My Forever

My Forever

Boshojo_shadow & hato chiisai

Disclaimer: We own nothing. Got that? NOTHING!!!!

YAOI WARNING

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 11

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bakura felt like he had only been asleep for a few minutes when he was woken by knock on the door. He opened one eye as Malik shook Ryou, gently

"Ryou... come on, we have to leave for school soon." Malik said, and Ryou slowly got up and trudged out of the room to dress, Malik behind him. Marik stood in the doorway and looked at Bakura.

"Is Ryou okay? What happened?" He asked.

"I’m guessing he and Seto had fight...and as much as I hate to admit it Seto has every right to be angry with Ryou, it's never easy when all you want to do is help and all the other one does is lie." Bakura sighed as Marik crawled into bed with him snuggling to his chest lovingly "The upside is Ryou told me this Kakyo guy is partly responsible for what happened so you and me get to at least find out where he lives, Ryou said we couldn't hurt him he said nothing about his property." Bakura said with a wicked grin as he kissed Marik.

Marik cackled in delight at the prospect of chaos and vandalism in the near future.

"Hey.... does Seto know that Ryou told you this?" Marik asked, looking up at Bakura.

Bakura shook his head. "Don't you think you should tell him?"

"I think Ryou should." Bakura said. "But if he won't.... I will."

"I love you...." Marik said, and kissed Bakura, flattening him to the bed.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Ryou and Malik were eating some cereal when Seto entered the kitchen. Malik looked up and chirped a cheerful 'Good morning,' but Ryou lowered his eyes to his cereal and said nothing.

Seto sighed, if Ryou wished to treat him this way so be it, and two could play at this game as he grabbed an apple from the fruit on the table. "There will be a car waiting to take you to school outside." He said, leaving without directing the statement to either of them as Malik frowned and looked at Ryou.

"What happened? You two have a fight?" Malik asked worriedly.

Ryou frowned and dumped his bowl in the sink.

"Seto doesn't know when to back off." Ryou said simply, and went to brush his teeth, leaving a baffled Malik in the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later, they were both riding in the car to school, after telling Marik and Bakura to behave. Once they arrived, all eyes in the school yard turned to the car. Ryou got out and, eyes cast to the ground, didn’t notice everyone staring at him. But Malik did. Ryou silently walked towards the doors of the school.

Thankfully Malik and Ryou had their first class together and Malik sat next to him threatened those who had enough nerve to approach him and spout nasty comments about him

"Don't listen to them Ryou, they don't know a damn thing about you." Malik whisperedgiving Ryou's hand a squeeze and was instantly enraged when another snide comment was made.


"Hey, you two are the fags I saw in the paper! Geeze you got a lotta guts to be holding that pussy's hand like that, you two really must be fags!" A boy from behind said.

Malik was never known for having patience but he was known for having a short fuse and this boy just made him explode. He jumped from his desk, tackling the boy to the ground and proceeded to beat the hell out of him.

"You son of a bitch, how dare you even say such a thing! I'll make you choke on those words!" He yelled as he continued his assault not stopping until their burly and strong
teacher pulled Malik off of him.

"Malik Ishtar!" He bellowed "What was the meaning of that! Class hasn’t even started
yet!" He yelled "Report to the principal’s office now!" He said

Malik stuck his nose in the air giving everyone warning glances telling them if he found
out they even looked at Ryou the wrong way he'd find out and hunt them down. And he
left the classroom leaving a stunned Ryou behind.

Ryou had been shocked. He knew Malik's temper, but had never seen his friend lose it so
quickly. Now the class was glaring at him like it was HIS fault. Ryou quickly buried his
head into a book. Class started, but Ryou was unable to pay attention. He was still upset about his fight with Seto. He was worried about Mokuba's safety. And he was also a spitball magnet.

When Malik finally came back, he was wearing a bitchy scowl and mouthed 'Detention
all this week' to Ryou, who gave him an apologetic smile. But Malik barely had time to
see it. As he walked to his desk, one student stuck his foot out and tripped Malik. Ryou
gasped and knelt beside his friend who had fallen into the corner of the desk and split his
forehead wide open.

"Malik! Are you okay?!" Ryou gasped.

