There was pain.

Nothing like she had ever felt before. There was no way to describe it in the least that would offer any justice to understanding it. Someone was yelling over her.

'Why doesn't he just shut up...?'

How could she even think this way at the moment? Why was she in pain again? Hands were upon her and she felt pressure on her chest. Was she not breathing? Oh yeah, she sort of had to remember to do that right? No. She wanted to stop. Didn't they understand that? That she hadn't fallen from the window, that it was planned. She couldn't dwell too much on it as she faded into the black, only feeling the prick of a needle on her skin.

…...

Pein paced slowly in silence. That's all there was...or could be at the moment. What was there to say about the situation? They had pushed her too hard and now they were paying for it. Was the ginger-haired leader about to admit that out loud, so Konan could tell him how right she had been? Hell no. Besides, the woman had already been giving him a death glare that told him that he probably would be sleeping on the floor for a month. Deidara clutched a pillow to his chest, his blue eyes staring at the ground, red from crying. He had been the one to find her, not like the boy already didn't need therapy to control his pyromania, let's add finding a beloved friend half dead on the lawn to the list.

Itachi was found in her room, not like anyone was adding to a list of things that the man had done wrong that day. Sasori had slammed him into the wall, growling obscenities. No one stopped him besides Tobi. Itachi and Tobi had been picked up by a family car, trying to get him as far away from there as possible. Of course, the Uchihas had to protect their 'good' name. They didn't think they would see them again for a while, excluding school. It wasn't the first time it had happened, not since Sasuke was caught vandalizing the gym wall. Blamed it all on a buddy of his that took the fall without question.

Hidan was mumbling in the corner, holding his pendant hard enough that his knuckles were turning white. Kakuzu made the snide comment about Hidan's god being one of destruction, not healing, but Hidan didn't seem to hear him. He would do many sacrifices to make up for his blaspheming prayers. He never got his week with her and he wanted to make sure he would get one. Kakuzu looked annoyed to be there in the first place. He didn't like hospitals, not since his little mishap and seeing how much his bill was. Of course they were going to pay for this, but he was more concerned for the money that they would have to pay for them to keep quiet about the girl. They had their ways about them, most likely going to go with Pein's trust fund this time.

After a few agonizing hours, the doctor walked in, wiping sweat from his balding head. He looked exhausted but at least he wasn't avoiding eye contact. That was a good sign, for them at least.

"We have succeeded in making her stable. She took a good hit but the bushes prevented too much damage. She will live, she's just resting. You can see her now," he said.

Konan hugged him tightly. That was the best news to hear at the moment. Itachi stood up slowly and slipped out first before anyone could stop him. He was the person Payton probably wouldn't want to see at the moment, but he didn't care. He had to see with his own eyes that she was alright.

The doctor pulled Pein and Kakuzu aside to deal with the 'paperwork' and the others relaxed a little. Konan walked outside to tell Deidara and Sasori. Sasori was smoking a cigarette and Deidara was aggressively molding at a piece of clay. At this point it wouldn't be much good for anything in his normalcy, though. Sasori pushed off the wall to meet Konan halfway. He smiled slightly and Deidara burst into tears of happiness. Konan teared up again and hugged him.

Inside there was a bit of a ruckus. Sai and Sakura had shown up along with some other of the underclassmen. They were still in their formal attire but most the boys had long ditched their ties and the girls were all carrying their high heeled shoes.

"I don't care," Sakura said, "Tell us where we can see her!"

Hidan growled in her face as she did the same with him.

"How did you even fucking find out about this," Hidan asked for the seventh time.

"We went by the house to see what you and your band of no good creeps did with her after she disappeared from the dance," Ino explained, a glare on her blue eyes.

"As if we would have anything to fucking do with that. Damn." He huffed and turned away, walking out before he punched the dumb bitch.

Sai sighed deeply. "Where is someone who is more reasonable?"

Deidara walked in and narrowed his eye at Sai. "What are you doing here, yeah?"

"I am here to find out why my date ditched me," Sai responded, giving a fake smile towards his fellow artist.

The fighting started from there. Deidara and Sai were in a loop of arguing about nothing and arguing about art. Hidan had returned with Kakuzu and they were in a swearing war with Ino. Pein blinked when he heard it and others were starting to venture closer to view what was happening. Pein gave an annoyed sigh and walked over to the room and yelled in a booming voice so he was heard over them. This quieted everyone, some staring with wide eyes.

"Now...," Pein said in an even tone, "I understand that there are questions to be answered but those will have to wait. Payton is stable after falling from her third story window. We arrived to see her trip as she was fighting with Itachi, who tried to grab her but wasn't fast enough."

He gave a slow look around, his eye twitching in a sign that the Akatsuki Monitors knew too well. It was a lie all of them had to atest to now. Itachi would be smart enough to roll with anything like this smoothly if they went and asked.

"As for seeing her," he continued "The doctor think it best to not bombard her all at once. Itachi is back there right now. When he returns, a few of of us can go back at a time."

Seeing as they couldn't disagree, the plan was set for them. Sai sat down and started to draw something for the ailed one. Sakura and Ino went to the gift shop, which was surprisingly open. Ino dialed in a number to get some flowers from her mother's shop here by the morning. Others waited for Itachi to return so they would be allowed to see her, even if she was sleeping.