Hey there, kitties. Thank you for the feedback, it really makes my day, y'all have no idea! I was dancing with the idea of making this a series. After this story with Kakashi and Sakura, I'd start a new one with another set of characters from this same universe I've built. Same team, characters, place, still going after the Yakuza, but another person's perspective, story, and another instance. I was thinking the next story could be with Gaara. I have a lot of interesting ideas for him, and I really think y'all would like the real-world way I handle his character. Each story would be on the same time line, following after the events of the proceeding one. What do y'all think? Anyways, I love reviews as they keep the apple bottom jeans on my legs, and yes—even the boots with the fur. Happy reading!
"Do you really think we should get the police involved?" Ino questioned quietly, peering around while they waited for the ambulance and police.
"Yes. The more public, the better. They might ease up off of her trail some," Kakashi answered darkly, staring down at Sakura's face.
She looked horrible.
They should have known something was up, with how long she had been in there for. They were all caught up in talking with each other, that it was only when they heard her scream that they rushed to help her. When they barged into the restroom, seeing that man on top of Sakura, choking the life out of her sent him in an immediate frenzy. He went in, grabbing her attacker by his hair and jerking him back harshly. He cocked back his arm and laid into the bastard several times before Kiba interjected, telling Kakashi to go deal with Sakura while he and Lee handled the asshole. Kakashi couldn't contain his anger, but when he caught sight of Sakura that his rage turned to one of extreme distress. Along the lower base of her neck was a ragged cut, as well as a long but faint one up her neck, too. All around her neck large finger-shaped bruises started to form; there were even small crescent moon scratches where they fucker's nails had dug in. The left side of her face had four scratches from right under her eye down to just below the corner of her mouth; the right side of her face was a scarlet red, with small red dots scattered in clusters all over her face where blood vessels had ruptured, most likely from being slapped. On her left arm, there was a wide bite mark with cut teeth indentions and bruising beginning to form. The wounds in her side were serious, as they didn't stop bleeding and Kakashi tore some of his shirt to wrap it. When he held her, he noticed that there was blood speckled along her pink hair, leading up to a deep red, wet spot on the back of her head. She cried so hard when he held her that she passed out.
Cradling her now, it took everything in him to not hand her off to Ino and fuck her attacker up. He wanted to hurt the man just as bad as he hurt Sakura—if not, more. As much as he wanted to, he knew that the rational outcome was that they were going to squeeze that man for information. There was no doubt this was an attempt from Sota; Shino finding the needle was proof enough of that. Kakashi figured they would try to get Sakura, but he hadn't expected it to be the day after. That only told Kakashi that Sota has it out for Sakura, aggressively so. As soon as Sakura's out of the hospital, they were going straight to Samurai to come up with a plan of action. There was no way they were going to let this drag out. The quicker they got rid of Sota, the sooner this would be over for Sakura. Because for Sota, this was a game now. Sakura was his prey and he was going to hunt her down. They've heard countless stories of innocent women being victims of Sota's efforts. Once he sets sights on a woman, he won't let up until she's either in his hands or dead.
"He was going to drug and kidnap her," Ino stated gloomily.
"I know."
"What do you think we should do?"
Kakashi exhaled slowly, readjusting Sakura's body so her head was better supported on his arm. "As soon as she's out of the hospital, we are taking her to the safe house with everyone there, and discussing what we should do."
"Tusunade isn't going to be happy," She remarked with a sigh.
"I don't care. This happening is no one's fault. It was all a very unfortunate string of events that have lead to this. We are just lucky that Sakura knows us, because if anyone can protect her, it's all of us." Kakashi replied curtly.
"You're not going to give us a chance to protect her," Ino laughed apprehensively, trying to ease Kakashi's tension.
"What do you mean?" His tone was stilled, so low and even it made Ino noticeably nervous.
"I mmmeeeaaaannnn, that you're going to keep her all to yourself," she gave another weak laugh.
"Mh," was all he gave her.
Kakashi knew Ino was never comfortable with him when he was angry. The team was so used to his aloof attitude that when something did affect him, it was so tangible that everyone else felt it. Not that he didn't appreciate her trying to make him feel better, nothing could until he was sure that Sakura was safe and well; that Sota was caught.
"Well, I'll go to the club to see if the guys are there. We will see you and Sakura at the hospital, okay?" she stated, leaning in to get one good look at Sakura. Kakashi nodded, but otherwise said nothing. Ino hugged Kakashi, placing a hand on Sakura's forehead before taking off.
"Kakashi."
He peered over, watching Flo amble her way up to him with a small bag in her hand. The otherwise crude woman wore an expression of disquiet, her aged eyes looking over Sakura's face. "The ambulance has been called?" She asked hoarsely.
"Yes."
"Mh. Has anything been done about those cuts all over her?" She pressed, wrinkled hands hovering over Sakura's face.
Kakashi shook his head plaintively, "She wouldn't let us touch her face."
Flo nodded knowingly, unzipping the bag she had in her hand and pulling out a small jar of a creamy thick ointment. She scooped some on her finger, holding it and waiting for an okay from Kakashi. He nodded, and she carefully lobbed some over the scratches on her face; the blood from the cuts mingling and spreading with the balm. She gathered some more, rubbing over the cuts on her neck. "Deep," Flo brayed, leaning her face in closer to examine the wounds. Watching Flo, Kakashi remembered his dad telling him about how for years and years of her life Flo was a well respected nurse, in a very high position; she was the one who trained Himari. She retired around the time he was a kid, and she'd been working at the diner ever since. Even if it made him wince when she touched the wounds, he trusted her. "She might need an X-ray for her neck, her breathing is wheezy. Any more?"
"Yes, the back of her head and on her side, she got stabbed," Kakashi ticked off bleakly.
"Let me see the back of her head first," Flo instructed. Kakashi tucked his hand under her neck as wide as he could, slowly pulling her head up so Flo could get a better look. Flo ducked down, pressing her wrinkled fingers around the patch of blood and moving hair around to get a good look at it. "It looks like her head had been slammed several times. She might have a concussion. Be sure to tell Himari that." She placed more of the ointment on the back of Sakura's head, giving Kakashi the signal to rest her head again. "Her side?" She ordered.
