lucetilogs | Good Morning, Starshine

Entry tags:

Good Morning, Starshine

Who:

markofthebrave and then we'll just start adding as we go if anybody else starts a thread.
What: Visiting hours.
When: backdated to April 11th
Where: Clinic.
Summary: In which Chouji wakes up, gets the lowdown on how he got here, possibly takes a couple of visitors and...you know, tries not to fall asleep on them if he does.
Rating: If it gets past PG, something is clearly awry.

[ It could be said that this has not been Chouji's week. And while he would normally go to the trouble of finding something salvageable that happened to counter-balance the claim, this time around he's more inclined to just agree. Possibly because he spent a couple of hours yesterday almost dying and a little over half of today unconscious.

You can just guess how nicely this afternoon is going to go.

After his return to the land of the living is taken care of, there's really only one place to find him all day, and that's where he'll be- dozing on and off, but still never against a friendly face if one should decide to pop in. ]

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[Hey. Hey Chouji.

When you finally do decide to come around, you might notice that there is a certain smell wafting through the air.

It is a delicious smell.]

Edited 2011-04-15 04:24 (UTC)

[ ...the delicious smell makes a compelling argument to his subconscious about the merits of waking up.

Never much of one for confrontation anyway, Chouji has no choice but to give in to this argument.

Well played, sir. Well played indeed. He'll be right with you.

Just, uh. Give him a few seconds to blink that ceiling into focus first. ]

[About time, man.]

Rise and shine there, sleeping beauty. [He takes a moment to swallow a mouthful of mashed potatoes before smirking in Chouji's direction.] Welcome back to the land of the living.

[ Shikamaru: check. His being present, uninjured and calm does a lot for getting rid of the ninja-training-based assumption that waking up in unfamiliar territory means it's time to get up and get gone.

Chouji's kind of grateful for that, because he gets the feeling that he wouldn't make it very far. Sitting up is looking like it'll be enough of a challenge. ]

Thanks. I guess. [ Sounding a little hoarse, but hey, not incomprehensible. He takes advantage of the prime opportunity to look at the parts of the room attached to the ceiling before getting back to Shikamaru with a raised eyebrow and unspoken "where exactly are we?" ]

I'm starting to feel homesick. The chairs here at the clinic are about as comfortable as the ones at the hospital back home.

[Which is to say: not comfy at all.

And yeah, just casually slipping that location in there for you. It's a topic to be discussed seriously, and he will, but...

Hospitals don't generally mean good things for ninjas. You only joke with someone when you know they'll be walking out those doors later on.]

[ ... Oh. Damn. Then something happened. While Chouji makes his best efforts to pick through a semi-muddled brain and find the last thing he can remember, he is also offering up a smile.

This is pretty familiar territory for them, isn't it; never hurts to start out on a lighter note (all in all, it's a nice reminder: hey, you're alive). ]

Must be universal.

Maybe the universe really is against me then. How troublesome.

[He takes another bite of potatoes, then kicks his feet up onto a nearby chair opposite of the one he's sitting in.] ...so. How you feeling?

[ Good question. The answer takes a while- "fine," he figures, won't cut it as a viable answer. He's not all that smart, but he's not dumb enough to try it, either. There are plenty of potentials that come to mind: thirsty, hungry, tired, confused, weak, all complete with an ache going down a lot deeper than bone and muscle (that doesn't seem to worry him for some reason- if anything, it makes him feel a little better).

Of course, that's kind of wordy and complicated. He's putting his best tries into trying not to make Shikamaru worry any more than he probably already has. Kind of a tough balance to find. Chouji doesn't quite abandon the smile, but it softens up by a couple of notches- hits the crossroads between reassurance and apologetic. ]

...I think I've been better. [ But I know I've been worse.

It's all about keeping with perspective. ]

Heh. Good answer. I'll probably have to call a doctor in in a minute to check up on you. They'll be glad you're awake, at least.

[This is probably the first thing he should've done actually, but he figures he'll give you a chance to get your answers from him instead of them.]

[ A nod. What can he say, it's not quite his first rodeo; doctors usually make a habit of turning up once you're up and talking. Chouji succeeds in latching onto the fact that he was distinctly more upright and on his way to the plaza when last he checked. Things take a turn towards blurred and dark and waking up in a bed in the clinic after that- and he almost doesn't want to ask.

But he will, with a semi-cautious tone and a very careful eye cast on his best friend, because he'd rather not go through the impossible-to-understand medical jargon right off the bat and Shikamaru's his best bet. ]

So what happened?

[And that was the question he knew had to come up. Shikamaru stirs around the potatoes, trying to think of how to word his reply.

