Chapter 3

The living room which had once been a quite neat and tidy room was tidy no more. Almost every surface had something strewn across it. Some surfaces held piles of heavy books, others had piles of clothing and others had a rather bizarre assortment of items ranging from suncream all the way to dust brushes. Resting against the bookcase was a large suitcase and a hiking rucksack both of which were currently empty, but that would not last for too much longer. Standing by the pile of random items Yugi gazed carefully at each and every one of them before checking back on the piece of paper he had in his hand. For a few minutes he didn't say anything, only continued to check the items against his list. But after what were, for him, a few tense minutes he replaced the paper on the table and drew a tick next to each item. Stepping back from the list he turned to see his grandfather appearing at the bottom of the stairs carrying yet more clothes.

"Are you sure you really need this many clothes Gramps?" He asked, a slight frown on his face.

"I may have gone a little overboard here, but I won't take them all. You'd be wise to remember young man that we'll be out there for a while so you'll need more then you might think." Grandpa replied, setting the latest pile of clothes next to the open suitcase, "Anyway, I believe I'm much further ahead in packing then you. Am I right in thinking you haven't even started yet?"

"Well no but I'm not flying out tomorrow. I still have plenty of time."

"Just don't leave it until the night before like you normally do."

Yugi made a disapproving noise, "When have I ever done that?"

Turning to face his grandson for a moment he just looked at Yugi, with a certain expression on his face. Silence fell between the two, after a few moments Yugi let out a sigh.

"Ok fine, I'll admit I do that a lot but I won't this time that's a promise."

Grandpa smiled, "I'll hold you too that."

"And I'll have someone else nagging me to pack so I'll probably be more organised than I've ever been."

Grandpa smiled before his eyes fell upon the other person in the room. The former Pharaoh was curled slightly in the armchair across the room, his eyes closed in sleep. He'd been asleep for a little while, not that either of them were concerned about that. Grandpa's prediction had come true, Atem had indeed come down with some mystery illness. He was pale, lethargic and still had a rather unpleasant cough. Despite that Atem was still insisting he was fine, but his behaviour spoke otherwise. He'd spent most of the day in that chair trying to appear fine but ultimately failing which meant the decision had been made that Grandpa would fly out to Egypt alone. They hoped this gave Atem time to recover from whatever he'd caught and fly out with Yugi the following week. Neither Grandpa nor Yugi thought that the once King was particularly happy about the decision, but he wasn't in the frame of mind the argue it.

Turning back to the open suitcase Grandpa began to neatly pile clothes into it, occasionally he moved over to the surface covered in other clothes to swap things around. Anything he deemed unsuitable for the trip was carelessly thrown at the stairs to be taken back up later. Yugi was still standing by the pile of assorted items. His eyes fell on the many tools that were needed for this upcoming dig. He couldn't help but wonder what those tools would find on this trip. Picking up a brush he examined it before addressing his grandfather.

"Do you really think your friend has found something from his time?" He asked, using his head to indicate Atem.

Grandpa paused, a jumper in his hands, "I can't be sure. Marcus believes that what he's found so far dates fairly close to him but we won't know until we see it."

Yugi nodded slowly, "It will be interesting if it is." A pause, "You know this will be the first time we've been back to Egypt since the duel between us."

Grandpa, who turned his attention back to his suitcase, made a noise which Yugi took as agreement.

"At least this time nothing serious is waiting for us. It's not like we're going to unlock mysteries from the past that could lead us into danger… well, I suppose we are looking for mysteries but what harm could come from an archaeological dig?"

Yugi paused again, replacing the brush on the surface and turning to face the room. His gaze fell upon the former Pharaoh. He took in his rather pale face, there was a slight frown on his face showing the discomfort that was disturbing him even in sleep. That frown deepened for a moment as Atem shifted in his sleep. But even after settling the frown did not completely leave his face. Yugi bit his lip as he watched him before a sudden thought crossed his mind.

"What have you told your friend about Atem? I know he knows about me but what about him?"

"I told him the story."

Yugi wheeled round, "What? Grandpa! You told him Atem was a Pharaoh?"

