Sakura couldn't focus.

Her thoughts were scrambled, her emotions were running high, and all she wanted to do was see her parents. While only a small part of her felt bad for being such an ass to Kakashi, she was still brimming with anger. She couldn't wrap her mind around why she was so angry at him particularly, save for her running thoughts that didn't make any sense. She told herself she wasn't going to let the man see her upset, but the closer they got to boarding the plane, the harder it was for her to hold it together. All that kept flashing in her mind was how her mother could possibly look; she had seen enough bad wreck patients to know it wasn't going to be a pretty sight. She worried about her father; how he was handling all of this. While Sakura's dad was a man's man by all means, it's the whole-hearted truth that he would be completely lost without her mother. They've always been two peas in a pod, sharing many years together and becoming stronger as time went. Sometimes Sakura swore they communicated telepathically; they'd have whole conversations with just simply casting glances over to each other. When she was in college and still living with them for a little bit, some nights she'd come home late and hear them laughing among each other; drinking alcohol and watching true crime. Mom would always try to guess who the murder was, what was the motive; while her dad would grunt something about someone needing a good ass kicking.

She loved them as a pair. The thought of one losing the other almost devasted her more than her own loss.

The more she dwelled on it, the more it hurt; the more she just wanted to be there and hug each of them. She didn't know how long it was going to take her mom to heal, and she hoped that she reached them in time before the doctors moved forward with any major decisions. She didn't know how long she was going to stay for—she knew she couldn't stay forever without a job; especially now that she wasn't going to get paid from the hospital in Tokyo until... She hated to think about it. She hated to think about what could happen to everyone because of her. On one hand, she deliberated that maybe she should just give up; stay home for good. She knew it wasn't rational, she knew it wasn't the best choice considering she risked and did so much just to move to Tokyo; to start a whole new life there. How could she have possibly known something like this would happen? Being hunted by a dangerous man? On one hand, she was incredibly thankful for the team; had it not been for them, Sota would have had her already. On the other, she felt so guilty it made her sick. Naruto got shot in the throat- in the fucking throat. Hinata could have lost the man she loved, and it was Sakura's fault. He wouldn't have been there, had none of this been set off by her. Maybe if she stayed home, things would be different for the team. Maybe Sota would stop, seeing as she was out of Tokyo for good.

She didn't know.
She was confused.

On top of it, she didn't know what to do about Kakashi. She didn't want him to come because she didn't want to be around him. She was mad at him, she needed to break away to really think things over. While she tried to tell him she didn't want him to come, the hard determined glint in his eyes told her otherwise. She knew she could argue with him until she was red in the face; nothing was going to change his mind. She didn't know what she was going to tell her dad about him. This morning, she would have happily introduced him as her boyfriend; now, she wasn't so sure. Seeing him covered in blood, something sort of snapped in her head. Could she really be with someone who leads such a dangerous life? Would days with him be a lot like the situation she was in now—always looking over her shoulder, scared for her life? Would there be more frightening instances of someone she cares for getting hurt—or nearly killed? Could she handle that? More so, did she want to? What made it worse, was that while she was unendingly mad at him, she hated that she still felt the same way she did this morning; she loved him. Losing him would devastate her. Just as soon as she opened her heart up and really let him in, she felt like she had to push him out to lessen the sting. She couldn't take a broken heart on top of everything else happening right now. It would completely break her, and she had to protect herself; she had to stay strong for her dad. Because she knew he was going to need her.

While Kakashi talked to the woman at the desk, Sakura turned to break away; stepping in the direction of the restroom when she felt a hand around her wrist. She glanced down at Kakashi's big hand lightly gripping her wrist, his expression earnest, "Where are you going?"

Sakura scowled, pulling her wrist out of his hand, "I'm going to the restroom. Is that okay with you? Do I have your permission?"

Kakashi shook his head tiredly, "You know it's not like that, Sakura."

"Sure," she growled, turning to walk away.

"Be careful," He called after her.

