Originally posted: 4/3/04
Reposted: 6/11/05

To everyone who reviewed: Thank you so much! You make this such a great experience for me, and I really appreciate ideas, criticism, or just general praise (and hey, who doesn't?)

-

V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V

island of red flowers

-V-

by sir mocha

V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V

-

chapter 03: c o n v e r g e n c e

The door shot open with a loud bang, the sound reverberating through the room. Kaiba's head jerked up and his eyes shot open, and he awoke confused, fearing that the bang was the sound of another fatal gunshot. He looked down, expecting to see a large gaping hole through his chest. He was not shot, thought, and instead discovered the source of the sound to be the heavy steel door, thrown open to allow admittance to the room.

Kaiba stood as this new doctor entered the room. He asked her abruptly, almost desperately, "How is my brother?"

Dr. Takenouchi, as her nametag read, was a young woman with neutral eyes and bright red hair. She was also very short, and when she addressed the tall CEO, she had to crane her neck in order to make eye contact. "He is alive and stable," she said briskly. "He will be getting out of surgery soon. But we cannot have visitors in his room presently, Mr. Kaiba. You will have to leave, and we will call you when you can visit. In the meantime, I suggest that you return to your room where you are supposed to be recovering from a fractured humerus, not to mention extensive muscle damage."

Kaiba planted his feet, and a stubborn look came on his face. "I am not leaving until I see my brother."

"Well, if you really feel that way…" said Takenouchi. She called out to someone in the hall, "Yamato, could you kindly escort Mr. Kaiba back to his room?"

Into the room entered the largest man Kaiba had ever seen. Kaiba looked up – yes, up – at the man who was half a foot taller and easily 100 lbs heavier. And from the looks of his bulging biceps, that 100 lbs was pure muscle. Kaiba gulped, knowing very well that he could not possibly take on this behemoth of a man. To retain any semblance of dignity, the CEO stuck his nose in the air and told the doctor, "I need no nurse to escort me out of a hospital room. I am perfectly capable of finding my own way." He swooped out of the room past the thick nurse and the satisfied doctor.

Shit, he thought as he found himself in the hallway, I let those incompetent fools kick me out. But if they're taking care of Mokuba, I guess the least I can do is attempt to cooperate with them. His heart felt strangely light, because Mokuba was alive and stable! Mokuba would not die after all, and he, Seto, would not have to live his live with nothing but horrible remorse! The mistake he had made was remedied, and everyone would be okay in the end. He reflected on decision from earlier, and thought, No resorting to desperate measures, thank God!

Kaiba was already deciding that the world was looking like a much nicer place; the last thing he wanted to do was return to his god-awful hospital room. In addition to it being the most dismal room in the hospital (in his opinion), the shards of the vase on the ground would bring back bad memories that would put clouds on his now-sunny day.

Kaiba decided instead to go on a walk around the hospital, to amble and see the sights the hospital had to offer. He journeyed by rooms with little kids complaining about getting their tonsils out; he passed by rooms with people weeping over their dying family members; he traveled past room where people were eagerly showing their new scars or stitches or casts to curious friends. Normally, Kaiba would have been the first to laugh at the misfortunes of the sick and injured; it was not his nature to be caring and concerned for others. However, the good news about Mokuba had turned him in to a regular Johnny Sunshine, and now he passed by these rooms with mere indifference.

Traversing the halls of the hospital, Kaiba came upon one different from the others. Most of the halls were grey and drab and sterile, but this hall had a large window, looking into a brightly-lit room. This variation caught his eye, and he looked into the room to see why this room was lit so brightly and cheerfully.

His nose wrinkled at the sight of the contents of the room. In pink and blue colored bassinets lay newborn babies. Most were sleeping peacefully, but several were crying, and nurses were walking among them, tending to the babies' needs and soothing the discontented ones.

Babies, sneered Kaiba. Drooling, crying, pooping, vomiting wastes of humanity. This must be the maternity ward.

He looked up, and in fact it was the maternity ward, as a nearby sign proclaimed. Kaiba felt uncomfortable, to say the least. The only people that went to the maternity ward were nervous fathers-to-be and bloated mothers, oh-so-proud of their little bundles of puke. He, the 21-year-old president of Kaiba Corp. (and very much a bachelor) had no place here. He turned to leave.

If he had been a skittish person, he probably would have jumped; as it was, he managed to keep his composure and mask his surprise.

A woman was standing in front of him, and he had not heard her approach. She was wearing a long black dress that did not hide the bulge of her stomach. She was very much pregnant. But this was not peculiar (especially in a maternity ward). What was peculiar about her was that her head was completely covered by a long black veil. Kaiba could not make out any of her facial characteristics, but when she spoke, the world-wise Kaiba could tell that her accent was distinctly Egyptian.

