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Chapter #24: The Recovery (III)

*~*~*Seto's POV*~*~*

Wow. I've read that untitled poem about ten times now, and each time it strikes me at a different level. I look over at Elaya's sleeping form. She's returned to sleeping on her back. Her eyes begin to flutter. Oh crap! I jabbed the picture and poem in my inside breast pocket. I put the sketchbook back in the bag and picked up a magazine that was in her little night stand, and pretended to read it.

She actually awoke an hour later, around noon, just as her lunch came in. She didn't notice that the sketch was missing.

"Good afternoon, Ms. White. How are you feeling?" The doctor that lectured me on proper responsibilities asked.

"Fine.....why did you guys give me that sleepy stuff anyways? I felt fine." She protested, trying to sit up.

"You need to take it easy. We gave you that morphine so that you could rest some more. We don't want you to be running around."

"Been there, done that." She smiled. She sat up with ease this time. "So, what else is new, doc?"

"According to your charts, no fever, no sign of other illnesses......by permission from your guardian, Ms. Teresa White, you can leave tonight. I'll be seeing you two later." He then left the lunch tray and shut the door. Elaya began to get up.

"I'll get it for you." I put plainly. "You need to take it easy, remember? Doctor's orders."

"Well," Elaya started, already standing on her own two feet......inching closer to the lunch tray, "some rules were supposed to be broken." She smiled. I did the same as I took my seat. For lunch it was toast with a small salad to dip and a container of red fruit juice.

"Want anything to eat off of my plate?" Elaya asked, sitting back down again.

"No."

"Wrong answer." She said as she playfully threw a piece of salad at me. It landed in my hair. I picked it out and threw it back to her. It landed in her hair. She then ripped pieces of toast and threw them at me like a snowball fight. I shielded myself with the magazine and threw the pieces she missed back at her. We continued to throw food at each other, laughing, until a loud cough was heard. We both stopped at the same time, with food stuck to our hair and clothes.

"Good to see that you're getting better." Teresa said. Elaya burst out laughing again and opened her arms to give her foster mom a hug.

"I have a lunch break, and I thought that Mr. Kaiba could take one."

"Alright." I stood up and went to the nearest washroom. I had pieces of tomato and lettuce in my hair along with bread crumbs. I looked like a moron. After I rid myself of the food, I looked in the mirror. It began to get dark again, when my reflection became that of Dieen's.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted as I smashed my fist into the mirror. Her face was surprised and scared as the mirror broke into small pieces, cutting my knuckles. I whimpered in pain as I withdrew my hand inspecting the cuts. God, it hurt like hell. I picked off the glass slowly and wrapped my hand in toilet paper. The blood instantly soaked the paper, even with pressure on it. I looked back to the mirror to see that she was gone. For good.

I wandered the halls a bit. That's when I heard a soft crying noise coming from the waiting room. I looked in, to see a small boy, with black hair being comforted by a smaller girl with blonde hair, who was also crying. I stood by the door, remembering how Elaya would comfort Mokuba and me when we were sad, and how we did the same to her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I heard myself say.

The little boy sniffed. "My mommy's sick."

"So is my grand-mom." The smaller girl managed to say between sobs.

"Are you two related?" I asked.

"No. We just met." The girl said. "And we promised that if anything were to happen to any of them, we'd stick by each other. Right?"

The boy wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Right!" He sniffed again.

"Come on, let's get something to eat." The girl said, pulling the boy with her. They ran past me. For a second, I thought I saw a young me and a young Elaya running past me.

"How sweet. Mr. Grinch has a heart!" A voice said from behind me. It laughed.

"Shut up. What are you doing out of your room?"

"Mommy dearest went to the washroom and I sneaked out to find out where you went. Taking a trip down old memory lane, eh?"

I smirked at her comment. "Hey, what happened to your hand?" She asked suddenly worried.

"Nothing."

"Okay, it bleeding isn't 'nothing' Seto, let me see it." She held out her hand.

"No."

"Seto, give it to me."

"No." I responded calmly. "If I do, you'll just take the pain away and make yourself even sicker than you already are."

"Seto, I......" She didn't finish. I was right. "Fine. Come on. Let's do something."

"Still bored?"

"Obviously!" She walked past me, further into the waiting room. She had finally changed her pants. They were now navy blue track pants, with zippers and pockets everywhere. She was also wearing a yellow button up vest over her black tank top.