To hell with it. In the end, he decides to keep it simple and straight-forward. Chouji isn't made of glass, and even if he'd never say it, he doesn't appreciate it when people beat around the bush with him. You don't treat your friends with kid gloves, whether they're ninja or not.]

You almost died.

[ His eyes definitely widen at that, but Chouji doesn't ask if he's serious or have him repeat himself.

Shikamaru wouldn't lie to him about something like that.

Chouji nods, a little belatedly, but he's also calm about it- even if he's still waiting to ask how. Can't change it now. He's far from happy to hear it, but it's a bit late for panicking. ]

Okay.

[Shikamaru's eyes dart upwards again, almost angrily but not quite. Because it's not okay, and even knowing that's not what Chouji meant with that one word, it never will be.

He relaxes a second later, slumping back against the back of the chair again. He stays quiet for about another minute, giving Chouji a little more time to process it, before speaking again.]

That was yesterday. It's Monday now. You slept through most of the day, but you're already doing a lot better.

Good to hear. [ And he definitely means it, even if the brief flash of a grin is more of a helpless response to Shikamaru's glancing up than out of satisfaction (he's not that great with words, and so he's not all that sure what else to say to the news other than "okay").

The faster he gets better, the sooner he can get out of here. Cutting out of hospitals early has never been in his programming, but Chouji still isn't exactly fond of spending a lot of time in the places.

He very briefly contemplates getting himself into a position less like lying down and more like sitting up- it's a good way to get a start on saying you'll be fine and...well, better for actually staying awake; the overall consensus is that he'll just try that in a minute when his arms feel more cooperative. In the meantime, his forehead wrinkles a little while he returns the courtesy of getting to the point. ]

How bad was it?

[ Attack or illness, simple or complicated, taken care of or still getting handled- Shikamaru knows what he'll want to know, because he always knows and because he's probably been in here for a while overthinking everything that's ever happened. ]

Edited 2011-04-15 21:28 (UTC)

Bad. [Suddenly that ceiling you were looking at before is very interesting, but he winces at the way the back of the chair cuts into his neck from the motion needed to look at it. He folds his arms behind his head.]

Not like... an ambush bad. Or losing a fight the hard way. [He might've been prepared for that.] Just bad... fuckin' Malnosso incompetence. You didn't get off as easily as we were hoping with that, man.

[Shikamaru sighs, rubbing at one temple. What Chouji will want to know... Necessary information. He could handle the grisly details, yes, but there's no reason to. Yeah, he'll keep those ones to himself.]

From what we can tell, they messed around with your chakra network. But they fucked up and didn't put everything back the right way. That's why you and I didn't realize anything was off about it - your chakra was fine, it was just moving through places it shouldn't have been. [Unless you're a Hyuuga or a medic, that's just something you can't tell for yourself, after all.] It took a few days for it to build up. Stopped your heart.

[I think you were dead for two minutes.

...and exhale.] But then we got things working again. Shino helped me find you, and Katara jump-started your chakra network to get back in order, and Law took care of the rest.

[ Chouji doesn't particularly mind that Shikamaru is finding the ceiling so interesting once the explanation gets underway. It's easier to get through the initial mental table-flipping process when you're not being directly watched.

When things roll over to "messed around with your chakra network," after all, it's only appropriate to blanch for a few brief moments- they did what, that shouldn't even be possible- not to mention "stopped your heart." That reaches a particular level of "oh, hell no." It's definitively too life-threatening, and- and really, if they could pull his entire chakra network around like it was no big deal, how hard could it really have been to just put it back in the right order? What if it winds up having an effect on his jutsus?

And this all means that he probably did a fantastic job of scaring his friends half to death yesterday, too (way to go, Chouji). Because someone couldn't be bothered to clean up their own mess properly?

What the hell did he ever do to them? ]

[ The calm, collected thing takes a lot of deliberate maintenance even for those that it comes to naturally.

Very few things come to Chouji naturally.

But okay. Breathing. Wresting back control over his own facial expressions. Okay. This is not the time for flipping mental tables, and he's pretty sure that Dad would've told him as much, too. Big waste of time.

The whole point is that Chouji's still not dead, and he's not going to think himself in circles worrying about things that happened yesterday (he doesn't have the energy for that kind of thing), and he's not going to accept any other potential outcome but being completely fine.

And one of these days, he'll figure out how not to always wind up making people worry, too. You know, while he's aiming high.

Okay. ]

... Right.

Thanks.

[ For being straightforward and not using words too large to understand, and helping save his life and all, you know. He's just a tad tapped out for anything else that he could actually say to all that. It would've been easier to throw another "okay" in there, but Shikamaru didn't look like he was much for the word. ]

[He watches those shifts in expressions from the corner of his eye. You can't pass it off that easily, Chouji. He's known you for nearly all of his life - those few moments are all he needed to see.