Sakura rolled her eyes, making her way across rows of chairs where people were speckled throughout; sitting, reading, on their phones, or sleeping. It was late, around two in the morning or so. The flight was set to take off at 4, so they made it with just enough time to spare. As she walked, she noticed the random glance or two she got from others; eyeing her gingerly. The more lingering gazes she received, the more brisk her walk became until she was very nearly running. Once she neared the restrooms, she glanced at the women's door, hesitating. Choji's words rung about this being a big risk, and while her guard had not been down, her anxiety shot up. She was attacked once in a women's restroom—at a diner, no less—what's one at an airport? She stepped back, glancing around nervously. She was sure she looked crazy right now, but she had reason to feel that way. Just a little further down, there was a family restroom that she quickly went into; turning around and locking the door shut. She jerked at the door hard several times, making sure it didn't open.

Turning, directly across from her was the mirror sat just atop the sink. She moved forward, sighing heavily when she got a good look at herself. She looked like some crackhead that just got done with a major binger. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, her hair was piled high in one of the messiest buns she had ever seen. Turning on the sink, she carefully splashed cold water on her face; rubbing her eyes heavily and patting her cheeks. After drying her face she tugged her hair out of the bun; detangling it as best as she could with her fingers before tying it up into a high ponytail. Afterwards she braced her hands on either side of the sink; shoulders pinching as her head dipped down.

Sakura just couldn't believe that this was happening.
She couldn't believe she was in this situation.

Not just the fact that she was actively being hunted by a manic, but that her mom was in critical condition, too. She was in an airport restroom trying to collect herself, trying to make sense of what she was feeling and thinking. Even with Kakashi going with her, she felt incredibly alone in her anxiety and fear. Her heart palpitated and a heat flashed across her chest; tightening rapidly. She clutched her shirt as she started to heave, her vision going blurry from the onslaught of tears. Just as hard as she tried to keep it together, an aggressive sob broke out of her chest.

She couldn't help it.

Sakura stumbled back, feeling dizzy as she tried to anchor herself. Her vison blurred in pulses with the beat of her heart, her breath hitched, and she struggled to calm her breathing. Her shoulders shuddered, backing against the door and crumbling down. She held her head as she wept, her cries bouncing off the walls of the restroom. Her entire body shook erratically, her stomach churning sickeningly. She templed her fingers on either side of her head, propping her elbow on her knees, and closing her eyes. Sakura counted down slowly from ten to one, fighting the hurt that pulsed across all of her senses. She felt stuck, glued in place by her panic and she feared she was going to stay stuck this way forever; lamenting in an airport bathroom, unable to collect herself.

She started counting backwards from ten to one again; breathing in with each number and exhaling slowly with each number. Ten minutes passed of her repeating this process, taking herself down second by second. By the time her cries subsided, there was a gentle knock on the door followed by Kakashi's voice.

"Sakura...?"

She said nothing, leaning her head back against the door and sighing. Carefully she moved to her feet, wiping her sweating palms on her pants as she did.

Two more knocks, "Sakura."

She reached for the hand towels, ripping one down and wiping away her tears, "What."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered coldly, her shuddering voice calling her bluff.

There was a pause behind the door before he spoke again, "Well, we've got to board."

With one last careful glance at her reflection, she blew out a deep breath before turning to unlock the bathroom door and open it. Propped against the wall across from her stood Kakashi, hands in pockets with his left foot pressed back against the wall; standing the same way he stood when she first met him in the patient room, their bags sat by his feet. She watched his eyes rake her over, his brow twitching as he regarded her.

He stepped off the wall, pulling papers out of his back pocket and holding them out to her, "Here. We're boarding just down that way." He jerked his head to the left, silver hair flicking as he did.

Sakura glanced down at the papers, looking at the boarding number and reaching to grab her bags; marching off without a word to Kakashi. As she walked, she could hear him close behind her; a leisure gait compared to her small, quick steps. Passing other people made her nervous, causing her to quicken her pace; to which Kakashi easily kept up to her. She practically bum rushed the woman who was waiting to scan her ticket; her palms sweating and that familiar pang of panic prickling across her skin.

