'Tryin' to Get to Heaven,' Part 8
May. 8th, 2005 10:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
midnightdiddleI actually got working on Tryin'. This is because all day, I've been unpacking and repacking, going through a good portion of my possessions, to decide what goes and what stays. Plus, I'm leaving on Tuesday, for a little trip. Flying to San Diego with my dad, and then we're driving back, since he bought a car from someone who lives in San Diego. And we're stopping overnight in Las Vegas! Woot! The strip! At night! I love Vegas so much. So, I'm feeling bad that I won't get anything done before Thursday at the earliest. So, in apology, and as a respite from going through my room, I give you part...what, eight? Yup, eight.
Iruka was lying against both Gai and the tree, secured between the two of them, and he was breathing shallowly, eyes closed. When Gai shifted, nudging Iruka ever so slightly, the teacher winced and opened his eyes, looking somewhere beyond trees in front of him.
“You need water,” Gai said, holding a canteen out to Iruka. Iruka blinked at the canteen then took it, giving Gai a shamed smile.
“I think I lost my canteen,” he said before he began drinking small sips, pausing between them to breathe slowly.
"It’s fine. Can you move yet?" Ever so patient.
Iruka gave Gai a wan smile, shifting to a more upright position and handing the lighter canteen back.
"I'm fine," he said, and Gai didn't frown at the lie.
"Your lungs are probably punctured. We have to move fast now, get to Konoha as soon as possible. You can't run the way you are, so I'll carry you." Iruka nodded and Gai practically picked the younger man up, setting him on his feet. "We need to run as light as we can, so we'll leave a pack here, bury it. Is there anything in yours you can't part with? We'll take the field first-aid, and your rations. Anything else?"
Iruka shook his head, watching as Gai dug through both packs, depositing nearly everything save the medical supplies, food, and a blanket in the second pack. The first pack was closed up and handed to Iruka who slipped it over his shoulders slowly. A hole was dug by Gai and the second pack, full to the brim with supplies, now deemed unnecessary, was set in the hole to be covered with dirt and leaves. Gai patted the ground one last time, apparently pleased with the lack of evidence they'd ever been there. The hole was no longer noticeable, blending in with the other dirt around, and Gai smiled up at Iruka.
"Good?"
"Good," he agreed, adjusting the pack on his back.
"Climb on," Gai said, scooting so he was crouching in front of the teacher, and Iruka laid himself over the jounin's back, wrapping his arms and legs around him. "Hold tight," he advised, and Iruka clung tighter. Gai stood, standing still for a moment for Iruka to reposition himself, then began running, huge bounding leaps. At the first step Iruka's body slammed into Gai's back, ribs hitting the older man's body with Iruka's full weight behind them. He gasped, arms tightening spastically around Gai's neck, for a moment breathless from the pain. Another step, and it was the same. He tried, desperately, to brace himself, but he couldn't. Less than ten paces and Iruka's arms grew limp. Gai paused mid-step, worried, and Iruka fell from his back.
"Sensei?"
Iruka was lying on his side, wheezing, fingers digging into the soil. Gai knelt next to him, touching his forehead, and Iruka clenched his eyes shut.
"You've bitten clean through your lip," Gai said softly, touching Iruka's lip. "We can't run, if you're in that much pain."
Iruka pressed his head into the dirt, his chest shuddering. "Gotta get back," he forced out, trying to slow his breathing. "Just need a minute."
Gai frowned and touched his shoulders lightly. “Let me get in the bag.” Iruka rolled over further onto his stomach, raising his arms enough that Gai could pull off the bag. He pulled out an aid kit and popped it open, looking through it.
“What are you looking for?” Iruka asked, slowly moving himself up into a sitting position.
“Morphine.”
Iruka blinked then laughed, clutching his chest. “I’m such a freaking idiot. I didn’t even think- such an idiot.”
“Hold out your arm, sensei,” Gai directed, and Iruka did so, holding out his left arm towards the jounin. Gai grabbed his arm, rolling and pushing the sleeve up above the elbow, then pulled out a loaded syringe, inserting the needle into Iruka’s arm. He injected the morphine and pulled the syringe free. “Have you ever had morphine before?” he asked almost conversationally, wrapping the syringe up and digging another small hole.
Iruka was watching a little bit of blood trickle down his arm. “Yeah. I threw up when they moved me, and I was completely useless. The normal. Should you really be burying that?”
Gai nodded as he patted the dirt down over the now-filled hole. “Pointless to take it with us. Stop your arm from bleeding, there’s some cotton swabs in the kit. We’ll tie you on my back once it starts working.”
