Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ You Don't Know What You Have Until It's Gone ❯ Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still don't own it in this chapter either.

A/N: This next part is from personal experience, unfortunately. She would be Ryou and I would be Yugi.

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"Man, I hate gym!" Joey grumbled angrily.

"But I thought you liked sports, Joey," Tristan quipped curiously.

"Not when I'm gettin' graded on it!"

The teacher blew the shrill whistle.

"Okay everybody! I want two lines behind those cones! We're having a mock relay since the track is rained out! You know the drill, boys. One at a time down to the other end and back again. Don't forget to tag the next in line! Let's move!"

There was a collective grumbling as bodies shuffled into position. Ryou just followed the crowd in a daze before lining up.

"On my whistle!.."

*TWEEEET*

Joey and Tristan were first as they took off towards the opposite end, rounding the orange traffic cone and heading back. A few started cheering their teammates on once the two were in a deadlock on their return and tagged the next in line.

Yugi, who was on Joey's team, was fourth in line. He glanced over to Ryou, who stood sixth in Tristan's line. He had little time to think about his friend when it was his turn. He got the tag and off he went, running as fast as his little legs could go.

Tristan's team was starting to take a lead. By the time Yugi made it halfway to the other side, the fifth in line was almost back. He ran to Ryou, tagging him off.

"Ok, go!"

Ryou nodded blindly before his body began to move. He tried to break off into a run, but was unsteady on his feet.

Yugi rounded his cone and was heading back. He turned just in time to see Ryou's eyes roll up into his skull before collapsing heavily to the gym floor.

"RYOU!!"

There were a few gasps. Yugi diverted his course to come to his friend's aid. The class surged forth around the fallen teen.

"Stand back! Everybody get back!" the teacher forced his way through. "Ryou?!.. Ryou, can you hear me??"

"I'll go get da nurse!" Joey called before dashing off.

Ryou lay limp. The teacher tried lightly slapping the boy's cheeks and giving him a shake to wake him up, but the snowy haired head only flopped about lifelessly.

"Someone help me with his legs! We've got to get him to an ambulance!"

Tristan came to the rescue and together, they lifted the youth, rushing him off towards the main office. They met up with Joey and the school nurse halfway. Even the falling rain in Ryou's face could not wake him.

Yugi trailed behind everyone as they came inside and both adults shouted for someone to dial 911. He started crying, feeling utterly helpless that he didn't help sooner.

An ambulance arrived in a few minutes, but it seemed more like a few hours. They put Ryou on a stretcher and took him away. Tristan, Joey, and Yugi could only watch.

Yugi sobbed harder, falling to his knees as his tears hit the ground.

"Yugi!.. Yugi, it's okay.. Ryou is on his way ta da hospital.. Dey'll take good care uh him dere," the blonde tried to comfort his small friend.

".. This is.. all my fault.."

The brunette knelt down on the opposite side, "Hey, don't say that. It was just an accident, Yugi."

Tri-colored locks shook in a violent 'NO'.

"I-I... *sniff*.. I knew something w.. was wrong.. But Ryou kept insisting th.. that everything was fine.."

Joey put his hand upon the duelist's shoulder, "Yug.. It wasn't your fault.. Ryou didn't tell us, so how could we have known?.."

"Because we're his friends!!" Yugi yelled before burying his face in his hands and sobbing harder.

The other two hung their heads solemnly. Yugi was right..

They should have known.

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The moment school let out, the four remaining friends ran towards the hospital. Yugi had already contacted Yami and told him what happened. The former pharaoh was furious at the news. They met him outside Ryou's room.

"How is he, Yami?" Tristan managed to ask, slightly out of breath.

"Ryou is severely malnourished and dehydrated and suffering from exhaustion. The doctors have him on an IV and fluids. He's resting now."

Joey suddenly quirked a brow, "Hey.. Does Bakura know about this yet?"

Yami's face grew dark and angry, he replied in a low tone, "No. But he's about to.. I'll be back soon.."

With that, he headed off and out of the hospital. He made his way swiftly to Bakura and Ryou's home and banged his fist upon the door loudly.

"BAKURA!!.. OPEN THIS RA DAMNED DOOR THIS INSTANT!"

A moment later, the white haired spirit appeared at the door.

"QUIT POUNDING ON MY FUCKING DOOR!"

Yami shoved his way inside and grabbed Bakura firmly by the collar of his shirt. He brought his face in close as he started to shudder with rage. The sennen eye began to glow brightly upon his forehead.

"I SHOULD SEND YOU TO THE DEEPEST PART OF THE SHADOW REALM FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

Taken slightly off guard by the intrusion, maroon eyes widen for a brief second before narrowing angrily.

"What the fuck are you talking about, Pharaoh?" he spat out venomously.

"RYOU IS IN THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF YOU!"

Brief terror flickered across the thief's face at that news, but he regained himself.

"What do you mean he's in the hospital?"

