Even out in the hallway, Kakashi felt the surprised flicker in Ryouma's chakra. It wasn't followed by screaming, so he let himself ignore it for a few seconds more. The doorframe was a solid presence behind him--one he refused to let himself lean against. Showing any kind of weakness would get him swept aside by frustrated medics and itchy guards.

"No," he said for the seventh time.

A sea of faces watched his. One medic's eyes narrowed. "But Hatake-san--"

"No."

"But--"

"No." He dismissed the man with a glance and looked at another medic. Shouma sat by his heels, one front paw held awkwardly. He'd been kicked. Kakashi had restrained himself from killing the foot-happy guard, but it had been a near thing.

The arguments continued. He stood his ground, flattening everything with a low monotone. No, you can't come in. No, you can't have Tsume. No, you can't check Ryouma. No, you can't make me move. No, there's nothing you can do. No.

He barely twitched when Hoshika came careening around the corner, ears flat and teeth bared. She screeched to a halt by his heels, fur bristling. He cut off her bark with a curt gesture--he already knew Yasuo had taken Tsume, thanks--and felt a small twinge of relief when she settled on his other side. Two sets of long gleaming teeth packed a lot more punch than one wounded dog and one swaying master.

"Kakashi-san," began a guard again, pushing Yasuo gently into the arms of his comrade. "We really think--"

Very slowly, Kakashi turned his head and fixed the man with a red-eyed glare. "Oh?" he said softly. "What do you really think?"

The guard hesitated. "That... we should go get Waki-sensei."

Kakashi had to stop a tiny, hysterical giggle working its way out. Finally. "Good boy," he said, aware he was being rude; it was hard to care anymore. "When you bring him, make sure he comes in alone."

He snapped his hold on the genjutsu before anyone could respond. A spark of chakra twisted into a nasty shape made sure Yasuo came out of the illusions yelling. The guards holding him jumped, focus splintering as the Inuzuka staggered back.

"Don't arrest him," Kakashi muttered, as the medics sprang away and the guards closed in. "He's Tsume's partner. He's just got idiocy issues."

He signalled the dogs back into the room and slipped after them, shutting the door firmly. Most of the noise cut out, muffled by wood and sound-proofing. For half a second he let himself lean, and closed his eyes. Even with his reputation to barter on, it had been a near thing. Two injured ANBU shouldn't be trusted to the care of one clearly exhausted teammate...

Good thing he was persuasive.

Kakashi snorted softly and wondered if he could eat another soldier pill yet. The last one was still slipping burning fingers through his system, holding back the walls of sleep. Maybe another hour, he judged. He could last that long.

"Stay here," he muttered to the dogs, knocking one heel back into the door. "'f anyone but Waki tries to come in, eat them."

Hoshika barked a quiet assent. Shouma settled without a noise, licking his paw.

Kakashi shoved himself away from the door, dragging his eyes open, and headed back to his shattered little pack. Tsume looked the same; half asleep and curled into Ryouma's naked chest. Her hospital gown had twisted around her, baring too much leg, but the drugs were keeping her happy.

Ryouma was another story. Kakashi tried to read the dance of expressions flicking over his face and gave up. There was something startled, and something a little appalled, and something that was maybe almost a little comforted... but Kakashi would be damned if he understood any of it.

He crouched down in front of both ninja, bracing himself with a hand against the floor, and tried to pull his thoughts together. "This is very touching," he murmured to Ryouma, "but there's a bed over there getting lonely, and I'm pretty sure the needles hanging next to it are supposed to still be in your wrists."

He slid his free hand under Tsume's shoulder and met Ryouma's eyes. "So how about we get everyone off the floor before a ballistic nurse comes in here and kills me?"