Into the Woods

“Damnit...this isn’t happening!” she cursed to herself watching her friend loose total control over her petite body. The pink haired medic jumped to her feet, running across the room and slapping the emergency button. The alert tone sounded in the hallways as she turned back to her friend. The girl wasn’t coding yet...but damnit she wasn’t going to wait any longer. While she waited for the others to get here she ran into the bathroom, grabbing as many towels as she could, throwing them in the tub and soaking them in the icy water before packing them around Hinata’s head, neck, and torso. “Hinata...don’t you dare give up on me.” she called to the shaking girl, waiting anxiously for her to either cool down or her brain to stop firing from lack of oxygen.

Tsunade had been gathering staff to help with the Hyuga’s transfer when it happened. She froze as the klaxon sounded in the hallways, knowing even before the recorded announcement was broadcast. Grabing a respirator off the equipment cart they had been collecting she turned to the others. “That’s her! We’re going in!” The others she was with each donned their own masks before grabbing the equipment and tearing down the halls behind her. ‘Please...please don’t let this be as bad as it seems’ she prayed to herself, knowing with her luck it would be...and worse.

Sakura was ransacking the drawers, keeping an eye on Hinata, who was still seizing on the floor. She couldn’t do anything till she stopped, but she could at least have some stuff ready. She grabed a large bore IV, lock, and a bag of glucose/electrolytes. Judging from what was going on her fever had to be in excess of 105, and depending on how long she’d been running that fever her poor body would be dehydrated beyond belief. ‘If it’s too bad her kidneys will start to shut down...and if that happens...’ she pushed that thought from her head. ‘No damnit...I won’t let her.’ She ran back over, replacing the towels with cold ones from the shower. Sakura let out a pained sigh as the tremors began to cease.

“Hinata...Hinata it’s me, Sakura...can you hear me?” she called, running a hand gently across her cheek, trying to see if she’d wake for her. Her lips were purple from the lack of air, but her chest was rising now. ‘It was only about 2-3 min...she should be fine’ she thought. “Hinata...please” she called again as she rubbed her knuckles into the girls breast bone hard, trying to get any response. Nothing. Her heart was racing, her breathing shallow...but at least she was still alive. She quickly cut the shirt off of her using her carefully directed chakra, packing more cold towels directly against the bare skin before getting started on the IV. She could hear Tsunade calling down the hallway and the echo of a million footsteps. ‘Thank the gods’ she thought as they burst through the doorway.

“What happened?” was all the Hokage spat out, rushing over to join her on the floor. Sakura didn’t hesitate before she started spouting off her reply “She’s febrile, active seizure for about 3 min. I’ve been packing her down but I’m afraid we’re going to need something more then this. Tachycardic with shallow respirations, she just got still enough for me to start pushing fluids. She’s completely unresponsive to painful stimulus at this time though...” Tsunade was surprised at how calm she sounded as the medical jargon poured out of her mouth, but could see how rattled she really was. The young ones hands shook as she squeezed the fluids into the fragile body. It was the first time Sakura had someone code out on her before, combined with the fact that it was a friend and she was alone. But she had kept her head and done well. The blonde motioned for the others to come in and take over, and she watched as the girl calmly got up and handed over the bag, letting them get started working on her. Giving them a few brief orders she stood up and grabbed Sakura, pulling her out into the hallway. “Are you ok?”

“Yes...” came the shaky reply, her eyes darting around above the mask. Her hands twitched and fidgeted, trying to keep her from thinking about what just happened...what could have happened. Tsunade placed a gentle hand on her cheek, making her look up at her. “It’s ok...you didn’t do anything wrong, in fact you did everything perfectly. There was nothing else you could do.” Tears began to well up in the green pools as Sakura gave in to her panic. She buried her face on her mentors shoulder and sobbed, the sound muffled in her respirator. Tsunade held the girl for a moment, watching as the team worked on the young Hyuga heiress in the room. ‘If anything it’s my fault...I should have acted on my feelings sooner. And this wouldn’t have happened.’ As the sobbing ceased, she patted her shoulder firmly. “Now then, if you’re ok I need you to go down to room 4. We’ve got to get her temp down, which means you’re going to have to fill the tub. Once we get her stabilized, we can figure out what’s going on.” Sakura nodded repeatedly, trying to shake some sense into herself as she turned to run down the hall.

