Hey look it's an update that didn't take months! It seemed easier to write this chapter mostly because I knew exactly how I wanted it to go. Besides I left off with Nanami fainting, I'm sure you're dying to know the reason. Thanks to everybody for reading and reviewing!
I don't own anything Naruto.
Chapter 12- Did You Just Say You're Afraid of Blood?
Nanami felt a sensation like she was floating. It was unusual and seemed out of place, but she couldn't quite grasp why. The weight of consciousness finally began to weigh on her, and she realized that she was asleep. Forcing her heavy eyelids to open, she blinked against a bright light. What exactly was going on?
"Alright people, back up, give us some room!" An urgent and unfamiliar voice hollered.
She winced. Why was it so loud? The next voice she did recognize.
"Nanami! Nanami? Can you hear me?"
Naruto. What was wrong with him? Why did his voice sound so scared?
Suddenly all of her senses seemed to kick back on in the same moment. She instantly tried to sit up before she was pushed back down. Desperation took hold of her as she fought against those pinning arms.
"Just relax. We'll have you to the hospital in a moment." The first voice urged.
She calmed down just a little bit. That would explain the floating sensation. She must be in an ambulance. But why did she need to go to the hospital? She tried to remember what happened up until this point. Then she remembered. She started shaking thinking about the last thing she had seen.
"She's going into shock. Give her the anesthetic."
Nanami barely registered those words before she felt a sharp prick and her world went dark again. The second time waking up was a lot easier. She didn't have the same panicky feeling as before. She slowly opened her eyes again aware of six shapes at the end of her bed.
"So Tsunade, is she going to be okay?"
Was that Jiraiya's voice?
"I don't know why you called me, the doctors here have done a good job."
Nanami didn't recognize the woman's voice, but she felt like she should know who she was.
"I just…feel more comfortable with you looking her over. Just in case they missed something."
She could hear the woman humming to herself. "It's not that hard to figure out. It's vasovagal syncope reacted by some post-traumatic phobia."
It was silent for a moment. "And in English?" Jiraiya finally asked.
Nanami knew what it meant however. This wasn't her first episode.
"I fainted because I'm afraid of blood." She groaned.
Everyone instantly looked over in her direction. She could now make out Jiraiya along with Naruto, Kiba, Hinata, and Shino. The other woman she really didn't know very well but she assumed that this was Tsunade. Everyone instantly rushed to her side at once.
"How you feeling Kiddo?" Jiraiya asked.
She gave him a weak smile. "I've been better."
"N-Nanami, w-we were so worried." Hinata conveyed.
"Yeah, what happened back there?" Naruto asked concerned.
"Did you just say you were afraid of blood?" Shino asked intrigued.
She lowered her eyes embarrassed. "Yes, I'm hemaphobic."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Kiba asked softly.
She slowly met his worried gaze that only made her feel guiltier.
"I didn't…I was just…I don't know." She sighed.
"Hey guys, why don't you get out of here for a while and give Nanami some space." Jiraiya directed.
The other four looked up at Jiraiya hesitantly. However, they finally complied shooting Nanami one final glance. After they left Nanami hugged her knees into her chest trying not to cry.
"I'll just wait outside." Tsunade told Jiraiya following the other four.
Jiraiya sighed before moving to sit on Nanami's bed. She tried to act like she didn't notice.
"So, what exactly happened?"
"Isn't it obvious?" She snapped back.
She could see surprise cross his features. She didn't blame him. She hardly ever got angry.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He finally asked rubbing the back of his head.
"No, I just want to go home. I hate hospitals!"
She could start to feel the sobs in her throat, and it became harder for her to hold in her tears. Jiraiya started rubbing her back.
"Hey take it easy. We'll get you out of here soon enough. I just want to make sure you're okay."
Nanami started bawling then. "I'm fine. I know I am. I hate it when everyone makes a big deal over it. I just…I just want to leave."
She felt a shift on the bedspread, and she assumed Jiraiya got up to leave. However, the sudden warm embrace surprised her.
"I'm sorry Nanami." Jiraiya whispered.
What did he have to be sorry for? It wasn't like he caused her to become hemaphobic. She didn't even know the reason herself. She always had this sense right before she woke up from a faint that she had been grasping a memory that had been hidden from her, but it always slipped away with consciousness. She relaxed her body under Jiraiya's arms returning the hug openly crying into his shirt. She may not have understood his actions, but that didn't mean she didn't appreciate it. After ten minutes of this she finally calmed down and broke apart from Jiraiya.
