Queer As Tachi – Chapter 68
The only good news to be had was that there would be no tsunami warnings or alerts, for those down near the harbor and the sea shore. The epicenter of the earthquake was located out to sea, less than a hundred miles from the coast, but the factors that would produce a tsunami were not there. Apart from that, things were not going so well for Tristan and those digging him out of the rubble – or waiting for him to be safe. They had gotten about halfway to him when they hit a major snag, finding that some of the girders that had been part of the warehouse roof had buckled all in the same place, making for a tangled mess that had to be cut out of the way in order to make a space big enough for a man to crawl through. But with the gas leaking into the chamber below, they couldn’t risk a welding torch, for fear of starting an explosion. Finding something to cut through steel bars wasted more time, before they even began cutting, and then Tristan was forced to back down from his perch near the air vent so as not to be cut by bits of metal flying back down at him. There was no way of measuring how much gas was in the small chamber, but as time went on the men noticed that it was taking Tristan longer to respond to them when they called out to him, and he sounded tired and a little incoherent. At least the ambulance had shown up, and tended to all the other wounded while they waited to find out the status of the trapped victim. Duke paced restlessly below the debris field, listening anxiously to every shout and curse coming from the construction workers. He wasn’t allowed to go back in, to get in the way, so all he could do was pace and fret, alternating with a bit of sitting on the ground and sulking when he got tired. All he could think of was Tristan in there alone, growing steadily worse, and having a good view of the EMTs standing around with their hands on their hips, useless at the moment, didn’t help. From the direction of the collapsed building there was a crash and a good, loud curse, and the workers stood back for a bit, scratching under their helmets and wiping their brows. Duke got up and went over to find out what was going on. One of the workers was leaning into the hole they had made, but after a moment he straightened up with a perplexed look. “He’s got to be delirious,” he commented to the others.
“What, what is it?” Duke begged. “Is Tristan okay?”
“He’s babbling on about something, I don’t get it,” the worker answered. “I asked him if he could hold on a little longer, since it’s taking us so long to get the hole big enough, and he started going off about needing to get home and start dinner. He said, ‘If I don’t do my part Duke’s going to get mad at me again.’” He frowned down at the civilian standing at the base of the rubble. “You’re Duke, right? What’s he talking about?”
Duke sighed. “We’re roommates,” he offered by way of explanation. “We had a…a bit of a fight the other day about him being too lazy to cook.” He stared toward the hole in the rubble, which was now large enough on this end for an average man to stand in. “I thought he just blew me off and didn’t care.”
The worker shrugged it off. “I’m telling you, he’s delirious. The bad air is getting to him.”
Duke’s gaze hardened, his green eyes glittering. “You have to help him! What’s the use of digging him out if he’s going to die anyway? We have to try to help him! Hasn’t anyone figured out how to turn the gas off?”
“That’s up to the gas company,” the foreman said curtly. “We don’t have that authorization.”
Duke rounded on him and nearly cursed him out, but the emergency workers standing nearby came over, having heard everything. “How much farther do you have to go to get to him?” one asked.
“We’re about halfway,” one of the workers replied. “The hole’s barely big enough for someone skinny to wiggle into, but Tristan isn’t going to fit through it.”
“Do you think you can get anyone in there who can pass something to him?” the medic went on. “Like an oxygen mask?”
“I can,” Duke immediately spoke up. “I got in there once, and the hole’s bigger now.”
“Hey, kid,” the foreman warned him, “I’m not going to let you go in there and risk your life. You shouldn’t even be here, I don’t care if you are Taylor’s roommate.”
“I can do it.” Duke clenched a fist. “And I’d like to see you try to stop me.”
The medical personnel were willing to let him give it a try, and prepped him well to go into the excavated hole with oxygen for Tristan. They brought the tank as close to the rubble as they dared and would run the tube through the hole down into the chamber, giving the workers yet another thing to work around as they dug. One of the construction workers offered Duke his gloves, in case he ran into any sharp edges as he climbed in, but he waved them off. The workers gathered around, one medic among them, to help Duke climb head-down into the hole, grabbing a hold of his legs to keep him from sliding all the way. He kept one arm curled into his chest to protect the mask, stretching out his other hand to feel his way. The more of his body – and the other worker’s arms – that entered the hole, the less light he would have to see by. “Tristan!” he called out ahead of him. “Can you hear me? Reach up if you can hear me, man!”
Though his senses were growing hazy, Tristan could hear the shout and raised his head. He had been thinking about Duke would say when he found out he lost his shirt in the earthquake when he realized that the voice was not a part of his delirium. “Duke?” he wondered, crawling carefully back up toward the hole that was his only contact with the outside. Not as much light was falling down to him through it, and he blinked to see the reason. “Hey!” he called back, mustering his fleeting concentration. “Is that you? What the hell?”
“Tristan!” Duke shouted again. “You need to reach up to me, buddy! I have something for you.”
“Now’s not the time for presents,” Tristan said wearily.
Duke caught his breath as his feet slipped out of someone’s hands and he felt himself lurch downward, but he braced himself with his hand even though it tore up the skin of his palm. “I beg to differ,” he retorted. Tristan’s head came into view at the end of the tunnel, which was much closer now than before. He could get his head and maybe one arm up into it, but any more of his body would get stuck, particularly his muscular chest. Duke broke into a relieved grin when he saw him, even though he noticed the hazy look in his eyes. “Can you reach me?”
Tristan blinked at him, and then hauled himself up enough to reach out. His hand fell solidly onto Duke’s outstretched arm. “How’s that?”
Duke nodded, and then brought out the bundle held in his other arm. “Here, take this. The EMT guys wanted me to get it to you. It’s fresh air, it’ll help.”