"Your name?" asked the woman. "I must know your name."

"And why should I tell you my name?" asked Kaiba coolly.

"Would it be so much trouble for you to tell me your name?" asked the woman in a mysterious tone.

"Well, I can tell that you are not from around here, or you would already know who I am. Everyone knows who I am. I am Seto Kaiba, President and CEO of Kaiba Corporations," Kaiba announced in an arrogant tone.

The woman inclined her head. In an ethereal voice, she said, "It is as I thought. You are Seto Kaiba, the young man I have been waiting to meet. I figured our paths would converge soon.

"And you are mistaken, Kaiba. Although I do not live in this country, and I know very little about this area, I know who you are, and I know all about you. I know that you are here because your brother was gravely wounded, and I know that you blame yourself entirely for what happened. I know you wanted to cry for your brother, but you could not because your cruel stepfather long ago hardened your heart to emotions of the soul. Yes, I know all about your heart and your soul. I know that you are cold-hearted, and insensitive, and I know that very soon events will transpire that will change your heart, as well as your life, completely." She looked up, and had she not been wearing the veil, Kaiba was certain that her eyes would be staring deep into his own.

All the blood drained from his face, making him very pale. How does this woman know these things about me? I've never told anyone before! How does this woman know things about me that even I do not?

Kaiba belied his bewilderment by turning up his nose and sneering, "Ridiculous! That's a load of nonsense. You have no clue what you're saying, you crazy woman!"

The woman smiled behind her veil. It was exactly as she had Seen: Kaiba was cold and arrogant, but would soon learn to be human. "Kaiba, as you may have noticed, I am pregnant. In one more month, I will deliver my child. I name you Godfather to my child, and I will not allow you to refuse." She turned on her heels, and started walking away. "And Kaiba," she called over her shoulder, "you will, in time, come to appreciate this honor I have bestowed upon you more than you think."

Kaiba sneered. He was to be the godfather to this mad woman's unborn child? This was absurd. He said yelled coldly to her, "I think you need to head down to the mental ward. There are doctors there who can help you."

Passers-by stared at the CEO for his rude remark, but he glared at anyone foolish enough to catch his eye and scared off the crowd.

He smirked. Her words were bull shit. I should just forget that this run-in with that lunatic ever happened.

But how did she know? he wondered. She must have overheard my ranting from earlier, and then she made some lucky guesses. Yes, that's it: a lucky guess made by eavesdropping. His practical brain decided that the encounter was a freak accident and nothing more. But that did not stop him from leaving the ward with the utmost haste.

-V-

"Well, Miss Wheeler, your eyes are in perfect condition," proclaimed the cheerful optometrist, moving the bulky eye-testing equipment out of Serenity's way. Serenity hopped out of the chair, rejoicing at the positive diagnosis.

"Am I free to go?" she asked, looking hopeful.

"You'll have to return for another checkup in two months—" Serenity made a face "—but we'll call you when it's time for you to come in. So yes, you're free to go."

After thanking the optometrist, Serenity left the room. I'm so glad to be going! I hate being back here after spending so much time here after my surgery. I hated being so cramped in that room and unable to do anything by myself, thanks to those stupid bandages. I hated being so useless.

She unconsciously picked up her pace, eager to get out of that stifling hospital. Turning a corner, she didn't see the woman right in front of her until it was too late, and they collided, both falling to the ground. Serenity pushed herself back up, and then looked down at the woman. The woman was dressed in a black gown, with a hazy veil covering her head. Serenity could distinguish none of her characteristics, except for the fact that the woman was very pregnant, and was having a very difficult time trying to get up. Serenity felt guilty, and said, "Oh, I'm so sorry! Please, let me help you." She offered a hand to pull the woman to her feet.

"Thank you," said the woman in a warm tone. "You are very sweet and caring. You could melt the heart of any man."

Serenity raised her eyebrow. Was that a compliment? If so, it was an extremely strange one. "Thank you?" she said uncertainly, showing her confusion.

"I was hoping that you could do something for me," said the woman. "I am all alone here in this country; the only person I have left is my brother, and currently he's in Egypt and will not likely leave. In addition, the baby's father is no longer on this earth…" She bowed her head, then raised it again. "I was wondering if, when the time comes, you support me while I go through labor. I was also wondering if you would be Godmother to my child."

Serenity was quite taken aback. She hardly knew this woman, yet she was asking Serenity to be there when she delivered the baby? But the woman looked so alone, and if her story was true, then Serenity could hardly refuse. It would be rude. "I'd be honored to," she said. "But how will I know when it is time?"

"You will know," said the woman enigmatically. "I am sure of it." Then, very peculiarly, the woman placed her hands on either side of Serenity's head, and through the veil, Serenity was sure that the woman's eyes were staring deep into hers. She shivered.

