Lately I've just been in the mood to update only Lost Love, (sighs) sometimes I just get like that, but anyway I'm updating this one so enjoy.

Warnings: Rating M, swearing, child abuse, if this type of thing offends you then DO NOT READ! This is a fictional story and nothing more. This rating will be staying the same nothing will change, so please take note.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.

Chap 13: Hospital Calls

In a dark room Marik was laying on his back both arms wrapped around the two small boys at his side and his hands rested on his ribs. Malik and Ryou hidden by the arms and blankets. A shrill ringing shattered the quiet dark room, Ra the gray shorthaired cat leapt from the bed as Marik shot out a hand. Ryou's head fell to the pillow and he moved about as Marik felt around for the phone on his nightstand, a small moan came from Ryou as he settled back down again. Marik stopped his hand and looked down at the slumbering child. 'When had Ryou come in?' A foot was suddenly pressed into his side, Marik looked over his shoulder to see Malik sound asleep.

Marik rubbed his eyes to clear them and answered the phone; he should have known better then to think he could have the bed to himself. "Hello?" He kept his voice down; Ryou scrunched up his face cutely then relaxed again.

"Sorry for calling so early in the morning, Mr. Ishtar." Marik tried to recognize the owner of the voice; he reached out his hand again and turned the alarm clock to see the time, four in the morning. Marik frowned confused on who would be calling him at this hour and the phone company should put a banded on those who called in the middle of the night. "But I have some bad news." The voice sounded angry, frustrated and urgent all at the same time.

"What? Who is this?" Marik asked, giving up on the guess who's on the phone game, Marik moved Malik's foot from his ribs.

"Mr. Ishtar?" There was a pause for a second. "It's doctor Tucker from the hospital. Something happened to, Bakura. I had to take him back to theatre."

"What happened?!" Marik asked now wide-awake.

'I'm not sure… but I think that it might be best that you come to the hospital right away. We have to talk about this, not over the phone.'

"Okay, I'll be there." Marik hug up the phone then turned to the little ones sleeping next to him. "Boys get up!" Marik moved himself from the bed, Ryou mumbled his complaints as Marik pulled off the blankets and sat Malik up who blinked at him and Ryou rubbed his eyes looking around. "Sorry guys we have to go out." Marik rushed about pulling out jumpers and jackets, he started to help the boys dress.

Marik hated to get them up so late or early and take them out, but he had no one to look after them. Soon Marik had them downstairs after a lot of questions from a confused and tired Ryou, Malik trudged behind them rubbing his eye and yawning. Marik picked up Malik and Ryou in his arms. The bite of the night air made Ryou's complaining ten fold, as Malik tried to get into Marik's jacket for extra warmth. Marik managed to lock the front door and got both boys into the car, covering them up with a blanket, and soon they were off to the hospital.

The streets were empty and houses dark but for the Christmas tree lights in the windows that gave off a warm welcome and white fresh snow glinted on the lawns in the moonlight from the now clear night sky. Marik was thankful that the storm had passed.

Marik placed both boys down on the hard green plastic molded chairs in the waiting room of the hospital and wrapped them up with the blanket but Ryou was instantly wide-awake knowing exactly where he was. "Can I see Kura?" He asked pulling the dark blanket down a little, Malik yawned and curled up on the chair intending to go back to sleep despite how uncomfortable the chairs were.

"Soon. Wait here, I'll be right back." Marik said as he ran a hand from the top of Ryou's head to the boy's cheek and then walked over to the reception desk. The lady looked up at him blinking through her glasses. "I'm here about Bakura?" She gave him a look. "Hikari, Bakura Hikari." She nodded her head and typed it into the computer, Marik still had his doubts about it being their real last name but what did he have to go with, and it's not like Bakura would tell him anyway… so he had to work with what he had. She looked up at him.

"He's in ICU at the moment, Doctor Tucker is with him." Marik frowned at her.

