One Step at a Time
By Bashfulglowfly
Sasuke crawled slowly and painfully across the worn and threadbare carpet. I won't die here.
He vomited violently then gasped for air, dragging the smoky poison into his lungs and vomited again.
I won't let myself die here. He began crawling again; through the vomit. His nails gripping through the carpet to help drag him forward.
He vomited again, and tears came to his eyes. But through the tears and through the smoke…a miracle.
"Found one! Still alive! Apartment 5 David!"
"This apartment's clear! Let's get out of here!"
888888
(three hours after the fire)
Sakura Haruno dodged a racing gurney. She was only a fourth-year medical student, but she was ordered down to the Emergency Department when it went Code Black due to a fire at an apartment building. She looked up as two men strode through the doors as if they owned the hospital. She hurried to block their way. "This area is off limits except to patients and medical staff. May I help you?"
"Fuck off." The grey-haired man shoved her aside and began looking into each exam room. She saw that his hands were covered in tattoos. Religious themes from what she could see.
"I'm sorry." That came from the second man. Dark-haired but looked like he'd be at home in Scarface or Goodfellas. "We don't usually let him talk to living beings."
"Fuck you too, asshole!"
The crude words were ignored. "We're looking for someone who may have been in the Grand Palms apartment fire. Male. Under thirty. Black…"
"Found the little shit!" The grey eyed man slid open the exam room's door, stopped and glared at Sakura who took a step back, her hand flying to her throat. "Why is he strapped down?"
Sakura swallowed. "He, he was determined to be going through withdrawal. He was given medication to help with the symptoms, but he pulled out the I.V…"
"Hi…dan."
The grey-haired man stepped into the room. "Hey, dumb shit."
"No…drugs."
"The doctor says you're going through withdrawal, Sasuke." Said the other man.
"No…drugs."
"You don't want drugs, kid, you got it." Hidan walked to the I.V. hanging from their pole and read the labels. Finding the one he was looking for, he carefully switched it off. "Kakuzu, call the boss."
"You can't do that!" Squawked Sakura. She looked around for a doctor, nurse, ANYONE who had greater authority then her and could get these men to stop.
"Doctor, my employer is Itachi Uchiha." Said Kakuzu. "That is his little brother, Sasuke." He pulled out a phone and pressed a button. Sakura could hear it begin to ring. "He will not be happy if his brother is given drugs against his will."
Sakura swallowed. This was WAY beyond her paygrade. "I'm a fourth-year med student. Let me get you someone else to talk to." And she fled.
"Puke." Rasped from Sasuke's mouth.
Hidan quickly loosened the straps tying Sasuke to the bed. He grabbed a nearby bowl and held it and Sasuke as the younger man began to heave. Hidan leaned close and spoke gently in Sasuke's ear "Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
"As for me, I said, O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me…"
888888
(four hours after the fire)
"Thank you for the information, Dr…"
"Kato, Shizune Kato."
"Dr. Kato."
Shizune was pleasantly surprised at how nice and polite Itachi Uchiha was, compared to the first two of his employees who had shown up. She could see Sakura on the other side of the ED obviously trying to stay as far away from them as possible. She turned her attention back to Itachi. "Thank you for the paperwork showing that you have power of attorney for your brother. It's helpful."
"You're welcome." It was obvious that his attention was completely on his brother and the reply was automatic.
"I have other patients I must attend to. If you need anything, just ask one of the nurses." Shizune inclined her head and walked away.
"Nagato."
"Sir?"
"I…can't go in there. I…"
"I'll take care of it, sir." Nagato walked over to the exam room and entered. He looked at the frail, emaciated body of his employer's little brother. His eyes were dull. Even the boy's hair looked withered.
Sasuke looked up and focused on his brother's Head of Security. "Nagato, my brother…"
"Is here."
"But he's not coming." Sasuke spoke barely above a whisper.
"No. But I have a deal for you…"
888888
(six weeks after the fire)
Itachi thumbed through his mail and his brother's name in the upper left-hand corner of an envelope caught his eye. He tossed aside the rest of the mail and tore open the envelope. There were several pages written in Sasuke's precise scrawl.
Itachi began to read.
Tears fell on the letter.
His phone rang and glancing at who the caller was, he answered. "Mother."
"Did you receive a letter from your brother?"
"Yes, I'm reading it now."
"Oh, Itachi!"
888888
(just shy of three months after the fire)
The gentle buzz of the intercom nudged Itachi out of his concentration. Pressing the proper button, "Yes?"
The smooth voice of his secretary answered. "Sir, there is an Inoichi Yamanaka on the phone asking to speak with you on line 3."
"Thank you." Itachi picked up the phone. "Dr. Yamanaka, it's Itachi Uchiha."
"Mr. Uchiha, that you for taking my call. Obviously, I'm calling about your brother."
Itachi's gut churned. "Yes."
"Your brother's initial time here was to be three months. He wishes to continue therapy on an in-patient basis for another three months."
Itachi's breath escaped with a gasp. His hand tightened on the phone as he fought to get words out of his throat. "May I speak to my brother please."
"Of course, hold on."
"Itachi?"
Itachi closed his eyes and prayed. "Sasuke, do you want to stay there and continue treatment?"
"Yes. Please, Itachi, I'm getting better, but I still need help. Please, let me stay."
Itachi didn't fight the tears. "Whatever you need to do, little brother."
888888
(nine months after the fire)
Sasuke walked out of the front doors of the rehab hospital. He tilted his face to the sunshine. He'd been allowed to freely roam around the hospital grounds but the sunlight on the other side of the walls was just different somehow.
He opened his eyes and looked ahead. Waiting alongside the curb was a limousine. Leaning against the limousine was Itachi.
Sasuke began walking forward and before he could reach the vehicle, he was met by his brother. They stared at each other for a moment.
Sasuke saw the same man he'd always seen. His brother. Strong, powerful, handsome, slightly stressed, impeccable.
Itachi saw someone who was clear-eyed, no longer gaunt. He prayed that his beloved little brother would stay this way. "So, what do you want to do?"
"Go home first, if you'll let me."
"You are welcome to stay, as long as you follow the rules." Itachi accepted Sasuke's nod and gently guided his brother into the limousine. "Then what are your plans, if you have any."
"I want to go back to school and get my degree. Then I want to come back here and help others."
Itachi smiled and poked his brother between the eyes. "I think that's admirable."
Sasuke took a deep breath. "One step at a time."
Author's note: The first bible verse that Hidan says is Psalms 6:2, the second one that wasn't finished was Psalms 41:4 which ends with "…for I have sinned against you."
Author's note: I'm not a doctor or a drug rehab specialist and I'm not quite the World's Worst Christian but... So any mistakes about those...well, take them in the way that I mean well.