BOOM!

The sound of an explosion startled Foggy awake with a rush of adrenaline that sped his heart rate to a quick pounding. Without a transition from sleeping to wakefulness, he scrambled out of bed and looked out his window. He gasped, and then groaned at the sight which greeted him.

Through the darkness of Hell's Kitchen at night, Foggy could see a huge fire about a quarter-mile away. There were already sirens wailing everywhere, the flashing lights of emergency vehicles disturbing the formerly deserted streets.

"Oh, no," Foggy muttered. "No, no, no, no." He turned around and fumbled for his phone on his bedside table, yanking the charging cord out and turning it on with shaking fingers. "Matt, Matt, Matt…" He pushed the button to call Matt, shoving the phone up to his ear as it dialed. "Come on, please pick up…"

"You've reached Matthew Murdock, please leave a message-"

"Damn it!" Foggy swore.

"-after the tone." Beep.

"Matt, please call me. I need to know you weren't in that explosion. Please." Foggy hung up, slamming his phone back onto the bedside table. Hurriedly, he got dressed, just in case he had to go out and find his friend. Then he called Karen, even though he knew that her apartment was on the opposite side of town from the explosion.

"Hello? Foggy, it's the middle of the…"

"Karen! There was an explosion. Big one. Here. Well, like, close to here," Foggy babbled. "You're okay?"

"What? Foggy, explosion, what?" Karen was still half asleep.

"Something exploded, like a building, about a quarter of a mile from my apartment," Foggy explained, trying to slow down. "Had to make sure you're okay."

Karen sounded more awake now. "I'm fine, Foggy...was anyone hurt? Are you okay?"

"I don't know if anyone was hurt, it happened like a minute ago. I'm fine. Matt won't pick up his phone."

"What?!" she exclaimed. "Oh, my God."

"Maybe he's just asleep, or something," Foggy tried to reason. "But I'm still worried."

"Oh, my God," Karen repeated. "Um...should we go to his place? Make sure he's okay? Was his apartment anywhere near the explosion?"

"No closer than mine. Karen, I'm sure he's fine. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Foggy took a deep breath. "I'll go check on him. I'm closer. You stay there, the roads will be blocked from your place to his, anyway."

"Okay. Call me when you get there, tell me he's fine."

"I'll do that. Bye." Foggy hung up. He put his head in his hands for a second, then straightened up. His phone was ringing. He recognized the number as Matt's burner phone he used when he was out on the streets at night. "Matt? Matt, are you okay? Talk to-"

"Foggy...Foggy, I don't...know if you're there, but…" Matt coughed. Something was wrong. His voice didn't sound right. Like he was slurring his words, his vowels slightly wrong.

"I'm here, Matt, I'm-"

"But I really need help. I...oh, God. I hope I dialed the right number…"

"Matt, I'm right here-"

"I have no idea...ahhh!" Matt yelped painfully. "Foggy, if you picked up, I…"

"Where are you?!"

"...Something's wrong, Foggy." Was Matt fighting back tears? "Foggy, I...there was an explosion."

"I know, bud, I heard-"

"I was really close to it. Foggy, something happened, I don't know where I am, I...I can't hear anything." Matt's voice caught in his throat. "So I don't know if you picked up. I don't know if I dialed the right number, even. It felt like, the number pad felt right when I pressed it, but I...please, you need to help me."

Foggy's heart was sinking. He could only imagine what Matt was feeling, but didn't say anything. What good would it do?

"I was right outside the building before it exploded, but I was running in some direction, and then the blast happened and I was thrown, and...I have no idea where I am, Foggy, I'm buried under something. Wood and metal, I think. I can smell it. I...I'm just gonna keep talking and hope you can hear me." Foggy was listening to every word, and rushing down the steps from his apartment to the street. "Um...I don't think I'm badly hurt, I just can't hear. This is so...disorienting, Foggy, I can't tell where I am, my surroundings. Uh...Just, if you can come find me. Please, I…" His voice trailed off, but Foggy filled in the blank. I'm scared. "Please hurry. I don't want to be found by the police, I'm in the Mask, I can't...I can't be found by the police. Oh, God. Foggy, it hurts. You know how I get overwhelmed sometimes by all the noise? I'd rather have that. You have no idea how lonely this is. Maybe, if you're there, could you say something, really loudly? I might be able to feel the vibrations from the phone speakers, just...just to know you're there."

