Mello returned his head to the man's chest and listened closely. There was a low, rough sound as air was forced into his lungs, but the deep, gurgling rattle he'd expected to hear was absent. Fantastic. "Wait a second," he said as he listened to the sighing exhale. Three seconds, and nothing. He reached for the blond's unbandaged arm and held his fingers against the wrist as he counted seconds, waiting. Still weak. Weaker, it seemed, but that could be because he was measuring the radial pulse rather than the carotid. Five seconds, and still no inhale. That was long enough.

"Two more breaths, and then count five seconds," he said in a voice that clearly didn't expect argument. "I'm watching his pulse. Keep doing that until I tell you to stop."