Author's Note: Thank you so much for all your support, reviews and encouraging mail! Sorry about the delay in new posts. I'm still rusty and want to make sure this first step back into fandom isn't rushed. I'm thankful for your patience! Much love my dears!
Making their way through the streets, Moeka and Sakura reminisced about a patient they dealt with the previous year on a particularly nasty summer day. They both had the honor of sponge bathing the patient who was constantly pointing out how backwards the hospital seemed to be. Both women never complained and couldn't help but laugh while thinking about how the next round of nurses pulled their names from a bin to see who was next.
The day had passed quickly, and the crimson sun was already gone. A dreamy sapphire sky nestled itself into the horizon. Sakura raised her arms above her head and stretched, letting her neck pop in the process.
"I love fall evenings like this," Sakura smiled as she inhaled deeply.
"I couldn't agree more. There's nothing like the crisp air in Konoha in the fall. I hope the shop still has cream puffs. I know they don't close until late, but those things sell out fast!" Moeka said with concern.
"Well, if there aren't any more cream puffs, we could always at least sit down for tea," Sakura offered. Moeka nodded in agreement as they rounded a corner. To their right, a few people hung about the front steps of a rather popular bar. The few dark figures scattered around lazily puffed their cigarettes away. Among the group stood her blonde friend Ino, Shikamaru, and Genma.
"Oy! Pinky!" Genma shouted from his position against wall of the establishment. "Want to join me for a drink? I promise I won't bite!"
Sakura stepped towards the bar as she responded, "You already run out of women to harass? You know your crap doesn't work on me."
"Oh it's always worth a shot with you. Who's your pretty little friend over there?" Genma smiled as he moved the senbon from one side of his mouth to the other with his tongue. Moeka shrank a little as she followed Sakura to the entrance where the trio stood.
"Careful, act like an animal and Sakura will make sure to beat you into submission," Ino remarked pulling at a few strands of her hair. She growled as she found a split end from her silky ponytail.
"Oh, I look forward to it," Genma smirked.
Shikamaru mumbled about idiots as he threw his cigarette in an ashtray. "I'm out. I've got to report to the hokage early in the morning," Shikamaru remarked putting his lighter into his pocket.
"You ass! You said you'd buy me a drink!" Ino shouted.
"You asked, but I never responded. Your assumption was wrong," he replied.
Ino scoffed as he made his way to the street. Shikamaru waved as he left. For a moment all three ladies just watched as the famously lazy man stuffed his hands into his pocket and made his way home. Their attention shifted back to the bar when they heard Genma clearing his throat.
"So does this mean I'll be taking three ladies home tonight?" Genma snickered.
"Say something stupid again, and I'll smack your senbon right into your throat," Ino said rolling her eyes. "God, this is why I don't like going out with you when Sai's not around."
"Aw come on sweetheart. You know you don't mean that," Genma said as he watched the blonde stand up from the stool positioned by the door.
"I regret even walking this way," Sakura sighed. "Shall we go Moeka?"
"Yes! I'm still craving something sweet and creamy," Moeka said in a happy tone.
"Moeka, huh? Well what you're craving is right here!" Genma said pointing to himself.
Moeka's face twisted into one of distress. She seemed deeply disturbed as she folded her hands together. She looked to Sakura as she motioned for them to leave for the café. Genma noticed Moeka's pretty face darken almost immediately. He instantly felt an edge of panic.
"Aw, pumpkin, I didn't mean to offend ya," Genma smiled softly. "Really, I was just playing around." He looked to Sakura expecting her to pound his face in but was surprised to find that she was giving him a tired look.
"Come on, I think perhaps we should get cream puffs another day. Maybe it's best to go home and pack before we leave early tomorrow morning," Sakura offered as she pulled Moeka along.
Moeka furrowed her brows and nodded before dragging her feet to head home.
"Listen, I know he seems like such a pompous ass, which he can be at times, but he really is harmless. Genma is just Genma," Sakura said not quite knowing how else to put it.
