Chapter 7

By PockyWhore

The rest of the day went by in a haze.

After the incident it the mess hall, I had lost my appetite completely. All the patience were sent back to their rooms and told to remain in them for the rest of the day, and we all knew what this meant, even those who hadn't been there to witness the scene, being confined to your rooms always meant something had happened.

I spent the rest of the day in my room staring out the window by my bed, wishing I could just break through its bolted frame and escape these same white walls. I was painfully aware of my missing roommate all day. The quite that I had once been so fond of, suddenly was choking me. Every part of me was going crazy. I'd been alone almost all my life, but this time it was different from before.

I sat on my bed and watched the sun rise in the sky slowly, hour by hour and minuet by minuet until it was high in the sky. I found myself captivated with it, just watching the sun was enough for me. I imagined some of the other kids in this ward who didn't have windows, in so many ways they were lucky, for they didn't have to sit and watch this other world outside the window that had seemed to forget about them. They didn't have to watch cars drive by and people walk by happy and safe and secure in their own lives, not giving a damn about the people rotting away in the building of their passing.

So yes, the other kids were lucky, but at the same time they weren't. Some of the kids here had never seen the light of day, at least not that they can remember, and some never would get to see it. I at least had the window to show me that there is an outside world, there is a world without pills and blood, but that world has forgotten about us.

I reached under my bed and pulled out my simple silver and blue CD player and pulled out the few CD's I had, CD's that I had long ago memorized every song on them. I had a CD or two from before I'd been admitted into the hospital, and a few that Kakashi had gotten me. He's pretty lenient with the rules regarding simple stuff like cloths and music, so he brings me CD's sometimes.

I popped in a random CD because it really wasn't going to be listening to the music anyways; I just needed something to keep my mind off of other things. I'd listened to the whole CD twice before the sun finally began to set in a flurry of pinks and yellows. That's when Kakashi came in.

Kakashi stepped in looking tired, but he still managed to smile down at me from the door way. In one hand he held a tray of food, probably dinner since we aren't allowed to leave the room, and in his other hand a pair of, you guessed it, plastic cups.

"Eat up, Sasuke!" he said as he set the food down on my bedside table. I just stared at the food, my stomach churning; food was one of the last things I wanted right now.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked after a moment. He must have seen the look on my face.

"Nothing," I replied not even meeting his gaze, "I'm just not hungry."

In an instant I found myself pinned to the bed and I could feel Kakashi's hands pulling at my shirt.

"Hey! What are you doing, get off me hentai!" I yelled, more like screamed. It didn't matter what Kakashi was doing, all I knew was that his hands were on me. Sure Kakashi was one of the only doctors I'd let touch me, but this was a bit too much. Kakashi must have tuned in to the fear in my voice, because he pulled back quickly and gave me an apologizing look.

"Sorry, Sasuke, just take off your shirt would ya?"

I raised my eyebrow at him before pulling my shirt up over my head and setting it on the bed beside me. I watched Kakashi take in my bare chest and I didn't really mind, as long as he wasn't touching me.

"Just as I thought." He proclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, not entirely sure I wanted to know the answer.

"Sasuke, remember the physical we had a few weeks ago?"

"Ya, what about it?"

"Sasuke you only weighed less than 140 pounds. You're well under weight for a 17 year old. Way under weight."

I just blinked at him and looked down at myself. Sure I'm skinny, but its not like I'm tiny or anything.

"I'll be coming back later to get your tray, and all the food had better be eaten off of it." He said firmly before he turned and began to walk back towards the door, sparing one long glance at the still full cups on Naruto's side of the room before leaving.

I looked down at myself again and for the first time noticed the light outline of my ribs, I don't remember those being there yesterday. I glanced back at the food, and despite not having an appetite, my stomach growled its protest. So I decided to humor it and Kakashi. I imagine this is what School food is like.

I ate the food greedily, leaving only a few scraps on the plate when my stomach had reached its fill. The sun had set long ago and my room was bathed with artificial light from the lamp on my table. I flipped off the light and laid myself down on my bed on top of the covers, not bothering to put on my shirt again.

I watched the moon rise in place of the sun and the stars dot the blank sky. I had a strong urge to go to the roof to look at the sky and just get out of this room, but security was probably extra tight tonight, besides, the roof didn't exactly hold the best memories anymore.

"Whore."

"You've got some other little whores to fuck don't'cha"

"That's right Sasuke, just walk away from me; I bet you walk away from everyone don't you"

I sighed and picked up my headphones again, putting the volume on as loud as it would go, hoping that it could drown out those words that were ringing over and over again in my mind.

When I could feel sleep tugging at the sides of my subconscious, I turned off my CD player and tucked it back under my bed in the top corner closest to the wall. Then I laid myself back on the back on my back, and counted the cracks in the ceiling, only getting to 156 before falling into blackness.

Deep even breaths. In and out, In and Out, a pattern I had learned long ago. In and out, Inhale and Exhale. Breathing is so easy from the moment you're born. You're born with the knowledge that you need air to live, that if you can't breathe, you can't live.

So when I woke up in the middle of the night not being able to breath I knew something was very wrong.

I struggled for breath and my throat burned and my eyes watered. I strained open my eyes when I felt something pushing on me. Unless I had recently forgotten how to breathe, then something was hindering my lungs. I opened my eyes and met blood red ones.

I gasped and choked desperately, kicking and scratching at the blond boy that had his hands around my throat. His blood red eyes locked onto mine and I saw the slight smile on his face as a gurgling noise escaped my deprived lungs. The boys tanned hands wrapped possessively around my frail neck, squeezing tightly until all I could see was whit spots.

A million things were running through my head, but most of all, 'Why.'

And then in the very back of my mind I realized this wasn't the first time I'd woken up to insomnia filled eyes hovering above me and hands at my throat.

'Gaara,' I thought dejectedly, 'Gaara did this too.'

"Why?" I asked as I gasped to fill up my lings that were almost empty. Every breathe burned and my eyes watered heatedly.

Gaara wouldn't look at me. His eyes were locked on his trembling hands, hands that a moment ago had been strangling the life from my body.

"I…I didn't mean to. I couldn't help it." He said dully, his hands still shacking and his eyes wide in disbelief.

"Then why?" I repeated as my breathes came back in short sprits.

"I…it's my illness. I, I have multiple personalities." He bowed his head, letting his red hair shield his tired eyes.

"Nnaru." I gasped out desperately.

"Nar.."

"Naruto!" I gathered as much air in me as I could so that I could scream out to him, hoping, praying that Naruto would wake up. For a moment his eyes flashed blue, but it was gone in an instant and they were red again.

The blond leaned down towards me and I could feel his breath on the shell of my ear as I continued to gasp for air.

"My name's Kyuubi, kid. Best remember it." He whispered in my ear.

"Nnaruto!" I whispered.

"He can't hear you." Kyuubi purred into my skin.

"Na…ru..to." I gasped out with the last of the air in my lung.

Suddenly air filled my lungs and I found myself gasping and sucking in as much air as my lungs could hold.

I brought my hand up to my bruised neck as I breathed in deeply. When I could see straight again I turned my gaze to Naruto. He stared at me with wide blue eyed and trembling hands

He swung his eyes away from me, refusing to meet my gaze and turned and began to run for the door, his whole body shacking. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and grabbed his hand before he could make it to the door. He froze and turned his head towards me, tears pooled at his eyelids, but hadn't yet fallen.

"I…I'm sorry." He whispered before yanking his hand from mine and bolting out of the room.

TBC