CHAPTER 10

-Because Of Me-

He impatiently sat by her side taping his foot at an inconstant rhythm, waiting for her to wake up. He had gone through all the possible scenarios, in his mind, that would have cause Kai to get poisoned in any shape way or form. The thing was that none of them fit their case, none made sense, none could have happened with out him noticing. He was with her all day and night, he had eaten, what little, she had eaten they all had; but why was she the only one that was now laying in front of him in a hospital bed. It wouldn't be an allergic reaction because it was poisoned and they all would have had it but they didn't. He was going insane trying to figure out how such event even managed to happen.

Sasuke's flurry of thoughts was interrupted by an obvious knock at the door "Sasuke?" the distorted voice from the other side of the door asked. "Come in" he was forced to reply, taking in a deep breath; preparing for the onslaught of questions that would follow the rest of his team. Immediately he was greeted with one; "You alright?" Sakura's voice was reassuring but at that moment in time it could not have sounded more annoying to him. Why would she ask him, Sasuke, if he was ok, was Kai not the one in need of the medical aid? "I guess" he replied hiding the clear irritation. Almost like an arranged reaction Naruto's eyebrow raised in astonishment; Sasuke was never unsure of what he felt. Most of the times it was a dislike or an unpleasant mood never the less he knew exactly what he felt. But now, now he guessed he was alright but was he truly?

"All he said was that it was poisoning, nutmeg I think he said" Sasuke explained the situation, or what he recalled of it, while keeping his eyes fixed on the figure lying on the bed. "Nutmeg" repeated Sakura thinking back to the past day "We didn't even come across nutmeg, in-fact I don't think it even grows around here" she placed a hand on her hip annoyed that they would give that diagnosis. "You're being awfully quite" Sasuke directed his comment to Naruto by nodding his head in his direction. He was being quiet but what else was he to do? He came inches to losing one of his best friends and there was nothing he could do about it, nothing he could do about it now. Even though he wasn't the one that came close to dying, he almost felt tears building up in his eyes just in the thought of all the grief and pain he would go through if he actually would have lost Kai. "Just thinking" he shrugged his shoulders once more slouching on the chair he sat upon.

"He seams really affected by the whole circumstance" Sakura picked at her roughly empty plate. "Yeah" Naruto responded fiddling with the food in front of him, he was there but not really there-there. He and Sakura had left a while back to get some diner; Sasuke had refused their invitation and pleads that he needed to eat. Snapping back into realty Naruto questioned "Is all you care about; Sasuke?" if anything bother him beyond the point on insanity was Sakura thinking of noting more than Sasuke. Sure, Sasuke was upset over Kai but as was he. After all he knew her first he knew her better, personality wise even he had to admit Sasuke knew her tactics like that back of his hand, and she was his best friend. Even thought threw that past couple days Sasuke had gotten to know Kai really well, as she him, and they had gotten close; he Naruto Uzumaki loved her and she knew it, the fact that he wasn't in-love with her didn't change anything, and Sasuke, Sasuke wasn't even sure of what he felt any longer.

Before opening her eyes Kai took a moment to acknowledge the discomfort she felt in her throat and an overall feeling of confusion and just in general pain throughout her body. She opened her eyes only to see blurred distortions of everything around her; she gasps realizing that her vision was worse off than what it already was. Yeah, she didn't have 20 20 vision before, not even close, but now she couldn't even see what was in front of her. Which was a lot worse than not being able to clearly see what was seven feet in front of her. "They said it would get better with in the next couple days" he said after a sigh of relief. "S-Sas" Kai attempted, bringing her hand up to her throat. It still felt swollen but numb at the same time, though it really wasn't swollen that had been brought down with ice which caused the numbness. The little slit had been stitched and with the aid on respiration she was doing much better than before. "Sasuke?" he questioned for her "Yeah it's me; the only" even in such a time he would not dismount his high horse.

She turned to look at him; his dark hair turned into a black blur underneath a pale blur which made up his face. She was so dumbfounded and confused, she didn't remember anything nothing at all besides the morning when she and Naruto were dragged out to make it on time for the mission. The room it was so white, an obnoxious white, it made her feel even more confused. So many thought ran wild through her mind about anything and everything. Yet, none of them seamed to be related to the task at hand; where was she? And why was she there? For some reason the fact that Sasuke was there made it all okay, nothing could go wrong anymore; because he was there.

"No he isn't all I care about, have you see how he looks?" taken aback by Naruto's random, and frankly rude, question she sat in an almost defensive position. "There you go again how he looks interprets how he's feeling" he rose from the table "Has it occurred to you how I'm feeling she's all I had for a long time and I almost lost her… How do you think I feel?" He swiftly took a sharp turn taking a moment to look back "I'll be at the hospital" there was no way he was going to spent the rest of the evening sitting with Sakura talking about how she felt Sasuke felt. He had his own feelings to take care of and if anything had come out of the whole dilemma with Kai was; that he needed to spend as much time as possible with her because things weren't definite with anyone.

