Chapter Two: The Doctor is in!

"I'm telling you that I did not hit him! I don't know what happened!"

There was so much noise around L as he laid on a stiff mattress, staring to nothing specific; just the mass amount of white in the small room in which many bodies were in. He didn't pay attention to words that were shouted, the guilty and interrogation-toned voices, the volume in which would raise in favor of the teen trying to plead his minor fit of insanity. All of it was un-graspable at the moment, for he was still trying to convince himself that he had not died.

It was hard to understand- the concept in which he had been getting himself ready for ever since he took on the Kira case. He swore to himself that he would see it to the end, but because he was human the thought of death terrified him. It took a while, nearly months, but eventually he came to terms with the over-consuming thought that his life would be no more in efforts to catching a murderer. In all actuality he was ready for the reaper to take his soul just mere moments ago.

At first L was only waiting for the gush of artificial wind brought out by a clenched hand ready to collide with his cheek bone. The inevitable could not be prolonged, and as he wanted to dodge the blow he couldn't move. The punch wasn't what now took over his thought.

Pulsating.

It was felt through every vein, every muscle, every bone, and it was from his rapidly beating heart echoing it's movements like a man screaming in the Grand Canyon. It was going to explode out, or at least he wanted it to if it would stop the aching throbs surrounding him. Everything began to spin, L's insides contracted terribly, blurring his vision with pain. He wasn't able to even know that the wallop to his head was not going to come. Or that the hold keeping him steady was about to be released.

As he fell to the ground he could only notice that all of the horrible sensations that had multiplied in a matter of fearful seconds suddenly began to vanish. The black haired male was free of feeling, not even the cool surface he lay prostrate on top of could awaken his nerves. What happened? Did Light hit him harder than expected? But if so, why did all of the pain go away? Had his heart truly stopped as it felt so close to doing?

Was this.. the end?

It couldn't be questioned. Slowly, his eyes drifted shut. And the dark warmth claimed him...

But that was only until the unconscious L awoke to a blinding ivory room, vision foggy as was his memory of what had even happened. He was still L, though, so he kept silent, a somewhat tremor of confusion that had grazed his complexion disappeared quickly and was replaced with the hollow stare while bodies went to lean over his body. "What.. exactly happened to me."

Soichiro took charge of explaining to him exactly what had happened. In his gruff voice he recalled each detail in the calm manner that came with a collective and wise man. Apparently after his collapse Light was entirely too frozen to do anything but stare at him, dumbfounded. Matsuda being the idiot that he was began to panic, asking his unresponsive body if he was dead, as if he would be able to answer that either way. The three sane men sprung into action at that moment; they must have been fearing the worst as he had and immediately check to make sure he was still alive and breathing. Once they confirmed that L's heart, despite his last thoughts before comatose, was still going at it's rapid pace they made sure to communicate with Watari, who promptly began to make phone-calls after the acknowledgement. Before that, he gave important instructions.

Mogi was to be the one to lift L from the ground, effortlessly carrying the male who seemed to be nothing more than a rag-doll and tugging the teen still chained to him along into the elevator, the rest of the task force following without a hitch.

All of them were headed to the 24th floor of the Task Force Head Quarters. They had never been up the far into the building, it just seemed to be un-needed at the time, but as they all stepped onto the floor that was long-forgotten, especially in the case happening now.

The floors were tiled with metrical pearl, walls ghost-white, and the theme was repeated in every room going down the hallway. Beds with plastic railings and various buttons to incline, decline, and everything in-between on a remote attached while various machines were placed in each, that serving purposes of monitoring heart-rate, taking blood-pressure, all of the average and common practices used in a regular check up. It was like a regular institution of the injured and treated.

L had never shown his face to another human being excluding Watari after he came to take fame from the new title; that included the rare chance that he would ever need medical attention. That's why this floor was specifically transformed into the scene of a hospital. If it were ever necessary, he (and the task-force members if they would need such attention) would have his private medical practitioner consult him, who had not even seen his full body, just pictures of irritated skin and once a broken bone. It was possibly a little over-done, but when something was done by L it was done throughly. And everyone knew that health was not to be taken lightly.

He was brought into a room where the silent Mogi placed him in a bed. They all waited in a tense, un-welcoming atmosphere until minutes later when L would finally come to, asking the question that lead to Soichiro's now ending story.

After everything was explained Light became over-whelmed, and decided the start the argument that was going on now around L. He didn't once look to him, and L did not look to Light; it was obviously too soon to try and decipher what had happened personally between them.

