Puppies and Dragons Don't Mix

by Lothwen the Harpist

Jou finds out that Kaiba is slowly destroying himself and desperately needs help. But why should he care? He's his worst enemy...right? Jonouchi x Kaiba

6. The dream

Story: Puppies and Dragons Don't Mix

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

Warning: Yaoi (boyxboy). May contain lime and/or lemon.

Pairings: Jou/Kaiba Possibly: Yami/Yugi Ryou/Bakura Otogi/Honda

Summary: Jou finds out that Kaiba is slowly destroying himself and desperately needs help. But why should he care? He's his worst enemy...right?

Symbols: "Talking" 'Thinking' -Scene Change- Chapter Start & End

Chapter 6: The dream

The darkness surrounded him, making him feel weak and small. He stumbled blindly through it, his legs seeming to become frailer with each passing step. Fear clutched his heart with its iron grip and he couldn't hear anything except his own pulsing heartbeat. It was driving him insane. He called out, hoping that someone would answer, for he felt so alone. But only his echoes answered him and he immediately ceased his shouts. They only made him feel more solitary.

Finally, he saw through the overpowering blackness a shaft of light. It was dim though, like it was going to flicker out any second and he ran towards it, hoping to some superior force that it wouldn't. He lurched forward, making out a petite form crouched in the pool of illumination. Its dark hair falling over its shoulders and covering its face, making it impossible for him to see who it was. He ran faster, now sure that the person and the light would leave any minute. It was his only salvation; his only way depart this world of loneliness and gloom.

He staggered into the beam, the brightness stinging his skin. But he paid no heed. He had to get away. The figure. He needed that too, but he didn't know why. Not yet.

It was sitting in the middle, head bowed and hands folded in its lap. He tried to holler at it, but his voice was stuck in his throat. It seemed to hear anyways and lifted its head.

It was Mokuba.

His face was stained with tears and ebony hair was matted to his forehead. Cuts and bruises blotched his arms and neck and he feebly started to sob.

Mokuba.

The light dimmed further around the boy, turning his agonized face into a mere shadow. He snapped out of his daze at seeing his little brother and sprinted to him, not wanting to lose the only thing he had. But even as he was rushing towards him, the child sunk further into the dark.

Mokuba.

He felt him slipping away. Felt it in the inner most walls of his heart. It was like a knife, slicing through his very being.

"MOKUBA!"

He finally screamed it, his throat threatening to tear, but he didn't really give a shit.

"MOKUBA!"

He reached him, his long strides paying off and grabbed Mokuba, drawing him into a hug. He buried his face in his plentiful hair, feeling the tears prickling at the back of his eyes. "I'm here, Mokuba. I'm here so please don't leave me."

But Mokuba's body felt thin and wispy. He looked down at him and saw to his horror that he was nearly transparent. He was fading away.

Mokuba.

He looked up, his boyish face nearly gone, and his deep blue eyes stare into his pleadingly. They were full of sorrow and pain. "I waited for you, Niisama. I waited for you to become you again. I tried to help you but you pushed me away. You didn't want me. I loved you, Niisama, but you didn't love me. You abused my feelings and you made me feel useless."

Every word he spoke wrenched his soul and tore his spirit. He hadn't paid any attention or displayed any of the deep affection he had for him. He was right. As far as it goes, he really didn't love him like he should of.

"I waited for you as long as I could. I stayed by your side, hoping that you would snap out of the person that our stepfather made you. I had faith in you for as long as I could."

Mokuba paled further. His head bent again, not facing his brother.

"But I cannot stay any longer. I cannot live like this any more. I am so weary. I tried as long as I could but I have no more energy."

It hit him. Mokuba was going to leave him. He was not coming back. He had made his life too hard.

No. No. No! NO! He tried to say it but he was voiceless. The words died in his mouth. He couldn't speak.

"I loved you. And I still do. I'm sorry for leaving you but I need to move on. Goodbye, Niisama."

He clutched Mokuba, desperate to keep him. But he knew it was futile. Deep down he knew even if he didn't want to believe it. Mokuba's body disappeared completely like vapor, and he looked down at his empty hands, shock numbing his insides.

Mokuba.

