Waking Up in a Mad House

[Raizo]

[Thread is open if anyone wants to join.]

The sound of rushing, shuffling of feet, pulsated within the darkness. It was a maddening noise, a frenzy of some sort seemed to be swirling around him, but Roku could not see it. All that could be seen was darkness. What sort of darkness could perfectly engulf him? Was it a genjutsu? No, there was something that happened. His mind raced trying to think about what had happened, and maybe learn what was happening.

And in that moment, like a pressure suddenly being released, the darkness would disperse, his eyes would finally open. In a knee-jerk fashion his body would shoot up in a sitting fashion. The sudden return to light was overwhelming and his eyes would need a few moments to adjust. Once everything began to come back into focus he would finally notice his immediate surroundings; a hospital bed.

Tubes and wires were going into and coming out of his body. Pieces of medical seals were placed upon his body and the beeping of machines around him were faint, faint in comparison to the noise that was happening outside of his hospital room. Why was he here? How long had he been here? And just what in the hell was taking place outside that was causing such a ruckus. It was not what you'd expect to hear while in a hospital. It was loud. It was annoying.

Raising his left arm up he would begin to rip the medical equipment off of his body. Pain was never anything that affected him for too long thanks to his body, thanks to his genetics, thanks to his upbringing. And while he wasn't in pain, now standing free from the confines of his bed, there was one thing on his mind that he needed to obtain; booze.

His eyes would glance down at his body. Some new scarring and marks were covering his body, even more than he remembered. Whatever put him in the hospital must have been a doozy. It was time to go get some booze--answers. His tall frame began to make his way to the door of the room, preparing to reach out and open the door when he would suddenly pause. His glance would go to the full length mirror hanging on the wall. He was nude. Maybe, even if he felt good about his body, this was not the appropriate way to walk around a hospital.

Searching around he would find a pair of simple, white patient pants. They were not very thick material but it was better than no material. He looked around for a shirt but his search proved fruitless. That was fine for him though, it was socially acceptable for a patient to stumble out not fully clothed. Missing a shirt would not be too alarming.

Opening the door he would be greeted with frantic rushing of medical personnel. The sound of concern, of panic, the sounds that woke him, would be every where. Just what was happening, and just where might he find booze. Questions needed to be answered.

[MFT = 507]

 

[Sagasu Yume]

Before the patient could get more than a few steps out of the door he would feel a hand on his chest, pushing him back into the room. On the other end of the arm was a relatively tall female doctor with long, dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and green eyes that were staring him down with what could have possibly been amusement. The lower half of her face was shielded with a standard medical mask but by the grey wool pencil skirt, simple lilac blouse, and lab coat she wore it was evident that she was not your average hospital worker; she was more of a family doctor type.

Just where do you think you’re going, Mister?

Her steps were deliberate as she pushed him backwards and closed the door behind them. Once she’d guided him backwards to the bed, she reaches for his chart and flips through the pages. With her free hand, she pulls her mask down, revealing pink lips curved up and a winning smile.

Welcome to the world of the living again, Roku. Seems you’ve been out for quite awhile. What a day to wake up too. Kage tower’s been blown up. Hmmm, maybe that’s not the best way to greet someone who’s just come out of a coma. Oh well, now you know.

Her chatter, though bubbly, was straight forward which also translated into how she went about checking the man’s vitals, beginning with snapping on a pair of vibrant purple gloves. Ignoring any protest he might make she checked his pulse, blood pressure, iris dilation, temperature with an ear thermometer, and the back of his throat by pressing down on his tongue with a flat bamboo stick. While she worked, she cleared away the loose cords and reset the machines so they weren’t alarming from lack of feed back from a living body. Making her way to the foot of the bed, her low heel caught on a length of tube that made the woman stop, look down and muffle a laugh. Reaching to the floor, she lifted up a catheter bag for Roku to see before discarding it in a bio-hazard disposal unit.

Balls of steel or not, that had to have hurt. Anyway, everything looks fine to me. We’ll need to run a test or two before discharging you but if that comes back fine you should be out in a few hours. How are you feeling?

Satisfied that everything checked out, she stopped fussing over him and stood a few steps away, his chart pressed to her hip while the other jotted down her findings. Intermittently, she would glance up over her eyebrow without really moving her head; she was watching how Roku moved and seeing how he was adjusting to being conscious again.

 

[Raizo]

The press of a hand against his chest, the sensation of touch seemed so alien, halted him from moving further in his quest for booze. His eyes glanced at the female before him, allowing her to push him back into the room. She had questioned him about where he thought he was going...he really had no answer for that. So he went with the flow. Besides, the female was rather cute so why not hear what she had to say. Once she removed her mask it was confirmed that she was attractive. Always a plus. Then she began to give a run down of what was going on and his condition.

