Teeth grit hard behind hard-pressed lips, silver brows tucked tight in the center; charcoal eyes burning, betraying both his physical and emotional distress. Voices admonished him softly, several sets of hands hovering over him; threatening to keep him down. The nerves of his body zapped, pain crackling past just the surface of his skin, reaching deep into broken bones and his own beating heart. The shock and horror had morphed itself into a simmering rage, the silver-haired man seeing no reasoning as two nurses rambled on about how she was in good hands. He couldn't hear the words of friends telling him to try to relax.

He couldn't.
He refused.

There was no relaxing when his own eyes locked with a fading emerald set; her mouth hung agape, sobbing woefully. Delicate, trembling hands dripped with the blood that soaked her pants and gathered beneath her on the floor. Bodies were flooding her, but his eyes never left hers; even when they rolled back and she went limp—Genma catching her when Kakashi couldn't.

And he fucking wished he could.

When he tried to pull himself forward, his body screamed; wailed, begged him to remain still. Despite the medicine he was given, he felt every inch of himself as he tried to reach Sakura; every broken bone, burnt patch of skin, and the horrible throb of his skull. He felt the harsh tug of the IV struggle against him, and when he'd been pushed back a nurse sighed when blood began to seep where the needle was sat. None of that mattered. He only wanted to be there, to cage her in his arms and carry her to where ever the nurses wanted her. He wanted to be where she was, he wanted to speak to the doctor—figure out what the fuck was going on.

Yet, he couldn't.

Kakashi watched as she was put on a bed and taken away—begging Guy to go follow them, which he did with no hesitation. He watched a janitor come and clean up Sakura's blood so casually it made his teeth clench harder.

Then, to top it off, there was her.

Rin.

How she found out what happened to him, how she even got into his room past the guys—Kakashi had no idea. He'd only known she was in there when he woke up to Sakura's cries—ripping his hand out of hers, all of his attention on the woman bleeding in front of him and not the one that broke his heart. Even with Sakura out of the room, he paid her no attention as she stood off to the side, hands clasped in front of her.

"Where did they take her?" Kakashi demanded, tone thick with emotion.

The nurse taped gauze over the IV needle on his arm, answering, "The operation room."

Kakashi started, spine stiffening, "The operation room?"

"Yes," she replied, eyes flashing, "the operation room."

"Why?" He pressed, dipping his head to meet her gaze. "What happened?" Kakashi turned to look at Genma and Juji, "What happened?"

Genma raised his hands, "I..I have no idea. She came up on us, but she'd already looked like something was happening—or that she was really sick. We tried to get her to calm down, but she was so worked up about you that she didn't listen to us."

Juji took a step forward, expression sullen, "She'd been feeling shit like all day today. Going to the restroom a lot...saying that her stomach was upset. At first, I just thought she was really hungover considering she'd been drinking last night, but...she started to get worse. Lost her color. Hot and sweating—she even said something about her stomach hurting more. She looked weak, but every time I tried to asses her or get her to talk about how she was feeling—she'd just write me off or tell me to shut up."

"How much did she drink last night?" The nurse hummed, looking only at Kakashi.

Kakashi scowled, shaking his head, "I mean—she drank more than she usually does...and she was definitely drunk by the end of the night, but not so much that she blacked out or anything like that. She was pretty hung over this morning, but—what the fuck happened?"

"Well," the nurse began, balling up the wrapper from the gauze and tossing it in the trash, "what happened to Sakura looks like a miscarriage, though I haven't heard from them to confirm wh-"

"Miscarriage?" Kakashi bit. "She wasn't pregnant."

The nurse cocked a skeptical brow, "Did you two use protection?"

Kakashi scoffed, "She's on birth control—she's been on it for years."

She deadpanned, "Be that as it may...there's always still a possibility she can get pregnant."

"So, she was pregnant?" Kakashi quipped, heart thudding in his chest. "And that...she was miscarrying?"

"I'm not at liberty to give you a positive answer until I hear from the doctor otherwise—I'm only stating what it could be, because you asked." She glanced at the watch on her wrist, "As soon as I get word on what's happening with your..."

"Girlfriend," Kakashi finished, tense.

"Girlfriend," she finished with a nod. "As soon as I get word, you are the first person I'll speak to. In the meantime, stay where you are and let your body rest. I'll come back in an hour to check on you."

Kakashi watched the woman walk out, door clicking shut quietly behind her. Genma turned his gaze from the door to Kakashi, expression severe, "Miscarriage...?"

Kakashi shook his head, scowl deepening, "She said that's what it looked like, but it could still be a thousand other things."

Juji raised a hand, "I've seen instances much like Sakura's where it's a ruptured ovarian cyst. The nurse is right, we can't say what it is until she gets word."