Malik was grabbing his forehead in pain, figures he doesn't get a bruise from the guy he
just fought but he gets tripped and splits his head open. The teacher sighed and went to
Malik’s side sending the one who tripped Malik to the principal as well. He took out his
handkerchief placing it on Malik's forehead.

"Go to the nurse Malik, that cut looks pretty bad." he said as he helped Malik up "I'll walk you there." He said but Malik shook his head 'no', not wanting the teacher to leave
Ryou alone with all these people just looking for an excuse to hurt him "Don't be silly
Malik, now come on." He said leaving the classroom with a struggling Malik who saw angry glares directed straight at Ryou and was frustrated at not being able to break his teacher’s grasp because of how woozy he was from his head.

Ryou watched Malik go, and then noticed all of the glares being directed at him. He
tensed and slowly moved back to his seat and stared at the desktop. For a moment, the
room was silent, and the air was tense. Everyone knew that a move would be made, the
question was, who would make it. Ryou winced as a spitball hit his face off to the side of his eye.

"What's wrong?" One boy snarled. "No one to protect the lady anymore?" Ryou felt his face turn red, but said nothing and didn’t look at anyone.

"You have all these men to protect you according to the paper, throwing yourself all over desperate guys; it even said you were fucking your own brother." Another said moving closer to Ryou who was looking more and more frightened by the second; he tried to go for the door but another blocked it.

"What’s wrong? Can't handle a little bit of truth? You don't have your fuck toy to protect you now do ya?" He said as his fist went flying hitting Ryou hard across the jaw and knocking him to the floor.

"Hey!!" Another boy said, shoving the one who had hit Ryou. "What are you talking about? If anyone is a fuck toy, it's HIM!" And he slammed his foot into Ryou's stomach.

"STOP!" A girl cried, standing up. "Just stop! Leave him alone!"

"Yeah!" Another girl said. "He didn't do anything to you!" Ryou whimpered and dragged himself out of his attacker's range, clutching his stomach.

One of the boys sneered at them "Gee, girls I thought you'd be happy. After all this little whore is keeping Seto way outta your reach while all he's doing is lying and cheating on him behind the poor guy's back." He said advancing on Ryou and lifting him from the ground "Whether your cheating on a guy or a girl it's still wrong and he needs to pay for it! Disgracing someone like Seto Kaiba is even worse,he said slamming Ryou against the blackboard hard. "Filthy little insestual slut." He said in Ryou's face. Ryou yelped and squirmed.

"S-stop...." He moaned. "Stop it.... It's not true... I never cheated on Seto. I am NOT incestuous... He, he isn't my brother. We aren't related! Let me go!! Please!!"

"You actually think that we believe that load of bullshit? The guy looks just like you after all." One said as the one holding him let him drop to the floor and a group surrounded him with menacing glares.


"We'll teach you a lesson you won't soon forget." another said as they began to kick him from his position the floor and punch him hard whenever he managed to sit up in an attempt to get away which only sent him back to the floor. A few of the people in the classroom tried to stop them but there too many against him and no one could stop them, a few were even guarding the door preventing any of the girls from leaving and getting help as they continued their abuse on Ryou. One boy grabbed Ryou by the arm and pulled him roughly and smiled sadistically upon hearing the sickening pop of Ryou's arm being pulled form the socket; he laughed as tears began to roll down Ryou's face and he screamed.

"Shit!!" One boy spat, and pounced, covering Ryou's mouth. Ryou squirmed and fought back, lashing out with his feet. The boys surrounding him yelped, then pinned his arms and legs to the floor, while the largest moved above him, raising his fist. Ryou's eyes widened and he stared at his attacker, pleading silently. But he only grinned and brought his fist down on Ryou's chest.

"EEEYYYAARGH!!!!" The bully yelled. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" He clutched his fist as Ryou writhed at the pain that the blow brought. The bully ripped open Ryou's jacket and shirt, and stared at the Millennium Ring on Ryou's white chest. He snarled and grabbed it, jerking it, snapping the cord. Ryou cried out into the hand over his mouth and struggled, eyes wild, trying to get to the Ring.

"Little fuck!!" The bully snarled, and slammed his fist into Ryou's chest. Ryou screamed as he felt bones cracking under the blows that continued. One girl screamed and threw herself on the boy that was beating Ryou.

