Hello, all! Thank you so much for the reviews! I really hope you enjoy this next chapter! Here's chappie 12!
Disclaimer: You should know by now that I don't own Yugio. But, read this anyway.
Jou stepped out of the hospital elevator and into the sterile lobby of the thirteenth floor of the Tokyo Central Hospital. He glanced down at the card that woman at the front desk had given him. Scratched onto it by hand was "13-30" for floor thirteen, room thirty-- it was where Shizuka was. He asked directions from a nurse that seemed to be free at the moment and skidded down a few corridors and finally found room thirty.
He swallowed and quietly slipped through the door. A nurse and a doctor were inside, looking down to the hospital bed.
"How can I help you?" The doctor asked, taking a clipboard from the nurse.
"I--I'm Jouniichi Wheeler..." he panted, "Shizuka's brotha." The doctor looked down at his list and nodded, then peeled off his glove and offered a hand to Jouniichi,
"I'm Doctor Tajiri, and this," he said motioning to the nurse with a nod as he shook Jou's hand, "This is Nurse Kasumi." the woman bowed to Jou and he glanced past them at the lady in the hospital bed.
His beloved little sister laid quite still. She had one or more IVs in each arm, bandages wrapped around her head and hot and cold compresses all over her body. there were bruises, welts, and cuts covering every inch of her visible skin. Her left leg was up in the air, thickly wrapped, and she wore an oxygen mask. Her eyelashes fluttered about.
"She's beginning to regain consciousness, Doctor." Nurse Kasumi said softly. The doctor nodded and looked at his watch,
"It should be a few minutes, would you care to step out with me, Mr. Wheeler, to give her some space?" Jou nodded and followed the tall man out into the hallway.
Jou gazed through the Plexiglas window at the redhead,
"Have ya called our parents?" he asked solemnly.
"Yes," Doctor Tajiri said as he flipped through his notes, "They were called... both surprisingly responded that as long as she was in stable condition, they were busy." Jou shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets,
"That's just like them." he mumbled. He watched as Nurse Kasumi put a cool towel on his sister's forehead, "Is she gonna be okay, Doc?"
The doctor chuckled,
"Of course, Mr. Wheeler, she'll be properly taken care of. She will need a few X-rays to see if there are any broken bones, and she may need some stitches on her arms and legs, but otherwise the damage is easily reparable."
"That's a relief." the brother said as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Indeed, this was a lucky case. If she hadn't been brought in when she was, the results would have been much more serious. If she had lost too much more blood..."
"You don't need to tell me, doctor. I get it." Jou mumbled. The doctor reached for the door handle.
"Hey, Doc..." Doctor Tajiri turned to the blonde boy who scuffed his shoe on the tile, "What's... what's 'dis gonna cost...?" He mumbled, looking at his feet.
Doctor Tajiri smiled knowingly,
"It's already been covered by an... unnamed source..." He clapped Jouniichi on the back, "It should be awhile before your sister wakes up. Why don't you go and splash some cool water on your face and get a bite to eat from the vending machine." Jouniichi nodded emptily and began walking the way the doctored had motioned.
Doctor Tajiri watched the boy stumble down the hall and then slipped into the patient's room.
"An unnamed source."Jou nodded to himself as he entered the Men's Room. He knew the unnamed source.
As strange as it sounded, he knew it to be Seto Kaiba.
Beep... Beep... Beep... Beep...
Shizuka's eyes fluttered open. For a moment her vision was blurred, but slowly things began to take shape. Where was she? she rolled her tired eyes around, concluding hazily that she was in a hospital. Her arms and legs hurt terribly and there was a terribly uncomfortable pinching around her nose and mouth. Her throat felt very dry and her head hurt very much and there were places along her sides and back that stung sharply. One foot was numb and the other was throbbing and her neck felt so very stiff.
It had been those girls-- those horrible girls who had done this to her. She swallowed non-existent saliva and closed her swollen eyes.
But... it was her fault...
"You're so pathetic!"Brianne was right, Shizuka thought, she was always so soft spoken while other girls could speak their minds and were always heard. She was timid and weak... she just didn't want to be a bother...
