I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Walk With Me

Chapter IV

Waiting

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Sometimes, it's best to forgive and forget. A grudge is a heavy burden to carry around.

Hours later, Yugi lay on his bed, thoughts racing through his mind. He was in denial.

The doctor's words were speeding around his brain at light speed, bouncing off his skull.

It wasn't happening. It wasn't!

But it was.

Yugi buried his face in his pillow. I should be happy! I got him to the hospital. If I hadn't, he'd have died for sure.

But how can I be happy? He's my friend.

Yugi moaned.

"I know it's hard," the doctor had said "but there's a chance. We caught it just in time."

Just in time. Yugi laughed bitterly. Is that a good thing? If so, then why do they keep staring at me as though I'm to blame for this?

"We'll do our best. But we must tell you, you want to be prepared for the worst."

Well great. THAT just made him feel a lot better.

"The odd are against him."

He can't die. Yugi though miserably. He's so young. Too young. Too many things he hasn't seen, hasn't done…

You barely know him. Another voice interrupted. Why are you so concerned for him?

He's my friend.

You barely know him. The voice repeated.

I…I know, but there's something about him…

Yugi sighed deeply. There were so many emotions; he couldn't keep track of it all. If this was how he, a practical stranger, was feeling, how the heck could his family cope?

Family. He gave a bitter laugh. Why is the world so cruel? He's suffered enough. He hasn't even got a family, one who'll support him through this…

All he has are his foster-brothers. The family the government gave him. And Seto, I guess. He'll be there.

And me.

I hope we're enough.

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The night was a restless one. Yugi woke early, and forced himself through school. Seto, too, had gotten the news, and was unusually solemn that day.

After school, Yugi immediately took the bus to Domino City Hospital. Seto couldn't come right now, he had a brother to pick up and care for. During the bus ride, a thought repeated itself in Yugi's head like a mantra. Please be ok. Please be ok. Please…

Yugi decided that that was the longest bus ride he had ever experienced.

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Seto finally found time to go to the hospital at ten that evening, after Mokuba had been put to bed.

He found Yugi and the others in the waiting room.

"Are we still waiting?" he asked, surprised, coming to sit by Yugi. The shorter teen looked exhausted.

"They should've been done hours ago." Bakura muttered, voice betraying his worry. He didn't seem to realize who he was talking to. He had made a point to avoid talking with the two after that night.

Joey was stroking Ryou's hair absentmindedly, his eyes never wavering from the corridor that led to the rest of the hospital. Ryou was doing his best to stay awake; it was clear that he had gotten very little, if any, sleep last night. Marik had given up that fight, and had dropped off into a light doze, head on Malik's shoulder.

"It's been the longest hours of my entire life." Yugi murmured. "Thank goodness Grandpa agreed to let me stay here. I told him you'd take me back home."

Seto nodded.

"I hope they get done soon. I can't take much more waiting."

But it would be hours before the waiting was put to an end. And as the seconds dragged on, slowly forming minutes, which, in turn, one by one, became hours, Yugi would be forced to sit through what he, even when his hair grew gray, would still consider as one of the longest nights of his entire life.

Sorry if this was a bit confusing...

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