Chapter 4
AN: I want to give credit to Blank101 for letting me use her medical terminology in this chapter that she used in her fic "Shadows and Darkness." And I also want to thank MrsHellman again, who helped with descriptiveness. Thanks for reviewing! Enjoy!
Naruto recovered from the sedative about an hour later and he was feeling anxious again, realizing that he was still in a foreign place, it was like déjà vu. Everything was just as scary as before, just as silent and just as lifeless. Even though this was a hospital with a lot of people; patients, doctors, nurses and other people, it still felt lifeless. It smelled funny, and it was so boring! Not to mention that he couldn't move around much. At least he had his tousan there though, which provided some feeling of comfort from his presence.
"When can I leave this place, Tousan?" Naruto asked his father as he looked at him with his still slightly dull eyes.
"As soon as the doctor says you can," Minato answered, simply as he looked at his son with a small smile gracing his lips. He was so relieved that everything went fine during the scan and that Naruto hadn't freaked out.
"I hate it here," Naruto said without venom, as he cuddled the pillow he lay on. The pillow and his father were probably the only good things about being here right now. Both were comforting him when he needed them. "It's boring, it smells funny, it's too clean and it's too confining," Naruto continued, vocalizing his earlier thoughts out loud.
Minato couldn't help but smile at his son's way of describing the hospital. It was pretty accurate. "I understand, Naruto. I really do. You've certainly had your fill of hospitals for a while. Hopefully, you won't come back again for a very long time," he answered as Naruto looked at his father before he let a sigh escape his dry lips. He licked them and then closed his eyes for a brief moment.
He didn't respond to his father, but simply turned his head and stared out the window after opening his eyes again, with a longing look on his face. He wanted to be out there so badly, it was tearing him up inside. He wanted to be outside, being able to inhale fresh air and run around in the grass instead of breathing stale hospital air, being stuck in an uncomfortable hospital bed, which felt as hard as a rock. He sighed again, longer and deeper this time, as Minato watched his son with concern in his eyes.
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Evening came and went, and Naruto and Minato had passed the time by playing a few games, talking, and eating dinner. Naruto didn't like the hospital food at all, and complained loudly about not being able to have ramen, much to Minato's amusement. Naruto just chalked it up as another reason to hate hospitals.
To be. . . or not to be. . . without ramen. . that's the question, Naruto thought angrily as he looked at the goo in front of him.
Well, Minato thought with an amused frown, at least he remembers his favorite food. That's good. . . isn't it?
Naruto got tired shortly after dinner and began yawning nearly every single minute because he was so darn sleepy. He had been though a lot today, and soon, fell asleep without another word being said.
Minato couldn't help but sigh amusingly as he studied his son's sleeping form. It was so calming to look into the face of his son and see the so relaxed facial features. But he couldn't do that for too long, as he really needed to do some paperwork that was piling up in his office. He was glad at least that things were relatively calm in the village and the surrounding areas. It would have been more than simply hard otherwise, since he was spending so much time with his son considering the current situation. What kind of father would he be if he just left his son when he needed him? Minato hated to leave his son alone. There was no telling how Naruto would react if he really did leave. It seemed that Minato was his only anchor and support right now that was keeping him stable.
Minato sighed and got up as he took one last look at Naruto, before walking to the door and going out into the hallway to walk around for a bit. He needed to stretch, and it helped to calm his nerves. He began to think about Naruto's condition again, and when the heck would the doctor have those results? The suspense was nearly killing him. Minato was so caught up in his thoughts that he literally ran into the doctor on his way to the lounge.
"Sorry," Minato apologized, sheepishly, putting his hand behind his head and grinning. "Didn't see you there."
"I'm glad I 'ran' into you," Doctor Yoshida said with mild surprise. "I have the results of your son's CAT scan," Yoshida began while smiling a little, but there was something off with that smile.
It's about time. "That's great. What's the diagnosis?" Minato asked, anxiously as he looked at the doctor straight in the eyes.
Yoshida hesitated for a moment before looking into Minato's eyes as well before starting to talk. "I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?" he asked Minato seriously.
