The Bug Queen

I Don't Know What To Do - Ino / A Family Situation - Shibi

She'd had a slightly better day the next day, but Ino could tell that her body was beginning to break down again.  After a quiet dinner that night with just her and Shino where she tried to eat, they cleaned up.

"Hey, come with me."

She followed him as he grabbed a bottle of plum wine from the cabinet. They climbed on the roof, laying on the smooth metal shingles. He popped the top on the wine and handed her the bottle. She took as much of a swig as her stomach could handle.

The stars were out tonight, and it was a beautiful night.

"Why'd you bring me up here?"

"To talk and to look at the stars.  I'm trying to do the boyfriend thing."

He was so handsome in the moonlight. No glasses, no jacket. Just Shino, with his chiseled body under his shirt and those piercing brown eyes.

"Thank you."

He gave her a small smile, drinking from the wine bottle.

"We'll have to get your plants over here.  You don't have to go; I'll have Kiba help me."

He was right, but the task seemed overwhelming at the moment.  Everything seemed overwhelming at the moment.  Four days back in Konoha, and she felt terrible again.  Her head was pounding, and her stomach hurt.

He drank from the bottle again.  He moved closer, handing her the bottle.  She looked into it.

"It's been four years. I don't think the pain will ever go away..."

He moved even closer.

"I'll do what I can to help you.  I promise."

He pulled her gently, coaxing her into his lap. He was so warm and gentle. She slid her legs around his waist and let him hold her. She took a swig out of the bottle... one that didn't sit right. She scrambled off of him, clamoring to the side of the roof and vomiting. Her gentle, romantic moment suddenly ruined by her own weakness. And for a second as she dry heaved, she thought about nose-diving from the roof. If she hit just right...

Strong hands clasped around her hips as she hung over the side. She wiped her mouth and weakly pulled back. He pulled her back into his lap.  Now he was the one who was shaking.

"I shouldn't have brought you up here."

"I'm okay."

He put his face into her shoulder and one strong hand over her spasming belly.

"Any food that you had in your belly is gone..."

"I'll be okay..."

But she felt his shoulders heave with emotion.

"I shouldn't have given you wine... I don't know what to do to take care of you..."

"You don't need to take care of me..."

But he was too far gone.

"Shino..."

She turned around weakly, her vision blurring momentarily. He noticed, touching her face.

"Darling..."

She felt her heart race, and she wasn't sure if it was the weakness of her hunger or weakness from his voice. She let herself fall into his shoulder. He picked her up and hopped off of the roof, carrying her back inside of the house.

***

"The Yamanaka girl. Hmm..."

Shibi had stopped by his cousin's house on the way home. Muta wasn't there, but Izumi was. And, of course, when he had mentioned that Shino had brought home a young woman, she was already throwing the kettle on the stovetop, urging him to sit down.  And he was glad to.  He needed to tell another person about what was happening and what was on his mind.

"I don't know, Zumi. I'm always rooting for Shino, you know that. But this is different."

"Different?"

"The girl's a walking skeleton. I'm not surprised that Shino would bring home a friend who was so sick, but I'm starting to wonder if he didn't bring her here so she wouldn't die alone..."

Izumi nodded.

"They're dating?

He shrugged.

"I don't know and right now, I don't know if it matters. Part of me hopes they're not because if she dies, that's going to make it harder on my boy."

He hated that he felt that way, but this one came with a lot of uncertainty. If she lived, would she want to stay? He was sure she wasn't using him: there would have to be some intent there. He wasn't even sure if she wanted to live-

"Eww! Someone's outside throwing up!  Off your roof, Uncle Shibi!"

Shibi buried his face in his hands when Itumi came running in, screaming. This was a lot. He heard Izumi sigh gently.

"Ino?"

"She's done nothing but throw up and not eat since she arrived. And when I get home, she's going back to the hospital."

"What kind of sick?"

"I don't think it's physical. Her entire clan was wiped from the face of the earth three years ago. I think that her friends have all healed or at least found ways to cope and have moved on and she hasn't found her reason to live. From what I understand, Sakura Haruno is keeping her alive with saline bags and the occasional feeding tube."

"Inoichi wouldn't want that for her. He was so proud of his little girl."

"I'm afraid she really has come here to die. It's been three days, and she has few clothes and personal belongings. She screams during the night with terrors."

"I'm surprised to hear all of that from you. Usually, you're the first one to help someone-"

"Of course, I'm going to help her. I'm going to have to take her to the hospital tonight. But I'm terrified, with her and Shino being so attached..."

Izumi reached over and patted his hand.

"We're a family, and the Ino situation is now a family situation. I'll talk to Ayami and we'll get over there and scope the situation out in the next couple of days."

"Zumi, I couldn't-"

"You're not asking me to do anything. I asked about the situation and I'm butting in and getting to the bottom of it."

"I'm afraid for the both of them.  I'm terrified. I'm crushed when I hear her scream, and I'm terrified when it's quiet. I'm afraid for the morning that Shino finds her dead..."

He felt hot tears roll down his cheeks. He had lost his Kaede when he was 24. He couldn't let his son feel that with at 20, soulmate or not. And Shino was so sensitive; he was truly his mother's son.

"If that happens, then you come and find me.  We deal with things as a clan. You aren't doing any of this alone.  Any of you."