Kakashi pulled up the edge of Sakura's shirt, the rough patch job of his torn shirt being revealed. Flo removed the fabric gingerly, and Kakashi noted that the fabric was soaked through with blood. When she removed the cloth, a glob of blood poured out from the stab wounds, down her hip and dripping onto Kakashi's pants. "Still bleeding," she remarked, using the cloth to wipe away the blood. "They're deep, Kakashi. Be sure to let the ambulance crew know that she's still losing blood. Look at her. She's pale, that's probably why she passed out." She took some of the balm and grazed only a thin layer over the wounds, the slightest amount of pressure sending more blood to trickle out. She re-wrapped the wounds with the same cloth, pulling her shirt back down to cover it. Flo pulled off her glasses, "Do you have the guy?"
"My team does, yes." He returned sternly, meeting her expression with his own grave one.
"Good. Make sure Himari is who deals with her, and no one else."
"I'll make sure."
"Good. Make sure you stick by her until she wakes up, too. If she wakes up and you're gone, she's going to be extremely scared. She might not remember what happened, she might wake up thinking that she's still being attacked. If she sees a familiar face, it'll be easier for her to come to. You understand, don't you?" Her tone was harsh and nurturing at the same time, the kind only a woman with her experience and age could pull off. Her old ice-blue eyes bore into his seriously, and it was obvious that what she saw was bad, but years of seeing people being stabbed and she knew how to handle her expression. She pointed a finger at Kakashi, "Do not leave this girl's side. From the ambulance, to the emergency room, to wherever else. If they don't let you get by, just tell them you're her husband—you're allowed access regardless. When she's out of the hospital, monitor her for several days. Make sure you make her feel safe. I've seen it time and time again; people in these situations get night terrors. They wake up panicking. You have to be there to help her ride it out, Kakashi, or it'll cause even more emotional trauma than she'll already have from it. Do you understand?"
"I understand," he replied definitely, pulling Sakura in tighter.
In the distance, sirens could be heard.
Flo looked back towards the sound, surveying the ambulance that rushed up and skidded to a halt. She turned back to Kakashi with a nod, hobbling off back inside the diner. Two men and a woman hopped out of the ambulance in uniform, opening up the back doors and pulling out the gurney. The two men rolled it up and Kakashi moved to meet them. "She's still bleeding," Kakashi articulated to the men.
"She's passed out?" The one on the left asked, pointing a finger at Sakura. "How long has she been passed out for?"
"Thirty minutes or so," Kakashi claimed evenly.
The medical technician nodded, "Okay. She's wheezing, too."
"She was strangled," he ground out roughly.
The technician turned to his partner, "High priority. Here," he turned back to Kakashi. "Lay her down on here carefully, please."
Kakashi responded with a nod, leaning over to lay Sakura down. When she was halfway laid out on the bed, her body began to shake brutally, her entire body and muscles stiff to the point it looked like her limbs would lock. Her head tossed back in violent jerks, slamming back against the gurney so hard that small splotches of blood started to appear on the white fabric. Sakura emitted a gurgling noise, her eyes fluttering erratically, the white of her eyeballs flashing under thick lashes. "Lay her on her side!" One of the men shouted. Kakashi slid his arms out from underneath her, helping the two men roll her seizing body onto her side. One of the men adjusted her chin some, foam and saliva spilling out of her mouth. They held her there, steadying her convulsing body. "Do something?!" Kakashi barked, hands hovering over her, helpless.
"She's got to ride it out," one of the technicians replied grimly. "Just make sure she's on her side, and that she can breathe. It'll stop in two minutes."
Kakashi watched Sakura, powerless in any efforts to help her. He instead followed the other men's lead, keeping her on her side and adjusting her head to make sure she could breath. After a minute and a half, the convulsions slowed to small tremors, her limbs jerking here and there until she was deathly still. Kakashi felt his heart skip, leaning down to press his ear against her chest and blowing out a sigh of slight relief when he heard the wheeze of her breathing and her heart beating. One of the men tapped Kakashi, "Come. We have to get her to the hospital, now."
The technicians straightened Sakura, strapping her down and carrying her inside the ambulance. Kakashi jumped in, sitting down on the allotted side while everyone else in the ambulance went to work and the ambulance took off. Kakashi watched the woman tech IV Sakura, put a breathing mask over her face, and tick off some medical jargon to the other tech. "Sir, did she hit her head?" The woman asked expectantly.
Kakashi pressed his hands together, "Yeah, I think so. There's blood on the back of her head indicating some type of damage."
The woman nodded.
"She's still bleeding," Kakashi added anxiously.
"I see," she replied, holding Sakura's wrist and staring at her watch.
"Will she be okay?" He pressed, leaning back and running his hands through his hair.
The woman looked up from her watch to Kakashi, shaking her head back and forth solemnly, "Sir, that's not for me to say. We transport her to the hospital where there are very good doctors and nurses that will take care of her."
"Himari," Kakashi bit curtly.
"What?"
"When we get to the hospital, make sure it's Himari who helps us," he stated tersely.
The tech nodded, but otherwise continued her work.
Kakashi eyed Sakura in her state, biting the inside of his cheek to offset the stress that rolled off of him in waves. Seeing Sakura seize scared the living shit out of him, and he didn't know how to process it. Rage burned deep in the pit of his stomach. Her attacker had slammed her head so hard against something that it caused her to have a fucking seizure. He'd never seen one happen face to face before, but to see it happen to Sakura of all people…he felt sick to his stomach. He wanted to make everything alright for her, but he understood that the best plan of action was her getting help at the hospital and then talking with the team. Watching Sakura, Kakashi made a silent vow to himself: No matter the circumstance, he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she was always protected.
When the ambulance arrive to the hospital, Kakashi figured that one of the techs had called Himari to give her a heads up, because the moment they walked through the doors Himari was there; walking along side the gurney, barking orders, and asking the techs questions as they moved. "She's lost a lot of blood, and she's still bleeding. Head trauma, stab wounds, she was strangled, bit, and she had a seizure before she arrived here," the female tech ticked off with rapid succession.
"Oh, no," Himari ground out. "We need to find out what blood type she is, because she's never been here as a patient we don't have a chart to go off of. Once you do that, get blood and water in her ASAP. We are going to clean all wounds, stop the bleeding and suture the wounds. When—ah, hey. You can't come back here," She wheeled on Kakashi, pointing a finger at him. "This is hospital employees only past this point. You are going to have to wait out here."
"I'm her husband," Kakashi retorted tensely.
"No you're not," she bit back quickly, turning to leave him behind.
"Flo said I was."
