"Near, from what I understand, was just suffering from hypothermia," F explained, starting down the street again. "Zero awoke momentarily and then began to panic. He screamed with a tube on his throat and may have damaged himself further. Its possible that he lost his vocal cords."

"Panicked?" Mello repeated. "What the hell!?"

"I do think that if I woke up in a hospital, I would be quite upset too," F hummed.

He pulled into the back parking lot of the hospital.

"I'm going to see Near first." Mello said- as though F would have assumed otherwise. "I want time alone with him, understand?"

"Don't tell me," F scoffed at him. "Tell Matt."

"I'm gonna throw him out!" Mello hissed. "I can't believe he let this happen!"

He charged the front doors.

--Scene Change--

Near was wrapped up in enough heating blankets to melt the North Pole and was being forced to suck oxygen from a mask, but other then that K assured him that he would be just fine.

Matt was seated in the chair beside his bed- looking exhausted and tense as he double checked all of the equipment hooked up to Near before going back to the tightly wrapped bundle on the bed.

"Where is Next?" Near asked him, removing the mask from his face. "Shouldn't you be with him?"

"He with the kids right now back home." Matt replied. "Near, keep the mask on."

"I can breathe just fine!" Near snapped. "Next almost killed Zero... he needs you right now."

"And who's gonna watch you!?" Matt demanded.

The door burst open loudly and a certain blonde stepped in.

"I am." He said firmly.

"Mels!" Matt breathed.

Near's eyes flashed darkly, before they slowly narrowed and he turned to look at Matt.

His eyes were both dark, but pleading - it was obvious he didn't want the redhead to leave.

"...Maybe I should stick around a bit-" Matt began before Mello pulled him out of his chair roughly and drug him over to the door.

"Matt-!" Near cried in alarm, reaching for the door as Mello threw the redhead out and closed it. "What did you do that for-!?"

"What happened?" Mello asked- turning to Near. "Keep the mask on and breathe."