Chapter 6
Shia and Temari sat in a small, cozy looking tea shop a few blocks away from Kazekage tower where Gaara was in bed…finally. It was a nice break from working and the funeral. Shia was all around just glad to be able to relax. Between fighting with Gaara, healing him, sending constant reports to Konoha, and her recent nightmares, it was just a lot. There's only so much a twelve year old girl can handle.
"So, was Gaara any better today?" Temari asked, looking up from her tea with green eyes. Shia sighed and chuckled a little bit, remembering what had happened this morning. 'Probably best I don't tell her he attacked me again,' she thought to herself.
"Yes, everything went fairly smoothly today," she lied through her pearly white teeth. Temari regarded the younger girl skeptically, narrowing her green eyes into slits.
"There were no problems at all?" she asked. Shia hesitated, obviously Gaara's eldest sibling was going to be more difficult to lie to than Kankurou. (Who by the way bought the lie without even a second thought.) This morning, however, when she'd settled Gaara into bed, she'd promised not to mention what happened.
(Flashback)
"Alright, is there anything I can get you? If there's anything you need just ask okay," she said, looking down into calm icy eyes. Gaara blinked once…then twice. "Just tell me when my brother gets here," he said in his usual monotone. "No problem Gaara-san," she said, pulling the thin sheet over Gaara's slim form. She then walked over to the small bag she'd retrieved from her hotel room earlier and pulled out a book. Silently Gaara's young doctor sat down and began to read its contents thoroughly. Gaara just watched the girl for a few moments. She was quiet and focused. Obviously she knew she probably wouldn't get much conversation out of him, and he was inwardly thankful that she respected his introversion. Most people either just looked at him disgusted, or tried to force him to talk to them(Sunagakure elders). This nurse was different, however, she just sat across the room, allowing him his space and resting time. She read a rather large book with the Konoha symbol on the front. She seemed a little too focused on the book..something unreadable, but present was just below the surface of her intent gaze. Something was irking the girl, he'd noticed it since the morning. It seemed she was trying to keep herself busy, so as not to think about something that was plaguing her mind. "Akito-san," her dark eyes moved up to him from the book, looking at him questionably. "Hai," she answered softly. "I'm thirsty," he said flatly, to which she smiled and closed her book. "Hai, I'll get you some water," she said, placing the book on the table and walking out of the room. Gaara waited until she was gone before he attempted pushing his stiff body up. He glanced at the book, 'Medical Ninjutsu: Guide for the Medic Exam'. 'She's studying?' he thought to himself. "Hey! You lay back down right now Gaara-san! Bed rest means you have to stay in bed," Shia's irritated voice said from the doorway. She laid the glass of water down on the table next to his bed, and proceeded to push him back down. He growled, and she just glared at him. Even though they'd decided to start over, it seemed that they would always argue. Two dominant personalities clash in most cases. He took a long sip from the glass of water, relishing in the way the cool liquid felt against his parched throat. He looked back up at the nurse. "Do I really have to stay here for a week?" he asked in a monotonous, but slightly agitated voice. She just sat down on the other side of the room and opened her book again. "One week of bed rest is what I had to settle on. I know you're a shinobi, so getting you on your feet as soon as possible is important. I would rather you sleep, but since I know you don't, I'll have to be happy with you just laying in bed. Besides, the bed rest is the least of your worries. Wait until the physical therapy starts. I can already tell you won't be too fond of that. It requires human contact, something I know you're not fond of, and especially with me. As you've made it so 'literally' painfully clear to me that you dislike me. Oh, don't get upset. I forgive you. Just try and be nicer for Kami's sake, I'm just trying to help," she said in an irritated tone. He just stared at her for a minute. They'd wiped the slate clean, but he knew it would take time for her to completely get over his unwarranted attack on her. He didn't blame her. "Akito-san," he said. She lifted her eyes up to send him an annoyed glare. "Will you just lay down already?" she snapped. He glared, but his eyes went blank in an instant. This arguing was getting tiring. He couldn't afford to waste energy he'd need to fight Shukaku at night. "About what happened before.." he started. Her eyes softened. 'He must really be upset about it for him to keep talking about it. Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up,' she thought to herself. "Don't worry Gaara-san. I don't hate you. You're forgiven," she said with a small smile. His expression was shocked for a moment, but it was very brief. In an instant his usual impassive face stared back at her. "I do not wish for my siblings to know. I've worried them enough," he said, laying back down and dragging the sheet up to his chin. He closed his eyes, prepared to simulate sleep without falling asleep. There was silence, and he felt the nurse's aura go through a series of emotions. Finally it relaxed, and he heard her breath out a sigh. "Don't worry Gaara-san. They don't have to know everything that happens between us. It'll be our secret. I promise," she said, and looked back down at her book.
