Standard disclaimer applies.
Author's notes: Thank you very much for the reviews! I'm honestly very happy with the response I've been getting. :D In this week's one-shot: Sasuke gets a taste of his own medicine! He is filled with nothing but frustration and regret after comin back from a mission gone wrong. Please read and review!

Extra note (and shameless plug): After putting this up, I'll post up a new story that was originally part of the collection, but somehow ended up becoming a three-part... thing. It's entitled 'Jealousy,' if you guys wanna read it.

Anxiety
09-12.01.2006

Sasuke feels tempted to simply get up and go back home.

He can't stand the stench of the sterilized room, the blinding whiteness of the linen, the sad yellow of the walls, or the crimson blood on Sakura's wound that seeps through the gauzes. But he is routed to his spot on the chair, fingers digging into his legs in frustration. Is this the way she felt every time she has watched him by his bedside on the hospital? Because, damn it, these feelings of impotence and regret are making him want to tear everything inside the room.

He can't stand being here because the more he stays in this place, the more he thinks that all of this is his fault, that he should have thought things more thoroughly instead of acting so rashly and stupidly. If he waits any longer here and looks at her ill state, guilt overwhelms him and drives him crazy. But she wouldn't leave. She wouldn't leave him alone, never. So he simply stays by her side and frowns at himself.

He hates the beeping sound of the tiny machine connected to her heart. He hates sensing as every drop of serum falls and runs through the intravenous. And as the hollow sound reverberates in his mind, the raven-haired, young man reprimands himself, thinking that he should have been faster, save her before she was hurt, kill the bastard who did this to her... Sasuke had been paralyzed with raw anger… and fear.

'Why, why, why, dammit?!' He had fallen on his knees in front of her, blood red eyes turning back to terrified onyx orbs, 'Don't lose her too… Don't lose her here… Don't lose her!'

Sakura isn't supposed to be one more patient in this hospital but the doctor in charge of treating others. She is an active woman to whom routine results in something dull. She is a woman who is used to the ups and downs of her double-profession and loves it that way. Sakura shouldn't be in this bed, much less for his sake. She should be up and about treating people and healing them with her skills.

"Sasuke-teme, hurry up, take her away!" Naruto yelled, blocking an attack as he stepped in front of them. Naruto was battered pretty badly too. "I'll beat the crap out of them, go!!"

Sasuke grits his teeth and groans in frustration as the memory flashes back in his mind. She had jumped in to block an upcoming attack that was coming from behind him, pushing Sasuke aside and causing him to stare at her in shock. Her barrier hadn't last long enough since most of her energy was drained from the battle and constantly healing her teammates; and consequently, she had been pierced thoroughly by a shower of shuriken and kunai, some of them even bearing small explosion tags.

"Sasuke!" Naruto urged him in a raspy voice. Sasuke didn't seem to acknowledge him, hands trembling as he gathered her against his chest. "Damn, Sasuke, take Sakura-chan away!!"

Their enemies were no ordinary people. These missing-nins were S-class rank, all of them, and they easily outnumbered Team 7. They had ambushed them on their camp at night. But now, the unexpected fact that such number of missing-nins would attack them collectively didn't occupy his mind. Godaime was taking care of this matter herself, after all. Naruto had been the one to take them out of the mess in the end. The boy hadn't allowed any of those ninja escape.

Naruto growled, his aura increasing with anger as he fought off a former Cloud shinobi, there were still two more of them fighting. "What are you waiting, you idiot!? Just take her away!"

Not once in his life had he hesitated like this time.He'd been too slow to react, only breaking out from his trance at Naruto's insistent cries and curses. And then he'd clung to her as he ran towards Konoha, praying to God in heaven, if there was really one, for her life. She couldn't die, she couldn't leave him. He wouldn't be here if it weren't for her, so if she died, then he…

She'd been so close to death. So, so close...

"Sakura, please…" he pleads. And silence meets him deafly.

His head falls against the bed as he remains sitting on the hard, wooden chair, both of his hands gripping her left arm. He wants to scream, to cry… to do something to relieve the pain eating up his insides. His fingers slips from her forearm to her hand and intertwine with her own. What he holds are calloused hands like his own, hands that are not soft and smooth like he remembered them to be, but still gentle when they touch him.

"Sa…suke…?" her voice is heard weakly.

His head jerks up almost instantly and he can tell by the look on her face that she is as surprised at the sight of him at her awakening. "Sakura…"

Something must be wrong, the girl before him thinks worriedly, because if there wasn't anything wrong there would be no way for Uchiha Sasuke to reach for her hand and hold it on his own. Much less… "Are you crying, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura hesitates before her right hand reaches up to his wet cheeks and strokes them softly.

He gathers her up very carefully and against his chest, embracing her without any notice. Sakura's eyes open widely, baffled, her face hidden by the curve of his slender neck. "Sakura…" he holds her tightly but gentle enough as if not to hurt her, "You are okay… Sakura…"

His voice is raspy, tired, and heartbreaking, and his tears begin falling on her shoulder, where his head is resting. Sakura understands then, and her arms surround him. "Yes, I'm okay."