"Paging nurse Joy, nurse Joy please report to the reception desk."
The voice over the PA system of the hospital was the sound to break the silence that was still between Sakura and Kakashi. As if by some magical force she finally moved further into the room to the stool at the foot of his bed. She had spent a fair amount of time on this stool watching over his comatose form.
"Welcome back…" Sakura managed to mutter looking into her former sensei's eye, "I know you can't talk yet but luckily those bandages of yours will be coming off later today, well some of them. Others can't you know? Of course you do… aaaaand I'm rambling" She tried to maintain a professional tone but found it impossible with the sheer amount of happiness and relief she felt was becoming harder and harder to suppress.
Kakashi blinked, "Mhm." He wanted to know how long he had been out, why didn't she just tell him right off the bat?
Tears were threatening the corners of her eyes, "I know you must have some questions but I promise we will get to those later." She stood and shined a light into his eye and liked what she saw, "Eye looks good." Now Sakura was just stalling as she sat back on the stool.
Staring at her blankly he could tell she was in some sort of distress.
Feeling like she was about to lose it Sakura hid her face behind the clipboard wiping her eyes, "Y-you idiot…" she chuckled sounding broken up, "You have no idea how… how good it is to see you awake." Sakura fought back her tears and lowered the clipboard, "I'll be back once your bandages are off and we can talk then. I'll answer any questions you have at that point."
"Humph." Kakashi hummed in response. He could see the traces of tears on her cheeks and corners of her eyes. It made it seem like he had been gone forever for her to react this way.
Sakura stood wiping her eyes on her lab coat sleeve once more. Walking out of the room she made her way to the patient desk where a few nurses were gathered chatting about what they did the night before. When one of them spotted Sakura making a beeline for them. They hurried too look busy but she didn't care one way or another at this point.
"Can we help you Doctor Haruno?" One asked looking up from an upside down folder that was supposed to be her cover.
"Yes. Hatake, Kakashi, I want his bandage removal to be marked as the first thing to do this morning by the surgical staff and I want to be notified as soon as it is done."
"Sure thing." Another who was wearing surgical team scrubs nodded making a note on a pad.
Sakura's eyes flicked to the girl with the upside down folder a small friendly smirk appeared on her features, "If you are going to pretend to be working, at least have the folder the right side up."
"Oh… heh, sorry Doctor Haruno it won't happen again." The nurse's face was bright red from embarrassment.
Turning Sakura left the area feeling lighter than air. To have this news first thing in the morning… there wasn't a better way to start the day. Deciding to ride this wave she made her way to her office to discard her coat before making her way outside. The surgical staff wouldn't be at the hospital for a good while so she figured she had time to grab breakfast at the café down the street. Her mind buzzed with all the questions that Kakashi might have for her but tried to keep her focus on the more jovial ones so as not to ruin her mood.
Upon her arrival at the café she ordered an omelet and a vanilla latté. While she waited for her food at an outside table a familiar blond girl walked toward her direction from down the street surely making her way to the school. Ino had taken up teaching a few classes at the school while waiting to be assigned a team of genin's. She often took this way to the school grounds to drop off a morning beverage for Sakura but this morning that would be unnecessary. Ino faltered slightly surprised to see Sakura outside of the hospital this early in the morning. Normally her pink haired friend would be locked up in her lair trying to bust out some last minute forms for the day.
"Ohayo Ino!" Sakura smiled as Ino approached and sat with her.
"Wow the forehead beast has emerged from her cave." She grinned, "What's got you so giddy this morning?"
Sakura leaned in close, "Kakashi woke up this morning."
"REALLY?!" Ino exclaimed disbelievingly.
"Shhhh~ we can't let this news get out yet. He isn't ready for the political crowd to come in and start harassing him."
"Oh right… sorry. But hey! That's great!" Ino checked her watch, "Look I would love to stay and chat but I have to be at the school early. I ducked out early for a date last night and need to finish grading some exams."
