"Ok, now I want you to do what the doctor said and put it right on the red spots." Serena commanded as she dipped the cotton swab in the pink lotion. She applied a liberal amount to Joey's back as the other boys put the calamine lotion on themselves.
"And tomorrow you guys are going to clean this room." She added as she screwed the lid back on the pink bottle. "It looks like a disgrace."
"We like it like a disgrace." Joey said.
"Yeah, dad let's us do whatever we want." Yugi voiced.
"Yeah, well it's starting to trickle down the stairs." She said. She looked up to see Mokuba about to apply the lotion near his eye.
'Oh, Mokuba, honey. Don't put that near your eye." Serena cautioned as she rushed to Mokuba's bed. "See right here, it says, don't get near your eyes. Read on." She said as she handed Mokuba the bottle. Mokuba glanced at the warning label then threw the bottle across the room. The bottle bounced off the wall and rolled along the floor as Mokuba hid his face under the pillow. Serena looked at the others in confusion.
"What's this all about?" Serena questioned.
"He's embarrassed. Because he can't read." Yami admitted.
"Well he's a small child." Serena reasoned in his defense.
"He can't read for a small child." Yugi said.
"The teacher makes fun of him." Joey added. Serena rubbed Mokuba's back sympathetically as she heard Seto moving around downstairs.
"Ok, you guys go to sleep and we'll talk in the morning." She said as she grabbed the basket of dirty laundry and left the boys room.
"Seto, Seto, where are you going?" Serena asked as she looked at him from the top of the stairs.
Seto glanced at her momentarily before returning to the task at hand. "Out." He replied cryptically. "If I can ever find my…Oh here it is."
"No, not tonight." Serena said as he rushed down the stairs. "We need to talk."
"I can't I got to…"
"NOW!" Serena interrupted.
Seto paused and gave her an assessing look. "You know I let the water thing slide by yesterday, but let's not make a habit of it alright?"
"I admit I got a little carried away yesterday with the hose, but this is serious." Serena said as she placed the basket on the couch and put her hands on her hips.
"Fine." Seto replied slightly aggravated. "What's on your mind sugar lips?"
"Don't call me sugar lips. I have a name, please call me Kanna!" Serena said annoyed.
"Fine, get to the point, Kanna, Duke and the guys are waiting for me." He lied. He needed to get some work done at the office. It's what he did every night that he supposedly went out.
"You can't keep running out every time things get complicated around here! The kids are sick!" Serena protested to his seeming lack of interest.
"And they have Calamine lotion all over them, what do you want me to do?" he asked exasperated as he turned to leave.
"I want you to take on some grown up responsibility." Serena said as she followed Seto. He turned around to face her, a look of annoyance on his face.
"I earn the money, that is my grown up responsibility." He said.
"Are you aware that Mokuba can't read?" Serena persisted. Seto looked shock and was about to say something when she cut him off.
"And that Joey will only read those stupid dirty magazines no matter how many times I take them from him? I can't keep that child out of the bathroom." Serena said clearly upset.
"Come on, he's fourteen years old! If it bugs you that much, I'll build you another bathroom." Seto said as he turned to leave signaling that that was the end of the conversation. But Serena wasn't done.
"They don't need another bathroom! They need guidance, from you. As their father…"
"Don't start talking to me about me and my boys, we're pals alright?" Seto interrupted. Serena looked at him clearly vexed.
"They have enough pals. They need a father!" she said as she spun on her heels and walked to the kitchen. Seto rushed ahead of her and blocked her path.
"Hey I decided a long time ago…I mean you and me. We decided a long time ago that we were going to raise these kids naturally. Not force a bunch of stupid rules." Seto yelled incensed.
"I'm not talking about discipline! I'm talking about..."
"Stuff you shouldn't be talking about. Your stepping over the line here Kanna. I mean, it isn't any of your business anyway!" Seto shouted at her.
"None of my business? My children are none of my business?"
"Look, now I'm late. Thanks a lot Kanna!" And with that Seto stormed out the house, slamming the door behind him. Serena winced at the crack of the door hitting the door frame. She sighed sadly as she heard the sound of Seto driving off down the road.