At the end of the summer
It was the end of the school year when my teacher decided that we could do some "good" to society and help people have a nice summer. I scoffed, what about our summer?.
Being seniors at the Konoha High School, teachers couldnt avoid the comments about being adults and getting close to having big responsabilities, of course not everyone was about to listen so most of these advices were trown into deaf ears. We were kids, and as kids, we couldnt wait to be free of nagging grown ups.
Thing was, that as a "young man" as my parents like to call me, i couldnt help to notice that the girl i was into was actually listening to our teachers and got into the Konoha Hospital as a volunteer, and i learned she had been doing that since year one. So being the gentleman i was, i too volunteer at the same place to help her out.
To this day, i dont regret it. As that was the first time i learned to value life, and love.
June
The very first day of summer vacation i was up early, much to my mother surprise. My friend, Sakura, was in my living room chatting with my dad when i came in, fully clothed in my uniform trying not to regret the decision i was taking. But i was so in love with her, i could''ve follow Sakura to the end of the world.
- My - said my mom - i tought i would've to wake you up, Naruto. Did you eat your breakfast?
I rolled my eyes at the obvious attempt of my mom to embarrass me and nodded. Sakura and i walked to the entrance and she sighed at the heat that was trying to melt us at 7 in the morning.
- Well, we'll be off now mom, i'll be back in the evening. See ya.
- Were leaving Miss Uzumaki, have a nice day. - Oh Sakura, always so nice and polite. Man, i love her.
By 8.30 we were in front of the main desk signing up to help all summer, and then we waited for our guide, we were the only ones in the program and Sakura told me it was usually like this, that she didnt understand that people our age couldnt help others. When the nurse arrived she showed us the places we were going to help during the vacations, of course the tour was for me because Sakura was full into that so i tried my best to pay attention at the woman talking.
- Uh, i think we missed one - i said when we passed trough a ward and she didnt went that way, the look on both Sakura and the nurse made uneasy - what? did i said something wrong?
- Naruto...- Sakura's voice was soft, kinda like a whisper or when you say something secret - That's the pediatric ward. Were sick kids go to - she acleared.
- I dont get it, is it something wrong with that? wouldnt it be better if we worked with kids and play with them?
- What she ment - said the nurse - is that in that ward terminal sick kids go to. The kids that are in there dont come out alive -
For a moment we remained silent, and look to the door that led to the pediatric ward. I wonder how parents reacted everytime they had to go trough those to see their childs and turned my back on it. The nurse nodded and we left.
When te tour was over, the woman gave us our list of chores for that day and left to keep on her rounds. Sakura and i worked on the first room in silent, putting covers on the beds and taking out the dirty ones.
- Hey Sakura? - she looked at me - you know, that place, the one we skiped, have you ever gone inside?
- They wont let us. The only ones that can go in there are the parents and the doctors assigned to their cases. I heard that they try to keep it cheery, but its a very creepy place. As far for the small ones that is, they dont seem to grasp the...idea that they're dying. The oldest ones do, but they dont tell them, people say they dont talk that much.
- Are they younger that us? - somehow, the idea of taking kids to an specific place to die seemed pretty fucked up to me.
- I think they have one or two that have our age. People over 18 are taken to the normal ward.
We didnt spoke of it anymore for the rest of the day, and we said goodbye on the bus station, i waved trough the window as her father took her backpack and they walked away.
When i got home i hugged my mother and father as long and hard as i could.
The next morning i woke up at six and by seven i was in the main desk looking at my chore list, i put on my uniform and walked as fast as i could until i was infront of the pediactric ward, on my way there i met the "original" pediatric ward were kids played and rested on their beds with casts and IV's on their hands, but they were happy and so were thier parents. As quiet as i could i stepped on the "fake" one, somehow i had managed to talk the nurse at the desk to give only one chore at that place. Even i didnt know why i did it, but the idea of going in there kept bugging me at nigth, and if Sakura was there i was sure that she would've refuse to do it, so i was on my own.
My goal was to change the bed at the end of the first aisle. Since it was still early the kids were asleep, my heart was racing as i passed beds and beds with kids on them and there were a lot of cables coming out of them. They had a room full of little cribs and babies. All the beds were full, except the one that i had to clean.
When i arrived there i started to clean it up, removing the blankets and pillows and putting them in the basket, wiping the railings of the bed and changing the urinal under it. There was a teddy bear i had to put in the basket too so it could bee washed and desinfected.
- Im sorry - i whipered as i layed down the toy in the dirty laundry, because i knew that if that bed was empty, it ment the kid that was there was gone.
Suddenly the courtain that kept the beds separate was pulled to the side and an angry guy was looking at me, his eyes were puffy and his hair was messed up in all the directions hair wasnt supposed to go. He had dry lips and was pale as the sheets he was resting on.
- Mind keeping it down? im not dead yet, i can still hear you.
Well, the initial compassion i migth had had for the kid was now gone, no need to be that rude you know?
Since i didnt answer he just layed down again on his bed and stared at the ceiling, his "room" was full of stuff a hospital room didnt had, like a blanket that didnt belonged to the hospital, a side lamp, a clock with cat paws on it, the pillow case was definitely from the hospital as it was blue with more cat paws on it, and he had his own pajamas. And guess what, they had cat paws on it.
- So...you like cats? - i asked in amusement while putting on the new covers on the bed. - i like dogs better, they're nicer that cats. Cats are...well, cats.
The guy slowly turned his head to me with this big question mark on his face. His lip was curled up so i could see his front teeth and his eyebrow was almost lost in his hair line. That was the biggest "what the fuck" expression i had ever seen on my life.
- What. Did you just talked to me?
I was serioulsy starting to think that a wack couldnt do any harm to a dying person if it was this sour like dying person.
- Of course i talked to you. Are you the king of this place or something like that?
He blinked and norrowed his eyes while pouting and turned his back while muttering stuff. I smiled as i realized his hair looked like a cat spiked fur.
- Are you a doctor? - his voice was more like a grunt, like if i said yes he would inmediatly stop talking and sulk fo the rest of his life.
- No, im a volunteer. I'll be here during summer vacations.
- Ah - he said, almost amused - so you're a summer slave.
Now this little bastard was really wanting a wack in the head.
We remain silent while i finished with the bed and wiping stuff. When i was done, i gathered all the stuff and passed his bed, it was 8:30, and he was asleep, a nurse was changing his IV and he snored softly as if nothing was happening - or as if a huge ass needle wasnt being inserted in his hand - the nurse looked at me and smiled sadly
- He's used to it. - she said and then left.
I walked pass him and eyed the tag in the bed railing.
Uchiha Sasuke, 17.