"Sakura." My mother's voice whispers through the darkness, "Sakura, wake up."

I wake up instantly, even though it's six o' clock in the morning and I'm exhausted. "Is Dad okay?" I say, my voice still groggy.

"Yes." She replies, "Come on."

We leave a few minutes later, giving me enough time to throw on some clothes and a coat. The drive to the hospital is surreal, and I feel the worry rise within me. I can barely speak, is my father okay?

My father is in the same room that he's always been in. I watch as various medical staff hover around him, checking vital signs, moving around tubes, muttering to one another as they work. Dad looks worse than usual, he's incredibly skinny, his head is bald, and his face looks sunken and tired. I want to run away, but force myself not to.

"Hey." He smiles at Mom when she approaches him, "Long time no see."

She glares at the doctor standing nearby, "Is he okay? What's going on."

"Carrie, could you take Sakura out of the room please? Maybe to the cafeteria?" My father smiles at me as he says this.

Carrie, a young new nurse grins and takes my hand. "Let's get you some hot chocolate, hmm?" She says to me. I don't want to leave, but I follow her anyway.

I take my hand out of hers as soon as we leave the room. I'm not a child anymore, I think. Why shouldn't I be able to stay and listen to my parents? Carrie's nice though, she makes small talk to me as we walk towards the elevators that will take us down to the floor that the cafeteria's on, telling me tidbits of stories from when she first got here. Ever since Dad became a patient here she's been my favorite nurse. She's new, but she still knows what a legend Dad was. Everyone does.

I escape from her as the elevator doors are closing. There are only a few other people in the elevator with us, but I'm fast enough that they can't do anything about it. Carrie calls my name as the elevator doors close. Before anyone can figure out what's going on I run back to my father's room and listen outside the door. My parents are alone now, and I can hear them talking.

My mother is crying, "They said you'd have more time. They said-"

"I know." Dad says, "They didn't know how badly my condition would worsen. Even I wasn't expecting it."

"What am I going to d-do without you?" Mom's voice breaks as she says that last part, "You can't leave me. Don't leave me, please."

Dad's voice is sad, but resigned, "Everything will be okay. There's nothing we can do, but you'll be okay. I'll always be with you and Sakura."

"How can you believe that?" Her voice grows faint, "That everything's going to be okay?"

"Because it's true." He insists. "I'm not going to live much longer, and if there was anything I could do to fix it I would. I don't want to leave you or Sakura, but it's not in my control. You just need to know that I love you, and I'll always be with you."

"I love you too." She's crying. I never saw my mom cry until Dad got diagnosed - now she was crying all the time.

"Sakura?" Carrie finds me by the door, "Sakura, why did you do that?" She says.

I bury my face in my hands and sob.

"Er..." Sasuke couldn't seem to find anything to say, "Could you possibly explain this a little better, maybe?" He still looked worried, and I couldn't blame him. After I had calmed down enough I had promptly gotten myself off the floor and proceeded to say everything in my head at that moment.

I explained to him what happened - how I took a walk, and when I got too far away I started fading. "It's like when I used up all my energy trying to move that stupid snow-globe at Ino's," I said, "but worse. I thought I was going to disappear, Sasuke." He still looked confused, so I continued, "It must be you."

"What?" Sasuke replied.

"Think about it. I went with you to Connecticut and I was fine. I've been with you basically the whole time I've been here and I haven't disappeared." Suddenly, I had an epiphany, "It was YOU!" I shout. "You're the reason why I even came back in this state!"

"Sakura, you're not making any sense-"

"Sasuke, when you moved here... that's when I became what I am! I was still in a coma, but then you came!" The completely baffled expression on Sasuke's face would have been cute if I wasn't freaking out.

"Calm down." Sasuke said, "You're saying that you're like this because of me?"

"YES! YES!" I jumped up and down, but then stopped when I noticed Sasuke looking troubled.

"This is strange." he admitted, "I'm not exactly sure what to do, in all honesty."

"We'll figure it out." I said. I think it was the first time I heard myself saying that.

A silence passed between us. I could tell Sasuke was thinking - concentrating hard on something. I knew that face from whenever he was doing research or doing homework.

"So... how was your date?" I asked after a few seconds.

The expression he gave me was even more perplexed, "You just found out something that could be extremely crucial in getting you back and you want to know about my date?"