Great, why does it always have to be like this? Minato thought worriedly and sighed. "Give me the good news first," he answered while biting his lower lip.
"Very well. . . the good news is that the bleeding in the brain was limited and Naruto seems to be healing very quickly, which is amazing considering the extent of his injuries," Yoshida explained with a worried wrinkle between his dark brows.
Not as amazing as you might think, considering whom my son is containing within him, Minato thought darkly, but kept that piece of information to himself. "And the bad news?" he asked, not being able to keep the worry from his voice.
"There is. . . something that you need to know about your son's condition. . . Hokage-sama," Yoshida started to say with a hint of hesitancy in his voice.
"What kind of something?" Minato asked, actually afraid to find out what this bad thing could be. His son was dying? They had to make a very complicated operation on him? He'd lose his ability to walk?
Doctor Yoshida rushed on to reassure him, stopping Minato in his frantic thinking. "Don't worry, it's not life threatening, but it's something that you will need to be prepared to deal with in the next few weeks and possibly beyond that."
"Yes?" Minato asked again, the suspense eating him from the inside out. Get to the point already!
"Typically, we often see patients with this type of head injury exhibit a range of secondary side effects collectively called post concussion syndrome. . ." Doctor Yoshida said in that special medic language that no civil person would ever understand.
"Without medical terms, please. . . what are you saying?" Minato interrupted, letting his impatience show.
Yoshida swallowed nervously. It was always hard to give bad news to people, but when dealing with the Hokage of the village, regarding his son, the Yoshida wanted to be tactful, and tread with caution. It was no secret as to how much the Hokage cared for his son; everybody knew how overprotective the Hokage could be at times. He paused for a few moments, searching for the right words to use, to lessen the impact of the upcoming shock.
"As you know, your son has been acting a little. . . different, unpredictable even. People recovering from comas following head injuries – brain trauma – will often exhibit new character traits, though they're generally temporary. They often complain of racing thoughts, they lose some social function. . ." Yoshida paused only briefly to continue a second later. "Interpersonal and social judgment may be impaired so they may act inappropriately or out of character. They may exhibit a tendency towards violent episodes, become more unpredictable with inconsistent, often contradictory mood swings," he explained carefully to Minato as Minato's eyes widened for every word that left the Yoshida's lips.
Minato was silent for few minutes, Dr. Yoshida waiting on tender hooks for a response. When Minato didn't answer for over a minute, Yoshida got worried, wondering if the Hokage was really okay.
"That definitely would explain his behavior since waking up. . ." Minato finally answered quietly after comprehending all the information. "But is this temporary?" he asked worriedly as Yoshida clearly heard the concern in his voice.
"Most likely," Dr. Yoshida answered evasively as he looked at Minato with an encouraging smile.
"That isn't a yes," Minato pointed out flatly, not taking notice of the smile he was given.
"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama," Yoshida said quickly with that wrinkle between his brows again. "There may be some permanent changes; it's too early to say, we have to wait and see. There may be few or practically none of these symptoms; he may suffer no more than temporary memory loss and headaches. If he does show further symptoms, recovery of cognitive functions is greatest in the first six months, but it may be total or minimal," Yoshida said hurriedly, as he really tried his best to not make Minato upset or more worried than he already was. To have a overprotective father running around - going berserk on top of that - in the hospital, wasn't something the people in the hospital wanted to happen.
Minato rubbed his chin, deep in thought. Permanent changes? Social dysfunction? Impaired judgment? Violent mood swings? It was a lot to process for Minato and as he sighed shakily he bit his lip again. It was going to bleed soon, he knew it.
His son could undergo a complete change in personality; he didn't like that news. . . He would then no longer be the happy, energetic son that Minato knew, loved and raised. He wouldn't be the Naruto he knew anymore.
Naruto was currently at the academy, studying to become a ninja. . . what if he couldn't recover from this? How could he be ninja? What would the future hold for Naruto anyway? Minato shuddered involuntarily at the thought.
Dr. Yoshida sensed Minato's turmoil and went on. "Post concussion syndrome is notoriously unpredictable. Unfortunately, the mind is such a complex organ and personal consciousness and cognitive ability is very subjective at best."
