"Of Bones and Blossoms"
Chapter Four.
"Heart Failure."
Another week went by. Sakura continued to talk to him daily. He was fed through tubes, and at mid-week, he had to receive help breathing again. Though the damage in his lungs wasn't quite as bad as before, it was still very extensive. He couldn't talk at all, and an oxygen mask was put over his mouth and nose. It was just like the old laboratory except instead of darkness, the place was flooded with light. Every time he woke up, it was on, and it stung his eyes. But sometimes, his eyes would open and he'd see her face hovering over his. He often wondered what exactly she was doing.
He was weak, frail, and was coming closer to his goal: death.
Thursday, as she leaned against the side of the bed, she was talking to him. He didn't care, and didn't really listen, as usual, until one name was mentioned.
"Kimimaro.. Do you miss Orochimaru?"
He stiffened, and his dull emerald eyes slowly shifted in her direction. Sakura glanced at the heart-rate monitor at its faster beeping.
His eyes narrowed hatefully on her. He couldn't speak because of the oxygen mask, but he noticed that his gaze alone brought chills to her.
Sakura shivered. Such hate... Just at the mention of..
She couldn't even begin to guess how he must have felt about the man. Whether it was admiration, infatuation, or just plain obsession, she didn't know, but it was obvious that there was hurt in that evil glare. She could understand that; Orochimaru and Kabuto fled the base, leaving Kimimaro behind; kind of like a puppy being left to die on the street by its owner.
A dangerous, bone-manipulating puppy...
Sakura cast her gaze away to the floor, returning to reality. "Please don't look at me like that.. I'm only asking a question."
Kimimaro's eyes flashed. Only asking a question? She had no right to talk about Orochimaru. She had no right to confront him on such a sensitive subject...
Kimimaro couldn't admit it, wouldn't admit it; Orochimaru did not abandon him.. He would come back for him. Wasn't that was companions did? He was of no use lying here; he should either be by Orochimaru's side, or dead. He was not okay with this arrangement.
He tried to mumble something, but the oxygen mask on his mouth prevented him from doing so. Sakura turned her head in his direction at the sound, and the intensity of his gaze doubled.
"Did you.. want to say.. something?" Sakura was having a hard time speaking, for even though he could do no physical harm to her, his gaze brought uneasy chills to her spine. When he did not answer, her jade eyes cast over his body, his face.
His cheeks were gaunt and his skin was pale, even paper-thin, it seemed, and his shoulders were bony. Nutrition was forced inside of him, so he wasn't bone-thin(yet), but he was most definitely much thinner than he should have been. He was a pathetic sighed, and it made Sakura want to cry. This wasn't all she was capable of! She had to do something! Even though he must have hated her, she cared about his ability..
.. Cared about his ability? Cared about his ability? Was is really his ability she cared about? She saw a heart breaking more and more every day before her very eyes, and what was she doing about it? She wanted to change his heart.. she was sure of that now. But how could she show him she cared? If she said it now, he would think it was all a part of the doctor act.. That wouldn't do. Then he wouldn't believe anything she said.
She sighed; she was getting a headache. "Get some rest, Kimimaro," she murmured, going to the door and turning the light out.
xXx
She had a third-shift nurse check in on him while Sakura slept in her officel she'd been sleeping there lately because of Kimimaro's worsening physical and emotional condition. Normally everything was alright, but she stayed, just in case.
About now, she was nodding off on her office couch, exhausted. She was mulling over several patients in her head. "Aki.. Needs her shot.." She mumbled. "Nana.. Check.. Mgh.."
She dozed off, sprawled out on the black leather.
xXx
The loud banging on her door woke her. She jerked up, eyes wide, close disheveled. Startled, she practically fell off the couched. Half-asleep, she scampered to the door. She threw it open, scaring the already anxious nurse. "What is it?" Sakura demanded groggily.
"It's the man, Kimimaro..! He's having heart failure!"
Her eyes flew wide open. 'Kimimaro..!'