He presented the oxygen mask, cautiously untangling the tube that ran from it underneath him and back out the hole. Tristan took it and immediately put it on, throwing away his dirty t-shirt and remaining there, half into the hole, taking deep breaths to fill his lungs with pure oxygen. At last, he was able to look up to Duke with clearer eyes. “Thanks, man…”
Duke pushed himself further in, just enough to be able to place his hand on Tristan’s cheek. “I love you,” he whispered, his eyes swimming, and then he was suddenly being pulled back, his hand still reaching desperately for Tristan even as the workers dragged him out. Tristan gazed helplessly after him, and then dropped back down into the chamber to rest, squinting at the light that abruptly spilled back into his tiny space.
The aid workers escorted Duke safely down off the pile of rubble, tending to him to make sure he wasn’t hurt and giving him water, which he accepted as much as he wanted to throw all of them off and go storm away to pout somewhere private. He sat down at their urging and just watched and waited, his shirt and face completely dirty now, sweat running from under his headband. At least he had been able to see for himself that they weren’t far now, pretty soon someone would be able to get in there and get Tristan out. At least the oxygen would do him some good.
Tristan settled to a seat on the edge of a metal beam and leaned back against the jagged wall, closing his eyes and breathing as slowly and deeply as he could. The oxygen cleared his head, though he was already weakened and didn’t know if it would be a permanent solution. They had to get him out, and soon, or he would be overcome despite the medical aid. In his mind’s eye he could see Duke’s anxious face, and his imagination kept replaying the soft words of love over and over, until Tristan winced and tears snuck out from under his eyelids and ran down his face. He had to hold on, for no other reason than to keep Duke from making that scared face ever again.
The day was getting long and people were getting very tense when at last, with a collective cheer, the workers deepest in the dig pushed one last beam aside and caused it to shift a large section of debris, making a clear path at last. Dust, dirt, and rubble cascaded down on top of Tristan, but he was so weak he could barely look up to figure out where it was coming from. One burly worker wedged himself into the gap and shouldered an unstable beam, making it possible for the others to climb into the chamber, though the level of gas inside made them all start coughing. “Hurry!” one called, “get him out of here before we all die!”
Tristan barely moved, and only glanced up as his coworkers came to his side, picking him up and bracing his arms over their shoulders. If not for the oxygen mask over his face, he would have been dead, but they weren’t going to take it easy now that they had him. They passed him from one to another up the tunnel, and then helped each other out behind him one by one, until the medics waiting at the top were able to grab Tristan under his arms and haul him bodily out of the hole. Everyone from the job site was still waiting around to find out his fate, none of them had gone home except the badly injured, and they all broke into applause when they saw his head appear out of the rubble. Duke was already on his feet, and choked back his emotions as he ran forward to meet him. The EMTs pushed him aside, though, bringing Tristan directly to a stretcher and swarming around him to work. “Please!” Duke yelled at them. “Let me see him! I want to know he’s okay!”
“We need to get him to the hospital,” one medic told him. “You can follow us there.”
Growling, Duke relented, stepping back to let them do their work. Even as they were wheeling Tristan into the ambulance, he was running across the dusty ground to the parking lot, and sped right behind them all the way across the city to the hospital. Enough time had gone by, he figured by now the phones might actually be working, and tried every number in his friends list until he finally got through on one. The desk phone at Kame game shop rang, startling Grandpa, who was busy sweeping broken glass into one pile in the middle of the floor. Duke started when his call was actually answered. “Hey, it’s Duke,” he said. “Is Yugi there?”
“No, I’m sorry, Duke,” Grandpa answered. “Yugi went out before the earthquake and I haven’t heard back from him yet.”
Another pang of fear stole through Duke’s heart. “What? I don’t believe it. Where did he go? Is he okay?”
“I don’t know,” Grandpa said sadly. “He had a meeting at KaibaCorp, that’s all I know. All the lines have been busy, and I can’t get through to anyone there.”
Duke steered wildly with one hand while he held the phone, amazingly keeping pace with the ambulance even while distracted. “Oh no. Have you heard from anyone, at all?”
“No, you’re the first who’s gotten through. Is everything all right? I hear sirens…”
“I’m on the road,” Duke explained. “Well, here. Can you take a message for me, for when Yugi gets back? I’m sure he’s okay, I mean…well, anyway.”
“Of course, Duke,” Grandpa said patiently. “What is it?”
Having to muster the words to say it hurt, for some reason. “I’m on my way to the hospital. Tristan was hurt pretty bad, the building he was in collapsed and he was trapped. Tell Yugi, and tell him if he needs to he can call me on my cell – it’s working fine. Hopefully, by the time he gets back I’ll be able to let him know how Tristan’s doing.”
“I will do that, Duke,” Grandpa Muto promised. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Duke muttered. “I better go, I’m driving like a maniac.”
“All right. Give Tristan our best wishes when you see him. We’ll be waiting for more news.”
“Okay.” Duke clicked off his phone and tossed it on the seat beside him, putting both hands on the steering wheel in order to control himself just a little, so as not to need to go to the hospital himself. His mind was racing, though – Yugi was out of contact, he could be hurt too. The last thing Duke needed was more of his friends in danger, but for now he had to focus on just one – there wasn’t enough time to worry about them all.
Joey sat quietly at Bakura’s side for a long time, his cell phone cradled in his hands so he could see the display. It was not getting a signal, but the instant it did, he wanted to know so he could call Mai, and then see who else he could get a hold of. He needed to tell them he was fine, and what was taking him so long, but he also had to know that they were likewise all right. Bakura lay unconscious for a good long while after being brought to the triage, but at last Joey heard him moan softly, and looked to see brown eyes slowly blinking open and squinting against the light. Joey set aside his phone and leaned over him. “Bakura? You awake now, man?”