"Huh... last time I remember being awake it was the hospital that was blowing up. Lucky me that this was targeted first this time."

There probably should have been more concern but his mind was still cloudy.

"Wait... Sousuke... is he..."

No. There is no way that robotic moron was dead. He is probably off doing something to fix the situation. He was a hopeless human but a very dependable leader. She then began her process of checking his vitals, poking, prodding and measuring different parts of him.

"Well... let me know when I need to drop trou and coug--."

A little humor until a bamboo stick was jammed in his mouth. After the intrusions concluded, she began to make her way around the bed to mess with the machinery. During that process she stumbled upon his catheter bag. Maybe he should have been shamed by seeing his refuse bag?

"I'm sure there is a process of removing that thing without it feeling like a thousand needles tearing you apart... I just didn't happen to know that strategy."

Thankfully everything, minus the pain and blood, felt alright. Time would tell on that end of things.

"So, a coma? Well I guess considering that, I feel fine. I really don't remember what happened. Last things I remember, it is scattered, was getting ready to leave the village and getting my ass kicked by some big thing called the Djinn. I really..."

There was a strained look on his face.

"...those things didn't happen together. I am not sure the order to how it happened, but those two things are the last thing I can immediately recall. I can remember my name, different personal things, but I just don't know what the last thing I was doing...or how long ago it was that I was doing things..."

Now he really needed some booze.

 

[Sagasu Yume]

((Guess I should have put this in my first post… [Enter iNPC Miago Tsukiko]))

The trick is to remove it slowly. There are rings that anchor it down but they slip out easy enough if you pay attention. Tugging on things only gets you so far when it comes to medicine.

With a smile, she brushes off his comments about dropping his pants; It was all in a days work as a pretty doctor especially when treating teenaged males. She noted that he seemed a little disoriented but for the most part was lucid. Scratching down his recounting of his last few memories, she looks up with interest at the mention of the Djinn.

I was here when that happened. Felt the roof cave in on me. The next thing I knew, I was alive and no worse for wear. You’d think such a cataclysm would have killed a few people but nope, here I am. Your coma must have been after that. I seem to re-call you were transferred in from ‘Tent City’ or admitted shortly after Omni Prime was built. I don’t remember you as a patient before that.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek as he continued to put the pieces together, recognizing that the events he spoke of weren’t in any order

The hospital has been up for about 6 months or so… that should give you a good estimation of time. As for the Steward, you sound like that self-entitled brat, Yume. She went running out of here like an idiot when she heard the explosion. At first I thought she was going to help us, but no. She kept muttering that she needed to find him and then disappeared. Just because she wants to be his Miss doesn’t make her special.

She stopped long enough to take in a deep breath and exhale loudly. Checking her watch, she glances out in to the corridor, the noises having been quieted a little due to the closed door. Damn this woman could talk if you let her. It was obvious that she wasn’t an airhead, that was a prerequisite to being in the medical field, but she seemed to know all the water-cooler talk. Flipping her ponytail over her shoulder she took a seat in one of the visitors chairs and sighed.

Forgive me. It’s been a madhouse out there and I need a breather, so I’m using you as that excuse for a moment. I'm Miago Tsukiko, by the way. Just a regular Mednin at the moment but I'm vying for a Med Chief position if the new acting Steward Med Chief thinks I'm fit for it. I was right in line for it and then she comes waltzing in from Kirigakure and gets appointed. Wonder what she had to do to get that, ya know? I'm not small, but she's...

Her hands came up to hover in front of her bust, indicating Shuu's chest to be quite a bit larger than hers. It might have been crass to say such a thing, but they were alone and she figured that the boy would approve of a reason to look at her chest without seeming creepy, regardless of the 10 years between them. In all honesty, it had been awhile since she'd been looked at like that since they'd been so busy with the strange attacks caused by Magnetica and Co. followed by the invasion that morning.

Takahashi-sama hasn’t shown up through those doors in a body bag or injured which leads me to believe that he wasn’t at the Tower when it collapsed. You… you seem a little antsy. You sure you’re doing alright?

 

[Raizo]

She gave up a follow up to his remark about the old hospital, which made him feel some remorse. What if, even against the account she gave, she did lose something, someone, in that event. Luckily she was alive, but maybe she wasn't entirely selfish like him and cared for others, or more specifically another. There was no tensing in her appearance so she was either good at disconnecting from her emotions or she honestly held no ill will towards the events that rocked the original hospital, and was just happy to be alive. If that was the case she probably didn't take offense to his comment. With her knowledge of medicine and the panic of the outside, by her account, he did not want to piss her off.

"Hmmm... six months ago..."

