Sorry that this one took so long to get up, but I have to update my other ones as well. This story is probably about second place as my most popular story. Anyway, this chapter should be a good length; not too long, and not too short ... wait ... I'll rephrase that later ... Anyway, enjoy!
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Yugi was now ten years old. Life hadn't been too kind to the small, fragile boy. His Fugue episodes were pretty bad sometimes. When Atem was around, he'd have to drop whatever he was doing to go over and help the small boy bring his memory to surface again. The small boy's diabetes was bad as well. The child was constantly in the hospital, trying to get his blood sugar under control. Sometimes, he'd go into a diabetic coma for a few days; when he would come out of them, he'd always have a big asthma attack with a breathing treatment waiting for him. He caught pneumonia at the age of five, causing his immune system to weaken further. The following year, he caught the flu and had to be hospitalized in the St. John's Mercy Intensive Care Unit. In second grade, he caught the Chicken Pox. Atem was getting nervous. Each year, Yugi would come down with a different illness, or be hospitalized for some reason. One time, Atem and Yugi went to where Atem worked, and Yugi's curiosity caused him to get lost in the giant company building. When he was found, Atem found him wondering around the sidewalk outside, confused and crying.
In the fourth grade, Yugi's class went on a field trip to a local cave. The trip was meant to be both educational and fun, but the small boy fell into the freezing cold water and almost drowned. When the teachers and chaperones pulled him out of the water, he was unconscious and was taken to the hospital with a case of Hypothermia. It took three weeks to get Yugi's body temperature back to its regular temperature. Atem was in frenzy when this happened. For the next few months, he didn't let Yugi out of his sight for more then ten minutes. Yugi knew his father was only trying to look after him, but as all kids do, he wanted at lest some independence.
Luckily, Yugi had his two best friends, Ryou and Malik with him. When the two were introduced to Uncle Bakura and Uncle Marik, all four were pretty stunned, but figured it was just a weird coincidence like Yugi was to Atem. However, the three boys still didn't know that Yugi was adopted, so they didn't quite understand it. Ryou was a little scared of Uncle Marik, but Yugi explained that he wouldn't harm a hair on his head, despite the threats he gave. The three boys spent a lot of time together in school. Ryou and Malik always seemed to be the ones who pointed Yugi back to the right track when his spells would occur. Ryou seemed to be the one who helped Yugi out the most. Malik was all for helping Yugi, but when it happened too many times at once, he got a little too impatient. Atem appreciated the boys' efforts and patience, as little as it may be, but he wanted to be notified when Yugi had his episodes.
Yugi's life may have been a challenge so far, but nothing that had come prier would compare to what the child would be going through this year …
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Everyone was in the kitchen, everyone as in Yugi, Bakura, Atem, and Marik. Marik was at the stove, making breakfast while Bakura, and Yugi ate some pancakes and Atem read the newspaper. "These are really good, Uncle Marik!" Yugi chimed.
"Yeah, how come you've never cooked before?" Bakura added. Marik snickered.
"'Cuz I know you'll always do it, 'Kura!" The youngest of the triplets cringed and started cursing silently so Yugi wouldn't hear. Atem chuckled while looking at his newspaper.
"Why would you want to eat his food anyway, Bakura? You know as well as I do that he'd probably poison it."
"That's where you're wrong, 'Tem; I didn't poison it this time!" Marik said, flipping scrambled eggs in a pan. Atem rolled his eyes.
"That's right; you just spike Cousin Larry's punch at every family reunion, when you know he's already attending AA meetings." Marik laughed like an evil maniac.
"Ding, ding! You've won our game! Now you get to choose which ingredient gets added to your eggs: poison,crap I scrapped off the underside of the counter, laxative, or surprise!"
"Surprise." Yugi, Bakura, and Atem all said in unison.
"Yeah, yeah, everyone always chooses surprise." Atem laughed and put the paper down.
"Yugi, don't forget that we have your yearly doctor's appointment this afternoon." Yugi groaned.
"Can't we not go just this once, Dad?" He hated it when the nurses weighed him and told him that he needed to put some meat on his bones. He also hated being measured, knowing that he was too small for his age.
"You know we need to go to see if you need any more medication. Plus, I need prescriptions for the medicines you're already taking." Yugi sighed and looked at the pile of pills he was required to take. A stimulant for his asthma, a pill for his diabetes, an anti-anxiety pill for his hyper-tension, anti-histamine for his allergies, an anti-depressant for his depression, and an anti-biotic for his recent sinus infection. Can you imagine a child having to take all those pills at once?"