Ryo winced and turned his head toward the voice. “Joey,” he realized after a moment. “What…?” A throb of pain in his head cut him off, making him groan and cover his eyes.
“It’s okay, Bakura. Just rest. You got knocked out pretty good, there.” Joey looked around them, then, and finally noticed the nearest medical worker, rising a little from his chair and waving an arm in the air. “Hey! Hey, my friend is awake, now!” he called out. “Can you come take a look at him?”
Ryo managed to fight against the ache in his head and look up as Joey sat back down beside him. “Where am I?” he sighed weakly.
“In the commons,” Joey answered, “they set up a medical center here for the students. A lot of people got hurt in the earthquake.” He gazed concernedly down at Ryo. “You okay? Do you remember what happened?”
“Vaguely,” Ryo whimpered. “I remember something hitting me…and I thought I saw you, but I wasn’t sure. Oh…my head…”
“Easy there,” Joey implored. “Don’t squirm around until the doctors can get a look at you. Oh…” He reached down beneath the cot and tugged his bag out, turning it so Bakura could see it. “I took your Ring off, in case they needed to examine you. I didn’t want it in the way. Is that okay?”
Ryo blinked uncomfortably at the Millennium Item gleaming in the depths of the backpack. “Yes,” he hesitantly replied, “that’s fine. Thank you, Joey.”
Joey peered worriedly at him. “Why’d you have it on you, anyway?”
He looked away. “I’ve been doing research,” he answered slowly, taking time to choose his words, “on symbolism in rituals and superstition. This project I’m helping out with…it’s about unknown symbols in Egyptian rituals, and I thought…I thought I had come across something about the Eye and the Millennium Items…I wanted to compare the Ring to the images I saw in pictures, but…I don’t know, now.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “No matter. I’m fine. As long as it’s not damaged.”
“No, it’s okay.” The medic came over, then, and conveniently enough, at the same moment Joey’s cell phone startled him by ringing. He looked to see that it finally had a signal, and not too soon. He took the call while the medic examined Bakura and asked him a few questions about his health. “Yeah? Mai!” Joey turned away so as not to disturb the patient. “Where are you, are you okay? What, no, I’m fine. Seriously. I’m at the university. Oh, it’s pretty bad. What about you?”
“I’m fine,” Mai said on her end, as she stood looking out a cracked window at the city. “The office is a mess but we’re all okay. But there’s no way anything is getting done here, now. You can come and get me, right?”
“In a bit,” Joey promised. “I’m here with Bakura, he got hurt and I’m just waiting with him to see if he’s okay. But as soon as I can get out of here, I’m coming to get you, all right? Hey, have you heard from anyone else?” The answer made his face fall. “Ah, no, I haven’t either. Your call is the first one that got through to me. Okay, just hold tight. I’ll be there in a little while. Okay? Yeah, love you.” He clicked the phone off, glad to see that it was working at last, and then put it away to find out how it was going with Bakura.
“And you’re sure you’re not hurt otherwise?” the medic was in the process of asking. “Everything checks out?”
“Yes, I think so,” Ryo replied softly, a hand clasped protectively to the front of his shirt, which had been unbuttoned to let the medic listen to his heart. “I just want to rest.”
“So, how is he?” Joey asked.
The medic sat back and put away his tools. “He has a mild concussion, but that’s it. A few bumps and bruises, but those don’t need immediate attention. I’d say you’re also dehydrated,” he added toward Ryo. “You should get some water, and don’t move around too much. As long as you’re feeling all right to stand, I don’t need to send you to the hospital, but you should be careful.”
“I got us some bottled water,” Joey offered. There were, in fact, two bottles sitting under the cot by the backpack. “Anything else I can do?”
The medic pondered it, and looked at Bakura. “I would prefer it if you were able to go where someone could look after you.”
“I’ll be fine,” Ryo insisted. “A concussion just requires rest, doesn’t it?”
The medic nodded. “I’ll sign you out on one condition. If you feel faint at all, or dizzy, or lose consciousness again even for a second, you’ll go straight to the emergency room. All right?”
“Yes, sir,” Ryo agreed. “If anything changes, I’ll call for help.”
“That will do.” The man scribbled an abbreviated version of his instructions on the clipboard he had with him, signed it, and gave a copy to Bakura. “Drink lots of water, re-hydrate yourself. And if you can get anybody to stay with you, it would be best.” He then excused himself, and went to look after other patients.
Joey set the bottle of water next to Bakura’s arm. “Here, before you do anything else.”
Sighing, Ryo uncapped the water and sat up enough to drink some of it, though the movement made him dizzy. He closed his eyes and sat still for a while, until he could move without wanting to fall over. “Thank you, Joey,” he breathed. “I owe you my life.”
“Nah,” Joey assured, “it’s all right. I was on my way out when I saw you go down, I couldn’t just leave you there. You sure you’re gonna be okay?”
Ryo nodded feebly. “Yes, I’ll be fine with a little rest.”
“Well, hey. I’ve got Mai’s car,” Joey offered. “I gotta go pick her up, too, but on the way, I’m gonna take you home, okay? If you want, I can come back later and check on you.”
Ryo gave him a sweet, sad smile. “Thank you so much…but it’s not necessary. Really, Joey, I’ll be okay. But I appreciate the ride home, thank you.”
