Important note: This story was originally called 'Heartbeat'. It has since been changed to 'Where it Happened' - inspired by the poetic song from Hamilton "The Room Where it Happens".

Where it Happened
part ii

A soft sigh passed between Sakura's lips as she roused from her sleep. She woke slowly and a bit confused as she became aware that neither her alarm nor her pager had pulled her from her rest. It was then that she realized she was not alone in the small bed in the hospital on-call room and with groggy movements, she rolled over until she could peer through the darkness at the figure next to her.

It was Uzumaki Naruto. He was on his back on top of the covers with his hands draped across his stomach as he stared absently at the ceiling. Through the darkness, she could see he was dressed in his scrubs, his shoes still on as he traced the shadows on the wall, a dejected look on his face.

"Hey," she murmured sleepily. She was unperturbed at finding the male in bed with her; it was something Naruto had been doing since they had been in medical school together when he was upset or just needed silent company. "Rough night?"

In the quiet, she heard him take a deep breath but his bright blue gaze never wavered from the unlit overhead light. "Yeah," he murmured after a moment. "My baby died this morning."

A frown fell across her face at the news of the little patient he had been working to save every day for nearly two weeks since it had been born. She knew Naruto was a great pediatric surgeon, but even she had been doubtful of the infant's survival when he had first described its condition to her. Nevertheless, she pulled her arm out from under the covers and laid it over his own. They were doctors, they would move on, but for now she would offer him comfort until the next case came along.

"Is your shift over?" she asked after a moment.

He huffed humorlessly. "My shift ended yesterday. I'm supposed to be in surgery in a couple of hours." With her hand on his chest, she didn't miss the quiet yawn at the end of his sentence. "What about you?"

"Mm…what time is it?"

"Quarter to six."

Rolling over onto her back, Sakura stretched before she pushed herself up and wiped at the mascara that was sure to be smudged under her eyes. "I'm helping cover the pit this morning. Need to be there soon."

"Sounds like fun," he murmured insincerely. "Tell 'Kashi I say hi."

Sakura smiled fondly at the male before she stood from the bed and reached for her scrub top. She pulled it on over her undershirt before she gazed back at her longtime friend again. His eyes had slipped closed and she knew he was close to falling asleep with his slow, steady breathes. Quietly she pulled on her athletic shoes and murmured a soft 'good night' before she stepped out of the room, ensuring the door closed soundlessly behind her.

The hospital was already bustling with activity, even given the early morning hour. Nurses were updating attendings while residents and interns received their orders for the day. Sakura easily skirted around them, stopping in the attending's changing room to properly fix her makeup before she headed down towards the pit.

As always, she made a quick stop in front of the surgical board to see which surgeries were lined up for the day. She was working on pulling her hair up into a secure bun as she read when she heard a familiar voice: "-well let's just say I wouldn't say I wouldn't rush out of an on-call room if he came in."

With a smile forming on her face, Sakura turned to find Ino and Tenten, an attending in Orthopedics, leaning against a nurses' station as they gazed down the hall. Silently she walked up behind them and leaned over Ino's shoulder to see who had become the topic of their obviously inappropriate conversation. To her disappointment, she found their gazes were locked on none other than Itachi himself.

He was standing at the other end of the hall, speaking to a third-year resident. Even from this distance, Sakura could see the poor woman's nervousness as she accepted his orders and she was unable to hide her audible scoff, "Please don't tell me you two have the hots for him too."

The pair jumped and whipped around only to relax as they recognized her. "Dammit, Sakura," Ino complained. She brushed her long, blonde ponytail back over her shoulder before she crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter. "Where the hell did you come from? And what does it matter if we have the hots for him? Half the women in this hospital do."

Sakura sighed, but there was a smile playing about her lips. "That's because half the women in this hospital are unattached and haven't yet had the pleasure of working with him. He may be hot, but his arrogance his definitely worse than his reputation precedes."

