Over the next month Shanan got to know more of the doctors and nurses. She got to meet a couple of the shinobi that came in to speak with Kakashi once, and even met a few kids around her age that had also been patients. But she never did see that other person she thought she remembered from that first night. And eventually, her memory of him completely faded.

Every day, Kakashi was there by her side. He explained to her that he had asked to be taken off of any missions until she went home. He spent several days explaining as much as he could about the things she would be seeing when she left the hospital. And when he thought he'd covered most of it, he started reading to her.

They had gone through so many books. So many genres. She often forgot if something was fiction or nonfiction, so she had to ask to be reminded every few chapters. But, eventually, she stopped having to ask and her memory did seem to be improving. Kakashi was very patient with her, which she appreciated, as even the doctors and nurses seemed to be bothered by her forgetfulness everytime she would ask their names again.

He did eventually start pulling his mask up whenever anyone else would come into the room, though, and Shanan had gotten used to it. Thankfully, he still kept it down for her since the mask made her feel kind of sad for Kakashi. She felt like maybe he was hiding himself from everyone for some reason.

One day he arrived a bit later than he usually did and he looked like he had been rained on. Quite a bit, actually.

"Why are you so wet today?" she asked curiously.

Kakashi knew people saw him when he visited the graves of lost loved ones, but so many people had lost loved ones, nobody ever asked him about it or really even offered comfort.

"I was visiting a friend on his birthday," he said simply.

"Outside in the rain?" Shanan remembered being inexplicably drenched once or twice when she was scared or worried, but she really hated being rained on.

Usually Kakashi would steer a conversation away from this subject, but Shanan felt like a kindred spirit and he didn't think she would remember anyway. "Well... my friend died 5 years ago. He actually saved me from being crushed by a giant, falling boulder during a cave-in. My left eye, the red one that I showed you, belonged to him. He wanted me to have it since he knew he couldn't use it anymore... and I had lost mine."

"How did you lose your eye?" she asked, concerned as she remembered the scar concealed between his mask and his forehead protector.

"Someone cut it, but it was my fault. I was being a jerk to my friends anyway," he said with half a smile.

He still hated the way that he used to behave and how he'd let his ego hurt those closest to him, but he had recently made his peace with it.

"Oh," Shanan said quietly as she looked out the window. "I'm sorry you lost your eye," she said as she turned back to him. "And that your friend died."

"It's alright," he replied. "Life goes on... and you just have to make the best of it and try to be happy," he told her.

Shanan nodded slowly, even though she didn't really, fully understand. "Are you happy?"

Kakashi thought for a moment. He wasn't sure if he was or not. His life was just his life, but he was getting more and more hopeful as the years passed. He decided to change the subject as he smiled softly. "Did you want me to read this book, or not?"

Shanan nodded eagerly as she sat up straight. She really did enjoy being read to. And Kakashi was really good at telling stories and explaining things.