"But Dad, I don't want any more pills …"
"I don't want you to have any more pills either Yugi, but don't you want to feel better?"
"Yes …"
"Then that's how we're gonna doing it."
"But"---
"No 'buts'; you're going, end of discussion." Yugi sighed and swirled a piece of pancake in syrup."
---
It was Yugi's yearly check up from Dr. Manteuffel. The small boy sat on the table wearing a hospital gown, swinging his legs. Atem sat in a chair, reading one of the old magazines. Yugi hated coming to the doctor. Even though he'd known Manteuffel all his life, every time he came, some kind of news always followed. Whether it be the need of special insulin, or overnight stays for tests, he never liked hearing that he needed to be in the hospital longer then he had to be. The small boy sighed as they waited for Manteuffel to make his appearance. "Dad, when is he going to come in?" Atem didn't even look up from his magazine as he turned the page.
"In a minute, Yugi; he does have other patients, you know." Yugi sighed again.
"But I'm getting cold …"
"You're fine."
"I have to go to the bathroom …"
"You just went."
" … I'm thirsty …"
"No you're not." Yugi sighed again. His excuses weren't working this year. Atem knew all the tricks Yugi used and found a way around them.
"Dad, please, I don't wanna be here!" Finally, Atem put the magazine down and went to comfort his child.
"Yugi, I don't want to be here either, but you know that we have to get these yearly tests to make sure that you're alright." Atem started running his fingers through Yugi's hair. The small boy nuzzled under his father's touch. He loved Atem dearly. Finally, a knock on the door grabbed both of their attention.
"Hello, Atem and Yugi; how are we today?" Atem smiled.
"Fine, thank you."
"Actually, I was"--- Yugi said before Atem quickly covered his son's mouth with his hand. The young father just looked at the doctor with a 'please continue' look. Manteuffel looked through the files and smiled.
"Well, it looks like everything is fine for right now. Nothing to be concerned with … which concerns me." He chuckled while saying that. Atem did too, but Yugi found it very confusing. He learned not to try to figure out what adults say. But he didn't mind. The only thing he wanted to do was to get dressed and go home. So Yugi gathered his clothes and walked to the restroom to change. Atem looked down the corridor to make sure Yugi couldn't hear what he was about to say next. When he was sure Yugi was gone, he turned to Manteuffel, surprising the doctor.
"It's starting to happen …"
"What's starting to happen?" Atem closed the door and looked at Manteuffel with a look of panic.
"He's asking questions." Manteuffel raised a brow.
"About ...?"
"His mother!"
"Oh …"
"How am I supposed to tell him that he has no mother?
"You mean he hasn't asked before?" Atem started to pace, nervously around the room.
"Sure he's asked, but I just said that his mother died when he was a baby and he left it alone." Manteuffel shrugged in a casual way.
"Well, then I don't see what the problem is." Atem gazed into Manteuffel's eyes with his face only inches away. His ruby irises held fear and desperation.
"Now he wants proof! He's starting to look for pictures and asks if we can go see his mother's grave! What am I supposed to do when we get there, and there's no one by the name of "Chaya Darkling!"
"Atem …"
"I can't just sit by and watch as my son is slowly taken away from me!"
"Atem …"
"Doctor, please, tell me what I'm supposed to do!" Manteuffel sighed and pointed to the doorway. When Atem looked to where the doctor was pointing, he saw a devastated, shocked, and confused looking Yugi. Atem gasped when he saw the tears streaming down his son's face.
"I-it's not true, is it?" Atem got up and walked to Yugi, but the boy began to back away.
"Yugi, how much did you hear?" Yugi made a sniffling noise.
"Is it true? You're … not my real dad?" Atem's heart skipped a beat. This was the question he'd been dreading for ten years. Yugi looked so desperate for him to say that 'it's not true; I was lying', but then again, he'd been lying for ten years and now it was time to stop. Atem kneeled down to Yugi's level and placed his hands on his narrow shoulders. The small boy was shaking and breathing heavily.
"Yugi … I'm sorry to say this, but …" He looked over at Manteuffel, who nodded as if saying 'it's time to tell him.' Atem gulped, "I'm so sorry … but it's true." Yugi gasped and backed away. "Now wait, let me explain"---
"No, don't come near me! You lied to me … for ten years!"
"I only did that because I love you." Yugi covered his ears.
"No, stop! You don't! If you did, you would have told me instead of lying to me!" Atem could feel the tears developing in his own eyes. Yugi was taking this a lot harder then he thought.
