Kiri stepped inside the hospital room, moved the curtain aside, and spotted Natsumi sitting on the chair beside the bed where Sena lay unconscious, the blankets drawn up high and resting under her chin.
She smiled briefly and it faded as she stepped closer and stood beside Natsumi.
The monitors beeped quietly and Kiri watched as Sena's mask released puffs of oxygen.
"You know, the first time I met Sena was in the hospital like this." Kiri spoke softly. Natsumi didn't move or respond.
"It wasn't long after my brother died— only about a year. I was in a pretty dark place then." Kiri squatted in a sit and kept her eyes on Sena. "My parents were arguing with Yuuri again, and I was sick of it. So, I wandered around the village until I found myself outside of the hospital, just in time to see a team of ANBU bringing an eleven-year-old girl into the Emergency room."
Kiri let out a small breath and reached out to touch Sena's motionless hand.
"The sheet they had covering her was completely stained red with blood. I knew it was serious. I followed them inside, and there was such a panic that no one noticed me there." Kiri paused. "I watched through a little window as they immediately began to operate on her. She had lost half of her blood, had twenty broken bones, and had a crushed lung. She needed four organ transplants and several liters of blood, and she flat-lined twice before they were done. After almost a whole day of operating, she was finally stable."
The corners of Kiri's mouth twitched upward in a smile. "I remember being so... amazed that one little girl could survive all that. It put things into perspective for me, and I realized that constantly moping about losing Yuuta was pretty pathetic in comparison." Kiri's thumb gently stroked Sena's hand. "After that, I came to visit her every day, and I sat with her for a few hours at a time. Sometimes I sat in silence, and other times, I would just vent to her about my family and all the shit that was going on. Every single day, I saw her improve slowly and she became an inspiration for me."
Kiri shook her head slowly. "Sena might seem passive, but she's always been one hell of a fighter. That's what's always drawn me to her. She's come back from the brink of death. She's basically my idol."
After a long pause, Kiri continued to talk out loud as Natsumi stayed silent.
"After about a month, I couldn't be patient anymore." Kiri smiled. "So, I leaned in close to her and I said 'now listen here, you little shit, I've been telling you all about my life as if we were long-time friends, so you need to get your lazy ass up and be my friend for real instead of sleeping your whole life away.'"
Kiri laughed softly under her breath. "And then, she just opened her eyes as if she'd only been napping. We've been best friends ever since."
Kiri reached up to pat Natsumi's shoulder, but she flinched at the touch and Kiri immediately drew her hand back.
"She's going to be okay, Natsumi." Kiri paused. "She's been through worse."
She looked at the girl's pale face and blank expression, and her eyes lowered with her voice.
"It's not your fault, either. If anything... it's mine." Kiri clenched her fist and furrowed her brows. "I should have recognized the signs when the reports first came in, and when we found Sonoko. But... it just never crossed my mind because those damn brothers went off the radar a few years ago and ghosted us since."
She looked at Natsumi, whose eyes were empty and emotionless. Long-dried tears covered her cheeks and Kiri frowned at them, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Natsumi, sweetheart—"
Natsumi's eyes burst open and she stood suddenly, trembling uncontrollably as she blinked quickly, then ran out of the room. Kiri slapped herself with a scowl.
"Shit!" Kiri watched as she disappeared and her footsteps faded down the hall. "I didn't mean to say it."
Kiri sighed deeply and ran her fingers through her hair, then sat on the chair Natsumi had been occupying and looked down at Sena.
"What am I going to do, Sena? I'm not as natural with people as you are. I slip up and I say the wrong shit." Kiri closed her eyes momentarily and leaned back in the chair. "We need you, so hurry up and get better already."
"Sena, you are more than my best friend— you're the only real family I have left. Don't you dare even think about leaving me, okay? I'll... I'll find you in the afterlife and kick your ass." She clutched her hands into fists and rested them on her lap as her eyes watered and spilled over. "Don't leave me, Sena. Don't leave us. We need you."
Kiri bit her lip as a sob choked its way out of her throat. "Y-You know I'm only teasing when I say you act like a mom, you know?" She shut her eyes tightly as the tears flowed. "I actually like when you scold me. I like that you try to keep me on the right path. I lost my moral compass years ago, but then I find you and..." She bit her lip again. "You can't leave me, okay? I'll do whatever it takes to help you. I... I'll stop drinking. And cussing. And sleeping around... and I'll be more responsible with my money from now on... I'll pray to any and every god from all over the world. I'd do anything..."
