By ElveNDestiNy, written July 26, 2005
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! No copyright infringement intended.
Notes: I'm using the American system of law here, since I have no idea how law works in Japan. This is back to Amelda's perspective again. Also, in reply to some reviews - I do realize that this story's highly improbable, but this is just fanfiction, so I'm not exactly sure why you'd bring that up. This is one of my stories where I'm not exactly sure why I'm writing this or how I started, except that it's too vivid in my imagination to ignore. Anyway, sorry for the long wait, enjoy!
- o - o - o - o -
He woke slowly, bit by bit, at first disoriented by all the white around him. For a moment Amelda thought that maybe he'd died. But incongruously, it was the clean, sterile smell of the place that told him where he was.
Miruko… With that thought he remembered why he was here in a hospital, remembered King and his cronies, Kaiba coming in. Amelda knew better than to sit up but he tried anyway, panicked at the thought that Miruko might be dead. A moment later he'd fallen back with a gasp, lightheaded from the exertion. The room spun sickeningly and a sharp pain sliced through him.
But he barely noticed, attention focused solely on the small shape next to his arm. Miruko sat in a hard plastic chair to his side, hunched over the bed with his head in his arms, obviously having fallen asleep in that uncomfortable position.
A wave of relief swept over him, but almost immediately afterward Amelda realized it took too much effort to keep his eyes open. There were a lot of drugs in his system and it was hard even to stop himself from slipping back into sleep. He was fighting a losing battle with oblivion when he heard a click. Somewhere in his mind he realized it was the door of the room and his instincts tried to snap him awake, but his body was simply too battered.
An oddly familiar voice spoke, a little hoarse, the tone was so different from what he remembered of it. Too gentle to be Kaiba. "Wake up, Miruko." A sleepy grumble. The words were repeated and answered with a mumbled protest that sounded a lot like 'c'mon, gimme five more minutes.'
A long suffering sigh that made Amelda want to laugh. He had to be hallucinating, the CEO with a reputation worthy of the devil himself could not possibly be cajoling his brother. "Go sleep in the other room before you sprain something in that position, Miruko. I'll stay to watch over him."
More intelligible words. "Don't make me carry you there. You're significantly bigger than Mokuba, you know." Grumbles moving away. In Amelda's mind he could imagine it, Kaiba leading a half-asleep Miruko out the door. "Then again, if I can manage Amelda I'm sure I can carry you."
What! He was wavering on that border between consciousness and sleep but…Amelda struggled to hear the rest. Miruko's voice, drifting in funnily, "You carried Amelda before?"
A low growl. "Well, I couldn't exactly just leave him there. But if you ever tell him…"
"Mmhh, I won't." The unmistakable sound of a yawn. "Thanks, Seto."
Amelda would have been willing to pay to see the look on Kaiba's face right then. Did anyone other that Mokuba ever dare call him anything other than Kaiba? His mind wandered while he mused over what he'd heard.
It's funny how you never realize how much your life has been totally tangled with another's until death comes knocking and gives you a rude wake-up call.
A moment later the door opened again and the footsteps sounded familiar…but that was all Amelda remembered before he fell asleep again.
- o - o - o - o -
He lay quietly with his eyes shut, but Amelda was somewhat awake, still woozy from the painkillers. The beeping of the heart monitor was annoying but at least it confirmed that he was alive. He didn't feel alive, considering that whatever they were giving him—morphine, most likely—made him feel like he was only vaguely connected to his body. All in all a blessing, though he probably couldn't take too much since the wound was close to his heart. And then he'd be in hell with pain.
"You can't take Miruko now," Kaiba's words came faintly through the door. He must have been standing just on the other side for Amelda to be able to hear. For some reason his voice was raised; it made Amelda uneasy. Kaiba was always calm.
"Look, we're willing to make some allowances since the kid's brother is in critical condition, but we can't hold off forever." The new speaker's voice was unfamiliar.
"Is this about the gun? Miruko fired in self defense."
A different voice interrupted. "No, we'll still need to clear up his gang involvement but that isn't why my partner and I are here right now. It's about his status as a minor in the eyes of the law."
"We'll talk about this later," Kaiba said in a tone that brooked no reply.
Is he helping them take Miruko away from me? The speakers were both men, so it was more likely the police than whatever social services had been called in.
