Musical Misfit: I'm so happy! Thank you for giving this a chance!

Second-to-last chapter, people...we're wiiiiiiiinding doooooown...

These Memories:
A Series About Friendship and Forgetfulness

: Before all things / I had a name / I think it left me long ago / Why can't I remember / Today I have another chance / to step out / I will not rest / until I know / what it all means / I will not give in / until I have you back / where you belong / I will not stop / because this is who I am / Maybe in time / these memories will fade away :

Maybe In Time
Relief is a wonderful thing.
These Memories; Part XV

Chouji ate furiously.

He sat on the hard benches outside the ICU, waiting for news. Shikamaru was in there with Tsunade and a bunch of other nurses. He hoped he was alright.

He hadn't looked alright. Shizune had simply touched him, and then it was a repeat of two weeks ago, with sparks dancing across Shikamaru's head, and the blood pouring from behind his ear and the same pain-filled yell before he'd fainted. Chouji, not knowing what to do, had run for Tsunade. And now Shikamaru was in ICU.

Chouji wasn't alone in waiting. Shikamaru's mom and dad sat on the benches opposite him; a messenger bird had told them the news and they'd come at once. Ino sat next to Chouji, trying to look patient but failing miserably. Kiba and Lee had dropped by earlier and chosen to stay at the worried sight before them.

Chouji dug faster into his chip bag, chomping ferociously. Shikamaru would be alright. He had to be.

The red light on the ICU blinked off. All eyes turned to the double doors as Tsunade emerged, exhaling a little sigh before smiling at them.

"He's going to be fine."

There was a massive sigh of relief.

Tsunade showed them a piece of burnt metal she held in her hand. "Apparently it wasn't amnesia after all. This was restraining his memories; every time he tried to remember something, it would give him a massive headache, or depending on what he did with those memories, electrocute him until he stopped or passed out. No wonder he didn't know his own name."

"So he's okay?" Ino asked anxiously.

Tsunade nodded. "We're moving him back upstairs. He'll need time to rest, and a lot of recuperation before he's back to his original stamina, but you should have your old Shikamaru back when he wakes up in a few hours."

Another sigh of relief. Chouji smiled through a mouthful of chips.

Everything was going to be alright now.