"How dare you think that he would ever show any interest in a feeble little girl like you!"Shizuka winced. Jaquie's words cut deep into her heart. What on earth would a handsome billionaire, not to mention an incredibly brilliant CEO, want with her? His kinds were probably beautiful blondes or tan brunettes. He probably loved swimsuit models that had a very frail figure, ones that didn't resemble humans at all.
"...you're all alone, aren't you?" Shizuka could feel hot tears boiling up in her eyes. Yes... yes, she was all alone... but then again, why would people want to be near her... she was just so troublesome... Besides, Jou had Mai and Tea had Yuugi... and Seto... well... Seto could have any woman on the face of the earth that he so chose.
"...Why on earth would he take any notice of an insignificant wretch like you?" Shizuka's tears streamed down either cheek, dropping softly into her messy hair. Her heart hurt-- it hurt so much! Why would he!? There was no logical reason! She was nothing-- worthless in the sight of others, so why would he love her?
He couldn't. How could he be so cruel and lead her on like that, after she had fallen in-- She had fallen in love with him. She loved him, she loved him, she loved him... but... Shizuka let out a little sob as she continued to cry, unable to wipe away her tears.
... But it was so very impossible for such a man to love her...
Nurse Kasumi turned to the bed as she heard the sob,
"Oh my gracious!" she said as she rushed over tot he redhead, "Do your injuries hurt you, M' dear?"
"No..." Shizuka managed to wheeze into the oxygen mask, "Not... not as much... as my heart..."
Nurse Kasumi smiled down at Shizuka sympathetically,
"Ah... poor dear..." she picked up a needle from one of the side tables and pulled on a pair of gloves, "I'm going to give you a shot of medicine to soothe the pain... it will make you a little drowsy, okay?"
Shizuka mumbled an "okay" and the nurse gave her the shot. Not too long after, Jouniichi slipped into the room.
"Jou..." Shizuka mumbled as she caught sight of the blonde teenager.
Jouniichi put on a brave face and stepped up to her bedside,
"Hey, bright eyes..." he said with a small smile, "How youse feelin'?"
"Mmnn... fine..." Shizuka mumbled as her eyes began to drift close.
"I gave her a little sleep aid..." the nurse whispered to Jouniichi, "She might be a bit traumatized... she should get all the sleep she can." Jou nodded and turned back to his precious little sister. He hated to see her like that. He loathed seeing his little sister hurt or in the hospital... it happened all too often. He despised seeing her so vulnerable, so weak, because he knew that, in her own way, she was one of the strongest people he knew.
The nurse and the doctor silently left the room and Jou ran his hand through his hair.
"Jou...?" Shizuka mumbled.
"Yeah?" Jou asked as he tucked a loose strand of red hair behind his sister's ear.
"It was my fault..." She mumbled into the oxygen mask, sounding far away, "It was my fault... but he came and saved me anyway..." a timid smile graced her torn lip and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Who?" Jou asked softly.
"Seto..." Shizuka whispered as her eyes drifted close.
Jouniichi sighed and watched his precious baby sister sleep before he quietly exited the hospital room. The nurse and doctor were just outside the doors, reviewing some of the lighter injuries.
"Is she asleep?" Nurse Kasumi asked. Jou nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets,
"I'm gonna go take a walk outside-- gonna get some fresh air." he said as he headed to the elevator.
He needed time to think things through. What a day, what a day. He partially blamed himself. If he hadn't slept in, he would have gotten the message sooner... maybe he could have saved her... then that-- that newsfrom Kaiba... that his worst enemy was in love with his precious sister... it was all very confusing.
Jou sat down heavily near a tree and looked up at the sky...
"It was my fault... but he came and saved me anyway... Seto..."
What a long day...
Well? I hope you liked it!! I hope this chapter got to the heart of the matter... I hope the next chapter will be even better! Well, please tell me what you think and give me any pointers you may have (but once again, please be kind.)
Anyhoo, Thank you to all of my wonderful readers and reviewers!
Mysteria Pearl