"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.