet to his late father's bedroom door and laid his hand on the door handle. Mai got behind him and laid her hand on his shoulder. With that little bit of encouragement, Joey found the strength to turn the handle on the door.
Everyone jerked back as if they'd been slapped. The air in the room was absolutely foul, smelling of cheap beer and things that the group didn't want to identify. Teá's parents, Tristan's parents and Solomon Muto had to step back to the living room, the smell was so overpowering. This time, Lisa moved to turn on the lights. Tristan gestured and opened the window shades. If the smell of the room was bad, the look of the room was, if anything, worse. There were huge piles of trash, boxes of rotting take-out food and the bed was stained and decrepit. Joey shook a little bit as he looked around at his father's room.
"I never came in here after Dad made sure I wouldn't. I tried to clean it up one time, but…Dad went berserk." Joey walked over to a pile of trash and his eyes blazed with the anger he'd managed to hold in for nearly six years. "You son of a—!" He didn't curse, but he kicked the pile. Liz moved, but Lisa laid a hand on the woman's shoulder. "I was never good enough for you!" Joey yelled, tears coming to his eyes. He sank to his knees in pain and exhaustion. "You," he said, just above a whisper.
Seto moved to Joey quickly, kneeling at his friend's level and laid his hands on Joey's shoulders. "Joey, I've been there too. It's okay to be angry."And instead of waiting for Lisa, Seto pulled Joey into a brotherly hug. "It's okay. Lisa taught me that much."
Joey moved so he was looking at Seto's face. "Thanks, Seto, I-urgh!" Joey grunted and felt the world begin to spin.
"Joey?!" Seto asked, alarmed. Lisa was already moving. Joey felt himself shutting down, and could hear his friends yelping in alarm. And then he surrendered to the blackness at the edge of his vision.
At Lisa's command, Seto and Tristan quickly moved Joey's inert form out of the squalid room. "He's just fainted," Lisa said. "We'll let him rest a few minutes. Serenity, get a washcloth and wet it down with cold water. Guys, put Joey on the bed in his room." Tristan and Seto nodded and did as ordered while Serenity did her job.
After a few minutes, Joey came around. "Go slowly, Joey," Lisa said as she checked his pulse. "You just fainted, but I think you'll be okay."
"I fainted?" he asked weakly. She nodded. "Oh, great," he groaned.
"Just stay lying down for a couple of minutes, okay?" she said softly. "Mai, you can come in now," she called in a slightly louder voice. The statuesque blonde girl walked into the room quickly and sat down in the seat the young doctor now vacated. "Just keep him calm, will you, Mai?" The girl nodded and took Joey's hand.
"You idiot, you scared me," she said softly, brushing his hair back.
"Sorry," he apologized, contrite. He tried to sit up, but Mai made sure he stayed down.
"Just rest. I don't want you passing out again. Lisa said it was probably because you just got overtaxed." Joey nodded, but started to hate himself for being "weak." "You're not being weak, Joey," she said. "Sorry, you didn't have your shields up, hon."
"It's okay, Mai. I like bein' an open book with you," he admitted. "I can't believe I did that. Fainted, I mean."
"Grandpa, the Taylors and the Gardners had to go in the living room because of the smell. Don't worry about what you did, Joey. Everybody else is sorting out stuff. All you'll have to worry about is picking out anything you'd like to keep or donate."
"Okay," Joey said. "Hey, Mai?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to go for a swim later if Lisa says it's okay?" He was thinking of the warm water of the Kaiba mansion pool and how beautiful Mai would look in a pretty swimsuit. "I mean, we don't have to."
Mai smiled, thinking of how Joey would look in swim trunks. She liked that mental picture. "That would be great," she said. "I hope Lisa does approve."
After a few more minutes, Joey was allowed to get up and head back to his late dad's bedroom. Everybody in the room looked up. "I'm okay," he said as he held onto Mai's hand. "Let's finish this." He sat down in a chair and sorted. There were a few pieces of his father's valuables that Joey wanted to keep, but there wasn't much at all in the room that Joey wanted to keep. And so, within the next hour, Joey's father's room was cleared. The apartment was now cleared.
"I've got a cleaning crew that will go in and clean everything, Joey. You should get your security deposit back," Seto said. Joey gave him a weary smile as he quickly walked through the apartment, checking carefully through the place for anything the group might've missed.
Finally, there was nothing more to do. Everyone filed out of the apartment quietly and Joey was the last one out. He took the key out of his pocket again and as he locked the door, he whispered, "Goodbye, Dad."
Definitely not a happy chapter, dear readers. I hope you enjoyed it all the same. I hope the next chapter makes you smile a bit more. Read and review, everyone!