Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Mai's Secret ❯ Facing the Past ( Chapter 1 )

Mai's Secret

Mai Valentine sat in her posh Domino apartment one evening, sorting through her deck, figuring out how to better use her Harpie Lady cards when her phone rang. She cursed under her breath, but didn't answer it. Her answering machine clicked on.

"You've reached Mai, but I'm away from my phone right now. Leave a message and I'll get back to you when I can" The machine beeped, followed by the voice of a very panicked Joey Wheeler.

"Mai, I know we ain't the best of friends and all, but when you get this message, call the Domino General Hospital Emergency room." Mai picked up the phone. Joey sounded more freaky then usual.

"This is Mai, Joey, what's happening?" she thought for a moment, It couldn't be his sister, she was still recovering from her surgery.

"It's Tea, Mai. Look I don't want to go into it on the phone, but Tea needs you." Joey said.

Mai thought about it, Tea and herself didn't see eye to eye at all. Why would Tea need her at all? The truth was that Tea couldn't stand Mai. Mai tolerated Tea to a point, but if she was in as much trouble as Joey's voice let on, Mai couldn't just step aside and ignore the girl.

"Joey, tell me what's wrong, I cant help her if I don't know why."

Joey got angry; "Look Mai, I can't tell you over the phone. Something horrible happened to Tea and they won't let us see her. Please." Joey's voice faded away and Yugi's voice came on to the line.

"Mai, Tea really needs a friend right now, and you are the closest thing she has to that right now." The sound of Yugi's voice hit Mai with such force she almost dropped the phone. It made sense now. Something happened to Tea, and the boys had taken her to the hospital, now they needed her to come and reassure Tea.

"Yugi, you and the boys sit tight, okay, Hun. I am on my way."

Mai stepped into her shoes, she thought for a moment, then decided to look in her closet. She had a few outfits she didn't like and they might fit Tea, she grabbed them and shoved them into a bag. She picked up her purse, and then ran for her door. Outside in the parking lot she bolted for her car got in and fired up the engine. With the tires screaming her exit she flew towards the hospital.

Just as she was about to get out of the car, her cell phone beeped. She picked it up and quite impatiently answered it.

"Yugi, give me a chance to. Oh! Mrs. Gardener? yes this is Mai." Tea's mother explained that Yugi had given her Mai's number and she was calling Mai to tell her that she'd faxed a form to the hospital giving Mai the right to sign for any of Tea's treatments.

"Miss Valentine, I really do appreciate you helping my daughter. The boys told me she was attacked, but that's all they told me, I fear that it's worse than they are telling me." A page on the other end interrupted what Mrs. Gardener was going to say. `I have to go, I'll call back and leave my number on your voice mail."

Mai raced into the hospital, nearly colliding with Yugi, who was on his way out. He held his finger to his lips and winked at her. Mai smiled and nodded, and proceeded into the hospital.

At the station in the Emergency Room, Mai told the nurse who she was and that she wanted to see Tea. The nurse led her to the room, then reached in and pulled the door to.

"She was brought in by her friends, who I assume called you and her parents. They were at the park and she got separated from them somehow. They heard her screaming and went to find her. When they found her, she'd been beaten and raped. She's extremely frightened right now, and asking for you."

Mai gasped, Tea was asking for her? She nodded and the nurse opened the door. Mai stepped in. The sight that greeted her made her stomach heave. Tea was lying on the bed, covered in a mixture of mud, blood, and god only knew what else. Mai blinked back tears and walked over to Tea and took her hand.

"Tea?"

Tea's opened her eyes and tears slid down her cheeks. Mai released her hand long enough to wet a washcloth and began to wash Tea's face. Right now, Mai didn't care how much Tea hated her. It broke her heart to see her like this. What monster could have done this? Mai's hands shook as she tried to clean the mud from Tea's face. Tears slid down her cheeks. Memories came flooding back as she saw the hurt and terror in Tea's eyes. Mai rinsed the washcloth out and finished wiping the mud from Tea's face. Tea's eyes were red from crying.

Tea struggled with her emotions. In one way, she was glad that Mai was there, but she still didn't like her. Mai then did one thing that made Tea glad she was there. Mai's snooty façade crumbled and Mai took Tea into her arms and held her tightly. They sat there for a long time, crying. A soft tap on the door brought Mai's voice back.

"Yes" she managed. The door slowly opened to reveal Yami. The look of fury in his eyes took her breath away. He silently came into the room. Mai sensed a deep anger, deeper than she'd ever sensed in him. It was all perfectly understandable. Someone had nearly killed a friend of his, and since he had no idea whom, it made his anger worse.

