Wah! Once again, credits and cookies to Kagaya for her support! Daisuki! hug
Enjoy!
TO ALL BYNK Readers: There will be a delay, because, well, I haven't typed it out yet when I was supposed to. Gomen … .
JU-ON 9Iruka kept his eyes tightly shut, not wanting to see what's in front of him. He felt his body being squeezed, yelling at himself.
Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!
"You're stalling." Whispered the eerie cold voice. "You're wasting time. You need to kill him now! You have to kill him now!"
WAKE UP!
XXX
Iruka sat up with a start, a gasp escaping his lips as he felt the muscles all over his body cramp and start to ache dully. He suddenly felt very sick and brought his hands to his mouth as he tried to stop the violent convulsions of his stomach.
"Here!" A metal pan was shoved beside the bed he was in, as he was guided to lean over the bed and empty his stomach.
He was blinded by the disgusting coppery taste in his mouth as he spat and heaved, his breath occasionally hitching in his throat. Minutes ticked by, and at the end of it all, he was tired and just wanted to pass out. His head was swimming and he felt too tired and drowsy. A brief glance at the pan told him that the contents were red and he didn't even want to take a closer look to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. With shaking hands, he pushed himself back against the bed he was on, tilting his head to one side so that he was facing the window on one side of the room. The sound of rushing water and shuffle of footsteps made him turn to find Tsunade drying her hands with a towel, looking seriously worried.
"Hokage-sama." He rasped out, a hand coming up to his throat. Only then did he notice that there was an IV tube attached to the back of his hand. He looked around himself, finally realizing that he was on a hospital bed, and the fact that Tsunade was now looking at him sadly, terrified him even more. "H-How long was I out for?"
"Two hours." Tsunade said, and placed a palm on his forehead. "Your fever seems to be gone."
"I was out for two hours?" Iruka asked, incredulous. Because it felt like two minutes.
"Yes."
"H – How? W-Why?" Iruka gaped, unsure if he should be thankful that his body got some sleep or if he should feel horrified that he did fall asleep.
"You coughed up blood in my office." Iruka fell silent, and stared at his hands. "Do you know why you're coughing up blood?" Iruka answered her with silence. "Iruka!"
"Shouldn't you be telling me that? That's your job isn't it?" Iruka snapped and quickly clamped a hand over his mouth when he realized that he just raised his voice. "Oh god. I'm sorry."
Tsunade, if possible looked even sadder. "I don't know what's wrong with you yet. I've sent some of your blood samples to the labs for testing, and while you were unconscious, I had a few body scans done." She then stepped closer to him, narrowing her eyes. "How long have you been coughing up blood?"
"A – A f-few days."
"Why didn't you come to me?" Tsunade snapped, resisting the urge to grab Iruka by the collar of his gown. "You're putting your life on the line! Don't you care?" Iruka didn't answer. Tsunade then gestured to his shoulder. "Also, your body is littered with bruises and there are a few –" She bit her lower lip in search for the right word. "Marks on your back side and inner thighs that surely cannot be gained through fights." Iruka tensed. "What's going on Iruka?"
"I've been rather careless at home." Before Tsunade could even comment on his words, he cut her off by speaking once more. "I haven't been sleeping properly. Do you have any strong sedative that would ensure dreamless-sleep?"
Tsunade nodded. "I do. Though, usually I wouldn't prescribe it, but, judging from your situation, you'll need it badly." Tsunade headed for the medicine cabinet in the corner and pulled out a syringe and bottle filled with yellow liquid. "How long do you want to be out for?"
"As long as possible." Iruka said tiredly. "I need a lot of sleep."
Tsunade used a large dosage of the medicine and injected it in to Iruka's arm. "There. You should start to feel very sleepy soon."
"Thank you." Iruka leaned his head back in the pillow, feeling the effects of the medicine finally grasp him. "Thank you very much."
