I don't own Yugioh.
Chapter 28
A cough welled deep in his chest, and he curled up tighter into a ball, his head resting against the soft lap. Jou shivered and coughed hard and deep.
Sugoroku glanced at Seto in concern.
Seto gently brushed some of Jou's bangs out of his face, the boy's head resting on his lap.
"What's wrong?" Sugoroku whispered.
"He's sick," Seto shook his head, "Very much so."
"Infection?" Sugoroku question.
They had been beaten regularly. Asked a bunch of questions they had no clue what the answer was. Even on the whereabouts of Yugi, they couldn't answer. After being separated, they didn't even know if he was still alive. Same could be said for Yami and Anzu. They only asked about Yugi, but got curious when they spoke of Yami, and started to ask about him. Unfortunately, especially Sugoroku knew nothing about Yami.
Seto knew. But he wouldn't tell them. As a result, he had some nasty wounds and cuts and blisters covering his body. His back stung often from the whippings.
Sugoroku didn't receive as harsh a treatment, being older, but still got quite a beating. He didn't say anything about Yugi, whom the group beating them referred to as 'Tenko'.
Jou wasn't beaten as severely, since he still wasn't sure as to what was going on, and had no information to hide, unlike Seto and Sugoroku. He had recently, however, become prey for an illness.
Seto brushed Jou's bangs away again, his hand lingering at the other boy's forehead, "His fever's dangerously high."
Sweat ran down Jou's face, and his breathing came out hard and labored, at a quickened pace.
"I don't think it's an infection," Seto shook his head. "Our wounds often get infected, but we don't get fevers like this."
It was true…in the past couple of days they had been down there and been beaten, they had no way to treat their wounds. Not even stinging salt to put on it to keep infection away. Therefore, most of their open wounds became infected in the dirt filled place within hours. Fever accompanied it, but never as bad as what Jou had. Though, Sugoroku's temperature was very high the other day. But it went down easily, passed just like the other infection induced fevers.
Sugoroku placed a hand on Jou's forehead, and winced at the temperature radiating from it. "It went up." He looked seriously at Seto, "If we don't get him some medicine, water, or something, he may go into a coma."
Seto swore under his breath. "Fuck." He glanced down at Jou, then out at the guard standing nearby, "Hey! I said, HEY! I'm talking to you!"
The guard paid him no mind.
"Hey, asshole! Yea, you!"
The guard glanced up, growling at him.
"Can we have some cold water in here?" Seto indicated the boy, "Our friend's sick!"
The guard grunted and went back to what he was reading.
Seto growled and set Jou down, then walked up to the bars and shook them, "HEY, JACKASS! Our friend needs some medicine! Or water, at least!"
The guard glanced up, then went back to what he was doing.
"Bastard!" Seto shouted, "Get some fucking water! You insist on beating us day after day, but give us little to no relief! You only give us a meager slice of bread to share, and one cup of water between all three of us every six hours or even seven! The least you can do is get some water for him!"
The guard glared at him.
"That's it, chicken shit!" Seto cleared his throat when his voice started to go. He was shouting himself hoarse, "Look over here! Get some water, you fucking son of a bitch!"
The guard stood up, went over to the bars, and punched Seto in the gut, then in the face.
Seto collapsed to the ground, curling up with his arms wrapped around his middle as he coughed and gasped for breath.
The guard glared at him, "I don't take orders from prisoners."
Sugoroku went over and knelt down next to Seto, who was painfully pushing himself to his knees.
"Idiots," the guard mumbled, and started to walk away.
"Please," Sugoroku begged, "Please allow us some water for our friend. He may die…"
The guard paused.
Seto looked up.
Jou moaned, causing Seto to go back to him.
"Se…to…?" Jou rasped, blindly groping for the comfort of the other boy's arms.
Seto took Jou in his arms and gently held him, "I'm here."
Jou weakly gripped onto Seto's sleeve. His grip was so weak that it almost slipped off again.
"Please," Sugoroku noticed, "Please let him have some water."
The guard smirked and turned around, "For a price. If you answer my question, then I'll give you half a goblet of water for him. And all you have to do is tell me how to open a portal to Gaia."
Sugoroku froze.
