Chapter 4
One week passed, Kenshin healing in the hospital with frequent visits from Yugi. Yugi couldn't explain why he visited Kenshin every day after school--he just felt drawn to the redhead. Yami didn't mind, as it allowed him to keep tabs on the mysterious youth. Yugi talked with Kenshin and found him to be quite a likeable person, and the two were becoming good friends. It was now Saturday and Yugi was once again on his way to room 207. However, he was surprised to see that Kenshin wasn't alone. A tall woman with short black hair, dressed in a long black skirt with a light pink blouse, was sitting in a chair talking to Kenshin while pulling some folders out of her briefcase, which was on the floor beside her. Yugi didn't want to interrupt, but was curious as to who this person was, so he waited in the doorway, unnoticed by the two occupants of the room.
"And you can't remember anything that might be helpful, Kenshin?" the woman asked.
"Gomen, Miss Horishi, but I can't remember anything," Kenshin replied.
Ms. Horishi sighed. "Well, we'll keep looking, but I'm not sure if we'll be able to find anything new. As I told you before, if we can't find any of your family, then you will be sent to a foster home as soon as you're released from the hospital," she said.
Yugi was a little surprised at that statement. \They still haven't found any of his family?\ he wondered.
\\Apparently not,\\ Yami answered him.
Yugi jumped at Yami's voice, not realizing that he had said that out loud. \But to be sent to a foster home... From what the people at school say, it's not a pleasant experience.\
\\Well, I should imagine that being wounded and waking up in a hospital with no memory wouldn't be a pleasant experience, either. Besides, what choice does he have?\\ Yami asked.
Yugi was a little surprised by the spirit's response. \Yami, since when did you start caring about trivial things like that? You always talk about Kenshin like he's an enemy.\
\\...\\
\What caused you to change your mind about him?\ Yugi pressed, eager to hear Yami admit that he was wrong. One doesn't get to hear a pharaoh say he was wrong very often. Yami, however, was saved from having to answer when someone tapped Yugi's shoulder, trying to get his attention.
"Wha...?" Yugi said, looking up to see Ms. Horishi looking at him worriedly.
"I asked if you were alright, dear. You were staring into space," she repeated.
"Oh, I was just thinking about some things..." Yugi replied, waving away her concern.
"Alright," she said, turning back to the red-head in the room. "Kenshin, I'll let you know if I find anything new." With that, she turned and walked down the hallway.
Kenshin watched her go, and then turned to Yugi. "It's good to see you, Yugi. It gets pretty boring with only the nurses to talk to all day," Kenshin said, with a smile.
Yugi smiled back. "Well, I was bored, so I decided to visit the sick and wounded. When are you getting out of here, anyway?" Yugi asked.
"The doctors say that my wounds are healing nicely, and I should be released in another week," Kenshin replied. "After that, I'm not sure what's going to happen."
"Still nothing on your family, huh?" Yugi asked, already knowing the answer.
"No. They won't find anything," Kenshin said, absently.
"Why do you say that?" Yugi asked. It was almost as if Kenshin knew the reason that they couldn't find anything...
Kenshin, realizing his mistake, quickly covered it by saying, "Well, if they haven't found anything yet, they probably won't find anything at all."
"Oh." That made sense.
"So, what brings you here so early? You usually come by later...," Kenshin said, trying to steer the conversation in a less dangerous direction.
"Huh? Oh, it's Saturday! No school, although I'm meeting my friends at the arcade around 2:00," Yugi said.
"The arcade?" Kenshin asked, not knowing what it was.
"Oh, it's this place you can go to play all kinds of games. I like to hang out there with my friends," Yugi explained.
"Sounds like fun. What time did you say you were meeting your friends at?"
"2:00. Why?"
"Then, I suggest you hurry. If I'm not mistaken, that clock on the wall says that it is now 1:58."
"What?!" Yugi looked at his watch. "Sorry, Kenshin, but I gotta go! I'll see you later!" he called over his shoulder as he raced out of the room.
~*~
Yugi sat on his bed in his room. His schoolbook was sitting on the bed next to him, while he held his notebook on his lap and absently twirled his pencil in his right hand.
\\Aibou, your homework is not going to finish itself, you know,\\ Yami gently reprimanded.
\I know, but I can't concentrate. I feel bad for Kenshin. Doesn't he have any family willing to come forward and claim him? I can't stand the thought of him being put in a foster home,\ Yugi said.
\\I know, but there's nothing you can do about it. You can't help everyone you meet, aibou. Some situations are beyond your control,\\ Yami said.
\I know, but still...\ Yugi paused, as an idea struck him. \Actually, we might be able to do something after all, Yami,\ Yugi said cheerfully, going over his plan in his mind, checking it for flaws.
\\What are you suggesting, aibou?\\ Yami asked.
\I'd have to talk to grandpa about it, but I think it would work!\ Yugi was really getting excited about it.