(flashback end)
Shia was shaken out of her daze by a firm hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Temari's expectant green eyes staring back at her. 'Well, I can't tell her about that. I'll just make something up,' she thought.
"Well, I wouldn't say no problems at all. He was stubborn, and cold. He was a jerk and at one point I was seriously thinking of hitting him over the head with something. He refused the wheelchair, and we argued nonstop. But, finally he just did as he was told and I relented and allowed him to transform himself into an old man so no one would see him in the chair. Seriously, boys and their god damned pride. Makes you just want to strangle them sometimes eh?" the young nurse said, lifting a brow at the older blond Sand-nin across from her.
"Oh, yea, my little brothers have huge ego problems, though they'd both deny it," Temari said, seeming content with Shia's explanation. 'Omission of the truth…successful,' the young medic thought to herself as she glanced over the pages of her study guide book. The green eyed girl across from her leaned over, interested in what it said.
"What's that you're reading?" the blond asked curiously. Shia grunted without looking up from its pages.
"It's a book on medical ninjutsu. A medic-nin has the same levels as other ninja, genin, chunnin, and jounin. However, there is a special test we must pass in addition to the chunnin and jounin exams in order to move up in our medic status. My clan is known for medical ninjutsu, but that doesn't mean that we can't use offensive jutsus. My sensei forbade me from participating in the last chunnin exams, because she says I am not prepared offensively enough, and I still need to study for the medic exam more. If I passed the Chuunin exam as a regular ninja, I'd still be a Genin in the medi-nin world. You can't take one test and not the other. I wasn't strong enough in either aspect," She explained.
"I don't think that's true. I haven't seen you fight, but you're a very good medic, advanced for your age," Temari said. Shia smiled.
"Thanks, but no one is perfect. I've still got a lot of learning to do. Plus, I was actually going to go through some of my physical therapy books tonight. Gaara-san's body is different from any of my other patients. I'll have to work out a unique treatment for him," she said, sighing and looking back down at the book. Suddenly the big book from hell was snapped shut. Navy blue eyes shot up to meet big green ones.
"You can study later. I think you've earned yourself a little lunch break," the older teen said. Shia looked hesitant for a moment, but sighed and put the book away anyways.
"I'm sorry, it was rude of me to…"
"It's okay. It seems like you've got a lot on your mind," Temari interrupted.
"Yea, I do," Shia said, her voice sounding a little distant.
"Do you want to talk about it?" the older girl asked. The young medic looked hesitant and unsure of herself for a second. She'd never told anyone about what happened to her all those years ago.
'I shouldn't worry her with this...I can handle it,' she thought.
'But she'll worry if you don't tell her too. Perhaps if you explain it to her, she'll just understand,' a voice in the back of her mind noted.
'I suppose you're right,' the young girl thought back to her conscience.
Sabaku Residence
"So Gaara, you feel good being home?" Kankurou asked from the doorway. His younger brother's blackened lids opened to reveal his stunning green eyes. For an instant he thought he saw some excitement in them, but it was so fast he swore he was just seeing things.
"It's better than that damned hospital," the younger answered in his dead pan tone. His older brother laughed and plopped himself down in the chair next to him. He noticed a small note on the night table next to Gaara's bed.
'Kankurou, Make sure Gaara-san doesn't get out of bed. Make sure he eats a decent lunch and takes some of the strengthening herbal mixture I left in the kitchen. I've gone with Temari for lunch and will return within an hour or so. I'll see you then, Akito Shia' Kankurou sighed, and looked back at his younger brother. Gaara just stared from him to the letter expectantly. 'Ooh, he wants me to tell him what it says,' the elder thought smirking. He just crumpled the note up and through it in the waste bin across the room.
"Score!" he cried when the paper went into the basket without a fuss. He looked back at a slightly angry looking little brother.
