Chapter 24, Piece 25 * * * * * * * *
"Today is Tuesday," Seto said into the mic. "Mokie and I are going to a hypnotist to see if he can help recover any of my memories. Mokie says it's pure bullshit and something I would never have even considered before the accident.
"But I don't understand how that is relevant. Before the accident, I wouldn't have needed to recover any memories. And an unorthodox method may serve as a catalyst for memories to surface on their own.
"Whatever happens today, afterward I need to focus all my efforts on passing that damn high school equivalency exam. Mokie's right. I cannot go back to being what I was without the knowledge that I had. I hope I was as good as Mokie is. He said I raised him, but I don't know how. If I did, he's my best accomplishment."
Seto ended the tape and put it in the drawer with the others. Every morning he recorded one - plans for the day, general thoughts, people he'd met. Recording helped relieve the fear that one morning he'd wake up with no memory of the day before.
Two hours later, he and Mokuba were in the car. It wasn't a long drive but it was stressful for Seto. From what other patients had told him, recovering the missing memories could be as painful as trying to live without them.
As they pulled into the holistic health center's parking lot, Mokuba seemed troubled. "Nii-sama, I don't really have anything against hypnosis. I just - I just don't want you disappointed if this doesn't work."
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Seto replied. "At worst, I'll know this doesn't work and I can choose other methods accordingly."
Mokuba smiled slowly. "You always see the big picture."
They went in together. There was paperwork, and then a bit of a wait, and finally a man who reminded Seto of the doctors at the reeducation center greeted them. They discussed the accident, and what Seto hoped to recover.
And then they started.
The man had a classic pocket watch. It was like a scene out of a thousand movies to Mokuba as the small gold object swung back and forth while the hypnotist counted in reverse. When he stopped, Seto was breathing in slow, deep breaths, eyes closed.
"Can you hear me, Seto?"
"Yes."
"Good. I want you to go back in time, in your mind. Back to the earliest memories you have, even if it's only part of a memory - a face, a place. Can you do that?"
"Yes."
"Good. Hold that image in your mind until it's crystal clear. When you're ready, tell me about it."
"Sand. Sand is everywhere. The wind is swirling it around."
"Are you on a beach?"
"No. The desert. It's beautiful. It's chaos. It's the God playing."
"Okay. I want you to just breathe for a minute." The hypnotist looked at Mokuba, whose jaw had dropped. "Do you know what he's talking about? Should we stay here or move forward?"
"Move forward. Wait - bury that."
"Excuse me?"
"We'll come back another time and open that up, but right now, that's going to confuse things more."
"Mr. Kaiba, I don't think that it's in your brother's best interest to -"
"Believe me, he does not need that right now; not while he's still trying to understand reality."
The hypnotist shook his head and sighed with resignation. They had discussed this possibility. He turned back to Seto. "Can you still hear me?"
"Yes."
"Good. I want you to imagine that your mind is a very large house with lots of rooms. Now take the image of the sand and put it in a room. Now, lock that door. You don't need to think about anything behind a locked door. Can you do that?"