Lost Together (Yu-Gi-Oh! Puzzleshipping fanfiction)

Chapter 15: Recovery

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! and/or its characters!

And just like that, with those four words, everything seemed to fall to pieces. My utopia, the one I had lucidly dreamed about, the one I knew was the only reality I could be truly happy ─ shattered.

''Wow, Yami, that's... That's really great news,'' I stammered. I blinked a few times so that his words could really dawn on me.

''It is, right?'' he said. But his voice sounded as timid as mine.

''Have you already like, had contact with anyone?'' I asked.

He shook his head. ''Still have to find the right frequency.''

I nodded. I just could not believe that we were just a few steps away from getting off of this island. Maybe afterwards we would never see each other again. He would probably return to the Navy if he would get the chance and I... I didn't know what to do afterwards. I never expected there to be an afterwards. It should have been me and him, no more than that. We would have made it work, even if he would never have felt the same way about me as I had started to feel about him. 

Yami apparently must have seen my sorrow because he placed his hand on my thigh. ''Hey, you don't have to worry about anything, alright? You should just focus on healing and recovering from what happened.''

He pointed at my bandages. ''Mind if I take a look?''

''No, go ahead,'' I said. 

''You know what, I will bring you some food and water first. You must be very thirsty,'' he said.

I only noticed how thirsty and hungry I was after he said it. Maybe that was the explanation why I wasn't thinking clear and felt the way I felt when I looked at Yami. 

''Yes, I'd really like that,'' I said.

Yami nodded, stood up and left our shelter. Not much later he returned with fruit, fish and water. ''There you go,'' he said.

I smiled. ''Thank you, Yami,'' I said. I was about to take a sip from the water, but the fact that I might have given words to my thoughts while I was asleep kept bothering me. I lowered the cup again. ''Yami, did I talk in my sleep?'' I asked.

Yami grinned. ''Sometimes, yes,'' he said. 

That was not the answer I was hoping for. ''I'm sorry if I said anything that might have seemed inappropriate to you... I─I just had the feeling that I was being delirious.''

''Nothing to be worried about,'' he said. ''It's possible for you to have been delirious after the blood loss. You haven't said anything embarrassing, if that's what you're thinking.''

I sighed. ''Good.''

''You should drink, and eat some food. Meanwhile I will check your wound,'' Yami said. When he tugged at the bandages it hurt like hell. I growled. 

''I know, I'm sorry,'' Yami said. He opened the bandages just enough for him to peek underneath them. ''But it looks good, Yugi.''

He closed up the bandages again. ''You will be fine. You're strong,'' he said.

''How long will it take for me to get back to normal?'' I asked him. I really hoped that he had an answer, but he wasn't a medic after all. Even though I assumed that Yami knew everything and was capable of doing anything. 

''You should stay in bed until the wound is healed. And even after that, I don't know if you will be able to go back to normal without medical attention. Yugi, that is why I was so eager to fix that radio. I want to get you home, give you the best care that there is. Even though I wouldn't mind to be here with you for a little longer, alright,'' he said. ''It's just for the best. It's the best thing to do, for you.''

I hadn't looked at it in the way Yami had just described. He didn't fix the radio to get back to our old lives, he did it... he did it so I could get the care that I needed.

''I am beyond thankful for having you in my life,'' I said, almost emotional. 

Yami grinned. ''You see, I've come to like you a lot. And I need to look after my partner, you know.''

''Yes, you have become very good at that, it seems,'' I said. ''Thank you.''

''No question,'' he said. 

The next few days, Yami wanted me to stay in bed as much as possible, so that the wound could heal well. Everyday, he brought me food and water just at the right times, as if he knew exactly when I was thirsty and hungry. He helped me wash myself and he supported me when we would make small walks. And every now and then, when he was busy with turning the knobs of the radio in the heat, I couldn't take my eyes off of him. It was like he knew that I was watching him and he was just letting me. Almost teasing me. I knew that that last thing wasn't true, but it just felt like it was. 

Every day, the wound felt a little bit better than the day before. I could tell that the small walks were helping me as well, because I began to feel a little stronger as time went by. Yami would tell me every day how excellent I was doing, what big steps I had taken while recovering. He was so unbelievably sweet to me. He often apologized for not finding the right radio frequency, and I would tell him that I was fine and that I had everything that I needed right here with me. And then he would grin.