Next was silent as they pulled up to the hospital. He slipped up to Nancy and Roger in the main lobby, where the two of them were getting cups of coffee.

"Any word?" He asked, though who he was asking about was vague.

Nancy gave him a grim look, before looking at Roger. "It appears Zero damaged his vocal cords when he started to scream..."

"How badly?" Mello asked as he was walking by.

"...Badly," She whispered, lowering her eyes.

Next let out a sigh. "And Beyond...?"

"Can we do anything to help him?" Mello asked. "There must be something!"

Jumping, Next turned to look at Mello in confusion. "Help... Beyond?"

"Zero," Nancy corrected. "And there's nothing that can be done, Mello. K has tried everything... and don't go storming off, saying that she doesn't know what she's doing, because you know that isn't true. She's the reason Near is still alive... she is an amazing doctor. But she can't cure everything!"

Mello narrowed his eyes and stomped off all the same- though he said nothing at all as he went- making a B-line for Near's room. When he came in, he stopped dead. Near was curled up on the bed again, the two twins sleeping at the foot of it like loyal watchdogs and Linda was seated in a chair beside the bed.

"...I was wondering when you'd come," She sighed - her voice surprisingly calm, though he suspected it had to do with the fact that Near and the twins were all asleep.

"Right after I got my senses back." Mello replied. "How long has be been out and when did they get here?"

"They were here when I got here," She sighed, moving to get up and motioning for him to follow her into the hall so that their talking didn't wake Near.

As they stepped into the hallway, Mello half expected Linda to punch him in the face... or at least scream at him. But to his surprise, Linda leaned up against the wall and shoved her hands into the pockets of her hoodie, her head downcast.

"I just got him to sleep," She finally continued after a moment. "Though I suppose the sleeping medication they put into the IV I just now convinced him to put back in helped a little..."

She lifted her dark brown eyes to look up at him.

"...What's happened?" Mello was suddenly concerned. "Did something happen while I was gone Linda?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," She muttered. "...If it were Naveen in there."

She lifted her eyes and looked toward Mello.

"He threw some things," She whispered. "Screamed for a while... yelled... and acted so much like his brother that if I hadn't seen the fact that his eyebrows weren't bleached for myself, I would have thought they switched places."

"...Naveen?" Mello breathed before he shook his head. "He's having a psychotic break or something! Where's K!?"

"She already came and went," Linda mumbled. "Near asked her to sedate him... begged her to. So she did... and my guess is that when he wakes up back, he'll ask for it again and again..."

"...Why?" Mello frowned. "Near hates sedatives and anything that messes with his head."

"Either because they are calming his racing thoughts or..." Linda's shoulders went tense. "...Because Naveen was addicted to them."

"...Addicted?" Mello breathed. "Naveen wasn't...addicted..."

The brunette scoffed, pushing off from the wall. "You remember him as a kid, right? Always hyperactive... breaking things... throwing fits. But after he was given his assignment, he magically calmed down... he was able to sit as still as Near and remain just as calm... what, did you think he magically grew that ability?"

"I thought he grew up...like the rest of us." Mello mumbled.

Linda stared at him blankly, before she turned her face away. "For someone who was supposed to be in love with him, you didn't know him at all."

"I'm in no mood." Mello replied. "Not with how I left or where I just came back from."

"And I'm in no mood to let you go in there and upset him all over again," Linda informed, crossing her arms over her chest. Ahh... so the protector finally came out. "He just calmed down, Mello, even if it was with a drug..."

"Yeah and this," Mello held up his hand- showing his wedding ring, "Mean's I'm gonna be in there when he wakes up regardless."

She shot him a glare. "Well he wont wake up for a few hours, so go get yourself a cup of coffee or something. You look like what a Shinigami looks like... if I'd ever seen one."

"Then I look just like I feel." Mello sighed heavily.

"Just let him sleep," She whispered. "And get some rest yourself..."

"I can't." Mello sighed and looked back into the room. "...He's hurting and it's all because of me. I can't just take off and not be here."

"An hour wont kill you," She groaned. "Go in the waiting room or something... or just go get some coffee. And while you're down there, find Matt. He was supposed to come back with news for the Twins if they can see Zero or not..."

"Did he get any sleep?" Mello asked as he started down the hall. "Next came up after me all alone."

"You'll have to ask him that," She called before she slipped back into Near's room.

Mello headed for the vending machines where he remembered seeing a coffee dispenser. After Linda came back into the room, she saw Treat sitting up on the bed and rubbing his eyes.

"Hey, kiddo," She called, resuming her seat on Near's bed, though she didn't move the young boy again. "Feel any better?"

"I have since he fell asleep and stopped throwing stuff." Treat mumbled- his voice still a little horse from his crying earlier.

She frowned a little. "I'm still sorry for that... I wish I could tell you everything but you wouldn't understand... even I don't understand. No one can but he himself."

"As long as he doesn't do it again." Treat replied- looking down at Near before checking his brother.

Trick was sprawled over a chair, his head thrown back as he snored lightly.

"...I hope he doesn't," Linda frowned, her eyes sad.

"...You think he will though." Treat said as he put a coat over his brother. "He didn't have to touch me."

"He isn't thinking right," She whispered. "But I'm sorry, Treat. He shouldn't have."

She reached over and began to pet Near's hair. He didn't stir.

"No he shouldn't have...I told him not to." Treat said as he crawled back onto the bed and looked at Near's face. "You can hardly tell he's breathing."

Slowly, Linda watched the boy on the bed as he quietly slept. Then - her heart breaking with every syllabub - she whispered, "...Do you know what it means to me clinically insane, Treat?"

--Scene Change--

Next had asked all around - approaching people from Wammy's and the hospital staff, as well as people he'd never seen - but no one had seen Matt in a while.

His best lead was someone mentioning the redhead heading downstairs. Thinking that maybe Matt went to catch a smoke to calm his nerves, Next headed outside.

It was against the law to smoke within ten feet of any doors, so Next followed the pathway around to where several ashtrays were set up, away from the front of the building.

It was still freezing outside, but Next hardly noticed. The sky was completely black- overcast and threatening to snow. The only lights came form the building and the occasional streetlight. He came around one corner and caught a glimpse of a figure leaned back against the wall with a smoke in his hands.