When Destinies Collide
By Ash Kaiba
Ash Kaiba: Welcome to When Destinies Collide chapter 02! I thank all of you who have read chapter 01 and reviewed.
Kaiba: I'm the main character and what did I get...mentioned. THAT'S ALL I GET!
Ash Kaiba: Ignore him.He's a "little" annoyed with me.Besides, he better hurry up. He needs to be on stage before I say action.
Kaiba: Oh, great...I show up after Yugi.Just what I get. (walks off stage)
Ash Kaiba: Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER! We don't own any of the characters/term(s) from the Yu-Gi-Oh show and games. We do own Ashley "Ash" Black, Kathryn Takemura, and Mae Black. Plus, we don't own Kaiba Corp.
Previously in When Destines Collide: Chapter 1: New Duelist
Ash Black is in Domino City. She beats Weevil Underwood with her precious Blue-Eyes, and scares his cronies away. Ash applies for the job offered by Solomon Mutou, Yugi Mutou's grandfather. She meets the Duel Monster World Champ and his best friend, Joseph Wheeler (a.k.a. Joey). Yugi and Joey tell her about Seto Kaiba, Yugi's archrival.
Chapter 2: The Beginning
Inside the glass tower, two boys sat in a luxurious office. One was twelve and the other was seventeen. Sitting on the couch, the younger of the two watched his older brother nod off. Mokuba Kaiba had lived with his brother for years, since their parents had died when Mokuba was very young. Now, years after the tragedies, Seto Kaiba was soon to be a senior at Domino High School.
However, something was bothering Mokuba. Ever since Kaiba had hosted the Battle City tournament, dealt with the freaky 'Pyramid of Light' stuff, and faced the leviathan of Atlantis, he had been extremely tired--not to mention more crabby than usual. His temper had shortened and was liable to go off on anyone at any moment. Also, Mokuba had caught him sleeping at his desk during working hours. Kaiba needed help, but whenever Mokuba offered, he would decline and act like everything was okay. Instead of giving up, Mokuba kept offering, but got the same results.
"Seto, what would your personal assistant be like?" he asked out of the blue.
"I have a secretary, Mokuba. What makes you think that I need a personal assistant?"
"Oh, just wondering, big bro. I just watched a movie with a guy and his personal assistant. That's all."
"Well, come back to real…i…ty…zzzzz."
"Not again. SETO! WAKE UP!"
"Zzz…What? Mokuba, why did you yell in my ear?" Seto panicked.
"You fell asleep again. In fact, that's the fifth time this week."
"Did not," he argued with his little brother.
"Did too," Mokuba challenged.
"Whatever, but I am telling you! I didn't fall asleep!"
"Nothing is going to change your tiredness, Seto."
"Yeah, right…zzzzz."
Rolling his eyes, Mokuba sighed heavily. He gently moved the laptop from under his brother's arms. Then, he quietly closed it. Like a mouse, Mokuba crept out of the office and walked over to Mrs. Hays, a black haired secretary with an attitude to match her boss's. Suddenly, he froze because he heard something from his brother's office. It was Kaiba, who just moaned and turned his head. He was still fast asleep.
"Did he have a rough night, sir?" Mrs. Hays questioned, staring at Seto's schedule.
"I have to say so, Mrs. Hays. He's not getting enough sleep at night and takes catnaps during the day. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he wakes up right…"
"I WASN'T SLEEPING! I SWEAR THAT I WASN'T SLEEPING!"
"Now." Mokuba turned toward the door to Seto's office. "Yes, you were."
"WAS NOT!"
"Go back to bed, Seto. You're being a grouch."
"Aren't I always a grouch?" Kaiba asked with a small grin on his face.
"Seto, you should really go back to bed. Fall asleep on the couch, but not at your desk." Mokuba groaned, and then turned toward Mrs. Hays. "Go ahead and cancel all his meetings for today."
"MOKUBA! YOU CAN'T DO THAT! I HAVE EXCLUSIVE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES TO SHOW! Mrs. Hays, PLEASE DON'T!" Kaiba begged at his desk.
"I wish I could, sir, but I have to agree with Mr. Mokuba," she sadly replied.
"WHAT? BUT, YOU'RE MY SECRETARY! YOU ALWAYS LISTEN…" Kaiba rose from his desk. Then, he dashed toward Mrs. Hays. However, his physical fatigue caught up with him. "TO…me…" Suddenly, Kaiba collapsed to the floor (face first) and lost consciousness. He landed with a hard thud. His arms were lying above his head with his fingers slightly curled. His fall alarmed everyone in the building. All his employees dashed to his office as Mokuba headed for his brother.
