Ah...I'm so cruel. This is a very very short chapter. Happy New Years anyways. Don't kill me! The next chapter will be up soon.

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Six days passed. Kise had to leave for a photo shoot, but Aomine had gotten approved for some time off by his boss so he had stayed. Actually, it was more like his boss forced him to take time off and ordered him to stay with his friend. He had been oddly understanding of the situation, but Aomine was thankful. He did wish he could work to distract his mind, but he also wanted to be there for his friend.

"Are you sure you can afford to spend so much time here?" Aomine glanced at Akashi. They were sitting in Kuroko's room like every other afternoon so far.

"What is that supposed to mean, Daiki." Akashi wasn't sure where the navy haired brat was going with this question.

"I don't want to get called into work by my boss and find my desk heaped with work because you didn't keep your idiots in line."

"You won't. Don't be so ungrateful. If I wasn't around you would have a lot more work to do ALL the time."

"Then resources would be even further strained and the break room coffee would be water with brown food coloring in it!"

Akashi and Aomine both grinned ever so slightly at the last part. Akashi was pretty sure that was what the coffee in the police station was already.

This type of argument was typical between the two of them. They both looked at each other for a few minutes before they both broke out into laughter. Their work wasn't always on the same side of the law but they were still good friends and they helped each other out from time to time. They clearly understood that good and bad weren't absolutes, which is why they could sit in a small room together without trying to kill one another.

A slight, barely audible noise stopped their laughter. At first they thought they were imagining it. They looked to Kuroko to see blue eyes slowly forcing themselves open.

Before Aomine or Akashi could say anything, the heart monitor began beeping frantically and the small figure in the bed began thrashing about, eyes wide and terrified.

"GET THE DOCTOR!" Akashi yelled as he moved to hold Kuroko down. Aomine reached for the help button and pressed it several times until two nurses barged in the door followed by a doctor.

One of the nurses took over Akashi's position and the other hurried the two men out of the room.

"I'm sorry but you have to go. Wait in the waiting room." She bowed slightly to both of them before heading back in to the room. Before the door closed, the sound of the heart monitor flat lining and the doctor yelling instructions reached Akashi and Aomine.

Aomine and Akashi didn't go to the waiting room. Akashi leaned against the wall outside Kurokos room and Aomine knelt down with his back against the same wall. They were out of the room and out of the way so no one bothered them.

"What's happening?" Aomine asked to no one in particular.

"Panic probably. I've seen it before when people wake up in a hospital after something traumatic." Akashi spoke quietly.

"You've seen too much."

"Perhaps I have. Perhaps."

"His heart…."

"If the doctor is still in there then he isn't dead yet." Akashi reassured the cop as much as himself. The horror in Kuroko's eyes was unnerving to say the least but the sound of the heart monitor flat lining was horrifying. He really wished he could stop hearing that sound.

"'Yet' is what I'm afraid of." Aomine admitted and placed his head in his hands. The two remained silent until the doctor emerged, Aomine nearly pouncing on the man immediately.

"How is he!?" Aomine stared the doctor down.

"Sedated. You can go back in. He probably won't wake up again for a while…..hopefully he won't panic next time." The doctor gave a slight bow and headed off. Akashi was already holding the door open casting a glance to see if Aomine intended to follow. Aomine did.