NOTE: So sorry! You know getting this up so late wasn't my fault! Heck, at least it's here! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Chapter 16: It's All in the Head

Seto felt an unfamiliar weight on his shoulder when he woke up. Not to saw that it didn't feel alright; it just felt slightly…out of place. He turned his head and looked at what could be on his shoulder.

Imagine his surprise to find Tea's head lying there.

Seto sighed. Great: he was never going to be able to move from this position, if she kept sleeping like this. He didn't really want to wake her, but….

It was then that Seto noticed something else too. Something was missing now…. His arms felt unnaturally cool at the moment –it was a nice touch, having this fever and all, but….

He looked and saw that his jacket was missing. "What the heck!" he whispered to himself and suddenly jumped up, ignoring Tea, who flew backwards and woke up just in time to catch herself from falling to the ground. Seto spun around on the cot, looking for his jacket and spotted it lying right there beside him. He quickly pulled it on –both arms through the sleeves- and glared at Tea.

Tea slowly sat up and glared back at him, "What did you do that for! You could have tapped me or something!"

"I specifically told you that I did not want my jacket to be taken off!" he retorted.

"You were overheated! I had to!" Tea stood up, "Come on! You had to admit you felt cooler without it!"

"I may – I may not admit it!" Seto replied, "But you had no-"

"So you have a couple scars, is it such a big deal!" she let it out. She suddenly stopped, eyes wide, and covered her mouth.

Seto's eyes widened slightly too, "You…you-"

"I'm sorry…that wasn't supposed to come out…" Tea stated quietly, "I didn't mean-"

"Do you like invading people's privacy!" he asked her through tensed teeth.

"Kaiba, I was only trying to help!" she let her hands fall to her sides, "I didn't know! I swear! I just happened…to catch sight of it! I didn't mean to!" she let loose all apologies.

Seto didn't want to accept her apologies. Then again, something inside him told him that he should not be arguing with her like this. He was the hypocrite here –yelling at her about 'invading privacy- when he himself had practically read her whole diary. Well…not the whole thing, but a good half of it at least.

"Whatever…just don't tell a soul," he glared once more at her, and sighed, lying back down with his back to her.

Tea sighed, "Are you going to take your jacket off? I think we determined that it's okay here."

Seto threw a glare over his shoulder and shrugged out of his jacket, throwing it in the corner.

"Happy now? Will you shut up?"

"After I take your temperature…or you take it, whatever," she replied, going to retrieve the thermometer.

She heard an audible sigh come from Seto. She smirked to herself. He's just like a little kid sometimes…. It's kind of cute. She would have laughed, if she had not been busy at the moment, and had not been appalled by her last sentence.

"Are you going to do it?" she held out the thermometer for him to take. A hand snatched it from Tea's grasp and she turned to go busy herself somewhere else.

Soon, she heard Seto reading off the temperature, "One-o-three point two," he recited, putting the thermometer down.

"WHAT!" Tea's head snapped up. She ran over to pick up the thermometer before the read-out disappeared. She saw it long enough to know that he had said it correctly. "That can't be…" she blinked, "No!" Tea knelt down and took his temperature again, much to Seto's dislike. However, he wasn't much in the mood for retorting now. The last brawl had taken away some of his energy, and he felt quite tired and warm….

Tea looked at the read-out again. It was the same. "What! How can this be? Your fever is worsening!"

Seto didn't respond. Either he was asleep, or he didn't care.

"Oh, dang it," Tea jumped up and began digging through cabinets. She grabbed the washcloth from before, however, and soaked it first, placing it back on Seto's forehead. Then, she began looking for fever-depressants.

"Fever…fever…fever," she looked through the boxes of medication in the cabinets. She hadn't found any yet. "Blast it! Some nurses' office!"

She then looked through the last cabinet. Just when she was about to give up, she noticed a box at the back. She grabbed it, hoping beyond hope that it was the box she wanted.

"Antihistamine…congestion…aches and pains…FEVER!" she cried happily. She tore open the box top, practically ripping it off and poured out the contents.

There was only one pill left.

Tea sighed, "Well…at least we have one. It will do better than nothing." She stood up and grabbed a paper cup that was next to the sink. She filled it with ice cold water from the tap and opened the pill from its containment. Tea then walked over to Seto.

"Kaiba? Take this: it will lower your fever," she urged.

"I'm not in the mood," Seto grumbled, trying to get to sleep.

"Kaiba come on! Don't you want to get better sooner?" Tea retorted, "Please!"

