"I don't want… any medicine." Yugi said venomously. His eyes narrowed with a virulence that his parents would never have recognized.
The doctor sighed, removing a bottle of sedative and a syringe from his coat pocket. "Nurse?" he called out the door. Two women in pink scrubs came in.
"Same as usual?" one of them asked.
"Same as usual, Nurse Hana." He replied, sticking the needle into the bottle and filling it with tranquilizer.
The nurses rolled up their cotton sleeves and walked towards Yugi, grabbing him by the wrists and ankles.
"Let go of me!" Yugi screamed, as he fought futilely against the nurses for freedom.
"Don't worry, Yugi." The doctor said softly, as the nurses bound Yugi to his stained bed with leather restraints. "It won't hurt anymore than usual."
Yugi woke with a start. Feeling nauseous at his vivid recollection, he quietly made his way to the bathroom and vomited the remains of his dinner into the toilet. The early morning had a surreal feeling, as he sat on the bathroom floor, wiping bile from the corners of his mouth. He then calmly brushed his teeth and walked into the kitchen, not feeling much like sleeping.
Yugi sat at the kitchen table, sipping the ginger ale he had poured himself to sooth his churning stomach and burning throat. He had recently begun to see his past with a sort of cold disdain, but now… It's like he was there all over again.
"It doesn't matter." he thought, sighing aloud. "It doesn't matter how my memories make me feel. It's over. I need to master this again."
"Yugi?" called a sleepy sounding voice from the hallway. Atem pushed open the kitchen door slowly, rubbing his eyes as he walked in. "What are you doing up?" he asked, sounded concerned and somewhat annoyed simultaneously.
"Oh, I…" What excuse could he use to explain this? "I had a bad dream, that's all."
Atem sat down in a chair opposite to Yugi's. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, sounding suddenly lucid.
Yugi squirmed. "No…" he said, trying to get off the subject as soon as possible. "Not really."
Atem seemed unsatisfied with that answer, but he overlooked it and asked, "Do you want me to stay up with you?"
"Why can't this guy just leave me alone?" Yugi thought bitterly.
"It's alright." Yugi said "It's only 2:30; you should go back to bed."
"I'll go to bed when you come with me."
"Damn," Yugi swore. "He just won't give up." Yugi stopped himself. "Did I just curse mentally?" he thought, upset. "These memories are really affecting me… maybe I should tell him. No. No, I shouldn't do that."
"Okay, I'll go to bed." Yugi said, faking a smile.
Atem grinned. "Good." he said. "Now come on, before Grandpa notices we're up."
Yugi followed Atem back into the bedroom, trying to push off the uneasiness his sudden reminiscence had caused in him.
"Momma… I missed you!" Yugi said cheerfully, practically bouncing up and down on his bed. His eyes sparkled with bright excitement.
Yugi's mother looked concerned, yet excited. "He's not usually this responsive, Doctor." she said.
"I know…" the doctor said thoughtfully. "Yugi?" he asked.
Yugi cocked his head cutely. "What is it?" he asked. Innocence and naivety radiated from him.
"Do you know who I am?" the doctor asked.
Yugi thought for a moment. "No, I don't think so." he said sadly. Had he forgotten this nice man?
The doctor pointed to Yugi's mother. "Do you know this woman?" he asked.
"Momma!" Yugi squealed happily.
The doctor turned to Yugi's mother. "Mrs. Mutou, let's see if he reacts to his father. This may be a good sign."
Mrs. Mutou nodded. "Yes. Yes, of course. I'll call him at work."
"Hey guys!" Tristan said, as he walked up to the rest of the gang, who trying to teach Atem how to play poker during lunch.
"Hey." The gang resounded simultaneously.
"What do these "A" cards mean, Yugi?" Atem asked, showing them to Yugi, who sighed and folded.
"So guess what?" Tristan said, excited.