"I know that… what happened to him?" Marik asked, she lent forward, her dark hair fell into her eyes and she brushed it away with her hand.

"You'll have to speak with Doctor Tucker about that."

Marik was getting inpatient with her. "Then can you let her know that I'm here?"

She smiled despite Marik's cold glare. "You'll have to wait over there and I'll let her know that you are here now." She placed her hand on the phone and picked it and pressed a button and waited.

"Fine." Marik sighed, but looked down as Malik was wrapped around his leg looking up at him, Marik picked him up. "What's the matter?" Marik asked as Malik placed a hand over his mouth and yawned showing how tired he was then snuggled up to Marik closing his eyes. "Yeah me too." Marik mumbled and walked back to where he had left Ryou.

Marik stopped as he noticed a few police officers in the hallway leading to the waiting room. Marik spotted Ryuuji Otogi and Seto Kaiba. Marik placed Malik down next to Ryou. "I'll be back just wait here."

Marik walked over. "Otogi, Kaiba." He greeted them, they both turned and nodded their heads at him in greeting. "What's going on?" He asked hoping it had nothing to do with Bakura.

"A girl was brought in with a head shot and some injuries." Seto said and Marik frowned.

"By what she looked like… she may have been a victim of rape." Otogi said, he and Seto wore black pants and jackets with white shirts and tie's with a holster and gun.

"She survived a bullet to the head?" Marik asked sounding very surprised.

Seto shook his head. "It was more like a bad grazing to her temple."

"And what's her situation?" Marik asked.

"The doctors say she may make it… but not to hold our breath. If she does we have to talk with her at least about the shooting." Otogi said, Marik nodded he knew most women he had come across in his line of work who had been rape victims hardly came forward or even pressed charges or even to just report it, to ashamed or to scared... in his opinion it was quite sad and he felt for them he really did… He saw it first hand how it almost destroyed his sister from the inside out, and why Rishid stayed with her when he had time off. The older sibling had looked for a place to stay to be closer to her but failed so, Isis got a place with two bedrooms and often when Rishid couldn't be with her she stayed at Marik's.

A tugging on the end of Marik's jacket made him look down. "Can I see Kura now?" Marik sighed and picked him up. "Soon Ryou, you have to wait." Ryou sighed and nodded leaning his head on Marik's chest. "Let me know how she goes." Marik asked.

"It didn't say you had a child?" Seto mumbled to himself, Marik narrowed his eyes at the tall man obviously Mr. Kaiba had read his personal records.

"I do now." Marik smirked. "You can add it to my records that I have not only one but three. Ryou here and Malik are five and Bakura is… well I'm still working it out." Seto looked up surprised himself, at Marik's smug grin.

Seto cleared his throat. "Anyway I thought you were suspended from the case?" Seto asked rather coldly as if Marik was stepping on his toes.

"No, I got time off, but I'm still on the case and I'm still leader and have been for the past five years." Marik shot back, Seto snorted at him.

"So I read."

"Obviously, then why ask?" Marik said as Otogi stepped in saying.

"Officer Kaiba is one of the best and doesn't take orders that well." The dark haired man laughed rubbing the back of his neck as Seto scowled him. "He would have rather take over the case then to help out." The two then started to bicker like a couple in a long and worn out marriage.

"Call me when she wakes up." Marik said but he only got a small wave from Otogi and was ignored by Kaiba all together. Marik turned and walked back and sat down next to Malik who climbed onto his lap and snuggled up to him, both boys fell asleep soon after.

A tall man with dark hair walked into the waiting area with a hand wrapped in a shirt as if it were a bandage. He glanced at his hand, that bitch was going to get it when he got her back again. He had yet to dump Lucy somewhere for the cops to find before he could get another to take her place and keep him company for a few days.

"I need a Doc to look at this?" He asked the lady behind the desk.

