Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Chrysalis ❯ I Left My Heart in San Francisco ( Chapter 13 )

Disclaimer: Yugi-oh is the property of someone else. I can only humbly worship the artist. Dawn of the Living Dead isn't mine either, and I don't want it, you can't make me have it.

Dragonmaster TC- Thanks! I hope you keep enjoying this.

Chrysalis

Chapter Thirteen: I Left My Heart in San Francisco

~*~*~*

Yuai- Monday Morning

~*~*~*

"Mokuba, come on, we're going to be late." Yuai called up the stairs.

"Big brother hasn't called, yet." Mokuba yelled back, not appearing. It was Monday morning and Kaiba hadn't called yet. His plane had landed an hour ago and so far no word.

"He's probably stuck at the airport." She started up the stairs. "American airports are supposed to be nightmares. They're probably searching his bags."

Mokuba materialized, shuffling slowly down the stairs. "But if I'm not here, I won't be able to speak to him."

"Is your cell phone charged? He knows that number doesn't he?" Yuai turned back down the steps and headed for the door.

"Yeah. But the teacher takes the phone away if it rings in class." Mokuba stood on the last step, hesitating.

"Put it on vibrate. If it goes off ask if you can go to the bathroom and you'll be fine." Yuai picked up Mokuba's bag and held it out to him

Mokuba dragged himself over and took the bag. "I don't want to go."

"Has your brother ever not called you when he said he would?" Yuai caught Mokuba's arm and pulled him out the door toward the limo.

"No, he always calls." Mokuba frowned, trying to dig his feet into the carpet.

"Then off to school you go." Yuai shoved and they both tumbled out the door.

~*~*~*

Yugi- Monday After School

~*~*~*

Honda and Yugi braced themselves as another blast of frigid air slammed into them. Winter had descended this morning with snarling wind, spitting rain, biting cold and a pelt of dark gray clouds. People walking by huddled in their winter jackets and fought with wind torn umbrellas as they hurried by trying to get to their destinations before the weather decided to get really ugly.

Yami stood leaning against a lamp post, looking moody and sour, but keeping a careful eye on anyone passing close to his hikari. He didn't like modern day traffic. It had been bad enough, in his opinion, when carts and horses had flocked the streets with their noise, their smell and their stamping feet. The modern cars and trucks were much worse and he didn't trust them. He also didn't trust the passing people to not accidentally knock his slender light sprawling under the wheels of some passing monstrosity. He glared at one old lady who passed close to Yugi wielding a unruly umbrella and an oversized shopping bag. One false move granny and you're in the Shadow Realm.

Yugi stepped aside and smiled at the lady, as a gust of wind jerked her umbrella inside out. "Can I give you a hand?"

"Oh, no. I'm fine." She smiled a kindly, happy smile. "I do love the wind. It's so refreshing."

Sick, sick woman. Yami groused, shivering and glaring as the woman straitened her umbrella and briskly walked away smiling.

Yami, if you're cold go back into the puzzle. You don't need to be out here freezing. Yugi looked over as his darkness shivered and pulled his jacket tighter around him.

The crossing light finally changed and they all trotted quickly across the walk towards Oak Hill Residential Home, where Anzu was now staying. It was, contrary to the blissful name a large, cold, sterile concrete building that noticeably lacked anything oak like. The outside was painted a rather interesting choice of aqua blue with brown trim. A large parking lot filled with a scattering of cars, litter and old leaves surround the place with a grim, cracked concrete walk leading toward the inner concrete court yard.

"Um, sick people are supposed to get well here?" Honda looked warily at the court yard while stooping to peel a wind blown, hamburger wrapper off his leg.

Yugi gulped as a large man in a pale green uniform walked into the court yard and started smoking a cigarette. "Well, yeah. That's what Anzu's here for."

"I wish her luck." Honda turned and tried to bolt, but Yugi grabbed him and hauled him up the walk.

