"He was a monster sis, nothing like you wouldn't believe. If you thought he was bad to mom, oh ho, you hadn't heard nothing yet." Joey leered at the floor, his stomach turning at the mere thought of his father. "He was a drunk, an abusive drunk, life with him was intolerable, but, what choice did I have? Dad was a guy who'd trade in the life of his own son for just one drag of a cigar. I know this for a fact cause I nearly found myself a new family at a poker game one night. Dad wasn't like mom, she wasn't upset by the divorce, oh contraire, he womanized from here till next Tuesday and treated it as if no more than an hour had gone by. When I was at school, he was at work. I wanted to get detention, hang with friends, join a sport, anything so I couldn't go home to find him in his stupor. He was a raging alcoholic, and I mean raging, especially when something went wrong and I was there to blame, even if it was something untrue or even in his own imagination, and it was a wild imagination at times. One Saturday he accused me of telling the floor paneling guy not to clean the tile because he wouldn't tip him a penny more than twelve bucks. And, that's odd, cause, we had carpet. No, at first I thought things were gonna eventually get better, but they just got worse, and the better part never came…"

Flashback

A few months had passed since the divorce, Joey had only one more month of school left before the summer vacation started. Now, most kids looked forward to that, but not Joey. That meant three months with nobody but his dad. They were too poor to send him to camp, hell, Bob wouldn't do something so gracious like that if it was his life support. Joey didn't have much as far as video games, music or movies, the only entertainment he had was his deck and his friends. His friends were going to be busy, Tea was going to camp, Tristan was going to visit family out of town, and Grandpa Motto was teaching Yugi the fine arts of proprietorship in business. Joey sat in his room on his bed, he sighed as he looked at the calendar across the room.

"May 19." He muttered the date to himself. "Just one more month." He shuddered and looked at his duel deck, Flame Swordsman still on the top. "You'll help me get through it, right?"

"Joey!"

Joey gulped at the bellowing voice of his father, "Y-yea dad?"

"Come here a minute."

"Ok, coming."

Joey didn't want to go, but his legs were carrying him automatically. He made his way down the stairs and into the living room. His dad was sitting in his pants with his shirt and shoes off, watching tv. The floor was a mess with dirty magazines, the air was clouded with cigarette smoke, the coffee table was filled with empty beer cans and poker cards and chips. Bob reached into the bag of chips on the couch next to him but pulled his hand out empty. He growled and turned to Joey.

"What did I tell you about the Doritos? Always leave a half bag for your dad!"

Joey cringed, he was drunk again, "But dad, you opened the bag when you came home, I haven't eaten a thing all day."

"Oh that's your excuse for everything. Now come here so I can discipline you." Bob put down the remote. Joey groaned as he drudged over, he hated the 'd' word. Bob pulled back his hand and walloped Joey right on his bottom. Joey cringed at the pain, his dad was big and strong, he had quite an arm and one day Joey feared his dad was going to break his but bone. Bob opened a bottle of soda. "Now go to your room and I don't want to see you for the rest of the night."

"Can I get a water first?"

Bob groaned, "Fine. But only one bottle, this ain't the rits, and punishment should be a prison for you, so no food, not even bread."

Joey sighed, "Fine, thank you sir."

Joey went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. There was plenty of junk food in there, not to mention loads of beer. Joey grabbed a water and closed the door. He was about to leave the kitchen when his stomach growled. He groaned and squeezed it tightly, he felt as if he were going to throw up his own acid juices, they'd been churning and eating at his insides all day. Joey looked around carefully and heard his dad laughing at something on the tv, he decided to make a break for it. Joey crept over quietly and opened the cupboard, it was full of non-perishable junk food like chips and cookies. Joey saw some of those round crackers that he loved to eat when mom bought them for him. He opened the box but realized it was almost empty, his dad would know if he ate them. Debating, he looked back over in the direction of his father, his stomach growled and he gulped, he had to take the risk. He took two of the crackers and put one in each cheek, then put the box away and closed the door. His dad continued to laugh at what he was watching as Joey crept back to the stairs.

"Ah, ah." Bob stopped him with the mere sound of his voice. Joey froze in his tracks. "Come here a minute." Joey caught his breath and walked over, coaching himself in his mind. Bob took a careful look at him, "Now, either your tonsils are swollen, or you're sneaking something out." Joey felt the sweat crawl down the bristling hair on his neck. "Open your mouth." Joey tensed and closed his eyes, he knew he was in trouble.

"Ah."

