Count On It
Episode 5: "Hospital"
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor do I make any profit from this story.
A/N: If you haven't given up on me after chapter 4 than I thank you. While there will be dark moments like that from time to time there will still be the usual lightheartedness as well.
The academy did not have a traditional cafeteria so the rooftop was littered with tables and chairs where the students could eat their meals. It was at one of these tables that Naru and Sasuke took a seat. Once again Sasuke noticed Naru wince as she sat down. "What happened to you dead last?" Sasuke asked. Naru wrapped her arms around her stomach and ignored his question. Before Sasuke could further interrogate his teammate Sakura had caught up with them.
"What's going on?" asked the pink haired girl. Sasuke shook his head "I have no idea but every time she tries to sit she winces like she's in pain." Sakura tilted her head for a moment in contemplation before walking over to the pair. "Sasuke-kun please go away for a moment" Sakura requested. "Why the hell should I" responded Sasuke. Sakura for the first time in her life gave her crush a disapproving look "Because I'm going to ask Naru a personal question… about girl stuff."
Sasuke gulped, got up quickly, and moved to another table. Sakura took a seat beside Naru and leaned close to whisper in her ear. Sasuke watched them from a distance as Sakura asked her questions and Naru responded with a nod or shake of her head. The raven haired boy became worried when he saw a frown settle upon Sakura's face.
"Come with me Naru" said Sakura. Taking her hand Sakura lead her blonde teammate back into the school. Sasuke waited on the roof for a total of five minutes when the girls returned. Sakura came back with a smile on her face while Naru's face was colored a bright red. "Don't worry Naru it happens to every girl eventually" Sakura explained cheerfully. "What happens?" asked a clueless Sasuke.
"Girl problems" said Sakura. Sasuke had a look of horror on his face. "I didn't need to know that" he screeched. "Well you shouldn't have asked" said Sakura plainly. In his disgust Sasuke didn't notice the look of shame and fright on Naru's face. However the grey haired Jonin did.
Hatake Kakashi had been observing his new little Genin since they arrived on the roof. His first thought was that they were adorable. His second thought however was quite different "there's something very wrong with Naru and it's not as simple as a girl having her first period."
It was with this thought that Kakashi decided to approach his new team earlier than he originally planned. "Team seven I am Hatake Kakashi your Jonin instructor" the grey haired man said loudly. The three young Genin were startled by the sudden appearance of Kakashi. "Ahh! Don't scare us like that!" Sakura yelped. Sasuke was a little more impressed "So this is a Jonin."
However Sakura and Sasuke's reactions paled in comparison to Naru's. As soon as the young blonde caught sight of her grey haired, dark eyed instructor she fainted. Kakashi's one visible eye widened in alarm. He rushed over to his blonde student and picked her up. "Naru wake up" said the Jonin as he cradled her frail body. Kakashi shook her urgently as the rest of Team Seven looked on "Naru if you can hear me open your eyes."
When Kakashi received no response from the young girl he reached up and pulled down the mask that covered most of his face. He leaned down and placed his bare cheek above the girl's mouth and nose and let out a sigh of relief when he felt the soft warmth of her breath. "She's still breathing" he said to his other two students.
Sakura walked over the two with a worried look adorning her face "What's wrong with her Sensei? Why won't she wake up?" Kakashi gave a small shake of his head "I don't know Sakura. However I'm going to take her to the hospital." Before either Sakura or Sasuke could respond Kakashi had disappeared in a swirl of leaves along with their ill teammate. Sakura turned to her remaining teammate to ask him what they should do but Sasuke had already taken off in the direction of the hospital.
"Sasuke-kun wait for me!"
Darkness was all around. It surrounded and consumed the young girl who sat there shivering on the cold hard ground. The girl had lost nearly all hope of ever finding her way out of this horrible place when all of a sudden there was a burst of light in the distance. The girl winced as the light burned her sensitive eyes. This however did not stop her from getting to her feet and heading over to the source of the light.
The girl's eyes widened when she finally reached the source and found a spinning whirlpool of blue energy. The girl's wonder changed to horror though as the blue energy turned a deep crimson. She turned to run but something grabbed her small hand and held her tight. The girl turned to see what had grabbed her and saw a man. He was tall and lean with light grey hair that went down to his shoulders. The man gave her a smile and pulled her close. "Don't be afraid. I love you" the man said.
