Log; Complete

[medic-assistant.livejournal.com]

When; November 20th, afternoon
Rating; G
Characters; Shizune {medic_assistant} & Glinda {popular_likeme}
Summary; Shizune attempts to put a recovering Glinda in her place and make it clear that she is to no longer meddle in her affairs.
Log;
Glinda was dead by the time Shizune reached the fountain.

It was a sad sight, the woman, usually meticulously groomed, lying bleeding in the fountain, face and skin pale from bleeding out, the water around her body tinted pink. She stared impassively, watching the slow float of the blonde curles, mind already in the mindset of a Konoha ninja on a mission, a healer.

It didn’t take much time for her to haul the other woman’s dead weight to the hospital and begin work healing the body. She waited by the bedside for her to revive.

Glinda opened her eyes slowly, struggling to adjust to the bright light overhead. She was lying on her back, not unlike how she had been after Orochimaru had kicked her body into the fountain. This time, the light was different. It wasn’t bright sunlight that Glinda stared into. It was the fluorescent lights attached to the ceiling abouve her.

She put a hand to her throat, suddenly remembering what had happened earlier at the fountain. The skin, however, was taught, mostly un-torn. Someone had come for her body. It was then that she realized Shizune was at the bedside.

Shizune waited for the other woman to come fully to consciousness, looking down at herself, covered in blood as she had not yet changed. She was glaring now, anger openly simmering behind her eyes. She had warned this woman not to interfere. She had warned her to stay away from Orochimaru. Flat out told her to stay out of the affair, and she had not. When Glinda finally turned to face her, she was met by a resounding slap that had all of the ninja’s force behind it.

“Who do you think you are?” Her voice was grim, not trace inside of her usual gentle nature.

The other woman’s slap was fierce, and Glinda’s eyes began to fill with tears. She raised a hand to her face, but it did nothing to ease the burning.

“Shizune… I don’t… I don’t understand.” Glinda could tell she was angry, but was unsure as to the reason. Was Shizune mad because she had failed?

“I told you- I expressly forbade you, from doing such a stupid, stupid, thing!” Shizune grit out.

“You may think you have every right to waltz into my affairs, Glinda. To make your own decisions on what is best for me, but I assure you, young lady, that you do not.” She was standing stock still, arms tight against her sides.

“You might as well have just asked me to kill you, you brainless twit.”

“First of all, I was trying to help you! Maybe I shouldn’t have meddled so much, but I couldn’t bear to see you suffer. I told you I have a bleeding heart. I know what it’s like to lose those you love and I wasn’t going to watch you do it. Secondly, I’m either your age or slightly older, so don’t patronize me.” Glinda paused, and the tears that had welled in her eyes began to fall.

“And I’m not as brainless as you think I am. I seriously thought about what I was doing when I spoke to you last night. I kept thinking ‘what would Elphie do?’ Elphaba wouldn’t watch you die inside, she’s help. She’s already hatching some plan to overthrow the gods or something. In Oz, I was a ‘brainless twit’, but, it seems that here, I’ve been given a fresh start. Shizune… I’m sorry.”

Shizune’s usual response to an apology would be to forgive and forget. But just as Orochimaru had been sending a message, acting as he did, so she needed to do. If he thought he could get to her, to Konoha, through friends in the City… there was no telling what he would do.

“I patronize you because you obviously didn’t think it through and you’re obviously not acting your age.” Shizune stiffly moved to a sink, washing the blood from her hands.

“You threw away your life for a woman you barely know, on account of a man she loved, whom you’ve never met.”

Throwing a hard glance over her shoulder, Shizune paused.

“I hope you’re happy.”

“I am. I don’t care that I barely know you, or that I don’t know the man you love.” Glinda stopped and thought for a moment. “If you think you can forget him, then forget him. Forget that you met him. Forget that you love him, that you gave him your heart! Tell me if you can do it. Tell me if you can lie in bed at night and sleep without dreaming of him. When you realize that it’s impossible, then you’ll understand!” Glinda shifted on the hard hospital bed until her back was turned on Shizune.

“Risking your life for your friends is one thing, Glinda.” Shizune’s chin rose. “Throwing it away is simple foolishness.” She wouldn’y allow the blonde’s words to touch her. Not now.

“Whether I can continue without Kabuto, well, I’m a ninja of Konoha. We always get by.” Finished washing the blood from her hands, she began to dry them.

“I left some of the scar tissue.” She said, referring to the thin line of puckered skin across Glinda’s throat. “As a reminder of your poor judgment.”

Glinda moved back to lie on her back. “At least I threw it away for a good cause. And you will get by, because you’re a strong woman, as I am. But it won’t be easy, I can promise you that.” Her fingers grazed the line across her throat.

“This will only be a reminder to prepare more, and try harder next time.”

“There will be no next time, Glinda.” Shizune retorted harshly. “If its one thing I hope you’ve learned, it’s that you are weak compared to the powers of other worlds. You couldn’t even scratch him, could you?” She was being harsh, overly so, and on purpose. While she did not consider the woman a close friend, she hadn’t known her that long, she didn’t like seeing people hurt, let alone hurt espousing her cause. In addition, as a medic who had lost many patients to injury and illness, she knew the value of life. And anyone willing to throw it away frivolously earned her anger.