"Fill this out and then bring it back and someone will look at it for you." She handed him a clipboard. He snatched it out of her hands with a snarl and glared at her, turning on his heels and going into the waiting area. Being here wouldn't be such a bad idea, he could keep an eye on what they where doing with Meg, if she lived. He gave a heavy sigh of disappointment, if she died, the doctors would get rid of her body themselves and he wouldn't be able to mark her and leave her for the cops to find and what about his D.N.A that would be all over her body? Surely he would be found out.

But he grinned in anticipation of an idea that popped into his head… but if she lived, he could snatch her from the hospital before daybreak?… The look on Meg's face would be priceless, when she would wake up back in the basement again. He had to hold in his laughter as he looked over the poorly designed waiting room: White walls, a candy machine in the corner to his left, a coffee machine with an 'out of order' paper sign on the front of it, posters on the wall of deferent illnesses and healthy tips on how to fight a cold and others. He rolled his eyes and then looked over the chairs to see what injured people were waiting to see a doctor and how long he would have to wait for his turn and hey what fun he had in guessing what the peoples injuries are.

But he almost chocked at what he saw, his son sitting a few rows over in front of him in the arms of another man. His eyes widened as Malik glanced up smiling and snuggled up to go back to sleep, the boy smiled, he fucking smiled.

He growled and felt a stab of jealousy through him as always, that Malik was hugging someone else and smiled; he had only seen that smile aimed at his late wife, it didn't mater what he did, Malik never smiled at him always gave him a frown as if weary of a stranger and then run to his mother for protection. It was like a slap in the face. He tried to be a good father, but it seemed from the day that Malik was born the child hated him, always cried in his fathers arms and stopped instantly when he was placed back with his mother. Never had his son hugged him like that or came to closely for that matter.

But as Malik began to talk his soft airy voice of not quite properly formed words that would take effort and concentration for a child his age, and would have put a smile on anyone's face, mothers would awe and say how lucky they were to have such a cute and beautiful child. Over the years he grew bitter towards his son… but never at his beloved wife.

When other fathers were taking their sons out for Junior Soccer, Football and Ice Hockey... Malik would be at his mothers side in the garden helping her plant flowers for the spring and water them or in the study listening as she held him so dearly close while she read to him his favorite book… Oh he had wished to have a son he could be proud of and brag to other males in the bar about over a cold beer… but it just didn't happen for him.

But the day came when his wife had gotten so sick and she was beyond Doctors help and they hadn't foreseen in the past, it left them baffled on how they could have missed it. And when the minutes ticked down to seconds and her life draining away from the world, she had clamed her undying love to her only child and the sorrow that showed on her face that she would never see her beautiful boy grow up to be a fine strong strapping man that would have all the women falling for him … after the words left her dried and cracked lips, she had died.

Left her husband horrified and distort that no affectionate words of love for him on her death bed, and his world crashed down as the realization hit him that his own wife loved their son more than him.

The few days of arranging the funeral, he had kept a close eye on Malik, who had not cried, not one tear fell from Malik, but a constant frustrated frown on his small face, as if trying to work out when his mother would wake up from a far to long of a nap and play with him again.

Malik would ask when his mother would return to him, and after a year of constant asking the man snapped and soon found himself beating on the boy telling him to stop asking. Malik confused on weather he wasn't allowed to talk at all or was it to stop speaking about his mother… and soon the beatings just came whenever Malik open his mouth and soon he just stopped speaking all together, that and the threats.

Malik's father Majed turned his dark eyes on Marik, what made this jerk so fucking special? That Malik would hug him when he had bent over backwards to get his sons attention. He grinned sadistically as the jealous feeling turned into resentment; he could wipe that smile right off Malik's face by taking him back, but how to do it? But once he had Malik the boy was going to pay for running away, the disobedient brat.

He sat directly across from them, his eyes narrowed and his mind going a mile a minute, surprised that whole hospital didn't hear it. Majed growled as the man kissed Malik's head and tightened his hold on them, wrapping the blanket around them more, so the guy cared for the little shit, how sweet. He thought bitterly.

