Greetings! Here is another chapter for your enjoyment.
I know that I don't do the disclaimer in every chapter, but it is stated in the first one and carries out throughout the story.
One note for today. As far as Ryou Bakura is concerned: Yami Bakura is referred to as the spirit of the ring, or just the spirit. Ryou is referred to as Bakura. I went back and read an earlier chapter and saw it written this way. I just wanted to remind you.
Replies:
Starheart: You hurt the ones you love, remember? :o) I hope you were able to get your own chapter done. Thanks for the compliment, though!
QueenOfHearts: What evil cliffie? I don't recall seeing one in the chapter! I'm just kidding. I'll try to cut back on them, though. I don't want to be responsible for the loss of your mind :o))
Jaid Skywalker: Poor Yugi is right. I swear, the kid never gets a break!
Treska SilverFlame: Hey there! Thanks for giving my stories a shot. I'm very glad that you liked them.
shiney mew: You're too funny! I like that image of Marik and the Fluffy Dance, though!
Joy-girl: You're right, Yugi does tend to be rather trusting. Then again, we all have our limits eventually.
TZ: Malik is definitely evil, and he's insane. It doesn't help that his dubbed voice sounds like that of some homicidal maniac *shudder*.
Chibizoo: Wow. . . I'm very flattered, thank you! Thanks for taking the time to review.
lilandriss: Yugi and Yami are a lot of fun to write, and I'm very glad that you're enjoying their scenes in this story. Especially those first ones, since I wasn't quite sure what I was doing yet.
Lavender Wonder: Hee, hee. . . oh, stop it! I'm going to bust a gut over here from the laughter!! So funny! I'll have to find a place to use some of those. I can just see Joey uttering some of them, can't you? Kaiba doing the Macarena, huh?? Now that's something I'd love to see. And yes, Marik is scary. I personally find him scarier before he turns into the REALLY insane one.
Mutou Yasu: Thanks for reminding me about Marik and the vengeance thing. I had just watched that episode with Yami and the mime, so I was thinking of what Marik had said there. Wanting Yami dead for killing his father makes MUCH more sense for Marik than wanting to be pharaoh. Didn't Shadi tell him it was Yami that had killed his father or something like that? I saw the episodes a while back so I don't quite remember what happened. Not to mention the lousy subtitles. . . Wait a minute, they become friends with Marik? How does that happen??
Labannya: Discovering new stories is a good thing, right? :o) I wish I had more time to actually read more stories, but I spend my free time writing instead. About Marik and his father: I have seen the episodes where that's explained, I'd just totally forgotten about it. The father was a total bastard, and that whole carving on the back thing is just insane. . . kind of explains why Marik is so nutty. Thanks for reading. I hope you continue to enjoy the fic.
stupid kid 04 and blah: Welcome to the fic. It's better to join late than never, right? I hope that you continue to enjoy it.
Itsuka Tenshi Ni: Lazy, me? Nah. . . not at all! Well, maybe sometimes. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story! I've had a blast writing it. Yugi and Yami are good characters to mess with, and so is Kaiba.
Amiasha: :o)) Don't wonder too far off. . . we wouldn't want you to get lost, you know! Just kidding. Ohh, and speaking of Joey fighting the mind control: weren't those episodes when Yugi dueled the controlled Joey some of the best?? I think they're the ones with the most angst that I've seen so far. I'm afraid of how they're going to be edited when dubbed into English, though.
Thank you, thank you very much for all the wonderful reviews! Now, I'll shut up and let you read. Enjoy!!
Part 15: Fragile Balance
"Where is he, where is my son?"
Bakura lifted his head at the sound of the voice. He had never met Joey's father, so he hadn't known what to expect. The detached, aggressive man standing a few feet away wasn't what Bakura had imagined.
"Mr. Wheeler?"
The man turned at Bakura's soft question. Mr. Wheeler's eyes widened as he saw Bakura, and he advanced quickly, until Bakura was forced to lift his head to meet the taller man's eyes.
"Is that Joey's blood on you?"
Bakura nodded. "I found him, Mr. Wheeler. I would never hurt him."
Mr. Wheeler nodded once. He didn't really look like he cared one way or the other. He seemed more annoyed at the fact that he had to be at the hospital at all.
"Where is Joey now?"
"He's in surgery right now. The nurses wouldn't give me any more information than that, because I'm not family, so you might want to go talk to them."
Mr. Wheeler pierced Bakura with an intense glare before whirling around, presumably to go talk to a nurse. Bakura stared after him for a while, before he sat back down on his chair. Joey's father was angry, but Bakura doubted that it was because someone had hurt his son.
* People like that are made, Ryou *
** What do you mean? **
Bakura could almost feel the spirit of the ring sighing. * People like him care about nothing but themselves. Children to them, especially their own children, are just something that they have to put up with. *
Bakura, shocked to hear something that thoughtful and personal from the spirit, was at a loss for words. It took him a while to formulate a reply.
** Is that what your father did to you? **
Bakura suddenly felt the mental link between him and the spirit slam shut.
** I guess I was right. **
"Has there been any word on Joey?"
Bakura turned to see Mr. Moto walking towards him.
"No. They won't tell me anything. All I know is that Joey is in surgery and that his father is here. What about Yugi?"
Mr. Moto shook his head and dropped onto the chair besides Bakura.
"Nothing. Hospital security is reviewing their security tapes, but they haven't found anything. They're also searching the hospital, but so far have come up empty handed."
Bakura leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. His head suddenly hurt.
"I don't understand. Why would someone kidnap Yugi, and maybe even Kaiba, and then shoot Joey? Do you think it could be the same person, or persons, that attacked Yugi in the alley?"
"I don't know, Ryou, and no one seems to be able to give me an answer."
Both men sat quietly, each pondering their own thoughts, until Bakura heard footsteps approaching. He turned opened his eyes, expecting to see Mr. Wheeler again, but instead saw a disheveled Tristan running towards them. Tristan's face was red, and Bakura could see a nasty scrape on the left side of his face.
"What's going on?" Tristan asked as soon as he reached them.
"Tristan, what happened to you? Are you okay?" Mr. Moto asked.
"Kaiba attacked me, that's what happened," Tristan replied. He looked agitated and very angry. "I took the back way here and saw him leaving the hospital. I parked my bike to go talk to him, when I noticed that he was carrying Yugi. I asked him what was going on, and he told me that it was none of my business. When I tried to take Yugi from him, he attacked me and knocked me out."
Bakura's eyes widened. Joey had mentioned something about Kaiba, but he would never have imagined that he'd taken Yugi.
"I knew it," Mr. Moto exclaimed. "That kid is nothing but trouble. It was a mistake to leave him with Yugi."
