Chapter 21
Soft Breaths
Yugi stared at the door then looked down at his favorite toy, besides his ball. Hugging it closer he turned and walked into the living room with the others. Seto watched upon worried. The small boy was obviously devastated and hurt by all this. When Yugi went back in he didn't play as much as he did before Joey arrived. He smiled and nodded at his friends but he never really did anything. Mokuba and Serenity kept trying to get him to play but Yugi politely refused. He sat on the low window seal with his toy in his lap. He would just stare at it and gently touch the soft fabric. The 5 year old sighed softly and looked out the window. He watched as cars passed by. He watched families gather outside and watched the sun set. Anger willed up in his small chest. He looked at his cast and punched it with his hand. He hadn't realized that his hand was still injured from earlier. The blood must have been whiped off when they fell down the hill because it was completely clean. A couple of wounds were seen but they weren't that big. He stopped punched his cast and observed his hand. He touched a wound and gasped as it stung. His heart beat faster. This is what he needed to forget. Pain? Yugi looked up and out the window again. Shifting uncomfortablely he shook his head. What was he thinking? He needed Yami to forget. He needed Alas...a family.
Yugi stood up and walked upstairs and sat on the steps. He watched as Mokuba and Serenity played. Seto was in the kitchen and realized that Yugi was gone.
"Moki where did Yugi go?" Mokuba looked up and also noticed Yugi was gone.
"I don't know big brother. He was right there." He sat pointing to the window. Seto got up and walked into the living room.
"Yugi? Where are you?" Seto looked around the room. "Yugi!" Seto raced toward the front door and about opened it when he heard shuffling behind him. He turned and saw Yugi on the steps. Sighing he slowly walked up the steps. "Moki watch Serenity ok?"
"Ok big brother!"
"Yugi? Are you ok?" He noticed blood on his hand. "Oh Gods I forgot to look at that." Kaiba said and gently picked up Yugi. He carried the light boy to the bathroom. Sitting him on the counter he got down the supplies. Seto took Yugi's small hand in his and cleaned it. He was surprised when he didn't flinch. "Who do you have with you?" Seto said smiling warmly.
"DM." Yugi said softly.
"DM?"
"Dark Magician." Yugi said hugging it closer to him.
"DM is his name?" Yugi nodded. Seto smiled. "That's a great name." He said patching up his fist and his finger that got cut from the glass. He lifted the small boy and carried him back down stairs. "Do you want to go play?" Yugi shook his head. "Hmm...why not?" Yugi shrugged. "Are you not feeling well?" Another shrug. Seto placed his hand over Yugi's forehead. "You do feel a little warm. Lets go to the kitchen and see if we can find you anything to eat."
"I'm not hungry." Yugi said softly.
"Are you thirsty?" Yugi nodded. Seto smiled and nodded. "A drink it is." Yugi laid his head down on Seto's shoulder as the blue eyed young man carried him into the kitchen. Yugi closed his eyes and listened to Seto's heart beat. Yugi reached down and held his stomach slightly. Seto shifted the boy. "Are you ok?" Seto asked as Yugi groaned slightly.
"I'm ok." Yugi said softly.
"I don't think you are. Where do you hurt?" Yugi looked away from Seto. It was true that he hadn't felt good for a while but he thought it was just everything that was going on and it'd go away. Seto sat Yugi down at the kitchen table and went to get him a drink. He watched the boy slump over and leaned on the table. Grabbing a glass of water he picked Yugi back up and carried him to the room he would be sleeping in. Seto laid Yugi on his bed and pulled the covers over him. Yugi took the glass and took a couple sips before refusing any more. Seto laid his hand on Yugi's forehead. He was a little warmer than before. "Alright I'm going to leave. If you start feeling worse please come and get me. Ok?" Yugi nodded slightly. Seto smiled. "Your drink will be right here." He said placing the glass on the table next to the bed. "Try to get some sleep and I'll see how you are in the morning." Yugi shifted in his bed and looked away. "Good night."
"Night." Yugi said softly. After Seto left Yugi sat up in his bed. He hated feeling bad. Last time Alas was there and Yami came later...but this time...they couldn't be there. He felt hectic and started to panic. Even though he felt weak he stood up. Yugi took a few steps before he leaned over and threw up.
The virus in Yugi's body took a drastic change.
Yugi's fever rose steadily and his breath grew heavy. He leaned to his side and fell over, preventing him from falling into the vomit.
"...Ya...Yami..." He gasped. He felt hot and his vision blurred. "Al...Alas..." Yugi closed his eyes. "...d...dad...d...y..." He whimpered out. He had to be heard...