Sakura sat at the empty table by her self she had paid the check but she knew that if she went to back to the hospital she would only be interrupting some sort of supper we-have-no-parents-bond type of thing. She had to admit to herself she was the odd one out, she had parents, she had friends, she had it all. Suddenly every little problem that she had seamed even smaller if not nothing next to Naruto's, Kai's and Sasuke's problems. Slowly she raised form her chair making sure to push it in afterwards. As much as she didn't want to go back to the hospital she had to go somewhere, besides Naruto had the keys to the apartments they were given.

Naruto peeked his head through the door before entering; he didn't want to interrupt anything. "No, we left Konaha yesterday morning" Sasuke was looking down at Kai with a semi-frustrated look on his face all the while Kai was staring up at him with the most confused look ever. "What's today?" she asked in a very low calm voice "Today is the day after we left Konaha" Sasuke's frustration only seamed to be getting worse but the determination was there, he would not stop until Kai was fully understanding of what day it was and when they had left. "It's not going to work, wasn't extreme confusion one of the symptoms" Naruto stepped through the door giving both his friends a warm smile. "She'll get it down" nothing was stopping him now. A heart worming feeling of understanding, comfort, and care filled the room at that moment and place there was no better place to be. "Naruto!" Kai tried to exclaim only coming out as nothing more than a low excited whisper. "The one and only" he smiled once more sitting on the chair to Kai's left. "Where have you been?" she questioned not to eagerly "I was at-" "Don't even get her started" Sasuke jumped in.

Sakura took as long as she could, procrastinating going back to the hospital; she walked around the little quiet town. Stopped at every little store she could find and browsed until she practically had the whole inventory memorized. "Ahhh" she deeply sighed, it was late the sun had set and it was starting to get chilly. She had to do it, like it or not, she had to go back. Her steps where heavy and dragged her back slouched her posture couldn't not have said 'No I don't want to go back there' any more than it already did.

She was there, the white empty halls were unmistakable, and the reek of disinfectant was all too familiar to her. The room was approaching; slowly but surely. She didn't know why but she just had an extremely strong feeling that she shouldn't go back that she was going to interrupt something that wasn't suppose to be interrupted. Feelings set aside she really had no option but to go back, there was truly nothing that important that could be happening between Kai, Sasuke and Naruto.

Stepping through the door she saw noting out of the ordinary; Kai was sleeping as was Naruto, all know that they don't need an excuse to sleep, and Sasuke. He sat, still, on the chair to Kai's right, peaceful; he looked down at her his eyes half closed. Sakura dear not make a noise to disrupt him "Sakura" his voice was low and tired. "I didn't mean to bother you" she came closer to him sneaking a peek at Kai and Naruto. "How is she doing?" after the 'lecture' Naruto had given her on only caring about Sasuke she figured she might as well ask. "She's been better" in all honestly in the time that Sakura was gone Kai's delirium and confusion had only gotten worse and she had upchucked at least two times there after. "Delayed symptoms?" she half-asked half-said, being the medic that she was she of course would know of such things. Sasuke nodded his head reaching for something in his pocket "You must be tired" he pulled out the keys. Extending his arm to hand her the keys he said "Here, I'm spending the night here" a quick glace at Naruto "I guess he is too." Sakura took the keys from his hand taking one last look around the room before leaving. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow" she turned silently hoping that he would plead for her to stay or that he would announce all of a sudden that he was coming with her, but she knew that wasn't going to happen; she could dream. "Oh and Sakura" she quickly turned could her dreams be coming true "We're leaving tomorrow seven sharp, don't be late."

"We wouldn't recommend that she leave when she is in this condition" the medic in a white suit plead as he looked over Kai. She was standing, leaning on Naruto for support; her completion had a slight green ting to it along with some minor bags under her eyes. Her body slouched against Naruto's her exhaustion was evident and the expression on her face read that she was not feeling good in any shape, way or form. "Is she in conditions to walk?" Sasuke stared at him not backing off "Well yes but-" "Then we are going" his voice was clam and collected except his impatiens to go was beyond evident. "I'm sure her father would like to see her" Sasuke stepped back taking Kai's arm and giving Naruto a look that clearly read 'I brought her here I'm taking her back' surely Naruto peacefully backed off. He knew not to get in Sasuke's was especially recently when it came to Kai. At that point he didn't really care who took her home as long as she made it home.

"We're going home Kai, do you need anything before we go?" Naruto asked her approaching her one more time before getting the stare form Sasuke. "Water" she muttered pulling her eyes away from the ground and bringing up to meet Naruto's. Immediately he noticed that they were no longer a simple honey brown for they had a milky layer to them. With out a response he reached over for a glass of water that was set on the side table "Here" she slowly drank it with precaution not to spill any. Sasuke looked to make sure she was done before announcing "We're leaving." Shortly after his statement Sakura ran through the door "Sorry I-" "We were just leaving" repeated Sasuke tightening his hold on Kai's arm. He nodded to the medic before stepping through the door of the room not long from then stepping out of the doors of the hospital.