Greeting and welcome to another installment!
Reviews: Thanks, as always, for taking the time to review!
Jadesaber: I think you'll get your answer at the end of this chapter.
Adrienne-Lillian: Hey, wait a minute. . . you didn't just steal my plushies, did you?? No, no, you don't need the butcher knife. Just think of how badly you'd feel if you saw the poor plushies all dismembered. About your questions: You'll get your answer about Kaiba at the end of the chapter. No Kinen Ni is Japanese for In Memory Of. I posted a chapter of that fic right before this one, by the way.
Jaid Skywalker: Yeah, after all that compromising and stuff at the beginning, it seemed like too much of a shame to leave them mad at each other.
Starheart: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.
Benign sadist: Actually, I didn't do much with the duel after all. I don't duel, so I had trouble writing the actual process. It's kind of hard to write what you don't know about. I totally agree about Kaiba. I always thought that he wasn't always the cold sob he wants everyone to think he is.
QueenOfHearts: Funny that you should mention Ricky from I Love Lucy. I was watching Lucy, that movie based on Lucille Ball's life that aired tonight, as I was writing this chapter. It was a pretty good movie. Anyway, I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter. It's Kaiba's turn to get a bout of bad luck. Safe for the moment is definitely the key. . .
Ummm. . . is it me, or has the readership for this story dropped? Don't get me wrong, I usually don't complain about reviews **hugs reviewers ** but I am curious to know if the story is just not interesting anymore.
Anyway, enough of that. Enjoy the chapter!
**~~**
Part 18: Misunderstandings
The cell door clanked shut, making Kaiba wince.
He stood with his back to the police officers that had dragged him into the cell, defying them to make any more comments. They'd had a ball on the way to the station, making sure that he knew how much they disliked him and how glad they were to have him behind bars. Kaiba hadn't bothered to respond to the pointless taunts. In the end, he would win. He had the best at his disposal and would not be spending any time in prison.
"Well, well, well. . ." the voice dragged Kaiba out of his internal musings and he found himself staring at an older man who was in the cell next to his.
They hadn't put him in the communal cell, the one the police reserved for those criminals who were set to be in jail overnight, but had placed him in a more permanent one. It was a row of five cells, all next to each other, separated only by the metal bars of the cells.
"What do we have here, a teenage punk caught in the middle of a gang fight?" the man continued, starting at Kaiba. "You must have taken quite a beating, kid. You look like you've been dragged halfway to hell and back. But if you're still standing, I bet the other guy isn't." The man laughed loudly at his own stupid joke.
Kaiba ignored him and sat down on the ragged cot at the back of the cell. He felt terrible. If the man's comments were any indication, he must look as bad as he felt. His head felt as if it was ready to explode, and the rest of his body didn't feel much better. He'd been fortunate that Marik hadn't had more of his rare hunters with him, because after taking out the two, Kaiba didn't think he'd have been able to handle one more, especially since Yugi hadn't been able to help. He had been glad to be given control of his body again, though. He never wanted to feel that helpless again.
Remembering what it had been like to watch as his body did things he didn't want to do reminded him of Yugi and what he'd done to the young duelist, which also reminded him of the conversation both of them had while they'd been in his mind. Kaiba shook his head, still unwilling to completely believe what had happened. However, he couldn't really dismiss it either, because he had been there and he had experienced those things.
Yugi had given him back control of his body, which he was grateful for. Kaiba wasn't quite sure how Yugi had done it, because one minute, he'd been holding Yugi up in that room in his mind, and the next, he'd been standing in front of Marik. The change had happened so quickly that he'd almost not reacted in time to block Marik's sudden attack. He'd been fortunate that his survival skills were strong, or else both he and Yugi would probably be dead by now.
Where did that leave him, though? Tristan had probably gone to the police to tell them what he'd seen after their confrontation, which had more than likely led to his arrest. Eventually, the police officers were going to want an explanation from him for everything that had happened, and what was he going to say? If he told them the truth, they'd think he was crazy. Granted, he had enough money and influence to get out of whatever charges were brought upon him, but he couldn't say the same about Yugi, whom he had no doubt was also in some sort of trouble with the police. After all, there were two more dead bodies in the morgue, a teenager probably dead as well, no one to blame, and two formerly missing teenagers who were connected to everything.
Kaiba felt a bit of sorrow as he thought of the mutt. Was he dead now or had someone found him in time? He had to admit that he felt more for Yugi and how he'd feel when told that Joey had died, than he did for Joey himself.
He sighed. There wasn't anything he could do now, but wait and see. He had to come up with a story to tell the police, and he only hoped that they interrogated him before they talked to Yugi.
**~~**
"Mr. Moto, your grandson's condition is very grave. We have to stabilize him, or there is going to be no chance of him regaining his sight. His body has suffered too much trauma and it's going to be tricky as it is. Putting him into a drug induced coma to let his body heal is our only option."
Yugi heard the words but they refused to enter his brain. They couldn't put him into a coma, because he had too many things to do. He had to talk to someone to get Kaiba out of jail, he had to see his friends, he had to make sure Marik was gone. . . the list went on and on and on.
As he returned to his senses, he realized that he was being lifted out of the police car. He struggled, not wanting to be put on a stretcher where they would most likely strap him down and take him back to his room.
"Yugi, hold still." That was his grandfather, and Yugi felt remorse at the worry in his voice. "Let the doctors help you."
"Put me down, I want to walk," Yugi insisted, trying to get out of the grip of whoever was holding him. "Put me down!"
"Put him down, Mike."
