Chapter 8: Yugi's Plea



"Take me to him," Yugi demanded.

"No can do, buddy. I'm surprised you're up, but the best thing you can do right now is to stay down," Joey replied. "Tea, c'mon have you found out anything we can use....how do we make him stop!"

"I'm trying Joey," Tea said.

She wiped her face. Tea's fingers were quivering almost worse than Yami's. Her blood-spattered fingertips littered the book's pages. Between the anxiety Joey was giving her and the blood on her hands, it was increasingly difficult to get a grip.

"Tea..."

"I can't right now, Yugi," Tea said. She hid her eyes with the leather- bound tome.

"Tea...take me..."

"ARARRAGH!" Yami growled out in pain.

"I can't keep this up!" Joey demanded.

"I keep trying," she said with tears in her eyes "but I can't...I can't find the right page! I mean..."

"You've gotta find it Tea!"

"I can't!"

Tea let the book slip through her fingers. The book, though small, hit the floor with incredible force and chipped a piece of wood from its place. This wasn't the first time she dropped the book, but it was the first time Joey didn't see Tea's hand reach down for it.

"I just can't!"

"What are you doing, Tea! Please, you've gotta find it."

Tea's short gasps for air shook her entire body.

"I...can't"

She glanced upward into the broken ceiling which only revealed to her a bleak, white sky...a sky that should have been blue. "What am I doing," Tea thought. "What am...." she held her hands out in front her. She traced the creases of her palm with her eyes. "Joey?" she thought. She looked up and saw his blurry outline against the brown atmosphere. She could hear him...he was...talking to her. "Asking me to be strong," she whispered. But before she knew it, she was falling backwards with no regard as to what would catch her. Her back collided with the wall of the small hut, splintering her skin as she slid down to the floor. She held her face and her hands and cried.

"He's going to die, isn't he?!"

Joey growled in disappointment.

"DON'T SAY THAT! Tea, if you don't get up and tell me how to make him stop bleeding, how to make him stop hyperventilatin', then what am I supposed to do!"

She stared into the distance without focus. The array of blurred colors before her lulled Tea into a dream. She saw Joey's sandy blonde hair and the bright blue of his pants mix in with the moderate reddish- brown of the mahogany walls. She could make out the blurry image of a long blue figure stretched out behind him.

"No not...blue anymore...he's red now..." she thought.

"Tea, if you don't answer me he IS gonna die!" Joey yelled.

"So much red," she whispered.

Joey lowered his brows in frustration. The pain Tea caused him materialized into a tear, which he quickly forced away with his thumb. He turned his back to Tea and focused on the man before him. Joey placed a gentle hand on his forehead

"I won't give up on you, Yami."

Yami's breaths had become deeper. His eyes were tightly clenched and he held the edge of the table with a tight grip. Joey took a small rag he found and began to gently wipe the pharaoh's face clean.

"I hope you heard that, buddy."

Tea lay only a short distance from Yugi, who had been feebly trying to get up. His small limbs, however, failed at supporting his minimal weight. The large stain of blood next to him made Yugi seem even smaller. "He looks like a baby animal, a new-born, trying to take his first steps," Tea thought. She was still caught in the swirl of her hazy mind.

"Tea..."

The sound of that voice was different...it was closer and less severe.

"Tea, please," the voice whispered "we can't do this without you."

Tea had no idea how such a small voice could always penetrate her soul. Yugi could always make contact with her...even through the shadows.

"Yugi?"

"Tea, why did you give up?"

Tea held out her hands which were shaking incessantly.

"Look, Yugi, I really tried to help...but look at me," she winced.

"Tea, you've got to help me up. You can still save him, but you have to take me to him first."

"It's not like it didn't try," she whimpered. "And you know what...I was on the right page to whole time."

"What?"

"I was...but I was shaking to bad to read what it said. I tried and tried over again to see it...but I just couldn't. Yami's going to die and it will be my fault."

"Give me your hand, Tea."

"I let you down, I let Joey down, and I let Yami down the worst."

Yugi smiled. His bright smirk could at times light up an entire room. Though he was on the floor, bleeding, and watching Tea freeze up, he smiled.

"Oh, Tea, you have never let me down. You have never let me down once. You're just a little scared right now, Tea. Joey shouldn't have been screaming at you. But that's only cause he's scared too."

Joey turned at the mentioning of his name.

"But trust me Tea, nobody's more scared than me right now," Yugi smirked.

Yugi held out his tattered hand.

"Yami needs our help, and I have faith that we can help him."

Yami's eyes parted slightly.

"Please Tea, take me to him," Yugi asked.

The sight and sound of dried crackling blood flaking off Yugi's pants is a terrible thing. But that's exactly what filled the air when Tea took his hand and lifted him to his feet. Yugi held on to Tea with his hand which she placed over her waist. Yugi slowly placed one foot in front of the other while Tea provided him with balance. The table where his dear friend lay was not but a few feet away.

"I don't think you should look, Yugi," Joey mentioned, making sure he ignored Tea's presence. "It's not good."

"Joey, we've got to save his life. And now that you have me to help you, we're sure to do this," Yugi said.

"I'm glad you're here," Joey smiled.

Joey moved out of the way to reveal Yami's face, which to Yugi, looked a lot better since Joey wiped it. However, he was still bleeding...still breathing hard. Yugi reached up and touched Yami's fingers which had been grappling the table edge.

"Yugi." Yami whispered.

Yugi presence had stopped Yami from his shock.

"Don't talk Yami," Yugi implored.

"I must, aibou. I'm...dying," Yami said, slowly touching his chest.

Yugi hated to hear Yami speak like this. I hurt him more than the sight of the wounds.

"No you're not. You're stronger than this."

"Yugi." Yami squinted his eyes "I'm...in so much pain."

Yugi started to cry, but he couldn't break down. He had to be strong for his friends.

"You're not going to leave me, okay! I won't let you go," Yugi declared.

"I wish...I didn't have to die alone...in this body. I would have much rather met my end with you by my side."

"But I am by your side, Yami. I'm here."

"I've died once before Yugi...don't be so afraid."

"Yami, stop talking like that!"

"Okay," Joey interpreted, "once the victim is calm you must clean and wrap all wounds. It is recommended that you give the patient 15cc's of codeine or similar sedative to alleviate their pain." Joey then bent into the bag. "Well whadda ya know...the stuff comes pre-wrapped to go," he said holding a small pre-filled syringe.

Joey came close to Yugi, who was holding Yami's hand.

"You wanna do the honors or should you?" Joey pondered, hoping Yugi would catch his drift.

"Tea, do you know anything about administering needles?" Yugi asked.

"No way am I giving this thing to her, "Joey said.

"Well I guess that leaves you," Yugi smiled.

"Aww, man."

"See Yami, you're gonna be fine."

"So where do you want it Yami, in the arm or in the butt?"

Yami looked up at Joey and did his best to grin.

"I think the arm would be best," Yugi said, lifting Yami's hand.

"Okay," Joey said, and proceeded to the insertion of the needle.

"I won't leave you, Yami," Yugi stated.

Yami smiled for the first time and lifted his head a few inched off the table.

"I'm sorry..."

Yami's head collapsed onto the table.

"Yami?" Yugi frowned.

Yami was silent.

"Woah, is this stuff supposed to knock him out like that?" Joey said rubbing his head.

"No, Joey I think something's wrong!"

"What!"

"Yami!?"

Whenever will the sun shine for Yami and Yugi? I don't think I even know. Find out soon