Tuesday night: First casualty

[firm_detective]

It's late Tuesday night.

After Misa fell asleep, L slipped out of bed, sat on the sofa with an extra blanket wrapped around him, and attempted to create a record of recent eventsHis motor control is poor tonight, and typing was difficult, but for the moment, he is satisfied enough with the imperfect document he managed to create. It has the

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[lastrunnerup]

*It's a knock-- not careful; hurried, sloppy somehow, and urgent. Mello's angry, because he's distressed, and that's how he presents it. His voice comes muffled through the door.*

Ryuuzaki. It's Mello.

[firm_detective]

*Instead of answering aloud, he gets up as quickly as he can and makes his halting way to the door. He opens it when he reaches it, then, casting a glance at the bed behind him, steps into the hall.*

What is it?

[lastrunnerup]

Sorry to disturb you.

Near's dead.

[firm_detective]

*He looks, briefly, as if he's been slapped. He takes a deep breath, then exhales, and when the air has left him, his aloofness has returned.*

No, I am glad you came. When?
... How?

*He holds up a hand to forestall the answers.*

Would you like to come in? Only -- you will have to keep your voice down.

[ibuttlesir]

[It's late at night, but Watari knows that what he saw was important to report. When he knocks on Ryuzaki's door, it's soft. His voice is also soft when he says:]

Ryuzaki, it's Watari.

[If he gets no resonse, he'll put off the visit until later. The man certainly needed rest.]

[firm_detective]

*Since Mello left, he's been sitting on the sofa again, staring into the room. He thinks, How much time? A few days? A week, at most? How much will I be able to do?*

*At Watari's knock, he stands, walks slowly to the door, and opens it. His voice is very soft when he speaks.*

Come in, but please keep your voice down -- she is sleeping. I've heard already.

*He gestures to the sofa, and with his halting pace, resumes his place on it.*

[ibuttlesir]

[He hesitates at the doorway, but quietly enters when Ryuzaki moves to the sofa. Watari opts to stand instead of taking a seat. He speaks, softly:]

You've already heard about Near... the body?

[firm_detective]

Yes.

Mello -- the one from his world -- came to tell me.
He was very agitated, of course.

[justiceishot]

(It's late, and since he can't sleep anyway, L walks down the hallways. He'd heard the news circulating, and he wanted to check on Ryuuzaki. So, with circles deeper than normal, he finds his way to the room Misa and Ryuuzaki share, and knocks lightly. He whispers:)

... Ryuuzaki?

[firm_detective]

*He looks up from the sofa again... plenty of visitors tonight. He knows who it is, so he hobbles to the door and opens it, with the blanket still wrapped around his shoulders.*

Come in, but please do not wake Misa. I have heard the news. You just missed Watari.

*His voice is barely above a whisper. He makes his way back to the sofa.*

[justiceishot]

(He nods, following Ryuuzaki, and sits on the sofa as well, keeping his voice down. He manages to sound stern, despite the whisper.)

Tell me the truth, Ryuuzaki. How are you feeling?

[firm_detective]

*He almost cracks a smile at this; inappropriate, under the circumstances. Instead, he replies in a very deliberate tone,*

There is a sharp pain in my abdomen and another in my chest. They began after the day I was carried back here, and they are worse every day. The fever is less of an issue. Misa doesn't know, and I do not want her to know.

[firm_detective]

*After everyone is gone, he gets up again. The door must be locked, the lights turned off. He finds he wants to brush his teeth, so he does.*

*He expects that maintaining these rituals as much as he can will bring a measure of comfort in the coming days.*

*When he returns to bed, as his eyes adjust to the darkness, he holds one of his slender white hands in front of his face. The numbness has passed, for now; he flexes his fingers this way and that, watching them. He remembers Pink-san dead, and wonders idly how much worse he'll look himself.*

*A few minutes pass like this, and he finds that his desire to think about his situation in an intellectually compartmentalized way has vanished.*

*He rolls over onto his right side, legs bent, torso curled, fitting himself against the sleeping woman at his side. How many more nights? It hadn't occurred to him until now that, on top of being stupid and pointless (at least being killed by the notebook would be losing to someone), this sort of death would feel just like losing her

[misamisal]

::she wakes up slightly, turning to look over her sholder at him as best she can. Feeling his arm draped over her stomach, she moves her hand down to take hold of his, lacing their fingers. She speaks in a slightly sleepy voice that seems to be waking up further::

Hmm? Is everything alright? Do you need something?

[firm_detective]

*He has a slight sinking feeling when he realizes he's woken her up. Sounding sad, he replies,*

No. Just you,

*and raises his head, with some difficulty, to kiss her cheek.*

[misamisal]

::she smiles softly and rolls over to she's facing him, gently caressing his cheek, then kissing him gently::

I'm sorry you're not feeling well. ::she brushes back a lock of his hair:: As soon as you're better, I'll bring you all the sweet things I can find in the house. *laughs softly* I know it's not fun having to eat soup all the time.