Grandpa looked up, frowning when he saw Yugi's rather alarmed face.

"What? No of course I didn't, I meant I told him that story of Atem being a distant cousin."

"Oh…" Yugi took a breath, "Sorry I don't know why I thought that."

Grandpa laughed, "I'm hardly going to tell him the truth, I'm not sure he'd believe me for a start."

Yugi laughed as well, "True, he'd likely think you're mad."

Grandpa laughed again but merely nodded. Yugi finally moved to the sofa and sat down as Grandpa continued to pile clothes into the suitcase. Picking up the television remote balanced on one of the many piles of books Yugi began flicking through the channels. Settling on a program he leant back on the sofa to watch; he kept the volume low to not disturb the still sleeping Pharoah. But he wasn't too worried as at the moment no noise seemed to disturb him in sleep. Atem was normally a fairly light sleeper, it would not take that much to wake him but in his current condition they could probably bang cymbals together and he'd not stir.

For a while the only sounds in the room were the television and Grandpa moving around as he packed. But as Grandpa finally zipped shut the suitcase and rucksack there was the sound of a stifled cough. Immediately both Grandpa and Yugi turned to look at the armchair's occupant. A clear look of discomfort past across the former Pharaoh's face before his eyes slid open. As the cough subsided Atem put a hand to his chest, his fingers pushing into the skin, and his eyes took in his surroundings eventually finding the other two. As Yugi and Atem's gaze met the once King tried, but failed, to smile reassuringly.

"Are you ok?" Yugi asked, a look of concern on his face.

Atem took a deep breath, which turned out to be a mistake as he coughed again. Once that cleared, he spoke.

"I'll be alright Yugi." His voice was slightly hoarse.

Yugi looked back giving him a knowing look, his look clearly told the former Pharaoh that he didn't believe him. Atem made no response only held the other's gaze for a moment before breaking eye contact and began rubbing his forehead in an attempt to sooth the pounding he was currently experiencing. Closing his eyes once again he leant more into the chair in an attempt to encourage sleep to claim him once again. But he knew that it was unlikely he'd go back to sleep for a while. Another cough escaped before he could stop it. Opening his eyes he just saw Solomon moving into the kitchen, letting out a silent sigh he shifted again trying to warm himself up. It was odd, despite the warmth of the room he felt cold and no matter what he tried he couldn't warm up. A shiver rose through him, engulfing his body without his permission, just as Solomon entered the room again. Pausing Solomon looked at the former Pharaoh who'd closed his eyes again, frowning he looked to Yugi, who'd moved off the sofa. The two looked at each other before Yugi grabbed a spare blanket lying around and gently lay it over the once King. Atem's eyes opened briefly, a small smile graced his lips in response to Yugi's actions. He shifted slightly before falling still once again, his eyes closing once more. As he moved his arm brushed Yugi's hand. In that brief moment their skin had met he felt the heat radiating from Atem. Yugi looked up at his grandfather his face a picture of concern. Grandpa met his gaze and pursed his lips, his face also becoming concerned. He looked back at the former Pharaoh before retreating back into the kitchen. With a glance back at his friend Yugi seated himself back on the sofa, but kept glancing across at him. He did not open his eyes again but Yugi was sure he wasn't actually asleep, he could just see the shivers which seemed to be becoming more frequent but also Atem kept shifting very slightly clearly struggling to get comfortable. Judging by this new development it was a relief that he would not be leaving with Grandpa in the morning, he was in no way healthy enough to travel.

The television, which was still switched on, began showing a replay of a recent concert. Despite the low volume it seemed like they were actually at the concert. The music thumped in their ears and light flashed. As Yugi reached for the remote, intent on changing the channel, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Atem had put a hand to his head once again, a pained look on his face. It didn't take a genius to work out what was causing his pain. Yugi switched off the television and made a point of darkening the room. As he past the former Pharaoh he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying to offer some sort of support. He made no response not that this surprised Yugi at all, he hadn't expected him too. With the room suitably darkened Yugi moved to join his grandfather who was rummaging around in a drawer.