"Move!" Sakura growled, and shoved the woman out of the way as she ran out her office door. The only thing on her mind was Kimimaro. 'Kimimaro.. I have to save him!!'
She sped down the hall and veered to the left, rushing by the desk of a surprised secretary. Her wrinkled lab coat flew behind her, before clinging to her legs as she came to an abrupt stop. The nurse came to a stop behind her, and Sakura grunted, "Go get a pair of chakra restraints! Go!"
She flung the door open and rushed into the room. The sound of wildly beating monitors and heavy, ragged breathing filled her ears as she stumbled to the bed. Kimimaro's eyes were closed. He was unconscious; his body was rather still, contrasting with the escalating monitors. Sakura grasped his hand, tears coming to her eyes. "Kimimaro, hang on..! I can do better than this!!"
The nurse returned with a pair of metal cuffs shortly after, and Sakura grabbed them, cuffing his hands. Immediately her hands went to his chest and her chakra surged into his body. She concentrated hard, pushing her chakra further into his system. The healing energy flowed through every pore, through every cell, cleansing. She focused her chakra now, chanelling it into his heart and lungs. The damage was so extensive that her efforts made a sweat break out on her brow.
"Naruto!" She called to the nurse. "Go get Naruto for me, NOW!"
The nurse looked flabbergasted at Sakura's tone of voice, but complied nevertheless, hurrying out the door. Sakura gritted her teeth, her eyes welling up in more tears. She was losing him; she didn't have enough chakra..
"No!" She yelled as his heart began to slow. She squeezed her eyes shut and focused everything she had into his heart. With her chakra levels at current, the only thing she could do was force his heart to keep beating, and even that wouldn't last much long. What was the promise she'd made to herself a week before?
She could NOT fail.. She would NOT fail!
She began to feel faint. Her chakra faltered, and this sent the monitors squealing. Sakura was crying full-force by this time, her chakra flow in his heart barely keeping him alive. She couldn't lose this battle! She couldn't lose this patient!
She took in ragged breaths and tried to stop her tears, but it didn't do much good. The sound of rushing footsteps and a "What's going on, 'tebayo?!" caused her to look towards the door.
"Naruto! I need your chakra, please!!" Sakura's voice was broken and shaky. Tears stained her pale cheeks as she continued to push the last of her chakra into his heart to keep it beating.
"It's.. It's him, tebayo! H-He let Sasuke escape!!" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at the dying man.
"Naruto, PLEASE!" Sakura cried. "This isn't the time for grudges! Please, do it for me!!"
Naruto frowned and rushed to the other side of the bed, resting his hands on hers, offering her his chakra flow. As soon as she began to draw chakra from him, this surge of power washed over her. She began to fully concentrate on where the chakra was sent. She forked the extensive and power chakra being delivered to her in two different directions; to his heart and to his lungs. The lungs were barely working and the heart wasn't getting near enough oxygen; Sakura began channelling more chakra into the heart to keep it beating. The other chakra flow was funnelled down into his lungs. "GEt me water!" Sakura growled, and the frightened nurse hurried off to do as Sakura had demanded.
Naruto didn't speak; he knew there was no point in doing so. He merely closed his eyes and concentrated on the amount of chakra he gave to her for her use. Sakura was still crying; she couldn't stop. She put everything she had into what she was doing.
As soon as the nurse came back with a bucket of water, Sakura delved deep into his lung cavity. She began using a precise amount of chakra to begin pulling bits of disease and infection from the walls of his lungs, which took perfect chakra control: Something Sakura excelled at. However, her sobs made it harder for her to foxus, but she couldn't stop them. He meant too much, he was too valuable..!
She used the chakra to pull the infected tissue from his lungs, moving it to the bucket the nurse held in her arms. Water was the most suitable container for things like that; it was also the best conductor of medical chakra. That was a big thing Sakura learned under Tsunade's tutelage; water was her friend.