"Seto, wanna play video games?"

"I don't have time for that nonsense." I responded

"Sure you do! Your laptop crashed and you can't do any work. . . So, why not spend what little free time you have left playing a video game like you're supposed to?"

I sighed and sat down beside her. "Please tell me that you know how to work a joystick." She muttered.

"I'm not that stupid."

"Okay, the games are......" Apparently, the names were scratched away to leave nothing but grey. "I think, a jet ski racing game and a Super Mario. Darn, no Duel Monsters Video Games."

"Yeah, a real shame." I rolled my eyes. "Put in the racing game." After we got set up, we were off. I had a blue and black jet ski and playing with a guy named Dean, and Elaya had a yellow and orange jet ski and with the player Lizzy. She purposely crashed into my jet ski, making us go under water.

"Thanks." I said as I pressed the up button on my controller. Soon we were racing again. Elaya did some jumps but I stayed on course. In the end of the first round, Elaya bet me by a hair. She actually stood up, put her arms in the air and shouted a 'YES!' of victory. I pulled her down, back to planet Earth.

"Good game!" She said, holding out her hand.

"I lost."

"So? I'd rather lose......that way, I can get better with experience. And then, hopefully, try again. And if I still lose....well, then, I'll have to admit to myself that there is ALWAYS going to be someone better than me in something, one way or another. But, still knowing that I'm better than they are in something else!"

I could easily relate that to my life; my rivalry with Yugi. "You do know how corny that sounds, don't you?"

"You do know that you have a piece of corn in your hair, don't you?" She answered back, plucking a little ball of yellow out of my bangs. I brushed her hand away as she began to laugh. It was that moment that I remembered those two pictures of us.......

"It's still there you dork, stop moving!" She got close to me and continued to pick the leftover food from my hair like how a monkey looks for flees in the other's hair to eat.

"Who am I? Wheeler?" I cried moving away from her.

She stood up after me. "Dude, it's still there!" I brushed a hand through my hair. "It's still there." She repeated. She then made a quick move and brushed a hand in my hair. "Ha! Got it!" She showed me the little piece of something that she had plucked out.

I smirked. "There's something in your hair too. You should call Wheeler to see if he'll pluck it out for you."

"He isn't a duelling monkey, or a dog--that's another one of your famous names, right?" Elaya said defensively. "Where is it?"

"Right.......here." Before I knew what I was doing, I took out a piece of bread from the strands of that awkward coloured hair that she has.

We stood silent for a moment. Just standing. Staring at each other. Silence may be golden, but it drives me nuts sometimes.

"E! There you are!" Teresa came into the waiting room.

"Mom, I'm not three. I can get lost all by myself."

"Come on. I only have a couple of minutes left before I have to leave."

"Aren't you coming back for me at 6:00?" Elaya asked.

"Apparently, no."

"I can't fucking believe this!"

"I know honey......my boss wants me to work overtime."

"Can't you just quit?!" The younger White asked angrily.

"Yeah, then what would we do for money?"

"I'll get a job!"

"As what, a prostitute?"

"Please, who do you take me for, Melissa Hughs?" I smirked again. Melissa was definitely one of those types. Always trying to make a pass at guys......it kind of got depressing after a while.

"I'll be here as soon as I can. Hopefully, no later than 8:30." Teresa hoped.

Obviously pissed, Elaya walked towards her mom and goes back to her room, leaving me to follow.

Back in her room--Teresa left after a couple minutes--we were quiet again. I was trying to work my laptop again, while Elaya saw how interesting the paint job on the wall was.

"This totally sucks." She said, while her eyes were still on the wall.

"What does?" I asked.

"Firstly, nothing is on TV, secondly, there isn't a decent piece of writing material in this room, and thirdly, I'm stuck here with you!" She laughed at the latter statement.

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

She shrugged. "Beats me. Still want to go to the library with me?"

"Whatever." She hopped off the bed and went to the door. I followed her. We went back to the secretary's desk to ask for directions. Unfortunately, she remembered us as those two kids who escaped.

"Oh no, I'm sorry, but you can't leave your room, Ms. White. Direct orders."

"Orders, smorders. I just want to get a book."

"I can't allow you to leave this wing." The secretary countered.

"You suck." Elaya said.

"It's my job."

"Yeah? Well, your job sucks."

The secretary sighed. Elaya continued. "Look, I just want to get a book so I can stay in my room and read......please?"