Minato audibly groaned. He really hated those medical terms by now, but. . . at least he knew now what he was dealing with regarding Naruto's mental state. It explained why he was so jumpy around people he didn't know. But if that never got better..Minato's thoughts were interrupted.
"However, to reassure you, your son's coma was mid-level and relatively short, with no seizures. The speed at which he received treatment and the rate, at which he has recovered so far, is very favorable. Therefore, the prognosis is very positive for his recovery," Yoshida explained and peered at Minato, making sure that Minato wasn't having a fit or something.
"What about his memory problems?" Minato asked putting his hand on his hips, and shifting his weight to his other leg.
"The results of the test showed that his short-term memory has been affected, as he has no ability yet to lay down new memories. It's perfectly normal. He is still recovering and his brain simply doesn't have the resources to both repair the injuries and create new synapses at the moment. That's why he doesn't remember the injury," Yoshida explained as Minato sighed at the new information. This wasn't good, but it could have been worse.
Could the injury somehow have impaired Kyuubi's ability to heal Naruto? Was the damage that bad that the Fox just couldn't heal everything? Minato wondered as Yoshida interrupted his thoughts again with something else to say.
"Because it was a traumatic event, the brain compensates by blocking certain things, to help the mind cope. It also seems that some of his long term memory has been affected as well, which would explain why he doesn't remember his friend," Yoshida's words caused Minato to swallow hard. That's why Naruto couldn't remember Sasuke and the incident.
"And yet, Naruto knows me," Minato said quietly when he thought about it deeper. Naruto and Sasuke became friends at a very young age, so they'd known each other for years.
"Yes," the Yoshida answered with a sigh. "I can't explain exactly why that is, but take hope in that."
Minato seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts. "Thank you, Dr. Yoshida. You've been most helpful with this, and in taking care of my son," Minato said, smiling kindly at Yoshida who smiled back.
"I would do no less for the Hokage and his son," Yoshida answered, as Minato smiled a little more.
"What will be our course of action now?" Minato asked him again while frowning, making him look older thanks to the new wrinkles.
"Time will ultimately be a factor, but I think the best thing to do, is keep talking to him about his past, and slowly re-introduce him back to his life before the accident. It may trigger his long-term memory to start coming back. It will be a slow process, since his short-term memory has been affected as well, so you'll have to be patient, and most likely will need to explain things to him repeatedly," Yoshida said and once again, Minato bit his lower lip nervously.
"When can Naruto come home?" Minato asked suddenly remembering how badly Naruto wanted to leave from this hellhole.
"He seems stable enough, physically. I want to X-ray his ribs though, but I think he can leave in the next day or two," the Yoshida replied while thinking about it. "But because of his. . . mental condition, he shouldn't be left alone for quite awhile, at least until he shows signs of his memories returning," Yoshida went on. Minato could clearly understand why. It would be dangerous for Naruto and the people around him if he was left alone. He wouldn't know the people he met and would get scared. This would pose, however, an interesting challenge for Minato to care for Naruto in this condition, and perform his duties as Hokage at the same time.
"Right," Minato replied, thoughtfully. "Well, thanks again."
"My pleasure," Yoshida answered, as he bowed and left.
Yes, this is going to be very interesting. . .
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That night, while Naruto was asleep at the hospital, Minato left to go and see the Uchiha's, Sasuke in particular. It was Minato's hope that if Sasuke spent some time with Naruto, it might trigger his memory to start coming back. He'd being reading a lot about this whole amnesia thing, and one book said that by hanging around people the person's had known before the amnesia, the person might regain his or her memories much quicker, hence his current course to Sasuke's house.
It didn't take long to get to the Uchiha complex, the only problem would be to find the right Uchiha's house. Naruto had often run to Sasuke's house to play, but Minato hadn't been there so often and every time he'd been there, Naruto had been there as well, so Naruto had led the way.
He tried to remember where the house was and then after walking, thinking and talking out loud, he found the right house.
Minato raised his arm and knocked on the door, letting it fall to his side again. Fugaku came to answer the door and he was surprised to see Minato standing there in casual clothes no less.
