"No," Mello said, his voice still flat. "You're going to stay awake until morning. Sleep then."

There was no empathy or conventional beside manner in his demeanor as he once again took the man's pulse. "It's stable," he told the taller one. "Weak, but stable. As long as his blood pressure doesn't drop again, he'll be okay. Keep him talking."

He only needed a few more hours...maybe a few more minutes. Mello's expression was pleased, and showed no glint of insecurity. Everything was under control.