The sound of the door opening prompted Amelda to make the amazing effort to open his eyes. Kaiba's icy blue eyes were a lot of things, but right now Amelda hated them with a passion, considering that the color swam nauseatingly. Eyes couldn't change color, right? He could've almost sworn that the eyes that looked down at him now were a darker blue than two seconds ago.
"You're awake," his visitor stated.
"Kaiba. I never knew you were that smart."
"Well, I'll take your fascinating wit as a sign that you're recovering. You've a fever, though."
Against his will, Amelda's eyes fluttered shut again from sheer fatigue. Kaiba's voice continued.
"Miruko's sleeping." Some hesitation, then, "I can wake him if you want to see him."
"In case it's the last time I wake, right, Kaiba?" Amelda replied dryly. His voice sounded raspy even to his own ears and he was forced to open his eyes when Kaiba moved over to pour him some water. Amelda accepted it with ill grace, all feelings of goodwill from the morning having dissipated after what he'd just heard.
Kaiba shrugged carelessly. "They say you're weak and might still…" He somehow didn't want to say it, as if vocalizing it was some special kind of confirmation.
"Might die, Kaiba," Amelda filled in for him, much to his annoyance.
"You won't."
"You're not the one lying in a hospital bed, feeling like someone ran you over with a ten ton truck. How bad are the injuries?"
"Do you want me to go down the list for you or something?" Kaiba snapped, out of sorts at how casually the patient was talking about death.
Amelda's head throbbed painfully but he ignored it, forcing himself to concentrate on what he'd overheard earlier. It shouldn't have felt like a betrayal, but it did. Kaiba owed him nothing, had risked his own life by becoming part of his. "You're going to take Miruko away from me?"
Kaiba actually looked surprised, which only fueled Amelda's rising anger. "Amelda, you don't have to worry about that right now."
"I'm not going to let anyone take my brother away from me again. I can handle this without you, Kaiba. I've been doing that all along. Let me tell you something, the world doesn't care about you. It doesn't matter if you're the richest man in the world, or if you have some high and mighty reputation. Life goes on with or without you.
Astonishment had transmuted into a cold, emotionless mask that was the side that Kaiba usually showed the public. "I never presumed otherwise," the brunette said coolly.
"Do you think I wanted you to step into my life?"
"You're going to need my help even if you won't admit it," Kaiba growled. "They want Miruko."
And you're going to give him to them, Amelda felt like screaming. "Or maybe you're so arrogant you think that the world can't go on without you. Why the hell do you care so much about me and mine, Kaiba? Why?"
He'd never seen Kaiba so furious, not even during the duels they'd gone through. Blue eyes glittered like ice and for a moment Amelda thought that the duelist had snapped. "I'm doing it because helping you is like redeeming myself," he snarled.
Dead silence while they looked at each other in shock, for two different reasons. If Amelda's head had just been a little clearer, he would have realized that Kaiba's admission was as sincere as it was inadvertent. But in his defensive frame of mind, it sounded like Kaiba was mocking him and Amelda's anger returned full force even as he sensed Kaiba regaining his control.
"Why do you bother pretending that you care? You don't have any friends, Seto Kaiba, so don't force me to take your pity."
Kaiba was silent for a moment, but if Amelda had been able to see his eyes from his prone position on the bed, he would have been surprised to see that his former rival's eyes were blazing with emotion. However, none of that turmoil showed in the arrogant duelist's voice, of course. "You're right. You aren't a friend; I don't know where I came up with that illusion. It takes two, after all, to find that thing called friendship."
His voice was so very cold, as if ice should coat the windows. He turned, disappearing from Amelda's view, and slow footsteps headed towards the door, the sound as final as the last nails hammering into a coffin. It brought Amelda back to reality as if cold water had been thrown in his face.
"Wait...Kaiba." Amelda struggled further up when the sound of the brunette's footsteps proved that he had barely hesitated. The sudden movement caused pain to tear through him as if he had been shot all over again and he gritted his teeth, making a small gasp despite his best efforts to keep silent. He closed his eyes, trying not to be overcome by dizziness. "Please." The hoarse plea was so quiet that he thought he must have uttered it only in his mind.
There was something that sounded like a muffled curse and then hands pressing him back to the bed. "Stay still, fool," a voice said harshly, and he'd never been so glad to hear it.