"I'm here, Matt," Foggy called loudly into the phone. "I'm right here. I'm coming to find you." He wasn't bothering to hail a taxi. That would have actually taken longer than walking. Besides, he was making a stop on the way.

"I think that was you," Matt murmured. "Maybe it was just wishful thinking."

"No, it was me, Matty, I promise." Foggy gripped his phone harder.

"There it was again. Um...so...I'm sorry I can't give any better direction, I can barely figure out which way is up right now. The blast messed with my balance as well as my hearing. Of course, they're really one in the same, because your balance is part of your inner ear…" Matt kept talking quietly until he started coughing again. "Foggy, I think...there's so much dust and ash and smoke in the air, I need to stop talking. Just hurry, please. I'm sorry, I didn't want to drag you out of bed at this hour, I'm sorry...Okay, I'm just going to stop. I won't get off the line. I doubt I could find the end call button anyway. See you." All that was left on the line was Matt's belabored breathing. Well, as long as he was still breathing.

Foggy got what he needed from Matt's apartment, which was the stop he was making. Then, he headed off quickly toward the site of the explosion. There were plenty of sirens still going off, and Foggy was glad that nobody stopped him to ask him where he was going, as he managed to slip past the police officers and other emergency workers.

"Foggy?" Matt said over the phone. "I think I passed out for a few seconds there. Maybe longer."

"Crap." Foggy wished he could tell Matt to shout something, because he was close enough to the building that had exploded to feel his eyes stinging and burning with smoke. There were tons of piles of wood and metal around. Matt could be under any one of them.

"Wait. Foggy? I...I can...you're getting closer. I think. I can't really smell much other than smoke but...that might be you."

"That's really creepy, Murdock," Foggy pointed out, but he was too relieved to really care.

"Um...I'm gonna shout for you. I can't really tell how loud I'm being but the vibrations in my throat are an indication." Matt paused for breath, and Foggy pulled the phone away from his ear, stopping in his tracks to listen more carefully. "FOGGY! FOGGY!" Matt started coughing again, but it was enough. He didn't know that though, so he just kept shouting.

Foggy, meanwhile, had heard him, and was now running toward where the cries were coming from. It was one of the corners of the burning building where the police weren't focusing-of course that would be where Matt had managed to get himself trapped. There was a pile of wood and metal exactly as Matt had described, and underneath it was where his failing voice was coming from.

"Foggy! Please, just…"

Foggy knelt down next to the pile and started shifting the debris.

"Is that you?" Matt called hopefully.

"Yeah, it's me. Where are you, Matt?" he added in a mutter, before his hand, arm buried to the elbow in debris, touched someone's side. "Aha! There you are," he exclaimed at the same time that Matt yelped in surprise.

"Get me out of here!" he said.

"Working on it, bud." Foggy withdrew his hand, to Matt's exclamation of protest. "Hang on!"

"Are you still there?" Matt asked in something close to a whimper.

Foggy sighed and reached back into the pile to pat him reassuringly. "Now let me just focus on getting you out of there," he pleaded. As quickly as he could, Foggy uncovered his limp friend from the debris.

"Ohh, wow, I can breathe again. Ugh. That hurts, there's so much ash in the air." Matt coughed painfully. "Just in case you forgot, I literally have no idea if you're saying anything. My head's a bit...blurry, so I can't even really feel vibrations. I'm in the dark here, Foggy. I need...I don't think that I can…" Suddenly, Matt convulsed, his ragged breathing rasping in his throat.

Panicked, Foggy grabbed Matt's shoulders and sat him up. "Matt? Matt, it's okay, I'm here now. Matt!"

