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Lee was not panicking, because Guy-sensei had promised that he would return soon, and Lee had faith that his sensei would never break a promise! But Neji seemed to be getting worse, and the longer his sensei took, the more worried Lee became that he would not return in time.
Neji gave another pained groan in his sleep, and one of his hands went for his thigh. Lee reached for him, grabbing his hand and setting it back on the ground.
“No Neji, you need to stay still!” Lee told him firmly, and Neji’s eyelids fluttered for a moment.
“Lee?” Neji groaned, reaching for his thigh again. Lee pinned his hands, squeezing them in apology. “What-” Neji hissed as he flexed his leg, and Lee didn’t know how to stop Neji from doing that so he settled for squeezing Neji’s hands again.
“You are hurt, Neji. Guy-sensei is on his way back to collect us.” Lee assured him, and Neji’s eyes fell shut again. Lee cursed his own luck, if only his legs had not been injured as well, he would be able to get them back to Konoha in no time at all.
The pressure bandage on Neji’s thigh was soaking through again, and Lee didn’t have any of them left.
Please Guy-sensei, come quickly! Lee thought, pleading. He couldn’t help Neji, beyond comforting him, and that wasn’t enough.
Lee shifted his position, wincing in pain as his own wounds wept angrily at the movement, fresh scabs breaking open. The amount of dirt and dust around them wasn’t helping anything, though Lee was trying to keep both of their wounds clean.
“Neji,” Lee whispered, and Neji opened his eyes again, seeming more aware this time.
“Lee, where’s Tenten? And Guy-sensei?” Neji asked, his voice quiet and weak. Lee wished he had a needle, so he could give Neji some of his blood, to replace how much he had lost. There was so much blood, soaking the gauze and bandage packed against his wounds. Though knowing Neji, he’d reject a blood donation, out of fear of it giving him Lee’s appearance.
“Guy-sensei brought Tenten back to Konoha. She was really hurt!” Lee explained, and Neji hummed, trying to pull his hands away from Lee’s. Lee didn’t let him. “He promised he’d come back to take us both! He just… couldn’t, at the time.” Lee added, and Neji stared at him, brow furrowed.
Lee watched as Neji looked around, and realized the predicament they were in. Buried, in some sort of cave. There was light poking through a wall of rocks, meaning they had oxygen, but they were trapped.
“Lee I don’t…” Neji frowned, and looked down to the soaked bandage on his thigh. Neji’s mouth opened, and closed. “Oh.” He said breathily, and Lee felt tears falling down his cheeks.
“Don’t worry, Neji! Guy-sensei will be back soon, I promise.” Lee told him, trying to convince himself as much as Neji. Neji squeezed Lee’s hands, and they both pretended like it meant nothing.
Neji’s eyes closed again, and Lee wished for a moment that he could fall asleep too, but then no one would be left to guard them, so he shoved that thought away. Lee went through his first aid supply again, but it was running low. He went through Neji’s too, and managed to find some more bandages. He wrapped Neji’s thigh again, tight as he could. His own bandages were red with blood, but not nearly as much as Neji’s.
Neji did not wake up again for a long time. But he was still breathing, albeit it was growing more and more laboured, but still breathing. He reached for his thigh again, and Lee held his hands in place.
“Please Neji, stop, touching it will only make it worse.” Lee pleaded, and Neji, in his half-conscious state, listened to him. He relaxed his hands, and Lee squeezed them. Neji did not squeeze back.
“I’m cold,” Neji mumbled, eyes half lidded as he looked at Lee. Lee swallowed, and pulled himself over to Neji, sitting next to him. He wrapped his arms around Neij, trying to give him as much warmth as possible. Neji was cold. Lee stared at the bandage, but no more blood had soaked through.
“When we get back to Konoha,” Lee said, his voice trembling, “I’ll make Guy-sensei smuggle the good blankets into the hospital for us.” Neji huffed, a ghost of a smile twisting his lips.
“He’ll do that anyway,” Neji hummed, and it was Lee’s turn to laugh. Neji’s eyes closed again, and Lee let himself start crying again. Shinobi didn’t cry was a rule his sensei never enforced, and there was no one to see him anyways.
Lee was scared. He was strong, he could keep them safe against an enemy, but he wasn’t a medic. Neji was really hurt, and Lee couldn’t help him. Lee squeezed Neji’s hands again, no response.
He was still breathing, Lee reminded himself. As long as he was breathing, Guy-sensei had time to arrive.
“Lee?” He heard a voice call, and hope fiercely returned to him.
“Guy-sensei!” Lee shouted, and Neji barely stirred next to him. Before Lee could think about that, the wall of rocks was crumbling, and his sensei was there. Lee started crying again, nearly incoherent as he tried to explain to his sensei what had happened. Guy-sensei nodded along, as he lifted both of them. Neji in his arms, Lee on his back, and took off running. Lee held on tightly, feeling the comforting warmth of his sensei, and letting it soak though his aching body. Everything would be fine.
Lee woke up in the hospital, and was on instant alert, but a hand on his head quickly settled him. Guy-sensei was standing next to his bedside, looking down at Lee with a small smile. Lee looked past him, to where Neji was sleeping in a bed, and Tenten was fidgeting with a kunai in a chair next to his bed.
“Is everyone okay?” Lee asked, coughing weakly as his throat protested the words. Guy-sensei handed him a cup of water, and Lee greedily gulped it down.
“Yes, Lee! You will all make a full recovery!” Guy-sensei answered, and Lee relaxed against the hospital bed.
“Oh.” He said, exhaling slowly. “That’s good.”
Lee did not think about the panic, from before. If everyone was good, then there was no reason to dwell. Right?