"Aren't we going back there?" Kiba tentatively asks Temari as she gulps down her coffee by the vending machine in the hospital hall.
She shakes her head with a hum.
"I think Gaara and Kankurou need some time to have their own discussion too."
It's not the first time he meets Temari. She came out for beers with him and Kankurou once, and probably picked him up after practice a few times (although even if Kankurou wouldn't say anything, Kiba is almost certain he's terrified of riding with her). Of course, he had noticed Kankurou and her were somewhat complicit, like close siblings can be, but he had not realized how deep their bond was, and he had decidedly not anticipated that she would be so observant and caring about her brothers. She usually was, to put it lightly, a bit rough.
She laughs. The sound of it is warm and rich. It's comforting somehow.
"I also definitely need more than one coffee."
He pats down his pocket.
"I don't have enough cash for more."
"It's okay, I'll pay for it."
The drink burns his throat as he chokes on it.
"Why did you just make me pay for yours if you had money?!"
She laughs again, at him this time, apparently. It's less comforting.
"I got you a great excuse to get out of that hell of a room, stop complaining."
"You could have gotten me out without that!"
"But then I wouldn't have had free coffee. You gotta think ahead Kiba."
He's about to rant some more when a voice interrupts them.
"Kiba!"
It's Tenten, almost rushing into an old lady as she runs towards them through the hall.
"Oh my god, why weren't either of you answering your phones? I got so scared! How is Kankurou?"
"Sorry, Temari and Gaara showed up just when I woke up, I didn't get the time to check my texts," he points at Temari. "We got down for coffee a minute ago. Gaara is up there with him." He frowns. "How did you even know we were here? Did he text you?"
She nods.
"In the group chat, he said you two were at the hospital. What happened?"
So Kankurou really committed to that telling-people thing in the end, uh? At least one good news today.
"I tried to text him yesterday and he wouldn't answer so I got shit worried and decided to show up at his place. Found him essentially bleeding out in his bed and he passed out when he tried to get up to throw me out."
He's still a bit shaky thinking of Kankurou's limp body lying on the floor at his feet.
"I figured calling an ambulance was the right move."
Tenten opens her mouth to ask for more info but Temari cuts her off before she does.
"He's got UC, it's an inflammatory disease. He's been in remission for about five years but this shit is unpredictable," she sounds angry, like she'd beat up the illness eating up her brother if that was an option. "There's a considerable chance it will turn somewhat bad like spend-a-few-weeks-in-the-hospital-before-you're-fine-again bad."
She takes a deeper breath.
"There's also a small chance it could turn really bad, like deadly bad."
Temari's words linger in the silence. (Well, it's not really silent, it's a hospital hall, but it feels like the lead weight that just fell on them is muting everyone outside of their small circle.) They stay looking at each other, or their feet, or the flickering light of the vending machine for a moment, before Temari eventually takes a big inspiration and claps her hands, effectively snapping the trio out of its haze.
"You want coffee?"
What? Hey!
"Why does she get free coffee?!"
"Well, I spared money for one coffee, I have to use it."
"But that's my money!"
She waves him away.
"Don't pay attention to him, he's grumpy because he's worried about his crush. What do you want?"
"What the hell are you talking about? Why would you say that?"
Why would she know? Is he that obvious? Why isn't Tenten reacting to this? Does she know? Since when? Does Kankurou know? Since when? Is he not saying anything because he's not interested in any way and just hopes Kiba never confesses?
"I'll take a cappuccino."
None of them is paying him any attention at this point. Tenten stretches, not acknowledging his distress one bit. She looks like a cat, flexible but deadly, and it's not the first time Kiba finds himself suspecting her to have a secret ballet background. It doesn't seem exactly like the right time to ask though.
Temari sighs and starts her second coffee after giving Tenten hers.
"This is better. I don't know how I managed to ride all the way over here with that little caffeine in my body," she says between two sips.
Tenten nods.
"Tell me about it."
"You got a bike too?"
Tenten lets out a fierce laugh, which is not exactly out of character for her, but also this one sounds a tad different.
"Of course, I do!"
Wait, are they flirting?
"We gotta hang out sometimes! Give me your number."
Ok, they're definitely flirting.
Why is it so easy for them?
