Caught by a Cobra

Chapter 4

Me no own. Hasbro does.

Review please. Also, if you see a mistake, please tell me. I am human and I make mistakes. A lot of mistakes…

Update: Major changes in the storyline. Less cutesy and more manly. I hope you continue to like this, because I'm really enjoying the rewrite.

Snake Eyes glared at the man he once called brother.

He'd run through all of the possibilities.

The death of Hard Master as an assassination from a rival clan- improbable due to the method.

The sudden fleeing by Storm Shadow- evidence of guilt most probable.

The continued service to Cobra- a mark of debt or a sign of a traitor's new life.

It all simply added up to the awful truth.

Tommy was a traitor.

And traitors must be challenged.

A silent week past, with little to no sight of Tommy hauling himself into the medical ward. When he did enter the room, it was to offer the sword to its rightful owner. Otherwise, he'd stay on his side of the glass intended for viewing while Snakes refused to allow anyone to know he was awake. The doctors would often poke and prod him if they thought he was dead, which he would only shove them away, knowing damn well that he was rather trapped here for once. Normally, he would just get up and walk the pain off. But this time, to his extreme displeasure, the stitches were too big and the damnable thing bled and stung when he moved. He questioned how good these pain killers were, since they didn't seem to be doing a damn thing.

He motioned for information on Timber once or twice when he attempted to 'talk' to the doctors attending him, but they only looked rather confused. They wouldn't even allow him to clean his sword while he was stuck in this damn medical ward.

Storm Shadow had stated a week after Snake Eyes recovery, they would battle. But the doctors told him that even a week may not be enough. Though he was free to go at a week after surgery, movements and forceful motions were going to be a bitch for at least another week, and that was taking into account the epic stubbornness of the two ninjas involved.

And then the heat started. Snakes thought it was just the warmth of a healing wound- itchy and feverish in a biological attempt to ward off bacteria- yada yada. But the feverish portion just spread. The redness got larger and the itchiness never relented. At one point he was wondering if he was going to make Timber laugh when they put him in the Elizabethan collar, but he just couldn't stop scratching. Despite his attempt to be gentle, the fragile stitches popped out with the swelling, and the stiches themselves tore free with the lightest of scratching.

They practically had to hold him down with the entire medical crew at that hour, but they managed to get enough of a sample to test for infection.

"Staph?" Storm Shadow stated, at a point somewhere between chuckling at the misfortune that granted his sword brother, and sighing in disappointment. This would put their battle off for another month, at least.

"It's deep. We did our best to prevent it, but it is staph." The doctor offered his leader. Storm Shadow glared at the man.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He huffed.

"It means these bacteria didn't get to live this long by letting us eradicate them with medications and cleaning supplies. While it lives on the skin harmlessly, it got into the wound and started to eat away at the flesh. It's going to be very difficult to cure quickly." The doctor replied, clearly more focused on the bacteria than the man thumbing the sword beside him.

"And, what does that mean to me?" He asked in a rather irritated tone.

"That your little fight will have to wait a while. Maybe a month or two." The doctor returned.

"He is Arashikage. This will heal like it always does." Storm Shadow waved his hand in irritation, trying not to cut the man in half over something he couldn't control.

"Maybe. If it's resistant, we may have a problem. But we will cross that bridge when we get to it." The doctor turned towards the door and left without being dismissed. Although Storm Shadow was irritated by this, he left it. He didn't want to pursue such a disrespectful man who was more preoccupied with the ill than he was to his boss. And putting Snake Eyes through the length of time to hire, adjust, and retest everything with a new doctor may just rob him of his chance to fight his sword brother.

Days passed, with little to no word about Snake Eyes condition.

Tommy finally forced himself to get up and make his way to the medical wing to see if the man was at least awake. He arrived to hushed hustle and bustle- a worrying sight. None of the male nurses were telling him anything. They kept telling him to ask the doctor. Ask the doctor. Ask the doctor. Over and over, like they were too scared of him to tell the white clad man anything.

Other than the minor note that he'd never once seen a female nurse in these wings (although, what woman would want to work for Cobra, taking samples from horny men who spent many nights alone with only their hand to comfort them), he finally hunted down the doctor in the intensive care unit. Despite realizing he hadn't been to this part of the medical wing, possibly ever at this location, he noticed that Snake Eyes room was clean and empty.