I'm with Honda on this, aibou. Yami wrinkled his nose as they approached the front door. The scent of dirty bed pans, old sweat, antiseptic, tobacco and other less pleasant odors wafted through the door as it creaked open. The lounging man, grinned and held the door open for them to enter, sending even more tar smell their way.

"We're going to see Anzu." Yugi yanked Honda's collar and obstinately made his way over to the main desk hauling the taller boy and his reluctant yami behind.

~*~*~*

Jonouchi- Monday Evening

~*~*~*

He had always told himself he would never end up like his father. He had a healthy disgust of filth. Hated dingy bars and refused to ever get drunk. No. Not him. He was going to be different from his old man. He wasn't going to sit around, knocking back the booze, chain smoking cheap cigarettes and dropping greasy bar food down the front of his shirt.

Things change. Jonouchi swirled the half empty bottle of vodka around in a circle, watching the clear liquid swirl against the sides. Wonder if this is how dad started.

There weren't that many people in the bar at this time. The college kids, out for a thrill, had long since gotten enough of slumming and headed for cleaner, more interesting places. Reluctant husbands had returned to the bosom of their loving families. All that was left was a few junkies that were gathered in one of the back booths, the die hard drinkers, a few tired waitresses and a bartender who was busy sliding his hands under the skirt of his helper. The man on the stool next to him farted and glared around accusingly. Jonouchi kept his eyes on the bottle then poured himself another drink. The glamorous life of a bed hopping whore. A cheap meal, a place to crash and you too can fuck me silly. He drained the glass and poured another. Anzu, eat your heart out.

Duke was now off to greener pastures now, he'd dumped Roba like so much garbage, and had now settled back into fucking his business partner in the back rooms of his game shop. Jonouchi wasn't sure exactly what game Duke was playing, but he'd finally gotten the main idea. Duke had screwed him to get at Kaiba, then he'd used Roba to strike at him, then he tossed Roba aside like a used condom, to return to the same lover he had before it all started. But what's the point? Did he do it for revenge? To make his lover jealous? Or just because he could? Bastard.

Jonouchi picked up the glass and drained it, enjoying the harsh bite of the vodka as it slipped past his tongue and burned down his throat. One of the junkies from the back dropped some money in the juke box and a twangy country song started. The guy next to him frowned and threw a empty beer bottle at the guy, who scuttled back to the booth like a roach. Jonouchi poured himself another, clunking the bottle back down on the bar.

It really didn't matter what the point of Duke's little game was. In the end it all came back to him. He'd had it good and he had blown it. Kaiba was all he ever wanted, needed, not just now, but for always. Sure, he knew going in that Kaiba had a temper, when pushed, threatened or cornered Kaiba bared his fangs and coiled, just like one of his beloved dragons, ready to destroy. They'd gotten into fights, often over nothing, but they worked it out. Until the last one.

Jonouchi gulped down his drink and quickly poured another and finished that one off too. Kaiba, I'm sorry love. I am so sorry. Do you know I missed you today? I spend all weekend wanting to get back to school, just so I can see you. Even if you hate me, even if you ignore me, I still can't wait to see you. I miss you so.

He poured another, quickly downing it, pouring another, noting that the bottle was getting low. Time to go home or get another. It was a choice of here, go back to Mako's place or home to his father. He looked around at the dim room with it's neon beer signs, cracked vinyl chairs, dark beaten up furniture and dented pool table.

Yea! My new home.

~*~*~*

Yuai- Tuesday Evening

~*~*~*

"Damn it, he should have called by now." Mokuba snarled, his dark eyes frowning at the offendingly silent phone.

"Let's try calling him again. He might be back in his room by now." Yuai set the list of contact numbers down by the phone.

"If he was back in his room he would have called." Mokuba shook his head, lips set in a thin hard frown.

