Note from the Author: o.O I apologize for this story. I'm having way too much fun writing it.
Don't be afraid of anything that faces you today.
"I wonder where Hinata's been." Kiba offered suddenly into a near-silence that the group had fallen into.
Neji, whose forehead had fallen against the table, bored out of his mind without his cousin and going a little crazy because all of these people were so damn loud, opened his eyes. He wondered the same thing. He knew that the night before, Hiashi had called Hizashi, telling him something that sounded important. But when Neji had asked his father what was going on, he was told that there had been a problem at the Hyuuga manor and that Hiashi was taking Hinata to the hospital. He hadn't been offered any more than that – what was wrong, what had happened – and he didn't push his luck by asking. He was panicking inside but figured that when it was time, he would be told.
It took him a minute to realize that the table was completely quiet now, and everyone was staring at him expectantly. He lifted his head, glared around at them all. "What?"
"Well," Sakura started hesitantly, "you're her cousin. Don't you know, like, if anything happened?"
"Yes." He said shortly.
Twelve pairs of eyes blinked at him (Sasuke was currently ignoring the general public.)
"Well?" Naruto burst from the patient majority, and everyone glared at him.
"It's none of your business." Neji gave him a look that, if Sasuke cared at all about what was going on and had been looking at him, would have made him jealous. The Hyuuga had yet to forgive Naruto for what he'd done to Hinata (Sakura had finally told him the whole story), and didn't plan on telling him anything about what was going on with her.
"Come on, Neji-kun," Lee persisted, leaning forward toward him. "We're worried about her. You're her family, but we care about Hinata-san too. Why won't you tell us?"
Neji's arms dropped into his lap, and he looked down at his hands. "Hinata-sama," he started slowly, then changed directions, admitting, "I'm not completely sure what's happening with her. Something … it was bad. I just know that. She's in the hospital."
There was a collective gasp and he tried to ignore it.
"Is she alright?" Sakura asked stupidly, green eyes wide.
"Physically, yes." Neji resisted the urge to throw something at the inquisitive sophomore. "But … she's an emotional wreck. I'm going to try to get in to see her today."
Kiba gave a lopsided grin and, hoping to lighten the mood, said, "Good. Tell her I'm tired of covering for her at work."
Neji gave a slight, sad smile. "No, I'm not going to tell her that. It'd make her feel awful."
Kiba's mirth faded. "Why?"
"Come on, Kiba," Shino offered a few-and-far-between word in the conversation. "You and I have been best friends with her since we were twelve. We know her better than anyone. A joke like that would make her feel like –"
"- everything was her fault." Kiba finished, sober, and his shoulders slumped.
Ten minutes passed in silence. Appetites had diminished, and thirteen pairs of eyes (Sasuke was still completely unaware of anything that was going on) stared down at their food, nausea growing.
Eventually, Neji couldn't take it anymore. He stood up, shoved his hands in his pockets, and proceeded to hurry from the cafeteria.
He made his way to the restroom, where he fished his cell phone from his pocket, pulling Hinata's number from his contacts list.
Hiashi picked up. Neji scowled. "Hiashi-sama? How is Hinata-sama?"
Hesitance. "I'm sorry, Neji. I know you want to see her, but …" Pause. "She's – she won't let men near her."
Neji blinked. "Why?"
Ten-second silence. "We think she was raped." Complete silence. "Neji. Neji? Are you there?"
He wasn't. He had dropped the phone in the sink and was staring at his mortified reflection in the mirror.
0
It was raining. Had been for days. The hospital room was white, contrasting with the grey beauty of the outside. Hinata's hollow eyes were turned toward that space between the curtains. Her hand flexed and clenched at her side, and she winced at the feeling of the IV needle shifting in her vein.
She wasn't sick, the doctors said; she was depressed.
She glanced at the garbage can, offered a thin smile. No plastic bag to suffocate in. They didn't want her to die. She wondered vaguely if it was because they valued life, or their jobs.
A knock.
Her head fell to the face the door.
Hanabi stood in the doorway, a bouquet of lilies in her arms, already in a vase (Hinata noticed the vase was plastic). She set them down gently on the nightstand, settled on the edge of her sister's hospital bed, nodded at them, said softly, "They're from Neji."
Hinata reached out, touched the velvet petal of one of the small white flowers, pretended it was Neji's hand, whispered, "Why didn't he bring them himself?"
Hanabi leaned back on her hands, stared at the white ceiling. "Father told him not to."
"Why?"
Her little sister's knowing opaque eyes rested on her face. "Because you flip out whenever a guy comes near you."
She said it so bluntly, so ten-year-old-esquely, that Hinata nearly remembered how to smile. "I'd like to see him." Her eyes downcast, voice resembling a broken music box.
Hanabi's child-like face broke into a grin. "I'm glad. He's going a little crazy, I think." She pulled the card from the flowers, flung it at her sister, who flinched. "Here. Read it."
Hinata picked it up gingerly between her forefinger and her thumb, like it was a treasure that would break, eyebrow lifted in Hanabi's direction. "Is it safe to assume you've already read it?"
Grin. "Yee-ep."
Hinata smiled, opened it. You might not know this, but I'm with you all the way. No "I love you." It wasn't even signed. But she thought she would have been disappointed if it had been so unoriginal. A tear fell on the little card, and she folded it, placing it carefully on the nightstand so her weeping wouldn't ruin it.
Hanabi leaned across her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, hushing her.
"Please bring him." Hinata whispered, clinging to the comfort.
"I will." Hanabi offered gently. "Tomorrow. I promise."