I hope you all had a good Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanza/etcetera!

As you read last chapter, Zane was none too pleased with Dr. Salin telling him that he needs psychiatric help. Syrus is going blind, and only Zane and Alexis know. Oh yeah, and Zane punched a doctor in the face.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh GX. I asked Santa, but to no avail  I also don't own the Ghostbusters.

Warning: Swearing, Zane acting evil. You've been warned.

--

Syrus was lying in his hospital bed, watching the dying light play on the ceiling. Outside the window, the sun was setting. It had been three days since he had seen the ophthalmologist. Three days, and I still don't know anything… Syrus's eyesight hadn't been getting any worse, but then again, it hadn't been getting any better. Zane was avoiding the subject like the plague, and his friends didn't know anything. Something must be really wrong. The doctors are coming more frequently, and they're treating me like spun glass. Maybe they think I'll snap if I get anymore bad news. Syrus's chest tightened as he thought of his parents. Mom, Dad, I miss you so much! Zane is acting nicer, but it's not the same. He sniffled a little, trying to pull the tears back into his eyes.

"Syrus?" Syrus looked up to see a woman in a white coat standing in the door, clipboard in hand. He squinted a little, and wiped his eyes, trying to get a clearer view. "I'm Dr. Salin. Can I come in?"

"Fine." He shrugged. She sat down on a chair, arranging her skirt. "Do you know what's going on with me? Have my doctors told you anything?" Syrus looked up at her in hope. "Nobody will talk to me about my eyes."

"Well, I'll do my best to find something out for you, okay? But right now I want to talk."

"About what?" Syrus raised an eyebrow, a trick Zane had taught him years ago. Oh, no. They think I'm crazy, so they're getting me a shrink!

"Anything. What's on your mind?" Syrus stared at her. Yep, she's a shrink.

"You're a psychiatrist, right? That's why you're here." He stared at her. "I don't need to talk to you. I'm fine." She laughed. "What?!"

"You are just like your brother!" She kept laughing, but Syrus shot her a murderous look.

"Don't say that!" He fairly yelled at her. Dr. Salin stopped laughing, looking shocked. "Just…don't." First he says it, now her. Am I really that much like my brother?

"Syrus, what's the matter?" Syrus started to cry again. "It's okay. Take your time." She patted him on the shoulder as he made a tremendous effort to stop.

"It's nothing…I was just thinking about my parents when you came in and I'm a little emotional."

"I understand. What you've been through the last few days would be enough to make a grown man cry. Believe me, I know." She smiled again. Syrus managed a weak smile. "Are you sure that you don't want to talk?"

"I guess I'll have to eventually, won't I?" She said nothing. He sighed. "I can't believe that they're gone. I mean, we were going out to dinner, and then…" He broke off. "I don't even know when their funeral is, but the lawyer is coming to see Zane and me tomorrow. There are papers to sign and other things."

"You're still in the grieving process for your parents, Syrus. Grieving for a loved one can last a lifetime, but I can promise you that things will get better, and you'll start to feel more normal. Give it some time. How do you feel about…your brother?"

Syrus gave her a weird look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Do you like him? What's it like to live with him? That kind of thing." He fidgeted a bit, trying to get comfortable. His fingers clutched the sheet of his bed tightly. "I noticed that you didn't like me comparing you to him. Why is that?"

"Zane's…Zane, I suppose. I don't really feel like talking about him, if that's alright with you."

Instead, they talked about Duel Academy, Syrus's friends, the weather, and even touched upon the subject of the accident. "I thought I dreamed it. I mean, I was in the hospital, and I hadn't woken up fully. Then I had this nightmare where I was in the car and everyone was gone, so I thought…"

"Memories can be replayed as dreams. It's a fairly normal occurrence." Dr. Salin looked towards the door, and turned back to Syrus, lowering her voice. "I know that you don't want to talk about your brother, but I have to ask you…is your brother usually very stubborn?"

Syrus's mouth twitched into a smile. "Is my hair blue?" She nodded.

"I thought as much. Whether he wants to admit it or not, Zane's going through a trauma as well, and he will need help. He's in denial."

