As much as I would love to take credit for med-nin Sasuke, I got the idea from "Teach Your Children Well," by AvocadoLove.
Enjoy!
oOo
Day 2 Prompt: Amaranthine (English)
"Everlasting and unfading; an eternal beauty."
Sasuke refused to feel weird as he leaned against the exterior brick of the hospital. He was not loitering. He was waiting.
Sure, he stood outside, in front of the main doors. But he waited here all the time for Naruto and Sakura when they wanted to go out after his shift. How was this any different?
He crossed his arms. The sun beat down on the top of his head, warming his hair to an almost uncomfortable level. People flowed in and out of the doors. He ignored them, too busy glowering at the ground in front of him.
If Hinata's teammates left her alone for a minute, Sasuke would not have to wait out here like an idiot. But they never stepped out of the room.
He bit the inside of his lip and tried to think.
As a nin, paranoia clung to him like a second skin. An occupational hazard. However, it really seemed like Team 8 hid something. Why else would they get so squirrely when he tried to ask about the Byakugan?
Of course, the Hyuga held the secrets of the Byakugan close to their chest. But as a med-nin, Sasuke's loyalty and impartiality were not in question. The patient always came first.
If Hinata's chakra pathways continued to be so inflamed, it could turn out to be a huge problem. As a dojutsu user, Sasuke knew how they all babied their eyes. Why would Hinata not want to talk to him?
Again, maybe his paranoia read too much into this. He needed to try and catch her before she disappeared into the bowels of the Hyuga complex.
After a little more time, he heard the familiar rhythm of crutches on the tile floor. He straightened only a bit. He mentally tracked the sound until…
There.
He strode over to the Hyuga as she blinked away the shock of the daylight compared to the florescent lights from inside. Another Hyuga accompanied her. He carried a small bag with him.
Sasuke did not recognize him. He wore a headband over his forehead, disguising his Branch or Main status. Which complicated things. There were so many Hyuga.
Sasuke could not judge. Sasuke did not even know half the names of his cousins.
"Hyuga," Sasuke called as he neared. "I have a question."
She blinked once more before her milky eyes focused on him. "Oh, hello, Uchiha-san."
She levered herself out of the pathway of the door. Both men followed until they stood underneath the shadow of a tree. It felt private, even if the front door sat only a meter or so away.
Once settled, Sasuke waved off her greeting. "It's just Sasuke. I have a question."
Hinata's lips pursed into a tiny smile. He stared, a little irked for some reason.
"Can I stop you from asking?" she asked with amusement.
His eyes snapped up to hers. He regarded her suspiciously.
"Probably not," he answered honestly.
The Hyuga clansman frowned and glowered like Sasuke just spat on them. He touched Hinata's shoulder carefully.
"Hinata-sama…" the Hyuga murmured.
She pinned a crutch under her armpit and reached up to pat his hand.
"It's okay, Ko-kun. We have a little bit of time." She focused again on Sasuke. "What's your question?"
He could not help but notice how her eyes gleamed in the daylight. They appeared pearlescent. Had they always looked like that? He cleared his throat, embarrassed about staring.
Sasuke looked around before leaning close and lowering his voice. He did not want to cast a silencing jutsu. Doing that would advertise that they wanted to hide. Ko started fiddling with his watch, but Hinata gave Sasuke her full attention.
"I wanted to talk to you about your eyes. I didn't see your doctors address it, even though I put it on my report. The inflammation is worrisome, and I'd advise-"
A watch beeped a quick alarm.
"Time's up, Hinata-sama," Ko said drolly.
"Oh! Sorry, Uchiha-san!" Hinata said.
Before Sasuke could even open his mouth to object, the two Hyuga Body Flickered away. The air pushed back his hair and left a swirl of leaves in their wake.
He stood there for a moment flabbergasted. Why the hell did Hinata Body Flicker while on crutches? What if she landed wrong? Where did she have to be in such a hurry?
He felt furious at her evading the question yet again, and also for her recklessness while she healed. He had half a mind to go to the Hyuga compound and demand an audience. Instead, the clock tower on top of the bank chimed the hour mark.
If he did not leave now, he would be late for dinner. Sasuke bit down a curse.
By the time he stomped to his parent's house, his ire still burned strong and bitter.
"I'm home!" Sasuke gritted out.
He lived in an apartment in the city center. But he still had a room in his parents' house. His mother insisted on it. She also insisted on once-a-week dinners.
Mikoto poked her head around the corner. It smelled good.
"Welcome home!" she called. "How was your day?"
