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Kakashi opened his eye, and the brightest white shot through his head before he immediately snapped it back shut. Confusion crept through him until the harsh smell of disinfectant hit his nose and he let out a small groan.
Hospital again. Fuck!
Kakashi was no stranger to Konoha’s hospital, despite his best efforts to end up there as little as humanly possible. Some things were just inevitable, though. Like missions that left him so chakra-drained he simply didn't have a choice where he ended up. Grateful as he was every time he returned home, the emotion did a swift 180 whenever he woke up in his least favorite place in the village.
Lightning-quick chills ravaged his body as he slowly started coming to. Again, something he was no stranger to. Chakra exhaustion often leaves ninja bedridden with symptoms similar to a fever: chills, muscle aches, headaches, and so on. The specific flavor of chakra exhaustion Kakashi experienced gave him not only that, but heightened skin sensitivity as well to boot.
Every little touch felt like pure fire. The sheets rubbing against his bare legs felt like hot razors, leaving him wishing for the sweet release of death. Each inhale punched his headache up another notch; the slowly replenishing chakra in his system felt like ice in his veins. Kakashi almost considered calling for a medical nin to knock him out for a few more hours to give his body some time to get itself together.
At that moment, he felt a cooling sensation against his left hand and recognized another chakra presence. He gave a half hearted flinch before remembering the last time he was in this same position. He cracked his eye open again – ignoring his brain screaming at him to keep it shut for eternity, why are you letting more light in – and shifted his gaze in the direction of the presence.
I should have known, he mused.
Iruka, seated in the chair next to his bed, glanced up at Kakashi and gently smiled.
"You're awake!"
Kakashi returned his smile as best as he could, shifting his eye down to where iruka's hands gingerly held his own. Green healing chakra surrounded their hands, explaining the cooling sensation on his sensitive skin. He remembered, Kakashi thought, simultaneously praising the Academy in his head for requiring medical ninjutsu training of all the Sensei. He remembered my symptoms.
"Thank you," Kakashi croaked. Iruka stood and retrieved a glass of water from the tray at the end of his bed. Nodding his appreciation, Kakashi sipped from the glass and laid back into the pillows, closing his exposed eye. Iruka also remembered how Kakashi prefers his hitai-ate as opposed to the eyepatch the hospital usually offers when he spends time there. Apparently an eyepatch was more hygienic, or something to that effect; he couldn't give less of a shit.
"Can I do anything to help?" Iruka asked. Kakashi looked down at their hands again.
"You remembered.''
Iruka looked up at him, warmth emanating from his eyes. "Of course I did. How could I forget the last time?" Amusement twinkled in those warm eyes. Kakashi huffed and immediately regretted it as more shivers wracked his muscles.
"I still feel bad about that. You didn't know your hands felt like white-hot pokers on my skin." Iruka gently squeezed his hand, concern flashing on his face as he watched Kakashi shake. Kakashi lifted his other hand and waved it slightly. "Maa, I'm okay, Sensei. Really. You don't have to worry about me."
Iruka shifted in his seat. "I know I don't have to. I do anyway."
With that, a comfortable silence filled the room. The clock ticked at the other end of the room; birds could be heard chirping outside the cracked window. Iruka almost wondered if Kakashi slipped back into unconsciousness again until he felt a gentle squeeze back.
"I'm lucky to have you, Iruka."
Warmth filled Iruka's chest as his eyes welled. I didn't realize how stressed I was about Kakashi's mission until now, he thought. The fact that he's here and that he's okay is so damn relieving. Iruka covertly swiped at his eyes – as covert as one can be in front of the Copy Ninja – and put his hands back on Kakashi's, healing chakra resuming its job.
With the least amount of venom in him, Iruka chuckled and relaxed back into his chair, not once letting go of Kakashi's scarred hand.
"You're damn right you are, Hatake."