In Sickness And Health ~Shikamaru~

Chapter 5

"Reira has been excited all day. Normally she doesn't talk much with us but today it has been non-stop words. It's really very amazing the progress she's made since you started visiting her." Sakura said as walked to the Long term wing. I had asked her about allowing Reira to leave for awhile tonight for the welcome home dinner, and I guess since she's not here with an ingery for illness she's free to leave when ever as long as she's back by curfew.

Reira's door was open when we reached it. Inside, she sat on her bed and looked in a round silver mirror. It's actually the first time I've visited and not found her looking out the window. Reira was wearing a black frilly dress with a high collar and a blue flower rested in her hair, precious and beautiful, perfectly innocent. Her blue eyes turnned to me and lit up.

"Shikamaru!" She said with joy, getting up to rush to my side like a small child. Normally I find this very annoying, like when those brats from the acadamy rush up and greet me when I have papers to drop off. People clinging to me has just never been my thing. But yet, I couldn't help but let a small bit of heat light up my face and my hand fall on her head where my palm ran across her silken hair. Sakura grinned in the door and I shot her a look.

"Let's get going." Reira took my hand and walked with me down the hall and out the door. She looked around the space outside with an admittably adorable childlike wonder. Her blue eyes looked out down a small path, the same one I had seen her staring out at everytime I had gone to see her. "What's down there?" I asked her.

Reira's eyes narrowed slightly, like she was thinking hard about her answer. "I don't... remember..." She looked up at me. "But... I feel like... It was... Important."

"Well if it was important then that means you'll remember it eventually, I guess." She nodded and we continued to walk. Alsono lives in a small brick house in the inner woods of Konoha with her parents and little brother. Her house has been a sort of safe place for my team since we've known her. It smells of the plants in her brothers garden, and the cooking she prepares with an expert hand.

As the house came into veiw, Reira gripped my hand tighter. I sighed and looked down at her. "What."

"Um... Are they... nice? Your friends?"

"Yeah I guess. They're idiots is more like it."

She giggled without a pause, which was surprising. Normally she would have had to process that for about five seconds before untering a sound. Reira was getting... faster. She was understanding better. Alsono had left the front door open to let the spring air in, so I called out to her and lead Reira inside.

"We're in the kitchen Shika!" Alsono called out.

In the kitchen, around the table, sat Ino who laughed in Ikuto's direction, Ikuto, Al's brother, telling some weird story, Choji, eating something steaming and flat, and Alsono herself. Choji waved a hand. "Dude, you've got to try this." He said around a mouthfull of food.

Alsono smile and giggled. "I just love it when my man is happy." What she see's in him, I will never know... Ino called out to Reira and had her sit in the seat next to her so they could chat. It didn't take long for them to realize they had to be pationt with her. But she tried her hardest to comunicate with them, and in some strange way, she succeeded. Alsono really seemed to enjoy her the most though. After dinner, I helpped Choji and Ino clean up while Al showed Reira how to play some puzzle game on her tablet.

We were just putting the dishes away when Al called out, "Oh my god. Guys get over here!"

I whipped around and saw Reira's small fingers flying across the screen, conecting the little colored circles without pause or fail. She never had to redo, never had to stope and think. It was like she had a map in her head. Every line the conected, my curiosity grew. Level after level Reira compleated, until she was through all five sets. Everyone was silent as they processed this.

Reira had been in an accident that left her brain damaged, we knew this. That brain damage caused her to process things slowly and communicate poorly. But it seems she still excells in logic. Or... what if she isn't as damaged as she appears? What if years of icolastion has worsened her condition? What if communication and exercise can bring her back around?