Himari froze in her steps, looking over her shoulder at him with an irritated glance. "Fine. Do well to stay out of my way."
Once everything was said and done, with some aggressive prodding from Himari to nervous nurses, Sakura was in a patient room; hooked up with blood and an IV. She had been asleep for four hours, not moving an inch during. She was so still that periodically Kakashi would stand from his seat and lean in, just listening to her breathe. Every forty-five minutes a nurse walked in, checking Sakura's vitals and asking Kakashi if he needed anything. Police had come in once, asking Himari if they could wake her up to ask her questions; to which Himari shouted them out of the room. Kakashi asked the cops for detective Kaito, who was involved with the team and their works in getting the Yakuza. Confused, the cops could only comply, saying that it might take the detective some time to get there because he was out on another case.
Several more hours passed, and all Kakashi could do was watch Sakura in between nodding off. It was around ten at night when there was a light knock on the door, followed by almost the entire team walking in. Ino, Lee, Kiba, Shino, Naruto, Choji, Shikamaru, Tenten, Temari, and even Hinata. How they all got past Himari wasn't a surprise, considering they were all trained nins. While most of them stuck to the back of the room, it was Ino, Naruto, Lee, and Shino who stood beside the hospital bed. "How's she doing?" Ino whispered.
"Well, they got her stable…When the ambulance arrived, she had a seizure," Kakashi answered quietly.
Ino gasped, the expressions of some of his teammates startled. Kakashi continued, "She lost a lot of blood because the stab wounds were bleeding constantly. She had the seizure because of the head trauma and strangulation. They're going to give her an X-Ray when she wakes up just to check on her throat and head, as her throat is so swollen from being strangled that she's wheezing when she breathes. Himari said she did have a concussion, and that she'll have to be watched for a couple of days, even after she gets discharged from here."
"Did she say anything about her work?" Ino pressed.
Kakashi leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "Yeah, I asked about that. She spoke to…Tanaka? I guess that's her boss. Tanaka is going to use Sakura's sick time and vacation to give her the next month off to recover all the way, because it will take awhile. Her body went into shock, and reacted accordingly."
"Poor Sakura…" Hinata sighed empathetically, clasping her hands together.
Kakashi jerked his chin at Kiba, "What did you two do with him?"
"We took care of him. He's being handled by Garra, Neji, and Tenten right now," Kiba answered, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Did you get any information out of him?"
"Not much," Shino spoke deeply. "All he told us is that Sota sent him to get Sakura and take her back to their base, but to fuck her up really good beforehand, which is why he attacked instead of just trying to drug her."
"Did he say where their base was?" Kakashi growled.
"No. He won't budge. At least, not with us. We've got Garra and Neji on him, now. If anyone can make them break, it's those two."
"What should we do about Sakura?" Naruto prompted, hands wrapping over the railing of the hospital bed. Turquoise eyes bore into Sakura, his mouth drawn down into a deep grimace. Naruto had always fought hard for the underdog, so Kakashi didn't doubt that Naruto was making his own oath to capture Sota once and for all.
Kakashi shook his head, eyeing Sakura's sleeping form before turning his attention back to Naruto. "We will talk about it at the safe house."
"But, the sooner—"
"Naruto." Kakashi snapped severely. "If they got ballsy and attacked her at a diner, during the day—then they could be around here listening."
"He's right, Naruto," Shino commented.
"If that's the case, you shouldn't be here by yourself," Shikamaru added.
Kakashi said nothing, but he knew it was true. Even in a hospital, it would be wise to have someone else there least something else should happen. Lee stepped forward, reaching over the hospital bed to hold up Sakura's hand. "Did you see her knuckles?"
"I did," Kakashi muttered. Sakura's knuckles were scrapped, and from the looks of her attacker when they snatched him off, it appeared that she had struck him more than just once. "She fought back."
"She did more than fight back," Lee remarked with pride. "You've got to be really putting your all in a punch to get your knuckles like this. I'm sure she fought tooth and nail."
"Well, she did slap Sota," Kiba noted. "I'm not surprised she fought back."
The door opened, and instead of the other nurses that had been doing their rounds, it was Himari who walked in. When she saw the crowd of bodies in the room, she leaned back into her stance, holding a finger up at them. "Uh-uh. You all need to get the hell out of here. She needs to rest. We barely got her stable and you all want to play house."
"Himari," Kiba interjected with a sigh. "We just stopped by."
"Great, now you can just leave. You can visit her in two days. The only person allowed here is Kakashi, and—"
"We need one more person, Himari." Kakashi decapitated, casting her a grave glance.
Himari paused, "Is that what Tsunade said?"
"It's what I'm saying."
Her eyes hardened, "You may run shit with your team, but here—"
"Himari, please." Kakashi pleaded calmly. "She is being hunted by the ring-leader of a Yakuza sex trafficking chapter. She was attacked during the day, at a diner where tons of people were present. We need me and one other person—just to make sure she's safe."
"What are you going to do about the Yakuza asshats, hmm? I'm not about to let you put my baby in danger."
"We'll handle it," Kiba asserted.
Himari scowled, "Fine. But only ONE other of you, not ten of you. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to check on Sakura." Himari huffed, pushing past the bodies in the way and making her way to Sakura's side. She checked her vitals, adjusted the IV, watched her heart rate, and got her temperature. Himari grunted something to herself, shuffling to a cabinet to grab more gauze and alcohol wipes. Kakashi watched Himari flip open the blanket, pulling the back of the hospital gown out to reveal the side with the stab wounds. She took off the gauze, cleaning up what blood was leaking out between the stitches, and covering it back up again. She lifted Sakura's arm, pulling off the bandage there and wiping an alcohol wipe over the bite wound, which caused Sakura's brow to flinch, but she still remained asleep. "Alright, well she's running a fever, probably from shock. I'm going to administer some more medicine through her IV. When I come back I better only see two of you here." With that, she bustled out.
"She was bit?" Choji sneered, glaring at the bandage covered bite mark.
"She was bit," Kakashi repeated wretchedly, fighting back the instance of wrath that threatened to burst its way out of his body. "Anyways, I'll stay here. We can do one of you staying here with me in shifts for as long as she's here. Which one of you wants to stay first?"
"I'll stay," Rock Lee volunteered.
"Fine. Ino, can you please check on the dogs while we're here?" Kakashi dug in his pocket, pulling out two keys. "Here's mine and Sakura's keys."
