Has it really been over 3 years since an update? Let's catch up here, my lovely readers: Due to an immense amount of writer's block, school, sports, LIFE, it's obvious that my writing had seized. But after (surprisingly) remembering my account information and realizing where my stories had left off, I had to come back. I can't leave this story unfinished after I put so much thought into it; perhaps I'll even redo the entire story. In 2009 I was a sophomore...freshman? Early high school. But now I'm a graduate in college and my spare time will go into finishing this story. Maybe even start writing more? Who knows what spontaneous ideas I'll have to type? But, time to stop rambling. I'm back for the time being.
For those who have read my work in the past, I think you'll be greatly pleased with how my writing has matured and grown over the years. I take a lot of pride in my stories, and when I DO manage to get really into a story I put a lot of time and thought into every chapter. I hope you enjoy my stories. I think you will.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the next chapter of A Month Ago.
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"Can anyone tell me where the doctors are?!" Sasuke spoke harshly, losing his temper in the slightest. Shikamaru was already down the hall calling for help from anyone, while Neji and Naruto stood across from Sasuke.
"Sasuke, calm down. I'm sure Sakura can still sense you're worrying. You need to relax. I'm sure the doctors are doing what they can," Neji said calmly.
As if the doctor had heard everything, he came strutting in the room, ready to continue helping Sakura. "For such a minor injury, it sure is causing a lot of problems, isn't it?" No one answered the doctor's rhetorical question. Sasuke probably would've said something crudely sarcastic, but decided to keep his own opinion in his head. The doctor, ignoring the obvious tension (which was quickly escalating), started stitching the wound on Sakura's forehead. To the average person, the cut would've needed a few bandaids. Sakura, however, was not the typical person.
After what could've possibly been the longest fifteen minutes of Sasuke's life, the doctor injected some morphine into her IV, nodded his head to the group, and left the room quietly. Everyone looked around at each other, unsure of what to do or say next.
"Well, uhh, I think I'm going to do down and get a drink or something. Does anyone want to join?" Kakashi asked, breaking the awkward silence. He felt as though Sasuke wanted to be alone with Sakura, judging by the way he continued to stare at her.
"You know I am rather parched, maybe I'll get a couple water bottles, do you think they sell ramen here 'cause I'm a little hungry too, but wait maybe!-" Shikamaru, who had returned to the room shortly after the doctor started stitching, slapped his hand over Naruto's mouth. "Naruto. Shut. The hell. Up."
"I could use a snack or something too, let's see what they have available in the food court," Neji said.
"You guys go, I'll stay with her," Sasuke replied back to everyone. So Kakashi's senses were right. Quickly nudging the guys out of the room, he shut the door behind them and silence commenced, minus the heart monitor quietly beeping away. Sasuke relaxed and pulled up a chair next to Sakura's bed. Her breathing had returned to normal, and she was sleeping. Sasuke watched her chest slowly rise and fall with her every breath. For some reason, he felt the need to protect this girl. He, of all people, wanted to make sure she was safe from harm. And while there were certain medical problems he couldn't solve, he promised to himself right then and there that no matter what happened, he would keep Sakura as happy as she could possibly be.
Suddenly, there was a barely noticeable knock on the door; Sasuke shifted his attention towards the girl peaking her head in. Tenten made her way through the door as quietly as she could and shut it. "Hey Sasuke, how are you doing?"
"Hnn," Sasuke replied. His focus was back on Sakura's breathing. The corner of Tenten's lip rose slightly, but instead of saying anything, she moved to the other side of Sakura's bed so she was facing Sasuke. "How is she doing?"
"I guess okay. The doctor stitched her up and left," Sasuke left his answers short and sweet. He didn't feel like interacting with anyone, especially someone he didn't know.
"I don't think we've met, I'm Tenten. Neji is my partner for your class assignment," Tenten was trying her hardest to make small talk. She didn't want to be in that room, that hospital, but she needed to make sure Sakura was okay so she could sleep peacefully.
"Yeah, he said you're into weapons."
"Haha, yeah."
"You don't look like you're sick at all, why are you in the hospital?" Tenten chuckled. "I'm not that sick anymore. I'm getting over pneumonia. I've been here for about a week, but hopefully I'll be out in a few days," she answered.
"I guess Neji will be getting a new partner then."
She looked down. "Huh, I never thought about that. I guess he will." To be honest, she didn't mind Neji. She gave him attitude earlier, and he thought it was funny. Not many people put up with her. She was thankful to be leaving, but she had just met this guy! And, as much as she hated to admit it, she didn't have many attractive visitors...none were cute, actually. She turned the other way, the heart monitor suddenly becoming interesting, to make sure Sasuke didn't see the blush rising to her cheeks.
"So you guys were just walking and she tripped?" Sasuke asked, the silence becoming unsettling.
"Yeah! She just fell. Mid-sentence, even. We were talking about how nice it was outside and she collapsed. Thank goodness there was a nurse on break, otherwise we wouldn't have known what to do other than scream her name to high heaven." Sasuke didn't say anything to that. A few minutes went by, and Tenten yawned. "Well I suppose I'm going to bed, it's getting late." So it was, almost midnight to be exact. Sasuke nodded. As Tenten stood up to leave through the door, she turned back to Sasuke.
"You know, it's been a long time since she's had a good friend. Well, except us girls. We're all she has. I think it would mean so much to her if you spent some time with her, and maybe not just time forced upon you for class." Sasuke looked at her, almost stunned. Tenten shrugged and left the room. Turning back to Sakura, he grabbed for her hand out of his own instinct. It may have only been a couple days, but he felt this connection he couldn't explain. Like Sakura was sent to be his best friend. Maybe more? Hell no. Maybe? NO. Grunting, he sat and thought to himself about this entire assignment, this girl, and what Tenten had said. Eventually, deciding he had spent enough time by himself, he got up, said goodbye as softly as he could, and left the room.