Ino merely shrugged. "Maybe he's one of those cool-and-arrogant on the streets, hot-and-steamy in the sheets types."

Tenten giggled as Sakura fought back her smile. Her best friend was such a flirt it was to the point of ridiculousness. "Didn't you have a date or something last night?"

Her question forced a low groan from the gorgeous woman as Tenten attempted to bite back her laugh, "Apparently, he was a high school dropout."

"What!"

"It's not the dropout part I had a problem with," Ino defended. "I get it; shit happens. Hell, I dropped out of high school for a year before going back. But it's the fact that he dropped out, never went back and then started his own business, which apparently went bankrupt like five years ago – something he conveniently forgot to mention – and is now living at home." She crossed her arms over her chest with an agitated sigh. "He actually asked if I wanted to get a drink at his place. I would rather stitch my own wound with a rusty needle."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh at the woman's misfortune, but whatever response she was about to make was left unsaid as the very resident that had been speaking to Itachi suddenly rushed past. The three women perked up and watched as she hurriedly disappeared down the hall before they glanced at each other.

"I wonder what that was about?" Tenten murmured.

Sakura looked to where she had last seen Itachi to find him reading a chart nonchalantly. There was a set to his shoulders and a way in which he held himself that made her mouth purse in automatic annoyance. She got the impression he was intimidating the residents just to mark his territory or at the very least make his superiority known, as if the color of his scrubs weren't indication enough, but she merely watched him as he turned away and disappeared down the opposite end of the hall.

"She just finished talking to Sir Glares-alot. What do you think it was about?"

Both Tenten and Ino snorted at the nickname. "I can see you're real fond of him," the brunette said humorously as she glanced at her watch. "Anyway, I should go make sure my resident is prepping my patient for surgery. I'll see you later."

They murmured a farewell to Tenten and watched her leave before Sakura turned back to her blonde friend. She was looking at her expectantly. "What?" Sakura asked.

Ino merely shrugged. "You seem rather intolerant of your new boss. Any particular reason?"

Her blue eyes were piercing, and Sakura quickly shot her a look. "I know what you're thinking, and no, he doesn't remind me of Gaara. I just don't like arrogant men who strut around here like they own the damn place."

"I'm just saying it seems like you judged him quicker than you normally would," she said, holding up her hands. "It's possible you're right and he is just a gorgeous bastard, but it's also possible there's more to him than what we've seen. Not everyone is like how Gaara was."

Sakura frowned as her friend walked away, her blonde hair swaying behind her. She tried not to let their conversation ruin her mood, but the reminder of the redheaded Neurosurgeon she had once shared a bed with a number of years ago had left a bad taste in her mouth. She found herself unconsciously glaring as she turned and made her way towards the pit. Her time spent with Gaara was not a fond memory and annoyance simmered in her chest that Ino had brought up the very topic she hated to discuss. By the time she walked into the ER, she was almost relieved to find doctors and nurses rushing about wildly as they tended to what appeared to be half a dozen traumas.

"Haruno, I need you!"

She glanced towards Hatake Kakashi, their Head of Trauma, as he helped push a patient towards a trauma room. Immediately she followed him as she finished tying on her trauma gown. "What do we got?" she asked as she slipped on her gloves.

"A twenty-three-year-old male was hit by a bus. Massive injuries to his chest and abdomen," Kakashi said as they got the man settled and began cutting the rest of his clothes away. "It's going to be a long one."

That, she was grateful for.

##

Itachi navigated the long corridors of the surgical ward in silence. There were a handful of nurses and residents doing evening rounds, but none disturbed him as he walked, his attention focused on the chart in his hand. In fact, many of them seemed to scurry out of his path as he approached, but he didn't pay them any mind as he continued on. He had surgery in an hour and there was another case he was needed to consult on before he could begin.