Last night had been difficult. With no word from Kaiba, they had tried to track him or one of his assistants down. No one had answered in the rooms or their cells and all the hotel could say was that Kaiba had checked in Sunday and hadn't picked up his messages yet.

This morning had been impossible. Mokuba had abandoned the pose of a young, carefree, mischievous kid and Yuai had found herself facing a shorter, darker eyed, version of Kaiba, who was nearly homicidally worried about his brother.

They made more phone calls. No answer from the room, the receptionist had no information beyond that Mr. Kaiba hadn't checked out yet. The assistants had checked out at eight a.m., but didn't answer their cell phones. A call to the people that Kaiba had been planning to meet had met with the news that he had never shown up. The Japanese embassy couldn't help. The police had no information and the calls to the hospitals had yielded nothing.

Mokuba nearly went into orbit. Yuai had to practically drag him to school by his hair, then headed for the game shop. She had no illusions about Yugi knowing how to find someone overseas, but Grandpa Solomon had traveled and he might know.

Half way there she realized that Mokuba had gone to school much too quietly and returned to the mansion just in time to haul a cursing, snarling Mokuba out of another limo that had been headed for the airport and drag him back to school. This time taking the precaution of stripping Mokuba of everything except the clothes on his back (pockets emptied), his school books (carefully inspected), one pencil (chewed), his notebook (thoroughly searched) and the homework that was due for the day (crumpled). She walked him to his class, saw him seated, warned the teacher about Mokuba trying to leave early, and headed back to the mansion for another round of phone calls.

Grandpa Solomon had an old friend who lived in San Francisco, who he promised to call and suggested trying the embassy again, this time asking for a Mr. Rallings, who was another old friend. More phone calls, more dead ends. Yuai tried the hotel again, nothing, the airport reported that Mr. Kaiba had not been on the flight to Japan, though all his assistants had boarded. Another round with hospitals and police, nothing. If Kaiba didn't show up in another twelve ours, she would then be able to file a missing persons report. Joy.

At three o'clock she went and retrieved a rabid and frantic Mokuba from school and came back to the mansion.

"Okay, we've tried the hotel, the cell phones, we've tried the embassy, the police, the hospitals and the airport." Yuai looked at the pile of scratched notes and the much abused contact list. "Kruello Electronics says he never made the meeting, but his assistants all boarded the plane on schedule. If something was wrong wouldn't one of them said something?"

Mokuba snorted and paced down the length of the living room, then turned and paced back. "Hardly."

Yuai watched as he took another round. For an eleven year old kid, he was doing a good imitation of his big brother. But, it was still an imitation and he was still a kid. Fine cracks appeared in the façade, his eyes had a tendency to get a bit too shiny, his voice tended to squeak at odd times. Give him a few more years and he'd be able to make shivers run down people's backs, just like Kaiba, but now, Yuai could feel the desperate fear that clung around him.

"I'm going to go find my brother." Mokuba crossed his arms, taking a stand.

"Nope. Not happening." Yuai didn't budge a inch. She had his passport safely tucked away, all credit cards, money, identification, even pocket change was now hidden, and the limo drivers had been warned to not take Mokuba anywhere close to any mass transit system. She'd had all day to prepare for this and stood her ground as Mokuba used his best Kaiba glare.

"I'm going."

"It's going to be a long walk."

"You can't stop me."

"Fine. Wear warm clothes and take a snorkel, the Pacific tends to get a might deep."

Mokuba turned sharply and marched back down the length of the living room. He'd been set for a fight, not humor and needed a few seconds to figure out a new tactic. He wasn't prepared for this. He`d already realized the things he needed to get to the states were missing. He needed Yuai to give them back and he didn't know how to make her. Seto would have had her whimpering by now. Tears threatened. Big brother, what am I supposed to do?

The door bell rang, he jerked around and looked towards the door. Hope and relief slamming into him. Of course, Seto came back home. He probably forgot something and just came back home. Mokuba bolted for the door. He's home, that's why he didn't call. Seto came home.

He wrenched open the door, a happy greeting ready, only to find himself faced with a surprised Yugi. Grandpa Solomon stood just behind him, with Honda and Serenity off to the side and Jonouchi slouching embarrassed at the foot of the steps. No Seto.

"Hi Mokuba. Yuai said you might need a hand." Yugi shifted uncomfortably as Mokuba just stood and stared at them, eyes wide, stunned.

Jonouchi looked up from where he was standing, wondering why he ever let Yugi and Serenity talk him into this. It had to be the biggest mistake of his life. Kaiba had probably given specific orders to have him booted off the grounds if he ever showed his face here. He wouldn't have blamed him, having a bed hopping slut around his kid brother probably wasn't part of Kaiba's view on correct child raising practices.

Honda and Serenity looked uncomfortable, unsure if they should be here. Grandpa Solomon didn't want to be here, but was willing to put the past aside and lend a hand. Yugi, innocent, determined Yugi, had dragged them here, giving a speech Anzu would have been proud of, about friendship, understanding and teamwork. If he hadn't been so hung over he'd have plugged his ears and run.

Then he looked at Mokuba. The kid was standing there looking as if Yugi had smacked him. Large dark eyes wide, disbelieving, surprised. Mokuba's eyes darted around, looking for something, someone else. As tears started sliding down the kids cheeks, Jonouchi figured it out. Kaiba. Mokuba had been hoping it was Kaiba at the door.

Damn, stupid kid. Did you really think he'd have rung the door bell? Jonouchi bounded up the steps and scooped Mokuba up. The child pushed away for a second, looking into Jonouchi's eyes, then wrapped his arms around his neck and sobbed.

"He didn't call. He didn't call. He always calls and he didn't call." Mokuba burrowed against his neck crying and shaking. "We looked and looked and called and he's not anywhere."

"It's okay. We're here. We'll find him." Jonouchi held Mokuba close and walked into the mansion.

They were sitting around the coffee table in the living room, surrounded by the scribbled notes and the contact list, trying to figure out what they should do. Jonouchi sat on the recliner with Mokuba on his lap, still trying to calm him down. The younger boy clung to him, his head buried in Jonouchi's collarbone. Honda and Serenity sat across from them carefully sorting and organizing the scribbled bits and pieces of paper that contained all the information they had been able to cobble together. Yugi and Yuai dug through international directories that had been unearthed from Kaiba's home office, for any overseas help they could use and Grandpa Solomon sat in the corner making phone calls to friends in California trying to locate Kaiba.

"Okay, you tried the embassy. Did they say anything about how to locate someone?" Serenity carefully wrote the embassy number on her growing list.

"Just that if he hasn't contacted us in forty eight hours we can make a report." Yuai shook her head and found a number for a private investigative firm in Los Angles that someone had marked with a star. She jotted the name and number down on her own pad of paper.

"Have you…." Honda began then looked up at the still crying Mokuba. "called all the hospitals and…ummm…other places?"

Mokuba wrenched himself away from Jonouchi and screamed, "He is not dead. Big brother is not dead. He's not at one of those, those… other places!"

Jonouchi scowled at Honda and pulled Mokuba back into a hug, "He just meant a clinic, you know, like that time you got a fish hook stuck in your foot in Denver, we had to go to a clinic to get it taken out. Remember?"

Mokuba nodded and slumped back into Jonouchi's arms, "Oh, yeah. I forgot about those. I don't think we called."

Honda made a note on his list, "Okay, we still need to call the clinics."

"How about those assistants? Any word on them?" Yugi closed the book he had been searching and flipped to another page in his notebook.

"They should be arriving in about five hours." Serenity said as she consulted her notes, "We should probably meet them at the airport and question them."

"Some assistants." Jonouchi muttered. "I know Kaiba kept saying they were useless. I didn't realize he wasn't just blowin' steam."

Mokuba nodded his head. "They're the last of the people the old executive board had hired. They hate Seto, but he's always too busy to find new ones."

Grandpa Solomon came over and smiled, "I think I found him."

Mokuba cannonballed into Solomon's arms, "Where is he? Is he okay? Why hasn't he called?"

Solomon patted the boy's head. "He's in Bay General Hospital. He arrived the night before last with a high fever."

Jonouchi got to his feet. "Is he goin' to be okay?"

"The nurse said that as soon as his temperature goes down he should be released." Solomon nodded and gave Mokuba a hug. "Now off to be with you. Your brother's asleep and you should be too."

"Uh,uh. I want to go get Seto." Mokuba put on his best Kaiba, stubborn face.

Jonouchi pulled Mokuba away, threw him over his shoulder and headed for the stairs. "You ain't goin' no place but to bed. It's late and Kaiba don't need to have to worry about you."

"It's only eight o'clock. No fair!" Mokuba wailed, kicking and wiggling.

"I'll bring you up some hot chocolate, Mokuba." Yuai called, scrambling to her feet and bounding to the kitchen, listening to Mokuba shriek in protest as he was hauled to bed.

Yugi, Honda and Serenity gave each other relieved smiles and settled back onto the couch, stretching cramped muscles.

"Oh man, if anyone had told me I'd be spending a school night searching San Francisco for Kaiba. I'd have told them they were nuts." Honda moaned, working the cramps out of his fingers.

Serenity gave him a kiss, her slender fingers gently rubbing his hands. "Thanks for coming sweetheart. Jonouchi really needed you here."

Honda grinned happily and returned the kiss.

Yugi sighed, "You know, we really have to do something about this," he waved his hand vaguely around at the mansion. "He's not happy, and I'm pretty sure Kaiba isn't all that happy either."

Honda and Serenity nodded and chimed together, "Working on it."

"How did you find him, Grandpa?" Yugi yawned.

"An old friend of mine, Robert Shota, has a small antiquities store in San Francisco. I had him call around to see if someone fitting Kaiba's description had been admitted to any hospitals." Solomon sat down next to Yugi. "Kaiba was nearly unconscious when he was admitted. He apparently called a taxi to take him to the hospital and the taxi driver brought him in, but didn't know his name."

"Is he sure it's Kaiba?" Serenity snuggled down next to Honda.

"Yes, I faxed him a picture and he went over and identified him. The hospital was very happy to have a name for their patient." Solomon stretched his legs out and watched as Yuai scampered past with a cup of coco, heading for Mokuba's room.

"If he was in the hospital, why didn't one of his assistants call and tell Mokuba?" Honda shook his head, "You'd think that the boss missing in a foreign country would at least earn a phone call."

"No, not if you know them." Jonouchi came down the stairs shaking his head. "Most of the people that executive board hired have it out for Kaiba. Walking away when the boss is sick is pretty small stuff compared to some of the things Kaiba thought they were up to."

"You know, Mokuba is right." Honda nodded toward the staircase. "Someone's got to go and bring Kaiba home. We can't just leave him in San Francisco."

"Well, Mokuba can't go." Serenity frowned at Honda, giving him a sly wink when Jonouchi turned away to see Yuai walk back down the stairs.

"That's right." Honda hid a smile and gave a serious nod. "Yuai can't go, she has to take care of Mokuba."

"Kaiba doesn't know me very well." Serenity sighed. "Though it would be fun to go to San Francisco."

"Ditto, here." Honda shrugged and glared pointedly at Yugi.

"Oh.. uhm.. well, I can't go. I have to help Grandpa with the new toys we got in. It's going to take all week just to inventory them." Yugi smiled and looked at his grandpa, who looked a little lost. Yugi dug a elbow into his ribs and flicked his eyes toward Jonouchi.

"Yes, yes." Solomon nodded quickly, catching on. "I'm afraid we're going to be very busy this week."

"Well, none of you had better be looking at me." Jonouchi slumped into the recliner. "Kaiba's more likely to kick my ass back here than to thank me for coming to get him."

"Don't worry, brother. We wouldn`t ask you to do that." Serenity smiled. "How about his secretary?"

~*~*~*

Kaiba

~*~*~*

"Time to go, Mr. Kaiba." A friendly voice grated into his head. Relentless hands pulled him upright, making him sit, pulling a robe around him, shifting him into a wheelchair, pushing slippers on his feet.

"Are you sure he's all right?" A familiar voice murmured in heavily accented English. Gentle hands touching him, stroking his hair out of his face, adjusting his robe, a scent of sunshine.

"The medication is making him a bit drowsy." The friendly voice chirped as the world shifted, moved on gliding wheels.

Kaiba tried to open his eyes, but it seemed too much effort. Sounds slid by, the soft hiss of wheels, voices talking, doors swinging open, a distant page, soft thud of well known foot falls pacing at his side, sharp, quick footsteps behind him.

"Did the doctor thoroughly explain the medication?"

"Yes." Disgruntled, annoyed, the voice answered back.

A door opened, fresh air, bright light. The scent of car exhaust. The rumble of traffic. A child's voice calling in the distance. The heavier footsteps walking away. A car door opening and closing, an engine purring to life. He was being left.

No! No! Don't go! Kaiba forced his reluctant eyes to open. Stabbing, harsh, cruel light, washed everything into a white haze, making him wince, gasp. Come back! Don't leave me again.

A much loved, long fingered, hand came down, shielding his eyes, protecting him from the pain. "Shhh. Close your eyes. It's bright out here."

He relaxed, his tired eyes closing again. He hadn't been left, he wasn't alone. Arms carefully lifted him, held him, hair brushed against the side of his face, the cherished scent of summer. Then, he was gently lowered onto the buttery feel of leather upholstery. A soft blanket pulled around him with the smell of home rising from it.

"Goodbye, Mr. Kaiba. Take care now." A retreating stacco of footsteps.

A weight settled next to him, the car door slammed, arms reached around him and pulled him close as the car moved forward. He struggled, trying to throw off the fog that clouded his mind, wanting to see long missed, brown eyes. A hand caressed his hair, lips brushing against his temple. "Go to sleep. It's all right now."

It was all right, for the first time in a long, long time everything was right. He went to sleep.

_____________pause___________

Jonouchi cursed. When he got home he was going to wrap his hands around Mokuba's neck and shake till the brat squealed. The little rat lived with his brother, he couldn't miss the condition that Kaiba was in, and no amount of bratty talk or big innocent eyes was going to make him believe that Kaiba got this way in three days. This wasn't just pneumonia, this was complete collapse. And, no, he wasn't believing the medication was making Kaiba `a bit drowsy.'

When he had walked into the hospital room and saw Kaiba laying on the bed, he almost didn't recognize him. His brown hair, usually a soft, glowing, chestnut lay limp, dry and dull; golden skin had turned papery and white, with dark bruise like shadows around his eyes and mouth; his beautiful, sculpted body had become fragile; strong, clever hands curled shakily against the thin, white, hospital blanket. Jonouchi had started cursing then, just to keep the tears away.

The doctor had come in, mercifully able to speak Japanese, and explained that Kaiba had pneumonia. He had given Jonouchi a long list of instructions, a paper bag full of medicine, more instructions, a pile of papers to fill out, a few hundred warnings, a sack with Kaiba's clothes in it, and a pat on the back. Then the nurse had appeared and dragged Kaiba's half conscious body out of bed, plunked him in a wheelchair and shoved them both out the front door into the waiting limo as fast as she could.

Jonouchi decided he hated America. He had wrapped his arms around his love and soothed Kaiba's shaking body till he fell into a peaceful sleep. The drive back had been a nightmarish obstacle course of stop and go traffic, crazed drivers and honking horns. He had finally opted for closing his eyes, snuggling closer to Kaiba and trying to catch up on a day's worth of lost sleep. The traffic, however, didn't want to cooperate, each time he was about to doze off, the limo either accelerated or swerved to avoid some numbskull with a big truck and an attitude. By the time they finally reached the hotel, he was a shaking mass of frazzled nerves.

The hotel had provided a wheelchair, that had been personally delivered by the manager, who took the opportunity to pledge the hotel's undying support, and shoved another pile of paperwork at him. Jonouchi then pushed Kaiba over to the elevator and up to his room, with a bell boy following with his luggage, the packages from the hospital and the ever growing stack of papers he had to fill out.

Kaiba never woke up. Jonouchi wasn't sure if he should be happy about that or upset. It wasn't like him to just sleep, to be so completely unaware of his surroundings, so vulnerable. Kaiba ordinarily would wake up, alert and sober at the slightest sound. Sometimes, when tired, he might need a shake, but then blue eyes would snap open, ready to deal with whatever woke him. The semi-conscious fog he had been in at the hospital, then the deep, drowning sleep that claimed him after, were frightening. Yet, at the same time, Jonouchi knew he would kill the first person who tried to disturb Kaiba.

He settled into a arm chair near the foot of the bed and dialed the mansion.

"Kiaba residence." The butler's elegant and slightly snobby voice came over the line.

"It's Jonouchi, wanna talk to Yuai or Mokuba."

"Yes, sir. They are expecting your call." A soft click as he was placed on hold, then Mokuba.

"Jonouchi, is he all right? Let me speak to him." Mokuba yelled, causing Jonouchi to hold the phone away from his ear.

"Hey, calm down. He's sleeping and your hurtin' my ear."

"How come he's sleeping? Every time I want to call him, he's asleep." Mokuba yelled in a quieter tone.

"Medication, brat. It'll do that to ya."

"Oh. Well, when he wakes up. I want to talk to him." Mokuba's voice now dwindled to a normal level. "Is he okay?"

Jonouchi looked over at Kaiba and considered. Truthfully, okay and Kaiba had parted ways a good while back, but telling Mokuba that his brother looked like a cast extra from Dawn of the Dead was probably more than the kid could take. "He's tired, and the medication they gave him has really zoned him out, but he's okay."

He could hear Mokuba's sigh of relief. "You're sure?"

"Yep. We'll be home in a few days. The doc said he should be able to travel by next Monday."

"Monday! Why Monday?" Mokuba's voice level rose again.

"Look, he had pneumonia. He can't just hop on the next plane and head home. He's gotta take it easy for a bit."

"Okay." Now Mokuba sounded miffed. Jonouchi hoped that Yuai kept a close eye on the kid or he'd find him knocking on the door by tomorrow.

There was a murmur of conversation in the background and then Yuai came on the other end. "Do you know what time you'll be home, Jonouchi?"

"No, not really. I figure when Kaiba is well enough to give me hell, we'll catch the next flight out."

There was a longer conversation, punctuated by a angry cry from Mokuba, then Yugi got on the line. "Jonouchi?"

"Hi, Yug. What's up?"

"Yuai and Honda just dragged Mokuba off to take a bath. What's really happening?" Yugi didn't sound like he believed the everything's fine story.

"Honestly, Kaiba looks like shit."

"Bad?" There were shades in Yugi's voice that hinted that Yami was at least somewhat present.

"Well, not too bad. But we'll be here for a bit."

"You'll call if things change." The near order sounded more like Yami.

"Yeah, you can both calm down. I'll manage Kaiba."

The chuckle was pure Yami, but the voice right after was all Yugi, "Thanks Jonouchi. We're all worried."

"Don't worry. I can handle this. Take care of Mokuba and tell Yuai to make sure he doesn't get any travel plans."

"I'll tell her. You take care too. Bye."

"Bye, Yug."

~*~*~*

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