Chapter Four: The White Board Tells No Lies
Author's Notes: -Sigh- I keep trying to write my other stories, but I'm still finding a great challenge in them. But, I'm still trying. Your best bet is that Rented to Be and Chasing the Darkness will be updated before Just Right of Perfect. Breakable will come along eventually. I'm betting on things being updated in a couple of week's time, and I'll try and keep my profile updated.
Warnings/Disclaimer: Been there, done that.
Chapter Four: The White Board Tells No Lies
I barely remember the night in the hospital. I was woken up every two hours apparently, but I don't recall a single moment of it. Another 'apparently' was that I had split my head open. I could at least blame my dumb moments on circulation being cut off in my head due to the bandages. When I really came too after being woken by a nurse, my room was pretty full, and thankfully pretty dark.
My mom was the first to sit down next to my bed and talk to me, considering everyone else was standing around me like I was about to die. Now please, people pay attention! When concerned for a close friend, don't circle their bed like they're on the verge of death. It's horrifying. And when I sat bolt upright – well…the word 'pain' didn't describe it. But, the pan I puked in caught some of my summarizing words; maybe you can fish them out for me?
My mom settled me down instantly with a startled look, mixed with a furious one, and I knew I was going to give her a damn heart attack. Hell, she survived a good few years being the mother of the Uzumaki Naruto. How she didn't have a medal by now I find to be a crying shame mixed with a shock.
She patted my arm once I was settled back into my bed to make sure I wasn't paying attention to anyone else in the room so she could explain the situation. She knew how my mind wondered.
"You'll be the death of me yet." She whispered – thankfully. I saw her face split into a smile I knew I inherited from her, and I heard her laugh. I had her laugh.
"Split your head wide open." She stopped to sigh, and she tossed me an amused look, "Only my kid."
I ginned at that. Any other mom would have panicked and screamed, but she was passed that by the time I was four. If it wasn't life threatening, now she found it insanely humorous.
"Trying to get dumb on me, hunny?"
I puffed out my cheeks at her to show her how insulted I was, but I really wasn't. I liked her teasing. When my dad died, it had all around stopped, and she lost all her spark it seemed like. It almost felt like I lost my mom right along with him.
"I-" Wow. Talking fucking hurts.
"Talking will hurt." She informs me very gently. Late.
She sighed, "Your helmet flew right off!" She made a crazy motion with her hands that I couldn't keep up with as she picked right back up with the story, "And seems the ground wasn't as soft as they thought. Looks like my boy found the only rock."
I groaned. It was my luck, I tell you.
"Scanned your head." And I saw her eyes twinkle even in the dimness of the room, and I heard the other occupant's chuckle and giggle. "I told them we'd been talking about it for so long, but hadn't gotten around to it."
I smiled at her. For some reason, even that fucking hurt.
"Whatever is in there is in working condition," She patted my arm gently again and I felt her squeeze it tightly, which meant I actually worried her. She leaned forward and kissed my forehead gently, and I felt her run her fingers just as lightly as she could through my hair.
"Love you."
Even my mother had tender moments, despite what a firecracker she could be, but I just mouthed the words back. 'Love you.'
Talking felt like letting off fireworks in my brain.
"Now, I need to get back to work!" She whispers louder now, "I'll be back after I get off. You get out tomorrow, alright?"
I went to nod, but it felt like someone punched me seventy-three times in my neck and head, and I instead stay still. Sasuke stops my mom from leaving, using his creepy psychic skills with noticing I had a question.
I mean really, I hadn't even informed you guys yet.
"Oh!" I watch her turn away from the doorway, and Sasuke hands me something before walking back off to the shadows or some crazy emo shit.
It's a handy little dry erase board they usually have hanging on the walls of the hospital. It wouldn't really surprise me if the bastard yanked it off without a care in the world.
I scribble sloppily Who am I staying with when I get out? And I find writing is five billion times better than talking. There isn't that sensation of my head exploding going on in the background. She smiles lightly.
"I think Sasuke can take great care of you sweetheart." She whispers to me, but I immediately think back to him smacking my hands just to get through to me to be careful.
N-O. Satan resides in that boy.
She laughs, even to the point she has to clutch on to the strap of her purse, and the pain is well worth hearing my mom laugh like that again.