"Hokage-sama, what can I do for you?" he asked, bowing his head a little bit while closing his eyes, then looking up again to look Minato in the eyes.
"Sorry for bothering you at this late hour, but I was wondering if I could talk with you," Minato began as he looked to the side then at Fugaku's eyes. There weren't many people who'd seen him without his hitai-ate and ninja clothes. It nearly felt as if he was naked in public.
"Of course," Fugaku answered as he gestured for Minato to come in as he moved to the side. "How is your son?" he asked, as they moved through the house and then sat down in the living room.
Minato smiled tightly as he rubbed his right temple. "Physically, he's doing a lot better. Unfortunately, he is having memory problems. He can't remember anything about the accident. Even worse than that though, he can't remember anyone… including Sasuke," he explained to Fugaku with a sad smile as Fugaku could see the worry spread over Minato's face. "He only seems to remember me, for some odd reason unknown to even the medical staff," Minato finished sadly.
"I see. . . I'm sorry to hear that," Fugaku answered, sincerely as he frowned slightly. "I guess that, if it would have been Sasuke I would have been more than simply worried, I'd been furious and at the same time I would have been crushed by my own emotions from the inside," he said as Minato smiled, Uchiha's were thought to be heartless, but they were the opposite. They just didn't show it on the outside.
"Yeah, which I why I came to talk with you. I was wondering if Sasuke would come and see Naruto at the hospital. He's going to be discharged in a couple days, and my hope is that by seeing him, Naruto memories might be triggered. Also, if they could spend some time together at my house, I think it really might help. The doctor said to slowly start introducing Naruto back into his life before the accident. Would you be willing to let Sasuke spend some time with Naruto?" Minato asked as he leaned forward with a hopeful look on his face.
Fugaku appeared to be thinking for a while. "I think that would fine, as long as it doesn't interfere with Sasuke's studies and training," he finally answered and Minato couldn't help but smile. Yes, Uchiha's weren't heartless, but training was something extremely important to them, being an elite clan.
"Thank you, Uchiha-san. If you could send him over tomorrow, that would be great. I'll meet him at the receptionist desk and bring him up to see Naruto," Minato answered as he leaned back in his seat, not aware of how he had be leaning forward in anticipation of Fugaku's answer.
"Certainly. I'll tell Sasuke. He has been. . . concerned for your son," Fugaku said, blinking when he remembered Sasuke's worry over his best friend. "They have been very close, as you know, especially since. . ." he trailed off unable to say 'since Itachi was imprisoned 2 years ago'. It was something they didn't speak of.
"Well, I won't take more of your time," Minato smilingly said, standing up and heading for the door. Fugaku went to stand. "Don't worry, I'll show myself out. Good night. . . and thank you," Minato said, as he left the Uchiha house.
As he headed back towards the hospital, he really hoped that seeing Sasuke would help Naruto, and that the doctor was right in saying that Naruto's problems were only temporarily. Minato didn't want to consider the alternatives.
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The next morning, Naruto woke up, having rested pretty well. He stretched his good limbs as he tried to avoid hurting his ribs even more. He looked around and noticed that his father wasn't by the bed like he usually was. He looked around to see if he was sleeping in a chair, but he was nowhere in the room to be seen. Naruto began to panic.
"Tousan?" he asked in a small voice, with an edge of panic to it.
Minato poked his head out of the bathroom with his brows raised; hidden beneath his long bangs. "Naruto? Are you alright?" he asked with concern as a frown quickly appeared. He could hear the panic in his son's voice.
Naruto visibly relaxed when his father appeared. "I. . . just. . . got. . . nervous when I didn't see you," he explained, embarrassed. He felt a rush of heat spark at his neck and flood up into his face to the very tips of his ears. He was blushing furiously.
Minato smiled to cover up his concern with a grin only he and Naruto were know to possess. "Sorry son, I just had to use the bathroom, but I understand," Minato said as Naruto smiled back.
"Listen, there's something I want to tell you," he began as he walked over to his son's bed and sat in a nearby chair while Naruto watched him both curiously and worriedly.
"What is it?" Naruto asked, with concern in his voice.
"I've got some good news for you," Minato told him as Naruto frowned, titling his head slightly to the left. "The doctor said you can leave the hospital in two days."