"I don't fell like taking anything now."

"Come on: the water will cool you off at least," Tea sighed, "Please?"

"Will you stop saying that!" Seto muttered.

"What, 'please?'" Seto sighed. "Alright, just take it and I won't bother you for the rest of the…the…" she was deciding whether to say 'afternoon' or 'day.' He needed attention, but if he didn't want it…. "The rest of the day."

"Now you're speaking my language," Seto mumbled, sitting up slowly. Tea handed him the medication and the cup of water and he popped it in, swallowing it with a gulp of water. He then returned to his normal position of resting with his back to her.

And just as Tea had promised, she left him alone.

That wasn't to say that she went very far. She sat outside the door, just in case he needed anything.

And, of course, eventually, Tea became tired of just sitting there, doing almost nothing. She decided to walk around the school, and possibly look for an exit.

Of course, a walk through an almost empty school can give one room for thinking.

Why is he so…so…stubborn! I swear: if I wasn't here to force him into doing things –like resting and taking medication for example, he would be off worse than he already is! I have to make him rest…I have to make him relax…I have to make him take his temperature to see how he's doing…I have to force him to take medicine…goodness! It's a wonder he can take care of himself on his own! He really needs someone around him, and not just his little brothers! They have their own lives to worry about!

She stopped and looked up at the metal doors, which had stopped them from escaping this prison. Those stupid fire doors…. What was she getting at with this thinking? What am I trying to say to myself? That I should person?

She stopped herself. Her eyes widened. In her heart and subconscious, she knew that was…

EXACTLY what she was saying.

Rika Gardner walked down the hallway to the kitchen, with a slightly crazed smile on her features. When she entered the kitchen and began humming, Kaz Gardner, who was sitting at the table, looked up suddenly. Something wasn't right. Rika had been distressed lately over Tea's disappearance. She was in no mood to be singing!

"Rika…is something wrong?" he asked tentatively.

"What on Earth could possibly be wrong?" Rika replied; her voice a little high.

"You…er…aren't depressed? About Tea being gone?"

Rika laughed and turned around, her eyes sparkling, "What are you talking about, Kaz, you old-joker? Tea's in her room, like she always is! She's thinking about that large company party coming up soon. You know how much she wants to go. She's looking at her new dress," Rika smiled happily, looking off into space.

Something registered in Kaz's mind. Tea was back? It couldn't be: he would know!

He rushed from the table and ran to Tea's room, opening the unlocked door. Nothing. No one.

Kaz put two and two together.

Rika was going paranoid.

"Rika," her husband came back into the kitchen, "Tea is not there."

"Yes she is!" Rika snapped, "Don't jinx it!"

"Rika-"

"NO! She IS in there, KAZ!" his wife shouted, brushing past him angrily.

"RIKA!" he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back. Rika struggled to free herself, "Calm down! Tea IS NOT in her room! She's still lost! Don't go nutty on me now, dear! We've still got a good forty or more years of marriage left! Just get it through your mind: TEA IS NOT HERE!"

"SHE IS, KAZ! I SAW HER! I SAW HER!" Rika cried, pushing herself into her husband's chest.

Kaz rubbed her back, calmingly. "There, there…it's alright. I know you're worried: I am too. We'll find her. I bet you anything she'll turn up in the next couple of days. Now, I know something that will calm you down…."

Rika just sobbed as her husband led her to the basement. They traveled down the stairs, and once down there, Kaz veered them towards the wall. He moved a board, and there was a new door.

Rika looked up, "W-Where does that go, Kaz? I never knew that was h-here…."

"Calm down," Kaz replied, opening the door, and leading them inside. He turned on the light and shut the door.

"K-Kaz?" Rika Gardner looked around, "W-Where did you get all of this?"

Kaz left her for a moment to grab a glass for his wife and a glass bottle. He opened the bottle and poured some of the liquid into it, giving it to his wife. "There: drink it. I guarantee you'll feel much better. It's a Californian mix of pure wine and some champagne. Very relaxing."

"How do you know?" she asked, "And where did you get all of this?" she looked around the room, "Wine? Champagne? Sparkling wine? …Beer? …Vodka?"

"Just drink it," he tipped the glass up to her mouth. Her features immediately relaxed.

"My…this is refreshing…and tasty," Rika sighed, leaning against her husband, "How did you know?"

"I've had to have a few bottles before," he answered, "Just drink and calm yourself. Everything will be alright…."

