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Chapter 1
It may seem like otherwise in the beginning but this actually is a Gaara/OC. :)
"Shikamaru?" Ino's faint voice came from behind him, Shikamaru turned to assess his teammate, and his eyes widened as he realized she was hardly moving, bent over, hands pressed over her stomach, blood seeping through, the red color coating her entire lower cloth.
Chouji and Shikamaru rushed to catch her as she stumbled. Their fourth teammate, a chunin skilled in genjutsu, paused and hovered by. Shikamaru clutched Ino, "I thought you said you healed it!"
"I lied…I didn't have enough…" She confessed faintly.
"Troublesome woman," Shikamaru gestured for Chouji to take her. He did, easily taking her in his arms, worried look crossed his face.
"Shikamaru… Her wound is really bleeding." Chouji looked desperately to the Nara, clearly asking for a plan.
"We're almost to the village," The chunin said, "Just around that bend." He pointed to a curve in the road, the dirt path guarded by trees.
Shikamaru shook his head, "It'll be faster to go through the trees."
Chouji charged in the branches, the rest followed suit, pushing the limits of their tired bodies. The team made it to the gate as fast as their chakra would drive them. Shikamaru yelled for the chunin to cover their return papers and they would take Ino to the hospital. The genjutsu wielder did as commanded, and the two boys expelled their chakra in larger quantities as to reach the hospital faster. On their way, hopping from rooftop to rooftop, they came across Sakura. Shikamaru stopped, gesturing Chouji on, and yelled for her. Sakura jumped to them.
"What's going on?" Sakura immediately said when noticing that her friend did not call on her for leisure.
"It's Ino!" Chouji yelled as she caught up with them – the terror clear. He held her out, and when Sakura gestured for him to put her down on the roof, did so.
Sakura pulled Ino's flax jacket and black under shirt up, revealing the wound to her lower abdomen. She assessed it and activated her Mystic Palm Technique. The green chakra lit her hand, and she pushed it to the wound. As she held it there, the wound noticeably closed. Sakura then focused her energy deeper, to heal the organs and tissue.
"It's good that she at least healed herself a little, but she focused on the inner organs. She should have known better." Her hand went lower, "What did she –" Her hand stilled, and her eyes went wide. Sakura gathered Ino into her arms, "I need to get her to the hospital."
"What's wrong?" Shikamaru yelled after her.
"I'm not sure, but I can't check here." And she rushed to the hospital, the boys not far behind.
~CHANGE~
"Shikamaru, come on, stop pacing." Chouji advised through a mouthful of chips, "It's making me even more nervous."
Shikamaru stopped and sat down, his head in his hands. "You're right."
Chouji patted his back, almost crushing Shikamaru in the process. "Don't worry, Sakura's the best medical ninja in probably the world, whatever's happening she can fix."
"You're right…" He sighed, running his hands over his hair.
A clearing of the throat made the worried men look to Sakura. She shifted anxiously; they stood up.
"Sakura?"
"What's going on?"
"Um, nothing too horrible." She scratched her forehead nervously. "The wound is mostly healed and we've already replaced all the blood she lost, but there are some tests I still have to get data back from."
"What tests?" Shikamaru asked, crossing his arms and stepping fretfully.
"I can't discuss that with you. I need to talk to Ino before that. But you guys needed to know that she's not in any danger. The tests are just to confirm that she's alright."
Chouji glanced anxiously at Shikamaru, "Can we go see her?"
Sakura nodded, "She's still asleep, but you can go to her. Just try not to wake her up."
The men nodded and hurried to her room. She was in fact asleep, the soft snoring made the two men smile; their lively friend never would admit to such an unladylike habit. Relief made them giddy and a chuckle escaped both of them. They took two chairs and brought them next to the bed, setting themselves up for as long as she was asleep.
Sakura checked up on them in an hour, when Shikamaru had fallen asleep and Chouji was out getting some food. Ino was awake, petting Shikamaru's undone hair mindlessly. Sakura smiled: "I'm glad to see you up. How are you feeling?"
"Okay, weak but no pain. So, that's good." She smiled lightly, "Thanks, for being there, Sakura. I know I wouldn't be so well off if you hadn't been here."
Sakura also smiled, but vaguely, "I'm glad I was too. But I need to talk to you." She glanced at Shikamaru, "Alone."