Looking down at his chest there was an account that his body had recorded, scars that seemed unfamiliar. The discoloration in certain spots on his upper and lower body meant that something had ripped off portions of his skin. Did he fall? Did he get hit by a ninjutsu? Nothing really seemed to ring a bell at the moment. The mednin then began to speak about the Steward and another individual, Yume.

Did that name sound familiar? Was it familiar? It didn't sound unfamiliar. What a pain in the ass.

"Well that halfwit will make some of the most composed people do some of the most asinine things... guess that is our leadership."

His comment would seem rather cold towards the Steward-Kage, but the fact that he had more of a personal relationship with him gave him the comfort to talk as unruly about the man as he did.

Why do I remember our relationship, but not the other? Who else do I remember and who else have I forgot?

Tsukiko finally introduced herself and then proceeded to air her own personal grievances about the appointment of a new Med Chief that came from an outside country. Tsukiko then indicated that their difference boiled down to... endowment.

"Ha, yea I don't think you need to worry about you looks keeping you out of the running for anything. I'm sure that keeping calm when all hell is breaking loose right now speaks to your ability to handle yourself under pressure, which in turns probably means you are a very experienced medical personnel. Have faith...and besides if the appointment process goes through the Steward you'll never have to worry about chest size as a problem. That guy...well he is pretty innocent."

Innocent was the nice way of saying that the Steward wouldn't know what to do with a naked woman in front of him. Correction, he would know; he would help her get dressed as to fend off her catching a cold. It was that nativity that made him different from people like Roku and...

There is someone I am thinking of. Someone that I know is more like me. Someone that feels like they should be rolling out of my thoughts... and yet, yet I can't recall who they are.

There was a look of frustration right when she asked if he was feeling alright. As soon as the question was posed his expression would return to his polite smile.

"Yes I feel fine. Still some lose memories but I am sure that is fairly common with someone who might have been in a coma for half a year, right? The name is Roku, I assumed you had that information so an introduction might seem silly. I guess my antsiness comes from being a soldier realizing that there is a fight happening and I am not doing anything aside from sitting in a bed."

His eyes would once more return to the figure of the woman.

"Don't get me wrong, If I was going to be stuck in bed you are a very good companion, and I am glad I can help you catch your breath a little. I just feel really useless right now."

Did he want to fight though? There seemed to be a feeling that tingled within him when it was mentioned the Kage Tower was destroyed, there was frustration realizing his friend might have been hurt but there was something else to the feeling. An emptiness. Did he want to go join the fray? Had he been more amendment about fighting before the coma? Deep down he felt like fighting was his life, hell the scars on his body seemed to indicate that he liked fighting and he could even remember fighting in a large number of the memories he did possess. So why was he very uninterested at this time?

MFT
WC - 779

 

[Sagasu Yume]

His familiar way of speaking of the Steward Kage made Tsukiko almost choke. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be astonished by his words so she tucked her lips against the other and suppressed a laugh, her shoulders shaking slightly. By his statement of innocence, he could have easily have been talking about the turquoise mednin that had gone AWoL. Oh sure, she knew her stuff but Tsukiko found she was lacking street smarts. Once when the doctor was gossiping about her weekend, she shared a story how this guy she met at a bar wanted in her pants. Yume looked perplexed by the story and asked without missing a beat ‘He can fits women’s clothing, especially your size?’ Perhaps this innocence was what drew the unlikely couple together. Regardless, the world had been too busy to have a good gossip session with the nurses so there wasn’t much point in speculation.

That’s sweet of you to say. Yeah, I’m pretty good at my field. You don’t specialize as an ANBU or Mednin without being exceptional at it. As for you being a soldier, well I think that you’re in the best place you could be right now. People that go rushing into fights are usually greeted with an equal opposing force. Being stuck here might temper that edge or at least allow you the chance to plan your actions. Though… being impulsive can be exhilarating.

Her eyebrow arched at his possible innuendo of having her as a bed mate but shrugged it off. She had been dry for over a month but tried to keep within her age group. Not that it really mattered in Suna. Once you were of age, you could be with anyone and no one thought anything of it. What it boiled down to was that Tsukiko wanted to be taken care of; not a gold digger but not messing with anyone of less than moderate wealth. Conceivably that made her a little shallow but everyone had a different definition of romance.

Your name was on your chart, but introductions are always more personable. I know your blood type and I’ve seen your bone structure through a CT scan but that doesn’t mean I know you. That takes conversation. Your memories will come back, it might be restored by tomorrow or it might take a week or two, but eventually they should all return so I won’t press the issue too much. Stress will only make you focus on what you don’t know instead of what you do know. You mentioned knowing your name and personal things, so you must remember details such as your family.

