A/N: Finally...
"Oh come on Yuge! Don't let 'em push you around!" Joey screeched, oblivious to the glares from his nurse who possessed badly bleached hair, "Come on, attack!"
"Joey, I'm just being cautious." Yugi replied half-heartedly, gaze resting upon the particular nurse who was just taking down Joey's temperature after giving him some painkillers. I never thought I'd see the day, when Joey Wheeler had to be force fed.
"Whoa? Don't tell me these white uniformed angels are stealing your heart away from the game Yuge?" Joey teased mercilessly, grinning from ear to ear. Yugi blushed a bright scarlet, returning some colour to his ashen cheeks. I rolled my eyes at the nurse, and she returned it before wheeling Joey's current roommate out for his daily stroll.
As soon as they were gone, the thoughtful look returned to Yugi's face, as he sucked upon his cheeks, "I've just been thinking guys, about...about the attacks on everybody, on Téa, Grandpa, on Bakura, and...and the Kaibas. I..."
"Wait a sec! Kaiba? He got hurt too? That stuck up first class jerk?" Joey cut in, sitting up and wincing at the same time.
"Oh no! Only Mokuba. You should see the look in Kaiba's eyes though, they look so...empty, like when Pegasus stole his soul. He's been sitting with Mokuba ever since they came in, not eating or sleeping or even talking! Snapped at anybody who dared go near them." Yugi sighed, worry making his face appear haggard and worn.
"Man...." Joey stifled a yawn that threatened to escape.
"Mokuba's going to be fine." I ventured, keeping my glee in check.
"Mokuba's physical hurts will heal, it's Kaiba I'm worried about. I know we've never gotten on, but we've been through so much together, I feel like we're partners in a fashion. Whatever happened to him before, he always dealt with it, and came back stronger. I hope he'll cope this time too." Yugi sighed again, body and soul clearly bent from emotional torture, while Joey yawned and rubbed his eyes. Those painkillers must be effective.
"The attacks had to be by the same person, the police said the cuts were done by the same sharp instrument, a dagger probably. But tell me Joey, why did you attack Tristan?"
"Huh? I don't know. Something just snapped you know? I meant no harm! Honestly! You've gotta believe me Yuge!" The look on Joey's face was almost comical.
"I do." Yugi stated with uttermost solemnity, "Maybe the aftershock of what we went through made you lose your head, so the same thing could have happened to our attacker. Perhaps they just lost control."
"Whatever...I'm sleepy..goodnight..." Joey muttered as his heavy eyelids closed, and within seconds, he was snoring softly, not caring whether the grey and miserable sky fell on him. So much for him possessing brains, those painkillers sure knocked him out fast. But he looks so picturesque, so cute. Wait! Did I just think Joey's...cute?
"This is hurting my head. Can we get back to the duel?" I suggested, bored of Yugi's deductions, and eager to take my eyes off Joey's sleeping form. Yugi'll find out soon enough, maybe even sooner than he likes.
"The attacker's blond. I saw a flash of blond when I found Grandpa." Yugi mumbled to himself, fingering his Millennium Puzzle nervously.
"Hey I have an idea. I play Prohibition [11], and I name the card Yami [12]. But instead of the card, why don't we make this more interesting by prohibiting your dark side? What do you say?" I suggested, trying to keep my voice a disinterested monotone.
A flash of fear consumed his features, and he clutched his Puzzle almost possessively, "I don't know, Yami kinda wants to duel you again. He's been prodding me for a while now."
I smiled, and willed my eyes to appear large and watery, forming perfectly harmless puppy dog eyes, "Pleeeease?"
"You're that desperate to win?" He finally relaxed and teased.
"I'd do anything to win." I answered frankly.
"In that case, I attack with..."
"And I activate Torture Wheel [13]."
"No..." His soft curse was cut off by a stir of commotion outside, signalling the arrival of another emergency patient. I bit down on my smile as Yugi realised who was lying upon the stretcher, and rushed to her side.
"Isis!" She was barely floating above unconsciousness, I made sure of that.
"Yugi...it was my...my...." She managed between painful breaths.
"Malik? Your brother?" Yugi demanded, but the doctors and nurses surrounded and pushed her beyond his reach before she could answer.
"How could you??!! How heartless are you?" He turned to me, tears rolling unchecked down his cheeks, his voice barely above a raspy whisper.
"I'd do anything, anything to achieve my goal!" I screamed, but the laughter that followed died upon my lips when my eyes fell upon Joey. He was frowning in his sleep.
Would I really do anything? Could I have scarred him, to get to Yugi? Could I have done what he did to himself?
"I play Eternal Rest [14]! Sounds like we have another patient Yugi." I said, swallowing the lump that had somehow formed in my throat. Forget that mutt. He doesn't deserve my attention.
Yugi didn't even move, knowing who it would be, "Malik!! How could you? Why? Why?" He asked, face a mask of frozen horror, and his eyes begged me to tell him it was all a dream, or a terrible mistake.
"Because I hate you. I want you to suffer. Without you, I could have continued my lifestyle, obtained everything I ever desired! I would never have glimpsed Yami Malik's chasm of darkness, never had to brave that darkness which swallowed me whole! I would not have stabbed myself to make sure I was really free from the Shadow Realm! Yet you befriended Malik, forgave him for everything he ever did! I hate you."
I barely controlled the quivering of my fingers, for my moment of triumph is near, "I play Raigeki [15]! This duel is over hon!"
"No Mai. It's not." He replied, and I thought he was going to deliver one of his famous speeches. But, he simply gazed at me with his eyes, eyes so full of....pity.
Those large violet crystals were trained on me, full of sorrow, full of regret, and I drowned, I drowned in Yugi Mutou's sympathy.....
~~~~
[11] Prohibition – When this card is played, declare the name of 1 card. As long as this card remains on the field, the declared card cannot be played. Cards already upon the field are excluded.
[12] Yami- Increase ATK and DEF of all Fiend and Spellcaster-Type monsters by 200 points. Also decreases the ATK and DEF of all Fairy-Type monsters by 200 points.
[13] Torture Wheel – Activate this card when an opponent's monster attack, and attach this card to the attacking monster. The equipped monster cannot attack nor change its mode. Do 500 damage to opponent on your Standby Phrase every turn, as long as this card remains on the field.
[14] Eternal Rest – Destroy all monsters equipped with Equip cards.
[15] Raigeki – Destroy all your opponent's monsters on the field.