As soon as they boarded and settled in, Sakura moved in to sit beside the window; peering out into the dark. Kakashi nestled into the seat next to her, muttering something to the flight attendant that was passing. Sakura whipped out her phone, shooting a text to her dad that she was on the plane set to take off soon; and that she loved him. Next to her she felt something cold nudge her.

Kakashi held out a bottle of water, "Here."

Sakura turned her head away from him.

Kakashi sighed, "You really don't want some water?"

Sakura leaned away from him, tilting her forehead on the cool glass of the window; closing her eyes. She was exhausted. She wanted to sleep, but she knew she wasn't going to be able to; no matter how hard she tried.

"How are you feeling, Sakura?" Kakashi muttered. "You look tired."

Sakura shook her head, "I have a reason to be tired."

"I know you do," he replied smoothly.

"How could you possibly know? You just agreed to fly to the states with me having no idea as to why."

"I have an idea."

Sakura whipped her head to face him, tired green eyes squinting as she glared, "Did they tell you?"

Kakashi plucked a shoulder lazily, "They did. They had to when they figured out you already booked a flight."

Sakura scoffed, shaking her head, "Of course they did. Unbelievable."

"No, not-"

Sakura held up a hand, "I don't want to talk about this."

Kakashi leaned forward, head cocked to the side, "When do you want to talk about this, Sakura?"

Sakura shook her head, "I don't."

She broke his gaze, turning her head back to the window and leaning away from him. She tucked a knee in and crossed her arms, resting her head against window and closing her eyes. She kept her eyes closed up until the flight attendance instructed to fasten the seatbelts; which she did before going right back to closing her eyes. The plane began to take off, and neither her nor Kakashi spoke for the entire flight.

#####################################################################################

Something rustled, and Sakura woke up to people bustling around her on the plane; grabbing their carry-on items and filing out. Kakashi was stood up, plucking Sakura's bag out of the top shelf and setting it in the seat. She watched as he reached up, the lower part of his shirt lifting to reveal the creamy flesh of his muscled body; that tale-tell V that drove any woman crazy. She hated that her eyes stayed glued there for a minute, her cheeks running hot at the thought of what those muscles could do.

She sat up, shaking her head and rolling her eyes; hating that her body betrayed her once again.

Kakashi glanced down, "Good evening, how'd you sleep?"

Sakura made her way out of the seat, squeezing past Kakashi to stand in the aisle. She stretched hard before grabbing her bag and waiting patiently until a group of women passed; following them out. They had arrived at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, just thirty minutes outside of New York City. As soon as they grabbed the rest of their luggage, they made their way through the thick throng of people to step outside and flag down a taxi. The airport was busy, as always; even at night. Businessmen, people from other countries, and students made their way around the airport in a bustle. Despite it being so crowded, Sakura wasn't nearly as nervous as she thought she was going to be. Maybe it was because she was overly familiar with New York, so she felt safe. She felt there could be no way the men after her would have really gone out of their way to follow her here—had they even known she left. Chances are they're still lurking Tokyo; far, far away from her and her parents.

It took fifteen minutes, but they managed to get a taxi; loading their stuff in and Sakura prattling off some hotel she knew was close to the hospital her mom was at. The drive there was just as tense; no words were spoken between the two and honestly, Sakura was too lost in thought to care. She was nervous and anxious; her stomach doing flips as they got closer. She had planned to call her dad, but her phone was dead when they arrived. She decided that she'd just head straight to the hospital once everything was unpacked at the hotel.

In her peripheral, Sakura caught sight of Kakashi. He had his head tilted back, staring at the roof of the car. His eyes were dark, his hair a mussed mess, and his mouth pressed into a flat line. He looked as though he got no sleep at all; he looked awful. For a second, guilt twisted in her gut again and she wanted to say something to make him feel better. But the moment he lolled his head over to gaze at her, she scowled and whipped her head away. It was only a second.

She didn't feel bad.
He chose to come along with her. Whether or not he slept wasn't her fault.
She's not his keeper.
She didn't care.

She told herself that, anyways.