Bakura wasn't so sure.
* It figures. You're watching me to make sure that I don't harm the runt, * the spirit of the ring stated, sarcasm dripping off his voice, * and leave it to Kaiba to fool everyone into trusting him, only to turn around and show everyone how deceitful he is. *
"Did Kaiba say anything to you? Did he say where he was taking Yugi?"
Tristan looked at Bakura and seemed confused at Bakura's lack of anger.
"No, he didn't. He was too busy knocking me out to have a conversation with me. What's going on here? What are you two doing in this part of the hospital? I figured you'd be in Yugi's room."
Bakura readied himself for the difficult explanation, but Yugi's grandfather saved him from it.
"Joey's been shot, Tristan. He's in surgery now."
"What? How did he get shot?"
"We don't know," Mr. Moto replied, "but it may have something to do with Yugi's disappearance."
Tristan's eyes widened. "So you're saying that Kaiba shot Joey? He did kidnap Yugi, after all. Maybe Joey just got in his way."
"It's a possibility," Mr. Moto said.
"We need to go talk to the police, then. Come on, let's go."
Bakura stayed where he was as the two men left to go find the police officers that were searching the hospital.
* You don't believe Kaiba did it? *
** I don't know **
* Don't tell me that you don't see it. Kaiba wanted something, Joey got in the way, and he eliminated the obstacle. I, for one, didn't think Kaiba had it in him. I'm pleasantly surprised to find out that he does. I'll make sure to be careful around him next time. *
Bakura shook his head at the admiration in the spirit's voice. Only he would value someone who had shot someone else. He didn't know why, but Bakura didn't think Kaiba had done it. It was hard, because he didn't think Tristan was lying, but he just couldn't help but think that there was another explanation.
**~~**
Yami stepped up to the door to his soul room and laid his hand on the cold, hard surface. The room was dark, of course. Outlines could be seen at certain points, but they weren't bright enough to denote the object they represented. He didn't know how long it had been since he'd been trapped in this place. Countless times, he'd stepped up to the door and tried to open it, only to find it locked. It had become a ritual to him now, something he did every day. Well, every time he thought it was a new day.
He felt empty, lost, and out of sorts. The ever-present darkness had ceased to crush in on him after a few centuries spent trapped in this ever- shifting room. Now, it was his companion, his way of life, the only thing to keep him company. He didn't remember what he looked like or where he'd come from. All he knew was that he was here, and here he would stay until. . . well, he didn't know what would get him out of the room.
Half heartedly, he shifted his hand from the surface of the door down to the elaborate knob that marred its smooth surface. He twisted it, knowing that it wouldn't turn. With a surprised gasp, Yami realized that the knob was turning. He pulled the door open quickly, afraid that if he didn't, it would become welded shut once again. Once the door was opened, he stepped out into a long hallway and immediately noticed the door directly in front of him. It was unmarked, and a dim light shone from the space between the floor and the bottom of the door. Frowning, Yami stepped up to the new door and put his hand on it as well.
Unlike his door, this one was smooth and warm. The light that now bathed his feet was like an apparition to Yami. He couldn't believe he was actually seeing it. He slid his hand down to the knob and turned it, again surprised when it opened. He quietly stepped inside the room and wasn't prepared for what he saw.
The room was bright, full of toys and other assorted items. A bed against the far wall was decorated with a bright blue comforter and white pillows. A desk beside it was also white and full of books with bright covers. Nothing in this room was anywhere near close to what was in his.
Suddenly, a sound caught Yami's attention. It was coming from the side of the bed, somewhere on the floor. Yami walked towards the sound and was surprised to see someone sitting there, backed against the wall with their arms around their legs. The person appeared to be crying softly, though Yami had no idea why.
"Hello?"
The person's head immediately came up, and Yami found himself looking at a young face framed with wild, golden bangs. The rest of the boy's hair was black and magenta, which was somehow familiar to Yami. The most striking feature in the young face, however, was the wide, violet eyes. They were currently filled with tears, which made Yami wonder what the problem with the boy was.
"Yami! I thought you'd been seriously hurt during the attack. Are you okay?"
Yami tilted his head to one side and regarded the boy, whose expression went from joy to confusion when he didn't answer the question.
"What attack? Who are you?"
The boy's eyes narrowed, and he slowly got up from the floor. He took a couple of steps closer to Yami, then tentatively reached out to touch him, but at the last minute dropped his hand.
"Who am I? What do you mean, who am I? You're in my soul room, Yami, we've shared my body for a while now. How can you not know who I am?"
Yami regarded the boy, whose face was still wet from his tears. He wasn't crying now, though. He seemed determined, as well as confused. In the depths of the boy's eyes, however, was something close to desperation. It was as if he'd gone through something and was now just barely hanging on to his sanity. For some reason, Yami felt a need to protect the boy; he knew that he couldn't allow him to reach that breaking point.
"I am sorry. I woke up in my room, and all I remembered was that I'd been there for a long time without being able to get out," Yami explained, his tone calm, soothing. "I walked to the door and it was open. I came out and saw this room and then saw you. That's all I know."
The boy took a deep, shuddering breath and then released it. He walked over to the bed and sat down, then put his head in his hands. He shook his head slightly from side to side, making Yami wonder what he was thinking.
"It had to have been the magic attack and the close proximity to that man. You were already weak from the first one. . ." the boy trailed off. "If you don't remember who you are, then you won't know how to fix this. I don't know enough about controlling your shadow magic to try to do it myself."
"You know about my shadow magic?"
The boy looked up, one corner of his mouth up in a half smile. "Of course I know. I've seen you use it. Ever since you stopped blocking me when you used my body I've been able to see and feel what you do."
"So now we're in your mind?"
"Yeah. I put the puzzle together, which let you out," the boy said, pointing to the puzzle around his neck. Yami looked down and saw a similar item around his. "We've coexisted in my body ever since."
Yami took it all in. He'd been set free from his prison of darkness? If that was the case, why couldn't he remember? Was it possible that this innocent boy in front of him had really set him free? Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
"If we do share your mind, then there is a way for me to extract your memories. Seeing them might help me recall mine. If you'd allow it."
The boy nodded. "Do what you need to do. At this point, it really doesn't matter."
Yami frowned at the resignation in the boy's tone, but then put it out of his mind. He'd find out what was going on soon enough, he hoped. He stepped up to the boy and put his hands on either side of his face, tilting it up so that the boy was facing him. Yami was surprised to see trust in those eyes. What could he have done to deserve it?
"Close your eyes, I'm just going to find your memories, okay?"
"Okay," the boy said, and did as he was told.
