CHAPTER 3

AN: Thanks for all the reviews so far. It's great. I have to give credit to MrsHellman, who helped make this chapter more descriptive for me, as per one reviewer suggested. Thanks Mi! Hope you enjoy the next chapter!

When Naruto was pushed into the Imaging room, he looked around anxiously, but also a bit curiously considering he'd never been in a room like this at all before. It was a brightly lit room with white walls and matching ceiling; fairly large in size, but what drew his attention the most was the huge doughnut-shaped machine with narrow, flat table underneath it. It didn't look normal in the least; it was as if the doctors and nurses would send him to another planet if he'd entered it. He immediately felt fear and gripped Minato's hand very tightly into his own as if he'd never let go. All the curiosity and eagerness was gone and replaced by pure fear. Minato could feel his son trembling. If there was something Minato hated more than war and evil, it was when his son was scared.

"W-what's that thing?" Naruto asked, hesitantly as the grip on his father's hand tightened absentmindedly.

"That's what we doctors call the CAT or CT scan, Naruto. It's X-ray tube inside the machine that rotates around your body and sends small doses of radiation through it at various angles. It will allow us to see what is going on inside your brain, to make sure everything is okay," the doctor explained in Minato's place as Naruto's head snapped to the side where the doctor stood, clad in a white coat. If you asked Naruto, this doctor definitely looked like a person that would send him to another planet without thinking twice about it.

"W-will. . . it hurt?" Naruto asked, still feeling very afraid of the huge machine that stood on the floor, looking anything but innocent. It looked like it would swallow him whole and he's never come out. Naruto blinked a few times trying not to cry.

"No, it will not. You will lie on the table, which will take you inside the machine, called a gantry. Then it will take the pictures. You have to lie completely still though," the doctor answered, in an emotionless voice, which didn't make the whole situation better for Naruto.

Naruto didn't really like the sound of being under a machine like that, lying on such a narrow table. It seemed very confining to him, and to lie still the entire time? Why did the doctor expect him to lie still when that machine would probably eat him alive!? Naruto couldn't understand why they'd even create such a thing.

Both Minato and the doctor noticed Naruto's frightened gaze while looking at the CAT scan. Minato was just about to talk with Naruto, to convince him that it would be okay and that it wouldn't hurt him doing this, when the doctor walked over to him and whispered something in his ear. Naruto didn't even notice it; he was too caught up keeping an eye on the man-eating machine.

"May I speak with you for a moment?" the doctor asked as Minato frowned, thinking about it. Would it be okay to leave Naruto alone for a little while?

After mentally debating about it Minato nodded hesitantly. He bent down to Naruto's level and made sure that they had eye contact before he spoke to his son. "I'm just going to talk to doctor for a minute, okay, Naruto?" he asked, clearly seeing the terror in his son's eyes all to well before those said eyes blinked several times, trying to comprehend it all.

"O-okay . . .tou-san. . . but you have to be back real soon, promise?" Naruto answered as he swallowed hard, still feeling very apprehensive about this whole procedure.

Minato held up his right pinky and smiled at his son. "A pinky promise?" Minato asked as his son hesitantly took his father's pinky with his own, but much smaller, pinky. They clenched around the other's finger before letting go.

Naruto bit his lip as Minato let him go completely. Minato smiled and walked way with the doctor, stepping out of Naruto's earshot. The doctor then proceeded to speak to Minato in very low tones.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, Hokage-sama, but I'm afraid you can't stay with him during this exam," the doctor informed Minato as his eyes widened slightly at the information.

"What?" Minato asked, very surprised. "Why not?" he asked and even though he tried, he couldn't help but keep the anger from his voice. Hadn't the doctor seen how scared Naruto was!?

"You have to be out of room, while we are taking the pictures. It's a standard procedure whenever we use radiation," the doctor explained, feeling nervous because of the anger Minato emitted, but there was also worry behind it all.

Minato looked worriedly at him, confirming the doctor's assumptions. "How long does this take?"

"Should be no more than a half an hour," the doctor replied with a shrug of his shoulders, not making Minato feel better. Sure, a half an hour may not seem that long to him, but to Naruto, it would seem like an eternity and half.

"I'm not sure Naruto will cooperate. . ." Minato began, closing his eyes as he bit his lower lip. "I promised him I would stay with him. You know how he's been so far," he pointed out as the doctor frowned. He did know.

"Yes, I know. . ." the doctor answered, knowingly. "But we could give him a mild sedative to help him relax," the doctor suggested, after a moment's reflection. "It wouldn't put him out, but it would help him feel more comfortable, and he wouldn't really be aware of what going on," the doctor finished.

