Chapter 4

Help

Yugi woke the next morning very early. He just couldn't sleep for some reason. So, he got up and dressed and went down stairs. Grandpa had just started making breakfast.

"Good morning Yugi, you're up early," Grandpa greeted.

"Couldn't sleep," Yugi informed.

"Ah, well since you're up, want to help with breakfast?" Grandpa asked.

"Sure," Yugi said.

After breakfast was made, Yugi went up to the attic and knocked on the trap door. When there was no reply, Yugi opened the door and stuck his head in. Sheperd was still fast asleep. He had rolled onto his side with his back facing Yugi. Yugi sighed. He didn't want to wake Sheperd up, but he knew that it had to be done. He walked over to Sheperd's bedside.

"Sheperd, wake up," Yugi told the sleeping teen, shaking him gently.

After a couple of mintues, Yugi sucessfully got Sheperd up. Sheperd groggily walked down the stairs to the breakfast table and sat down.

"Would you like something to eat?" Grandpa asked.

"No thank you, but I would like some coffee please, if you've got some," Sheperd replied, the tiredness of his body showing in his voice.

Grandpa grabbed a mug from the shelf and filled it with the warm, black liquid and handed it to Sheperd. Sheperd took it, stuidied it for a second, and then took a long sip from it. He felt the liquid run down his throat smoothly, like water down a water fall. It was the first time he had had anything warm in what seemed like forever. But he was far too tired to notice it much. His lack of sleep was catching up to him. Sheperd almost fell asleep at breakfast. He got through school okay, but when he got to Yugi's house, he went upstairs and collasped on the bed in the attic in a peaceful sleep. A couple of hours passed and there was no sigh of Sheperd.

/Yami/

Yes?

/Do you think Sheperd's okay?/

There was a pause.

Yes, yes I think he is okay

Yugi didn't reply. Dinner came and Sheperd finally crawled out of the attic. He looked like a mess, but he looked rested.

"Evening," Grandpa greeted.

"Evening," Sheperd greeted back.

There wasn't much talk during dinner, and afterwards, Sheperd disappeared into the attic once again. Yugi decieded to talk to him, now that he was up. Yugi went to the attic and knocked on the trap door.

"Come in," Sheperd replied.

Yugi opened the door and stuck his head in. He pulled himself up and sat on the floor.

"How are you feeling?" Yugi asked.

Sheperd looked at Yugi strangely for a second, and then replied with a slight smile, "Much better, thank you."

Yugi sat on the couch while Sheperd laid on the bed, the instrumental music Yugi had brought up earlier playing softly in the background. Yugi and Sheperd were silent for a moment, then Yugi spoke.

"So, what's your plan?" he asked timidly.

"Huh?" Sheperd looked at Yugi in shock, obivously not expecting this question, then he replied softly, and almost sadly, "I don't have one. There's nothing more I can do. I'm racing time. I don't have much left. I've thought of everything it seems like, and none of them will work. There MUST be SOMETHING I'm not thinking of. Something that will turn the tide. That will allow me to get my brother back. But what?"

Sheperd broke off into thought again. Yugi looked at Sheperd.

"I'm willing to help you," Yugi stated suddenly. "And I think that Joey would be too."

Sheperd was silent for a second, and then he muttered a thank you under his breath.

"Do you have a computer?" Sheperd asked Yugi.

"Yeah, it's downstairs," Yugi nodded.

The two went to the computer and Sheperd acessed the internet. Pulling up a website, he showed Yugi a map.

"What is this?" Yugi asked.

"This is a map of the lab that I was taken captive in, and this is were they are holding my brother," Sheperd explained.

"Whoa, big place," Yugi murmured.

"Since we have three people, I've got an idea," Sheperd smirked.

"Really?" Yugi asked.

"Yes, here's what we'll do," Sheperd explained.