She didn’t pursue the topic of his family, uncertain if it would cause emotional distress, but she did allow her mind to wander a little as it thought of his older brother. She had seen him once or twice at a bar in the Palais when she had gone drinking with friends but she had never garnered the bad boy’s attention. Though with the ability to have a girl on either arm and a mistress or two on top of that she wasn’t really interested in anything more than a fling. It wasn’t about bragging rights either, more of an interest that wanted to be satiated; an ‘I wonder what he’s like’ itch that needed to be scratched. The opportunity never did come and she never returned to chase the craving.

Tsukiko uncrossed her legs as she stood up, allowing a micro glimpse up her skirt given a good angle, and stretched to the ceiling with her arms arching overhead. A squeak escaped her mouth as her muscles coiled and released, flooding her body with energy to help her get through the day. Tugging on the hem of her skirt and blouse, she straightens the fabric into presentable order, not quite dipping her v-neck low enough to see cleavage unless you were looking down at her. The clipboard that lay across her lap was returned to the end of the bed as she checked her watch again, tilting her head to listen to the distant din that awaited her outside the door.

Warming up the bell of her stethoscope, she positions the binaurals in her ears and places the diaphragm against Roku’s back, requesting him to take a deep breath in and out as she listened to both the upper, lower, front, and back of his lungs. There was a slight rattle but that could be a testament to his sedentary existence over the last few months. Being awake would clear that up through simply breathing without a respirator. Her eyes would wander over his scars as she performed the check, wanting to trace them with her fingertips but restraining the urge on the basis of protocol alone.

Those are so pretty interesting wounds you’ve had. Do they have a story? Or is that something that hasn’t come back quite yet? It could be part of the reason why you ended up here in the first place.

Putting the apparatus away in a deep pocket in her lab coat, she brushes her stray bangs away from her eyes before propping her hands on either side of her waist to regard him with a smile. Her hips popped to the left as she leaned most of her weight to the right and tried to think of anything else she could accomplish that would technically be work but didn’t fall under ‘being lazy’. Coming out of a coma could be disorienting and there were plenty of competent nurses in triage to care for the incoming wounded. She wanted to make sure her patient was well before turning her back on him. Something told her that he was the type to self-discharge when he felt his stay at the hospital was over.

I’m sure you’re hungry. Do you want me to have the hospitality staff bring you a meal, or would you like to venture out and eat in the cafeteria?

 

[Raizo]

She made a good point about not needing to rush. All he knew about the current situation was that the Kage tower had been destroyed and that Sousuke did not seem to be injured during it. There were still some questions about that situation, namely who was it that was stirring up such a ruckus and for what purpose. These thoughts seemed to fill up his mind until Tsukiko mentioned his memories. She seemed confident that they would fully return to him, those gaps that he had been uncovering, but was less certain about when such a thing would happen. That was disheartening a little, but he really didn't expect less.

Then she mentioned something that caused him a moment of trouble, a strained look just at the thought of the word; family. There was something, there was someone, possibly the same someone he was trying to remember earlier, that appeared at the utterance of the word. With all his struggle he could not remember why that word held meaning. It would have been something that would have made more frustration show through his casual appearance, until...

Upskirt shot, good for the blood flow.

Roku was young, but even at the ripe age of 19 he was not one to let such a simple feminine mistake, or intentionally peak, to go unnoticed. It would have been a grave crime for his young code of... 'ethics'. Where ever his thoughts were traveling now they would be derailed momentarily by the introduction of her next little round of testing. The stethoscope was not cold but it wasn't familiar either. A foreign little object that was resting upon his back as he exhaled and inhaled for Tsukiko to gauge his breathing.

She then made mention of his scars.

"You know, I was wondering about some of this new work but the older ones I can definitely remember."

Pointing to a set of scars he would begin to recall the various instances behind them.

"This one on my collar bone was from the Djinn. It punched me right below the neck and shattered the bone through the flesh. The set of three on my back just shy of where my liver is was from a bar fight gone sour. The long cut on the small of my back was trusting a lady whom was not very trust worthy, must be careful of who you meet in the rough neighborhoods. The holes on my chest was from picking a fight with a sand manipulator during my academy days. This one was a shattered forearm. This, this, this and this one were from a time when I was initiated during an undercover mission, had to prove to them I wasn't a Suna shinobi before they'd let me play in their little gang. And this one is from..."

He knew the scar but there was something about it he couldn't remember. There was someone, the same someone, that was associated with this scar. Did his family cause this scar? Why would a family member place such a scar on his body? The more he looked the more he noticed other scars that held the same feeling with him. Had he been hated by his family?

"Ah... well it seems I am having a bit of trouble with some of these after all. Anyways, I guess the moral of the story is I am apparently good at making friends... or bad at getting out of the way."

He chuckled a bit to lighten the mood. It was clear that frustration would keep appearing on his face but he did not want to cause Tsukiko any concern over his condition. He felt fine, just lost on certain things. Before he could dwell too much on how his appearance was coming off to her, Tsukiko would suggest the notion of eating.

