a/n: Wow. And this is my first fic ! So many thanks for all your support!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Yugioh, or the characters.

"talking"

thoughts, emphasis


Chapter Thirteen: Things I Said

"19 year old girl…..hit head on….."

"We'd better get her there fast……her condition's deteriorating….."

Kaiba woke up from his dream, suddenly and fast, sweat pouring down his chin, and the movement making his back ache again. The things Tea had said about him being dead of a drug overdose had really gotten to him, and he hadn't taken another painkiller since, even though now his neck hurt bad. Still dressed in his soft silken pajamas, he put on his kingly satin robe and made his journey to the closet, regretting deeply that he'd designed his bedroom so big.

What a vivid dream…..how strange…..He grabbed his cane; or what he called 'an old man's cane' (he'd submitted to one at last) and a maid came to help dress him. Why was the one thought in his head about Tea….? Her image lurking around his vision, her touch on his body….have I really fallen for her THAT badly?

Maybe so, he admitted grudgingly as he nodded the maid away quickly and combed thick brown hair over sky blue eyes, now narrowing in the mirror. Maybe I shouldn't have called her a liar……even though it's true…she did make me angry….she's always making me angry…..The comb clattered in the sink as a fresh new pain made his eyes sting. Even so……I still do love her…..and I'm sorry….for the things I---

"Mr. Kaiba. You're limo's waiting, sir." The bodyguard bowed deeply, and left.

"Wait." Kaiba threw away his cane, where it clattered by the wall. "There's been a change of plans."

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Taking a day off…..when did I last do this. Oh, yes. A week ago when a car hit me. It seemed more like a century. Ah, sarcasm....I revel in it. .The nurses whispered and giggled like idiots as he walked by, gabbing like hens. Ugh….I hate the hospitals….even worse when I have to carry this stupid stuffed bear around……I must look idiotic.

It was the same one that was in his room, but he was hoping Mokuba wouldn't realize. The trip to the gift shop may as well be a pilgrimage. Stopping his silly line of thoughts, he shuffled inside Rm. 516, with effort.

Mokuba was sitting aganist the wall in bed; wild hair pressed aganist the pillow, straining disgreeably aganist the bandages wrapped many times around his tiny head. He looked up when he entered, and his little face lit up. "Oh! A stuffed plush bear, for me?! Thanks a lot, big brother!" He buried his small nose in the bear, squeezing it tightly until its eyes nearly popped.

Kaiba felt the finger of ice run down his spine. "You.....know me?"

Too late, Mokuba's face flashed with an instant of guilt, before he could fix it. "U-u-hh..." he stammered. "Well....."

"How long before today, Mokuba?" Kaiba fought to keep his voice on the down low, but it was hard; referring to the amnesia.. Please, say today.....this morning......five minutes ago....

"A couple of weeks....now...." Mokuba faltered, looking down at the cream sheets with blue duckys printed on it. His voice seemed to lose energy miserably with each word. "Please, let me explain!" he begged in a hearfelt plead.

But Kaiba barely heard past "a couple of weeks." His ears were filled with a strange, harsh buzzing, all of the sudden. I called Tea a liar.....I trusted Mokuba, that he would tell me; he knows how important it is to me for him to remember us...... Suddenly, his mind brought him back to his brother's ramblings.

"I-know-I-should've-told-you-big-brother-that-I-remembered--" Mokuba took in a big, shuddering gasp, big eyes huge and sad, "-you,-but-I.....liked-all-the-attention-you-paid-to-me-when-you-thought-I-didn't-remember-and-and--" He took in a big gulping sob. "--after-the-fight-we-h-had-b-b-before....that car....hit us.....I was afraid...."

"That's enough, Mokuba." Kaiba said curtly, glancing at the open door, to see if anyone had heard, before shutting it tight. "I am very disappointed in you." He let that final, cutting reprimand hang in mid air, while he paced around, gathering wits. "Being afraid is no excuse for lying."

Mokuba hung his head, but Kaiba felt like the words were automatic, like if someone else were saying it. He half-expected Tea to coming bursting through the closed door, like that day when another nurse was giving him a bath, shouting, "I knew it!" and then, go on a long tirade about whata bad brother he was and he should act more like a parent.

But the door stayed dead still.

Why is she so much on my mind ?

Shaking it away, he continued to lecture about the virtues of truth, but then patted the child's head, promising to come back in a while. His back was acting up, and he was thinking about let the hospital take care of him again....only for a while.

Stepping out in the busy hall, he found a twinge of fear creep up his spine. It seemed usually strong......

His shoes clicked as he searched for the restroom. A once bustling hall seemed dead still now. Takinga wrong turn, he ended up in ICU. Intensive Care Unit......

No time to think about it now. He thought, shuffling along and wiping sweat off with the back of his hand. "I have to make it up to her.....for calling her a liar...." He finally spotted the classical signs pointing toward the restrooms, sighing in relief. Must it be down the hall?! All the way there?! Kaiba thought of ways to apologize meanwhile, eyes straight ahead on the destination.

Maybe I should get her some flowers......doesn't all girls like them or something? Step, step, shuffle. Though, she'll probably throw them right back in my face, given her spunky attitude......not that I would blame her.

He paused to rest, brushing the sweaty bangs from his face. The one time I could use some help, and no one's there to help me! He thought, annoyed. Only she helped--

Just then, a patient caught his eye in one of the rooms through the window outside the door. A woman with dark hair and a tall blond man were sobbing at some bedside, their grief firmly etched on thier faces. He didn't know why this should grab his attention. It waas everywhere; especially in a hospital. Kaiba paused, then turned slightly, squinting and scowling, trying to recognized their faces in case he knew them from work, or something.

They glanced up, and he froze to caught spying, but they just looked down again. Still, he moved a bit aside, still watching, still waiting, until they came out. A nurse came and helped them away, saying stuff like, "It's okay," and "She's a real fighter, I know her well since the day she came to volunteer....such a good heart."

He watched them as they were led sobbing away, and then, when they had turned the corner, took another look, a closer look. She seemed...familiar.....wait how did he know it was a she? Probably the long dark hair.....Grabbing a nurse and not being able to stand it any longer, he barked, "Who is that?!"

The nurse looked ruffled. "You shouldn't be out of your room, Mr. Kaiba.....Hmm, let's see......" She checked a clipboard that had a pen dangling from it, on the wall. " ' Gardener, Tea....' Hmm, that seemes familiar...now, where did I hear that be....fo---" She looked around; he was gone. "Hmph, how rude." She flounced off, pulling a cell phone to gab on it.

Inside the room, at the bedside, Kaiba watched his hands shake as he read her statistics and what the hell happened. Car crash, comatose since yesterday......the words swam, but inside his mind, things churned and clicked away rapidly, conjuring up the percentage of dying. Due to the extent of her injuries' massive extent, she only had a fifty percent change of living.....

He grabbed the limp hand in his tightly, the papers swooshing down with a crash. "Please........." She didn't respond, not a yell, or a scold, her big lake-blue eyes didn't flash with anger at him.....or close gently with passion and hurt....just....

....not even a trace of a flicker.....face death-like and pale.......no color in her face at all.....

"I'm sorry for the things I said......I didn't mean it.....please, don't die....." he shouted; it coming out only as a hoarse, thick whisper.

The fingers twitched once, as he bowed his head down, breathing harshly....heart aching...... "I love you...don't you....die....."

A second hand touched him gently on the shoulder.

To Be continued....


a/n: Meh, thank you for reading.What to do, now? Why, please review this chapter for more.