"But Yugi, you don't understand"---
"All I understand is that you're not the person I though you were! Just leave me alone!" And with that, the small preteen ran away.
"Yugi, wait!" Atem was about to run after him, but Manteuffel stopped him.
"Atem, let him be. Your biggest worry now is that he wants to find his real parents."
"What! But they almost killed him!"
"But he doesn't know that. All he knows right now is right now is that he doesn't know where he comes from. This is making him very confused. Come here, I have something to give to you." Atem silently followed after the doctor.
---
The drive home was a quiet one. Yugi sat in the back, saying that he didn't want to sit next to someone he didn't trust. Atem would occasionally look out the rear-view mirror and see the sad, confused, and hurt look in Yugi's eyes. The small boy just kept looking out the window as if trying to find whatever it was that was missing. Atem let a few small tears fall from his eyes. This whole thing was hurting him deeply. He'd probably crack soon.
When they got home, Yugi ran up to his room and locked the door. Atem sat on the sofa with his head in his hands, wallowing in his own self-pity. He'd been crying ever since he and Yugi got home. This was why he decided long ago not to tell Yugi about his adoption. He knew the child would react the way he did. Now things would never be as they once were…
Just as if things couldn't get bad enough, Marik and Bakura came barging in. "Alright, I'm here, now where's the beer?" Marik said, walking over to the refrigerator. Bakura noticed Atem's depressed mood and sat down on the sofa next to him.
"What's the matter with you?" Atem looked at his younger brother with tears in his eyes. Bakura was taken back for a second. He'd never seen his brothers cry before.
"Yugi found out today …" Marik made it into the living room, plopping down on the love seat with a loud belch.
"Found out what?"
"About his adoption …"
"Uh-oh …"
"How'd he take it?" Atem sighed through his hands.
"Not good; he won't come out of his room." Both Bakura and Marik looked at each other.
"Sorry Bro, but we don't know what to do with this situation." Marik said. Atem slowly nodded.
"I know … it's just something Yugi and I will have to face. It's been a problem that was sure to come from the moment I found him in that ally …" Suddenly, footsteps from the stairs were heard. Atem was relieved that Yugi finally came out of his room. He quickly wiped the tears away from his eyes as Yugi stood in front of him with a pissed off look.
"I've decided that I want to know." The brothers looked at each other in confusion.
"Know what, son?" Yugi glared at his 'father'.
"I want to know who my parents are." That statement was like an arrow through Atem's heart. But before he could speak, Bakura spoke up,
"Sorry kiddo, but there're no records of your parents anywhere." Atem swallowed the lump in his throat.
"What do you mean 'no records'? There's gotta be something the Adoption Agency you got me from has." Atem flinched at the mention of an adoption agency.
"Nope, no one could id your real folks the day you were born." Yugi hung his head low and started walking back to the stairs. Atem couldn't stand seeing Yugi so depressed and confused.
"Yugi, wait!" Yugi turned to look at Atem with tears in his eyes. Atem knew that this would be the hardest thing he ever had to do.
"Dr. Manteuffel gave me a file today," he walked over to the cabinet he kept his files in and took out what Manteuffel had given him, "it contains the information that was never found on your … parents." He cringed at that word.
"Really?" The sad father nodded.
"Yes … here it is." He handed Yugi the file, who opened it. He read about how they weren't able to be found until Yugi had turned eight years old. Then he stumbled upon the names.
"Jack and Helga Moto?" He looked at Atem, who shrugged.
"I've never met them."
"Well, I want to; I have questions that I need answered." Atem wasn't able to fight back his sadness or anger any longer.
"Yugi, I forced myself to give your those files, but I can not turn you over to someone else. That, I simply will not do." Yugi started to glare, but Atem countered with one of his own.
"Fine, I'll just have Uncle Bakura take me." Upon hearing this, Bakura scoffed.
"No way, Kiddo; you're not draggin' me into this." Yugi looked at Marik.
" … Uncle Marik?"
"Can't even drive legally." Yugi glanced from his father, to Bakura, to Marik, feeling like a fool.
"Fine, I'll call Ryou and ask if his dad will take us!" He ran out the door and slammed it shut. Bakura got up and stood next to Atem, who was watching his little boy run down the street.
"They almost killed him when he was born. What makes you thing they won't try and do it again after ten years?" Atem sighed and brushed away a tear.
"Yugi just wants to know where he's from … it's the least I could do to just give him that …"
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End of Chapter
