Just as she had promised, Tenten arrived at the hospital the next day. She knocked on the door to Neji's room and slowly opened it. Her eyes landed on the man to make sure that he was not disturbed. He is Neji after all, so it wouldn't take much to get him in a bad mood. She walked in the room with a vase full of flowers.
"What is that?" He said flatly
"What these? They're flowers Neji. Ever heard of them?" She asked jokingly
He clearly didn't find her joke funny, "All right you've had your fun. Now, tell me why they are with you."
"They're for you. Don't you like them?" She asked
He looked at her blankly, "You should know I don't care for flowers."
"Oh yeah." She said slowly recollecting her memory
She put the flowers next to his bed and pulled a chair out so she could sit next to him.
"I'm sorry you have to sit here for the next few weeks. I know it's hard for you working your schedule around your condition-" she was immediately cut off
"Condition? I'm fine." He said matter-of-factly
"I should have used a better word sorry. But I'm serious Neji. What are you going to do now? Have you given any thought to it? You're going to be limited after you get out of that bed." She said trying to get an answer out of him
"I'll get by just fine." He retorted
She stroked his hand with her fingers, "I just don't want you to be angry and miserable when you're healed."
He quickly removed her hand from his, "You don't have to touch me."
She folded her hands in her lap. It hurt her to see him treat her with such little respect, but that's just the way he is. She had never gotten used to it.
She reached for one of the flowers and took it out of the vase. The petals were picked off one by one. It was not a game, she simply just wanted the thing gone. He didn't like it, so what was the use in keeping them. He noticed what she was doing and grabbed the stem.
"What are you doing now?" He asked
She never looked at him, "Nothing, just fiddling around with it. It's not like you'd miss a few flowers."
He took the flowers out of her hands and lay them next to himself, "Don't destroy them. They are a gift." He said with a fraction of a grin
She smiled, "So you do like them?"
He gave no reply.
They were interrupted when Neji's nurse came in the room.
"Are you ready for your medicine?" Her eyes wandered over to Tenten, "Oh, you have a visitor. How nice."
"Do I have to leave while you give him his medicine?" Tenten asked
The nurse replied, "It is not required, but if he is not comfortable with you being in here while it happens, you will need to leave." She looked over to Neji, "Do you have a problem with someone being in here right now?"
He nodded, "Thank you for coming Tenten."
"Can I come back in after you take your medicine? Visiting hours aren't over yet." She begged
"No, I think it's best if you leave. You'll come back tomorrow right?" He asked
She nodded and pushed her chair back where it came from. There it was again; the pain of rejection. He didn't want to even talk to her for another minute. Times like these are what makes her question her decision to care for him. She walked outside the hospital and collected her thoughts before going home. It didn't take long for her to come to the decision of not seeing him tomorrow. If it was going to be as awkward and heartbreaking as today was, what was the point?