"Stop!! Stop it!!" She cried, tears streaming down her face. "You'll kill him!!!" The
boy stood and shoved her off, then turned and slammed his heel down on Ryou's chest.

Ryou shrieked as he felt something break, and a sharp stabbing pain. After another kick to the side, Ryou choked and gagged. The boy covering his mouth gasped and jerked his hand away. Ryou took a wheezing breath, and then coughed again, blood splattering the clothes of the boys surrounding them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bakura and Marik were making out passionately on the bed when Bakura felt a sharp sting of something but it was gone as quickly as it had come so he continued to kiss Marik. But then he felt a sharp stab in his heart and he pulled away from Marik trying to decipher the feeling as Marik's concerned voice brought him from his thoughts. "Bakura? What’s wrong love, why are you crying?" He asked worried

Bakura looked at him puzzled and touched his face and sure enough he was crying, tears rolling down his face in a monstrous violation he just couldn't stop as he tried to wipe them away as his heart felt another stab of pain.

"I...I don't know..." He said surprised to find his voice chocked in tears "S-something's not right..." He said trying to find out what the hell was wrong but not being able to feel it, he couldn't feel anything...he suddenly remembered that the last time he couldn't feel anything Ryou was in danger. His eyes sprung open and he leapt form the bed tears still rolling down his cheeks as he pulled on his pants

"Something’s wrong with Ryou!" He yelled panic as Marik followed suit throwing on his clothes just as carelessly as they left the mansion and headed toward the school.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The boy blocking the door watched in pleasure as they beat the living hell out of the boy, the guy had told them to hurt the hell out of the kid and they'd all get a good price, and the more pain he was put in the better the profit would be. He held the door in a firmer grasp as a few boys who tried to help laid unconscious on the floor and the girls’ cries were silenced by death glares form the boy's. The only sound you could hear was fists hitting, bones breaking, and the muffled cries of Ryou who was sobbing uncontrollably on the floor.

Ryou's body convulsed as the blows to his body moved lower. One blow to his stomach and he vomited up his breakfast all over himself.

"Aw, shit!!!" One boy yelped, letting go of Ryou's left arm. The one holding his right arm also let go, leaping to his feet.

"NAS TY!!!" He shouted, backhanding Ryou before stomping on his good shoulder. Ryou shrieked in pain as a fist slammed down on his stomach, causing a fiery pain to erupt as his appendix burst. This shriek was followed by another cough and splatter of blood. Ryou writhed weakly, but was unable to do anything else.

Suddenly, the beating stopped. All the boys around him stood and looked at each other.

Then, one boy moved from Ryou's view while another knelt. A hand wrapped around his throat and squeezed, cutting off his air. Ryou's eyes widened as the boy who had
wandered away came back, a bat in his hand.

"Hey!!" Cried one of the boys who had been trying to help Ryou. "That's mine!!"

Yeah. Thanks." The bat wielding brute said, smirking, and approached Ryou who was being pinned to the wall. Ryou stared at the boy in horror.

"D-Don't.... please..." He gasped, before coughing up blood again. "Why.... why are you doing this? P-Please, leave me alone...."

"STOP!!" The girls all began screaming. "STOP!! YOU'RE KILLING HIM!!! STOP IT!!!"

The one with the bat smiled as he raised it and slammed it against his knees; Ryou screamed in pain but the others covered his mouth. Ryou's blood fell to the floor with a sickening splash as his tears mingled with his blood and his throat became hoarse and raw with all his screaming as the bat landed harder and harder upon his knees. The hilt was then slammed into his stomach making him double over and gasp with the wind being knocked out of him.

The boy with the bat smirked and hit the back of Ryou's knees equally hard bringing a strangled cry that sounded more like a whimper than a scream...Ryou couldn't scream anymore his throat was to sore and raw as he settled for crying and sniffling prying he passed out or they killed him soon, it hurt so much! Please someone make it stop! He begged. He then felt his clothes being tugged from his body.

"Let's make sure every inch of this bitch gets bruised!" One yelled as they tore Ryou of his clothes with the exception on his boxers.