Yugi heard the doctor give the instruction and he was immediately set on the floor. Carefully, he got his bearings, ignoring his body's protests. He moved his head, attempting to find his grandfather.
"Grampa?"
"Yes, Yugi."
"You have to get Kaiba out of jail. He didn't do anything to me, and he's hurt. He got hurt protecting me so you have to get him out."
There was silence from everyone around him and Yugi began to wonder if they'd left him or if he was suddenly in some sort of nightmare.
"He kidnapped you, Yugi."
"He was forced to kidnap me, Grandpa."
"What do you mean, Mr. Moto?"
That had to be one of the police officers. Yugi turned in his direction and wished he could see the man's face.
"I don't know what the men wanted, but they forced Kaiba to get me out of my room and down to the morgue. I don't know why. I was a little too busy trying to stay alive to ask any questions," Yugi added, his voice betraying the frustration he was feeling. "We got away, but they found us again. But they weren't the only ones, and the one left made Kaiba take me to some place. I couldn't really see where."
"Where is the other man now?"
"He was where you arrested Kaiba. If your men had looked around instead of immediately jumping to conclusions and arresting Kaiba, you'd have found him."
Yugi was greeted with silence again. "You didn't look around, did you?" he asked.
The police officer cleared his throat. "No, we didn't."
Yugi's heart sank. Marik was still out there and would undoubtedly come after them again.
"I can't believe you didn't look around!" Yugi yelled, on the verge of tears. He didn't want to have to go through all of this again.
"Yugi, calm down."
His grandfather put a hand on his arm, but Yugi jerked away.
"I can't calm down. Not until Kaiba is released. He needs medical attention, Grandpa. When I got to him, he was unconscious. He could be seriously hurt."
"Mr. Moto," it was the police officer again. "How did your fingerprints get on the gun that shot Joseph Wheeler?"
Yugi felt as if he'd been drenched with cold water and for a moment, he thought he'd heard incorrectly.
"What?"
"We found the gun that shot Mr. Wheeler, and it only had your fingerprints on it. How do you explain that?"
Yugi was speechless for a moment and his legs threatened to give out. He felt a pair of hands on his arms, supporting him, and when the person spoke, realized that it was his grandfather.
"I didn't want to tell you until we got you back to your room," his grandfather said, and Yugi could tell from the inflection in his voice that he was angry and was probably glaring at the police officer.
Yugi leaned into his grandfather, all of a sudden feeling very tired.
"Is he okay, Grandpa? What happened?" Yugi's voice was soft, tinged with worry and fear, but he thought he knew who had shot him.
"Bakura found him in the storage closet in front of your room the day you and Kaiba disappeared. He's in ICU right now, Yugi, fighting for his life. He was shot in the chest, and it damaged his heart."
"I want to see him."
"Mr. Moto, you didn't answer my question," the police officer reminded him.
"For God's sake, now is not the time!" his grandfather growled.
Yugi had enough. He stepped away from his grandfather and whirled around to where he thought the police man was still standing.
"The man that attacked me in the morgue had a gun. We fought for it and I won. I picked it up to get it away from him, which is how my prints got on it. I don't know what happened to him, because he knocked me out, but he was the one who shot Joey, not me. Now if you don't mind, I have a friend to go see!"
Without waiting for anyone else, Yugi turned around and began to walk. He didn't know where he was going, but he didn't have to worry about it. His grandfather took his hand and began to lead him back into the hospital.
"My patient needs rest, so if you have any questions, leave them for later," the doctor said to the police officer, before coming to join them.
Yugi closed his eyes and felt tears fall down his cheeks. Joey couldn't die, not like this. He didn't deserve it; he was only an innocent bystander in this whole thing. Whatever happened, it was his fault for getting Joey involved.
"Joey can't die, Grandpa," Yugi whispered.
His grandfather put his arm around him. "He's not going to die, Yugi. Joey's a stubborn one, remember? He'll be fine."
"I want to see him," Yugi said, then sighed. "I can't see him, but I want to go to where he is. I just. . ."
"Yugi, you need to rest," the doctor said. "You're deteriorating slowly; you don't have time to go see your friend."
Yugi turned to the doctor. "You want to put me in a coma, right?"
"Yes, I do. I think that's the best way to help your body recover."
"What if Joey dies while I'm in a coma? I'll never be able to live with myself if I don't get to go to him first. Grandpa, please take me to see him."
His grandfather sighed. "Okay, Yugi, I'll take you."
They walked for a few moments and then entered an elevator. Yugi didn't much care anymore about what happened to him. If he had to stay blind for the rest of his life, he would. He just wanted his friends to be okay. He was tired of fighting, tired of running. He was just tired and wanted it all to end.
He wasn't aware of when they exited the elevator, but he did suddenly hear a woman gasp, which drew him out of his inner thoughts.
"My goodness, child, are you okay?"
"Yugi, you're okay!"
"Thank goodness, Yugi, we were worried about you!"
Yugi tried to find her, but couldn't sense her nearby, so he decided to focus on Tristan and Bakura, whom he felt standing next to him.
"I'm okay. Are you Mrs. Wheeler?"
"Yes, I am," she replied.
Yugi swallowed the lump in his throat and walked a few steps towards the sound of her voice.
"I'm sorry about Joey, I really am. It's my fault he's here, but I didn't shoot him."
His grandfather gasped in surprise from beside him, as did Tristan.
"I know you didn't. The police tried to convince me that you had, but your friends made me see reason," Mrs. Wheeler replied. Her voice sounded tired and raw, as if she'd been crying a lot.
"How is he?"