Rounding the corner, he ventured down the series of halls that would take him to the elevator that would lead him directly to Emergency Room. He rounded a nurses' station and was about pass the surgical board when movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Slowing, he glanced up from his chart only to draw to a complete halt when he saw the slot his surgery had been written in only hours before was not only empty, but was now being written in with an entirely different surgery.

He recognized the head of Trauma immediately. "Hatake, I have a surgery scheduled in that OR in an hour."

The silver-haired male stopped writing to glance over his shoulder at him. "The head nurse took it off. I had assumed it was free to use?"

"The head nurse?" he asked. His tone was sharp, betraying his annoyance. "Who gave them the authority? Where are they?"

Kakashi said nothing. He merely nodded toward the nurses' station and Itachi followed his gaze until he spotted a woman a few years his junior standing behind the desk. She was sorting through paperwork but looked up expectantly upon his approach. "Doctor Uchiha, right?"

He tried not to glare at the woman. "I had surgery scheduled in OR 3 in an hour. Why was it removed from the board?"

Her brow arched in surprise. "Billing said they were going to call you. They said we had to cancel the surgery due to your patient's insurance being revoked."

"Revoked?" he repeated, his anger suddenly gone.

Immediate dread filled him as he recalled his patient's mother telling them that their insurance had been giving them trouble lately. He had done his best to push the surgery forward as quickly as possible to get the procedure done before the family had to choose between either being stuck in unfathomable debt for the rest of their life or forced to deny their child the lifesaving surgery he needed. He could only guess what they had been pressed to do.

"Dammit," Itachi cursed.

Without pause, he dropped the chart he had been reading onto the nurses' station before he returned down the halls he had just come. He rushed towards the center elevator banks and waited impatiently for the lift to arrive before he hurriedly made his way up to the pediatric ward. Upon arriving at his patient's room, he found the young child sitting in bed, dressed and watching his mother as she packed up their personal belongings. She looked so dejected he could physically feel the emotion in the room.

"I just heard what happened."

The woman stopped her packing and looked up at him. She pursed her lips to hide their waver before she took a deep breath. "We all saw this coming. The insurance has been giving us trouble ever since…" she trailed off as her voice cracked slightly. "Ever since Haru's father got injured at work. We thought we could just pay for the surgery ourselves, but the hospital is telling us that our income is too low to cover even the lowest monthly payment plans."

She glanced at her son and Itachi followed her gaze to see the young boy had taken to playing with one of his many stuffed toys. He was far too young to understand their conversation or even comprehend the current situation, and against his better judgment Itachi felt his heart go out to the family. He knew not to get his emotions involved, but he knew this family would not have flown out to this hospital if it hadn't been for him. He had encouraged them to come see him after he had temporarily moved his practice across the country and he knew he could not just allow them to get on an expensive flight without helping their son first. It was amazing he had survived the journey there at all.

"We may have one other option," Itachi finally said.

The young mother gazed up at him with timid hope shining in her eyes. "There is?"

"Yes," he nodded. "However, it may take me some time to get the paperwork together. Would you mind waiting just a little longer?"

"The nurse already said she was bringing us our discharge papers."

"Do not sign them. If anyone tries to discharge you, have them page me," he told her. "I will return as soon as I can."

A frown settled upon the woman's face, but eventually she nodded, her hands going slack on the backpack she had been filling. Once he was sure they would stay, Itachi backed out of the room, sliding the door closed behind him, before he took off deeper into the heart of the hospital. He had been to the Chief of Surgery's office only a handful of times previously, but he recalled the fastest route and made his way there with hurried steps. He had a plan, but he would need permission first and there was only one answer that would satisfy him.

The moment he was outside the Chief's office, he knocked twice before he pushed the door open. "I apologize for interrupting, Chief, but I must speak with you."

Behind her desk, Senju Tsunade looked up, her hazel eyes peering at him over the top of her glasses. She arched a single brow at him, the simple gesture displaying her authority more than any words possibly could. "Well by all means, come on in." He didn't miss the obvious tone of sarcasm in her voice. "This better be important, Uchiha."

