AbhorsenSabriel87: ...I'm not even going to say it.
Hiei: Why?
Sabriel: Because one; it'd ruin the mood, and two; they won't listen to me anyway.
Hiei: Finally you've come to terms with reality. --sees her totally pissed (and yet depressed) look and decides to not make things worse for himself-- AbhorsenSabriel87 does not own Yu Yu Hakusho or Yu-Gi-Oh! so don't sue her, because your pathetic ningen lawyers can't do shit against a demon who's out to destroy the entire human race.
Sabriel: --sighs-- Good enough. On with the story.
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---Kaiba sat nervously in one of the hospital chairs outside the O. R., but his anxiety was masked by his usual apathetic demeanor. He simply waited, watching the clock as time slowly passed, each second an eternity. At nine o'clock, he called up the sitter he got for Mokuba when he was out of town on business, and couldn't take Mokuba with him, and told her to go over to the mansion to watch him until he returned.
---"What should I tell him you're doing sir?" the calm, female voice asked. Kaiba thought for a moment, then answered, "I'm doing some late-night work at the hospital again because an associate was injured."
---"Very well sir. Oyasumi nasai, Mr. Kaiba." The line cut off and Kaiba hung up his cell phone, tucked it away in his pocket, and waited for the doctor to return with Jou's condition. Just as he started to nod off at around ten 'till, a nurse came by with a clipboard. "Excuse me," she murmured, startling him slightly. "Um, I need you to fill out some paperwork for the young man you brought in, Mr. Kaiba." Seto nodded, too tired and far too worried to ignore the problem at hand and desperately needing something to keep him busy enough to make the time go by faster.
---Surely enough, just as he filled in the last of what he knew about Jou, the door next to him opened and Jou was pushed out on a hospital bed, surrounded by doctors and nurses. Seto picked himself up and immediately snagged the arm of the head operator. "What's his condition?" he asked, fearful in his mind, but cold and unconcerned in his voice. The surgeon sighed and slipped off her mask, revealing a very petite face to match her small frame. Her soft brown eyes lifted to Seto's blue gaze and she smiled half-heartedly.
---"He'll recover eventually," she replied, her voice soft and commanding attention, like his so often did. "His internal injuries, thankfully, did not exceed a burst appendix, a ruptured spleen, and a few broken ribs. The other wounds, such as the stab wounds, are shallow and have been sewn up. The bruises will be completely gone in a week or so. Other than that, he's fine as far as we can tell."
---"How long until he recovers?"
---"The next six hours will tell if we have to operate again, but his cuts shouldn't take more than a couple weeks. His ribs, however, will take longer."
---"How much longer?"
---"They should be mended in two months, if he only participates in limited physical activity." Seto almost sighed in relief, but caught himself in time and instead nodded. The surgeon pulled her short black hair out of the hair net and began to walk away, but turned around a few feet away to look him straight in the eye, the white lights gleaming off her slightly damp, dark brown face. "Who is this young man, Mr. Kaiba?" Seto stiffened slightly before answering.
---"I bumped into him on the street and heard him collapse behind me. I've known one of his friends for quite a while and thought it the best thing to do." The doctor smiled softly.
---"Good thing you did sir," she replied slowly. "Lord knows if you hadn't, he probably would've died out there tonight." She walked on, talking to some other nurses who came up to her with medical charts, leaving Seto to think over her parting words. 'But was it right, considering he wanted to die?' he thought sadly, then turned around and walked to the nurse's information desk. At the moment, a young blonde was sitting at the desk, her violet eyes impassively scanning the computer screen in front of her. When Seto walked up, she raised her gaze to meet his, but otherwise did not move except to smile slightly. "Well Kaiba," she said quietly, "what are you doing here this late at night?"
---"I would ask you the same question, but it's obvious that you work here," the brunette stated unemotionally. "So if you could kindly pull up the name of the doctor taking care of Jounouchi at the moment-"
---"Katsuya's here?" she asked, seemingly appalled. "What happened? Is he alright?"
---"I don't know," Kaiba snapped. "All I know is that he spent the last," he checked the clock, seeing it at half-past eleven, "three hours in the O. R. Now, will you kindly pull up that file Mai?" The blonde nodded and typed on her computer, fingers racing across the keys. She stopped a moment and looked intently at the screen, then pushed back in her chair and reached up onto a shelf, grabbing a clipboard and walking back over to Kaiba. "Here," she said, handing the clipboard over to Kaiba. "Take a quick look and give it back. This is the nurse's copy and I can't lose it or I'm fired." Seto nodded and scanned the chart, noting the name of Jou's doctor and the injured teen's room number before handing it back to Mai, who then put it back exactly where she found it.
---"Thanks," Seto muttered, just barely loud enough to be heard. "Any time," Mai replied. "Find out who hurt Jou and I'll be indebted to you." Seto nodded and walked to the second floor room where his injured acquaintance was being held. As he reached the room, a young red-haired doctor walked out, looking over a chart with a furrowed brow. He glanced up with icy blue eyes as Seto walked over and waited for him to get within hearing range. "Mr. Kaiba," he stated. "What can I do for you?"