A hot tear unexpectedly slipped down his cheek and disappeared into the pillow, half from the pain from his movements, and half because he had lost something he hadn't realized he had valued. No, he hadn't lost it, he'd thrown it away because he didn't want to be hurt again, didn't want to care for someone more than they cared for him. He thought of Miruko and shuddered at the nightmare that had become the story of his brother's life.
Thinking that Miruko was going to be taken away from him had only been an easy front to ward off his uglier fears. Like whether Miruko even wanted his brother back, or if he'd end up in jail for the illegal weapon possession, firing the gun, gang membership…there was too much to think about. He just didn't know what to do with Miruko, and with his own life. Maybe it was better that he might not live to see the next morning.
Suddenly a cool hand covered his forehead and fingers brushed lightly over his eyes, unceremoniously wiping away the tears. "I'm here. Now stop crying, it looks ridiculous whether you're dying or not. I've been where you are before, like nothing in the world can save you, and I'm sorry I was the one who got you into this whole mess by finding your brother. But I'll get you out of it, too."
Those talented fingers rubbed soothing circles on his temples and ran through the silky strands of his deep crimson hair. Amelda balanced on the edge of consciousness, hearing his words but finding them incomprehensible for the most part. Surely that wasn't Kaiba; he'd never apologize especially when it wasn't even his fault, and he must have heard wrong...
"I wonder why am I talking to you, anyway. You'll just walk away in the end like they all do." There was a hint of bitterness but Amelda thought the speaker, this false-Kaiba, sounded like how he felt right now, resigned and so tired that he didn't want to fight anymore and wasn't sure why he did. But despite the words, the hand stayed on his forehead, cool to his burning skin, and so he struggled to open his fevered grey eyes.
The room was a blur until he blinked and vaguely saw Kaiba's face, expressionless and more shut-off than he'd ever seen it, completely at odds with what he thought he had just heard. The fever must have been messing with his mind. But Kaiba leaned over him, surprise flickering across his face for a moment as he realized the patient was now awake, and those blue eyes weren't cold at all, but dark with hurt.
"I won't walk away." The words slipped out before he realized he'd said them, but Kaiba wasn't supposed to look like that. That was the only thought he could focus on, that the strongest person he knew shouldn't be standing with such bleak and empty eyes. Not because of something he'd said in anger, when he'd instinctively used what he knew would hurt Kaiba the most. "I won't."
There was something beeping rapidly in the background and Amelda closed his eyes, annoyed at the sound and wishing it would stop. It didn't bother him soon though and he felt like he was floating, weightless and insubstantial, not understanding when he heard Kaiba yell angrily for something and heard people running around, the sound of their feet on the white linoleum floor dull somehow soothingly rhythmic.
"Code blue, code blue—" Yes, Amelda thought dreamily, he'd taken some of the pain out of those blue eyes, and he was glad he did. Kind of proud of it, actually. He wished he could see Miruko again, tell his brother that he loved him no matter where he'd been and what he'd done to survive.
"All you have to do is stay alive, so don't you dare give up on me now, damn it!" Someone was gripping his hand too tightly and irritated, he tried to find his way back to consciousness, surprised when he couldn't. The darkness was welcoming though, and he found it was much easier to just embrace it.
- o - o - o - o -
When he woke again Kaiba was sitting next to him, with something like an expression of relief when he saw that Amelda's eyes were open. He would have thought that he had dreamed the whole thing, but as Kaiba got up and made to leave, he casually said over his shoulder, "Don't forget your promise."
Kaiba didn't mention anything about how the doctor had said at one point that Amelda was going to die, or say that he'd watched as they performed emergency surgery on the young man, or that in his frustration he'd argued with the doctor and told them to do any damn procedure, no matter how expensive or how little Amelda's chances of living were, because he'd pay for it. Or how he had gone to the top of the hospital's hierarchy of management to override the rules so that Varon, Raphael, and himself could be with Amelda even though they weren't immediate family. He didn't mention any of it, but Amelda would find out later from Raphael and Varon.
The brunette gave him his customary smirk, only there was no malice in it. Kaiba's eyes were shadowed from exhaustion and worry, and Amelda thought he looked like he had gone to hell and back. Nothing had happened to Mokuba, had it? But he doubted that Kaiba would be around if anything had, and he began to think, as he tried to piece together what he remembered, that Kaiba had been there right next to Miruko, Varon and Raphael in those brief moments when he had been awake. How strange.