He wouldn't call it fear exactly, but rush worry ran over him as he half ran to the doctor.

"Where is he?" Storm Shadow demanded. The doctor looked towards the room down the hall. Inside of the sealed room, under heavy medicine, was Snake Eyes. He couldn't open the door, which led to the doctor showing him to his office to give the nurses a chance to check things before they went in.

"We got the results back. It's MRSA. Got in there after his surgery, and it hasn't given up. We moved him over here this morning when we got the results back. It tested for resistance to vancomycin, but it's susceptible to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. I would plan on putting your battle off until another day." The doctor stated, knowing what was expected of someone in his position. He didn't get through medical school by being stupid, and the sword on the back of the man he was staring down told of more threats than Zartan had ever made to his face.

Storm Shadow didn't even honor that with a response, and probably for the better. He wasn't in the mood for more bad news. The anticipation had continued to increase by the minute, and now, he had to wait until- until-

He slashed the decorative vase of cut flowers in half as he lost it. This was about as much as he would lose it in frustration, but he couldn't even see straight. It wasn't like he could just cut out this infection like he had so often before.

But, as he looked at Snake Eyes, lying there- totally helpless- it just reminded him that he wasn't the one suffering right now. Vengeance would have to wait.

He entered the room, not really knowing what to expect.

The anger he'd sensed the last time he'd come by?

Perhaps exhaustion?

Gratitude for medical care?

No, none of them would fit Snakes right now.

The man didn't wake as he sat for a moment in the chair meant for visitors. Come to think of it, it didn't make much sense in an organization like Cobra to have visitor chairs- much less so in the intensive care unit. Cobra lackeys were rarely related, and Storm Shadow doubted anyone was close enough to warrant visitation after a few nights of desperate lying together.

Though he'd seen some rather close behavior around the holidays. So maybe he'd just been too focused on missions and vengeance to notice that the men actually needed more than a shooting range and a bit of warmth in the base.

"You awake?" Storm Shadow asked, not really expecting an answer. None came. Not even a blink of the tired eyes.

"Suspected as much. Never pegged you for one who slept in unless they had a life threatening infection." Storm Shadow sighed.

Snakes didn't move. It was beginning to bother Tommy. The even fall and rise of the chest did nothing to calm him. He was ready for the defining fight of his life. Now, it just seemed like life was taunting him with purpose. And trying to find time to fill was incredibly hard when nothing else could even remotely matter as much.

It was driving him crazy.

He could meditate and train all he wanted to keep his mind at bay- but the moment he sought rest, there it was. Front and center, annoying as sin.

Storm Shadow took note of the sword sitting nearby. Thankfully the nurses had taken it with him when they moved him. Even as they pounded at the door that he needed protective clothing, Storm Shadow didn't care. He was far too lost in thoughts about how they got there to pay them any heed.

The chaos back at the temple.

All of the battles that could have been resolved with a millimeter of a slice closer.

All of the times they hadn't sat down to talk about what had happened all those years ago that drove them apart.

Surely, one by one, they were small events, but the amassing of the hurt and rage.

Of being passed over for Snake Eyes for his birth right- which no longer mattered with only three Arashikage left alive.

Of leaving his home- because of his own mistake.

Of losing his path- because of his own anger.

He blamed Snake Eyes, because if Snake Eyes hadn't come into his life, things would have been much simpler. He would have had a boring life assassinating people for money and honor. He never would have joined Cobra. He never would have had to kill for such unworthy reasons. His hands would not be tainted with impurely obtained blood.

Perhaps, if he had not appeared that day, starving child in the kitchen- perhaps he never would have had someone to rival. Never would have had a decent sparring partner, and never would have known what life could have been while he was hap-

No.

There is no wondering.

This is what life is now.

He cannot change it.

He can simply get up, leave the room, and wait until Snake Eyes is better.

But he cannot pretend he doesn't feel those eyes watching him as he leaves.

And how he could have prevented the rightfully placed hatred behind them.

Read, review, don't kill me because this chapter got gutted entirely. I needed it to be less happy-go-wtf. While this is darker, I'm not into writing sad sad stories. Just semi sad with happys later. Your reviews give me strength to not sleep!