~*~

A few hours later they were pulling Hinata out of a large metal tub filled with ice water. They’d managed to get her temp down to a more normal level, but not before she had another seizure. The second one hadn’t been as long as the first, or at least, that’s what Sakura thought anyways. She was helping the others dry her off and tuck the still unconscious girl back into bed, placing cold packs along her neck and shoulders to try and keep the blood flowing to her brain cool. She still hadn’t woken up from the first attack yet. Tsunade confirmed that she had the fever illness from the wave country, but there was something wrong. It was only 6 days after initial exposure, whatever that exposure was they were still trying to determine, and already it was nearly claiming her life. Hinata should have suffered for weeks in pain and agony before getting to this point. This virus was different somehow... faster... deadlier.

Tsunade watched from the monitoring station just outside the room. She hated this. She should be inside helping, but several of them had argued with her on this. She was the Hokage, and they couldn’t allow such risk that she would be infected as well. After all, if anything happened to her, who would lead the village in her place? Besides, it was up to her to try and figure out some sort of treatment. They were giving Hinata the same medicine she’d been assigned to deliver, but it had yet to show any signs of help. Tsunade was beginning to fear that the whole thing was in vain, that the other village was wiped out and she’d risked two of her own for nothing. She glanced down the hallway and sighed. ‘Now that Hinata’s in better shape...we have to figure out what to do with him.’

~*~


Naruto was livid. He’d sat there with his ear against the wall listening to the muffled sounds coming from her room. He’d watched helplessly as they hauled her in a sheet down the hall, looking more like a corpse then the warm caring girl he was falling for. And now, hours later, he was trying his damndest not to blast out the wall with a rasengan and storm down there to demand answers. ‘Damnit, Tsunade...Sakura...someone better get down here and tell me what’s going on...’ He was seething like a rabid animal. He could swear his claws were out, and he was afraid to look in the mirror to see who’s eyes he had at the moment. He pictured her lifeless body in the sheet again. This time they were covering her peaceful face, shaking their heads and turning away from her. His body ached down to his bones. Fists clenched as pain throbbed thru the joints in his fingers. He couldn’t breath, his lungs suffocating on the tears he was holding back...until he could hold back no longer. “Why?” he asked himself, his voice cracking. “Why her damnit?...Why? WHY? WHY?!?!?”

His chakra flared as he slammed a fist through the table, the pieces flying all over the floor. He punched the bathroom door repeatedly, wood and splinters falling like rain. He paid no heed to the blood coming from his battered knuckles as he turned and threw the bed across the room, jumping on the remains and tearing the mattress. He let out a feral scream as he ripped the sheets to shreads until there was nothing left and the anger was gone. Then he collapsed on the tattered remains, burying his face and screaming into them, his heart breaking at the thought that her light was gone from him.

‘She must be dead...why else would they be taking so long...please no...not Hinata...she was so gentle...so kindhearted...’ he yelled at himself. ‘She deserves better then this. She deserves soo much better then to die scared and alone, locked away from the ones she loves. She’d watched you for how long, and you were too stupid to notice her...you’re soo stupid to let this happen to her...’ His lungs burned for air, but he continued to deny them. He didn’t want to live if all she got out of it was pain and suffering. ‘It’s my fault...it has to be’ he reasoned. ‘I’m destined to be alone...’

