Barrier

Results and New Old Faces

Okay, this has been a really emotional ride for me, guys. I know that you all really enjoyed this story, especially since it's my most popular one so far, and that's a huge honor to an author as young as I am. Thank you so much for your reviews, comments, etc. and from the bottom of my heart, I really love you all.

Thank you for reading this and taking this journey with me. I look forward to seeing some of you read some of my other works and getting to know all of you more through your reviews and interactions with my newer work. You've all been really great.

But, for now, the final chapter.

Chapter 10:

Results and New Old Faces

Yuugi got out of surgery four whole hours later, and there were bandages wrapped around his eyes. The doctor's face looked grim as Yami approached the room where he was being held.

"I'm sorry." He said. Yami's stomach sank as his mind swirled around a million possibilities. "We won't know for sure whether it worked for at least another two weeks, maybe more. His eyes didn't take to the surgery quite as planned. We'll have to hope it went as well as expected." He said.

Yami wasn't sure how to feel about that. On one hand, a little hope was better than none, which had been what they were looking at before. On the other, they didn't know, which would make the next couple of weeks hell on Yuugi. Especially since the doctor had explained beforehand that the surgery would be very painful for his eyes, even if it ended up failing. He didn't know how Yuugi would take the news.

He was allowed into Yuugi's bedroom, and he stood faithfully by Yuugi's side, the other's hand held in his own. He watched the monitor blink up and down, watching Yuugi's heartbeat as he slept away the anaesthesia.

Yuugi didn't wake until the next morning.

Yami had immediately ran to his side, wrapping his arms around the younger one. Yuugi had sleepily pushed him off, not registering who it was. He didn't look entirely there; the drugs had more of an effect on him than they usually had, so he was still a little under. He "looked" around and then tilted his head to the side, asking why everything was dark. Yami wasn't sure how to respond, so he didn't, and Yuugi fell back asleep moments later.

Four hours after that, (he'd woken up a few times, said some random things, and then went back to sleep) he finally came around, and immediately started yelling for Yami. Yami ran over to him and grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze.

"I'm here." He said, his hands firmly holding Yuugi's. Yuugi nodded his head in acknowledgement, giving out a sigh of relief. As soon as he relaxed, though, he flinched. Yami frowned at the action, raising one of his hands to gently cup Yuugi's face. He ran his thumb along the warm skin, wondering what could make Yuugi flinch like that, and trying to offer comfort.

"Can you call the nurse?" Yuugi asked. He'd leaned into Yami's hand, but he didn't look much better. His features were slightly pulled up in displeasure, his nose wrinkling. "I think my pain medicine might be overdue."

After the nurse gave him another shot of the pain killers, Yuugi went back to sleep. He looked like death warmed over, all pale and sick, and Yami wished that there was something he could do for Yuugi. Unfortunately, he could barely stay awake long enough to eat, let alone for Yami to help him feel better. Whenever he did resist the urge to take more pain killers, he ended up in so much pain he would cry, which would hurt him worse. Yami would always cave and call the nurse before Yuugi even asked at these times, too reluctant to see Yuugi in pain.

Once a week had passed, the doctor ordered that he be weaned off pain killers.

It had started slowly, a couple less milligrams, a little further apart until the nurses were allowed to give him more. The two hardly even noticed, stuck in a cycle that would never seem to end of sleep and wake and worry worry worry. Once they did start to notice, Yuugi was in pain. By three days into the weaning, Yuugi was crying periodically, no matter how hard he tried to stop it.