"My, my... are you asking lil ole me on a lunch date? Well wait, is it lunch time? Hell, guess I never really thought about what time it was. So I guess, yes I would like to go grab some food. Would you mind showing me to the cafeteria, or will you be needed elsewhere?"

He enjoyed her company and he still had some questions to ask her but at the same time the commotion he had heard earlier meant that she might not be as free as he is at this time.

 

[Sagasu Yume]

She listened to each story with interest as he listed off the cause and circumstance around each injury, letting the smile dissipate a little when he had some obvious trouble with the last one. His quiet laughter and attitude toward his situation was comforting to the Mednin; at least he wasn’t panicking for not knowing things. Her expression changed from interest to amusement at the mention of ‘date’. Her eyebrow arched up and she leaned back a little with her arms folded across her chest. Reaching out, she boops him on the nose with a single finger and giggles.

Under normal circumstances I would be correcting you on the grounds that I’m ten years older than you but these are no normal circumstances. Kendori-sama runs a tight shift and the available mednin will be on task. I’m making it my responsibility to make sure that you’re back on your feet ASAP. We may need all the shinobi we can manage and if they need me, someone will come find me. Secondly, time is pretty irrelevant during shift work but it’s just after 11am so lunch is accurate. Dinner would be too formal anyway.

Handing him his clothes, she turned enough so that she could keep an eye on him in the event he tried to escape but gave him enough privacy to dress himself. Under normal circumstances she would have insisted he used a wheelchair however this was an unusual scenario since by their first interaction he was already able to walk backwards. Waving over her shoulder with one hand, she beckoned for him to follow her out into the hall and away from the turmoil that was the Emergency room. The halls were clear for the most part, except for the occasional person in transit either going to have some tests done, on their way back, or waiting for a room to open up. She took the shortest route to the staff elevator and pushed the call button. The door hissed open and she stepped in, holding the door so that Roku could follow her. It used the same mechanics as the lift that had been at the Maw but on a smaller scale, sending them down to the main floor.

When they stepped out, the din from triage was louder than the other floors but it was white noise more than anything; echoing voices and muffled sounds that blended into an incoherent clamour. Once more she turned her back on it and made her way to the cafeteria. It was mostly deserted except for the occasional staff member that had found a moment to grab food. The service staff had made a point of bringing food up to the nurse’s stations but it was still nice to get away and clear ones head for a moment. Behind a metal bench that ran the length of one wall stood a dark skinned man with a flat nose and a broad smile. He gave the impression that nothing made him have a bad day. Waving with a spoon to the pair, he leaned forward on his workstation causing his hairnet to wobble a little.

Eeey! Tsuki! You bringed a man today! Leave it to you to find time for dat, eh?

Hello Ratta. He’s been her a few months so I thought it was time to take it to the next level and show him around the place.

Ha ha. Ey boy. You be careful wit her. She don’ stick around unless you’re rich. What can I get cho both?

His good natured jib made her giggle but it wasn’t inaccurate. It wasn’t a secret that she wanted to be a kept woman but she certainly had a passion for medicine and healing people. Maybe what she really wanted was a small group of people to take care of… a family… or maybe she just wanted one man to please. She tried not to think on the matter too much. Ratta continued to smile at the two of them, knowing full well that he was being a bit of a thorn to Tsukiko but knew just as well that she could take it and would get him back for it eventually. Behind the glass was an assortment of hot foods in double boilers to keep them warm. Further down was a refrigerator of sandwiches, salads, and portioned desserts. Between the two points was a sandwich counter with a selection of meats and vegetables for built-to-order sandwiches.

Egg drop soup for me. Spicy. Get what you’d like Roku. It’s on me.

Within a few minutes they would have their meal paid for and ready to take away. Looking over her shoulder she picked a remote table that was far from the doors where they would have the privacy to talk if Roku desired. She wasn’t going to pry as any attempt to do so had so far been fruitless but kept a wary eye on the man to ensure he wasn’t having too much difficulty since waking up. Muscle atrophy could occasionally cause pain, not to mention the potential for headaches, return of memories, and difficulty with basic tasks. It was hit or miss especially since his time asleep was in the grey area between short and long term. He was lucky he had been mostly solid muscle prior to his coma or else it would have been harder for him to walk. Regardless, she didn’t want to aggravate the situation by asking too many questions.

 

[Raizo]

The boop on the nose was a rather surprising playful reaction. It was good to see that Tsukiko was able to have a lighthearted moment with how potentially stressful it might have been outside the hospital.

"Well then I am honored to be in such good hands!"

He would smirk as she handed him his clothes. So his clothing was around here somewhere. Looking at the items for a moment it would appear that these were more than likely not the clothes he was brought to the hospital in as they were clean and folded. Whatever caused his new bodily damage would have minced whatever it was he was wearing.

