Chapter 38

The comatose Odion was removed from the playing field, placed on a stretcher and transferred to his room. A team of doctors were summoned and they started to perform diagnostic tests on him to determine his condition.

"There will be another fifteen minute break before the next two finalists are chosen to duel!" Roland announced. "I would advise you all to use that time to do some last minute preparations just in case your name is called!"

Keren heard the announcement and knew it didn't apply to her. She went to see if the air craft had any rooms reserved for the non-duelists since no one was allowed in Odion's room whilst he was being examined and treated. This didn't bode too well for her since all she wanted was to remain by his side and she wasn't sure if the doctors could be trusted. Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of him dying without her at his side to say goodbye. 'At least we got to confess our feelings to each other, so I can at least feel closure knowing that he shares the same feelings I have had for him all these years.' She bowed her head as she walked so if a teardrop fell it would land on the ground. She walked passed Joey but didn't see him, so she ended up bumping into him, only realizing it was him when she heard a pain-filled grunt. She looked up with an embarrassed expression on her face. "Oh Joseph, I'm very sorry! I wasn't as alert as I should have been. Are you all right?" She played with her hair nervously, prepared for the blonde to berate her for not watching where she was going.

But Joey didn't look angry at all. "Ah, yes I'm okay. No worries...err…" he paused for a moment, trying to remember the young woman's name. 'Having such a glitchy memory sucks.' It was right on the tip of his tongue, but he wanted to make sure he got it right. "Keren, right?"

Keren nodded. "Correct. "

Joey grinned widely at the fact that he remembered. "Are you all right, though? You seemed out of it."

Keren's face flushed. She never liked it when she was seen spacing out, for she was generally very lucid and conscious. "Yes, I'm just fine. I just forgot myself that moment." That was a lie, but she didn't feel ready to confide in Joey, seeing as how she still didn't know him very well.

Joey studied the young woman and could tell from her facial expression that she wasn't being entirely truthful. "You sure? Because I might be able to help with whatever is wrong."

"That's very kind of you, but I'm all right. Do not worry about me." She managed a tiny smile, hoping it would be enough to convince the blonde nothing was wrong.

"Oh ok, then." Joey started to walk away to see what Duke and Tristan were up to. 'Hopefully I won't have to kill them for eating all my food or messing up my room.'

Keren had nearly forgotten what she wanted to tell Joey. Then it came to her. "Joseph, wait!"

Joey stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Yeah? What's up?"

"There is something I must say to you."

Joey cocked an eyebrow. "Huh? And what might that be?"

"Thank you for showing Odion such kindness."

Joey grinned sheepishly, placing his hand on the back of his head. "Don't sweat it. I did what anyone would have done in that situation. He's an okay guy, after all."

Keren's lips curled up slightly at Joey's admission. "I am glad you see that now. In spite of his actions it was difficult to witness the hostility dealt to him."

Joey looked thoughtful, knowing Keren was referring to the insults he had hurled at Odion, which he had not really meant. It was just a case of misdirected rage and mistaken identity. And given her confession to the Egyptian, he wasn't surprised to hear her say how she felt. "Sorry you had to hear that. He just pissed me off."

"Yes, I understand that. I was angry with him, too. However, I am glad you were able to look beyond his façade. "

"Me too." Joey found himself genuinely worried about Odion, as it appeared he was hurt badly. His concerned look turned into a scowl. 'Oh, that Marik! It's all because of him we're in this mess! Next time I see him, he's gonna be black and blue!' He stood there, silently fuming about the ugliness of the situation. He started to think of possible ways to inflict harm on Marik. He decided to put checking on Duke and Tristan on hold for the moment. 'If they had done something out of line, that can be dealt with later. Right now there are bigger problems.' Joey stopped daydreaming and averted his eyes towards Keren. "Let's go check up on Odion. I'm sure you're worried about him."

"I most certainly am." Keren felt as if Joey had been reading her mind. She fought hard to remain pokerfaced as much as she could so the blonde wouldn't sense her somber mood. She was never one for showing her emotions in front of people she didn't know very well and the last thing she wanted to do was break down when surrounded by Yugi and his friends.

"I thought so. Well, let's go see him." Joey turned around and headed towards room number 7, which was Odion's room. Keren followed close behind, her heart thumping loudly with anxiety, and she also felt a bit lightheaded and queasy. When they were almost to the room, they spotted Yami and the remainder of the gang walking towards them.

"Hey Joey!" Tèa called, waving her arms at Joey and Keren to stop.

