Jounouchi staggered out of the library, holding the wall for support. His vision was blurred, even with his glasses on. His left side... hurt so much... He was dizzy... His head and neck hurt from all the bruises... He needed to lie down...

Honda set aside the newspaper he had been looking at, deciding that he wouldn't be able to learn anything new from staring at it any longer. Mentally reviewing everything he wanted to look up for his informal 'investigation', he set off for the library, since that was as good a starting point as any other. As the building came into view, he noticed a figure staggering near the main doorway. Quickening his steps, he hurried over to see who it might be.

Jounouchi knelt down on the sidewalk and hung his head down exhaustedly. His encounter with the famed criminal, Shadow took a lot out of him last night. It seemed like Jou made a mistake in going to the library to update his journal as to not worry his friends, since now he was very close to fainting once more.

As he got closer, Honda suddenly stopped short. The figure several feet away, that couldn't be who he thought it was, had to be a mistake. He took a deep breath and continued repeating that in his mind as he forced himself to slowly approach. To his dismay, he had been correct, the figure on the sidewalk was indeed his friend Jounouchi. Kneeling down in front of him, he gently shook Jou's right shoulder, trying to get the blonde's attention. "Buddy? Snap out of it. Please, look at me."

Looking up, and revealing his disfigured face, Jounouchi asked, "Are you the real Honda...?" His eyelids were getting so heavy. He was so tired from crying and yelling last night. Not to mention he had lost so much blood.

Taken aback by both Jou's face and his question, Honda could only stare for a few moments. "Shadow did this, didn't he? Why the hell didn't you say anything about that? Idiot, making that journal post making everyone think you were okay when you're obviously not." He tugged on Jou's right arm, pulling it around his neck, drawing Jou closer. "Do you think you can stand if I help you?"

"I'm so sorry..." Tears streamed down Jou's face. "I know you didn't want to hear any more about Sh-Shadow... I know you wanted me to be okay... I'm... so sorry..." He swayed slightly in Honda's grasp. "It... it hurts..."

Honda sighed, he hadn't meant his comment to come off like that. "As long as he's running around hurting people, I don't think I'll be able to get away from all the talk about Shadow." Sitting down on the sidewalk, he tried to pull his cell phone out of his pocket while still supporting Jou's weight. "Even though I want you to be okay, that doesn't mean you have to pretend." He glanced down and began punching buttons on his phone. "Now, tell me where it hurts."

"M-my face..." Jou sobbed, "a-and... m-my chest..." He inhaled deeply and coughed. "H-he... he slapped me and punched me... A-and... m-my s-side... he c-cut me on m-my side..."

Honda nodded and finished punching in the number for the Domino Hospital. Bringing the phone up to his ear, he waited for what felt like an eternity. "I'd like you to send out a paramedics team to the library," he said as soon as someone finally picked up on the other end. "No, I don't know which one. I didn't realize Domino had more than one. The big one." Glancing down at Jou he asked, "Is there another library?"

"I'm so sorry..." murmured Jounouchi. "I'm so sorry for making you worry about me, Honda-kun..." Jou's head slumped onto Honda's cheek as he fell unconscious.

"Yeah, that's the one. Hold on a moment," Honda said into the phone. He wrapped his free arm around Jou's torso and left arm, and gently pulled Jou to sit in his lap. Turning back to the phone, he continued his conversation with the hospital receptionist. "Yes, I'd like the paramedics to get here soon. My friend was attacked by Shadow--Yes, I know it's daytime, this happened last night...How do I know that? How do you think, he told me...Yes, my friend, not Shadow...No, I don't know why he didn't tell anyone sooner...No, I can't ask him now, he passed out...I would have but I was a little busy asking where he was hurt...Yes! I would like you to send the paramedics now! Thank you." He punched the button to end the call and set the phone on the pavement next to him. Hopefully the paramedics would be more competent than the receptionist had been.

Although Jou remained comatose for the time being, tears continued to fall from his eyes and stain his friend's cheek.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A long while later, Jounouchi awoke. Everything was still blurry... He was laying on something, but what...? Who was that calling his name...? And... why did he feel like he was moving...?
~*~*~*~*~*~
Honda strode down the hospital hallway muttering. The staff had finally decided to let him see Jou, after a long wait. He turned and shoved a door, barging into Jou's room. "You still alive here?"

Jounouchi awoke from yet another slumber. He turned his head towards his friend. "Honda-kun..." He whispered, "I... don't think I can move right now..."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Honda stared at Jou as his mind raced. Why would he be saying something like that? Were his injuries that much worse than he'd originally said? He pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down, resting his arms against the bed frame. "What's going on, buddy?"

"I... have an infection... on my side..." Jou answered quietly. "It must be from those needles he used... Maybe... they were dirty..." He winced in pain. "I don't want to move... because it really, really hurts... I'm getting stitches... and... I'm scared..." Tears welled in Jou's eyes. "M-my chest... is... all bruised up, too... It hurts... so much..."

Honda rested his head against the hospital mattress in mild relief. He had been worried that Jou thought he was about to die. He lifted his head again and patted Jou's hand reassuringly. "You'll be fine. The doctors and nurses will take care of you, and get you healed up." He wasn't sure what else he could say in this situation.

Jou broke into a sob once more. "I'm so sorry, Honda...! I'm sorry... for making you worry about me...!" He coughed, and let out a short scream from the pain it caused in his chest. "I... I was so scared...! H-he pretended to be you...! And... and then... h-he just... beat me up...! And pinned me to the wall! Why do people do things like that to other people...?!"

Honda dropped his head back onto the bed and tried to remain calm. "Please...please stop apologizing. You had a right to be scared, he shouldn't have done that, I have no idea why people do shit like that...now please, please put your energy into calming down and healing instead of apologizing. People heal better if they're not stressed, and I want you to get better as soon as possible."

"Okay... okay..." Jou tried to reassure himself that he was safe. He was in a hospital bed. The real Honda was there with him, holding his hand...

"Do...do you need me to wait here with you until they come to give you stitches? Or should I just let you get some rest?" Honda watched Jou carefully for a reaction. "I probably shouldn't keep you awake too long."

"I... I'm really afraid..." Jou said, squeezing Honda's hand. "But... I'm... so tired..." He managed to give a weak smile. "Thank you... for saving me, though..."

Honda sighed and squeezed back slightly. "You go to sleep and I'll stay til the doctors come. And please don't do something reckless like that again, not getting help when you need it. You could have gotten really messed up, and...and I don't know what I'd have done then." He tried to give Jou a small smile. "Sorry, I'm being overprotective again and not helping matters any. Just, focus on healing, okay?"

"Okay..." Jou's eyelids closed slowly. "I'll... try to be more careful next time. I promise..." He slept again, still holding onto Honda's hand.

As promised, Honda stayed until a nurse came by and said they were ready to give Jou the stitches. Taking that as his cue to leave, he walked outside, debating what to do next.