Air Drill Practice (Privite, Invite only)

Mezurashii could only stare at him for a small second. Guilt and frustration flooded her body but her mind could only think of how she wasn't good enough, if she was better this wouldn't have happened, tears welled in her eyes as she put her head on his shoulder.

"These wounds are nothing, they will heal, but it seems I am always doomed to fail in comparison to others" she muttered before lifting her head up, she rubbed her eyes as tears spilled over. Mentally she scolded herself, here was an injured friend and she was to busy crying like a five-year-old. Her eyes hardened and her mind cleared, she knew what she had to do.

She stood shakily and pulled Itami up with her, making sure to support him Mezurashii forced herself forward. The first step was slow and there was a painful tug on her leg, meaning she had stretched or torn the muscle, but the next few steps were smoother. And so they moved at a steady pace to the hospital.

Itami's eyes widened as tears spilled from Mezurashii's eyes. He patted her awkwardly on the back, not knowing what the protocol for a situation like this was.

"You're not doomed to fail." he said and also patted her head that rested on his shoulder. "Sometimes there are stepbacks in what we are trying to achieve, but that's what makes the whole thing challenging and fun. If you never failed at anything you wouldn't be able to learn. Sooner or later, you will succeed. It doesn't matter how hard you fall as long as you stand back up again." As she lifted her head again and wiped her eyes, Itami looked at her with determination. "We're gonna keep practicing until we succeed, okay?"

As she stood up and pulled him along with her, he swayed again. He hoped he didn't get a concusion, but it didn't really matter to him anyway. He's gotten worse injuries in his life. What mattered more, was that Mez wasn't seriously hurt. Still, she ended up being the one to support him. They walked slowly and Itami's confidence fell with each step. Soon, he wasn't able to take it and refused to help Mez support him any longer. He didn't like feeling weak and he was still not used to people helping him. Instead, he redirected her hold so no amount of his weight was supported by the already struggling redhead. She seemed to walk easier then.

Mezurashii let loose a sigh of relief, Itami's words had helped her.

"It seems we all have our little issues" she said and felt relief when Itami adjusted them so he was supporting her, granted she didn't like the idea of being viewed as the damsel in distress but her pride was not about her image, she knew her leg was hurt and she needed the relief.

"We go to the hospital, maybe we can get a healing session instead of having to stay there for a few days" she said but her vision was blurring and she knew she used to much chakra on that jutsu. She had just chucked in loads of chakra but she didn't think of how much chakra she had used, and now it was coming back to bite her.

"Dammit" she muttered as she swayed "Itami, set me down" she commanded, though she hated how weak her tone sounded. She wasn't able to tell if he listened to her because she blacked out.

"True." he replied thoughtfully as they walked. He supported the girl now as she seemed in a pretty bad condition. "I think you are going to have to let the doctors decide what is best. Although I refuse to stay more than a few hours. So much time in the hospital would be such a waste ..."

Just then, Mezurashii cursed and wanted to sit down. Itami was just about to help her when her consciousness suddenly left her and she collapsed in his arms. Itami was the one cursing now as he slowly set her on the ground, checking her breathing and her head. He didn't know the reason behind her fainting so he had to get her to the hospital imediately. But he still felt as he was on a rollercoaster, his head spinning occasionally. He wasn't able to walk or run safely. He weighed his options. If he carried her alone, he might collapse as well as he didn't know what was up with his head. But on the other hand, she might be in serious trouble and she had to go to the hospital as soon as possible. He had no means of contacting help, and he couldn't afford to leave her to get someone to help both of them.
His only option, albeit slightly unsafe, was to carry her alone.

After checking on her again, he slowly picked her up and unsteadily started walking. He soon fell into a soft run. He felt terrible and the surroundings were swimming by him. He felt like throwing up but still he continued until he reached the hospital.

He burst in the building and several heads turned. Two medical ninja rushed over to them and took Mezurashii from his arms. Itami blinked, and crouched down, throwing up in the waste basket.