"Can I help Grandpa?" He asked, moving towards his grandfather.

His grandfather didn't turn round, it appeared he hadn't heard his grandson speak. But as Yugi moved closer he saw the small boxes his grandfather was pulling from the drawer. He gazed at the boxes sadly as another muffled cough sounded from the other room. Once again they both looked towards the doorway into the other room, matching expressions of concern on their faces. Grandpa, with a box in his hand, pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water before disappearing back into the other room. Yugi didn't move for a moment, he could hear the low voices of his grandfather and closest friend before Grandpa returned. He placed the now open box on the counter before looking once more at the doorway and then at Yugi.

"Is he ok?" Yugi asked, keeping his voice low.

"I hope so, I'm hoping these will help." Grandpa tapped the box on the counter.

There was a pause for a moment as Grandpa visibly struggled with his thoughts. Yugi watched him for a moment, knowing that sooner or later Grandpa would share what he was thinking. Sure enough after barely a minute he moved over to his grandson's side and spoke in a low voice.

"Do you think I should stay? I could push back my departure and come with you all next week, I'm sure Marcus would understand."

Yugi smiled slightly at his grandfather, he always got a little too over protective in moments like this.

"Don't worry Gramps we'll be fine." Yugi replied, shaking his head slightly.

Grandpa bit his lip, "Are you sure? I just think…."

He trailed off not knowing how to phase what he was thinking. However, Yugi did not need him to elaborate.

"We'll be fine. I can look after him and you deserve a break after everything you've done for the both of us."

Grandpa pursed his lips before sighing, "Well if you're sure but I can stay if you want me to."

"We'll be fine Gramps."

"Alright…."

He trailed off again but nodded reassuring to himself a couple of times before bustling around the kitchen, preparing food. Yugi offered to assist his grandfather, but his offer was denied so he moved back through to the next week, taking a seat on the sofa. He was sat facing the only other occupant of the room with the intention of keeping half an eye on him. It appeared as though Atem had successfully gone back to sleep. His eyes were closed and he hadn't moved from the position Yugi had last seen him in. The only things that were different was the glass of water place on the table next him that Grandpa had brought him and the blanket, which was now tucked higher around him. He didn't know whether Atem had moved it or his grandfather had but it was irrelevant.

Despite his appearance Yugi soon discovered that the former Pharaoh wasn't actually asleep. Yugi had been updating his friends as to the once King's condition when a rather violent chill ran through him. The movement caught Yugi's eye and he looked up to see Atem's eyes open once again. He seemed to take in the far wall for a moment before his eyes found Yugi. He once again tried to smile reassuring at him, but although he succeeded in a small smile Yugi didn't buy it. He simply gave him a knowing look to which the once King let out an audible sigh before another cough escaped him. Yugi watched as Atem reached out shakily for the glass of water nearby.

"Do you need anything?" Yugi asked, once Atem had resettled himself in the chair.

"I need this to go." Was the reply.

Yugi gazed at him for a moment, this was the first time Atem had admitted that he wasn't well. His expression changed to that of concern, if Atem was admitting how bad he felt then he must be feeling really unwell. Atem sank back deeper into the seat, rubbing his head with his hand.

"Solomon gave me… I don't know what it was but it was supposed to help."

Yugi smiled sympathetically at him, "You might just have to give it a little while longer. It's probably not kicked in yet."

Atem looked at Yugi for a moment but letting out another sigh. He stifled another cough and leant ever deeper into the sofa, staring off into the distance. Yugi smiled sadly at him before glancing back down at the phone in his hands. There was silence for a while but soon the smell of cooking entered the room. Yugi didn't miss the discomfort crossing his closest friend's face as he registered the smell, if possible he went paler. Atem closed his eyes, trying to control the multitude of feelings inside him but to no avail. The smell of food became more apparent and for Atem it soon became overpowering. He had to move before anything spectacular happened. Despite how shaky he felt he managed to stand, Yugi immediately leapt off the sofa and was instantly at his side.