Mrs. Wheeler didn't reply, but Yugi could hear her soft sobbing.
"He's in a coma, Yugi. The doctors aren't expecting him to survive," Bakura replied, his voice soft and sorrowful.
Yugi shook his head. "He can't die, Bakura."
"I know, Yugi, and he won't."
"Can I go in with him?"
"Go ahead, son, but don't bee too long," the doctor, who had followed them, replied.
"Could someone show me where the door is?" Yugi asked.
"Do you want me to take you in?" Bakura asked. "I've been sitting with him for a while."
"Could you, Bakura? I'd appreciate it."
"Sure," Bakura said, and took Yugi's hand.
Slowly, Bakura led him inside until he was standing next to a bed.
"When you want to come back out, just stand up and I'll come in for you."
Yugi nodded his understanding. They'd had to maneuver through a lot of equipment as they'd entered the room, which Yugi guessed was why they didn't just let him in by himself. In his current condition, he'd probably run into some of it and break it. Once he heard the door close after Bakura, Yugi turned back to the bed.
He reached out and laid his hands on Joey, and then moved them until he was touching Joey's face. His touch was soft, afraid that he'd hurt his friend even more. The noise of the machines in the room scared Yugi, because they only served to signify that Joey was slowly slipping away from them.
"Joey, if you can hear me, please come back. We need you to stay with us."
Yugi let his tears flow, a few of them landing on Joey's face. He felt defeated, raw and lost. It wasn't fair. He wanted to cry at the unfairness of it all, but tears wouldn't bring back his friend.
*Yugi, let me help*
Yugi frowned.
**How?**
Yami's mental voice was soothing, which Yugi greatly appreciated.
*When you were attacked and I lost the connection with you, I was able to connect with Joey and tell him to assemble some of the puzzle. He did it, which forged a connection between us. I might be able to communicate with his unconscious mind now like I was able to communicate with yours.*
**What do I need to do?**
*Take the puzzle off and lay it on Joey's chest. Let me do the rest*
**Okay. Please help him, Yami. I don't want him to die**
*I'll do everything I can, aibou, I promise.*
Yugi slowly took the puzzle off his neck and laid it on Joey's chest, on the side opposite of where all the bandages were. Suddenly drained of all his strength, Yugi sat on the chair that Bakura had pulled up for him and laid his head on Joey's arm.
"Please come back to us, Joey. Don't leave."
****
"Please come back to us, Joey. Don't leave."
Joey glanced up from his deck at the sound of Yugi's voice. He turned to the sidelines, where Yugi was still sitting where Joey had left him. He was too far away to be heard over the crowd, but Joey wasn't about to dismiss what he'd heard. After all, he'd heard Yugi once before over the roar of the crowd. What could he mean by leaving though? Joey didn't plan on going anywhere; he was perfectly happy where he was right now.
"What's the matter, Joey-boy, is your deck not being kind to you?"
Joey took his attention away from Yugi to glare at Pegasus, whose Red Archery Girl had just destroyed his Baby Dragon. From the beginning, this duel hadn't gone his way. The cards weren't in his favor, and Pegasus kept destroying the monsters he was able to summon. Now, Pegasus had three monsters on the field, while he only had one in defense mode. He couldn't attack, because his monster did not have enough attack strength, nor could he summon the Red Eyes Black Dragon he had in his hand, because he didn't have enough monsters to sacrifice. Yugi was always telling him to believe in the cards, but it seemed like all his cards were against him for this duel.
"You're not supposed to win this duel, Joey, not unless you walk away right now."
Startled, Joey turned to see Yami standing beside him on the dueling platform. How'd he gotten to him on his own? Frowning, Joey glanced at where he'd last seen Yugi and was shocked to see his friend still sitting on the sidelines. Yami turned to look at what he was looking at and chuckled.
"It seems that even in your mind, Yugi exists as your conscience. He'll be amused to find that out."
Joey turned back to Yami, confused.
"What are you doing here, Yami? Why aren't you with Yugi?"
Yami's expression changed slightly to one of worry.
"Yugi asked me to help you, Joey, and I'm trying to help in the only way I can."
"Help me? I don't need your help to win this duel," Joey said, a bit defensive.
Why didn't anyone think that he was a good enough duelist to defeat his opponents on his own? He'd made it through Duelist Kingdom, hadn't he?
Yami shook his head and glanced over to where Pegasus was standing, tapping his foot.
"You're not going to win this duel, Joey."
"What? Come on, Yami, have a little faith in me. I can beat Pegasus!"
Yami stepped closer to him and looked at his hand.
"Look at your hand, Joey. You've had the Red Eyes Black Dragon there for how long?"
Joey frowned, unsure of where Yami was going with the question.
"It was one of the first cards I drew, but I haven't been able to summon it."
"There's a reason for that, Joey. This duel is more than just a duel. If you lose, your friends and family will never see you again."
"You know, that's what Yugi said to me when I found him. He kept telling me that this duel was dangerous and that if I lost, he'd never see me again. What did he mean by that?"
Yami looked at him, and Joey could tell that he was fighting with himself over something. Finally, he sighed.
"What is the most important thing in this world to you, Joey?"
Joey examined Yami, noting the serious expression on his face. It kind of scared him a little, since Joey had never really had a conversation with Yami before. Not one that lasted this long, at least. Joey knew that Yami was always serious, which meant that he meant what he said.
"My sister and my friends are the most important thing, Yami. You shouldn't have to ask."
"You would do anything for them, correct?"
"Of course I would! What kind of a stupid question is that?"
Yami's eyes narrowed.