(The fact that neither of them is bleeding out at the moment probably helps.)
He coughs a bit. He's really not in the mood to witness any of that right now, given the state of his own current love life.
"I think we should get back to Kankurou, shouldn't we?"
They both turn their head toward him at the same time like they had forgotten about him entirely.
He could swear Temari is blushing a little.
"Yes. Of course. I'm grabbing a cup for Gaara and we're on our way."
"I've heard you've got some visit this morning," Tsunade says with a smirk when he enters the office.
He got picked up by a nurse earlier before Temari and Kiba got back to get some new imagery done, hoping for any sign of improvement.
"I didn't expect you to change your mind so soon about calling them."
Kankurou shrugs.
"I figured I didn't have much time to do so, do I?"
It's a somewhat rhetorical question, but he would appreciate more precise news about his prognosis.
He knew before Temari's reaction shoved it in his face that the situation was bad, of course. But it had settled differently since then.
Dying, in itself, is a somewhat abstract idea. It's not something you can anticipate, imagine, or prepare for. It's something that happens to you and, well, if there is still something to be managed after that, you have no choice but to find out on the spot.
The dread on Temari's face the second she saw him was nothing abstract. The implications of what I could die means, faced with her fear and her grief, is nothing abstract. The realization that their mother might have said I'm not dying to Temari too, might have believed it, even, is nothing abstract.
Luckily enough, Tsunade doesn't seem to want to put her nose deeper into his familial situation. (Good thing cause he's not in any way ready to unpack all of that yet.)
"Your state seems to be stationary for the moment. The good news is it means you're not getting an emergency surgery this morning."
It is arguably good news.
"The bad news is it means you're not reacting to the treatment for now."
Given how he's been feeling since he woke up, a constant mix of "like I've been stabbed" and "very hungover", he wasn't really expecting anything better, but it still sucks.
"There is a possibility that the inflammation would have gone worse without it and that it's effective but only to the point of maintaining things the way they are, but as you know it's not enough. It's not exactly surprising, the time it takes for Infliximab to be effective varies from person to person, but since we're on a tight schedule here, we need you to be one of the people who react quickly, or it won't spare you for surgery."
Kankurou nods slowly. He's not sure what he's supposed to do with this information since he can't act on it in any way.
It's one of the aspects of being sick he hates the most. The feeling of watching things happen to him from afar without being able to get a hold of any tiny piece of his surroundings or himself.
"Have you given any thoughts about how you feel about surgery?"
The shadows hiss like they did the first time around. He hasn't really thought about it, he rather not to, but his companions decidedly seem to have an opinion on it.
"What is there to think about? I thought I wouldn't get a choice anyway."
"You won't have a choice on Tuesday. But you still have one now."
"What is it?"
"To get surgery sooner."
"And why would I want that?"
She stops for a moment, seemingly debating whether or not to say what she's thinking about.
"If that were only up to me, I would ask for you to get surgery today," she eventually says, her look heavy on him. "The more we wait the more risk we take that your state could deteriorate, forcing an emergency colectomy and putting you in greater danger. I do understand that surgery is a tough call for many people, which is why we give ourselves a three days window to attempt medical treatment first. But you had already been bleeding for two days when you showed up."
She smirks vaguely.
"Or were dragged here, I guess."
The silence is heavy with words she hasn't said yet.
"I will wait until Tuesday if that's your choice. But I'm ready and favourable to register you for surgery sooner if you agree to."
"So Temari, uh?" Kiba asks to break the silence once Tenten and he have settled on a pair of chairs in the hallway.
Kankurou got back from some more exams as they arrived at his room and he asked for a moment alone with his siblings, a request to which they both complied after he swore it wasn't bad news.
Although Tenten might be blushing a little, the look she gives him is filled with way more mischievousness than embarrassment. That can't be a good sign for him.
"So Kankurou, uh?"
He hesitates for a few seconds before giving up on the idea of defending himself in favour of just nodding. If the heat he feels in his cheeks is anything to go by, he's probably not in any position to deny it at the moment.
"Since when?"
He sighs.
"I'm not sure. I think it got to me slowly enough that I didn't notice it, until one night a few months ago we were hanging out over a pack of beer and I found myself watching him drink and thinking 'Damn, what I wouldn't give to put a kiss on these lips.'"