"You'll be waiting a long time for that talk. My brother never talks about anything that's bothering him, to anyone. Especially now."

"I guess I'll have to come up with a new strategy to lure him into conversation. It was good to talk to you."

"Yeah, I feel better now. Will you come back?" Dr. Salin nodded her head, stood up and exited the room.

--

Syrus slept more peacefully that night. It feels good to talk to someone who isn't a friend or relative. He thought as he drifted off to sleep.

--Outside Syrus's hospital room--

The next morning, Hell Kaiser was pacing the floor outside of Syrus's room, waiting for the lawyer, Mr. Shaw, to show up. Inside, Syrus was trying to read an email from Jaden. Zane was not in the best mood, partly because he was not a morning person, and partly because he was wearing a suit. God damn it, why is he so late? I have a life. He silently ranted for a few minutes, until the slightly pudgey lawyer showed up.

"I'm sorry for my lateness, Mr. Truesdale. Traffic was bad, and…"

"Yes, yes. Let's get on with it; Syrus has a doctor to see in half an hour." He didn't really, but Zane wanted to make the man get a move on. The two entered the room where Syrus was sitting up in bed.

Mr. Shaw read off some standard legal stuff about them being the sole heirs to their parents' estate, how they were both mentally capable of understanding what he was saying, yada, yada, yada.

"Zane Christopher Truesdale, as you are your brother's closest living relative, and because your parents made it plain in their will, you will be given total guardianship of him. Sign here." He handed Zane a pen and the latter wrote his name on the piece of paper. Syrus watched silently.

The lawyer turned to Syrus. "You must sign as well." He took the pen and was about to write his name when Mr. Shaw said "Once you sign, your brother will be your guardian, and in all decisions pertaining to your education, health, residence, etcetera, he has the last say. Do you understand?"

Syrus paused. "Yes. But what if I don't agree with one of his decisions? I mean if it's important and I really don't agree." Hell Kaiser watched coolly as Mr. Shaw coughed into a handkerchief.

"If there's an issue that you two have to discuss, I can return later for the document. Just don't lose it, please." Hell Kaiser waved him out, never once taking his eyes off Syrus.

"Is there a problem, little brother? I'm getting the feeling that you don't want to sign."

Syrus thinned his mouth. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable having you make all decisions about my life."

"Mom and Dad did. Am I so different?"

"Yes, and you know it. How do I know that once I sign, you won't become a control freak?" Hell Kaiser smiled a smile that sent a chill racing up the smaller teen's spine. "What's so funny?"

"I don't think you really understand what's happening. If you don't put your name on that paper, do you know what might occur? The government could send you off to foster care, and you'd probably never see me or your friends again." He smiled his chilling smile again. "And just to make things clear, I don't need you to sign that paper for me to become your guardian."

"You don't?" Syrus's head snapped up, and his hazy vision focussed on Zane. "What do you mean, you don't? I need to sign it."

"Well, how can someone who has been institutionalized because of their psychiatric health know when to sign a paper that will do them good?"

"Institutionalized?! What the hell are you talking about? I'm not crazy!"

"That's debatable. You tried to head off into the ocean, on a flimsy raft, when you know you can't swim. That, coupled with your low self-esteem, could be interpreted as a suicidal tendency. Suicidal people need to be kept safe, and incidentally, they are exempt from having to sign legal papers." Hell Kaiser was clearly enjoying freaking Syrus out as much as he could. Syrus was practically crying.

"You wouldn't have me put away! You're my brother." Hell Kaiser was unmoved by this.

"Sign it, or things are going to get very ugly."

"How could you threaten me with that? Don't you have a heart?!"

"I only want what's best for you." Whether he was lying or not, Syrus couldn't tell, but he had had it with his brother.

"Bullshit. You want to lord it over me that you're the one in control. I'll sign, but I'll never forget this." Syrus snatched up the pen and scrawled his name. "Happy? Good, then LEAVE!!!" He shouted the last bit and threw the paper at Zane. It fluttered to the ground.