"It is," he nodded.

"I guess we should finish our conversation later then."

Unaware there was another person in the room, Itachi glanced into the corner that had previously been out of his peripheral. To his surprise, he found none other than Sakura lounging almost casually on the small office couch. She wasn't glaring at him but he got the feeling she wanted nothing more than to tell him to get out of the damn room. However, she didn't voice her opinion as she slid her cool, emerald gaze off him and stood.

In a way, they had been at odds ever since his arrival in the hospital. She was highly intelligent and a noteworthy cardiac surgeon, and though she appeared to have many friends within the hospital, her attitude towards him had been coolly respectful - their conversations purely work-related and never longer than necessary. He had an inkling as to what had caused her dislike of him - it was common within his highly proud, highly prodigious family - but it surprised him she would take his warning so personally.

Her frosty attitude was shining now as she brushed out the wrinkles on her scrubs before she glanced at the Chief. "I'll come back later."

Tsunade nodded once before Sakura turned and headed towards the doorway. Itachi stepped aside to allow her room to leave and unsurprisingly she slipped past him without a glance, their arms nearly brushing in the small entryway. He caught a faint trace of her shampoo and laundry detergent, but it quickly faded and he watched her leave until she disappeared down the hall before he closed the door.

Returning his attention back to the Chief, he approached her desk until he was standing a respectful distance before the older, blonde woman. "I want to perform a Pro Bono valve replacement."

As he expected, she sat back in her chair, an incredulous expression on her face. "That is a very expensive surgery. Why the hell would I approve that?"

Taking a deep breath, Itachi answered.

##

Sakura trailed her fingers lightly over the spines of the many books lining the bookshelf. She skimmed their titles quickly until she found the one she had been searching for and easily plucked the thick text from the shelf and flipped it open.

The research library was unsurprisingly empty given the time of night. Most interns and residents were too busy completing evening rounds to be in the room, leaving Sakura the freedom to read and the freedom to do so in peace. It was a form of relaxation for her – to be able to sit when she wasn't busy with patients or surgeries; a chance for her to unwind after a busy shift, even if Ino usually poked fun at her for being such a nerd. She didn't mind going out with her best friend to the bar after work – a lemon drop or three usually loosened her tired mind – but tonight, there had been an interesting case study plaguing her and she had been itching to know more.

For some time, she read in silence, but being an attending – and one with many friends within the hospital at that – she was hardly ever left alone for long. The newcomer was kind enough to let her finish reading her paragraph and once she reached the bottom, she looked up expectantly. Her brow arched at finding Itachi standing at the end of the bookshelf she was leaning against, a patient but cool expression on his face.

"Uchiha."

He nodded politely. "I wanted to apologize for interrupting your conversation with the Chief. I was unaware you were in the room."

"It's fine. It seemed like whatever you had to say was pretty important," she said stiffly. She closed her book slowly, her fingers marking her page. Then she fixed him with a stare. "But I know you didn't come here just to apologize, so what can I do for you?"

The corner of his mouth twitched before he pushed off the bookshelf and approached her until they could speak more privately. With his height, she was forced to crane her neck to meet his eyes. They were dark and intense, and she tried to ignore the way her skin warmed under his attention. He was an ass, but he was still a handsome ass.

"You are right. I have a favor to ask of you," he admitted. "I am performing a Pro Bono valve replacement on a five-year-old and I was hoping you could assist me."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. "Pro Bono on a valve replacement? And the Chief actually cleared it?"

Itachi nodded. "She did."

She huffed in quiet disbelief. "The Chief isn't really known for her generosity around here. You must have put up quite a fight to get her to say yes."

Surprisingly, Itachi just leaned back against the shelves, his arms crossed loosely and his expression vacant of the haughty look she had come to associate with him. "It is a case worth fighting for."

She resisted the urge to reply with a sarcastic comment and instead crossed her arms over her book as she cocked her brow at him. "Even still, a valve replacement is a four-hour surgery, even longer if there are complications. You want me to assist you free of charge?"