Again their fists began to beat down upon him, the bat still hitting him in places that were being neglected by fists and brutal kicks. He could faintly hear desperate cries from girls and a few boys trying to stop them but he couldn't move anymore as his body was limply shoved and moved about on the floor by their beating.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"No!" Malik screamed as his teacher held him down in the empty teacher’s lounge. "You left him alone you bastard! Don't you care at all?!" Malik yelled as he tried to get up and move away but it wasn't working. Malik saw the cruel smirk cross the teachers face. "Y-You...You bastard! You're going to let them hurt Ryou! No! Let me go, I have to help him, you bastard!" Malik yelled trying to break away form his grasp but the teacher wouldn't let him go and spoil the fun the class was undoubtedly having with Ryou at the moment.

"Don't worry, we'll be sure to leave you a piece of his ass once were finished." He sneered in Malik's ear.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE!!! NOW!!!" The teacher screamed, and Joey and Otogi slouched out of the room, glaring at Honda, who was snickering at them. The teacher had caught Joey blowing spitballs at Otogi and Otogi retaliated by shooting one of his dice straight into Joey's eye.

"This is all your fault, mutt...." Otogi snapped, and Joey glared.

"Shut up, Dice Boy!!!" He snapped back, and shoved Otogi. Otogi growled and turned to face Joey, ready to attack when a scream was heard from down the hall.

"YOU'RE KILLING HIM!!!" A girl was screaming.

Joey and Otogi blinked, and then went to investigate. As they got closer to the source, they could hear more commotion. Girls were screaming and crying, boys were shouting and scuffling was heard. They approached the closed door and Joey peered in the little window. His eyes widened. A group of boys towards the front of the room were pounding on something, Joey couldn't see what it was, and one had a bat, but the
frightening thing was that the bat and fists were all smeared in blood.

"We gotta get in there!!!" Joey gasped, and he and Otogi put their shoulders to the door. The door flew open, sending the boy guarding it flying.

"Alright, that's enough!! What are you........." Joey trailed off as he spotted the victim of
the horrific beating. "r-ryou......." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "What kind of monsters are you?" Otogi hissed, glaring at the boys towering over Ryou, didn't even look alive anymore. "What have you done?"

"Get out of here." Said the boy with the bat. "We have a job to finish." And he turned and raised the bat over Ryou's battered form.

Otogi quickly tackled the one with the bat to keep him from slamming the weapon against Ryou's motionless form. He wrenched the bat from his hands and slammed it into the side of his face, he didn't care that he heard the crack of a jaw when he did so or that the boy was no longer moving as he tossed the bat to Joey, his attention drawing to the nearest fucker who was helping these bastards. He slammed his fists into one of their faces and only stopped to look at one of the girls "Call the police and an ambulance NOW!" He screamed and proceeded to help Joey.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bakura all of a sudden felt very weak and unbalanced; he felt himself start to fall "M- Marik..." He managed to choke out as Marik quickly caught him from hitting the unyielding pavement.

"Bakura!" He yelled frantically as the said boy convulsed in his arms and shook violently. His body was becoming slightly transparent as time passed; His eyes grew wide with horror. "God's! Bakura!" He yelled again as Bakura looked up to Marik and gripped his shirt.

"P-please, Ryou's dying..." He said weakly.

"I can't just leave you!" Marik yelled and pulled Bakura close to his body and gripping the other yami's hand tightly in his own even tough he could see through it and tears breached his eyes. "I won't leave you!" He yelled

"Please M-Marik..." Bakura said weakly as tears began streaming down his face that was of his own. "I can't loose him..." Bakura choked out and his body spasmed. "Please Marik! Don't let my Hikari die!" He yelled with the last bit of strength he had feeling his very life slipping away along with his Hikari's.

Malik continued to struggle with his teacher, but he gasped when Marik frantically burst into his mind.

//MALIK!!! Get to Ryou, NOW!!! Bakura is fading! He says Ryou is DYING!!! HELP HIM!!!// Malik’s eyes widened.

"NO!!!" He screamed, and hurled his teacher to the floor, slamming his fist into his jaw.

"RYOU!!!" And he tore down the hall. He finally reached the room and burst in, seeing
Joey, Otogi and several other boys in the class fighting off a group of boys with bloodied clothes and hands. Malik frantically looked around the room. When he saw Ryou, he felt his heart drop into his stomach.