"If you want to stay with me, fine. I'll talk to you about it tonight." She gave me one more gentle kiss in which I scribbled on the little white board:
Don't leave me with the Devil, he'll eat my soul.
She knew, at least then, I hadn't gotten any brain damage. Anymore at least. I was still her crazy son.
I heard her make a passing comment to Sasuke about not eating my soul, and I only held in my laughter for fear I would end up in tears from the pain in my head.
Kiba and Hinata sat down in seats next to my bed then, and I finally caught on to why they were doing this now. Not to overwhelm me or anything like that, but the noise. How I was thankful. I really wasn't sure how I got through my childhood without a concussion or a head wound, but damn was I ever thankful now.
"First-string." Kiba starts in an amused whisper, "And then you bust your head."
Uzumaki charm. I scribble down with a lazy smile.
He snorts and I watch him shake his head, "I'm starting for a little when the season starts till coach knows you're alright. He's going to be up here later to check on you."
Two devil's in on room. Let the games begin. I write that next, because let's face it, hell doesn't have enough room for two.
His laugh is less contained this time, and Hinata looks at him uneasily before she looks back at me. She had been crying, I could tell. Neji would kill me, because I could sense death. Her older cousin was a tad over protective from time to time, and just because I made her worry from getting injured meant my head was going to come clean off this time around.
I'm fine!
I drew a giant, sloppy smiley face next to this to show her, and she giggled a little.
It just hurts my head to talk.
I hear Kiba laugh next to me, seeing as I'm not paying attention to him at that second, and I heard him mutter through his chuckles, "Nothing new there blondie."
I had left myself open for that insult, so I couldn't fault him for taking the stab. Ten points.
I scribble down my rebuttal with a crooked grin, and turn it towards Kiba even though I smile towards Hinata.
At least it doesn't hurt my brain to think, jackass.
Twenty points for me.
It wasn't surprising Hinata was scared to touch me, she probably thought I was broken completely. I was tempted to ask Sasuke for Armageddon juice just to see if he knew what I was talking about. If Morphine could make Sasuke feel better, it could make me feel better, that's for sure.
Kiba and Hinata left after I found out they had been there since nine in the morning and were actually skipping class. My Ms. Cleo senses were tingling, and I really saw Neji coming to kill me now knowing I was the reason for Hinata missing a class.
Go and learn or something productive.
I showed that part to them before I had to erase it for more room considering I wrote it too big.
If I decide to go to Hawaii, I'll call first.
Hinata finally smiles at that message, which gives me some relief. Maybe she'd talk Neji out of killing me. But seeing as how quiet she is, I highly doubt it.
Instead of Kiba ruffling my hair or punching my head jokingly like he usually does, he grabs my marker and erases my board for me. Which is fine, my fingers looked like I got busy with a Smurf.
He smiles as he writes, and a goofy lopsided one at that and I know he's writing something he shouldn't.
We heard everything last night.
I shoot him a confused look as he goes to erase it before anyone else can read it, and he waves me off, "Don't worry bro, I'll never let you live it down."
I grab the board again and scribble hurriedly, feeling a little panicked.
I didn't hit on a nurse in front of Hinata, did I?
See, I know what you're thinking. I shouldn't hit on a nurse period, but I figured I got a nice little excuse going here with having no memory and all. Plus, everyone and their brother knows I would never cheat on her. I'm not that type of guy. I can be obnoxious – true. I'm a joking annoyance – yeah, I admit. But I'm not a fucking jerk. So if I did ever hit on a nurse, it would most likely be a joke. Either that, or trying to score one for poor ol' Kiba.
He shook his head, and erased my message, and replied what I didn't want to see.
Worse.
Did I whip out my dick or something? Did I break up with her? God did I call her a name? She's really sensitive, and I adore that side of her. It's why we originally became friends.
He brought me back from my panic with another scribbled note that he only shared with my eyes.
Don't worry. (Kidding. Worry a lot.)
Shit he's an asshole sometimes.
Hinata didn't touch me, kiss me, smile towards me or anything of the sort when they made their leave; and that made my stomach flip a few times, tumbling extra considering it was empty. I had obviously hurt her in some way, but I didn't know how. I hope she understood that I didn't mean it considering I wasn't really conscious.