Yami closed his own eyes as well and began his search. At first, Yami was bombarded with faces that he did not recognize. Then, he was bombarded with feelings and sensations. The images came so fast that he couldn't pick one out of the multitude of them. Instead, Yami just let them flow from the boy's mind and into his, going with the flow and riding the waves of emotion that accompanied the memories. Before long, he felt as if his mind was being torn apart by the strong current of emotion. He needed to distance himself, of he'd get lost inside the boy's mind. The more he tried to break the connection, however, the stronger the pull became.
His eyes snapped open, and he was surprised to see that both he and the boy had fallen to the floor. The boy's eyes were closed, and Yami could only guess at his state. Yami's only concern now was breaking free of the hold the boy's mind had on him.
With tremendous effort, he pulled away from the boy. The memories continued to come, however, and nothing he could do stopped them. Yami finally gave in to the strong current and let the memories take him into unconsciousness.
**~~**
"Yugi, wake up. I don't know if you can hear me, but you have to wake up."
The voice sent shivers down Yugi's spine. As he regained consciousness, he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, and his first reaction was to bolt. He quickly sat up and pushed the person in front of him away with all of his strength. He got to his feet, but then had to put a hand on the nearest solid object when he got dizzy. He leaned against what felt like a piece of wood and willed his head to stop pounding.
"Yugi, are. . ."
"Don't come near me, Kaiba! Stay away," Yugi yelled. He held up his hand as if to ward Kaiba off, but knew that it wouldn't do him any good.
He felt fear, but at the same time, felt anger. Kaiba had betrayed him, and though he had known that there was a possibility that the older teen would do that, Yugi had been willing to give him a chance. The fact that Kaiba had lived up to his reputation made Yugi feel like a fool, and he hated it.
"I don't want to hurt you."
Yugi chuckled. "You could have fooled me. I think you did a pretty good job of hurting me back at the hospital. I'm assuming we're not there anymore, by the way, since the place smells differently. It's dirtier." Yugi's voice was bitter and angry, but he didn't care. He'd had enough of being nice to Kaiba. He should have listened to everyone when they'd told him not to trust him. He should have listened to Yami.
Thinking of Yami. . . Yugi ignored Kaiba and reached inwardly, hoping to feel his partner's presence. All Yugi felt was emptiness, however. His heart clenched at the though of having lost Yami. He didn't know exactly what Yami had done back in his soul room. The last thing Yugi remembered was closing his eyes like Yami had asked him to, and then he'd woken up to Kaiba's voice.
"We're not at the hospital; we're at a warehouse by the docks."
Yugi snapped out of his internal turmoil and focused more on his immediate threat.
"And you brought me here because?"
He heard Kaiba sigh. If he didn't know any better, Yugi would have though he'd heard actual regret in that sigh.
"I didn't have a choice, just like I didn't have a choice in attacking you back at the hospital."
Yugi shook his head, which caused it to ache. He slid down to the floor and leaned his head back against the crate he'd been holding onto. He wished that he could see Kaiba's expression. That way, he'd be able to tell if Kaiba was telling the truth.
"There is always a choice, Kaiba. It may not be one you like, but it's there."
Yugi heard some rustling sounds, and jumped when he felt Kaiba sit next to him. He tried to move away, but Kaiba gripped his arm.
"The guy that brought us here has one of those golden items. It's a rod, which has an eye on it like your puzzle does. He uses that to control people. He told me as much himself, before showing me by controlling my body. When I went to get you at the morgue, when I brought you here, I wasn't myself. I had no control of my actions, Marik did. That's the truth."
Yugi frowned. He'd seen the power of the Millennium Eye and the Millennium Puzzle, so he was aware that each item had different powers. Mind control, though? Was it possible? Kaiba's tone was truthful, at least as far as Yugi could tell. However, he had been willing to trust him before, and it had backfired. In addition, Yugi wasn't in the best mind set at the moment. He'd put off making any decisions one way or the other until he was rational.
"Let go of me!" Yugi yelled, and wrenched his arm lose from Kaiba's grip, wincing at the effort it took. The movement carried him slightly to the left, but he managed to catch himself before he lost his balance. "What are we doing here? What does this 'guy'," Yugi emphasized the word, letting Kaiba know that he didn't entirely believe him, "want with us?"
Kaiba sighed again. "He doesn't want anything with me, Yugi. I don't think he even wants anything with you. He's after Yami for some reason."
That caught Yugi's attention. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know. He said something about wanting to talk to 'the Pharaoh'. He didn't say why and I really didn't get a chance to ask."
Kaiba was getting angry; Yugi could tell that by the tone of his voice. Whether Kaiba was angry at him or at this mystery guy, Yugi didn't know. At that moment, he didn't much care either.
*Yugi!*
Yugi jerked in surprise at the sound of Yami's mental voice.
**Yami! You're okay!**
*It appears that I am. Come into your soul room, we need to talk.*
Yugi didn't hesitate. He closed his eyes and imagined himself in his soul room. Once he got there, he saw Yami sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall. The spirit looked a little worn but when he looked at Yugi, there was recognition in his eyes. Yugi didn't want to remember what it had been like for Yami to look at him like a stranger. It'd been too painful.
"What happened, Yami? Are you okay? Do you remember now?"
Yami smiled that small smile that only Yugi got to see. "I am, aibou. It appears that the backlash from the magic attack temporarily blocked my memories. For a while, I was like I'd been when I first realized I was trapped in the puzzle. It was a disconcerting experience."
"I can imagine. It was pretty freaky seeing you and knowing that you didn't know who I was."
"Seeing your memories of your life and of our time together helped me break the barrier that the magic had erected in my mind. Thank you."
Yugi smiled widely. "It was my pleasure. I'm just glad that you're okay. I was really worried."
Yami nodded. "How are you, aibou? What is going on?"
Yugi sighed, and then made his way to the bed, where he sat down beside Yami. "You should probably go talk to Kaiba. He came back to the morgue while you were indisposed, drugged me, and then took me out of the hospital and to some warehouse. He insists that he was being controlled by someone with a Millennium item."
Yugi tilted his head to look at Yami and noticed the spirit frowning.
"I take it you do not believe Kaiba's story?"
Yugi sighed again. "I don't know what to believe anymore, Yami. Kaiba has always only used people when he needed them. I mean, look at what he did to my grandfather. Everyone has been telling me that from the beginning, but I was always willing to give Kaiba a chance. Maybe I'm just tired of trusting people. Maybe it's time I changed, became more like you've always said I needed to be."
