AN yo! thanks for the reviews, and yes this was sort of a sneak peak. I really only do my best writing when over medicated and under stimulated. So this is the first part rewritten. I just needed to get the idea online to push myself to write more. So let me know what you think! It will mostly be the same, but I've extended it and made a few points more descriptive. Gracias! I'm gonna try to give every chapter a song, but I tend to become a tad lazy, so when that happens I'll just link the playlist :P
Small Sins / Why Don't You Believe Me?
Pedestrian Life: Chapter One
Exhausted wasn't quite strong enough a word to describe how Sakura felt at the moment. Rubbing her eyes she glanced at her GPS, taking note of how many turns she had left until she reached the supermarket. She wasn't very familiar with the suburbs and was embarrassed with how difficult a time she was having getting around.
Sakura was the only person in the world to work on her day off. It was unhealthy, she knew. To the point that her friends had no shame in telling her off when she flaked out on them to pick up extra shifts. Today she was helping her friend, Kurenai, run the Pregnancy Resource Center since the usual clerk had called in sick. Kurenai had recently lost her husband, and in a fit of what some might call insanity, used his insurance money, which was far more than she was aware, to open a Pregnancy Resource Center for moms who needed a little help getting a handle on things. Seeing as how she was now a single mother, Kurenai understood the ins and outs pretty well.
"Finally." She muttered to herself, pulling into a smaller Walmart than she was used to seeing this close to the city. Assuming she'd make it back before the rain started, Sakura left her umbrella seated in the back. Though really she was just too weary to rifle through the war-zone her backseat had become to search for it. She hated not being organized, so if she ignored the mess long enough, Sakura could forget it. Making her way inside, Sakura located the wine section with ease. It was a gift she had, being able to find the wine department in any supermarket in existence. She opened her phone, needing to make a quick call, though calls to Naruto were usually anything but.
"What kind of wine should I bring?" Sakura questioned, looking at the vast selection of carefully designed bottles. Having worked her ass through medical school, Sakura considered herself a connoisseur of cheap wine. Doubling up on classes and part-time jobs in order to pay for said classes did not a wealthy girl make, therefore Sakura was well acquainted with how good cheap alcohol could be. That and coupon cutting, not that she'd admit the latter willingly.
"Sakura, I'm a dude. I don't give a fu- wait, Sasuke says red zinfandel, it will go best with the h'orderves." Naruto said mockingly.
"Sometimes I am blown away with what a good housewife he makes." Naruto cackled and Sakura could faintly hear Sasuke demanding what she'd said. "Anyways, the only year they have is 2009. That's okay, right? 2009 was a good year."
"No it wasn't. It was a terrible year, but what other fucking choice do we have? The queen has spoken." Sakura heard the sound of Naruto dropping the phone and them arguing, so she patiently held her cell on her shoulder and made her way to the check-out counter.
"Sorry, Sakura-chan. Anyways, you wont be too late will you?" He whined.
"I'm already late, you oaf, but I'm literally checking out now. I'm gonna change in the store bathroom, then I'll be on my way."
"Ew, Sakura! The store bathroom? That is so-" Sakura ended the call with a click and dropped the phone in her purse. She really really hated being late. It just wasn't in her nature. She changed as quickly as possible, and the moment her little black dress was zipped, she threw on her green raincoat and hurried out to her car. Her best friend and former love-interest from college, Sasuke, had gotten a job in a law firm out of the city and his new house was nearly a half-hour drive away, and she had to take the bridge (which was incidentally named after her other best friend Naruto when he was born. Naruto's father had flair for the dramatics and thought building a bridge for his son was a most adequate gift for the future, he'd said). Traffic on the Naruto Uzumaki Bridge was always miserable on the weekends, since it was the only bridge that connected the selective island-like community to the outside world.
She sighed heavily, failing to choose a radio station as she drove through the pouring rain. The moment she got onto the bridge, her phone began to ring. Sakura was not one to be late, and she was also not one to ignore phone calls. She pulled to the side of the lane and searched through her purse.
"Hello?" She asked exasperated. She glanced out the window as Naruto begged her to stop and get some extra ice, Sakura half-heartedly agreed but found herself distracted by a man standing out in the rain. He had white hair and was perched on the edge of the bridge. Standing still as a statue, the lights from passing cars glimmering across his silhouette, giving the man an ethereal glow. 'He looks like an angel caught in the downpour.' She mused silently. Ignoring Naruto, she had completely succumbed to the mesmerizing sight before her.
Her eyes widened in horror at the sudden realization he was going to jump. Without a moment of hesitation she was unbuckled and out of her car. She sprinted to him, screaming out for him to stop. By this point the bottom had let out, and the downpour was rapidly becoming torrential. Dropping her phone, she only glanced behind her before continuing forward. Sakura just barely managed to grab him by the tail of his coat and yanked him back, forcing him to fall on top of her. They stayed that way for a moment, sitting in the rain, soaked to the bone. She recognized him, somehow, despite being able to see his face. It was half-covered by a dark mask, the kind motorcyclists wore in the city.