Seto glanced up.
The guard sat back down, "I'll wait all day if I have to…"
"Wait," Sugoroku whispered, looking down, "I'll tell you…"
Jou coughed, then spoke up in a weak voice, "Don't…don't tell. It ain't…worth it…" he broke off in another fit of coughing that left him winded.
Seto gently rubbed his back.
"To open a portal to Gaia," Sugoroku stated in a defeated tone, "You must possess strong dark powers or strong holy powers, along with the ancient artifacts. We would have a Holy Spellcaster open a portal. I used to be able to, but my powers have weakened. I don't know about the dark powers, but only a Holy Spellcaster can open a portal to Gaia and back for the light powers."
The guard nodded, satisfied with the answer. He walked away for a moment.
"Do you think he'll hold up to his end of the bargain?" Seto asked quietly.
"I hope so," Sugoroku shook his head.
The guard returned a moment later with a goblet half filled with cold water. He handed it through the bars to the old man, "A deal is a deal. My superiors approved of it, and have granted you an extra half-goblet of water. But tonight, you'll only get half a goblet when your meal comes."
Seto growled, but Sugoroku thanked him.
"Here," Sugoroku came over with the goblet, "Jounochi, can you hear me?"
Jou moaned and coughed again.
Seto propped him up, "Easy there, Jou. We got you some water."
Sugoroku put the goblet to Jou's lips, and slowly tilted it up, making the cool liquid slide into Jou's mouth and down his throat.
Jou's initial reaction was to cough, his dry mouth and throat unused to the wetness of the water.
Seto just rubbed his back, "It's alright, Jou."
Jou cracked open his eyes a bit.
"Ready?" Sugoroku asked, "I'm giving you some more."
Jou closed his eyes, signaling he was ready, then opening them again a bit.
Sugoroku gently tilted some more water into Jou's mouth.
Jou held it in his mouth a bit, letting the coolness take away the sting of the fuzzy feeling in his mouth. Then, he swallowed it, letting the cool water rush over his raspy throat. He closed his eyes.
Sugoroku tilted some more into Jou's mouth.
Seto and Sugoroku were very thirsty, but they knew that Jou needed it more then they did. Finally, the goblet was emptied.
Sugoroku placed it outside the bars where the guard picked it up, once again thanking the guard and his superiors for their generosity. The guard regarded him strangely a moment, then went back to reading.
* * *
"How's he doing?" Sugoroku asked sleepily a few hours later.
"His fever dropped, but not by much," Seto shook his head, then closed his eyes against the dizziness the movement caused. He opened his eyes again, glancing down at the boy curled up nearby, whose head was on his lap once more.
They were quiet once more.
"He didn't make it, did he?" Seto whispered to no one in particular, "Yugi. He didn't survive the crash, did he? It's been almost a week. They're not coming to save us, are they?"
Sugoroku didn't reply for a while. He glanced at the ground with downcast eyes. He had been prisoner in the dungeon for over two…maybe three weeks. He stopped keeping track. The most effort of a rescue he had was when Seto and Jou were thrown in the dungeon, and told him about Yugi and his idea to save Sugoroku.
"I don't know," Sugoroku shook his head sadly, "I just don't know anymore." He could admit to anyone who asked…his spirit was broken. When he found out about the plane accident that separated the group of kids and his grandson, he became depressed. As the days passed and still no sign or word of Yugi came, he became more and more depressed.
"It's impossible," Seto shook his head, slowly this time. "They all probably were killed. Yugi's not coming."
There was silence for a while, until a weak voice broke in.
"He'll come."
Sugoroku and Seto glanced down at Jou.
Jou opened an eye slowly and painfully, glancing up at them, "He'll come. I know he will. Yug's never let anyone down. Neither has Yami. They won't start now."
"Jou…I don't think he…," Seto started.
"He's alive," Jou whispered, coughing a bit, "…I just know it."
"Jounochi…," Sugoroku started.
"We gotta…believe in him," Jou interrupted, "…cause I know…he can do it. He will do it. He'll come rescue us. I know he will."
"Shh," Seto hushed him, "You need to rest."
Jou coughed, then whispered, "He'll come." After that, he fell asleep.
TO BE CONTINUED…