AN: Okay, no angst, but loads of implied (well, sort of) violence. Not so
much language, a few minor ones if any. *Is too lazy to check this chapter
* It's actually a rather short chapter, in case you care.
Hurts VIII
I jumped into Tristans car and moved over more so that Mai and Bakura could fit in the back as well. Yami had returned to the puzzle so he wouldn't take up room in the car. When we had all squeezed in-Joey and Tristan in the front-Tristan slammed on the gas and took off in the direction of the hospital.
"Wait till I get my hands on that bastard! I'm gonna kill him!" Joey was mumbling. "After what all Tea did for him! I should have killed him when I had the chance! I'm just gonna kill him!"
"Joey calm down!" Tristan sighed, trying to be the voice of reason. Mai rested a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "We have no idea what happened."
"Tea was crying. She kept mumbling about Kaiba and then crying harder! What's not to know?!"
"Tristans right, Joey." Bakura spoke up. "Don't jump to conclusions. None of us have."
'None of us except Joey and Yami, that is.' I added to myself. I shook my head and kept my mind on calming the enraged Joey.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I sat in the chair across from the cheek in desk, watching people rush in with sick and dying patients. I had finally stopped crying, my eyes running out of tears, and I felt emotionally drained. I just wanted to sleep, but Seto was still in critical condition and none of my friends had shown up yet. I didn't doubt that they would come to help me, I just wished they would come sooner! I looked up as a nurse walked over in my direction. She glanced down at a sheet of paper and then let her gaze flicker over me.
"Are you Miss Tea Gardener?" The nurse asked me. I managed to pull my tired body into a standing position and nodded. I couldn't even manage my usual friendly smile. I just wasn't up to it. "And you are what relation to Mr. Seto Kaiba?"
"I'm his..." I paused. If I told her the truth, that we were just friends, they might not let me see him. I'd read enough books to know they only let family in at first. I could lie and say I was his sister or something, but what if they found out and throw me out? I'd be mortified! But I had to see him! And if I had to see him that meant I'd just have to chance it. "I'm his sister."
"Hum," The nurse frowned looking at the paper. "Why isn't your last name the same as Mr. Kaiba's then?"
"Our parents are divorced. My mother had my last name changed when she got custody of me." I replied, making the lie up as I went along. I could see the nurse was going to ask another question, so I decided to hurry up and ask one of my own. I managed to muster just enough energy to lace my voice with panic and near-hysterics to throw the lady off my trail and keep my story from getting shot full of holes. "Now are you going to tell me how my brother is or keep me waiting?!"
"He's in room three-ten." The nurse answered quickly, taken aback by my sudden frenzy.
"Thank you." I sighed, feeling my body slump from exhaustion. I was about to hurry over to Seto's room when I remembered something. "Um, some people, friends of my brothers, might come looking for me. Could you direct them to Seto's room?"
"I'll try to remember." The nurse nodded. I sighed with relief. 'Finally! Someone in this hospital is being helpful!'
"One more question. Has my other brother, Mokuba Kaiba, been told?"
"He has been informed, though his own doctors believe he is in no state to visit your brother, poor dear." The woman smiled at me. I could just see her mentally labeling me the 'distressed and frantic sister' type.
"Thank you." I nodded gratefully. Half-running and half-walking, I made my way to Seto's room. I got there and, for the sake of decency, knocked on the door. I waited a minute and when no one answered, I gently pushed the door open. He was laying there, His shoulder and arm heavily bandaged in a clean white dressing. After finding a chair in the left corner, I brought it next to Seto's bed and sat down. I took his hand in mine and gently brushed my thumb over the back of it. He didn't move and if it weren't for the machines that monitored his heart and other life signs, I would have thought he was dead. I brushed some of his hair out of his face and lay my tired head on the mattress, my face touching his chest. The once terrifying bleeping of machines soon became reassuring and almost soothing.
"You saved my life, Seto." I murmured into Seto's chest as I began to fall asleep. "I shunned you and but you still saved me. You could have died."
I was almost fully asleep, when I heard a voice calling to me. I brought my head up and listened closely.
"Tea?" A voice called. Another and then another joined it. I stood up and stumbled out into the hall. It was my friends! I collapsed into the arms of my closest friend, Bakura. I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder, relaxing my tired body.
"Are you alright?" Tristan asked, his face full of concern.
"Where is he?" Joey asked, cracking his knuckles. Too tired to argue, I nodded in the direction of the room I had just come from and watched as Joey and Yami stalked off in that direction. Bakura wrapped an arm around my waist and helped me walk after them. We entered and I noticed that Joey and Yami had stopped dead.
"You... You didn't tell us." Joey muttered. "We though he'd hurt you."