Bob smirked to himself, sure enough, Joey had taken two crackers. Bob reached in and returned with his prize, eating the two crackers himself. Joey closed his mouth. Bob tore the bottle from his hands causing Joey to gasp, "Bottled water is too good for you, get a glass from the tap and no more complaining, you got it mister."

Joey nodded, "Yes sir."

"Good, now get to bed!" Bob slapped him hard across the face.

Joey ran up the stairs and to the bathroom. He held his cheek and tried painfully hard not to cry. "I gotta be a man, gotta be tough, gotta be strong and brave. Just like Flame Swordsman." Joey looked at his cheek in the mirror, it was all red and swollen now. He sighed, groaning to himself as he turned on the tap. He turned up his nose in disgust as the dirty water came out into the glass. Joey held his neck, his throat dry from thirst, realizing he had no choice. He opened his mouth, "It's brown, drink it down." And drank it.

"Wow, that sounded pretty hard as a kid. I know how you felt." Serenity sighed.

Joey shook his head, "Oh no, that was dad on a pleasant day. This is a perfect example of hour our real father acted."

It was a few years after, Joey was a pre-teen now in middle school. He had learned to live with how his father was, but nothing stuck with him more than the events of his third day of spring break. Joey was going to spend the day with Tea, Yugi and Tristan. He put his duel deck in his pocket and went down the stairs.

"Where are you going this time son?"

"Out." Joey croaked and cleared his throat, his voice obviously starting to change.

"With who?"

"Just some people, you know, friends."

"When will you be back?"

"I dunno. Why?"

"Joey." Bob got up and approached the boy who now stood at his shoulder level. "You're not going out today."

"What? But pops, I promised them I'd meet them!"

"Talking back eh?"

Joey held his tongue, "No sir."

"Grounded, that's an understatement for what you'll be experiencing this week." Joey cringed. "First off, go to your room… no, don't go to your room. Stay down here, I'm going to your room." Bob went upstairs.

"What? But, wait, why?"

"You'll know when they come to the door. And once they do, not a word, just send the girlies upstairs."

"Girlies?" Joey understood now. "But dad….!"

"Don't leave the house, stay in the living room and don't eat anything, got it mister!"

Joey felt sick, "Yes sir." Bob went upstairs. Joey stood by the door taking it all in. Just then the bell rang. "Please be Yugi, Tristan and Tea." He opened the door to see a girl. He gasped, "Mai!?"

"Hey Joey."

"What in God's name are you doing here!?"

She frowned, "Well, here I thought you were going to be thrilled to see me."

"Well today, right now, isn't the best time. Plus, I'm grounded."

"Grounded? Feh, detention never stopped you so why will this?"

"Look, you've obviously never met my dad before."

"No I haven't." She winked. "So, when do I get to meet him?"

"Never, ok!"

"Wow, you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

"Yea right, I get my own bedroom, that's a laugh…" Mai frowned at that.

"Excuse me?" They turned to see a group of very hot, scantily dressed young women. "Is this the Wheeler residence?"

Joey felt sick again, "Yea, go on up to my room." They did.

Mai's jaw dropped, "What… you, pig!" She slapped him and stormed off.

"Wait, Mai…" He sighed. "No." He growled and leered up the stairs as he heard sounds of pleasure coming from his father. His teeth bared, that was the line.

Hours had passed before the women left late that afternoon. Bob came downstairs, pants less, with a very pleased look on his face, but too bad for Joey it didn't rub off on his treatment of his own son. Bob staggered into the room, obviously very drunk. He grabbed his poker box of cards and chips and threw it at Joey to get his attention. He cried out and leered over at his laughing father.

"Look at the pretty boy with his silky blonde hair and golden eyes. If I buy you one of those boob tank tops, you could pass as a woman." He laughed.

Joey stood up, "That is it old man! I've had enough of you!"

Bob leered at him, no longer playing around. He socked him right in the eye. Joey fell backwards and cried out, "How dare you talk back to me! I raised you, I give you a home, clothes, food and drink, hell, I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!" Bob stomped over and picked Joey up by his collar, his hand wrapping tightly around his neck. "But before you go little lady, I'm gonna turn you into a man, or, as much of a man as you can be, heh." He threw him down onto the sofa, Joey cried out as he found his father on top of him, pulling on his hair. Joey was bleeding, he was crying, what the hell was going on? "Here's a beer, for your last moments of life." He pushed Joey's face into the beer can and forced the liquid down his son's throat, then he began to tear at his pants.

Joey coughed violently, "Dad, stop, what the hell are you doing!?"