"Ryou..." He gasped, and dropped to his knees beside Ryou. The sounds of fighting stopped and Joey and Otogi knelt next to Ryou with Malik. Malik shook his head in disbelief and tears fell down his face.

"Ryou... no, please.... don’t die... You can't, Ryou...." He cried, reaching out and brushing bloodied hair from Ryou's face.

"Don't!" Joey gasped as Otogi reached out. "We can't risk moving him. Malik.... where were you?!"

"I was being.... detained..... But Marik... he contacted me and told me that Bakura was... That Bakura said that Ryou is… dying..." Malik said softly, petting Ryou's cheek. "Ryou... please.... don’t die....... Sirens were heard, getting closer and closer.

A few minutes later, paramedics and police rushed into the room. Malik, Joey and Otogi were shoved aside as the paramedics examined Ryou and the police arrested the boys that the class was pointing out, though with all the blood everywhere, the cops didn't need the bullies to be pointed out. Malik sobbed as Ryou was placed on the stretcher and felt Joey and Otogi's hands on his shoulders.

"Are you friends?" One paramedic asked, and the three nodded. "Come with us, please." They silently followed the paramedics out to the waiting ambulance. As Ryou was lifted inside, his eyes flickered open momentarily.

"S-Seto....." He moaned weakly, before coughing up more blood. Malik sobbed and at Joey and Otogi.

"Seto... call Seto..." He said, and climbed into the ambulance, which raced off, sirens blaring.

"Make that call." A police officer told Joey and Otogi. "Then I'll take you to the hospital."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Seto sat at his desk thinking about the fight he had with Ryou, he felt bad about it and
decided that the best thing to do was to talk to Ryou when they got home and apologize...he was, after all, a bit harsh on him, Ryou had his reasons for doing what he did. He wasn't getting any work done and he was about to leave his office and go back to the mansion when the phone rang and he picked it up.

"Seto Kaiba speaking." he said

"Kaiba, its Joey...." Joey said. "No, NO!! Don't hang up!!!!! It's an emergency! It's Ryou!! Kaiba, he was attacked. The teacher got Malik out of the room and Ryou's been hurt, really bad. He's on his way to the hospital. Listen, Malik was contacted by Marik. is with Bakura. Bakura is fading, and says....... Bakura says that Ryou is..... Dying...."

Seto's eyes grew wide as he flew from the office dropping everything he had and flew down the fire escape getting out of the office in record time and dashing into his car faster then lightning. He drove toward the school; they would take Ryou to the nearest hospital which wasn't too far from the high school.

Hedrove straight by Marik holding someone in his arms and it took all his willpower to stop his car, and put it in reverse.

"Get in now!" He yelled as Marik did so without a second thought with a fading Bakura in his arms as he begged Bakura to keep on talking to him and Seto sped off once more.

He stopped in front of the Domino emergency room and jumped from the car running inside. Marik was about to follow but knew he couldn't bring a transparent man into a hospital so he gently laid Bakura in the back seat. And moved the car to the nearest empty space whether it was a parking space or not before climbing in the back seat to cradle his lover.

"Bakura?" He said softly "Please don't leave me...I love you, please don't leave me." He cried into his lover’s chest

"I...I love you too.." Bakura said weakly his eyes dropping as he tried his best to keep them open.

Malik looked up as Seto ran in. Malik stood. Seto saw him and ran over, eyes wild in fear.

"Ryou...." Malik said, softly, and the tears flooded down his cheeks. "He's in emergency surgery. They're trying to repair massive internal damage. He's lost a lot of blood. Seto, I...." Malik burst into tears and flung himself into Seto's chest. "I don’t think he's going to make it!!!" And he broke down into hysterical sobs. At that moment, Joey and Otogi came, in, both looking worried. Seto looked at them, and they looked at him. Joey shifted a bit, then walked up to Seto and held out the Millennium Ring, flecked with blood. "The guys who did it are all under arrest." Joey said. "I'm only sorry we couldn't get there sooner."

"Where's Bakura?" Otogi asked. "Why isn't he here?"

"He...He's fading...He's in the car with Marik..." Seto said his knees feeling incredibly
weak all the sudden the only thing holding him up was Malik and then Malik looked at him in fear.

