Author's Note: Okay so here is Chapter 11. Classes, for college, are starting back in a matter of days. Since free time, meaning writing time, is almost non-existent during the semester, I decided to update now. A big thank you to *mdtiger*, *Angel*, *TheMissMalave* and *RosieWinterMoon* for the reviews on Chapter 10 and *Cookies-Potterhead-Cream98* for the review on Chapter 5. Okay, so without further ado, Chapter 11!
P.S. - I don't own Naruto. If I did, you could just watch this in the anime or manga. I am just writing this story. =)
What a Life
"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, get away from me!" I screeched. The man pulled the sharp object away from me as a kicked my feet and threw my arms in protest.
"I need a little help in here!" The man shouted and moments later three strangers rushed into the room and grabbed at me.
"NO!" I screeched again as the three new arrivals held my limbs so I could not fight anymore.
A new stream of tears slid down my, already wet, cheeks as the man moved towards me, holding the sharp object. I tried kicking my legs again, but I could not. My eyes widened as I felt something pierce the skin on my arm.
"OW, OW, OW, OUCH!" I screamed. The man was already backing away from me and my arms and legs were released.
"Mrs. Yamanaka, you may come in now, it is safe." The man said. My mother walked through the door and I launched myself off the table and wrapped my arms around her.
"Mom, it was horrible. He is so mean. Why did you leave me?" I said in a pitiful voice.
My mom smiled down at me and ran her hand over my hair. "Ino, I had to leave the room. Remember the last time you came to get your shot; they had to pry you from me. I am so proud of you Ino; you did not even hurt anyone this time." She glanced up at the nurse that remained in the room, the one that I bit the last time.
"Doctor, thank you again for being so clam about all of this. Ino does not really hate you; it is just the fear talking."
A few minutes later, I held my mother's hand as we walked out of the hospital. I smiled at the thought of the lollipop in my pocket. 'This is the only good thing that comes from that building. I hate it there!' I thought to myself.
When we walked into the shop, my dad grinned at me from behind the counter. "There is my big girl! How did you trip to the hospital go?" I frowned at him.
My mom laughed and announced that, this time, I did not hurt anyone. My dad rushed to me and quickly picked me up, wrapping me in a hug.
"Dear, I was asking because I was worried about Ino." He lifted me higher in the air and spoke. "Ino, you are okay right? They did not hurt you?" I paused and then smiled, "Daddy, I am okay. The shot hurt, but not that bad."
He smiled again and said, "Okay that is good. I was afraid that you would get hurt and I would have to run to the hospital and beat up that doctor."
My mom rolled her eyes and mumbled something like "Now we know who she gets her violent tendencies from."
My dad put my back on my feet and turned to walk away. I reached into my pocket to get my reward, but I only felt air. "Daddy! You have to help! It is horrible my lollipop is gone. I have to have it. It is the only good part about going to the hospital." I pleaded.
He turned back to me and grabbed my hand. "Well, if it is that important, let's go!" He said in a heroic voice that made me laugh.
"Dear, can you watch the shop for just a few minutes? If Ino does not get that lollipop, the world may end." Without waiting for her answer, we moved out of the shop and down the road towards the hospital.
Minutes later when we walked through the doors, I released my father's hand and rushed to the front desk. I smiled up at the nurse sitting in the chair.
"Well Ino, why are you back so soon?" The nurse smiled at me. "I had to come back here; I got all the way home and realized that my lollipop was gone!" She laughed lightly and opened the drawer of the desk, pulling out a new purple lollipop. "Here you go sweetie!" I reached out and took the candy from her, thanking her nicely.
Beyond the doors of the hospital, I heard shouting and it was getting closer. I turned towards the doors and looked questionably.
The doors burst open and time seemed to go in slow motion. Two men were holding a third up. He was slumped over covered in blood. His clothes were cut up and ugly gashes appeared behind them. A headband, like my dad wore, was gripped in his hand, both coated in dried blood. As his grip on it loosened, and it fell to the floor, the nurse behind me rushed to him and led him to the hallway where the rooms were. She loudly called for a doctor as the door shut behind her.
I stared at the object on the floor and the trail of blood leading to and from it. 'Was he a ninja like daddy? He couldn't have been because daddy can't ever get hurt like that.' The thought made tears roll in my eyes and clog my throat.
My dad knelt down and pulled me to him. He pulled me into a hug and protected me from the horrible scene I just witnessed.