"Shut up and wait for the magic!" Bob struggled with his son to get his belt off. "You bastard, cooperate! This is gonna be beautiful, if I had a camera, we could finally make that home movie you always wanted to when you were five." He leaned in close, his stubbly whiskers wisped against Joey's face along with the stench of liquor off his breath.

"Dad, you're sick!" Joey kicked him right between the legs, causing him to fall in a ball onto the ground. He went to run, he grabbed the phone and dialed 911. "Pick up, pick up, pick up."

"911, how may we…" The lady's voice was cut off as Bob tore the phone from the wall. Joey gasped and started to run.

"Oh no you aren't!" Bob grabbed him by the leg and he fell, hitting his left arm hard on the end of the table, causing him to cry out in pain. The some of the cards from his duel monster deck fell out of his pants, Leogun and Tiger Ax. Bob noticed them, "Well, well, what do we have here?" He held them up. Joey's eyes shook as Bob stood up and went into the kitchen. "Maybe now you'll learn your lesson." Joey gasped as he heard the sound of the garbage disposal turn on.

"No!" Joey screamed but it was too late, he couldn't move, he was in pain, in shock. "Fuck you dad, fuck you and all your sanctimonies bullshit, I hate you, I hate you!"

Bob came back into the room and took out a cigar and lit it, he took a puff and blew the smoke. Joey coughed in disgust at the horrid smelling smoke. "Just for that, you're sleeping on the lawn like the dog you are." Bob took him out into the back yard and threw him outside, then slammed the door.

Joey banged on it, "Hey, let me inside you bastard!"

Bob looked out through the shades in the window, "No jacket? Aw, I heard it's gonna be below 40 tonight. Haha!"

Joey continued to bang, "Dam you to hell, you jackass!"

Too tired from the whole experience to continue, Joey sat down against the door. His dad just had to let him back in sometime…. Right? There was a knock at the front door. Joey looked between the small area where the curtains were torn. He gasped when he saw the police at the front door. Joey realized the lady at 911 must've sent somebody after all just to check on the call.

"Problem? Oh no, just a wrong number. I was trying to get 411, I'm sorry." Bob chuckled to the police officer.

Joey yelled at the top of his lungs, "Hey, help! Back here! Cops, cops!"

The officer tipped his hat and left. But Bob had heard him, he barreled to the back door and opened it, he had the hose and began to squirt the yelping Joey off. "Chill kid, I'll let you back in tomorrow morning… maybe. Sleep tight!" He closed the door and turned off the light.

"Damit!" Joey growled and looked around. He could escape somehow, couldn't he? It was getting cold, real cold. The news was right, for once, temperatures that night below 40, and he was soaking wet. "I gotta get, I just gotta…" Joey's eyes fluttered and he passed out on the back doorstep.

The next morning, he woke up lying on the kitchen floor. He opened his eyes, his vision was blurry and the air stung at his eyes. He tried to breathe but his nose was all plugged up and running. He coughed violently, his throat felt like murder, and huddled in a shivering ball on the floor. The hand against his face felt warmth, he was burning up. He tried to get up, but he was to weak, to tired to move. Finally he heard footsteps.

"Well, well, well, let a sleeping dog lie. But then again, wouldn't want to insult a canine." Bob kicked him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. "Wake up you whiney runt."

"Pops…" Joey's voice was hoarse and dry.

"Don't call me that!"

"I…" He started to sneeze.

"Great, now you're sick again. You know, I can't afford much as it is, insurance is one of them, so forget going to a doctor, you've just got to tough it out and get better on your own. Some man, oh wait, I forgot, you're still just a boy." Last night was intentional!

"But dad." Joey tried to open his eyes, but they watered from tears and the sickness.

"Don't go and die on me, well, you can if you want, it wont matter." He laughed as he walked out of the room. Joey lay on the floor, he was going to die, he just knew it, he could feel death's hands around his chest. He started to cry, he was as good as dead.

End flashback

"You know." Joey blinked. "Something good did come out of all that, I got sick but I toughened up and any time I got sick again, I never needed medicine from a doctor, I was strong enough, brave enough to take it on myself, and defeat it."

Serenity was still shocked with disgust, "How could you say that's good? That story was by far the most horrendous thing I've ever heard! I would never have survived a day in your shoes!"

"Yea, but I got used to it, I guess."

"Got used to it!?" Serenity stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Some tough strong guy, don't need a doctor eh? Well look where you are now mister!"

"Yea, but this aint no cold. I dunno sis, I hate to say it, but being in here, like this…. I'd rather have another lifetime living in torture with dad."

Serenity's eyes widened, "You can't be serious!"

"Dead serious sis…" Joey stared off into space, thinking. "Dead."

4. Just Plain Sick