Matt was clutching his stomach, choking and coughing. "Foggy, I can't...breathe…"

"Whoa, whoa, okay." Foggy tried to keep a clear head. "I need to get you away from all of this smoke." He wrapped his arm around Matt's waist, and Matt tried to just lean into him, not understanding what Foggy was trying to do. "No, up," Foggy said patiently, standing up and supporting most of Matt's weight doing so. Matt swayed unsteadily and Foggy shrugged Matt's arm over his shoulder to give him better support. He didn't seem to want to move-Foggy expected that was because he couldn't tell where he was standing.

"Foggy, what-" His voice was raspy, giving out. "Foggy-"

"C'mon, buddy. One foot in front of the other, I won't let you fall or bump into anything," pleaded Foggy helplessly. He tugged on Matt's waist to get him moving, causing him to wince with pain. "Okay, so you are hurt," muttered Foggy. "Great, we can fix that, if I can just get you to start walking. You know you're really heavy, right?" But Matt was slowly sinking to the ground, despite Foggy's best efforts to keep him upright. Matt opened his mouth as if he was trying to say something, but all that came out was a slight cough. "Are you kidding me? Oh, no…"

Matt buried his face in his hands, groaning.

"Right."

With a lot of difficulty, Foggy got Matt standing again. Avoiding the policemen, Foggy took his friend in a wide circle around the building, staying in the shadows. Matt was still wearing his Daredevil clothes, of course, although Foggy did take the mask off him. Matt kept stumbling along, leaning heavily on Foggy and trusting him to lead. He didn't respond to anything, made no indication that he was in pain or needed a rest. Foggy wondered if he was just that exhausted, that he didn't have any energy left to stop and start again, or if he was even really fully conscious. He didn't think so.

It was with relief that Foggy finally got Matt to the base of his apartment building. He had decided to bring Matt to his own place rather than to Foggy's because Matt knew his way around there better. Stairs were difficult, but they managed somehow, and Foggy found the keys in his pocket, bringing Matt inside. Matt's breathing had evened out once he was away from the smoke, but he still hadn't said anything. Foggy let him collapse onto the couch and curl up in the corner while Foggy got him a glass of water, which he drank gratefully before slumping over and coughing.

"Claire's still out of town, isn't she?" Foggy realized. "Awesome. Just great. And what exactly am I supposed to tell Karen tomorrow when you can't show up to work? 'Oh, yeah, Matt can't come in today because-' Crap! Karen!" Foggy scrambled for his phone. "Karen! Hi."

"Did you find Matt? Is he okay? It's been ages, Foggy-"

"I'm sorry, I know. He...he was near the explosion, but he'll be okay. It kinda messed up his hearing and balance, though, so I'm not sure he'll make it to work tomorrow." Foggy bit his lip. He really hated lying to Karen, although none of that was technically a lie. Still, it didn't feel right at all. "But he'll be fine."

"Thank God...His hearing and balance? Oh, wow, that must really suck."

"Yeah." Foggy glanced over at Matt on the couch. "He's currently flopped on his couch looking more miserable than I've ever seen him. Oh, plus, the smoke from the explosion screwed with his voice and he can barely talk."

Karen sounded pitying and also a little accusing. "Well, what are you talking to me for? Go take care of your friend, Nelson."

"Okay, okay," he answered, looking back over at Matt, whose face had screwed up like he was either concentrating really hard or forcing back tears. "Yeah...you're right. See you tomorrow, Karen."

"It is tomorrow," Karen pointed out. "By the way, what was Matt doing out this late?"

Foggy blinked quickly. "Um...taking a walk, I think. Probably couldn't sleep. Bye!" He shoved his phone into his pocket and went over to Matt, sitting down on the couch next to him.

Matt let out a cough. "The water...helped," he whispered hoarsely. "Thanks. And I'm a bit less disoriented than I was...if I don't move at all. There might be a tiny bit of hearing coming back already. I doubt any damage was permanent. I really, really hate this, though."

Clumsily, Foggy patted his shoulder. "Hearing's coming back, that's good."

Matt tilted his head. "Did you just say something?"

Foggy had to laugh. "Nothing at all, Matt."

"Okay, you definitely said something there, but I have absolutely no idea what." Matt yawned suddenly, and it seemed to throw him off balance because he kind of swayed a bit and tilted over to the side. Foggy caught him gently. "Thanks," Matt muttered.