"I'm alright." He lied, even though he knew Yugi wouldn't believe that, "I'm going to go to bed."

Yugi, who had indeed not believed the lie, nodded. He put a supportive hand on Atem's arm before watching him move unsteadily to the stairs where he disappeared. He bit his lip as he continued to stare at the empty stairs. He had seen how shaky Atem had been on his feet but also how hot his skin had felt. It was always unnerving to see Atem in a vulnerable state, but this was different. He'd seen Atem injured, sometimes gravely so but this was… different. Somehow it was and Yugi did not like it one bit. But there was not much that could be done, all he could do was hope that Atem would recover quickly.

The evening past quietly. When Grandpa and Yugi sat down for dinner they found they did not have that much to say, both were too concerned about the once King. He had not reappeared downstairs and neither of them wanted to disturb him knowing how much he needed to rest. So that meant that an evening of what should have been excitement about the upcoming trip was passed in almost total silence. That was not to say that Yugi and Grandpa did not speak, they did but the conversations weren't long. The evening had grown quite late by the time Yugi finally moved upstairs, intent on getting himself ready for bed. The moonlight illuminated his bedroom when he entered. Letting out the sigh he had not known he'd been holding he began to ready himself for bed. But just as he'd changed into his pyjamas a startled cry rang out. In an instant Yugi was out of his room, having recognised the former Pharaoh's cry. A cold wave of fear flowed through him as he approached the closed door of Atem's room. What would have caused Atem to cry out like that?

He paused for a split second before he knocked and cautiously opened the door. Atem was lying in the bed, hands on his forehead and was breathing rather rapidly. It appeared he was trying to calm down. Stepping into the room Yugi moved gingerly until he caught Atem's attention.

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly.

Atem closed his eyes for a moment, dropping his hands away from his head. He took a deep breath before moving in what Yugi guessed was an attempt to sit up, but he gave up on that idea pretty quickly. Instead he opened his eyes to look at Yugi.

"I'm sorry." He said, his voice sounded weaker than it had earlier, "I didn't mean to wake you."

Yugi shook his head, "You didn't, I've only just come up but what happened? Are you ok?"

Atem's pale face twisted in discomfort briefly. He took another steadying breath, which resulted in a coughing fit before continuing.

"I must have been dreaming, but it felt so real. There were these people who were… I'm not sure but something happened, there was this loud noise and the floor beneath them crumbled away. I don't… I think…"

Atem trailed off, closing his eyes and rubbing his head with a shaking hand. Yugi reached out and set a hand on his shoulder. He could still feel how hot Atem was, if anything he felt hotter which was surely a bad sign.

"It's alright." He said, "It was just a dream."

"It didn't feel like a normal dream."

Yugi didn't speak for a moment, just kept his hand on Atem's shoulder grounding him whilst he calmed down and his breathing returned to normal. He had a feeling that dream was probably a result of his illness but that didn't make it any less real for the once King. For him it must have felt incredibly real for it to spook him so much. The moments stretched on before Atem's breathing finally returned to normal. Yugi left the room briefly before returning with a glass of water which Atem gratefully accepted. As the former Pharaoh resettled himself, Yugi perched on the edge of the bed watching him closely. Atem looked quite unwell; he was desperately pale, his eyes were missing that bright spark. But despite their dull appearance Yugi could see his mind working, presumably mulling over his dream. This spoke true when he spoke a moment later.

"What do you think it meant?"

"I don't think it meant anything, it was a dream."

"But it felt –"

"I know but sometimes dreams can feel more intense when you're not well."

Atem gazed at him tiredly before nodding slightly, he rather wanted to forget the whole thing. He took another breath as a wave of tiredness swept over him. Yugi must have noticed this as he reached out again.

"Try not to think about it. Just get some sleep, you need it."

Nodding once again Atem closed his eyes, allowing himself to drift. He vaguely felt the pressure of the bed change as Yugi stood to leave the room. As consciousness slowly left him he could not help but hope that that dream didn't reoccur, the images it had left were not pleasant. The fear those people had felt was so intense, he hoped he never experienced that. Never again.