I started crying hysterically, saying, as best as I could through the sobs, how that could happen to him.
"Ino, please calm down. That will not happen to me because I have to come home to you and your mother. I am so sorry you had to see that." He said comfortingly.
My eyes opened as the tears slowed, and widened as a harsh scream pierced the air.
"Shhh, now there is no need to cry. Aw, calm down now. I said smiling it the infant I held in my arms.
I walked over to the large window in the room and held the baby up to it. I could hear giggles and sighs from the hall. A hug was exchanged between mother and son. I turned away from the window and the baby moved in my arms. I smiled down at her.
"Well, I see that we are happy to have the extra room." Gently I placed the newborn in her bassinet. As I pulled the pink blanket over her I said, "Let's just get you tucked in. Then we will take a little ride. I bet your mommy and daddy just can't wait to hold you again. Would you like that?" The infant wriggled under the blanket and that seemed like a good enough answer for me.
I wheeled the bassinet through the door and down the hall. 'It is so funny how babies have this effect on people.' I thought, as a watched patients look toward the baby. She grabbed the attention of everyone as we walked through hospital.
One particularly adorable little girl ran up to me. I stopped moving and watched as the child pushed up onto her toes and glanced over the edge of the plastic wall.
Her eyes widened and an expression of joy covered her small face. She turned her head towards me and a smile widened even more. "The baby has such pretty blue eyes. They sparkle just as your eyes do. Is this your baby?"
Air clogged my throat. As I stood holding the bassinet, I could feel my pulse jump. Every time my heart beat, it felt as though it was going to pop out of my chest. As I sucked air back into my lungs, I tried to act as if the question did not affect me. The girl remained at the edge of the plastic wall, patiently waiting for an answer.
"No sweetie, she is not my baby. I am actually taking her to see her parents right now."
The answer seemed to satisfy her curiosity. She turned to the baby again and grinned at her. After that, she moved away and looked up at me. "Thank you for letting my see the baby." Pausing for a moment, she rocked back on her heels, "My mommy is going to have a baby, but not for a little while." She placed her tiny hands over her stomach, "The baby is right here. Mommy came to the hospital to get medicine so the baby is strong and healthy." Her smile broadened, "Daddy says that mommy is going to have a boy and in a few months I will have a new brother, but can you keep a secret?" As I nodded, her head turned from one side to the other, checking for someone that could hear what she had to say. She leaned toward me and whispered quietly, "Even though daddy says it will be a boy, mommy says I am going to have a new sister. I hope I get a little sister, but a little brother would be alright too." She giggled at the thought.
I laughed soundlessly. She turned on her heel and started to walk away. Her head craned back and she said, "Thank you again, I have to go see my mom now though." With that, she turned down another corner and disappeared from my sight.
As I started rolling the baby again, towards her mother's room, an earlier question popped into my head again. 'Is this your baby?' 'Why did that affect me so much? I have dealt with babies almost every week, for as long as I have worked here. Sure, no one has ever asked me that before, but why would I react like that.'
As I pushed the cradle into the mothers room, I was still in deep though. The new father rushed over the baby and thanked me. I automatically smiled, used to the routine. I would push the baby into the room, I would leave, and the new parents would fuss over the infant. They would decide whose eyes the baby had, where she got her nose from, carefully count every finger, and toe. If a name had not been chosen, they would decide to name her after some significant woman in their families. She could be named after one of her grandmothers or even great grandmothers. I silently bowed out of the room and shut the door behind me.
As the door clicked, I heard a scream come from the lobby. I quickly rushed down the hall and into the lobby. I found the source of the scream. A young woman sat in a chair, her hand covering her mouth and tears flooded the bottom of her eyes. A young man, I assumed to be her husband, stood in front of her, blocking whatever she was so scared of.
I turned my head and my heart stopped beating. I ignored the wave of nausea, which rolled over my stomach, and started to move. My legs and hands seemed to shake, causing the world to spin slowly in front of my eyes.
Choji stood in the doorway, holding up the body of his fellow teammate. Choji was covered in blood and dirt, none of which seemed to be his own. I reached out to my friend and quickly scanned my eyes over him, 'No gashes, good. Sure there are a few small cuts and bruises, but nothing life threatening.' I thought. My hands shook harder and eyes filled with tears as I turned. "I need a bed now." I yelled towards one of the nurses rushing down the hallway.