Yami kept his gaze on Yugi, which made the teen slightly uncomfortable. Yami could glare someone into submission, of that Yugi had no doubt. He'd seen the effect Yami had on others and always found it amusing when they were weary or afraid of him. To Yugi, Yami's gaze always seemed penetrating, as if the spirit could see his innermost thoughts just by looking at him. The thought was silly, since Yami could see Yugi's innermost thoughts anyway if Yugi let him. Having Yami's full attention like that, though, always made Yugi self conscious.
"What?"
"Nothing, aibou. I was just thinking that yes, you do need to be a bit more careful in whom you trust, but not at the sacrifice of what makes you the person that you are. Your ability to trust, to be kind, makes you unique. Don't completely sacrifice that because of one person."
"So you're saying I should trust Kaiba?"
Yami shook his head. "No. If he's given you a reason to mistrust him, he deserves whichever ways you feel you need to treat him. However, don't let a person like Kaiba take away your fundamental personality trait. Be careful around strangers, yes, but not to the point that you're acting like me. That's what I do, remember?"
Yugi laughed. Yami did have a point.
"Yugi! Damn it, Yugi, don't do this!"
Yami got up from the bed, an amused smile on his face. "Kaiba is getting impatient. We should ignore him, see what he does."
"He's liable to shake me until I wake up. I don't think my poor head can take any more of that."
"Very well, then. I will talk to him. He's got a lot of explaining to do," Yami said, his voice low and dangerous. "No one attacks my aibou without answering to me."
"Give him hell, Yami," Yugi said, for once not afraid of sicking Yami on Kaiba.
Yugi watched the spirit disappear, and lay down on his bed. The conversation between Kaiba and Yami was going to be rather interesting, and Yugi wanted to be comfortable to listen to it.
**~~**
"How could you have let this happen?"
"Me? When did I become responsible for him?"
"He's fifteen years old and your son, who else do you think should be responsible for him?"
Bakura sighed. He'd been listening as Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler argued for the last half hour and was tired of it. He couldn't imagine what Joey's life was like if he had to put up with that type of arguing on a daily basis. Then again, Bakura really didn't know much about Joey's life outside of what he knew about from seeing Joey at school. Yugi and Tristan were much closer to Joey and would probably know more. It couldn't have been good for Joey to grow up in the kind of environment, though.
"It seems to me that you were the one who took our daughter with you when you divorced me and left me our son. You didn't want to take care of him then either and you know it."
So that's what it was, Joey's parents were divorced, and there was another child involved too. He didn't know that Joey had a sister, but it must not have been easy for either of them.
"Alright, that's enough!" Mrs. Wheeler loudly exclaimed, making Bakura jump.
He shook his head and decided that he didn't want to listen to them argue anymore. They should be with Joey, instead of fighting each other. Since they weren't watching over their son, Bakura decided that he would do it. He knew what ICU room they'd put Joey in, because he'd overheard the doctors talking to Joey's parents, so he quickly walked to it. He wasn't supposed to go in because he wasn't family, but Bakura didn't much care at that moment. He walked into the ICU and made his way into Joey's room without anyone stopping him.
The room was dark and quiet. The only sound was the sound of Joey's heartbeat as the cardio monitor recorded it. Bakura was glad to hear it beating steadily. He walked up to the bed and glanced down at the young man.
Joey was pale against the white sheets of the bed. He seemed at peace, though, not in pain as Bakura had last seen him. He didn't really know how Joey was, since the doctors wouldn't talk to him and he was afraid to ask Joey's parents, but at least he was alive.
* Why do you care? *
Bakura was startled at the sound of the spirit's voice. ** What do you mean, why do I care? **
Bakura closed his eyes and visualized himself in the dark, never ending corridor that signified the union of his and the spirit's minds, and found himself staring at an amused spirit.
"Why do you care if the Wheeler brat lives or dies? He's not your friend, nor has he ever done anything for you. Would it really make that much of a difference in your life if he died?"
Bakura sighed. "Not everything has to be about me or involve me, you know. I'm not that selfish."
The spirit laughed and walked towards Bakura. He stopped directly in front of the teen and regarded him with amusement.
"What good are things if they're not to benefit you? Think about it, boy. Why would you want to do anything unless it was for yourself? After all, if you don't do things for yourself, no one else is going to do them for you."
Bakura frowned at the spirit's words. He could never understand what could have happened in his life to make him the way he was now. Millennia spent in isolation in the ring couldn't have done that to him. If that were the case, then Yugi's yami would also be selfish and controlling, like the spirit of the ring. As far as Bakura knew, the pharaoh wasn't like that.
"Haven't you ever had anyone do something nice for you? Didn't you have any friends when you were alive, people that you cared about, people that cared for you?"
The spirit laughed, and the coldness of that laugh gave Bakura shivers.
"I survived alone. I didn't need anyone to take pity on me. I did what I wanted, when I wanted, and didn't need anyone else."
For some reason, Bakura found that to be incredibly sad. No one should be without someone to love or someone that loved them. He had his father and his few friends. The spirit seemed to have been alone.
"Excuse me, but who are you?"
Bakura snapped out of his inner dialogue to find himself staring at a brown haired woman.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Wheeler. I'm Ryou Bakura. I'm one of Joey's friends. Since no one was here with Joey, I thought I'd come to sit with him."
She smiled and nodded. She walked to one of the chairs and tiredly sat down on it. She motioned for Bakura to sit on another chair and he complied.
"How is he, Mrs. Wheeler?"
Mrs. Wheeler directed her attention to Joey, before putting a hand on her son's arm.
"He's alive. The doctor said that we should be thankful for that. If the bullet had been a few millimeters to the right, he'd be dead."
Bakura swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. Joey had looked pretty bad when Bakura had found him, but he hadn't realized it had been that close.
"Is he going to be okay?"
"I don't know, Ryou. He's not out of danger just yet, but all we can do is wait." She turned to face Bakura, and he could see the worry on her face. "What happened? Why is my son fighting for his life? I was told that there was another patient missing and that the police thought whoever had taken that boy had shot Joey. Do you know anything about that Ryou?"
Bakura sighed. "I wish I did. All I know is what Mr. Moto has told me. Yugi is still missing, and no one knows where he is." Bakura neglected to tell her that Mr. Moto also thought Seto Kaiba had shot Joey. He didn't think Mrs. Wheeler needed to know that right now.
"I should have taken him with me too, but I didn't think I could raise him properly," Mrs. Wheeler suddenly said. "He doesn't deserve this."
"No, he doesn't," Bakura said, wondering just how many of them would get hurt before all of this was over.
**~~**
If Joey's parents seem a little OOC, I'm sorry about that. I've only seen Mrs. Wheeler on there once and have never seen Mr. Wheeler, so I have no idea what they're like.
Coming up: Yami and Marik finally talk. . . two dead bodies are found in the basement, and guess who they blame?
