To Save a Puppy

Puppy Kisses

Joey stood in front of the hospital, shuffling his feet nervously. He was alone, no Mokuba, no Kaiba. The light that had started to form in his eyes during his time at the Kaiba house was lost for the moment. This was his reality. He thought back to his morning.

Joey had made breakfast, a simple one, in which him and the Kaiba's were sitting around the table eating. Things were silent between Kaiba and Joey, a deeper silence than just words. Joey kept a smile and spoke to Mokuba happily, even with the day before hanging over his mind.

After he hung up the phone, he had told Kaiba he needed time to think, and hadn't spoke to him since. Kaiba complied easily, not being a feely person.

When Mokuba left the kitchen to play his video games, Joey spoke up to Kaiba.

"You can go to work today." He said cheerfully. Kaiba raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" He replied with a smirk. "I didn't realize you controlled that."
Joey laughed.

"Well no, I just tend to keep you home. What I'm saying is I want you to go to work."

Kaiba nodded, knowing why.

"I should be getting ready now." He stood, leaving the room. Leaving Joey alone to think.
Joey, after minutes of staring at his feet, finally found a will to move and enter the hospital. He walked up to the front desk to check in.

"Hello, um-" he started, before being cut off by the receptionist.

"Hello there Joey." She said waved him off. "The doctor's been waiting to talk to you." Joey nodded.

"Do I just go to his room, or...?"

"Yep, I'll send him down. His rooms down the first hall, third door on the left." She said and continued typing. Joey nodded and walked down to the directed room. He stopped in front of his fathers room door. He took a breath before taking hold of the doorknob and opening the door wide.

He saw his father sitting up, all in hospital garb, looking somewhat frailer, but his skin had a less grey color from not drinking for the time he'd been in a coma. Joey, though getting so nervous around him, felt like it had been forever since he'd seen him last. He doubted the man would approve of his recent choices.

"Hey Dad..." He mumbled, sitting down in the chair next to he bed. His father looked up and blinked at him, registering the moment.

"Oh." His father said quietly, missing the slurs that Joey was so used to hearing.

"How have you been, Dad...?" Joey asked, fidgeting a little in his seat. He and his father shared a few words, but it was just a good feeling to see his father sober and awake for at least a little while, however it was certain that he was to get drunk as soon as he got back to his dingy apartment building. Joey began to speak freely however, carefully to his father, as he was the only family that was close by, and it was just a miracle to see the man sober. It was a well needed talk for sure.

Suddenly the doctor walked in.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Wheeler, Joey," he nodded to each of them.

"So doc, what's goin' to happen with my dad?" Joey directed over his shoulder with his thumb to Mr. Wheeler. The doctor flipped through some papers on his clipboard.

"Well, it seems he's made a speedy recovery, and he should be ready for discharge in a few days." The doctor flipped through some more papers, nodded, then made his leave. Joey followed shortly after.

He stood in front of the hospital with his hands shoved deeply in his pockets. He let out a short sigh.

"I'm gonna have to go live with him again. He can't live alone, he needs me..." Joey mumbled under his breath. He have himself a quick nod, and made his leave from the all too familiar place, back to the place he never minded getting familiar with, the Kaiba mansion.