"B-Bakura...no not Bakura too!" Malik wailed as he let go of Seto and threw himself surprisingly into Otogi's arms and wept freely.

Joey looked at Seto unsurely. He wasn't moving, he wasn't crying...He was about to say something when Seto fell and Joey amazingly caught him before he hit the tile floor. And then tears fell, soundless tears began to fall from Seto's eyes as Joey stared at him in shock...he had never see Seto cry before, Otogi looked at him in slight shock too at the fact he was crying. Joey slowly tied the cord of the Ring together where it had been snapped and hung it around Seto's neck.

"Here. Keep it safe for Ryou, huh?" He said, smiling slightly at Seto. "Come on, now, up." And he helped Seto stand and moved him over to a chair. "I'll be right back...." He said, and turned, going over to a pay phone. Otogi took Malik over to sit beside Seto, though he soon found himself between them with a head on each shoulder. A few minutes later, Joey returned.

"Yugi and Yami are on their way." He said, softly, and then sat down, placing an arm around Seto. "Don't cry. It... It ain't over til it's over." He said, but his words lacked all confidence.

Seto gripped the Ring...he didn't know why but the metal was ice cold, and Seto didn't recall any of the millennium items ever being cool to the touch, they actually had a warm feel to them.

"J-Joey...please say that with a little more confidence...I need to hear you say it." He softly begged his eyes closing as more tears slipped form them.

Malik’s head shot up and he ran from the emergency room. Otogi sprang up "Malik!"
Otogi said about to run after him but Seto's hand stopped him.

"He's going to Bakura...let him...he wants to be with him in his last moment's." he said his voice choked with tears. Otogi's eyes widened.

"What?! NO!! Stop talking like that!!!" Otogi cried, and they all looked up when the Emergency Surgery doors flew open. A nurse ran out, blood spattering her clothes.

"WE NEED MORE TYPE AB BLOOD!!!!" She called, and then ran back in.
few minutes later, another nurse ran in, carrying a few pints of blood. Otogi strained to see into the room as the door opened, but was only able to see numerous surgeons crowded around an operating table. The nurse who had brought the blood ran out, and Otogi grabbed her.

"Please... Will he make it?" He gasped, and the nurse looked at him.

"I, I honestly don't know." She said. "I was only in there for a moment, but....." She sighed, and turned, going back in. A few minutes later, she reappeared, looking very grim.

"Your friend has suffered a lot of internal damage." She said. "They have so far removed his appendix and are trying to fix a ruptured spleen. They said his legs are badly bruised and it's a miracle that nothing is broken from the waist down. He has a lot of broken ribs and a punctured lung, a dislocated shoulder and head injury. That's all I can tell you for now. He's lost a lot of blood."

"Will... will he live?" Otogi asked, softly. The nurse sighed and lowered her eyes.

"I don’t know... it's up to him, really, but... I'll be honest, sir. The odds are not in his favor. Excuse me." And she walked off. Joey and Otogi looked at Seto.

Seto didn't look like it but he had heard every word the nurse had said he covered his mouth and shook his head as tears streamed down his face as he leant forward in his chair pressing his face to his legs as he cried silently into them and begged to any deity that might be listening that Ryou would pull through, that his little lover would make it and everything would be all right...Ryou would be all right.

Malik finally found the car underneath a tree not to far from the hospital as he rushed to it and jumped inside and watched Bakura struggle for every breath he took as he looked to Marik who had tears streaming down his face. Malik placed a hand on Bakura’s cheek and stroked it gently.

"It'll be okay Bakura, I m here now, me and Marik will never leave you...we're here now and we'll never leave you...so please Bakura...please don't leave us." He sobbed and began to cry as well.

Otogi slowly stood and went out after Malik. He looked around, finally spotting the car with the license plate reading KAIBA. He went over and opened the door, looking in. It was a heart wrenching sight. The two Egyptians looked at him and Bakura opened his eyes.

"So...what’s the...bad news?" Bakura managed to breathe out

Otogi sighed and repeated everything that the nurse had told them.

