Tired mercury eyes drifted towards the clock once more, a groan filling the otherwise silent room. It was nearly midnight and he still hadn't finished his paperwork. Stretching a moment, he sent a quick pulse of chakra to his kikaichu and waited for its response.
"Good, she's still asleep," he hummed, bored eyes roving over the blank mission report in front of him. He couldn't understand Tsunade's reasoning behind this, but he wasn't one to argue. Mercury slid back over to the oak door barring him from the sleeping kunoichi. He could understand her plight and the struggles she faced, but he couldn't offer her anything else other than his company. It would have been much easier if she only confided in others, but he knew better than to assume the stubborn woman would ever ask for help. No, she was too proud, too considerate to ever risk burdening others with her issues.
If only she knew how many people care.
Picking up the pen, he slumped over the coffee table and continued on with the report.
Haruno-san is still struggling with deep psychological wounds that impact her day-to-day life and impede on her interpersonal relationships. It is within my belief that she could be struggling with PTSD and panic disorder; although I am aware I am not medically trained and this should be considered by those with a background in such matters. I will continue to observe at this time and will continue to update when necessary.
He sighed, reclining against the couch and rubbing a hand across tired eyes, "What am I doing?"
A subsonic chime sounded in his ear just before the sounds of thrashing and clattering broke through the quiet. Jumping to his feet, the startled Aburame burst through the door in time to see a distraught Sakura burying herself in the pillows, a scream on her lips.
"Sakura!" he cried, running to her side and pulling her into his arms, "Sakura, wake up!"
Panicked mercury searched the room for something, anything to calm the distraught kunoichi. She thrashed in his arms, a heart-wrenching wail ripping from her throat as she curled into herself. Her broken sobs tore at his heart, adrenaline forcing him to act. He performed the necessary hand seals, silencing the room and allowed a kikaichu to slip from his sleeve, beating its wings in an urgent manner. He waited for several long minutes, arms encircled around the distraught kunoichi, before she finally succumbed to his insect's song. The thrashing lessened, her screams dying down to whimpers and the occasional sob as he cradled her body in a more gentle hold.
Exhaling shakily, he brought her head to his chest and let her cry, hands smoothing through her hair in a steady rhythm. He hoped it would bring her some semblance of comfort, but he couldn't deny the need to hold her close, the relief he felt just having her by his side. They stayed that way, Shino trying his best to keep her calm while simultaneously struggling with his need for reassurance.
He had known this task would be difficult, but he was starting to see just how severe her wounds really were. The last thought he could recall was that maybe he was in over his head.