Moeka's mouth fell open. "That's Genma? The Genma who is going to be escorting us on the mission?" The horror in her voice was clear.
"Yes?" Sakura said hesitantly, not quite knowing how else to respond. "I promise he's not that bad…all the time. I'll see you early in the morning at the gates ok?"
Moeka nodded and waved goodbye as her shoulders slumped. Sakura couldn't help but laugh as her shy friend walked home.
The two women didn't notice that Genma was watching them walking away. His stomach turned with a little guilt as he felt perhaps tonight he was pushing his teasing tactics a little too far.
"Senpai, here's your drink."
Genma turned around to see Daichi with a cold beer in his hands. "Ah, thanks." Genma took a long swig and turned back to watch the two women retreating into the distance.
"Who's that?" Daichi asked with halfhearted interest.
"Well, obviously you must know Sakura. The chocolate haired one is Moeka. I haven't seen her around here before," Genma replied.
"Moeka? Oh I've heard a few things about her," he answered suggestively and pausing ever so slightly to pique Genma's interest.
Genma grinned like a Cheshire cat as he wrapped an arm around Daichi's shoulders and tugged him back into the bar.
"So what is it that you've heard?"
Sakura decided to stop by a café closer to her apartment before going back to the old training grounds. She had just told Moeka to go home and pack, but being a veteran shinobi, she already had some medical bags packed and ready to go. She learned the hard way to have bags ready to go because as a shinobi, you never knew when you'd be sent out.
Reaching the front doors of the quaint café, she pushed the old vintage door open. A tiny brass bell swung back and forth producing a sweet sound. She stepped up to a dimly lit display case with a few muffins and cookies. Her eyes raked the case but found nothing interesting. Instead, her eyes roamed the blackboard hanging high against the wall scribbled with specialty drinks in different colored chalks.
After debating internally for quite some time, Sakura settled on a nice black tea with honey and lemon. She thanked the worker and held her cup in her hands. She savored the warmth as she made her way to the old training grounds. She was aware that it was imperative that she get enough rest before her mission tomorrow, but it seemed her mind would refuse to shut off when it came time for rest.
Perching herself on the old bridge, she sat cross legged on the railing. The loud symphony of crickets drowned out the sound of her own even breathing. She blew into her cup before taking a quick sip. The hot liquid swept down her throat. The notes of vanilla bean and honey made her purr into the dark.
Sakura placed her cup on the rail and leaned on her palms. The past few days had been a chaotic blur. The arrival of the last Uchiha, Moeka's erratic behavior and now her discovery in the lab all barely made sense.
She had a hunch about Moeka after hearing how her ex-boyfriend had been stalking her. From previous tidbits, it seemed that the scumbag wasn't a half-bad shinobi, but from reports, he's also difficult to work with. One anonymous team leader suggested that he undergo some psychiatric evaluation as he seemed to be a little off, perhaps even entertained when tasked with taking out an enemy. After hearing he had also previously laid a hand on Moeka, Sakura seemed to think the team leader was right to suggest such advice. Sakura sighed heavily and took another warm sip.
Moeka's dead love life was not much of her business, but she couldn't help but wish the girl would find a better man who would stick up for her. If it were up to Sakura, she would make Moeka go and beat the hell out of Daichi herself, but she knew that her shy friend could never do so.
Really, Sakura was in no way in any position to be going off telling others what to do with their love lives. She never had a real relationship with a man and is barely functional with Sasuke around. It seemed that when Sasuke was absent, she was willing to wait forever, but now that he was right in front of her, patience seemed to vanish.
Sakura lifted the paper cup to her lips to take another warm sip when she noticed the crickets in the surrounding grass seemed to go silent. She took a long sip and closed her eyes to savor the taste. With lightning fast fingers, she tugged out a senbon hidden in the hem of her pant leg. Flicking her wrist, she turned and jumped onto the railing to face the darkened woods behind her. She heard the faint thud of her senbon driving itself into the wood of a cedar tree a few yards away.