Three hours had passed and Malik, Bakura, and Marik had not returned. Yami, Yugi, Mikado, Ahmose and Honda had showed up earlier and Yami went to check on his fellow yamis and had not returned. Yugi was curled up in Ahmose's arms simply
wanting someone to hug and hold for support and Ahmose seemed equally grateful.
Mikado and Otogi clung to each other and Honda and Joey were conversing quietly over the situation and hoping the doctor would be with them soon to tell them how Ryou was doing. Seto was a wreck; his body was shaking and his face buried in his hands, he hadn’t moved in the past hour despite the others trying to bring some type of life out of him...they figured it was best to just leave him alone for now

"Seto?" A small voice broke the silence and Seto looked up. Mokuba stood before him, looking pale and scared. "Seto..." Mokuba looked like he wanted to say more, but he was unable to get it out. He looked terrified. Seto reached out and pulled his brother close, holding him tightly in his lap. The group watched the two Kaiba Brothers cling tightly to each other and cry.

"What happened, Seto? What happened to Ryou?"

Seto just shook his head, he couldn't find the will to speak at the moment; he just hugged his brother, smoothing back his hair as his little brother gently rubbed his back. Both were seeking the well deserved comfort in each other's arms.

The entire group looked up as the light above the surgery room door suddenly turned off. Everyone stood and held their breathes. Yugi sent a mental call to Yami, and he soon arrived, along with Malik and Marik, who were there at Bakura's insistence that they watch over his light, though it was quite clear that both were going to return to Bakura as soon as they could. The surgery door opened and a surgeon walked out, removing the surgical mask from his face and wiping sweat from his brow. His scrubs were covered in blood, and he looked utterly exhausted. He blinked at the group gathered around.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"Ryou Bakura." Malik said.

"Is his family present?" The doctor asked. The group was silent.

"Ryou's only family is out of the country." Mokuba said quietly. "WE are his family." And he clutched Seto's hand. The doctor blinked, suddenly realizing who the boy on the operating table was; Seto Kaiba's lover. He therefore focused his attention on Seto.

"He's in bad condition. We repaired the internal damage and removed his appendix. We've cleaned and bandaged him up, drained the fluids from his lungs and given him a
blood transfusion. But... he's still in a dangerous spot. I'm sending him to the ICU. He took a bad beating. I don’t know if there's a single scrap of skin on him that isn't bruised. I've never seen anything so brutal in the forty years I've worked the Emergency room. As for his recovery... time will tell. I'm sorry...." And he went on his way. The group was silent, waiting for Ryou to be removed from the emergency room. And finally, he was.

Mokuba burst into tears at the sight of Ryou, hiding his face in his brother's side, and
Yugi covered his mouth in horror.

Ryou was covered with a white sheet, but what was visible was shocking. His face was bruised and swollen so he was hardly recognizable. His head was bandaged, as was his chest and parts of his arms. There were IV's in his arm, feeding him the blood and fluids he was in such dire need of. The group followed as Ryou was taken to the ICU where he was hooked up to several machines, including a heart monitor and oxygen mask.

"I.... I think I'm gonna be sick...." Yugi croaked, and ran for the nearest bathroom, Mikado not far behind.

Seto had stopped crying for some bizarre reason although his eyes were still puffy. And for some reason couldn't tear his gaze away from Ryou, he had never seen anyone in such a horrible state before and this was his lover, his angel...and he couldn't look away.

Without taking his eyes off of Ryou he told Marik and Malik to as discreetly as possible bring Bakura into the room. The yami had a right to be here, but he probably couldn't move to do so. They brought in Bakura and didn't seem to have any trouble as Marik sat on the windowsill with Bakura in his arms. Bakura was unconscious and looked in equally horrible shape minus the physical appearance of things... Ahmose slowly knelt at the foot of Ryou’s bed and began chanting a prayer under his breath, directed to his patron god, Anubis, begging the God of Death to spare Ryou. Seto sat in the chair next to Ryou’s bed and gently took his hand in his own...the only part of his body that looked partly normal.

"You're safe now Ryou, you're with me now...where you'll always be." He gently kissed Ryou's hand as he rocked himself back and forth, holding Ryou's hand in his own as he tried his best not to burst into tears, he wanted to be strong for Ryou and for everyone else who seemed to be breaking down...he wanted to be strong for Ryou like he wanted him to be.

"I'm sorry." he whispered gently