He noticed that her back was turned to him, an effort to allow him to dress in private. Such a thing did make Roku chuckle a bit as she has probably seen her fair share of the world in their 'finest'. Her ability to see people vulnerable was probably at an impressive level, she has surely seen it all by this point. He would not keep her waiting as he slipped back into something that felt comfortable, something that felt more like him; black suit pants and a white button up that he left the two few buttons undone. His tie and his black coat were the only items missing from his attire. The irony in such a ruffian like him wearing formal clothing was the main driving force for why he chose to continue the tradition. Also, it didn't hurt dressing nice.

He would follow her out the door and to the elevator. This was a quiet little adventure, a definite change of pace from how their interaction started. Within moments they would be at the dining hall, a sanitary location full of muffled noises and devoid of people. The world around them seemed to be active, to some degree, but this area seemed to be in a peaceful limbo. They would approach the glass and the worker would begin to interact with Tsukiko. It seemed they had a close relationship. Roku couldn't help but smile at the cheerful man's words.

When the warning was issued to him, Roku would lean up against the glass protector and place his right elbow down on the top of it so his hand could halfheartedly mask his face.

"Well damn, Ratta, I was sort of hoping to get a sugar momma out of this little ordeal!"

His words would be followed with a wink. Ratta was the sort of person that most would ignore through their daily routine. He was one of the million unremarkable people in a world of metal suit wearing ninjas. He was the sort of person Roku would have a drink with, and probably cheat out of a card game.

"I will also take the egg drop soup, good sir."

He would bow to Tsukiko for paying for his meal. He wasn't all that sure if he had money on him, so that was a great assist by his new friend.

Huh, is she a friend? I guess she is a nice person, or is it concern? Why am I worrying about that?

Taking his food he would follow her to the table she selected. It was away from the nearest person, which wasn't hard to do in the current stay of the dining facility. Tsukiko had gotten quiet since they made their trip down here, so Roku was unsure if she was just watching him for any signs of concern or if they had reached the peak in their interaction. However, Roku was going to try and get the conversation started up once more.

"So with the whole past, and memories thing being on the fritz, do you care if we talk about the present? Who has the big brass balls that would lead them to blow up the Kage's tower?"

No need to be subtle, it was time to figure out the outside world.

 

[Sagasu Yume]

Roku’s forward manner brought a grin to the mednin’s lips, masked behind the large soup spoon as she slurped up ounce after ounce of piping broth. Placing her spoon to the side of her bowl she leans back, allowing her neck and face a moment of reprieve as she fanned herself and laughed.

Big balled or brainless. Not that the two are mutually exclusive of course. This morning around 8am or so, just after breakfast had been delivered by the housekeeping staff for the morning shift, there was an announcement on the sky. I mean, if you can call it a sky. I remember being a kid on the surface and that expansive THING up there is not a sky. I digress. This guy’s face took over the view and boomed out a message about having locked down the village and threatened to blow the whole place up if anyone attempted to enter or exit. Then… our Comm system went dead. All forms of radio just kaput!

He called themselves ‘The Cabal’. Apparently they came to inspire us toward a better future, or punish us for complacency. That part was lost on me. How do you expect to help people see the light again by dropping them into darkness? Anyway, once our communication channels were severed, we’ve been in the dark so to speak. They also released the criminals and unstable patients, so now every unstable sod that didn’t choose to stay in the safety of Omni Prime is off Mother knows where, doing Mother knows what. All that being said, what do you think about it, now that you’ve woken up in the middle of it?

By the precious giver of Life, it felt good to gossip again! She was certain that if Roku was any sort of male she had ever met before, he would be almost bored by the inane details and her personal opinion but he had asked and she took the chance to spill. Truth be told, she didn’t know much other than what the announcement had said since she had been doing damage control at the hospital. It was simply luck that he had created an excuse for her to take a bit of a break. Returning to her soup, she pushed her glasses back up her nose before leaning over and filling her mouth again. Luckily the room wasn’t too cold or their meal would have fogged up her sight. Lifting the remainder of the bowl to her lips, she elevated her chin and let the dregs slide down her throat. Now… how else could she skip out on work.

Do you need an escort home? Do you remember where home is? I’ll have to do a proper mobility assessment but since you kept up with me to get to the cafeteria, I don’t think that will be much of an issue. I hesitate to discharge you back into this chaos but if you’re anything like the rumours of your brother, you’ll be fine in the anarchy.

 

[Raizo]

He smirked at her opening comment about whether he was brave or foolish, well it wasn't necessarily worded that way. He would start into his soup while listening intently for whatever information the mednin had on the current situation.