“Okay, suit yourself. But don’t say I didn’t offer.” He let Bakura sit for a while and drink about half the bottle of water before he appeared strong enough to sit fully up, and then Joey helped him to his feet. Clutching the bottle in one hand, Bakura leaned on Joey and allowed himself to be guided carefully through the commons and out to the parking lot, which was a mess of people trying their best to flee the damaged campus. Joey was glad to see that the car was fine, but there wasn’t really anything in the vicinity of the parking lot that could fall and hurt it…except for the one light pole that was on top of someone’s VW van on the other side of the lot. Ryo settled quietly into the passenger seat with his hands in his lap, cradling the water bottle, and didn’t say a word as Joey took him to his apartment not far away. It was a wonder that Joey had been able to dig his backpack out from under all the books and bring it along, so he had everything with him that he needed, and thanked Joey profusely for his help as he let himself into his flat. Joey lingered long enough to be sure that Bakura wasn’t looking dizzy and wouldn’t fall down when left by himself, before wishing him well and promising to come over if Bakura needed anything. “You have my cell number, now,” he added. “I know the connections are iffy, but if things get bad, you call me, okay?”
“All right,” Ryo smiled. “I will. Thanks, Joey.”
“Anytime, man.” He completed his service by handing back the Millennium Ring. “You ought to keep this someplace more safe,” he warned.
Ryo held the Ring in both hands but did not put it on, staring uncomfortably at it. “Yes, I will,” he murmured. “Oh…” A completely unrelated thought finally came to his fuzzy mind. “If you hear from Yugi, will you tell him I’m all right? I don’t want him to worry.”
“Yeah, but you know he’s going to as soon as I tell him you were knocked out,” Joey grinned. “No problem. Any more messages?”
Ryo shook his head. “No, that should do. I’m going to go lie down, now.”
“Okay.” Joey looked him over one last time to be sure he was all right, and let himself out to go and finally find Mai.
A sleek black car pulled up to the front of Kame game shop, depositing Yugi on the sidewalk and leaving immediately to its other errands. Yugi paused to look around and see what was damaged, noting that the “E” on the end of the sign above the door was hanging a bit askew, but otherwise everything looked fine. He pushed the door open and let himself in, instantly hunting for his grandpa. Fortunately, Grandpa Muto was right there in the shop, already looking towards the door in expectation. He dropped his broom and rushed to his grandson, taking him by the arms. “There you are! I’ve been so worried!” he scolded, looking him over and seeing the bandages taped to his arms. “What happened? Are you all right?”
“I’m okay,” Yugi tiredly said, trying to smile and failing. “I just got cut up a little, by glass. Are you okay, Grandpa?”
“Yes, I’m fine – everything’s fine, here.” Grandpa eased his grip and gently brushed Yugi’s long bangs away from his face to check him over. “How bad is it over by KaibaCorp? I tried to call, but I couldn’t get through.”
Yugi nodded understandingly. “Yeah, Kaiba couldn’t call out either, or I would have asked to use his phone to call you. It’s pretty bad. Kaiba and I were trapped in his office for a little while, part of the ceiling collapsed.”
“Oh, no,” Grandpa fretted, completely ashamed for having even considered lecturing Yugi about calling when he was in trouble. “Oh, no wonder it took so long. Was that Kaiba’s car that dropped you off, then?” Yugi just nodded. Grandpa rubbed his hand cautiously on Yugi’s upper arm, where there were no cuts. “You look tired, you should go rest. Don’t worry about the cleanup, I’ve got most of it already taken care of. Where is your nice blue shirt?”
Yugi made a pained face. “I…sort of lost it,” he murmured. “I needed something to stop Kaiba’s bleeding…”
“Oh my.” Grandpa Muto frowned. “Is he all right?”
“Yeah…mostly. We got out okay.”
Grandpa nodded curtly to himself. “Yes, you go straight upstairs right now and go lie down. You’re a mess.”
Yugi didn’t quite move to do so, looking around the shop at the broken display cases. “Have you heard from anyone? Joey, Tristan, anybody?”
“Oh, yes…Duke called, a little while ago.” Grandpa sobered considerably. “He hasn’t been able to get a hold of anyone else either. He asked me to tell you that…Tristan is in the hospital, he was hurt at his job. And you’re supposed to call Duke on his cell phone to find out any updates.”
Yugi’s brow creased in concern. “Oh, no…Tristan…” He glanced toward the phone with a little groan. “I don’t know if I remember Duke’s cell number…”
Just then, the chime at the door rang to announce a customer, though Grandpa had put the “closed” sign out and wasn’t expecting anyone. They both looked to see Joey and Mai come in, the blond youth in a huff as he raced to find Yugi. Seeing him right there in front of him made him break out with a cry of relief. “You are here!” he exclaimed. “Thank goodness…we drove past KaibaCorp and saw all the windows broken out and stuff, and all I could think about was you having that appointment…”
He charged straight in and grabbed Yugi around the shoulders, hugging him. Yugi rested his head on Joey’s shoulder with a sigh of relief. “Joey,” he said in return. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been all over,” Joey grumbled. “I had to pick up Mai, but that was after finally getting off the university campus and taking Bakura home…”
“Bakura!” Yugi exclaimed. “You saw him at the university?”
Joey told the full story right there, and as predicted, Yugi looked extremely worried and saddened to hear their friend had been hurt. “He said he didn’t want anyone to stick around, though, so I let him be and came to get Mai,” he explained. “And since neither of us heard from anybody, we decided to swing by here in case you were back or Grandpa knew where you were.”
“I’m glad,” Yugi said. “I had no idea what was going on, I only just got back from KaibaCorp myself.”
“What happened to your arm?” Mai asked him, noticing the bandages.
“Just…got cut on some glass.” Yugi curled his arms defensively around himself. “I’m okay. It was just…a bit of an ordeal, I’m glad we all got out all right. But Grandpa said Duke called…Tristan’s in the hospital.”
Joey’s brown eyes went cold, and Mai gave a little gasp. “Tristan,” Joey repeated. “What else did he say?”
