Chapter 21

The Quicker The Things Unfold The Quicker The Pain Subsides

"Yugi!" Yami gently turned him over. The boy was so pail and...thin...too thin. He checked for a pulse and sighed in relief when he felt one. "Yugi. Yugi wake up." He said gently patting the child's cheeks. The boy didn't respond. Lifting him in his arms he realized how light the boy really was. "I think he just needs some food, some sugar. He is malnourished and probably dehydrated." Bakura nodded holding his son close. He led them to his room and gently laid the boy down on his cot. "See if you can wake him. I'll be right back." Bakura sat Ryou on the edge of the bed and kneeled down next to the boy tiring, in vain, to wake him.

When Yami returned he handed Ryou and Bakura a soda and then he walked over to Yugi. He lifted the boy and held his head up. It was almost as if he was lifting a pillow by how light the child was. He was so alarmingly thin. He opened a can and coaxed the boy to wake.

"Bakura will you message his throat and see if you can get him to swallow? I need to get something into him." Bakura nodded, after opening his son's pop can and handing it to him. Then he moved over to help prop the boy up better. Yami held the can up to the child's lips and allowed a little bit of pop to leak into his slightly parted mouth. Bakura gently rubbed the child's throat different ways trying to find the best way to get him to swallow. "Yugi. Come one now. Wake up." Ryou looked worried as he sat on the edge of the bed. He absentmindedly sipped his drink and watched as they helped his best friend.

"He's going to be ok. Right?" He asked in a small voice. Bakura smiled and nodded to his son.

"Of course. He's just very weak and tired from not eating. He'll be ok once he eats."

"Why doesn't he just eat with his mommy and daddy?" Bakura sighed sadly and was about to respond when Yugi choked and spit out the pop. After regaining his breath he moaned very softly in discomfort. Then once getting his bearings he weakly struggled against the two bodies that were holding him.

"Yugi. Listen to my voice." Yami said very gently before continuing, "Don't move. You need to save your energy. I'm going to hold something to your mouth and I want you to take a bite." He ordered as he held a cracker up to the boy's mouth. The stubborn child sluggishly resisted any attempt to help him.

"Don't." He muttered. He was embarrassed to show any form of weakness and right now he just wanted to be left alone. What he could understand was his 'damn' teacher. Why he kept trying to help him even after all had hurt his just as stubborn teacher.

"Shh...listen. If you eat these crackers and finish the soda on your own then we'll let you. Ok?" The child cursed under his breath but complied with a slight nod. Bakura helped prop the boy against the wall then left him to eat his snack. "I want you to come in every lunch and eat with Bakura, Ryou and me every day. We'll bring you something. Alright." Yami said nodding once. Yugi glared at him and protested. "I believe you mistook that for a question. You are going to come in every lunch and eat with us." His teacher said firmly. He knew it wasn't a good idea to get the boy riled up but this was a serious issue. His student didn't reply but sat quietly nibbling on the edge of a cracker. Even Yugi couldn't help but admitted to himself it felt better to not wonder if he was going to eat the next day. With his left hand he reached up and gently rubbed his left eye.

After eating a total of 8 crackers and a whole can of pop his teachers left him to rest. Ryou refused to leave but curled up into a ball next to Yugi. His older friend was asleep before his head hit the pillow and didn't notice his little friend resting on his chest. Ryou listened to his protector's heart beat and felt his head gently rise and fall with Yugi's breathing, the perfect lullaby. Bakura and Yami smiled as they quietly left the room and walked to the class room.

"What are we going to do?" Bakura mumbled sitting in a child's desk that was next to Yami's.

"I wish I knew." The young man sighed. Placing his head in his hands his shoulders slumped in defeat. Bakura smiled slightly to himself.

"I've never seen my son so comfortable with some one. Not since..." The albino trailed off. Yami looked up at his partner curiously.

"Something happened to him?" Sighing dejectedly Bakura nodded.

"I should have known. By the way my son acted...but since my wife was ill I was...blinded?" Sighing again he stood and walked over to the window not too far from Yami's desk. Still in earshot of Yami. "I've hated myself for not noticing. How much I hurt my son."

"I'm sure it wasn't your fault." Yami said gently, as if to one of his students.

"I should have been there." Bakura muttered absentmindedly.

"What happened?"

"When Ryou was about 7 he's mother became very ill with cancer. It's been at least a year since she has been...gone."

"I'm sorry." The tri haired man said softly. Bakura smiled slightly, still gazing out the window.

"I wish I knew. I set up a babysitter for Ryou. I didn't want him to come every day to the hospital and see his mother like that. The babysitter, Rachel, was recommended by a co-worker of mine. I was desperate and she didn't need that much pay. I left him in her hands..." The man trailed off again wrapped in the horrid memories or his son's childhood. "I should have stopped it. My wife told me every day to look after him and never to give him up. I failed her and him." A tear slipped past the man's now tightly closed eyes. "She was hurting him every day. I never saw. She yelled at every little thing. I still have the tape...I had no real reason to be wondering about her...if only I reviewed the tapes earlier. Tape after tape after tape of her slapping and screaming at him. He only had to look at her in the eyes and she'd go ballistic. I don't understand why I didn't see any sign of the abuse. Every day I look back and remember her excuses for a burn or a bump. I noticed a behavior change but I thought it was just him growing up, and as naive as I was at being a parent, I thought it was a phase. Until he started stuttering and wetting his bed again. He hadn't wet his bed since he was 3. I knew something was wrong. I stayed home instead of going to the hospital and reviewed one of the camera's in his room...Before even a minuet was up he had already been slapped and pushed around." Tightening his fist he continued, "I fired her the next day and pressed charges. I was so ashamed...I couldn't tell my wife. That day I held my son for hours apologizing. He kept saying 'its ok daddy'...but it wasn't. I wanted him to not remember any of the abuse. Then when things looked better my wife died and we moved...and moved. Trying to find some where 'safe' for him. Last school he was bullied and the school didn't inform me immediately and it went on for a couple of months. I was so angry but there was nothing I could really do. I really like this place. I love that Ryou has confided in Yugi...It's just that Yugi is still being hurt and that tears at me..." Yami smiled and got up from his desk. Walking over he placed a hand on Bakura's shoulder.

