"I'm going to kill that bastard, how can he hit someone like that" "Gaara you know you can't do anything rash, think about Sakura" "I AM THINKING ABOUT SAKURA! That is why I want to kill him"

Sakura wasn't aware where she was. All she remembered was last night with Sasuke. The memory flooded back, the abuse, the brutality. She jolted up, sharp pain coursed through her body. She found tubes fed into her arms. A beeping noise got louder and faster. Her vision still distorted. She heard people walking in talking to her, but the words didn't make sense "Sakura" "Rest". There were two faces in front of her. One belonged to a blonde woman, the other to a red haired man. She recognised the faces but couldn't remember them. Her vision blurred and her body went numb, falling to bed. "SAKURA" was the last thing she heard.

She opened her eyes and stared at the sterile white walls. Her head hurt. The beeping noise was present again, but it sounded distant. She turned her head to see the red haired man sitting down asleep. Gaara. She closed her eyes, trying to clear her headache, but it helped little. Her surroundings still stayed unfamiliar. Now and then she heard voices pass by, none that she recognised. "Sakura, how are feeling?" a gentle voice asked. She turned her head to face Gaara. She smiled "Where…Where am I?" she questioned. "In hospital." She processed his answer. "How long?" "How long what sweetheart?" she swallowed, trying to clear her dry throat "How long have I been here?" "Four days, but once you're better we're leaving." She looked at him questioningly, "leaving? Where are we going?" "Far away from here, a place I can look after you, protect you."

'I promise to protect you, promise to love you' she remembered the wedding vows. 'So much for loving me and protecting me.'

"Sakura rest sweetheart, you'll need all the strength you can get."

"Where the fuck is she?" he yelled loudly, pulling her out of her sleep. She knew that voice. It scared her, made her want to hide as if it was the boogie man and she was a child. "Sasuke I told you I haven't seen your wife" A woman spoke, trying to calm the monster down. "DON'T FUCKING LIE TO ME!" his voice getting closer. There were shadows outside the door. One belonging to the angry monster. "You need to leave now Sasuke, she is not here." The woman spoke again, this time she was stern. "And if I don't leave? What will you do?" he challenged her. "This" she punched him hard in the stomach making him double over, followed by a kick. "Next time you come into my hospital have some manners" she shouted.

There was silence once again. She closed her eyes and slept.

"Gaara you need to take her away today. I'm not risking him finding her and not in this vulnerable state." The woman spoke again, her voice a whisper. Tsunade. Sakura opened her eyes to find Gaara and Tsunade deep in conversation. "She'll be safe once she's out of here. I'll handle her parents." He nodded. "Once you get to your village take her to the hospital and make sure she is tended to, I don't know how long it would take for her wounds to heal."

There was movement in the room, bags being unzipped and zipped. Things being moved. All Sakura did was listen.

"Hey there sweetheart, we're leaving soon. I've got you some clothes to wear." Her lover spoke to her and kissed her forehead "You're so beautiful".

They were in a car. She was buckled in and he was putting the luggage away. Tsunade was there helping. She hugged him tightly and asked him to look after her. She moved to her side. "Hey there forehead. I'll miss you; I promise I'll keep in touch. Take care of yourself." She kissed her forehead.

It was dark outside. The town asleep, only disturbed by the car engine being turned on. "We'll be out of here soon sweetheart" he cooed at her.

She watched out of the window as her town faded behind her, turned into nothing. She was leaving her family, friends and her husband behind. Leaving a marriage that only caused her problems. She was finally being freed.

'I was a heavy hurt to carry, my beloved was weighed down. My feet dragged across the ground, he took me to the river where he slowly let me drown.'