"I can do that," Ino nodded, taking the keys from his hands.
" I'll keep the rest of you updated. Be thinking on ways we can get to Sota as quick as possible."
The team nodded in a succession of mismatched bobs. Each person said their byes, clapping their hands on Kakashi's back. It was just Lee and Kakashi by the time everyone left. The TV in the room was on due to another nurse turning it on thinking Kakashi wanted it, but it was Lee who was watching it. He sat on the small couch by the window while Kakashi sat in a chair next to Sakura's bed. The two said nothing, and Kakashi was thankful for Lee's understanding. He needed to think about what to do for Sakura, how they were going to protect and monitor her until Sota and his goons were caught. Technically, she could go back home and someone could stay there with her. Chances are, if they knew she was at the diner, they'll know where she lives, too. The man had to of been following them from the complex to the diner, so even his apartment was out of the picture. The safe house under the club was out of the option, considering it was at Samurai that he ran into Sakura. She could stay with Ino, but Ino had roommates who wouldn't understand the situation as they didn't know about Ino's real job, besides nursing part time and being a bartender at a club part time. Not that Kakashi didn't trust any of the other guys, but it didn't sit well the idea of her sleeping at their houses, them taking care of her.
It was his job to take care of her.
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him. Kakashi remembered his father's house that he owns, sitting just thirty minutes outside of Tokyo. He hadn't been to that house in years, despite it being his along with his apartment. Sota and his men will be lurking downtown Tokyo for Sakura, so she'd have a better shot on the outskirts. Kakashi could watch her, and when he couldn't then someone else from the team can. It's a job he knew detective Kaito would pay if it meant getting Sota, so Kakashi knew the team wouldn't have a problem. She'll stay until Sota is caught, and then she should be fine to go back to her apartment, as even though Sota and his men work for the Yakuza, they were just that; grunts working for the Yakuza. There's not a chance that Sota told them about Sakura, as the Yakuza crime lord didn't like bullshitting and was known for offing men who didn't take the job tasked to them seriously. Kakashi didn't know how Sakura would take it, but he figured once everything was explained to her, she'd concede.
The next day rolled along, and time seemed to drag for Kakashi. Between the few words him and Lee would share, to the nurses coming in, and falling asleep; Kakashi was hoping Sakura would wake up any moment. He wanted to hear her say something, anything, just to make sure she's okay. Despite the nurses saying she's stable, he wanted to hear Sakura say it for herself. By the time it was afternoon, Shino had shown up to take Lee's place. "You know," Lee remarked. "Maybe you should take a shower and eat something?"
"I'm not leaving," Kakashi cut quickly.
"You don't have to leave," Lee continued. "There's a shower here in the room. Just shower, I know they have sweats and stuff here."
"No."
"Kakashi." Lee titled. "You've still got her blood on your pants."
Kakashi rolled his head around in an agitated manner, realizing Lee was right. Even with the nodding off, he was exhausted. He figured maybe a quick shower would wake him up. "Alright," he sighed. "You're right."
Lee gave a curt nod, "Good. Shino, make sure he showers. Let me know if you need anything else. Bye."
When the next nurse walked in, Kakashi asked for sweats to which she happily supplied, along with some scratchy white towels. Kakashi told Shino to drag him out of the shower if Sakura wakes up. He went in and showered as quickly as he could, scrubbing his face as though it'd scrub away the stress. Being alone in the shower, he couldn't help the panic and distress that made its way into his brain. The way Sakura looked now shattered his heart into pieces. All the cuts, scratches, wounds, and that damned bite mark…it was too much to handle. He shuddered at the thought of what happened if they didn't hear her scream. Her attacker would of drug her away, where she would have been tortured more. They would have pushed her to the brink of death, drugged her past the point of consciousness, and take advantage of her body in the most brutal ways.
There was no way in hell he was going to let that happen.
Exiting the shower, Shino had a small table pulled up with food on it. He pointed at a box of rice deftly, not looking up from his own box of food. Kakashi muttered a quiet thank you, grabbing a fork and taking small bites. Somehow, he felt guilty eating while Sakura was in her condition.
"Kaito stopped by," Shino commented, shoving a forkful of chicken and rice into his mouth.
"What did he say?"
"He brought us this food. I told him what happened, who was the target, and that we have a plan in motion. He agreed, offering pay for the job which I'm sure you knew he would. He asked where Sakura's attacker was, I told him."
"You told him?" Kakashi broke angrily. He had hoped to reach the rat bastard before they handed him off to Kaito.
Shino continued, unfazed by Kakashi's outburst. Of the whole team, it was Shino and Kiba who were truly witness to his display of emotion. "Yes. Gaara was able to get the location of the base Sota is operating out of, so we didn't need him anymore. He's in the hands of the law, Kakashi. Besides, had he stayed any longer and you left—you would have tried to kill him out of anger. Not that that man doesn't deserve to die, but remember we only kill out of necessity. I'm not saying you would have felt guilty about it, because I wouldn't, but that's not something you want on your hands, really. Plus, I've thought every way we could try justifying killing him to Kaito, there is none that makes sense that Kaito would fall for. If Kaito found out that we killed the man, we'd be out of the detective's good graces and back to being vigilante mercenaries chased by the cops again."
Of everyone out of the team, Shino was the one who always made sense. He thought logically, rationally, and reasonably. He was a tactician, always thinking ahead.
Kakashi hated how right the man was.
The two ate in silence after that, saying nothing while the beep of the medical machines ticked off steadily. By this time, Kakashi had gotten so used to the routine. Nurses came in, checked on Sakura, and left. Staying at the hospital so long reminded him why he hated lingering in hospitals to begin with. It only ever gave him flashbacks of being beside his dying father, and now he was beside a very wounded Sakura.
It was midnight when Shikamaru came to replace Shino. The two exchanged short expressions, Shino leaving quietly while Shika took his place on the couch, lying down with his arms behind his head. "It's been almost three days," Shika noted. "Is she in a coma?"
"No," Kakashi replied coolly, staring down at Sakura's sleeping form. "she's not. Himari had said something about Sakura's body being in such a state of shock that this is one of the after effects. She said that Sakura is waking up, but it's so brief and small that she's out the very next second."
"Are they going to do anything if she sleeps too long?"
"I don't know," Kakashi sighed heavily. "I haven't asked. Himari is worried about her eating; she's got to be starving. But they said with how rough she was strangled, she might have to stick to a liquid diet for a week or so."