"I never thanked you for helping me reach Yugi when he was in trouble. Both he and I appreciate you doing what I asked you to do. Thank you."
Joey frowned. What did that have to do with anything?
"You took my word that time, Joey, and did what I asked, even though you weren't exactly sure that you could. If I told you to surrender and walk away from this duel, would you do it? Would you take my word that you will not win this duel and the only way to see your friends and sister again is to walk away?"
Joey was confused. Why did this duel mean so much? Okay, so what if he lost? His pride would be wounded and Pegasus would gloat for the rest of his life, but that wasn't so bad, was it? He could live with it if it happened, right? Of course he could. But if this duel was just like any other duel, why would Yami be here, asking Joey to believe him on faith alone? Yami wasn't one to exaggerate, not as far as Joey knew.
"Why do you want me to walk away, Yami? What's so important about this duel?"
Yami took a deep breath and then turned to regard Yugi, who was still sitting on the sidelines.
"This duel is your choice, Joey. Whether you live or die depends on the outcome of this duel."
****
Yugi stirred.
He felt Yami's panic and it frightened him. Whatever was happening inside Joey's mind must not be going well, and there was nothing Yugi could do to help. He took Joey's hand in both of his and squeezed it.
"Listen to Yami, Joey, come back to us. We want you here. Your mother is right outside, crying her eyes out because she's worried. Serenity too, even though she's not here. Wherever you are now is not where you belong. Please, Joey, wake up!"
**~~**
'If that man does not shut up, I'm going to reach over and hit him.'
With that thought, Kaiba turned away from the loud man that had been brought into the cell on the other side of him. He found himself looking at the other man, the one who thought he had been caught in a gang fight.
"Loud, ain't he? He's so high he's practically a kite, so he'll be like that for a long time."
Kaiba turned away from that man as well and closed his eyes. His headache had gotten worse and he didn't think he could take much more of this. He was angry because the idiot officers hadn't allowed him a phone call yet. He'd demanded one so he could call his lawyer, but they'd ignored him. He knew that he was allowed one phone call, and that being ignored as he had been was a violation of his civil rights. When he got out, he was going to sue the department for mistreatment. It was that thought that kept him from going completely insane inside the hell hole he found himself in.
"You don't look too good, boy," the man to his left said. "You're looking much paler than you did when you came in. Shouldn't the cops have already taken you to the hospital to get checked out?"
Kaiba opened his eyes and glanced at the man, wondering why in the hell he cared whether or not he'd been taken to the hospital or not. He was right, though. They should have taken him to the hospital first, before bringing him in here.
"I'm fine," Kaiba gritted out.
"No, you're not. You look like you can barely sit upright, much less walk. If I were you, I'd start yelling for a doctor right now. It'll get you out of here, at least."
The man did have a point, though. He was starting to get a little dizzy and lightheaded. Sitting up was starting to be a bit of a chore, and the cot was looking more and more comfortable as the hours passed. Finally, deciding that he didn't give a damn whether he appeared weak or not, Kaiba lay down on the cot, bringing his hand up to cover his eyes, blocking the suddenly painful light. He needed to stay still to calm the pounding in his head.
Suddenly, a hand on his shoulder jerked him awake. He hadn't realized that he'd gone to sleep, and the sudden presence beside him caught him off guard. He quickly sat up, groaning when his head protested the movement. He lost his balance and would have fallen to one side if strong, gentle hands hadn't caught him. They guided him back onto the cot and leaned him against the bars of the cell. Kaiba opened his eyes and looked at the man, intending to thank him. The words died in his throat, however, when he found himself looking into the face of Yugi's grandfather.
"Mr. Moto, what are you doing here?"
Mr. Moto took a couple of steps back, and Kaiba noticed that there were two police officers standing behind him.
"Yugi asked me to make sure you were taken to the hospital. He told the police what happened, and they've released you. There's a cab waiting outside and I'll take you to the hospital to be checked out."
Kaiba frowned. Had he heard right, or was his headache playing tricks on him? Did Yugi's grandfather, the man who had told him he never wanted to see him again, just say that he'd come to get him out of jail and take him to get checked out?
"So rich boy, are you going to sit there, staring, the whole day or are you going to get out of here and stop taking up valuable space?"
Kaiba glared at the man who had spoken, but decided to ignore him. He sat on the edge of the cot with difficulty and waited until the dizziness passed. When he felt ready, he got to his feet, but immediately started to lean to one side. Yugi's grandfather walked up to him and put an arm around his waist, anchoring him. It was rather amusing to see the much shorter man supporting his weight, but Kaiba was grateful. It would not be a good thing to fall flat on his butt right about now.
Slowly, they began to walk out of the police station. Kaiba expected to be stopped to fill out paperwork, but Yugi's grandfather must have taken care of it, because they walked right out of the station and into the cab. Mr. Moto sat him down in the back seat, before getting in himself and giving the driver instructions.
When they were halfway to the hospital, Mr. Moto spoke.
"Yugi said that you got hurt protecting him. Thank you for that. He means everything to me and I'm grateful that he didn't get injured worse than he already is."
"There's no need to thank me, Mr. Moto. Yugi saved me too. How is he? He was beat up pretty badly," he commented, but neglected to say that he'd done some of the damage. He didn't think Mr. Moto needed to hear that.
"He's not well. He was with Joey when I left."
"Is Joey okay?"
Mr. Moto shook his head.
"He's in a coma and not expected to wake up."
Kaiba sighed. He should have asked the police officers if they'd found Marik. Somehow, Kaiba doubted it.
He had a feeling they'd be hearing from Marik again.
