Cloak and Dagger

Chapter 22

It doesn't feel right. Laying in this bed, even though it's familiar. The lights turned off, just like whenever I needed to simply pause and think. Feeling the small, warm creature curled up on my belly, even though it's my Isamu.

I don't feel right in the Yagami household anymore.

Especially now that Light is on the run.

"Ellen-chan?"

I clench my eyes shut as Sayu opens the door.

"There's a boy here to see you. Said to give you the name 'Masahiko'."

"Please send him in." I whisper. "Sayu-chan... I tried. Please know that I tried to help Light. I didn't want it to end up like this. I promise, I tried."

"I know." Sayu murmurs. "You're a good person, Ellen-chan."

I squeeze my eyes shut a little tighter. I'm so sick of hearing that.

The door closes. I open my eyes and look up at Mello. He sits down on the edge of the bed, petting Isamu's ears.

"He's beautiful."

"You like cats?"

"Yeah. It's so sad what the Japanese populace did to kittens years ago, but they survived as an odd piece of evidence for Lamarckian evolution. The little stubby tail is cute, too."

"I love all cats, but nothing beats the eyes on a Scottish Fold, or the nubbly legs of a Napoleon."

"Heheh, of course you'd like them. My favourite is the Somali. Such beautiful fur."

"They look like foxes. I can see why you'd like that."

Mello smiles at me. He picks up Isamu and moves him to his own lap, allowing me to sit up and cross my legs. Mello continues to fuss over Isamu, eyes rapidly losing their cheer.

"They had to amputate Matt's leg."

"What?" I bleat, feeling as though someone just shot me in the stomach.

"It was fractured in a lot of places. There was too much nerve or muscle damage for it to heal properly. I think they said something about the sack of fluid beneath the patella completely rupturing. If they didn't amputate it, Matt would be crippled for life, and likely suffer infections by the boatload."

"Goddammit." I mumble, clenching my fists tight enough that my nails dig deep enough to draw blood from my palm. "Mello, I'm so sorry."

"We knew what we were getting into." Mello insists, voice oddly shaky. "I just thought you deserved to know."

Isamu climbs into my lap and licks my tearstained cheek. He then headbutts my shoulder and drops into my lap, purring.

"I know. Love you, too, baby." I murmur to him.

"Misa's in protective custody." Mello tells me. "We decided that it was best that way. Sestra... He killed them all. Light killed Mogi, Aizawa, Matsuda... Even his father."

"Watari gave you the Eraser?" I ask softly. Mello nods.

"Matsuda was the only one who pulled through. Aizawa wouldn't stop screaming. Yagami had a heart attack almost immediately. Mogi... shot himself, two days later."

I pull Mello into my arms, holding him tightly.

"We're gonna make it up to them." I whisper. "I promise. We're gonna make it up to them. We're gonna catch Light and Mikami and make them face justice."