I know that I don't do the disclaimer in every chapter, but it is stated in the first one and carries out throughout the story.
One note for today. As far as Ryou Bakura is concerned: Yami Bakura is referred to as the spirit of the ring, or just the spirit. Ryou is referred to as Bakura. I went back and read an earlier chapter and saw it written this way. I just wanted to remind you.
Replies:
Starheart: You hurt the ones you love, remember? :o) I hope you were able to get your own chapter done. Thanks for the compliment, though!
QueenOfHearts: What evil cliffie? I don't recall seeing one in the chapter! I'm just kidding. I'll try to cut back on them, though. I don't want to be responsible for the loss of your mind :o))
Jaid Skywalker: Poor Yugi is right. I swear, the kid never gets a break!
Treska SilverFlame: Hey there! Thanks for giving my stories a shot. I'm very glad that you liked them.
shiney mew: You're too funny! I like that image of Marik and the Fluffy Dance, though!
Joy-girl: You're right, Yugi does tend to be rather trusting. Then again, we all have our limits eventually.
TZ: Malik is definitely evil, and he's insane. It doesn't help that his dubbed voice sounds like that of some homicidal maniac *shudder*.
Chibizoo: Wow. . . I'm very flattered, thank you! Thanks for taking the time to review.
lilandriss: Yugi and Yami are a lot of fun to write, and I'm very glad that you're enjoying their scenes in this story. Especially those first ones, since I wasn't quite sure what I was doing yet.
Lavender Wonder: Hee, hee. . . oh, stop it! I'm going to bust a gut over here from the laughter!! So funny! I'll have to find a place to use some of those. I can just see Joey uttering some of them, can't you? Kaiba doing the Macarena, huh?? Now that's something I'd love to see. And yes, Marik is scary. I personally find him scarier before he turns into the REALLY insane one.
Mutou Yasu: Thanks for reminding me about Marik and the vengeance thing. I had just watched that episode with Yami and the mime, so I was thinking of what Marik had said there. Wanting Yami dead for killing his father makes MUCH more sense for Marik than wanting to be pharaoh. Didn't Shadi tell him it was Yami that had killed his father or something like that? I saw the episodes a while back so I don't quite remember what happened. Not to mention the lousy subtitles. . . Wait a minute, they become friends with Marik? How does that happen??
Labannya: Discovering new stories is a good thing, right? :o) I wish I had more time to actually read more stories, but I spend my free time writing instead. About Marik and his father: I have seen the episodes where that's explained, I'd just totally forgotten about it. The father was a total bastard, and that whole carving on the back thing is just insane. . . kind of explains why Marik is so nutty. Thanks for reading. I hope you continue to enjoy the fic.
stupid kid 04 and blah: Welcome to the fic. It's better to join late than never, right? I hope that you continue to enjoy it.
Itsuka Tenshi Ni: Lazy, me? Nah. . . not at all! Well, maybe sometimes. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story! I've had a blast writing it. Yugi and Yami are good characters to mess with, and so is Kaiba.
Amiasha: :o)) Don't wonder too far off. . . we wouldn't want you to get lost, you know! Just kidding. Ohh, and speaking of Joey fighting the mind control: weren't those episodes when Yugi dueled the controlled Joey some of the best?? I think they're the ones with the most angst that I've seen so far. I'm afraid of how they're going to be edited when dubbed into English, though.
Thank you, thank you very much for all the wonderful reviews! Now, I'll shut up and let you read. Enjoy!!
Part 15: Fragile Balance
"Where is he, where is my son?"
Bakura lifted his head at the sound of the voice. He had never met Joey's father, so he hadn't known what to expect. The detached, aggressive man standing a few feet away wasn't what Bakura had imagined.
"Mr. Wheeler?"
The man turned at Bakura's soft question. Mr. Wheeler's eyes widened as he saw Bakura, and he advanced quickly, until Bakura was forced to lift his head to meet the taller man's eyes.
"Is that Joey's blood on you?"
Bakura nodded. "I found him, Mr. Wheeler. I would never hurt him."
Mr. Wheeler nodded once. He didn't really look like he cared one way or the other. He seemed more annoyed at the fact that he had to be at the hospital at all.
"Where is Joey now?"
"He's in surgery right now. The nurses wouldn't give me any more information than that, because I'm not family, so you might want to go talk to them."
Mr. Wheeler pierced Bakura with an intense glare before whirling around, presumably to go talk to a nurse. Bakura stared after him for a while, before he sat back down on his chair. Joey's father was angry, but Bakura doubted that it was because someone had hurt his son.
* People like that are made, Ryou *
** What do you mean? **
Bakura could almost feel the spirit of the ring sighing. * People like him care about nothing but themselves. Children to them, especially their own children, are just something that they have to put up with. *
Bakura, shocked to hear something that thoughtful and personal from the spirit, was at a loss for words. It took him a while to formulate a reply.
** Is that what your father did to you? **
Bakura suddenly felt the mental link between him and the spirit slam shut.
** I guess I was right. **
"Has there been any word on Joey?"
Bakura turned to see Mr. Moto walking towards him.
"No. They won't tell me anything. All I know is that Joey is in surgery and that his father is here. What about Yugi?"
Mr. Moto shook his head and dropped onto the chair besides Bakura.
"Nothing. Hospital security is reviewing their security tapes, but they haven't found anything. They're also searching the hospital, but so far have come up empty handed."
Bakura leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. His head suddenly hurt.
"I don't understand. Why would someone kidnap Yugi, and maybe even Kaiba, and then shoot Joey? Do you think it could be the same person, or persons, that attacked Yugi in the alley?"
"I don't know, Ryou, and no one seems to be able to give me an answer."
Both men sat quietly, each pondering their own thoughts, until Bakura heard footsteps approaching. He turned opened his eyes, expecting to see Mr. Wheeler again, but instead saw a disheveled Tristan running towards them. Tristan's face was red, and Bakura could see a nasty scrape on the left side of his face.
"What's going on?" Tristan asked as soon as he reached them.
"Tristan, what happened to you? Are you okay?" Mr. Moto asked.
"Kaiba attacked me, that's what happened," Tristan replied. He looked agitated and very angry. "I took the back way here and saw him leaving the hospital. I parked my bike to go talk to him, when I noticed that he was carrying Yugi. I asked him what was going on, and he told me that it was none of my business. When I tried to take Yugi from him, he attacked me and knocked me out."
Bakura's eyes widened. Joey had mentioned something about Kaiba, but he would never have imagined that he'd taken Yugi.
"I knew it," Mr. Moto exclaimed. "That kid is nothing but trouble. It was a mistake to leave him with Yugi."