The girl shivered as the ghost of a memory passed through her mind. She shut her eyes tightly and tried to grab a hold of the memory but it slipped away as if it were nothing more than smoke. She opened her eyes to once again look at the man and let out a shriek when she saw that his eyes had turned the color of blood. The man gave her a grin showing a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. The girl turned to try and run away gain but was yanked back instead. She tried to utter a scream as she fell into the vortex of red light but no sound came forth as she was consumed.
"Mizuki-sensei" mumbled Naru as she slowly regained consciousness. "Not quite" said a smooth voice that Naru didn't recognize. Naru tried to reach up to rub at her eyes but a gloved hand took a hold of her wrist. "Careful Naru you have an IV in your hand and you might pull it out" said the voice. Naru frowned took a look at her hand, noticing the thin rubber tube that ran from her hand to a bag held above her on a metal pole.
"Where am I? Who are you?" asked the confused blonde. "That's our Jonin instructor and you're in the hospital Dobe" said a more familiar voice. Naru turned her head to the source of the new voice and gave Sasuke a dirty look "Don't call me Dobe, Teme" she responded. "Well if the shoe fits" replied Sasuke. Kakashi made a placating gesture "Now, now children no fighting in the hospital."
Naru and Sasuke both turned to him and gave him a dirty look. "Don't call us children" they said in unison. Sakura who sat beside Sasuke let out a snort. The two Genin turned their gaze on their pink haired teammate but stayed silent. Sakura would have responded had the doctor not walked into the room at that moment.
"Wow what a tense atmosphere" said the doctor jovially. The doctor was a thin woman of average height. She wore her dark brown hair in a bun and had a small pair of glasses perched on her nose. "So I see that our young patient is awake" said the doctor as she walked over to Naru. The doctor gave the diminutive blonde a smile "I'm Dr. Sawase. It's a pleasure to meet you Naru." Naru gently shook the hand that the doctor offered to her "Nice to meet you too Dr. Sawase."
"Although I'm sure you would have liked for us to have met under better circumstances huh?" asked the woman. Naru gave her a nod and asked "What happened to me I can't remember?" The doctor walked over the end of the bed and took the clipboard that held the girl's charts "Well Naru from what we were told you fainted while on the roof of the academy. You were brought here in an unconscious state and we were unable to revive you."
"But why would I pass out? That's never happened to me before" responded Naru. The doctor flipped the page on the clipboard and continued to explain "Yes, well after doing some tests we determined that you were suffering from iron deficiency anemia." The blonde looked puzzled "What's that?" Doctor Sawase gave the girl a smile "Oh it isn't something too serious. Iron deficiency anemia is caused by a lack of iron in your system. This keeps your bone marrow for producing enough red blood cells and hemoglobin which can keep your organs from getting the proper amount of oxygen."
Naru gave the doctor a puzzled look "but why would it affect me like that all of a sudden and how did I get it in the first place?" The doctor gave the blonde a soft pat on the head "Well it's actually most common in women who are menstruating or pregnant. After examining you I've determined that your anemia is caused by malnutrition. Too be quite frank I'm amazed that you aren't dead."
Everyone else in the room gave the doctor a startled look and Naru let out a frightened yelp. "What do you mean you're surprised I'm not dead!" yelled the blonde. Doctor Sawase frowned "Simply put Naru you're not eating enough. Your body is severely lacking in essential nutrients. I can only assume that it is your training as a ninja that has kept your body from shutting down entirely."
The doctor took a seat at Naru's bedside. "You were actually quite fortunate. Thanks to the onset of menstruation this problem was brought to a head. Had you been out in the field and received a wound that would cause you to lose a significant amount of blood you might not have made it." The young blonde shivered at the thought that her life could have ended so easily.
Doctor Sawase gave her a smile "You should be just fine though. We gave you a blood transfusion and intravenous fluids. We'll also be sending you home with a prescription for iron pills. However this is just a temporary measure Naru. You need to start eating healthier or you'll continue to suffer from malnutrition." Naru looked down and gave a small nod her cheeks burning.
The doctor stood up and frowned before speaking her tone becoming serious "As for the time being Naru I must unfortunately tell you that you are currently removed from active duty." Naru gave the doctor a shocked look "But…but why? I just graduated!" Sawase shook her head "And you're also quite ill and obviously not capable of performing your duties as a shinobi."
