In Charge

Chapter 2 – False Family

By Threshie

AN: Please note that I've visited the emergency room before, but it was years and years ago, so...descriptions of the hospital are not based in fact. (Sweatdrop) I wish I could research it by visiting one, but alas, I think they'd think I was crazy for wanting to visit the E.R. so that I could write better, LOL...

Enjoy.


Matt had never gone to the emergency room before. He wasn't sure who to ask for a doctor's help...thankfully, there wasn't anyone else there. Seeing the two teens enter the waiting room, a nurse in white scrubs immediately approached them.

"How can I help?"

Matt nodded down at Near, whose head was lulled to the side against his chest again.

"H-he just collapsed all of a sudden," he explained, feeling stupid for being unable to explain any more of what might be wrong except for that. "Um, h-he's in a lot of pain, too—in his stomach, I think." Near wasn't holding his side anymore, he noticed. I wonder if that's a good or bad sign...

The nurse frowned thoughtfully.

"I think I know what this is...please bring him right into this room, here, and the doctor can say for sure." She led them into an examination room, where the doctor asked Near a few questions about the stomach pain and when it had started, took the white-haired boy's temperature, and proceeded to diagnose something so fast that Matt didn't even hear what it was.

Before he knew it, they had wheeled Near off for surgery of some kind, leaving him sitting in the waiting room with a stack of paperwork and a feeling of confusion. He'd rushed so much to get here, without thinking about it at all, that now that he wasn't rushing he felt disoriented. They said he should be okay after surgery, though...that's good. I wonder what's wrong with him?

He looked down at the stack of papers on his lap and wrinkled his nose. He would have to fill in false names, of course... Guess I may as well get this boring stuff out of the way... He snagged a pen from the cup full of them at the front desk and began to fill in the blanks.

Everything except for Near's age—which he figured doctors could tell just by examining him—and his blood type—which Matt had already told them before they ran off to the operating room, in case Near needed a transfusion during the procedure—he would write in something false. Let's see...I can still call him "Near"; that's okay since it's a pseudonym anyway. I just need to give him a last name...how about...

He paused, smiling wryly to himself. No matter what name he tried to follow Near's with, they all sounded more like a sentence. In particular, they sounded like traffic directions. "Near Redwood, you know that road with the big construction site? Yeah, pass that and stay on the right..." or "Near Favion, that Italian place..."

Oh, hell, who cares if it sounds good or not? It's not like he's gonna care anyway, as long as I don't write his real name down. Nodding to himself, he scribbled down the first fake name that came to mind and moved on to the next question. Paperwork wasn't exactly something he was fond of, but he finished the stack in considerably less time than the average person would have. It helped that he was making most of it up, whereas the average person would have to check and make sure all of their information was accurate...

After handing the papers to the lady behind the desk, he returned to his seat and sighed heavily, leaning his elbows onto his knees and cupping his face in his hands.

Now there was truly nothing to do but wait.


Hours later, the nurse came back and explained that the surgery had gone well. Near had appendicitis, apparently. In particular, he had acute appendicitis—his appendix has burst, and if they hadn't performed an immediate appendectomy, he actually could have died.

Matt wasn't sure what he would've told L and Mello if that had happened...

"You can visit him in the morning," the nurse added, looking sympathetic when the redhead looked down at his boots upon hearing the news; he must have really looked glum. "He's recovering from his surgery now, and visiting hours are just about over for today."

"Yeah, okay." Matt nodded, unsure what else to say. "Will he...have to stay here for too long?"

"He will have to stay here at the hospital for several weeks," the nurse nodded, twisting a lock of her shoulder-length blonde hair. The action reminded Matt of how Near would twist a lock of his hair. He bit his lip.

"Okay, well...thanks." Weeks?

She nodded and smiled, "Just ask for his room number at the front desk tomorrow when you come to see him."

"Wait," Matt said, as she turned to go. I can't just go home without Near... "Look, he's my brother—can't I stay in his room with him?" It felt pretty silly saying he and Near were related, as they looked nothing alike, but he had written the same thing onto the paperwork so that he'd have the most visiting rights, so hopefully the woman would buy it...

"Oh...I'm sorry, you...er, don't look much alike," the nurse said, looking indeed pretty perplexed at how they were related in any way. But then she nodded, "I suppose that would be okay...I'll have a cot brought in for you, then. Please understand that he's been given a lot of medication, so he probably won't be able to talk with you tonight, though."

"That's fine—I just didn't want him to wake up by himself," Matt nodded, trying to get the conversation over with. Maybe we're adopted siblings. Yeah...

"His room is number 128," the nurse nodded in the correct direction down the hallway, "Just keep going that way and you'll find it on the right side. Tell the nurse who you are and he'll let you in."