Now, L fisted the thin sheet covering him, his fingers nimbly pressing into the material absently. Slowly he was collecting his logic and common sense, which of course settled his nerves just enough. What kept the edge of worry still remaining, though, was the fact that the pains that seemed to never cease just.. vanished. L looked down, questioning his stomach with his blank eyes. 'What's going on with me?'

He hated feeling so helpless because of his own body, it made him sick. Despite the vast amount of information he held about the human body, he couldn't place the symptoms he had with anything logical, and what he did place it with made him want to double over in laughter.

All of his life L hadn't had something like this happen to him. He rarely had health problems, and yet here he was. He never needed assistance from a doctor, and yet he was in the medical unit. He had never panicked, and yet he had to calm himself over the worry of dying.. It all brought him to Light, who continued to converse with his father about how the day began without even an acknowledgement to L. Light Yagami.. It was all his fault, he knew it was.

This was all a scheme, wasn't it? He implanted L with a virus, and would watch as he slowly went mad because of it. Then he would increase his insanity by threatening him, weakening him emotionally, starving him physically, making love to him, pretending he cared for those brief moments to only start the process of breaking over again.. he would use it all until L was nothing more than shambles, and when that time came, he would end his life like the merciless criminal he was.

'...His percentage goes up four percent.'

"Everyone out." L exclaimed almost as if he were day-dreaming, steadily chewing on his thumb. "I would like to speak to Light-kun alone."

Everyone seemed skeptical, and shocked, due to L's sudden command. Was it alright to these two alone after what had happened to the one lying in the hospital bed? Even if Light really hadn't caused him to collapse there was a strong chance for another fight to break out.. but they couldn't go against L.

"Alright, Ryuzaki." Soichiro as the rest of the silent task members stood up, vision trading between his son and L. He really hoped that nothing would go on again; what he saw, his son with such a fierce and raw expression, ready to pummel L who seemed to have no care for hitting him back; it just wasn't like Light to have such an attitude... Though L had always brought out an entirely different Light; like sun and moon they were.. The elder man sighed, turning his back to walk out. Like sun and moon..

With only the two left inside the room all was quiet, but the intensity grew considerably. Panda eyes met a pair confused with the emotion bubbling inside auburn orbs. One waited for the other to speak, but neither wanted to begin. It remained silent staring for well over ten minutes before the teen gave up, breathing out in surrender. A toned hand went through his caramel locks, the connection broken as he glanced down to the floor.

"Um, Ryuzaki.." Light started, an uneasy tone through his words. "I.. I don't know what came over me, and I'm sorry if I was the cause of this.." He look up now, defense showing clearly. "but you should have expected it with the way you've been acting! I'm getting so tired of trying to be nice when all I get is an insult or ignorance!"

L looked indifferent as he drew his knees up to his chest, the sheet still covering him. He knew it would end up this way if his suspect "apologized". It would be turned to his fault, without a doubt, because Light was just so innocent. "Would you like to know why I've been acting so poorly, Light-kun."

That was unexpected, Light decided.. and yet he did want to know the source; he nodded. Maybe now he could understand what exactly crawled up L's arse... Well, besides himself, Light thought with an unreadable shudder.

'Acting like you have no part in my illness.. I'm not surprised, Light...' If L were like one of his possible upcoming successors he would be scowling, cursing up a storm as he accused Light of his doings. It was very tempting, he would admit; Light even deserved being kicked in the face for everything he's done, but the raven knew better than to act that way, and couldn't no matter how much he wanted to.

For now, he would stay as impassive as always, simply playing with the hem of the thin sheet. He wouldn't need anything special or drastic to get a spark out of his target, his words would do perfectly.. "I believe that I have a virus that has been rapidly progressing through my body. It has been causing me extreme pain and a great amount of nausea and fatigue in the beginning..." L's coal eyes had been flickering around the room, lazily taking in the scenery as if it had changed as he spoke, but now they intently were drawn to the confused brunet who stared right back. "All of this began a week after our.. our events after dark... and that makes me assume that Light-kun has done something to me. It would only make sense that Kira would want to-"

"Ryuzaki!"

Light immediately sprang from his chair, glowering towards the raven in a shocked fashion. He had no idea that L had been sick, not even a clue. It put his guilt of almost hurting the other to worse terms- that was, until he was blamed once again, and this time under ridiculous circumstances "Are you insane? First of all, I am not Kira! Get that through your head! Okay, I admit, what happened earlier was a mistake and I won't try and deny that it happened, but I would never go as far as to hurt you enough to hospitalize you! Especially by giving you an illness!"

As Light spoke it was almost like he were trying to convince not only L but also himself. When he had been trapped under his fit of rage, so many thoughts went through his head, many that were not his. They were dark, malicious, and targeted only L.. Light hated to even consider that he was Kira, but what if it was true..