Seto went down stairs after placing Yugi into his room. He walked into the living room and smiled at the children.
"Yugi's not feeling well. Please don't bother him." Mokuba and Serenity nodded.
Instead Mokuba and Serenity made get well cards for him.
"But your brother says not to talk to Yugi." Mokuba smiled.
"We will just slip him a card. We won't even wake him." Serenity smiled and nodded. They walked up to Yugi's room, which took them a while since they couldn't find the right door. Once they found it they opened it and Serenity screamed at what she saw.
"Serenity!" Seto shouted jumping up from his work office. He couldn't find them in the living room. He raced up the stairs, skipping a couple of steps. Once he reached the top he saw Serenity and Mokuba standing at the room he placed Yugi. "What did I tell you about waking Yugi?" Seto said walking over. Mokuba pointed in the room.
"Yugi is..." Seto ran over when he heard his little brother's voice drop. Yugi was crumpled on the ground. Blood and vomit were smeared all over the floor and his face.
"Yugi!" He lifted Yugi and gasped. He was burning up. "Mokuba call 911!" Mokuba nodded and took Serenity's hand and rushed to the phone. "Yugi? Can you hear me? Yugi please wake up." Seto started to panic. He wrapped Yugi in a blanket and lifted him. He brought Yugi down stairs and held him close.
"I called them." Mokuba said coming out of the kitchen with Joey's little sister behind him. Seto smiled and nodded.
"Can I have the phone?" Mokuba nodded and rushed to get it and handed it to his older brother. Seto called Joey.
"Joey here."
"Joey I need you to come pick up Serenity. Yugi is sick and needs to go to the hospital. Call Yami and tell him. Tell him not to worry. And hurry."
"Ok I'll be der!" Joey shouted and hung up.
Joey rushed inside Seto's house and Serenity was already attached to his leg.
"Hey Seren."
"Yugi's sick!" She cried. Joey smiled gently and picked her up.
"Shhh...it's ok." He saw Seto on the couch with Yugi in his arms. "How is he?" Seto shrugged.
"I don't know. Did you call Yami?" Joey nodded.
"He would be there. I hope the doctor's let them see Yugi. I know I'm not supposed to right now so I better go." Seto nodded. The ambulance rushed inside and placed the now shivering boy on the stretcher.
"His temperature is at 110! We got to lower it now!" One of the paramedics shouted. They nodded and injected some medicine in the child and placed an I.V. in. Yugi was groaning in obvious pain. When they reached the hospital they had rushed Yugi in right away. His temperature kept rising and wouldn't go down.
"Where's Yugi!" Yami shouted as he ran into the hospital. Seto stood up and walked over to his panicked friend. Alas followed close behind. Mokuba watched as they talked. He had ridden in the van with his brother.
"I don't know Yami. He's sick." Yami sighed and sat down.
"Not again. What happened?" Seto sat next to him with Mokuba in his lap.
"He was fine then when Serenity screamed and I ran upstairs he had passed out. He was covered in blood and vomit."
"You don't think it's the same thing he had last time do you?" Alas asked Yami. Yami shook his head.
"No they had given him shots to prevent it from happening again so soon." Alas nodded. Yami and Alas stayed with Seto and Mokuba in the waiting room. It was an hour before the doctor came out.
"Yugi?" The gang stood up. The familiar feeling crept into Yami's body. The panic of the doctor telling them how his 'son' was. "He just had a case of the stomach flu. I must say it was quite a vicious attack. It seems he was already ill but picked up a very deadly virus from something else. Maybe he shared toys with a friend?" The gang thought back.
At the institute.
All the toys Yugi's touched. And him hurting his hand. It must have spread faster into his blood stream.
Yami sighed and sat down.
"Is he ok?" The doctor smiled.
"Yes. His temperature is still too high but I think he will recover nicely once he gets some fluids inside." Yami nodded.
"Seto I want to go see him. Please don't tell. I'll just look at him through the window. He won't even know." Seto nodded.
"I'll go to."
"Ok guys. I promise not to tell." Yami smiled and nodded.
"Please follow me." The doctor said. Yami and Alas smiled as they followed him. When they reached his room they looked through the window. Yugi was soaked to the bone. He was breathing deeply. A few wires came from under his shirt. An I.V. in his hand.
"Yami...I so badly want to go talk to him." Yami nodded and wrapped an arm around her.
"I know. He's so close yet still so far away."