Joey and the older woman stopped in their tracks so Tèa and the others could catch up. He thought he could see a look of jealousy on Mai's face. 'I hope Mai doesn't chew me out, but if she does, I could explain myself.' He turned to face Keren. "You go on ahead. I'll catch up later. "

Keren briefly glanced at the blonde, then at his friends and nodded, figuring he must feel more at ease around his friends than her, or maybe he picked up on the fact that she wanted some time to herself. "All right." She walked away.

Joey looked up at his friends. "So what's up, guys?"

"We were just gonna visit Odion," answered Tèa. "Are you coming?"

"You bet! In fact, that's where Keren and I were headed off to. But I thought she could use some extra time with him. "

Tèa frowned slightly when she noticed Joey's solemn expression whilst speaking about Keren. 'I wonder what he's thinking. Maybe I should ask him about it later.' "All right, let's get going. There's not much time before the next duel. "

"Right." Joey and his friends headed for Odion's room. Joey took out his key and stuck it in the slot, which opened the door instantly. They entered the sizable room just in time to see a doctor finishing off Odion's medical examination and placing his arm to his side beneath the covers.

Joey looked around the room and spotted Keren's veil on the bed, but didn't see a trace of the woman anywhere. 'That's weird. Where did the lady go off to?' All of a sudden he heard some muffled sniffling sounds coming from the bathroom. 'Huh? Someone's crying. Could it be Keren? Maybe it's just my imagination. ' But he knew he wasn't crazy...at least he hoped not. He turned to the doctor. "So what's the diagnosis, doc?"

"Well, so far Odion's heart rate was steady," confirmed the middle-aged man. "His tests were normal. However, he has suffered severe mental strain that has rendered him unconscious."

Joey let out a soft whistle. "Wow. I can't say I don't feel exhausted after the duel myself."

Tèa gave the blonde a look. She sighed, having the urge to pull out some of her hair. "The doctor means he has been knocked out, Joey? You should be thankful you're not in the same state. "

"Yeah, you're right. I was right there when his Egyptian God card went all screwy on him. "

"This isn't good," said Duke grimly. "That means we can't find out who the guy is until he wakes up."

Vicki brushed a long strand of stray hair out of her eyes. "Well, we could always ask Keren. She seems to have a deep connection to him." She looked confused as to why her veil was there but she wasn't. 'Oh well...she must be using the restroom or something. Guess we'll have to wait.'

Yami nodded. "That's true. And what we do know is that he was determined to protect Marik for as long as he could."

"And why would he do that? "asked Joey. "Just look at him. Odion is lying in a hospital bed and Marik couldn't care less if he ever wakes up again. That creep doesn't have a heart or soul."

"What did you expect Marik to do, send flowers?" asked Mai incredulously. "Poor Odion. It's times when you're down that you need friends around the most."

"You said it, Mai." As happy as Joey was about his victory, he felt a bit sorry for Odion that he seemed to have no one by his side except for Keren. 'I always thought that dream was weird, but now I think it has some meaning. It could be why I was able to stand up after getting hit by the lightning bolt and Odion wasn't.' "Hey you guys, I believe I know how I was able to stand up. It's because you helped me. "

"Huh?" Everyone looked up, awaiting Joey's explanation.

"I had this dream that I was back in school and getting ready for an important Duel Monsters tournament and for some reason I couldn't get up, so you all helped me. It reminded me you were all rooting for me and that gave me the strength to stand up."

"Awww." Mai, who liked to pretend she wasn't very fond of mushy moments, was moved by the dream…so moved she wondered if she was in it. She decided to ask him about it in private to minimize the attention that would be on the both of them.

"Well, we certainly are on your side in reality, so that dream was accurate," said Vicki.

"Yeah, and it was a much better dream than my other one, which was a nightmare about a monkey and a bowl of vanilla pudding." Joey put his hand over his mouth, almost as if he had said it by mistake. 'Oh boy…I can just hear the teasing right now.'

Tristan threw back his head and laughed loudly. "What is it with you and monkeys? Man, do you have a monkey fetish or what? But then again the nickname "monkey boy" is a perfect description of you!"

"Okay, that's it!" Joey glared at Tristan for laughing then leapt on him and grabbed his neck, choking him, the pointy haired teen squirming in his grasp and protesting.

Serenity chuckled at the blonde's hotheadedness. "Hey, easy, Big Bro."

Mai chuckled at the two young men. 'Such goofballs, but you gotta love 'em.'

"Attention all duelists! You are to meet in the dueling hall in five minutes!" boomed Roland's voice over the PA system.