Itachi was the next to sit by my bedside, which surprised me and scared the fuck out of me. Sure, he loved torturing and pissing Sasuke off, but somehow I was dragged into this just by knowing his younger brother. He took the white board from my lap with an easy smirk, his eyes scaring me in the darkness of the room. Somehow, I was reminded of a serial killer in a horror movie.
He let his eyes flick down to the dry erase board as he drew away on it, and let his eyes flick up to me, "How are you feeling?"
How did Sasuke come out sane – oh, right, he didn't. I mean, how did he not come out not like a jumpy, anxiety laced fool with a brother like that? Oh yeah, his crazy father.
Don't tell him I said that.
He looked at me again after another moment of doodling, "Head hurt?"
I glare, even though it can't match up to his or Sasuke's. He even spares a snort in a condescending way as he goes back to his art.
He handed me the dry erase board after a moment later, and immediately after he left the room in that suave way those jackass Uchiha's do.
I look at the board and scowl. He had a little doodle of my head in the blue erasable marker, an arrow pointing to my head where there was an animated bump.
The word DUMBASS in bold.
Fuck they are all the same.
"Nice picture."
Sasuke made me jump, which made my head pound. I didn't know he was right next to me. He has that creepy, would-be ninja thing going on.
I look over at him after I'm done hissing like a hose that sprung a leak, finally willing to open my eyes after the pounding sensation had subsided, and realized that this is probably the reason I should be worried.
I never realized how defined his scars were until now. The small, light streams of light that come from the hallway seem to highlight them so I can count the mirrored scars. Three on each side of his face – I never knew how many. I've never seen the dobe hurt enough not to talk. Hurt enough to not actually get out of bed.
I watch him angrily erase Itachi's drawing with his hand, and began to sloppily write me a message which he passes off.
You alright bastard? Or was the night too hard without me?
I snort and glare at him, but my jaw clenches, which I saw him notice out of the corner of my eye. I saw his brow knit and his eyes squint, but I still respond to the message the one way that I know seems natural.
Hn.
He smiles at the white board and flicks me off, and I simply shrug. I glance at the entry way when a nurse peeks her head in, smiles, and makes her leave. It had been like that all night.
If they weren't waking him up, they were looking in on him. Personally I think the coma would have given his brain just enough time to rest to make him smart.
He smacks my knee with the white board to get my attention like some little kid. I glare as a simple reflex but take it anyway, even though in any other situation I would have thrown it or thrown it at him.
What's wrong?
"Nothing."
He snatches the thing out of my hands even though the movement has him groaning, wincing and hissing. I look at the heart monitor when it starts going off because his heart rate sky rocketed. The fucking idiot.
"Idiot."
He turned the board towards me with a face of determination, Tell me.
"No." I say as bluntly as possible.
He thrusts the board outward, and the machine continues to beep, the continued movement still hurting him and causing his heart rate to soar.
"No." I said firmly.
This time, he tried to sit up and I stood to push him back down. It really drove me mad with how stubborn the dobe could be. For some reason he thought idiocy could get him what he wanted.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with me anyway. Sometimes the idiot got it in his head that I had something wrong with me, and just convinced himself on nothing. He'd badger me for days on end, and never give up till I told him something.
It didn't take me long to make him lay back considering he didn't get far, and two nurses finally came in to check on him yelling about things, and leaving the curtain wide open. It had to hurt his head even more. But hey, apparently the dipshit didn't care.
One nurse lectures him while the other plays with the heart monitor, and I decide to write on the dry erase board that I took. I needed to leave soon. I had been there all night with Kushina and I needed to go home and take a shower, get to my class that I hadn't skipped, and get some sleep.
The clucking nurses finally leave, leaving a scowling Naruto behind on the bed. I walked up to him smirking on purpose because I knew it would piss him off.
"Do you remember anything from last night?"
He barely shakes his head for no, and I nod like I figured. "I need to get home."
He gives me a confused look and I look at him like I always do, like he's an idiot, "Dobe, I've been here all night. I need to get a shower and get to class."
He makes an 'O' and smiles gently, and I lay the whiteboard down on his stomach, "Heal fast, don't bitch, and play well."
I said everything else on the dry board, so instead, I just leave without a backwards glace as he picked it up, flipped it over, and gasped.
Author's Notes: Soooo tiiiirreed. Writing at four am is crrraaazzzy.
