Chapter 2
Rescue
Cold. He was so very cold.
In his dazed, half-aware state, Yuki sensed the presence of someone close by.
'Please, please no. Don't let him be coming back. Don't let him touch me I don't want him to touch me anymore please make him go away I can't take this anymore-'
"Yukito-san?"
At the familiar hesitant voice, Yuki's eyes shot open and he strained his neck to peer in the direction of the voice.
Sakura. Thank God.
"Sakura," he tried to say, but his throat was raw and it came out as barely a whisper. She looked frightened, clutching her staff to her chest. Behind her came Tomoyo with her ever-present video camera, but the second she got a look at Yuki she lowered it and switched it off. For that, Yuki was grateful. It was bad enough that the two of them had to see him like this.
"Y-Yukito-san," Sakura stuttered, turning pink, "your clothes..."
"Just get him out of there! This is no time to be embarrassed about nudity!"
Yuki recognized that snapping voice as Kerberos. He couldn't see him, but he must have been there with them. Yuki's shame soared to new heights. How many people had to see him like this? Why did any of this have to happen?
He squeezed his eyes shut and heard Sakura call on the sword card. Then, the next thing he knew, his bonds were cut and he was being helped off of the lab table. Sakura and Tomoyo eased him onto the tile floor, but his feet were unable to support him and he slumped to the ground, shivering.
Now that he was off of the table, he finally had the opportunity to get a full view of the room. It looked like an operating room, sterile and antiseptic, no windows. There wasn't much there besides the table except a tray of tools and a chest off in one corner. Yuki looked at the heavy clasps on the thing, imagining the sound they would make when opened. He was pretty sure he knew what was in that chest.
Snap. Snap. Click.
"Oh, you'll like this one. Of course it's not meant for someone of your size, but a slut like you won't mind, right? I'm sure you'll be able to... accomodate it. It's something that someone like you should learn to do anyway, so we'll make sure to work at it until it fits. Now, take a deep breath. This will hurt..."
Yuki felt a whimper escape from him and didn't recognize his own voice. He felt soft cloth on his shoulders and looked up into the worried face of Sakura. She had taken off her cape (God knew why she had a cape - one of Tomoyo's odd costumes again, no doubt) and slung it around his shoulders. It was a bit small for him, coming to just above his knees, but it managed to hide the worst of the indignities and most of the scarring.
"Come on Yukito-san," said Sakura softly, "we have to get you out of here."
"What 'bout Rand?" Yuki mumbled.
"Out of commission," Kerberos answered. "For now, anyway; we found a way to stop his stupid magic draining thing, so he's powerless, but he still managed to get away from us. If we find him again though, I swear to God I'll kill him for this."
'Huh,' thought Yuki. It was funny, he hadn't thought that Kerberos cared.
"Can you stand?" Sakura asked.
Yuki tried, but stumbled. He ached too badly, all over his body. He wouldn't be able to walk out on his own. He shook his head miserably. On top of everything he was going to be a burden to Sakura and Tomoyo.
But then suddenly he felt something seize hold of him, and felt his mind flung backwards. Yue had taken over.
From his quickly-dimming conscious, Yuki felt Yue stand. Yue wobbled a bit; he still had the fatigue that came from the drained magic. But his body didn't have the kind of damage that Yuki's did, and he managed to stay upright.
"Yue?" Sakura asked, sounding surprised.
"I'll be fine to get us out of here," Yue said curtly. "Let's go."
Sakura led the way through a maze of hallways and rooms, all richly furnished in the style of a mansion. In the back of Yue's mind, Yuki curled himself into a ball and shivered, clutching himself as tightly as possible.
'How could you?' he whispered at Yue's consciousness. 'How could you let this happen to me? Why did you force us to switch? Dammit!' His emotions rose to a fury as he felt all the pain of - how long? days? weeks? - come bubbling up to the surface. 'How COULD you! God dammit! I'm the one with a lover! I'm the one who stands to lose Toya over this! Why did I have to be your sacrifice! It's not like I would take any less damage than you! You're a magical being! You would have been less injured! WHY! GOD DAMN YOU TELL ME WHY!'
There was a long silence, and Yuki thought that Yue must not have been listening to him, probably had shut himself off again. But then-
I could lie and tell you that I wished to remain rested in case an escape attempt became possible. But that is not the reason. My reason was very selfish, and you will not want to hear it.
'You're damn right I don't!' Yuki growled. 'I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear anything from you ever again! Do NOT talk to me Yue!'
And then he felt his grip on consciousness slip, and he faded back into darkness.
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