She wiped away the last of her tears. "Thanks, I'm sorry I yelled earlier."
He gave her a big grin. "No problem Kiddo. Now how about I see if we can't get you home?"
Nanami nodded appreciatively as he left her alone. She was so glad Jiraiya had been here with her. The entire situation was easier when she had people who cared about her. She let her thoughts drift to her friends. Naruto, Kiba, Hinata, and Shino seemed pretty upset. She hoped she hadn't scared them too bad. She sighed in relief. At least it was just those three, she couldn't imagine what would happen if the whole group was here.
"BY THE POWER OF YOUTH, CLEAR THE WAY!"
Nanami instantly sat up in her bed. There was no way that was who she thought it was. However, she was proven wrong as a green blur glomped her nearly ripping the needles out of her arm.
"Nanami, I was so worried! I was afraid your youthfulness would never grace us again!"
Nanami sighed before patting the blubbering Lee on the back.
"I'm okay Lee. I promise." She soothed.
"LEE! YOU IDIOT! GET OFF OF HER!"
Lee was ripped off of Nanami by a furious Tenten. Nanami looked over at the last newcomer who had his head in his hand.
"You two are going to get us kicked out if you can't keep your voices at a lower decimal." Neji growled.
Nanami was torn between happiness at seeing her friends and embarrassment at being confined to a hospital bed.
"What are you guys doing here?" She asked.
Tenten instantly softened and left Lee in the corner to sit on her bed.
"We heard what happened, and we were worried about you silly." Tenten informed her.
Nanami frowned. "How did you know?"
"Hinata texted me and I texted them." Neji explained. "Although now I'm starting to question why I did."
Tenten stuck her tongue out at him before turning back to Nanami. "So how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine." Nanami instantly answered.
"Oh dear brave Nanami! Your youth should be an inspiration to us all!" Lee cried out clutching her hand with tears streaming down his face.
"So how are you really?" Neji asked raising an eyebrow.
She thought about giving him the same answer she gave Tenten. Then she looked around at all of their worried faces. Her friends deserved the truth after spending this much energy on her. She leaned back against her pillow.
"Tired. And embarrassed. I just want to go home and put this whole thing behind me."
The three looked at her sympathetically. However, what sounded like a herd of cattle coming down the hall caused all four of them to jump. Nanami narrowed her eyes at her so called friends.
"Who else did you tell?" She whispered dangerously.
Before any of them could answer, all of the other freshmen came flocking in with Naruto, Kiba, Hinata, and Shino trying to hold them back. However, it quickly became apparent that their efforts were in vain so they gave up and stood at the back of the group that quickly filled Nanami's small hospital room.
"Nanami, are you okay?"
"Nanami, I came as soon as I heard!"
"Is there anything to eat here?"
"So what happened to you?"
"Man, this is such a drag."
Nanami could feel a headache begin to form at the noise everyone was causing. This was just as bad as the mall when she first met them. Nanami was just about to yell at them like she had then when someone else beat her to it.
"Hey! This is a hospital! Either be quiet or leave!"
Nanami saw Tsunade standing in the doorway looking quite frightening. That explained why everyone got quiet so fast. Satisfied that they weren't going to cause any more trouble, Tsunade walked back out of the room.
"Tenten, who is she?" Nanami whispered only loud enough for the girl to hear.
Tenten looked at her confused. "That's Lady Tsunade, the principal of our school?"
Nanami blushed. "Oh."
Tenten started laughing bringing everyone's attention back to the red-haired girl.
"Nanami, I'm so glad to see you okay. Naruto was so worried when he called me." Sakura told her smiling.
"Yeah! Then she texted me and I knew we had to come see if you were okay for ourselves." Ino added.
Nanami turned to Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Choji. "And you three?"
"Sakura texted me saying we had to come right away." Sasuke explained bored.
"And Ino, the troublesome woman, nearly knocked our doors down to drag us down here." Shikamaru explained almost as emotionless.
However, Nanami had been around them long enough to see that they were worried about her. With those two, you had to look past their words and deep into their eyes to get their true feelings. She looked up to see Naruto and Kiba shove past the others to get closer to her.
"You're not mad are you?" Naruto asked unusually concerned.