\\Yugi, what are you talking about? What would work?\\ Yami asked again, getting more than a little confused.
\Not now, Yami, I have to go talk to grandpa!\ Yugi said, rushing down to the store where Mr. Mutou was.
\\Yugi!\\ Yami called, trying to figure out what was going on, but he got no answer. Yugi had broken the link.
~*~
"What are you doing out of bed?!" Kenshin cringed as the irate nurse spotted him walking slowly down the hallway.
"Gomen, but I needed to use the restroom," Kenshin replied, giving her an innocent smile.
"You're on strict bed rest until your wounds have healed enough to keep from re-opening when you move around. The doctor said that you weren't allowed to walk around on your own until Thursday, at the earliest! How many times do I have to tell you?! Now wait here while I go find a wheelchair to take you back to your room." The nurse glared at him. "You had better be here when I get back!" With that, she turned and walked down the hallway.
Yugi laughed as he walked up to his friend. "You really like to get her all riled up, don't you? You only try to walk around when it's her shift," Yugi said, smiling. He and Kenshin continued down the hallway at a slow pace towards Kenshin's room.
"No, she's just the only one who really cares whether or not I'm out of bed. My wounds are healing nicely, and I'm not doing anything that would cause them to re-open, so I don't really see what the problem is. I suppose it doesn't matter. Four more days and she won't have to worry about me walking around when I'm not supposed to. Seven more days, and she won't have to worry about me at all!" Kenshin said. He didn't seem too concerned about his situation, but he had learned to conceal his true emotions, and old habits die hard. Truth be told, he was more than a little nervous at being placed in a home with people he didn't know, in a time he had not yet learned how to survive in.
"Oh, that reminds me!" Yugi exclaimed suddenly, startling Kenshin out of his thoughts. "I talked with Grandpa, and he said it would be okay, so I was wondering--if, you know, they can't find your family--would you like to come and live with us instead of going to a foster home? It's just me and Grandpa, and you could go to school with me and I could show you around and you could meet all my friends-" Yugi realized that he was babbling, but he didn't think that he would be this nervous. He doubted that this was as brilliant an idea as he first thought it was. Why would Kenshin want to come and live with me? I mean, he barely even knows me! I met him, what, about a week ago? I feel so stupid, he's probably gonna say no...
Yugi's rambling was cut short when Kenshin placed his hand on Yugi's shoulder. "Arigatou, Yugi, I would really appreciate it if you would let me stay at your house," Kenshin said, with a genuine smile.
Yugi smiled back, suddenly feeling much better. "Grandpa said that he would need to talk to your social worker and see if we're allowed to do that, but he seemed to think that it would be alright. This is gonna be so cool! You can have the room next to mine--wait, will you be able to walk up the stairs? I told you that we live on the second floor, above of the game shop. Will we need to give you a room on the bottom floor?" Yugi asked, looking at Kenshin with all-too-innocent eyes.
Kenshin gave Yugi a mock glare as they reached his room. "Just because I have an overly-zealous nurse who takes everything the doctor says to be law, doesn't mean that I am incapable of doing normal, everyday things. I will be able to climb up the stairs just fine, Yugi," Kenshin said, a little dryly.
"Speaking of overly-zealous nurses..." Yugi's voice trailed off, his eyes focused on something behind Kenshin.
Kenshin turned to see a very vexed nurse storming down the hallway, wheelchair thrust forward before her.
"Mr. Himura! When I say wait for me to come back, I MEAN wait for me to come back!" she practically yelled at a cringing Kenshin. She then turned to Yugi. "You're his friend, why didn't you make him wait? He could be making his wounds worse! You want him to heal faster, don't you?!" she said, looking at Yugi accusingly.
"Uh..." Yugi stuttered, not expecting to be caught in the crossfire and now not sure how to get out.
"Gomen nasai," Kenshin apologized, finding the floor suddenly very interesting.
Yugi, not wanting to get involved any further, decided that it was time to go. "Well, I gotta go, but I'll see you later, Kenshin!"
Kenshin gave him a pleading look that said don't-leave-me-to-deal-with-her-on-my-own. Yugi shrugged apologetically as if to say hey-she's-your-nurse-not-mine before turning and quickly heading for the elevator.
"Now, Mr. Himura, I expect full cooperation from you in following your doctor's orders, or I will have you strapped to that bed to ensure you follow his orders!" she said, staring at him as if daring him to argue.
"Oro!"
~*~
Japanese words:
hai- yes
gomen, gomen nasai- sorry, I'm sorry
arigatou- thank you
nani- what
demo- but
baka- stupid, idiot
deshi- pupil, apprentice
aibou- partner (this is what Yami calls Yugi)
yami- dark (in this case, the darker side of someone)
hikari- light (in this case the lighter side of someone)
oro- something Kenshin says