Ino's brow furrowed, but she shook Shikamaru awake, "Get up, you lazy ass."
"In a minute," He murmured out. Ino rolled her eyes and shoved him out of his chair. He woke with a start and a groan to Ino. But then his eyes snapped out, "Ino!" He jumped up.
"Yes, I'm alive, and I feel fine. Now get out. Sakura's gonna talk to me." Ino crossed her arms and gave a pointed look at him, "And I've gotta change into something less hospitally, so go get me some clothes – and not my uniform."
"Yes sir," He mock saluted and walk out with a small smile, at least she was feeling good enough to give out orders.
"Should I ask my roommate to leave too? Or is it okay for total strangers to hear my problems and not my closest friends." Ino stared at the sheet separating her and her mysterious roommate.
"Oh, she wouldn't hear any of it. She's been in a coma for a couple of weeks. It'll probably be a miracle if she wakes up at all."
"That's reassuring." Ino pushed her blankets away and swung her legs over the side, "I think I felt better when she wasn't a living corpse. Let's go somewhere less depressing."
Sakura shook her head, "Location's not going to make this easier Ino."
Ino paused, "What is this about Sakura?" The pinkette moved to sit next to her, resting her hand on Ino's. Ino took her hand back, fear flashed on her face.
"The past month, have you felt odd, kind of sick?"
Ino shook her head, "No, I mean I got a cold a week ago, but that's it. Do I have an infection?"
"No, but what were your symptoms?"
"Fever, runny nose, the sniffles, sometimes a loss of energy. It wasn't really all that big; it lasted only a few days." Ino shrugged.
"Ino? Have you noticed anything different about your monthly?"
"What?" Ino squeaked, taken aback. "What are you trying to say?"
Sakura glanced at her and then focused on her hands, "The tests, it showed that you were – you were pregnant."
Sakura glanced back at Ino. She started at nothing, her mouth agape, trembling – like she wanted to say something, anything but couldn't find the words.
"That… that can't be true." Ino stammered, pushing her hands to her stomach, "I'm pregnant?"
"No, Ino…" Sakura confessed softly, "No, was pregnant. The needles – they pierced your uterus and you bled so much – your body was trying to cope, it –"
Ino turned green; she pressed her hand to her mouth but couldn't stop the bile. Sakura quickly grabbed a bowl from the tray, and held Ino's hair back. Ino pushed Sakura away, but it had no strength. She heaved, but nothing came out. Sakura called a nurse for some antiemetics.
"It wasn't your fault. The needles probably pierced the zygote anyway, your body just cleaned up dead cells." Sakura tried to explain.
Ino glowered, "Just get out," she weakly whispered, "Just go, leave, I don't want to hear any more. I killed my baby." Her voice gathered strength, and so did she as she shoved Sakura away. "I killed my baby to save myself and I didn't even know. I didn't even know I had a person growing inside me and I let him die. Just go away…"
Sakura stepped forward, "Ino? Please, listen to yourself. You didn't know. You couldn't have."
Ino gritted her teeth, tasting salt as the tears and snot caught on her lips, "GET OUT!" She threw water pitcher at her, bathing both of them with the lukewarm water. Sakura complied, watching as Ino curled up into a ball and sobbed.
The nurse came back with a plastic cup of the pills. Sakura took them with a 'thanks', and leaned, exhausted, on the wall.
"Will she need anything else?" The nurse asked, glancing at the shaking figure with in.
"Just time. She's had some bad news." Sakura rubbed her eyes, "Tell the receptionist to put her room on the no visitors list, and bring someone to clean up the vomit. She needs to process this on her own."
"Yes, ma'am." And she hurried to the front.
"Sakura? What's going on?" Shikamaru's voice startled her. He was peaking at Ino's bawling site, a pair of Ino's purple sweat pants and tank top scrunched in his grip. Chouji was behind him with a basket full of fruits and flowers in his hand.
"Now may not be a good time, guys." Sakura pushed off the wall, but they barely listened to her.
They rushed passed; their items lay forgotten on the floor. Sakura picked them up and placed them and the pills lightly on the table by the door – writing a small note to take them if Ino started to feel nauseous again. She wanted to stay but knew that it wouldn't help any. Hopefully, those boys can comfort her. She glanced in as she left to see Chouji holding Ino's hand and Shikamaru brushing thick hair out of her face.