She could see she was testing his patience and secretly it gave her some pleasure, but he surprised her further by remaining courteous as he met her gaze evenly. "I know you do not care for me very much and I respect that you have remained professional about it, but this case is important and I would appreciate it if you did me this favor."

His honesty took her aback. She had been expecting him to pressure her or at the very least fix her with that simple but commanding look he had been walking around with for weeks now; but instead she found herself standing across from this very influential man, his presence unimposing and the usual arrogance he displayed absent. It made her wonder if this case was important to him.

"You're my boss," she said after a moment. "It's a requirement for me to remain professional."

His expression turned curious and he seemed to consider something for a moment before he cocked his head. "Is your complaint with me because I threatened to bench you?"

His forwardness took her by surprise, but she shook her head nonetheless. "No. I stepped out of line and you warned me what would happen should I do so again. I have no right to hold that against you."

"Then what is it?" he asked not unkindly.

Sakura opened her mouth but the words never came as she began to wonder if perhaps Ino had been right. He did remind her of Gaara in some ways, but the fact he was currently being so open with her made her realized that perhaps she had formed her opinion of him too quickly; she had been critical of his every move ever since their first encounter. He was simply a new attending trying to learn the ins and outs of this new hospital and rather than assisting him, she had been purposely unhelpful ever since their first encounter.

"Shit," she murmured to herself. She was the one being the ass - not him.

Relaxing her stance, Sakura lowered her crossed arms to hold her book across her stomach as she pursed her lips, her obstinacy slowly dissolving. This time when she met his gaze, her hostility and sarcasm were gone. "I don't dislike you," she finally said. "I just haven't found a reason yet to like you. But this…this just might sway me. What time do you need me?"

Itachi blinked in surprise. "You will assist?"

She shrugged nonchalantly but there was a smile playing about her lips. "I was never going to say no. I have a thing for sick kids. Can't ever turn away."

He seemed almost flabbergasted at her answer, as though he hadn't expected her to openly admit to jerking him around for the hell of it, but then his expression softened as a quiet huff of amusement escaped him. "You are most unusual, Doctor Haruno," he murmured almost to himself. Then he straightened from the bookshelf. "I will schedule an OR then. Would ten fit into your schedule?"

"I'll be there."

He nodded and made to leave only to pause as he turned back to her, his expression open and full of gratitude. "Thank you, Haruno."

She couldn't bite back the small smile on her face. "You're welcome, Uchiha."

And like it had never disappeared, the confident tilt of his chin returned as he cocked a brow at her. "Actually, I prefer Sir Glares-alot, if you do not mind."

Sakura froze. Her eyes widened and she stared at him as she wondered how he had learned of the nickname she had given him only earlier that morning. He seemed to sense her question for he smirked. "You should know the nurses like to gossip," he explained.

Sakura opened her mouth to defend herself or at the very least apologize, but the words never came and Itachi used her silence to take his leave, his smirk still present. "I look forward to our surgery."

Then he disappeared around the bookshelf, leaving her to her scrabbling thoughts amongst the vast rows of medical books. Her heart was still hammering against her ribcage as she realized he had to have known she hadn't poked fun of him benevolently, but the fact that he hadn't immediately benched her did calm her some. However, it was that most peculiar look on his face that made her hesitate in returning to her book as she stared at where he had disappeared. A most confusing thought fell upon her. Had he just teased her?

A sense of humor didn't fit into the image she had painted of him, but it seemed she was learning all sorts of new things about her boss today, and with a low groan in the back of her throat, she realized it was likely she would learn more tonight. She was in for a very long surgery.

tbc...

Well crap. This is turning out to be exactly like 'Blurred Lines', where I'm just trying to get a story idea out and now it has blown up and won't stop. I'm not sure exactly where this is going...but it is going, and I am going to have fun getting there. Enjoy!