Eight Again

Chapter 8: Facing the Things We Fear

The doctor had come up with an idea that he thought was most likely the best way to cure Seto, it was what he called hypno- therapy. He stated that to have Seto completely face his fear, they had to bring the fear to him, since he wouldn't go to it on his own. He had explained the risks too, one would be an even worse fall back of memory, or mental damage in all entirety. Yami feared that Seto might be the one in a many chance of that happening, if that did, then he would probably never be the same.

Of course Yugi, being somewhat connected to Yugi, could sense his darker half's tension. "Don't worry Yami, he doesn't have to go until tonight... Why don't we take him to the beach, or something fun? You know, hang out all day.", Yugi suggested, "Just the three of us, okay?",

"Yes, let's get our minds off of it.", Yami stated, looking at Seto's sleeping form gently, "For his sake anyway.",

"He doesn't even know what's going to happen, I... Feel kinda bad, not telling him...", Yugi's expression fell to that of sadness, "You wake him up, I'll go ahead, and call Mokuba to see if he can't get us a ride or something.",

"Right, aibou, right.", Yami agreed once more.

....

They finally decided at Mokuba's suggestion about the beach, who insisted that Seto had had a large field of interests when he was a kid, and that one of those was animals... "So, we're taking him to the zoo, and ocean, and maybe we can go to a aquarium too.", Yugi told Yami.

"Sounds like a plan to me.", Yami nodded.

"Good.", Yugi said.

"We're going to the zoo?", Seto asked excited, "Really? I- I've never gotten to go anywhere like that.",

"Well, it's a good time to go then, huh?", Yugi winked at him.

Kaiba nodded quickly.

....

They got to the zoo, and had a lot of fun looking at all the different types of animals, Kaiba knew a lot about them as well... "Look, it's my favorite! The komodo dragon!", Seto pointed out the large lizard, "When the Europeans saw it originally, they thought it was a dragon, so they named it after a dragon.",

"You know a lot about lizards.", Yugi pointed out.

"Well, yes, I like snakes, and lizards, reptiles in general, they're the most amazing things I know of. Like the Jesus Christ lizard, it's feet create a vacuum bubble on top of the water, so they can run across it.", Seto explained.

Through the rest of the day, they visited the aquarium, and beach, and early evening returned to the hospital. Seto's time was growing shorter with them... "Seto, we... We have to go see the doctor now, come on.", Yugi said, because his Yami couldn't.

'It was fun, Yami, but, he has to get back to being the Seto we know, you know that.', Yugi explained through soul- link.

'I know.', Yami nodded.

So, the three headed down to the room. "Now, Seto, lay down, and we will begin, bunch all your muscles as tight as they can go, now release them all.", the doctor instructed, Kaiba obeyed, "Now, I want you to look at the ceiling, and listen to the tone of my voice....",

Everyone was silent. "One... You feel completely relaxed. Two... Your starting to feel the edge of sleep press upon you.... Three.... Your eyes start to feel heavy.... Four, you now close your eyes, and drift a little into sleep... Five... You are now completely in a sleep- like state.",

Seto lay perfectly still, breathing barely visible as well... "Seto, can you hear me?", the doctor asked.

"Yes.", he answered.

"Good, now listen, I want you to only to be able to hear me, or Yami, or your memories.", the doctor said.

"Now, I want you to think back to just before you woke up in the hospital, okay?", the doctor said, "Now, tell me what you see...",

"I'm upstairs, playing in my bedroom... With Mr. Snuggles, an' my fire truck....", he explained, "He's calling to me, telling me to go downstairs... I don't want to go... Please, don't make me, I don't want to.",

"Seto, it's okay, we're still here, we'll be with you when you go downstairs..", the Doctor stated.

"I need you to go downstairs now...", the doctor stated.

"Okay... I'm going into the hallway, which is painted crimson.... Like blood, my blood....", Seto whimpered, "I'm scared.... I don't want to go... Please.... He'll, he'll....",

"Seto, we're still here with you, it's okay, you're not a lone.", Yami quickly put in.

"Yami? I can't see you... I- I'm scared to go...", Seto told him.

"You have to, it's the only way to get him to stop.", the Doctor explained.

"I- I- I'm going down the stairs, and he's there, at the bottom...", Seto told them.

"Who is?", Yami asked.

"My Foster Dad... Oh, that hurts.... He's punching me... It hurts! Stop him Yami! Stop him!", Seto screamed.

"Seto, you have to fight back, you have to fight him... Punch him, punch him hard Seto.", Yami told him.

"I- I can't! I'm scared... I- I'm soooo scared Yami! He's going to put me back on the table..... Yami, don't let him put me there! I don't like it! Yami!", Seto was screaming, the tears falling from his closed eyes.

"I can't, you have to, you can punch him, Seto, you can fight him.", Yami encouraged the crying boy.

"I- I- I... I HATE YOU!!!!!", Seto screamed, "I HATE YOU!!!!! I want you to die! So you can't hurt me anymore! I WISH YOU WERE DEAD!!!!!!!!!!",

"That's it Seto, fight him.", the Doctor whispered.

"I wish he was dead... Dead.... I did it, I killed him...", the whispers fell to silence.

"Now, Seto, you are back to that deep sleep, Four, you are in the lighter sleeping state, three, your eyes open, two, you feel more energized, and one, you are fully awake, and alert...", the Doctor explained, "Seto? How old are you?",

"Sixteen.", Seto answered, tears filled his eyes, "I am sixteen, and I've been thinking I was eight, and I...",

"... It's okay to tell me.", the doctor stated.

"He did so many horrible things to me... I hate him for it, hate him!!!!", Seto's voice caught in his throat, fists clenched.

Yami, and Yugi just turned, and left....

Epilog

Seto stayed for a while to have some therapy, and to also get it all out, everything that his foster parent did to him... It was a while before Yami seen him again in school... Even then, he looked busier then ever, trying to catch up with everything. It was just after school, as Yami headed out to get to the bus stop, when Seto came up to him. "Yami, I-", Seto paused, "Thank you for, for everything...",

"It's nothing, I-", Yami suddenly was swept up into a hug.

"You freed me from my past.... I- I don't know how to...", Seto said, emotionally.

"It's okay, Seto, you don't have to... Just, don't turn into that cruel heartless bastard, okay?", Yami said.

Seto just nodded. Then, he turned, and started back towards his limo. "Yami, are you coming?", Yugi asked.

"Yes, I'm coming.", Yami said, running to catch up with Yugi.

Tick- tock, our time is up.

End Story: Okay, now it's all up to you KK! For readers, I am soon to release a couple other fics, I think maybe one called Chi- Pets, and the other... The other will be humor, involving Yugi, and Yami learning how to drive, and a secret person as their driving instructor, called, Driving Antics, so, until then, bye.