"That sounds miserable," Shikamaru sighed.
"It is."
"You know, we'll get him. We know where the base is. As soon as we can formulate a plan, we will get him."
"I know we will," Kakashi acknowledged obscurely.
"We'll fuck him up real good before we send him off to the detective, too," Shika added in a cold tone.
"I'll hold you to it," Kakashi returned, standing up and walking past Shikamaru to go use the restroom.
From outside of the restroom, Kakashi heard Shikamaru's panicked shouting. "Hey, hey! HEY! Kakashi get out here! Hey! Someone get a nurse! NURSE!"
Kakashi bolted out of the room. One of the machines was beeping a loud, unending beep while the other beeped rapidly, indicating Sakura's increasing heart rate. Shikamaru was standing beside Sakura's bed, hands splayed out in a confused manner. On the bed, Kakashi could see Sakura's body shaking. He bolted over to the other side. "Call a nurse!" he ordered, Shika taking off in an instant and yelling down the hall. Kakashi noticed Sakura's body was convulsing as hard as it was when she first seized, moving her to her side and lifting her chin like he saw the medical tech do. Himari rushed into the room with Shikamaru close behind her, standing on the other side of the bed. Auburn eyebrows narrowed together in concentration, and she adjusted Sakura's body; holding her head lightly with her hands while Sakura convulsed. More foam came out of her mouth, this time yellowed like bile. Her eyes fluttered the way they had last time, and Kakashi's heart ruptured all over again. He hated feeling helpless, but he kept his hand firm underneath her chin so it didn't tuck and block her airway.
"Keep doing that," Himari commanded tensely, adjusting her stance some.
Just as before, the seizing came to a dull stop; her body responding in dulled twitches and jerks. Her breathing was labored this time around, her once stiffened limbs weak and slack. Kakashi stepped back, allowing Himari to take over and handle Sakura. Shikamaru was in the back of the room, his expression dumbfounded. It was the same helpless expression that Kakashi was sure he was wearing. Thirty minutes passed and Himari was finally done, muttering the words "Grand Mal" and getting the X-Ray first thing in the morning despite Sakura being awake or not. When she left the room, Kakashi turned to Shikamaru, "I need some space."
"I'll be down the hall," Shinkamaru nodded immediately, exiting the room; leaving just Kakashi and Sakura.
Kakashi paced in the room, mussing his hands in his hair as he did. He paused beside her bed, crumbling in the chair, rubbing his face tierdly with his hands. He felt anguished, and he began to worry that Sakura's condition was only going to get worse, just as his father's had. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her, when he was just starting to have her. He lolled his head back against the wall, eyes closed tightly. "Sakura…you've got to get better…You owe me a date," he let out, feeling a hot tear stream down his face. He wiped it away, sucking in a deep breath and blowing out slowly. He bounced his leg, struggling to keep the distress at bay. He began talking to her, hoping it would ease the mounting despair he felt anchored to his chest. "Sakura, you want to know why I hate hospitals? They reek of death. Honestly, I don't know how you work here. I mean, I get it: you're helping people and saving lives. But for me, being in a hospital only reminds me of losing someone dear to me. It was a lot like this, you know. He got attacked, so injured to the point of death. He was out for days—nothing could wake him up. By day five, he woke up for exactly thirty minutes. Just enough time to tell me that he loved me, and he was proud of me. To carry on the family name, and do right, be honorable, and have integrity...He died right after he said those words to me. He let out his last breath. I watched the light leave his eyes. Being here now, with you…I can't help but feel that same anxiety I felt being beside him. What's worse, I can't see your eyes. I can't do anything to help you. I have to sit here and watch, just like I had to sit and watch with him. I feel useless."
He waited, hoping she'd stir or give him a response. The heart monitor beeped and her breath came out in shallow, wheezy huffs. She remained unmoving.
Kakashi closed his eyes again. "You know, I don't know why I feel so strongly about you in such a short amount of time. I'm a man that likes to pace myself, with all things. But you arrive, and I'm swept up like I've known you all my life. It's so wild, but it's a ride I'm going to hold onto and never get off of if it means you're in the seat next to me…I need you to wake up, so I can take you home and I can take care of you. I'll give you ice cream, I'll put on your soap operas you watch late at night. I'll protect you, Sakura. I'll make sure no one puts their hands on you again." He leaned forward, lightly grasping Sakura's small hand in his, frowning at the heart monitor clamped over her finger.
Kakashi waited. The light beeping of the machine lulled his exhausted body, worn down by the onslaught of going-ons and emotions. He tipped his head onto the bed railing, lulling off to sleep.
It was the light pressure he felt on his hand that woke him up.
He picked up his head, eyes cracking open to see heavy-lidded emerald ones looking back at him. Kakashi jolted up, blinking rapidly and rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He watched her eyes follow him acutely, and he knew she was aware. "Sakura…" he began, leaning closer to her. He watched her eyes flick to his hand that encompassed hers before meeting his again. She smiled weakly, "Kakashi." Even though he wanted to leap with joy, the sound of her voice only furthered to devastate him more. Her typical honeyed voice was just above a whisper, gravelly and pained.
Kakashi's brow furrowed, "How are you feeling?"
"I've had better days," she croaked. "How long have I been out for?"
"Almost four days."
She frowned. "What happened?"
Kakashi grimaced, "Nothing good, Sakura. Because of the head trauma, you had a couple seizures."
Her eyes grew wide, her free hand weakly reaching up to touch her face with a wince. "How long will I have to be in here for?"
"Well, they want to run X-Rays on you, just to check out your head and throat. I guess once they've decided you're fine, they'll let you go. But, I'm just letting you know ahead of time, you're going to have to be monitored—and I'm going to do it."
"But, what about work?" She questioned worriedly.
"Himari said something about Tanaka using your sick days and vacation to give you a month off."
"A month off?" She mimicked tiredly. "I can't afford to be off for a whole month."
"It's paid time off, Sakura. You'll be fine," Kakashi assured.
She nodded slowly, smacking her lips thickly. "Can I have some water, please?"
"Of course," Kakashi replied, letting go of her hand to grab his water bottle, handing it to her with the cap unscrewed. Sakura placed the rim of the bottle to her lips, tipping it back to take a short sip. When she went to swallow, she choked and sputtered, coughing up water all over herself and the bed.