"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" She demanded, her sorrow and pity immediately replaced with rage. Not merely angry at him, but with the world. Did the other drivers notice? Did they even care?
"Well, the weather was so lovely, I thought I'd take a swim." Her jaw dropped at his unconcerned response. And for a moment the twinkle in his eye most likely indicating a smile made her believe him. As though he really were just out for a swim.
"Right.." She looked down, suddenly embarrassed with her rash behavior. "I'm gonna drive you to the hospital. I'm a doctor." He nodded and stood up, helping her to her feet. "What about your bike?" She pointed to the expensive-looking German bike.
"Just garbage." She knew he was lying, but didn't push it since he was so obediently following her to her car.
They were silent in the car for awhile before the man turned to look at her. "You know, I didn't ask you to save me."
"So you admit you were trying to kill yourself." She replied sternly. He merely shrugged, then continued to look out the window.
"Here's your phone." He slipped it into her lap. "You dropped it on the pavement." She murmured a quiet thank you. Almost instantly, the phone started vibrating, much to their surprise. Maybe her phone was as waterproof as the salesperson had said.
"Ahoy." She answered with little emotion, the exhaustion suddenly taking it's toll on her overworked body.
"Sakura what the fuck happened? Are you okay?" It was Naruto, no surprise there. He was angry, too. He was about to be even more angry, however.
"Something.. happened." She stole a glance to her passenger. His handsome, mismatched eyes stared back with a blank, almost bored expression. She shrugged the odd feeling his gaze gave her and directed her attention straight ahead, preparing to turn around and head back to the city. "I'm not going to make it out tonight, Naruto. I'm sorry. Really, I really am. Something came up with work and I have no choice." That was mostly true.
"Bullshit. You are so fucking full of it." Sakura winced at his foul language, she could tell he was absolutely livid. And though he had every right to be, Sakura wasn't going to admit it. "We've been planning this party for weeks. I know for a fact Tsunade wouldn't let you come to work tonight and you are certainly not on the call-list."
"Listen, Naru-" She braced herself when she heard his voice start to cut out.
"No you listen, Sakura." He took a deep breath. "We are your only friends, and to be honest, I'm tired of it. You are a workaholic. You spend every moment of every day helping people you don't even know while your friends have to fight for your attention. Pretty soon, the invites will stop coming in, you know that right? We're tired of being let down by you. I'm tired of being let down, Sakura. And I'm telling you this because I love you. I just love you so much and it makes me sick that our friendship has come to phone arguments because you can't even find the time for a goddamn cup of coffee with me. I'm done with this. I'll call you next week." Then the call cut out, leaving Sakura to gape in silence. Her heart was racing. She had not been expecting all that. She willed the tears to not fall onto her cheeks, then heard the man in her front seat clear his throat, she had momentarily forgotten his presence.
"I'm sorry if my presence caused a problem. Allow me to reiterate that I didn't ask for it. Though I may be grateful to be so high on your list of priorities." His voice was deep, and smooth, and very familiar. She sent him a sharp glare from the corner of her eye, and much to her chagrin he continued talking. "But why? You don't even know me.."
"If I only helped people I knew, I'd make a terrible doctor." She replied exasperatedly.
"Seems like you only help people you don't know." That comment earned him a baleful scowl. "You know, I know who you are. I'm a little upset you don't remember me." He said, with little amusement in his tone.
"How would you know who I am? You're not my patient." Not yet, really.
"Oh but I was your teacher in middle school. It's hard to forget a girl with pink hair, Miss Haruno Sakura." Her eyes widened in response, suddenly able to recall nearly every detail of her Honors English class in the 8th grade.
"Kakashi-sensei?" She breathed out, still watching the road.
"The one and only." She suddenly felt worried he may still be a teacher. A man suffering with severe depression couldn't possibly make a suitable teacher for such impressionable young teens. And as though sensing her anxieties, he quickly put her worries to rest. "No, I don't still teach. I only did that for two years as a favor to Principle Maito Gai, he's an old friend of mine." She let out a breath she'd been holding, her shoulders relaxing slightly.
The silence stretched out for a long time before Kakashi spoke, which surprised Sakura. He had seemingly been engrossed in the same smut he was reading ten years ago. "I always knew you'd be successful, you were quite the brown-noser."
Sakura huffed in response. "Being a very diligent and reliable student does not necessarily mean I was brown-nosing, Kakashi-sensei."
"Just Kakashi please, and no you took reliable to new heights for your age. You graded all of my essays without the promise of extra credit. And you did hours in the library and office, if I remember correctly."
"I'm mildly disturbed you took such great care in keeping tabs on me. Anyways, we're here." She pulled into the parking spot clearly labeled as hers, and she heard Kakashi mutter something about 'Well well, your own spot and everything,' but she promptly ignored it.