She reached out to hold Sena's hand, her words nearly inaudible. "Just don't leave me. I'm afraid to be alone again. I'm scared as hell."
Kotetsu knocked on the door as it stood cracked open, then peered inside. Kiri sat on the chair beside the bed, holding Sena's hand in silence as she dozed off.
He stepped forward slowly and touched her shoulder, and her eyes burst open. She let out a breath and turned to look up at him.
"Oh, Kotetsu... it's you." She looked away for a moment and rubbed her eyes, masking the redness there. "Came to visit?"
"Just wondering how she's doing." He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "So... how is she doing?"
Kiri let out a long sigh and then shrugged. "She's... doing."
"Still no word about a cure?"
She shook her head and he frowned slightly and put his hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry. I wish I could do something."
"I don't know what to do." Kiri mumbled. "Part of me can't stand to sit here all the time and torture myself this way, while the other half never wants to leave."
His eyes fell to the floor as she continued.
"You know... I never got to give a proper goodbye to my mom..." Her voice lowered and she clenched her hands on her lap. "My last memory of her was how she died... and then, with Yuuta, I couldn't bring myself to go to his funeral. I couldn't. It was too painful... too real. To go would mean accepting his death, and I just... I couldn't do it."
Her lip quivered and her tightened her fists. "And when I lost my parents, too... I couldn't even step foot in the cemetery." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I thought I could do it that time... I was dressed, and I was right there, but I couldn't make it past the entrance... so, that's where I stayed through the whole thing, crying like a little kid. Even now, I can't even bring myself to step foot in the cemetery to see them."
A slow tear rolled down her cheek and she closed her eyes, loosening her fists.
"That's why... That's why I'm so conflicted about being here. I feel guilty for us getting into that situation in the first place... but then I also can't bear the thought of her being alone when she goes..." Another tear rolled down her cheek and she cracked her eyes open to look back up at Sena. "She doesn't have any family, though... no one else in the village that really cares about her. I can't abandon her the way I ran from Yuuta or my parents. That's just... too much guilt for me to live with."
Kotetsu's eyes widened slightly. "Kiri, you... you don't think she'll pull through?"
Kiri shook her head slowly, holding back more tears. "I hope I'm wrong... I want to be wrong, dammit... but it's been so long and there's no cure. I'm always in denial when it comes to this... but I have such an ominous feeling and I hate it."
Kotetsu let his hand linger on her shoulder and he pressed his lips together in a hard line, unable to find the right words to say. After a while, he moved to stand beside her.
"I don't think she'd want you so sit here all day." He finally said slowly, and he smiled faintly. "She'd tell you to stop moping and make better use of your time. Maybe even give you chores in her garden as a distraction."
Kiri's lips twitched in a faint smile and she slowly nodded. "Yeah... she likes to put me to work like that. Even though I suck at telling what's a weed and what isn't."
"So..." Kiri wiped her face and laughed quietly under her breath at herself. "Did you only come here to see how pathetic I was today?"
Kotetsu's cheeks warmed slightly and he scratched his head. "Ah... Well, no. Izumo is out sick today from food poisoning and the gates are being watched by his stand-in for now. Izumo and I usually have lunch together, and I didn't want to be alone... so I wanted to know if you'd want to come with me?"
He looked away as she looked up at him from the corner of her eyes.
"Are you asking me to lunch?"
His cheeks grew redder and he kept his eyes averted. "I... uh... well, you could use a little distraction, I think, and I'd like the company. So... I was thinking that it would benefit us both."
Kiri smiled slightly and leaned back in the chair before nodding. "Sure, I guess." She glanced back to Sena, and watched the steadiness of the heart rate monitor for a moment. "She'd nag me for not eating enough lately, anyway."
Kotetsu let out the breath he'd been holding and Kiri stood, then stretched and put a hand on her hip.
"So, where did you have in mind?"
Kotetsu blinked and scratched his head again. "Actually... I hadn't thought of that, yet. I was thinking you could decide."