"SETO! Let's get him up to the couch. Somebody, please fetch a doctor," Mokuba ordered, running to his brother's aid. He tried to reach him before the employees got there. Finally, he made it. Gently, Mokuba turned Seto onto his back. Then, Mokuba turned his brother's head to the side.
"Yes, sir." The employees sprang to action. Wanting not to cause any injury, they slowly picked up Kaiba, whom was limp and clammy. One by one, they removed his jacket and the belts on his upper arms. Then, the jewelry (even his locket) and metal wristbands came off, followed by his black turtleneck. Under that, Seto wore a white, sleeveless shirt. All this happened while Mrs. Hays called the hospital for a doctor or an ambulance.
"Seto," he moaned as he watched him through all the commotion. His brother's skin was pale and sticky. Seto's breathing was very shallow. Roland, a worker that served a judge and body guard during Battle City, had placed an oxygen mask over his boss's nose and mouth. Yet, he hasn't responded to his surroundings. Mokuba immediately decided to find him a personal assistant as he worked his way to his brother. This occurrence proved it. He couldn't tolerate the possibility of losing his brother. "Mrs. Hays, any luck?"
"Darn 9-1-1. They have us on hold," she snapped back.
"While you are waiting, please write an ad for a personal assistant. And please, try not to sound like Seto."
"Yes, Mr. Mokuba. Of course."
Mokuba looked toward his brother with concern swelling in his heart. Seto was the only family he had left, and he was the same for Seto. Ever since Duelist Kingdom, Mokuba had faithfully followed his brother. Of course, he did disagree with some of his brother's ideas, like forgetting his past to focus on the future during the Battle City finals with Yugi. That duel was to decide who would face Marik Ishtar for the Winged Dragon of Ra card.
Now, he might lose him forever.
"Mr. Mokuba! Domino Hospital has sent an ambulance here. They should be here any moment," Mrs. Hays yelled as Mokuba's train of thought suddenly stopped.
Hang on, big bro. Help is coming and I need you to hang on, please. I need you like you need me. Seto, please be all right. Maybe I should talk to Yugi, but when? I must find Seto a personal assistant before something like this happens again. Well, as long it isn't a female; I think I should hire a guy. Seto doesn't want to fall in love.
Sirens filled the air. Mokuba ran to the window and watched the team of EMS scramble to the door. Fearing this maybe the last time he will see his brother, he looked back at his motionless body. He noticed one employee wiping Seto with a damp washcloth, hoping his boss would respond. However, Seto remained silent. In his mind, Mokuba felt that his brother had fallen into a coma. This fear was munching on his weeping heart and concerned mind. He suddenly turned around as the EMS came out of the elevator to Kaiba's office.
"Who's hurt; or is this a joke?" the team captain questioned, scanning the room for the patient.
"Please, sir," Mrs. Hays pushed in. "This is no joke. Mr. Kaiba is on the couch, unconscious. Plus, Mr. Mokuba loves him very much and wished me to call. Now, do your job!"
"Listen up, ma'am. If I don't see someone hurt, it's a joke, all right? Let's go, boys…"
"HEY, CHIEF! OVER HERE…QUICK!" One of the crew yelled when he saw Kaiba on the couch.
The captain went to check out what one of his men saw. "Change of plan, boys," he gasped in total shock. The EMS scurried to the couch. One checked Seto's pulse as the Kaiba Corp employees backed away. Seto was still motionless. The EMS worker not only felt his pulse, but how his body was producing all the sweat on his body.
"It's still strong, cap, but I don't know for how long. Man, we need to find way to stop his body from producing all this sweat."
"Keep his pulse up long enough to get him to a hospital. Got it? We'll leave the sweat to the doctors." The captain yelled as his men lifted Seto up onto a stretcher. Then, they headed for the elevator.
"Please sir," Mokuba pleaded, "Let me be by him."
"Are you…"
"FAMILY? YES, I AM THE ONLY FAMILY HE HAS LEFT!" Mokuba screamed. Then, he dropped to his knees in tears. "Please."
"He's in the truck, cap. Shallow breathing, but I think he'll make it."
"Onward to Domino Hospital. Mokuba, you should stay here and run the company."
"I belong at my brother's side. Please, don't make me stay here."
"Let me ask you this. What would your brother want you to do?"
"He would want me to do both: run the company and be by his side." Mokuba snapped at the EMS captain.
"I guess you're right. You know him better than the media. Come on."