"Yes!" Naruto yelled, starting to pump his one fist that he could move, in the air, but wincing as this movement caused his ribs great pain. "Itai! That hurt! Stupid cracked ribs," he muttered, angry at his injuries. Note to self: don't hurt yourself even more when you're supposed to get out of the hospital.
Minato smiled sadly at his son. It was so hard to see him like this, even though Naruto didn't make such a big deal out of it. "You will heal soon Naruto, but you'll have to take it easy. The doctor just has to X-ray your ribs, and then you can come home," Minato smiled at his son's enthusiasm, but then Naruto's face faltered.
"X-ray?" Naruto asked, uncertainly.
"It's nothing to worry about, it's quite painless," Minato assured him with an encouraging smile. "Now, I have one more thing to tell you," Minato continued and Naruto gulped before nodding.
"What is it?" Naruto asked, not sure if this was a good or bad thing.
"You're going to have a visitor come and see you today," Minato told him with a smile as one if Naruto's eyebrows arched and hid itself behind his bangs.
"A visitor?" Naruto repeated curiously. "Who?" he asked, enthusiastically.
"Your friend, Sasuke," Minato answered with a happy smile. He so hopeful that this would be helpful for Naruto.
"Sasuke," Naruto repeated carefully, letting the name roll off his tongue. The name sounded so familiar to him, but he just couldn't remember who this person was, but. . . the worst part was that something told him, he really should remember this name. "I. . . don't. . . remember him," Naruto said, with sadness and frustration clear in his voice.
Minato rushed to reassure him that it wasn't something bad. "It's okay, son. The doctor wants you to start being introduced to your life before the accident and that means meeting people that you were friends with. It might help to trigger your memories," he explained as Naruto nodded slowly in understanding.
Naruto appeared thoughtful. "O-okay. . . If you think it will help," he answered with a small smile again as Minato grinned a full-fledged grin.
"Great! I'll be bringing him up after breakfast, alright?" Minato said, still grinning, and it was hard for Naruto not to grin himself when his father was so happy.
"Alright," Naruto said. He wanted to try to remember things, and if his father said this would help, then he trusted him completely.
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After breakfast, Minato told Naruto he was going to go and get Sasuke, who was waiting for him at the reception area. He wasn't allowed to visit Naruto by himself since Naruto was the Hokage's son and since Sasuke was only a kid, not even Genin yet.
Naruto seemed agreeable, though Minato could tell that he was nervous about being alone in the room for awhile, but maybe he was nervous because of this meeting as well. He couldn't remember Sasuke, but Sasuke could remember him, so that would be a hard thing.
"I'll only be gone a few minutes, okay?" Minato told him as he went out through the door, leaving it open if something would happen and Naruto started screaming.
" 'K," came the small response from the huddle in the bed sheets.
Minato came down the elevator to the first floor, as Naruto was on the sixth floor.
As Minato approached the desk, he saw Sasuke waiting in the lobby; sitting on a blue chair.
"Ah, Sasuke-kun, glad you could come," Minato greeted as he approached the young Uchiha who looked up at the approaching Hokage.
Sasuke bowed his head slightly, but not breaking eye contact with Minato. "My pleasure, Hokaga-sama. How is Naruto doing?" he asked, trying to keep the anxiousness out of voice. He had seen Naruto shortly after the accident, but Naruto had been unconscious then, and Sasuke was anxious and excited to see his friend awake.
"He's recovering well," Minato said as they walked towards the elevator. "However. . . he is having severe memory problems. Not only does he not remember what happened to him, he can't remember his friends. . . including you," Minato told Sasuke carefully, knowing this might upset him a little. It would've upset Minato if he was in Sasuke's shoes. His best friend couldn't remember him.
"Really?" Sasuke asked, incredulously. "Wow, that must be really hard for him, not to remember anything." He felt really bad that his best friend didn't remember him, though he didn't want to convey this to Minato. "He recognizes you?" he asked as Minato was glad that Sasuke didn't freak out.
