Anyway, I FINALLY have posted pictures of Rei and Beam (as well as other goodies) at my website, which you can access through my bio page (because ffnet for some reason won't let me post it here). Please check it out!

Bet you never heard this before: I do not own .

Chapter 29: Rockman's Risk

Botan, Netto, and Rockman looked up from their Uno game as they heard a gentle knock on the door.

"May we come in?" Botan's father asked with a smile. Close behind him was his wife and their elder son.

Botan smiled. "Of course," he said. "You can watch me beat Netto-san."

Netto grinned mischievously. "Heck not. Sorry, but I'm gonna beat your son in this round."

Rockman chuckled. "I doubt it. Botan is creaming you," he said.

Netto scanned his cards. "I'm good at comebacks."

"In netbattles," his brother said, giving Botan a quick wink.

"Net battles, card battles…" Netto said. He gave a few hoarse coughs before he laid down a card. "Beat that," he said to Botan.

Botan grinned. "Okay," he said as he placed down his own card. "Uno!"

Netto looked down at the card, at Botan, and at his own hand of 9 or so cards. He smiled slightly. "I'm still convinced you somehow worked out that you would draw all the 'Draw 2' and 'Draw 4' cards," he said. Botan just lifted his single card to his face and grinned without a word.

"Maybe you should just forfeit, Netto-kun," Netto said.

Botan's father laughed. "That may be wise advise. Botan always wins at Uno."

Netto smirked weakly. "Not on your life. I've never backed down."

"And it usually leads to trouble," Rockman said.

"Yeah," Netto said as he once again scanned his cards, "for the bad guys."

"What do you mean by that?" Botan's brother asked.

"Err…" Netto and Rockman stumbled.

"Netto and Rockman are net savers!" Botan said excitedly.

"Botan," Netto laughed awkwardly, "that's supposed to be a secret."

"Huh, really?" Botan asked. "Even though you're sick?'

"Well, I do plan on getting better," Netto said.

"Besides," Rockman added, "Netto-kun's enemies might take advantage of the fact that he's sick. That's why there are always guards at our door."

"Oh," Botan said. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Netto said, once more pondering over his cards. "But don't tell anyone else. I told you 'cause we're roommates and it'd be hard to keep that a secret, especially with Enzan visiting every day." He finally reached for a card. "Okay, try that."

"Perfect," Botan grinned as he placed his last card down. "I win!"

"Ahh!" Netto fell back further into the pillows he had been propped against.

"Play again?" Botan asked.

"Nah," Netto said as he closed his eyes. "Too tired…"

"Are you faking it, Netto-san?" Botan asked.

Rockman looked at Netto and frowned inwardly as he felt Netto's exhaustion. He forced a smile and looked back at Botan. "I don't think he is," Rockman said.

"Sorry, Botan," Netto said wearily.

Botan shook his head as he gathered the cards off the table and climbed off Netto's bed. "No, it's okay. If you're tired, you should sleep," he said.

Rockman chuckled sadly. "I don't think you have to tell him twice." He looked back at his brother who had fallen asleep. All from a couple card games, he thought sadly.

Botan looked at his family and held his finger to his lips. "Let's be quiet so we don't disturb Netto-san."

"Good idea," Botan's mother said as they quietly returned to his side of the room and closed the dividing curtain.

Enzan sat in his dimly lit office facing his computer monitor. On the monitor, Dr. Ueda's weary face could be seen. In response to something the young businessman said, the doctor sadly shook his head. In return, Enzan sadly glanced sideways.

"Is there nothing we can do?" Blues asked in place of his operator.

"It's not completely hopeless," Ueda replied. "It is as I said. Research and treatment have been going as planned and will soon be done, but Netto-kun's condition is, because of the fire, worsening. He is now so weak that the treatment has become rather risky; however, that does not mean that it will not work. And with Netto's spirit…" Ueda paused here. "I'm doing everything I can, Ijuuin-san. Unfortunately, these things happen, but we cannot give up. Netto, his family," again Ueda paused, "…his friends…deserve that much. I promised to save him and I will. I'm just telling you these things because I believe in being straightforward with my clients."

"Thank you, Ueda-sensei," Enzan said quietly.

Ueda frowned and said his good-byes before he cut the connection. As Ueda's face disappeared from the screen, the room went dark except for the faint glow from Enzan's PET.

"Netto…"

Netto groaned as he slowly came too. "Did I fall asleep again?" he quietly asked his blue companion.

"Yeah," Rockman said.

"I hate being tired all the time," Netto said, staring back at the ceiling.

"I know," Rockman said. "But you'll be better soon, right?" Rockman said as he winked at his brother.