Bakura wasn't so sure.
* It figures. You're watching me to make sure that I don't harm the runt, * the spirit of the ring stated, sarcasm dripping off his voice, * and leave it to Kaiba to fool everyone into trusting him, only to turn around and show everyone how deceitful he is. *
"Did Kaiba say anything to you? Did he say where he was taking Yugi?"
Tristan looked at Bakura and seemed confused at Bakura's lack of anger.
"No, he didn't. He was too busy knocking me out to have a conversation with me. What's going on here? What are you two doing in this part of the hospital? I figured you'd be in Yugi's room."
Bakura readied himself for the difficult explanation, but Yugi's grandfather saved him from it.
"Joey's been shot, Tristan. He's in surgery now."
"What? How did he get shot?"
"We don't know," Mr. Moto replied, "but it may have something to do with Yugi's disappearance."
Tristan's eyes widened. "So you're saying that Kaiba shot Joey? He did kidnap Yugi, after all. Maybe Joey just got in his way."
"It's a possibility," Mr. Moto said.
"We need to go talk to the police, then. Come on, let's go."
Bakura stayed where he was as the two men left to go find the police officers that were searching the hospital.
* You don't believe Kaiba did it? *
** I don't know **
* Don't tell me that you don't see it. Kaiba wanted something, Joey got in the way, and he eliminated the obstacle. I, for one, didn't think Kaiba had it in him. I'm pleasantly surprised to find out that he does. I'll make sure to be careful around him next time. *
Bakura shook his head at the admiration in the spirit's voice. Only he would value someone who had shot someone else. He didn't know why, but Bakura didn't think Kaiba had done it. It was hard, because he didn't think Tristan was lying, but he just couldn't help but think that there was another explanation.
**~~**
Yami stepped up to the door to his soul room and laid his hand on the cold, hard surface. The room was dark, of course. Outlines could be seen at certain points, but they weren't bright enough to denote the object they represented. He didn't know how long it had been since he'd been trapped in this place. Countless times, he'd stepped up to the door and tried to open it, only to find it locked. It had become a ritual to him now, something he did every day. Well, every time he thought it was a new day.
He felt empty, lost, and out of sorts. The ever-present darkness had ceased to crush in on him after a few centuries spent trapped in this ever- shifting room. Now, it was his companion, his way of life, the only thing to keep him company. He didn't remember what he looked like or where he'd come from. All he knew was that he was here, and here he would stay until. . . well, he didn't know what would get him out of the room.
Half heartedly, he shifted his hand from the surface of the door down to the elaborate knob that marred its smooth surface. He twisted it, knowing that it wouldn't turn. With a surprised gasp, Yami realized that the knob was turning. He pulled the door open quickly, afraid that if he didn't, it would become welded shut once again. Once the door was opened, he stepped out into a long hallway and immediately noticed the door directly in front of him. It was unmarked, and a dim light shone from the space between the floor and the bottom of the door. Frowning, Yami stepped up to the new door and put his hand on it as well.
Unlike his door, this one was smooth and warm. The light that now bathed his feet was like an apparition to Yami. He couldn't believe he was actually seeing it. He slid his hand down to the knob and turned it, again surprised when it opened. He quietly stepped inside the room and wasn't prepared for what he saw.
The room was bright, full of toys and other assorted items. A bed against the far wall was decorated with a bright blue comforter and white pillows. A desk beside it was also white and full of books with bright covers. Nothing in this room was anywhere near close to what was in his.
Suddenly, a sound caught Yami's attention. It was coming from the side of the bed, somewhere on the floor. Yami walked towards the sound and was surprised to see someone sitting there, backed against the wall with their arms around their legs. The person appeared to be crying softly, though Yami had no idea why.
"Hello?"
The person's head immediately came up, and Yami found himself looking at a young face framed with wild, golden bangs. The rest of the boy's hair was black and magenta, which was somehow familiar to Yami. The most striking feature in the young face, however, was the wide, violet eyes. They were currently filled with tears, which made Yami wonder what the problem with the boy was.
"Yami! I thought you'd been seriously hurt during the attack. Are you okay?"
Yami tilted his head to one side and regarded the boy, whose expression went from joy to confusion when he didn't answer the question.
"What attack? Who are you?"
The boy's eyes narrowed, and he slowly got up from the floor. He took a couple of steps closer to Yami, then tentatively reached out to touch him, but at the last minute dropped his hand.
"Who am I? What do you mean, who am I? You're in my soul room, Yami, we've shared my body for a while now. How can you not know who I am?"
Yami regarded the boy, whose face was still wet from his tears. He wasn't crying now, though. He seemed determined, as well as confused. In the depths of the boy's eyes, however, was something close to desperation. It was as if he'd gone through something and was now just barely hanging on to his sanity. For some reason, Yami felt a need to protect the boy; he knew that he couldn't allow him to reach that breaking point.
"I am sorry. I woke up in my room, and all I remembered was that I'd been there for a long time without being able to get out," Yami explained, his tone calm, soothing. "I walked to the door and it was open. I came out and saw this room and then saw you. That's all I know."
The boy took a deep, shuddering breath and then released it. He walked over to the bed and sat down, then put his head in his hands. He shook his head slightly from side to side, making Yami wonder what he was thinking.
"It had to have been the magic attack and the close proximity to that man. You were already weak from the first one. . ." the boy trailed off. "If you don't remember who you are, then you won't know how to fix this. I don't know enough about controlling your shadow magic to try to do it myself."
"You know about my shadow magic?"
The boy looked up, one corner of his mouth up in a half smile. "Of course I know. I've seen you use it. Ever since you stopped blocking me when you used my body I've been able to see and feel what you do."
"So now we're in your mind?"
"Yeah. I put the puzzle together, which let you out," the boy said, pointing to the puzzle around his neck. Yami looked down and saw a similar item around his. "We've coexisted in my body ever since."
Yami took it all in. He'd been set free from his prison of darkness? If that was the case, why couldn't he remember? Was it possible that this innocent boy in front of him had really set him free? Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
"If we do share your mind, then there is a way for me to extract your memories. Seeing them might help me recall mine. If you'd allow it."
The boy nodded. "Do what you need to do. At this point, it really doesn't matter."
Yami frowned at the resignation in the boy's tone, but then put it out of his mind. He'd find out what was going on soon enough, he hoped. He stepped up to the boy and put his hands on either side of his face, tilting it up so that the boy was facing him. Yami was surprised to see trust in those eyes. What could he have done to deserve it?
"Close your eyes, I'm just going to find your memories, okay?"
"Okay," the boy said, and did as he was told.