So this is a recent turn of events, that is good I can still get myself out there. Such a spectacle to get everyone's attention? What a prick move... and releasing the prisoners. They are doing a great job at keeping us confused. Cut off our communication, lock us into the village and then release the prisoners to create random sparks of chaos. We'd have to choose to prioritize the village safety in short term or long term, go after the prisoners or go after the ones that freed them. What a showy bunch of assholes, kinda admire their flair.

"The Cabal, huh? For such a flashy start to their madness they sure have a simple name. As for what I think..."

A cocky smirk appeared on his face.

"... I think my body knew something crazy was happening and woke me up with the purpose of doing what I do best; punch things."

He would return to sipping away at his bowl of soup of Tsukiko kicked back her bowl.

"Ha! I like your style."

And with that he would raise his bowl to her and kick it back as well. Why be refined when you can indulge yourself, always a good rule to live by for Roku. After placing his bowl down he would pick back up his spoon just to have something to fiddle with, his body had been deprived of movement for awhile. His ears would, for devilish intentions, perk up when she began talking about needing an escort home. There was something inappropriate to be said but before he could he heard her closing statement and fixated on one word; brother.

"Brother..."

His grip would tighten on the spoon causing the little piece of metal to bend easily. His eyes would zone out for a bit as the memories of the person he struggled to remember earlier were suddenly becoming clearer. It was his brother that he held those memories for, but why had he forgotten such a close person to him?

"Ah... yes, I think I can remember my way home... I would hate to take you out of this place when you are needed and would hate it even worse if something were to happen to you while helping me home. This isn't a woman thing, I am fairly certain you have some nasty ways of hurting people, but you are a much more valuable shinobi piece than a weapon like myself. You can save lives along with you other skills. I can take lives."

Brother... Saemon...

 

[Sagasu Yume]

The torsion of the metal wasn’t lost on Tsukiko and for a moment the air would feel almost electric. She bit her lip almost apologetically as a storm brewed behind the careful glass features of her lunch-mate. Tentatively she extended her hand and rested it gently over his grip on the utensil. A few more twists and it would be nothing more than an art piece. Giving him a gentle smile, she looks over the top of her glasses as they slid down her nose and places her other hand to join the first, offering a little squeeze. When she spoke, her words were soft as one would expect from an empathetic doctor. Her bedside manner had not been damaged in the midst of the chaos, evidence of being well practised.

Hey now. I didn’t mean to bring up anything unsettling. You mentioned not being able to remember much and I should have been more responsive to that.

She released his hands and sat back, fiddling with a lock of her ponytail that had fallen over her shoulder. Her free hand proceeded to adjust her glasses once more and rest lightly across her body on her opposing elbow. He spoke of knowing how to get home but declined her offer of company. Ah well, it was probably for the best; Shuu would have had puppies if she deserted the team. Her bemused smile returned once more as Roku tried to explain that she was more than capable as a woman but conceded that she was needed at the Hospital. Lifting one arm, she flexes the bicep and winks at the man. Her muscles barely showed through the formless lab coat but she was going for the effect.

I could hold my own in a fight. Well, not really. I was rubbish at being a shinobi, which is why I became a mednin. I can do jutsu and I still train, but I passed my chuunin exam out of principal rather than really wanting to progress as a ninja. My calling in life is to heal and if there weren’t people like you giving me patience then my calling would be moot. You woke up because people like me need you, so please! Get out there and kick some ass so I’m not bored to tears.

It may have sounded tongue in cheek but Tsukiko was truly grateful for people who could fight. She could do in a pinch but she’d rather avoid physical altercations all together. Standing, she pushed her chair in as an older lady that looked like she could have been related to Ratta came up and cleared their settings away. By the familiar manner in which Tsukiko gave her a half-hug and kissed the top of her 5 foot stature, it was obvious that she cared for everyone around her. Even though it might appear as an excuse to avoid work, she genuinely got to know everyone she could; No one was unimportant in her eyes.

Now then, I suppose we’ll get that paperwork done and send you on your way.

Leading the way from the cafeteria towards the main doors, she slips into an empty office just down the hall from the Reception desk. This part of the hospital was eerily quiet in comparison to the hubbub that was taking place else where. No one was coming to visit people and all non-emergency appointments had been cancelled. The office was sparse, with a potted cactus on the desk and a couple of chairs to either side of it for a doctor and patient. Leafing through a filing cabinet she pulled out a small stack of papers, fastened them to a clipboard, and took a seat on top of the desk.

Going down the list, she would occasionally get Roku to perform a simple task to check his motor functions. Wiggle his fingers in certain sequences, wink both eyes independently, balancing on one foot and touching his nose, and finally touching points on his limbs with the tip of her pen to make sure there was no nerve damage. Each test was graded between 1 and 5; as long as the average was above a 3 then the patient could be discharged at the physician’s discretion. Her last test was to spout off a tongue twister to ensure adequate linguistics. After spending the last hour or two with him she knew that this wasn’t necessary but a part of her wanted to see how fast he could move his tongue; can’t blame a girl for curiosity. Clearing her throat when he finished, she attempted to suppress the blush that crept onto her cheeks as she pushed a stray bit of bangs out of the way behind one ear.

