My Sunshine

I Wish I Knew Her - Iruka / Linked - Kakashi

Iruka approached the bed slowly, looking down at the unconscious woman. Everyone else was still grouped in the doorway. She looked so bloody and frail. Someone had attempted to wipe the blood and dirt from her face. But, her oxygen mask was fogging with each breath and her pulse was stronger. He heard soft footsteps approach from behind.

"Do you know her?"

Mizuka. He couldn't stop looking at the beaten woman in the bed.

"No, but I wish I did. Maybe this wouldn't have happened to her."

He felt Mizuka slide an arm around his waist and hug him. Closing his eyes, he felt his nose begin to burn. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks.

"You did everything you could. You saved her life."

"But when she wakes up, what kind of life is she going to return to?"

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, burying his face into her hair. He allowed himself to cry. Mizuka rubbed his back gently.

"You let me worry about what happens next. I'll do everything I can to keep her safe."

Another hand touched his shoulder.

"Sensei, why don't you come with me and we'll finish your exam? You can't worry about someone else until you get healed yourself."

His nose as throbbing and his elbow felt sprained.  He sighed.

"Okay."

Mizuka didn't let go just yet.

"If you want to talk, come over later tonight.  We can have tea and talk all night, if you want."

He sniffled before letting her go.  She gave him an encouraging smile.

"She's in the best hands.  I'll stay for a while to make sure she's stays stable, then Ino and Sakura are here for the night shift.  I'd trust those two with my life."

He nodded before allowing Sakura to take his hand and lead him out of the room, past his former students, who gave him encouraging smiles.  He would let Sakura heal him and then he would talk to Mizuka and sort out the events of today in his overwhelmed mind.

***

The kids were all asleep and Kakashi was finally sitting down at the kitchen table, wondering where his wife was. It wasn't unusual for her to come home late, but he didn't worry about her any less.  He had two cups out for sake, and was pouring his at the table when she opened the front door. As she walked into the kitchen, he noticed she was covered in dried blood. Ten years ago this would've had him jumping out of his chair. Not anymore.

"Bad day?"

She pulled out a chair and flopped into it.

"Yes. Also, a weird day."

He slid her the cup that he had poured first, pouring himself another. She downed it in a single gulp, making a sour face. He chuckled, pouring her another as well.

"Mine and Shikamaru's day didn't get much weirder than that meeting with Ryujin."

She downed her second sake in a single gulp before speaking. Kakashi waited for her to tell him her story. She sighed.

"Iruka brought a nearly dead woman to the hospital as I was leaving to come home. She coded on me. I revived her and now she's attached to a mess of wires and tubes."

"Holy shit. Where did she come from?"

"Choji and Shino said the forest path right outside of the village. It was bad, Kakashi. She choked on her own clotted blood. She was beaten and raped, but her body is covered in scars that she got long before this incident. And I mean covered. She's been tortured for what looks like years. Her skin is covered in badly healed lacerations and burns. Ino was crying as we did the first exam and the second comprehensive exam on her. The vaginal tears she had were fresh, and Choji reported that her kimono was up around her waist. I took a sample of the semen I found, but I haven't even thought about where to start. Who leaves someone in the woods to die? Besides that, her examination showed some other things as well. Kakashi, she's been severely sexually abused. Her vaginal opening is scarred in ways I've only read about in text books."

Kakashi sat back and crossed his arms.

"I bet this woman is linked to Ryujin."

Mizuka shook her head no before downing her third cup of sake.

"She's still unconscious and being closely monitored. I'm not surprised: she lost a lot of blood today. It's been a long time since I've seen someone throw up that many blood clots. I took some samples and sent them to the lab to see if there are any traces of toxins. During the second exam, I began to get the feeling that she was drugged or poisoned."

"I wouldn't be surprised if she is."

"I don't know. If she's attached to Ryujin, she might not be: she was clearly upper class by the clothing left on her body. Those sounded like his desirable people."

"Would you let me know if her labs come back positive?"

She nodded.

"You know I will."

"Iruka brought her in?"

"He was pretty upset."

Kakashi sighed.

"He's a little better than the rest of us. That probably comes with working for kids for so many years. Or maybe it's because he doesn't see this shit as often anymore."

" I sent Choji and Shikamaru out to secure the perimeter, but I'm sure whoever did this left immediately."

His wife looked very frustrated and concerned.

"Maybe this woman ending up in their hospital wasn't the tragedy they thought it was. If Ryujin did beat her and leave her for dead, he very well may have saved her life in the process.  If she lives through this."

Kakashi felt for Iruka, particularly at this moment. Life had never been kind to him, something that Kakashi could relate to until Mizuka came back into his life. But, unlike Kakashi, Iruka had never learned to squash those emotions through the Anbu, so they often returned to the surface. Years at the Academy probably didn't help, either. The Academy was an oddly hopeful place, and Iruka had been there for many years. He didn't go on many missions there days, so when he saw something devastating, it tended to hit him hard. Mizuka continued.

"She has some blood in her lungs, so we're waiting to see if her body absorbs it. She has a skull fracture, and a broken nose, which I've reset. She also has a broken arm and several broken ribs. And a fractured hip. Myself, Ino, and Sakura have patched and healed all we can, and now it's up to her, and we have to wait."

Mizuka sighed, putting her head down on the table.  Kakashi reached out and ruffled her hair.

"Why don't you get some rest?"

She looked up at him, she was completely exhausted.

"I can't.  I have to pump breastmilk for Kaori and then Iruka might be coming over.  I invited him here so he could talk things out.  He's a mess."

"Did he say when he's coming?"

She shook her head no.

"Just later."

He gave her a concerned look.

"Pump for Kaori and go straight to bed.  I'll clean up and make sure everything's set up for you two."

She gave him a look of relief.

"You really are the best."

He grinned at her.

"And you always take on too much.  You're my hero, Z.  But, heroes need rest as well."

She yawned and sat up.

"After he leaves, I'll get some sleep."