Yami closed his own eyes as well and began his search. At first, Yami was bombarded with faces that he did not recognize. Then, he was bombarded with feelings and sensations. The images came so fast that he couldn't pick one out of the multitude of them. Instead, Yami just let them flow from the boy's mind and into his, going with the flow and riding the waves of emotion that accompanied the memories. Before long, he felt as if his mind was being torn apart by the strong current of emotion. He needed to distance himself, of he'd get lost inside the boy's mind. The more he tried to break the connection, however, the stronger the pull became.
His eyes snapped open, and he was surprised to see that both he and the boy had fallen to the floor. The boy's eyes were closed, and Yami could only guess at his state. Yami's only concern now was breaking free of the hold the boy's mind had on him.
With tremendous effort, he pulled away from the boy. The memories continued to come, however, and nothing he could do stopped them. Yami finally gave in to the strong current and let the memories take him into unconsciousness.
**~~**
"Yugi, wake up. I don't know if you can hear me, but you have to wake up."
The voice sent shivers down Yugi's spine. As he regained consciousness, he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, and his first reaction was to bolt. He quickly sat up and pushed the person in front of him away with all of his strength. He got to his feet, but then had to put a hand on the nearest solid object when he got dizzy. He leaned against what felt like a piece of wood and willed his head to stop pounding.
"Yugi, are. . ."
"Don't come near me, Kaiba! Stay away," Yugi yelled. He held up his hand as if to ward Kaiba off, but knew that it wouldn't do him any good.
He felt fear, but at the same time, felt anger. Kaiba had betrayed him, and though he had known that there was a possibility that the older teen would do that, Yugi had been willing to give him a chance. The fact that Kaiba had lived up to his reputation made Yugi feel like a fool, and he hated it.
"I don't want to hurt you."
Yugi chuckled. "You could have fooled me. I think you did a pretty good job of hurting me back at the hospital. I'm assuming we're not there anymore, by the way, since the place smells differently. It's dirtier." Yugi's voice was bitter and angry, but he didn't care. He'd had enough of being nice to Kaiba. He should have listened to everyone when they'd told him not to trust him. He should have listened to Yami.
Thinking of Yami. . . Yugi ignored Kaiba and reached inwardly, hoping to feel his partner's presence. All Yugi felt was emptiness, however. His heart clenched at the though of having lost Yami. He didn't know exactly what Yami had done back in his soul room. The last thing Yugi remembered was closing his eyes like Yami had asked him to, and then he'd woken up to Kaiba's voice.
"We're not at the hospital; we're at a warehouse by the docks."
Yugi snapped out of his internal turmoil and focused more on his immediate threat.
"And you brought me here because?"
He heard Kaiba sigh. If he didn't know any better, Yugi would have though he'd heard actual regret in that sigh.
"I didn't have a choice, just like I didn't have a choice in attacking you back at the hospital."
Yugi shook his head, which caused it to ache. He slid down to the floor and leaned his head back against the crate he'd been holding onto. He wished that he could see Kaiba's expression. That way, he'd be able to tell if Kaiba was telling the truth.
"There is always a choice, Kaiba. It may not be one you like, but it's there."
Yugi heard some rustling sounds, and jumped when he felt Kaiba sit next to him. He tried to move away, but Kaiba gripped his arm.
"The guy that brought us here has one of those golden items. It's a rod, which has an eye on it like your puzzle does. He uses that to control people. He told me as much himself, before showing me by controlling my body. When I went to get you at the morgue, when I brought you here, I wasn't myself. I had no control of my actions, Marik did. That's the truth."
Yugi frowned. He'd seen the power of the Millennium Eye and the Millennium Puzzle, so he was aware that each item had different powers. Mind control, though? Was it possible? Kaiba's tone was truthful, at least as far as Yugi could tell. However, he had been willing to trust him before, and it had backfired. In addition, Yugi wasn't in the best mind set at the moment. He'd put off making any decisions one way or the other until he was rational.
"Let go of me!" Yugi yelled, and wrenched his arm lose from Kaiba's grip, wincing at the effort it took. The movement carried him slightly to the left, but he managed to catch himself before he lost his balance. "What are we doing here? What does this 'guy'," Yugi emphasized the word, letting Kaiba know that he didn't entirely believe him, "want with us?"
Kaiba sighed again. "He doesn't want anything with me, Yugi. I don't think he even wants anything with you. He's after Yami for some reason."
That caught Yugi's attention. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know. He said something about wanting to talk to 'the Pharaoh'. He didn't say why and I really didn't get a chance to ask."
Kaiba was getting angry; Yugi could tell that by the tone of his voice. Whether Kaiba was angry at him or at this mystery guy, Yugi didn't know. At that moment, he didn't much care either.
*Yugi!*
Yugi jerked in surprise at the sound of Yami's mental voice.
**Yami! You're okay!**
*It appears that I am. Come into your soul room, we need to talk.*
Yugi didn't hesitate. He closed his eyes and imagined himself in his soul room. Once he got there, he saw Yami sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall. The spirit looked a little worn but when he looked at Yugi, there was recognition in his eyes. Yugi didn't want to remember what it had been like for Yami to look at him like a stranger. It'd been too painful.
"What happened, Yami? Are you okay? Do you remember now?"
Yami smiled that small smile that only Yugi got to see. "I am, aibou. It appears that the backlash from the magic attack temporarily blocked my memories. For a while, I was like I'd been when I first realized I was trapped in the puzzle. It was a disconcerting experience."
"I can imagine. It was pretty freaky seeing you and knowing that you didn't know who I was."
"Seeing your memories of your life and of our time together helped me break the barrier that the magic had erected in my mind. Thank you."
Yugi smiled widely. "It was my pleasure. I'm just glad that you're okay. I was really worried."
Yami nodded. "How are you, aibou? What is going on?"
Yugi sighed, and then made his way to the bed, where he sat down beside Yami. "You should probably go talk to Kaiba. He came back to the morgue while you were indisposed, drugged me, and then took me out of the hospital and to some warehouse. He insists that he was being controlled by someone with a Millennium item."
Yugi tilted his head to look at Yami and noticed the spirit frowning.
"I take it you do not believe Kaiba's story?"
Yugi sighed again. "I don't know what to believe anymore, Yami. Kaiba has always only used people when he needed them. I mean, look at what he did to my grandfather. Everyone has been telling me that from the beginning, but I was always willing to give Kaiba a chance. Maybe I'm just tired of trusting people. Maybe it's time I changed, became more like you've always said I needed to be."
