"Hey guys," said Téa to Duke, Serenity, and Kevin as she entered the hospital wing. "How are they?"
"Still the same…" sighed Kevin.
"Where's everyone else?" asked Duke.
"The Kaibas, who knows? And Drake and Lara are trying to get through to Shayla," answered Téa. "Poor girl is practically in shock now."
"Oh no!" gasped Kevin. "Will she be okay?"
"I hope so. I hope Drake and Lara can snap her out of it," said Téa. "Serenity, are you okay?"
Serenity was staring blankly forward at her brother's unmoving form.
"I…I," started Serenity, not sure how to answer. "I'm worried…"
"We all are," said Téa. "But we have to keep hoping for the best."
"You're right, Téa," said Serenity with a sniff. "Joe was there when I was in the hospital for my operation, so I'm going to be right here for him."
"I'm worried about Yu-Gi," said Duke. "He doesn't look good at all."
"It's because Marik is out of control," said Tristan with a groan as he walked in.
"You don't look so good yourself," said Duke.
"I had a run-in with that nutcase," said Tristan.
"You can't be serious!" exclaimed Kevin.
"I wish I was joking, my head is still pounding," said Tristan. "He's trying to track down Obelisk, and he thought I had it. It's not safe to be walking around alone. That nut will do anything to get the last god card." He looked around and saw several alarmed faces, so he decided it was best to change the topic. "How are they doing?"
"Nothing has changed," answered Téa.
"I hate this!" exclaimed Tristan. Then he winced, the yelling hurting his headache. "I feel so helpless…"
"I know," said Kevin. "We all feel the same way."
"We aren't completely helpless," said Téa. "We're here for them. We're friends, and our bonds of friendship have gotten us through some rough times before."
Tristan nodded, "Hear that Yu-Gi, Joe?"
"I don't think they can hear anything, Tristan," replied Duke.
"You're such a pessimist," scolded Tristan.
"Guys, don't fight, please," asked Serenity. "Joe and Yu-Gi wouldn't want you to be fighting."
"You're right," sighed Tristan and Duke.
"You have to hang in there, you just have to," said Téa to the unmoving figures.
"They'll be fine," said Tristan.
"How can you all be so sure?" asked Serenity, glancing over to the bed Mai used to have. The staff had moved her during the night.
"Because I can't imagine what would happen if they didn't recover…" said Téa, softly.
"Didn't you say that if we could beat Marik that everyone might wake up, Téa?" asked Kevin.
"Well…yes," admitted Téa.
"You'll just have your own bed in here if you consider trying to take him on," Duke said to Kevin.
"Hey!" Kevin started to protest.
"Sorry Kevin, but I have to agree with dice-boy here," said Tristan. "None of us can stand up to that Millennial Rod." His headache only served as a reminder. "And now that Marik has the Millennial Puzzle…"
"The Millennial Puzzle!" gasped Téa. "Maybe…if we can get that back to Yu-Gi, he'll wake up. Then he can help Joe!"
"And how do you think we'll get it back?" Tristan asked. "Walk up to Marik and ask him to hand it over? That isn't going to happen. Approaching him is like committing suicide. Ugh…" His head throbbed.
"I know the puzzle belongs to Yu-Gi and all," said Duke. "But Tristan is right, Marik isn't going to let it go. He's done nothing but talk about getting that puzzle since the finals started."
BEEEEEEEP! There was a loud, high-pitched buzz from one of the machines.
"Oh no, oh no," gasped the group. They knew it could only mean one thing.
In a flash the medical staff was racing to Joe's bedside.
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you all to leave so we can work," said one of the doctors.
"NO! My brother!" cried Serenity as the heart monitor connected to him continued to buzz.
"Come on Serenity, we need to give them space," said Tristan as he literally pulled her out of the room.
"No, Joe!" cried Serenity as they shut the door with the group standing in the hallway. She burst into tears.
"This can't be happening, this can't be happening," Kevin was saying over and over.
"Please no…" murmured Téa, who looked like she would join Serenity in crying.
Duke had a look of complete helplessness on his face. He seemed to be at a total loss for words.
They all waited in a very tense silence. No one seemed to have anything to say that could bring hope to the grim situation. Each person present was straining to hear what was going on behind the closed doors. But the only things they could hear were the frantic voices of the doctors and the muffled buzz of the heart monitor.
The few minutes they were standing seemed like an eternity. The silence was nearly unbearable. Lumps were forming in their stomachs as they hoped against hope. But what was far worse than that was the moment the buzz stopped five minutes later. There was a universal gasp from the five teens as they all looked at the door as if they were trying to see through it.
"Joe…please…" whispered Serenity, the only one who found her voice.
It was another short eternity before Tristan spoke, "What…what do you…think?" But he couldn't finish.
A few seconds later the door opened and a doctor emerged.
"What happened? How is my brother? Is he okay?" demanded Serenity.
"It's…he's…" stammered the doctor.
"Tell us doctor," said Duke.
The doctor looked down and sadly shook his head.
"Oh no…no…" said Téa, horrified.
"That doesn't mean what I think it means," said Kevin.
"We're sorry," said the doctor in a dry voice. "We did everything we could…But…Mr. Wheeler…he didn't make it."
"NO!" screamed Serenity, pushing passed him and running into the room.