"Well, yeah." I said, as if it was obvious.

He shook his head and sighed, but said, "It was okay, I guess. Not the best time I've ever had." He seemed to dismiss it.

This didn't satisfy me completely, so I continued to press, "This Ami girl, do you like her?"

The look he gave me this time was one of exasperation, "Honestly? No. She was nice, but... no."

I suddenly felt like a weight was lifted off of my chest. Despite myself, I smiled. "She didn't seem your type." I informed him, but I wouldn't elaborate when he asked me what I meant. Instead I said, "So, have you given any more thought about seeing a medium?"

"Yes, actually." Sasuke said, to my surprise. "What you said the other day got me thinking... maybe they could help us both out if we saw a medium."

"Yes!" I threw my hands up in the air, "I knew you would say yes! I knew it!"

We spent the next couple of hours trying to find a medium nearby - the closest one was in the nearest city two hours away. Sasuke managed to make an appointment to see them for next weekend.

"We have to tell Ino and Shikamaru about this, too." I said, "They'd probably want to go."

Although I was still afraid about this whole binding thing - at least, I was pretty sure it was a binding thing - I was happy that it didn't take much convincing to get Sasuke to take me to a medium. It also made me realize that I would have to watch the distance I put between Sasuke and me.

Sasuke seemed to be thinking the same thing, because the next day before Naruto came over he said, "Make sure you don't go too far away from me. Ino's house is okay, I think, but no more late-night walks as far as you can go, okay?"

I rolled my eyes, "It's not like I was planning on doing it again."

"I know." Sasuke sighed, "I just don't want to lose you right before we possibly find an answer to your problem."

"That would suck." I agreed, "Thanks again for not giving up on me, you're a good friend Sasuke." I wished it could be more.

It was at that moment that the doorbell rang - Naruto. I sighed, and moved off the couch. Even though Naruto would just go right through me, I still didn't like being sat on accidentally.

The next weekend, Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru and I all piled into Itachi's car and drove to the city. It would have been fun, except that they had trouble finding the medium's house, and there was always this awkward knowledge for the three of them that I was there.

"She's here right?" Ino said, sliding into the back seat. I took a spot beside her.

"Right beside you." Sasuke answered, he was now backing out of the driveway of Ino's house.

"I wonder..." Ino reached out, and her hand barely brushed through me. I couldn't feel anything, but she shivered a little, "It's colder here. Shikamaru, try it..."

A reluctant Shikamaru passed his hand through me from the front seat, "It is cooler." He remarked. "Hey Uchiha, is this her?"

"Yes." I complained, "Is it really necessary?"

Sasuke delivered my message, and Ino smiled, "You would do the same thing to me, you know." I loved how she was actually talking directly to me now.

"True." I said.

The drive to the medium's house was a little tense. I was ready to get there and get it over with, but at the same time I was scared - what if there was no way to help me? I feared the response, but I guess it's better than not knowing at all, right?

I still wasn't sure.

The house that we ended up in front of was white and covered in ivy. A small silver car was parked in front. All-in-all, it looked pretty benign.

"Weird." Shikamaru said, "I was expecting something creepier."

Hesitantly, we walked towards the door. Ino rang the doorbell, and then stepped back. When it opened, a small woman with slightly messy blond hair tied up in a bun answered the door. "Hello." She smiled, "You must be my 2 o' clock appointment."

She led us to a quaint-looking living room, and told us to take a seat. "Tea, anyone?"

They all said no, thank you. I could tell that Sasuke was getting nervous.

Ino and Shikamaru ended up taking a seat on the small blue couch, while Sasuke took the matching armchair. I moved to stand next to Sasuke - I was as nervous as he looked. The woman (who's name was Beth) sat down in a chair she pulled in from the kitchen. "Now," She said promptly, "Let's get to why you're here. There's a spirit beside you." she told Sasuke.

"Er," Sasuke said, "Yeah, we know."

She looked a little surprised, "You can see it?"

"Hey!" I said indignantly, "I have a gender! And a name!"

Beth chuckled a little, "Well of course you do, I apologize."

"Yes, I can see... things." Sasuke admitted, I was proud of him. It must have taken a lot of effort on his part to keep it cool.

Ino and Shikamaru sat silently on the couch, being spectators.

Beth nodded, returning her attention back to Sasuke, "Very few have the Sight. Tell me, how old were you when you first started to see spirits?"