"No problem." Foggy held on in case he was going to fall over again, then carefully let him lean back against the arm of the couch. "Hey, I'm going to get you some non-superhero outfit clothes. And then you can go to sleep. Okay?"

Again, Matt tilted his head. "That was also something you said. Still don't know what. I don't suppose you could maybe get me something to wear so I can change out of this? It's a bit strange wearing it in my apartment. Also, I'm pretty sure that I'd fall over if I tried to stand up."

Already standing up, Foggy said, "Sure. Also I'm going to take this opportunity to say just about everything I've ever wanted to say when you can't hear me."

"I assume that was you saying that you'd be happy to go get me some clothes, so thank you." Matt even kind of smiled then.

"Uh-huh, Murdock. You know, that costume is really a bit strange. The horns are wayyy over the top. You look like an overgrown kid in a Halloween costume."

"Pajamas are fine. Top drawer, left," called Matt.

"Are your PJs armored, too?" asked Foggy interestedly. He fumbled around in the dark for the dresser. He really needed to get Matt a lamp for this room, just for when he was over. The entire apartment needed some work, actually. Foggy found a pair of very soft, flannel pajamas and brought them out to Matt, who had not answered him. His head was rolling to the side slightly and he let out a soft groan. Suddenly concerned, Foggy put his hand to the back of Matt's neck. "Are you al-"

"Everything just started spinning again," whined Matt.

"Okay. Well. Stay still for a minute, I've got you. I promise the room isn't actually spinning." Foggy sat down, careful not to move the couch too much, but Matt got startled and tried to sit up straight, ending up toppling over onto Foggy's shoulder. "Alright, Matty, just stay still and you wouldn't have that problem," he chided. "I did bring you some pajamas."

"Uhhhhhh." Matt didn't move for another couple of minutes, then he took a deep breath. "Okay. I think I could stand up now." Holding onto Foggy, he managed to do that, and took several steps until Foggy indicated that he should sit down. He recognized the surface as his bed.

Foggy gave him the pajamas and Matt began struggling out of his Daredevil clothes. There were some pretty terrific purple and red bruises on his chest and sides, and Foggy gasped softly at the sight of them. "Owwww," breathed Matt quietly as he slipped the PJ shirt over his head.

"You were right, that is...a lot of bruising," allowed Foggy. "My God, Matty."

"Was that an exclamation of surprise at how terrible I look or how great my muscles are?" teased Matt.

Foggy rolled his eyes, shoving the pajama pants into Matt's hands. "I kind of prefer it when you can actually hear what I'm saying."

"Huh?" Matt had managed to get his pajama pants on without falling over somehow. "You gotta speak up, Foggy."

"Go to sleep," Foggy told him.

"It's been a nice chat, but I really need to go to sleep," Matt apologized. "Thanks for coming to find me. Go home, get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."

"Like I'm gonna leave you by yourself when you can't navigate around your apartment correctly and can barely stand up," Foggy scoffed. "I'll be on the couch. Shout if you need anything."

Matt's eyes were drifting shut as he slumped backwards onto the bed. "Goodnight," he murmured. He didn't seem like he was going to pull the covers up, so Foggy did that for him. "Seriously, go home," he mumbled.

"Not gonna happen." Foggy folded up the Daredevil suit and put it away carefully in the box in Matt's closet, adding the Mask which was still in his pocket. Then he went back over to the bed and touched Matt's hair while saying, "Goodnight. Hopefully, you're okay in the morning."

"Whatever you say." Matt was almost asleep, so Foggy went out to the couch and sat down, yawning. He was asleep in minutes.

I'm so sorry, Matt. Also, if anyone's interested, I wrote this chapter twice. Once from Foggy's perspective and once from Matt's. If anyone wants to read Matt's, I'll publish it as the next chapter! If that's not something anyone wants, I'll just move on to a different story. Reviews make my day, and everyone who's reviewed so far has been so incredibly sweet and supportive and my fears about publishing this story have shrunk considerably! Many thanks and much love! ~Clare