A Few Hours Later…
Mokuba sat by his brother's hospital bed. Seto was still clammy, but his skin had regained some color. However, he didn't give the one sign of hope that Mokuba wanted to hear. Mokuba wanted more than anything else to hear his brother's voice. To him, that was the perfect sign that he would be okay. Then, reality hit really hard. The doctor diagnosed Seto with physical and mental fatigue, or complete exhaustion. He even explained it to Mokuba that his brother's body systems decided to 'shut down' without him knowing, like today. What was worse, there was a very high chance that it could happen again.
"How long will it take for him to recover?" he asked as the doctor closed the door.
"It depends. For your brother, I have to say several months."
"SEVERAL MONTHS!" Mokuba screamed with tears rushing down.
"Shh…Yes, but please don't yell in your brother's room. He should be peacefully sleeping right now."
"I doubt that. He hasn't said a word or moved. Are you sure he's unconscious, not in a coma?" Mokuba whined, suddenly feeling lonely. Even though Seto was by him, his presence couldn't comfort his little brother. Mokuba couldn't stand it, but he knew his brother needed him. So, he stayed at the bedside. Beside him, the doctor checked Kaiba's life signs. They were normal; there was nothing life-threatening or worrisome about them.
"There is the possibility that your brother did slip into a coma, but we aren't sure. Most of us have never had a case like this," the doctor explained to him. "I do have a friend, though, that treats patients with cases like Mr. Kaiba's."
"Who is he?" the young boy questioned.
"His name is Dr. Simon Muran. He'll be here later tonight to see Mr. Kaiba."
"Where is he from?"
"Simon is moving here from Egypt. We've been friends since we went to college together in Cairo. I just told him of your brother's condition on the phone. Do you want him to care for your brother, or would you rather someone else take his case?"
"No, he's okay. I just want my brother to be alright." Then, Mokuba asked the doctor to call Yugi so he could at least have someone to talk to, other than a body that couldn't answer. Slowly and with care, Mokuba touched his brother's hand. It's still clammy… Seto, please come back, he thought as he looked up at the monitor. Kaiba's heart rate was steady, and from what Mokuba heard from the doctors, it was a good thing. His breathing was a little stronger, but there wasn't much improvement. However, Mokuba feared that his brother would relapse into the state that he was in at Kaiba Corp. That state scared everyone in the building, including visitors.
"I called Yugi Mutou, Mokuba. I'm sorry, but he's very busy tonight."
"Thanks."
The doctor left him in the room. After the door closed, Mokuba felt a strange silence hanging in the room. Occasionally, Seto started to twitch, but only slightly. Mokuba softly encouraged him, but it didn't seem to work. With a big yawn, he scooted the chair closer to Seto's bed. Finally, he sat down, put his head near his brother's chest, and fell asleep. However, he soon became uncomfortable. Mokuba lazily crawled onto the bed. He curled up against Seto's side and comfortably fell asleep.
About midnight…
Simon Muran clutched the doorknob. It was his first night in Japan, but he already had a patient to see. From what his friend had told him, the patient meant business and was just plain stubborn. Finally, he had gathered enough courage to open the door to the patient's room. The door silently swung open as Simon peeked in. Two boys lay on the bed, but only one was in the hospital's customary paper gown. The other had a blue and green striped shirt on. The one under the sheet had brown hair, which was plastered to his head from the sweat his body had produced. Simon crept in and closed the door. He adjusted the lights to a dim setting, allowing him to see without disturbing the two sleeping boys.
"Let's see, here," he whispered in a very quiet voice. Simon examined the charts and monitors. Then, he checked on the life signs of his patient. The little boy slept through his routine. Simon was more concerned with waking up the patient, but he hadn't moved or said a word at all. With a child's curiosity, Simon read the hospital band on the boy's wrist. He read the following:
Name: Kaiba, Seto. Blood type: A- heterozygous (different, like this means AO). Age: 17. Condition: mental and physical fatigue.
"Man, do I have my work cut out for me," he quietly groaned. Then, he left the Kaiba brothers to sleep.
To be continued…
Next Chapter in the When Destinies Collide Saga: Chapter 3: Meeting
Ash Black gets to roughhouse with some gangsters. The tale of her three BEWDs comes into the light. Ash also meets Bakura Ryou, holder of the Millennium Ring and stealer of the Millennium Eye. A flash of the past startles her as she learns Seto Kaiba is in the hospital. Mae lives up to a promise to her new friend, Mokuba Kaiba, by showing her sister the Kaiba Corporation ad. Finally, Kathryn Takemura makes her first appearance.
A/N: Ash Kaiba here! This is the end of chapter 02! Please review! And...I love their agruement.
