The next morning I go to the hospital early to visit Takeo, definitely not at my best, having not slept at all last night. I kept thinking about Gaara, wondering how to go about this thing, wondering what he meant. I just can't decide.
I ask to visit Takeo, but though the nurses let me through, by now recognizing me, he's not awake when I get there.
"He was awake last night." The nurse watching him tells me. "Maybe you'd like to come back later to check on him."
I nod, but instead of leaving I sit and watch him for a while longer.
I can't see much of him, as he's almost completely wrapped in bandages, but as far as I can tell he doesn't look out of the ordinary. Though what could be defined as ordinary is beyond me.
He looks so harmless.
The monitor beeps continually and regularly. It's a sound I've grown accustomed to in my years working in hospitals. Sometimes I hear even when I'm not anywhere near one.
Luo stands outside the room and watches me sitting beside Takeo.
When it's time for class I stand up and leave the room. Outside I see a man and woman standing beside Luo, watching Takeo. They don't look up at me, but their faces look vaguely familiar for some reason.
As we walk away I ask Luo who they were.
He shrugs. "I don't know. I never asked."
I frown a little, trying to remember but it escapes me. And then we've reached the meeting place and it's time for lessons.
After lessons I go back to Takeo's room. He's awake. For a while I stand outside and watch him. He's eating of a tray the nurse has brought him; he seems to be finding it difficult. She's talking to him, asking questions it looks like, and pretends not to notice his difficulty. She must nurse ninjas a lot; she must know how much it pains us to be unable to do something.
At last I knock on the door and enter.
"Ah!" the nurse exclaims as she looks up. "You're back. Good. Takeo, this is Sakura Haruno."
He looks at me with a curious look in his eyes. "Seri's told me all about you," he says, "but I expected you to be a little, well, scarier I guess. Seri really seems to like you."
I smile despite myself. I suppose you'd have to be scary for Seri to like you. "I think one scary medic is enough per hospital."
The nurse leaves us alone, and for a while I just watch him eating. His concentration is so absorbed in lifting a spoon that he hardly seems to notice me until he finishes.
"I never got the chance to thank you for saving us." he says at last, putting down the spoon. "So thank you."
"Anyone would have done the same." I answer.
"I'm not so sure."
"How are the other two?" I ask eager to change the subject. I'm not interested in discussing people's moral value with this man, especially if he's done what I've been told he's done.
"They're doing fine. Pretty soon they'll be asking for new missions." He answers, and laughs. "Too bad I'll still be stuck in bed. They might have to find a replacement." He falls silent, his eyes staring at the wall, his jaw clenched. He looks so sad, so frustrated. I know that look. I just wish I didn't.
"I bet you'll be fine in no time." I say cheerfully, a little fake sounding to my ears.
"Thanks." He smiles at me, and with the sun shining in through the window behind his head he almost looks like an angel.
I shake my head, trying to clear the image out of my mind.
"So how has Suna been treating you?" he asks.
We talk for a while, a long time actually. He's nearly as talkative as Watanabe, and just as easy to talk to. I find myself liking him, even though I should know better. He's just so friendly; in a way he reminds me of Naruto. His eyes are blue, just like Naruto's, and I'm filled with this silly sentimental feeling in my chest.
It seems like only moments later that I look up and the sun is setting already.
"I'm sorry." I say, standing to leave. "I shouldn't have kept you awake so long. You should get your rest so you can get better."
"I don't mind at all." he watches me leave and then when I'm at the door he calls my name. "Sakura. If… If you wouldn't mind, I'd like it if you came again to see me. I get kind of bored sometimes, here alone."
I smile and nod, then wave as I leave. When we're outside I ask his nurse if anyone else ever visits him.
"His team comes to check up on him every day," she tells me, "although they don't always go in and talk to him. It's hard on them, to see him like this."
I nod sympathetically and ask if that's who was watching him earlier today when I was sitting with him. She nods, and I thank her then leave.
That night I lead Luo out for a run around the city. I keep to the outskirts, so that I can't get lost in the streets. I wouldn't actually get lost; I've already got the city's streets memorized, but right now I don't have room to be thinking about streets as well as everything else on my mind.
I don't know what I can do about Takeo. Or why Gaara suggested I befriend him. Does he think Takeo is the leader of the three or something? It seems to me that Takeo is a prisoner already, so why should I have to watch him? Now I have an uncomfortable feeling about this whole situation, after spending an afternoon with the man. I kind of want to ask Gaara to forget I ever agreed to it, to just let me drop it. But I can't do that. I don't know if Gaara would understand, and besides, I don't want to give up. Not like this.
I'm sure there's something about those other two, if only I could remember.