Joey and Tristan stopped fighting each other just in time to hear this announcement. "Hey guys, you hear that? Time to get going." Joey left the room without seeing if anyone else was coming.

"Joey, wait!" Mai called. She chased after him and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back a bit. He turned around to face her.

"What's up, Mai?

"There's something I have to ask you," Mai told her male companion. "About that dream of yours…"

Joey's face turned bright red with embarrassment as he thought about how Tristan teased him about his nightmare and he sincerely hoped Mai wouldn't make fun of him, too. "Which one?"

"The one without the monkey. "

Joey breathed a sigh of relief although he wondered what Mai could possibly want to know about the dream where he was at school. He got a flustered look on his face as she proceeded to question him, "I was in it, wasn't I? You know, to help you up." He paused for a moment, just managing to give an awkward, "Uh…" He wasn't sure how to respond. Truth be told, he really liked her and regarded her as a friend, but he wasn't sure if right then and there would be the appropriate to pour out his true feelings. On the other hand, he knew if he said no, she would blow up at him for lying to her and then push him away. 'Come on, Joey, just be honest. What's the worst that could happen?' He exhaled a deep breath as he answered, "Of course you were there. You're one of my best friends. I have considered you a friend ever since the day you gave me your Duelist Kingdom tournament entry card when Keith stole mine, and you've done other things to help me as well, including encourage me to do my best in duels."

Mai just looked at Joey, not expecting him to say such heartfelt words to her. She threw her arms around his neck and planted a big kiss on his cheek, totally catching him off guard. "Joey, you're such a sweetheart!"

"Uh…thanks, I think." Joey's face turned as red as a tomato and he touched the spot on his cheek where his lady friend had kissed him. In return, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek and walked away before she could say anything.

Tèa stood there, shaking her head in disapproval as she watched the blonde leave. 'He's so hopeless.' She ran after him to give him a piece of her mind.

Joey walked along the hall, still reeling from what had transpired in Odion's room. 'I can't believe I did that. I do like her, but I imagine things will be awkward between us from now on.' All of a sudden, he felt a tugging on his right ear and heard a stern female voice yelling, "You jerk! Can't you do anything right?!"

The blonde grunted in pain and pulled away. He turned around and saw it was Tèa yelling at him. "What do you mean? What's the problem?"

Tèa continued her tirade. "You know what I'm referring to! Why did you have to walk away instead of facing whatever happened?! You're such a coward! Now Mai is going to think she did something wrong!" She grabbed the blonde's ear again and marched away in a huff, leaving him dazed.

Mai waited for the butterflies in her stomach to settle down, and then she exited Odion's room. She stood outside it, taking a peek at his unconscious form. 'What was I thinking, letting my guard down like that, and right before a duel, too? Now I've scared Joey away with my emotions! What's wrong with me?'She sighed heavily, balling her hand into a fist and resting it under her chin. 'Oh well…I have never relied on anyone's help in a duel before and I won't start now. After all, at the end of the day, I have to depend on my skills to win.'

Once everyone had left, Keren emerged from the bathroom, having cried all her tears. She sat on the stool next to Odion's bed and sadly watched over him. She placed her hand on his forehead. "Oh Odion, I hope you'll be all right soon. It hurts me so much to see you in this condition." Another tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly dried it. 'If only I had taken a chance and entered the tournament.' She leaned over and gently kissed Odion's forehead. There wasn't any type of response, not that she was expecting one, given how deep his coma was. At that moment, she heard the door open and footsteps walking towards her. Her heart pounded wildly and leapt in her stomach, afraid that it might be Marik and she would have to run for her life…or stop him from causing further harm to Odion. But then the person knelt down next to her and placed an arm around the small of her back. This produced a soothing feeling, so she knew it wasn't Marik. After all, if it were him, she would have tensed up immediately.

"Keren?" It was Ishizu.

Keren looked at the younger woman with tear stained eyes. She was sure they were extra red, as well as her face. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now. I feel as if I'm dying inside. "

"I know you're in pain right now. Everything will be all right," said Ishizu, giving Keren a small hug.

Keren returned the hug and then placed her chin in her hands, letting her dark hair cover her face. "I hope so."

"I have faith that it will, and you should, too. Remember, things must deteriorate before they improve."

Keren had to admit, Ishizu had a point, although she wasn't sure what the probability of Odion making a quick recovery was. And her faith in the pharaoh had not been unshaken. "You're right."

Ishizu gave a small, reserved smile. "And whenever you need someone to confide in, I will be there for you."

