Wandering Heathens

Hospital

"...it's alright, you're ok..." a woman's voice said to him through his haze of pain. He felt a hand squeeze his before being removed. "Ma'am you need to leave so we can treat him" a deep baritone voice said and he felt the small warm hand leave his. He frowned at the loss of touch that was so comforting to him and he reached out wanting to grip the hand again.

"Now just relax, sir, we're going to take good care of you" the baritone said. He looked to see where the woman went and a barely audible croak came from his throat when he caught sight of the familiar black and red cloak. She couldn't hear him for she was arguing with a medic-nin and that made him smile. If she's here then I'm ok he thought as his mind was placed under a genjutsu.

Kakuza sat next to Shinjo's bed and counted her money. She had sent Hida out to loot the corpses of the fallen, mostly to keep her busy as being cooped up made her more psycho than usual, and partially to make money off the battle. She counted off 100,000 ryo and used a tendril to wrap the stack and tie it off. Kakuza placed the stack in her pouch before beginning to count a new one.

She heard a groan from Shinjo and looked up from her task. Her red and green eyes softened when they looked over his ravaged body: broken ribs, internal hemorrhaging, collapsed lung, torn muscles and various lacerations and bruises. She took a cloth and wet it's corner in water before placing the cloth on Shinjo's dry and cracked lips. He tried to suckle the cloth, thirsty and wanting water but until he regained consciousness his fluid intake was being strictly monitored.

Kakuza removed the cloth and her heart wrung to hear this once strong and sure man whispering for water like a child. "I'm sorry" she whispered and stroked a non bruised section of his face. He calmed and fell back into unconsciousness. The doctor had warned the group that the fluctuation in consciousness was going to happen as the brain tried to heal itself. She clenched her fists in frustration and tried to steel herself emotionally; she couldn't be seen being soft over a man or Hida and the others would lose their fear of her.

"Done! Every fucking corpse has been fucking looted! Here's your blood money!" Hida said as she threw the loose bills at Kakuza. Her tendrils grabbed the falling bills and brought them to her where she organized them into neat stacks for counting. "Is he awake?" She asked, pulling up a chair on the other side of the bed and sitting down. "No. He has moments of lucidity but for the most part he's under the genjutsu" Kakuza patiently explained.

Hida leaned forward with her lips centimetres from his ear and yelled "WAKE THE FUCK UP!" Kakuza quickly rose to her feet and smacked Hida in the back of her head causing her to sit back, clutch her head and tears to fall from her magenta eyes. "OW! What was that for?!" "What part of 'genjutsu' did you not understand? All of it? Still as stupid as ever" Kakuza said while sitting back down. "I just want him to wake up" Hida said childishly, her lower lip pouting. "He'll wake up when he wakes up" the money lover said, frustrated patience in her voice. Hida stroked an unmarked portion of Shinjo's arm, lost in her thoughts.

After several minutes of silence Hida spoke: "is he gonna leave like everyone else?" Kakuza glanced at her before asking what she meant. "You know, like how it was before you found me" she said quietly. "I can't guarantee anything but I can assure you that he's not leaving without a fight." Hida's eyes sparkled mischievously as she looked at Kakuza, "you like him don't you?" Kakuza didn't reply so Hida pressed harder, "you fucking like him! Jashin save me, your clit still works!" She crowed, laughing at her realization. Kakuza remained silent knowing it was less of a fight to let Hida go on her tangent than to try and change her mind.

"Water" Shinjo begged and Hida clutched his hand, pressing her face into his palm. Kakuza gently placed the wet cloth against his lips and he feebly sucked to get the water. He groaned when the cool cloth was taken from his hot and dry lips. He was so hot! It was unbearable! His hands scratched at the thin gown he wore, trying to claw the material off of his skin before he went mad from the heat. "Hot" he whispered, "please. Too hot."

Kakuza placed a hand on his forehead and worry showed on her features. "He has a fever. Take the blankets and gown off then get me the idiot doctor!" She ordered. Hida tore the blankets off the bed and cut Shinjo's gown from his body, beads of sweat glistening on his skin. She then left the room and went looking for his doctor.

Kakuza filled a basin with cold water and wet a cloth. She placed the cool cloth on Shinjo's body and he sighed with some relief from the fire in his skin. She worked fast and used her tendrils to place more wet cloths on his body, swapping them out for fresh ones when they lost their coolness. "Fire...hot...Ryuu?" Shinjo muttered as Kakuza wiped his brow. "Ryuu is fine. He's in a different room" Kakuza said trying to soothe him as he became restless. "Needs...me...promise..." "He has his own care team. Focus on yourself" "Fire...blood...so much blood..." he drifted off.

The doctor hurried into Shinjo's room with Hida's scythe blades poking into his back. Kakuza gave him an quick summary of what had happened and the doctor stepped over, laying his hands on Shinjo. "He has a fever but no infection. No poison either. Keep cooling him while I exam him" the doctor instructed. Kakuza nodded and watched as green chakra enveloped the doctor's hands. They moved over every inch of Shinjo's body before moving to his head. He frowned when he examined his brain and stepped back after a minute. "Well?" Kakuza demanded. "He has a seal, placed deep into his mind. I can't get past it but the seal is what is causing his fever" the doctor said. "Shit! We don't have anyone that knows fuck all about seals!" Hida panicked.

"We have one: Sasori. Bring her here!" Kakuza demanded and Hida left to fetch the puppet-woman. "Why was his memory sealed?" The doctor asked. "I have no idea but you're dismissed" Kakuza said as she continued cooling Shinjo down. He made small movements in bed and his hands tried to weave signs and he was becoming increasingly restless. "Wind...style...Ryuu! Stitched...woman...scroll...kill everyone..."