They made their way into the ER, Sakura quickly claimed one of the empty rooms and told him to stay put while a nurse came in to check his vitals. After checking the files, she found that Kakashi's file was private. Only accessible to the person in charge, i.e. Tsunade. Sakura grabbed a clipboard and chewed on the edge of her pen, trying to figure out exactly who Kakashi was and what was so important about him that his file be kept under lock and key.
"Sakura!" Snapped from her thoughts, Sakura turned to see a very buxom, very annoyed blonde heading her way, her large breasts bouncing in a way that indicated angry, graceless stomping. Intense dread filled Sakura's stomach, causing sour bile to work its way up her throat. Though Sakura wouldn't readily admit it, Tsunade was the only person that absolutely terrified her. "Who they hell do you think you are coming into work? I got the most ridiculous call from Naruto, accusing me of calling you in when I promised him I wouldn't! Yet here you are, undoubtedly doing others' work. As per usual!"
Deciding that she may need to cut to the chase before she got her hours suspended, the only punishment that seemed to keep the pink-haired girl on track, Sakura blurted out her words. "I saved a jumper! I thought we could get him some psyche evaluation or something!"
"Sakura, it is a well-known fact that jumpers do not particularly seek advice.. But let me see his file." Tsunade, impatience slowly waning. Tsunade may act hard as nails, but she was as softhearted as any good doctor.
"I don't have it, it's a private file. I need your authorization code, and you changed it a few weeks ago." Sakura fidgeted with the pen, an indication that she was uncomfortable, without any inclination as to why.
"Well does Mister Yukko Syndrome have a name?" Suddenly her impatience in full swing, one amber eye twitching.
"Of course, Hatake Kakashi." Tsunade's eyes widened with what could only be described as pure, blind rage.
"WHAT?" And immediately she was inside the room where Kakashi was patiently waiting, then the door was slammed shut, and just as Sakura's hand reached for the knob, the soft click of a lock closing into place greeted her ears, leaving Sakura to simply try and listen from outside. The sound of Tsunade's heated screams rang through the hallways, causing a few passerby's to stop in wonder before continuing on. Then as quick as the hurricane came, it was gone. Tsunade exited the room, a statuesque example of poise, and deposited a diagnosis and prescription onto Sakura's clipboard before swiftly hurrying away.
Glancing at the pink and yellow slips, Sakura cocked her head to the side, bemused. Such strange directions.. Upon entering the room she felt as though someone had punched her in the chest, leaving her breathless and disoriented. Kakashi's room was a disaster. Supplies were strewn all over the place, as though a hurricane really had blown through, and Kakashi's scrubs (he'd insisted he was not to be put in a gown for that only made the fact he was in a hospital more apparent, and he 'hated that') were splattered with blood. And if his hand covering his nose, or the blood soaking through his surgical mask were any indications at all, Sakura would have to assume the full time Chief of Medicine and part-time kick-boxer had punched the shit out of Hatake Kakashi. And he apparently just sat back and took it.
"Damn.." She whispered, still trying to process her surroundings. He simply nodded in return, a bored expression on his face. Sakura could only assume that this was exactly the reaction he'd been expecting from Tsunade, which meant they must have known one another for a long time.
"So what's the verdict, doctor?" Kakashi asked, his voice muffled by his hand.
"Well, it appears you have a broken nose, sir. But we have the technology, so you might just pull through." She grinned, hoping to spur a smile out from the older man, but none came.
"Oh joy." He replied, his voice more blank than the poker face he was currently sporting.
"Well, Tsunade's getting your license revoked. She has far too many connections for a normal person, but I don't pry when she's sober." She glanced at him again. Still nothing. "You're to be driven to psych appointments twice a week by yours truly, me. As my punishment for 'life-meddling and day-ruining' so it reads." Really, how can he have no reaction to anything? "And you've been assigned to do some community service with Maito Gai, who apparently can't get enough of helping the community. And it is recommended you take 120 mg of Wellbutrin twice daily, and .5 mg of Xanax no more than three times daily, should you need it. I can get you some Valium, but whatever really. I think some natural remedies would be more appropriate, but first I need to read your file."
Through her entire spiel, the only thing that got him to react, which was an eye-twitch, was the mention of Maito Gai, otherwise Kakashi was a perfect example of well-trained stoicism.
"You know, you may be the prettiest doctor here. We wouldn't even need to role play for this fantasy, it's already a reality." She could tell he was smirking, his eyes twinkling with mirth. Once Sakura realized exactly what he'd just said, her face flushed the sweetest shade of cherry just before she knocked him upside the head with her clipboard.
"I think among depression, anxiety, and manic depressive she for got to list disgustingly perverted among your diagnoses." Though her comment had been in fun, she noticed she may have struck a chord, because instead of continuing their light-hearted banter, Kakashi's eyes clouded over, indicating he was deep in thought. This was going to be one of her tougher cases, she realized.