“If you ever try and confront Orochimaru again, I won’t stop you. You can throw your life away as many times as you wish, it’s yours, but don’t assume to take up a cause that you are not welcome to.”

“No, I didn’t scratch him… I didn’t even touch him, but it wasn’t from lack of trying. I wasn’t necessarily speaking about further conflict with Orochimaru; I meant in general. However, if I wish to approach him again, I will. We’ve already been over this, Shizune. It’s my choice, foolish as you may think. And I’m not weak. My powers… they just… don’t seem to work here.” Glinda began thinking again about how rash she had been. Maybe I should have tested myself before I acted… she thought.

“If I hadn’t taken it up, what would you have done, Shizune? You seem intent on laying down and giving up.”

“And if you confront him again, I’m telling you now.” Shizune’s voice had taken on a dire tone. “Confront him for your own cause, but don’t dare to presume to get yourself killed under the banner of my business. And if your powers do not work here, then yes, you are weak.” When Glinda mentioned Kabuto, however, her tone only worsened and she strode over to the hospital bed, gripping the front of Glinda’s hospital gown and hauling her upwards until their faces were nearly touching.

“I am not giving up, Glinda.” She hissed. “I am biding my time. I know who I can and cannot bargain with, who I can and cannot win against, and what sacrifices I can and cannot make.” Releasing the other woman, she stepped away. “I think things through before I act.”

Glinda’s eyes widened at the abrupt change in elevation and listened as Shizune, for the first time truly sounded passionate about the situation with Kabuto. “You know these things, Shizune, and I do not.” Once again, a hand reached for her throat. “But I know now what he’s capable of.”

“And you would still be alive if only you’d heeded the warning of Konoha. We who know him and expressly told you of the danger.” Shizune scoffed, still feigning more anger than she actually had, though the anger itself was present. “You knowing what he is capable of now does you no good. You’re going to have to be the one to tell those that care for you, those that are your friends, that you got yourself killed in this stupid manner.”

“Hmm. I’m human, Shizune. I make mistakes and I learn from them.” Glinda paused. “I don’t regret what I did, you know. At all.”

“Well, you better start learning to regret.” Shizune bit back. “Because when your friends find ways out of this City and you cannot, you will look back and wonder why you sacrificed yourself for something so inane.” To Shizune, it was anything but inane. It was one of the most important things she had. But she couldn’t let anyone know that. Didn’t want anyone to know that.

"Did you miss the part about a fresh start?" Glinda shook her head. "I'm not sure if I want to go back to Oz… And you really don't mean that, do you? Look me in the eyes and tell me you really feel that way."

Shizune closed her eyes for one moment. Being a ninja meant being able to assume a mask at any moment, being able to act cold and void of emotion. When she opened her eyes again she was staring levelly at Glinda, matching her gaze evenly and calmly.

“It was inane.” She repeated slowly, every word that left her mouth stabbed her heart on the way out, but she didn’t let the slightest inkling show.

"Hmm, if you say so, Shizune." Glinda settled back into the bed. She didn't believe Shizune in the slightest. When the problem came down to love, the matter was never trivial.

"How long will I be here?"

"Two, maybe three days." Shizune answered coldly, turning to arrange a few things. "Kabuto will be by tomorrow to check on you for Orochimaru, and Elphaba will be here shortly." She kept things professional. "I'll be outside if you need anything."

Glinda grabbed Shizune's arm before she could leave. "Kabuto's coming? But… why?" She could understand Elphie coming, of course, but why would Kabuto come?

"Orochimaru wants to check in on you." Shizune said smoothly. "There is no need to worry about your safety. I will be monitoring the entire visit. You are my patient, not his."

"I'm not worried about my safety. If I really cared about my safety, I wouldn't be in this situation right now. I just don't understand why he can't come himself." Glinda gestured to her throat. "He's the one that did this, after all..."

"Orochimaru hardly ever deigns to do something himself if he can get an underling to do it for him." Shizune slowly moved her arm out of Glinda's grip. "Besides, Kabuto is his medic. He's the one who did all of the dissections and medical procedures. He knows more of medicine than Orochimaru does."

"Shizune, please..." Glinda had been slightly hurt that the other woman had pulled away. She understood what Shizune was doing, but it hurt nonetheless.

"Please, what?" She kept the emotion out.

"Please don't pull away. I know you're not this cold or emotinless. I can tell you're hiding it. Believe me, I'll be the first to tell you about hiding behind a mask... pretending you're happy, like everything's alright when it's really not. Don't shut me out, Shizune...."

"I can't shut you out when you weren't in to begin with." Shizune would have gladly been friends with this woman. But it was for her own good that she not associate with Konoha, or her.

"Shizune..." Glinda didn't know what to say. Any approach she tried simply resulted in being shut out.

"Glinda, I will be outside should you need anything." Shizune said. "If you need me, press the nurse call button." And with that, she walked out the door.