The next day I awoke around 5:20; my casts made it sleeping very awkward. My stomach rumbled grumpily but alas I couldn't do anything about that, and it would be a while before anoyone came in to bring me breakfast. So I found myself a book from the pile on my bedside table and began reading. By chance, the book I had chosen was Romeo and Juliet. For some reason, this made me think of Mello.
I was at the part when Paris proposes when I heard somebody knocking on my door.
"Near? May I come in?" Called a voice. "It's West."
"Yes you may," I responded, placing a bookmark in my place and setting the book aside.
The door creaked open and my neihbor stuck his head in. "Good morning," He greeted me politely. "Are you ready for breakfast?"
I nodded, my stomach agreeing with a growl. "Yes, please."
West stepped inside and handed me a bowl of plain oatmeal, then set down a glass on orange juice on my bedside table.
He turned to leave then, but paused by the door. "Oh, and Watari will be broadcasting L's message in the common room today, at 2:30 and Roger will be rolling your bed in there so that you can listen as well."
Well that gave me something to look forward to, today.
"Thank you," I told him sencerely. He nodded and then departed.
Such a considerate person, I mused. I sort of wished that Mello would be a bit more like West. But then again, if he was quiet, respectful and polite, he wouldn't be Mello at all, now would he? I wondered if he like the others, would he still hold some power over me?
I took a bite of my oatmeal, pondering this.
I knew he meant something to me. I just didn't know what. And from his actions yesterday and at the hospital, I could draw the conclusion that I meant something to him as well. But I still didn't know what. As a detective, I really wanted to figure that out. And I had some idea of how I could do that...
I would have to ask him about the night he'd snuck into my room, for starters. And then about his reaction at the acident. I wondered how he would react. Would he deny everything? Would he brush it off? Would he refuse to answer? Or give me a few more bruises as an answer?
Well, I thought. I'll have plenty of time to talk to him while I'm healing.
At 2:00 on the dot, Roger entered at my room, followed my two nurses who were towing a wheeled bed. It took all three of them to lift my fragile, plaster-incased body into the bed, and every little wrong move made my limbs shreif in protest, but I bit my lip and didn't allow myself to express the pain.
After I got situated, Roger told the nurses that he had it now and began on his way down the hallway leading to the common room. Many others were on their way as well; hurrying to get front-row seats to listen to L. They all paused in their way to greet me and ask if I was okay. I, of course, politely assured them that I was fine. By their expressions, the children were not convinced.
We finally reached the common room, which was, as I expected, already swarming with orphans. Roger waved them out of our path so that he could wheel me up by the front row, in front of the off to the side of the laptop that served as our connection to L. I felt bad about that; I was obstructing the other's veiw with my bed. Although, It's not as if there was much to see; it was just the old englsi L on the screen, but still, I felt bad.
I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I glanced up at Roger.
"I'll be talking to Watari. Are you alright on your own?"
I nodded. "I'm fine, Roger. You don't need to be concerned."
Roger heaved a sigh. "I know I'm probably worrying too much. But I'd still prefer it if you had somebody to look after you while you're recovering."
He glanced up and scanned the crowd, then jerked his chin at someone, making a gesturing motion with his hand.
The person he'd beconed aprouched from behind, so I couldn't see who it was. But I knew who it was the seccond I heard his voice.
"Yes, Roger?" That deep voice could only belong to one person.
"Ah yes, Mello," Roger placed a hand on my head. "Could you keep an eye on Near, please?"
He was silent for a moment before answering.
"I could. I guess."
"That's not really nessisary, Roger," I protested. "I won't be moving for a little while, anyway,"
"I know" Roger answered, taking a step away. "But I'll be occupied after L's message, and I won't be able to roll you back to your room."
"Oh." I glanced over at Mello, who had moved to where I could see him. His expression was casual; almost bored.
I glanced down, sort of embarassed that I needed watching. Here I was, the number 1 sucessor of L, and in need of a babysitter.
Though Mello was right next to me, I said nothing to him, or rather, I could think of nothing to say to him. So much for the interogation.
"I'll be right back," He said abruptly, and turned to walk away. I strained my neck to follow him; he was across the room, talking to Matt. The redhead seemed confused about something, and by way of explanation, Mello thwacked him upside the head. matt raised his palms in surender and headed out to do whatever bidding Mello had forced uppon him.
I quickly pretended to be studdying my arm cast as Mello aprouched again. He lightly elbowed my good shoulder, leaning down a bit to mutter,
"Would you remember the guy who pushed you, if you saw him again?"
I glanced up at him, rather confused, when I realized how close our faces were. I froze. His blue-hot azure eyes seared into my own gray ones, and I could actually taste the chocolate on his breath. My heart paused a beat, then took off double time.
"Greetings, children,"
Mello quickly pulled back and stood straight to listen to the computer's crackly "voice"
It took me a moment, but I also managed to refocus on L's message. I would not think about why I had reacted like a teenaged girl at his closeness. I would not think about that.
