Yugi volunteers at the Subreality Hospital's Mental Ward, only to be stuck with a very unique patient.
Blue Suede Shoes
by XMAN0123
------------
Jean Grey had just finished lunch and was about to make her usual rounds. That is, until she found a small girl sitting on her desk. Drawing on her endless supply of patience, Jean tapped the girl's shoulder. "Excuse me, little girl. Are you lost?"
The girl turned around and smiled up at her. "Hi! I'm s'posed to find a woman named Jean. Do you know her?"
Jean paused for a moment as she looked into the girl's blue eyes. At first, she'd assumed that one of the newer patients had gotten lose. The girl had the definite feel of a fictive. But upon closer inspection, she sensed something more. "You're a Muse."
"Yup! I'm Yugi!" She stood up on the desk and straightened out her overalls, which seemed to be one size too big. "My Writer was busy finishing up a story, so I decided to check this place out, see if I measured up."
Jean arched an eyebrow. "You do know this is a mental hospital, don't you?"
"Oh, sure! I'm here to volunteer for the day."
"Well...usually fictives are the ones that volunteer..."
"I know, but I've got psychic powers, and I have been in stories before. I like to think of myself as a fictive Muse."
Jean considered that for a moment. "As long as you're experienced in the use of your powers..."
"I am," Yugi promised.
"...then I guess there's no problem." She held out her hand. "I'm Jean Grey, the current head nurse around here. Welcome to the temporary staff."
Yugi shook her hand. "So what do I do first? Electroshock therapy?"
Jean smiled uneasily. "Nothing that serious, I'm afraid. Since it's your first day, I'll start you off with one of our harmless patients. Wouldn't want to sour you on the whole experience."
"Okay. Do they have multiple personalities or anything fun like that?"
Anyone who thought of multiple personalities as "fun" most likely had issues of their own, but Jean wasn't about to say so. She didn't even know this child, and had no right to judge her. She couldn't be that bad of a Muse, if she was willing to help sick and dying fictives.
"Yugi, there isn't much fun involved in this kind of work. Anyway, follow me. I'll introduce you to Mike."
"He's not a turtle, is he?"
Jean smiled. "Well, THIS one isn't. Follow me." She couldn't help noticing how Yugi's big blue eyes kept glancing in every direction, almost as if she'd never been in a hospital before. It seemed as if she was trying to take in everything at once.
They stopped outside a room.
"Well, he's in there. Just go in and introduce yourself."
"That's it?" Yugi asked. "Isn't there anything I should know? Some special instructions?"
Jean smiled. "Oh, he'll tell you everything you need to know. I'll be right down the hall if you have any problems."
Yugi looked skeptical, but she slowly pushed the door open.
The room was dark, and the only light came from window. In the center of the room, sitting on his bed, was Mike. He didn't look crazy, but then, he had to be in the hospital for a reason.
Yugi slowly walked over to him. "Hi. Are you Mike?"
He nodded. "You're young. Younger than Jean."
"It's my first day. I'm Yugi."
Mike didn't say anything.
"Oookay." Yugi stuffed her hands into her pockets and rocked on her heels. "So, Mike. Got any hobbies?"
"Nope."
"Special abilities?"
Mike hesitated. "I...can dance."
"Oh, really? Can I see?"
Mike frowned. "No. Never for strangers."
"Well, what if I danced first?"
"No. Don't wanna see you dance."
Yugi chewed her bottom lip. "What do you like to do?"
Mike thought for a moment. "I like to sing, and dance, and throw things."
"Would you sing-"
"No."
"Okay. How do you feel about Muses?"
"Don't know. Never really saw one."
She smiled. "Well, I'm a Muse."
"No. You're a kid. With overalls too big for you."
Yugi closed her eyes, wondering what she'd gotten herself into.
"My feet feel numb."
Yugi opened her eyes. "Um...you want me to massage them or something?"
"No. Hit them."
"Uh...hit them?"
"Yes. Hard. Brings the feeling back."
Yugi hesitated, then lightly tapped his foot.
"Not hard enough."
"Well, maybe if I stepped on it?"
"NO!" Mike roared.
Yugi gasped and backed away. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"
"You can do anything you want to do," Mike said. "But don't you EVER. Step. On My. Blue Suede Shoes."
Yugi blinked. "Whatever you say, Mike."
"Good." Mike scratched his chin and peered at her. "You have red shoes. With white lines."
"I noticed." Yugi poked at the floor with her toe. "You don't like me much, do you, Mike?"
"You're short," he said absently. "Shorter than Jean."
"Yeah, I saw that."
Mike leaned closer, peering at her. "You got blue eyes. Like the sea. And my shoes."
Yugi glanced down. "Uh huh."
"My shoes are good for dancing."
"But you won't dance."
"Nope."
Yugi sighed. "Mike, do you know why you're here?"
"Yes."
She looked up into his eyes. "You do?"
"Yes. To make them scream."
