An unfamiliar number flashed on the screen, the chiming tone breaking the silence in Yugi's room. He sighed and walked over to the cell, plugged into the wall, and answered it. He needed a break from studying anyway.
"Is this Moutou Yugi?" came a female voice on the other end.
"Yes," he replied, more confidently that he might have a few years before. While he still didn't enjoy the spotlight, over the years he had grown more accustomed to fans, and he guessed this might be one.
The theory was squashed instantly. "It says here you are the emergency contact for Jounouchi Katsuya, is that correct?"
"That is correct," he replied, his mouth dry.
"I am calling on his behalf; he is currently recovering from several stitches and a blood transfusion at Domino General."
"What happened?" Yugi asked, worry sounding in his voice. He was already pulling the phone from the cord and walking downstairs.
While Yugi put his shoes on the lady on the other end answered, "We're not entirely sure. He was unconscious in front of a doctor's clinic when he was found, along with a puppy who was in equally bad shape."
Yugi blinked. What was Jounouchi doing with a puppy?
"Any idea when he will wake up?" he asked, the door closing behind him as he left the apartment. He cradled the phone to his shoulder as he locked the door.
"Soon, we believe," the woman on the other end answered. "Though he fainted due to blood loss, he looks much better now that the surgery is over."
Yugi felt sick to his stomach. Jounouchi was seriously hurt. He headed down the stairs two at a time.
"I will be there soon," Yugi assured in a worried tone. The woman on the other end was nothing but professional and he realized that he was mostly assuring himself. He barely noticed as the woman ended the conversation, he was so absorbed in his thoughts.
He tried to tell himself that Jounouchi had pulled through worse. He had managed to wake up from a shadow game-induced coma on his own, something no one else that was affected had done. He also had managed to break Marik's mind control tactics. If anyone was stubborn enough to survive, it was Jounouchi.
But those facts weren't quite enough. The fact of the matter was that his best friend-turned-boyfriend was injured and he couldn't stop worrying. He power-walked down the street, finally breaking into a run as the hospital building came into view.
Panting, he asked the man at the front desk for directions to Jounouchi's room and ran to the elevator. Finally he made it to the right floor.
When he arrived he found Jounouchi arguing with a nurse. He still had an IV attached to his arm, though it looked to just be a saline solution meant to rehydrate, rather than anything more serious. His other arm was heavily wrapped in white bandages.
"I need to check on the dog that was with me, let me go!" Jounouchi was saying. The nurse at the desk had her lips drawn in a tight line.
"I'm afraid that is not recommended, Mr. Jounouchi."
"I don't care what is recommended, I want to leave. I feel fine, now can I-"
Yugi interrupted him there. "Jounouchi," he called, concern sounding in his still-winded voice. "What happened?"
Jounouchi turned from the nurse to Yugi. "I'm fine Yugi. Hirutani was torturing a dog, and he's at the animal hospital right now. I have to check on him," he insisted.
Yugi smiled. If Jounouchi was fighting so hard to take care of something else, he was going to be fine. "But what about you? You are still being treated."
Jounouchi shook his head. "I'm fine Yug'. Besides, this dog needs us."
Yugi shook his head. "You should really stay here. What if something happens to you? I can go look after him if you need me to."
Jounouchi frowned, but nodded his acceptance. "He was taken to the animal hospital. He was in worse shape than me. They cut off his tail." He sounded scared for the dog.
Yugi's eyes widened. "I see why you are so worried. Will they at least get in trouble?" he asked.
Jounouchi shrugged. "I got Hirutani in the gut pretty hard, but otherwise it's kind of hard to prove."
Yugi nodded in understanding and leaned in to give Jounouchi a quick hug. Jounouchi returned it before turning away.
"I suppose I should get back to my room and try to rest then," he sighed. "Call me as soon as you know something about the dog."
Yugi nodded. "Let me walk you back to your room, so I know which one is yours," he replied.
Jounouchi agreed and the two began walking. The nurse shot a grateful look at Yugi's back, which he didn't see, his entire attention focused on Jounouchi, who was worrying aloud.
Once back in the room, Yugi shut the door and gave Jounouchi a more elongated hug. "I'm so glad you are ok," he murmured, kissing Jounouchi's shoulder. Jounouchi slung his good arm around Yugi's shoulder and smiled cockily. "I'm fine Yug'. I know what I'm doing. It's that dog we need to worry about."
Yugi nodded. "I'll get going," he said, turning away from Jou.
Jou grabbed Yugi's shoulder and leaned to whisper in the other's ear. "I had a dream. That dog might be Kaiba," he warned. Yugi's eyes opened in surprise but Jounouchi had leaned away from him and was grinning again. "Go on, help that dog!"
With a confused expression, he headed out, waving to Jounouchi as he left.
The walk to the animal hospital was slower than his half-run to the Domino General. While he was still concerned about the dog, he was still a little winded, and he didn't think that being in the waiting room for the dog would make much of a difference. So it was after a twenty minute walk that he arrived at the white sterile facility.
As he walked in he spoke to the lady at the front desk, "I'm here about a stray dog that was brought in earlier today, it would have a missing tail?"
The lady nodded. "Ah, that one. Is he yours?"
Yugi shook his head. "Not yet," he joked. "My roommate found some kids hurting him and fought them off. I think that if he doesn't have a home, we were hoping to provide him with one.
The lady chuckled. "You might want to meet the dog first. Ever since he has been awake, all he has done is snarl at the staff. He wouldn't make a very good pet."
"So he pulled through alright?" Yugi asked, hopefully.
"Physically, yes, though it seems that he has had very little exposure to people up until this point. He needs to be de-wormed, so it is doubtful that he has had any vaccinations, and he has fleas all over him. If this was his first encounter with people, it is likely that it will be hard to socialize him."
Yugi sighed. "May I see him?" he requested.
The lady shook her head. "I'm afraid not. He is a liability at this point."
Yugi tried another angle. "How much will his medical expenses be? My friend and I can work on paying them, and on socializing the dog. If he warms up to us, can we keep him?"
The woman pursed her lips. "Will this be your first dog?"
Yugi nodded.
"The likelihood that you will be successful with him is very low. He needs an experienced trainer to help socialize him. The only thing that is going for him is his age. He might still be impressionable enough to be taught to be kind to people."
Yugi sighed again. "Don't you have someone on staff? You have already helped fix him up, so couldn't you help us with that?"
The lady looked at him crossly. "If you can pay for it, we can help. Leave your contact information and someone will call you."
"Ok," he agreed, a bit disappointed. He wrote down his cell number on a piece of paper, and handed it to the clerk. She took the slip of paper and stuck it in an envelope.
"Someone will be in contact with you soon," she replied, dismissing him.
"Thank you for your help," Yugi replied, frustrated. He turned away and left the premises, bringing his phone to his ear to relay the news to Jou.
The receptionist shook her head as she watched Yugi walk out the front doors. He looked way too gentle for a dog like this. She could only hope that his roommate looked like less of a push over, or they would have severe trouble with the dog.
A/N: I hope that I did Yugi's character justice. I have very little experience writing with or interacting with a Yugi, so this has been a bit of an adventure. Some notes on what I was thinking in terms of his character: I know that Yugi is not a pushover. This is the woman making assumptions about him based on his youthful looks. In fact, I think if she was paying attention, the fact that he is so insistent about this dog would show that he doesn't give up without a fight.