"Yes, he does. I'm the only person he seems to remember. The doctor wants me to introduce Naruto back to his life before the accident. So, my hope is that if he spends some time with you, it might trigger his memories," Minato explained as the elevator finally reached the sixth floor.
"I'm happy to help, Hokage-sama," Sasuke answered. This would be awkward and strange, but Sasuke did want to help his best friend. Naruto had been there for Sasuke when he really needed someone after what happened to Sasuke's brother so it was the least he could do.
Minato also explained to Sasuke what the doctor had said about the behavior issues that Naruto was experiencing, so Sasuke could be prepared if Naruto acted differently in some way.
When they got to Naruto's room, Minato stopped a few inches from the open door. Sasuke looked up at him quizzically.
"Naruto is a bit jumpy around people he doesn't know. I'll go in first and tell him you're here. Wait until I call you in to introduce you," Minato explained in a whisper as he stepped forward to enter the room where Naruto was.
"Hai," Sasuke answered in a whisper as well.
Minato opened the door and came into Naruto's room with quiet steps. When Naruto saw his father, he was relieved.
"Hello, Naruto. I've brought your visitor with me to see you. It's Uchiha Sasuke. May I bring him in?" Minato asked as he smiled at his son.
"Yes," Naruto answered, feeling a bit nervous and excited at the same time.
"Okay. Come in, Sasuke," Minato told the dark-haired boy who was waiting next to the door, just as nervous as Naruto was.
Sasuke came inside the room and looked at Naruto who had a bandage around his head, his left arm and leg in a cast, and bruises in various places.
Poor Naruto, he thought with a sympathetic frown. I wonder if he's in a lot of pain.
Naruto studied the raven-haired boy carefully. He looked to be Naruto's age with onyx eyes, black hair, and a pale complexion. He must not get out in the sun much. Sasukes's face did remind him of someone familiar. . . but whom? It was so freaking frustrating! Naruto knew he knew he should know this person, but he just couldn't place him. ARG!
"Hey there Naruto. Good to see that you're doing better," Sasuke said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had occurred.
"Thank you," Naruto answered quietly, not sure what else to say. "I can't wait to get out of here!" he exclaimed suddenly.
More of the erratic behavior, Minato thought as he inwardly winced.
Sasuke let a small smile grace his lips as he walked over to sit by Naruto's bed, while Minato sat on the other side, watching the exchange. For now, Naruto seemed like he was going to be okay with this.
"I bet," Sasuke answered with a smirk on his pale complexion. "No doubt you've been giving the medical staff a run for their money."
Naruto blushed furiously. "Yeah, a bit," he answered shyly. "So, we're friends, huh?"
Sasuke paused for a moment then answered quietly. "Yes, we are. We've been friends since we started at the academy almost three years ago."
"The academy?" Naruto repeated curiously, but also confused.
Sasuke looked at Minato, who nodded for him to explain what it was.
"The ninja academy. It's where we're studying to become ninjas," Sasuke explained as he shrugged.
"Ninjas? Wow!" Naruto exclaimed again, his enthusiasm showing in full. "That's so cool! Am I good?" he went on to ask. This was really interesting and he wanted to know as much as possible and as much as he could coax out from Sasuke.
"Yes, you are," Sasuke answered with that smirk again. "We train together a lot and spar sometimes."
"Really?" Naruto gushed. "Gosh, I wish I could remember. I'm really sorry, Sasuke," he answered, sadly with a frown on his tan forehead.
"Don't be, Naruto. You've been injured. It's normal. It will come back before you know it," Sasuke said, trying to sound encouraging, hoping that what he said was true.
Naruto was quiet for a brief moment or two before speaking again. "Sasuke?" he asked shyly from his position on the bed.
"Yes, Naruto?" Sasuke answered curiously.
"Would. . . you. . . tell me. . . how we met. . . and became. . . friends?" Naruto asked in the same voice as before.
Sasuke looked up at Minato, who nodded again. "Sure. . . sure I can, Naruto," he answered, and as he began to tell the story, all the while, Naruto was hanging on every word he said.
To be continued
AN: Okay, I hope this answers some questions as to why Naruto is having some behavioral/social problems. Now please hit the review button to the left and tell me what you think. Thank you!