Nanami shook her head 'no' a small smile gracing her lips.
"So you want to tell us what this was all about?" Kiba asked anxiously.
Nanami could see that she held everyone's attention. She sighed before shrugging.
"For as long as I can remember, the mere sight of blood has caused me to go into these panics. Sometimes it's not this bad, but other times it can be days before I wake up."
She tried to force a laugh to lighten the situation, but no one laughed back. They all looked worried and afraid for her. She lowered her gaze again.
"You could have said something at the movies. We would have watched something else if we had known." Kiba told her placing his hand on top of hers.
She blushed before moving her hand away to grab the sheets around her.
"I don't really like to talk about it."
Everyone was silent before Jiraiya came lumbering back into the room.
"Alright Nanami, I got the release papers signed so whenever you're ready."
That's when he noticed everyone in the room. He grinned.
"Well if it isn't the welcoming committee."
Almost as if a weight was lifted everyone began to smile or joke back. Nanami was grateful to not have all the attention on her. A nurse moved past everyone and began to unhook Nanami from the various machines. She peeled back her sheets ecstatic that they had left her clothes on this time. She must not have been out for very long.
"Alright Miss Uzumaki, just take it easy for the next couple of days and drink plenty of fluids." The nurse instructed. "Other than that you're free to go."
Nanami thanked her before swinging her feet out of the bed. She quickly jumped up forgetting an important side effect, dizziness. She swayed and nearly fell to the ground, but several sets of hands caught her.
The person holding her right arm whispered in her ear. "You okay?"
She turned her head towards Kiba and nodded. "Yeah, just a little lightheaded."
"Maybe you should stay here." Neji instructed being the one holding her by her shoulders.
She shook her head. She was not going to stay here any longer than she had to. Besides there was nothing more for her here that she couldn't get at home.
"I'm fine." She assured him.
"Here Nanami! The nurse says you should ride in this until we get to the car." Naruto offered pushing a wheelchair up to her.
"No." She told him firmly.
There was no way she was going to look like a weakling by riding a wheelchair out of the hospital. However, all of her saviors quickly became her damners as they pushed her into the chair.
"Actually, that's the policy here." Sakura pointed out a little too smugly.
Nanami crossed her arms flustered. "Fine, but for the record I don't need it."
Everyone started laughing.
"Are you ready?" Naruto asked her eagerly his hands gripping the back of her chair.
"For what?" She asked perplexed.
He gave her a foxy grin his eyes lit with determination.
"Oh no, someone stop him." Jiraiya cried rushing forward.
However, before anyone could do anything, Naruto shot the wheelchair out of the room and down the hall at unsafe speeds. All of the doctors and nurses gasped before jumping out of the way. Nanami's grip on the chair tightened.
"Nar-u-to!" She warned as the glass doors loomed closer refusing to open.
"This will be close!" He hollered back at her unwavering in speed.
Nanami shut her eyes. She could not believe she was going to have an accident in a hospital. By some miracle chance, the doors whooshed open at the right moment letting the two pass freely into the night air. Naruto formed a quick stop nearly knocking Nanami out of her chair.
"Are you crazy?" She shot back to him after she had caught her breath.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head smiling. "Sorry, I always wanted to do that."
Nanami sighed finding it hard to stay mad at him with that goofy look on his face.
"Well at least you got me out of there faster than what anyone else was." She thanked him.
He gave a small smile. "You really don't like hospitals, do you?"
Nanami shrugged getting out of the chair. "I don't like being restricted."
Suddenly everyone else came rushing out the hospital doors yelling at Naruto.
"You idiot! Were you trying to kill her?" Sakura yelled bopping him on the head.
Nanami laughed softly when she felt someone come up beside her.
"You sure you're okay?" Kiba asked.
Nanami rolled her eyes. "I promise, this isn't exactly normal for me but it happens enough for me to not be too worried."
"Alright." Kiba finally agreed uneasily.
Nanami didn't like this. She hated how everyone was looking at her like some kind of china doll. She smiled.
"So was the movie good?"
Kiba blinked in surprise before busting up laughing. Nanami started laughing along with him catching everyone else's attention. For once, she didn't care though. She just liked being able to enjoy the moment with the people she cared about, and who cared about her.
So did you expect Nanami to be a hemaphobe? It can also be pronounced as hemophobic, but my computer kept wanting to change it to homophobic so...Please leave a review!