Author's Note: Been trying to post all weekend but the site wouldn't let me so don't hate! Got it up as soon as I could.

- Chapter 7

Hinata entered the house at 8 am, on time as she typical did. She had a bouquet of flowers in her hand and went straight into the kitchen to put them in a vase. She started a pot of boiling water to make soup as well for Sasuke and herself. She hummed a soft tune, rubbing her growing belly, while cleaning the usually. The counter needed a simple wipe down and the pillows just needed to be fluffed. Sasuke rarely used any parts of the house and kept it organized.

She was sure he was still asleep but he usually wakes up when she arrives.

Hinata made his soup and placed at his seat at the head of the table. At 830 when he still didn't come down, she wrapped it up and placed it back on the stove to keep it warm. Then she went into the backyard to sweep any snow off the patio.

At 9 o'clock she checked on the soup. It still hadn't been touched. She glanced up the stairs and then to the shoes by the door. HIs pair of boots were still there and his cloak hung in the closet. She swept the entry way, opening the front door just for a fraction to let some fresh air in.

By 915, Hinata climbed the stairs tentatively, sweeping each stair as she went, acting as though she was just going on her usual business. She dusted the banister and peaked into his doorway. She could make out his feet underneath the covers. HInata gave a little cough and it echoed in the emptiness of the house. He made no move.

Hinata used the broom to sweep her way into the bedroom, humming louder and louder to announce her presence. And then she saw his face. The broom dropped on the floor as she went to his bedside. He was beat red with a fever. She shook him but he refused to wake. Activating her Byakugan, she noticed his chakra was in disarray and his heartbeat was beating too fast. It sent her in a panic.

HInata darted down the stairs and called for an ambulance.

When Sasuke woke, his whole body felt like it had been beaten by Naruto's Kyuubi several times over. It was dark yet there was a TV on and at first he thought he was still in his room but everything about it was off. He was laying on his back, positioned upright. That in and of itself told him he was somewhere else. He looked around for answers. It was definitely a hospital room. There was an iv bag dripping into his arm while his other arm, was gone. He patted his amputation. It was newly wrapped and blood soaked through the gauze.

Then he noticed the hospital bed next to him. Sakura was curled up in a ball, sleeping in her white doctor robes, holding the remote in an outstretched hand. Her pink hair fell over her cheek and with every exhale it shifted.

Hunger had woke him, he realized as his belly growled loud enough to echo. It would have been embarrassing but Sakura didn't wake.

The need for answers however forced him to call out her name.

Her eyes shot open and she sat up, instantly brushing away her tiredness. "You're awake." She came to his side, her fingers at his wrist checking his heart rate. Then she felt his forehead.

He watched her, perturbed by her professionalism. "What happened?"

"You're an idiot."

He didn't appreciate her response.

"You went septic. You obviously didn't take to the arm and it caused a blood infection. By the time we got you in, your kidneys had already shut down. I didn't think you'd make it at one point. You've been in a coma for about three days now. You will have to stay on antibiotics and intravenous fluids for a few more days."

Sasuke rested his head against the pillow. He should have thought something like that could happen. If he hadn't been distracted with the damn council and with his decisions about Sakura, he would have paid more attention to his body. He watched as she went about touching the wires to his IV, squeezing the bag, going over the machines.

She was angry, he noted. It was humorous as she fought it, trying to be the doctor while at the same time, a worried girlfriend.

Girlfriend.

Sakura was his girlfriend. It caused a funny feeling in his gut. They were alone in the room. Would she try to kiss him? He became worried at this point. If he's been asleep for three days there's no telling how bad his breath was. He looked for a bathroom. Would they supply a toothbrush? What if she just dived right in? He wouldn't be able to say 'Hold On, be right back.' He shifted, nervous suddenly.

"Why didn't you say anything to me. I asked you if your arm was okay."

He didn't reply. He had his own dilemma here. How was he going to brush his teeth before she tried to kiss him?

Sakura walked to the door and he snapped his head up, confused. Where was she going?

"You know who saved you?" She whispered over her shoulder, "Me." The door opened shining light in from the hall, "I'm not weak. When are you going to understand that?" It shut softly behind her.

Sasuke stared at the door. Aggravation rising slowly the more he thought about. Sometimes she still acted like the same old Sakura. It had nothing to do with her weakness or lack thereof. She can be the strongest woman in world, he still had the right to...protect her...didn't he? She had been sick. It was only instinct not to stress her further. But he didn't need to explain himself. If she loved him as much as she claimed she did, then she should already know that about him.

He scoffed. And here he was stressing about a freaking kiss. Go figure.

There was a reason he hated hospitals. It wasn't the needles. It wasn't the smell. And it was probably every other man's wildest fantasy. But it was Sasuke's biggest pet-peeve.

Nurses.

They currently had a bidding war on who would get to go in his room next. It was between two young college graduates, a 60 year-old and a gay guy that had too much muscle to ever become transgender despite how well he spoke like a woman.

He could hear them arguing now about who's turn it was as they did it right outside his open door.

Sasuke once again tugged on his leg, attempting to find weakness in the chain Sakura had attached. But aside from breaking his own foot, there was no way to get it off. She had it made before he had even woken up, predicting his attempt at escape.