A moment passed and the trees rustled gently in the wind. Sakura relaxed her stance and stood with her weight on one leg. Crossing her arms across her chest, she raised a cherry eyebrow.
"You shouldn't sneak up on people. It could get you killed," Sakura said aloud to the dark.
"I think it would take a lot more than that to kill me," said a deep voice. Sakura rolled her eyes as she noted the subtle hint of smugness that could only come from an Uchiha.
"Evening stroll?" Sakura asked plopping back down on the rail without looking back at him.
Sasuke didn't answer but slowly came to the same rail and leaned forward on it with his one arm. His dark eyes were cast upon the glimmering surface of the river below. The gurgling sound accompanied by the dark oil like appearance of the night reflecting on the water was mesmerizing.
"You shouldn't be drinking coffee so late. You won't be able to sleep," Sasuke muttered.
"It's not coffee. It's tea. Besides, it's alright. I probably won't be sleeping. Too much to think about before setting off anyway," Sakura waved her hand at him dismissively.
Sasuke tensed for a moment. He blinked twice before brushing off his discomfort and asking, "Mission?"
"Mmm," Sakura hummed unconvincingly as she took another sip. She licked her lips and sucked on the hot cup top to get a drop of the tea that had escaped her lips. She had noticed that Sasuke picked up on her not so subtle clue about what was pestering her. At this point, she almost didn't care. Almost.
Unknown to her, Sasuke took a discrete glance at her profile as she quietly sucked on her cup. Her perfectly pink lips made his gaze linger just a fraction more than he wanted. Clearing his throat, he stood straight.
"Naruto has told me that the samples are still yielding little information," he stated this time openly looking at her. She pursed her lips and fiddled with her cup for a moment.
"That's partially true. I haven't been able to inform him of the developments from today…I suppose I should write up a follow-up report and leave it for him before the morning," Sakura said suddenly looking tired.
"Anything substantial?" Sasuke asked. He absently took out a chord of woven cotton. His large and rough fingers delicately moved to slide the thin strands into a braided pattern. He took his thumb and pulled the tendrils taught, flattening it until the thinner strands combined into a strong chord. He looked off into the distance as he continued to pull, loop and flatten the chord almost in meditation.
"It's significant in the fact that we know it's reactive to chakra, but confusing in the sense that it only makes less sense," Sakura said aloud almost wincing at the fact that her words sounded backwards.
"Hmm…" Sasuke's eyes furrowed as he dipped his gaze down to his chord. He smoothed the chord as it lay on the wooden railing. He observed his handiwork and picked it back up to continue braiding.
Sakura watched in interest as he worked diligently. At the beginning of their conversation, the chord was an entire inch shorter. She was impressed by his nimble fingers. She looked up at his face to see him zeroing in on only his craft.
"What are you making?" Sakura asked with genuine interest.
"It's a sageo for my katana," Sasuke replied plainly.
Sakura scrunched her nose. In all the years Sakura had known Sasuke, she had never once seen him repair his sword. Although she had seen him sharpen and oil his blade on many occasions, it seemed his katanas always remained somehow in pristine condition. "Did it need replacing?"
"I respect the blade and accept maintenance as my responsibility," Sasuke said as he pulled the braid through another loop. Her expression remained unimpressed by his declaration of responsibility. "It also keeps my hand as flexible and agile as possible."
Sakura looked at the slightly sagging left side of his cloak. She considered his perspective on respect for a minute. "If you respect something, you keep it exactly as it is forever?" Sakura asked her question without even really knowing what it was she wanted to know.
"If you respect something, you do your utmost to keep it at its best," Sasuke clarified.
Without thinking about what answer she might hear, Sakura decided to push further. "What if you love something?" Sakura did her best to keep herself from shaking as she turned fully to face him. He stopped tugging on his chord while his eyes remained locked on his hand. He quietly folded the long chord and placed it back in his pocket. He turned to look at her with his hand tucked away in his pocket.