Genma blew out a gust of air, scratching the back of his head, "As hard as it is...just, try to relax, Kakashi. The nurses are right, she's in good hands and they're helping her—with whatever it is. And...let's just hope and pray she's not...that it's not..."

"Yeah," Kakashi hummed, unable to stop the instant spiral of thoughts.

Sakura couldn't be...pregnant...

Could she?

While yes, they weren't using condoms—Sakura had been on the same birth control forever and assured him that they were fine. So, they really just went it at as often as possible with no thought that a baby could come from it. Of course, there were the handful of times she'd make a remark over something and he'd tease her about it—but it was always a joke and nothing they ever took seriously.

Because they seriously thought it could never happen, as long as she was protected.

The silver-haired man wracked his brain, thinking on if she could have said anything recently to give away that she could be pregnant...but he was drawing a blank. She certainly didn't look pregnant, and he'd had plenty of nights where he's seen her in all her naked glory...nothing looked out of the ordinary. She wasn't sick, her breasts looked...

"Shit," Kakashi muttered, gripping his temple and closing his eyes.

Genma stepped in, "What is it?"

"It's just...I'm trying to think back on if she'd ever indicated that she'd be pregnant—and for the most part, there's nothing. I mean, she did drink with us and all last night. But, I just remembered something...and I don't know..." He scrubbed his face, dragging calloused palms and wincing when he touched his busted lip. "Just a couple remarks she's made about something, that—maybe now..."

Genma nodded, "Well...let's not put the cart before the horse. There's a thousand things at play right now, and...just mulling over it could make matters worse. Just rest, man. I'll be here."

"Me, too," Rin quipped from her side of the room.

Kakashi, completely forgetting she was there, turned his head to cast her an incurious glance, "No. You are going to leave. This is none of your business—I have no idea why you're even here."

Her brow ticked, "Why are you being so ugly to me?"

Kakashi blinked, "Why are you here?"

She took a step forward, and Kakashi was struck with the notion of how pale she was compared to Sakura. Not in the sense of skin, but in a manner of aura—personality. Sakura was bright, brilliant, and soft; blinding his world and blowing him away. Rin was dull, expecting everything from him and offering nothing at the same time. He'd loved her once, loved her until the day she left him; but he saw the truth for what it was—and he wasn't about to go back on Sakura just because Rin was here.

Because, really—he knew exactly what she was doing.

Existing, or trying to, in his space as intimately as she had before; as if she'd never cheated on him at all. Left him for a man he'd considered a brother, aside from Guy. He often mulled over if they'd been having an affair before she came out that she was leaving him, but thoughts like that served him no purpose. Especially now, especially with Sakura in an operating room dealing with gods knew what; violently, suddenly.

He had no time for Rin.

Rin scowled, "I'm here because I saw on the news what happened—and I just couldn't sit at home to find out if you're okay or not."

Genma scoffed bitterly, "That's a load of shit. It's been nearly a year, and you've never bothered to see how he's doing."

She tilted her head to the side, "Yeah, and he also wasn't on the news where a reporter was saying he risked his life and is in critical condition."

Juji shook his head, "The news didn't say his name..."

"Who told you?" Kakashi questioned, squinting.

Rin crossed her arms, chin set, "Fine. A nurse who works here told me—her and I are friends. When she told me she saw you being wheeled in here all fucked up, I had to come see you."

"Why does it matter?" He demanded, tone clipped and harsh. "Does Obito know you're here holding my hand?"

"I can't just come and see you?" She piqued, arms out on either side in defense; the fair skin of her cheeks reddening. "You could have died and that just freaked me out, okay?"

"So, he doesn't know you're here?" Kakashi continued. "Did you drop you off? Is he here, now? Did he give you permission to-"

"I don't need anyone's permission," Rin sneered, her own brown eyes squinting. "I'm a fucking adult and I'll do what I want."

"So, then you went behind his back to come see me—your ex-boyfriend? That's fitting."

Rin scoffed, "Wow. No, I didn't go behind his back...because we aren't dating, anymore."

"Ah," Kakashi tilted his head back, nodding. "You and Obito split—and suddenly you're by my side, clutching my hand like it'd bring me back to life?"

"I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"And that meant hold the hand of the man that you cheated on?"

"Are you going to lord that over me forever?" Rin sought, shaking her head. "This is the first time I've seen you since-"

"Since you left me for Obito," Kakashi finished bitterly. "You don't need to explain yourself; I see it all too clearly."

Rin took another step closer, finger coming up to point at him, "You know what, ten fucking bucks says that if it weren't for her—you'd be more than thrilled to have me holding your hand in a time of need."

"You're joking, right?" Genma chuckled.