**~~**
Until next time!
Reviews: Thanks, as always, for taking the time to review!
Jadesaber: I think you'll get your answer at the end of this chapter.
Adrienne-Lillian: Hey, wait a minute. . . you didn't just steal my plushies, did you?? No, no, you don't need the butcher knife. Just think of how badly you'd feel if you saw the poor plushies all dismembered. About your questions: You'll get your answer about Kaiba at the end of the chapter. No Kinen Ni is Japanese for In Memory Of. I posted a chapter of that fic right before this one, by the way.
Jaid Skywalker: Yeah, after all that compromising and stuff at the beginning, it seemed like too much of a shame to leave them mad at each other.
Starheart: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.
Benign sadist: Actually, I didn't do much with the duel after all. I don't duel, so I had trouble writing the actual process. It's kind of hard to write what you don't know about. I totally agree about Kaiba. I always thought that he wasn't always the cold sob he wants everyone to think he is.
QueenOfHearts: Funny that you should mention Ricky from I Love Lucy. I was watching Lucy, that movie based on Lucille Ball's life that aired tonight, as I was writing this chapter. It was a pretty good movie. Anyway, I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter. It's Kaiba's turn to get a bout of bad luck. Safe for the moment is definitely the key. . .
Ummm. . . is it me, or has the readership for this story dropped? Don't get me wrong, I usually don't complain about reviews **hugs reviewers ** but I am curious to know if the story is just not interesting anymore.
Anyway, enough of that. Enjoy the chapter!
**~~**
Part 18: Misunderstandings
The cell door clanked shut, making Kaiba wince.
He stood with his back to the police officers that had dragged him into the cell, defying them to make any more comments. They'd had a ball on the way to the station, making sure that he knew how much they disliked him and how glad they were to have him behind bars. Kaiba hadn't bothered to respond to the pointless taunts. In the end, he would win. He had the best at his disposal and would not be spending any time in prison.
"Well, well, well. . ." the voice dragged Kaiba out of his internal musings and he found himself staring at an older man who was in the cell next to his.
They hadn't put him in the communal cell, the one the police reserved for those criminals who were set to be in jail overnight, but had placed him in a more permanent one. It was a row of five cells, all next to each other, separated only by the metal bars of the cells.
"What do we have here, a teenage punk caught in the middle of a gang fight?" the man continued, starting at Kaiba. "You must have taken quite a beating, kid. You look like you've been dragged halfway to hell and back. But if you're still standing, I bet the other guy isn't." The man laughed loudly at his own stupid joke.
Kaiba ignored him and sat down on the ragged cot at the back of the cell. He felt terrible. If the man's comments were any indication, he must look as bad as he felt. His head felt as if it was ready to explode, and the rest of his body didn't feel much better. He'd been fortunate that Marik hadn't had more of his rare hunters with him, because after taking out the two, Kaiba didn't think he'd have been able to handle one more, especially since Yugi hadn't been able to help. He had been glad to be given control of his body again, though. He never wanted to feel that helpless again.
Remembering what it had been like to watch as his body did things he didn't want to do reminded him of Yugi and what he'd done to the young duelist, which also reminded him of the conversation both of them had while they'd been in his mind. Kaiba shook his head, still unwilling to completely believe what had happened. However, he couldn't really dismiss it either, because he had been there and he had experienced those things.
Yugi had given him back control of his body, which he was grateful for. Kaiba wasn't quite sure how Yugi had done it, because one minute, he'd been holding Yugi up in that room in his mind, and the next, he'd been standing in front of Marik. The change had happened so quickly that he'd almost not reacted in time to block Marik's sudden attack. He'd been fortunate that his survival skills were strong, or else both he and Yugi would probably be dead by now.
Where did that leave him, though? Tristan had probably gone to the police to tell them what he'd seen after their confrontation, which had more than likely led to his arrest. Eventually, the police officers were going to want an explanation from him for everything that had happened, and what was he going to say? If he told them the truth, they'd think he was crazy. Granted, he had enough money and influence to get out of whatever charges were brought upon him, but he couldn't say the same about Yugi, whom he had no doubt was also in some sort of trouble with the police. After all, there were two more dead bodies in the morgue, a teenager probably dead as well, no one to blame, and two formerly missing teenagers who were connected to everything.
Kaiba felt a bit of sorrow as he thought of the mutt. Was he dead now or had someone found him in time? He had to admit that he felt more for Yugi and how he'd feel when told that Joey had died, than he did for Joey himself.
He sighed. There wasn't anything he could do now, but wait and see. He had to come up with a story to tell the police, and he only hoped that they interrogated him before they talked to Yugi.
**~~**
"Mr. Moto, your grandson's condition is very grave. We have to stabilize him, or there is going to be no chance of him regaining his sight. His body has suffered too much trauma and it's going to be tricky as it is. Putting him into a drug induced coma to let his body heal is our only option."
Yugi heard the words but they refused to enter his brain. They couldn't put him into a coma, because he had too many things to do. He had to talk to someone to get Kaiba out of jail, he had to see his friends, he had to make sure Marik was gone. . . the list went on and on and on.
As he returned to his senses, he realized that he was being lifted out of the police car. He struggled, not wanting to be put on a stretcher where they would most likely strap him down and take him back to his room.
"Yugi, hold still." That was his grandfather, and Yugi felt remorse at the worry in his voice. "Let the doctors help you."
"Put me down, I want to walk," Yugi insisted, trying to get out of the grip of whoever was holding him. "Put me down!"
"Put him down, Mike."
