[Uke]

"The only thing we can do right now is what the doctors say," Next whispered, his eyes sad. "They know what is best for him, Trick... And we can't do much more then hope."

"What if he doesn't get better?" Trick whimpered... but Next didn't have an answer for him.

--Scene Change--

It was almost an hour later that Next finally slipped into Near's room, where the white-haired boy had fallen asleep on the bed. Matt was seated on it, his best friend's head in his lap after he'd let him cry himself to sleep.