Cocoon

Chapter 11

~o~

After some discussion with Kiba and the Wolfmother, the decision was made to keep Hinata at the wolf farm until she came to term. Despite Shino's intervention, the safety of the child was still in question, and they all agreed that any extra stress upon the brittle Hinata would not contribute positively to her health. The Wolfmother also agreed to let Shino stay, even if keping the father nearby was against tradition. But Hinata's pregnancy was far from the tradition that Wolfmother was used to, so it mattered little. Regardless, Shino would not be removed from Hinata's side, and that he was absolutely adamant about.

Over the next few weeks, Hinata gradually began to regain her strength. She eventually escaped her cot, and got back on her feet for small periods of time. She even managed to do a bit of housework, which she insisted on despite the Wolfmother's protests. Hinata really couldn't thank the old woman enough, and she felt obligated to repay her in any small way she could. However, usually five minutes into starting something, she'd soon tire herself out, but her shadow was right there to finish the job for her.

Shino followed her almost everywhere, except for her restroom trips to the small cavern behind the shack. Although Shino had almost gotten used to the smell of the place, that cavern was all too much for him. Plus, Hinata valued that tiny bit of privacy she had left. Not that she minded Shino's presence...he was quiet as usual for the most part, but sometimes she just needed a bit of time to herself to think.

But around the third week of Shino's arrival, even her own thoughts seemed oddly crowded. When Hinata returned to her room from her sixth cavern trip that afternoon, Shino remarked on the disgruntled look on her face.

"It's hard to explain..." she answered, rubbing her thumb into her temple. Shino continued to look at her expectantly.

"It's as if there are dozens of voices saying things all at once...but not...words? Exactly? More like...they're saying feelings. It makes it hard to think."

Shino's eye widened. Hinata looked at him curiously. "What?"

"I've never heard it explained so perfectly before."

"It?"

He gave her a half smile. "Those voices, that's the hive...trying to speak with you. Obviously they don't speak our language, so they communicate with hivemind, or rather...their collective feelings, as you said."

Hinata looked at her ever-growing belly, which she noticed had suddenly obtained a soft vibration within.

"You mean my...I mean...our baby's hive is talking?"

He gave a slight nod. "Can you tell what they're trying to say?"

Hinata closed her eyes and concentrated on the foreign presence in her mind. She felt a humming warmth from within her.

"Protect...I think that's what they're saying. Just that, over and over again."

Shino smiled a strange and shaky smile. Hinata cocked her head to the side.

"Shino? Are you alright?"

He looked into her eyes, calmly and sincerely, placing a hand on hers.

"Now you have a taste of what it's like to be me."

It was as if she was looking through a tiny crack in the wall that was Shino. He had always been a black sheep among his peers, and even Hinata had always had trouble wrapping her head around him sometimes. But in this moment, she realized that she had connected with him in a way that no other could have, not even his family. No outsider that Shino had ever been close to had shared the experience of being a hive carrier.

Concern...concern...protect...care...the hive buzzed quietly in her subconciousness. Is this what Shino was hearing? How often did it happen? Hinata was overwhelmed with curiousity.

"What kinds of things does you hive say to you?"

The solumness of his gaze dropped a bit. "Many, many different things. But they've been with me for so long, I seldom know what thoughts are mine and what are theirs. All things considered, I suppose there is no me nor them. They are me, and I am them."

Hinata leaned in towards him, her attention locked and unwavering.

"What are they saying right now?" she asked quietly.

"To protect you...at all costs."

"It must be maddening..."

"Mmm," he murmured, looking a bit distant.

This is why. Shino had always seemed so emotionless...but within him, he was the polar opposite. He could feel as no one other person could. He felt with the emotions of a million souls swirling together and cooperating all at once. He was one, and yet so many. Hinata could barely fathom it...the thoughts made her head spin, and her stomach as well.

Unease...sick...fear...confusion...her emotions felt as if they were being read aloud to her from a storybook.

"Ugh...I'm starting to feel sick again...at least the hive seems to be telling me so."