"Her?" Kakashi echoed. "You make her sound like she's the other woman. Her name is Sakura—and for the record, at the end of the day you screwed the pooch, Rin. Not me. If she were in the picture or not, you being here would aggravate me all the same."

Rin set her chin, asking, "Are you really sleeping with her?"

"Rin, what are-"

"I'm just asking. She doesn't seem like your type, let alone for you to sleep with her."

Kakashi's brows shot up high, "I'm doing more than just sleeping with her, Rin. Sakura and I are dating. She's with me and I'm with her. She's more than just my type, she's everything to me. She could be carrying my child, for christ's sake."

Rin shook her head, anger etching the lines of her features, "Well, clearly she's not anymore given the circumstances. Why would you recklessly sleep with someone who you haven't known long enough? Yet, you're with me for four years and would remind me—often- that you weren't ready for a kid. But now, you've knocked up some—some fucking, stranger-"

Kakashi's spine straightened and his body bristled at her words. He leaned forward as much as he could, raising his arm to point to the door; deathly calm as he spoke, "Get out."

Rin paused, huffing, "No, I- I didn't mean—I was just saying that-"

Icy dark eyes regarded her furiously, "Get. Out."

"Kakashi, no—just hear me out, okay—this isn't how I wanted this to go down—I-"

"Are you fucking deaf?" Genma butt in, the same anger written across his own face, "Get- the fuck—out."

She glanced at Kakashi, frowning, "Kakashi..."

"Out," he bit, the command a hammer hitting heavy and hard.

The woman hesitated for several beats, glancing between the two men before she quickly marched out; shoving past Juji who had simply been watching the whole time. Silence rung after the door slammed, Kakashi letting his head fall; breathing slowly, struggling to calm down. Genma was pacing, muttering something under his breath Kakashi couldn't hear.

"Wow," Juji spoke up, "what a bitch."

Genma managed a weak chuckle, "You've got that right."

Kakashi shook his head, exhaustion now pouring over every inch of him. He was overwhelmed, he was stressed, and he was exhausted.

He was worried.

As the anger began to fade, fret began to take its place. He gazed down at his chest, at his own damaged body; thinking only one thing.

Was Sakura okay?

Blood.

That's what she dreamt about.

Blood covering her features, blood washing over her; raining down on her, flooding her space and suffocating her. Blood seeping from in between her legs; her eyes, her ears, and mouth. All she could see, all she could taste—was blood. It frightened her, shook her to the core and, when she woke up, all she could do was scream. She didn't know why, but her lungs burned with it. She'd never experienced pain like that, she'd never bled so much in her life. The echo of her contracting stomach remained and, even with cool hands on her, she could swear she was still feeling it. She opened her eyes, glancing around when she started to come down.

Two nurses were at either side of her, a man who she thought to be a doctor standing at the bed; his brows pinched in concern. The women cooed at her in hushed tones, one of them bringing a straw and asking her to sip. She drank slowly, pulling away when she started to feel sick. In the corner of the room was a broad man she recognized to be Guy; giving her a small wave, his expression pressed.

Noticing this, the doctor turned halfway to Guy, "Would you mind giving the both of us some privacy, please?" He turned back to Sakura, "Unless...?"

She glanced at Guy, who remarked, "I'm here because Kakashi asked me to be."

Sakura gave a slow nod, "He can stay."

The doctor quirked a brow, "Are you sure? What we are about to talk about is very serious—and very personal."

She bit her lip, "He can stay."

"Alright, well—let's begin. Sakura, I am Dr. Tachirou. How are you feeling right now?"

Sakura moved to sit up better, wincing and stopping, "I'm...I was sort of freaked out, I'm sorry."

Tachirou shook his head, "That's fairly normal, given the circumstance. Are you in any pain right now?"

"Sort of," she answered honestly, softly. "I feel sick."

"That's normal, too. How bad would you rate your pain right now?" He picked up a chart, squinting at it.

The pinkette deliberated, "I'd say a...four."

"As far as feeling sick—where are we at? What are your symptoms?"

"Nauseous...dizzy."

Tachirou gave another firm nod, "All normal." He set the chart down, reaching for the small chair by the wall and pulling it up to sit down on Sakura's right. His hazel eyes were earnest, concerned yet professional, "Do you remember what happened when you arrived here today?"

"Yes. I...my stomach started to hurt and I started to bleed."

"Yes, in fact when you were brought to me you were already hemorrhaging. We had to perform and emergency surgery."

Sakura gasped, "Why? What happened?"