"3rd floor, last room down the left corridor."

"Thanks." She took off in the direction of the elevators. I was only a few steps behind. I guess that morphine wore off already.

We both waited for the elevator.......in silence........again.

"Are you going to take me out later? My mom already signed the forms saying that I can leave tonight." Elaya said.

I continued to stare at the little numbers that were lighting up as the elevator went from floor to floor. "I don't know."

She sighed and got into the elevators.

*~*~*Elaya's POV*~*~*

Sigh. We're alone together again, in an elevator. The only noise is that stupid humming sound that the elevator works. I can tell that I'm feeling A LOT better.....Justi even told me so. She said something about me being unburdened. I wasn't really paying attention. She then said that I was being distracted by a Mr. K. I told her again, for the second time, to hush up. It was odd though. This was a whole new face to Seto......well, not a new face, but an old one......the same one from the orphanage. My mom even said so. Moms know best......in this case, foster-moms.

He's really quiet. And apparently, the shiny doors of the elevator are so interesting. It's quite sad. I know exactly what to do. I may make a fool out of myself, but it's so worth seeing him smile again.

I pick up the tune 'Sweet Child O' Mine' by Guns 'n Roses. I began to use my IV holder as a guitar, then a microphone. I even did the head shaking. "She's got a smile that it seems to me

Reminds me of childhood memories

Where everything

Was as fresh as the bright blue sky

Now and then when I see her face

She takes me away to that

special place

And if I stared too long

I'd probably break down and cry

Sweet child o' mine

Sweet love of mine."

Before I could sing another verse, he looked at me, as I was on the floor, in an air guitar position. He began to laugh at my stupidity. I laughed along, still holding on to my IV holder as a guitar. That's when the elevator doors opened. He quickly re-stood in his classic, 'I will kill you if you rub me the wrong way' position. I laughed even harder. Two interns walked in, and seriously thought that I was a mental patient. Seto pulled me to my feet, gave me the glare of, 'what the hell do you think you're doing?', and practically threw me out the door.

I was still laughing when we arrived at the library. I instantly head towards the horror section. He was following behind me. I was still humming the lyrics as I picked up, The Association by Bently Little. That guy has the same name as my religion teacher. Oh well. I sat down in the nearest seat--well, actually, I had my legs over the arm of the chair and my body was leaning against the other arm.

"You done?" He asked as I finished the first chapter of the book.

"Considering I only read ONE chapter, Seto, no."

"I mean, did you find a book?"

"What do you think I'm reading?"

"Stop acting like a child."

"Stop acting like an adult." He glared at me again. I stuck my tongue at him and giggled. He sat down on what little space was left on the chair. "Come on. Let's go."

Careful not to hit him in the face, I swung my legs over, grabbed my IV holder and followed him out of the door--after, of course, taking out the book. We returned to my room, but I didn't follow him inside.

"Later Seto." And I dashed towards the exit. He began to chase after me, but I made it outside before him. I jumped off the stairway and ran towards the fields again. The wind was in my hair, and it was bliss. I heard him calling the first vowel in my name. I suddenly stopped and turned around. He stopped a few feet in front of me. His trench coat was blowing in the wind behind him. His bangs were getting all tousled. I smiled. I began to re-sing the verse that I left out from 'Sweet Child O' Mine' I changed it a bit.....

"He's got eyes of the bluest skies

As if they thought of rain

I hate to look into those eyes

And see an ounce of pain

His hair reminds me

of a warm safe place

Where as a child I'd hide

And pray for the thunder

And the rain

To quietly pass me by

Sweet child o' mine" ©

"Sweet love of mine" He said with me. He walked up to me and brushed the hair from my eyes. His touch was surprisingly soft as he caressed my cheek. I looked up to him, noticing that his eyes had changed again. They were no longer narrow, they were big and blue and all sparkly.

"Tell me everything Seto." I said in a whisper as I leaned my head into his chest. I began to shiver in the wind--because I didn't have a jacket on-- and he put his arms around me. "Tell me everything that happened."

© Lyrics to 'Sweet Child O' Mine' by Guns 'n Roses. Copyright.

*~*~* You like? Hehehe...*faints* 11 reviews! WOW! That's ten more than I expected! LOL..anyways, to all my faithful readers, I say, THANKS! Next chappie up soon! {The good parts are coming..when E--} [Stop giving it away!!!]