They waited, silent, Gai repacking the bag and Iruka holding cotton to his arm, as time ticked by slowly, and bit by bit Iruka began leaning closer to Gai, his eyes beginning to blur. "Feeling better," he said, and Gai nodded. He began to move, rolling to his knees, but before he could get to his feet he was throwing up, body shaking with the heaving. Gai caught him before he could fall into the small puddle of vomit, pulling him back against the jounin's body. Iruka wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and grimaced at the taste. Gai held the canteen near Iruka's mouth and the teacher sipped the water appreciatively, swishing it around his mouth before he spat it out.
"No pain?" Gai asked, and Iruka shook his head. "Good. Here, put the pack on." He helped Iruka shrug on the pack, then surveyed the teacher. "If we wrap the rope around your back and over my shoulders, you shouldn't fall off, even if you're sleeping. Raise your arms?" He wrapped the rope under Iruka's armpits, then pulled them over his own shoulders. "Climb on," he said, crouching, and Iruka once again wrapped himself around Gai's body. Gai shifted him, pulling Iruka higher up, then pulled the ropes tight and tied them off at his belt. "You're ready?"
"Yeah," Iruka said somewhere near Gai's ear, breath warm, and Gai began running again.
!-!-!
Iruka was sleeping, his head shoved into the bend of Gai's neck, and Gai could smell his sickly-sweet breath, the scent of vomit and blood. His breathing was faint and slow, and he hadn't coughed for nearly an hour. Gai had fallen into a rhythmn. Every few strides he'd listen for a breath, and each time Iruka breath he'd take another few strides.
And...I think I'm done with 'Tryin'' for the night. If there's anything wrong, just tell me. Thank you!
Iruka was lying against both Gai and the tree, secured between the two of them, and he was breathing shallowly, eyes closed. When Gai shifted, nudging Iruka ever so slightly, the teacher winced and opened his eyes, looking somewhere beyond trees in front of him.
“You need water,” Gai said, holding a canteen out to Iruka. Iruka blinked at the canteen then took it, giving Gai a shamed smile.
“I think I lost my canteen,” he said before he began drinking small sips, pausing between them to breathe slowly.
"It’s fine. Can you move yet?" Ever so patient.
Iruka gave Gai a wan smile, shifting to a more upright position and handing the lighter canteen back.
"I'm fine," he said, and Gai didn't frown at the lie.
"Your lungs are probably punctured. We have to move fast now, get to Konoha as soon as possible. You can't run the way you are, so I'll carry you." Iruka nodded and Gai practically picked the younger man up, setting him on his feet. "We need to run as light as we can, so we'll leave a pack here, bury it. Is there anything in yours you can't part with? We'll take the field first-aid, and your rations. Anything else?"
Iruka shook his head, watching as Gai dug through both packs, depositing nearly everything save the medical supplies, food, and a blanket in the second pack. The first pack was closed up and handed to Iruka who slipped it over his shoulders slowly. A hole was dug by Gai and the second pack, full to the brim with supplies, now deemed unnecessary, was set in the hole to be covered with dirt and leaves. Gai patted the ground one last time, apparently pleased with the lack of evidence they'd ever been there. The hole was no longer noticeable, blending in with the other dirt around, and Gai smiled up at Iruka.
"Good?"
"Good," he agreed, adjusting the pack on his back.
"Climb on," Gai said, scooting so he was crouching in front of the teacher, and Iruka laid himself over the jounin's back, wrapping his arms and legs around him. "Hold tight," he advised, and Iruka clung tighter. Gai stood, standing still for a moment for Iruka to reposition himself, then began running, huge bounding leaps. At the first step Iruka's body slammed into Gai's back, ribs hitting the older man's body with Iruka's full weight behind them. He gasped, arms tightening spastically around Gai's neck, for a moment breathless from the pain. Another step, and it was the same. He tried, desperately, to brace himself, but he couldn't. Less than ten paces and Iruka's arms grew limp. Gai paused mid-step, worried, and Iruka fell from his back.
"Sensei?"
Iruka was lying on his side, wheezing, fingers digging into the soil. Gai knelt next to him, touching his forehead, and Iruka clenched his eyes shut.
"You've bitten clean through your lip," Gai said softly, touching Iruka's lip. "We can't run, if you're in that much pain."
Iruka pressed his head into the dirt, his chest shuddering. "Gotta get back," he forced out, trying to slow his breathing. "Just need a minute."
Gai frowned and touched his shoulders lightly. “Let me get in the bag.” Iruka rolled over further onto his stomach, raising his arms enough that Gai could pull off the bag. He pulled out an aid kit and popped it open, looking through it.
“What are you looking for?” Iruka asked, slowly moving himself up into a sitting position.
“Morphine.”