His mind flashed through different images of her. Hinata when they first started at the academy, the adorable little girl he’d caught staring at him from behind the tree in the school yard, the one he wished would come play with him instead of hiding. Hinata after graduation, watching him as he’d sat alone and dejected. He remembered a time they’d both got caught in a rainstorm, and they’d shared a doorway in an alley till it let up, how she’d fainted when he put his jacket around her to keep her warm and how red she turned as he insisted he walk her home after she’d passed out on him. How she offered to let him cheat during the chuunin exams, and later how she’d cheered for him. He’d thought she was weird, but when she smiled at him things weren’t so bad. “She’d always been there...her eyes had always looked over me...her heart had always cared...and as soon as I noticed her...” Naruto lay there in the ruins, crying till he was empty and eventually fell asleep...

When he woke up he found he was no longer in the remains of the demolished room. This room was cold and sterile. The cabinets and furniture were all stainless steel, the floor tiled. To the side there was a large metal therapy tub filled with water. And across the room... his heart leapt at what he saw. ‘Is this another dream? Or is that really...?’ He climbed out of his new bed slowly, afraid any minute he was going to wake up. He carefully made his way across the floor... unable to believe what he saw.

Hinata was lying there on a second bed, the sheet pulled up to her armpits, wires and electrodes attached to her chest, shoulders and head. The oxygen mask fogged lightly with her shallow breaths, while the monitors beeped softly in the background. He plopped gracelessly onto the stool that was conveniently sitting next to her, and gingerly picked up her hand from the sheets. It was still warm as he brought it up to his cheek, a tear sliding silently down to rest on her limp fingers. Her arm was already bruising from the needles sticking into the skin, her hair was damp and sticking to her. He sat there quietly, holding her hand under his chin while he lightly ran his fingers up and down her forearm, praying she would feel it and wake up.

After what seemed like an eternity Naruto felt two hands softly touch his shoulders, reaching slowly around his neck and chest and pulling him back into a warm embrace. He relaxed and let them envelope him, recognizing the smell of the shampoo instantly. He lowered Hinata’s hand to his lap and reached up with one arm to return the hug. “Sakura-chan...what happened?”

She had seen him go to her and watched quietly for bit. She could tell it was killing him, and before she knew it she had gone over and was holding him. She was almost surprised when he leaned back into her, letting her pull him close with a sigh. She was dressed in full protective garb, long gloves, goggles, and that damn respirator still. She wanted to rip it all off and touch him, tell him everything was going to be alright. But if she did that they’d have to haul in another bed for her in here with them, and Tsunade would probably refuse to finish her training for being so stupid and unprofessional. This was all she could do to comfort him. She was surprised he had recognized her without turning to look, but then again, who else would be in here hugging him?

“She’s very sick. Her fever got too high for her body to handle, causing her to go into a febrile seizure. Her brain just got too hot that it couldn’t work right anymore.” He trembled slightly in her arms, holding back the tears. She squeezed him tightly and he stilled. “We got her cooled down, now we’re just working on making her better.”

He turned to her suddenly, his eyes filled with something she’d almost never seen in him before, something that scared her to her core. She was overcome by the fear she saw there. “She’ll get better, right? You have the medicine...so she’ll be ok...right?” She pulled him back to her, cradling his head to her bosom like you would a frightened child.

“We’re certainly going to try dammit”

~*~


‘This day is going to hell in a handbasket’ Tsunade thought to herself. And it appeared to be hauling everyone in the village with it. Apparently a branch relative of the Hyuga clan had been in the hospital when all hell broke lose. After hearing from a staff member that something was terribly wrong in quarantine, they had run back to the complex and alerted the entire family. Now the fifth was stuck arguing with Hiashi, six of the elders and Neji as to what was going on and why they weren’t allowed back to see their heir. They’d been at it for 20 min now, and both side were soon approaching their limits of civility.

“Dammit Tsunade, this is outrageous! You have no right to shut us off from one of our family members! Especially not Hinata! I demand an explanation of this immediately!” the family head told her loudly and firmly. He wasn’t one to yell, but he was soon approaching that line.

