The Return (Book 2 of It's Not Forever) COMPLETE

Chapter 17

                    When I enter the hospital the nurses move out of my way immediately and I ignore anyone trying to talk to me as I enter the East Wing. I slide to a stop outside her door and the ninja guarding her looks up at me.
"Where's the flat line? I don't hear it." I mutter. "Did you turn off the machine?"
"No Kazekage-sama. She's awake. There's no flat line anymore. Can't you hear the beeping?"
Kankuro bursts through the doors behind me and walks over to the guard.
"Why isn't the flat line working?" I ask him.
"Gaara, she's awake. Go in there and you'll see." I feel his hand on my shoulder and I look at the door hesitantly. What if they're lying to me? What if something happened to her and she won't be there? What if she is awake but doesn't want to see me? "Go Little Brother. Go see her."
I lift my hand to the knob and slide the door open. She looks like an angel and just as beautiful as she's always been. Her hair is longer of course, coming now I guess to the back of her knees. I'd had the nurses keep it brushed out and tidy like she'd want it. Her skin is shockingly clear, all of her scars are gone completely. Her gaze is turned toward the window to the right of her bed and she turns her head to face me a moment later. Her eyes are different colored again, but not what I'd expected to see. They're a full rainbow of all the colors she'd gained over the years, including the brown of her childhood and the white from her birth. Her face lights up and a smile crosses her face and I feel my heart skip a beat again.
"Hello Gaara-kun." Her voice sounds cracked from not being used for so long, but still as melodic as ever.
It's almost like it's a dream. I'm afraid to look away from her or move for fear it'd break the illusion and she'd be laying on the bed with her eyes closed again.
"I promise I won't bite, much." She giggles and waits expectantly for me to move or speak.
"A-Are you real?"
"Of course I'm real. I'm not dead anymore, if that's what you're concerned about. This isn't a dream. I made it back. I told you it wasn't forever. Now, come here. I missed you."
I carefully make my way over to her, still unsure if it's real or not. I sit down next to her bed and she holds out her hand, the wires and IVs still hooked to it. I lift my trembling hand up to hers and lace my fingers through her own. I wait a moment and find it to still be there and her hand warm instead of cold and lifeless.
"You're really awake... I can't believe it... I-I waited so long hoping and praying you'd wake up."
"How long was I out?" She asks.
"Two years to the day."
"That seems to be a habit, being away for two years. What happened to the war?"
"Your attack weakened them severely and we were able to seal Kaguya and end the war. You were declared a hero throughout the world and your name is on the K.I.A. stone in Konoha."
"I'm not a hero though. I only did what any shinobi would do. Our jobs are to lay down our lives for the good of the world."
"You did more than anyone else could ever hope to do. So, was everything just black while you were out?" I imagine it was but you never know unless you talk to the dead and that doesn't happen very often.
"No. I woke up in a field where it was raining while sunny. I was so giddy and couldn't remember what happened or how I got there. I saw Kisame, Itachi, Haku and Zabuza in the field and they all told me that I shouldn't be there but I couldn't figure out why. They got me to remember that I'd died but I couldn't remember anyone here at first. I was just happy that I was there with them forever. Kisame and Itachi took me to a house and when I opened the door I saw my mother. She apologized to me for how she treated me and we made peace then I woke up here. It felt like only five minutes there but it's been two years I suppose. So where is everyone?"
"Kankuro is outside the room right now. He wants to speak to you in a minute. Everyone else is in Konoha."
"I want to go see everyone."
She tries to sit up further but I lightly push her back down.
"You've been dead for two years, you'll need to learn to walk again and basically everything before you can leave the hospital."
"That's such a drag. I can still walk fine. I'll show you."
I sigh and watch as her arms barely support her weight and she manages to sit up. She swings her legs over the side of the bed and falls forward. I catch her before she can hit the floor and move her back to sit against the headboard.
"You have a fraction of your strength because I had the nurses work your arms and legs a few times a week but without you being able to move them yourself for so long, you have to relearn and train to walk and everything. I will send word to Konoha that you are awake and healing. Once you're able to travel then you can go visit everyone, okay?"
"Fine. I will work nonstop at it and we'll be able to travel by next week!"
"That's not how it works Kaida."
"Shh! You don't know that." She sticks out her tongue at me and I shake my head.
She's been awake for only ten minutes and she already makes my head hurt. She takes my hand again and pulls me onto the bed next to her. I put my arm behind her head and she lays her head on my shoulder.
"I missed this. I missed you. I missed the smell of the sand and your cologne... you smell like sake! Have you been drinking Gaara-kun? Did Kankuro get set on fire again?"
"No, no one was lit on fire this time. I may have had a few sips earlier until Kankuro took the bottle away."
"You little drunkard. Did you kiss anyone?" She giggles and I sigh.
"No, not yet."
"Yet? So you'd planned on kissing someone?"
"I hadn't planned on it, but things just happen."
She looks up at me with a raised eyebrow and I take the opportunity to lean in and kiss her. She kisses back instantly and I feel her arms wrap around my neck. When I try to pull away she stops me until she runs out of air a second later, gasping for breath.
"Kami I've missed that."
"I did too." She snuggles back up against my chest and someone knocks on the door.
I use my sand to open it and Kankuro walks in sheepishly.
"I didn't want to intrude."
"Hi Kankuro. You let Gaara drink and got mad when I did. I'm upset with you young man." She scolds him and he sighs.
"Gaara didn't set me on fire. Anyways, welcome back Kaida. I just wanted to apologize for what happened when we were kids. I was stupid."
"It's alright. I'm sorry for trying to kill you several times in response and setting you on fire."
"It's alright. I'm going to leave you two alone now."
"Send a message to Konoha informing the Hokage that she is alive and recovering. We will come to Konoha once she is able and will see her friends then." He listens to my instructions then nods and reminds us to eat before leaving.
We sit in silence for a while before she suddenly sits up. "Gaara-kun! Guess what!"
"What is it?"
"If it's been two years to the day since my death, I'm 18 now. I died on June 9th. It's mine and Itachi's birthdays today. I like my present."
"Happy birthday Kaida."