No, absolutely not. L was just taking advantage of his guilt and causing him to over-think. He was not Kira.. but taking a few extra measures to make the one who always stayed suspicious went one step closer to being a believer wouldn't hurt.

The young male advanced towards the lanky figure at a relaxed speed, his poise professional and proud while he sank into the firm bedding, watching with trivial amusement when L appeared uncomfortable and shifted closer towards the edge. Light rolled his eyes and leaned closer, causing a dip in the mattress and for his chained partner to squirm further away. For a man who rarely showed discomfort L was unquestionably acting coy. "And you know..." His voice gently alluring undertone flowed naturally through Light's trained lips with ease.

Thankfully dating hundreds of girls had given him experience with sweet-talking, or else this wouldn't have any effect on L; but indeed the hollow eyes were latched onto him, and the grew a fraction wider when Light found himself once again dangerously close. Though this time, he didn't feel threatening, it was more of an.. intimate setting. It was all a part of his motive, that was it. Shrugging the feel away from his body, Light brought his hand up to grasp upon L's chin, a tender smile forming as he flinched in result from the sweet gesture; he definitely had his attention now. "There is nothing on my mind when we're sleeping together besides paying attention to you and your captivating expressions.. How could I possibly harm you when I'm hypnotized?"

If he hadn't knew better the one purring out honeyed words could have sworn the detective wore the slightest tinge of rose color to his cheeks. He was most likely seeing things, and yet he still felt a great amount of pride for causing L to fluster with only words; that had never happened! Just a little more.. "I made a big mistake, I know that... because I actually hate fighting with you, Ryuzaki... I care about your health, and I want you to make a complete recovery very soon.."

"Li..ght.." L whispered, the words felt like warm air against Light because their close distance. He already seemed to be caught under Light's false spell. Who knew that this would be so easy.. Perfect.

Feeling accomplished, Light was prepared to capture L in a full kiss, the final move to making L melt like the ice cream he so enjoyed, but just as he attempting to close the miniscule distance between them a hand shot out with force, successfully pushing his face back inches away. "Ghuh!"

"You insult me, Light-kun." L sniveled in a mocking tone, watching as Light struggled to remove his hand before going back to his natural tone. "I am not like the brainless females that you can charm in five seconds with unimpressive and cliche smooth talking." Yes, he had seen through the act the moment Light began to drawl out the meaningless garbage of caring and admiring him like he was a spouse. The mistake Light made was even thinking that such an act would convert his thoughts of all people.

His deft hand thrust Light further backwards and then it reacted, causing the teen to lose his balance momentarily. The appendage went back to occupying L's chewing habit. "You and I both know very well that the feelings you just described to me are false. My expressions do nothing to you, because when we have sex it is nothing but carnal desire. You do not focused on me, nor I to you. It is only the release and pleasure that is focused on...

"and the nonsense of you caring about my health; that is something to laugh towards. We have fought many times, Light-kun, and you have never shown any concern for me. Not to mention that you have put me here. And because you tried to deny that with a sad attempt of seduction it shows you have something to hide and that you indeed are Kira and have done something to poison my body." 'I am right, Kira.'

Light's lour could have burned a hole through a steel wall. 'Damn! He saw right through me! What am I going to do now?' "I'm not Kira! Maybe my way of saying it was a little much, but I'm telling you there is no way I could poison you during sex! Or any time, for that matter!"

"You're lying, Light. What have you done to me!" It was clear that even L was beginning to lose his patience when he voice had picked up volume, now carrying a scowl of his own.

"Nothing, you idiot!" Light scorned back, fire in his voice. "Just because you're so caught up in your perfect world where you do wrong you have to blame someone else! You're in denial, Ryuzaki! You're so upset that you've had sex with me that you've taken this illness- if it's even real! - to accuse me of something that is completely ludicrous!"

...

Silence came over the room once again. Their eyes stayed connected, as if sending lightning though each-other.

It was one second before the situation that lead them here came back into play, but suddenly a high beeping echoed against the thick walls. L and Light snapped over to a small screen implanted next to the titanium door, it glowing white with a lower-case w in it's center. "Yes, Watari?"

"Someone is here to see you, Ryuzaki. They should be arriving to your door any moment now."

What? Who could be coming to see him? And why did Watari send them up to his rehabilitation room? Unless... L's eyes flashed to the door. "Watari did not.."

Like timework, the metal door whooshed open, and appeared L's guest. A woman who looked no older than the one she was seeing, smiling like she was up to no good. "Good-afternoon, L. I am Ms. Claric, and I am here to determine your illness."