Yugi deferred to his grandfather, who had actually taken the message. “Duke was on his way there when he called,” he said, “he didn’t leave any details. But he wants you to call him to find out how Tristan is doing.”
Yugi looked worriedly at Joey. “Do you know his cell phone number?”
“Yeah, it’s in my phone.” Joey took it out of his pocket to call, but either the connections were down again or Duke was indisposed, for it went to his voice mail. Joey left a message saying they were all at Yugi’s, but that was all he could do. He turned his attention back to Yugi. “Is everything okay? Doesn’t look like the shop got it too bad.”
“I think so.” Yugi smiled faintly at his Grandpa. “I haven’t really gotten to look around yet, I’m sure my room’s a mess. But I don’t think we’re damaged here.”
“That’s good.”
They stood around for a short time trading stories, though Yugi was reluctant to tell his in great detail and omitted large parts, especially the unexpected appearance of Alastair. Grandpa went back to picking things up off the shop floor, as talk returned to Tristan and wondering how long it was going to take Duke to get his message. “We probably shouldn’t all crowd in on him,” Mai mused wisely. “The hospitals are going to be packed as it is, a bunch of visitors trying to get in to see one person wouldn’t help matters.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Yugi sighed. “We should wait until we hear from Duke. Maybe Tristan’s okay, and he’ll be back home later tonight. We can see him then.”
“Yeah, we’ll let the doctors do their work and take care of him, we’ll see him when he gets home,” Joey agreed. “Tristan’s tough. It’s gonna take more than a little earthquake to mess him up.”
Yugi glanced at him with a little smile, easily seeing through his tough confidence – inside, Joey was just as scared as Yugi that their best friend had gotten himself in serious trouble this time. Even Mai seemed to sense it, for she took Joey’s hand and caressed it comfortingly. “We should probably let Yugi and his grandpa clean up,” she advised. “And I want to see how bad our place is. Either way, we’re all better off at home right about now.”
“Yeah, good idea. Yug…” Joey clapped him heartily on the shoulder. “You take care of yourself, now. Whoever hears from Duke first, calls the other, right?”
“Right, Joey.” Yugi saw them out the door, locking it behind them to make the “closed” sign mean something.
Grandpa came up behind him and touched him on the shoulder. “You go on upstairs, now,” he kindly advised. “You’ve had a rough day.”
“Okay, Grandpa.” Yugi finally acquiesced and trudged up the stairs, finding that a number of things had been knocked over or fallen off shelves in their home. He walked around for a bit picking things up and putting them back in their rightful places, hardly even considering what he was doing, until the phone rang. He picked it up as he walked past and halted in place when he heard Duke’s voice. “Duke! There you are…”
“Yeah, sorry,” Duke muttered unhappily, “they made me turn my phone off while they were examining Tristan.”
“Is he okay?” Yugi immediately asked in a panic. “Please, Duke, tell me he wasn’t hurt badly…”
“I think he’s going to be all right,” Duke calmly answered. “Your grandpa give you my message, right?”
“Yeah, but you didn’t say what happened to Tristan…”
“Ah. Well, the building collapsed on him,” Duke said, “he was trapped inside it most of the day and there was a gas leak. He wasn’t hurt by the collapse, but the gas fumes might have done a number on him.” He glanced over his shoulder at the bed. “They’re checking him for brain damage right now…”
The doctor overseeing Tristan’s care had examined him physically, but now needed to ask him a series of inane questions to verify that his memory and comprehension were not affected by breathing in so much gas. “Can you tell me your name?”
“Tristan Taylor,” he sighed.
“What year is it?”
Tristan’s lips twitched with suppressed humor as he tried to keep a straight face. “1865.”
The doctor stared at him. “And…who is the prime minister?”
“Mickey Mouse,” Tristan answered proudly.
Duke smacked him hard in the arm, making him yelp and then pout. “He’s fine,” he said flatly to both the doctor and Yugi.
“Really?” Yugi asked hopefully. “He doesn’t have any brain damage?”
“No more than he already had.” That comment earned Duke a stuck-out tongue. He smirked back. The doctor shook his head and resumed the regular examination, satisfied that this passed for “normal” for Tristan.
“Oh, that’s good,” Yugi said in relief. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, nothing happened to me. What about you?”
“Nothing serious.”
“Is your shop a mess, too?”
“Not terrible. Why, is yours?”
Duke sighed in aggravation. “It’s going to take at least a whole day to clean up. Oh well. I’m going to be home with an invalid anyway.”
“Excuse me,” Tristan retorted. “I am sitting right here, you know.”
“Okay. Well…make sure you call Joey and let him know Tristan’s okay,” Yugi implored. “He wants to know, too.”
“Hey,” Tristan whispered over Duke’s shoulder as the doctor stepped aside, “let me talk to him.”
“All right, geez. Hey, Yugi,” Duke said into the phone. “Tristan wants to talk to you.”
Yugi’s knees went weak, and he flopped down onto the nearest chair as the phone was passed. Then Tristan’s voice, cheery as ever but a bit raw, came over the line. “Hey, Yugi. You can stop worrying, now.”
“Tristan!” Yugi caught the rush of emotion in his throat and swallowed it. “What did they say? Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” his friend assured casually. “They’re gonna keep me overnight for observation, though. On account of the gas fumes and all, you know.”
“That makes sense,” Yugi agreed. “My thoughts are with you, but because of the earthquake and everything, I don’t think we’re going to try to make it down there to see you tonight. I bet the hospital’s full.”
“Yeah, kind of. I’m in a room with like, three other people,” Tristan complained. “That’s a real smart idea, Yugi. Much as I want to see you guys and prove to you that I’m okay.”
“We’ll come see you when you’re home, all right?” Yugi promised. “They’re letting you out tomorrow?”
