People who are Important: Book One

 

Chapter 1

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Gaara laid on the soft hospital bed with his eyes closed. He'd been there for a little over two days just biding his time until the doctors deemed him fit to leave. Of course Shukaku had healed the most serious damage, but the demon had stopped helping out as soon as Gaara's life was no longer in danger. Something about he shouldn't have to do everything for him. Not that the doctors really cared; if not for his sister Temari breathing down their necks to do their jobs correctly, he was sure the doctors would have discharged him already. It didn't matter to them whether he lived or died. He knew most of them would rather he just die, so his presence couldn't plague their village anymore. His thoughts were disrupted as his sensitive shinobi ears picked up some soft murmuring in the hall.

"Young lady I have to insist you don't go in there," he heard a man's voice say from the hall. He heard a girl grunt in response. There was some more murmuring from the hallway he couldn't quite make out. He kept his aqua eyes shut in hopes that whoever they were, they'd just go away. He wasn't really in the mood for any visits from the doctor today. It was silent for a few moments. Then Temari's voice broke in.

"Listen doctor! You've given me no choice. Since you and your staff refuse to treat Gaara properly I brought in someone of my own choice!" she said in a raised, irritated voice. The doctor was silent. Nobody questioned Temari when she was angry. Gaara didn't even question her when she was angry anymore. She could be more frightening than him at times, which is what he learned from actually paying attention to his family for a change. He'd also learned that Kankurou was a little bit of a prevert. (yes i said prevert) Gaara heard the door open, but did not open his eyes. He felt Temari's presence, her aura was worried, and hesitant. He knew why.

"I am awake," he stated with his eyes closed, and immediately felt his sister relax. He felt another person come up to him. It was a woman, a girl, who approached him confidently. He opened his icy eyes to stare at a young lady with dark chocolate hair pulled into a messy bun slightly to the side of her head, and intelligent navy eyes. A few rogue wisps of hair danced gently in the breeze from the open window. She was an inch or two shorter than Temari, and looked about his age. She looked down at him disinterestedly and began to do her job. Temari stood in the background and watched the young girl go to work on her brother.

"No fever, his lungs sound okay, and his heart is beating normally. Do me a favor and follow my finger with your eyes," she said professionally. She held a slim finger out and moved it from side to side. It was standard for a checkup, and he'd gotten used to checkups over the past two days. That was all the doctors really did for him. They usually got out as fast as they could, leaving him alone for the rest of the day.

The young girl stopped, and wrote down her findings on the clipboard. She proceeded to shine a flashlight into both of his eyes. After finishing, she looked down at the clipboard and wrote down whatever it was doctors write on those things. She then took his blood pressure, his height, and weight.

"You should eat more. You're thin for your height," she said bluntly.

He glared at her as furiously as he could muster with his injuries. She didn't even bat an eyelash as she had him sit on the bed once again. Gaara continued to glare down a the rude girl, and even harder when she started to touch his leg. Her warm hands pressed and rubbed against his pale shin, all the way up to his thigh noting every time he hissed, or slightly flinched away from her. She did the same to his arms, and after she was finished she recorded her findings on the board. The young girl looked down at him from her clipboard with a dismissive look in her dark blue eyes, and then turned to Temari.

"How is he Shia?" his sister asked. The girl next to him looked down at her charts.

"Well, he doesn't have any internal damage to his organs. There are a few scattered fractures along his left shin, and his right wrist is sprained. His vision and reflexes seem to be working perfectly, meaning there was no damage to his brain. That's a good sign, it means there's no concussion. Other than those injuries he's good. There may be a few muscle pulls thrown in there, but they'll heal within a few days. I recommend he stay in the hospital for at least five more days so I can treat him, and after that bed rest," Shia said. Gaara laid back down in the bed not really caring what was wrong with him, or what this girl had to say. He closed his eyes again trying to tune the two women in the room out. Shia turned to the doctor with a fierce look in her eyes.

"I've got a question for you doctor. Why is it that this boy has been here two days already, yet his leg hasn't been properly splinted, and his wrist hasn't been wrapped? There's nothing in his file to show he's been checked over at all. Seems like time enough don't you think?" she said in an annoyed tone. Shia hated it when people didn't do what they were supposed to do. She didn't understand why the doctor disliked the redhead so much; nor did she really care too much. A patient is a patient, and they should all be treated accordingly. The doctor looked at her with irritation.