A knock on the window grabbed his attention and Naruto waved. Sasuke got out of bed, holding onto his IV pole and keeping one foot on the bed, hopped once before leaning over and unlatching it. He pushed it out but the dumb ninja was in front of it and nearly fell. Sasuke shook his head as he hopped back into bed.

Naruto poked his head through the door, "Sakura got you with the foot latch, huh? Damn things made out of curses." He mumbled taking a seat. "How many days you got left?"

He shrugged, having lost time in this desolate prison.

Having heard the arguments escalating outside his door, Naruto questioned but Sasuke held up a hand, asking him not too. It was too embarrassing as it was already. He moved on to something else, "Sakura's pretty upset."

Sasuke gave no reply. He knew already considering anytime she was in his room, he received only the coldest responses. He swore she poked him with needles simply to do it. And he couldn't be sure about this but he was suspecting she had ordered the meanest, rudest man to remove the catheter. He was still recovering from the foul treatment his nether regions had received.

"What are you going to do?"

His brows knit. "Do?"

"Yeah. You gotta do something. Apologize. Buy her flowers. Clean the dishes. I don't know. Something."

"Why?"

Naruto smiled. "Because you're her boyfriend." He slapped him on the leg. "And that's what boyfriends do when they screw up."

"I did not screw up."

"You nearly died."

Sasuke clenched his teeth. "I should be mad at myself then. Shall I buy myself flowers?"

Naruto gave him a face and he threw his gaze away, aggravated. Apologizing was not his thing. And he was not going to apologize for something that he technically wasn't at fault for. It's not like he tried to die or do it to spite her. It was intentional. He thought he could make it till morning and apparently he had been wrong.

"What is going on?" Sakura's loud voice broke through the argument at the doorway.

"It's my turn."

"No, it's my turn. YOu went three hours ago."

"No, Henry did."

"I haven't gone in four hours. It's definitely my turn."

"I'm the oldest, he should be my patient."

"No one wants you for their nurse."

"Shut up!" She went on and began to berate their professionalism in an extremely annoyed tone.

Naruto swiveled out the chair, "That's my cue." He dived through the open window just before the door began to push wider.

"None of you are going."

"That's not fair!"

"He likes me, let me go."

"He doesn't. He likes me."

Sakura squeezed through. "He doesn't like any of you." She hissed, slamming the door behind her with a huff.

A voice sounded through, "He doesn't like you either."

Sakura sighed heavily, turning on her foot with a fake smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Can I go?"

She grabbed the chart on the end of the bed and looked it over, nodding. "As soon as we get another prosthetic on you."

"No."

"What?"

"I don't want to do this again."

He noted that her anger, or annoyance, or whatever had driven her the last couple of days was absent. Perhaps she had gotten over it on her own. He was somewhat thankful. He highly doubted buying flowers was one of his capabilities.

No, he knew it wasn't one of his capabilities.

She sat on the bed, her hip touching his thigh. It was the first random touch that hadn't been painful and he found he welcomed it. He realized however that his hand was quite close to her knee. He felt the need to move but didn't. He wouldn't be intimidated by a woman's knee. Especially his girlfriend's knee.

She sighed softly, her eyes shining with its normal compassion, "This happens sometimes. Not as bad as this but rejections happen."

"I don't want it."

"You are being stubborn."

He shrugged.

"I'm getting you an arm. There are only benefits from having two arms, Sasuke."

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't want it."

"Why?"

"I don't deserve it."

Sakura stalled in her pestering.

Sasuke kept his eyes toward the window, wishing he hadn't said anything.

"What are you talking about, of course you do."

"I've done multiple things wrong in my life, Sakura. This is part of that."

She didn't respond for a while. She sat in silence staring at the ground, perhaps thinking of all the times he tried to kill her or maybe of all the things he said to her during his years on the run. He couldn't regret those things because he had meant them. And he would have gone through with them and thought nothing of them. But he would always wonder if Itachi had done differently, what kind of person would he be? Orochimaru had never found him, chosen him, would his path had been different? Who would he have become?

Her hand shifted toward his own and her fingers intertwined with his. It was an odd thing but not completely unwelcome. He didn't respond but neither did he remove his hand. They were alone and it wasn't unacceptable to hold hands. He found himself staring at them realizing he had never held hands with anyone before. He didn't think such an action would cause a feeling in his gut.

"Okay." She conceded. A smirk stretched on her lips, "The one arm kind of helps your badassness."

He smirked.

A knock on the door and they both pulled away faster than a lightning strike. One of the young female nurses walked in with a tray full of food. She smiled warmly, "I thought you would be hungry, Sasuke-san." She leaned over, setting the tray down. Three buttons had been left opened and her bosom squeezed out.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke but he was staring out the window obviously aggravated. She took the key and unhooked his leg. "You're good to go." She told him.

The nurse blinked confused, "But um. Are you sure he's ready, Sakura-sama?"

Sasuke got up, grabbing his cloak off the chair and wrapped it around him, shoving his shoes on.

"He's fine. Go give this food to someone else."

The strange woman continued, "Um. Sasuke-san. I wanted to ask if you wanted to go to the movies, maybe, later?"

Sasuke pushed the window open and put his foot on the edge. He looked back at Sakura. "Lunch tomorrow?"

"It's Saturday."

He didn't reply and her cheeks reddened before she nodded.

"Um.. Sasuke-san?"

Sasuke jumped out of the window.

The nurse turned to Sakura. "Do you think he likes me?"

She snorted.