Beep...beep...beep...beep...

He opened his eyes. Bright white light stabbed his eyes; his breath hitched slightly from the shock, causing burning pain in his chest and back. He breathed shallowly, trying to get the pain to dull down enough so he could at least be comfortable. While he was controlling his breathing, he shut his eyes so the light wouldn't blind him.

Beep...beep...beep...beep...

He heard voices beside him. They were familiar, but he couldn't place them. His mind was fogging up, the pain was making it harder to think. He heard a pained whimper, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from. Shortly after, he fell into gentle darkness.

~.~.~

"Yes, he'll be just fine. He got through the worst of it, and now all that's left is to recover." One familiar voice. Male. He sounded middle-aged.

"Thank you very much. How long will the recovery process take?" Someone on the phone. He couldn't hear him clearly.

"Well, since he's a 96, the recovery process will be much faster. Usually people with broken backs and cracked ribs take a very long time to heal, but your Black Mist will only take a few more weeks."

"Thank goodness. Can you make sure he stays in bed for me? He tends to put a lot of strain on himself when he doesn't need to."

A chuckle. "I know how that can be. Don't worry. I'll make sure he follows the doctor's orders. And don't worry about the costs, either. Lucia and I will take care of everything."

"Goodness gracious, Lucas! You don't have to-"

"Please, Number 39. I insist. It's the least we could do for putting your boys in danger. We should have been more careful."

A pause. "If you insist. Thank you. Please call me when he's awake."

"I'll let you know as soon as he does."

~.~.~

"How is he?" Papa.

"His heart stabilized, but he hasn't shown any signs of waking up." A new voice. Who is he...?

"Goodness... Will he be okay?"

"We don't know. He suffered a huge scare and a blow to the head. Only time can tell."

A pause. "Can I go see him?"

"Yes. He's in the recovery room."

Who are they talking about...?

~.One Week Later.~

He opened his eyes again. The bright white light stabbed his eyes, but this time he didn't pass out. His breaths still hurt, but not as much as before.

Black Mist stared up at the ceiling in a daze for a while. His eyes roamed the room tiredly and noticed a bag of medicine above him with a tube that trailed down to his arm. He tried to lift that arm, but he was so tired that his limbs failed to obey him.

"You're awake!"

Mist turned his eyes to the sound of the voice. The flamboyantly-dressed 96, whose name was apparently Lucas if he remembered correctly, stood up from the chair he'd been sitting in in such a hurry that said chair clattered to the floor. 

"Where's Hachi?" Black Mist asked before the other 96 said anything else. "Where is he?"

"In another recovery room," Lucas replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Can I see him?" He avoided the question. It didn't matter how he felt; all he wanted to know his baby was safe and sound.

Lucas was speaking, but his voice was glitched and muffled as a demon child appeared right behind him. It was smiling, eyes hidden and mouth dripping with some kind of black liquid.

He's going to die, it teased. How do you think he'll croak? Quietly? Screaming? Oh, I hope he dies screaming! That'll be hilarious!

"No..." Black Mist gasped, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "He's not dead...!"

"What? I didn't say that." Lucas looked behind him to see if there was something there, but he couldn't see a thing. A chill ran down his spine, though. "Are you okay?" He picked up the fallen chair with a tentacle and sat back down, blocking the demon child from Mist's sight.

A sigh escaped Mist's lips. "It's nothing," he whispered. "Can I see Hachi?"

Lucas shook his head. "You're still recovering. I promised your father that I'd make sure you stayed in bed."

"But don't you have a race to run?"

The older 96 smiled wryly. "The races are closed for now. Lucia, my Number 7 partner, is making arrangements for securing the ring with guard rails so people can't come back in while we're disassembling the racing course. It's a shame it took this accident to make us realize that we needed guard rails."

"So you're supposed to be my babysitter?"

"In a sense. Don't worry, though. Hachi is still breathing." But Lucas wouldn't meet Black Mist's gaze.

"But...?"

"But he hasn't woken up. Your push saved him from dying, but he suffered head trauma as a result."

A chill ran down Mist's spine. "Will he be okay...?"

"We hope so, but only time will tell."

He'd heard enough. Black Mist tried to get his arms under him to lift himself up. He was going to see Hachi no matter what.

Unfortunately, Lucas was one step ahead of him. Quick as lightning, he gently held Mist down on the bed with his tentacles. "You can't even sit up yet," he scolded. "How do you plan on visiting Hachi when you're still recovering yourself?"

"He needs me!" Black Mist protested, but in his mind, he wondered if it was really him who needed Hachi. "I can't just let him be alone!"

"He won't be. Anuenue is with him, if that's enough for you. You'll be able to see him in just one week. I promise."

Black Mist sighed. He couldn't deny that he could hardly move, which was frustrating enough, but he had an indescribable urge to see his baby. What if the demon children got to him first? What if they somehow managed to make Hachi's condition worse?

But he relented.

"Fine," he sighed. "I'll try and be patient."

Lucas smiled. "Don't worry, little brother. You'll both be safe and sound. Whatever stopped me from using my abilities back there won't come in here."