"What's wrong?" Kakashi scrambled, grabbing the water bottle and wiping the spilled water off of her face.
Sakura shook her head, her hand hovering over her throat. "It hurts too bad."
Kakashi mugged, silver eyebrows pulling together tightly, "I'm sorry, Sakura. I'll go get Himari, she needs to know you're awake."
He went to stand, stopped by Sakura's, "Wait, please."
"Do you need something? What's wrong?"
Her brows knit, "You said that you'd take care of me?"
Kakashi sat back down, "Yes, and there's nothing you can do about it."
Sakura stared down at her hands, pausing briefly. "I heard you, you know."
"Heard what?"
"You were talking to me…telling me about your dad, I'm guessing? I wasn't awake all the way, I couldn't respond to you because I just felt like I was swimming in a sea of black sand, but…I heard you."
"If you think I'm going to say sorry…" Kakashi stated, repeating what Sakura had said at the diner.
"No," Sakura shook her head very slowly, flinching at the pain. "I'm sorry about your dad. That must have been really hard to deal with."
Kakashi shrugged, "It was, Sakura. Just as hard as it is seeing you like this…it's tearing me apart, I'll be honest."
Sakura pressed her lips into a thin line, "I'm sor—"
Kakashi held up his hand, "You have nothing to apologize for."
She stopped, letting out a soft sigh. "So, when they discharge me…I just go home? And you stay with me?"
"It's a little more complicated than that. There's a lot that I need to explain to you, but I can't do that here. All I can say is that I have a house that we'll be staying in, until you're better and until we catch the guy that did this to you."
"He got away?!" She exclaimed raspily, eyes widening in fear. Kakashi watched the way her hands began to shake, chest heaving in small terrified piques. The reaction was so instant that it nearly took him by surprise.
Kakashi reached out, wrapping his fingers around her hand and brushing his thumb over hers in a soothing manner. "No, he didn't get away. We got the guy that attacked you in the diner. But, there's a man who sent him to get you, and that's who we need to take down."
She froze. "What do you mean?"
Kakashi sighed, "I really don't want to explain this here Sakura."
"Kakashi, I need to know," her voice was tense with fear. "I won't be able to sleep otherwise."
Kakashi deliberated. "Here," he leaned in more to her, speaking in a hushed voice so that if someone was listening, they couldn't hear. "I need to explain what the team and I do, first."
"You're bouncers at the club, aren't you?"
"That's just a cover up. We bounce at the club, but we are actually apart of a very, very old ninja-trained mercenary organization. It's over 400 years old, it used to be called Ancient of Days, but now we get called Samurai because of the club. Our organization, along with doing your typical mercenary work, has had a spear head after the Yakuza since the gang was born. We used to be considered vigilante by the police, until a group of detectives saw us for what we were and collaborated with us. We now work hand in hand with these detectives, taking down the Yakuza and other crime-related groups or people. We turn them into the detectives when we capture them." Kakashi explained.
Sakura blinked, "You know, I read something about your group and the Yakuza, years ago when I was studying crime in Tokyo. I thought that they weren't as active now as they were in the day. Your group is like…hardcore trained, right? Like you are all no-shit ninjas?"
Kakashi managed to grin, "I suppose so, yeah. Recently, we've been after this sex-trafficking sub-chapter of the Yakuza. Their leader is a man named Sota. That night you went partying with Ino, we also had a stake out ready to capture Sota because we knew he was coming to our club to scout out women. He's sick, Sakura. They drug women, beat them, rape them, and sell them off. Sota likes to hunt women down in bars and clubs and talk them out of the club. When you came into our club, we thought you were safe because his men were making rounds on the streets of Tokyo. But, you took off out the back door and you got bumped into him. He saw you, said something to you, and you slapped the shit out of him." Kakashi hated that he had to go into detail about the man, but he knew if she was aware of just who they were up against, she wouldn't contest to being monitored. He didn't want to frighten her; he just wanted to make sure that she knew full and well. It was never in him to hide anything from people anyways; he had always told the whole truth, and everything that came with it.
"That's who I slapped?" Sakura gawked.
"Yes. Sota is a petty man and he takes pride in hunting women down. He's got a target on your back now, and we intend to protect you from him. All of us, the whole team. You're going to stay with me at my house; it's thirty minutes outside of Tokyo, until we capture him. Once we've got him and his men, you're good to go home…but, that's why you got attacked the other day. He had sent one of his men after you."
"I…I can't believe…" she sniffed, closing her eyes and squeezing a tear out. "I'm so sorry," she wept hoarsely. "I don't mean to cause all this trouble, I—"
Kakashi moved in closer, leaning over the slight railing of the bed. "Hey. It's okay, Sakura. It's not your fault, you didn't do anything. We were already after this guy, anyways. He just happened to set his sights on you and you did what you know how to do and that's protect yourself. My team and I will stop at nothing to make sure you're safe." He lifted his free hand to swipe away a stray tear. "I mean it, Sakura. We will all work hard to protect you. I will work hard to protect you and take care of you."
Sakura hung her head, "I don't need you taking care of me, Kakashi. I can take care of myself."
Kakashi shook his head curtly, "Nope, not this time, sorry. That independent woman card won't work for this. You are seriously injured. Himari was saying it can take a whole month for you to heal—you were strangled beyond what anyone else would have survived. Two stab wounds, a no shit gash on the back of your head—not to mention the seizures. A very dangerous man is after you. I'm not trying to scare you. I just need you to understand that you are in a position where you need help, and I am here to take care of it."
"I don't need your help," She hissed defiantly, almost desperately; her head still hung and eyes closed.
"Sakura, why are you fighting me on this?" Kakashi inquired lightly.
Sakura bit down on her lip hard, squeezing her eyes shut so tight that her brows drew in even deeper. She shook her head back and forth, raising her hands to fist them against her closed eyes. The corner of her lip turned down in a tremble and her breathing became heavy with the effort she was making to control it.
"I need you to talk to me," he continued gently.
