AUTHOR'S NOTES: Welcome back. Thank you to anybody who is reading this so far. This is not so much a filler chapter, it's just not super mega important. It does have lots of fluff in it though. I do so love writing fluff. I feel really bad for Matt, and Near, in this chapter. Even more so that I wrote this chapter on Near's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEAR! :D I think I'll do a birthday one-shot for him, possibly. Anyway, so enjoy the chapter. Be sure to review please. Reviews make me happier than--I can't come up with a cutesy saying. I'm sorry. XD
WARNINGS: Nothing really.
DISCLAIMER: If I owned Death Note, I wouldn't waste my time writing fanfictions. This stuff would be canon. :D
The door creaked as it was pushed open. When he first entered, his eyes didn't go straight to Near. In fact, he looked everywhere around the room. He had a hard time trying to pull his eyes to the other boy, in fear that he would see something as horrible as what he had seen earlier. Logically, he knew that Near had to look somewhat better than what he had looked when Matt found him. After all, weren't hospitals supposed to clean the patients? With this sound thought, the gamer allowed his gaze to drop from a spot on the ceiling onto the boy in the bed.
Near's hair was messier than usual. Matt wasn't sure how, but they had gotten the blood out of it from what he could see. A thick bandage was above the boy's right eye, almost hidden by the snow white curls. His eyes, which were usually open and full of questions, were now closed. Tubes were taped to his cheeks, coming from his nose and leading to a machine, the respirator no doubt. Matt knew there were other injuries, particularly the ones he had seen for himself, but they were covered in bandages. The sleeves of his pajamas were short. Just below the bend of his arm was a device where needles could be easily injected into the boy's body without having to do multiple injections. The gamer assumed that more than a fair share of painkillers had already been and probably were going to be injected through that device. There was already an IV of some sorts hooked to one part of the catheter. From what Matt had heard, the wounds in his arms and legs and the starting wound on his chest that hadn't managed to penetrate through the bone hadn't been done with a knife. Matt had heard they were probably done with a drill of some sorts, only the boy simply refused to believe that somebody could harbor that kind of hatred towards Near. This was even extreme for somebody like Mello, who had left to go his own way immediately after L's death.
Matt grabbed one of the chairs and pulled it as close to the bed as he could manage. He wanted to sit on the edge of the bed, but he didn't want to risk hurting Near even more. He extended his hand up towards Near's face. He traced his finger tips across the other boy's cheek bone. If Near could feel it, he showed no signs of thus. Matt swallowed hard, feeling the lump that was building his throat. He hadn't meant to, but his mind instantly thought of the worst case scenario. What if the twenty four hours passed, and Near still hadn't woken up? Would that make him in a coma, or worse? Matt shook his head, trying to erase the thoughts from his head. Near would wake up. He had to. It wouldn't be like him to give up without a fight. Besides, he had a Kira to catch. That was what he was number one for, wasn't it?
The auburn haired boy grabbed one of Near's hands in his own. The boy's skin was colder than usual. Near had always been a tad colder than most people. It explained why he wore long sleeves almost year round. But tonight, tonight he felt colder, and it unnerved Matt. His skin felt cold enough to be dead. Matt shuddered at these thoughts and glanced up at one of the monitors, checking Near's vitals. According to the machines, the boy was still alive. This provided a comfort, albeit a small comfort, to Matt.
He made no efforts to squeeze the boy's hand. Instead he opted for resting his hand on top of the other boy's and tracing small circles with his thumb. He was reminded of something he had read once. It had been something or another about how talking to people when they were in comas sometimes helped bring them out of them. When he read it, he had thought it was a stupid waste of his time that could have been used to beat a game. After all, he knew he didn't listen to people when was asleep, much less in coma. However, now this waste of time seemed to provide him with some hope that he could bring Near out of whatever it was he was in.
Matt swallowed hard in an attempt to get rid of the lump in his throat. He finally managed to get his voice up and began to speak. "Near, I don't know who did this to you, or why they did it. I mean, I have my theories of why, but who could do this to you? To anybody really? I always knew the world was heartless. I've known that since birth, but this really makes me lose hope.
But you're going to be okay. I'll make sure of it. I'll do whatever it takes. Mello left me, I can't lose you. I won't lose you," the gamer could feel tears pricking at the backs of his eyes. He tried to blink them away but a few strays made their way down his cheeks. Quickly, he wiped them away. If anything, he had to be strong.
"You're going to wake up. You're going to recover, and you're going to catch Kira. Then we can solve other cases together. After all, every great detective needs a hacker, right? We could be the best thing since L. We can even live in five star hotels like he did! And I'll buy you all the dice you could ever want. We could build a life sized city! Anything for you. Anything. You'll see. Everything will be perfect, if you just wake up."
He wasn't sure what he was saying anymore. He had just been talking as it came to mind, thinking nothing out and only hoping that Near could hear him. A few more tears managed to creep down his face. He wiped them off on the back of his sleeve.
"All you have to do is wake up," whispered Matt, leaning up long enough to kiss Near on the cheek, just above the tubes, "Just wake up, and I'll be right here when you do."
He laid his head on the edge of the bed, resting it on one of his arms. The other arm still had its hand on top of Near's. He closed his eyes and prayed that sleep would take him soon. If the comfort of everything being fine couldn't be there, the bittersweet abyss of sleep would have to do.
:D I do so hope you're enjoying this story.