Mai wondered why Yugi's alter ego and emerged. This wasn't a dueling situation, and he only appeared to duel. It could possibly be that because they all were underage that Yugi convinced him to change with him so he could see Tea. Mai decided to break the ice by telling Tea that her mother had cleared her to sign off on anything the hospital needed to do.

"Tea, just as I got here, you mom called. I guess Yugi and the boys called her and told her you were here. She said she faxed some papers here saying that if they need to do anything, that I can sign them as the adult responsible for you." What Mai didn't share is that when she was Tea's age, she too was in this same situation and she was unlucky enough to not have anyone like Tea or her friends to be there for her. Tea's mother was the counselor who had come in to talk to her. Mai was glad that Mrs. Gardener had been there for her and now it was time to pay her back. She would share her story with Tea when she felt Tea was ready.

Another knock sounded at the door. The nurse who showed Mai in handed her a clipboard. "I need you to read over these and sign them. We haven't seen to Tea yet because we need signatures on them." Mai reviewed the paperwork. Tea was going to need to have several exams, blood work, and possibly a few days in the hospital. Mai signed the forms and handed the clipboard back to the nurse who led her out into the hall. Mai remembered her from her own ordeal. She was there for her all the time she was in the ER.

Once in the hall, the nurse hugged Mai.

"I know that this brings back unpleasant memories for you Miss Valentine. Tea's mom explained why she is giving you the power over her daughter's treatments. It's a very noble thing you are doing. The police believe it's the same man who attacked you. He's escaped from prison, and he's on the loose." The nurse shook her head, then turned to walk back up the hall. "Oh, the doctor will be with you shortly."

Mai stepped back into the room. Yami looked strange. In the middle of his forehead, a strange looking eye was shining. He knew that they were connected, Tea and Mai. It was the same man. Mai felt her knees start to buckle from under her and Yami raced to catch her.

"Mai, I won't tell Tea. I know she's not ready to hear it. I don't know how I know, but I sense a connection between you and her." Yami led Mai to a chair and helped her sit down. She hoped that Tea would emerge from this with fewer scars than she did.

-Hours Later-

Yami sat next to Tea's hospital bed. Joey and Tristian were sitting in some chairs across the room, sound asleep. Tea had a major concussion and the doctor wanted to keep her a few days to make sure she'd be okay. Symptoms had already started to occur. When Yami would wake Tea, she complained of headaches, and feeling sick at her stomach. Yami looked up at the clock and saw it was time to wake her again.

"Tea?" He gently shook her shoulders. Her eyelids fluttered, then opened. She looked confused and started to ask him where she was when he felt her start to gag. He helped her sit up, then stand up and led her to the bathroom. He held her as she got violently sick. He reached over and activated the switch that called the nurse's station. The nurse that answered asked if Tea had started to throw up, and heard Tea's gagging. The nurse said she'd bring in some medicine to help stop the vomiting.

The nurse that entered the room was a kindly older woman with graying hair. She smiled at Yami as he tucked Tea back into bed. She uncapped a syringe and stuck it into the IV in Tea's arm.

"This will stop her from feeling sick, but it may make it a wee bit harder to wake her, as it will make her sleepy." She smiled at Yami. "I think you need to get some rest, young man. It's sweet that you care so much for her, but that's why she's here. We can care for her."

Mai woke up as the nurse walked out. She looked at Yami. He looked exhausted. She stood and straightened her jacket.

"Yugi, you should rest. You won't do Tea any good making yourself sick worrying about her." She put her hand on his shoulder. "Really, Hun, you look like hell. I'll take over, and you rest. Okay?"

Yami looked at her, in his heart he knew Mai was right. He closed his eyes and saw Yugi looking at him, his face full of concern. "Please Yami, take her advice."

Reluctantly Yami nodded, and took the chair that Mai had vacated. Mai picked up her blanket and placed it over Yami. He was already asleep.

Mai looked down at Tea. Tea held out her hand to Mai. Mai took it and sat down on the bed next to Tea.

"Feeling any better, Kiddo? That's quite a nasty bump you have on your head." She reached out and tenderly felt the large knot on Tea's forehead. "That jerk really did a number on you." Her next action took Tea by surprise. Mai leaned down and tenderly kissed Tea's forehead, next to the knot. Mai reached up again but this time it was to smooth Tea's hair.

"Mai, I'm so scared. He just came up behind me and grabbed me. I didn't have time to even scream. He carried me into the woods that border the park." Tea shuddered involuntarily. Tea didn't need to finish. Mai knew all to well what he did.

