I really like this chapter, we get even deeper in the plot... mwah ha ha ha... Anyway, this is the "Yami Rages" chapter. So pop your popcorn and hide behind a chair people! ;) Now, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and read!
"All right boys, you can go in and see him now." A nurse spoke to Jou, Mokuba, and Kaiba. She opened the door and led them inside. There were two beds in the room, one with curtains covering it, and the other holding Yugi. It seemed like he was asleep.
"He is in stable condition," the nurse said. "We weren't absolutely positive about what cut him, we were hoping that any of you would know."
"Ask the mutt, he was there he should know." Kaiba folded his arms and sighed.
"What did you just say?!" Jou balled up his hands into fists, ready for a fight.
"Please, Jou, Nii-sama. Not here." Mokuba again stepped in between the two rivals. They boys glared at each other but Jounouchi finally pulled away.
"Yug' was with me when the fight happened." Jou said in response to the nurse's question. "We just got finished eating, and my old gang members found me. I was in trouble with them 'cause I left, but they hurt Yug' too." Jou paused for a second and let out a small sigh. "While I was punching those jerks' lights out, the leader grabbed Yugi and put a knife on him. He cut him up and now we're up to date, yes?"
The nurse wrote all of this on her clipboard, and nodded. "Thank you. Would you know anything about the weapon that cut the patient?" "Like what?"
"Well," the nurse explained to Jou like he was a small child. "we need to know if the knife was clean, or contaminated. That way, we'll know if we need to apply some antibiotics, or just go ahead and stitch him up."
"I know well Ushio well enough to know that every person he hurts is like a medal to him. At best, that knife he used was wiped off with the back of his jacket. At worst, it has everyone else's blood on it too." Jounouchi said it with no emotion, like he was reciting for school.
There was silence for a while, the only sound was the nurse's pen scratching on the clipboard. She thanked Jou, bowed, and left them with Yugi. Kaiba let out a frustrated sigh and sat down in one of the chairs in the room. Mokuba and Jou walked over to the bedside and looked at Yugi. "I'm sorry it happened Jou," Mokuba said, placing a hand on Jou's shoulder. He nodded and sat down in another chair.
Jounouchi clasped his hands together and stared at the piece of tiled floor between his sneakers. I could've prevented this. I'm the stronger one, I could've been protecting him…but I didn't. Jou thought of this and sat in silence and waited.
Atem and Yami burst through the revolving doors of the hospital's waiting room and ran to the front desk, frightening the secretary who sat there.
"Is…Yugi Mutou…here?" they gasped for air.
The secretary looked at them questioningly, and at no fault either. Yami's hair was all over the place and he still had his soccer gear on, and Atem had different shoes on either foot and his jacket was only on one of his arms. "Are you family come to visit?" she asked.
"Yes, he's our brother, can you tell us what room he's in?" Yami asked. It was so much easier to just call Yugi their brother rather than explain the whole Millennium Puzzle thing. Besides, he didn't have the Puzzle anymore, and no one would believe him anyway. Yami had his hands on his shin guards trying to catch his breath while Atem told the secretary Yugi's information so she could find him in their records.
It took a few minutes, but she finally said, "Ah yes, Yugi! He's on the second floor in room 235." The secretary showed them which way the elevators were and left with a smile. Atem pushed the button for the second floor once they were inside the elevator, and joined Yami in the center. Neither boy liked elevators, and only took them if they had to. They reminded them too much of the Puzzle and the tombs they were trapped in for so long.
Yami looked at their reflections in the silver metal of the doors. His face looked warped, and then it split in two. The elevator doors opened onto a white hallway with tiled floors. They walked out of the elevator and started counting doors, trying to find Yugi's room.
"Here 'Tem! Found it!" Yami waited for Atem to join him, took a deep breath and opened the door. He walked in and first saw Kaiba and Mokuba sitting on a chair together. Then he saw Jounouchi with his head bowed as if in prayer. And then he saw Yugi.
His Hikari, his brother, his Aibou, was laying on the white sheets, a hospital gown barely covering his knees. Yami took a breath and walked over to Yugi. He heard his slow but even breaths and could almost pretend that he wasn't in the hospital, just lying on the couch at home watching a movie while Yugi dozed off. But he was reminded of the situation when Kaiba's voice penetrated the silence.
"So, you finally got here, huh? Took you long enough."
Ignoring Kaiba's comment, Atem asked to no one in particular, "How is he?"
Jou sat up from his chair and walked over. "He's doing fine. A doctor came in a few minutes ago and said that they'll be taking him to another room soon, to apply antibiotics and stuff like that. Depending on how fast that works, they'll take him in for stitches afterwards."
Atem nodded, then Yami spoke dangerously low. "How did this happen?" It was silent, Atem stood next to Yami just in case a fight broke out, and with Yami, you never could tell. "Well? How did it happen? Yami spoke louder, his eyes flitting back and forth between Kaiba and Jounouchi.
"Yugi and I were getting lunch and my old gang sneaked up on us. That," Jou said, pointing to Yugi's wounds. "is all Ushio's work. I got him here as fast as I could." Yami looked directly at Jou and Jou looked right back, his gaze unfaltering. "So, you didn't protect him…" Yami said. Jou's eyes widened. "Look, I was-"
Yami cut him off. "You were there! You could have protected him, but you didn't!" Yami was shouting now. Atem grabbed Yami's shoulder. "Yami, calm down. He's fine now, he'll recover-"
"That's not the point!" Yami hit Atem's hand away and continued glaring at Jounouchi. "The point is, you were there and could've helped, but you didn't! This is all your fault! I thought that you were Yugi's friend!" Yami started towards Jou, but Atem grabbed both of his arms in a tight grip and wouldn't let go.
"I am his friend! His very first friend, and I can already see who cares about him more! I was the one who brought him here, you didn't show until all of it was over! Who's his real friend, huh? You or me?" Jou was getting angry now. Mokuba grabbed Jou's arm. He couldn't let them fight, not over a stupid thing like this.
"I AM!" Yami yelled. "I know him better than anyone else, I-"
"Yami?" a small voice asked. Yami immediately stopped yelling when he heard Yugi's voice. Yugi tried to pull himself to a sitting position, but couldn't. Atem walked over to the bedside and helped Yugi up gently. Yugi rubbed his eyes. "What were you guys yelling about?"
"We were just-" Jou said.
"Nothing!" Yami put in. "How are you feeling?"
Yugi looked over his arms and felt his forehead and cheek. "Fine, I guess." Yami, Atem, Jounouchi, and Mokuba all sighed in relief, but Kaiba didn't buy it. There is no way that Yugi is just 'fine'. Kaiba looked over Yugi in the hospital bed. He looked okay besides his arms and face, but then something caught Kaiba's eye. A small purple bruise was peeking out from under Yugi's hospital gown. Upon further inspection, Kaiba could see more bruises under the almost transparent gown. He thought about what they could have come from and decided he wouldn't mention it now. They all should focus on the now, I can always tell them later…