Shikamaru stroked her cheek, "Ino?" He soothed quietly. She looked distantly, but her sobs slowly ceased, leaving only a small leak of tears and the occasional hiccup. Shikamaru looked to Chouji. Chouji had no answers, in fact he, too, had tears in his eyes and a fear filled expression.
"Shikamaru, I'm scared." He confessed, looking a little ashamed.
"Me too, Chouji. Me too." And he continued to sooth Ino, until she fell asleep. And when a nurse and janitor came into clean up the bile, he marched out to confront Sakura – leaving Chouji to stay with Ino in case she awoke.
Finding Sakura in the break room, drinking tea with some other medical ninja, he roughly pulled her aside.
"What happened?"
"She's grieving, Shikamaru. There's nothing we can do at this point to ease her pain."
"That doesn't explain anything." He seethed.
"I know, but I'm still under contract as her physician. I can't say anything until she gives permission." Sakura placed a hand on his upper arm. "I'm sorry but until she calms down and explains it herself or at least grants me consent to divulge her medical situation: I can't tell you."
"Fuck that!" Shikamaru roared; slamming his palm into the wall next to her head, "I'm her teammate, her best friend; I've known her since she was a day old! And you're going to tell me I can't know what's making her so damned hysterical!"
"Calm down, Shikamaru." Sakura demanded, "You may not know what's going on, but you need to be strong for her. You have to be her comfort, not her interrogator. What she's going through you can't even begin to imagine! So suck it up and be her friend!"
Shikamaru took a deep breath and leaned back, looking at the ground. "You're right." He said quietly, "Of course, your right. It just would be so much easier to know how to comfort her if I knew what she was upset about. Please, Sakura, as a friend? As her friend?" He pleaded, looking miserable.
Still, she shook her head. "I wish I could, but this isn't between you and Ino. Ino has to deal with this in her own way, and right now I don't know what that way is. Just wait, I'm sure you and Chouji will be one of the first to know. You should contact her mother also. I'm sure that will help."
"Yeah, our families already know Ino's in the hospital. Our moms are in the waiting room and Chouji's dad is coming as soon as he can."
She smiled, "I'm sure everyone's very nervous but I don't think you should crowd her just yet. When she's feeling up to it, let her speak with her mom. But slowly introduce others; she may shut down if she's overwhelmed."
Shikamaru nodded and almost turned away. "I thought you said she was fine. That the injury was healed."
"It is. Physically she's as good as she's ever been, but mentally..." She struggled with her words, "She's suffered both the best news and the worst news possible, and in just a few minutes apart. I keep saying she needs time to digest it and to come to terms with it, but in truth she may never be the same. Shikamaru, watch her carefully when she's released, and I'm going to put in a request that she go to a psychologist before she goes on another mission."
He nodded again, but his mind wheeled with possibilities, tossing many of his theories out almost as soon as he thought them up.
"I'll – I'm going to tell the women." And he went.
~CHANGE~
Ino looked to her roommate, her eyes roaming the so called living corpse. Two weeks had passed since her injury and –
Her mind stuttered. She took a deep breath, she was fine, she could deal with it. She got up, and stood over the coma-ed girl.
"Like a sleeping princess…" Ino's eyes flicked to the girls lips, and smirked, "Now aren't you unlucky that I'm not a handsome prince," She flicked the hair from the patient, feeling comfortable in this, familiar; "I'm just another waiting princess. A much prettier princess." Ino dramatically sat down next to her, "Forever waiting for a handsome, charming prince."
She peeked at the girls face, and scoffed, "Well, you're no fun." Ino come closer, and whispered: "I wonder…"
She situated herself on the bed so that she was cross legged and with a direct line to the body. The hand signs came natural, the posture perfect and when she concentrated on the body she felt a low level of consciousness. Okay I just need to get deeper…
And she delved, eventually having to break her soul from her body and send in entirely to search. Is there really no one? I swear I feel a presence…
Just as she was going to give up, she saw something. A brief flash of memory; a clip of darkness and fear and blood. A scream…
"Ino!" Sakura's voice brought her back.
"Huh?" The screaming didn't stop.
"Ino, what did you do?" Sakura grabbed a syringe and stuck it in the convulsing girls' arm.
"I just searched her mind. I got bored!" She yelled over the shrieking.
A few minutes and the girl settled down, her eyes wide and slowly looked down to the two kunoichi.