Tachirou cleared his throat, meeting her gaze evenly, "You had a miscarriage, Sakura. It got intense fast because it was placental abruption- meaning that the placenta peeled itself off of the wall of your uterus. In most cases, it happens later in pregnancy and we can monitor it—or even do a c-section. However, you were only 15 weeks along and this happened to be a severe abruption. You had internal bleeding, which is why you started to feel sick earlier in the day. Your body began to contract because of the abruption and miscarry. There was so much internal bleeding, along with the violent way your body reacted—that you then began to hemorrhage and we had no choice but to perform the surgery. If we didn't, you would have passed away—that's how quick you were bleeding out." He paused, taking in Sakura's reaction before continuing, "Unfortunately, Sakura, there was no saving the baby."

"Baby..." Sakura whispered, shock hitting her and freezing the world around her. "I was pregnant?"

He nodded slowly, lips pressed together tight, "Yes. You were pregnant."

She shook her head, blinking, "But...15 weeks, that doesn't even make sense...Because two months ago I had a period- I would have technically been pregnant, then. I'm on birth control, that—it doesn't add up."

"No, it adds up. You'd be surprised how many women still have periods in early pregnancy—and just as well, you work in the medical field. You should know just as much as I do that pregnancy on birth control still happens."

"But...I wasn't showing? I had no symptoms? I didn't feel sick, my stomach didn't grow."

Tachirou sighed, leaning back, "Everyone's body reacts and works differently. Some women I've met have had no symptoms at all—the easiest pregnancies on the earth. And some, well, it's bad. Just like some women show right away—and then for others, they don't show at all until they wake up one morning with a bump out of nowhere. At the end of the day, I had to operate on your body to save you—and I had to pull out a baby no bigger than a small apple."

Sakura's face felt hot, suddenly. Her breath hitched, "Was...did this happen because of me? Did I do something? I drank last night—did that make this happen?"

"While drinking can cause it to happen, it looked as if a minor tear had happened days before—and then your body did the rest. You didn't do anything to cause this, so please don't blame yourself. I know this is hard and confusing, but the good news is you're alive and well. There was no damage to your reproductive system, so you don't have to fret about being able to have a baby again or not."

Sakura's eyes felt wet and stung, "But...this baby..."

The doctor frowned, shaking his head, "We couldn't save him. By the time we'd manage to get him out, he was gone."

"H-him?" She echoed quietly, her lip trembling.

Tachirou reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, "Yes, him. I am so sorry for your loss, and if there is anything we here can help do for you and your partner—don't hesitate to let us know. For now, you need to rest. I'll have a nurse come in soon to deliver you some more medication, but please—rest. You've lost a lot of blood and nutrients, so we have to get your body back to a better state. You'll feel sort of sick for awhile, but just sip on some water and you should be fine. Later we'll discuss what to do with the baby, along with your after care—but for now, just process what I've told you." He gave a small, sympathetic smile, "Press the call button and we'll come running. Again, Sakura- I am so very sorry."

Sakura nodded mutely, eyes unfocused as the man rose from the chair and exited the room in a whisper. She could hear her breath, the heavy intake and outtake as her mind struggled to comprehend what was happened. What had happened. Pregnant, she was nearly four months pregnant.

How could she have not known?

Instantly guilt began to chew away at her senses. Took her down, broke her heart. She began to berate herself, thinking had she known this wouldn't have happened. If she'd just paid attention, the baby would still be alive. She was angry, hating herself and her body.

Footsteps approached, Guy's low hum following, "Sakura...I..."

Sakura's trembling hand raised and hovered over her pubic area, her face quivering as tears began to spill over. She couldn't understand the grief she felt. She had no idea she was pregnant, yet there she was; her heart clenching painfully over the fact that her baby...her son...couldn't be saved. That her body had rejected him. Killed him.

Guy reached out, touching her shoulder, "I'm so sorry, Sakura."

She looked over, mumbling, "I killed him...I...my body..."

"No," Guy began to hum, soft and fierce. "These things happen, Sakura—you know this. You can't blame yourself; you had no way of knowing." He ran a hand along the back of her shoulders, and she began to sob.

There was a soft knock on the door, opening to reveal Genma walking in; hands pushing in a wheelchair where Kakashi sat. Genma froze at the sight of Sakura, Kakashi stuck in place, too. Sakura's bleary eyes locked with his own, unable to stop the flow of tears when she uttered brokenly, "A boy. The baby was a boy."

Genma swore, grim and stricken while Kakashi began to move; slowly pulling himself out of the chair with a clenched jaw. He began to try to walk her way; Genma and Guy taking either side of the man and helping him. They moved him onto the bed with Sakura, and before she knew it she was surrounded. Kakashi's arm went around her, kissing the corner of her crying eye; Genma and Guy circling their arms around the both of them. Sakura buried her face into Kakashi's chest, her hand gripping Genma's wrist when a sob ripped itself from her body—fiercely, tragically.

Her heart shattered, though she couldn't understand.

All she could feel was loss.