Curiosity
AN: One last note. For the sake of the story, let us assume that the nurse realizes that the pack is better behaved, cleaner, and in general, smarter than most normal dogs. I know that there is much more to be done for your dog to become a therapy dog. One of mine has gone through all the classes and tests. Let us also assume that none of the children is allergic or that their illnesses would be affected.
Week 6 Curiosity
“Hatake-san? Are you here to pick up Haruno-san?”
“No.” Kakashi looked down at the front desk nurse curiously. “Should I be?”
“Someone needs to.” She shook her head in dismay before visibly squaring her shoulders. With a swipe of her hand across her face, the nurse was suddenly all smiles. “So, who are you here to visit?”
Slightly disturbed by the nurse Kakashi walked into Room 31, current home to one Maito Gai, more absent minded than unusual. Gai’s last mission had gone poorly and Kakashi wanted to cheer his annoying green shadow up. Not that he would ever admit to worrying over Gai. Therefore, he brought the most current edition of Icha Icha hidden in the fruit basket he held. Hopefully, it would give the man new and interesting ideas to pursue, ones that did not involve challenging Kakashi.
“Yo.”
“My Rival! You have come to visit me!”
“You said something?” Kakashi set down the basket and assessed his friend. He was a mess.
“Damn your hip answers. I will have my beautiful student Lee challenge you in my place!” Gai would have shaken a fist had both arms not been in traction.
“Just eat the fruit.”
He sat down by the bed, opened his book, and ignored Gai’s declarations of eternal friendship. What had the receptionist meant? Why would Sakura need to be picked up? The longer he considered the idea the more odd it sounded. Kakashi glanced at the clock beside Gai. He had been sitting for an hour. Snapping his book shut, he waved half-heartedly to the bedridden man and disappeared out the door.
Two days later Kakashi returned to the dreaded hospital. The same receptionist sat at the front desk. He waved and she motioned him along. Kakashi walked down the hall far enough that the woman could not see him and summoned Pakkun. He quickly attached a standard Anbu team transmitter to the dog’s neck and slid the earpiece carefully into his ear. The pug gave a nod, put his nose in the air, and trotted around the corner opposite to Gai’s room. Thankfully, he and Pakkun had planned the recon mission well in advance of entering the hospital. After ten minutes with no comments, he was to go visit Gai. He looked up at the clock on the wall. It had been fifteen minutes already. Sighing, Kakashi made his way to Room 31 to wait.
“Kakashi.”
“Umm?”
“It’s not that I am ungrateful for the company, but you have been here for two hours. Which person are you avoiding?” Gai caught Kakashi’s eye with his and gave him The Serious Look.
“Two hours?” At Gai’s nod he glanced to the door thoughtfully, “you don’t say.”
“OH! Look at you! What a cute dog. The bandages are perfect! It will make the children better about theirs. Come on let’s take you to Akamaru. He can teach you the ropes.” The older nurse glanced up at Kakashi, “It’s so nice that your fellow shinobi have taken the time to work with the children. The dogs lift their spirits and the children just adore them.”
“The children?” Bandages looked over at his master in surprise.
“You’re not here to help Haruno-san in pediatrics?” She was promptly dazzled by the Hatake Smile to Disarm and Confuse those not at a genius level.
Kakashi had tried to contact the pug only to receive static through the line. Concerned he had summoned Bandages and together they had started tracking Pakkun only to be accosted by a gushing nurse with a need to touch furry animals.
“No, no. We are. I just forgot to tell Bandages what we were doing today.”
The woman gazed at the two in suspicion but led them down a corridor and up three flights of stairs before stopping at a set of double doors. She pushed the palm-sided button on the far wall, opening the doors. Once inside she motioned to keep quiet before leading them down yet another corridor. The nurse stopped at a standard multi-patient room and pulled back a corner of the curtain.
Inside sat Sakura with small child in her lap and leaning against her chest. Another child was pulled into her side with an arm wrapped around their waist. All three sat on one of the standard patient beds; Sakura was reclining against the headboard. Kakashi could hear her reading from a book that she held. A quick glance around the room showed him that Pakkun lay on a bed across from Sakura with a little boy.
“She has been coming for weeks. We don’t know how she does it with all the hours that she normally works. Sometimes she is here for hours, other times, just a few minutes, but she is here every day. She has brought in the Hyuuga cousins a couple of times. Even her teammates come to visit.”
Quietly Bandages walked into the room, making his way to a bedside close to Sakura. She pointed to a bed next to the windows where a child sat in a wheelchair. Nodding in understanding, he walked over and placed his head on the child’s lap.
Somewhere in his heart, he felt something break. Maybe it was the memories of his own time spent in these same walls after the death of his father. Maybe it was the way he felt watching Sakura snuggle those children close to her.
Whatever the reason, he knew that this sight would not leave him for years.