A/N: While I was working on "That Girl," this idea popped into my head based on a part that was eventually edited out. Hope you like it!

"You are an idiot."

"Ow."

"How can you be this stupid?"

"Oww."

"What the heck is wrong with you?"

"I said 'oww' Sakura."

The pink-haired medic raised an eyebrow as her frown deepened. Then she jabbed him in the thigh.

Kakashi's leg and eyebrow twitched simultaneously as he resisted the urge to whack his former student upside the head. That was the problem with working with women—you gesture at them in a friendly manner and it's sexual harassment, or you sit by quietly and people think you're whipped.

"On second thought," he began, trying to stand up, "I think I'd rather face Tsunade. Thanks for all your help."

Sakura placed her faintly glowing palm on his chest and shoved him back down to the scratchy hospital sheets. "Yeah, I don't think so."

"Why?"

She glared at him. "Because you're an idiot."

"Glad to see you still respect me."

Ignoring the comment, but unable to prevent one corner of her mouth from curling up, she continued to wrap the bandage around his thigh. "If Tsunade knew you were walking around the village bleeding, she'd have your head."

Kakashi shrugged. "You wouldn't believe how many times I've heard that threat."

"I'm sure I wouldn't." She lifted her head again. "You know," she said, "you can come here anytime you're injured and ask for me."

Again he shrugged and she shook her head and made a point of jabbing him. "Kakashi Hatake, I found you on the verge of collapsing in the middle of the road because you insisted on going to the bookstore to buy more porn."

He winced as she sent shooting pains up his leg, causing his foot to tingle. "First off, it's not porn. Second, it's a new release."

"I flipped through one of them once; whatever it is, it certainly isn't good." She calmly ducked the swipe he made at her head—the pain had dulled his reflexes considerably. "How the heck did you get this badly injured anyway?"

"The blame, I believe, rests solely on Guy's shoulders. I was simply doing my job."

Sakura couldn't help laughing as she tied the bandage off in a neat little bow. "I only wish I had been there so I could've seen what stunt he pulled this time," she giggled. "He's landed you in the hospital three times already."

"Eight, actually." He shifted his body on the itchy sheets. "You forget there was a time when you didn't actually work here."

"Sorry. My bad."

As she began to pack up the bandages, a thought briefly fluttered through his head. "Didn't you say you had a date tonight?" he asked suddenly.

Sakura's cheeks immediately began to redden. "Yeah," she murmured, only pausing for a second in her packing.

He knew he'd remembered. Before he'd gone on his mission with Guy, Sakura had been prattling on about her new boyfriend over a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku (his treat). His name was something with a 't' that he couldn't recall, but she had babbled about having a date the day after Kakashi got back.

"Tsuge?" he ventured.

"Tomoya," she replied quietly, not even bothering to reach over and punch him for forgetting.

"Right. Tomoya. I knew that."

"Very funny," she laughed, poking him in the shoulder. "The medicine should start working immediately, so try not to move too much or you'll slow the healing process."

He glanced at his thigh, which had disappeared beneath layers of pristine white bandages and was now faintly glowing green. "And what exactly is the healing process?"

"Clotting your blood and stitching together the torn ligaments." Patting his arm, she smirked. "Next time though, you won't be so lucky."

"Good to know."

As she giggled and a mischievous smile quirked his lips beneath his mask, the distant clacking of nurse's shoes on the tiled floor echoed in the hallway and a prim young woman with long dark hair and a clipboard poked her head in.

"Sakura, there's a phone call for you at the front desk."

Sakura furrowed her brow in confusion. "Okay." She stood up and looked at him. "I'll be right back, okay?" He nodded and she turned to go, thanking the young woman on her way out.

Kakashi slumped back against the headboard and sighed. He wished Sakura hadn't made him strip and hand over his brand-new book. Better her than Tsunade though—Tsunade would have burned it had she discovered it on his person.

Sakura thanked Megumi and headed for the front desk. The secretary, Umeko, handed her the phone and gave her a sappy smile as Sakura pressed the phone to her ear and tiptoed away.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hey beautiful," the voice on the other line replied smoothly.

She smiled. "Hi Tomoya."

"How's my cherry blossom?"

Twirling the cord between her fingers, she leaned against the wall. "Fine."

"Fine? Not good, or great? Not even fantastic?"

"I'm feeling a little fantastic because you called."

"Well, that certainly boosts my self-esteem." She laughed into the receiver, sure he was smiling on the other end. "So, I just called to make sure we're still going out tonight."

Her heart sank. "I don't know if I can make it…"

"Come on, we've been planning it for a week. Dinner at Suzuki's, movie at your apartment, maybe a little extra…?"

Sakura's knees buckled and she sank to the floor in distress. "Just… just give me a minute, okay?" she mumbled, pressing a hand to her forehead.

Kakashi needed her. No one knew his medical record, not to mention his personal preferences, like she did. If she left, who knows what trauma her fellow medics might put him through. And it wasn't only physical trauma she was afraid of; every woman in the hospital was dying to get a glimpse of her former teacher's face, and the lengths they were willing to go to get their way were frightening.

Then again, she and Tomoya had been planning this date for a week, and she had been looking forward to it. How often did she meet a nice, sweet guy who wasn't put out by the fact she was a kunoichi, which, sadly, turned more guys off than on.

Despite all that, however, she had already made her decision. "I really wish I could," she whispered, cradling the phone to her chest, "but I can't."

She could hear the disappointment in his voice. "How come?"

"One of my old teammates is here and he's in pretty bad shape, so I—"

"I understand."

Sakura straightened. "You do?"

"Yeah. I bet he's like family, right? Like a little brother?"

"More like a flighty, perverted uncle," she grumbled, relieved to hear Tomoya chuckle in her ear.

"I understand. We'll take a rain check, hmm? Sound good?"

She smiled. "You're the best, you know that?"

"Naturally. But you probably say that to all your boyfriends."

"No, just you."

He laughed again. "All right, call me tomorrow okay? And give my best wishes for a swift recovery to your flighty, perverted uncle."

"I will."

"Bye beautiful."

"Bye." And she hung up.

When Sakura returned to the room, Kakashi pushed himself up off the pillows and let his eye follow her. "Who was that?" he found himself blurting out.

Sakura glanced at him, eyebrows raised, as she brushed a lock of pink hair off her forehead. "Why do you want to know?"

He shrugged. "Curiosity. It's okay if you don't tell me. I don't really care all that much." Much to his consternation—and puzzlement—he then added, "Was it Tsuge?"

"Tomoya, remember?"

"Right. I knew that."

"Sure you did."

"So he did call you?"

She stopped writing—filling out his paperwork, most likely—as a lovely pink blush began to dust her cheeks. "Yeah," and she jerked her head back down.

"He didn't break up with you, did he? I'm not good at comforting weepy females."

She punched him in the arm. "No, he did not break up with me," she replied indignantly. "He just called to cancel our date tonight. He caught the flu."

"Oh." He shifted slightly on the mattress. "So… are you going to stay here?"

Sighing exasperatedly, she returned to her writing. "Yeah, I guess. Someone's got to take care of you, and we don't need you scaring another nurse to death."

Beneath his mask, he frowned. "It was only into unconsciousness. Besides, how was I supposed to know she was afraid of blood?"

"It doesn't really matter because you're still a jerk."

"Glad to see I'm still appreciated."

Even though she tried to hide it, he saw the corner of her lip curl up into a half smile. With a final flourish of her pen, she hooked the clipboard onto the end of his bed and flopped onto the mattress. "Since we're stuck together for the next six hours," she said brightly, reaching into a pocket on her skirt, "let's play a game." She set a pack of playing cards on the sheet and looked up at him expectantly.

He arched an eyebrow. "Poker?" he asked.

"No, guess again."

"Strip poker?" She punched him in the arm so hard he could literally see the bruise forming. "Okay…" he cleared his throat, "do you have any ideas, Sakura?"

She grinned. "Let's play Go Fish."

"How old are you again?"

"Old enough to kick your ass."

"Fair enough. Go Fish it is."

"Do you have any… twos?"

"Go fish. Do you have any sevens?"

"Nope, go fish. Do you have any… fours?"

"Go fish. Do you have any sevens?"

Sakura leaned over and socked him on his black-and-blue arm. "You've asked me that the last six rounds," she grumbled. "Pick a different number."

"You didn't answer my question."

She sighed. "No Kakashi, I don't have any sevens. Go fish." He drew a card. "Do you have any fives?"

"Go fish." After she drew card and he'd studied his for a moment, he tapped his chin and said, "Do you have any sevens?"

This time she smacked him upside the head before throwing the seven of spades at him. He grinned. "Seventh time's the charm."

She shook her head. "You're just a jerk."

"Why? Because I'm winning?"

"May I remind you who is your doctor and in control of any and all healing you receive?"

"Good point. Do you have any…"

"Don't you dare say sevens."

"I was going to say tens." She threw another card at him. "Thank you."

"Yeah, whatever," she mumbled.

Several hours later Kakashi was sitting, propped up by pillows, and casually reading a medical journal he'd found on the bedside table. It couldn't compare with Icha Icha, but it would suffice until Sakura gave him his stuff back.

Speaking of the pink-haired medic…

Breathing very slowly and very quietly—and most likely drooling on his hospital gown— Sakura rested her head on his stomach. She'd sworn she was only going to rest her eyes for a minute, but he refused to disturb her. She needed it; the dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep still peeked through despite layers of makeup.

As he turned the page, he heard the faint clacking of heels on the tile in the hallway and casually let his head droop, feigning sleep. The clacking grew louder and louder, and he could distinguish two voices. The footsteps halted outside his room and the women's conversation drifted in.

"Oh, look at them!" one woman murmured. "Isn't that so cute? Who knew Kakashi-senpai was a big softie?"

"I know," the other female replied. "He dotes on Sakura, and everyone knows how protective she is of him and Naruto Uzumaki." Then her voice rose and she whispered conspiratorially, "Did you hear that Sakura blew off her boyfriend for him?"

Her companion gasped. "Really? Why on earth would she do that?"

"I don't know, that's just what Megumi told me."

"I can't believe it. She's been talking about her date all week."

"I know, that's what makes it so shocking. Have you seen her boyfriend?"

"Oh yes, and he is a cutie. So suave too."

"I know, right? I wouldn't blow off a guy like that for my old teacher."

"Same here. Poor girl. She should tell her teammates to be more careful."

"As if that would ever work with Naruto," she scoffed.

"It might with Kakashi-senpai."

"No way. He doesn't care about her feelings at all." There was a quiet call from another room, and the two women turned away from the door and went clacking off, their conversation fading away.