"What?" he said innocently. Gaara made a move to get out of bed which only resulted in Kankurou pinning him back down. Green fire blazed up at him from on the bed.
"Listen squirt, you're supposed to be on bed rest. That means you stay in bed. Besides that letter was addressed to me, not you. It would be rude of you to read other people's personal things," the brunette said smirking. His little brother shot him an angry look, but relented nonetheless, and slumped back in bed. His mind wanted to know what the letter said. Did she tell about the incident in the hospital? Did she quit because she didn't want to be near him? She'd left in quite a hurry to go with Temari. Gaara was itching to ask, but his pride would not let him. He didn't want people to think he actually cared or anything like that.
"If you must know it was instructions on how to care for you while she's gone, and an invitation to dinner tonight. She did look pretty nice today," Kankurou said, smirking again at his brother's irritated look. He saw the gourd shake in response to his brother's anger.
"Calm down will ya! I was kidding. Geez, jealous much?" he asked, throwing a sly look at his younger brother, who just stared up at him as if he were the most idiotic person he'd ever met. The look said 'of course I'm not jealous you idiot! Who do you think you're talking to?'
"Whatever man, I'm gonna go get your new medicine, and some lunch," Kankuro said, walking out of the room. 'Not more medicine,' Gaara thought. 'Isn't this useless raccoon supposed to help me heal faster or something?' he questioned angrily in his mind.
(Oh, but it's so fun watching you squirm brat! Besides, I'm sick of healing your stupid ass. Do you know how hard I had to work in order to make sure that the poison wouldn't spread so fast? That's the only reason I couldn't get control of your body. You were lucky.) Shukaku explained in his mind. Gaara just growled and forced the demon back into the depths of his mind. 'Stupid demon' he thought as he closed his black rimmed eyes.
Sunagakure Market
"Oh, these are so cute!" Temari exclaimed, pointing to a pair of small fans in the display. They were adorned with small jewels. White with swirling blue designs, Temari could not resist buying them. The wind user thought they may come in handy, if she should ever find herself without her large fan in the thick of battle. She'd decided to take Shia shopping after the younger girl had told her the story of her parents. She wanted to help her friend get her mind off the nightmares.
"Wow, there's so many nice things," Shia said, eying the windows of the shops as they passed buy. They walked past a toy store, and she stopped. Temari turned around to see her friend staring into the window with an adorable expression lighting her features.
"Oh my god he's so cute!" the younger girl cooed into the window. The blond Sand-nin walked up to see a stuffed panda doll with big eyes, and adorable little ears. It looked fuzzy and soft, and she could tell that Shia was absolutely in love with it.
"You should buy it if you want it Shia-chan," Temari said, the girl's navy blue eyes turned on her, and she shook her head.
"No, I'm getting to old for stuffed animals. Besides, I can't waste money on such trivial things. My grandmother always says to be smart with my funds. Medical supplies are expensive, and I'm going to need some new equipment before I start Gaara-san's physical therapy" the young medical-nin explained.
Temari frowned, what kind of grandparent doesn't let their grandkid have stuffed animals. Wasn't Shia from some huge, important Clan in Konohagakure? Were they making her pay for her own supplies all by herself? What the hell? The girl was like twelve! She watched Shia eye the bear sadly, then turn and walk away. The older teen watched her friend's back retreat, and made a mental note to come back and buy the bear for her later. It could be like a "thank you" gift from the Sabaku family.
'Heh, Sabaku family…never thought I'd ever refer to us as that. I'm glad…and when did it become Gaara-san?' the blond thought. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see one of the Sand's Jounin behind her.
"Temari-san," he said, bowing his head. She bowed back.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Kankurou-san sent me to tell you that there is a letter for Akito-san waiting at your home from Konohagakure," he answered. She nodded and dismissed him.
"Shia-chan!" she called out, causing the younger girl to turn and face her.
"Hai, Temari-san," she answered, walking back up to the older girl.
"We have to get back home. There's a letter from your village waiting for you," the older girl said.
"Hai," Shia answered, following closely behind her older friend.
"And Shia-chan," the blond said, navy eyes looked up, "Drop the formality please, I think you've earned that much."
"Hai, Temari-chan," Shia said smiling. Temari nodded as they continued on to the Sabaku residence at Kazekage Tower.