Yami kept his gaze on Yugi, which made the teen slightly uncomfortable. Yami could glare someone into submission, of that Yugi had no doubt. He'd seen the effect Yami had on others and always found it amusing when they were weary or afraid of him. To Yugi, Yami's gaze always seemed penetrating, as if the spirit could see his innermost thoughts just by looking at him. The thought was silly, since Yami could see Yugi's innermost thoughts anyway if Yugi let him. Having Yami's full attention like that, though, always made Yugi self conscious.
"What?"
"Nothing, aibou. I was just thinking that yes, you do need to be a bit more careful in whom you trust, but not at the sacrifice of what makes you the person that you are. Your ability to trust, to be kind, makes you unique. Don't completely sacrifice that because of one person."
"So you're saying I should trust Kaiba?"
Yami shook his head. "No. If he's given you a reason to mistrust him, he deserves whichever ways you feel you need to treat him. However, don't let a person like Kaiba take away your fundamental personality trait. Be careful around strangers, yes, but not to the point that you're acting like me. That's what I do, remember?"
Yugi laughed. Yami did have a point.
"Yugi! Damn it, Yugi, don't do this!"
Yami got up from the bed, an amused smile on his face. "Kaiba is getting impatient. We should ignore him, see what he does."
"He's liable to shake me until I wake up. I don't think my poor head can take any more of that."
"Very well, then. I will talk to him. He's got a lot of explaining to do," Yami said, his voice low and dangerous. "No one attacks my aibou without answering to me."
"Give him hell, Yami," Yugi said, for once not afraid of sicking Yami on Kaiba.
Yugi watched the spirit disappear, and lay down on his bed. The conversation between Kaiba and Yami was going to be rather interesting, and Yugi wanted to be comfortable to listen to it.
**~~**
"How could you have let this happen?"
"Me? When did I become responsible for him?"
"He's fifteen years old and your son, who else do you think should be responsible for him?"
Bakura sighed. He'd been listening as Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler argued for the last half hour and was tired of it. He couldn't imagine what Joey's life was like if he had to put up with that type of arguing on a daily basis. Then again, Bakura really didn't know much about Joey's life outside of what he knew about from seeing Joey at school. Yugi and Tristan were much closer to Joey and would probably know more. It couldn't have been good for Joey to grow up in the kind of environment, though.
"It seems to me that you were the one who took our daughter with you when you divorced me and left me our son. You didn't want to take care of him then either and you know it."
So that's what it was, Joey's parents were divorced, and there was another child involved too. He didn't know that Joey had a sister, but it must not have been easy for either of them.
"Alright, that's enough!" Mrs. Wheeler loudly exclaimed, making Bakura jump.
He shook his head and decided that he didn't want to listen to them argue anymore. They should be with Joey, instead of fighting each other. Since they weren't watching over their son, Bakura decided that he would do it. He knew what ICU room they'd put Joey in, because he'd overheard the doctors talking to Joey's parents, so he quickly walked to it. He wasn't supposed to go in because he wasn't family, but Bakura didn't much care at that moment. He walked into the ICU and made his way into Joey's room without anyone stopping him.
The room was dark and quiet. The only sound was the sound of Joey's heartbeat as the cardio monitor recorded it. Bakura was glad to hear it beating steadily. He walked up to the bed and glanced down at the young man.
Joey was pale against the white sheets of the bed. He seemed at peace, though, not in pain as Bakura had last seen him. He didn't really know how Joey was, since the doctors wouldn't talk to him and he was afraid to ask Joey's parents, but at least he was alive.
* Why do you care? *
Bakura was startled at the sound of the spirit's voice. ** What do you mean, why do I care? **
Bakura closed his eyes and visualized himself in the dark, never ending corridor that signified the union of his and the spirit's minds, and found himself staring at an amused spirit.
"Why do you care if the Wheeler brat lives or dies? He's not your friend, nor has he ever done anything for you. Would it really make that much of a difference in your life if he died?"
Bakura sighed. "Not everything has to be about me or involve me, you know. I'm not that selfish."
The spirit laughed and walked towards Bakura. He stopped directly in front of the teen and regarded him with amusement.
"What good are things if they're not to benefit you? Think about it, boy. Why would you want to do anything unless it was for yourself? After all, if you don't do things for yourself, no one else is going to do them for you."
Bakura frowned at the spirit's words. He could never understand what could have happened in his life to make him the way he was now. Millennia spent in isolation in the ring couldn't have done that to him. If that were the case, then Yugi's yami would also be selfish and controlling, like the spirit of the ring. As far as Bakura knew, the pharaoh wasn't like that.
"Haven't you ever had anyone do something nice for you? Didn't you have any friends when you were alive, people that you cared about, people that cared for you?"
The spirit laughed, and the coldness of that laugh gave Bakura shivers.
"I survived alone. I didn't need anyone to take pity on me. I did what I wanted, when I wanted, and didn't need anyone else."
For some reason, Bakura found that to be incredibly sad. No one should be without someone to love or someone that loved them. He had his father and his few friends. The spirit seemed to have been alone.
"Excuse me, but who are you?"
Bakura snapped out of his inner dialogue to find himself staring at a brown haired woman.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Wheeler. I'm Ryou Bakura. I'm one of Joey's friends. Since no one was here with Joey, I thought I'd come to sit with him."
She smiled and nodded. She walked to one of the chairs and tiredly sat down on it. She motioned for Bakura to sit on another chair and he complied.
"How is he, Mrs. Wheeler?"
Mrs. Wheeler directed her attention to Joey, before putting a hand on her son's arm.
"He's alive. The doctor said that we should be thankful for that. If the bullet had been a few millimeters to the right, he'd be dead."
Bakura swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. Joey had looked pretty bad when Bakura had found him, but he hadn't realized it had been that close.
"Is he going to be okay?"
"I don't know, Ryou. He's not out of danger just yet, but all we can do is wait." She turned to face Bakura, and he could see the worry on her face. "What happened? Why is my son fighting for his life? I was told that there was another patient missing and that the police thought whoever had taken that boy had shot Joey. Do you know anything about that Ryou?"
Bakura sighed. "I wish I did. All I know is what Mr. Moto has told me. Yugi is still missing, and no one knows where he is." Bakura neglected to tell her that Mr. Moto also thought Seto Kaiba had shot Joey. He didn't think Mrs. Wheeler needed to know that right now.
"I should have taken him with me too, but I didn't think I could raise him properly," Mrs. Wheeler suddenly said. "He doesn't deserve this."
"No, he doesn't," Bakura said, wondering just how many of them would get hurt before all of this was over.
**~~**
If Joey's parents seem a little OOC, I'm sorry about that. I've only seen Mrs. Wheeler on there once and have never seen Mr. Wheeler, so I have no idea what they're like.
Coming up: Yami and Marik finally talk. . . two dead bodies are found in the basement, and guess who they blame?