The woman said quietly, "Isis bless you. You are special, Serenity, and you will in time come to understand that. Never give up hope, and never despair; the path you walk, though difficult, will lead to the sweetest reward of all." Then she turned and walked away. Dazed, Serenity thought, How did she know my name? I never told her. She shivered again, and hurried quickly to the exit. On her way out, she heard the PA crackle, Seto Kaiba, please report to room 10622 immediately.

Serenity sighed. Poor Kaiba. The shooting incident was all over the afternoon news, which reported that Seto and Mokuba Kaiba had been shot, and were in critical condition. She felt sympathy for both brothers, Mokuba and Seto. Even if Seto was a cold-hearted bastard (as Joey impressed so strongly on her), no one deserved to be shot. But from the PA, Serenity figured that Seto was at least mobile, which was a relief. She was concerned for Mokuba though, who was the sweetest little kid she knew. It's true that I hardly know him, but I do want him to be safe and well.

-V-

The doctors, nurses, patients, and visitors jumped quickly out of the path of the white blur careening down the hall. Several were unfortunate enough to not move away in time, and they cursed the blur as they were thrown painfully into the wall. But nothing would impede Kaiba's passage to his brother's room.

He got there in record time, huffing and puffing (a rare occurrence for the athletic young man) and barreled into the room without knocking, startling the assorted doctors and nurses.

"Mr. Kaiba!" said Dr. Takenouchi indignantly, "this is a hospital room, not a funhouse! You cannot come barging in without first asking! You could disrupt delicate processes, or damage equipment, of which there are copious amounts." Kaiba tried to push past her in order to get to Mokuba, but was met with a finger wagging in his face. "I'm not done talking to you!" she spat, staring up at him threateningly. "I have to converse with you about your brother. There are some things we must discuss." Her strength, surprising for a woman her size, was evident by the way she forcefully pushed Kaiba out of the room, steered him down the hall to the closest waiting area, and pushed him down onto a chair.

She remained standing in front of him. "Now that you are at my level, Mr. Kaiba," she said dryly, "we may talk rationally. And you must take this news rationally as well. None of the histrionics I heard about earlier from Dr. Izumi." Kaiba really didn't like the direction this conversation was taking. Takenouchi did not sound happy, which meant that the news was not good. (Although, in the back of his mind, Kaiba wondered if this woman was even capable of smiling. She was not a naturally cheerful person.) Kaiba sat on the edge of his seat to hear what she had to say.

"The surgery went well, better than we expected. We were able to repair the injuries to your brother's vital organs, and we gave him a blood transfusion because he lost a lot of blood. Everything was fine, but then your brother's body started trying to reject the new blood. We found out that a careless error had been made by one of our technicians, and the new blood was not compatible with your brother's."

Kaiba jumped up angrily, ready to disembowel the careless surgeons, but with a glare from Takenouchi he sat down again, fuming silently, to listen to the rest of the account.

"Once the error was discovered, we proceeded to remedy the situation. I won't go into detail, but it was a messy process in more ways than one. We got the correct blood in, but the stress on your brother's body was very serious…"

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MOKUBA?" shouted Kaiba crazily. The doctor slapped him painfully on the face, bringing him back to reality. She told him to shut up and control himself, which he did grudgingly.

"As I was saying," continued Takenouchi, "your brother went through serious medical trauma. His body has reverted to a comatose state and we have been unable to wake him as of yet."

"Mokuba is in a COMA?" asked Kaiba, aghast at the doctor's words. He jumped up and ran in the direction of the room, the doctor chasing after him, yelling, "If you do not stop, I will call security!"

For the second time in half an hour, the doctors and nurses in Mokuba's room jumped at the arrival of the elder Kaiba. He pushed past them, and then he was standing next to the bed where Mokuba lay.

"Oh God," he breathed.

Mokuba was hooked up to machines all around his bed. Some were used to pump fluids into his bloodstream, some monitored his vital signs, and some had no discernible purpose at all. All the wires connecting to various parts of his body made Mokuba look like that innocent fly Kaiba had so vividly imagined, trapped in the web of the spider. On Mokuba's face was a look of concentration, and of pain. And Kaiba knew that that pain was one pain he could do nothing to soothe.

He's a vegetable. He might as well be cut up and thrown in a stew pot. He's dead, thanks to you, you murderer, accused his brain. Just give up now.

Shut up. JUST SHUT UP! Mokuba is not dead, and I will NOT give up while he is still alive! shouted Kaiba mentally, refusing to give up on the brother he swore he would take care of.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. Surprised, he looked down at his owner, Dr. Takenouchi. "He is in a coma, and it is difficult to say whether or not he will wake up," she said softly, almost sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

Kaiba said nothing. His anguish was too deep for words.

-

V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V