The taxi pulled up to the hotel, the taxi driver prattling off a fee over his shoulder. Sakura twisted, reaching for her purse at the same time Kakashi pulled out his wallet and handed the man a card. Sakura eyed Kakashi skeptically, "Your card won't work here if it's a Tokyo bank."

Kakashi deadpanned, "I've got more than one bank. We all happen to keep an American bank card just in case jobs require us to fly here."

"Tch," Sakura scoffed. "That's news to me."

Kakashi glanced over, "Because I just told you." Even his tone was tired; strained and holding something that would have nagged her if she didn't want to care so much.

Sakura pulled her bags out of the trunk, ignoring Kakashi when he offered to take them for her and carrying them inside to the front desk; Kakashi close behind.

"Good evening," the receptionist sang, flashing a brilliant smile. She had braided black hair and light brown eyes with olive skin. She had a bit of an accent that Sakura couldn't tell where it was from, and a name tag with "Sofia" printed on it.

"Hi," Kakashi replied with a smile of his own. "We're here to book a room."

Sofia began clicking around on her computer, "Great! We have several options. There's the Standard, the Bronze, the Silver, the Gold, and the Platinum. We're we wanting a one bed room?"

"One bed is fine," Kakashi answered at the same time Sakura cleared her throat.

"Actually," Sakura began. "We want two rooms."

Kakashi turned his head, looking over at Sakura; his expression mildly incredulous, "Are you being serious?"

Sakura continued to speak to Sofia, "Which room has the bath tub and shower?"

"Uh, those would be the Bronze rooms and up, ma'am," Sofia nodded, still smiling from ear to ear.

"Great, I'd like my room to be the Bronze, please."

Sofia began typing, "Alright, can do. Bronze room for the lady and for you sir?" She raised her eyes from the computer to regard Kakashi, who was still staring at Sakura.

"Sakura," Kakashi enunciated. "That's a waste of money. Let's just get one room, if it's really that big of a deal to you we can get a room with two beds."

Sakura let out a huff, rolling her head to the side to glare at Kakashi, "I don't want a room with you. I want my own room."

Kakashi's eyes settled, "That's irresponsible and stupid."

Sakura's brows shot up, "Are you my fucking dad?"

Sofia glanced between the two, her smile faltering, "Excuse me, we have rooms available to do side by side. They're on the fourth floor, but we can do that if you two would like?"

Sakura shook her head, "No. I don't want to even be in a room side by side with you. If you remember, I didn't ask you to come with me. You brought yourself along with me."

Kakashi's brow twitched, "You know full and well why."

"I don't care," Sakura huffed, raising her chin defiantly. "I want my own room and I don't want it to be near you."

Sofia cleared her throat nervously, "Ah, oookkkaaayyy. So, two rooms—not near each other?"

"Not happening," Kakashi bit, turning his attention to Sofia. "We'll take two separate Bronze rooms side by side, please."

Sakura opened her mouth, "I said-"

"Sakura," Kakashi snapped lowly, cutting her off. His eyes narrowed; his face hard etched as he regarded Sakura coldly. "It's not up for discussion—and you know why."

Sakura rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest and resorting to looking down the lobby. She hated that he was right. She hated that she was mad, and she hated that she couldn't seem to get over it. She hated that she felt trapped, she felt unsafe, and she felt stressed. She hated how long all of this took, and she hated that she wasn't at the hospital with her parents.

There was a gravid pause, the tension thick and awkward as Sofia typed quietly on her keyboard. Five minutes passed until she spoke up lightly, casting an apologetic glance to Kakashi, "I'm sorry, sir, but the rooms we have available side by side are a Standard and Bronze."

Kakashi wrinkled his nose and plucked a shoulder, "I don't even know what Standard is and that's fine with me."

Another beautiful smile stretched across her face, eyes twinkling, "Great! Let me just set this up really quick and I'll hand you two your keys. Both rooms will be on the fourth floor, I hope that's okay."

Kakashi flashed his own toothy smile, "That's fine, thank you for accommodating us."

Sofia giggled, and Sakura's ears nearly perked as she glanced over at the blushing woman. A coy smirk pulled at the corner of her full lips and she winked impishly at Kakashi, "It's no problem." Slowly she slid two keycards across the desk at him, manicured fingernails tapping the cards. "Your rooms are 422 and 423. If you have any issues, or if you need anything...don't hesitate to call me." Another subtle wink.

Sakura's jaw almost dropped to the floor.
She had nearly forgotten how forward people in America are; especially people from New York. The woman saw a fissure and took her shot. Somehow, this pissed Sakura off even more. She watched carefully as Kakashi grabbed the keycards, tapping them on the desk and giving her a lopsided smile, "Thanks, Sofia." He turned, scooping up his bag and making his way down the hall to pause and press the elevator button.

Sakura cast a withering glance at Sofia, who simply smiled back, "Enjoy your stay!"

"Sure," she grumbled, picking up her own bags and following Kakashi into the elevator; making sure to put a considerable amount of distance between them.

"Here," Kakashi muttered, holding out her bronze keycard. "This is your room, 423."

Sakura snatched the keycard out of his hand, "You and Sofia got along really well."

Kakashi chuckled, running his hand through his hair and shaking his head, "Does it really matter to you, Sakura?"

The elevator slowed to a stop, double doors humming open as she stepped out, "No, I guess not."

She found her way to her room, sliding the keycard in and pushing the door open after the small beep while Kakashi opened his own door. "I guess call her if you need her," Sakura stated sarcastically.

Kakashi scoffed, his tone bitter, "Whatever you say." He walked into his room, shutting the door behind him.

Sakura faltered, standing still and waiting; expecting him to open the door and say something else. Several minutes passed of nothing, and for a moment she felt her heart sink.
What the fuck was she doing?

Sakura charged into the room, tossing her bags to the side and throwing herself on the bed. The hotel room was fairly nice, the color scheme seemed to be a deep red; thick red curtains, red bed sheets, and a red comforter with red pillow cases. There was a small bedside table that dawned a lamp and a room telephone. A decent sized TV sat atop a small dresser in front of the bed, and to the far-left corner a small circular table with pamphlets of food joints she could order from, as well as a hotel menu, and numbers she could call. The bathroom was pretty standard, bright white with a blow dryer attached to the wall. There was a pretty big bath tub and a shower, along with hospitality bars of soap, and small shampoo bottles. White towels were folded with care in a small shelf above the toilet, along with little plastic cups at the sink.

Even with sleeping on the flight, Sakura was still incredibly tired; but she wasn't about to go to sleep now, not even with how late it was. The time read 10:23 New York time and she was feeling the jet lag. Still, she hooked her phone up to the charger and soon after went to the telephone; dialing her dad's number. Several rings passed before it picked up and her dad's breathing could be heard on the other line.

"Hello?" He answered, confused.

"Dad, it's Sakura—I'm calling you from the hotel phone. Mine died after the plane landed in New York. I just got here, I'm going to brush my teeth and head over there right now."

"Oh, hey there, blossom," Her dad sighed gruffly. "I'm glad you made it here safe."

"How's mom doing?" Sakura pressed nervously, curling the telephone wire around her finger.

"She's..ah, she's...she's still kickin', Sakura. They've got her in braces and casts, but she's still out cold."

"Was the coma induced, dad?"

Kizashi coughed, "Eh, what?"

"Did the doctors tell you if they put her in the coma or was it involuntary?"

"Um...I think they said something along the lines of induced or whatever, I don't know. All I know is that she's still kickin', Sakura, and we've got that going for us," He sounded tired and frustrated. He let out another sigh, "Blossom, don't come to the hospital, it's already late. Shower up, get some sleep, and you can come here first thing in the morning."

"Dad," Sakura started, her tone raising. "You've got to be kidding me. I came all this way to see mom and-"

"And I'm saying that she'll still be here tomorrow morning, so don't worry yourself sick over it. Plus, I don't really want you out at night time by yourself, it's dangerous out there—you know that." His tone was stern, something he often used with her when her emotions outweighed her thinking. It was a tone that leveled her immediately, one she couldn't argue with.

"Fine," Sakura suspired. "But I'll be up first thing in the morning. You'll be there, won't you?"

"Blossom," her dad declared softly. "I'll be here as long as your mother is here. I'll never leave her side."

Sakura smiled, fighting back the sting of tears, "I know, dad. I'll call you when I wake up. I love you."

"I love you, too, Sakura. Sleep good."

The call ended, and for several minutes Sakura simply stood there; starting at the phone in her hands. She'd never heard her dad sound so exhausted before; it was drenched in his tone. She wanted to hug him through the receiver, to comfort him in the same way he always comforted her when she was a child. He was always so sure and strong; a good man.

Good men...

Sakura didn't know what to do. She was tired of thinking up ways to rationalize what she was feeling, but she was also tired of feeling it. She wished she could get over whatever crawled up her ass, but she couldn't. She was gearing her anger towards Kakashi, and every instance on this whole trip here was making her angrier—for reason's she didn't know. She was reacting, instead of thinking. She was pushing him away angrily, blaming him for making her feel like a fucking idiot. Was she really safe the whole time she stayed with him? Did instances like Naruto's happen often, and no one was telling her? Was it just one big ploy to get her in bed with him?

Could he really do something like that...?
Sakura didn't know, and she was too tired to keep mulling it over.

All that mattered was that she was just ten minutes away from the hospital, ten minutes away from her mom and dad. She decided she was going to get up extra early, grab her dad a cup of coffee and some donuts before heading over to see him. The man loved his coffee, and he loved it even more with a classic glazed donut. It was small, but she hoped it would make him feel just a little better; even if for a moment.

Pulling out all her toiletries, Sakura grabbed a T-shirt and went to the bathroom; starting the shower and stepping in when it was hot enough. She stood under the stream, scrubbing her face hard and crying softly.

She hoped she was going to sleep well tonight.
She doubted she would.

#####################################################################################

As soon as her alarm went off at 6:30AM, Sakura was up. She didn't take long getting ready, as she didn't really care if she looked good or not. She settled for tossing on an old shirt and jeans, throwing her hair up in a high bun. She brushed her teeth quickly, trying to ignore the anxiety that sparked in her chest. She was feeling extremely emotional this morning, and for good reason. Not only will this be the first time she's seen her parents since she moved to Tokyo, but she'll be seeing her mother's condition for herself. Sakura told herself she was going to do her best to stay strong, especially in front of her dad. This was her time to comfort him, not the other way around.

She grabbed her bag, looping it over her shoulder and exiting her room. Part of her was expecting Kakashi to be up and waiting for her, but to her surprise no one was out and his door was still shut. She paused briefly, wondering if she should knock on the door and say something. She held her fist up to the door, deliberating. Did she really want him to be with her right now? This time being with her dad was going to be incredibly personal—a part of her she wasn't sure she wanted him to see. He had already seen so much of her, and still blatantly chose to lie to her—about everything. About being safe, about Sota, about everything—Naruto getting shot was proof enough of that. She was thankful Himari had told her something, otherwise she would be carrying on still blind and lovestruck like some fucking idiot.

She was a fucking idiot.

Sakura lowered her hand, turning on her heel and striding down the hall to the elevator. Once she was on the main floor she exited the hotel, already familiar with where she was at. The hospital her mom is at is one Sakura used to intern at for a little bit before switching to the hospital closer to her apartment. She knew where she was, she knew how to get to the hospital, and she knew where to get coffee and donuts. Typical to New York, the streets were full of people; walking here and there, to work, from work, shops, and the like. She blended in easily with the crowd, finding her way to a small coffee shop she used to frequent when she interned at the hospital. She ordered coffee for her dad just how he liked it; hot, tall, and blonde. Once the donut was ready she snagged the bag off the counter and took off once again; briskly making her way to her parents.

The closer she became, the more nervous she was. She wished the circumstances were different. She wished that she was visiting them on holiday. She wished that her mom was well, cooking up hot meals and tea. Instead, she was nearly there in seeing her distraught father and comatose mother. Sakura reached the hospital main entrance, pulling up to the front desk where two male nurses sat chatting among each other.

"Hi," Sakura began. "I'm here to visit Mebuki Haruno- I'm her daughter."

"Mebuki Haruno," the nurse to the left echoed, typing into the computer. "Do you have an ID?"

Sakura set the coffee on the counter, quickly whipping out her ID to hand to the man. He inspected it briefly, handing it back lazily and jerking his head to the right. "Elevators are at the very end of the hall on the right. Your mom is on the second floor, room 252."

"Thank you," Sakura nodded, grabbing the coffee again and basically running down the hall.

When she stepped into the elevator, she wasn't surprised to see other nurses there, too. Some filed out while two others walked in with her. She leaned forward, pressing the second-floor button before putting herself in the far-left corner. She clutched the donut bag tightly in her hand, practically tearing at the paper bag with how hard she was gripping it. She had butterflies in her stomach, and she could swear the other two people in the elevator could hear her heart pounding. It felt like a life-time being in that elevator, and when the doors opened, she had to fight the urge to elbow her way out.

Sakura was scanned in through the locked double doors by some nurses, and before she knew it she was standing in front of the room labeled 252. She stayed there for several beats; taking deep, deliberate breaths. Slowly, she squeezed the door handle and walked in.

The room was still pretty dark when she walked in, save for the typical lights that remained on from machines in a hospital room. The TV in the corner played dully, with an all too happy weather man gushing over the day's forecast. Her father was slumped on the small couch tucked into the nook by the window, snoring loudly. Carefully she set the coffee and donut down on the counter by the sink, pulling back the curtain that was around the front half of hospital bed.

Her heart broke instantly.

Mebuki was covered in tubes and wires; seemingly wrapped up in all sorts of braces and casts. The heart monitor ticked off in slow, light beeps and a tube was in her mouth while a machine behind her helped her to breathe. Her face was covered in deep red scratches, along with a bald spot right in the middle of her head where Sakura was sure she had a gash and the doctors had to suture it. The loving, sunshiny woman was dull and grey. Sakura could feel her lip tremble and her hands shake as she neared the bedside, very delicately taking her mother's limp hand in hers.

"Mom," Sakura sniffed, running her free hand down Mebuki's arm.

From the couch, her dad jolted awake instantly; glancing around before his eyes settled on Sakura. He stood up right away, striding over to her and pulling her tight into his arms. Sakura embraced her father, squeezing him just as tight and whispering that she loved him. They held each other this way for a while, rocking back and forth while her dad muttered that he missed her so much. Holding him, she could smell that familiar smell that was uniquely her dad; leather and cigars. It was instantly comforting, and instantly heartbreaking. She wanted nothing more to turn and hug her mother tightly; but she couldn't.

Eventually the pair detangled, and Sakura managed to keep herself glued together. Her father smiled weakly at her before his eyes really took her in; roving over the scars on her cheek and neck. He frowned deeply and pointed at them, "What's with these, Sakura? Did something happen?"

"Oh, well...You know how clumsy I am, dad. I was in the shower, I slipped and fell against the knobs and I-" Sakura fumbled with her words, unable to come up with a good excuse. She was always bad at lying, and her father almost always saw right through it.

Kizashi scrutinized her sharply, "That wouldn't cause those, Sakura. Did something happen to you in Tokyo?"

Sakura did her best to laugh, "Dad, you're over thinking it. I slipped and fell—and i just happen to get cut up really bad, that's all. I guess I just scar easy. So, ah—have the doctors updated you on anything about mom? Did they say when they would wake her back up?"

Kizashi scowled at her, but otherwise took the bait, "Yes. They came in around six this morning and a nurse told me that they'll keep her asleep at least for three more days—then they'll wake her up and go from there."

"Tell me again all the damage she has?" Sakura's tone took on that of the same one she uses with patients. It felt easier to regard it that way, as to not get so emotional. She knew if she broke in front her dad, he might break even more. He was a do-it-all man, and she was sure he was feeling pretty useless right now. Sakura being a bumbling mess was the last thing he needed.

Kizashi scratched the back of his head, brows pulling down, "She's got some broken ribs, she had a huge gash on the top of her head, some fractured bones, and a lot of cuts all over her body from the glass."