Very well. You’re good to go once I get your signature at the bottom of these forms. I would suggest leaving through the front doors. You’ll probably run into less people that way.

Turning the clipboard around, she passes it and the pen to Roku for his mark.

 

[Raizo]

Everything around him began to get engulfed in a white noise. His thoughts flooded back to him about his brother, a brother that raised him in the stead of his mother after her debilitation to addiction, but what about his father? Seems there was some family memories he would have to wait on to gain more insight into. Saemon was the name that came to him at the utterance of a brother and it felt natural. His brother was a constant for him in a world that was not very accommodating for constants. The noise in the background began to intensify creating a pressure that was creeping up over Roku. And then he felt her touch...

His eyes snapped back to reality as she began to comfort him. His gaze was lost, his composure was shot momentarily as she spoke. His utterance of not wanting to endanger her rattled off but she quickly followed back up with her own thoughts on the world they lived in. She was a healer but she valued people like him. That wasn't a shocking revelation but it was comforting to hear. His face began to fall back into his normal expression, a confident smirk once more upon his face.

"I will make sure to send you plenty patients.... and thank you."

The first half came off in his normal tone with the second coming off a bit weaker. Pride was his burning vice so for him to openly show vulnerability was very limited and was hard for him to accurately express. He wasn't the only one that suffered with such in the shinobi world, or just the real world for that matter, but it was something that especially concerned him as he had spent years sculpting himself into an image that was befitting of his brother.

Brother...

Before allowing himself to snap back into another daze he would turn his attention back to the mednin as she lead him off towards the next step before his release. After making it to an even more emptied area of the hospital than the cafeteria, he would be asked to perform a couple tasks. He wiggled his fingers on command, fire off a set of alternating winks, balancing on one foot while touching his nose, which was something that was especially fun for him as his physical ability was something he took pride in so he would turn the task into something a bit more challenging raising up on his toes, and then getting poked by a pen. Each time she poked he would need to express if he could feel the poke, probably to check to see what sort of lingering damage their might have been. Thankfully, Roku felt all the pokes showing that at least his concerns didn't include memory loss and nerve damage, while still acknowledging that the former was an issue in its own right.

"In secret, the silly, silver sandworm, slipped through Suna's supreme surveyors subtly seizing its sandy citizens in seconds!"

Following the recession of the phrase he playfully would bite his tongue and let out a relieved sigh.

"That was a bit tougher than I thought it would be."

After completing that she would hand him a sheet to sign, signaling the end of his stay in the hospital. Taking the pen he would unleash a highly eligible scribble for a signature, with only the 'R' being the most legible part. Before handing it back to the mednin he would pause.

"Thank you again. This has been a pleasant post-coma experience, by far my best post-coma experience by far."

He had only been in one coma so the statement was a mixture of serious and playfulness.

"After this craziness dies down, you and I should go get a drink."

His confident smirk would intensify as he finished the statement. Even with memory loss, waking up from a coma and being re-introduced into a world of chaos, Roku still held his top priorities; attempting to woo a lovely lady whenever the chance presents itself and having the most fun he possibly can with the given situation... oh and booze. With that he would wave to the mednin that had assisted him during this rather confusing time in his life and began to make his way towards the hospital entrance. It was time to finally enter this fray.

 

[Sagasu Yume]

She did her best to maintain her composure as he flashed her a dashing smile and prepared himself to leave. Their journey was coming to a close but that didn't mean that there wouldn't be opportunity for adventure in the future. She wondered what it would be like to be in the field again, perhaps as a personal healer. Money wasn't everything when it came to leading an exciting life. Ah, but there was the conundrum; most of her wanted to be a kept woman and have everything she desired. The cost of luxury would be high. With a wink and a wave, she called out to Roku before he disappeared.

Why wait until the chaos is over? It's not like I'm going anywhere. Feel free to show up with a drink any time.

Exhaling through her bangs, they danced over her brow in an arc as her breath tousled each strand. He was nice enough, a bit rough around the edges, but weren't most men raised in the cavern? Yes, one of these days she would head to the capital city and try to catch the eye of the cutest, unwed son of the Daimyo and become his personal sl... healer. Hell, for the right price, she'd marry his daughter. Spinning on her heel, she receded into the hospital with her hands tucked deep in her jacket pockets as she fantasized being anywhere but Suna all the way back to the Emergency room where she was once more plunged deep into the aftermath of the Tower's decent. One day... but not today.

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