Sorry for the delay! I actually meant to put this up a few days ago but for some reason could not submit the document! But it's here now, so I hope you all enjoy Chapter 5! This chapter picks up where Chapter 3 left off, so if you need a refresher, review that chapter. And if you don't, then Netto has just collapsed after crossfusing to battle Mountainman.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rockman

Chapter 5: 2:00 Interview

The dark room seemed to give off an eerie green glow. The quiet hum and rhythmic beep of the various machines in the room only added to the chilling atmosphere. One occupant was too wrapped up in his worry to notice, waiting patiently for the other occupant to wake up. And when the other finally did awaken, he was reminded of a mad scientist's lab or an alien spaceship. It crossed his mind that maybe Rockman was right—maybe he did watch too many sci-fi and horror movies.

Netto groaned as he turned to the only comforting light in the room: the PET screen. "Rockman?" he called out weakly.

"Netto-kun," Rockman returned, suddenly snapped back from his thoughts.

"Where am I?" Netto asked his navi.

"The hospital. You collapsed again during the battle with Mountainman," Rockman responded. He hesitated before he continued: "They say it's your heart this time."

"Oh," was the only response he received from the exhausted boy.

"I'm going to call the nurse, okay, Netto-kun?" Rockman informed.

"You don't need to," Netto mumbled.

"Actually I do," Rockman said. "The nurse told me to call her as soon as you woke up." Before his netop could respond, the blue navi disappeared from the screen. It was not long before Rockman was back: "She's coming," he informed his friend.

Soon Netto heard his door gently open and a nurse walked in, turning on the light as she did. Netto blinked his eyes several times to adjust to the suddenly bright room.

She grabbed Netto's chart from the foot of his bed before asking, "How are you feeling, Hikari-kun?"

Netto smiled slightly. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

Missing the boy's sarcasm, or simply ignoring it, she dryly answered, "Yes."

"Okay, like crap," Netto put bluntly.

Rockman couldn't help rolling his eyes even though he was worried beyond his limit: "I think she wants you to be more specific, Netto-kun," the blue navi said.

"Your navi is correct. How do you feel 'like crap', as you put it? Where does it hurt? You're head? Chest? Arms? Legs?" the nurse said.

"Uh, check, check, check and check," Netto answered tiredly.

"Netto-kun, please corporate," Rockman moaned.

"I am!" Netto retorted weakly. Rockman shook his head. At least Netto was trying to be in good spirits—even despite the circumstances. Netto returned his attention to the nurse. "I'm really tired and I ache all over."

"Anywhere in particular?" the nurse continued.

"Is this really necessary?" Netto asked, starting to become mildly upset at being interrogated.

"Yes," Rockman and the nurse answered in unison, though Rockman sounded a little more forceful.

"Thanks, Rock," Netto said sarcastically.

"They can't help you if they don't know what's wrong," the navi pointed out.

"You said it was a heart problem. Sounds to me that they know what's wrong," Netto said.

"Yes, but the heart is a very complex organ, Hikari-kun," the nurse interjected. "While we assume it is the heart, the problem with your heart is not yet known and these questions will help us know where to look."

"Okay," Netto responded, "but do we have to answer these now? What time is it anyway?"

"2:09," Rockman answered promptly.

"No wonder I'm so tired," Netto mused.

"And so cranky," Rockman added.

"No one asked for your input!" Netto returned with something between anger and playfulness, though exhaustion, Rockman noted, was also very evident in his voice.

"Could we do this later?' Rockman asked the nurse.

"We need to finish this. If Hikari-kun would just cooperate, I'd be done in no time," the nurse answered.

Rockman did not agree with the nurse, but turned back to his netop: "Netto-kun?"

"Fine. What was the last question?" Netto asked, sighing.

"You said it hurt all over. Do some areas hurt more than others?" the nurse restated.

"Um," Netto thought, "my chest, I guess. Though I have a really bad headache right now."

"What were you doing before you fainted?" the nurse, not looking at Netto but at the clipboard in her hands.

Netto looked at Rockman for guidance, but he just shrugged. "Netbattling?" Netto suggested.

"Says here 'Crossfusion'," the nurse said, still looking at the board.

"Yeah, close enough," Netto answered tiredly.

"What is crossfusion?" the nurse asked.

"Isn't that a little off the topic?" the exhausted boy asked.

"No. I need to know why you fainted," the nurse said.

"They know you're a Net Saver, Netto-kun so you don't need to hold anything back," Rockman informed his friend.

"Oh," Netto said before turning back to the nurse. "Crossfusion is where a navi and a human fuse together."

"Does it have an effect on the human body?" the nurse continued.

"Duh," Netto responded, his grumpiness getting the better of him. Rockman mumbled his netop's name under his breathe, but the nurse ignored the boy's cross answer.

"How long have you had symptoms? Dizziness? Pain in the chest?" the nurse continued to ask.

"Uh," Netto reflected on the question before answering: "Dizziness for maybe up to a couple of weeks; the pain in the chest just yesterday,' he finally answered. "Though maybe my heart has been acting a little weird before then, but with nothing really hurting."

"That long?" Rockman said in dismay.

"I didn't want you to worry," Netto told his navi.

"But that's my job, Netto-kun!" Rockman cried out.

"No it's not," Netto returned.

Before Rockman could respond, the nurse asked, "Anything else I need to know?"

"Uh, Netto-kun has already fainted earlier that day from a race," Rockman said.

"Really?" the nurse asked, scanning the charts again. "It doesn't say anything in here about that. Did the people who brought you in know anything about that?"

Rockman shook his head, "No."

"But wouldn't have Mama come in and told them?" Netto asked Rockman.

"She may have, but they may not have added it to the chart since Meijin-san would have been able to complete the records fully," Rockman answered.

"It still should be on here. You were brought to the hospital, correct?' the nurse continued.

"So I've heard," Netto answered wearily, forcing his eyes to stay open.

"Yes, but they didn't admit him saying it was dehydration," Rockman informed the nurse.

"I see," she said. "Well, I'll let you go back asleep. Just be aware you'll be put through a bunch of tests tomorrow."

Netto didn't answer—he was already fast asleep. The nurse sighed as she put his chart back on the hook at the foot of the boy's bed.

"Nurse, do you have an idea of what may be wrong?" Rockman asked quietly.

The nurse shook her head. "No. We'll have to wait until the tests are done."

"Arigato," Rockman said as the nurse left, turning off the light as she did.

"Just call us when he wakes up again," the nurse instructed.

"Hai," the navi responded

Rockman turned back to his sleeping brother. The second attack had not been so kind on Netto. The first time he had awakened, slightly tired but generally feeling like he normally did. Now he was in pain, even if subdued, and very exhausted. Rockman hoped part of it was because it was now nearing 2:30 in the morning.

Rockman closed his eyes, wishing with all his might that it would all be a dream; that he would wake up and everything would be normal again. He could feel Netto's pain and it scared him because Netto would never admit to how much he hurt. Only he, Rockman, because of their link, would ever really know Netto's true pain.

But what was most discomforting to the navi was how frightingly familiar the pain was.

Hope you all enjoyed Chapter 5. It was alot shorter than I intended so I'll continue with it in the next chapter! And thanks for all your reviews!