A/N: Hello again, everyone. I am super pleased to bring y'all the second chapter. I know some of my readers who've read my past work may be thinking, where's Lyn? Don't you two have conversations before and after every chapter when you write Naruto fanfics? The answer is yes, we do. However, she refuses to have any part of this one because she thinks it is a sad story and she hates sad stories. I don't think it's sad but I'll let you guys be the judge.

Sasuke detested playroom duty. It was the most dull and pointless task a staff member could be given. He felt sick as he surveyed the patients. They did strange things, the mentally unstable. Some of them appeared normal having conversations with one another over a game of cards. Meanwhile, others had conversations with walls and imaginary people. Others still were worse off. They were drug induced, drooling corpses who did nothing but stare blankly ahead, trapped in what little was left of their minds.

"Do you pity them?" Sai asked.

Sai leaned against the wall and next to Sasuke. The two looked alarming alike and yet distinctly different. Sai had a smile on his face at all times and Sasuke did not. They looked as if they could be brothers or first cousins but their relationship reeked of co-workers.

"No," Sasuke answered, sliding his hands into his pockets.

Sai turned his head to Sasuke and cocked it to the side.

"Why not? Are they not deserving of pity?"

Sasuke scoffed. Sai returned to leaning against the wall. Sasuke didn't have anything against the insane. He merely did not pity people. Of what use was pity? It accomplished nothing. It changed nothing. It was an undriven and redundant emotion. Sasuke felt no urge to be compassionate or understanding. He never had.

Except...

"Probably for the best," Sai said, "I myself took an oath never to bond with them. Pity will do that y'know?"

Sasuke tried to shake off the memory of the patient he had encountered the other day as he agreed with Sai. It was an irresponsible idea to bond with a patient. Taking adequate care of them was expected and appropriate, though Choji and Shikamaru hardly understood that concept. There was a difference though between taking care of a patient and caring for one. Not everybody could see it.

"Your girlfriend is here," Sai's constant smile seemed to gain the slightest authenticity.

Karin had entered the playroom. She looked at Sasuke shyly, her knees rubbing against one another. She was heartbreakingly beautiful, as an orderly once said. She had long red hair, straight and well kept on one side but wild and layered on the other. She'd done it herself one night when she seduced the night watch into giving her a pair of scissors. She had a body to die for, toned form and alabaster skin with a full bust and legs that went on and on. It was a shame she was so violently crazy. No man dared to touch her for fear of their lives.

She approached him slowly, her hips swaying with the upmost sensuality. Male staff members gawked at her while pevert patients raped her with their eyes. She seemed oblivious of it all, focusing on Sasuke. In her mind, they were alone.

Sasuke would do not stop Karin. It was her choice, deluded or not, to make a fool of herself. If she attempted to touch him in a manner that was beyond the appropriate, Sasuke would simply inject her with a sedative. It wouldn't be the first time.

Karin made it to Sasuke. She took off her glasses, revealing red eyes, and let the end of the spectacles linger by her mouth. She stood close to Sasuke and looked up at him with false embarrassment.

"My zipper's broken, Sasuke," she said as she pointed to her bared cleavage, "Could you take a look at it?"

Sasuke glanced at the zipper. She had indeed broken it but Sasuke was sure that it was no accident. He looked at Karin with cold eyes.

"Damaging your uniform will not get you your desired outcome," Sasuke noted.

Karin blinked twice before placing a hand on her breast. She pulled down the jumpsuit to reveal more of her soft, white flesh.

"I think I might have scratched myself when I put it on, do you see anything?"

Sasuke grabbed her hand and pulled it away, disgusted with pathetic display of her body. She was so grotesquely sexual. Karin sighed with undeserved ecstasy.

"Oh, Sasuke!" she uttered in a false innocent.

"I don't see anything," Naruto said.

Karin nearly jumped out of her skin at the intrusion. Sasuke paused, his hand in his shirt pocket, reaching for the sedative.

Naruto innocently poked Karin's breast.

"Except for that," Naruto added, "Is that a scratch? Oh no- I think it's a zit."

Karin's face turned red. Karin's complexion often showed which of the three moods she was in. A normal, pale face meant that Karin was in an average mood. When Karin blushed pink, it meant that she was horny or desired to appear that way. It was Karin's complexion of red that had landed her in the asylum.

"You pervert son of a bitch!" she screamed, her hands flying towards Naruto's neck.

Karin tackled Naruto and began to strangle him. A parade of profanity raced out of her mouth as her nails dug into Naruto's flesh and her grip deprived him air. Naruto kicked his legs in panic as he tried to pry the madwoman off of him.

Her eyes were red as she rained down her fury on Naruto. Naruto could feel his heart go into a fit as the oxygen in his system came to an abrupt halt. He could do nothing but look into Karin's eyes. Karin's red eyes which seemed to scream unholy threats and damnation all on their own. Her crazed hair had one lock that flipped upwards, almost like a horn. She was terrifying as all devil woman are.

"You think you have any fucking right to touch me? I'll kill you! You fucking pervert spawn! I'll kill you and leave your body to the necrophiliacs! I'll chop off your dick and use it to-"

Karin's body became rigid and her eyes grew wide. Her grip loosened, much to what seemed like Naruto's relief. Naruto gasped and choked for air. Karin watched him somewhat aroused by the comeback from death. She slowly became sleepy.

"Hey," she said, looking over Naruto, "You're kind of cute."

Karin fell over and on top of Naruto with a thud. Naruto scrambled to knees, still coughing and gagging. Sai lifted Karin, picking her up from under her arms and dragged her away to her room.

Naruto breathed heavily as Sasuke offered a hand to him. Naruto hesitated but took it.

"Are you all right?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto didn't respond at first. He brushed himself off and then stared at his shoes. Patients often blanked out for minutes on end but Naruto hadn't seemed the type. Still, Sasuke waited and waited for a reply as Naruto solemnly stared at his feet.

"I asked you a question," Sasuke ordered.

Naruto didn't look up or move as he whispered something.

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"Why didn't you let it happen?" Naruto cried softly before taking off.

Sasuke stood there shocked for a moment before chasing after Naruto, while angrily making a mental note to remind Sai to lock the door the next time he removes a patient, but Naruto was already out of his sight. Sasuke skidded to a stop to where the hallway divided. He looked to his left and right and listened closely.

Sasuke heard a light thudding to his right and took off in that direction. Sasuke felt his heart beating against his chest as he made way towards the sound. What could Naruto be doing?

It wasn't just the sense of a runaway patient that tugged on Sasuke's anxiety levels but something more. The tone of Naruto's voice dug into Sasuke's ear. The pain of it clawed at his pyche. Those words, that thought, hurt Sasuke and he didn't know why.

As Sasuke neared the origin of the sound, he could hear Choji laughing. It was a deep laughter, too hearty for it's own good. Shikamaru was sure to be there laughing or not. Sasuke rounded the corner, turning on his heel and came to a sharp stop.

Choji was standing there, guffawing and eating away at a bag of chips. Shikamaru leaned up against the wall, a bored and passive look on his face. Naruto was ramming himself into the wall over and over.

"That's one strong wall!" