Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ I Care ❯ I Care ( Chapter 20 )

Emmy: Finally here is the next chapter! Is it the end? NO! I didn't mean to make you think the last chapter was the end. I'd never end it like that!

 

Ryou: I'm dying!!!!

 

Bakura: NOT MY FAULT!

 

Malik: (holds up Bakura doll) Bakura: Oh I'm so sorry Ryou! Kiss me I love you! (makes doll kiss Ryou)

 

Ryou: o.O Wait, this isn't that kind of romance story.

 

Malik: Oh pooh.

 

Raven: (holds up her little sign)

 

I Care

 

Aly waited in the uncomfortable chair. The walls around her were a dull white and a vase of obviously fake flowers rested on the small coffee table in front of her. She didn't really care though, Aly was staring at the ground sadly.

 

Aly was trying to sort out what had just happened. Everything was a burr…

 

She remembered the ambulance came after Bakura jumped out the window. She'd been crying a lot…Malik had been trying to calm her down. Eventually she settled to crying into his chest for the longest time…She hadn't watched them take him to the ambulance, she hadn't watched them cart him away to the emergency room, she didn't want to see him that way again. The blood had been everywhere, it seemed to spread and engulf everything it came in contact with...Ryou's moon white hair, his shirt, the sheets...all had soaked up the dark red, sticky liquid…It had made Aly want to throw up.

 

Aly had ridden in the ambulance with Ryou, holding his limp hand the entire time. She'd watched his face for any sign of awakening but he hadn't moved. Aly could recall the blearing sirens and their high pitched wailing, and surprising remembered the fact that the drivers name was Derek and that one of the ambulance attendants had worn her hair back in a ponytail. Why she remembered these small details so clear was a mystery to Aly…

 

They'd been directed to the waiting room and there Aly had stayed, and Malik had gone only a few moments earlier to find out what information he could. There Aly waited…and waited…and waited…

 

Aly kept thinking…she kept thinking what would happen if…if he left her.

 

“You're over reacting,” she told herself. “They can save him. It wasn't that bad, just his head, there wasn't THAT much blood…”

“Stop being so naïve!” she argued to herself. “He's in bad condition and the chances of him surviving are probably slim!”

 

“Shut up and stop being so negative! You've got to hope!”

 

“It won't help at all!”

 

“Just stop thinking about it!”

 

“There's no hope so stop trying to ignore the truth!”

 

“Shut up!” Aly said to herself angrily. “Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!”

 

“Aly?” Malik asked, entering the room.

 

“Malik! What's going on?” Aly asked, wide eyed in fear that the answer wouldn't be good.

 

“Well…they say it was caused by a blow to a sensitive area of the head. It would have to mean that the area had been weakened many times before causing it to be more susceptible to injury…His brain is undamaged but there's a bit of a crack in his skull…” Malik replied. Aly clenched her fists.

 

“Bakura that bastard…it's all his fault…he beat Ryou so many times I bet that's why Ryou was so suscepable-susepstaile-suspeclable-!”

 

“Susceptible,” Malik corrected her.

 

“Whatever!” she growled. “I bet that's why he was so susceptible! It's all Bakura's fault…” she hissed, digging her nails into the seats upholstery.

 

“You know…we couldn't have told them Bakura did it,” Malik whispered. “They would have asked questions, too many involving the Millennium Items and such.” Aly gave a `humph!' and glared at the floor. She still despised him for what he's done.

 

“…I told them we found him out in the alley…that it was probably muggers of bullies…” Malik said. Aly didn't respond. Malik gave a frustrated sigh and sat down by her.

 

“So…do they think he'll make it?” she asked quietly. Malik was silent.

 

“…They wouldn't give me a strait answer. They said they could probably fix the skull…but he lost a lot of blood that's all…I'm pretty sure he'll be ok though…” Malik also said this quietly. Aly leaned back against the chair and crossed her arms.

 

“See? Malik thinks he'll be ok…”

 

“Malik's only trying to make me feel better…”

 

“No, Malik wouldn't lie like that! I'm sure Ryou will be ok!”

 

“But…what if he isn't?”

 

“Aly?” Malik questioned.

 

“Hmm?” was all she said.

 

“Should we call Yugi and Tea and them and tell them about this?” he asked. Aly shrugged.

 

“I guess…” was all she said. Malik looked at her a long time but Aly just ignored him.

 

“Aly…” he said gently. Still Aly did not respond. Why did she have to? She preferred just staring at the white wall through her protective shield of long, frizzy hair. She felt Malik place a hand on her shoulder.

 

“Don't worry, I'm sure everything will be alright,” he said again. Aly bit her bottom lip.

 

“How do you know that?” Aly asked a with a little spitefulness in her voice. “How do you know for sure?” she asked. Malik was silent and Aly was satisfied.

 

“I'm going to go make another call,” Malik said. Aly felt him stand up and leave the room. She continued to stare at the pure white wall…just staring…She probably would have cried more but it seemed Aly had cried her last tears a while ago. In this room of white walls Aly felt she was able to shut down in a way. That's what she wanted. Just to get away from everything for a long while...She hadn't felt this since her grandmother's funeral-but Aly couldn't think of funerals. She couldn't think like that-it was like thinking about it would make it happen.

 

She was really trying Aly was, to stop thinking about it…to stop thinking about what had happened, and what could happen. If she thought about them she'd have to relive the whole thing. The wall was as white as Ryou's hair…but Ryou's hair hadn't been white in the bedroom…

 

A flash of the blood soaked hair and sheets appeared in Aly's mind and she closed her eyes quickly but the picture was still there.

 

“Ryou…” she whimpered.

 

“Excuse me Miss?” a voice called. Aly looked up to see a young nurse with dark red hair tied into a bun looking in on her.

 

“Yes?” Aly choked. She cleared her voice before trying again. “Yes?”

 

“The doctor says you may see…” the nurse looked at her clip board. “Mr. Ron Bakura,” she finished. For a moment Aly resented her.

 

“What? You didn't remember his name? How could you not remember his name? You were sent to tell me I could see him the least you could do is remember his name!” she cursed in her mind.

 

“It's Ryou,” Aly corrected coldly.

 

“Oh, yes of course,” the nurse replied with a slight frown. “If you'll follow me…” The young red head waited for Aly to get up. Aly gave her a steady glare for a few seconds before leaving her uncomfortable chair and letting the nurse lead her down the shiny, clean hallways.

 

Staff and sickly looking people, some in wheel chairs, and some on stretchers crowed the small hallway. Aly caught site of a little girl-she looked five or so-speedily being carted down another hall, a sobbing parent and many staff members surrounded her small body. Aly caught a brief glance of an old lady all alone sitting in her hospital bed, with many strange machines and needles sticking into her frail body. The wash whites walls and smell of cleaning solution did not cover up the pain and disease of the hospital.

 

Aly's red headed leader walked past all these people and stopped at the second to last door of the hall. As it opened Aly's stomach gave a little flip. She looked in to find two beds in the room. The patient occupying the first bed was someone in a full body cast, only their mouth was visible. Aly cringed at the thought of what must have happened to them. That couldn't be Ryou…

 

“Room D-13, second bed,” the nurse informed Aly. Aly looked to the second bed, a curtain was pulled around it. Aly timidly stepped towards the pale blue curtain, almost afraid to pull it back, but she did.

 

The top of Ryou's head was wrapped in thick, white bandages. Bits of his hair were peeking out from under it. Needles that led to many different packaged fluids, such as blood and a series of clear liquids Aly couldn't identify were resting in his wrists. A machine Aly guessed measured his heart rate and other important details was beeping at a constant rhythm. She studied his face. He was asleep and his face looked rather peaceful.

 

She heaved a sigh and sat down in the chair placed by his side.

 

“So…what do the doctors say?” she asked. There was no answer. Aly looked up to see the nurse had left. Aly pursed her lips angrily, but instead of muttering angrily to her self she turned back to her sleeping friend.

 

“Ryou…” she sighed softly. Aly reached out to him, unsure if she was allowed to touch him or not. Softly she held his hand. “Ryou can you hear me?” she asked. Ryou slept on. “Ryou? Please wake up…” she said softly. Still Ryou's eyes remained shut and his body limp. Aly bowed her head and looked at the ground, still holding onto his hand tightly.

 

“Ryou…I wish you could wake up and tell me everything is going to be ok…” she explained to him. “You see…one of the reasons I wanted to stay with you was to protect you…to keep this kind of thing from happening…Why you ask? I just met you a few months ago…but you were different then all the others…you seemed lonely and I was alone in a new country…I just felt…like you and I…had some sort of connection like that…So I wanted to get close to you…protect you from loneliness…even though I still had my friends…and Tea and the others…you were my first friend here, so I held you in a special place…but I failed to protect you, to help you…” Aly sniffed. “But now I see how I can fix my mistake…” Aly added. Using her left hand Aly lifted the golden cat's head out from under her shirt and watched it gleam in the overhead florescent light. Silently she lifted it above her head and held onto it tightly.

 

“Bastet…protect Ryou instead of me…” Aly leaned over the bed and tenderly placed her protection around his neck, as she did so she realized that his ring wasn't there. It was resting on his beside table. The forlorn teen scowled at the magical item, as if it were Bakura himself. She tucked the necklace around his pale throat and leaned back into her chair.

 

“There,” she sighed with a half smile. “Now I know for sure…” and with that the overwhelming stress of the night finally caught up to Aly and she feel asleep.

 

XXXXXXXXX

 

The ancient thief could not see into the hospital room from his tree top perch, the only way to get a glimpse was to go in. Bakura had been sitting in the tree for quite a while debating over what to do.

 

The shock of what had happened had left Bakura, but a greater feeling he could only recognize as guilt and regret had taken its place. Bakura hadn't felt such a strong feeling since his childhood. It was almost so overwhelming it scared Bakura a bit. What had he done? He had almost killed his hikari-his light-that's what he had done. He'd made a big mistake that's what he'd done.

 

Bakura had just been…so angry. Ryou had been trying to…be friendly with Bakura, be all soft and nice…Bakura growled.

 

“Stupid Ryou...why'd he have to do that?! It's his own fault he's in there!” Bakura tried to tell himself, but it didn't help.

 

Bakura could sense his light through their link. He hadn't yet tried to talk to him…

 

((…Ryou?))

 

(…)

 

((Ryou can you hear me?)) Bakura asked but there was still not reply. His light's mind was sleeping peacefully within his soul room-a place in the soul where the mind can go, a place where Ryou had spent a lot of time while Bakura was in control of his body.

 

“I have to see him…” Bakura whispered to himself. He felt his coat pocket where a large, soft lump rested. It was still there. Swiftly he jumped from the branch and landed silently outside the door. Entering the hospital he felt quite nervous. Sick and injured people were everywhere but the main reason was for some reason he felt as if he could get caught. He didn't really feel as if he belonged there.

 

Bakura walked up a desk where a wrinkled, old woman with too much make up on sat, hoping to find Ryou's room number. He waited quite a while with his hands in his pocket as she typed something on the computer. Finally he had to cough rather loudly before she looked up.

 

“How may I help you?” she asked rather flatly.

 

“I'm looking for the room number of patient Ryou Bakura,” Bakura replied stiffly.

 

“Friend of family?” the woman asked. For a moment Bakura wasn't sure what to say.

 

“Family,” he decided.

 

“Relation?” she asked.

 

“What?”

 

The woman gave and exasperated sigh. “Relation to the patient,” she said slowly.

 

“Ah, yes…I'm his brother,” Bakura replied.

 

“Ryou Bakura doesn't have a listed brother,” she replied, giving Bakura a suspicious glance. Bakura scowled.

 

“Well then the computer is wrong,” Bakura replied rather angrily.

 

“I'm sorry sir but without proper identification I cannot allow you to see the patient,” she replied. Bakura clenched his fists.

 

“I need to see him!” Bakura cried.

 

“Sir leave now or I shall call security,” the woman threatened, her eyes almost disappearing under the many wrinkles. Bakura was restraining himself from sending her to the Shadow Realm.

 

“You can't stop me from seeing him!” Bakura replied, slamming his fists onto the table.

 

“That's it,” the lady glared at Bakura and moved to press a button on her table when suddenly she stopped and froze, then looked back at Bakura with lifeless eyes.

 

“Of course. Room D-13. Down that hall and two the left,” she said in monotone. Bakura cocked an eye brow. Then he got it. He looked around and sure enough, there was Marik, standing by the wall.

 

“He's using the rod to control her,” Bakura thought.

 

“Thank you,” Bakura replied to the possessed woman. When he looked back, surprisingly Marik had already left. Bakura shrugged at his friend's departure and made his way to Ryou's room.

 

He felt slightly nervous as he entered the room. The main light had been turned off and the only illumination was the light of the moon shining through the window. He saw the person in the body cast and for a moment feared it was Ryou.

 

“Stupid, he wasn't injured that badly,” Bakura told himself. He looked to the next bed which was partially covered by a thin curtain. Grabbing the material he pushed it back and looked in.

 

There was Ryou, lying in the bed, bandages covering his injured head, machines poking into through his fragile skin. And sitting by the slumbering angel was yet another slumbering form…Aly. Her legs were curled up into the chair, her brown hair covered half of her face, and she clutched Ryou's left hand in one of her own. Bakura could still see the sadness on her tear-stricken face. That brought yet another pang of unfamiliar guilt, but it was easier to ignore this guilt. He didn't care about Aly in the slightest.

 

As Bakura's eyes wondered back to his light.

 

“Ryou…” he whispered, taking a few steps closer. Ryou looked so peaceful yet still so fragile. His pale skin and hair seemed like porcelain in the moonlight. He truly did look like an angel, a broken angel.

 

“And I'm the one that broke him…” Bakura thought.

 

“Ryou…I'm sorry,” he said. Bakura stroked his hikari's hair and held on to his hikari's other hand. “Ryou…I'm sorry I hurt you like this…I'm sorry I broke you…when I was the one who should have protected you…Anger got the better of me…it was never supposed to go this far…I just wanted you to be stronger…be able to defend yourself, to be strong…I wanted to help you be strong…but I went about it the wrong way didn't I?” Bakura felt a stringing in his eyes and blinked. Was he crying? No…he couldn't be crying…

 

Bakura touched his face…the faintest feeling of moisture rested there. He quickly whipped it away. Bakura never cried, and that's the way it would stay.

 

“…You just wanted to be my friend didn't you? When you came in all you wanted to do was be my friend?” Bakura talked quietly to his hikari.

 

“Friends are a weakness…but…” Bakura couldn't sort out his troubled mind. All he wanted at the moment was a to be able to go back and time…to take it back…maybe take it all back…what he'd been doing had been to help Ryou…to help him by hurting him…but now Bakura had let his anger take over and ruin everything…

 

“I know you probably can't hear me now Ryou…Stupid me talking to people that aren't real,” Bakura said, but couldn't help at smirk at his own joke. Then it faded and the yami took a small, stuffed form from his overcoat pocket and tucked it next to Ryou's arm.

 

With that Bakura stood back. Now he would leave Ryou and Aly together. But when he stood back he noticed something he hadn't noticed before. Around Ryou's a neck a gold pendent hung but it wasn't the Millennium Ring. It was the Symbol of the Goddess Bastet.

 

Bakura's eyes widened as he looked over to Aly. She had taken off her protection for Ryou…She was so vulnerable, asleep and unprotected. Thoughts of revenge ran through Bakura's mind. Now was his chance…the chance he had been awaiting…he could hit her over the head, throw her out the window, stick one of these bags into her wrist and see what happened…but…looking at the two teenagers sleeping there, still hand in hand…Bakura couldn't do it.

 

“What? No! I refuse to let this stop me! I will NOT go soft! All must know that I am still the Thief King Bakura!” Bakura stood there, staring at them. If he did this it would be a sign to all that he wasn't going soft…

 

Bakura located the Ring on the table by Ryou's hospital bed and placed it around his own neck. What to do? Aly was his enemy…but Aly was Ryou's girlfriend….but Bakura wasn't going soft! Why would he care if Aly was Ryou's girlfriend?

 

“I will not go soft!” Bakura ordered himself.

 

“But…then why can't I make myself do this?” he asked himself. “If I was going to kill her I already would have…”

 

Bakura towered over Aly's slumbering form.

 

“I am going to show her who is the more powerful one. I'll show her what happens when she makes the Great Thief King Bakura angry.”

 

“Then why haven't you already done it?”

 

The Ring began to glow around Bakura's neck.

 

“No matter what you tell yourself you know you can't kill her.”

 

“I shall send her to the Shadow Realm then!” Bakura told himself.

 

“No one would know…if you left now. It wouldn't hurt your image at all.”

 

“I am going to get my revenge,” Bakura said allowed.

 

“What revenge? What did she ever do to you?”

 

“She intruded upon my home, ate my food, and fell in love with my hikari,” Bakura said.

 

“Does Ryou not deserve love?”

 

Bakura was silent. He didn't know how to answer this question.

 

“Do you just simply hate Aly? Or do you hate that's she loves Ryou?” his voice asked.

 

“Ryou is my hikari, a part of me, therefore I own him. She is trying to steal my hikari from me. No one steals from me. I am the Great Thief King Bakura. She will be punished for her impudence.” Bakura's ring glowed around his neck, ready to finally get his revenge.

 

A few seconds passed by.

 

“What are you waiting for?” his inner voice asked. Bakura was silent. Then the rings glow began to die down. Bakura sighed and clenched his fists. This was his moment, this was the chance he'd been waiting for…but he couldn't do it.

 

The glow of the Ring died down and Bakura growled, clenching his fists. He turned to leave quickly, if anyone ever found out he'd spared her life!-but before he'd even gotten to the door a voice whispered fiercely, “You!”

 

Bakura twirled around and scowled. Aly had awoken.

 

“What are you doing here? Did you come to finish him off?” she spat hatefully. Bakura glared at her.

 

“Shut up you fool!” he spat back. Bakura was already regretting his decision. Aly's eyes narrowed angrily.

 

“Well why wouldn't I think that after what you did?” she growled. She was making Bakura dangerously angry. He had just spared her life and for what? To be treated as if he were the dirt on her shoes. Aly practically jumped out of her chair and looked at Ryou.

 

“What'd you do?” she asked. “Did you unplug is machine or something? Take out one of his needle?” she asked. This made Bakura even more enraged. Now he really wanted to kill her.

 

“What do you know?” Bakura asked, taking a few steps towards her. “What do you know about anything?!” Aly turned back to him

 

“I know you're the reason Ryou is in this hospital bed!” she replied. Bakura scowled.

 

“You think that I'm just some evil demon, some nasty, abusive curse?” he asked, drawing himself up to his most intimidating stance.

 

“Something like that!” she replied.

 

“Have you even considered the following?” Bakura asked. “Right now at this very moment you stand alive, no harm has to come to fall upon you in anyway physically or mentally. Just moments ago you were asleep in that chair, totally unprotected foolish girl,” Bakura said. Aly expression changed a bit and her eyes slowly feel upon Ryou's sleeping form. “Did you forget? That was quite a nice act of kindness you preformed, but you foolishly left your self completely defenseless.”

 

There was a silence as Aly and Bakura were locked in each other's even gazes. Slowly he saw it dawn upon Aly, what could of happened. Bakura broke away and walked towards the door. As he reached out for the silver knob Aly spoke up.

 

“Wait a sec!” she called. Bakura stopped and glanced over his shoulder. Aly was giving him a strange look.

 

“What?” Bakura asked impatiently. Aly kept on staring at him in that odd sort of way, as if he was a puzzle she was trying to put together.

 

“You're wasting precious seconds of my life,” Bakura growled.

 

Aly finally blinked and say rather quietly, “I-I'm sorry I…blew my top earlier…”

 

Bakura gave a `humph,'

 

“Whatever,” he replied, beginning to turn the handle.

 

“Where are you going?” Aly asked. Bakura gritted his teeth.

 

“Away,” was all he said.

 

“You don't have to just on my account,” she replied. Bakura couldn't help but raise his eyebrow. One moment she was spitting at him like a feral cat and now she was asking him to stay. Bakura watched her with narrow eyes. Aly crossed her arms and gave a little `I don't care' shrug before sitting back down in her chair.

 

Bakura smirked. “Don't think so highly of yourself,” he replied, opening the door and finally exiting the uncomfortable room. He clicked the door shut and just as secretly as he'd come in, he left.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

At first all he could see was darkness. There was a soft throbbing in his body but everything else felt light as if it wasn't even there. He was sitting in the darkness, not even thinking…he was so tired…but he didn't want to go back to sleep. His groggy thoughts were floating around his mind like a morning mist. Did he really have the energy to try and gather up all these thoughts? Why had his mind chosen now to awaken? Sleep was beckoning…Wait…there was something there…a light. The warm light was coming towards him, warming him and protecting him. It felt good to be held in the embrace the light was giving. Soon his mind drifted off into unconsciousness again.

 

…Now he mind awoke again but he felt that time had passed. Now was the time to gather his thoughts. Slowly he pieced together memories…Who was he? What had happened? Where was he? Why was he there? Wait-now he knew…he knew who he was and who his friends were…part of the puzzle was solved. Now…oh yes…Aly…Bakura…what had happened? Hadn't there been at a dance? Hadn't then been having a fun night together? His memories were still fuzzy as if he needed special glasses to see them. Perhaps…perhaps if he tried to break the boundary of his mind and leave this world of darkness he would be able to find out more…

 

He began to float away from his warm light and away from the cool dark. Both were like yin and yang in this place where his mind dwelled, and he needed both to feel protected. But now he was leaving. The clouds of darkness and misty light swirled away as he began to soar faster and faster hurtling towards a new light-so bright it blinded him!-

 

Ryou opened his eyes. At first everything was unclear and fuzzy. He blinked a few times and saw black. It took him a moment to register that he was in a dark room. As his vision grew clearer he began to make out shapes in the darkness. He saw blinking machines around him…he was lying down in a bed that was not his own. What was going on? What had happened?

 

Inspecting his surroundings more clearly Ryou finally realized there was someone else there. He saw a form huddled by his bedside, their hand holding his. Her long brown hair cover part of her face but Ryou knew in an instant it was Aly. He smiled tiredly, finally someone he could get answers from…but she was asleep…and she had probably been there a long time…but where were they?

 

Ryou looked around the dark room once more, his only helper was a bit of moonlight coming through a window…wait…all the machines…the strange bed…

 

“Why am I in the hospital?” he wondered. Ryou inspected himself. He was wearing hospital clothes…his legs where fine…arms fine…then he reached for his head and felt and unfamiliar texture. He felt it with his fingers; it was soft yet rough and seemed to circle his head.

 

“Did I suffer a head injury?” he asked quietly. Ryou attempted to sit up but immediately felt dizzy so he gently laid his head back down upon the flat pillow. Ryou's left hand felt something cradled by his arm. He lifted it and almost gasped in surprise. Ryou was holding a small, beat up little stuffed dog. Ryou recognized it immediately. It was his…from a long time ago…he'd thought he'd lost it…but here it was. How?

 

Ryou stared at it. The simple toy brought back memories of his childhood. Its fur was worn down with age but he'd still kept it…until one day his yami had destroyed it…or so Ryou thought…

 

“Bakura…” Ryou said aloud. Had his yami been involved with Ryou's head injury? As if his yami had been listening a voice suddenly rang in Ryou's head.

 

((“Ryou?”)) Bakura asked. The loud voice made Ryou's head throb.

 

(“Bakura-sama?”) he responded. Ryou waited but Bakura said nothing more which he actually didn't mind for it made his head hurt worse to try and communicate through the link.

 

Things still didn't make much sense and Ryou wanted to wake Aly up very much…but he would let her sleep. Ryou closed his eyes once more, one hand holding onto Aly's, the other clutching his yami's gift. Once again the timid boy let his mind plunge back into the shadows. He would wait till morning. For now…they could all get some sleep.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

Emmy: YAY!!!!

 

Ryou: I LIVE!

 

Raven: I must say this chapter was rather…cute.

 

Emmy: I hated the last chapter. It was too boringly nice in the beginning then it was like o.O wtf?! at the end. But that's how I wanted it to be.

 

Bakura: I feel…happy.

 

Malik: ^_^ READ AND REVIEW!!!