A/N: BONUS TIME! When I was planning how I would write out the 'before the surgery' scene, I came up with lots of different ideas. I didn't end up using it, but this one is by far my favorite. Enjoy!
It was the next morning, and the day of Ai's surgery. Currently, her and Guy were waiting outside the operating room. Ai was seated on the bench, looking very tired, and Guy was standing up next to her.
The kunoichi's eyes drooped and she sighed, her head hanging. Guy, alarmed, nudged her shoulder. "Ai, don't fall asleep," he said in a distressed voice.
Ai groaned and reluctantly opened her eyes. "I got my inhaler," she said in a tired voice. Guy frowned and stood back up again.
"I know, just…don't fall asleep."
There was silence for a moment before footsteps were heard coming down the hallway. The two looked over and saw Kakashi walking towards them. "Hey," he said to the two with a nod. Guy nodded back, but Ai was unresponsive.
"You look tired," he said to Ai. The chunin smirked and glared up at her teacher.
"No, really?" she asked. Then her eyelids finally drooped again and she collapsed onto the bench, totally blacked out.
Guy was about to wake her up again, but Kakashi stopped him. "No, Guy, it's alright," he stated calmly. "Might as well let her sleep now."
The two jonin looked at the door to the operating room in unison. "How long until they take her in?" Kakashi asked, a tiny dreading edge to his voice.
"They said 20 minutes last time I checked," he said. "And that was 10 minutes ago."
10 minutes… Kakashi thought.
The copy nin then rested his gaze on Ai, who was sleeping soundly. "How was she last night?" he asked Guy without taking his eyes off her.
The jonin rubbed his eyes. "Last night was a nightmare for her."
Kakashi finally ripped his gaze from his student and looked Guy in the face for the first time. "How often did she wake up?"
"It depended," Guy explained. "Sometimes it would only be about 15 or 20 minutes between attacks. Sometimes less than that. Other times it would be around 2 hours before she would wake up again."
"No wonder she's exhausted," Kakashi realized with a start. "What did you do?"
"There wasn't much I COULD do," Guy told his rival. "She said putting an ice pack on her chest helped, but she was just lying to make me feel better."
Kakashi chuckled. "That's new. Making YOU feel better?"
"Yeah, I know," Guy agreed, a small smile forming on his face. Then he frowned again. "I just don't want her to ever go through that again…"
Suddenly, the two were interrupted when Ai suddenly shot up, clutching her chest. "Oh crap, not again," she choked out, and started coughing and breathing in short, painful bursts.
"Ai!" Guy exclaimed, and he sat down on the bench next to her. Bewildered, Kakashi sat down on her other side, putting a hand on her back out of habit. He trembled as he felt her heart pump in short, irregular pumps.
Ai heaved and finally stopped coughing. "…when will…it ever…end…" she said in a raspy voice, swaying and leaning onto Kakashi. The jonin grabbed her shoulder.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice a little shaken. Ai nodded and closed her eyes, her head being supported by Kakashi's arm.
Guy sighed and rubbed his eyes. If this surgery didn't work…her life was going to be a living nightmare.