"Miss Wheeler! Wait!" protested the doctor, following her.
"I don't believe this," said Duke. He looked into the hospital wing cautiously, then entered.
"Not Joe, not Joe…" said Kevin, too stunned to feel any emotions.
Tristan, however, looked about ready to cry himself, though he was holding it in. Without a word he walked over to his friend's body.
Téa didn't enter the room, she merely stood in the doorway, tears silently falling down her face. She listened to what two nearby doctors were saying, without them realizing she was eavesdropping.
"…and for no apparent reason?" one asked the other.
The second doctor nodded, "I can't make heads or tails of what's happening to these kids, although anyone can tell it's serious."
"We know that whatever it is, it has to be connected," said the first. "The first time Mr. Wheeler's life signs dropped when Miss Valentine flat-lined. Now, Mr. Motou's life signs have dropped, right at the moment Mr. Wheeler flat-lined."
Téa had to duck into the hallway to hide a gasp of surprise and horror. She had a feeling of dread that if something wasn't done soon, Yu-Gi wouldn't make it to the Domino Hospital.
"His puzzle…" she whispered. "He needs his puzzle…"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxKaiba knocked on Ishizu's door.
"Come in, Seto Kaiba," she said, in a somber tone.
Kaiba turned to doorknob and it swung open. Ishizu had her back to him. She was staring out of the window at the ocean below. There was something about how she was holding herself that seemed odd.
"What brings you here?" she asked him.
Kaiba started to answer, but stopped and asked, "Are you okay?"
Ishizu turned to face him and he could tell that she had been crying, which surprised him. It was enough to cause him to drop the icy tone he loved to use.
"What happened?" he asked again.
Ishizu took a deep breath so she could answer steadily. "My brother is dead. He died last night…"
"What do you mean? I saw him in the halls an hour ago."
She turned away and looked back out of the window. "I don't expect you to understand, you have tried to deny magic for too long…My brother was overwhelmed by his darker side. Last night his dark side became so powerful that it completely destroyed my brother's good soul."
"That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever."
"There were two forces within my brother, and they became two separate minds. One murdered the other. But you have no answered my question. What brings you here?" she turned around to face him, much more composed.
"Ironically, your brother," replied Kaiba, some of the ice coming back. "I don't know what he is planning, but it seems to require the three god cards and the stupid necklace of Yu-Gi's."
"He wants the power to control the world," answered Ishizu.
Kaiba ignored her last comment, "Well, right now he only has two of the god cards. And I know he'll hurt anyone who gets in his way to get the last one. I can't let that happen, it will give Kaiba Corp., this tournament, and even me a bad reputation."
"That still does not answer my question," Ishizu pointed-out.
Kaiba help up Obelisk the Tormentor. "I found this in Yu-Gi's hand when I went into the hospital wing. You know your brother best, take it." He shoved it into her hand before she could protest and before he could have second thoughts. "You should know the best way to keep it out of his hands."
Ishizu was looking at Obelisk with wide-eyes, "When I still possessed the Millennial Necklace I had foreseen Seto Kaiba returning Obelisk to me…But I had no idea the circumstances would be so grave!"
"I am surprised at you, Seto Kaiba," said Ishizu. "You willingly gave a powerful card to someone else."
"Two people have died already," replied Seto Kaiba, shortly. "I intend to do everything I can to see to it that that stops." With that he turned and walked out of the door.
Ishizu turned and once again resumed staring out of the window. But now she felt uneasy. It took her a moment to realize why.
"Shayla hasn't been here in a day…" she whispered. Ishizu didn't need the Millennial Necklace to tell her that there was trouble. She tucked Obelisk in a safe spot and left her room.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"Shayla, please say something," Lara asked. But the blind girl was no more responsive than she had been all day.
"I wonder if she even hears us," said Drake.
Ishizu knocked on the door, which was opened.
"Oh, hi Ishizu," greeted Lara, who seemed to be a bit surprised to see Ishizu walking around.
"Hello Lara, Hello Drake," replied Ishizu, politely.
"Can we help you with something?" asked Drake.
"Actually, I would like a word with Shayla, alone," answered Ishizu. "I am sure you two want to see how your friends are doing in the hospital wing."
"That's true," admitted Drake. "But I don't think you'll get a word out of Shayla. We haven't had any luck."
"I'll see what I can do," replied Ishizu.
"Well, thanks for taking over here," said Lara as she stood up. "We'll come back in an hour or so."
Ishizu nodded, "No, thank you Lara. You two had better be careful on your way."
"We know, we know," said Drake. "Trust me, we know."
He took Lara's hand and they both left the room.
Ishizu sat down next to Shayla on her bed. Shayla had once more buried her face in a pillow, while hugging her knees.
"Shayla?" asked Ishizu, tentatively.
Shayla didn't answered, although her head did move a bit, as if she was listening. This was the biggest response anyone had gotten all day.
Ishizu put an arm around her, much like a mother would a daughter. Shayla let go of the pillow and it fell to the floor with a muffled thud. She turned around and hugged Ishizu tightly, while sobbing her eyes out. Ishizu embraced her too, and found herself fighting to keep back tears. But they would not be stopped. Ishizu and Shayla sat there crying together, mourning, because they had both lost the person closest to them.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx