The halls of the Sileo were silent. Sound-proof walls and thick steel doors providing no hint to what went on within the rooms that lined the hall. Lavish décor meticulously placed throughout to make the home of ANBU operatives seem as comfortable as possible, given their dark tasks. Even though Shinrya Kahako walked these halls almost every time she was on duty, her opinion was still the same: The interior of the Sileo Tempestas could give even the Shinrya mansion a run for its money.
But that’s not why she was here. Footfalls landing soft ‘thuds’ on the plush carpet, Kahako and another operative of her division followed an ANBU guard through the dim halls with a strict destination in mind. Strange masks with jellyfish symbols rested on both their faces. The only indicator that showed they were members of the Sentou Henkan. They were never allowed to be left alone while in the building. The level of clearance they had on a situation was often ‘need to know.’ Oftentimes, when she was not on a mission, she rarely ever knew why she was even called in until she was neck deep in someone’s chest cavity. Today, as they approached one particular door, Kahako recognized it as the entryway to the small clinic they were offered in the building, and her body naturally tensed.
All the supplies they ever needed for the ANBU resided in this small clinic. The decently sized room of white was agreed upon to ensure nothing nefarious slipped in through the SH members. They did not follow all the same rules and regulations that the ANBU did for vetting. As a result, they were not trusted enough to bring in their own supplies. Everything was requisitioned by the ANBU, at Kahako's suggestion.
Granted, it was nothing like the hospital. Most of the time, they were supplied with just enough for one job: Make sure the patient didn’t die. Anything more serious required extensive paperwork and a heavily guarded unit of ANBU to participate in a transfer to the Aesculapium. Then the job of the Sentou became: make sure the patient doesn’t die while you wait for the red tape to be cleared away and bureaucracy to take its course. Despite the large task, the Sentou didn't need a lot in the opinion of the higher-ups. Oftentimes, Kahako found a certain thrill in getting creative. Sometimes it was just plain annoying. But this was the agreement between the two branches to ensure one didn’t encroach upon the authority of the other.
So, knowing what door they were about to walk through, Kahako mentally prepared herself for what she assumed would be another day of patching up someone on the brink of death. “I hope you didn’t eat lunch.” Kahako said quietly to the trainee beside her. Slowly, the ANBU guard opened the door, and allowed the two mednin to slip in. Once they were through, he followed behind and locked the door behind them.
Immediately, both would be greeted to a terrible sight. Strapped to one of three moving hospital beds, a man laid-- bleeding--from the many wounds he carried. Cuts and gashes littered his body, but it was the bruises he sported that worried her the most. His face was swollen due to what appeared to be continuous beatings to the head. The markings continued their way down his body, disappearing beneath his ANBU uniform. Kahako was the first to react.
“I’ll begin grabbing supplies. Suzume-san, begin analysis on the patient and see if you can get him conscious,” Kahako ordered using the code name given to all members of the Sentou. Moving to the rows of shelves, Kahako started grabbing all manner of items and machinery. “What happened to him?” She asked the ANBU guard. He would have already been briefed on telling her what she needed to know. Coupled with her comrade’s analysis, they would have little time to bring the man back to a stable condition. His current state what probably the reason why they were both called in instead of the usual one.
Kiri would see, upon reaching the bound man, how near death he was. The man’s face was beaten to a point where the mednin would have had a hard time identifying him as one of the elite. Both eyes swelled shut. His breath irregular, shallow, and pained. The places that weren’t marred by a darkly purple bruise were of a sickly pale color, and in places inbetween, he spotted stinking, deformed flesh. As if some sort of acid was spilled upon him. The smell akin to a rotten egg that was left broken on a hot sidewalk. Kiri and Kahako would have their hands full, but Kiri’s first task was to try and get the man to wake up.
800/1500 words
But that’s not why she was here. Footfalls landing soft ‘thuds’ on the plush carpet, Kahako and another operative of her division followed an ANBU guard through the dim halls with a strict destination in mind. Strange masks with jellyfish symbols rested on both their faces. The only indicator that showed they were members of the Sentou Henkan. They were never allowed to be left alone while in the building. The level of clearance they had on a situation was often ‘need to know.’ Oftentimes, when she was not on a mission, she rarely ever knew why she was even called in until she was neck deep in someone’s chest cavity. Today, as they approached one particular door, Kahako recognized it as the entryway to the small clinic they were offered in the building, and her body naturally tensed.
All the supplies they ever needed for the ANBU resided in this small clinic. The decently sized room of white was agreed upon to ensure nothing nefarious slipped in through the SH members. They did not follow all the same rules and regulations that the ANBU did for vetting. As a result, they were not trusted enough to bring in their own supplies. Everything was requisitioned by the ANBU, at Kahako's suggestion.
Granted, it was nothing like the hospital. Most of the time, they were supplied with just enough for one job: Make sure the patient didn’t die. Anything more serious required extensive paperwork and a heavily guarded unit of ANBU to participate in a transfer to the Aesculapium. Then the job of the Sentou became: make sure the patient doesn’t die while you wait for the red tape to be cleared away and bureaucracy to take its course. Despite the large task, the Sentou didn't need a lot in the opinion of the higher-ups. Oftentimes, Kahako found a certain thrill in getting creative. Sometimes it was just plain annoying. But this was the agreement between the two branches to ensure one didn’t encroach upon the authority of the other.
So, knowing what door they were about to walk through, Kahako mentally prepared herself for what she assumed would be another day of patching up someone on the brink of death. “I hope you didn’t eat lunch.” Kahako said quietly to the trainee beside her. Slowly, the ANBU guard opened the door, and allowed the two mednin to slip in. Once they were through, he followed behind and locked the door behind them.
Immediately, both would be greeted to a terrible sight. Strapped to one of three moving hospital beds, a man laid-- bleeding--from the many wounds he carried. Cuts and gashes littered his body, but it was the bruises he sported that worried her the most. His face was swollen due to what appeared to be continuous beatings to the head. The markings continued their way down his body, disappearing beneath his ANBU uniform. Kahako was the first to react.
“I’ll begin grabbing supplies. Suzume-san, begin analysis on the patient and see if you can get him conscious,” Kahako ordered using the code name given to all members of the Sentou. Moving to the rows of shelves, Kahako started grabbing all manner of items and machinery. “What happened to him?” She asked the ANBU guard. He would have already been briefed on telling her what she needed to know. Coupled with her comrade’s analysis, they would have little time to bring the man back to a stable condition. His current state what probably the reason why they were both called in instead of the usual one.
Kiri would see, upon reaching the bound man, how near death he was. The man’s face was beaten to a point where the mednin would have had a hard time identifying him as one of the elite. Both eyes swelled shut. His breath irregular, shallow, and pained. The places that weren’t marred by a darkly purple bruise were of a sickly pale color, and in places inbetween, he spotted stinking, deformed flesh. As if some sort of acid was spilled upon him. The smell akin to a rotten egg that was left broken on a hot sidewalk. Kiri and Kahako would have their hands full, but Kiri’s first task was to try and get the man to wake up.
800/1500 words