THE TRUTH IS OUT

Sakura

We all woke up together and Yuya and I took the opportunity to pounce on Gaara and tickle him mercilessly. Kaoru came to save him and both of them did the same to Yuya and me.

"How come you slept with us last night, Sakura-chan?" Kaoru asked as we walked out into the sunshine.

"She was afraid of being eaten by a bear." Gaara said matter-of-factly.

"I was not!" I tried to cover up but Gaara hooted and the kids grinned.

"You were too. Who showed up in our tent after we were all asleep and said she heard noises?"

"I thought you said it was coyotes."

"I did."

"All right, then. I was afraid of being eaten by a wild animal."

"Can we go swimming?" Yuya asked.

"No. I think Fatty here is scared of water."

"I am not! I was the captain of the swimming team at school."

"Yeah, right." Gaara scoffed.

"Can you dive?"

"Yeah."

"Can you teach us?"

"Okay. I'll teach both of you. In fact, we'll have a competition." I said as I smirked.

"I'll go get breakfast. You go to the swimming hole." Gaara announced as we waved.

I was teaching Kaoru how to dive when I noticed that Yuya had climbed on the rocks. He was far ahead. I called out his name as I climbed the rocks following him but he couldn't hear me.

"Kaoru, don't leave. I'm going to get Yuya."

"I want to help you."

"Just stay there, please."

I screamed as Yuya was carried downstream by the water. Some people had seen him and were shouting for help. I ran along the river, sailing over rocks and leaping over obstacles and trees and pushing away people in my path. I had never run so fast in my life but Yuya's life depended on it. I dove smoothly near the surface of the water preying that I could catch Yuya before anything happened and praying nothing struck me.

I was almost hit by an oar as I swam past, sure and swift and strong, battered by the currents and in the distance I could hear people shouting and from somewhere there was the whine of a siren. And then, I was pushed down by the force of the water, suddenly I struck something hard, it hit me in the face and I grabbed it, and as I touched it, I knew I had him. It was Yuya. I pushed him to the surface, grasping for air myself, and the current dragged me down again but I shoved him high above my head, trying to force him out of the water. He was sputtering and gasping, and swallowing water each time we went down. I kept pushing him upward and suddenly, he was gone. I couldn't feel his weight anymore. He was somewhere and I couldn't find him, I was pressed down into a black hole, and I was falling into something very deep and soft, and it was quiet there as I kept on falling. Gaara's face kept appearing but I closed my eyes and kept on falling.

Gaara

My heart leapt into my throat as I saw people gathering. I rushed over and saw Yuya on a mat. Some men over him.

"What went wrong?"

"He was drowning but she saved him. Are you his father?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then you'll follow us with him to the hospital."

"Dad!" I turned to see Kaoru with tears in his eyes.

"Kaoru, what happened and where's Sakura?"

"She's the one who saved him! She almost died!"

I noticed another group and there was a grey coloured Sakura as still as ever.

"Sakura!"

"Are you her husband? She's a pretty courageous woman. She saved that youngster from his death but we're unsure about her."

"She's not my wife." I muttered as I looked at all the cuts on her body. There was blood everywhere and she was not moving. My tears rolled down slowly. She had died to save my son. They were trying to resuscitate her.

"We've got a heartbeat!"

I looked up as they placed her in their ambulance with Yuya beside her.

"Please, follow us from behind." A man said as I got into my car with Kaoru.

"Just what the hell happened?!" I shouted as Kaoru looked at me with fear all over his face. I softened my face as I ruffled his hair.

"Yuya left and the water carried him and Sakura rushed to meet him. She's a good swimmer. But something hit her head and she kept pushing Yuya above the water as she went down." Kaoru said absent mindedly. "Yuya's in big trouble!"

We got to the hospital in ten minutes and they were rushed in.

"Mr. Sabaku no, your son is conscious." A nurse said when I paced around for thirty minutes.

"Let's go, Kao." I smiled nervously as Kaoru took my hand. I entered a ward and there was Yuya playing with a truck.

"Hi, Daddy!"

"Yuya! How could you do that to us?! I warned you not to leave the swimming hole!" Kaoru yelled at him as he knocked Yuya's head causing a bump to appear.

"I'm sorry!" he moaned as I hugged him. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm sorry, Kaoru. Where's Saku-chan?"

"You better hope she's okay, young man. You're in a lot of trouble!" I said as I kissed his cheek.

Kaoru looked up at me as tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Check on her, Dad." He said as he wiped my tears.

I smiled at both of them as I approached one of the doctors. "Where's she?"

He didn't need to ask who I was talking about. She was the most critically ill patient they had.

"Something hit her head. She's in a coma but she's breathing. We're not sure how long she'll be in a coma. However, there's a slight chance the baby'll survive." The doctor said as he made me sit. I looked up at him as he said the last sentence.

"The baby?"

"Yes, the baby. But we'll do everything we can. You can see her now, if you wish. She's in that ward."

I smiled at the doctor as he left. A BABY?! That was what she had been hiding all this time! Don't be stupid, Gaara. Fit everything together! I remembered all her words, her moods, her activities, her appetite, her stomach! She had refused to go gliding with us. She had refused to go in the hot air balloon I had rented. She had refused to go horse riding. The pieces of the puzzle fit together. Sasuke had left her because she was pregnant.

"I'm scared of heights..."

"That doesn't mean I can give her everything she wants..."

"Where were you a few years ago..."

"No. Sasuke's gone to Chicago..."

"We're selling the old furniture and buying new..."

"I just love to eat..."

"My life is complicated..."

"I don't deserve this..."

"I don't want to hurt you..."

"I've not been feeling well. I've been puking a lot..."

"It's just a rumour..."

All her words rushed back at me. She had always worn bulky clothes. You're an asshole, Gaara! How could you not notice!

I entered her ward. There were all sorts of knobs and buttons and instruments and lights. She had an oxygen mask over her nose. I sat beside her and held her hand in mine saying a prayer.

"Sakura, if you can hear me now, you should wake up. I love you and I want the baby. I want him as mine. I love you very much and I want you next to me. I'll take the baby. I know you've been suffering silently and I know about it. I want you here. Wake up, Sakura! Can't you hear me?! I love you and I'm going to love the baby and we'll give him my surname. Please, just wake up and Yuya's okay. Thanks to you..."