I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
by Rhapsody Moonschild and Tat Claire Kokoro
|~*Rhapsody: Am tired of disclaimers again…
Tat: I agree. We should hire someone to do them for us…
Rhapsody: I'll place an ad. ^^ Meanwhile… you know what we have to do…
Tat: **monotone** Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. It is not our property.
Rhapsody: **writing ad** **mutters to self:** Bishie wanted for disclaimer, must be strong enough to withstand catgirl glomps…
Tat: =^^= Start the fic.*~|
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (by Rhapsody)
Yami's POV
Damn that doctor, is my first thought as I awaken in my soul room. I hope Ammitt eats his heart.
I sulk in the corner for a few minutes, graphically planning his death if Ryou-koi di—don't even want to think it, but if Ryou-koi died in my absence. Reluctantly I discard my ideas and glance around at my surroundings.
They're so bare. Generally I don't mind the plain white walls, but I do now. I concentrate a little and decorate with splashes of color and a few photos of Ryou and Yugi.
Then I wander out and tap on Yugi's door. After a minute he answers.
"What's up?" he asks immediately, noticing my anger and fear. He is remarkably perceptive sometimes.
"Ryou…" I say after a moment. "He's in the hospital."
Yugi's eyes widen so that they cover half his face (not that that says much). "What?! Will he be okay?!"
"I have to go see," I say shortly. I can feel my body is ready to awaken now. I wave goodbye and pull myself back into consciousness.
"Ah, sir, you've awakened."
The voice was that of the irritating Job Shadow student. I bite down my anger at her and demand, "Where is Ryou?!"
She smiles. "He's doing well, sir. Would you like to see him?"
I'm up off the bed in an instant and she takes me to my koi.
"Yami…?" he says and gives me a weak smile as I approach his bedside. I take his unbandaged hand and rub it between my own.
"Are you okay?"
He nods. The doctor on his other side coughs discreetly. I hadn't even noticed he was there.
"Bakura-san here has lost a lot of blood. We'd like to keep him overnight for observation. And you are…?" He squints at his clipboard.
"Yami Mutou," I reply, the name I had given the lady when I brought Ryou in.
"Ah, yes. Well, we've called his legal guardian, but he appears to be out of town. Your relation to the patient?"
"Boyfriend," I say curtly. Ryou smiles a little. The doctor nods and notes something on his papers.
"Well, visiting hours end at ten, but if you'd like you can sleep on the couch in the lobby. I'll be back periodically to check his progress."
As soon as the doctor steps out I lean down and kiss Ryou, thanking all the gods that he still lives. Still… this can never happen again. Never.
"Yami…" he says softly, running his thumb along my knuckles. "Thank you for saving me."
I nod. "But I don't want to have to do it again," I say sternly. "We have to do something more permanent about Bakura."
And he nods, and we plan.