Iruka blinked then laughed, clutching his chest. “I’m such a freaking idiot. I didn’t even think- such an idiot.”
“Hold out your arm, sensei,” Gai directed, and Iruka did so, holding out his left arm towards the jounin. Gai grabbed his arm, rolling and pushing the sleeve up above the elbow, then pulled out a loaded syringe, inserting the needle into Iruka’s arm. He injected the morphine and pulled the syringe free. “Have you ever had morphine before?” he asked almost conversationally, wrapping the syringe up and digging another small hole.
Iruka was watching a little bit of blood trickle down his arm. “Yeah. I threw up when they moved me, and I was completely useless. The normal. Should you really be burying that?”
Gai nodded as he patted the dirt down over the now-filled hole. “Pointless to take it with us. Stop your arm from bleeding, there’s some cotton swabs in the kit. We’ll tie you on my back once it starts working.”
They waited, silent, Gai repacking the bag and Iruka holding cotton to his arm, as time ticked by slowly, and bit by bit Iruka began leaning closer to Gai, his eyes beginning to blur. "Feeling better," he said, and Gai nodded. He began to move, rolling to his knees, but before he could get to his feet he was throwing up, body shaking with the heaving. Gai caught him before he could fall into the small puddle of vomit, pulling him back against the jounin's body. Iruka wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and grimaced at the taste. Gai held the canteen near Iruka's mouth and the teacher sipped the water appreciatively, swishing it around his mouth before he spat it out.
"No pain?" Gai asked, and Iruka shook his head. "Good. Here, put the pack on." He helped Iruka shrug on the pack, then surveyed the teacher. "If we wrap the rope around your back and over my shoulders, you shouldn't fall off, even if you're sleeping. Raise your arms?" He wrapped the rope under Iruka's armpits, then pulled them over his own shoulders. "Climb on," he said, crouching, and Iruka once again wrapped himself around Gai's body. Gai shifted him, pulling Iruka higher up, then pulled the ropes tight and tied them off at his belt. "You're ready?"
"Yeah," Iruka said somewhere near Gai's ear, breath warm, and Gai began running again.
!-!-!
Iruka was sleeping, his head shoved into the bend of Gai's neck, and Gai could smell his sickly-sweet breath, the scent of vomit and blood. His breathing was faint and slow, and he hadn't coughed for nearly an hour. Gai had fallen into a rhythmn. Every few strides he'd listen for a breath, and each time Iruka breath he'd take another few strides.
And...I think I'm done with 'Tryin'' for the night. If there's anything wrong, just tell me. Thank you!
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no subject
Date: 2005-05-09 06:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-09 06:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-09 11:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-09 09:11 am (UTC)Not much to add to that except it was another good piece of writing and I'm very glad you got a part out *grins*
Have fun on your little trip. Sounds like a different world to me, San Diego n Vegas and what not cos I've never been across to America fullstop, lol.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-09 11:15 pm (UTC)Can't wait. What, twelve hours before I leave? I'm just so excited for Las Vegas. Love it love it love it! So many bright lights, and it's so alive at night. You can almost taste the energy as humanity pulses around you. It's like a concert, or a mosh pit, or something like that, only better. But I'll hush now.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-09 10:39 pm (UTC)Ah...I love this fic! It really cheers me up to see you've managed to get another part up. There hasn't been a single section that I haven't loved so far. I adore the way you're writing Gai too.
As for all your recent drabbles - they've all been superb. I especially liked the Closed Doors one, indeed Iruka's reaction to Kakashi touching the handle made me grin in a...really...horrible way really, because one just shouldn't grin at something like that. I must be tired or something. ^^
Ibiki and Anko together? It's just so...right. I can see her needing to have him control her, yet always railing against it. Heh - what a relationship that would be to write.
I have to say, I really look forward to checking my F-list to see if you've written anything new! Thanks for providing cheer during this baneful week of coursework and deadlines!
Have a great holiday. :)
no subject
Date: 2005-05-09 11:19 pm (UTC)Good luck with everything!
Yay! I'm glad you like the fic, and that it cheers you up. It makes most people depressed, but that's alright too, I think.
Yosh! Another IruAnko fan! They're just so...perfect together. I think it's because to some extent, she's like a female mix of Kakashi and Naruto, the two most important people in Iruka's lives. She's also her own person, and it's just so... Ack, I just love IruAnko, as rare as it is in fandoms, and as little as I write it.
And I'll write another one-shot drabble or two before I leave, just for you. ^_^
no subject
Date: 2005-05-09 11:33 pm (UTC)And yay! More little drabbles! :D
(Go to bed, Cat. You know it's a good idea. *bounces at you*)