Sugoroku wasn't surprised when Yugi's friends arrived at the hospital. He welcomed them as they gathered outside of Yugi's room.

"Mr. Muto, any word on what's wrong with Yugi?" Anzu asked.

"They say it's a ruptured appendix; they should be here in a few minutes to take him up to surgery," Sugoroku replied.

Bakura bit his lip cursing inwardly at the fact that he had been right.

"I don't understand why but for some reason he seems distressed at the idea of parting with the Millennium Puzzle," Sugoroku said and Anzu looked between Jonouchi and Honda trying to understand why Yugi still hadn't told his grandfather about the spirit of the puzzle. "He should know I'm not going to let anyone touch it."

"It's probably just because he doesn't feel good, and he never takes that thing off." Jonouchi supplied it was the truth as far as went. It was also that he felt safer with Yami present in his mind and separating from the puzzle thinned that bond to much.

"Perhaps, I just don't understand it," Sugoroku sighed then ushered the teenagers in to see their friend before he was wheeled away for surgery.

"Anzu, Jonouchi, Honda… Bakura?" Yugi seemed particularly confused by Bakura's presence.

"Hey, you look like you're feeling a little better," Anzu observed.

"They gave me some pain medicine and…" Yugi looked away his grip tightening slightly on the puzzle as he thought about having to thin the bond between himself and Yami.

Anzu reached out for the Millennium Puzzle.

"Don't worry Yugi, we won't let anything happen to your puzzle while you're in surgery." She assured him.

A few minutes later they came to wheel Yugi away for surgery and he held the puzzle for a few more seconds before, reluctantly handing it over to Jonouchi for safekeeping. As Yugi watched Jonouchi put the chain on himself. This wasn't normal behavior, no one ever wore the puzzle except Yugi but this situation in general wasn't normal and it was reassuring to know that the puzzle was in safe hands.

The orderlies wheeled Yugi away and the friends all sat in the waiting room hoping and praying everything went well.

"I wish there was a way we could let Yami know what's going on," Anzu whispered to Jonouchi and Honda "You know, keep him up to date on what's happening since Yugi took the puzzle off."

"Yeah, he's probably worried sick." Honda agreed "Granted Yugi probably informed him of everything before he took it off but still Anzu's right I wish we could keep him posted while Yugi's got the puzzle off."

Bakura sat back listening to all of this. There were times he envied Yugi's relationship with the puzzle spirit. The spirit of his Millennium Ring was a malicious and hateful thing that would like nothing better than to see him evicted to the Shadow Realm. Yugi had gotten so fortunate that the puzzle spirit cared about him and seemed, in a way, to love him like a brother. He had seen them work as one to bring down opponents Bakura had believed impossible to defeat including the spirit of his own Millennium Item. Every time he did that Bakura prayed the spirit wouldn't return, but somehow he always did. He was surprised he was managing to hold the spirit at bay this long, he figured it was perhaps because he could only obtain the puzzle by defeating Yugi and the spirit of the puzzle in a duel and that wasn't going to happen.

"Look, I'm sure my parents are looking for me, I have to go, can you please keep me posted on Yugi's condition," Bakura said softly.

"Yeah, sure, of course, Bakura." Honda said, "I'll let you know when he gets out of surgery."

Bakura handed Honda a piece of paper with a phone number on it and then left the hospital.

"What's wrong with him?" Jonouchi asked.

"Perhaps it has something to do with his Millennium Item, I mean we've all seen that dark thing that inhabits his Millennium Ring, maybe in a way he's jealous of Yugi and the bond he has with Yami." Honda supplied.

"That sounds as plausible as anything I can come up with," Anzu replied.

Jonouchi looked down at the puzzle, it was heavier than he'd anticipated it being and he figured it was only that Yugi was used to the weight that he was able to tolerate wearing it all day long. However, given that it was solid gold he shouldn't have been so surprised at its weight.

The time seemed to crawl and there were no updates. Sugoroku was in Yugi's room waiting there while the three friends had huddled in a corner of the waiting room to have their talk. They each settled back in their respective chairs to wait out the surgery.

Anzu was about to propose the idea of going to the convenience store to get something to eat when Sugoroku came and told them that the surgery was a success, and Yugi would be in recovery in about twenty minutes. They wouldn't be able to visit or give him back the Millennium Puzzle for another hour or so but he was coming out of surgery.

Jonouchi looked at the Millennium Puzzle.

"Jonouchi I know this sounds strange, but can I see that?" Anzu asked.

"Yeah, why?" Jonouchi took the puzzle off and handed it to Anzu "You know what, never mind, I've got to go to the bathroom anyway."

Anzu took the Millennium Puzzle and sat back in her chair feeling the weight of the golden pendant in her hands.

'Yami I'm so sorry I can't let you know how Yugi's doing,' Anzu thought as she closed her eyes holding the puzzle in her hands.