"If you love something," he began slowly. His dark eyes lifted to meet hers. "You do the same."
"So then there's no difference between love and respect?" Sakura asked incredulously. Clearly, this Uchiha had no idea what love was.
"If you fail to protect something you respect, you might be wounded but eventually…you'd move on. When you love something and fail to protect it, it would destroy you," Sasuke stated. His eyes shifted away from her face again as he looked into the night. Sakura saw the same tired expression on his face the night she tried to talk to him when he returned. Flashbacks of Sasuke's family and his brother popped into her mind.
"The pain of never knowing runs just as deep as the pain of loss," Sakura shot back.
"Sakura, I don't think you'll ever know the pain of losing people you love…like a set of dominoes, one after another. I hope you never do," Sasuke said with a stern expression. He knew she was only pushing him because she felt urgency in wanting their relationship to progress, but he would make it just as clear that there are some places she shouldn't venture.
Sighing heavily, Sakura decided not to push the envelope any further. She realized that her insistence in needing answers or even closure was clearly wearing out the lone Uchiha. Although her need to know more about how he felt was clear, his health and happiness as a friend and teammate was priority. She smiled lightly.
"One more layer of the onion peeled away…" Sakura breathed. Sasuke didn't respond. "Anyway, I'd better get ready for tomorrow. Take care Sasuke," Sakura said as she gave a short nod.
"Sakura, make sure you take care of yourself."
Sakura nodded and smiled as she turned away. That line alone was enough to warm her heart. It was a long way from being told to be careful, not to be brash, or to not get in the way. Now, he simply saw a woman who took care of her patients and team more than herself. The simple acknowledgement that she didn't need protection by anyone spoke volumes. Perhaps she would be able to get better sleep tonight.
Moeka scurried across the street to finally reach the gate. The sky was still dark but the chirps of birds overhead were the only indication that morning had come. When she stepped forward, she felt a sense of excitement. Every time she had neared the Konoha gates before, the masked shinobi that guarded them seemed so mysterious. Now, she was going to delve into their world for just a moment.
One guard silently pointed along the wall towards the left that showed a group of medics standing around with their luggage and gear. Instantly, she felt underprepared. Her single pack of clothes and duffle full of medical equipment seemed small.
"Moeka-san!" shouted a woman with soft purple hair. She waved from among the group.
"Good morning Yuri," Moeka smiled.
"I'm glad to see a familiar face. It's just going to be us and three doctors. They don't seem all too happy to be going though," Yuri mumbled glaring hard at the three gentleman standing about. "Is this all you're bringing?"
Moeka laughed nervously and tried to hide her small pack behind her back. She had thought very seriously about what to pack the night before. She tried to think about what Sakura would have advised, so she only packed four simple outfits, a thick jacket and an extra pair of boots. In her duffle, she carried as many medicines, ointments, needles, IV packs and surgical tools as she could fit. She was sure that along the way her bag would burst.
"Seems like Moeka packed the right way," Sakura cut in.
"Sakura-san!" Moeka yelled in delight.
"Moeka, you can just call me Sakura," she advised again.
"But you're my senior…and we're still technically on the job…" Moeka mumbled.
"Alright, alright," Sakura laughed. "Is everyone here?"
"I think we're waiting on one more person, Jemmy? Jumma?" Yuri said pronounced in confusion.
"Genma, and I'm here," Genma said crossing his arms across his chest. Some of the doctors behind him grumbled about being on time. "I'm on time. What's the rush?"
Moeka frowned at the long haired shinobi's arrival. Sensing a bit of tension, Sakura nudged Moeka.
"Now that everyone's here, let's take count of our bags and cargo. We will have horses to aid us but we only have three. We'll take turns riding," Sakura announced. Everyone picked up their respective baggage and began strapping them onto the horses. While everyone was busy, Sakura stepped towards Genma.
"The journey there should be relatively quiet, but I don't have to remind you that we put their lives before ours, right?" Sakura questioned.
"Of course. I don't need to be reminded of that," Genma said incredulously. In truth, it had almost insulted him. Almost.