Yugi heard the doctor give the instruction and he was immediately set on the floor. Carefully, he got his bearings, ignoring his body's protests. He moved his head, attempting to find his grandfather.
"Grampa?"
"Yes, Yugi."
"You have to get Kaiba out of jail. He didn't do anything to me, and he's hurt. He got hurt protecting me so you have to get him out."
There was silence from everyone around him and Yugi began to wonder if they'd left him or if he was suddenly in some sort of nightmare.
"He kidnapped you, Yugi."
"He was forced to kidnap me, Grandpa."
"What do you mean, Mr. Moto?"
That had to be one of the police officers. Yugi turned in his direction and wished he could see the man's face.
"I don't know what the men wanted, but they forced Kaiba to get me out of my room and down to the morgue. I don't know why. I was a little too busy trying to stay alive to ask any questions," Yugi added, his voice betraying the frustration he was feeling. "We got away, but they found us again. But they weren't the only ones, and the one left made Kaiba take me to some place. I couldn't really see where."
"Where is the other man now?"
"He was where you arrested Kaiba. If your men had looked around instead of immediately jumping to conclusions and arresting Kaiba, you'd have found him."
Yugi was greeted with silence again. "You didn't look around, did you?" he asked.
The police officer cleared his throat. "No, we didn't."
Yugi's heart sank. Marik was still out there and would undoubtedly come after them again.
"I can't believe you didn't look around!" Yugi yelled, on the verge of tears. He didn't want to have to go through all of this again.
"Yugi, calm down."
His grandfather put a hand on his arm, but Yugi jerked away.
"I can't calm down. Not until Kaiba is released. He needs medical attention, Grandpa. When I got to him, he was unconscious. He could be seriously hurt."
"Mr. Moto," it was the police officer again. "How did your fingerprints get on the gun that shot Joseph Wheeler?"
Yugi felt as if he'd been drenched with cold water and for a moment, he thought he'd heard incorrectly.
"What?"
"We found the gun that shot Mr. Wheeler, and it only had your fingerprints on it. How do you explain that?"
Yugi was speechless for a moment and his legs threatened to give out. He felt a pair of hands on his arms, supporting him, and when the person spoke, realized that it was his grandfather.
"I didn't want to tell you until we got you back to your room," his grandfather said, and Yugi could tell from the inflection in his voice that he was angry and was probably glaring at the police officer.
Yugi leaned into his grandfather, all of a sudden feeling very tired.
"Is he okay, Grandpa? What happened?" Yugi's voice was soft, tinged with worry and fear, but he thought he knew who had shot him.
"Bakura found him in the storage closet in front of your room the day you and Kaiba disappeared. He's in ICU right now, Yugi, fighting for his life. He was shot in the chest, and it damaged his heart."
"I want to see him."
"Mr. Moto, you didn't answer my question," the police officer reminded him.
"For God's sake, now is not the time!" his grandfather growled.
Yugi had enough. He stepped away from his grandfather and whirled around to where he thought the police man was still standing.
"The man that attacked me in the morgue had a gun. We fought for it and I won. I picked it up to get it away from him, which is how my prints got on it. I don't know what happened to him, because he knocked me out, but he was the one who shot Joey, not me. Now if you don't mind, I have a friend to go see!"
Without waiting for anyone else, Yugi turned around and began to walk. He didn't know where he was going, but he didn't have to worry about it. His grandfather took his hand and began to lead him back into the hospital.
"My patient needs rest, so if you have any questions, leave them for later," the doctor said to the police officer, before coming to join them.
Yugi closed his eyes and felt tears fall down his cheeks. Joey couldn't die, not like this. He didn't deserve it; he was only an innocent bystander in this whole thing. Whatever happened, it was his fault for getting Joey involved.
"Joey can't die, Grandpa," Yugi whispered.
His grandfather put his arm around him. "He's not going to die, Yugi. Joey's a stubborn one, remember? He'll be fine."
"I want to see him," Yugi said, then sighed. "I can't see him, but I want to go to where he is. I just. . ."
"Yugi, you need to rest," the doctor said. "You're deteriorating slowly; you don't have time to go see your friend."
Yugi turned to the doctor. "You want to put me in a coma, right?"
"Yes, I do. I think that's the best way to help your body recover."
"What if Joey dies while I'm in a coma? I'll never be able to live with myself if I don't get to go to him first. Grandpa, please take me to see him."
His grandfather sighed. "Okay, Yugi, I'll take you."
They walked for a few moments and then entered an elevator. Yugi didn't much care anymore about what happened to him. If he had to stay blind for the rest of his life, he would. He just wanted his friends to be okay. He was tired of fighting, tired of running. He was just tired and wanted it all to end.
He wasn't aware of when they exited the elevator, but he did suddenly hear a woman gasp, which drew him out of his inner thoughts.
"My goodness, child, are you okay?"
"Yugi, you're okay!"
"Thank goodness, Yugi, we were worried about you!"
Yugi tried to find her, but couldn't sense her nearby, so he decided to focus on Tristan and Bakura, whom he felt standing next to him.
"I'm okay. Are you Mrs. Wheeler?"
"Yes, I am," she replied.
Yugi swallowed the lump in his throat and walked a few steps towards the sound of her voice.
"I'm sorry about Joey, I really am. It's my fault he's here, but I didn't shoot him."
His grandfather gasped in surprise from beside him, as did Tristan.
"I know you didn't. The police tried to convince me that you had, but your friends made me see reason," Mrs. Wheeler replied. Her voice sounded tired and raw, as if she'd been crying a lot.
"How is he?"
Mrs. Wheeler didn't reply, but Yugi could hear her soft sobbing.
