Falling to Darkness

II

Sugoroku held his grandson close as he struggled within the grasp of a severe panic attack. "Yuugi, calm down, my boy!" he murmured urgently, rocking him like a child. It was something that would always work when the teen was younger. It didn't seem to have the same effect. He only tensed.

"H-He-H-Heba!" he felt Yuugi shudder, "I-I-I wanna g-go home! I want to g-g-go ho-home! H-Heba!"

His daughter came up, and gently shook her child. "Yuugi! Get a hold of yourself! You're being ridiculous!" she yelled, obviously petrified. Maybe even angry. Sugoroku flinched as Yuugi let out a scream.

"Stop it, now, Saya! That isn't going to help him!" he snapped, holding his beloved grandchild closer, still. His heart was breaking for the boy. Yuugi began to shout, as if begging some invisible force for mercy. "Ra! Heba! Gods, make i-it stop!"

"Yuugi, my boy," the elder whispered, trying desperately to calm him, "You have to relax! You're safe here, I promise. You're perfectly fine!"

"I-I want to die!"

The old man felt his heart stop, tears threatening the fall down his wrinkled cheeks.

"M-Make it s-st-stop! Gods, I just want to die! H-Heba!"

And as if acting to his prayers, the boy's overwhelmed body shut down, bringing him into deep unconsciousness.

The elderly man felt his daughter's child go lax in his arms, shuddering breaths quickly dying down to a normal rate. With Saya's assistance, they managed to get Yuugi up into his bed, and settled into a comfortable position. Sugoroku brought the deep blue blanket up and over his grandson, tucking him in like he had when the boy was a mere toddler. It had been over a decade since he last saw his grandchild... And what he saw now broke his heart. He's gotten worse...

That happy, youthful little face now looked hard and cold. His features were slightly more defined, having lost a bit of its cherubic roundness, and to a more mature sharpness. (A/N: Kind of in between him and Yami, not quite as defined, but he doesn't look like a cherub.) When he had seen them, his large eyes had been scrunched into a cold glare. Filled with suppressed emotion and turmoil. His step was more stiff. All of the light seemed to had drained from his body. His attire seemed like something from some Goth fad, with the piercings and dark clothing. It made his heart break, yet pulse with irritation.

Lightly, he grabbed his daughter's arm, and led then downstairs.

"How long has it been since he's seen his therapist?" Sugoroku demanded as soon as they stepped foot in the kitchen, arms crossed sternly.

Saya blinked, and brought her fingers through her short, reddish hair. "Uhm, I-I don't know, Dad," she murmured, "Probably since six months after the accident?"

Her father stiffened with anger, but managed to keep his temper. "And his medication? For the headaches and anxiety? And his antidepressants?" he ordered promptly.

She remained silent, shuffling nervously. Sugoroku noted that she was looking at everything but him. "You haven't been ordering his medication?" he snapped, brows furrowing in an uncharacteristic rage. His daughter winced.

"Saya Mutou, you know how vital it is that he takes them! The poor child could hardly function without them after what happened! How in God's green Earth did he last this long with such neglect?!"

Saya's eyes widened with rage. "Neglect? What do you mean 'neglect'?!" she shrieked.

"Well, it is quite obvious to me that you don't seem to give two rats about his health!" the grayed man snapped back.

"Well he seemed to have gotten better, and they were expensive. So I decided to stop ordering them!"

"Gotten better?!" Sugoroku yelled, a vein popping up from his temple. "Saya, I haven't seen the poor boy since a week after he and Heba got out of the hospital, and it is crystal clear that he hasn't improved in the slightest! I'd bet my life's savings that Yuugi's done nothing but get worse!" He panted, fists clenching as he struggled to get a grip on his anger. To think logically. His voice was a sorrowed whisper when he spoke again. "For God's sake, Saya, Yuugi tried to kill himself last week! How can you know this and honestly think he's gotten better?"

There was no reply, because both of them knew that the old man was right. Her head was downcast, and she still refused to meet her father's sad eyes. Without a word, she walked from the room, outside to her car, and drove away. Sugoroku sighed, and went upstairs to check up on Yuugi.

The school is still closed for a day or two... Yuugi can settle in and I can set up a doctor's appointment for tomorrow, he decided, climbing the staircase. He flinched upon the realization that the teen's door was still open. He hobbled to the doorway, and peeked inside.

"Yuugi," he murmured softly, "Are you awake?"

The boy was sitting on the edge of his bed, arms crossed and face marred by a frown. "Yeah," he muttered, glaring at the carpet. Sugoroku stood in the doorway, hesitant.

"Are you alright, my boy?"

"Peachy."

The boy's grandfather gave a tiny sigh. "I'm... not sure how much you heard, but..." Yuugi raised his head, but was looking at the wall in front of him. "Yuugi, if you ever need anything... Please know that you can talk to me."

Yuugi seemed to deflate, shoulders sagging. "You're right..." he muttered. Sugoroku blinked.

"Pardon?"

Yuugi looked to his grandfather, and the old man felt his breath catch quietly. His once-bright amethyst eyes were now dark violet. They held none of the laughter or joy they once had. Instead, he only saw anger and pain. He looked lost, and alone. Like... like he'd given up. "I'm not alright," Yuugi choked, "Not in the slightest."

Sugoroku rushed forward as a tear gathered in Yuugi's eye, and pulled the boy into a tight hug. He felt the sixteen-year-old stiffen, and his breath quicken, before going limp, and leaning into his relative's embrace.

"I'm going to schedule a doctor's appointment for you, and you've already been registered at the local high school," he explained quietly, to which Yuugi merely nodded. "We're going to get you the help you need, Yuugi, and I promise that you'll get better. It may take some time, but you will. I promise."

He felt thin arms slowly raise, and tentatively wrap themselves around his torso. Yuugi shuddered with a stifled sob against Sugoroku, and the old man rubbed his back. Like he did whenever Yuugi was upset as a small child.

The pale teenager sniffled, a single tear tracking down his cheek. "Arigatõ, Jii-chan..."