"Listen, I don't know what you did the other day but you seem to have really irked Moeka. Keep your distance," Sakura said with a tone of finality as she jabbed her finger into his shoulder. Genma rolled his eyes at the overprotective kunoichi.
Several hours later, the sun hung high above in the sky. Its rays were strong and relentless. Sakura wiped a small bead of sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. Turning to check on the rest of her crew, she stopped for a moment for them to catch up. The three doctors seemed to be struggling to drag their feet along. She didn't feel sympathy for them in the slightest. The three gentlemen were among the worst at the hospital. They were talented surgeons and experts in their field, but they were terrible people. Ryo used to send the new interns to be on duty in the geriatric department cleaning only bedpans for weeks when they could have taken rotations gaining experience in other departments. Ibiki never encouraged his subordinates. His worst characteristic was his constant criticism. He often sent nurses and interns home for their "incompetency". Only the toughest skinned nurses and doctors were able to work with him. The last was the worst. Seiji was a senior surgeon. In Sakura's personal opinion, he was the worst because the other two looked up to this one. He was known for being critical in the same way as Ibiki except his criticisms were always directed towards only the females in the hospital.
Sakura caught herself clenching her fist thinking about the pigheaded attitude of all three of the doctors. However, her heart seemed to lighten up when she saw Yuri and Moeka walking with their arms linked. Yuri was making a very good impression of Ryo when he was scowling. Moeka giggled and nudged the younger nurse. Behind them, Genma walked as he pulled along the three horses that carried their medical supplies. Even in the distance, Sakura could see Genma sending a sly wink her way. She swallowed and could have sworn she tasted a little vomit.
"Ladies, I know it's pretty boiling out here but before the end of the day, you'll start to feel the bite," Sakura said putting her hands on her hips.
"That soon?" Yuri questioned.
"I would never survive out here," Moeka said looking around at the surrounding forest. In truth, people like her only survived because of the loyal shinobi that protected them.
"We'll be edging the border of hot water soon. After a rest tonight, we set off early in the morning. The walk should carry us through to the border of Frost by sunset. The temperatures will drop drastically once we near the borders," Sakura said mechanically. Her demeanor as a shinobi kicked in as she realized that there would be no time for her colleagues to adjust to the nature of traveling long distances through countries.
"Sakura, we should take rest here for a little while. The horses need water, and the others look like they could use a break," Genma said nodding towards the grumbling male doctors. As soon as they heard the word "break", the doctors all settled on a nearby rock. The two nurses found a shaded area under a large oak and plopped down into the grass.
While Genma secured the horses to a nearby tree and opened a small container of apples for them, Sakura swiftly leaped into the trees to do a surveillance of the area. Everything checked out and the wooded area was perfectly safe for their short respite.
After landing on the ground, Sakura joined the ladies under the shade. Moeka pulled out a bundle of cloth from her pack and pulled away a corner to reveal the top of a bottle. She shook the bottle and twisted the top open and offered Sakura the first drink. Sakura smiled gratefully and took a big gulp and sighed in pleasure.
"You froze the water? Ugh that is so refreshing!" Sakura said happily.
"I love cold water. On long walks or days when I exercise, I'll freeze a bottle to keep the water cold longer," Moeka giggled. She offered the bottle to Yuri before taking along sip herself. Yuri noticed Genma chewing on his senbon as he looked into the forest at different angles.
"Do you think we'll run into any trouble?" Yuri asked slightly worried.
"You ladies are responsible for helping the hospitals get back to normal operations. Any possibility of danger will be handled by Genma and myself. I promise nothing will happen to you girls. I wouldn't let it. Besides, Kakashi will be joining us in a few days. There's nothing to worry about," Sakura said with a reassuring smile. Yuri felt totally confident and went to rummage through her bag for some sun cream.
Moeka glanced at Yuri to make sure she wasn't paying any attention before turning to Sakura. "You're lying," Moeka whispered with a frown on her face.