The rest of Team Seven excluding Kakashi were also giving the doctor equally shocked looks. "You will be reevaluated in one month's time. However you may request a hearing earlier than that but please be aware that if you fail that evaluation than the month long wait will restart from that date and you will not have another chance to request an early hearing" the doctor continued. Sawase sighed "I know it isn't what you want to hear Naru but the Leaf does not send shinobi on missions if they are sick and you child are most certainly sick."
Naru bit her lip and gave the doctor a nod "I understand. Does this mean that I will have to be put on a new team?" Kakashi gave a shake of his head and was going to speak when he was interrupted by a rather loud Sakura "No of course you won't Naru. We aren't going to abandon you and if they think that they can make us than they can go to hell!" Sasuke nodded his head in agreement "having to get used to a new teammate would be bothersome."
Kakashi's eye widened in surprise before it seemed to turn up in some weird form of eye smile "They are correct Naru Team Seven won't abandon you simply because you are ill." Naru gave them all a happy grin. "Thank you!" she said cheerfully. Doctor Sawase stood and clapped twice "Alright will everyone please leave the room so I can get Naru off of these monitors and get her dressed." The three other shinobi gave the doctor a nod and left the room.
Naru watched as the doctor went about removing the IV line and the electrodes from her skin. The young girl shut her eyes her teeth digging gently into her lip. She was nervous but she knew she might not get another chance like this. "Doctor Sawase can I ask you a question?" she asked quietly. The pleasant doctor stopped what she was doing and gave her a smile "Sure go right ahead Naru."
Naru gulped and barreled through her nervousness "Can a girl get pregnant if she has sex before her first period?" Doctor Sawase gave the girl a startled look "Well yes she can but surely that isn't something you need to worry about Naru you're only 12" Naru looked away her face flushed "is there a way to keep yourself from getting pregnant after… you know… it happens?"
The doctor gave the girl a thoughtful look "There is a medication that we use as an emergency contraceptive. Why do you ask?" The blonde turned to the doctor with a sad look on her face "Because I need some." Sawase once again sat beside the girl. "When?" She asked plainly. "Last night" Naru responded. Doctor Sawase reached out and touched the girl's hand "I can get you the medicine Naru but because of your age I must ask. Was it consensual?" The blonde looked startled for a moment before responding "Yes of course… he didn't…"
The doctor didn't look too convinced. "Naru if you were hurt you can tell me" she said gently. The blonde girl looked her doctor in the eye "I let him. He didn't force me. If he tried I would have kicked his ass." Sawase sighed and gave the girl a nod "Okay than I'll get you a dose however you need to be more careful in the future. The emergency contraceptive isn't 100% effective and it doesn't protect from disease." Naru gave the doctor a smile "Thank you."
When Naru walked out of the hospital the rest of Team Seven was waiting for her. "Geeze Naru what took you so long?" Complained Sakura. Naru shrugged "I don't know the doctor just wanted to be thorough I guess." There was no way in hell Naru was going to tell them about the lecture she received on the consequences of unprotected sex and sexually transmitted infections.
Kakashi looked at his team fondly "How about we all go out for lunch my treat to celebrate our formation as a team?" Naru looked at him excitedly "Can we get ramen?" Naru blinked when they all gave her a blank look. "What?" She asked self consciously. "Did you listen to anything the doctor said you blonde idiot?" asked Sasuke. "Of course I listened bastard!" the blonde responded.
The two looked as if they were about to get into it when Kakashi decided to interrupt. "No we will not be getting ramen Naru. In fact if I find out that you have gone to Ichiraku's at any point within the next month I'll send you right back to the academy." Naru gave him a sad tearful look "But Sensei!" The grey haired man shook his head "No buts Naru. As the doctor said you need to eat more red meat so we're going for barbecue."
Kakashi turned and headed towards the nearest barbecue place with Sasuke and Sakura right behind him. Naru had to scramble to catch up all the while trying to get her new instructor's attention "Sensei I need ramen…" She tugged on his sleeve "ramen is my life… my god!" Kakashi gave her a slightly disturbed look "You need therapy… lots of it." The group passed Ichiraku's and Naru let out a pitiful sob.
"Ramen… I'm sorry!"
As always thank you for reading and please review!