Seto was awakened early the next morning by his little brother.

"Mokuba, leave me alone…"he mumbled sleepily.

Mokuba bit his lip. "Seto, you might need to know about…about a girl named Annemarie."

Seto gasped and sat straight up. "Annemarie? Why? What happened? How? When?"

Mokuba drew in a breath. "Seto…did you know she has cancer?"

"Cancer?" the older Kaiba brother yelped.

Mokuba nodded into the darkness. "Yes. Leukemia. She was hospitalized just an hour ago, a girl named Jessica said."

Seto just shook his head. "No. NO! This…this just CAN'T be happening!"

Mokuba hugged his brother. "Were you on a date with her last night?"

Seto nodded. "Yes, and-and she was fine! I…I don't know what happened, Mokuba, I just don't know!" He paused, then added in a quiet voice, "Why? What did Jessica say?"

"She said Annemarie wants to see you."

Seto then got dressed and put Mokuba back to bed. He jumped into his red sedan and sped off to the Domino Town Hospital. He rushed in and snapped to the worn out looking receptionist, "I need to see someone."

She cracked her gum. "Yeah? Who?"

"Annemarie Holland."

"Oh, you mean that new girl. Sure, she's in room 812."

Seto ran to the room. When he arrived, Elizabeth, Jessica, and two adults, most likely the parents of Annemarie, were crowded around the bed, talking to one another worriedly.

Elizabeth turned around. "Annie! Seto's here!"

Seto cautiously stepped closer to the gurney. "Um, hi, Annemarie."

Annemarie didn't smile. Her normally dazzling blue eyes were dull and her curly hair was messy. "Hi, Seto."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Seto responded.

Annemarie gulped. "Tell you…about…the leukemia?"

"Yes."

Annemarie shook her head weakly. "I-I don't know, Seto. I didn't think you would care. It's not like…well…we were only out on one date."

"But I love you! I would care!"

The woman guided Elizabeth, Jessica, and the man out of the room. Seto was glad; this gave him more privacy.

The sick girl closed her eyes. "Don't love me, Seto. I'm going to die. No one loves a dead girl."

Seto had nothing to say to that. It stunned him to see such an optimistic girl hopeless and dying. It hurt him as well.

Seto knew he had to save her hopes. "Annemarie, you will live. I love you and there's nothing you can do about it."

Annemarie shook her head and smiled a bit. "You're right, there is nothing I can do about it."

"Well…just…I don't know what to say, Anne…I honestly don't."

Annemarie sighed. "I love you, too. Please…please stay here tonight."

Seto swallowed. "But don't you want your family here?"

"They don't mean as much to me as you do."

That single sentence lingered in his head and heart for about five minutes before he responded. "Annemarie…oh God…I promise, I'll stay here for the rest of the night."

"Thanks, Seto."