Yami growled angrily, still keeping a tight grip on the other's shirt, "Ryou collapsed at school and has been unconscious ever since.. He's starved, dehydrated, and utterly exhausted.. They've found bruises and wounds on him and signs that he was probably raped! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!!"

Bakura simply allowed himself to be shaken and yelled at. Finally, guilt was washing over him in tsunami-sized waves. He hadn't meant for his hikari to be hospitalized! He thought the boy was stronger.. that he wasn't so easily broken.

The white haired spirit's mouth gaped a few times like a fish as he struggled to find something to say. Yami let him go, shoving him backwards slightly.

The shorter was still shaking with his rage and lowered his head. He couldn't bear to look at the other ancient being after what he did to his innocent other.

A low, dangerous voice broke the silence, "... Why did you do this, Bakura?... Ryou is your hikari. The lighter half of your soul, and yet you abuse him and steal away his purity.. But I guess that's nothing new to a common thief such as yourself.."

Yami's voice seemed to finally bring him back. He shook his head for a moment and tried desperately to put forward his tough exterior once again, but was rather unconvincing.

".. He wasn't supposed to go to the fucking hospital... I.. I was just.."

"You, what?.."

".. I was trying to toughen him, dammit.. Trying to drive him the fuck away.. I couldn't be with Ryou, ever. I wanted him to hate me, despise me.. If I could make him loathe me, then I wouldn't have to hurt him with unrequited love.. You, of all people, should know I'm not capable of that kind of fucking emotion. I only care about theft and blood.. That's not something I wanted to watch Ryou become..."

Bakura turned away as he continued, leaving a stunned former Pharaoh in his wake.

"You're finally right about something, Pharaoh.. Ryou is my lighter half. It's because of that that I couldn't stand to see him turn dark like me.."

Yami stepped forward, arms crossed before his chest. He still didn't look very pleased in the least.

"So you decide to hurt him physically because you did not want to hurt him emotionally and, to a degree, mentally..."

There was a grunt in reply.

The shorter teen shook his head in disbelief, ".. You are quite possibly more fucked up in the head than even Marik is..."

Bakura turned around with a growl as he stalked forward and went to grab Yami by the throat, "DON'T YOU COMPARE HIM TO ME!"

The sennen eye upon Yami's forehead flashed before knocking his attacker back to land on his ass. He leaned over the prone spirit to once again give him an earful.

"AND WHY NOT?? DO YOU EVEN BEGIN TO SEE THE FUCKED UP LOGIC YOU GAVE ME??... RYOU IS BONDED TO YOU!... And I don't know how he still can, but he loves you for Ra's sake!"

As Bakura went to protest again, Yami's anger peaked. He sent a fist upside the tomb robber's head.

"MAYBE THAT WILL KNOCK SOME FUCKING SENSE INTO THAT DAMNED THICKHEADED SKULL OF YOURS!"

Oh, Bakura could simply taste the murderous revenge on the tip of his tongue for Yami's attack, but then he finally realized that he probably needed that.. Maybe even a bit harder.

"Ryou may not recover from what you've done to him.. If that happens, I will never let you forget it.." Yami warned.

Sure, it was pretty much a complete and blatant lie, but what Bakura didn't know wouldn't kill him. Maybe it could even serve as another good bash to the head without having to lay a finger on him.

The taller leapt to his feet instantly. That definitely snapped him out of it!

"Get out of my way! I need to see him!"

Yami stepped aside to let him pass, "If you hurt him more, Bakura, I'll serve you up to all three of my god cards, so help me.."

A murderous glare shot back before the tomb robber left in a blur of white.

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When Bakura arrived to see his hikari, he was greeted with a very unhappy welcome. It took all of his restraint and focus upon Ryou not to send the irksome quartet on a free trip to the Shadow Realm.

He pushed past them all, sneering angrily at them and the doctors and nurses. Just let them try and stop him from seeing his light!

The dark spirit stormed into the hospital room, scaring one poor nurse almost to death, and took in the pitiful sight before him. Ryou was still unconscious and hooked to various tubes and wires. Machines all around him beeped, clicked, and hissed to show the boy was still among the living.

It was just enough to send a stab of pain through Bakura's blackened heart. He had noticed that the frail teen was growing thinner and more lethargic in the past weeks, but he only thought it was perhaps to gain some kind of pity, or perhaps a bout of depression before the final acceptance that Bakura was no good for the young one.

The nurse scurried outside and shut the door. Sure, she was terrified of the snowy haired spirit, but the look in his eyes as he gazed upon the almost identical boy showed he would do no harm.

Bakura forced himself to step closer to the bedside. There, he felt his entire being sink. He hadn't meant to put Ryou in this position. It was the furthest thought from his mind.

//Wake up, Ryou..//

There was no response. No change.

//Fucking wake up!!//

Nothing.

//WAKE UP!!.. Tell me to fuck off or that you damn me to hell.. Just.. open your eyes, Ryou..//

Nothing.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Bakura collapsed into the bed. Resting his forehead upon the sheets, he timidly reached out and covered the boy's hand with his own.

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A/N: Still going