"He's in a coma, Yugi. The doctors aren't expecting him to survive," Bakura replied, his voice soft and sorrowful.
Yugi shook his head. "He can't die, Bakura."
"I know, Yugi, and he won't."
"Can I go in with him?"
"Go ahead, son, but don't bee too long," the doctor, who had followed them, replied.
"Could someone show me where the door is?" Yugi asked.
"Do you want me to take you in?" Bakura asked. "I've been sitting with him for a while."
"Could you, Bakura? I'd appreciate it."
"Sure," Bakura said, and took Yugi's hand.
Slowly, Bakura led him inside until he was standing next to a bed.
"When you want to come back out, just stand up and I'll come in for you."
Yugi nodded his understanding. They'd had to maneuver through a lot of equipment as they'd entered the room, which Yugi guessed was why they didn't just let him in by himself. In his current condition, he'd probably run into some of it and break it. Once he heard the door close after Bakura, Yugi turned back to the bed.
He reached out and laid his hands on Joey, and then moved them until he was touching Joey's face. His touch was soft, afraid that he'd hurt his friend even more. The noise of the machines in the room scared Yugi, because they only served to signify that Joey was slowly slipping away from them.
"Joey, if you can hear me, please come back. We need you to stay with us."
Yugi let his tears flow, a few of them landing on Joey's face. He felt defeated, raw and lost. It wasn't fair. He wanted to cry at the unfairness of it all, but tears wouldn't bring back his friend.
*Yugi, let me help*
Yugi frowned.
**How?**
Yami's mental voice was soothing, which Yugi greatly appreciated.
*When you were attacked and I lost the connection with you, I was able to connect with Joey and tell him to assemble some of the puzzle. He did it, which forged a connection between us. I might be able to communicate with his unconscious mind now like I was able to communicate with yours.*
**What do I need to do?**
*Take the puzzle off and lay it on Joey's chest. Let me do the rest*
**Okay. Please help him, Yami. I don't want him to die**
*I'll do everything I can, aibou, I promise.*
Yugi slowly took the puzzle off his neck and laid it on Joey's chest, on the side opposite of where all the bandages were. Suddenly drained of all his strength, Yugi sat on the chair that Bakura had pulled up for him and laid his head on Joey's arm.
"Please come back to us, Joey. Don't leave."
****
"Please come back to us, Joey. Don't leave."
Joey glanced up from his deck at the sound of Yugi's voice. He turned to the sidelines, where Yugi was still sitting where Joey had left him. He was too far away to be heard over the crowd, but Joey wasn't about to dismiss what he'd heard. After all, he'd heard Yugi once before over the roar of the crowd. What could he mean by leaving though? Joey didn't plan on going anywhere; he was perfectly happy where he was right now.
"What's the matter, Joey-boy, is your deck not being kind to you?"
Joey took his attention away from Yugi to glare at Pegasus, whose Red Archery Girl had just destroyed his Baby Dragon. From the beginning, this duel hadn't gone his way. The cards weren't in his favor, and Pegasus kept destroying the monsters he was able to summon. Now, Pegasus had three monsters on the field, while he only had one in defense mode. He couldn't attack, because his monster did not have enough attack strength, nor could he summon the Red Eyes Black Dragon he had in his hand, because he didn't have enough monsters to sacrifice. Yugi was always telling him to believe in the cards, but it seemed like all his cards were against him for this duel.
"You're not supposed to win this duel, Joey, not unless you walk away right now."
Startled, Joey turned to see Yami standing beside him on the dueling platform. How'd he gotten to him on his own? Frowning, Joey glanced at where he'd last seen Yugi and was shocked to see his friend still sitting on the sidelines. Yami turned to look at what he was looking at and chuckled.
"It seems that even in your mind, Yugi exists as your conscience. He'll be amused to find that out."
Joey turned back to Yami, confused.
"What are you doing here, Yami? Why aren't you with Yugi?"
Yami's expression changed slightly to one of worry.
"Yugi asked me to help you, Joey, and I'm trying to help in the only way I can."
"Help me? I don't need your help to win this duel," Joey said, a bit defensive.
Why didn't anyone think that he was a good enough duelist to defeat his opponents on his own? He'd made it through Duelist Kingdom, hadn't he?
Yami shook his head and glanced over to where Pegasus was standing, tapping his foot.
"You're not going to win this duel, Joey."
"What? Come on, Yami, have a little faith in me. I can beat Pegasus!"
Yami stepped closer to him and looked at his hand.
"Look at your hand, Joey. You've had the Red Eyes Black Dragon there for how long?"
Joey frowned, unsure of where Yami was going with the question.
"It was one of the first cards I drew, but I haven't been able to summon it."
"There's a reason for that, Joey. This duel is more than just a duel. If you lose, your friends and family will never see you again."
"You know, that's what Yugi said to me when I found him. He kept telling me that this duel was dangerous and that if I lost, he'd never see me again. What did he mean by that?"
Yami looked at him, and Joey could tell that he was fighting with himself over something. Finally, he sighed.
"What is the most important thing in this world to you, Joey?"
Joey examined Yami, noting the serious expression on his face. It kind of scared him a little, since Joey had never really had a conversation with Yami before. Not one that lasted this long, at least. Joey knew that Yami was always serious, which meant that he meant what he said.
"My sister and my friends are the most important thing, Yami. You shouldn't have to ask."
"You would do anything for them, correct?"
"Of course I would! What kind of a stupid question is that?"
Yami's eyes narrowed.