Netto smiled. "Hope so."

"Where's that 'beat all' attitude?" Rockman asked.

Netto chuckled slightly. "It's hard to be upbeat when you're so tired."

There was a moment of silence.

"Sorry, Rock," Netto said after awhile. "I really haven't given up. I'm not going to desert you."

Rockman smiled. "I know, Netto-kun."

"You better," Netto said. "Anyway, what…"

Netto was cut off as they heard Botan and his family return back to the room from wherever they had been. Apparently, Dr. Ueda was with them because he heard his voice describing that a new procedure would soon be available to help him.

"Is it a risky procedure?" Netto could hear Botan's mom ask.

"Any procedure is risky," Ueda said, "but Botan-kun has not progressed far enough in the disease that the risk is great."

"When will this procedure be available?" It was Botan's father who had asked the question.

"A matter of weeks. It's in its final stages right now," Ueda said. "We're actually trying to perfect it so it's safer for higher risk patients like Netto-kun."

"Netto-san?" Botan asked. "Does he have HBD too?"

Netto's heart skipped a beat.

"'Too'?" he thought. His head began to whirl.

"Netto-kun!"

Netto could dimly hear Rockman's voice calling out to him as he became dizzier and dizzier. "Too?" Botan had HBD TOO? No wonder he was so sca…

"Netto-kun! Take deep, slow breathes. Netto-kun!" Rockman was trying to take control of the situation but to little avail. Netto was becoming far too dizzy to think coherently. The machines began to beep dangerously.

By now, Ueda had flown into action on Netto's side of the room and was yelling out his own commands: "Juuko! Make sure Botan stays calm and doesn't have an attack. Tare! Take control of the machines. Kari, Hanako, come help me." Ueda was doing everything he could to cease Netto's attack but the attack seemed to only escalate. The room was a flying flurry of action as they tried to calm Netto's heart. Botan was removed from the room, and Rockman found himself being pushed from the center of action and completely helpless to help.

Rockman closed his eyes and tried to reach out to Netto through their link. He could feell his brother's pain as it surged through his body as well as the dizziness that his beloved friend was experiencing. He could feel the weakened tremors of his heart and the stinging in his lungs.

It seemed all too startlingly familiar.

"Netto-kun…" he cried silently.

Sai…Saito… Rockman could hear Netto calling out for him through their link, even over the ruckus of the movement and beeping of machines and the panic of the nurses and Ueda as they diligently worked to keep Netto alive.

I'm here, Netto-kun… Rockman cried back. Don't give up.

I'm…I'm trying… Netto's pain accompanied the message.

Netto-kun!

It struck Rockman like a thousand bricks as he realized Netto's heart was failing fast. If he didn't do something…if he didn't do something NOW…Netto-kun would…his brother would…

But what could he do! He was completely helpless in this situation. He'd only get in the doctors' way. If only there was some way to lend Netto his strength…to let him use his healthy body…

That was it!

"Netto-kun! Full-syncro!" All the nurses and the Ueda looked at the small blue navi in surprise as Rockman cried aloud.

Are you crazy! Netto managed to think to this brother. If we do that, you could die!

And if we don't, you WILL die, Rockman cried.

I won't put you at risk! Netto yelled, his heart skipping dangerously as he did.

But we fight together! Rockman yelled mentally back. This too! Alone, we don't stand a chance, but together… You got mad at me when I wanted to go on by myself to protect you! Don't put me in the same situation! Together…together...! I WON'T LET YOU SUFFER ALONE!

Ueda was near frantic as the beats of Netto's heart became almost unreadable by the machines when a bright light began to surround Rockman.

"What…?" Ueda began before his attention was grabbed by the machine that monitored Netto's heart as it began to come alive again.

"Rockman!" Tare yelled as he ran to the blue navi's side as Rockman collapsed to the ground in pain. He could feel all of it, all of Netto's pain. It surged through his body as if it was his own. Ueda and the nurses could only watch as they saw Netto (and Rockman) struggle, fighting to give Netto's heart the strength it needed to keep beating.

Then, as soon as it began, it all became quiet. Netto and Rockman's breathing evened out as did the readings on the machines.

"Ueda-sensei," one of the nurses asked. "What just happened?"

Ueda stared blankly at the exhausted child, at the similarly tired navi, and back at the boy. "I'm…I'm not quite sure."

Netto-kun, are you okay?

Don't EVER do that again, baka! You almost killed yourself!

But we're both still here, right?

Netto gave a mental "humph"

So you're alright?

Yeah, I'm alright. How about you, nii-san?

Of course. After all, you're still here.