She shook her head up until the point she let out a small yelp because of the pain. Her fists fell from her eyes to her lap, revealing the streams of tears on her cheeks. The breath she had worked so hard to steady blew out raggedly, followed by a hard sob. She curled over, shoulders heaving with each cry. At once, Kakashi hiked his leg over the side of the bed, sliding into the small space between Sakura and the railing. He wiggled in as gently as he could, letting his long legs rest themselves against Sakura's. He wrapped his left arm around her, his right coming around the front so his hands locked her in a light hold. With Sakura in his arms, he could feel the quaking of her whole figure, not just from the sobs but from the fear, too. Each sob Sakura let out was raspy, broken, and full of a suffering so deep that it resonated within him; shattering his heart all over again. Kakashi held her there, whispering soft promises of her safety as she wept. She cried about how weak she was, about how she couldn't protect herself. She let out that she almost died, and that she would of too if Kakashi and the team hadn't shown up. Sakura went into every detail of the encounter, beginning to end as if she felt the need to explain herself. She lamented about how weak she felt, about how she was better off dying if she couldn't even take care of herself. Kakashi remained silent until she finished, tucking away his rising rage for another time.
Kakashi leaned into her, pressing his mouth against her temple in a tender scold. "I never want to hear you say you're better off dead. You deserve a life full of happiness and treasures. Here, look—" he lifted her hand to Sakura's eye level. "Do you see these? Look at your knuckles. You fought back with everything you had. You did protect yourself Sakura. That was just once instance where he happened to have the upper hand at the last minute, but you would have fought your way out. When we came in, he was fucked up. I'm guessing you weren't paying attention to his face. His nose was broken and bleeding, his left eye was swollen completely shut, his lip was busted, his face was covered in blood, and you had scratched him so badly all over his face that he's going to have scars because of your strength. Had anyone else been in your situation, they would have been down for the count when they got stabbed not once, but two times. This man was fighting you with everything he had in him because you are—and I've told you this before—incredibly strong. I've never met anyone as strong as you. Ever."
"I don't feel strong…" she muttered and sniffed. "Strong people don't cry. Someone strong would be…"
"Would be what? Unaffected? That's where you've got it mixed up, Sakura, and I'm honestly surprised you've got the notion otherwise. Strong people cry all the time. I think it takes strength to express how you feel. I would be worried if you came out of a traumatic experience seemingly unbothered. What you're feeling now is normal to feel—your body went through shock for how badly you were attacked, for Christ's sake. You're allowed to feel what you feel, and you're allowed to express it."
"I just don't want…I have a hard time…" She stopped, picking at her thumb with her fingers.
Kakashi waited, watching her face as she went about formulating what she was feeling. He was beginning to fully understand her complexity; Sakura was not just one way. She was a woman who wore multiple faces, all of which rotated and spoke on her behalf considering the situation. It was a defense mechanism she had built to protect herself, and he couldn't blame her. Sitting beside her in the hospital bed, being able to hold her and comfort her was another tender moment he wasn't going to take for granted. It was just another wall he had barely managed to climb over, and even so he felt like he was teetering on the edge. She was letting him in only just a little; however he only had pure hatred for the circumstance from which it was born.
"It's just…I express something other than happiness or anger, and I feel as though it'll get turned back on me. Or I'll be weak." She finally articulated, staring straight ahead.
Kakashi gave a small bob of his head, peering up at the ceiling in thought. "You know, my dad told me something once when I was a kid, and it really stuck with me. Hell, it shaped my entire personality if we're being honest."
"What'd he say?" Sakura crowed, wiggling her shoulders subtly to break out of Kakashi's hold.
He released his arms from around her, letting them settle in his lap. He wasn't offended at the gesture, he figured she felt vulnerable enough, and she had let him do a lot as it was when it came to comfort. Her needing space was understandable, and him giving it to her freely without protest was the assurance she needed that she was truly safe. "I was about…eleven or twelve, I think. There was this kid, I can't remember his name for the life of me but I remember him being the coolest kid in the neighborhood. Everyone wanted to be his friend; all the other boys mimicked whatever he did. He happened to also be really good at literally everything he tried. Soccer, math, games—that kid had some major mojo. I had always been…the outcast? By that I mean, I was always to myself for the most part. I'd read cooking books, I'd go fishing, so on and so forth. Anyways, when I was younger I also wore a mask over the bottom half of my face, since I was five. My father really never questioned it, he was all about expression and I suppose he just figured it came with the package. That mask always stayed on, the only time I ever took it off was for a shower, or I'd pull it down to take a bite of my food as quick as possible. No one ever saw my face without it, besides my father. I suppose I wore it to protect myself…now that I think about it…Well, a school dance came up, and I had a crush on this girl named Yua. I asked her out and, to my surprise, she said yes. The day of the dance comes, my dad went out of his way to buy me a really nice maroon velvet suit, the suit pants were bell bottoms, along with a matching hat that had a feather sticking out of it—I had an affinity with seventies at that time, so just bear with me. I felt so fucking badass in that suit, I was strutting down the hall for my dad, giving him the finger guns and grooving to 'Stayin' Alive' that my dad played. Well, we're groovin, my dad makes a remark about how much better I'd look if I took off the mask. He said it didn't match the suit, and that it put a damper on the whole vibe. At first, I said hell to the naw…but he had a way of convincing me otherwise. So, I took it off-off for the first time in eight years. I felt extremely exposed, vulnerable, and naked. Still, he went on and on about how sharp I looked that I couldn't help but feel like a confident badass after awhile."
"He drives me up; a lot of the other kids were already there so it was pretty packed. I step out, I'm feelin' myself, I walked with so much swagger that it had the potential to knock up every teacher in my vicinity. I was so caught up in how good I felt, that I failed to notice that everyone was staring at me like I'd sprouted a second head. After some searching, I found Yua with a group of kids, along with that really popular guy I was telling you about. I remember my dad telling me that corsages were boring—a single rose is where it's at when it comes to winning over a woman's heart. I held out the rose he bought for me to give it to her, saying something along the lines of, 'Shall we dance?'"
"So smooth, so funky-fresh," Sakura giggled.
Kakashi winked, secretly delighted in her small smile. "You don't have to tell me twice, Sakura. So, I'm holding out this rose for her, but she's just staring at me. They all were. At that time, popular-boy tosses his head back and laughs so loud that I swear to fucking god his jaw unhinged. He asks me whose grandpa did I get the suit from, slaps the rose out of my hand, and then points out the mole on my face—he called it a wart, I said beauty mark. Then, they all start just picking on me. Saying I've always been weird, no wonder I wear a mask—so on and so forth. Well, as you can imagine, I was pretty fucking mortified. They laughed me out of the place. I took off and instead of calling my dad to pick me up, I walked home; in the rain, I might add. Get home, my dad asks me what happened. I told him, and then just sulked off to my room. I felt stupid, I felt ugly, and I felt like a loser. I was mad that I had exposed myself, I kept thinking, 'I should have known.' My dad comes into my room, sits down next to me. He goes, 'Son, you're an individual. You like what you like, you are who you are, and you feel what you feel. No one is allowed to take that away from you.' I followed with the 'yeah, but' and he clears his throat, telling me: 'Son. Those who mind don't matter, those who matter don't mind.' It took a couple days to process it, but once it clicked—that was it for me. It just made sense. I burned the mask and stopped apologizing for being and doing what was only natural to me….So, I guess what I'm saying to you Sakura is that, those who mind don't matter, and—"
"Those who matter don't mind…" she finished soundlessly. The two sat in contemplative silence for several minutes; one made no move for the other, they simply sat there next to each other and breathed. Kakashi knew what was going to come from Sakura's attack, he was braced for it. Flo had told him she'd have night terrors, but he knew it was deeper than that. He'd rescued enough victims to be witness to the aftershock of attack. He made a mental note to be careful with her, to make sure to understand if she reacts wildly. He only hoped that she would be as understanding and as forgiving to herself.
Not ten minutes later, Himari walked in with Shikamaru behind her. When the pair caught sight of Sakura's open eyes, Shika gaped a little while Himari rushed over as quick as her small feet could take her. "You have no idea how happy I am to see those big green eyes," Himari sighed, shaking her head back and forth. "How are you feeling?"
Sakura grimaced, "I'm okay."
Himari glowered, "Now is not the time to be tough, baybay. I need you to be honest about what you're feeling and exactly where."
Sakura deflated sheepishly, "Well…my throat hurts extremely. Along with my head, face, neck, hands, and side."
"Pain scale?"
"Throat: eight. Head: six. Neck: eight. Hands: four. Face: seven. Side: eight." Sakura ticked off hoarsely, in a tone indicating a conversation she'd be having with a patient.
Himari's mouth pulled down in a deep frown, "Okay. Anything else?"
"I feel really woozy, dizzy, and dehydrated. I also feel really weak, physically."
"Alright. We'll administer something for the pain, but it's only going to be a Tylenol. We can't give you any more drip, not until we get those X-Rays, which I'm going to schedule here in a couple hours now that you're awake. Your body went through a great deal of shock. You had a concussion. You suffered from two Grand Mal seizures. That takes a toll on your body, as you already know. When we finish with the X-Ray, we'll decide what we need to do and when you can be let go. Tanaka is going to give you a month off—paid time. It is using your sick and vacation days, but that's what it's going to take to make sure you heal properly." Himari asserted professionally, adjusting the IV.
"I understand," Sakura bobbed. "How deep were the stab wounds?"
"He stabbed you to the hilt, Sakura. It's several inches, but you got lucky it missed any vital organs. Twice."
"What about my throat? My voice?"
Himari slowed, removing her gaze from the IV bag to Sakura in careful regard. "We won't know until we get an X-Ray. By the looks on the outside, there could be potential permanent damage. Your throat was nearly crushed. The bruises will fade, but as for the cut along the lower base of your neck and the other one running up it; those will scar, baby. Your face isn't so bad. The right side, those ruptured blood vessels will go away after about a week—along with the bruise. As for the scratches on the other side…I can't guarantee they'll scar or not. He dug his nails in really deep, and by the looks of it he dragged them down as hard as he could. When you're released, just keep tending to them and taking care of them as best as possible to assure they don't scar. The back of your head should be fine after some time, too. All the injuries you took are severe, Sakura. Be sure to remember that."
Sakura became still, eyes blinking slowly. She appeared as though she had just been punched in the stomach. "And my voice…?"
Himari gave a short jerk of her head, "We won't know anything until we look at the X-Ray, honey. You know that."
"But, I mean…what do you think? Do you think it'll be fine? That it'll go back to normal?" Her voice hitched, her questions pressed and worried.
"I think…" Himari began, "…that you need to stop talking. You need to take as much care of your throat as possible. I'll go get the Tylenol, and some more water for you; along with a new IV bag as well. It's important you stay hydrated. How's your stomach feeling? Are you hungry at all?"
"N-no…not really. I feel sick to my stomach, honestly."
"Okay…well you're going to have to try to eat something at some point. You've been out for four days. Aside from everything else, it's no wonder you feel weak." She paused, eye-balling Kakashi skeptically. "He's not getting fresh with you, is he?"
Sakura flinched back, "Uh…no. I was just…upset, so…"
"If anything, she tried to get fresh with me," Kakashi teased, jutting a thumb at his chest, trying to digress Sakura's tension.
Himari's eyebrows shot up, "Excuse me?"
Sakura turned her head to look at Kakashi, "Don't you even…" she warned.
"Oh, yeah. She became the Amazonian Huntress of Sexual Assault and I was her weak, helpless slave. She manhandled me, Himari, she actual—"
Sakura clapped a hand over Kakashi's mouth, glaring promises at him of death. Himari grunted, shaking her head and dismissing them with a wave when she exited the room. Kakashi remained leaned back in his position, not removing Sakura's hand from his face. He simply peeked over at her impishly, waiting for her to say something.
"Amazonian Huntress of Sexual Assault?" Shikamaru repeated thoughtfully, plopping down on the small couch.
Sakura motioned at Shikamaru with a nervous smile, "It's nothing."
"It's not nothing," Kakashi remarked in a muffle behind her hand.
She turned her attention back to Kakashi. "You said you wouldn't say anything?!" She hissed acidly.
Shikamaru's eyes darted between the two, slightly amused.
Kakashi shrugged, "I just wanted to clear the air that between us I'm not the one getting fresh with the other. It's you." His voice was still muffled. Sakura glared at him angrily until Kakashi jut out his tongue, licking the whole of her palm. With a disgusted grimace she pulled her hand back, wiping it frivolously on his shoulder. "You're impossible," she groaned with a heavy roll of her eyes, though he thought he saw the smallest smirk tug at her mouth.
"I hear that a lot…" he chimed casually.
Despite the weight of the situation they were in, Kakashi was glad to bring the intensity down, if only just for a little. Anything to make her feel normal and safe in an otherwise abnormal circumstance. Despite the bruises, the eventual scars, and the emotional trauma to follow…it was a brief moment he could offer her to make it go away, no matter how stupid or silly. He told himself he would make note to make sure these small moments happened as often as possible.