"Thanks," the redhead nodded once, starting off in that direction. He's gonna be stuck here for a few weeks, huh...I thought appendectomies only kept you in the hospital for a few days? He wasn't particularly knowledgeable on the subject, but he was pretty sure he'd read that somewhere. Maybe during one of his biology classes.

Oh, well. It didn't matter—the doctors seemed pretty sure of themselves, so he would trust their word on it for now.

Locating room number 128, he paused, wondering if he should knock. Deciding against it, he instead carefully pulled on the handle, easing the door open as quietly as he could. A male nurse with short black hair and glasses was in the room, and of course Near lay in the bed.

He doesn't look so good, Matt thought, noting that the white-haired boy's skin seemed ashen. And do they have to stick all of those needles in his arms...? There was an IV needle in each of Near's wrists, a thin tube connecting them to bags of clear liquid that hung upside-down from IV racks on either side of the bed.

"Sir, visiting hours are over," the nurse said pointedly, looking irritated.

"I'm his brother," Matt shot back, feeling slightly smug when the man opened his mouth to speak and then shut it again, unable to find a way to deny such a statement. "The nurse outside said I could stay in here with him—she told me to let you know I'm a family member so you don't kick me out." "Let you know", not "ask you", buddy—come on, give me a break and stop looking so pissy about this...

A bit grumpily, the nurse conceded, "Well, as long as it's all right with her, then. I'll get a cot for you—please have a seat." He nodded toward a chair that had been placed beside Near's bed, heading swiftly (and a bit stiffly, Matt thought) out the door.

"Wow, what a prick," Matt muttered to himself, sitting down in the chair and crossing his arms. He glanced at Near, who he realized was actually awake—his eyes were open, anyway. He didn't seem to notice that Matt was there, though... "Hey," the redhead greeted him, patting his shoulder.

No response.

He didn't even blink...sheesh, that lady wasn't kidding about him being drugged up! An appendectomy is a pretty basic surgery—why does he have to have so much medication in his system?

He didn't like it...was there something wrong with Near that the doctors weren't telling him?

Just then, the male nurse returned with a cot for him. Roused from his thoughts, the redhead accepted the item and waved the man away (it seemed like the right thing to do—he looked like he wanted to leave.) The gesture only seemed to irritate him more, though.

"Sir," he said, sounding like he wanted to call Matt something else entirely, "Shouldn't you call your parents and let them know about this?" Oh, right...L treats us as equals, so I always forget I'm technically a "kid" to most adults. Matt resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Dad's on a business trip, and it's pretty late tonight--I'll call him tomorrow," he said flatly, waving at the man again. I guess L's as close to a dad as we've got... That sure was a bizarre thought, L as anybody's parent... Let's just call him a..."guardian". Yeah. "Thanks for your help, see you tomorrow." Do you get the hint? You can GO NOW.

Looking grumpy, the man sighed and left.

Matt shoved the fold-up bed into a corner, not bothering to set it up.

No way am I gonna sleep tonight... He sighed; he'd have to ask for more details about Near's condition first thing in the morning. In the meantime, all he could do was wait...again. Waiting was boring.

It's gonna be a long night...

--End Chapter 2


AN: Poor Matt, he ends up waiting a lot in this fic... And yes, Near will get more scenes from his point of view very soon. Hope you're enjoying the story so far. Keep an eye out for chapter 3; I've almost got it finished!

Trivia: This chapter's name refers to Matt telling the nurses and doctors that he and Near are brothers. Chapter 1's title refers both to Matt being the unlikely person to end up in charge, and to the unlikeliness of somebody developing appendicitis (the chances of people getting it in real life are about 7 percent.)

Disclaimers: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. Gameboy belongs to Nintendo.

Thanks for reading!

-Threshie


In Charge Akugi! Volume 2

Akugi #5

Male Nurse: "Sir, visiting hours are over." (Irritated look)

Matt: (Smugly) "I'm his brother."

Male Nurse: (Pointedly) "If you were his father I would care--get out."

Matt: "..." (Wonders if he could have gotten away with writing THAT on the paperwork)

Akugi #6

Narrator: Nodding to himself, he scribbled down the first fake name that came to mind and moved on to the next question.

Matt: "Okay, Near, from now on you're Mr. Doe!"

Akugi #7

Narrator: That sure was a bizarre thought, L as anybody's parent...

Matt: (Envisions L with frilly apron on, bouncing a baby that looks suspiciously like Near on his hip and talking on the phone ala forties housewife) O_o "Let's just go with 'guardian"....ehehehehe."

Akugi #8

Narrator: In the meantime, all he could do was wait...again. Waiting was boring.

Matt: "...The hell with this--I'm gonna wake him up right now so I don't have to wait anymore!" (Shakes Near) "Hey....THE LEGO COMPANY'S GOING OUT OF BUSINESS!"

Near: (Eyes pop open) "What?!"

Matt: "Wow, worked even better than I expected..."

Near: "..." (Goes back to sleep)

Matt: "...Hey!"