Marik glanced up having the feeling of being watched and noticed the man staring a little to hard at them, but the man ginned at Marik saying. "Nice looking boys you have." Oh Majed hadn't missed the pale child with white hair under that blanket and arms, freak child, was the next bitter thought to his twisted and warped mind.

Marik's eyes met his for a brief second and a cold shiver run up his spine and down again. Marik hesitated in giving him some sort of reply and really didn't want to reply, but not being rude he went with a nod of his head and said. "Thanks."

"I have one myself." Majed added as if Marik's reply was an indication to continue the conversation, his dark eyes flickered to a sleeping Malik then back at Marik. "He's nothing but trouble though, little brat never listens to me." Marik snorted at the comment the man added. "But what kids aren't trouble, huh?" Marik raised an eyebrow at him but looked down as Ryou yawned and lent back his small hands pressed against Marik's chest to support himself.

"Daddy, it's uncomfy." Ryou mumbled and noticed that Marik was looking at something other then him. Ryou frowned slightly and glanced over his shoulder at the man sitting across from them; they locked eyes for a second and Ryou pressed himself more to Marik and whispered. "I don't like him… he's scary." Marik whispered back without looking. "Me too."

"Mr. Ishtar." Both man looked up at Tucker as she approached Marik. Marik stood taking both boys with him. Missing the smirk from the other male, that said. 'I have your name and you have my son.' That grin turned into an 'I'll see you later.'

Marik placed Ryou down on his feet; he wined in protest and tugged on Marik's jacket.

"Please come to my office, I have a couch the children can lay on while we talk." Tucker said as she led Marik through the halls. Ryou walked along tiredly trying to keep with the long strides of the adults.

"Can I see Kura now?" Ryou asked again, he was confused on why they were here in the middle of the night and he couldn't see his brother, coming here meant he was here to see his brother.

"In here." Tucker opened a door and walked inside her white jacket flapped behind her, Marik closed the door behind them. There was a desk with a chair on one side of the room and two other chairs on the other side of the desk and a floor to ceiling bookshelf stuffed with colorful spins of medical books and a black leather couch. Marik placed Malik down on the couch and helped Ryou to climbed up next to Malik. "Sorry about all this boys, we'll see Bakura and go home." Ryou nodded hearing what he wanted and fell asleep almost instantly beside Malik.

"So what is this all about?" Marik asked sitting down on one of the chairs, facing Tucker.

"We are not sure." She frowned and lent forward, a computer sat to her right and a stack of papers and folders to her left a name plate sat in front of Marik, gold with black neat writing of her name, pens in holds, other wise it was tidy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Marik crossed his arms over his chest and lent back into the leather armchair that in Marik's opinion belonged in a psychoanalyst office. "You're the Doctor you should know."

"Well." She sighed as if getting up the courage to say what she needed. "Bakura was re-injured by someone tonight. He was, as we look at it, attacked in his room tonight." She paused and took a deep breath. "Some one was in his room." Marik narrowed his eyes.

"What?" He growled as if disbelieving what he was hearing.

"A man came to Bakura's room, his intentions were to harm Bakura, and the man reopened all of his wounds." She ran a hand through her hair. "I had to re-stitch everything. If the nurse hadn't walked in when she did, he may have… killed Bakura." A gasp came from behind them, and Marik turned in his chair instantly to see Ryou's head go down and the blanket pulled over his head and his frame shaking.

"How did this even happen?" Marik hissed at her as he got up and walked over to the couch.

"He snuck in some how no one saw him enter the hospital, the nurse got a look at him though." She said watching Marik as he picked up Ryou. "Why aren't you asleep?" Ryou sniffled and shook his head.

"I wanna see Kura!" Ryou started to cry, Marik hugged him and walked back and sat down on the chair.

"I assure you that this won't happen again." She said firmly, Marik nodded his head, but Ryou lifted his.

