Title: where love is lost, a ghost is found
Summary: Just once, she wanted to hear him say it. Even if he didn't mean it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Prompt: Numb
Rating: T
Warning(s): LOTS OF BLOOD AND A BIT OF GORE. ANGST. SO MUCH ANGST. And swearing (this should be a given, every time there is angst).
Comments: Something is wrong with me why are my prompts almost always angtsy, THEY NEED FLUFF. Also, I am not a doctor, so all the medical things here might be majorly inaccurate. I got all my information from the internet, and you know how that can be…

"What the hell did you do that for, Sakura?!"

He was screaming at her—he had been screaming at her for the past five minutes, ever since she shoved him away from an explosion and took the brunt of the blast. She sustained many grave injuries in his place: her left side was brutally damaged with deep lacerations and severe burns and there was even a piece of flesh above her hip that was barely hanging on; her left arm was broken and mangled terribly, and a large, uneven piece of wood had settled itself painfully on the right side of her abdomen.

"I could have dodged it, you know that! You stupid girl, always so careless and—"

"I get it, Sasuke-kun," she told him softly, keeping pressure on the wounds on her side while her face twisted painfully. "You're mad at me."

"You're damn right I am!" he yelled back, muttering furiously under his breath while he watched the positions of her hand in an analytical, vigilant manner. It wasn't long before he pushed it away and replaced it with his own, maintaining the exact same position and pressure. "You better heal yourself, Sakura," he snarled when he noticed her drooping eyes and shallow breathing. "I'm not through with you yet, so you better fucking heal yourself!"

Her lips twitched up lightly in response.

"Teme!"

Finally, their other teammate was done dealing with the ambushers. He wanted to sigh, but now was not the time to be relieved—Sakura's life was still well in the clutch of death. If they didn't get help fast she would—

Sasuke's muscles tensed, and he whipped his head up to give his approaching best friend a violent look. "Get a fucking medic, Naruto!"

"But is she—"

"YOU'RE WASTING TIME, YOU IDIOT!" The pure desperation and distress in the Uchiha's voice was enough to make him stumble back in shock. Sasuke's fear of losing her was clear and strong. "SHE NEEDS A MEDIC NOW!"

Ocean blue eyes brimmed with tears, but instead of protesting of his want to be with his former crush, Naruto bolted in the direction of the nearest village, choking sobs and trying to keep down anguished pleads.

"Sasuke-kun," he heard his bleeding teammate gasp, before coughing glibly. "Sasuke-kun, you can let go now."

"What are you—"

The sight of her mostly healed side made him catch his breath. The piece of flesh which had previously only barely been hanging on was completely reattached and healed, and most of the deep slashes and burns had been tended to, leaving only healthy pink skin in return. Only a few shallow gashes and scalds remained. She had healed the critical.

His heart started pounding in relief when he realized how she wasn't bleeding as profusely as before.

"You told me to heal myself," she strained to say, breathing heavily. "I did the worst part."

Dark eyes moved away from her previously deteriorated side, and gently caught her gaze, jaw slackening as he took in the sight of her sweat-covered, panting, and proud face. He couldn't find the words to say to her, all that was running through his mind was, I almost lost her, for fuck's sake. Oh god, I almost lost her to some stupid mistake!

Then, he was angry again.

"You fucking idiot," he hissed, grasping the side of her neck firmly. "You stupid, determined, fucking idiot."

The sparkle in her eye lessened.

"You almost just got yourself killed!" He growled, grasping right shoulder with his free hand. "You almost just got yourself killed for me! Do you know how stupid that is?!" He shook her strongly. "What did you think you were doing, Sakura?! You know I could have dodged it, why did you—"

What happened next was way too fast for him to process.

Her eyes started losing focus fast, then rolled at the back of her head. She started hyperventilating, and then her whole body started seizing.

Sasuke's hands shot off in surprise. He didn't know what to do, didn't know how to take it all in—one minute she was fine, then the next she was—

No. No. Her body couldn't be going into shock—he had nothing to treat it with!