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Day Five
The bus wasn't moving fast enough for the guys. Neji, Shikamaru, and Naruto had gone every day to the hospital with the rest of the class to see the girls. Sasuke, on the other hand, went home every day after school to sit by himself. His worrying was at its peak, he needed to see her. He was the last person to see her, minus the doctors. They had her stay in bed, and wouldn't allow anyone to see her so she could properly rest. Sasuke was eager to see how Sakura was doing now, as were the rest of the guys.
Sasuke was the first to sprint off the bus as soon as it came to a complete stop. Who could blame him? Speed walking to her room, he passed nurses and left his friends in the dust. He approached her door and knocked urgently but quietly and walked in. Sakura was sitting up in bed with clean gauze wrapped around her head, and she gave him her biggest smile. And for once, Sasuke smiled back. "You look so much better, Sakura."
"I feel a lot better! My head isn't pulsing crazily anymore," Sakura said cheerily. After that, it was like nothing had happened. They caught up and talking their time away.
.xx.
"Well it sounds like you had quite the night, Naruto..." Hinata said, rubbing her temples gently.
"Yeah! We weren't sure if she was going to be okay or not, I mean there was a lot of blood everywhere and she wasn't breathing right and it was really scary and horrible and I hope it never happens again! Did you know this hospital doesn't sell ramen, I mean what kind of place doesn't sell ramen, not somewhere I want to be!" Naruto continued to talk quickly to Hinata. She couldn't help but giggle. He was cute, and every time she brought up Sakura he would say the same thing as he did the day before, and the day before that. She missed her friend greatly; maybe she'd ask to see Sakura once Naruto left.
"So, anyway Hinata, has your father visited you?" Naruto asked. Hinata must've been so gone in a daydream, she stuttered horribly. "M-My f-f-father? What now? Oh, umm. No, he hasn't. But that's okay, I enjoy the peace."
"You don't really say much about him."
"Well you don't ask much about him, silly." Hinata put on a fake smile. Naruto, as oblivious as he usually is, shrugged and continued talking about school instead. Hinata took a small breath of relief. Her father was a tricky subject, and some things are better left in the dark.
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"HA! I beat you again!" Ino beamed. Shikamaru was stunned. Beyond that, he was bewildered. Ino had beaten him for the third time at chess, a game he wasn't ever defeated in. He could do nothing but stare at his king piece, knocked over on its side, slightly rocking back and forth. "B-But, how? THIS IS MY GAME DAMN IT!" Shikamaru pouted.
"Oh Shika, don't get so angry over a silly little game!" Ino said playfully, pinching his cheek ever so slightly. Shikamaru blushed.
"Shika?"
"Yeah! I give all my friends pet names. Well, some of them, really only Sakura. I call her "Forehead" but that's a really long story, do you want to hear it? Or maybe I can tell you why I decided to call you Shika! Oh they're both good stories, I'll just tell you both! So back when Forehead and I were in elementary school—"
Shikamaru was reminded that although Ino was actually remarkably intelligent, she still was a total blonde. Talkative, and rather beautiful. It was too bad he never remembered the stories she told him, they always ran in one ear and out the other.
.xx.
"So I saw Sakura that night," Tenten said to Neji. She was playing with a kunai, gently poking her fingertip to the pointed top. Neji paused. "The night she got stitched up?"
"Well yeah. I was worried; I snuck over to her room. Sasuke was the only one in there, he was watching her breathe." Neji smirked. Sasuke actually cared for a female? No way. Especially one he just met. But maybe that had a certain something he was missing. They did have some things in common. But was that enough for him to stay by her bedside inside of going to get snacks like the rest of them? He might have to pry a little.
"I told him he should stay."
"What do you mean stay?"
Tenten sighed. "I feel as though once your assignment is over, he'll leave. Sakura only has a short time left, and if he leaves...Neji she isn't stable. Physically, I mean. If he leaves, she could go downhill very quickly. She's attached to him already and I don't want to see her suffer. I just hope he stays. Maybe...maybe that'll give her more of a reason to stay."
Neji paused. It was obvious that Tenten cared a great deal for Sakura, for everyone actually. But definitely Sakura. He wasn't sure if it was because Sakura only had a few months at best to live, or something else. But he was confused about one thing. "What do you mean by stay? Doesn't she want to get better?"
"I'm not supposed to tell anyone this. But I trust you. Sakura's already given up. Well no. Let me rephrase. Sakura has accepted her fate. From the moment the doctor told her she was going to die, she accepted it. It doesn't matter to her if she gets better or not. But it matters to me, okay? And Ino, and Hinata and maybe even Sasuke! But not to her. If by some slim chance Sasuke stays longer than your assignment, maybe she'll find the will to live and push through her tumor just a little longer."
Neji had no words to say. He opened his mouth a couple times with a stutter, but no full words came out. Sakura really had no will to live? Did she even care that she was dying? This didn't make sense. Life was life, it's beautiful. SHE'S beautiful, but does that even matter?
"Neji so many people fight for so long to get better for their family and friends, and most of the time the fight ends badly. There's so much sadness and disappointment. Maybe she thinks that if she tells us she's okay with death enough times, it'll be easier on us in the end," Tenten said.
"But that'll just be harder on all of you."
"...exactly."
"I think I'll talk to Sasuke about it."
.xx.
Phew. Lots of typing. But a productive day, to say the least. It was a lot harder to get back into the rhythm again, but I hope to update every week or maybe ever couple days if I get random inspiration. I hope you all enjoyed this installment.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW. I know I'm just getting back in the swing of things, but I NEED all the feedback I can get so I know whether or not to continue. See you all very soon!