"How would you know anything? You're just a little kid," he said angrily. She lifted a brow at him.

"Oh, you're right. Perhaps you have some adult reason why the necessary actions have not been taken," she retorted. He glared at her, and she just stared evenly back at him.

"You don't understand what that child is young lady. You're not from around here, so you wouldn't know why most of the staff doesn't want to be in this room," he answered with a hint of disgust in his voice. Gaara's green eyes opened up to glare at the doctor from his hospital bed. He saw the young, 'nurse?', he was guessing turn her dark eyes on him, and then look back at the doctor.

"No, apparently there is something I'm missing. Perhaps you can explain it to me," she said. The doctor glared fiercely at her, hatred burning in his eyes. The girl didn't even blink. Her lack of fear seemed to anger the doctor further, who turned his hateful glare to Gaara.

"That boy is a monster! A murderer! He kills to satisfy himself and that beast locked inside of him!" the doctor yelled at the girl. Gaara hmfd' and turned his eyes back to the girl who had inclined her head to the left slightly. Her expression was thoughtful, as she turned her dark blue eyes on him. He glared, she didn't budge. The brunette turned her gaze back to the doctor.

"It doesn't matter what he is. A patient is a patient. As a doctor you're supposed to put your personal feelings aside in order to save lives. I don't know what you're going on about, and frankly I don't care. It's not my business. My job is simply to come here and do what you and your staff should have already done. You're dismissed from this patient doctor, please leave," she said offhandedly. Temari smiled in the corner as the doctor glared again.

"What right do you have to dismiss me from anything you little brat! You're just a kid, you have no authority over me!" he shouted. The brunette raised her hand up waving it as if shooing him. Her expression was now annoyed. She just turned away from the doctor and back to Temari who turned her green gaze on the doctor.

"I think you'll find she does. She's been sent from Konoha on a mission to heal Gaara. So you are no longer permitted in this room," the blond said. The doctor's eyes burned with hatred, but he trudged, defeated, out of the room. Temari turned back to Shia, motioning for her to continue speaking.

"I will stay here for tonight, and tomorrow morning, but tomorrow night I have to leave for Konoha. The Hokage's funeral will be taking place in three days. After I will return here to give your brother another check up, when I think I'll probably be able to send him home," Shia explained. Temari nodded. She hadn't known the Hokage was killed.

She felt a twinge of guilt. No one had known that Orochimaru killed the Kazekage and plotted the destruction of Konoha. Since the invasion, Konoha and Suna had allied against the Sound village. Suna sent some of their chunnin and genin to help with the reconstruction of Konoha, and Konoha had lent Temari a medical ninja for their injured. She still remembered standing with Kankurou and delivering to Konoha's council Suna's formal apology.

(flashback)

"The council, and citizens of Sunagakure no Sato would like to extend their sincere apologies for their recent actions of betrayal. We were under orders from the Kazekage to destroy Konohagakure, it wasn't until recently that we realized we had been deceived. My brother and I would like to, on behalf of the council of Sunagakure, offer our allegiance against the village of the Sound," Temari said while respectfully bowing her head to Konoha's village elders. She glanced at Kankurou briefly, who nodded and smiled, signifying she had worded her apology perfectly.

"We accept your apology, and your alliance," the leader said. Temari rose, and nodded at the old man.

"Suna will be sending some of our shinobi to aid you in the reconstruction of your village," the young blond said. The elder nodded, and gave her a polite smile.

"If there is anything we can do for Suna, let us know," he said, the tension in the room being lifted, as the alliance continued to be accepted. Temari nodded, and let her mind wander to her youngest brother. He was laying in the hospital at Suna at that very moment. She knew that the doctors weren't doing all they could to help him. She also knew most of them were hoping for him to die. She looked back at the elder.

"Actually, if you could spare us a medical ninja. I know they must be busy after what happened, but my brother is injured pretty badly, and our doctors lack…the...experience to help him," she said, not wanting to reveal too much. The elder looked to his colleagues and nodded.

"Most of our medics are busy with our injured, but I do believe we have one we can spare. She's young, but don't let that fool you, her clan is one well known for its medical ninjutsu. She's all we can spare for the moment," he said. Temari nodded, and he had a messenger send word to a girl he said was named Shia.

(flashback end)

"I'm sorry for your loss," Temari said, allowing guilt to enter her voice. The young medical-nin just smiled at her.

