"What do you have to say for yourself, Hayama-San?!"
Kiku cringed.
"S-sorry..."
"Sorry?! You left with a patient in the middle of the night! All you can say is 'sorry'?"
Kiku took a small step back and looked at the floor.
"Not only was the patient not scheduled for release yet...on your orders, but he's a known murderer! You put yourself in danger to break one of the hospitals rules!"
Kiku didn't know what to say. She knew it was against rules to let a patient leave without formal release, but when Gaara had wanted to talk Kiku's memory of the rules seemed to have dissapeared.
"At least it seems he forgot about this morning..." Kiku thought to herself, looking back up at her supervisor.
"And about this morning..." continued Sekka.
Kiku's bit her lip...she knew where this was going.
"Sleeping in a patient's bed...If you both weren't so young there would have been serious repercussions. Not that we're accusing you of anything. We know what happened, but for future reference we can't have any of THAT sort of thing going on in our hospital. Do you know how bad we would look if people left here suddenly carrying a baby after a night here...patient OR medic?"
Kiku looked mildly puzzled. Perhaps she didn't quite know where this was going.
"But people are carrying babies here all the time. Emiko-sensei delivered 2 babies last week...they were alive and their mothers carried them home. I thought that made the hospital good." She looked up questioningly. "but what does that have to do with me?"
Sekka sighed.
"Right...too young for that...plus I doubt anything like that would happen with Gaara of all people." he muttered under his breath before focusing back on Kiku. "In any case it's against the rules to be in a patients bed if the patient is still in the room, understood?"
Kiku nodded. "Yes Sekka-San...but I didn't go there intentionally. I just woke up there. I was in the chair when I fell asleep..."
Sekka looked at her, his eyebrow raised. Kiku sighed.
"Sleeping on the job...ok I get it."
"Twice." he added and Kiku looked back to the floor. "Emiko-san and myself had Kamura-San watching you last night...that's what the report entails."
"I'm fired, aren't I?" she asked hesitantly, tears welling up in her eyes.
"No..." said Sekka and Kiku let out a breath of relief.
"But you will be suspended for a week."
Kiku nodded.
"Yes sir..."
"You're dismissed."
With that Kiku walked silently out of the room, shutting the door behind her...and was instantly surrounded by her fellow medics.
"What happened?!"
"Why did Sekka-San have to see you?"
"What did you do?"
"Does is have to do with Gaara-San?"
"He didn't kill anyone while he was with you did he?!"
"Is that what happened Kiku-San?!"
Kiku stood motionless eyes open wide as she heard the swarm of questions from her fellow medics.
"I...I...Ummmm...I'm..." she watched the other young medics move in closer. She knew they wanted answers but she wasn't sure what to tell them. She was still shocked and mildly confused by the current situation.
"Alright everyone! Back up and give the girl some space!"
The group backed up and stepped away, letting Aya step into the circle. She grabbed Kiku's hand and pulled her away from the other medics.
"Come with me."
Kiku could hear the whines of the other medics as they slowly dispersed and was suddenly pulled into an empty room with Aya.
"Ok, now that we're alone...WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!" Aya shouted.
Kiku's eyes shot open but closed quickly when she saw Aya's hand raised. She expected to be hit but instead felt a gentle pat on her head.
She slowly looked back up.
"I was really worried you know..." Aya's eyes were soft as she spoke quietly.
"I'm sorry..." Kiku said, quietly. "I made a mistake...but nothing happened. I just wanted to talk to Gaara-kun and then we came right back...but now..."
Kiku started to cry and Aya frowned.
"Come on Kiku-chan, stop crying...you didn't lose your job or anything. Suspensions aren't that bad...I've been suspended twice...just think of it as a short, unwanted vacation."
"You already knew?"
Kiku wiped her eyes and looked at Aya. Aya nodded slowly.
"Emiko-sensei told me. It was her idea for the suspension...Sekka-San just likes to be in charge of delivering the punishments to the newer ninjas...scare them into shape I guess."
"Oh..."
"Come on, stop frowning so much. Emiko-sensei did this for you to relax. You probably need it after everything."
Kiku nodded. "Sekka-San was so mad...I fell asleep on the job and woke up in Gaara's bed which apparently is really bad. Sekka said something about babies, but I don't see what that has to do with any of this. Really, what do babies have to do with sleeping?!"
Kiku frowned even more as Aya burst into a fit of laughter.
"Seka-san didn't really say that, did he?"
Kiku looked at Aya curiously. "Yes he did...what's so funny?"
Aya slowly fell to a chuckle before looking around the room for something. She lifted papers off the desks and peered into drawers until she came up with a small soft cover book.
"Emiko-sensei gave this to me a couple years ago. Just read it and you'll understand what he meant. Not really supposed to give it to you until you're 14, but I think you're close enough."
Kiku took the book without even looking at it. She couldn't even think of reading right now. She still didn't know if Gaara was home safely, and she couldn't get the thought of her suspension out of her mind.
"Come on Kiku-chan. This really isn't like you. Why are you still so unhappy."
"...because I'm still in trouble."
Aya flicked Kiku's forehead.
"Not really...everyone makes mistakes. You just have to deal with it and not get so depressed over something stupid. You're a kunoichi...toughen up a little. It's vacation, nothing else."
Kiku nodded and slowly smiled. "You're right...I'll just try to treat this as a vacation...there were a few things I've been meaning to do anyway..."
"Does any of that have to do with Gaara-San?" Aya asked, watching Kiku's face. When Kiku tried to look away Aya sighed. "I figured as much...well then I guess you better head outside...Temari-San is outside waiting to talk to you next."
Kiku's eyes widened and she made a quick turn for the door before Aya grabbed her shoulder.
"I don't really approve of you talking to Gaara-San...but I won't stop you from something you want. Just please promise me you'll be more careful. There are a lot of us that really care about you."
Kiku nodded. "I promise."
Aya smiled then shooed her out the door. "Then hurry up and don't make Temari-san wait much longer."
"I wonder if I'll be able to see Gaara again soon." she muttered as she headed out of the hospital, a bright smile now plastered on her face. She was so happy she never seemed to notice the eye that seemed to be watching her every move.
[A/N]: So sorry for the delay guys! Work had me working overtime the last few months...but I was just put on temporary suspension so I have a few months to write now...yay! Kinda...lol. Anyways, sorry if this isn't that great...haven't written anything in so long I have to get back in the habit...Currently planning out the next few chapters though so those should be better (and longer). Hoping to post the next chapter by the end of the week. Thanks a bunch for reading! ^.^