The Ultimate Weapon (Naruto Fanfic)

21-The Hospital and a New Hokage

The entire hospital was alive with people running from room to room. Since the attack on Konoha had finally ceased, the wounded being brought in slowed to a trickle, though there were still many to care for. Aoi sat on a chair in an overcrowded waiting room, along with several others that didn't have life threatening injuries. As it neared the end of the day, the frantic chaos began to die down. People were settled into rooms after surgeries, three or four patients put into rooms that usually held only two. Gurneys were wheeled into the waiting room for the overflow to sleep on.

As most people around him settled onto gurneys to sleep for the night or received care and went home sporting injuries, Aoi sat there and slowly relaxed into the chair. Nurses and doctors still flitted in and out of rooms, but in all the atmosphere was more relaxed. Just as Aoi's eyelids were about to close and allow him to drift off to sleep, someone shook his shoulder.

"Excuse me, sorry for waking you." A doctor smiled down at the blue haired boy, who's eyes had now widened to show he was fully awake. Or at least awake enough to comprehend whatever the doctor might tell him. "There is an extra cot, if you would like to take it." Aoi simply shook his head, and the doctor looked at him oddly. "Any reason why?"

"My tendon has torn, I can not walk to the cot. I am fine to sleep here tonight." The odd look didn't disappear from the doctor's face as he regarded Aoi.

"I can help you to the cot if you would like. If you had informed us sooner, we would have helped you then." The doctor held out a hand to help Aoi from his seat.

Aoi took the hand and the doctor hefted him, supporting Aoi before he could even totter on his foot. "I will remember that in the future." The two remained silent as Aoi was supported to the cot near the edge of the room. Gently, the doctor lowered Aoi onto the thin mattress, which though not very soft, was a better arrangement than a chair.

"Hopefully there isn't a time in the future where you'll need to remember that." The doctor smiled, though bags could be seen under his eyes from the stress he was sure to be under. Aoi simply nodded. "We'll see what we can do about that tendon in the morning, but be sure to stay off it. If you need anything just call out and a nurse should come." The man walked away, a nonchalant wave over his shoulder being the last action Aoi could see him do. This time when Aoi fell asleep, nobody disturbed him.

_+_

The sound of clattering wheels, footsteps, and machines whirring were the sounds that woke Aoi. That, and the fact that he was being moved. When Aoi's eyes flew open, it took no more than three seconds to ascertain that he was being wheeled by a nurse. A warm smile creased her face as the nurse looked down at Aoi and saw he was awake.

"Don't worry, I'm just moving you into a room. A few freed up last night, so we're moving those that have more serious injuries." Aoi stared at her a moment then nodded. He let his head fall back to rest on the pillow and stared at the ceiling as they passed under it, not much caring what was happening at the moment. They stopped and a door slid open. Aoi was pushed into the room, and once the nurse left he sat up.

He looked around the room, one that was clearly only supposed to house one person, and noticed two more cots in the room. Looking at the occupants, Aoi made out a shock of somewhat neat black hair and a mussy blond head of hair in the next. Aoi focused his eyes more, then realized why the occupants of the beds seemed so familiar. It was Naruto and Sasuke. Scrapes and bruises covered their arms and faces, but other than that any major injuries the two might have had were healed. As Aoi sat there, a dull pain throbbed in his leg. Poking it a little, Aoi stopped when the pain intensified.

There was a stirring in the next bed, and Aoi's attention turned to the noise. Sasuke turned onto his back and blinked a few times at the ceiling, seemingly confused. Memories washed over him, and Sasuke relaxed slightly. He felt a gaze, and Sasuke looked over to meet Aoi's blank gaze. The two just stared at each other for a moment before they both nodded and their stares broke. Sasuke leaned back down, and Aoi did likewise. Everything was silent for a while.