Konan panted slightly as she forced more chakra into her hands and pressed down. It had been hours since Hidan and Kakuzu had bought Deidara back and so far, he was almost out of the danger zone. The only thing she had to worry about were the infections and fever.

Her hands were singed and red. The over use of chakra was finally catching up. Rubbing her eyes, Konan turned around and went to the table where more gauze was. She needed to replace the bandages that had been put on him earlier. It was to help keep the infection out.

Her mind was long gone and her body went without any orders. She was too far gone to of realized that there was another presence in the room.

"Konan."

She turned her head, "Hmm?"

It was Pein.

The pierced man stalked over to her and grabbed her hands.

She flinched at the contact and the sudden burning. He stared grimly at her.

"You need a gel pack."

"After I change his bandages." She murmered as a sudden cooling sensation flooded into her hands. Pein gently wrapped the gel pads around her hands and kissed them softly.

"You should know better than to over strain yourself." He scolded as she bumped foreheads with his. "I know..."

"Why don't you go and get some sleep?" He suggested in a whisper.

She shook her head slightly, "Someone has to watch him."

"I'll change his bandages and watch over him and Kiku while your asleep, hows that sound?"

Konan raised her head and stared into his purple ringed eyes. "Only if you promise not to take your eyes off of them."

"I'll do my best." He promised, implanting a kiss on her forehead, "Now go to your room and rest. You deserve it."

Pein watched her leave and glanced over at Deidara. His face was pale and badly bruised, his cheekbone swollen and almost black. His breathing came out in shallow gasps and he let out an occasional whimper.

His jaw tightened in disgust at the trail of hicki's that danced around his collar bone disappearing underneath the bandage wrapped around his chest.

Pein prepared himself as he began to unwrap the bandages.

What he saw, made him take a seat beside the bed.

It took a moment for him to regain his control and stand back up.

A long slash from the breast to lower gut was the first thing he saw. Then the bruises and stitchings. Every inch of Deidara's body had some sort of injury on it. The only part of his entire body that had the most minimal damage was his neck. And starring at all these things, made him go numb. This was going to stay imprinted into his mind for a very long time.

'He doesn't deserve this.' He thought, 'Any of it.'

"How does it feel?" Came a cold voice, "Knowing that all this is your fault?"

He looked over his shoulder and glared at Kiku. She was sitting up on a medic bed a few feet away, staring him down.

"Now is not the time." He growled, not in the mood to be blamed about something he already knew.

The blonde slipped off the bed and strolled up beside him. She stared down at her brother and let out a long heavy sigh. "I know exactly how you feel."

Memories of her father flashed through her mind as she set a hand on Deidara's forehead. "Everything's your fault, you couldn't do anything to protect him, you feel weak. Believe me, I've been there, done that, and still there, cho."

"Hmph, bet nothing like this ever happened." He grumbled bitterly.

"Not as bad, but just as frightening." She murmered, "Kaa-san was off on a week long job and Deidara and I were there. Tou-san of course was there, drunk as ever. Seeing your brother raped before your eyes is the most horrifying thing anyone could experiance as a child. Then him falling limp like a rag doll was just..." Her voice trailed off, "You get my point."

The problem was, he didn't get it. How was that just of horrifying as this?

"Anywho," She said grabbing fresh bandages, "You tell anyone about this conversation and I will blow this base sky high."

He reached out for the cover ups, but she jerked her hand back, "And why do you think you're doing this by yourself? Get your own."

Pein snorted and turned away. "I don't remember Konan giving you position to rewrap the patient."

"Well last time I checked, I have more medical knowledge than you do so I win~" She shot back with a smug. "And he's my big brother so I'm helping whether you like it or not, cho."

The leader pretended to look irritated, but inwardly, he felt better knowing he was on better terms with Kiku.

"That's not how you do it!" She barked in that bossy 'I know it all' tone, "It's not suppose to be that loose! Redue it!"

"I'm leader therefore I don't have to!"

She gripped her hair in frusuration, "This is the reason why you're still on first base with Konan!"

"How do you know that?"

The blonde 'shh'd' him, "Nii-san's sleeping!"

-_-" Had to wing it on this chapter...