Chapter 4: Some Bad News
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"Physical therapy?" Tenten moaned, not quite awake.
She glanced at her clock. It was 8:35 in the morning, she obviously didn't have training, but Sakura still HAD to wake her up.
"Yeah," said the medic-nin on the phone. "You need it to get better, remember? Oh, and your team came by a little while ago. I think Gai-sensei's still interrogating Tsunade-sama. You've got an appointment with the physical therapist today at 12:30."
Tenten scowled. Physical therapy was all fine and good, but she wasn't really into being told when her appointments were. "How am I supposed to get there? You said yesterday that I couldn't move." And, again, Tenten was surprised by how rude she sounded. It was almost as if the words had come out of their own accord.
"Lee-san said that he'd pick you up," said Sakura.
"Really? Well, that's news to me."
"Well, when I told your team that the PT could see you today, he eagerly volunteered to go get you."
"Hmm..." murmured Tenten. She had mixed feelings about this as Lee had never liked physical therapy.
And one thing still remained unresolved. Lee had carried her back to her house yesterday, all sweaty from training, but... between that time and now, Tenten had yet to bathe. She sniffed her armpit and winced. Incapacitated or not, it was time for a shower. With the help of Lee's crutch, she managed to get to her feet without too much trouble. Taking the shower, however, was another matter entirely.
There came a loud 'boom!' from Tenten's bathroom, followed by an angry expletive. Apparently, the crutch in the shower wasn't a good idea, after all. She certainly looked the worse for wear when Lee finally arrived at her apartment around 12:15.
"What happened to you?" he asked, wide-eyed. "Did some rogue ninja sneak into your place and ambush you?"
Tenten sweatdropped. "No." There came a long, awkward pause. "...um... was Gai-sensei acting weirder than usual this morning, by any chance?"
Lee looked uncomfortable. "Why do you ask?"
"About twenty minutes ago, he randomly called me and started screaming something about 'youth' and 'hormones'..."
Lee sweatdropped. "Let's not talk about that."
That sounded good to Tenten. She fumbled with the crutch a bit and stood up again. "We're running late. I can sort of walk like this, but could you stay next to me so I don't fall?"
But Lee apparently had other ideas. Without preamble, he scooped her up and ran to the hospital at top speed.
Tenten was especially dismayed to see that, somewhere along the road, he had dropped his weights.
Yeah, it was official. Her free will was gone.
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They didn't make it to the hospital at 12:30. They made it by 12:20--and Tenten had the distinct look of someone who'd just been thrown out of a tornado. Her bangs stuck up every which way and her buns were beyond disheveled.
Lee sweatdropped. "Um, well... at least we're early, Tenten."
"..."
"...Tenten?..."
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The Hokage, unfortunately, was going through similar exasperation with a bushy-browed man. She sipped at a cup of sake while praying that he would finally see the pointlessness of his argument and shut the hell up. Of course, Gai would sooner give up his rivalry with Kakashi than do THAT.
"Tsunade-sama!" he exclaimed passionately. "Lee has endured much worse injuries and was still able to train! Couldn't Tenten just train using her other leg? She'd at least be able to do half of what she used to! Besides, she doesn't really use her legs, anyway. She primarily uses throwing weapons, so there's no reason why..."
But Tsunade had tuned him out a long time ago. Their "discussion" on Tenten's status and training potential had been going on in that vein for roughly three hours. Speaking of veins, a large one on the Hokage's forehead looked about ready to explode.
"ENOUGH!!" Tsunade finally roared, spraying Gai's face with spit. "Tenten will NOT be training and that's FINAL!!"
"..."
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About five minutes later, most of team Gai (including a very-subdued-looking sensei) sat in the physical therapist's office. She seemed in no better temper than Tsunade and was casting particularly venomous looks at Gai and Lee. Lee took that moment of silence to assure her that his teammate was the one who was injured--not him.
"I'll be having a LONG talk with your sensei, anyway," said the PT, glaring at Gai. "I've seen members of your squad more often than the rest put together. There's no reason why genin should be sustaining these kind of injuries." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Are you STILL showing them how to open the inner chakra gates?"
Gai sweatdropped, but was thankfully saved from answering by the arrival of Sakura and a few nursing assistants, carrying in the slightly-more-conscious Tenten. The LNAs laid her on the examining table and left.
The PT turned to the medic nin. "Have you got the x-rays?"
"Yes, Yasu-san," said Sakura, handing her a folder.
Tenten sat straight up, suddenly fully conscious. "X-rays?"
Lee seemed relieved that attention was diverted from his sensei. "When you passed out the other day, Tenten, Sakura-san thought that a good time to x-ray your leg."
"... Wait... what?..."
"Tsunade-sama would also like a copy of your evaluation, Yasu-san," said Sakura. And, as she left, she gave Lee a small smile.
Before Tenten could make sense of any of that (much less figure out where she was), Yasu, who'd been studying the x-rays, suddenly shrieked: "What the HELL did you do to your leg?!"
Tenten gave a sort of involuntary jump. "...Um... tore a... tendon...?"
"Tore? It's practically SEVERED from the muscle!" She gesticulated angrily at the x-ray. "What did you do?"
Everyone in the room cringed. Gai shrank a little bit.