Panic started to rise in his system, making his whole body shake, and he felt so helpless kneeling in front of her, watching the life leave her and—

Gradually, it stopped. Her seizing subsided, little by little. Focus returned in her eyes. She stopped hyperventilating.

"What just happened," Sasuke whispered, hands trembling terribly as he reached to touch her cheek. Panic still swam in the pit of his stomach as he fought to understand what had just transpired in these past few moments, as he struggled to take in how close he had been to losing her again.

"Hypotension," she gasped out, panting harshly. "I think—I think my liver is pierced, Sasuke-kun." Her good hand trailed to touch the piece of wood planted deeply in her abdomen. "I think my body might be going into hypovolemic shock soon," she went on, face twisting into pained features. "You gotta take this thing out so I can—"

"No way!" Sasuke hissed, grasping her wrist tightly. "You don't have enough chakra!"

"I've got to try, Sasuke-kun! I can maybe close the wound quickly enough so that I don't bleed out and go in shock—"

"I don't want to risk your life on maybes!" he yelled out, tugging it away from the piece of wood again. "Just wait a little bit and Naruto will come back with a medic, and they're gonna fix you up and—"

Her eyes softened. "Sasuke-kun," she interrupted gently, sadly. "I don't have much time. Maybe just a few minutes." She reached to cup his face, smearing blood all over his cheek.

"But—"

"Please."

The fight left him.

"…Okay," he whispered, closing his eyes. "Okay, fine."

She gave a bloody smile. "On the count of three," she said. "One, two—"

Scream.

.

.

No… please no…

"NARUTO!"

"Sasuke-kun…"

Please don't it this happen. Don't let it be true.

"NARUTO!"

"Sasuke-kun, stop…"

Please don't let it be her. I can't lose her.

"NARUTO!"

"Sasuke-kun, please." There was a light tugging on his short, and he tipped his head down to look at her with furious, anxious eyes. "Please, stop. It's no use."

"I told him to find a medic, I told him to fucking find one," Sasuke hissed, trying not to lessen or strengthen the pressure on her profusely bleeding stomach. "That fucking idiot, that stupid little—"

"Sasuke-kun," she breathed, touching his hand gently. "It's not his fault. It's not Naruto's fault."

His shoulders slumped, and he gritted his teeth, refusing to believe this was happening. "You can't die," he said hoarsely, slipping his eyes shut tightly. "You can't."

"I'm sorry," she replied, breathless and teary. "I'm sorry I made you risk it."

There was a silence, as Sasuke stood there and tried to keep her from bleeding out—as Sakura fought to stay awake, as she fought the numbness.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun...?"

He swallowed, looking over at her dulling green eyes. "…Yeah?"

"Do you think you can… do me a favor… before I die?"

The words made his stomach lurch.

"Yeah," he said, voice tight but shaky. He grasped her hand gently and squeezed, willing her to stay awake. "Yeah, anything."

Beat.

"Tell me you love me."

He stiffened. "Wha—"

"Please. Just this once." She squeezed his hand weakly. "I know you don't but just… just pretend for me, yeah?" She swallowed the lump in her throat and coughed wetly, blood bubbling from her lips, before closing her eyes. "Please."

Sasuke swallowed, too. "Sakura…"

"I know… I know it's selfish," she said. "I know that. But… I kinda deserve it, don't I?"

The knowing look in her eyes and soft, bloody smile made his heart ache painfully.

"Aa," he agreed eventually, smiling sadly in return. He took a deep breath, and shifted their hands so that their fingers intertwined. He couldn't help but to squeeze tightly, as the reality of her incoming death settled in the pit of his stomach.

After this, he would lose her. After this, she would be gone.

There would be no more Sakura in his life.

"I lov—"

"SASUKE!"

His heart soared in relief, hope springing to life, scenarios of a future full of pink and green playing in his mind relentlessly—

"Sasuke…-kun!"