---"You can tell me Jounouchi Katsuya's status," Kaiba replied coolly. The doctor shook his head and began to say that it was impossible, but the CEO interrupted him. "Listen," Seto hissed, "I'm responsible for his injuries and I'm paying for his medical bills right now. So, if you don't mind-"
---"We're running a few more tests on him," the doctor interrupted. He, like everyone else, didn't exactly fear Seto Kaiba's well-known temper, but also like everyone else, he didn't want it exploding in his face and getting him fired. "The surgeons found some... unusual things while they were operating on him."
---"First of all," Seto asked coldly, "what kind of 'unusual things', and secondly, what type of tests?" The doctor faltered for a minute before answering. "I... don't have the authority to tell you, Mr. Kaiba. There's a state of doctor-patient confidentiality I cannot break, even to the one paying his bills."
---Kaiba simply stared coldly at the doctor before turning to look inside at the unconscious blonde inside. "Fine," he muttered. "Any idea when he'll wake up?" The doctor shrugged slightly and also looked in on his patient. "The morphine will wear off in a few hours, but he probably won't wake up until morning. You can either wait here until then, or come back during visiting hours."
---"I'll wait," Seto replied. He paused before adding, "Could you do me a favor, doctor?" The doctor looked at him again before responding. "Depends on the favor sir."
---"Could you tell no one else that he's here?" The doctor nodded. "That I'll do, Mr. Kaiba." The doctor unlocked the door and held it open as Seto walked inside, closed and locked it so that no one else could enter, and walked off to his other rounds, placing the key in his lab coat pocket.
---Seto stood in the center of the room for a moment, just gazing about the room before focusing his sapphire gaze on the other teen in the room, and walked over to a chair next to the bed and sat down silently, still staring at the unconscious boy. In his sleep, Jou looked so calm and peaceful, totally devoid of any of the anger or determination that usually crossed his young face. Seto had only seen him like this one other time; right after he'd been knocked unconscious by Marik at the Battle City Finals, which Kaiba himself had hosted. Even though he knew that Jou was hardly older than he was, the other had an air of someone younger, but far wiser than himself. It was strange how he admired Jou, but was it admiration or something else...
---Seto shook his head to clear his thoughts and glanced up at the analog clock on the nightstand. 'Well after midnight,' he noted sleepily. He turned his gaze back on Jou's sleeping form and frowned. Jou was definitely still unconscious, but his brow was furrowed and he seemed to be in pain. The blonde was biting his lip as if to keep from crying out and all his muscles were tensed under the hospital blanket. Seto thought about going to get the nurse, but noticed the Jou was whispering something in his sleep. Curious, he leaned forward to listen to the sleeping teen's muffled whispers and leaned back in shock at what he heard. 'Could it be that...' Seto thought. 'But why would he...' Seto shook his head and looked at the young man, whose face showed him in even more pain than before. Before even knowing exactly what he was doing, Seto placed his left hand gently on the boy's forehead, his cool palm contrasting with the other's heated skin, but slowly, Jou began to cease shaking and his breathing returned to a normal speed. Once the blonde seemed to be back to normal, Seto traced his hand gently down Jou's cheek and placed it back in his own lap. Danger having passed, the tired and worried brunette simply settled for watching over the only other person in the room... and probably one of the only people outside his family who cared if anyone around him lived or died.
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---When Seto woke up the next morning, he was still in the chair in Jou's room, his head in his arms, which, in turn, were resting on the edge of the bed. Jou was still asleep and, unlike the brief moments last night, completely calm. Seto glanced at the clock and frowned; the clock read half past ten in the morning, which meant he'd slept for almost ten hours. That disturbed him for two reasons; one, he'd never slept for more than six hours a day for the past seven years, and two, if it was a normal day, he'd be late for work. 'Thank whatever God there is that today is Sunday,' he thought smugly as he pushed himself up and stretched, hearing the bones in his back pop back into place like they always did after he fell asleep sitting down. The noise no longer bothered or startled him, but instead reminded him that he was awake. Glancing around, he saw that no one else was in the room but him and his wounded... would 'friend' be the proper term? 'Acquaintance'? Perhaps 'associate'? Did it really matter? Was Katsuya Jounouchi actually his friend?
---Seto shook his head, clearing the unfamiliar thoughts of doubt and misunderstanding from his head. He didn't know, and he shouldn't care. Shouldn't being the key word there, his mind argued with him. He shook his head again and had just returned to his seat when the doctor came in. Seto barely turned to look at the doctor as he placed the clipboard on the foot of the bed and smiled slightly at the visitor. "Mr. Kaiba," he stated. "I see you're still here."