“And I already told you, Hiashi. We have a confirmed case of the mists fever disease at this time. ALL visitors are barred from entering these facilities, that includes yourself and your esteemed family members.” she hated politics, but fought to try and remain respectful. Even though she would rather be tossing the entire lot of them out on their asses for interrupting her for this.

He puffed out his chest, filling the hallway with his imposing figure, glowering down at her with his cold, pale eyes. “And I already told you that we insist we have a family representative monitoring her status and your progress in dealing with this matter. If you think we’re going to just stand by...”

“Yes I do expect you to just stand by” she cut in, her forehead twitching in irritation. “In fact, if you continue to stand here and waste my time on this matter, time-I might add-that I could be spending trying to find a damn cure for this, I will have no other choice but to call in the ANBU to have you removed from this hospital, escort you back to your compound, and make sure you remain in said compound until this situation is resolved.” She watched as the entire group blanched at the threat, starting at her in shock at such and idea. “This has become a grave matter of village security, and if you think I will let you bully me into putting everyone elses lives at risk just because of your family’s name then you are seriously mistaken.”

The elders turned to debate this matter amongst themselves while their leader continued to glare at Tsunade. She could have sworn for a moment she saw an angry flash of red steal across his cheeks. But she stood firm, her gloved arms folded across her ample chest, her own eyes fixed hard on his. ‘If he thinks he can win a staring contest with me he’s dead wrong.’ One of the members stepped forward and whispered something in his ear. Hiashi closed his eyes with a sigh, nodding and whispering a reply before turning his attention back to her.

“The others will return to the compound...” he said firmly, almost daring her to argue with him on this. “I, however, will remain here on the premise. You will give me updates on Hinata’s status and on your progress with this cure.” She started to open her mouth to protest, but it was his turn to cut her off. “I will not force you to let me in with her...but you will not make me leave.”

She calmly looked over the group. Hiashi stood firmly in front of her like an unmovable wall. The elders behind him shot her anxious glances, one of them - she noticed with slight amusement - nervously poking his two fingers together. And finally Neji, who stood calmly and quietly off to the side like an afterthought, only along to make sure nothing got out of hand. He met her eyes and nodded silently, as if this was the only solution she would get out of the others. She turned her attention back to the head, his face like stone, and nodded.

“Alright, you can stay. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.” She turned without anything further and disappeared back behind the locked doors of the quarantine unit.

The family stood there for a moment, staring at the barrier they were unable to breach. They then turned one by one, placing a supportive hand on Hiashi’s shoulder before bowing and leaving him to his vigil. As they left, one of the aunt’s stopped Neji, glancing back towards the patriarch they had left behind. The young man nodded in understanding. “I will keep an eye on him.”

They all paused to watch as Shizune ran up, a scroll in her hands and a panicked look on her face. She muttered her apologies as she tried to squeeze by, only to disappear behind those door again. Neji frowned as he watched his uncle turn away and head down the opposite hallway towards the meditation garden. ‘It seems there will be more bad news’ he told himself as he quietly followed.

~*~


Shizune caught up with Tsunade quickly inside the unit. She had been standing in the doorway to Naruto’s room, surveying the results of his temper, and contemplating throwing in some of her own as well. She turned as the younger woman stumbled up, out of breath and waving a scroll.

“We’ve...just recieved...word from...the village..” she gasped, handing the scroll over and then leaning on the wall to keep from falling over. She was getting to used to her office job, she thought, that or too old to be running across town. The Hokage ripped open the seal, praying there was something hopeful in the message. Her brow furrowed as she read, unable to believe what they were telling her. Shizune looked up, having managed to compose herself. “Tsunade...are you alright?”

The scroll hit the floor as the fierce blonde put her fist through the wall, the nails digging deeply into the palm of her other hand as she tried to control her anger. Blood oozed slowly around her fingers, till she could find a calmer voice then the one screaming in her head.

“It seems our worst fear has been realized...and I’m afraid no one will be safe for much longer...”