forty-three, Road to Recovery
Weeks later ...
THE ROAD TO RECOVERY WAS A LONG ONE, there was no doubt about that. Even with the assistance of not only her family, but also her friends, the way to how things were prior to the attack was a long one. No matter how difficult her way back into life would be, Izumi decided that she would give all that she got until the very end.
All things are easier said than done, though.
Without a doubt, those days spent in the hospital were far longer than those at home or even on missions. They just seemed to drag on forever and ever, with no end in sight for them. Between physical therapy and her time reading, Izumi mostly lay in bed, simply staring at the ceiling and contemplating life.
On many days, however, she was like to have a certain silver-haired visit her when he wasn't doing missions or injured following said missions. He usually came by after Sen had done her daily check-up and then left for the nurse station. More than anything, her two friends appeared to work in tandem alongside Chihiro, who came by as often as he could with enough food for two.
"You need some nutrition, something healthy. Hospital food alone won't get you healthy," Chihiro had told her sternly. "So you better eat up."
While she appreciated his almost daily visits very much so, the brunette had the inkling of a suspicion that Sen, too, drew the Akimichi boy into the hospital. By now, Izumi was pretty sure that the two of them were dating, or at least going out together. She was able to conclude that from the way Chihiro reacted to her teasing with a fainter blush than usual, one that could not compare to the usual sea of flaming red he sported on his chubby cheeks.
The last indication she got was when she had asked the teen, and he had begun to stutter a reply of how they had meant to tell her and hadn't found the right time yet. Izumi had waved them off and instead enjoyed the news. She had been waiting for them to get together for a while now, after all. She could not have received better news during her time in the hospital.
"Izu, you there?" Came a voice from beside her bed, startling the brunette. Beside her sat Kakashi with his visible brow drawn into a furrow.
"Sorry, I spaced out," Izumi said sheepishly, her cheeks flaring up. For a moment, she allowed her gaze to focus on her surroundings, especially on the silver-haired. A prominent addition to the room was a bouquet of flowers he had brought with him. "Where did you get the flowers from again?"
Underneath his mask, Kakashi scrunched up his nose in thought. "This woman helped me. She said she knows you. She was short with brown hair in a bun." He also remembered the woman to be both welcoming and helpful. He was easily able to conclude that she was a relative of Izumi's, but due to his constant decline of attending family events, he could not remember their relation.
Excitedly, Izumi clapped her hands together. "That's my aunt Yua! I hope she didn't pry too much," Awkwardly, she rubbed the nape of her neck. "She likes to gossip and know everything about everything, so if you mentioned me in the passing, she might never stop talking."
Kakashi could only cringe at the memory of the pushy woman. "She was ... alright. She helped me around the shop and told me exactly which flowers to choose." Or more like forced him, as Yua gave him barely any room to breathe or choose by himself and pulled him around the familiar flower shop with no signs of hesitation.
Izumi let out an awkward chuckle. "She can be a bit demanding, sometimes. Sorry about that. But she means well, trust me on that."
The silver-haired looked doubtful but did not further comment on the incident, and instead chose to switch the topic of conversation. "How is your leg?" His visible eye wandered for a mere moment to stare at it hidden underneath a blanket before he averted his gaze, finding it to be rather disrespectful.
Before Izumi replied, she lifted her leg merely a few centimeters above the mattress to test it. "It's fine, better than weeks ago. I can go back to work in two weeks, I believe. That is what my doctor said, at least. And Sen. Sen said that too, and if anyone knows, it's her. But before that can happen, I still have to go to my physical appointments."
Daily physical appointments were a must for Izumi, so her doctor had told her firmly more than just once. For her to be released from the hospital's care, she would have to amount certain progress under her doctor's observation. That included showing signs of recovery and her walking straight for more than just mere minutes. While Izumi did not understand everything required from her, she knew the importance of following and ultimately reaching the goals set for her by the professionals.
"You are lucky that there are more appointments available again," Her doctor said. "Most patients who were in dire need of physical therapy have absolved theirs already, leaving more and more spots open. Following the Kyuubi incident, the schedules were packed. Now it is much calmer."
"So I am out of here soon! That is something to celebrate after my physical in an hour." Izumi smiled at the silver-haired widely. He did not need to say it, as she was already aware of his disdain toward hospitals. Kakashi visiting her as often as he could was a repetitive action that warmed her heart more than he could imagine.
"You have physical in an hour?"
"I thought I told you that."
Kakashi shook his head. "You did not."
She furrowed her brows. "Oh. I thought I did. I'm sorry."
"It's fine. Do you have anything to do before a physical?"
For a moment, Izumi thought over her day's plan. Despite being told several times already that she should get a planner for herself, she hadn't done so yet. Organizing her days efficiently was not her forte.
"I don't. Although ... I wanted to see Naruto," Izumi confessed, her voice growing quiet. "again, that is. I just wanna see how he is doing, I guess."