I hate migraines…. Noa rubbed his temples smoothly and in circular motions. He had just sat through one of the most boring business meetings in his life, and his headache had started right near the beginning. And God forbid that it shouldn't be rude to get some Advil ® during the middle of it. So poor Noa had to wait until the end of the two and a half-hour business meeting.

Never again can Seto use the excuse, 'You don't know what it's like working all day like this!' Oh boy…do I know. Some Advil is all it takes…. He could feel the medical magic working already. At least Mokuba doesn't have to sit through this…for the most part.

"I'm coming in," Mokuba's voice said just as he waltzed in through the front doors. Well…waltzed isn't exactly the best word. Stumbled in a balancing fashion more like…under the towering stack of papers.

"Hey there, Vice Prez.," Noa replied, "Taken that daily dose of headache medicine yet?"

"No…but I was going immediately to get some," Mokuba set the papers down on Noa's desk and slumped to the floor, resting his elbows on the desk, "Never…again," Mokuba sighed, gasping for breath, "Never. Next time, we hire Pegasus to come and do this work."

"I'll second that," Noa raised his hand. Still, his eyes were focused on the towering stack of papers. I feel that headache coming back….

"I hope Seto comes home soon! Where the heck is he? Why can't we find him!" Mokuba cried out, banging his head against the desk. Noa sighed and pulled the drawer next to him open. He fished out the pill box and poured an aspirin into his hand. Mokuba was seriously going to need it.

"Ow…" Mokuba rubbed his head when he stopped his theatrics. Noa handed him the medicine. "Thanks…." Mokuba grabbed Noa's cup of water from the desk –to which Noa frowned slightly- and drowned it along with the aspirin.

"Thanks…" Noa took the cup back and held it upside down, watching as a single droplet of water fell. "Really."

"Sorry," Mokuba replied, "Just thirsty."

"Seto had better get his butt back here quickly," Noa added onto Mokuba's previous statement. "He can keep this job. I have no idea why I even wanted it in the first place. I bet you anything that boy is hiding right under our noses…and our technology is just too stupid to find him!"

Mokuba looked down, "Nope…not under my nose. What about yours?"

Noa hit himself. It was going to take every ounce of patience he had left to keep from exploding.

Where ARE YOU Seto!

And indeed, he was –as they say- right under their noses. After all, Domino High School was not that far from Kaiba Corp.

Seto lay; trying to get to sleep, but his mind was whirring. And anyone who doesn't have sleep come so easy to them knows that when one's mind is busy – sleep is a big NO.

Seto was dying to go to sleep, though. As is common knowledge: when a male is ill, he becomes greatly obsessed with sleep, relaxation and many other things that don't involve work. A simple cold will do that all.

But Seto Kaiba did not have a cold. He had a fever that was still on the rise, and was now three degrees away from a dangerous temperature. He could only hope that that medicine Tea had given him helped and did not worsen.

Of course, everything she had done for him had pulled through this weekend, right? She had wrapped up his leg; found a way into the kitchen; found showering supplies, and she was now taking care of him.

And what had he done to her this weekend?

Yell. Bicker. Refuse.

He had been a complete jerk to her. Sure, he had helped her own shoulder wound, and had calmed her down when she was raving about her abuse, but he had pretended nothing had happened afterwards.

He really was a jerk.

And he was finally realizing it.

Funny…it didn't take all of Yugi's rants, or the mutt's insults, or anyone else's remarks of speeches for this to get to me. It took Tea, and her caring actions.

And then a word rang in his head:

Care.

That's what she had been doing for him almost this entire weekend: looking out for his interests and needs.

And he had barely returned the favor. Instead, he shunted her out and wanted her gone.

He turned around and looked back at the door, half expecting to see her standing there.

But no. She had remained true to her word. She was honest at least. Not like him. He lied about who he really was. And Tea had found him out. It was evident enough in her journal. He put on airs so that no one could find out who he really was. He put on and huge and stupid act.

And it was only bothering him now, because of one, simple girl.

But she's not that simple, Seto sided, She's a volcano of hidden emotions, and modesty. She's hidden her intellect from a great number of people. Her talents are better than she lets them off to be. And…she's been hurt.

But what am I supposed to do about that? Why am I even thinking over this? It's not like I can actually do anything for her. Nothing….

Or so he thought.

But Seto Kaiba didn't think. On the contrary, all of this thinking was hurting his head. And it could just have been him, but the stress of these thoughts seemed to be making him even more feverish.

There! Another chapter! Next one…hehe…should be quite the climactic chapter! Just think about where I left off with Tea…. PLEASE REVIEW!