Another medic of a lower rank kneeled next to him and handed him a tissue. Itami wiped his mouth but ignored the help and searched the room for Mezurashii. The medical ninja stopped him from moving and said: "We need to make sure you are okay as well. Throwing up is a sign of a concusion." Itami simply pushed him away and ran after the medical ninjas that carried Mezurashii along the corridor. Just as he was about to enter a room they took Mez into, the previous medic caught up to him and grabbed his shoulder.

"You need to come with me to get checked up, kid. We also need to hear what happened." Itami tried to get rid of the other but his head was still swaying and he had troubles standing on his feet. "We were just training. She performed a jutsu and used too much power and chakra. I was blown away by the blast but she got the worst of it, being in the middle. She collapsed later on, as we walked to the hospital. Can I go now?" he said and struggled to get away.

The medic was unyielding though and he dragged him to the next room. On the bed for people who had to stay for at least a night, he checked his head and sewed the wound on his forehead. He put several bandages on his scraped arms and handed him a hospital gown. "You need to rest and we need to keep you here for observations. You have a concussion and are in no condition to move around. Get changed and go to sleep. Someone will wake you up later for food and water."
Itami glared at the medic and didn't move from his bed. As soon as the medic closed the door, Itami threw the gown on the bed and climbed out the window. As far as he saw, they put Mezurashii in a room next to his own and he walked over to the next window and looked inside.

She was lying in bed, still unconscious. The two medical ninja left already which was a good sign. It seemed Mezurashii simply needed to sleep it off. Itami climbed in and sat in the chair next to her. He wanted to wait for her to wake up. But after a few minutes his head got heavy and he leaned forward. Soon he was sleeping in his chair, his head on the sheets and his hands holding Mezurashii's right one.

The first thing Mezurashii registered was the horrible throbbing of her head, the next was that something warm had enveloped her right hand. She forced her eyes to open and looked down to see two hands, she followed them and found it was Itami. She couldn't fight the smile that appeared at the sight.

Memories from their training came back and her headache increased, she looked around to find she was in the hospital. She lightly squeezed the white haired boys hands, the smile still not gone, and mildly noticed the window was open, but there were two beds in this room so maybe it was just opened for fresh air.

Just then a doctor entered the room, his face became relieve at the sight of her awake. He walked over and checked her vitals and condition, he nodded to himself and scribbled something on his clipboard.

"Well, Mezurashii, it seems you had just suffered major chakra exhaustion and a torn muscle in your right leg, also some deep artery damage including expanding your chakra paths to quickly so you won't be using chakra for a while. But when they heal you'll find something to be happy about, also you suffered a broken rib but luckily nothing else besides a lot of bruising" he finished off, though the redhead could only stare. She had suffered that many injuries.

"But I only felt the pain from my leg, nothing else" she said he he explained how if you focus on one pain you forget about the others, she sighed and looked down at her body.

Mezurashii was covered with bandages, and right leg was raised slightly. She sighed as the information actually sunk in.

"So I won't be able to walk, breath or do anything without assistance and I won't be able to use chakra either. So that probably means I'll be staying here for a while" she said grimly, she looked outside and saw how beautiful the day was.

"Not forever" the doctor chuckled "just for a few weeks, at best" he consoled and turned to the boy who now seemed awake.

"Since you were so adamant about staying with your friend you can both share the room, your concussion isn't as bad as we thought but you'll have to be treated nonetheless, in the mean time I want both of you to rest" he said before a nurse came and called him away.

Mezurashii turned to Itami and squeezed his hand again "What the doctor said sounds bad, but it's not really, I'll be fine. Are you?" she asked, concern laced her question but she knew that he would be fine, these doctors were the best and if Itami can drag them both to the hospital then he's strong enough to handle a mere concussion.

Itami opened his eyes, groggy from sleep and with several muscle aches from sleeping in an uncomfortable position. He felt a gentle squeeze on his hands and looked up, seeing Mezurashii was awake and scanning the room with her eyes. A relieved sigh excaped his lips. She seemed to be feeling better.