"Don't leave Kura here." Ryou's eyes were wide and tearful and his voice in a whisper but it was urgent and begging. "Please Daddy the bad men will come back, they know Kura's here and hurt him again."

"Ryou, who is after Bakura?" Marik asked now concerned as was Tucker who had a questioning look on her face. Ryou lowered his head and looked at Tucker then at the black buttons on Marik's jacket and started to fiddle with them. Marik lifted Ryou's chin and asked again. "Ryou, the bad men, what do they want with Bakura?"

"I don't know, but Kura can't stay here anymore." Ryou's eyes where wide and fearful as he gripped Marik's jacket in his small hands as his chin trembled. "They hurt Kura before, he couldn't walk for a long time."

Marik frowned in thought, but Tucker said. "That would explain the resent healed brake in Bakura's leg." She shook her head and asked. "Bakura didn't see a doctor when it happened, Ryou?" The small child looked at her and shook his head no. "But there are signs of other broken bones in his body, old ones, some not healed properly. Where did he get them from?" Ryou bit his lip and placed his forehead on Marik's chest and started to shake.

Ryou vaguely remember shadows of people always coming and going, Bakura was always so tried, the whole memory was as if it was placed in a heavy fog, but Bakura's pained screams in the darkness rang clear as a bell. "Ryou, we need to know…" She snapped Ryou back to the here and now, but she didn't get to finish as Marik held up his hand and shook his head. What could Bakura have possibly done for someone to almost kill him? Sure the boy was difficult and impossible at times, but that was no reason to kill him, something more sinister was behind this.

"I wanna take Kura home!" Ryou mumbled into Marik's chest.

"You said he's in ICU, right?" Marik asked as he patted Ryou's back to soothe him, she nodded her head. "For how long?" He asked.

"Just until he comes around." She said frowning and was about to ask what he had in mind, but Marik beat her to it.

"I'm going to have some people I trust watch over him, I want him placed in a different section of the hospital." Marik said as she nodded in approval. "Then I'm taking him home… tonight." Her eyes widened in shock.

"You can't?" She gasped, Ryou squeaked, Marik stood up with the child in his arms.

"Is he in need of constant watch?" He asked.

"No." She shook her head.

"Is he stable?"

"Yes? But with the new injuries." She argued.

"Nothing you haven't been treating so far, they're just re-opened that's all." Ryou looked up wiping his cheek with the back of his hand.

Tucker stood up scolding him. "It's more complicated then that." She hissed. "I will not allow you to endanger my patient like this." Her voice was firm and demanding.

"Ryou is missing him, and as I see it Bakura is in danger here."

"That's not true, your blowing this out of proportion." She took in a breath of air and tired to clam herself down, she said. "He needs his bandages changed, his wounds have to be looked at for infections, he needs medication and doctor care."

"You make house calls, and I know what I'm doing when it comes to bandages and wounds." Marik said moving away from the chair and he added. "You can't keep him here."

"He needs medication and care you can not provide for him!" She tried again.

"Look, I'm not leaving him here and running the risk of him being hurt again." Marik shot back, she gave him a scowling look.

Marik rolled his eyes and said. "If this person who came to see Bakura is as bad as Ryou says he is, then Bakura could be in serious danger… he'll come back again I grantee it. I know it." Marik said, she had seemed to lose the will to argue with him.

She looked up at him biting her lip. "I know nothing about their past." Marik said walking over to the couch watching Malik in his sleep. "I can however protect them in an environment that I know."

"Alright." Tucker sighed giving in. "I'll make a house call each morning and afternoon. But I warn you Mr. Ishtar, Bakura needs his rest, no activities or unless I say other wise." Marik nodded his head. "Alright I'll get an ambulance to take Bakura to your house tonight, ONLY if he is ready… but he has to be under watch until then." She got up and opened the door; Marik moved Ryou about and picked up Malik.

TBC.

There you go a little into Malik's past it's not much, but hey it's something, anyway, you know the drill Review me and get a cookie :)