"WHAT!" Yami and Alas jumped at the voice. It was Seto's.
"What's wrong Seto?" Yami asked worried. Seto came down the rest of the hallway with a cop behind him.
"They are taking Yugi again." Seto said angrily.
"What? Why?"
"Abuse again." Yami looked at Seto confused. "They think I poisoned him." Seto said pointing to the cops. "I'm also too close to the family. These guys were here the whole time. Probably waiting for us to screw up. I guess your guy's story is a big hit with the press. There was a couple here. Some even slept here to see if Yugi would come back. This is really getting out of control." Seto said worried. "I don't know how much Yugi can take." Seto looked at the sleeping face of Yugi. "I haven't got the chance to talk to him yet. He's holding it in. I can see it." Yami nodded.
Suddenly a flash came out of no where. Camera men and women were taking pictures of the gang and Yugi. Yami growled and was about to charge when Seto pulled him back.
"Not a good idea." Yami sighed. The camera people were quickly pulled away by security.
"I'm afraid you had no right to be here. Please leave. If you do not comply I will be forced to use drastic measures." The guard said.
"This just keeps getting better and better." Yami mumbled. He saw Yugi's doctor and ran over to him. "Please tell me how long will he be here?"
"Hmm...he might be able to be released later tomorrow." Yami smiled.
"So it isn't that serious. He's really ok?" The doctor smiled and nodded.
"He'll be just fine."
The doctor came to check on the boy. It was later in the day. He smiled as he looked at his temperature. It read 103.
"Good he's gone down lots." The doctor said grinning.
"Excuse me but is this the room that Yugi is in?" A man asked. The doctor turned around.
"And who might be asking?"
"I'm Mr. Jirai Katsu and this is my wife Sakau Katsu. We are Yugi's foster parents." The doctor smiled and nodded.
"Yes this is his room." The two parents smiled and walked inside.
"When can we take him home?"
"Later tomorrow." The two parents smiled at each other.
That next day...
"I don't want to go with them!" Yugi coughed. "I want to go with Seto! I want Yami and Alas!" Yugi shouted his voice hoarse.
"It's ok little one they will take care of you." The doctor said trying to get Yugi to take his medicine before he went.
"Please! Let me go!" The doctor smiled sadly and gave him his medicine.
"Come now Yugi lets go." Jirai said taking the boy's hand.
"No! Let go!" Yugi said feebly struggling against them. Jirai had to lift and carry the struggling child to the car.
"Now Sit! I will not be made a fool of in front of people!" Yugi jumped at the sudden tone of his voice. Sakau nodded and got in the front seat. Mr. Katsu locked the door, preventing Yugi from getting out and got in the drivers seat.
"Do you know why you are being taken away?" Sakau asked. Yugi nodded.
"Because they lied and Yami got in trouble."
"No. Because he didn't want you any more. He hates you and thinks you are a stupid child." Sakau growled. "We are the only ones that can love such a messed up boy as you." Jirai watched amused at the eternal struggle in Yugi in the rear view mirror.
"You're lying! You lie!" Yugi shouted.
"It's true. Did you ever ask him? Did he ever call you? Did he come visit you at the hospital?" Yugi looked angry at the adults.
"I'll never believe you!" They smirked.
"We'll see about that..." They whispered.
Yugi looked out the window at his new home. He sighed and looked sorrowfully around. Tears pricked his eyes. No! He wouldn't cry! He won't show he is hurting! Never again!
"Get out!" Jirai barked. Yugi got out and was going to make a run for it when Jirai grabbed his roughly and pulled him to the door. All the doors to the house were locked. "Damn boy! Move it!" Yugi was trapped.
"I hate you!" Yugi shouted. Sakau turned and slapped Yugi. Yugi tumbled to the ground.
"What's my name?" Jirai asked. Yugi looked up at him. "Answer!" Jirai growled and kicked Yugi as he tried to get up. "It's daddy! Now call me daddy and my wife mommy!" Yugi glared at him and shook his head. "Ungrateful boy!" He punched Yugi to the floor. "Call me daddy!" He lifted the small boy by the collar. "Now!"
"N...no...!" He threw him to the ground. He forced Yugi to the ground. Sakau pushed her high heal shoe into Yugi's back.
"Say it!" Yugi shook his head. The heal went further into the boy's soft skin.
"Call me mommy and I'll release you!" Yugi suppressed a whimper and shook his head. Further. A small scream came from Yugi.
"Stubborn one isn't he?"
"Yes not like the others." They snickered.
"This will be..." Jirai paused trying to think of the right word.