"Make who scream?"
"The girls."
"Um...what?"
"I come out and dance and sing and dance. Then they scream. Then I go home."
Yugi scratched her head. "Okay."
* * * * *
It was midnight when Jean heard slowly approaching footsteps in the hallway. "Is that you, Yugi?"
"Yeah," came the quiet reply.
Jean smiled. "So how'd it go?"
"I don't think I'm cut out for this volunteer stuff, Jean."
"Oh?" Jean sounded surprised. "Why not?"
"That guy was crazy!"
"Yes, that's the general idea..."
"No, you don't get it! He's CRAZY, even for a crazy person!"
"Really?"
"YES! He kept telling me all this stuff he could do, but he wouldn't do them. He kept comparing me to you, but then he couldn't remember what YOU looked like. And on top of all that, HE WOULDN'T SHUT UP ABOUT HIS SHOES!"
Jean smiled gently. "Of the blue suede variety?"
"YES!"
"He was an Elvis impersonator in his last story. I guess it stuck."
"That's no excuse!" Yugi shouted.
"And why not?" Jean asked.
Yugi looked at Jean as if she had gone crazy. "HE WASN'T WEARING ANY SHOES!!!"
"Well, I know that, and you know that, but he doesn't. And do you know what a volunteer nurse's job is?"
"What?" Yugi asked weakly.
"To make sure that he keeps seeing those shoes. Because if he looks down and doesn't see them one day, it either means he doesn't belong here anymore or that he's really gone crazy."
Yugi groaned and muttered under her breath as she slowly continued down the hall.
Jean chuckled to herself and walked over to Mike's room. She knocked on the door twice. "Mike?"
There was a low groan from inside.
Jean opened the door and nearly tripped over Mike, who was lying in the doorway. "Mike! What happened?"
Through clenched teeth and a large amount of pain, Mike whispered, "She...she stepped...on my...blue suede shoes..."
* * * * *
Nate was just going to bed when Yugi appeared, looking extremely tired. "How'd the volunteering thing go?" he asked.
Without a word, Yugi climbed into bed next to him and pulled the blanket over her head.
"That bad, huh?" He patted her back sympathetically.
"I don't think crazy people are cool anymore," the lump next to him mumbled.
"Can I say I told you so now?"
The lump seemed to loom menacingly. "Not if you value your life."
Nate grinned and patted the lump. "Night, Yugi."
"Shut up and go to sleep."
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Disclaimer: Jean Grey belongs to Marvel Comics. Subreality belongs to Kielle.
Blue Suede Shoes
by XMAN0123
------------
Jean Grey had just finished lunch and was about to make her usual rounds. That is, until she found a small girl sitting on her desk. Drawing on her endless supply of patience, Jean tapped the girl's shoulder. "Excuse me, little girl. Are you lost?"
The girl turned around and smiled up at her. "Hi! I'm s'posed to find a woman named Jean. Do you know her?"
Jean paused for a moment as she looked into the girl's blue eyes. At first, she'd assumed that one of the newer patients had gotten lose. The girl had the definite feel of a fictive. But upon closer inspection, she sensed something more. "You're a Muse."
"Yup! I'm Yugi!" She stood up on the desk and straightened out her overalls, which seemed to be one size too big. "My Writer was busy finishing up a story, so I decided to check this place out, see if I measured up."
Jean arched an eyebrow. "You do know this is a mental hospital, don't you?"
"Oh, sure! I'm here to volunteer for the day."
"Well...usually fictives are the ones that volunteer..."
"I know, but I've got psychic powers, and I have been in stories before. I like to think of myself as a fictive Muse."
Jean considered that for a moment. "As long as you're experienced in the use of your powers..."
"I am," Yugi promised.
"...then I guess there's no problem." She held out her hand. "I'm Jean Grey, the current head nurse around here. Welcome to the temporary staff."
Yugi shook her hand. "So what do I do first? Electroshock therapy?"
Jean smiled uneasily. "Nothing that serious, I'm afraid. Since it's your first day, I'll start you off with one of our harmless patients. Wouldn't want to sour you on the whole experience."
"Okay. Do they have multiple personalities or anything fun like that?"
Anyone who thought of multiple personalities as "fun" most likely had issues of their own, but Jean wasn't about to say so. She didn't even know this child, and had no right to judge her. She couldn't be that bad of a Muse, if she was willing to help sick and dying fictives.
"Yugi, there isn't much fun involved in this kind of work. Anyway, follow me. I'll introduce you to Mike."
"He's not a turtle, is he?"
Jean smiled. "Well, THIS one isn't. Follow me." She couldn't help noticing how Yugi's big blue eyes kept glancing in every direction, almost as if she'd never been in a hospital before. It seemed as if she was trying to take in everything at once.
They stopped outside a room.
"Well, he's in there. Just go in and introduce yourself."
"That's it?" Yugi asked. "Isn't there anything I should know? Some special instructions?"
