a/n – the old chapter 4 is now 5 and has been rewritten. This is a new addition. )
Chapter 4
The Kazekage watched the girl with growing dissatisfaction while she crouched over Kankuro, furiously massaging his limbs to resume blood flow to the puppeteer's numb, oxygen-starved forearms and hands. The medic had returned to their quarters with their leader, leaving the girl behind to watch over his brother. Gaara rubbed the sleep from his eyes; he had to keep watch over Kankuro and over her. There was something unsettling about her…was she even a qualified medic?
After three seemingly futile hours, the girl stopped, wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and reached out to examine her patient – still numb and cold. She let out a soft sigh as she sat back on her heels and thought for a moment, then reached into the pack Kesuke had left with her for a box of needles of various lengths. The girl took a deep breath and focused her eyes on the needle in her right hand while she reassured her visual judgement by gently pressing down with two fingers of her left at the predetermined point of contact. Exhaling she inserted the needle several millimetres under the skin and turned it gently between her thumb and index finger. Gaara watched while she repeated the process in other previously designated positions. She sat in silence with her head bowed for a long time after the needles had been put away.
"Kazekage-sama, you should rest" she said finally.
Gaara grunted and closed his eyes but said nothing, still sitting upright on the ground with his legs crossed in front of him almost in a meditative state. Even with his eyes closed, he did not cease to observe her with his other senses. The air was still; the only sound was that of Kankuro's laboured breathing; there was no movement or change in the chakra around him – she daren't do something while he was present. Each time he opened his eyes, he saw the girl sitting with her head bowed and eyes lowered; hands folded neatly in her lap. Taking one last glance, Gaara reassured himself that everything would be fine before drifting off into a series of restless dreams.
Rae let out a small sigh of relief when she was sure that the Kazekage had drifted off to sleep and was no longer watching her like a hawk. He was suspicious (of that she was sure) but whether it was of her true motives or her medical capabilities, she did not know. Her previous reservations about the nature of this 'thing' that terrorised Suna was confirmed, having seen Kankuro's wounds for herself. The skin surrounding the infliction was pallid; the veins underneath throbbed dark and sinewy underneath the deathly white skin; the wound itself stunk and from it oozed black, fetid blood. Undoubtedly, this was the mark of a wraith; lifeless and formless it would stalk away unscathed by any weapon or jutsu flung its way. Being already dead, it was invincible, immortal. Rae was disturbed from her train of thought when the Kazakage suddenly stirred; muttering something to himself while trashing wildly at an unseen attacker. She ignored him for the time being, hoping it would pass. Moments later, the Kazekage's eyes snapped open. His appearance was that of a deer come upon by a pack of wolves – disturbed, frightened and gasping for air in each short, staggered breath he took. Rae kept her head bowed; her hands remained folded in her lap as if nothing had come to pass… this was none of her concern.
Dawn broke after a long and seemingly endless night but neither the Kazekage nor the girl moved from their respective places by the bedridden puppeteer. The door slid open and a cheery face blonde walked into the room. "Good morning!" she said with a broad smile, "how is everyone doing?"
"Fine, thank you nee-san" the Kazekage replied.
"Kankuro-san is making a slow but steady recovery" Rae said.
She sat down beside her brother and prodded him gently in the side, "why the long face, Gaara-chan? Kankuro is getting better!" she whispered.
The additional presence made Rae uncomfortable; she had to do something to pass the time. She rummaged through the bag Kesuke had left behind and laid out the supplies in front of her – she would change his dressings now. "Where can I get a basin of water?" she asked, suddenly interrupting the siblings' hushed conversation.
"Downstairs to you left, there is a well"
Rae nodded then backed out of the room with a bow before sliding the door shut.
"You seem displeased" Temari said aloud, "has she done something wrong?"
Gaara shrugged, "nothing. She just….bothers me" he replied, "the sooner she leaves, the better. I don't want her here."
His sister raised an eyebrow, "huh?"
"There's something….not right about her. I don't know how to explain it."
Temari chuckled, "does she make you feel…hmmm…uncomfortable?" she sneered, "I see. I see…" she giggled.
"O-nee-san!"
