Waiting...

Yuichi and Haru arrived soon after they heard the news. Now, they sat in the waiting room until somebody came to tell them what was going on.
Neither Hideki or Yuna came home today. Haru was pretty worried while Yuichi believed that they were simply at a mission. Soon enough, a leaf chunin arrived at there front door and gave them the news: their mother had been injured during a mission. The two arrived at the hospital to try and figure out what happened, which is how the two wound up waiting here.
Haru was crying non-stop, despite any reassurance the Yuichi or the chunin gave him. Yuichi wondered if their dad might be able to help, once he finally got back from his mission.
"You alright," the chunin asked Yuichi. "You've seem pretty relaxed. It's natural to be worried."
"This is my natural disposition," Yuichi told him. "Right now, I'm too worried about Haru, anyway. It would not help if I was crying too. I'm confident it will be fine, either way."
He was lying. Yuichi could barely take the sinking feeling in his stomach, so he pretended it didn't bother him. Besides, perhaps he would be a bit relieved if she died. That seems a bit cold. Yuna was his mother, and he loved her. Things were more complex than that.
"Still, your just a kid," he said. "I can't imagine being in your shoes."
Yuichi watched Haru sob. He felt completely powerless to help him. If there was any reason for Yuichi to worry for their mother, is was that it would be better for Haru if she was okay.

The group sat in silence for a while. Eventually, Haru's sobs calmed a bit. He quietly sliffled to himself beside Yuichi. He put his hand on Haru's shoulder. It was starting to get late. Slowely, as time went by, Haru drifted off to sleep. Yuichi sighed. They must have been waiting for hours.
The chunin still sat patiently. Yuichi was a bit unsure why he was still here.
"Can I ask you something," the chunin asked.
"Depends on what you ask," Yuichi said.
"Are the rumors about you true?"
"Yes."
"Why would she-"
Somebody else walked into the waiting room. This woke Haru. It was a doctor of some kind. A shinobi. A Hyuga. He had the pale eyes, the general look. His mother warned Yuichi that Hyuga's weren't to be trusted. She told him many things, though.
"Yuichi? Haru?"
"Is she okay?" Haru looked at the man intently.
"Well, it's complicated. Would you kindly follow me?"

The Hyuga doctor led them to an office and he told them to take a seat. After a few moments of awkward silence, he put out his hand to the brothers.
"My name is Kuro Hyuga," he said.
"Yuichi Uchiha." He shook the mans hand.
"Then you are Haru?" Kuro held out his hand to Haru.
"Yeah." He gave the man a limp handshake.
"Well, your father is likely to be missing for a few days," he said. "Do you have somebody you can stay with?"
Haru spoke up, "yes." Yuichi noticed how he seemed more relaxed than before.
Yuichi added, "I have a retired Uncle that Haru can stay with for as long as we need."
"Right, I’m going to need you to fill out this paperwork," the man said, slipping some papers across the desk.  He looked Yuichi in the eyes. “Alright. So, your mother took part in a very drawn out difficult battle. She-"
"I would prefer if you spare the details." He gestured to Haru.
Haru noticed this and said, "I want to know."
"Well, then I don't. If you wouldn't mind."
"Of course. We are giving her the best care the village has to offer, but we don’t know if she is going to make it yet. We should know a little more by about noon tomorrow. We will be sending somebody to your uncles. You’ll want to write his address on that.” He gestured to the paperwork that Yuichi had started to fill out. “For all purposes, your mother is being considered a hero for her actions, we sent out word to all the best physicians and surgeons, and we hope to have one here shortly. We closed her wounds as best we could, but she’s been poisoned, and we have no way to treat it with the knowledge at our disposal. The best we can do is hope that one of our contacts has the ability to effectively treat it.”
“Alright.” Yuichi thought he was going to spare the details. Apparently not.
“I would normally allow you to see her, but given the state of her wounds and her condition, as well as your age and experience, I have made the decision not to allow the two of you a visit. If you have anything you’d like to give her, hand it to me now.”
Yuichi would not give her anything. “Haru, do you have anything?”
Haru look utterly defeated. He shook his head.
“Right then, neither of us have anything.”
“Yuichi,” Kuro leaned on his desk and peered at Yuichi. “Are you holding up okay?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” He finished up the paperwork and passed it back to Kuro. “Was that all?”
“Yes, thank you for your patients, I know it can be hard to hear this news.”
Not as hard as he would think. “In that case, I will be one my way.” Yuichi stood to leave, he took Haru’s hand to lead him out.
“Have you eaten today?”
“Uh-huh,” Haru said, nodding.
“Why,” Yuichi said.
“Well, you're so skinny I just thought-” He paused. A moment of silence passed before he spoke again. “We have a cafeteria if you decide you want to eat before you go home.”
“Thanks.”
“You boys try and get some rest.”
Haru’s hair was a mess, his whole face was red. His eyes were swollen from all the crying. “Yeah,” Yuichi said. He left with Haru trailing behind him.

[Exit]