Sakura swallowed but kept her poker face. "I meant it. I would protect you two with my life."
"Not about that. There's a big chance this mission will be full of the unexpected and danger. There's no other reason the hokage would send you AND Hatake-san," Moeka answered biting on her lower lip.
"It's just a precaution," Sakura said re-adjusting her gloves and brushing the dust off her vest. "Besides, why are you so damn observant? I swear, I still think you should join the academy."
"I might not have trained to become a shinobi, but I am my grandfather's adopted granddaughter. He may not have come from a bloodline, but he was certainly famous for his stealth and observant eyes," Moeka said proudly.
Sakura realized she had never known anything about Moeka's grandfather. "What was his name?"
"Ito. Taiga Ito."
"Taiga….Ito?" Sakura questioned letting the name roll off her tongue. It seemed like such a familiar name, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Before Sakura could grasp the memory, Genma walked over and slug his arm on Sakura's shoulder. "Sorry ladies, but we've got to get moving if we want to be on time," Genma said tapping his watchless wrist. Moeka ignored him and walked away to pick up her bags.
"Sheesh. You'd think I wronged her." Genma rolled his eyes and went to get the horses untied to continue their journey. Sakura sincerely wanted to punch him, but she figured she needed to reserve her energy for something important.
The group continued forward for another straight fourteen hours on foot before finally seeing signs of the village where the medics had gone missing. Katayuki was relatively large in size but had a population that was much smaller. The village served as one of the main trading posts between Lightening and Frost. The next main village with sizeable resources and hospital lay several miles away close to Shimogakure.
Upon entering the village of Katayuki, the people walking along the chilly streets gave half weary stares in their direction. Others looked to them with expressions of fear and quickly made their ways into nearby shops or back into their homes. Sakura ignored their blatant dislike for their arrival and instead, kept her eyes open for the hospital. To the far right hidden behind a row of apartments and stores, Sakura spotted the building with blue roofing and red hospital emblem.
The group pushed through the hospital doors after tying up the horses at a nearby stable. The hospital was really more of a large clinic than a hospital. The building consisted of two floors with a basic general surgery department and emergency room. An elderly nurse looked up from her folder to see the travel weary group. Pulling the glasses off her face and rubbing her eye, she stood up to make her way around the counter and approached them.
"You must be from Konoha," she said cutting right to the chase.
"Yes. We are here to help. If you could point us a medic lounge, we'll stow our belongings there temporarily to begin immediately," Sakura said patting her heavy packs.
"Of course. I'll have someone bring you something warm to drink while you put things away. Follow me," the woman waved her hand towards a hall to the right.
The group followed and just a few doors down, they were welcomed into a cozy space for medics to rest and eat. The woman showed them the basics around the room and invited them to use anything they needed freely.
"Our hospital normally doesn't see many quiet days. We have strangers stopping through these parts needing medical help, causing trouble for our residents, the hospital or both. Unfortunately for us, our prime location makes us a pit-stop for the unwelcome. Should anything happen, we have emergency alarm bells in each room and in every hallway towards the exits. We don't tolerate riffraff," the woman nodded sternly before continuing. "Here are the schedules. They indicate which departments need the most help. I thought it would be most helpful if your team split up into pairs". The tired woman handed them a schedule sheet with several stars scribbled into a few departments. The number of stars was almost alarming. Sakura looked blankly at the sheet while Genma's mouth lay slightly ajar. The woman cleared her throat and left the room.
Seiji sat up abruptly from a stool and plucked the schedule sheet from Sakura's hand before she could finish assessing it. He sighed as he sat back down.
"Oy, she was looking at that," Genma snapped with a frown.
"Well she isn't now is she?" Seiji remarked as he looked over the sheet. The other two males came to his side to read the sheet. Yuri's eye twitched as she watched the men blatantly ignore the rest of the team. Sakura felt fury bubbling behind her coming from both Yuri and Genma. She crossed her arms and kept her eyes focused on Seiji hoping her eyes would cut a hole straight through his skull. As she was wondering what it would feel like to smash his face into the coffee table situated in the middle of the employee lounge, Moeka unexpectedly walked past her and ripped the paper from Seiji's grasp.