I turned back and moved to the other side of the man Choji was holding up. Dirt and blood was everywhere. His face was shielded by his hair. Carefully, I walked his toward the bed a nurse pulled over. Choji lifted him onto the white sheet, which discolored as soon as the body was placed on it. Tsunade grabbed the man's wrist and checked for a pulse. I moved to push the hair out of his face. Ice ran through my veins and stop my heart from beating.
"Shikamaru!" I yelled, I pushed my body towards him, but Chojis' arms wrapped around my frame, stopping my movement. Tsunade bellowed, "Keep her away from him. She cannot help with this." I struggled to get away from him as they quickly wheeled Shikamaru away, but Choji held me in place.
I twisted around, balled my fists, and started to hit Choji in the chest. "Let me go, let me go!" I pleaded, "I can help, I have to help. Shikamaru needs me. Please Choji, let me go."
His arms wrapped tighter around me as the tears fell from my eyes. Silently, he stood in the middle of the lobby, covered in the blood my husband had lost, as my cried echoed through the room.
I stared at his hand. Gently I laced his fingers with mine. The hours that past had been a blur of misery. One of the nurses told me go home, get a shower, change clothes, and come back. If I wanted to, I could wait in the room Shikamaru would stay in after Tsunade was done healing him. The voice in the back of my head said 'Yeah I can wait there, but he has to be alive to get a room.' I shook the voice from my brain and walked out of the lobby.
Vaguely, I remember Choji walking me to my door, telling me he would meet me back at the hospital. I remember the water hitting my skin. It felt just as cold as I did. Eventually, I ended back up at the hospital.
Shikamaru was so still. The only movement came from his chest, which slowly rose and fell with his breath. Bandages covered his torso and arms. The blanket that lay over him covered the bandages on his legs. 'Even with Tsunade healing him, he is still so injured.'
I slumped forward, resting my forehead on the edge of the bed. As I closed my eyes, pictures from the years past flipped through my head. 'He was always there to protect me; and now, when he needed me the most, I could not help him. Tears started to fall from my eyes again. "Shikamaru, if you can hear me, I need you to wake up. You are my best friend, my husband, my everything. I can't lose you." I said in a weak voice.
I listened, but all I heard was his breath. I closed my eyes again, hoping this was all just a bad dream.
His fingers twitched around mine and my head sprung up. His eyelids struggled to open, but did. Turning his head away from the window, where light from the fading sun poured in, his eyes met mine.
I all but jumped out of the seat and wrapped my arms around this neck. "Shikamaru, you are awake. I was so worried about you.' Tears continued to run down my face. Slowly his arms rose and his hands rested on my back, pulling my closer to him.
"Ino calm down, please, I cannot stand for you to cry. I am fine, a little banged up, but fine."
I moved away and stared at him. "How can you say you are fine? You are covered in bandages. When Choji came in with you, a few hours ago, you were on the brink of death. You`re not fine!"
He smirked at me and said, "That is my cue to say it is just a scratch." When I did not smile back, his smirk faded. "Ino, Tsunade healed me right?" I did not answer, so he continued. "I will be fine. I will heal and the bandages will go away."
He scooted towards one side of the bed and moved the blanket. "Come here Ino." He said patting the empty space on the mattress.
I, carefully, climbed into the bed with him and let his wrap his arms around me. He winced as I hit the bandage covering his left arm, but held me in place when I tried to move away. "Ino, just lay here with me, let me hold you for a while." I wanted to comment, saying how Tsunade would not like this if she walked in and I was lying here, but decided against it.
I laid my head down on the pillow and listened to his breathing settle down. Soon, I too drifted off to sleep, still worried, but happy with the fact that Shika had come home to me.
Author's Note: If you had not guess, school started back. I started writing this chapter before school resumed, and ended up getting through the past section. After that, I was back in classes and busier than ever. I would sit down and write a paragraph at a time. Tonight, instead of studying for my first big test tomorrow, I took a few hours and finished out the chapter. I meant for this to be done weeks ago, but it took about three times longer than I hoped for. If you have stuck with me and gotten through this chapter, I cannot promise for a fast update, but I will start writing again on Friday, after classes are done, and hopefully get the bulk of Chapter 12 done or at least get it started. Now, that I have updated I can take an hour or so and study for my Physics Test (take a moment and wish me like please!) and then it is off to bed! So until the next update,
Blondegirl09
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