Sakura continued her work slowly; she had to make sure that everything that was damaging his lungs was removed. The work took hours, and slowly, very slowly, the heart monitors began to settle. She cried; she still cried, even though she was healing him. She couldn't stop crying. The despair, the fatigue was too great. Teary-eyed, she pulled the last of the infection from his lungs.
xXx
His eyes slowly opened as he came to. The first thing he saw was..
Her.
Her face. Her eyes were wet. Why did she look so upset? He felt her breath on his face. It was very uneven.
She'd been crying. Why? What happened?
He noticed something else, about himself.
He was breathing.
It didn't hurt to breathe..
What happened?
He heard her small, stifled sobs, as she stared down at him. He stared back up at her curiously.
"H.. How do you feel.. Kimimaro?" She whispered shakily, looking down at him with anxious jade orbs.
Something wet fell onto his cheek, which startled him slightly. He blinked and saw that the "wet something" was in fact a tear.
Was he the reason she was crying? "Why.. are.. you cry.. ing?" he asked quietly, emerald hues casting over her tear-stained face.
"I-I didn't want to lose you.." She bit her lip.
Kimimaro's eyes widened. He was the reason she was crying.. But why? "What.. dooooo.." he was having trouble forming proper words. "You.. You mean..?"
".. You were dying.."
His breath hitched. He almost died? And she was crying because of that? Kimimaro was hardly sure Orochimaru would lament, much less cry over his death.
She really cared for him..? If she was merely interested in his abilities, Kimimaro doubted she'd be crying like she was.
She cared. He suspected that now.. But he was unsure on how to feel. Should he feel good that someone actually cared? Or should he feel angry that he'd lasted long enough in this place to allow her to care? He was tempted to think of Orochimaru, but seeing her face quickly drove that away.
"Well.. A..apparently I'm.. still here.." he mumbled, unsure of what to say.
She'd just saved his life. What reason was there to trust her?
What reason was there not to trust her?
She hadn't caused him any pain. In fact, she tried to heal his pain.
And healed his physical pain she did.. But he doubted she could heal the pain in his withered heart.
xXx
The day after his near-death incident, Kimimaro was able to talk. It was a bit difficult for him to form words; he made off sounds on occasion. And every time, Sakura would giggle before quieting under his glare. He was even able to sit up in his bed, which he did, with some effort. He felt so much better already.. if he let her heal him, he'd be back in perfect shape in no time.
Then he could escape and look for.. Orochimaru? What would happen if Kimimaro actually found Orochimaru? What would happen if he didn't? He very well might die, either way. Did he really want to ris--
There was a soft knock on the door before it opened. It was Sakura, again. Before he stopped to think, he blurted, "Why is it always you I seee..? See.. See." He oftedn repeated sounds or words to help with his pronounciation.
Sakura paused, mid-step, taken aback. She blinked, before smiling sadly at him. "Well.. Tsunade-sama wants to keep you a secret from the villagers, at least for now, and.. none of the shinobi that know you like you very much."
"For now..?"
"Yes, for now.." Sakura replied. "If things go.. well.. then hopefully, you won't be stuck in a hospital bed anymore."
"When are you goo-ing.. Gooo.. go..ing.." Kimimaro frowned in agitation when Sakura laughed. She quieted so he could finish. "When.. When are you going to.. exper.. i.. ment on.. me?"
Kimimaro had meant the question earnestly, but Sakura's jade hues widened. "Uhm.. Why would I do that, Kimimaro?"
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed. He may have had trouble speaking, but he wasn't stupid. "That was your plan frum.. frum.. from the begin..ning, was it not..? That's the re-ay... Rea.. reason you brouu-- .. Agh! Brought me here, yes..? To learn about my clan's kekkei.. genkai."
Sakura looked away, before looking down at her shoes. "I don't like the idea of making you feel like a guinea pig.. I have another idea in mind. It will take more time, but I think it will work.."
"And what eye-dee-uh is that?"
"I'm going to recover you to full-health," Sakura replied confidently. "Then you're going to show me your fighting abilities through demonstrations and combat."