Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Lack of awareness. Comatose.
But now consciousness comes. It grows like a seed in the earth, spreading slowly from the center out, and he becomes aware of his head and its position. He is lying on his back, one arm twisted underneath him, eyes closed and mouth open. His nostrils are painful with the smells of antiseptic and soured chemicals. The tendons in his neck have tightened angrily, and there is fabric burning against his sensitive, too-hot cheek.
The coldly observant buzz of an IV drips innocuously into the edges of his senses.
He cannot open his eyes; something seals them shut. His tongue is dry, his lips salty and cracked as he tries to lick them. He feels as if he's been biting steel, because there's dull, deep pain at the corners of his mouth and tongue, a delicate throb in his teeth. He tries to flex his fingers, and they ache as if they haven't stirred for days.
One arm is twisted underneath him. He raised the other, fingers awkwardly probing the unfamiliar contours of his face, rubbing away at the crust gumming an eye shut.
He can open the lid halfway. He can see nothing. White outlines dance past his vision, and drift just as easily back out again. He runs numb fingers over his chest, his stomach, his thigh. He cannot feel anything except the smolder of rough sheets and the metallic taste in his mouth.
The coldly observant buzz of an IV drips innocuously into the edges of his senses. He is lulled. Numb fingers fall down.
Consciousness fades.
The seed dies.
Author's Notes: I enjoy teasers. Interested? Wait for the next chapter, review and give constructive criticism….I'd like to know how my attempt at suspense went.