Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any related characters. And the copyright is still in effect for about 70 more years…
A/N: O.O It's been way too long since I've worked on this fic… (Okay, so it was a year…) You see, for the longest time I have been working on this other fic… It took me forever just to figure out this chapter! Speaking about this chapter, it was changed from what I originally planed. Remember when I said there was going to be two alternate endings? Well, it's not two separate endings anymore! This can be taken as the true ending. If you're satisfied with the previous one, then don't read this. In some ways, this ending is more depressing than the other one. The beginning is confusing. (Well, at least to explain it…) That's all I have to say. On to the conclusion of "Why Mother?"!
Beeping. What was that annoying beeping noise? There's also talking. I think it's two people. One is male and the other is female. Definitely not mommy or daddy. Why am I hearing this?
"Why hasn't he woken up yet?" the male voice said meekly. Is he talking about me?
"The doctor said he should wake up any day," the female voice said. "Don't worry, Yuugi. Mokuba is going to pull through." They are talking about me! So I'm not dead after all! That must be the greatest thing I've heard in the longest time. Wait a minute. The male voice was Yuugi? That meant the female voice had to belonged to Anzu.
"How's Mokuba?" a third voice said. It sounded like Honda.
"There's been no change," Anzu said. "How's Jonouchi holding up? He hasn't tried to kill Kaiba yet."
"He said he's slowly going insane. It's not our fault that he suggested to play jan ken pon (1) to see who watches over Kaiba. You know he doesn't have any luck when it comes to that game." Did something happen to Seto?
"What about Kaiba-kun" Yuugi asked.
"Same as yesterday. I hope he gets better before Mokuba wakes up. Hate to see the kid's face when he sees Kaiba." No… I must find out what happened to Seto!
"Nii-sama," I muttered weakly. I didn't recognize it at first, but then realized how weak I must be after what happened. The room became quite. "Where's… nii-sama…?"
"Mokuba-kun!" Yuugi yelled. "Don't talk! You're still healing after yesterday!"
"Honda, go get the doctor!" Anzu yelled.
"I'm on it!" Honda responded.
"Nii-sama," I whispered again. I slowly opened my eyes, but had to close them again due to the bright lights. After a few more attempts, my eyes finally adjusted to the intense hospital lights. I saw Anzu and Yuugi standing by my bed. A doctor ran in with Honda and stood at the foot of the bed.
"Ohayo, Mokuba-kun," the doctor said. "You gave us all a scare yesterday. How are you feeling?"
"I had better days," I said, my voice still weak. "Where's nii-sama?" Once more, there was an eerie silence in the room. The only sound was coming from the machinery that was hooked up to me. Yuugi, Anzu and Honda turned their gaze from me.
"I think it's best if you see him tomorrow," the doctor said.
"Something happened to him," I said. There was no need to ask. The atmosphere of the room gave it away.
"He'll be fine. Right now, you need some sleep." I guess the doctor did have a point. I was pretty tired.
"Fine. But I want to see him tomorrow." The doctor nodded and gave me a sad looking smile. It was more of a pity smile than anything else. But I'll have to think more about it tomorrow. I closed my eyes and instantly fell asleep again.
I woke up early the next day, fully refreshed. The doctor stalled me once more from letting me see Seto. He said I should wait for Yuugi-tachi (2) to come so they could be there for me. That's never a good sign.
They came around four in the afternoon. I already had caught up with my schoolwork that I have missed. I finished that around noon. So, I was stuck watching TV. Who knew soap operas about samurais could be so interesting?
"How you feeling Mokuba?" Jonouchi asked. "Sorry I couldn't be here when you woke up."
"I'm fine, Jou," I replied. "And don't worry about it. You had to watch over nii-sama for whatever reason you guys don't want me to know about. So, how about taking me to him so I won't be in the dark?"
"All right, Mokuba," Anzu said. "But just to let you know, your brother isn't in the greatest shape."
"I already figured that out. Why else would everyone stall me from seeing nii-sama? I want to be there for him just like he would be there for me." With that said, Anzu left to go get me a wheelchair.
"Anzu's right," Honda said. "Kaiba isn't in a good condition."
"I'm not dumb, Honda," I said coldly. "Like I said before, I figured that something was wrong with nii-sama. And Jonouchi, why did you even suggest playing jan ken pon to see who would watch over nii-sama?"
"You guys told him that?" Jonouchi yelled. "I can't believe it!"
"They didn't tell me! I heard Honda talk about it while they thought I was still asleep."
"Oh… Well, it all started with Yuugi saying someone should watch over Kaiba. Of course, he volunteered himself. Knowing Kaiba, he would throw a fit if he ever found out that Yuugi was watching over him. So, I suggested that we all play jan ken pon to see who guards over Kaiba. That's how I got stuck watching your brother." Figures… I wonder if Jonouchi knew that Seto would throw a bigger fit if he found out Jonouchi watched over him than if it was Yuugi….
"I still say you lost on purpose," Honda said.
