Author's Notes: Oh My! Another update in the same week I must being doing something right! I know it's super short, sorry! I promise more is to come!

Disclaimer: I have not nor will I ever own Naruto. I simply play in their world.

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Chapter 8

Now...

Sasuke was still cursing the slowness of the well but was back inside the safe-house. Sakura's skin still radiated the heat of a small sun. Her breathing was shallow and the length of time he had left, a trickle of blood had left her mouth and the cloth he had put behind her back to slow the bleeding was soaked scarlet.

Sasuke wanted to snarl and rage but knew that such emotions did not belong in a sick room and so, grinding his teeth until they ached, Sasuke took the water and washed off the grime and blood that coated her abdomen, once more a red haze threatening his visions as the bruises began to bloom on her ashen skin. The sword wound was deep, but it was not ragged.

I'm going to have to sew up this wound before she loses any more blood.

If he were medic trained, he could close the wounds by manipulating chakra threads but that took skill and a very precise control of chakra.

At the moment he was more worried about his control than his skill. Making the decision, and praying that Sakura would forgive him later on, he turned to the emergency med kit and took out a long needle and fine, white thread that was used to close up deep wounds.

He would have to hand-sew the wounds closed. Stay asleep Sakura, he told her silently as he pressed the needle to her skin, because otherwise this is going to hurt like a bitch.

Fifteen minutes later, with bands of white cloth around her abdomen, Sasuke had closed the front and back wounds and bound her broken ribs.

His hands were still shaking.

Stop it! He snarled at himself when his fingers continued to tremble, you can't do this now! I may have closed up the wounds, but that doesn't mean shit. She hasn't woken up yet, so get your ass moving!

Sasuke moved back to her side and continued to wipe the sweat off of her body. He knew he had to get some kind of medicine in her body to pull the fever down. Once more he went through the med kit and found a white powder that he knew from memory was used to treat fevers as well as pain. Searching the hut Sasuke found a simple wooden cup and mixed a portion of water and white powder until it dissolved.

Very, very gently he shifted Sakura until he slid underneath her upper body and had her in a slight reclining angle, her shoulders and back supported by his upper body. He parted her lips and lifted the cup to them, but the small trickle of water slid out of her mouth.

"Damn it! I am not going to let you die on me."

Sasuke took a drink of water-laced medicine and again opened her lips, cupping her jaw to keep her mouth open, and placed his mouth onto her, forcing the liquid down her throat. Her lips were hot underneath his, her body so very still...

Until her throat moved and she swallowed the liquid.

"Good girl," Sasuke whispered against her lips, "guess you just wanted to make me kiss you again hmm?"

There was no response but Sasuke managed to get the rest of the water into her. He was reluctant to let her out of his arms, but he could no longer ignore the burning of his own wounds. Once more with a gentleness that would have surprised his comrades, Sasuke laid Sakura on the wooden floor and quickly made up his own cup of medicine.

He grimaced as the medicine hit his throat.

"This tastes like cat-piss," he muttered and shot Sakura an evil look, "no wonder people avoid getting sick if you force this foul stuff into them."

Sasuke went to get to his feet and nearly staggered as his legs burned and his eyes began to blur.

"Shit...can't pass out...now..."

Sasuke stumbled through the room and gathered a large, coarse blanket. Even with Sakura radiating heat, she was still practically naked and if her fever went down, she would freeze. Sasuke barely made it back to her side and threw the blanket over her prone body, before his own it the floor.

His blood felt as though it were on fire, and not in a good way.

"Sakura," he rasped out, even as he managed to find her fingers and tangle them with his own, "live."

The haze of oblivion covered his mind and Sasuke was swept up in darkness sweet embrace...and new no more.