Minato rubbed his chin in thought as he went over the options in his head. Naruto could be given the sedative and feel better or he could do this whole thing without it, and that would probably result in chaos and a very traumatic Naruto. The sedative would probably be the best thing to do, but he felt terribly guilty over not being able to keep his promise to his son. No doubt, it would make Naruto very upset and frightened.

"Let me talk to him," Minato finally said while rubbing his right temple, as the doctor nodded in response.

The doctor went to the CAT scan as Minato looked over to Naruto, who was looking so despondent. Minato frowned at the sight of his son who was now looking at him with scared and lustrous eyes. He was cradling his ribs with his functioning arm; his head was slightly tilted down so that his hair covered a bit of his eyes. He was shaking so much that Minato could clearly see it from where he stood. He was pale and on top of that; his eyes suddenly filled with tears when Minato didn't move.

Minato hurriedly walked over where Naruto sat on the gurney and embraced his son. He hugged him as tight as he dared, without hurting his ribs, while Naruto's tears finally fell.

"I don't like this tou-san. . ." Naruto said in such a small voice that it scared Minato. It didn't sound like his son at all, the goofball that Minato loved so much. This was only a shell of the real Naruto.

"I know," Minato answered as he laid his head on top of his son's. He stayed like that for a moment, rubbing Naruto back, feeling the wet tears against his clothes and feeling his son shaking. "But we have to find out what's wrong with you. This will help," Minato said gently.

"I still don't want to. . . I'm so scared. . ." Naruto continued to cry, as Minato didn't know what to do. Telling Naruto now about not being able to stay was going to be really difficult.

"There's something. . . I need to tell you," Minato began, feeling awkward and shifting a little against Naruto who held his good arm around his tou-san. "It's not a good thing though. . ."

"What, tou-san?" Naruto asked, wondering what this could be. He didn't like the sound of his tou-san's voice.

"I-I. . . the doctor told me. . . that I can't stay with you during the exam," Minato started, tightening his grip around his son.

"What!?" Naruto shouted, completely terrified. "But you promised!" he accused, angrily. He felt completely betrayed and very abandoned and he didn't know if he should hit Minato or hug him even more since he wouldn't be able to see him for a while.

"I know, and I'm very sorry. . . but I can't be in the room, while radiation is being used, which is what they need to take the pictures. It's standard procedure. . ." he explained to Naruto who was getting more upset by the minute, with more tears falling.. "But I will come right back as soon as it's over, it won't take long. . ." Minato rushed on, trying to comfort Naruto as best he could, even though it seemed futile.

Naruto's anger gave way to grief at not having his father be able to stay with him. It was too much for him to bear, as his voice betrayed him and he began crying loudly. It drew the attention of the nurse and doctor in the room. The doctor sighed, and turned away to complete the preparations.

"Tou-san, I-I'm. . . really scared. I-I don't want. . . to. . . be alone," Naruto said more quietly, but still visibly upset. He removed himself from his father's grip and sat back a little with a fisted hand in front of his eyes, trying to hide his tears, even though he already knew that everyone had seen them.

Minato looked at his son with sad eyes, wishing that Naruto didn't have to go through with this; it was already as horrible as it was with Naruto loosing his memory.

Minato gently picked up Naruto, and began to carry him over to the huge machine, feeling Naruto struggle to get away from it.

"I don't want to. . . please don't make me do this. . ." Naruto sobbed as his voice cracked.

"I know, Naruto, I know," Minato told him gently, hugging his son close to his chest, ever mindful of the cracked ribs. He then set Naruto down on the narrow gurney that would take him under the dreaded machine.

"Listen, Naruto," Minato said, gently, and cupping Naruto's chin in his hand, making sure that his son was looking eye to eye with him. It was so hard for Minato to see his tear-streamed face. He almost called the whole thing off right there and then.

"The doctor told me that he could give you something that will help you to relax and feel more comfortable. Would you like that?" Minato asked, as Naruto looked at his father through his tears to be met with blue, worried eyes, so much like his own.

Naruto was silent for a minute or two, the tears still coming down his cheeks. He sniffed a couple of times. He finally spoke. "Y-yeah. . . I guess so. . ." he mumbled as he leaned forward to lay his head onto his father's strong chest, cuddling into it and feeling a bit safer thanks to the warmth.

"I think it will really help you," Minato told him sincerely. "And I will come back in as soon as it's over," he finished with his trademark foxy grin.

Naruto nodded into his shirt and dried his tears away with the back of his hand. Minato looked up as the doctor approached them and spoke to Naruto as he hastily wiped the rest of the tears from his currently puffy and red eyes.

"We'll give you a mild sedative, and it will be over before you know it. Your father can stay until we're ready to begin. Then he can watch you from a room right next door," the doctor continued with a smile this time, since he'd seen Naruto's breakdown a few moments ago.