Naruto sometimes felt like a sore topic to discuss. Whether it was due to the guilt clawing at their hearts or their inability to do something about his situation, they did not know. As their godparents, both teens felt obligated to do something. Yet their situation kept them from doing as did the Hokage's warning: Naruto is to be kept safe in an orphanage for now. That was, once he left the hospital.
"Last time I checked, he is doing fine." Kakashi said.
That had Izumi sitting up hurriedly in her bed. "You checked?!"
"On the way to your room is the newborn's ward, so I took a peak or two ..."
For Izumi, to have Kakashi openly admit that he cared for someone, that he went to check on them was a huge step. She could vividly remember how passive he had been as a Genin and even went as far as to dismiss everyone who wanted to have something to do with him. Yet here he was, keeping her company in the hospital and telling her about how he checked up on Naruto. To say she was proud of how far he had already come would be an understatement.
"... but if you want to see for yourself, we can go, Izu."
Izumi grinned at him. "Really?!"
Kakashi nodded. "Really."
"Oh thank you, Kashi-"
"-and then straight to physical."
Her excited smile quickly dropped into a pout, and she gasped, "Traitor."
He could only roll his eyes at her. "Whatever. Come on now."
AT SOME MOMENTS, Nara Sen was unsure how she was to help her best friend in her recovery. To the best of her abilities, the raven-haired aided as both a medical ninja and a sibling. Despite knowing more than the average Shinobi did, in spite of being hailed as a genius, sometimes she felt helpless with the knowledge at her hands.
Never could she have expected such a thing to happen to her best friend of all people, someone who Sen saw as the one to bring delight into every room she walked. And now, the brunette lacked the energy and that left Sen flabbergasted, confused even.
It was natural for a smile to twist at her usual frown as she saw a familiar mop of brunette hair coming toward her, unsurprisingly accompanied by another mop of gravity-defying silver hair. What surprised her however was how the silver-haired's hand laid on the shoulder of her friend, ready to stabilize her if necessary.
Later on, she would make sure to tease him for his sympathy.
"Izumi," Sen greeted nonchalantly, her eyes raking over the figure of her friend in search of any injuries. "Hatake."
It wasn't that Sen disliked the silver-haired, because as she had explained countless times to a curious Chihiro she did not, more, so she wasn't entirely fond of him. Although she would never admit it aloud, especially not to an all too eager Izumi, she was beginning to warm up to him the slightest bit. Again, she would never say that.
"Sen." Both of them greeted, though each in a different tone. While the brunette's tone was fond, the silver-haired's was more annoyed.
"How have you been, Izumi?" Sen's job as both a friend and a nurse was to check up on her friend. As opposed to her laid-back nature, there were some things in life she took on with a more fervent attitude.
Izumi grinned at her best friend. "Just fine. I'm glad to be out of here soon. That wouldn't be possible without your friend, Sen."
"I better not see you here again for a long time, Izumi," Sen told her sternly. "You better keep away from hospitals."
"At least I would have my favorite nurse keeping me healthy." The brunette said cheekily, keeping the grin upon her features.
Sen's stern gaze narrowed into an accusatory glare. "Don't you dare depend on that, Yamanaka. Or I will make sure you will get the worst room in the hospital."
Izumi blanched immediately. In retreat, she held up her hands. "A-alright, Sen."
"What are you doing out, anyway? You don't have physical until later."
"We are going to see Naruto."
"Oh?" Sen raised her eyebrow in surprise.
"To check-up on him." Kakashi added after a moment of silence.
Immediately, Sen shot him a glare. "As if I couldn't have figured that out on my own, Hatake."
"Sure you could've." He murmured underneath his breath, rolling his eyes.
"Now, now, you two, let's not argue," Izumi said, looking at them nervously. "There's no need for that."
Again, Sen did not like how the silver-haired was worming his way into her best friend's heart. It wasn't that she hated whom her best friend had a crush on (while Izumi had not told her as to date, it was beyond obvious by now), but rather she held a great dislike toward him. If she were to assume, it most likely stemmed from way back when he had been in their class and acted stuck-up, constantly correcting someone's answer when it was wrong. While she had been too lazy to participate in class, the fact that he always did that still pinched her nerves.
It was petty, but not that Sen cared.
"We won't argue then," Sen said carefully. "You two better go then. The childrens ward is not open for as long as others are."
"Oh! That's right!" Izumi said and begun to walk forward with the help of a nervous silver-haired. "We better get going then. I'll see you later then, Sen?"
Sen bit back a teasing roll of her eyes. "I hope not."
"Sure you do."
She was just glad that her best friend was making an alright recovery, as it seemed. Judging from the smile she wore when rushing off with Kakashi, Sen was pretty sure that things were going as they should be. The path of recovery was a long one, but her friend seemed to make it quite well and for more, Sen could not ask.