Shino chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair, now matted with sweat.

"It's interesting, you would think having a million voices in your head would make things messy and confusing, but it actually helps you keep a clear head. They can sense exactly what you're feeling and help you to cope with it. It's almost like having a million tiny therapists with you."

"That's nice...I really need to go to the cave...I feel really sick."

"My apologies. I'll help you..."

Hinata held out her hand and waved feebly in protest as she sat up and oozed her way out of her cot.

"No no, please...I feel so disgusting right now, I just want to be by myself...please."

Shino wasn't very happy with this, she could tell. He strongly disliked it when Hinata berated herself like that, and was strongly opposed to leaving her in her times of weakness. Plus, after her brief experience with the hive, she was aware that his own hive was screaming at him to accompany her.

Desperate to keep him stayed put, she decided to try an expiriment. She took a great deep breath, closed her eyes, and attempted to clear her head as much as she could. She tried to focus on the balancing forces of white and black, an old trick from her clan used in meditation practices. After a few moments, the other voices in her head became quite clear.

Calm...calm...okay...peace...

Please, she asked herself. Please, if you can understand, please let Shino know it's okay. Please let him know he can let me go.

Calm...calm...

"What are you doing, Hinata?"

We're okay. It's okay...we'll be okay...please. Just be calm. We will be okay.

"What...what on earth did you do?"

Hinata opened her eyes to find Shino looking over himself, completely confused and mildly alarmed.

"Huh?" was the only thing she could muster.

"My head...my thoughts...they're almost completely silent. I haven't felt this in years...if ever"

Hinata gave him a half-smile. Her nausea was overwhelming. "I told my hive to tell yours to be quiet and stop worrying."

Shino lifted a brow, clearly ready to pounce on her with questions like a paleontologist discovering the first fossil with feathers.

"I really gotta go..." Hinata squeaked, holding a hand to her lips before rushing out of the shack.

~o~

Hinata squatted with the least amount of dignity one could have, heaving loads of bile from herself like a thoroughly rotted nectarine spews forth its contents when clenched in a firm grasp.

Gods, what torture pregnancy was. Hinata knew more than anyone that she was a powerful force to be reckoned with when she put her mind to it, but this level of weakness was absolutely soul-rending. Her hive was of no help to her, either. Tiny therapists, Shino had called them...more like a tiny prison cellblock full of angry, screaming inmates.

Weak...sick...thirsty...tired...water...sick...sick...help...

It was like having a cluster headache, if that headache could talk. Hinata could barely hear herself think. She was overwhelmed by the collective, constant complaints of the hive.

She held her hand out to the cave wall, attempting to support herself, but only collapsed. Most likely in her own bile, for that matter. But Hinata couldn't bring herself to care. She longed for her soft futon, her clean sheets, her polished toilet with the little lavender-scented candle by the sink. She would kill a man for a scented candle and and oscillating fan. She was so hot...

so tired...so tired...sick...tired...sleepy...

She needed Shino...she didn't want anyone touching her...but she needed him. She needed to be out of this hellish pit.

disgust...sick...tired...help...help...

She dragged a limp arm across her mouth to wipe the bile dribbling from it. She closed her eyes, wishing for the sweet, tender embrace of death. How disgusting. How completely awful.

Her head tilted back...and then she was being carried. Thank goodness...Shino is here...to take me to a bathtub...

help...help...sick...help...

Shino, you're picking me up too fast... I feel sick, I'm going to barf again...

help...help...help...

Ow, you're hurting me...what is that smell?

help...help...danger...hurt...help

Put me down...help...HELP...you're not safe...not safe...let go...HELP! HELP!

Hinata's eye cracked open a sliver, and caught a glimpse of a dark blur. Shino?

HELP! STRANGE! DANGER! HELP!

~o~

Author's Note: Whoa holy crap it's been 2 years since my last update. But you poor guys in my review inbox encouraged me to finish this silly thing. I have an ending and everything! Sometimes its just hard to find the motivation to write this stuff. But I'll do it for you guys! Thanks for reading!