“Should, as long as nothing weird happens overnight.” Tristan glanced up as Duke came back to his side, having discussed Tristan’s condition and the hospital stay with the doctor. “I’ll have Duke give you a call when we get home, you can come visit me then.
“Okay.” Yugi smiled weakly to himself. “It’s good to hear your voice.”
“I’m glad you’re okay. Joey’s okay?”
“Yeah, Joey and Mai are just fine.”
“Good.” Tristan glanced aside as Duke folded his arms, looking impatient. “All right, I should go. They want me to rest or something. Take care of yourself, buddy.”
“Yeah, you too, Tristan.” Yugi took a deep breath as he heard the phone being passed again, and then Duke was back on the line. “Thanks, Duke…for calling.”
“No problem,” Duke said brightly. “Yeah, the doctor just told me they’re gonna keep Tristan overnight, but I can come back and pick him up in the morning. You and Joey should come and see us, after we get home.”
“Sure,” Yugi said. “We’ll want to hear all about it. It’s been a crazy day for all of us.”
“No kidding.” Duke reached out and laid his hand on Tristan’s head as he wrapped up the call. “I’m gonna give Joey a call, now, and give him the news. We’ll talk to you tomorrow, all right?”
“All right. Tell Tristan I said goodnight.”
“Will do. Bye, Yugi.”
“Bye…”
Almost immediately after setting the phone back in its cradle, Yugi heard the deep voice in the back of his mind speaking softly. “Yugi, please…lie down and rest, now, and let me take care of you.”
A sweet pang of relief stung Yugi’s heart. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day,” he said out loud to himself, stumbling through the living room to the hall and closing himself away in his bedroom. It was indeed a mess, his bookshelf had tipped over and the pictures had fallen off his wall, but he didn’t bother to pick any of it up. Without even changing out of his dusty clothing, he fell onto his bed and curled up on his side, the Puzzle bouncing a little on the rumpled bedspread as it fell beside him. Yugi closed his eyes and almost immediately fell into the accustomed trance, his weary mind fading into blackness and reawakening inside his gateway room in the Puzzle’s world. He had barely been there for the space of a heartbeat when the door to the opposite side flew open and Yami came straight in looking for him. The tears he had been stifling all day broke through at last, and Yugi rushed to meet him, falling into his arms with great, heaving breaths. Yami caught him and lowered them both to their knees, holding him close as he sobbed out every conflicting and painful emotion that had been tugging his heart this way and that – fear, relief, anxiety, depression, uncertainty. The pharaoh held him securely, saying nothing, allowing him to let go of it all in his own way. Yugi clung to him desperately, burying his face in Yami’s shoulder. “I’ve been trying so hard all day to keep my brave face on,” he whimpered, “but I can’t do it anymore. I hate earthquakes! I hate them, I always have. The ground’s not supposed to shake, it’s supposed to be firm! I was so scared, Yami…but Kaiba needed my help and I couldn’t just hide and leave him bleeding...”
“It’s all right,” Yami soothed, his voice at its most calming and deep. He rubbed his hands across Yugi’s back as he held him. “You don’t have to be brave, nothing says you do. You’re here now, you’re safe. You can rest here in my arms and forget the world, all right? I will protect you, Yugi.”
Yugi seemed to accept that, giving another little sob and pressing his face into Yami’s shoulder, his hands clenching tighter on the pharaoh’s shirt. Yami knelt there for a long time and simply held him, occasionally nuzzling his ear or rubbing his back comfortingly, until Yugi’s jumble of emotions exhausted themselves and faded away, leaving him quiet and limp. Then, Yami got to his feet and pulled Yugi along with him, still encircling him in protective arms. “Do you want to come with me, into the Puzzle?”
Yugi sniffled and wiped away the tears still on his eyelashes. “Um…I still haven’t eaten, since this morning,” he mumbled, “but I’m not really hungry. I just want to go to bed.”
“Then, come with me,” Yami encouraged. “You can take refuge in the Puzzle, with me.”
“Can I sleep with you?” Yugi begged, lifting innocent eyes to his partner.
The pharaoh’s smile softened. “Of course you can,” he said gently. “If ever there was a time you needed a dreamless sleep, it’s today.” He kept an arm around Yugi to guide him along, through the door and across the corridor to the realm of the Puzzle, to his mind and the special room that existed within it only for them to share. Yugi appeared here just as shaken and worn out as on the outside, and didn’t even say a word as Yami brought him into their room just past the chamber of recent memory, submitting to his partner’s better judgement. He stood still and barely raised his arms to help as Yami lifted off his tank top, and leaned against the side of the bed to let him remove his pants and socks. He sat there blankly as Yami prepared himself to get into bed, and willingly climbed in with him under the perfect sheets enclosed within the canopy bed. Yugi curled up against Yami and fastened his arms tightly around his middle, already closing his eyes to sleep. The pharaoh’s spirit hugged him to himself, lifting a hand in order to comb through Yugi’s tangled, drooping bangs. “Sleep, now, my love,” he whispered over him. “You don’t have to be brave anymore, rest in my protection. I’ll watch over you.”
Yugi whimpered in his throat and hugged him tighter, nestling his head comfortably against Yami’s chest and settling down to sleep. In moments, he was out, passing easily into the dark, dreamless slumber he could only achieve by letting his mind fall asleep inside the Puzzle. Yami laid awake beside him for a long time, brushing the hair back from his face and stroking his tear-stained cheeks with a fingertip. So soft, so vulnerable, he said to himself, so sweet and brave. He did so well today, I know what it took for him to be that strong in front of Kaiba and not go to pieces. I love you, my dear Yugi. He curled his arms around his frail partner and held him close, nosing aside the lock of hair that draped over his forehead in order to press a kiss there. Eventually, his spirit was also able to sleep.
