Draga: Yo! Um, I just read over the last chapter, and I realized something… Malik said he'd bring Ryou to Yugi and his little friends. However, the only people in that room were Ryou and Yugi. Therefore, Yugi's friends are video games and stuffed animals. Warning, angsty. Not really adult themes, I suppose, but not for kiddies. Here you go!
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"Bakura! Bakura, wake up! You wake up right this minute or… or…" Ryou's threat dissolved into a wave of tears. Yami had turned Bakura so laid on his side, figuring it to be more comfortable. Malik was on his cell phone already, giving the fire department their whereabouts.
"Come on, Bakura. Wake up so I can thank you for saving them," Yami pleaded quietly. Ryou and Yugi were crying on each other's shoulders, and Malik flipped his phone closed. He kneeled next to his two friends and checked Bakura's pulse.
"Well, he's not dead yet," Malik stated. Bakura began to shake, and started to cough, sitting up and pulling his knees to his chest, head resting on them. Yami moved closer to rub the boy's back, and Malik looked up to see flashing lights and hear sirens.
"Bakura? Are you alright?" Yami asked quietly as the coughing subsided. He vaguely registered Malik standing to go speak with the medics.
"I'm fine. What about everyone else? They aren't hurt, are they?" Bakura questioned, voice raspy from coughing. Yami shook his head.
"You're worse off than anyone else. Yugi and Ryou are just frightened, and Malik is over there speaking with the paramedics. Speaking of them, here they come," Yami stated. Four people knelt beside Bakura to make sure he wasn't hurt, but Bakura waved their concerns away.
"Check on everyone else first. I can wait," he said.
"But-"
"Go!" The medics got up and each one ran to a different boy. Yami just sighed while being checked over, but Malik was protesting loudly.
"Hey, leave me alone! No, I will not take my shirt off, dammit! Check on Bakura! Yes, Bakura! The dumbass who ran back into a burning house to save those two!" he was yelling. After the man who was checking Yami was finished, he knelt to Bakura, who had started coughing again.
"Can you breathe?" The man got a nod. "Can you stand?" Bakura got to his feet, swaying slightly, but staying balanced. "Good, good. Oh, my. Your hair…"
"Is burnt. I know. Unless you have a pocket knife handy, however, I can't do anything about it until I get home," Bakura snapped.
"Your shirt is burned in some places. I'm going to have to ask you to remove it."
"My shirt is staying on."
"Bakura, just take your shirt off. They won't leave until you do, you know," Yami reminded the stubborn boy. Bakura sighed, and proceeded to pull his shirt off over his head. He held it up in front of him.
"Damn, now there are holes in it. I liked this shirt, too. What are all of you gaping at?" Bakura demanded. He was too aware of the eyes of everyone on him. So he had a few scars here and there, so what?
"Bakura… how did all this happen?" Ryou asked, eyes filling up with tears again. Malik had decided that these medics were incompetent, since all they were doing was gaping. He snorted, shoving them out of the way to get to Bakura.
"I didn't have the best parents in the world. Besides, after a while, you get numb. When you get numb, you need to find out whether you're still alive or not, right?" the white haired boy inquired. Malik looked him over while he was explaining, and tried to divert everyone's attention, sensing that Bakura was uncomfortable talking about this.
"You've got a few small burns here and there, but it's nothing you need to go to the hospital over. Bakura, I want you to come back to my house. I want to make sure those get the treatment they need. I don't trust the hospital. And Yami, Yugi, Ryou, you can spend the night at my house as well," Malik said, dismissing the medics. The firefighters (who everyone had been ignoring) had finally put the fire out.
"Thanks, Malik. But, are you sure you'll have enough room for us?" Ryou asked, attempting to dry his tears.
"My house is the biggest estate in Domino next to Kaiba's. Trust me, I'll have enough room. You guys want to grab anything before we head off?" Malik asked.
"Can we stop at home first? Bakura needs a new shirt, and we can grab some clothes for Yugi and Yami, too," Ryou suggested. Malik nodded.
"Sure. Where do you guys live?"
"We live on Orange Street. Come on, Bakura," Ryou prompted. "Bakura?" The boy in question was breathing erratically, shaking, and his eyes were wide, staring at nothing.
"Malik, what's going on with him?" Yami asked, stepping closer to Bakura. Malik gestured to him not to go any closer.
"All of you, back to my house. Here, Yami, drive them to Bakura's house. We'll follow you," Malik commanded, tossing over the keys to the motorcycle. "They're small, you can fit all three of you on it." Bakura threw himself to the ground, curled up as small as he could go. Ryou and Yugi looked horrified, Yami looked a cross between confused and concerned, and Malik just seemed frustrated.
"Why is this happening again?" Ryou cried.
"This has happened before?" Malik asked. "Dammit… Yami, come here and help me hold him still."
"Maybe we should just let him ride whatever it is out?" Yami asked, a bit wary of going near Bakura.
"Dammit, Yami. Fine. Go take them home; I'll deal with him," Malik snapped, kneeling next the shaking body. "Go!" Yami took off, the two boys sitting behind him. Malik shook his head, debating on how to go about shaking Bakura out of his panic attack. Finally, he decided.
"Bakura? Can you hear me?" the Egyptian asked softly, embracing the other boy. "Bakura? I need you to answer me. Say something."
"God… no… they're still…" Bakura sobbed, turning to hide his face in Malik's shirt. Malik held him a bit tighter, enough to be reassuring.
"Who's still where, Bakura?"
"They… in there… the house…"
"Who, Bakura?" This question was met by a strangled cry, but Malik needed to keep trying. "Who's in the house?"
"My… our parents… I can't… have to get them…" Bakura sobbed. The blonde just held Bakura for a bit, rubbing his back and making soothing sounds.
"Your parents aren't in there. You saved everyone, Bakura. They're safe. Come with me; you're freezing." Malik stood slowly, Bakura rising with him, still hanging on. "You're safe. Don't worry."