Hush Little Baby
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Naruto...all characters in this story belong to Masashi Kishimoto...
I am tired, I have a headache, I'm sore from head to toe, and the color white is permantly burned into my retinas by now I'm sure. Why did the whole dang hospital have to be white? It was annoying. The walls, the ceiling, the floor. Freakin everything!
Yup, Konoha Medical Center. White pretty much sums up this place.
Being inside this building again sends tremors coursing throughout my body. I never liked this place. But this time I'm not the patient. For once I am a visitor, doomed to sit in this waiting room for God only knows how much longer.
But thats not even the half of it. To make matters worse, a hysterical Ino was sitting across from me, running her fingers nervously through her long, blonde hair. Her blue eyes were still glassy from her earlier breakdown.
She was switching her gaze from the clock, the closed door, her cell phone, and me. Forget the hospital being annoying, she was annoying.
Her cell phone suddenly rang, snapping her out of her gaze. I watched her shaking hands lift it from her lap and flip it open. Apparently it was Hinata calling for another update, which me nor Ino had. Seven hours in this waiting room with blondie since midnight, and still no update. I-HATED-HOSPITALS...
After minutes of girly babble, Ino flipped her pink cell phone shut and sighed loudly. She glanced at me momentarily, but then turned her attention to the ticking clock located above the door.
Why couldn't Naruto be here instead? He's still a blonde so it would have been a fair trade. But no, Naruto was busy in the Hokage tower. After Tsunade granted him his dream of becoming the Sixth Hokage, he was never around. I knew how much he wanted to be here, but the work piled up on his desk had to be taken care of immediately.
Ino clearing her throat snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Sasuke, why don't you try to get some rest? You look exhausted. You did carry her here and all. So, I can keep watch and let you know when something happens," Ino mumbled. I gave her a dirty look and with a sigh, she turned her attention back to the clock.
Yeah, I was exhausted, and you could tell, but I wasn't falling asleep. My purpose was to stay here wide awake, no matter how long it took. The door creeped open as I contemplated. A small nurse walked into the room.
"Mr. Sasuke Uchiha?" the woman asked, looking directly at me. I nodded, then stood and walked over to her. "Mr. Uchiha, she has been in labor since you brought her here, but the baby isn't coming, and she's in serious pain. We are going to proceed with an emergency c-section," the nurse explained.
I ran a hand through my raven hair and nodded, then took my seat again. The young nurse blinked in question, but Ino informed her to tell us when we could see her.
I heard the door close and saw Ino take her seat. Stupid nurse shouldn't have opened her big mouth infront of Ino. Now she's gonna be even more worried. To be honest, I was a little worried. Nobody needed to know that but myself though.
I listened as Ino dialed a number on her cell. Shikamaru's lazy voice answered. Him and Ino had been dating for two months now and she was filling him in on when she might be returning home. I just sat slumped over in my stupid, white chair, staring out the misted window. The heavy rain outside pelted against the glass, making the upcoming morning look even more miserable.
I heard Ino close her phone and I glanced over at her.
"Do you think she will be ok?" I murmered. She turned to face me, her shocked appearance clearly showing she was surprised by the question. My obsidian eyes scanned her light blue ones, looking intently for an answer.
"Yeah, she will be fine Sasuke," she smiled, turning toward the clock once more. I nodded, more to assure myself than to acknowledge her answer.
Finally, after countless hours of flipping through pointless magazines, calling info-anticipating friends, and worrying ourselves sick, the nurse appeared before us once more.
"Ok, you guys can go see her now, but one at a time please," she informed, smiling widely. So much weight was lifted off my shoulders at that moment.
"Go ahead Sasuke, I'm gonna make the good news phone calls," Ino explained, already dialing numbers.
I followed the nurse to a room at the very end of the long hallway. A loud, shreiking cry was clearly evident on the other side. The nurse slowly pushed the door open for me and I silently crept into the room. The sight before me, made my eyes widen.
There laid Sakura. Her pink hair sprawled out over her pillow, her eyes shut tight. The beads of sweat from her forehead dripped down her face, mixing with salty tears. The IV ran down her pale, fragile skin and the heart monitor beeped beside her.
Then, I noticed the loud shrieks that I had heard outside the room, were approaching me. I looked up just in time to see a pink bundle before it was thrust into my arms.
"It's a girl Sasuke," Tsunade smiled, turning her attention from me to look at her tired and sleeping apprentice. She glanced at me one more time before leaving the room. Now it was just me, the sleeping Sakura, and the screaming baby. Thanks alot Tsunade.
I looked down at it's little but loud form. I remembered that when I was little my mom would sing me a lullaby to stop me from crying. Maybe that would work on this baby to. But I didn't sing. Manly men like me did not sing. Uchiha men had never been known to even let lyrics flow from their lips.
I closed my eyes in concentration and tried to block out the infant's screaming. My headache was quickly becoming a migrane. But then, it suddenly hit me. Humming. Nobody ever said we couldn't do that. I thought of a song and quickly started humming it with my tired and raspy throat. I rocked the little pink bundle back and forth to add to the calming effect the humming seemed to be giving off. I kept humming the song over and over, until finally the crying died down to nothing. I made a quick smile toward the little one, then my usual smirk returned.
"Thank you, Sasuke," a voice spoke quietly. I glanced over my shoulder to see Sakura awake and smiling weakly. I turned my body toward her and nodded, then continued rocking the little baby that was cooing in my arms. "She's beautiful isn't she?"
I knew deep down that Naruto needed to be here. But I couldn't help but be happy that I was here without him for once.
"Yeah, beautiful," I whispered back to her. She smiled gratefully at me, but I couldn't help but notice the tiny hint of regret reflecting in her emerald eyes.
I returned her smile, just as the door bursted open upon Ino's grand entrance. She came sprinting over to Sakura's bed smiling, relief pouring over her features. I breifly heard her say that Shikamaru, Hinata, Kakashi, Yamato, Sai, and Naruto were on their way to the hospital.
As they chatted back and forth, I looked down at the infant in my arms. Her bright emerald eyes were looking at me with curiosity. I put a calloused finger on her cheek and rubbed her soft baby skin. It felt like a crime that my rough skin should be able to touch her angelic cheek. But then, she smiled at me. It was quick, but I couldn't help but smile right back at her pretty face. The face of a miracle. The face of Naruto's baby girl.
A/N: Hahaha did you figure out the ending before the story came to a close? Reviews are appreciated ;D