"...amusing." Sakau said. Yugi looked at the ground. 'Yami. Please. Why?' Yugi thought. He felt the heal push farther into his bruised back.
"Please...st...stop..."
"Say! It!" Jirai smirked. Yugi bit his lip and mumbled something. "What!"
"Dad. Stop." Jirai smirked.
"And?"
"Mom. Stop." Yugi said softly.
"See now that wasn't so hard. If you listen to us. Nothing bad will happen. Understand?" Yugi nodded and stood up.
"Good." Sakau said smiling. Yugi held it inside. The anger he was surprising was intense. He couldn't screw up. He was once again home.
Yugi looked at himself in the mirror in the bathroom. The bruised boy staring back at him made him sick. He had been staying at the Katsu's for a week now. He has been starved and forced to work despite his age. A 5 year old boy almost 6 looked at his true self in a dirty mirror. He had been forced to grow too quickly from the very start. From his point of view 5 years was too long for a person to live. It was just too hard. What was Yami doing now? Did he care? The constant taunts were getting to the boy.
"I can't...do this..." Yugi said standing on a stool and climbing on to the counter. He rummaged through a cabinet and grabbed a bottle of pills. "This is it...I'll be free..." Yugi mumbled as he took the container and got off the counter. He opened the capsule and took a pill out and examined it. His heart beat faster. He placed it in his mouth and swallowed it. "This isn't so hard." Yugi said taking a handful and stuffing it into his mouth.
Yugi stumbled to his room after taking what was rest of the bottle of the sleeping pills. That's all he wanted to do...was sleep forever. He was sorry to leave Yami but he was sure Yami didn't care and would get over him. The little boy that he had found so cold on his parents porch. The little boy that was impaled with a pole, afraid of dogs, was so severely sick, abused, raped...this little child that smiled, caught a fish and out of the kindness of his heart let it go, laughed, and had changed the lives of so many. Was now laying there. Barely breathing. Numbness took over and he fell into his wanted eternal sleep.
He heard mumbling and some one lifting him into their arms.
"No god dammit! Not another one! We will be blamed!" Sakau shrieked as Jirai picked up the boy.
"No we won't we'll just say he got into them when we were sleeping. No one will know. Now call the ambulance!" Jirai laid Yugi on the bed since he had fallen to the floor. What they had forgotten was the most important thing. Yugi's wounds.
The ambulance rushed inside the house. Every thing seemed to slow down. The flashing lights of the police cars shined through the window.
"Hurry get the boy. The hospital is too far for an ambulance. We are closer!" A man shouted. The man nodded and ran into the room and gasped.
"YUGI!" Yami ran over to the boy. Tears in his eyes. "Ra! No!" He picked up the boy. Yami rushed outside with tears in his eyes. Every gaped at the scene. The limp child in Yami's arms. His lips were blue. Was he dead? Yami rushed into the car. Alas drove. Were they too late? The sirens were loud. Telling every one to move. "Yugi. Ra. Yugi. Please open your eyes." That's when Yami noticed it...no them...the wounds. He glared at them. "How dare they. Yugi I swear I'll get them." He held the boy close. Never. He promised this would never happen again and now look. Pulse weak.
Yami rushed Yugi inside. This was it. It might be the last time he will see Yugi. If he survived he would make sure this would never happen again. NEVER! He'll die before he let anyone hurt this child once more.
The doctor rushed to do test to figure out the medication the child took. They struggled to keep the boy alive in the process. He was weakening every second. Every second his chances grew weaker. Yugi started to have painful convulsions. He shook and his weak body struggled to live. They tried to keep Yugi's air way open. His breathing was still ragged. They quickly hooked up machines to watch how he was doing. He was slowly failing. Once figuring out the right procedure they began to save the boy. They set up a Hemodialysis and started to clean Yugi's blood. The medicine had already been too absorbed to pump his stomach.
"Who is here for the boy that was rushed in?" Yami stood up with Alas. "He will be fine. No real sign of internal damage. It was like some one was watching over him. It's a miracle he survived...but...there are bruises on his body. It seems that his already broken arm was jutted out of place again. We had to re do the whole thing. Now it takes great force to do that. Who was this child with?" Yami looked sorrowfully at Alas.
"He's adoptive parents." The doctor nodded and wrote some notes. Yugi would live. He was ok physically...sort of. Enough to fix.
Yami watched the machines live for Yugi right now. They said they would take him off after that night. Right now he was too tired. Too tired to even breathe. Yami held Yugi's hand.