"O-okay. . ." Naruto agreed, albeit reluctantly, but feeling he had no other choice but to let them give him this sedative. He didn't even know what the strange word meant, but every time they had given it to him, he'd fallen asleep.

The doctor and nurse went about making all the necessary preparations while Minato just continued to hold Naruto to help him feel at least a little safe and secure. Naruto was holding onto him like a lifeline, making Minato feel like the worst father in the world that he couldn't be with his own child, like he had promised. It literally broke his heart to see his son like this; his son was his everything and would always be.

"Alright, Naruto, we're ready to begin. The nurse is going to administer the sedative for you, and when it kicks in, we'll begin," the doctor told him with that same smile again. Naruto didn't like the doctor smiling at him like that, even though it seemed fairly genuine, he still felt uncomfortable around this person.

Naruto couldn't help himself when he stiffened in Minato's arms as the nurse came over to inject the sedative. He held on tightly to Minato as it went in, with Minato holding him equally as tight, rubbing his back gently, and whispering calm words into his ear. It felt better but it stung when the nurse injected the liquid into his arm. He could feel the muscles under his skin jerk when the liquid took up place that wasn't made for it.

Minato continued to rub Naruto's back until the sedative kicked in and Naruto got a real far away, glazed look in his eyes. Minato frowned, he didn't like the lifeless look in his son's eyes, but at least this was something that would help Naruto feel better. That was the most important part, thought he secretly wished he could have some of that sedative to calm his nerves.

"I think he's ready, doctor," Minato said after breaking his gaze with Naruto's dull one.

The doctor came over and looked Naruto over to make sure that the sedative really had kicked in so that they could begin. Naruto didn't even flinch when the doctor touched his chin to lift his head a little.

"Very good. The sedative is working," the doctor said, as he straightened up and put a hand on his left hip.

Minato carefully laid Naruto down on the gurney so that they could begin. Minato had butterflies in his stomach as he saw his son's gaze once more. It was so lifeless and uncaring about its surrounding. It somehow scared Minato to know that they had to do this to Naruto just to get through this procedure.

"The nurse will take you to the room now where you can observe the proceedings Hokage-sama," the doctor told Minato, drawing him out of his thoughts. He looked at the doctor while still holding his hands on his son's shoulders. He didn't want to let go, but he knew he had to sooner rather than later.

"Thank you," Minato replied, taking one last longing look at his son. He caressed Naruto's face and said one single sentence quietly, "I love you and I'll see you again soon. . ."

He then slowly followed the nurse into the next room, where he could observe the whole thing to make sure that Naruto would be alright the entire time and not freak out like before. At least he could see his son, and that was better than nothing.

The sedative really did the trick. Naruto was very still and quiet and didn't move an inch on the gurney. It gave him the feeling of floating in the clouds, without a care in the world. He felt very calm and collected, and didn't seem to notice the constricting space he was in. His surroundings didn't matter to him; the only thing that mattered was this funny feeling. It was as if he was in heaven.

True to the doctor's word, the test only took a half an hour and Minato sighed in relief when the doctor said that he could see Naruto again. Both the doctor and Minato were grateful that Naruto had made it through without a hitch.

As Minato came back into the room, he saw his son, resting quietly, on the gurney. Minato felt the butterflies again when he looked at Naruto. He knew that everything was all right; he'd known it during the whole process, but still. He couldn't help but feel so sad. Naruto was like a doll of porcelain. He was still, pale and had those dull eyes, indicating no life whatsoever. It pulled at Minato's heartstrings like nothing else could.

"He'll be a little out of it, until the rest of the sedative wears off, in about an hour or so. The nurse will take him back to his room. I'll come by with the results as soon as I get them," the doctor informed Minato, who was ripped from his thoughts when hearing the voice of the doctor. He nodded in response, still not taking his eyes off Naruto.

As they walked back to Naruto's room in the hospital, Minato was feeling anxious. He really wanted to know the results of CAT scan as soon as possible. He hoped it would give them some clue as to what damage has been done, if it was permanent, and more about the amnesia. . . but what if something was terribly wrong with his son? Could it be fixed? Would Naruto ever be same little boy that Minato had come to so love and cherish?

His thoughts were in complete turmoil, as he couldn't reconcile his son's condition in his mind. There were just too many possibilities to consider, it made his head spin dangerously fast.

Minato was so lost in his thoughts, that he didn't even notice when the nurse bade him good-bye and left the room. He was just sitting, as he stared out the window, and was absently stroking his son's hair, tears slowing coming down his face.

TBC

AN: Please review and let me know you're out there, and if you like this. It makes an author happy!