Jean smiled. "Oh, he'll tell you everything you need to know. I'll be right down the hall if you have any problems."
Yugi looked skeptical, but she slowly pushed the door open.
The room was dark, and the only light came from window. In the center of the room, sitting on his bed, was Mike. He didn't look crazy, but then, he had to be in the hospital for a reason.
Yugi slowly walked over to him. "Hi. Are you Mike?"
He nodded. "You're young. Younger than Jean."
"It's my first day. I'm Yugi."
Mike didn't say anything.
"Oookay." Yugi stuffed her hands into her pockets and rocked on her heels. "So, Mike. Got any hobbies?"
"Nope."
"Special abilities?"
Mike hesitated. "I...can dance."
"Oh, really? Can I see?"
Mike frowned. "No. Never for strangers."
"Well, what if I danced first?"
"No. Don't wanna see you dance."
Yugi chewed her bottom lip. "What do you like to do?"
Mike thought for a moment. "I like to sing, and dance, and throw things."
"Would you sing-"
"No."
"Okay. How do you feel about Muses?"
"Don't know. Never really saw one."
She smiled. "Well, I'm a Muse."
"No. You're a kid. With overalls too big for you."
Yugi closed her eyes, wondering what she'd gotten herself into.
"My feet feel numb."
Yugi opened her eyes. "Um...you want me to massage them or something?"
"No. Hit them."
"Uh...hit them?"
"Yes. Hard. Brings the feeling back."
Yugi hesitated, then lightly tapped his foot.
"Not hard enough."
"Well, maybe if I stepped on it?"
"NO!" Mike roared.
Yugi gasped and backed away. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"
"You can do anything you want to do," Mike said. "But don't you EVER. Step. On My. Blue Suede Shoes."
Yugi blinked. "Whatever you say, Mike."
"Good." Mike scratched his chin and peered at her. "You have red shoes. With white lines."
"I noticed." Yugi poked at the floor with her toe. "You don't like me much, do you, Mike?"
"You're short," he said absently. "Shorter than Jean."
"Yeah, I saw that."
Mike leaned closer, peering at her. "You got blue eyes. Like the sea. And my shoes."
Yugi glanced down. "Uh huh."
"My shoes are good for dancing."
"But you won't dance."
"Nope."
Yugi sighed. "Mike, do you know why you're here?"
"Yes."
She looked up into his eyes. "You do?"
"Yes. To make them scream."
"Make who scream?"
"The girls."
"Um...what?"
"I come out and dance and sing and dance. Then they scream. Then I go home."
Yugi scratched her head. "Okay."
* * * * *
It was midnight when Jean heard slowly approaching footsteps in the hallway. "Is that you, Yugi?"
"Yeah," came the quiet reply.
Jean smiled. "So how'd it go?"
"I don't think I'm cut out for this volunteer stuff, Jean."
"Oh?" Jean sounded surprised. "Why not?"
"That guy was crazy!"
"Yes, that's the general idea..."
"No, you don't get it! He's CRAZY, even for a crazy person!"
"Really?"
"YES! He kept telling me all this stuff he could do, but he wouldn't do them. He kept comparing me to you, but then he couldn't remember what YOU looked like. And on top of all that, HE WOULDN'T SHUT UP ABOUT HIS SHOES!"
Jean smiled gently. "Of the blue suede variety?"
"YES!"
"He was an Elvis impersonator in his last story. I guess it stuck."
"That's no excuse!" Yugi shouted.
"And why not?" Jean asked.
Yugi looked at Jean as if she had gone crazy. "HE WASN'T WEARING ANY SHOES!!!"
"Well, I know that, and you know that, but he doesn't. And do you know what a volunteer nurse's job is?"
"What?" Yugi asked weakly.
"To make sure that he keeps seeing those shoes. Because if he looks down and doesn't see them one day, it either means he doesn't belong here anymore or that he's really gone crazy."
Yugi groaned and muttered under her breath as she slowly continued down the hall.
Jean chuckled to herself and walked over to Mike's room. She knocked on the door twice. "Mike?"
There was a low groan from inside.
Jean opened the door and nearly tripped over Mike, who was lying in the doorway. "Mike! What happened?"
Through clenched teeth and a large amount of pain, Mike whispered, "She...she stepped...on my...blue suede shoes..."
* * * * *
Nate was just going to bed when Yugi appeared, looking extremely tired. "How'd the volunteering thing go?" he asked.
Without a word, Yugi climbed into bed next to him and pulled the blanket over her head.
"That bad, huh?" He patted her back sympathetically.
"I don't think crazy people are cool anymore," the lump next to him mumbled.
"Can I say I told you so now?"
The lump seemed to loom menacingly. "Not if you value your life."
Nate grinned and patted the lump. "Night, Yugi."
"Shut up and go to sleep."
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Disclaimer: Jean Grey belongs to Marvel Comics. Subreality belongs to Kielle.
