* * * * * * *5
"...niisan..." a soft voice pleaded. "Neji-niisan...wake up..."
The room remained silent while a "beep" rang at regular intervals.
"Neji-niisan. Don't let go...wake up..."
Still no answer from the still body.
"Niisan...please. Wake up..." the voice begged. "They think you're almost dead...that you'll die. But that's not true. I know that..."
Thoughtful look.
"I know you'll fight for your life. All these years, you've been fighting for your life....You won't give up now, will you? No. You won't....You won't..."
Pleading look.
"You aren't going to give them right, are you? You'll prove them wrong. You'll show them you never give up. Like you used to do...Like you've always done..."
Faraway look.
"Father came today to visit you. He said it would be a great loss for he whole clan if you were to die. He cares about you...you're like his son. Do you understand? his son. Even I his daughter means nothing to him... He doesn't believe in me at all. He believes in you, in your strenght and in your will. And I have to fight to gain his respect. I have to fight my weaknesses...and also fight you."
Exasperated look.
"So wake up now. I challenged you, you shouldn't die!" she shouted angry. "You aren't a loser are you? You aren't...get up so we can fight again! We're not over Neji-niisan! You have to settle things with me and with everyone. You have to live...because you're my brother."
Silent tears.
"Don't go like that..."
More sobs followed.
"Hinata-sama..." a voice whispered.
White blurry eyes opened.
"Hinata-sama, please come with me now..."
She dried her tears.
A nod.
A closing door.
Fingers moving slightly.
Searching for a hand.
A hand to hold on.
"There my dear." she said as she was done making the bed. "Is it okay? not too tight? not too warm?"
He shook his head absentmindedly.
The woman sat down, looking at her son's profile.
His skin was pale, his body had grown thin over the past weeks. But it still kept its solid constitution, thanks to years of taijutsu training. His arms were bandaged. So was his head. His face wore some little bruises here and there. Nothing particulary serious. Yet, his life had been endangered. Severly. And that blank look was there to remind his visitors of it.
"You know, those days, when you were..." she paused, searching for a less painful word "...unconscious...Tenten and your sensei were worried. Or rather, Tenten was furious and Gai-san was trying his best to prevent her from kicking you off the bed." She chuckled a little. "She was quite mad at you...but I think she was more afraid to lose one team-mate, again."
The boy didn't even raised an eyebrow at his mother's words.
"...There was also your friend...Lee. He came once or twice...just to check how you were doing. He was surprised when I told him about your condition. Hiashi-sama was surprised too. He only said he hoped you'd get well soon."
She turned to the boy.
He hadn't moved from his previous position. He was still looking at the wall some meters in front of him.
"...And there was Hinata-sama. She came almost every day, but most of the time she stayed outside, at the door. She was...shaken. She didn't expect you to be in such a bad state. She didn't understand what happened...." she paused "...to tell you the truth, I myself don't understand."
There was some sniffing.
He turned to her.
Her eyes was gazing at him, sorrowful.
His' remained as blank as ever.
She stood up.
"If you ever want anything, I'll be outside."
The door was closed on him.
Once again.
He looked down at his right hand.
He remembered. He remembered hearing Hinata-sama's words. Her soft words.
He remembered how they reached his mind, despite his comatose state.
He remembered how they reached his heart, despite his hate for her.
Hate...Hate?...how could he hate her? He couldn't hate her. He had never hated her. He had always spoken to her with disdain. He had always treated her as if she was nobody. He had always been so bad to her, calling her a loser, abusing her, harassing her as much as he could. But it wasn't her he was so angry at. It wasn't her he was abusing. It wasn't her he hated. It was himself. Because the things she did, he felt he couldn't do them. Because the things she had, he felt he couldn't have them. The Hyuga Main Family's blood, that he didn't have. That he wanted but couldn't have. The strenght, that he didn't have...and couldn't have.
No, he couldn't hate her. She had always been nice to him. She had never done anything wrong to him. But he had. He had pained her, hurt her. He had even tried to kill her, once.
He felt bad. Because all this time, she had never given up on him. She kept trying to regain his heart. His cold heart. She kept caring for him. She still thought of him as a brother. The infamous "Neji-niisan".
He felt he wasn't her brother.
He felt he didn't deserve her as a sister.
He felt he didn't deserve her care.
Neji-niisan, Neji-niisan, Neji-niisan...everytimes, she was such an idiot. She was such an idiot to hang on him. He the person who was trying his best not to get close to her.
He who dreaded getting involved with her.
He who was afraid of her.
Surely, all this time, he had been a coward. Hiding himself behind resentful words meant to no one but himself.
Until both of their destiny crossed Naruto's. Until he realized he was the loser among the three of them. Until he realized they were far above him.
Now what could he do?
Hinata wished him to live. To move on like he did before.
She wished him to fly up in the sky, like a bird.
But he felt his wings were broken.
He walked. Slowly.
Enjoying the way his feet were moving.
Enjoying the way they felt on the ground.
He was relieved he could finally get out the hospital room he had been in for some weeks now. His mother and the nurses kept him locked in every day. The very few moments he had spent outside, he had been locked in a wheelchair. And he hated the wheelchair. Because it made him feel he was disabled.
He sighed.
Now he understood how Lee was feeling. Living in an hospital for more than half a year could be very stressful.
Not to mention very dull.
Now he could appreciate the glittering green of the hedges. He could feel the grass under his feet. He could touch the trees' strong bodies, and feel the life emanating from them.
And there was the birds' incessant chirping.
There were birds and suddenly it felt like life was back around him.
It made him feel good.
He sat down under a huge tree.
"Neji-kun...? Neji-kun there you are."
White eyes lazily opened.
"Your mother and I have been searching you for almost half an hour and there I find you sleeping!"
"I was taking a quick nap Tenten."
"Quick you say? You've been gone for hours." she twitched her eyebrow "I thought your mom told you not to go too far, this place is at least one mile away from the hospital."
He stood up.
"I didn't see time pass..." he answered.
She pouted cluelessly.
Neji inwardly noted it was the first time he saw her do that.
"Well...Time to go back..." she whispered.
And so they did. In silence.
"Your arms...do they still hurt?" she asked.
"Not at all."
She sighed.
"...I hope they'll remove your bandages soon...So we can do missions together again...like a team."
He didn't need to face her. He knew the look that was printed on her face at the moment.
His mother, the nurses and now Tenten. They all wore that concerned look whenever they were around him. They were all concerned about him. They all cared about him.
And somehow, it made him want to reassure them.
It made him want to show them they shouldn't worry about him.
He wanted to show he could take care of himself.
He wanted to show he could be strong.