He walked up to her and reluctantly bent down so she could lay a kiss on his cheek. He suspected he would be in his forties and his mother would still insist on it.
"Bad," Sasuke answered.
"Sasuke," Fugaku rumbled from his spot at the kotatsu. He did not look up from the newspaper that obscured half his face. "Don't take that tone with your mother."
"Fine," Sasuke bit out in a significantly worse tone.
Mikoto awkwardly laughed and patted his shoulder. "Did you just get off work?"
Sasuke nodded. Fugaku glanced up this time.
"Sasuke," the older man snapped. "Did you walk all the way here in your scrubs?"
Sasuke resisted the urge to smirk. He did not know if it was because the majority of med-nin were women or because Fugaku wanted Sasuke to be a detective instead. But something about the scrubs really, really ticked Fugaku off. Sasuke thought it was hilarious, honestly.
"What else am I going to wear?" Sasuke asked sweetly, feigning confusion as he looked down at his white uniform pants and regulation tennis shoes.
Fugaku looked like he accidentally bit into a lemon.
"I think you look very nice," Mikoto broke in. She always knew when they were about to fight and did her best to cut them off. "Come on, come help me with dinner, Sasuke."
He let her push him into the kitchen.
Itachi was on a mission, so the usual buffer he provided between Fugaku and Sasuke was nonexistent.
Sasuke felt distinctly sorry for his mother as she chattered about nothing in particular with forced cheer. He tuned her out a bit, idly poking at his food, until it fell silent.
He glanced up. Mikoto peered at him curiously. Self-conscious, he wiped at his face.
"What?" Sasuke asked.
Fugaku frowned, looking between the two. "What?"
Mikoto's voice was full of shock. She reached over and laid a gentle hand on Sasuke's. "Are you okay? You've barely touched your food."
He looked down at his placemat. More than half of his portion remained.
"It has tomatoes," Mikoto breathed.
Sasuke smiled and patted his mother's hand. "I guess I'm just caught up in my thoughts."
Fugaku snorted and returned to ignoring them.
"Is it something at the hospital?" Sitting back, she withdrew her hand.
Sasuke shook his head. He scratched at his cheek as he thought. "Not really? I'm just…"
Before he could find the words, Mikoto gasped. Fugaku turned his attention to them again. Mikoto waved him off.
"I forgot about the stove," she explained. "Sasuke, come with me to the kitchen."
Quick as a flash, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of his seat, reminding Sasuke of her former kunoichi status. His chair clattered behind him as he helplessly followed. Once in the kitchen, Mikoto made the hand signs for a tiny silencing jutsu. Fugaku would not notice.
She crowded in. Her eyes glimmered with mirth. Sasuke backed away, baffled.
"Mom?"
"It's a woman!" she crowed, poking him in the chest.
He grabbed the stabbing appendage. His back hit the wall.
"What are you talking about?"
Even with his firm grip, she poked him again. "I know that look, Sasuke. You're thinking about a woman."
Sasuke groaned. "Mom. I'm thinking about a patient. A patient."
Instead of deterring her, her smile only grew. "Of course. You only interact with Naruto and Sakura. How else were you going to meet anyone?"
He clutched at his chest over his heart, feeling surprisingly stung. "Mom!"
Her hands came together in one firm clap. She sighed dreamily. "And once you save her, she'll see what a bright, smart, handsome man you are!"
He gently cupped her face between his hands. "Mom. Mother, where are you right now? I need you to come back to reality."
Her face crumpled, and Sasuke released her quickly, worried he hurt her. She grasped at his scrub top and pressed her forehead just under his collarbone.
"She's not dying, is she?" Mikoto sniffled. "You have to save her!"
Sasuke's hands flew to his hair. He clutched at it in consternation. "I have no idea what you're talking about! Who are you?"
She turned her large, teary eyes up to his. Sasuke groaned and covered his face.
"Mom," he tried, his voice muffled. "She's a patient. In fact, she's not even my patient. She might never be my patient. Please. Stop."
"Oh!" she said brightly and released him.
Sasuke peered between his fingers. Miraculously all her tears were gone, and her smile was genuine and beatific.
"If she's not your patient then there's no conflict of interest. Good!"
A headache slowly bloomed starting from the base of his neck and engulfed the rest of his skull. He did not know if it came from abusing his hair or the emotional whiplash. Whatever the cause, he felt ready to leave.
He tiredly dispelled his mother's jutsu. "I'm going home."
"Not before I make you a plate," she ordered sternly. She pointed at a worn stool in the corner. "Sit and wait."
Sasuke, grown man and medical nin, sat and waited.
oOo
Coming up: Hinata is mean...?!