In seconds, he was fast asleep, lost in the dark corners of his mind, all alone, all quiet and dark.
XXX
Thirty-nine hours passed since Tsunade had Iruka confined to a hospital room and constantly monitored. The results from the lab were due soon and to say that she was impatient was an understatement. She had already sent a memo to the lab staff that she really was going to have her way with them if they don't hurry up, but the tests needed time and controlled environments.
She sighed loudly and ran her fingers through her bangs. "What a day." A knock on the door made her look up. "Come in."
"The results, Hokage-sama." A messenger from the hospital entered, handed her a brown envelope and gave a bow of respect. "Will that be all?"
"It's fine." Tsunade waved a hand, mumbled thanks and eagerly opened the envelope. She took out the several scans of Iruka's internal organs, studying every picture with growing fear and shock. "What the -?" Her breathing was coming out rapidly, as she grabbed the charts within the envelope and stared at the lab results. "Oh heavens. No." She gathered all the materials and shoved them in to the envelope, and quickly dashed out of her office, ignoring the reminders of her important meetings. "Cancel all of them! I'm busy!"
And her secretary could only gape as she rounded off the corner and disappeared down the stair well.
XXX
Tsunade entered Iruka's room and stared at the still sleeping figure on the bed. She flicked a glance at the new packet of IV fluid and the clipboard at the foot of the bed. Iruka hasn't woken up since he was confined, and Tsunade knew it was time for him to come out of his sleeping state. The dosage she gave him usually lasts for about three days, but it couldn't be helped. Iruka looked paler and extremely worn out.
She set the envelope at the foot of the bed and took out a syringe and the counter medicine for the previous drug she gave Iruka. She injected the fluid in to him gently, and waited for a few minutes till Iruka's breathing grew a bit faster.
XXX
The quiet darkness began to dissolve. Images of angry faces began to appear all around him, all pointing accusing fingers at him, mumbling curses of betrayal.
"You will never find peace. You will never rest!"
Shut up!
"You cannot rest!"
Shut up!
"Kill him!"
SHUT UP!Then he was being squeezed again, the burning sensations blinding him.
XXX
Iruka snapped his eyes open and screamed out loud, clawing at his throat to get rid of the burning feeling that he saw in his black void of a nightmare. Hands grabbed his own and sharp shake and cry of his name made him stare blearily in to a pair of honey brown eyes.
"Hokage-sama?" Iruka blinked and sat up, looking around him. "I – I – oh god!" He brought hands to his face, and sighed very tiredly. "I fell asleep?"
"For more than twenty-four hours." Tsunade said, checking his pulse and temperature.
"It doesn't feel like that." Iruka grumbled, and pressed his hands to his cheeks, just to make sure he was awake.
"Iruka, I got your test results." Tsunade sat on the bed in front of him, and stared at him quietly. "Your symptoms are complicated. I have originally predicated what was wrong with you, but I didn't trust myself to have made the right analysis. So I run for a lab test and scanning."
Silence.
"What's wrong with me?" Iruka asked, his heart racing.
"Your entire system to accumulating excess heat. You're literally being fried from the inside." Tsunade took out a scanned image of his kidney and stomach and held it up for Iruka to see. "That is your kidney, and that is your stomach. The muscles walls are breaking down."
He stared at the red and orange image, and swallowed the large lump forming in his throat. "W-What does that mean?"
Tsunade placed the images back in to the envelope and placed it away from Iruka's reach. "A part of your brain that is responsible for monitoring your bodily heat is not functioning well. Added to that, something in your blood is helping with the heat accumulation, to that which I know nothing off." A look of sadness came to her face. "There is nothing I can do."
"W-What do you mean?" Iruka asked, swallowing again.
"You're dying, Iruka." Tsunade said with so much sadness, that Iruka felt the tears well up.
"I'm dying …"
TBC
Uh-oh. Oops?
Err – no, Iruka does NOT have TB!