Everyone's eyes fell on the young woman as she breathed unevenly. Her fist crumpled the schedule sheet into her small fist. "This isn't your home hospital Seiji," Moeka seethed. "This also isn't YOUR team," she said as she jabbed a finger into his shoulder. "There's way too much to be done and too many lives depending on us for you to be acting like a pompous asshole from the very minute we walk in. FALL IN LINE."
Seiji could only blink hard as he realized what was happening. He cleared his throat as Ibiki and Ryo rolled their eyes. "Moeka, you forget your own place. You're just a nurse completing your first year at the hospital. You're one of the oldest graduates from nursing school. Everyone in your class went straight into nursing school while you crawled out of your sad life hoping to become something. Speaking to me, your superior, in that manner really isn't going to get you anywhere in life. Especially now. Just wait until we get back from this mission. I'm going to personally make it my mission to make your life a living hell at the hospital," Seiji smirked as he looked her up and down.
"And I'll personally make it my mission to break every bone in your body and then heal it just so I can break it again," Sakura spat. "Moeka's right. We have too much to get done. Everyone mind your manners and get shit done. Do I need to repeat myself?"
Ryo shook his head and was met with a swift smack from Ibiki. "Let's partner up. Ryo, you can pair up with Yuri. I'll work with Seiji and Moeka can work alongside Ibiki," Sakura suggested.
"No. I'm fine working with Seiji," Moeka said with courage. Yuri scoffed and nudged the girl.
"Are you kidding? He just threatened to put you through hell!" Yuri whispered through her teeth into Moeka's ear.
"Doesn't matter. I won't cower under the likes of him. He can knock me down about finding my passion later than most people, but I'll never let him forget he only got into the hospital because of his parent's generous donation for three years before he completed medical school," Moeka quietly stated as she glared daggers at the rude surgeon.
"Guys, let's just get the day over with, shall we?" Genma interjected.
After several hours of grueling surgeries, emergency resuscitations, multiple blood transfusions and one incident of a small pen stuck up a boy's nose later, the team was officially given the chance for a break and meal.
Sakura was the last to enter the lounge to find Yuri with her shoes off massaging the balls of her feet while Moeka was taking out boxed lunches from a plastic bag. Seiji, Ibiki and Ryo were sitting at a long table eating sandwiches. Genma was the only one missing.
"What time is it?" Yuri asked as Sakura sat down on the couch with the ladies.
Moeka pulled a small pocket watch from her uniform. "It's almost 9pm".
"WHAT?! Ugh…I could have sworn it was almost 12. We still have three more hours after this? This day just won't end soon enough," Yuri cried out.
"Yeah, tell me about it," Moeka grumbled as she glanced at Seiji's back. "I found a convenience store around the corner of the hospital and bought a few bento boxes on sale."
Sakura thanked Moeka and dug in. She mostly ate in silence as she thought about looking for the village elder that had those charred remains. Just as she was thinking about the remains, Genma walked through the lounge door. Moeka seemed to chew in disgust at his arrival.
"I scouted the borders of the village and haven't seen anything unusual. Our communications contact should be passing through in 48 hours. I also spoke with the village elders. They want to wrap and soak the remains in a special fluid. It's apparently tradition before a person is buried," Genma reported.
"The remains have to be left untouched. There is no way to tell for sure what happened if they add any sort of chemicals or substances to those bones," Sakura sighed in frustration.
"I relayed that tiny important part to the village elders. They agreed only to wrap the remains in their traditional cotton bindings. They said the bones cannot leave the burial house on the outskirts of the eastern portion of the village. If you want to see them, your window of opportunity starts as soon as your shift is over." Genma replied grimly.
"Well, I guess my real job starts after this," Sakura breathed as she stuffed a piece of katsu into her mouth.