---"As are you," Seto replied coldly. "What do you have to tell me, doctor?" The doctor frowned slightly. "My instincts were correct on this young man, sir. Since you are the one paying the bill, I must ask you to keep everything I tell you about this young man strictly confidential. Nothing, I repeat, nothing you hear from me can you tell anyone else. You cannot even tell this young man when he wakes up that I told you this."
---"My lips are sealed doctor," Seto replied harshly. "Now will you continue on?" The doctor took a breath and made sure the door was closed and locked before returning to the bedside and continuing. "Our patient here has sign of long term abuse on him."
---"Well, he was a member of a gang for some years." The doctor winced. "I didn't mean that style of abuse, sir." When Seto gave him a questioning look, the young doctor shifted nervously before responding.
---"One of the tests we preformed on Mr. Jounouchi was a full body scan. It revealed that several muscles in his abdomen have been torn and healed over. We think that the scar tissue must be around five to ten years old."
---"What are you saying doctor?"
---"The test results of another came back positive." The doctor looked hard at Seto and stared him straight in the eye as he spoke, low and grave. "As far as we can tell, for the past five to ten years, Jounouchi Katsuya has been sexually abused."
---Silence met the doctor's ominous words as Seto stared in shock at first the physician, then the patient. "You mean that he's..." Seto trailed of as the doctor nodded. "Yes sir," the doctor replied, also looking gravely at his patient. "And the most recent that we can tell happened within the last few days." The doctor transferred his stern and icy blue eyes on the seventeen year old CEO. "If you wish us to begin an investigation-"
---"No," Seto replied quickly. "Don't. You could have no idea what you're getting into if you do that."
---"But-"
---"No 'buts'. Trust me on this; unless he asks, do not involve yourself." Seto smirked slightly at the doctor. "Doctor-patient confidentiality, remember?" The copper-headed physician nodded and picked the chart back up. "In that case," the doctor continued as if the conversation had resumed to normal, "he's free to check out at any time."
---"I'll check him out immediately." Seto stood up from his seat and set his gaze lightly on the doctor. "We need to get him to a well-protected environment so that his abuser can't harm him while he's in this state. If he does, Jounouchi is as good as dead this time."
---The doctor nodded. "To where shall I place in my report he's gone?" Seto paused for a moment, thinking about his current predicament. He couldn't say that he was released into his father's custody; that would be too difficult to forge. He also couldn't say that Jou had been released into his custody, for that would bring far too much unwanted attention his way. Finally, a thought dawned on him. "Say that he was certifiably released by me, but he left of his own free will. That should keep him safe for now." The doctor nodded and left the room quickly, Seto Kaiba in tow. 'I will not allow you to go back to that torture, Jounouchi,' Seto silently vowed. 'I know who's caused this, and I'll make deadly sure he doesn't do it again.'
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Sabriel: Third chapter completed.
Hiei: You're starting to sound like a computer.
Sabriel: Depression does that to me. Now onto the reviewer responses.
drkinnocence – No my friend; barking at passerby does not mean that you have had too much sugar. It simply means you're looking for another out let for your emotions.
Hiei: Or, you have my philosophy.
Sabriel: Which is?
Hiei: She's nuts, like you.
Sabriel: --fwaps him--
daughterofdeath – I did. Don't you say anything else?
Angel-belle – I agree, and so do I.
Hiei: Gee, what gave you that idea? (hint: sarcasm)
Sabriel: --evil glare--
Bronwen – I have now updated and another chapter is most likely on the way. And don't worry about me insulting them any more; I now know that I like them too.
Flame Swordswoman – I like to get all my spelling right so that I don't have angry reviewers.
Hiei: What about angry muses?
Sabriel: That I can control. Anywho, thanks for the compliment. I may write more if you guys keep up the enthusiasm.
YAMIGIRL3 – A late review calls for a late update. Anywho, additional info, Isabella was an assassin, so you may want to have her check the Thief's Guild for her file or check with Akefia (aka Yami Bakura). Take care in finding her.
Reincarnated Magick – You are welcome for the review! That is one of the first times anyone actually thanked me for one!
Hiei: Don't get too cocky kid.
Sabriel: --fwaps him-- Anywho, I don't have hotmail or msn, but I do have Yahoo if it helps any. It's on my bio.
kenshinfan21 – Thanks, and it was meant exactly how it sounded.
Kakarots-Frying-Pan – I already said why they were after Kaiba (just very subtly), "Sets" did make it to the hospital --points at above story--, and I can't tell you what happens next if you don't review!
Hiei: You drive a harder bargain than a Deveel. (Anyone who doesn't know, that's pretty much a devil.)
Sabriel: --glare-- Yes, I decided to have Yuugi know a little, but not too much; Jou doesn't want to depress him and have the wrath of Yami on him. And, uh, thanks! Much obliged!
tsuki-san16 – Thanks! That helps boost my reviews! --chibi grin-- Arigato!
Sabriel: That's all for now, so R&R and I'll probably write more!
Hiei: Hopefully not.
Sabriel: --knocks him out with giant rubber mallet-- See ya readers!