"What is it, man?" Joey asked. "Usually you're not dis… bouncy."
"I got a bonus on my paycheck!" he yelled, making emphatic gestures with his hands. "Finally all these months of working has paid off!"
"Wait," Tea interrupted. "You're working?"
Tristan looked disappointed. "Haven't you been listening to me? I've been delivering packages on my motorcycle for extra cash." He stopped, and looked excited again. "So I'm taking you guys all out to lunch on Saturday!"
"Free food…" Joey drooled. "Awesome…"
Tea slapped him on the back of his head. "You always eat free food, doofus!" she scolded.
Yugi shuffled his cards quietly.
"I don't like their medicine…" Yugi thought drowsily. "It makes me sleepy."
Yugi struggled against the restraints that held him, but he was too weak. He gave up and slumped on his bed in defeat. "I miss you…Momma… I miss you… Dadda…"
Tears of sorrow streamed down his cheeks, wetting the stained mattress. There was nothing to do…but sleep.
"Geez, Yug', don't be so excited." Joey said sarcastically.
"Oh…" Yugi said softly. "Sorry."
"What's up wit' you, man?" Joey asked, bending down to look Yugi in the eye.
Yugi faked a grin. "It's nothing."
"I'll have… the strawberry milkshake, coffee, orange juice, toast, pancakes, sausage, bacon, and… fried eggs." Joey said, handing the menu to the waitress.
"Dude, you're not spending your money, you know." Tristan said, annoyed.
"Yeah." Joey said proudly. "I know."
"I need more female friends…" Tea said, shaking her head. Atem chuckled.
"We men aren't all bad, you know." Atem said.
"Of course not." Tea said, grabbing Atem's hand. "You're special. Why else would I be dating you?"
Joey snickered. "Ya already have a female friend, Tea. Yugi's sittin' right next to ya."
"Joey!" Atem chided. Yugi seemed to pay no mind however, and looked dazedly out of the window.
"Son?" Yugi's father asked, sitting down next to him.
"Dadda? You're here!" Yugi exclaimed, jumping on his father and hugging him around the neck.
"I can't believe he actually knows us…" Yugi's mother said, looking like she could weep for joy.
"Kanae, we shouldn't get our hopes up. You know that he could go back to the way he was before at any time." Mr. Mutou said, rubbing Yugi's back as they embraced each other.
"Your husband is right, Mrs. Mutou." the doctor said, pulling her aside. "We should give Yugi some time, and only tell him what's been going on for the past two years if he continues to respond."
"Yes…" Kanae said softly. "Yes, you're right."
Yugi returned to reality to find Joey and Tristan leaning over him, trying to find out what he was looking at.
"Dude, what are you seein' that we ain't?" Joey asked.
Yugi shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the recent inconsistencies that had sprung up in his memory. "Sorry, I spaced. What were we talking about?" he asked, hoping they would overlook his distraction.
Everyone stared at him. "We just called you a girl." Joey said flatly.
"Right." Yugi said, still distracted. "Hey, I have to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back." he said, and skirted off to the men's restroom.
The gang watched him as he left. "What's with him?" Tea asked. "He's usually not this zoned out."
"He's been acting strangely for a few days now…" Atem said, sounding worried. "I hope he would tell us if something was wrong."
"Of course he would." Tristan assured them, though it seemed he was assuring himself. "We're his best friends."
"Yugi?" Atem asked, as he sat with Yugi while they watched the Food Channel.
"What is it?" Yugi asked, turning to look at him.
"Is… everything alright?" Atem asked tentatively. "You've seemed a little… distracted lately."
Yugi paused for a second, and then smiled. "Everything's fine." He said, smiling.
That momentary pause disturbed Atem. "He's not telling me the truth…" he thought. "But I will let him tell me when he's ready."
Atem returned to watching TV, and Yugi nearly sighed in relief. "There's no need to worry him." Yugi thought. "I'll figure this out on my own."