"You didn't nothing wrong. You don't need to blame yourself any longer. You're own son doesn't and I bet he doesn't want to know you blame yourself. He doesn't want to see you hurt." Bakura nodded slightly.

"I know it's just so hard."

"One day then." Yami said simply. "But always remember...you were the one that stopped it. You saved him." The albino father beamed at Yami.

"Yeah. You're right."

"Of course. I'm a teacher." Bakura chuckled but it slowly faltered.

"What about Yugi?"

"He will be fine. I'll find a way to save him." Nodding slightly Ryou's father turned toward Yami.

"I'll do what ever it takes to help as well." Yami smiled and nodded to his friend.

"Thanks. Now lets work on what we will be doing tomorrow." Bakura smiled and nodded.

They had been working for about two in a half hours, Bakura was out getting them something to eat as Yami finished cleaning up. Sighing the young teacher slumped into his chair. Closing his eyes he rubbed them trying to wipe the sleepiness that was slowly tugging at him.

A motor of a car rumbled through the air. Low mumbling was heard. Slurred words ran together...slowly becoming clearer.

"Damn!...kill...boy!...idiot..."

"Please..." A woman's voice pleaded. "...Not...son...stop!" Yami opened his eyes. He was no longer in his class room. Rain fell to the ground and soaked his now matted hair. Looking up he saw the dark heavy clouds linger above him.

"Mommy." A boy whispered. Yami turned and saw a very small child being dragged away by a man. The child was around the age of 3. His short legs strained to keep up with his father's long strides.

"Shut up boy." The man mumbled. A frail looking woman ran after them. "I told you never to embarrass me in front of my friends' woman!" The man yelled and back handed his wife.

"Mommy!" The child shouted as she fell to the wet cement.

"I-I'm s-sorry, honey. R-re-really." She stuttered, wiping her mouth clear of blood, and shakily standing up. The man jerked the small child into the car and slammed the door after he was inside.

"Get in." He hissed. She looked fearfully at her husband but complied. Yami watched and wondered if he could also get in the car. Reaching out his hand went right through the mental door. 'Curious.' He thought as he went through the door and sat down next to the young tri haired boy.

After getting in he started the car and drove off. "You god damn bitch. Always blabbering!" He bellowed. The small child wiped his face off with his wet hands, only to smudge more dirt on his face. He seemed unfazed by the whole argument. The car sped up.

"Honey please, slow down." The woman whimpered. A car pulled out in front of them.

"Damn bastard!" He shouted slamming on the breaks. "I'm should kill that son a bitch." He grumbled.

"Daddy?" Yugi asked from the back seat.

"Not now boy!" He shouted as he continued down the slick road. "That god damn idiot."

"Please calm down." The wife pleaded softly.

"I know what I'm doing bitch! You think you're smarter than me huh? I always see you flirting with those other men!"

"Please I would never do that. Not ever. I love you. Think about your son who I'm sure you're frightening." She tried once again to calm her husband. He slammed on the gas.

"You want me to stop? I take no orders for the likes of you!" Speeding up he passed a sign that read 'Construction Ahead'. Yugi looked out the window and laid his head back on the seat. Yami watched as the child closed his eyes and covered his ears, and then softly mumbled to himself. The young man wanted to reach out and hold the boy but every time he tried his hand went right through the child. Panic slowly rose when they reached the constriction zone. 'What in the world is this crazy man thinking!' Yami wanted to sit back and cover his ears and close his eyes just like the small boy beside him but he felt compelled to watch this whole thing unfold.

So Sorry About The Wait! I know I'm really lazy and I really haven't felt like doing much. I haven't even been on my Xanga in years...well it seems like years. I've just had so much work and my old 'friends' and my mother are giving me shit. We've been fighting non-stop. Arg. I just do really feel like typing when I feel so down ya know? I'm sure ya might. Everyone feels like shit every now and then but god I really with my parents would just get a damn divorce. . My cat is ill and I wanted her put down cause she's suffering but my dad wouldn't let me. I hate them all! God! sorry. well I'm already working on the next chappie. When ever I do feel like it I usually only get a couple of paragraphs written before I feel like shit again. I'm so screwed up. Or i have to go drive my mum around some where cause she 'needs' something. So she can bitch about more shit. hehe...Sorry for not working faster. I'll try in the future.

Ok everyone tell me what story they would like me to update and I'll do my best to get that out soon. Promise. I'll see what you guys say. Which stories I NEED to update since I've been neglecting them. Sorry Again.

Thank You so much!

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