Guardians

Note: Sorry it's taken me so long… I had to think up what to do next, and I've actually been (gasp) going out of my house. I wanted to make sure this chapter was polished and what not, not just posting something to get it up. Hope you don't mind. Anyway, here it is, chapter 23.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Recovery

For the next week, Karmina had a pounding headache, but that was nothing compared with the searing pain that seemed to emit constantly from the other hospital patient's mind, filling her own with a sort of echo of pain. Often times, he would be sleeping near peacefully, but she was still wide awake, fighting that shadow of pain that the aspirin couldn't douse. It drove her half mad to be locked in a room with him this long.

Meanwhile, he wasn't feeling very partial to the girl, either. For some reason, as of late, he couldn't stand her at all. Just the sight of her made him want to scream. The way her eyes shifted and her cheeks colored… it was more than just a little annoying.

The nurses smiled constantly, much to the dismay of both of their patients. Every other day, Kaiba raised a complaint, and every time they only smiled brighter.

"I can't take this anymore," he said, half to himself and half to a humming Karmina, who had decided to drown out her mind's echoing with music.

"What?" she asked, pulling off her earphones, blasting Avril Lavigne to the entire room before she hit the stop button.

"I can't take this anymore."

She gave him a meek smile. "T-then maybe you shouldn't have g-gone and gotten yourself injured," she joked, sitting up.

"You act as though you gave me a choice at the time." Already his patience with her was flagging, and there was no joking tone is his rough voice.

She looked taken aback, as usual, by his rudeness. Even though she was used to his way of seeming cruel when he didn't mean to be, she could tell that he was in a mood, again. "Y-you know, I d-don't think I feel like listening to this again," she told him frankly, putting the earphones on again and toying with the volume.

"Fine," he retorted to deaf ears as she began humming and bopping her head again. As usual, he already felt bad about getting angry with her, but he just couldn't seem to tolerate the fact that she was so easy going with him. He was supposed to be a formidable figure, and her behavior, even though she still gave a nervous stutter most of the time, really went against his reputation. What if people saw that when they got back home? He didn't want to risk it, but at the same time, he knew he would miss her if he shook her off.

"Mr. Kaiba, it's time to remove your bandages," a fairy said sweetly, waltzing into the room, smiling broadly, and laughing at Karmina. She had disproved the act that she couldn't hear by turning to face the wall.

He sighed and allowed them to examine his wounds, though he wasn't happy about it.

"Good news. You're nearly healed. After today, you should be able to walk around well enough."

He nodded and glanced at the back of Karmina. "What about her?"

"Physically, she's all healed, but… that was quite a mental strain… and we're worried about other… outside things affecting her mental state. Just… be careful with her, unless you want to be responsible for sending her to the loony bin. And don't say you could live with the guilt, because her guardian would personally murder you."

He opened his mouth to make a snide remark, shut it, and then opened it again. "She seems fine."

"Seems is the key word, Mr. Kaiba. Her brain overheated and then overloaded… I can't see how there would be no damage… I have a theory, but it isn't highly backed by my fellows here…"

"Tell me," he snapped, his concern rising. Now there were theories about her? About what would happen to his Karmina? Mine? Where did that come from?

"I believe… that in her weakened state, stress might have a higher effect on her… In other words, if she gets upset, it could result in a mental breakdown of catastrophic proportion… She could very well go into a permanent coma, or even die, if her brain melts down enough to stop operating necessary functions."

"So I'm supposed to just tread carefully around her for the rest of my life?"

She raised her eyebrows at the 'rest of my life' part, but didn't comment on it. "No… we are running tests, and that is only a THEORY, not the certain truth. Besides, eventually, her mind will recover from the stimulus she put it through… to save YOU, I should remind you, because, the way you've been acting towards her, you seem to have forgotten."

For once, he could think of nothing to say. He glanced at Karmina, who seemed oblivious to the conversation as she changed the CD.

"Good day, Mr. Kaiba," the fairy said, closing the door.

He gaped after her for a moment before regaining his pride and forcing the emotion from his face.

"You shouldn't be concerned," Karmina said flatly, dropping the pretense that she was listening to her CD. "I'm fine."

He sighed uncomfortably. "I think it's my choice who I should and shouldn't worry about," he told her curtly. I always worry about her like this… but why?

She ignored his thoughts, deciding that the conversation was enough of a headache for her without adding his inner worries. "Then choose to worry about your own sour attitude and not me!" she said, more loudly than she'd meant to.

"You are NOT the boss of me," he snapped, forgetting the fairy's warning.

She sighed, clearly tired with all the fighting. "No, of course not… but I just don't want you to worry for no reason, what with everything that's on your mind…" Why is he always so mean? I was just trying to get him to relax a little…

He, too, chose not to respond to her thoughts. "No one said I was worried," he muttered, but there was no conviction in his voice.

Karmina smiled weakly. "But I know you are, Seto."

He sighed, trying not to lose his temper. Then, realizing something, he said "You haven't stuttered at all during this entire conversation."

She blushed. "Well… I was just thinking, it's silly for me to be so nervous… I mean, I've known you longest of anyone, after all…"

He didn't know whether or not to be happy about this. On one hand, he was glad to hear her talking to him as if he was a normal person, not the hard core CEO of Kaiba Corp, but then, it was bad for his image, which he had to think about now that their return to their own realm was imminent.

"That's interesting."

Hurt flashed in Karmina's formerly happy eyes. "You'd rather… that I was nervous around you… for your reputation?" She asked, clearly unable to ignore what was now on his mind.

"Well, I just was wondering. That is, I'm not sure whether people would, OH FORGET IT! It doesn't matter what I say in my defense."

She shook her head. "I guess… I just thought… but then… oh, never mind it… what I think doesn't matter." And she refused to think openly of much of anything, except how long it would be before they could go back to their world.

He, too, was stubbornly silent, and that was how Wingweaver and Blue Eyes found them.

"What have you fought about now?" Wingweaver asked, patience wearing thin.

"Nothing," they snapped together.

The guardians exchanged a significant glance, each sitting on the bed of their charge.

"We need to talk to the two of you about going home."

"The sooner the better," Karmina murmured crossly.

"We agree on that part of it… it's just that, we have a lot of work around the kingdom to do, now that the darkness is gone. We can't go with you just now."

"WHAT?" Karmina screamed. "But who will I talk to?"

"Karmina, you really should try to make some human friends… besides our Seto Kaiba, that is."

Kaiba snorted gently under his breath, but didn't say anything.

"B-but… I can't, Wingweaver."

"Do not pretend that you are the same girl you used to be, because I don't believe it and it isn't true."

"But I-"

"This isn't really good bye, Karmina. But we can't join you at first."

"And it's a pity, as we still have so much to work on, Seto," Blue Eyes interjected.

Again, Kaiba snorted.

"Well… I guess I'll be okay, for a little while…"

"I'll miss you, Karmina."

Karmina smiled slightly. "I'll be right where you left me… alone in my room, listening to music…"

"Certainly you aren't just going to pretend that you and Kaiba never met?"

"Well… no… of course not… but still… he has the company and I have… stuff…"

"When are we going?" Kaiba asked.

"If all goes according to plan, in two days."

"Good," both humans noted dryly.

The guardians stood up. "I expect that you two won't kill each other?"

"Of course not," they said together.

Blue Eyes left immediately after that, but Wingweaver cast a stern glance at Seto Kaiba before following.

End note: I'm sorry it's a little short, but I'm having trouble on getting to the next bit of action. Review!