Pink brows pulled down in focus, "So no punctured organs?"

Her dad shook his head, "I mean, the doctors didn't say anything like that, so I guess not. They'd say that if she did, right?"

"Yes," Sakura affirmed, nodding slowly. "When the doctor comes in here, I'll ask them more questions. In the meantime..." She maneuvered herself around her dad, reaching for the chart at the end of her bed and going over it intensely.

"I knew you were going to do that," Kizashi chuckled, turning to point at the coffee and donut. "Are these for me?"

"Huh?" She glanced back, "Oh, yes. Just like you like it."

A smile stretched across his face as he nodded, "You're the best, blossom. I'm sorry you had to fly all the way over here—especially now because the doctors are sort of talking like things will work out a little more smoothly for your mom. When she was first in here it was all panic and hellstorm—no one really knew what the fuck was happening, especially not me. The dust has settled and they're saying things should look up as long as she heals properly—which could take months. She may need rehab, too, they said."

"She might, just to help out with getting her back on her feet. You know, dad, she's going to need a lot of care when she gets home. I've been thinking about it and...maybe I should move back. I could stay back home with you and help you out with mom, take the load off of your shoulders some." Sakura set the chart down and turned to Kizashi whose cheek was stuffed with donut.

Kizashi swallowed down the donut, shaking his head aggressively as he did, "No, that's not happening, blossom. It's been your life's goal to make it big in Tokyo—you shouldn't have to throw it all away just because you feel obligated to. Besides, the doctor was saying we can hire someone to come and take care of her while I'm gone at work."

"I'm your daughter, of course I'm obligated to help you two when you need it. Why pay for someone to do what I'm highly trained for? Plus, I really miss you two and-"

"Sakura," her father titled seriously, eyes narrowing. "That's not up for discussion. I love you, and yeah I sure as shit miss you, but I'd be lying if I said you moving back wouldn't disappoint me. You've come so far and worked so hard; don't stop now just because things get rough for us. Your mother and I are strong, you're strong. We'll get through this. Don't put your entire life on hold for us. It's not worth it, you'd be fucking yourself over if you did that."

Sakura missed this.

Anytime she needed to talk to her dad, she could always count on him to give it to her straight. The man always said what he was thinking, and it was always the honest truth. While fear drove her into thinking moving back would be the best option, rationality said that she would indeed be fucking herself over. She hated to think that she couldn't stay home to take care of her mom, but she understood it was a catch 22. On one hand, her dad was incredibly proud and would take the help personal. On the other, she would in a sense be throwing all her hard work and dreams away. Granted, she'd do it in an instant because she loved her parents—but she understood his logic.
Plus, she hated hearing him toss the disappointment word around. While it was used once in a blue moon when Sakura was really off her rocker; it never failed to knock her down a couple pegs.

As well, despite everything going on in her life right now, the dream still stayed the same; she wanted to be in Tokyo, living her best life possible. She wanted to climb the ranks in the medical field, and eventually she'd want to raise a family there. Tokyo was all she ever dreamed of and more; and no big city is safe from its bad guys... Still, she worried. Would she be able to lead a normal life after all of this is over? Or would she constantly be looking over her shoulder, worried about the next attack? Could she go back, knowing she was the reason good people were getting hurt?

She still didn't know.

The rest of the day passed slowly while Sakura and her dad sat in the hospital room; switching in between chatting and catching up to watching whatever was on the TV. Nurses came in to do their rounds, openly stressed when Sakura would grill them with a series of questions and answering to the best of their ability. She asked when a doctor would be in, to which one nurse stated that the doctor was out for the day but would be back tomorrow; which frustrated her. She wanted answers out of the horse's mouth. If she had a doctor give it to her straight, she'd feel a lot better. She already felt slightly better at the notion that the coma was induced—that meant that she can be easily woken up again, which meant the world to Sakura. Had she just been in a coma, it was all up in the air. This was a situation that was being handled, and despite the ache in her chest, she felt the slightest bit hopeful.

Her dad was right.
They're strong.