She lets out a teasing sound of excitement.
"I didn't mean to keep it a secret, but at first I thought maybe it was just a tipsy thought, you know? I wouldn't have known him, I guess I would have tried to hook up on the spot. But I didn't want to risk our friendship or the band by making a move on an impulse," he chuckles. "I mean you know me, I tend to act before I think and it's not always a good call."
She snorts softly. She was there the day he broke an ankle swearing after two cans of amber that parkour couldn't be that hard, and she never let him live it down.
"I guess you could say that."
"And when it became evident that it wasn't a one-night feeling it was just never the good time to talk to him. We had a gig to practice for and I didn't want to make things awkward just before that if it happened to turn somewhat messy. Then he had that work thing, and he looked really tired and like he had already too much on his plate… I guess I know why now."
He sighs.
"Looks like I'm still going to have to wait for a little while."
She shrugs.
"I mean, you could also just tell him now at this point. In for a dime, in for a penny."
He shakes his head.
"It seems cruel. If I were in agonizing pain in a hospital, I'd be pretty mad to have to turn down a friend who randomly decided to confess to me in the middle of it."
"If I were agonizing in pain in a hospital, I'd be comforted by the prospect of making out afterwards with a cute friend."
Well, put that way, of course. But no.
"That's assuming Kankurou thinks I'm cute and is in any way interested in making out with me. I've never met anyone he's slept with, I don't know if I'm his type. I don't even know if he has any interest in dating anyone in the first place, and I don't think I would be in if it was just hooking up. I can get over it and stay friend but I don't want to torture myself by feeding an affection that won't be returned."
Tenten takes a second to answer and Kiba finds himself hoping maybe he told her about him.
"I don't think he is actively trying to find someone to date," she eventually says, quickly adding when she sees his shoulder slumping, "But that doesn't mean he won't be interested if something comes up! I don't care about being single, but if your crush's hot blond sister asks me out, I'm not going to say no."
Frankly, he's not too worried about these two.
"I know I'll have to ask eventually, but I just think there's too much risk that it won't go well to put that weight on Kankurou right now."
He sighs before giving her a limp smile.
"But that's okay, I can wait. I have an awesome boyfriend and a couple of very good friends."
She returns his smile and gives him a supporting shoulder squeeze.
It's good having someone to chat with. With the hell of last night, it feels like he hasn't had the opportunity to do so in ages. (Well, there was Kankurou, of course, but it hadn't been exactly chatting.)
"I'm scared," he says before he fully realizes it.
She nods, imitating him in staring at her hands.
"Yeah. Me too. It sucks."
"It does."
They stay silent for a moment. It doesn't feel like there's much else to say. There's not much else to do either than wait and be there and hope for the best.
He feels weirdly incompetent and weak in this new relationship. It's not exactly new, of course, he's known Kankurou for nearly a year now, but this whole thing has brought everything up to a new level of intimacy he was not prepared to handle. He's been with Shino for so long he has forgotten how it feels to learn how to care for someone from scratch. Guessing what helps and what doesn't. Knowing where the limits are and how things work. (Or how they don't. He's not exactly entering this relationship expecting Kankurou not to be a certain level of dysfunctional. He knows better.)
He stretches a bit. This night on the floor is not doing good things to his back.
"You should go home," Tenten says suddenly. "Get some food, rest on an actual bed, reassurance from your boyfriend."
She crinkles her nose in a sniff.
"A shower, too, ideally."
They laugh a bit.
"I'm here. Temari and Gaara are here. We're not leaving him alone. You can't live in this hallway for the next few days, let alone weeks. Come back this afternoon or tomorrow. I'll keep you updated I promise. I'll tell Kankurou you'll be back. You'll be of better support if you're well-rested."
Looking back on how they fought with each other two times in a matter of hours yesterday, maybe she's not fully wrong. Kankurou doesn't need a clingy stinky and on-edge friend right now.
"Yeah. I'll do that."
He gets up and passes a hand in his hair. Ew. She's righter than he thought about that shower thing.
"Tenten?"
"Mmh?"
"Tell him I care about him."
He hadn't realized how much he needed a warm reassuring smile until she gave him one.
"I will."