Once the doctors finally left them alone and they were able to pull a curtain to shield them from the other patients in the room, Duke sat by Tristan’s side well into the evening, needing to hold his hands and feel and see for himself that he was going to be all right. He had pulled a chair over to allow him to be right beside the bed, and sat with his arms stretched out holding both of Tristan’s hands wrapped in both of his as they talked. “It’s fine,” he assured his partner for the millionth time. “I called, the managers had everything under control. They said they were going to double-check one more time and then lock up and leave for the night, they already called tomorrow’s staff and told them not to come in unless they wanted to help clean up.” He lifted his eyes to Tristan’s face. “I told you. They can handle it, they don’t need me there.”
“But it’s your store, dumbass,” Tristan said in exasperation. “You should be there. I’m fine, there’s nothing you can do here to help me get better…”
“I don’t have to do anything to help,” Duke argued. “I just want to be here with you. Is that so bad?”
Tristan’s smile softened. “No, it’s not,” he relented. “I’d rather have you here, but I don’t want to be keeping you from taking care of your store.”
“You’re more important to me than the store,” Duke said firmly.
“Okay,” Tristan agreed, “but you’re not staying here tonight. You should go home and get a good night’s sleep, so you can come back in the morning and get me. I mean it,” he added with a stern look.
Duke gave an aggravated sigh. “All right, fine. But I’m not leaving until I’m damn good and ready, or until they make me.”
“Deal.” Tristan looked down at their clasped hands, and caressed his thumb across Duke’s fingers where they touched. “When I saw you there today, it was like some kind of miracle. I never would have expected in a million years that you’d be the one crawling down in that hole to try to rescue me.”
“Yeah, your coworkers kind of thought the same thing,” Duke said modestly, “only not the miracle part. But I couldn’t stand by helpless. I had to see for myself that you weren’t dead.”
“You did real good.” Tristan sat there absently watching the movement of his thumb, and the way it made the tape holding the IV in his hand wrinkle. “But don’t you ever do that again. I don’t want you to get hurt for my sake.”
With a sigh, Duke lowered his head, all of the fight and all his macho guard deflating out of him. “Then, would you consider my feelings on the same subject?”
Tristan frowned in confusion. “Huh?”
“Tristan…” Duke shook his head slowly, making the long tendrils of hair around his face swing back and forth. “Please don’t go back to that job. You have no idea how much I worry about you.”
“Duke…” Tristan’s hard look melted. “What are you saying?”
His partner’s voice lowered, as if to keep this private matter out of prying ears across the room. “Every time you come home at night and tell me about this idiot or that almost doing something to get himself killed, or who got hurt doing what, it just makes it worse. I hate your job, it’s dangerous. Every day you go off to work, I’m afraid it’s going to be the day I get that inevitable phone call, that something’s happened to you.”
Tristan squeezed his hands. “But what happened today…Duke, it was an earthquake. Any one of us could have gotten hurt or killed today.”
“I’m not talking about today,” Duke said, a harsh edge coming into his voice. “I know what happened today wasn’t the usual, but the way I felt when they told me you were trapped, and that you might die…” He blinked away the hot rush of emotion, keeping his eyes lowered. “I don’t want to feel that way ever again. But at your job, it happens a lot. People get hurt all the time, you tell me that yourself. I don’t want it to be you, next time.”
With a sigh, Tristan leaned back against the pillows, though he didn’t remove his hands from the warm shelter of Duke’s. “You’ve never said anything like this before.”
“I didn’t want to take it away from you,” Duke said morosely. “I know what you’re like, you want to have something all your own, something you can be proud of yourself for. But I can’t stand it anymore, it’s too much.” He lifted his gaze at last, focusing worried green eyes on his lover’s face. “Please don’t go back. You don’t have to – the store makes more than enough to support both of us.”
Tristan frowned uncomfortably. “I’m not going to quit my job and let you be the breadwinner,” he complained. “I don’t want to be reduced to just some housewife, twiddling my thumbs around the flat all day while you go out and earn the money.”
“And I don’t want to do that to you,” Duke agreed urgently, “but there’s got to be something better than where you are now. You’ve got to get out of there before you really do get killed.”
They stared at each other for a tense moment, and then Tristan looked down at their hands again. “I know,” he said heavily. “You’re right, it’s a dangerous line of work, and I’m surrounded by idiots. I can probably find something more stable if it’ll make you feel better.” He lifted his head and shot Duke a wary look. “But I’m not just going to quit on the spot. I have to look around first.”
Duke cocked a wry half-smile. “Okay, but don’t make me nag you.” He took a deep breath and sighed it out. “Isn’t there anything you always wanted to do with your life? Like, a real career, or a dream or something?”
Tristan shrugged stiffly. “Not really. Considering I always thought I’d do something manly until I could impress the right girl to marry…and now that’s not going to happen.” He sighed too. “I don’t know. I never defined myself by what line of work I wanted to go into. My life is about my friends, and having fun…and now it’s about you,” he added simply. “And like you said, the shop makes enough for both of us to live on. But I’m not going to sit around the house and be your little trophy wife, I need to get out and be doing something.”
“Well, here’s your chance.” Duke picked his hands up from where they rested in his lap. “Do something fun with your life. Dream something up, do something weird or unexpected. You’ve got the whole world out there, you don’t have to lock yourself in to a low-class construction job just because you didn’t go to university and don’t think you’re smart enough for anything else. I think you are.”
Tristan met his gaze over their clasped hands and nodded. “I’ll think about it. But I have a few days.” He smiled lopsidedly. “I don’t think I’ll be going back to work for at least a week. Worker’s comp. And then…who knows? Maybe I can wrangle something out of them to keep from being in the dangerous part. I’ll worry about it later.”