—only to come crashing down with shuddering excruciation when the girl started a coughing fit and started seizing again, the grip on his hand going limp, and precious green eyes rolling at the back of her head.

"MEDIC!"

"She's here, Sasuke, the medic's here she'll—"

"MEDIC!"

"Sasuke, stop screaming, she's here, Sakura is gonna be fine—"

Then, he saw it. Felt it. The way her body came to an abrupt stop, the way her pulse seized in single, heartbreaking moment.

His heart sank.

No. No. No, no, no, no, no. No.

"Sakura…?" he queried, body trembling all over as he looked at the unmoving body in front of him. He looked at the medic, who was furiously working on her, but her look of distress told him everything he needed to know. "Sakura," he called, squeezing her limp hand. "Sakura!"

No response.

Please. Please.

"Sakura!" he tried again, desperate for something—anything! "Sakura, god damnit, wake up!"

You didn't even let me tell you, you didn't even hear it, so please. God damnit, please.

"SAKURA!"

.

.

.

"I love you," he whispered down at the lifeless woman, voice hoarse. He pulled her tight against his chest, burying his face in her unruly pink hair. "I love you…"

"Teme," his best friend choked out, voice strained and incredibly sad. "You really mean it, don't you? You really love her, don't you?"

Sasuke only tightened his hold on her, something like a sob tearing from his lips as he shook his head.

And for the first time in a long, long while, he let himself cry.

.

.

.

.

They stayed there, for a while.

Sasuke held her tight and his hands through wet, mud-matted hair, muttering nonsense while he stared at the puddle of blood on the ground with wide, disbelieving eyes. Naruto was beside them both, crying and sobbing and howling, gripping his best friend's shoulder tightly with one hand, while the other held Sakura's limp, cold hand.

(both unable to let go, unable to accept it, unable to believe that this was happening. both numb with sadness.)

The medic stranger stood on the sideline with a bowed head and a sad frown.

(guilty and shamed, mourning for a girl she did not know, for another patient lost)

Then, Sasuke cupped her cheek with one hand, and the base of her throat with her other. His mouth neared hers for a final, melancholic goodbye.

(He had to let her go.)

And then, he felt it.

A heartbeat.

.

.

"Medic!"

A/N: Woopsie, I got caught up in horror movies. Lol. Will be skipping 23, and 25-28. I'd like to do 29-31. So that's… four prompts to go! I thought about apologizing for the lateness for this one but then I remembered that this is for fun so why am I putting myself deadlines? I have a feeling I'll still be putting up prompts I wanna do after the month if I'm not done.

I'M SORRY FOR SO MUCH ANGST AND SADNESS, BY THE WAY. JUST TELL YOURSELF THAT THE MEDIC WASN'T TOO LATE IN HEALING HER (I believe the human body has 20 minutes to be revived before they are actually pronounced dead? Something like that?) BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING. AND IM SORRY FOR THE RUSHED ENDING, I'LL FIX IT WHEN I'M DONE WITH THE MONTH OKAY? Hope it was still enjoyable.

AND TO THE ANONYMOUS GUEST REVIEWER WHO SAID MY WRITING WAS DISAPPOINTING BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE GETTING BETTER WITH THE MONTHS: FUCK YOU. HOW DARE YOU EVEN COMPARE MY DRABBLE SERIES TO MY ACTUAL MULTI-CHAPTERED FICS. HOW FUCKING DARE YOU. THESE PROMPTS ARE WRITTEN IN A DAY, OR AT THE MOST TWO, AND SOME ARE VERY FORCED AND HALF-ASSED. HOW DARE YOU TELL ME MY WRITING IS DISAPPOINTING COMPARED TO BEFORE, HOW DARE YOU EVEN COMPARE MONTHS OF WORKING ON A SINGLE CHAPTER TO A DAY WRITTEN PROMPT. SERIOUSLY. FUCK. YOU.

Most frustrating part of it all is that you can't disable anonymous reviews anymore. Ugh.

Love ya'll who are smarter than this person and know the damn difference. You're precious bbys.

DeepPoeticGirl