Bait chapter 15

Mickey and Lea remained behind to make sure Sora and Kairi weren't left alone with the task of changing out the bloodstained bedding. Riku had been lain in a chair near the window. Sora removed his equally bloodstained clothing in favor of simple blue pajamas.

There was no resistance from Riku as Sora tended to him. The procedure had wiped him out, he hadn't stirred once since Yen Sid revived him, the only movement was his breathing, which Sora noted was still very labored. He was also burning with fever again.

He cursed himself for not paying attention to this other complication.

The stress created by the shard in his body had made everyone forget that Riku was also fighting a sickness brought on by exposure, pneumonia most likely. The thought sent a thrill of terror across Sora's mind: Was Riku strong enough to fight this, considering all he'd just been through? The process of removing a simple knife shard had nearly killed him.

"Mickey? I need your advice on something..." The mouse looked up from what he was doing and walked to where Sora and Riku were. He noted that Riku's color had improved dramatically, perhaps too much so. His face looked flushed, and he seemed to be trying too hard to simply breathe.

"What's the matter Sora?" The mouse asked, trying in vain to sound encouraging.

"Riku. He just...doesn't look right. The scare that blade shard brought on- it made us all forget he was also fighting an illness on top of everything."

The mouse lowered his head, ashamed of his own lack of attention, and nodded slightly.

"He might have gotten worse in the time we forgot about it. Please tell me it isn't too late to do something for this."

"No, Sora. We've already managed to pull him through the worst of this, after all! Master Yen Sid's knowledge of medicine plus all our magic should have have him well again in no time! But we should let both Riku and Yen Sid get their strength back before we try anything more."

Sora nodded in assent. The process of removing the shard alone seemed to consume a great deal of the old wizard's mana, but he was sure the desperate effort of reviving Riku had completely drained it. And Riku himself had been at Death's door nearly an hour ago and was certainly in no condition to endure the effects of even the gentlest medicine or healing spell right now. Rest was probably the best thing for all of them right now.

They were careful not to disturb Riku when they returned him to his bed, though Sora was convinced an explosion wouldn't be able to wake him now. He had to keep reminding himself that Riku was just weak, not dead, and would probably be unable to move for several hours. Though it was a good way to guarantee an undisturbed rest for the boy, it brought on its own set of challenges.

Yen Sid had left an Elixir with them after that hellish procedure, instructing them to have Riku drink the entire vial. But, since Riku was unresponsive, it proved to be almost impossible to get him to simply swallow it. Mickey instructed Sora to lift him into an upright position, while the mouse himself poured the Elixir into his mouth, then encouraging him to swallow it by gently massaging his throat. Riku choked on the Elixir but managed to drink it all before slumping in Sora's arms, completely drained.

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The shard fit the notch left in the dagger like a puzzle, leaving no gap or seam in the dark metal. The sight caused the old man to breathe a sigh of relief. Donald and Goofy stared at him, confusion on their faces.

"Master?" Donald asked timidly.

"The boy was lucky that the blade had not shattered in his body, or he'd probably still be going through hell right now, or worse."

It was not like Yen Sid to utter even this mild swear word, but he was exhausted from the effort he had just put into extracting the fingernail-sized shard of metal he handled gingerly between two fingers. He could feel it trying to sap at his own energy as he handled it. The old man shuddered, quickly placing the shard back on the bloodstained cloth it had been resting on.

How Riku had been able to endure the draining magic of that shard for almost three days still astounded him. The child was known to underestimate his own strength in hard times, but the wizard now felt that he was the one underestimating Riku.

The boy was still in for a long recovery, but the worst of it was over now, provided there were no more complications. He could easily treat the exposure sickness he had contracted during his confinement, but for now they both needed to recover from the previous hour's events. It had nearly been too much for them both.

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Riku was back in the cold prison that had held him for nearly a month. He lay shivering on the futon in the corner of the room. He fell into a fit of short, choking coughs that caused him to double over. He felt as though his chest was about to burst.

"Well, well, it seems our little guest has woken up!" It was that familiar, slimy voice again. Riku tried to back away from the source of the voice, but found he was too weak to move.

Xigbar quickly leaped on the opportunity. He walked up to Riku and forced him back into the same kneeling position he used last time he had his way with him. He reached under his shirt and rubbed his back in a display of mock tenderness. The man nipped at his ear, causing Riku to cringe.

"You're shivering. I know it can get quite chilly in here. Why don't you look at this as me... helping you warm up a little..."

He'd sooner be frozen solid than let Xigbar warm him up in this manner.

"No, please..." Riku knew he was in no state to endure the man's violation of his body, even if he did want it.

"Just shut up and take it!" Xigbar growled as he tore Riku's clothing off him and entered him forcefully...Riku could feel his skin tearing, every thrust was agony to his already abused body, and he couldn't hold back this time. Less than a minute into the ordeal, and he was screaming...

"NOOO!" The sudden scream of pain and terror caught both Sora and Kairi by surprise. Kairi rushed to Riku's side and lifted him into a tight embrace. He struggled against her touch, still trapped in the nightmare.

"Its ok, Riku, I got you, You're safe!" She tried to rouse the older boy with little success. He settled down slightly but remained in the depths of his nightmare. He began to shake violently.

"I...I think his fever is getting worse..." The girl's voice was shaky as though she was holding back tears. A low moan escaped from Riku's lips. Kairi held him even closer to her and began to hum a lullaby that she would sing during those lonely nights before their reunion, one that was a favorite of children on the Destiny Islands.

Sora left the room and returned several minutes later with Mickey in tow. The mouse had a bowl of water and a cloth in his hand. He cautiously approached the bedside, placing the bowl and cloth on the nightstand and laid his small hand against Riku's cheek, whispering words of encouragement into the boy's ear.

Kairi took the rag and, dampening it in the water, she held it against his forehead. Riku sighed softly and returned to the deep sleep that he had been in before the nightmare. Mickey moved his hand from the boy's face and grasped his hand tightly.

"I wish I knew what was troubling you, my young friend." The boy slept on, whimpering as he returned to the world of his nightmare. "What can I do to help you get through this?"

"I'm afraid there's little that can be done to ease a nightmare..." Yen Sid had returned to the room briefly, disturbed by the sudden increase in activity and afraid that Riku had suffered a complication. Though he was relieved that it wasn't so, his heart still ached for the child, his behavior had confirmed what he suspected that first night. How could he inform those three innocents in the room with him what may have happened. Looking down sadly, he opted to be frank with them.

"Can I ask you all to sit down for a minute?"

Mickey took a seat in the nearest chair, but Sora and Kairi took their seats right on the edge of Riku's bed, alarm showing on all their faces. Being asked to sit near a person's sickbed usually meant grim news was about to be shared. Sora clutched Riku's hand in a death grip, and Riku, now back in the full force of his nightmare, let out a forced cry of "STOP!"

"It's not going to be easy to hear this, but I think you all will need to know this sooner or later. On the first day here, while I was examining Riku, I found injuries of a suspicious nature on his lower body."

Sora stared at Yen Sid, confused, but Kairi and Mickey's eyes widened as the realization set in.

"You don't mean..."

Yen Sid shook his head sadly, "The way Riku acted during the nightmare only confirms my suspicion more. There is a good reason to believe he had been raped at some point during his confinement ..."

End of Chapter 15.