"I never thanked you for helping me reach Yugi when he was in trouble. Both he and I appreciate you doing what I asked you to do. Thank you."
Joey frowned. What did that have to do with anything?
"You took my word that time, Joey, and did what I asked, even though you weren't exactly sure that you could. If I told you to surrender and walk away from this duel, would you do it? Would you take my word that you will not win this duel and the only way to see your friends and sister again is to walk away?"
Joey was confused. Why did this duel mean so much? Okay, so what if he lost? His pride would be wounded and Pegasus would gloat for the rest of his life, but that wasn't so bad, was it? He could live with it if it happened, right? Of course he could. But if this duel was just like any other duel, why would Yami be here, asking Joey to believe him on faith alone? Yami wasn't one to exaggerate, not as far as Joey knew.
"Why do you want me to walk away, Yami? What's so important about this duel?"
Yami took a deep breath and then turned to regard Yugi, who was still sitting on the sidelines.
"This duel is your choice, Joey. Whether you live or die depends on the outcome of this duel."
****
Yugi stirred.
He felt Yami's panic and it frightened him. Whatever was happening inside Joey's mind must not be going well, and there was nothing Yugi could do to help. He took Joey's hand in both of his and squeezed it.
"Listen to Yami, Joey, come back to us. We want you here. Your mother is right outside, crying her eyes out because she's worried. Serenity too, even though she's not here. Wherever you are now is not where you belong. Please, Joey, wake up!"
**~~**
'If that man does not shut up, I'm going to reach over and hit him.'
With that thought, Kaiba turned away from the loud man that had been brought into the cell on the other side of him. He found himself looking at the other man, the one who thought he had been caught in a gang fight.
"Loud, ain't he? He's so high he's practically a kite, so he'll be like that for a long time."
Kaiba turned away from that man as well and closed his eyes. His headache had gotten worse and he didn't think he could take much more of this. He was angry because the idiot officers hadn't allowed him a phone call yet. He'd demanded one so he could call his lawyer, but they'd ignored him. He knew that he was allowed one phone call, and that being ignored as he had been was a violation of his civil rights. When he got out, he was going to sue the department for mistreatment. It was that thought that kept him from going completely insane inside the hell hole he found himself in.
"You don't look too good, boy," the man to his left said. "You're looking much paler than you did when you came in. Shouldn't the cops have already taken you to the hospital to get checked out?"
Kaiba opened his eyes and glanced at the man, wondering why in the hell he cared whether or not he'd been taken to the hospital or not. He was right, though. They should have taken him to the hospital first, before bringing him in here.
"I'm fine," Kaiba gritted out.
"No, you're not. You look like you can barely sit upright, much less walk. If I were you, I'd start yelling for a doctor right now. It'll get you out of here, at least."
The man did have a point, though. He was starting to get a little dizzy and lightheaded. Sitting up was starting to be a bit of a chore, and the cot was looking more and more comfortable as the hours passed. Finally, deciding that he didn't give a damn whether he appeared weak or not, Kaiba lay down on the cot, bringing his hand up to cover his eyes, blocking the suddenly painful light. He needed to stay still to calm the pounding in his head.
Suddenly, a hand on his shoulder jerked him awake. He hadn't realized that he'd gone to sleep, and the sudden presence beside him caught him off guard. He quickly sat up, groaning when his head protested the movement. He lost his balance and would have fallen to one side if strong, gentle hands hadn't caught him. They guided him back onto the cot and leaned him against the bars of the cell. Kaiba opened his eyes and looked at the man, intending to thank him. The words died in his throat, however, when he found himself looking into the face of Yugi's grandfather.
"Mr. Moto, what are you doing here?"
Mr. Moto took a couple of steps back, and Kaiba noticed that there were two police officers standing behind him.
"Yugi asked me to make sure you were taken to the hospital. He told the police what happened, and they've released you. There's a cab waiting outside and I'll take you to the hospital to be checked out."
Kaiba frowned. Had he heard right, or was his headache playing tricks on him? Did Yugi's grandfather, the man who had told him he never wanted to see him again, just say that he'd come to get him out of jail and take him to get checked out?
"So rich boy, are you going to sit there, staring, the whole day or are you going to get out of here and stop taking up valuable space?"
Kaiba glared at the man who had spoken, but decided to ignore him. He sat on the edge of the cot with difficulty and waited until the dizziness passed. When he felt ready, he got to his feet, but immediately started to lean to one side. Yugi's grandfather walked up to him and put an arm around his waist, anchoring him. It was rather amusing to see the much shorter man supporting his weight, but Kaiba was grateful. It would not be a good thing to fall flat on his butt right about now.
Slowly, they began to walk out of the police station. Kaiba expected to be stopped to fill out paperwork, but Yugi's grandfather must have taken care of it, because they walked right out of the station and into the cab. Mr. Moto sat him down in the back seat, before getting in himself and giving the driver instructions.
When they were halfway to the hospital, Mr. Moto spoke.
"Yugi said that you got hurt protecting him. Thank you for that. He means everything to me and I'm grateful that he didn't get injured worse than he already is."
"There's no need to thank me, Mr. Moto. Yugi saved me too. How is he? He was beat up pretty badly," he commented, but neglected to say that he'd done some of the damage. He didn't think Mr. Moto needed to hear that.
"He's not well. He was with Joey when I left."
"Is Joey okay?"
Mr. Moto shook his head.
"He's in a coma and not expected to wake up."
Kaiba sighed. He should have asked the police officers if they'd found Marik. Somehow, Kaiba doubted it.
He had a feeling they'd be hearing from Marik again.
**~~**
Until next time!