| [Feb. 24th, 2008|04:44 am] |
"Raidou?" The question came out from under the weight of the jounin and two chuunin medics holding Genma flat. It was a voice full of pain and worry and outright fear. Over the top were calmer voices, more soothing voices. "What's his name?" someone asked and another person checked a chart and answered "Genma. Shiranui Genma."
"It's alright, Genma-san, You're buddy's just been a little trouble to keep in bed where he needs to be, because his fever's making him a little irrational. Just lie down. We just want to get you in the bed and then you two can see that each other are really just fine." There were other, quieter murmurings of a similar nature. Another medic went to Raidou, brushing a hand over his forehead, cool and soft, and told him quietly, "Your friend's alright. He's gonna be fine. Just let us get him settled. Do you want a sip of water?"
Genma recognized that tone. He'd used that tone himself. It was the tone you used with panicked civilians when you were evacuating them from the path of a flood. It was the tone you used with a ninja who'd just lost his leg from the knee down to an exploding tag. It was the tone that said,"trust us, relax, we are in control, everything will be alright" even when there was no way that was true. And it worked. Genma was much too ill to keep fighting. He couldn't even resist that soothing tone of voice.
The medics got him settled in the bed next to Raidou's, reconnected beeping monitors, rehung IVs, helped Genma get curled on his right side, facing Raidou, with his injured hip bolstered by pillows and his shivering body covered in freshly warmed blankets. Then they did the same for Raidou, even loosening one of the restraints so that he could lie on his left side, facing Genma, with his injured arm well protected and a pile of pillows to wedge him in place.
And then they stepped back and waited. Because either these two were going to settle each other down, and they could chalk the whole thing up to partner separation anxiety, or one or both of them were going to go off the deep end, and then there'd be harder work to do.
"Raidou?" Genma tried again, and stared through the bars of his bed, past the bars of Raidou's, at his partner. He looked so weak it hurt. "Are you okay?" |
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