Hell Kaiser picked it up off the floor and left without a word. Well, that certainly didn't go as I planned, he thought cynically. It did not seem like a good way to start off, but never did it occur to Hell Kaiser that he had crossed a line.

--Jaden's bedroom--

Jaden was sitting on his bed, playing Solitaire, when he heard the phone ring. "Yuki residence!" He announced cheerfully.

"Jay, it's me." The voice on the other end sounded extremely despondent. "Sorry to bug you, but…"

"No problem, Sy. You sound worried. What's up?"

"Zane just threatened to have me institutionalized if I didn't agree to him being my legal guardian." This came out in a rush and Jaden sat straight up, gaping.

"He'll have you put away! That's nuts." He stood up and began pacing. "He's really changed, hasn't he?" His gaze grew a little distant as he remembered the old Zane, the one who would never hurt Syrus like this.

Syrus gripped the phone tightly. "I…I guess he has. The last few days, it's been like the old Zane is coming back, but when he walked in this afternoon, he was just so different. I'm not sure I can take his mood swings anymore, Jay."

"If he bugs you again, buddy, you know who to call." In fact, the minute Jaden got off the phone with his friend he was planning on calling the gang to inform them of the developments.

"The Ghostbusters?" Syrus joked lightly, trying to alleviate some of the tense silence.

"Glad to hear you still have a sense of humour. How's your eyes?" Jaden decided it was best to distract his friend from the topic of Zane.

"Not any worse, but not any better, either. Would you mind coming to the hospital and hanging out?"

"Of course I don't mind! I'll bring some movies and games, and it'll be just like a sleepover! Except I won't sleep over." He said thoughtfully.

"You don't have to go to all that trouble, Jaden. I don't want to become a burden."

"You're never a burden, Syrus." The brunette said seriously. "No matter what anyone says. See you in a few."

--Meanwhile--

Hell Kaiser was at the gym, lifting weights to work off his tension. Not duelling in the last few days had made him edgier than usual. The workout room was pretty much empty, except for one little old man moving at a snail's pace on a treadmill. Where's your walker, Grandpa? He thought sarcastically. Zane walked over to a piece of machinery and started doing rapid pull-ups. This activity immersed him so much that he did not see the hands coming towards his back.

SHOVE

He hit the ground with a thud, but stood up quite quickly, intending to kick the ass belonging to the person who had pushed him. Zane came face to face with Atticus, his former best friend. How did he know I was here? Was the thought that went through his head just before he ducked to avoid a mean right hook.

"You cruel, twisted, manipulative, jackass!" Zane had never seen Atticus in such a rage, except for the time when some guy had grabbed Alexis's butt when they were in middle school. But even that event hadn't warranted this much anger.

He blocked the next two blows that came at him, but went down on his knees when Atticus slammed a fist into his stomach, then kicked him in the shin. "What are you doing?!" He glared up at Atticus, who seized him by the collar and yanked him up to eye level.

"I just got an interesting phone call from Jaden telling me about how you threatened your brother. How could you be so malicious when he's hurt like that? Tell me!" Atticus shoved Zane backwards onto the floor.

"I have nothing to say to you, or any other member of your pathetic group. What goes on between my brother and I is not your business." He stood and straightened his clothes.

"Syrus is our friend, and how he's treated is our business. If you ever say anything like that to him again, you'll end up with more than just a kick in the shins. That's a promise." The two young men stared at each other coldly, neither backing down.

"Get out of here before I have you arrested for assault." Atticus flicked his hair out of his face and turned away. "Who told you I would be here anyway?" Zane added.

"Your agent. Remember what I said, Zaney." Atticus stormed towards the door.

Hell Kaiser growled angrily and pulled out his cell phone with extra force. Once I'm done with her, she'll never speak another word.

--

Zane is a little bipolar the way I write him, isn't he? He and Syrus need to work out their differences before they end up killing each other. Good thing Syrus has Dr. Salin to talk to.

This chapter was slightly darker than the rest. I didn't plan it that way; it was just kind of the way it developed. R&R, but no flames!