At the first notice, she had rushed straight over to the hospital, her every waking moment since returning from that disaster of a failed mission ever on Rock Lee's state of health and recovery. Because it had been her fault, he was there. Because it had been all of their faults. This was the consequence of their failure. That Lee was made to suffer for it...
Tenten would have never been able to forgive herself, if he had remained trapped in sleep forever. Or Neji.
Not bothering to knock (they were far past such formalities and courtesies by this point, no matter how much Neji clung to his Hyuuga propriety), the kunoichi slid open the door to his hospital room. And stopped short of barging inside. As much as she wanted to rush in and confirm that, yes, indeed, he would survive this latest setback, fear and some deep-rooted emotion stalled her advance. Because now, more than ever, a shinobi was at his most vulnerable.
And in that moment of pause, she was allowed to observe him as he seemed to drown in his own nightmares; to see the gears churn in his mind and watch as his thoughts morphed down familiar streams.
She knew that look in his face. For anyone else, it was hope and encouragement. It meant improvement and becoming the best that you could be. But for Rock Lee, it meant something dangerous.
/s-sobs
Tenten would have never been able to forgive herself, if he had remained trapped in sleep forever. Or Neji.
Not bothering to knock (they were far past such formalities and courtesies by this point, no matter how much Neji clung to his Hyuuga propriety), the kunoichi slid open the door to his hospital room. And stopped short of barging inside. As much as she wanted to rush in and confirm that, yes, indeed, he would survive this latest setback, fear and some deep-rooted emotion stalled her advance. Because now, more than ever, a shinobi was at his most vulnerable.
And in that moment of pause, she was allowed to observe him as he seemed to drown in his own nightmares; to see the gears churn in his mind and watch as his thoughts morphed down familiar streams.
She knew that look in his face. For anyone else, it was hope and encouragement. It meant improvement and becoming the best that you could be. But for Rock Lee, it meant something dangerous.
"Don't even think about it."