The "voice" continued. "You may be glad to hear, I have caught the LA BB Murdurer."
A small hushed cheer passed through the crowd, and quickly quieted down to hear the rest.
"I cannot disclose very much about the case right now, as it's a bit senseitive. However, I will have you know that I highly doubt a killer of his kind will rise again. Or at least, not for a very, veyr long time."
A small sigh of releif now passed through the crowd. I heaved one as well. Mello, Matt and myself had seen a few pictures of the carnidge the BB killer had wrought. Such grusome tactics...
"I had originally planned to return to Wammy's for a breif time, however another intruiging case has appeared. All I can tell you about it is that it involves the deaths of a great many convicts, over a widepsread area, and they're all dying of heart attacks."
"Whoa," The child next to me breathed. "Can you solve it, L?"
"Of course he can," Mello snapped, sending the child a seething glare. "He's L."
The orphan wisely closed his mouth and looked back at the screen.
A muffled chuckle came from the computer. "Thank you, Mello," The "voice" was amused. "I hope I will deserve your faith on this case."
Mello said nothing, but a faint gleam of pride shone in his eyes.
The rest of the conversation was a Q&A from the Orphans. Mello and myself didn't feel the need to participate, being as we were of the few who actually got to see him in person.
It was durring this time that I planned out my interogation with Mello. I would ask him in my blank, emotionless way, why he'd been in my room a few nights ago. Should he deny it, I would list the things he'd said, and describe how he'd caressed my hair. Would he hit me for that? Possibly. My injuries may stop him, though.
"Near." The voice of the person I'd been planning on interogating pulled me from my thoughts. I glanced up to see Mello standing at the foot of my bed, obscuring something from my line of sight. I noticed that the room had been cleared out; all the orphans and L's laptop were gone. I wondered how long I'd been spaced out.
"Yes, Mello?"
Mello 's eyes were narrow, hard and cold. He turned and walked a bit to the side, showing me what he'd been hiding with his body. He gestured.
I blinked in confusion. He - or Matt, rather - had gathered all of Wammy's red-headed, freckly children. There were five girls and seven boys.
"Mello, what is this?" I inquired, unsure of what he was hoping to accomplish with this setup.
"Which of them did it." Mello asked - well, not so much a question but a demand for an answer.
I din't ask what he meant by "did it". He wanted to know who'd pushed me into the road. That was why he'd asked if I'd be able to remember his face...
"Well?" Mello said impatiently.
I blinked, hesitaing. I met Mello's gaze and saw a feirce, firey seriousness that I'd only seen when he was working on a puzzle presented to him by L. Enticed by his mysterious determination, I raised my good hand to point to the fifth boy in line. He flinched a bit when he saw that he'd been singled out. He looked to about two years older than my 13, but still younger than Mello.
Mello turned and nodded at Matt. The redhead heaved a sigh, pausing his handheld game system.
"Everyone, you can go." He told his fellow group sighed in releif simultainiously as they headed for the exit, after the rest of the orphans.
The convicted child also tried to run, but he was cut off. Mello extended an arm in front of him, blocking his path. The poor redhead took a hasty step back.
"Not happening." Mello's blonde bangs fell in his face, obscuring his eyes, but by the malice and venom in his voice I could almost see his expression. He lifted his head, revealing his eyes; I'd been right. They glowed with blue-hot rage even though they were narrowed into slits. "You the asshole who helped Near get run over?"
Redhead's eyes went wide. "I didn't mean to push him into the road!" He squealed, his voice high from fear. "I just wanted him out of my way" His eyes snaked over to me and narrowed a tiny bit. "The kid's always up front, it pissed me off." Mello suddenly shoved the kid into a wall, one hand gripping his tee's collar roughly. Before I could warm the kid Mello snapped his other arm forward, punching him right in the nose. I thought I heard a crack.
The redhead groaned loudly and clutched at his swelling nose, his hand catching the blood that was now flowing out.
"Listen here, bastard," Mello hissed, hoisting the child into the air easily. "Only #2 in line to be L is allowed to mess with Near. Guess who that is." He balled his fist up again and drew it back
The redhead flinched. "I-I get it! You, you can mess with him only! Got it! Understood!"
Mello grunted, satisfied, and dropped the kid. "Go get some ice." He snapped at the child, who hurried to obey.
I stared at Mello, shocked.
He met my wondering gaze, turned that particular shade of pink again.
"What?" He asked defensively, looking down to wipe the redhead's blood on his leather pants.
"Why did you...?" I trailed off. I kept my eyes on his. He didn't meet them.
Mello dug around in his pocket for his chocolate which he crunhed into, still avoiding my eyes.
"You heard what I said to that asshole." He paused to swallow and then finally looked at me. His eyes were serious yet shy. "I'm the only one who can mess with you."
"Why is that?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"Because." Mello snapped off another peice of chocolate, grinning just a bit before he turned away. "I'm the one who's closest to you."
As he walked back to his room, leaving me in the common room, I wondered if maybe there was a seccond meaning to his words.