“Fine.” Duke leaned forward and drew one of Tristan’s hands to him, kissing him on the knuckles. “Just don’t leave it go too long, or else I’ll have to bust your head.”
“Aw, come on.” Tristan batted his eyes at him. “You wouldn’t bust an injured person’s head, would you?”
“Only yours.”
“Hmf.” Tristan dropped his hands and turned his head away to pout. “Go home.”
“No.” Duke pushed himself up out of the chair and stepped closer to the bed. “Not until I know for sure that you’re all right, and nothing’s going to happen in the middle of the night if I leave you.”
Tristan eyed him. “And just how are you going to do that?”
“Move over.” Duke slid gracefully onto the edge of the bed, practically forcing Tristan to scoot to one side to accommodate him. Once he had enough room, he settled down beside Tristan and put his arms around him, leaning back against the upright part of the hospital bed. Tristan decided to give up playing their insolent game and leaned against him, submitting to his closeness and curling one hand around his partner’s waist to hold him. Duke reclined against the raised bed and let Tristan rest against him, his head on Duke’s chest, as they settled into a comfortable embrace. Tristan felt his lover take a deep breath and let it out slowly, and smiled to himself as they sat in silence like that for a long time, done with the discussions and argument and willing to just keep each other company as night fell around them and only faint light from the waning moon came in through the windows. When at last they disentangled themselves from each other (and Tristan’s IV) so Duke could go home and get some sleep like he promised, they leaned in close for a kiss and to whisper “I love you” to each other. And this time, they meant it more than ever before.
No matter how grateful he was to Joey for rescuing him, once Bakura was alone he crawled into bed and slept the rest of the day away, getting up only a couple of times to get something to drink. He had no dizzy spells, nothing more to worry doctors, but he felt weak and preferred to just stay curled up in his bed where he could forget about the disaster. In the middle of the night, however, his cell phone rang, waking him up. It took him a moment or two to realize where the sound was coming from, and then he groped beside him for the phone and squinted at the illuminated display to see who was calling him at this ungodly hour. It said “unknown international,” and showed a country code he thought familiar. He decided to answer, tiredly mumbling, “Yes?”
“Ryo?” The voice on the other end sounded anxious, but its familiarity sent a rush of warmth through Bakura, making him sit up. “Oh, thank goodness. I’ve been trying all day to get through to you. Are you okay?”
“Marik?” Ryo cradled the phone to him, rolling over in bed in order to lay on his stomach. “It is you…”
“Yes, it’s me,” Marik said warmly. “I heard about the earthquake in Japan on the news. Please tell me you’re all right.”
“I’m fine,” Ryo answered softly, clawing a hand through his disheveled long hair to get it out of his eyes. “You were worried about me?”
“Of course I was, don’t be silly,” Marik retorted. “Especially when I couldn’t get through. The phone lines must be jammed with people trying to contact their loved ones.”
“Most likely.” Ryo found himself smiling in the darkness. “It’s good to hear your voice.”
“I know it’s late there,” Marik said apologetically. “Did I wake you up?”
“Yes, but it’s all right,” Bakura assured him. “I’ve been sleeping since I got home…truth be told, I did get hurt, a little.”
Marik was immediately all concern and anxiousness. “What happened?”
Bakura rolled back onto his back and settled down to tell him the story, or at least what he could remember, of being pummeled by books and knocked unconscious, and being saved by Joey. It wasn’t much of a tale, or so he thought, but Marik listened to every word and tried not to make too many painful noises in reaction. “I’m all right now, though,” Ryo added. “The rest has done me a lot of good. My head still kind of hurts, though.”
“I would imagine.” Marik gave a soft moan of sympathy. “I wish I could be there to take care of you. You’re all alone, now.”
“It’s okay,” Ryo said quietly, smiling to himself again. “I’ll make it, somehow. It’s enough to me that you worried so much that you had to call me.”
“It’s the least I can do. But I should probably let you sleep, if you got hurt like that,” Marik fretted. “You should take care of yourself, and rest. You’re not going to school tomorrow, I hope.”
“The university is damaged,” Ryo said, “I don’t think anyone’s going to school tomorrow.”
“Oh. Well, that’s good.” Marik’s voice became soft and warm. “You should rest, then, and not even think about getting out of bed. I don’t want to keep you up too late.”
Ryo gazed hazily up at the ceiling as he talked. “Will you call me again tomorrow, when I’m awake?”
“If you’d like me to.” Ryo could hear the smile in Marik’s voice. “We can really talk, then.”
“Yeah. I’d like that.”
Marik lowered his tone to a positively romantic purr. “Just imagine I’m there with you right now, lying next to you, holding on to you. If I was there, I would be taking such good care of you. I would wait on you during the day, and then at night, like this, when you needed your rest, I would hold you and stroke your hair until you fell asleep next to me.”
Ryo moaned quietly in appreciation, curling up on his side with the phone. “It feels almost like you’re here with me, hearing you so close…”
“…and yet, so far away,” Marik sighed. “But as long as you’re thinking of me, I’ll be there with you.”
“That will do,” Ryo murmured, “for now.”
“Go back to sleep,” Marik implored. “I’ll call you tomorrow, when it’s afternoon for you. Okay?”
“Sure. Maybe by then, I’ll have some news about some of the others.”
“Oh yeah,” Marik belatedly realized. “I hope Yugi and the others are okay, too.”
Ryo giggled faintly. “You didn’t even think about him?”
“Sorry, no. I was only thinking about you.”
“Mm…I like the sound of that.” Ryo cuddled the phone. “Thank you, Marik.”
“Sleep well,” Marik purred. “I love you.”