"Tea, I promised myself I wouldn't tell you this till I thought you could handle it. The same man who attacked you also attacked me. I was about your age, maybe a year or so older. An old man walking his dog found me lying near those same woods and he called the police. I was brought to the hospital in an ambulance. I wasn't as lucky as you are to have friends who are there for me no matter what." Her gaze swept the room; she looked at Yugi, Joey, and Tristian. "Those boys are there for you any time you need them. I am somewhat jealous of you for having friends like them. When we were at Duelist Kingdom, I realized that even though I rebuffed Yugi, and even the rest of you, I needed you. When Panik tried to eliminate me, Yugi rescued me. I was so surprised at how you guys never even your own safety to help me. Then when I dueled Yugi at the Finals, he wasn't at his best, but I got him to turn himself around, just as he had done for me. I know I seem a bit like a bitch sometimes and I apologize for it. It's just so hard to drop these walls I've built. I wasn't always like this."

Mai looked down to see that Tea was sleeping again, so she stood up and fixed Tea's covers, then sat in the chair next to the bed. She leaned her head against the wall, and closed her eyes to think. The next thing she knew, Yugi was waking her.

"Mai, wake up. They had to take Tea for some tests, but the nurse went to wake her and she wouldn't wake up. They hope it was only the nausea medicine she was given, but they don't know." Mai looked up at Yugi, then at Tea's bed. It was empty.

The doctor tapped on the door, then came into the room. His face looked grim.

"Miss Gardener's concussion is a touch worse than we first thought. We are going to have to sedate her till it subsides." He handed Mai a clipboard. Mai glanced over the paperwork. Tea needed to be put into a drug-induced coma to allow the concussion time to heal. She sighed and signed the form.

"Doctor, do anything you think will help her." Mai said then broke down. Tristian crossed the room to take her in his arms. Mai's sobbed broken heartedly as she realized that she was going to have to tell her story to Yugi and his other friends.

After the doctor left the room, Mai and the boys sat down. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Getting hysterical wouldn't help the matter any. She looked at Yugi the longest then took another deep breath and plunged into her story.

"It was my 16th birthday and I was walking home from a friend's house. I walked through the park because it was the fastest way home. I never made it home that night. Some guy came out of the woods where you all found Tea and pulled me into them. He punched me in the face and told me that if I didn't obey his demands he'd kill me. I was terribly frightened, but I went along with it. He was so rough, and mean…." Mai began to cry again. "He raped me. He beat me, and left me for dead." She looked up and saw Joey looking at her.

"Mai, I know you've been through a lot. I think I speak for all of us that we wont ask you to go into details. You are going to have to be strong for Tea." Joey took her hand in his. "The police caught that creep this morning, just before they took Tea out for some tests. You both are safe."

-Two days later-

Mai looked down at Tea. The doctors had said that her concussion had reduced in size remarkably and that she was going to be okay. They had given her a mild stimulant to wake her up and Mai sat next to her holding her hand. Tea started to wake up. Mai reached over and smoothed her hair. Tea's eyes opened to look at Mai.

"Where's Yugi…Joey?" Tea began to speak.

"Shhhhhh, Hun. They are on their way here." Mai squeezed Tea's hand. "You are safe now. We both are"

A soft tap on the door drew their attention. Tea's mom stood in the doorway.

"Mom! I'm so glad you're here." Tea's mom crossed the room in a few strides and took her daughter in her arms. When she released her, she turned to Mai.

"I'm so glad you were here for my daughter, Mai. I'm proud of you. When Yugi called me to tell me that Tea was here, you were the only person I could think of that I could trust my daughter's life with. Mr. Moto could have handled it, but deeming the situation, I felt that you should be the one to do this."

Mai blushed and looked at her shoes. She knew that Mrs. Gardener was right. Mai had lived through the same situation, and had helped Tea through it.

Tea's mom looked down at her daughter.

"I can only stay for a few moments. I have to be back in Lakeview by nightfall." She kissed her daughter's forehead, then turned to leave. She looked back at her daughter, then to Mai.

"Tell Yugi I owe him big time for saving my daughter's life. And I owe you too, Mai."

After Tea was released from the hospital, Mai took her shopping. They chose an outfit for Tea to wear out on another little "surprise" Yugi had set up for Yami. Over lunch Mai gave Tea a few make-up tips to cover the fading bruises from her attack.

"You should use that light green concealer, Tea. It will blend out some of that awful bruising, but make your face look like you don't have make up on." Tea blushed and focused on her salad" "I'm serious, Kiddo. I'll take you over to my place and give you a make over that will even knock your own socks off!" Mai smiled. It felt good to make true friends. She now knew that instead of being alone, she had 4 of the best friends anyone could ask for.

The End