Keren almost smiled, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I know, and I thank you."

"Of course."

With the recess over, everyone gathered in the dueling hall, waiting to hear who would be participating in the next match. Mai looked around, deep in thought. 'I still see no sign of that eighth duelist. I wonder who it could be.'

Joey wanted to defeat the real Marik more than anything. 'Then again, he doesn't even deserve to be in the tournament after the stunt he pulled. Convincing Kaiba of that would be like pulling teeth, but I have to try anyway.' He looked over at Kaiba. "Hey, rich boy…since Marik entered the tournament with a fake name, shouldn't he be disqualified?"

Kaiba returned Joey's gaze and sneered at him, giving an amused huff. "I know what you're trying to do, Wheeler, and it won't work. This tournament is about skills and not names."

Joey looked at the young businessman as if he had lost his mind. "And what is that supposed to mean? You don't care that Marik broke one of the rules?"

Kaiba ignored the last question and responded, "It means my tournament is about getting rid of the competition. You should have enough guts to use your skills and not some trivial technicality." He gave a smug smile. 'Besides, if I am to win Marik's Egyptian God card, I can't very well disqualify him, now can I?'

Roland cleared his throat. "It is now time to choose the duelists participating in the next match."

"All right, Roland, let 'er rip!" said Mokuba.

Roland nodded at the young boy. "All right, remember your numbers!" He activated the large dragon shaped machine, shuffling the balls. One of them landed in the center. "It's duelist number four, Ms. Mai Valentine!"

Joey shot Mai a big smile. "Way to go, Mai!"

Mai turned away from Joey, as if she were avoiding his eyes. She made an unconcerned sound in her throat.

"Huh?" Joey wasn't expecting such a lack of enthusiasm. 'I wonder if she's mad at me or something. But I hadn't done anything. I was honest with her although I was tempted not to be.'

Before Roland could activate the machine again and choose the second duelist, Mai started to walk away. "Later, guys," she said in a flat voice.

"Where are you going?" asked Joey. "Don't you want to find out who you're dueling?"

Mai snorted. "Oh, like it really makes a difference. I'll win no matter who it is. As for you, Joey, and you, Yugi, I'll be seeing you fellas at the finals."

Joey was stunned by Mai's sudden change in attitude, but didn't want to show it. "Well just know, we'll be supporting you all the way, no matter who you're facing."

"It's not necessary."

"But why not?" asked Tèa.

"I don't need you guys to win. Believe it or not I was a good duelist before I met you, and I happened to be all alone at the time."

For awhile, Joey was silent, trying to think of how he could tell Mai her defensiveness was unnecessary without making her angrier, as she already seemed to be angry enough, although he had no idea why. "Mai, listen...we're not saying you weren't always good, it's just—"

Mai cut Joey off. "You may need to depend on your friends in order to succeed, Joey, but I don't!"

"Mai, where is all this coming from?" asked Joey with a puzzled expression on his face.

"You figure it out on your own. Now I'll be going. I can't afford to be distracted. " With that, Mai walked away.

Joey just stared after the woman, confused. He had half a mind to call her back and find out what was going on. Sure, there were times she was snippy ever since their friendship began, but she was never this bad. 'She must be PMSing, is all I could say.'

The doctor was heading back to Odion's room to check up on him. Unfortunately, Dark Marik approached him at the same time.

"I'll take that key, if you don't mind," said Dark Marik, the Eye of Horus appearing on his forehead and emitting a bright glow, onto the doctor's forehead, enough to immobilize him for a bit and make him compliant. He retrieved the key from the gentleman and opened the door, entering the room. He pulled out the dagger portion of his millennium rod and approached Odion's comatose form with a devilish smirk on his face. "It's time to do what I should have done years ago. Odion, you poor, pathetic fool. Now, my old friend, sorry to say, you will enter an early grave. I can't have you waking up trying to contain me anymore. " He raised the dagger into the air, poising it at the tattooed faced man. "Goodbye Odion. When you see my father, give him a message. Tell him I will be forever grateful to him for creating me." He started to bring the dagger down, with the intention of stabbing Odion to death, but he paused and directed his attention to the television-like projector, which happened to be on.

"Duelist number 5, Mr. Marik Ishtar, if you can hear this announcement, you are Ms. Valentine's opponent, so please head over to the Stratos arena immediately!"

Dark Marik frowned in disappointment about his plan of destruction having to wait. "How fortunate for you. But don't get too comfortable, I'll be back." He exited the room, thinking about how he would crush his opponent in the most painful way possible.