"How many time do I have to tell you that there is no way to lose on purpose in that game! And why would I do that when I hate Kaiba!" I had to laugh at that. Even the thought of Jonouchi losing on purpose just so he could watch over Seto was enough to make almost anyone laugh.
"Be quiet Jonouchi!" Anzu scolded. "This is a hospital. You know, where people are trying to get better and sleep."
"Yeah, yeah," Jonouchi said. "Now lets go see your brother, okay?"
I smiled and nodded at the idea. I just had to see Seto. Jonouchi lifted me out of the bed, since I was still feeling a little weak, and placed me on the wheelchair. Honda opened the door, and we proceeded to Seto's room.
"So, how long have I've been out?" I asked.
"Almost a week," Yuugi said. "It was a good thing Jonouchi-kun found you when he did, or else you would have been dead."
"That's another thing I've been wondering about," Honda said. "Why were you even in the graveyard?"
"I'll explain after we get to Kaiba's room," Jonouchi said softly. Must mean that it relates as to why Seto is in the hospital as well.
The rest of the walk was in silence. We actually had to go down a few floors. The floor that we got off scared me. The chart that had all the floors on it said we were in the ICU.
"What happened? What happened to nii-sama?" I asked. My voice had an insecure sound to it. Why wouldn't it? Seto was in the ICU.
"I'll explain after you see him," Jonouchi said in a melancholy tone. We stopped in front of a door. The nameplate on the side of the door had Seto's name on it. "Before you do see him, his condition is not as bad as it was before. There have been improvements, but not much."
"I want to see him," I said, my voice was steady once more.
"Alright."
Jonouchi opened the door while Anzu pushed me in. The site that lay before me was not one I was expecting. Seto was on a bed with wires connecting him to different machinery. One machine monitored his heart, while another was helping him breath. There were so many, most I didn't even know what they were for! His whole body was bandaged up; some parts even had a cast. For the first time in years, Seto looked weak and defenseless.
"He got hit by a speeding car," Jonouchi said, breaking the silence I didn't even realize was there. "I was on my way to Yuugi's house from my part-time job when I ran into him. He looked upset, so I asked him what's wrong. Of course, being Kaiba, he said it was none of my business. I was about to yell at him, but he ran off. That's when the car hit him. I swear, the guy must have been drunk. Not only was he speeding, but also he ran a red light. Even worse, the guy drove away without stopping."
"You never told us that!" Honda yelled.
"The less I tell this story, the better. You weren't there to see Kaiba in the middle of the street, dying while it was raining. I still can't get that image out of my head. There was so much blood… Just one hit… Mokuba, you know what he said? He said that something bad was going to happen to you and that I needed to find you. He said that he had a strange feeling that you were in the graveyard that was across the street. Then, he fell unconscious. That's when the ambulance came. While the paramedics were loading Kaiba, I ran to the graveyard. I called out for you, but you wouldn't reply. You couldn't because you were unconscious as well. I somehow stopped the blood from coming out, and ran back to the paramedics with you on my back. And that's how both you and your brother got here." I sat there in complete shock. Seto is dying because I wanted to kill myself so he could be happy. Wow, kinda ironic…
"I'm sorry, Mokuba-kun," Yuugi said.
"Can I… Can I have some time alone?" I asked. I could feel the tears rolling down my faces. Amazing how my voice was still steady. "But before you go, can you take me over to nii-sama?"
"Sure, kid," Jonouchi said softly. Jonouchi wheeled me over to Seto's bed and sat next to me. I heard Yuugi, Anzu, and Honda leave the room, while Jonouchi and I just sat there and kept Seto company.
A week past, then two. I was released from the hospital and was allowed to temporarily take over Kaiba Corp. That is, until Seto woke up. It was difficult to balance school and work. I still don't know how Seto does it.
The police finally tracked down the man who hit Seto. Evidently, the guy wasn't drunk at all. He was a former employee that we fired because he was selling information to one of our rival companies. He said it was for revenge, since everything in his life went down hill after he got the pink slip. Now, he's going to be on trial. I hope he gets the maximum.
Seto is still in his coma. I visit him right after I do some work. Yuugi-tachi are usually there when I arrive. But the one person that is always there is Jonouchi. I guess he feels guilty for not being able to save Seto. We would talk about random things, like school, video games, even Duel Monsters. Eventually, I offered him a job at Kaiba Corp as a tester for our latest products. Of course, being Jonouchi, he accepted.
The problem is that Dr. Hitomi, the doctor that was taking care of Seto and I (well, when I was in the hospital that is), is saying I might have to make a choice. Seto's condition is getting worse, and there is still a possibility he might not wake up. He says that they might pull the plug on him. I told him to never do that to Seto. I know Seto will wake up. He would never leave me…
It's been a month since I woke up. I knew something was different today, but I couldn't figure it out. I saw Jonouchi in his seat next to Seto's bed when I walked into the room today.
"Hey, Mokuba," Jonouchi said.