Kiri smiled, linked arms with him, and then led him out of the room.
"Good. There's a new restaurant in town that I've been dying to try, and they only serve comfort foods and desserts. And, they have a lunch buffet."
"Sounds great." He glanced down at their arms, then looked away with a short laugh as she practically dragged him along. "Lead on, then."
Natsumi sighed and pulled her arms close as she walked slowly down the hall of the hospital, shaking her head to herself as she stared at the ground.
I should apologize to Kiri... I shouldn't have ran off like that... She bit her lip and shuddered. It's just a word, so it shouldn't bother me so much, but...
She bit her lip harder and let out a short sigh.
...I just can't stop having nightmares about it. And that voice... it's as if it follows me everywhere.
She stopped just outside of Sena's room, where the door was closed except for a thin crack. Her hand raised to turn the knob and she stopped as she heard voices from inside.
Wait... that's not Kiri.
She leaned closer and peered through the crack as two doctors spoke with a nurse as they stood around Sena with the blanket pulled down to the middle of her stomach.
"Are you sure?" The nurse asked in a soft voice. "Is that it?"
The doctors nodded, and Natsumi cracked open the door silently to hear them clearly.
"After all this time, we still haven't been able to identify or treat the poison, and we've tried every antidote possible— even digging through old medical records from the founding of the Leaf."
"We've just been buying time, trying to Seal it in one area and making this harder on her." The second doctor brushed his fingers against Sena's neck to direct their attention there, but the first doctor stood in Natsumi's way so that she couldn't see. "And all this time, the poison has been seeming to adapt."
"Adapt?" The nurse's eyes widened slightly and she looked down at the patient. "I thought there was something odd..."
The first doctor nodded. "It seems to be growing stronger, and developing immunities to our treatments. It's spreading far more rapidly than we ever predicted. It almost has a mind of its own."
"Have we looked at other options?" The nurse touched Sena's forehead and frowned. "Could it be a microscopic parasite?"
"We've already looked into that." The second doctor let out a short breath. "We've had both the Aburame and the Nara medical experts in to examine her. Both concluded that it was venom, but from what animal, we don't know."
"So... it's really hopeless then." The nurse bit her lip. "This girl is going to die?"
Natsumi's eyes widened and she trembled.
No.
"That's correct..." The second doctor cleared his throat. "Although... the question is how much time exactly there is left, and what options there are. She has no family, so it's more difficult to have to make decisions like this."
"...To wait and see how long it takes on its own, and how much she'll suffer, or... to simply put her to sleep quickly and painlessly." The second doctor said, running his fingers through his hair. "Those are the choices we have."
No.
The nurse shook her head and covered her mouth. "All of her teammates that have been in so often to see her... they'll have to be told first. Given some kind of warning..."
"Do it as soon as possible." The first man put his hand into his pocket. "The less she has to suffer, the better. I can't even begin to imagine what pain she might be in, but unable to show it."
Natsumi's heart pounded and she let out a quiet, pained moan and stumbled forward.
No...
Three pairs of eyes turned to her in surprise and the nurse quickly tried to block Natsumi's view with her body.
"Miss Uzumaki! You can't be in here right now!"
Natsumi straightened and stared between them, shaking her head. "...No. It's not true. It's not..."
"She's in shock." The nurse muttered and stepped toward Natsumi. "Please, calm down. Let's try not to get worked up... you should sit, and we can calmly talk about this."
Her heart pounded in her ears and the room spun slowly around as she looked at the adults that approached her.
No.
Pushing past them, she stood beside Sena and her eyes widened again, staring down at what the sheet had been hiding.
Most of the skin of the torso was a dull, pale gray, and the veins themselves were black in color, spreading up to just under Sena's chin and extending down her arms and to her wrists. A protective seal had been placed over her heart, but it was faded almost entirely and the gray, bruised appearance already beginning to alter the last of the untainted skin there. Despite the reassurance of the steady beeping of the monitor, Natsumi could see Sena's chest rising and falling unsteadily, as if it was gasping on its own.
The scar at the base of her neck from the blade was bubbled and dark black in color, seeming to almost pulse as if it were alive. With each pulse, Sena's chest shuddered as she breathed, and Natsumi's stomach twisted at the sight.
No... it can't be... what is that thing?!
