Chapter 8: Pain
Gaara sat in a chair by her bed, late at night. He watched her chest slowly rise and fall with each breath. She looked so strange, with the oxygen mask and that sad look on her face...
"Well," the doctor had told him, "It's a good thing you got here fast enough. She's pretty roughed up. Four broken ribs, her right arm is broken in three areas, and wounds all over her back. Not to mention the severe bruising all over her body. As far as we can tell, she doesn't have brain damage from lack of oxygen, but we can't be sure until she's awake. Luckily, her legs are fine, so if she doesn't have brain damage, she'll walk out of here pretty soon..."
Gaara had winced at the list of injuries, most of which he had caused. If he hadn't stopped, Kitai wouldn't be sleeping here before him, but would probably be a pile of broken bones drenched in blood...
How could he ever think there could be someone precious to him? It was obvious that he was a danger to everyone around him. If Kitai stayed with him, he would only end up hurting her more...
"Oh, you poor boy," said a nurse the next morning, "Have you been here all night?" Gaara nodded slowly. "Did you sleep at all?" Gaara shook his head slowly. He was used to it. Just another sleepless night after twelve years of long nights.
"Oh, you really shouldn't exhaust yourself so much..." the nurse looked at Kitai, "She must be a very lucky girl to have someone as devoted as you." Gaara couldn't answer.
He stared silently at Kitai as the nurse bustled around and recorded readings. Gaara would give up everything to have her back to normal... He closed his eyes in frustration at himself...
"Oh! Dear, you really shouldn't try to move!" the nurse exclaimed. Gaara's eyes snapped open. Kitai's eyes were open too. Gaara stood up and walked to her slowly. Kitai turned slightly and looked at him, but, instead of being her usual cheery blue eyes, her eyes were full of fear and sadness. Gaara stopped mid-step.
"Sorry, but you're gonna have to step outside," the nurse ushered him out as she called for a doctor. Gaara stood outside the room, her eyes imprinted in his mind. He could see, just from the look she gave him, that she was now truly scared of him... and the monster within him...
"Son, hello?" the doctor was speaking to him. Gaara quickly gathered his thoughts. "Well, good news: she doesn't have any brain damage. In fact, we're moving her down to the Recovery Wing, since she won't need so much equipment anymore." A few nurses pushed Kitai out the room in a rolling bed. Gaara noticed how she avoided his eyes.
"You can go see her once we're finished putting casts on," said the doctor as he walked away. So, he really was an abomination... even to Kitai.
"Okay, you can see her now. She's conscious, and should be able to talk just fine," the doctor left Kitai's room, leaving Gaara at the door. He slowly walked in. Kitai was not connected to any machines anymore, and she was quietly looking out the window. She didn't even turn her head as he came in.
"Kitai?" he asked softly. She still didn't look at him, "How... how are you feeling?" Still no answer. He didn't realize silence gave such a strong impression.
"Does it hurt... a lot?" Kitai turned away from the window and hung her head. Her eyes were closed tightly. "I-I'm so sorry..." She still didn't look at him.
"I understand..." he turned around, resting the palms of his hands on her bed, "If you want to hate me..." Kitai looked at him. She couldn't see his face, since his back was turned toward her. "I understand... why the village, you, everyone else... would be afraid... of this monster." His body shook and he gripped the sheets tightly. A few tears squeezed out of his eyes, although she couldn't see them.
"There's a Hunter Nin after me..." he continued, "He gave me a day to take care of you. This afternoon, I'll go face him... You should head back to the village... You'll be happier without me..." He walked out of the room.
Kitai didn't know whether to hate him or call after him. She sat in silence for so long, unsure of everything as she stared at the door.
"Oh, did your friend leave already?" asked the nurse as she walked in, "I'm sure he'll be back soon. He seemed like a very nice boy." Kitai closed her eyes. A single tear squeezed out.
"It's lunch time!" the nurse chimed as she stepped through the door. "I hope you like... Oh!" Kitai's bed was empty. Her clothes that had been in the corner were gone. "She left? But how?"