Sakura raised an eye brow, "Oh? That's makes it the third one. I don't I have ever seen you last this long."
"Oh shut up. I'll fill you in later. Gotta run!" With that Ino trotted off leaving Sakura to the omelet that had just been dropped off.
Thirty minutes later Sakura had finished her meal and was making her way back to the hospital. As she was about to reach the doors when there was a loud bang and crash that echoed among the filling streets. Sakura took cover behind a corner hands glowing green with chakra flow. Her heart raced eyes darting around looking for the assailant. Of course, there was no enemy to be found. The true cause of the noise could be seen down the street a little further where someone had slammed a door and then ran into a set of metal trash cans that were left by the exit of their building.
The chakra faded from her hands as her heartbeat slowed back to normal. How long had it been since the war ended? Almost three months… and she was still having these PTSD attacks. Lately she had been able to suppress the physical reaction although not all of them. Shaking her head she continued her way into the hospital trying to ignore what she had just done. Sakura stopped at the reception desk looking for any folders that may have already been put into her inbox. Luckily none.
"Doctor Haruno?" A small trainee walked up to her with a clipboard and notes, "These are for you. The surgical staff is with their first patient and should be done in another ten minutes or so."
"Thank you… Harumi, isn't it?"
"Ah, yes. And thank you for remembering. Most people still call me intern."
"Eh give them some time and they will remember. The last one didn't get remembered by his name until he came out of a room covered in a patient's sick. It's in those moments when you are truly inducted into our little family."
"Th-that won't happen to me will it?" The intern looked a little disgusted from this story.
"Oh no don't worry hun. It could be fecal matter or blood."
With that Sakura turned leaving the intern shaking in her shoes. Of course she wasn't entirely serious but these were some of the hazards of the job. Plus everyone loved to mess with the newbie in the halls. Just because Sakura was in charge of this whole complex didn't mean that she couldn't be a part of that timeless tradition.
The nurses that were roaming the halls of the hospital noticed Sakura's chipper mood. Normally she would speed walk through the bustling halls always looking as if she was busy and shouldn't be approached unless it was absolutely necessary. But this morning they waved at her with small smiles and Sakura happily returned each one. Reaching her office she donned her lab coat checking herself in the mirror once again. Not that she was looking to impress anyone but having a professional look was important while at the hospital. After a few touch ups to her make up Sakura left and made her way back to Kakashi's room knowing the removal should be done by now.
When Sakura turned came to the room the door was closed again but the "Do Not Disturb" sign wasn't up so she knew it was empty except for Kakashi. She hesitated in front of the door. It felt like it had been an eternity since she had last spoke to any of her old teammates. She wasn't counting the nights where she would just sit by Kakashi's bed telling him about how the village is doing, how she is doing, or other various news because they weren't actually conversing. This would be her first conversation since the end of the war with someone of her team.
Taking a deep breath she reached out with a shaking hand and turned the handle. Entering silently she saw him sitting up, mask on, and reading one of his books that had been on his bed side table since he had arrived at the hospital. Sakura had actually taken up reading his books to him whenever it was late and she couldn't sleep. Much to her surprise he had been right after all those years. The books were much better than public opinion let on.
Kakashi didn't looked up from his book when she entered. But at the sound of Sakura clearing her throat his head lifted and turned seeing her standing in the entrance with the door slowly closing behind her. Silence pressed between them neither sure of how to start the conversation.
Feeling she was in the lead role here Sakura moved further into the room and grabbed the stool scooting it close to his bedside and sitting down. She used this time as an extension to figure out what to say but still had nothing. Sakura wanted to be friendly, warm, encouraging. Kakashi had been gone a long time and would need help getting back up to speed. But that meant not thrusting it all down his throat right off the bat. Simple, they needed to start off simple.
"Sleep well?" Sakura spoke softly one of her old smiles creeping onto her face glad to finally be able to really talk to him.
