It was nothing but years of hard training, of living a life that forbade showing any emotion, that kept the hysteria out of Kurenai's voice, as she tried to calm her daughter, who was still too young to understand the concept of self-control. She cradled Nozomi, petted her head, in an attempted to make her stop crying, yet she could not tear her attention away from Shikamaru's unconscious form lying on the floor.
It had been some kind of fit, or seizure, had only lasted a few seconds – before neither Kurenai nor Kakashi had fully grasped what was going on, he hit the floor.
"We need to get him to the hospital!", Kurenai said, when at last Nozomi gave her a chance to be heard.
Kakashi shook his head. He had his hitai-ate pushed back to let his Sharingan observe what ever was happening to Shikamaru, as he placed the boy's body on the sofa.
"Just from moving him here", he said "his condition is getting worse."
He turned his head to look at Kurenai, gave her an optimistic smile.
"Don't worry. Pakkun is fast, the medics will be here any minute."
Kurenai nodded, bit her lip, then decided to bring Nozomi back to her crib before doing anything else. Having the place crawling with people probably wouldn't help in keeping her quiet, and having a wailing baby in the room probably wouldn't help anyone concentrate.
"How-", she began to speak, after returning, but couldn't bring herself to end the question.
"His body is shutting down", Kakashi answered evenly, maybe a little too carefree. He thought for a moment, tried to find the right words to explain. Instantly understanding something did not mean he could instantly describe it.
"In a way", he said "his own Chakra is killing him."
Kurenai swallowed, let her eyes wander from Kakashi to Shikamaru and back.
"And there's nothing you can do?", she said at last, her voice on the edge of revealing her emotions.
"You're honestly telling me, that you never thought to copy any medical jutsu?"

Kakashi did not get a chance to answer. Before he had opened his mouth he was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Kurenai sighed, mumbled something about how this actually was really fast, and rushed to invite the awaited medics in.
There were no medics. Only Neji, who ignored Kurenai's surprise, pushed right past her, and into the living room.
"What are you -", Kurenai stared, too perplexed to close the door behind him, as Neji knelt down next to Shikamaru, his hands glowing light blue.
"I'm blocking his Chakra flow."
"But, if you do that-"
"If I don't, he has about two minutes left, if I do, he might hang on long enough for the medics to figure out a way to save him."
Kurenai turned to Kakashi who nodded.
Neji was halfway through, when Shikamaru suddenly opened his eyes, moved his lips silently. Neji ignored him, continued his work.
"Don't bother", he heard Kakashi say next to him.
Neji kept his attention on Shikamaru's tenketsu, while Kurenai made it quite clear how outrageous this statement was.
"Is what Shikamaru is saying", Kakashi explained, pointing at Shikamaru's lips, his Sharingan fixed on their movements.
"He says there is no chance for him to get better", Kakashi said.
"This jutsu is fool proof – as long as he's still alive."
"Nonsense", Kurenai interrupted "Every jutsu has it's weakness. He knows that better than anyone!"
"In combat, yes. Outside it's different."
Neji momentarily stopped.
"If I continue he wont be able to talk anymore", he stated, dividing his attention among Kurenai and Kakashi, while Shikamaru formed more soundless words.
"He says, he doesn't care. It wont help anyway", Kakashi continued to translate.
"He's sorry that he was such a bother to you", he told Kurenai "and to Ino. And tell Choji that it's good he came back. And -", there he abruptly stopped talking, watched in silence.

A commotion from the hallway announced that finally the medics had arrived. They hurried inside, and within seconds had ushered anyone without medical qualification out of the room.
They talked in that hectic whisper, which probably was part of their training. To let everyone around them know, that what ever they did was immensely important and difficult, and to further make them aware that there was no way they would understand any of what the medics were about to say.
Kurenai was the first to leave, obediently retreated to her bedroom. She was followed shortly by Pakkun and Tenten, who had arrived shortly after the medics and had brought Ino with her.
Neji took a moment to explain to one of the medics what he had done, and why he had done it, then followed as well.
Only Kakashi remained where he was, eye fixed on Shikamaru's lips, and would not move until one medic – with all due respect – began to shove him out of their way and out of the room.

The girls – women had already settled on Kurenai's bed, when the door to the living room was shut behind Kakashi, while Neji stood near the window and stared right through the wall.
"Did he say anything else, Kakashi-sama?", he deactivated his Byakugan, because – if things were as he feared, and the medics were too late – he didn't want to witness their failure first hand. And he didn't want to be the one who would break those news to the others.
Kakashi shrugged.
"I'm sorry", he said, "I've got to go."
"You're not even going to wait, until we know if he'll make it", Kurenai observed coolly.
Kakashi hesitated for a second, then opened the window to let himself and Pakkun outside. At the same moment, the bedroom door was pushed back, and Ino came in, her face white as chalk. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, gasping for air or trying to force words out of it. The second Kurenai had gotten up, she stumbled into the older woman's arms, remained there, still and silent and not one tear wanted to come, until she realised that Kurenai herself was crying.