Life After Near Death

Sacrifice

"You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it."

― J. M. Barrie

The next day, Natsu was at Kenta's hideout before sunrise. The healer had kept his word and did not run away. Natsu knew too well, getting threatened by Erza could make most people give up the idea of disobeying her.

He had explained the situation to Happy, who agreed to keep this as a secret from Gray. Then it was time to get to work. While Happy watched with worry, Natsu laid on the hard slab, vaguely shaped to contour the body, and Kenta strapped him down.

"Is that okay?" the healer asked as he adjusted some of the thick belts.

Natsu hated feeling confined, but he figured this was a small price to pay for Gray's happiness. "I guess," he muttered, testing his arms and legs, making sure the restraints were tight but not so bad as to cut off circulation.

"Now, before we begin, I have this stone," Kenta said, reaching into his pocket. "Little blue fellow, you take this stone." He handed Happy a similar smooth rock. "If you grab it and squeeze it, I'll be alerted. Only do that for emergencies, like if he really has to use the bathroom, if the restraints snap apart, if he passes out, or if he begins to vomit blood."

"What!" Happy screamed.

"Boy, you'll need to wear a mouth guard. I saw too many people bite their tongues on this thing." He went to a sink to wash the mouth guard. "I need to warn you: it is painful. Don't try to hold it in."

Natsu's brow tightened. "What do you mean?"

"I've heard large men scream like little girls on this thing. It's that bad."

Happy gulped hard and looked at Natsu with worries.

"If it's painful," Kenta went on, dabbing the mouth guard dry, "no one can hear you. Let it out. Internalizing it can be worse for you."

Natsu shifted around to get more comfortable. "I've been through pain," he said determinedly. He heard a whimper from the Exceed. "It'll be fine, Happy. Although, this bed is uncomfortable. Don't you have a pillow or something?"

"Oh. I guess I could give you this." Kenta took a throw pillow from a nearby couch and tucked it under Natsu's head.

"Ah, better," he smiled.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Okay, that's them. Open your mouth." Natsu did, and Kenta fit the mouth guard inside. "I will start this on the lowest setting, so you can feel it turning on. It'll gradually increase. You'll feel tingling, then a stabbing sensation, then ... well, it'll hurt," he warned, pouting that he once again had to harm one person to save another. "I'll shut the door. There are two doors here, that way any screams from this room won't reach the patient in the other room, even if I have to leave your friends to come back here."

"Hey," Natsu called out as the man began to leave. His words were garbled by the mouth guard. "I'm serious, don't tell Gray I'm doing this. He's mad enough that I saved his ass. I don't want him to refuse treatment just because I'm saving his ass again."

"Understood," Kenta nodded. "I must say, Fairy Tail really is something, to go this far for your teammates."

"Because Gray's also my friend," Natsu muttered. "He better appreciate this ... stupid ice princess."

Kenta just laughed and went on to the main room, shutting the connecting doors. He opened up just as Erza knocked again. He opened the door; the three Fairy Tail wizards stood on his porch.