In Sickness And Health ~Shikamaru~

Chapter 20

Choji took off down the hill faster than I could ever have imagined he could run. He looked scared. It was an expression I had never seen on his face, but I understood. 'Alsono is still inside'. We all heard it. Taking Reira's hand, we began to follow after him and meshed with the gawkers in front of the building. But Choji pushed through them and ran at the building. "Alsono!" He screamed as he managed to dive past a group of firefighters and into the scortched front entrance.

Reira sucked in a tight breath and hid her face against me. I never took my eyes off the entrance. Wrapping my arms around her, I held Reira as tightly as I could and tried to provide some comfort to her. It was a painful wait. But I knew he would stop at nothing to try and save her. But I also knew he was to stubborn to fail. The firefighters ran around frantically, calling orders to get them out safely while still putting out the flames

Come on. Don't die on us Choji. Come on. My eyes narrowed on the entrance he disappeared through. Come on. Reira began to shiver in my arms and I unconsciously stroked her hair and back. Come on. I jumped a little when a large figure jumped through the entrance, carrying a much smaller body. Choji. He had done it.

Reira and I ran over to them. Alsono was on her knees and covered in black soot, coughing harshly. Choji gently rubbed her back as she regained her breath. But he stoped immidiatly as soon as her loud and pained voice rang out. "Oww!" She moaned and panted in pain as her left hand hovered over her right arm, fingers clawed. That was when we noticed the way her arm and the skin on the right half of her face pealed and glowed a horrid red color.

A perimedic pushed us away as he began to examine and then spread a blue gel across the red skin. She screamed louder and fiercer than I had ever heard, ever thought possible. The pain was evident in her voice. Choji pushed away the perimedic and stood protectivly over Alsono. "Stop it! You're hurting her!"

"I'm trying to help her!" He screamed in reply.

"By increasing her pain?!"

They continued to argue and Alsono weakly laid her head on Choji's shoulder. In that moment, all arguments on his side stoped as he turned and carefully gathered her in his arms. She gritted her teeth in pain but didn't scream anymore. I pulled Reira along beside me and followed Choji and Al back to the hospital.

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"Alsono!" Ino cried as she ran into the hospital room. She had ran out of work shortly after I called to tell her what happened. Al looked up from her place in bed, her right arm was bandaged as was the right half of her face, leaving her with only one eye. I thought for a moment that Ino was going to cry, her face crummpling and her hands coming up to cover her mouth. But Alsono smiled at her.

"Hey you. Don't you have work?" She asked as cheerfully as she could.

Ino came up to her side next to Reira who sat on the edge of the bed. "No one buys flowers in spring. How are you?"

"Well second degree burns aren't fun I'm learning, but I'll be fine."

"How long... will you be... here?" Reira asked.

"About a week. But that just means we can spend more time together!" They both grinned widely. Alsono is trying so hard to appear happy and alright. But even I can see the pain in her eyes. Choji is smiling too, but there is worry on his face. I tapped him on the shoulder and motioned for him to follow me. He simply stood, told Al he would be right back, and kissed her forehead.

Out in the hall Choji slumpped to the floor against the wall while I got a few drinks from the vending machine. Sitting on the floor next to him I gave him one of the coffee's. "Hey."

He took the can and seemed to stare off into space. "Oh man..." He hung his head and poped the top on the can. "Shikamaru, what the hell just happened?"

"I can't tell you either."

"How did this happen? Everything was so... right. And then it just..." Choji was becoming more and more upset with every word that passed his lips.

"Yeah. But Al's going to be okay. Even her doctor said she's going to be fine with rest and that medicine. She'll have some scars... but then again... I think we all will."

He put his head in his hands. "Shikamaru... I seriously thought that I was never going to see her again." The thickness of his voice made me look over at him. Choji was... crying. His shoulders were shaking and I could see a tear roll down the side of his face.

"Choji..."

"I seriously thought that Al was going to die in there. I've been so afraid in my life of losing someone."

Something about what he said that day hit me. It hit me hard. He loves Alsono more than life itself and it made me think. If our roles were reversed... and Reira's life was in danger... would I do what he did and risk my own life to save hers?