Gaara sat in a chair by her bed, late at night. He watched her chest slowly rise and fall with each breath. She looked so strange, with the oxygen mask and that sad look on her face...
"Well," the doctor had told him, "It's a good thing you got here fast enough. She's pretty roughed up. Four broken ribs, her right arm is broken in three areas, and wounds all over her back. Not to mention the severe bruising all over her body. As far as we can tell, she doesn't have brain damage from lack of oxygen, but we can't be sure until she's awake. Luckily, her legs are fine, so if she doesn't have brain damage, she'll walk out of here pretty soon..."
Gaara had winced at the list of injuries, most of which he had caused. If he hadn't stopped, Kitai wouldn't be sleeping here before him, but would probably be a pile of broken bones drenched in blood...
How could he ever think there could be someone precious to him? It was obvious that he was a danger to everyone around him. If Kitai stayed with him, he would only end up hurting her more...
"Oh, you poor boy," said a nurse the next morning, "Have you been here all night?" Gaara nodded slowly. "Did you sleep at all?" Gaara shook his head slowly. He was used to it. Just another sleepless night after twelve years of long nights.
"Oh, you really shouldn't exhaust yourself so much..." the nurse looked at Kitai, "She must be a very lucky girl to have someone as devoted as you." Gaara couldn't answer.
He stared silently at Kitai as the nurse bustled around and recorded readings. Gaara would give up everything to have her back to normal... He closed his eyes in frustration at himself...
"Oh! Dear, you really shouldn't try to move!" the nurse exclaimed. Gaara's eyes snapped open. Kitai's eyes were open too. Gaara stood up and walked to her slowly. Kitai turned slightly and looked at him, but, instead of being her usual cheery blue eyes, her eyes were full of fear and sadness. Gaara stopped mid-step.
"Sorry, but you're gonna have to step outside," the nurse ushered him out as she called for a doctor. Gaara stood outside the room, her eyes imprinted in his mind. He could see, just from the look she gave him, that she was now truly scared of him... and the monster within him...
"Son, hello?" the doctor was speaking to him. Gaara quickly gathered his thoughts. "Well, good news: she doesn't have any brain damage. In fact, we're moving her down to the Recovery Wing, since she won't need so much equipment anymore." A few nurses pushed Kitai out the room in a rolling bed. Gaara noticed how she avoided his eyes.
"You can go see her once we're finished putting casts on," said the doctor as he walked away. So, he really was an abomination... even to Kitai.
"Okay, you can see her now. She's conscious, and should be able to talk just fine," the doctor left Kitai's room, leaving Gaara at the door. He slowly walked in. Kitai was not connected to any machines anymore, and she was quietly looking out the window. She didn't even turn her head as he came in.
"Kitai?" he asked softly. She still didn't look at him, "How... how are you feeling?" Still no answer. He didn't realize silence gave such a strong impression.
"Does it hurt... a lot?" Kitai turned away from the window and hung her head. Her eyes were closed tightly. "I-I'm so sorry..." She still didn't look at him.
"I understand..." he turned around, resting the palms of his hands on her bed, "If you want to hate me..." Kitai looked at him. She couldn't see his face, since his back was turned toward her. "I understand... why the village, you, everyone else... would be afraid... of this monster." His body shook and he gripped the sheets tightly. A few tears squeezed out of his eyes, although she couldn't see them.
"There's a Hunter Nin after me..." he continued, "He gave me a day to take care of you. This afternoon, I'll go face him... You should head back to the village... You'll be happier without me..." He walked out of the room.
Kitai didn't know whether to hate him or call after him. She sat in silence for so long, unsure of everything as she stared at the door.
"Oh, did your friend leave already?" asked the nurse as she walked in, "I'm sure he'll be back soon. He seemed like a very nice boy." Kitai closed her eyes. A single tear squeezed out.
"It's lunch time!" the nurse chimed as she stepped through the door. "I hope you like... Oh!" Kitai's bed was empty. Her clothes that had been in the corner were gone. "She left? But how?"