"Hi, Jou. Nothing new?"
"I think I saw him twitch when I called him a loser with no skills. Seriously!"
"You know, if Seto really could hear you, you're going to be dead."
"He wouldn't kill one of his own employees. Would he?"
"Don't…" a small weak voice whispered. "Don't under… estimate me…" I recognize that voice. Jonouchi and I turned to face Seto.
"Nii-sama!" I yelled.
"Hey… Mokuba…" Seto whispered. There was a faint smile on his face. A true smile.
"Jonouchi, go get the doctor!"
"I'm already on it!"
"What's the… make inu doing… here?" Seto asked weakly.
"He watched over you when I couldn't be here… Oh nii-sama! I'm sorry for all of this! It's all my fault that you almost died! You were in a coma for about a month!"
"Don't worry… Mokuba… As long as you… are alright… then everything… is fine…"
"Nii-sama…"
"Kaiba-sama!" Dr. Hitomi yelled. "You're finally awake! How are you feeling?"
"Like I was hit… by an American… Hummer…"
"Actually, it was a Honda that hit you," Jonouchi said.
"Why don't you two go outside. I need to ask Kaiba-sama a few questions."
"Alright…" I muttered. "I'll be back tomorrow, okay nii-sama?"
"Okay… Mokuba…" Seto said with his weak smile on his face once more.
I kept true to my word. The next day, I went to see Seto. Of course, the people Seto hates the most had to come. Meaning Yuugi-tachi went with me. Dr. Hitomi called me last night saying Seto could come home today, which was great news. The bad news about that was that he had to be on bed rest for about three weeks due to he's still healing. To make it worse, Seto couldn't work for at least a month! Not to mention he has to use a wheelchair until he finishes his physical therapy.
"Ohayo, Dr. Hitomi!" I said when I walked out of the elevator.
"Ohayo, Mokuba-kun. How are you and your friends doing?"
"I'm fine, but I think Honda might need a band-aid or something…"
"Oh?" Dr. Hitomi said as he looked at the scratch on Honda's cheek. "Mind if I ask what happened?"
"Stupid cat…" Honda muttered. "I swear, it must have belonged to Kaiba because they act the same way!"
"Honda, just because a cat with brown fur, blue eyes, and can glare like Kaiba doesn't mean it is raised by him," Anzu stated.
"Besides, he did like Jonouchi-kun," Yuugi added. Everyone nodded, except Honda who was muttering something about how cats were stupid.
"Hey, I'm going to get nii-sama. Why don't you guys wait here so I can tell him you came with me. He's not the type who likes surprises."
"Good idea," Yuugi said. "We'll meet you two in the cafeteria, okay?"
"Sure! See you guys later!"
"Ohayo, nii-sama," I said when I entered Seto's room.
"Ohayo, Mokuba," he responded. "Can you believe that crack-job of a doctor said I can't work for at least a month? Does he know what could happen if I just take a week off from Kaiba Corp? I'm surprised it has lasted this long without me! Who's been in charge all this time?"
"Umm, I have…"
"What? Really?"
"Well, I did have some help… Otogi helped the most, since I know you wouldn't like Pegasus have any say in how your company is ran. But for the most part, I did what you usually do." Seto just stared at me. After about three minutes (I timed it!), he smiled.
"I have been so busy with work that I never noticed how much you've grown." I blushed in embarrassment and turned to look out the window. Outside, it was raining while the sun was out.
"Mommy's crying,"; I said.
"What are you talking about?"
"Look outside. Mommy's crying because she's happy that things turned out for the best."
Owari
1 jan ken pon – Japanese way of saying rock, paper, scissors.
2 Yuugi-tachi – lit. Yuugi and company, or Yuugi and friends
A/N: It's kinda sad the reason why I started to work on this story after a long time… Let's just say my school had an air of melancholy for a few days and I couldn't draw or work on my other fics… If you ever think of suicide, don't do it! Those who know and/or care about you will be really depressed.
The whole cat scratching Honda was random, but I noticed my other fics, a cat with brown fur and blue eyes always scratches Honda. (The color choice comes from two different fics that I hope to get up soon…) I also changed how Mokuba calls Seto. It kinda got annoying typing nii-sama after a while… So, when I had Mokuba talking to himself, he calls Seto by his name while when he's talking its nii-sama. Actually, I looked back at the last chapter, and noticed my style kinda changed… Oops… After I noticed how much changed, I decided to let the minor things go…
Well, I'm surprised on how this turned out… Not only is it the longest chapter I have ever made (Almost six pages in Arial 12 point font!), but also I actually made it so I could have a side story by pure accident! I'll have it out soon. (Hopefully… That is, if I ever do want to do it…) It's from Jonouchi's perspective. It's just to show you guys how the people watching over the Kaiba brothers handled the situation. I'm also tempted to make it have a hint of shonen-ai… I have a feeling I might not have it though… But it's up to you guys if there's going to be a side story or not! Well, that's it for "Why Mother?"! Until our paths cross again!