If he had looked through the small glass window on his hospital door, Amelda might have seen Kaiba in the hallway, leaning against the wall with exhaustion and no small amount of relief after the two day battle to save the redhead's life. If he had looked…but Amelda, fortunately for Kaiba's pride, was too weak to do so.
He looked up at the white ceiling, remembering his promise, and wondered what he had done to end up being friends with Seto Kaiba.
- o - o - o - o -
"Amelda?"
"Uhh." Did they really have to wake him up now? He'd dreamed about his childhood, before the war. He tried to hold on to his memory of his mother and father embracing each other, the last time before his father was enlisted. It'd been the last time they'd seen him. Two months later the bans had been posted and they'd found out he had died in combat.
Miruko had been so little…did he even remember their father? Amelda frowned and realized what the problem was. Miruko wasn't little anymore, he was almost grown up, but not quite.
"I know you're awake so open your eyes."
Something tugged at his hair and his eyes shot open at the indignity he was suffering. The culprit was leaning over him, a wide smile on his face. Amelda gave a mental snort. Little brothers. Hmph.
"You slept for two whole days while we were watching over you." Miruko rolled his eyes in exasperation but visibly brightened. "But the doctors say that you're going to be fine now and that all you need is some rest."
"Huh."
"Not very talkative, are you?" Miruko gave another playful tug on his hair but backed off at the glare that he received for it. He sat down on the chair occupying the space besides the bed and Amelda looked over, surprised at all the junk littering the table.
"What's all that?"
"It's from the kids at the orphanage you spend time at. That, and Mokuba decided to get you a lot of stuff, Varon too, and Raphael bought flowers—you should have seen the look on the lady's face when he walked into the shop—for you."
Miruko gave him a horrifyingly pink card, which he reluctantly opened, only to find that all the kids at the orphanage had written little messages for him. Despite himself, Amelda smiled at the bright scrawl of crayon decorating the inside. He set it aside to look at his younger brother, whose expression had turned serious.
"Amelda, I'm so sorry about before," Miruko said in a rush. "I—well, Kaiba, actually—that is, he made me realize a lot of things. I thought you'd forgotten about me, I didn't know you did all that for me. Battling Kaiba, joining DOOM, everything. He told me all of it. I blamed everything on you when you left me in that tank and they took me prisoner. I guess when I saw you all I felt was resentment that you left me behind…"
"It's all right, Miruko. I understand." Amelda reached out to hold Miruko's hand and the teenager let him.
"No, I have to tell you. You have to know I do," he bit his lip and looked away, and Amelda was about to interrupt before he continued on. "I mean, you're my brother, I've always…always looked up to you. Loved you. I still do."
Those grey eyes identical to his own were glassy with tears and Amelda squeezed his hand, about to speak before a sharp knock on the door interrupted them. An uniformed police officer entered the room along with a young woman. Amelda stared in disbelief as the police officer walked up to Miruko and handcuffed him. Kaiba entered and Amelda looked over at him, but his face was impassive.
"Miruko is to be taken in for questioning and then Ms. Miragashi here, from social services, will determine what's best for him at the moment."
"What are you doing? You can't take him away!"
"Please understand. Miruko is an underage minor and the government is legally able to take him into custody. For his involvement in the shooting and his suspected membership of the gang known as the Bloods, I'm required to secure him. I've left more information with Mr. Kaiba here. I'm sorry."
He led Miruko out even as Amelda sat up, trying to follow. Kaiba placed a restraining hand on his shoulder that Amelda angrily shrugged off. "They won't take Miruko away from me again. I won't let it happen!"
"Calm down, Amelda," Kaiba said implacably.
Amelda stopped and glared at him. "You were supposed to stop them!"
"This couldn't be prevented. It's temporary and in a few hours I'll get Miruko out on bail. Amelda, we can battle out custody in the courts if we have to. I won't let him be separated from you again. A promise for a promise, you might say."
Amelda stared at him for a moment and then nodded. I trust him…
- o - o - o - o -
Notes: Thank you all for your encouraging comments; I really appreciate them and they mean a lot to me so I hope you continue to read and review!