Natsumi whipped her head around to glare at the doctors, pointing at the black pustules as her voice rose.
"What is that?! What are you doing?! Why aren't you helping her?!"
"Miss—"
The nurse tried to touch her shoulder, and Natsumi shoved her back hard, until she stumbled and fell to the ground. Natsumi shook and turned her eyes on the doctors, who stepped back several steps as her eyes burned and she clenched her fists.
"You're supposed to be helping her! You're supposed to be curing her! Why is she still like this?! Why haven't you been doing your job?!"
"Call in security." The first doctor ordered the nurse, who scrambled to her feet and quickly ran out of the room. He looked back at Natsumi with his hands up. "Please, calm down. We've tried every traditional method and cure, as well as many experimental ones... there's nothing else we can do for your friend."
"LIAR!" Natsumi screamed and tears flowed freely down her face. "You're lying!"
"I'm sorry to have to say this to you." The second man approached, as if trying to herd her. "I really am. But your friend is suffering. Please consider that. All we want is for her to be able to pass as peacefully as possible at this point... you have to understand that we've done all we could for her."
"I DON'T HAVE TO UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!"
Several Chunin guards filled the room as Natsumi lunged at one of the doctors. Two guards grabbed her and she thrashed angrily against them.
"No! Let me go! He's lying! He's refusing to help her!" Natsumi gritted her teeth and continued to glare at him. "YOU'D BETTER HOPE THAT NOTHING HAPPENS TO HER! OR I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR I WILL!"
Kiri sighed and walked with her hands in her pockets, smiling faintly as she looked at Kotetsu beside her from the corner of her eye.
"Thanks for inviting me to lunch. I really needed that distraction."
He smiled and looked at her, scratching his head. "No problem. It's the least I could do, considering I can't help any other way."
"Really though... I really appreciate it." She nudged him with her elbow and then looked forward. "I've been feeling like I've been losing my mind lately. It's nice to have a little bit of time to relax and feel normal."
"Anytime."
They stopped walking as yelling reached them from down the hall and a group of security offers rushed into a room. Kiri's face paled.
"Oh no."
Kotetsu's eyes widened and he followed her quickly. "That voice... is that...?"
Kiri burst through the doorway amidst the chaos and saw Natsumi restrained by two guards as she screamed, nearly growling each word out venomously.
"LET ME GO! HE'S LYING!"
"...Natsumi?" Kotetsu froze in the doorway as he looked over the girl. "Her eyes..."
Kiri clamped a hand over his mouth and shook her head quickly, muttering. "Her eyes are fine. No one is going to know about this."
He nodded after a moment and she removed her hand, then pushed through the guards and shoved them aside.
"Get off her! I've got it!"
Natsumi, now free, lunged again at the doctor with a growl and Kiri caught her quickly, looping her arms under the girl's arms and locking her hands behind her neck.
"NO! LET GO!" Her voice deepened and she thrashed again.
"Natsumi! Get a hold of yourself!" Kiri turned her head to avoid the full force of a headbutt, and she softened her voice, her grip remaining tight as everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath. "I don't want to have to use Genjutsu on you..."
Natsumi's struggles slowed and tears rolled down her cheeks.
"H-He's lying..." She murmured as her voice cracked. "He's lying..."
Kiri let out a soft sigh as Natsumi's body slowly relaxed and the pale violet hue faded from her skin.
"Natsumi, who's lying?" She asked quietly. "About what?"
Natsumi's eyes closed and she sobbed harder, her body becoming heavy as she collapsed to her knees. Kiri followed her to the ground, loosening her grip and stroking her hair.
"...He said Sena was going to... he said..." Natsumi covered her face as she cried harder, unable to finish.
Kiri's eyes widened and she stared quickly up at the doctor, who had pressed his back against the wall in fear.
"You said... what?"
The second doctor blinked and swallowed the lump in his throat, looking warily at Natsumi as he slowly spoke.
"I-I'm sorry to have to tell you this way... but your friend... her condition has advanced too quickly... We're out of treatment options, and she's suffering. She... isn't going to make it."
Kiri froze in place and Kotetsu's eyes rounded as he looked at her, whispering to himself. "Oh no..."
Kiri's eyes rested on Sena and she started to tremble as she looked at the discoloration there.