And what came afterwards, too. Because despite all of that, Chouji is determined not to let it get to him. And really, who is he to stop him from that? It's okay to freak out - he has every right - but if he doesn't want that dragged to the surface, than Shikamaru isn't about to contradict that sentiment.

He rubs his face before leaning forward, dropping a hand down on Chouji's shoulder. If you change your mind though, he's here for you, buddy.]

...you want something to drink? You sound like you tried to eat sandpaper.

[Yes, kind of ignoring that last part. There's not a lot of words he's a fan of these days - 'thanks' is just another one of them.]

Edited 2011-04-16 06:11 (UTC)

[ He makes a vague sound of amusement and finally gets around to sitting up- which is taking about as much effort as he thought it would, true, but even if it's not the smoothest of movements, he hasn't fallen back yet. Gotta love the bright side of things. ]

That sounds about right. [ Chouji wonders, sometimes, what it must be like to have a good poker face. Not that it would do any good against Shikamaru even if he did, but man. He definitely wouldn't complain.

Well, transparent in his subdued freakouts or not, that tired smile he's pulling out is still more genuine than the last one. The hand on his shoulder is half the reason that he's not gonna let this get to him- that's what people are supposed to do anyway, isn't it, let things make their mark and then move on to the next? Another thing that he didn't exactly inherit from his dad, that one, and maybe on his own he wouldn't have gotten through half the things he's managed to get through with a smile on his face and looking right at a silver lining.

But once in a while that's all that he wants to be able to do- especially today and yesterday, because Luceti gets difficult enough as it is, and he knows Shikamaru pretty damn well, so he knows he's been worried enough as it is, too (and dwelling on things makes other people dwell, and then nobody keeps walking at all).

And once in a while he knows that you need to step up and make yourself do what you want to be able to do, too. Just until you're strong enough to do it without steeling yourself for it first.

Chouji's pretty sure he can manage. ]

[When Katara enters the next day, she's mostly recovered from he exhaustion. Probably because she skipped school and slept like the dead until this afternoon, where the first thing she did was head towards the clinic. No calls during the middle of the night were good calls, but - still.

When she enters, they're still both sleeping. Shikamaru's sprawled out over two chairs and Chouji is, well, he looks better, but there's still a stab of concern so fierce it's almost like fear when she sees him. She streams some water out, places a hand lightly on Chouji's chest and checks - good. Good. That's a relief.

And then she glances at Shikamaru and then at the door and back to him.]

I know you're not still sleeping.

[Eyes still closed and head tucked down, he shifts his arms across his chest a little more comfortably.] But I should be.

[He actually hasn't slept - aside from some brief dozing in the past hour. With Chouji having woken up earlier, he didn't feel as guilty for wanting to get in some rest. He was wide awake again, however, the second he heard Katara's footsteps outside the door.]

[Shikamaru claps him once on the shoulder. He knows you can, Chouji. He wasn't lying all those years before, when he told Naruto and Kiba and Neji that Chouji was the strongest of all of them.

He'll never think it himself, but it's true. Inside and out, there's nothing that can stop Chouji when he's made up his mind on something. And knowing that, Shikamaru knows that things will be just fine from here. It's just a matter of working through it now.

Finding a plastic cup, he fills it halfway with water before walking back to his chair.] Ta-da. Look at that - even got a fancy straw for you.

[He drops it into the cup before grabbing Chouji's journal off of the counter and balancing it on his friend's stomach. Makeshift tray for the win. He places the cup on top of that - easy to reach without hands.] Just don't expect me to fluff your pillow or anything. I'm not your nurse.

[...okay, she hadn't planned for a response like that, and immediately a part of her feels guilty. The rest of her isn't even sure how to talk to him.

So she looks back towards Chouji.]

Did he wake up yet?

[Because nothing felt wrong when she checked just now...]

Mm. [He opens his eyes now, first checking on Chouji still sleeping in his bed before looking back up at Katara.]

Time is it... [He slurs the comment to himself, glancing at the clock before speaking up again.] Few hours ago. We talked some, and the doctors checked on some things. I think it wore him out. [Understandably.]

[Her shoulders slump with relief.

She'd said he was going to be fine, believed that he was going to be fine - but knowing it. Knowing it was so much better.] Good. He's going to need a lot of rest.

[Her gaze flicks towards the door, uncertain if she should just say 'And you should get some too' and 'Please let him know I came by when he wakes up' (because he can tell someone that, can't he) and leave or if she should attempt to talk to him about what happened yesterday.]

Edited 2011-04-17 05:53 (UTC)

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Good Morning, Starshine

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1/2

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/gives up on nitpicking after spending all day writing one tl;dr 8|

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But what delicious tl;dr it is

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