"He didn't hurt her, Joey. He probably didn't even touch her." Mai whispered. I sighed; Mai always put two and two together the quickest. "Kaiba saved Tea's life."
Hurts VIII
I jumped into Tristans car and moved over more so that Mai and Bakura could fit in the back as well. Yami had returned to the puzzle so he wouldn't take up room in the car. When we had all squeezed in-Joey and Tristan in the front-Tristan slammed on the gas and took off in the direction of the hospital.
"Wait till I get my hands on that bastard! I'm gonna kill him!" Joey was mumbling. "After what all Tea did for him! I should have killed him when I had the chance! I'm just gonna kill him!"
"Joey calm down!" Tristan sighed, trying to be the voice of reason. Mai rested a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "We have no idea what happened."
"Tea was crying. She kept mumbling about Kaiba and then crying harder! What's not to know?!"
"Tristans right, Joey." Bakura spoke up. "Don't jump to conclusions. None of us have."
'None of us except Joey and Yami, that is.' I added to myself. I shook my head and kept my mind on calming the enraged Joey.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I sat in the chair across from the cheek in desk, watching people rush in with sick and dying patients. I had finally stopped crying, my eyes running out of tears, and I felt emotionally drained. I just wanted to sleep, but Seto was still in critical condition and none of my friends had shown up yet. I didn't doubt that they would come to help me, I just wished they would come sooner! I looked up as a nurse walked over in my direction. She glanced down at a sheet of paper and then let her gaze flicker over me.
"Are you Miss Tea Gardener?" The nurse asked me. I managed to pull my tired body into a standing position and nodded. I couldn't even manage my usual friendly smile. I just wasn't up to it. "And you are what relation to Mr. Seto Kaiba?"
"I'm his..." I paused. If I told her the truth, that we were just friends, they might not let me see him. I'd read enough books to know they only let family in at first. I could lie and say I was his sister or something, but what if they found out and throw me out? I'd be mortified! But I had to see him! And if I had to see him that meant I'd just have to chance it. "I'm his sister."
"Hum," The nurse frowned looking at the paper. "Why isn't your last name the same as Mr. Kaiba's then?"
"Our parents are divorced. My mother had my last name changed when she got custody of me." I replied, making the lie up as I went along. I could see the nurse was going to ask another question, so I decided to hurry up and ask one of my own. I managed to muster just enough energy to lace my voice with panic and near-hysterics to throw the lady off my trail and keep my story from getting shot full of holes. "Now are you going to tell me how my brother is or keep me waiting?!"
"He's in room three-ten." The nurse answered quickly, taken aback by my sudden frenzy.
"Thank you." I sighed, feeling my body slump from exhaustion. I was about to hurry over to Seto's room when I remembered something. "Um, some people, friends of my brothers, might come looking for me. Could you direct them to Seto's room?"
"I'll try to remember." The nurse nodded. I sighed with relief. 'Finally! Someone in this hospital is being helpful!'
"One more question. Has my other brother, Mokuba Kaiba, been told?"
"He has been informed, though his own doctors believe he is in no state to visit your brother, poor dear." The woman smiled at me. I could just see her mentally labeling me the 'distressed and frantic sister' type.
"Thank you." I nodded gratefully. Half-running and half-walking, I made my way to Seto's room. I got there and, for the sake of decency, knocked on the door. I waited a minute and when no one answered, I gently pushed the door open. He was laying there, His shoulder and arm heavily bandaged in a clean white dressing. After finding a chair in the left corner, I brought it next to Seto's bed and sat down. I took his hand in mine and gently brushed my thumb over the back of it. He didn't move and if it weren't for the machines that monitored his heart and other life signs, I would have thought he was dead. I brushed some of his hair out of his face and lay my tired head on the mattress, my face touching his chest. The once terrifying bleeping of machines soon became reassuring and almost soothing.
"You saved my life, Seto." I murmured into Seto's chest as I began to fall asleep. "I shunned you and but you still saved me. You could have died."
I was almost fully asleep, when I heard a voice calling to me. I brought my head up and listened closely.
"Tea?" A voice called. Another and then another joined it. I stood up and stumbled out into the hall. It was my friends! I collapsed into the arms of my closest friend, Bakura. I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder, relaxing my tired body.
"Are you alright?" Tristan asked, his face full of concern.
"Where is he?" Joey asked, cracking his knuckles. Too tired to argue, I nodded in the direction of the room I had just come from and watched as Joey and Yami stalked off in that direction. Bakura wrapped an arm around my waist and helped me walk after them. We entered and I noticed that Joey and Yami had stopped dead.
"You... You didn't tell us." Joey muttered. "We though he'd hurt you."
"He didn't hurt her, Joey. He probably didn't even touch her." Mai whispered. I sighed; Mai always put two and two together the quickest. "Kaiba saved Tea's life."