"We were only training, Yasu-san," said Lee timidly. "... It is not Tenten's fault. She used some of my taijutsu techniques without really being conditioned for them and... um..."
Yasu gave an exasperated sigh and turned to Tenten. "I don't suppose you at least stretched out beforehand?"
Tenten sweatdropped. "...Um..."
"ARGH!!"
After a very stern lecture to the ENTIRE team Gai, the males left the PT's office looking considerably less than cheerful. Unfortunately for Tenten, though, the evaluation was far from finished. She was seriously beginning to regret getting out of bed that morning--and she now understood why Lee had never liked rehab.
Tenten briefly studied the PT's expression, as though it would give her a prognosis. But it was no good. Yasu seemed absorbed in the report she was filling out and Tenten wisely decided not to disturb her.
Finally, Yasu put her clipboard down and turned to her patient. Her expression was grave.
"I'm sorry, Tenten, but I have some bad news."
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The Team Gai men, meanwhile, remained where they had been sent: the rehab center's waiting room. What was odd, though, was the silence of the two spandex-clad members of the team. Gai was kind of slumped in his seat, and Lee looked almost comically serious, but fidgety; normally, at 1:45 on a Wednesday, he'd be happily training away. He was clearly unaccustomed to this sudden, forced confinement. Neji, however, appeared to be enjoying the rare moment of silence.
"Gai-sensei?" Lee finally said. "Do you think... that Tenten will be all right?"
Gai straightened up and gave a hearty laugh. "I don't doubt it, my youthful pupil! Tenten is among the toughest and most hardworking students I've ever trained!"
Lee smiled, apparently assured by this, while Neji marveled at the almost bipolar shift in his sensei's mood. But everyone fell silent again as Yasu opened her door and beckoned them back inside.
"We're all finished here," she said. "But Tenten must stay off her feet. Any more tension on that tendon could completely sever it from the muscle. Tsunade-sama also ordered an occupational therapy evaluation. Hiroko should be out to see you shortly." With that, Yasu helped Tenten to her to uninjured leg, and slid two crutches under her arms. "Tenten should begin both physical and occupational therapy immediately. But Tsunade-sama will make the appropriate recommendations."
"Tenten," said Lee. "I could help you walk if--"
"No," interrupted Yasu. "Tenten needs to get used to moving this way. She must do as much on her own as possible."
Lee sighed, but didn't argue. Yasu had said the same thing to Gai when Lee had gone through rehab.
The PT then gave a the group a small, encouraging smile. "Don't look so downcast. Once your tendon is surgically reattached to the muscle and you've gone through rehab to strengthen it, you should be able train again. I'll see you soon for therapy."
Tenten murmured her thanks and hobbled unsteadily to the door. The rest of her team followed, anxiously. When they reached the waiting room, Lee took her crutches and Gai helped her sit. A heavy, somber silence filled the air--only to be immediately broken by Lee.
"See, Tenten!" he exclaimed with forced cheer. "That was not so bad! And you will like the occupational therapist, Hiroko-san. When I was injured, she helped me do all sorts of things that I lost the ability to do--like get dressed with just one arm and leg using adaptive equipment. She even helped me with the Konoha Senpu when I regained some motor function in my leg!" He paused contemplatively and added: "... though, in retrospect, that did not work out too well..."
"Wait," said Neji. "Your occupational therapist was a ninja?"
"Of course!" exclaimed Lee, as if Neji were woefully ignorant for not knowing that.
"All rehabilitative professionals in the ninja villages must be ninja themselves in order to practice," Gai explained. "Because most of their patients are injured nins, a lot of what they do involves reteaching basic ninja arts. Of course, they must have mastered these arts themselves in order to do that. All rehabilitative professionals must be at least chuunin."
"I think that PT might've been better off just being a nin," remarked Neji. "She reminds me of Tsunade-sama."
"That is true," Lee agreed. "But she is great at what she does." He looked over at Tenten, but she remained as solemn and silent as ever. "Hiroko-san is an excellent occupational therapist," he assured her, as if that was what she was worrying about. "And she is much less intimidating than Yasu-san."
Tenten sighed. "That's not it."
"Tenten!" Gai suddenly exclaimed, standing up and thrusting his fist in the air. "Such a solemn mood is unfitting for a vivacious kunoichi like you! You don't need to worry. Like Lee, your lotus of vitality will bloom beautifully again!!"
Tenten shook her head. "You guys don't get it."
"But, Tenten, who could understand better than me?" said Lee.
"No!" she persisted. "Yasu-san said that I probably wouldn't be able to train for six months or more!"
"Tenten--" Lee started.
"You don't understand!" she exclaimed. "Don't you know when the next chuunin exams are?"
A sudden silence fell over the group. Neji and Lee looked at each other for a moment, and then their injured teammate.
"So you know," murmured Tenten, burying her face in her hands. "You know that, because of me, none of us will be able to take the exams."
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A/N: I don't have a chapter preview up this time, 'cause I didn't start the next chapter yet, and it might not be up for a few weeks. Gotta love the mid-term crunch ;-). As always, any comments, suggestions, or constructive criticism are appreciated!
-Andrea
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A note on names:
Yasu means tranquil
Hiroko means generous