He was gone. Gone. The word struck him in his most protected and unstable part of him. Gone. Mokuba was gone and it was his entire fault and his only. He was too stupid to see how much he was suffering. He was stupid. Stupid

The word brought him twisted pleasure. He was stupid. It rang true to him. Fit him. He was stupid.

Sitting in the black abyss that had enveloped him again, Kaiba threw back his head and let out a howl of pain, sobbing for the lost of his brother as his echoes reverberated back at him, his only company. He was alone. Alone.

-Hospital-

"…exhaustion, malnutrition, insomnia and possibly anemic. Your brother, I'm afraid, has not been taking care of himself. He has been working too many hours, not eating the correct foods or none at all, and because of this poor diet, he has low iron in his blood."

A rough, aged voice that was oddly soothing reached his ears. It was soft, and distant at first but became clearer.

"Is he going to be okay?"

A younger voice. Sounded like a child's. Mokuba! Intense, wonderful relief flooded his chest. Mokuba was not gone. He was here. Safe too. Happiness swelled in his cold heart.

Kaiba's elation was slightly diffused though as a tingling sensation spread throughout his body. He was coming back into the world.

"Well, if he takes the multi vitamin I prescribed, it will help with the anemia. But that alone is not going to be enough."

Kaiba tested his fingers, moving each one slightly up and down, ignoring the stinging. It felt like tiny weights were attached to them. Damn gravity.

"Why?"

Now his eyes. He cracked them open only to have raw bright light shock every fiber. He shut them quickly. Not yet.

"He must sleep more hours. I cannot stress how important this is to his recovery and health. If he continues to work himself like a slave, he'll never become better. He could possibly die."

He suddenly became aware of something that was embedded in his arm. Possibly an IV but he was wary nonetheless, he had lost his ability to trust long ago.

"N…no! He's my brother! He can't die!"

The voice of the man, the doctor, had lost its ability to calm him at once. He had alarmed his brother and he would pay. Dearly.

Kaiba opened his eyes again, determined to show them that he was awake. They throbbed, the blinding light needling into them, and begun to water. He closed them reluctantly and heaved a sigh. A+ for effort.

"It's okay, Mokuba. Your brother is too ornery to die. He's like a wart that won't go away. Or a barnacle"

The mutt! Kaiba bristled, a growling noise devolving at the back of his throat. Too bad he seemed to have lost his speech. But oh, once he was up again, he could snarl at him for talking like that. Why was he here anyways?

"Jonouchi! Don't talk about my brother that way!"

Kaiba heard the light tone in his voice and knew it was good-natured. The mutt had succeeded at cheering him up. Maybe he won't draw out his torture too long. Maybe.

"This is nothing to laugh about. It is a serious case and I highly urge you too let us keep him until we are sure that he is in good health. We care about each and every one of our patients, so don't joke about it."

'Care my ass!' Kaiba resisted the urge to roll his eyes knowing it would be pointless and excruciating. 'He is only after my money.'

Kaiba put double the effort into getting up. He needed to get his self together. He had many things to do and not very much time. He couldn't be wasting it here.

"Yeah, sure. If he weren't rich you would probably throw him out on his bum. And believe me, I wouldn't blame you."

"Jonouchi!"

Kaiba snorted. That was true all right. Though trust the puppy to say it so bluntly. He moved his arm, his skin whispering against the sheets, testing its ability and slid his eyes open a third time, finally being able to bear the fluorescent shine. He made out the actual fixture that had caused him all the hurt and the paneled ceiling. He stared at it for a few moments, taking in the fact that he could see, before moving his gaze to himself.

His arm was connected to a bulky, complicated apparatus as well as his stomach, lines running to and from it. He looked at them, dazed by the sight. Was he really that sick? He lifted his arm and examined all the tubes that protruded out of it, like snakes. They were definitely over reacting. Hospitals never failed to over react with him.

The talking had ceased and Kaiba looked up. The window that showed a nice bay view of the coral pink hall was void of people. Where had he taken them? He wanted to see his brother, dammit!

Taking hold of the pipes that were pumping drugs into him, Kaiba ripped them out, flinching slightly. He pulled all the pads of his chest and his heartbeat on the monitor went dead.