"Anzu…"

Anzu's eyes snapped open at the voice she heard. She looked around to see a strange dark void as far as the eye could see, she then looked in front of her to see Yami, but he looked slightly different than he did when he was in control of Yugi's body. He was taller and leaner, but it was clear he was strong.

"How did you get here?"

"I… I don't know I was just thinking about how it's unfair that no one can update you on how Yugi's doing." Anzu replied.

"How is he doing?"

"They're just finishing up the surgery." She replied.

"Was it as bad as they thought it was?" he asked.

"They said he's going to have to stay in the hospital for a few days to clear up some infection that leaked out but it's nowhere near as bad as it could have been." She replied.

"So we should soon be reunited." Yami inferred.

"Yes," Anzu replied. She sensed that as hard as it had been on her, Jonouchi, and Honda, it had been worse on Yami. At least they had each other; he had been facing the stress and worry alone.

"Anzu, I am okay," he assured her as if reading her thoughts "In this place I am known as Yami, I am sure you have heard Yugi call me that on occasion".

"You say that, but I know you're worried about Yugi, perhaps more than any of us." Anzu countered "The bond you and he share is… is unequaled anywhere."

"You are right," Yami looked away "Right now I cannot feel him at all, and you are right that I am concerned, I thank you for thinking of me during this time."

Anzu looked at her hand, she wasn't sure what she could do in this weird mindscape that linked her to Yami.

"I will be okay, as soon as I can sense him again." He replied.

Yami was caught off guard when she embraced him. He hadn't been sure she would be willing to do that or realize she'd even be able to in this space. It took him a few seconds, but he did return the embrace and found himself taking comfort in the feeling of another's touch far more than he had ever thought he would.

Anzu brushed it off as if she had been fully confident that she could embrace him in this place but like her getting there in the first place. She would later marvel over the whole experience once everything was over.

Yami closed his eyes and rested his head on Anzu's shoulder. This was the hug he never realized he needed to receive. It was only with a lot of reluctance that they separated from the embrace.

"I don't even know how I got here much less how I'm going to get back to my body," Anzu commented after several moments.

In truth he didn't want her to leave, it felt good to not be alone, but he knew she had to return to her own body.

"I think I can help you there." He admitted.

Anzu closed her eyes again and opened them to see Jonouchi had come almost nose to nose with her.

"Jonouchi… geese back up!" she yelled shoving him backwards.

"Sorry, but we were worried about you. You were doing fine then suddenly you slumped down like you passed out and we couldn't wake you up" Honda said.

"I'm fine, really… but you're going to think I'm crazy"

Honda and Jonouchi huddled in to hear what Anzu was going to say.

"I don't know how… but I ended up in this strange realm where I could not only talk to but physically interact with the spirit." She said.

"Seriously, what did his realm or whatever look like?" Jonouchi prodded

"Here's the thing I don't think I saw where goes when he's not in control I think it was some in-between place that exists when he needs it to then disappears."

"How is he doing?" Honda asked.

"He's really worried about Yugi, the medicine that put him to sleep for the surgery means the bond between him and Yugi was completely shut down. He has no idea how Yugi is, and he doesn't like it." Anzu explained. "He'll be a lot better once he's back with Yugi."

"I mean I can't blame the guy, he watched Yugi go down and there was nothing he could do about it." Honda sighed.

Sugoroku came back to the waiting room.

"Yugi isn't up to visitors right now, you can say a quick hello but I think it's best you all go home and come back tomorrow." He said with a warm smile.

"Okay," they all agreed and then followed Sugoroku into Yugi's room.

"Hi…" Yugi said weakly his eyes trying to close again.

"We'll let you get some rest, but we thought you would want this back," Jonouchi said as Anzu placed the Millennium Puzzle in Yugi's hand.

"Bye…" Jonouchi said.

"Bye" Yugi replied but it was clear he wasn't fully awake.

The next day, Jonouchi checked in for the latest Duel Monsters Tournament.

"Hey um, I was told to let you know Yugi Muto has withdrawn from the tournament," Jonouchi said.

"Did you just say Yugi withdrew?" Kaiba asked in shock.

"Yeah, I guess you haven't heard but he had to have emergency surgery yesterday for a ruptured appendix, so he isn't going to be able to compete," Jonouchi replied casually. "I hope you aren't too disappointed Kaiba."

Seto looked down for a moment.

"So what are you doing here, Jonouchi, I would have thought you would be at his bedside."

"Yugi told me to go ahead and compete, he plans on sleeping most of the day and he didn't want me to get too bored in the hospital," Jonouchi explained.

"That makes sense." Seto shrugged. "Tell him I hope he gets better soon. The tournament scene won't be the same without him." Kaiba smirked. "He was, after all, my only real competition… without him, I'm going to be bored."

Jonouchi clenched his teeth.

"What am I, chopped liver?" he demanded.

"No, you're just no threat to me. So run along, wouldn't want you to miss out on the chance to make it to the finals only to lose to me." Kaiba smirked then walked away.

Mokuba stayed for a minute longer to give a genuine bid of well wishes before running off to catch up to Seto.

To Be Continued…