Between Heaven and Hell
Work today had been rough.
Really rough….
Sakura let out a small sigh as she made her way home through the empty streets. It was three in the morning and she had just gotten off of her shift at the Hospital. Three hours later then she was supposed to be off. But this had been important.
This one had been tragic.
She didn't really want to think about it, but the memory of bloodied bandages and hoarse, pain-filled screaming wouldn't go away. It had been one of the rookie ninja, recently graduated from the academy. He'd been found out in the training fields, barely alive with shuriken and kunai knives sticking everywhere out of his body. He had already lost so much blood by the time he'd arrived at the hospital.
His young body hadn't been able to live through the pain and blood loss, no matter what they had tried.
Already there was a team of ANBU already investigating what had happened, she knew. But again, she didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to think about what this could mean for the village, or how much that boy's mother cried when she'd delivered the terrible news.
Days like this really made her hate her job.
A tear leaked out of her eyes as his mother's screams echoed around in her head, and she wondered briefly if that was how she would respond if Lee ever died.
Several tears followed the first, streaming silently down her cheeks as she continued the trek home.
Lee….He would be asleep by now, curled up under their soft green sheets. She let the picture linger in her mind, trying to block out everything else. Maybe he was murmuring in that cute way that he did when he was having a good dream. Maybe he would have curled up around a pillow, the typical stand in if she wasn't there.
The thought brought a small, fond smile to her face
It was amazing to her that a year ago she would have been appalled at the idea of being married to the weirdo with bushy eyebrows. But here she was, married to and madly in love with the man. And he loved her just as much, or maybe even more so.
She couldn't believe how blind she had been, chasing after Sauske.
The medical ninja shook her head as she reached her front door, dispelling thoughts of her childhood crush. It was still painful to think about. She had too much pain right now.
Once she was inside she locked the door behind her, navigating their small apartment in silence and without difficulty. Within a few steps she had dropped her stuff off at the table and made it to their room. Another smile crossed her face as her eyes landed on the figure in the bed. Moonlight from outside fell on his form and made him easy to see.
There he was, curled up around the pillow that he'd fallen asleep on, just as she'd expected. She smiled again, trying to focus on how comfortable that bed looked rather then think about the little boy. A few minutes later she had undressed and crawled under the sheets. She curled up against his back and almost immediately he was letting go of the pillow and turning over in his sleep to wrap his arms around her instead.
It was amazing to her how much he could love and care about someone, and she counted herself lucky that that someone was her. He nuzzled his face against hers in his sleep, and she was surprised a moment later when he mumbled out a soft "None of that now….." before nuzzling closer.
Sakura brought a hand up to the other side of her face and her fingers touched the wetness that was left behind from her crying.
It really was amazing to her how much he loved her. Even in REM he was trying to make sure she was happy.
She let out a quiet sigh and decided that she wouldn't let his efforts go to waste.
Sakura closed her eyes, and without another thought of the little boy, his killer, his mother or Sauske, she went to sleep.
Hope you enjoyed! My aim is to become a better writer, so critique is very much welcomed.