With massive exertion, Kaiba pushed himself into a sitting position and leaned on his elbows. He rested there panting, before swinging his legs over the side of the thin mattress. Now the hard part.

But before he could do anything more, a flock of nurses and orderlies flew in, all with stricken looks upon their faces. Equipment dangling in their hands, they gaped at Kaiba, caught in the act of escaping.

Kaiba sat there; momentarily stunned at the speed that they came in, when a voice broke the silence. "What happened? What's going on?"

The doctor, a man in his middle forties, pushed his way through, Mokuba and Jou by his side. He stopped, having same reaction as the others, before soaring into action. "MR. KAIBA!"

He rushed to him, trying to push him back down onto the bed. "You should be resting! You are not well!"

He grasped his arm, nearly dislodging it out of its socket, horrified at what he saw. "YOU RIPPED THEM OUT?"

Kaiba was not paying the slightest attention to the upset doctor, but rather to the people he came in with. Mokuba stood there, his eyes red from crying and nearly hanging off of Jou, who looked like he was struggling to get his brain to work.

And then Kaiba remembered why he was still bothering to survive, when Mokuba jumped onto the bed and into his arms screaming. "NIISAMA!"

The doctor nearly had a convulsion when Kaiba was thrown back, his little brother latched onto him. Mokuba squeezed him, cutting off most air supply, but he didn't mind. "Mokuba." His voice was coarse, like he hadn't spoken in years.

"Niisama, why did you do that? I thought you were going to die!" Mokuba bawled, clinging to him like a koala bear. The doctor found that it was a lost cause to try to interfere and shooed the nurses away, and after exhaling deeply, trailed behind.

After Mokuba had thoroughly wetted his shirt, he gently pried him off and looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry Mokuba for doing this to you. I should have paid more attention." He said gently, clearing his throat. "Are you okay?"

Mokuba looked disbelieving at him back. "Am I okay? Niisama, you're the one who looks like a zombie and is in the hospital!" He knitted his hands with Kaiba's and tears threatened to spill over again. "I thought you were going to die! If Jou hadn't saved you…"

Kaiba's head snapped up, eying the blonde critically, who was standing awkwardly in the doorway. He was about to remark when Mokuba jumped off him and intervened. "Oh no you don't. He saved your life and you have to at least be civil to him."

He stood between them, determined to stop one another from fighting, when a little nurse scurried in and whispered something in his ear.

Nodding solemnly, Mokuba allowed himself to be led away. "Be back soon, Niisama. I have to take care of some issues concerning health 'cause I know you'll throw away anything they give you." He looked back at him. "I want you to lay back down. You're sick and if you die, I'll go down to hell and beat the crap out of you."

Mokuba turned on his heel and left, his sneakers squeaking on the tiles in the hall, leaving a rather stunned Kaiba and Jou behind.

End of Chapter 6

Author's notes: Sorry it took me so damn long to spit this chapter out. Being my age sucks because you get so sidetracked by school, family and people you hate. Ugh. It is longer this time but not necessarily better. I think my writing is somewhat primitive because of high school. It's not like I don't have ideas but rather I can't seem to get them to stay organized and in my head after seven hours of my geography teacher. Damn those slippery little devils. Plus my wonderful tired self, when I was finished last night, decided to hide my laptop and not tell my conscious self where it was. I'm having senior moments at this age and it's freaking me out. So, if you like it, great. Drop in a review and I'll be happy as a clam and it will be you who will keep me writing. If you don't, okay. Drop in a review and I'll be devastated for about five minutes, get over myself, and thoroughly appreciate you for being an honest, fearless reviewer that will help me improve my writing. If you hate it, all right then. Drop in a flame and I'll take it without getting pissed. I know you probably had a bad day or something and need to blow off some steam or you really do hate it. That means that you won't review again because you have no hope for my story. Goodbye. Anyways, I owe an enormous thank you to my last reviewers. I feel all giddy when I read them and want to jump around. I can barely restrain myself but know I should because, according to my counselor, I'm depressed and can't do stuff like that. Whatever. ;) READ AND REVIEW AND YOU'LL GET SOME...erm...STEW!