"This will never happen to you ever again. I know I've said this a hundred times but I'm dead serious. Those people are going to pay Yugi." Yami sighed and kissed the top of Yugi's hand. The boy was soaked and looked really pale. "I'm so sorry you felt this way. That dying was the only way to escape." Yami wanted to just hold the boy and never let him go...ever.
"I'm not going to leave! I'll not stand for it this time! He is a 5 year old that just tired to commit suicide! Damn are you all blind! 5 year old! Suicide! They do not belong in the same sentence!" Yami shouted. Alas smiled as he watched Yami. She had a hold of Yugi's hand.
"Yugi you will be fine from now on. Yami will make sure of that." Alas whispered. "You have to wake up."
"You have to leave!"
"No!" The guard got angry.
"NOW GET OUT!" Yugi's eyes snapped open and he screamed!
"No! Please I'll move!" Yugi's eyes were dilated. Yami ran over to the terrified boy.
"Yugi shhh…no. It's ok." Yugi continued to scream. "Please. I'm here. It's Yami." Yami said softly. It didn't stop.
"N…nnooo! You hate me! Get away! Please! I don't want…I hurt…" Yugi said leaning over and holding his stomach. Yami's eyes widened and he helped Yugi lay down. They called the doctor in.
"He'll be fine." The doctor said checking the machines. "He's just having some pain. I gave him morphine and it should kick in soon." Yami nodded and smiled. Yugi was laying with his eyes closed on the bed. The doctor smiled. "I'll leave you to talk to him."
"Thank you." Yami resumed his seat next to Yugi. "I'm so sorry Yugi. I truly am." Yugi shook his head.
"Liar." He whispered. Yami looked sadly at the boy.
"Why do you say that?" He asked.
"They told me." Yugi said simply.
"They?"
"I was bad again. Mommy told me so." Yugi whispered. He opened his eyes. "I am a very bad boy. I told. I should be punished." Yugi's eyes. They were the same…as the day he found the boy shivering in the hospital so long ago.
"No." Yami said sternly. "You are not bad."
"If I'm not then why do they do this? Why does it hurt?" Yami didn't know what to say.
"Some people just don't understand what they are doing. They hurt others because they hurt inside." Alas spoke up. Yugi looked over at her.
"Mommy loved me. Why did she leave?" Yugi looked at his fingers. "I think she loved me…maybe she never did…" Yugi whispered.
"Your real mother?" Alas asked. Yugi nodded. "I'm sure she loved you very much. She was probably afraid."
"I was to." Alas nodded.
"She's only human." Yugi shrugged.
"So was I." Yami held Yugi's hand.
"Please Yugi. I understand you're upset. Please listen you are not going to ever get hurt again. I promise."
"Don't promise something you can't keep." Yugi said softly.
"I'm so sorry Yugi. Ra. I'm so sorry. We all are." Yami said hugging Yugi close. Alas smiled and joined in. Yugi whimpered.
"It's ok. Cry Yugi." Yugi was trying to suppress it. It was so hard. Holding it in. All the anger and confusion. The hurt and pain. It was all too much for the child. He had to let it out or he would break. Yugi broke down. Sobbing his little heart out he clinged to Yami and Alas.
"Please don't leave me." Yugi whispered. They tightened their hold.
"We will never leave you. We both love you like a son." Yugi smiled and snuggled closer to them. Feeling their warmth. This right here was what he needed to forget. He had been waiting for this. Now he was right in the middle of it…and…all he could do was cry.
I am free to ideas if you have any...or even corrections on my story. I want it to be good and if you can help I really appreciate it. THANK U 2 EVERY ONE THAT REVIEWED! PLEZ R&R THANX!I also re-did some grammar on chappie 20 4 ya.
Thank you...4 reviewin'!
i love athrun
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Animefreak54
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suekosa
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Chetra-card
sorry 'bout ur friends. That's probably what would happen to me so I just quite having parties...it's too much of a bother. Here I give you a replica of Yugi's plushy! He wanted you to have one.
suekosa-I really like that idea I'll just have to use it...though I changed it a little it was inspired by your review. Thanx!
Hikari Skysong, mobileholmes, Moon'sHope,Living Arrow,Seers-of-a-lost-paradise-
Thanks for telling me Mai's last name. My mind just went blank!
Sami Ryou's Hikari-
Thanks for telling me about Mai's last name...I luv the poem! It was great! Just like all the rest
Masami Mistress Of Fire
Thanx 4 telling me Mai's last name and I spelt Seto's wrong...My bad everyone! Thanx again!