Reverberations (Kakashi x OC, Gaara x OC) -- Book 3

Chapter 2: The awkward Kage meeting

Kakashi lifted Keiko in his arms and made his way towards the hospital. She gripped his shirt absently with her hand. He carried her in silence trying not to wake her. She could hear his heart beat by her ear and smell his scent on his clothes, rousing her from her state of half consciousness. She looked up at him through liquid eyes.

"A dream?" she asked softly.

"Afraid not. We're just going to the hospital to get you checked out," he grinned reassuringly.

Keiko continued to stare at him. He could practically hear her brain working something out in her clouded state.

" So, what's on your mind?" he asked casually.

"Selfish things," she whispered.

He smiled sadly before replying, "Mine too. I promised Gaara I would behave with integrity so I plan to keep them to myself."

"Well, we can't have everything in life," she said quietly.

"I would let you have everything," Kakashi thought to himself.

He continued to carry her in silence until they reached the front entrance to the hospital. A healer gestured to a bed and Kakashi lay her down. He told the nurse his concerns and she nodded seriously. Turning to Keiko, she asked, "Have you experienced anything unusual when traveling Keiko- sama ? Any foreign substances or bodies? Any injuries?"

"I got bitten by a bug or something on my way home a couple weeks ago, but nothing happened so I forgot about it," Keiko replied.

"Can you show me where?"

Keiko slid the Yukata down her shoulder, away from her neck. Kakashi gulped as he watched her expose one of his most favorite places on her body. But instead of the soft skin he was used to, there was a bruise with more of the same veining that started spreading across her face. It was darker and more concentrated here.

"It almost looks like blood poisoning, but different somehow." She touched Keiko with a gloved hand, "does it hurt if I touch here at all?" Keiko shook her head slowly. "I see," the healer continued, I'm going to take some blood samples. We have some of her previous labs to compare to. This is going to be a bit tricky because her DNA isn't exactly like ours," the healer explained.

"Please, do your best," Kakashi smiled at her.

The healer giggled before regaining her composure so she could draw Keiko's labs. She smiled again at Kakashi before leaving the room.

"Here all of five minutes and already picking up women," Keiko groaned between labored breathing.

" Oh, come on, that's not fair. You know I never flirted with other women while I was with you," he said.

Keiko's jaw stiffened and she turned her face away, saying nothing.

"I probably didn't do you any favors volunteering to bring you here," sighed Kakashi.

"It's not your fault. I'm the one who loses control when you touch me. I told you, I never deserved either of you," she rasped.

" Shh , try not to talk. Just...I'll stay with you, ok?" he said taking her hand gently.

He heard voices and footsteps drawing closer. He pulled his hand away when he heard the door slide open. Gaara entered along with the healer.

"I'm not exactly sure what to make of it, except it looks like some kind of virus that's been synthesized."

"Synthesized?" asked Gaara .

"Like...perhaps someone engineered this on purpose. I've never seen anything like it," she replied. "We've tested ourselves and it doesn't appear to be spreading. For now, we believe it's confined to her cellular structure."

" So what can we expect?" asked Kakashi.

"I don't really know. Some of my team are already working on synthesizing a vaccine for it, but we don't even really know what it is. It's hard to separate out since her biology is somewhat different. Viruses mutate and we don't even know what the strain looked like to begin with. We'll continue to monitor her labs, but all we can do is make her comfortable at the moment." The healer set Keiko up with IV fluids and an antiviral before leaving the room.

"I want to make sure she's ok...but it's probably best for both of you if I go. I didn't mean to cause any damage," Kakashi said to Gaara .

"Damage?"

"She seemed kind of upset when she saw me," he said rubbing the back of his head absently. "Would you be able to lend me a place to stay? We need to discuss this business with Orochimaru , but I'm sure you want to be here right now."

"Of course. Anything you need, the palace staff will help you. Let me know if you need anything else."

Kakashi grinned his fake smile before leaving the room.

"Every time that guy comes around, it's been drama. I don't know if I can do it again," thought Gaara .