"You're already forgiven," Shia said, turning back to Gaara, who was just staring emotionlessly from his sister to the girl.

The doctor had left, and he could see the young medical-nin visibly relax. She moved closer to him, lifting his wrist and turning it gently in her hands as if it were a delicate piece of glass. He just glared at her. He didn't trust strangers, but he allowed her inspection of his condition because Temari trusted her, and because Temari was still in the room. He wanted to show his siblings he trusted them. He wanted them to know they were special to him without having to say it just yet. Yes, he wanted to change, but change takes time, and frankly he was still uncomfortable letting people in. He saw the girl nod and back away.

"Alright, I'm going to grab what I need from the storage closet, and I'll be back," she said, walking swiftly out of the room. She was in a hurry, but not because she was scared of him. That was new. She was sincerely concerned for him as a patient, and it was something that he was not used to. It bothered him.

"Gaara I know what you're thinking. Don't worry, she's trustworthy. She's young, but her records show she's never lost a patient. According to Konoha, her clan is known for medical ninjutsu," Temari explained. He didn't answer her. He just stared at her with an uncaring look. Temari just smiled and closed her eyes. 'At least Kankurou and I can relax knowing Gaara will get proper care,' she thought. She heard Shia's soft, hurried footsteps enter the room.

"Alright, I'm ready," she said, looking down at him. She didn't miss the cautious look in his icy eyes.

"Oh, um…I'm sorry. I guess I never introduced myself. My name is Akito Shia, what's yours?" she asked politely. He just stared at her coolly for a few moments. After twenty seconds he saw her shift nervously. Quickly he looked up at her face, searching for that familiar emotion that everyone who encountered him felt. A few seconds passed as he searched her expression.

No fear, not one ounce of fear in her navy eyes. She smiled at him, a little confused. He just tilted his head to the side slightly, like a confused dog. Someone was smiling at him, and it wasn't one of his siblings. It baffled him a little. He finally came to his senses as he heard Temari clear her throat. Gaara decided he didn't care about this girl's reasons for smiling at him, and just turned his head away. He heard her chuckle slightly.

"Okay, that's fine, you don't have to tell me. Just let me see your leg," she said. He didn't look at her, but he swung his legs over the side of the bed, and felt her binding something flat and straight to the injured one. She then wrapped his wrist and sighed out a long breath after she was finished. Gaara's cool eyes turned back on her. She smiled again, and he just glared.

"Alright, all finished. I'll be back tomorrow morning to check up on you," Shia said walking over to Temari. Gaara lay back in his bed and shut his eyes. He heard the girls talking quietly, but tuned them out, deciding he had no interest in their conversation.

"So what do you think?" Temari said, eying the younger girl carefully.

"What do you mean?" Shia asked, walking slowly next to the blond.

"My brother, he will make a full recovery?" Temari asked, concerned. Shia smiled up at the older teenager.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. As long as he cooperates with me, and no one tampers with the treatment. Once he's out, he'll need a full week of bed rest, during which I suggest you coax him to eat more, he's very thin. I know you said he doesn't sleep, that's fine as long as he stays in bed. After that, he'll need two weeks of physical therapy to get his healing body used to his shinobi lifestyle. Then everything should be great. The week after he finishes the therapy he can start light training, I'll supervise all of this, but after the healing time is over, he'll be as good as new," the young medical-nin explained. Temari felt a sense of relief wash through her.

"Thank you for helping us. I know he can be rude, but it's just his way of protecting himself," Temari said, feeling a need to apologize for Gaara's coldness towards Shia.

"No, it's okay. I don't understand or know much about him, but I can tell he's been through a lot. I can handle a little coldness. He's not the first rude patient I've ever had," she said. Temari smiled as they stopped in front of the hotel.

"I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow. I'll introduce you to my other brother. He's a little eccentric, but I'm sure you'll get along," she said. Shia nodded and proceeded into the hotel. Once in her room, she took a shower, brushed her teeth, and let herself fall into the soft bed the council was paying for.

With Gaara

Gaara lay awake, staring out of the hospital window into the night. The moonlight streamed in lighting his face with a soft blue-silver glow. Another night without sleep. Another night in this stupid hospital. He heard a nurse come in, but didn't look her way. The sound of a glass clinking against the bedside table broke the silence, then the soft click of the door closing. He turned and picked up the glass, putting it to his lips and allowing the cool liquid to run down his dry throat. When he was finished, he lay back down to stare out the window again.