"Clear!" one of the doctors shouted, as another pressed two defibrillator paddles on Ryou Bakura's chest. A shock coursed through his body, forcing an involuntary jerk.
"Still no sign of a pulse." One of the nurses shouted over the background commotion.
"Keep going. There's still a chance we might be able to bring him back." The head doctor ordered, although he knew, in the end, it was probably a lost cause.
There was a chance, if they could reestablish a heart beat in the next couple of minutes, that he would be resuscitated. It was unlikely though, even if they did, that he would survive through the night.
"Clear!"
The paddles shocked him again. Ryou's body jerked uncomfortably on the bed.
"His heart is still not responding sir."
"Again."
"Clear!"
…
Another wave of electricity shot through Ryou's cardiac tissue, this time forcing the four knights to their knees.
They attempted to get up, only to be knocked aside again by a faint heartbeat and a small rush of blood.
"Oh, ra…" Yami Bakura sighed in desperate relief. He let out the breath he didn't even realize he had been holding.
Ryou's heart was beating. It was not beating well, but it was beating nonetheless.
"We still have a chance." Yami Yugi announced.
Malik nodded with a sense of renewed vigor. Even Seto Kaiba seemed relieved.
"Not a very long one." He added. "If we plan on saving your little friend, we'd better keep moving."
He stood up, feeling the blood surge around his knees. Despite the uneven motion, he managed to keep his balance.
"I agree." Yami Yugi nodded, climbing to his feet as well. He unsheathed his sword, and pointed it at the surrounding spores. The tiny germs, sensing the sudden reanimation of the infected boy's heart, also returned to their onslaught. And they had just as much determination as the four knights.
"They're coming back!" Yami Bakura shouted. He barely had enough time to warn them, let alone strike, so he dove into the small pool of blood. They passed over him as the other three knights readied their weapons.
"This isn't over yet!" Malik screamed, running at the oncoming wave of spores. His renewed energy fueled his weapon, and it slashed through at least fifty spores on the first strike.
Yami Yugi did the same, joining his blade with Kaiba's for a more powerful attack.
Rolling out from under the blood, the spirit of the millennium ring joined the fight on the other flank. His blade took out a good portion of the next group of spores.
"We don't have time to waste here." He growled, slashing his way towards the pulmonary artery. He could feel the burning sensation in the pit of his chest. His host body was on borrowed time now. The ground beneath his feet rolled slowly and erratically. It was weak. And it could stop again at any moment.
The other three agreed, striking what spores they could while following Yami Bakura's open path.
"I'm not just going to let him die, you know…" he muttered under his breath, climbing through a damaged valve. Of course, it wasn't loud enough for any of the others to hear.