"You can't mean..." Kiri's lip quivered. "She's..."
"We're not sure exactly how much time she has left, but we know it's eminent... I'm sorry."
Kiri covered her mouth and closed her eyes briefly as Natsumi cried harder in her arms.
"You're sure?" She glanced back up at him. "Completely...?"
The first doctor cleared his throat and nodded at the guards, who slowly filed out of the room, and then nodded again. "Yes... I'm sorry."
After a moment of silence, the doctor spoke again. "If you wouldn't mind, we'd like to have a word with you about the two options that remain... you're the one listed as her emergency contact, and in lieu of having family to consult..."
Kiri nodded slowly and brought herself to a stand, helping Natsumi to her feet. "I... I understand."
"Kotetsu..." Kiri addressed him with her back turned. "Could you... take Natsumi out of the room please?"
He blinked and nodded after a moment. "Y-Yes..."
"Kiri, no." Natsumi muttered and clung to her shirt, cracking open her eyes to look up at her. "You... You can't..."
"Natsumi, go with Kotetsu." Kiri muttered and kept her eyes averted. "...Please."
"No!" Natsumi bit her lip and shook her head. "Please don't make me."
"Please, Natsumi." A slow tear rolled down her cheek as she nudged Natsumi toward him. "Just go."
Kotetsu put his hands on Natsumi's shoulder and slowly led her out of the room, watching Kiri, who turned away from him.
"Come on." He led her to the door quietly, his eyes cast downward. "It'll be okay..."
Natsumi walked with him, too numb to protest, and he led her into the waiting room and sat with a heavy sigh. Natsumi stood beside the window and stared out as a breeze blew through the trees. She glanced at him and he was deep in thought and his expression grim.
It can't be true... Natsumi bit her lip and looked back outside. It can't... There's got to be something that they haven't tried yet.
Her throat closed and she clutched at her stomach.
But... this feeling I've had...
She swallowed and her lip trembled. She looked over her shoulder back down the halls.
I have to know what they're saying. After all, Sena's one of my best friends... one of my first friends.
Natsumi glanced at Kotetsu, still lost in thought, and then turned and ran back down the halls quickly. He blinked and jumped to his feet, chasing after her.
"Natsumi, wait!"
She ran faster, finally stopping outside of Sena's door and she quieted her breathing to listen through the door.
"...I don't know what to do." Kiri's voice was muffled through the door.
"She's in a lot of pain." The doctor responded. "She can't communicate just how much, but she's suffering."
"I just..." Kiri choked. "I can't just make a decision like this so easily... I can't give up on her."
"We understand. We really do." The second doctor added. "We just don't want her to suffer like this anymore."
"Damn it..." Kiri held back a sob. "I can't face everyone if I make that choice. I know she's in pain... I can see it with my own eyes... but..."
"I know." The first doctor sighed. "We estimate that she has a day left, if we don't intervene. And even that might be a generous guess. "
Natsumi's eyes widened and she covered her mouth, realizing Kotetsu had caught up to her and was standing beside her, eavesdropping as well.
"No..." Kiri muttered. "That soon?"
"I'm sorry. I wish we had better news."
"I..." Kiri paused. "I'll... let the team know. I think it would be best if we were all here for it... so she won't be alone."
Natsumi's vision blurred with cold tears that fell onto the floor.
No... it can't be true... only... one day?
The door opened slowly and the doctor stepped out, seeing the eavesdroppers and shaking his head before walking away. Kiri noticed the pair finally, and bit her lip before turning away. Natsumi shook and hugged her arms close, running back down the hall as a heavy silence settled there.
"Kiri..." Kotetsu stepped inside, reaching out to touch her arm, only to have it slapped away.
"Don't." She whispered and hugged her own arms close, facing away from him.
"...I'm so sorry."
"Don't." Her voice cracked and she shoved him away, her voice barely a whisper. "Please just go. I need... a minute alone."
He nodded quietly and lowered his arm, then retreated out of the door. The door shut with a click and he lingered on the other side, both palms against the door as he pressed his forehead to it, his eyes closed tightly.
Kiri pressed her back to the door and broke into a loud sob, sliding down to the floor after a moment, howling into her hands as she tried to muffle the noise and drew her legs close to her as she cried.