"I was about eleven." Sasuke replied, "There were so many of them, especially in the city."

"I'm sorry to hear that." she answered, "I was fifteen when I got my Sight, and it wasn't much of a surprise because my grandmother had it too. Do you know of any family that has the Sight?"

"None of my family." Sasuke said, "They sent me away because they thought I was going crazy."

Beth sighed, "A shame. Now, who is this?"

"Sakura." I said, "Sakura Harano."

"Hello Sakura," She replied, a small smile on her face, "may I ask why you are here with our friend Sasuke?"

The way she talked to me annoyed me a little, but I tried to keep it cool, "I don't know." I said, "I- I mean, my real body, is in a coma at the hospital. I just woke up like this one day, and Sasuke was the only one who could see me." It all came pouring out then, why I was there, and what had happened to me.

When I finished, Beth looked puzzled, "Strange, I've only heard of that once. Did you say you were bound to him?"

"Yes." Sasuke said, "At least, we think so. It's the only possible explanation under the circumstances."

"Wait." I said, "You never told me, am I going to be able to get back into my body? Become normal again?"

"That is up to you." Beth said simply.

I was silent for a moment, processing the information. "I don't understand." I ended up saying.

"I've only heard of cases like this," Beth continued, "and even then, I think this is unique in it's own. You said that Sasuke can't see any other spirits now that you're with him? I don't believe that I've ever heard of that before."

"But... will I ever go back to normal?" I said, now getting frustrated, "Is there hope?"

"There's a chance you might." Beth responded, "That, or you'll have to move on."

Move on. The words sounded ominous to me. "Move on to where, exactly?"

"It isn't certain." She responded, "There is hope, Sakura, but I'm afraid you'll have to figure it out on your own. When you're ready to make a decision, you will."

"But I'm ready to go back now!" I shouted, "Why is it not working!"

She only smiled at me sadly.

"Wait." Ino said, I had forgotten she was there honestly, "So you're saying that Sakura has to figure it out on her own? This is ridiculous!"

"Thanks, Ino." I said, even though she couldn't hear me.

There was nothing we could really do. "C'mon," Sasuke said, standing up, "Let's go."

"If you have time, Sasuke." Beth said, "I am interesting in talking to you about your gift."

"Maybe some other time." Sasuke said.

"I'll be waiting." Beth smiled in that odd way of hers. I was still infuriated with her. We left shortly after Sasuke paid her for her services.

"Well that was a bust." Ino said on the way back, "If you ask me, she didn't know what she was talking about!"

"I dunno, Ino." Shikamaru said, from the front seat. He was being unusually quiet. "I think the woman's got a point, you heard her, she's never seen anything like this before."

Before they could start bickering, Sasuke said, "I think it's obvious that we need to do more research on this. The good news is that there is hope for Sakura. She might be able to return to her body one day." I noticed that he said nothing about the other option, "moving on". But to where?

Where did we go?

That night, after everything was said and done, I came into Sasuke's room. He was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, but I didn't really care. I laid down next to him, and looked up at the ceiling fan. "Thank you for taking me there." I said, simply.

"No problem." He said softly.

We stayed there in silence for a few minutes, until I finally said, "Sasuke?"

"Hmm?"

"If I don't go back to normal... where will I go?" I murmured, trying not to show the fear that I felt.

He turned his head to look at me, "I don't know." He admitted, "I guess I never really thought about it."

"My father was around death all the time," I said, "it was part of life - part of working in the hospital, you couldn't save everyone, but I never asked... I never asked in all that time where they went after they died. No one's ever told me."

"I don't think anyone really knows," Sasuke replied, "but at least it's somewhere, right?"

"I'm scared." I whispered.

He turned to where he was facing me. Slowly, his hand traced the outline of my cheek. I couldn't feel anything, but I felt different, if that makes any sense. "Don't be." He said.

And you know what? I felt better.

Author's Note: I wrote a bit longer than usual! I'm still trying to update sooner, and I've been successful! Yay! Thank you all so much for the reviews, they're awesome! I hope you like this chapter, it actually took longer than I thought it would (hence, the longer chapter). In the next few chapters I hope to put more of Sakura's "memories" in, and reveal more about Sasuke. Hopefully, if everything goes well. :)

Anyway, thanks again for the reviews! They make me smile. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.