He rose from his position and straightened in his chair just as a medic entered the room. He checked on Mezurashii and gave her some basic information about her health. Itami was rendered speechless by how many injuries she suffered and he was very glad that he managed to safely get her to the hospital.

He inhaled sharply at the news that she won't able to train or anything, for a few weeks. That seemed like a lifetime in terms of practice. He didn't understand how Mezurashii wasn't pissed to no end. If he had to stay in the hospital for more than a day, he would probably run away. Or at least throw a fit, which despite his usual calm manner was a very likely possibility due to his ever changing personality.

He stared at the doctor. A protest was just about ready to roll off his tounge but the doctor mentioned he could stay in the same room as Mez and in an instant, the words were forgotten. He nodded shortly and stood up, still holding Mez's hand though. He looked at her and smiled. "I hope so. And I'm perfectly okay, thank you. We both just need a bit more rest and we'll feel better."

The medic still hasn't left as Itami moved to his bed and sat on it. "Has her father been contacted yet?" he asked and crossed his hands. The medic headed for the door and nodded in reply. "And yours as well."

Itami groaned and rolled his eyes. This couldn't be happening. If his father decided to show up, all hell would break loose. He rubbed his temples in frustraton and as the medic closed the door on his way out, dropped back to the bed with an angry sigh.

Mezurashii stared at Itami for a while and could only smile, he seemed to hate hospitals more than she did.

"It could always be worse, I once read that life is a test of patience" she said as she leaned over to the glass of water standing on her bedside table, she sipped it evenly before putting it back halfway finished.

"The chakra exhaustion should fix itself in a few days at most, but my pathways will take longer than my torn muscle. Is your head any better?" she asked, all she knew is that he had a concussion and a few bruises, so she didn't know if he would be staying for as long as she would be.

Itami only hummed in response as he was still pretty mad the doctors also notified his father. Two possible scenarios would ensue now. One, his father wouldn't show up at all, because he didn't care. (That was the good option.) Two, he would show up and mess everything up. As far as Itami knew his father, he would probably sever the small bond between him and his friend, he would make a scene yelling at him in front of everyone and say he was a weakling for running to a hospital at a first bump, and he would drag him home where severe punishments would commence. It was quite possible he would yell at Mezurashii as well and Itami's fists clenched at the thought. His father was a terrible person, one not to be introduced to the public.

He rubbed his eyes, angry and scared at the same time. "Yeah, my head is better, thank you."
He stood up from the bed even though he should have technically stayed there and rested some more. His concusion was mild but he was still in no condition to move around.
Still, he continued on to the door and at the last step turned around to Mezurashii.
"I should go. I'm fine and I need to get home." He paused for a moment. He hated leaving her here alone but he was doing it to protect her from his father. "I hope you get better soon." he added and then continued on through the door without a second glance. Guilt churned in his stomach as he walked down the corridor but he pushed his thoughts in another direction.
He was so lost in thought he didn't take much notice of the people around him and thus didn't see the medical ninja that treated him before. If he payed a little more attention, he would have been able to go by him unnoticed, but he didn't and the medic saw him.
"Just one second young man." he said and stopped him. "Have you been officially released from this hospital? As far as I remember you were told to stay here for observations."

Itami stared at him for a second with his mouth slightly open, trying to think of a best possible lie and then replied: "Another doctor came in and told me my injuries were not as severe as they thought. He told me I was free to go." He smiled sweetly, hands linked behind his back.
The medic looked at him sceptically and said: "I better check with the doctor. Come with me."
Itami sighed in irritation and left with no other choice, followed the medic.

Mezurashii stared at Itami for a long time, not entirely convinced that he was fine, he stood and moved to the door. Panic coursed through her, he was leaving? But they were supposed to stay here, what if his injuries were worse off or if they worsened while he was gone.

"Itami wait!" she moved to get up but hot pain shot through her like a fire jutsu, she hissed in pain and fell back down.

"Dammit" she muttered and looked outside, it was such a nice day. Leaning against the wall the bed was situated against, she reached over to the bedside table and shifted through the draws.