"Give it a couple days, you're opinion might change" she said with a wink.
The girl returned and the conversation came to an abrupt stop.
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Give it some time…
He still didn't like the look of her. Her cold grey eyes had already made an undesirable impression upon him since their first meeting. But a person so kind ought not to have eyes consumed with death and such deep hatred. However, in the several days she spent there, she'd done nothing but care diligently for Kankuro. Gaara felt almost ashamed for watching her so intently but between the four of them in the room – himself, Temari, Kankuro and her – at most hours she was the only novelty and the only thing of interest to him.
Sometimes he liked to sit there with his eyes closed and feel all the chakra around him; all the foreign forces mingling with his own energy. The flow of Kankuro's chakra was weak but growing as he slowly regained his strength and moved little. Temari's chakra was more spontaneous but also steady for the most part. Last was the girl, Rae's; each ebb and flow of her chakra swept the room slowly the way a wave spread out over a pond from the centre where the pebble had gone under. Her chakra never remained still; it was always moving and reaching out with long thin wispy fingers as if searching for something. He let her reach inside once, just once….and for a moment she seemed to have evaded his thoughts.
What do you dream of every night?
What frightens you so?
Their eyes met for a moment as the wall reappeared and forced her out. The expression on her face was blank while his was a look of surprise and disgust. Rae bowed her head. When he closed his eyes and 'looked' again, her chakra was still, gathered about her like an aura and no longer searching.
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Rae watched the Kazekage, trashing around in his sleep as he had done every other night. She could only guess at what he dreamt of but it was undoubtedly something vile and horrible. Rae returned to her task of changing Kankuro's dressing when he stirred, "what's going on?" he asked hoarsely. Rae pressed a finger to her lips and glanced at the Kazekage. The puppeteer rolled his eyes, "not again…" he murmured.
"Does he dream often?"
Kankuro thought for a moment, "periodically he will have reoccurring dreams. Just ignore him if you can…"
She nodded, "how are you feeling"
"Half-dead" he muttered in reply, "I'm starving and thirsty"
Rae nodded, "I'll fetch you something to eat"
"At this hour? Temari will scold me!" he whispered, pointing at the blonde leaning, asleep, against the wall.
"Patients must eat if they expect to make a speedy recovery"
Rae slide the door shut behind her and let out a soft sigh. It was a relief to be able to leave that room and she took every opportunity presented to her to leave it, often to fetch water or food.
The kitchen was empty save some root vegetables, seasoning and a handful of rice. Running to the well, she returned with a bucket of water and began to wash the muddy daikon and potatoes in the cool water. Putting the white lump down she swiftly divided herself into several bushin and sent the first off to hunt some game; a third she sent to gather some herbs and the last remained with her to help her in the kitchen.
She tapped her fingers impatiently, awaiting the return of her counterparts; the vegetables were cut and the water already set upon the stove. The first appeared in the door with a pigeon in each hand and was promptly sent to scald and gut the birds. Rae scurried around the kitchen with her bushins and produced, in a matter of minutes, a pot of pigeon stew. Three bushins immediately disappeared, leaving one to help her carry the food upstairs.
"Is that food I smell, Rae-san?"
Rae nodded slowly as she set down the food beside the puppeteer then helped him sit up. "Can you sit?" she asked him as she presented him with a bowl of stew.
He grinned, "wow…"
She shook gently Temari awake, "Temari-san"
"Hmm? Is something the matter?"
"Iie…" Rae whispered as she handed the blonde a bowl of stew, "you haven't eaten anything in days…"
"Thank you" Temari nodded as she accepted it, "what about Gaara?"
"You should wake him. He seems to not like me very much…" she whispered.
Temari thought for a moment, "where did you manage to find this?"
Rae winked, "the wonders of the kage bushin…"
"It's good…Have you eaten?"
The girl nodded, "in any case. Kankuro appears to be in much better health. I think I should leave now."
"But –"
"I need to rest Temari-san. His dressing I have already changed" Rae explained, "I will visit twice a day to change them but otherwise, he is in no danger and should be up and about in several days."
"Thanks again"
Rae smiled before retreating from the room with her things.