Saving Us (NejiTen Fanfic)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX PART TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX PART TWO (3RD PERSON POV)

Neji had no idea who had heard him. He could not remember who was the first one to see them. All he knew was that his throat felt dry as he screamed for help.

He kept screaming as he held her unconscious body tight. Internally, he was calling her name repeatedly, wishing to all that is holy for her to open her eyes.

But she never did.

He felt someone tried to pry her away from him but he held on tighter.

"Neji, you have to let them do their work," a calm voice said, putting a hand over Neji's shoulder. "Let them take Tenten,"

He nodded, letting her go as Shikamaru helped him stand up. He watched the paramedics put Tenten in a stretcher. He was not going to let her out of his sight.

But a man who Neji don't know blocked his view of her. He raised his eyes, smoldering in anger at the man who was talking to him. But despite that he could see his mouth moving, his words were just not registering.

Shikamaru clutched his shoulder and Neji shook his head as he tried to focus.

"He's asking if you're hurt,"

Neji shook his head in answer, his eyes glancing over the man's shoulder to see Tenten being loaded up into an ambulance.

He instinctively moved towards her. "Can I--can I ride with her to the hospital?"

"I'm sorry but you can't," the paramedic in front of him answered. "You'll be going in another ambulance,"

Neji knew not to fight. Because if he did, it would only make their separation longer. As he followed the paramedic into his designated ambulance, he could hear his friends decide who would ride in it with him.

It was decided to be Shikamaru, the calmest of them all.

Before Neji could climb aboard the ambulance, he was stopped by Sakura, who asked him a question. 

"Do you have any of Tenten's family number?" 

Neji turned towards the direction of the school. "Call Sasori sensei," 

He answered without an explanation and left his friends to dwell about it. 

"Why Sasori sensei?" Kiba asked as Temari pulled up the school doctor's number and dialed it. 

By the time the rest of their friends arrived at the hospital, Neji was sitting alone on the waiting area. They rushed to his side, not liking one bit the faraway look he had in his eyes. 

"Hey, where's Shika?" Temari asked, grumbling to herself about scolding her boyfriend for leaving Neji alone during such a distressing time. 

"He's getting drinks," Neji answered, not really looking at them. 

They all glanced at one another. They had no idea what had happened. While they waited for help to come, they tried asking Neji. But he never once told them what took place. All he repeated was that Tenten needed help. 

"...Where is she?" Hinata asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Whether her cousin had heard her question or not, he never made any acknowledgement. But Shikamaru, who was holding two cans of coffee, answered for the distressed Hyuga. 

"She's in the operating room. The doctor said the bullet did not passed through her body and needed to be removed immediately,"

They all nodded, not knowing what to say. 

Shikamaru gave Neji one of the coffees which the brunette took with a slight nod in thanks. 

"But the doctor said he need to talk to her guardian once the emergency operation is done. For papers and permissions," Shikamaru started, staring at Neji. "But why contact the school doctor and not Tsunade-sama if you don't have her family's contact number?"

Neji turned to his friends. He had no idea how much he could say without jeopardizing Tenten's mission or how much he could divulge about her private life. Especially since he, as well, was not very knowledgeable about his 'girlfriend's' real identity. 
 
"You better tell us what you know, Mister!" Ino screamed, grabbing Neji by his collar. "That's our friend in there as well!" her voice, despite the anger, was near tears. 

"Ino, calm down," Sai started, putting his arms around his girlfriend's shoulder in a loving manner as he slowly pulled her away from the Hyuga. "He's shaken enough as it is,"

"I asked you to call Sasori-sensei," Hyuga started, sighing as he was unable to hide it anymore from his friends. At least, some of it. "Because he's family,"

"What?" they all asked. 

"Or at least, he knows them," he added. 

Before they could ask him to elaborate about the relationship between their new school doctor and their friend, the light of the operating room turned off as a doctor came out. Neji was already up on his feet before any of them could realize it. 

He was in front of the doctor, waiting for his good news.

The doctor's eyes gazed over them. "Are you the patient's family?"

"I'm her boyfriend," Neji blurted out in a hurry as he urged the doctor to talk to him.

The doctor sighed. "She's going to be fine. I know you love your girlfriend but you and her are both still a minor. So I still need to talk to her parents or at least a guardian. There are things to be said and papers to be signed,"

Neji nodded in understanding. The doctor directed them to a nurse to take Tenten's information down. 

"The patient's full name, please?" the nurse inquired.

They all stared at him in silence. None of them knew Tenten's last name. She reveled in the mystery and refused to tell any of them her last name. She even got the teachers on it and no matter who they asked, they refused to answer. 

"It's Uchiha," a familiar voice answered. "Her name is Tenten Uchiha,"