"Ah, so that's were they put your weapons holsters" she grinned to herself, it was a long told story about how the medics hid a ninja's weapon holsters. Wounded ninja's would would look all over the place but it seemed that the medical staff had put it in the most obvious of places.

Suddenly the door opened and Mezurashii stared for a quick second, this man looked almost exactly like Itami. Except this man's eyes were a deeper red, and he didn't look happy.

"Girl, the nurse said this is where Itami was supposed to be" he stated, but the redhead could understand the unsaid words. 'Where is he?' that much was obvious, and normally she would be just as rude to him as he was rude to her but she couldn't even move without pain and this just oozed 'dangerous'.

"He needed to see the nurse about something" she stated, no emotions leaking into her voice whatsoever. The man merely grunted and slammed the door shut as he left, and Mezurashii heaved a sigh of relief.

'Itami, if that's your father, what have you been dealing with your whole life?' she thought as she put a kunai under her pillow, bed and everywhere else that was both hidden and within easy reach. Slowly laying back down Mezurashi stared at the door, a kunai in her hand under the covers. Staring at the door she waited for the next person to enter the door and praying that it wouldn't be that stranger again.

Sitting in the corner of the doctor's office, Itami was frowning, his arms crossed. The medic spoke to the head doctor and upon hearing that he was in no condition to leave yet, nodded unsuprised, and motioned Itami to follow him again. Itami stood up and rolled his eyes but followed the medic out the door and back towards the room where Mezurashii was. He walked behind the young man, eyes on the floor, sulking slightly.

Halfway down the corridor Itami's nose twitched at the familiar smell of strong sake. His head shot up with panic in his eyes. His senses have been right.
His father, drunk as ever, stomped down the hall, his red eyes burning on his sunken face, damaged from the alcohol, countless battles and illness. The medic jumped back in surprise, leaving Itami vulnerable.

Itami's anxieties kicked it that exact second. He hugged himself, arms crossed, hands gripping under arms, and breathed in and out, faster than it was normal.
"ITAMI!" the man boomed, his loud voice echoing down the hallway. Itami shivered and the medic stood, his mouth agape. "For Kami's sake, what are you doing here! They told me my son was injured but I can see you're perfectly fine, running around the hospital. Was this some kind of joke? Or did you get scared of a little tiny wound? Did you fall and scrape your knee? Huh? Answer me boy!!!"

Itami gulped and looked at the floor again, unconsciously taking a step back. he stuttered "I-I had a concussion."

The look on his father's face went feral: "A CONCUSSION? Really now? I once suffered such a wound to the head that my whole face was dripping with blood. My head was half split open. But you know what I did, huh boy? I continued the battle which eventually saved my comrade's lives! If that were you, you'd all be dead by now! You are weak!"
The medic was just about to cut in and say something, fear clearly evident on his face, for Itami's dad has been yelling so loud walls actually shook. But his father pulled Itami by his hair, back, towards the exit. "We're leaving!" he added and pulled him onwards. The medic finally gathered his composure, and young that he was, ran to the head office, calling for the head doctor.
He emerged from his office, calm and proffesional, and ran after the pair. He stopped Itami's father. "Sir, I'm afraid your son hasn't been discharged yet. He has to stay here for the night. If you do not let him go, we will have to restrain you."

His father stopped, a grumpy look on his face. As bad as he was, he respected authority and he knew this doctor. Along with being the best at medicine, he was also an incredible ninja with a reputation. His dad wasn't about to get in his way.

Itami rubbed his head upon being released. He closed his eyes to calm himself and wished this day never happened.
His father grabbed him by his wrist then, seemingly calm, but anger still flashed in his eyes. He told the doctor he will escort his son to his room for the time being. But Itami saw a hidden threat - upon arriving home, he would have to pay extra for this. He opened the door to his room and just then the doctors dissapeared inside the office again. His father pushed him in so he fell onwards. Mezurashii was on her bed but Itami couldn't see if she was asleep or awake. He quickly turned on the floor, just in time to see his father's once again mad face, spitting on the ground next to him and then slamming the door with a bang.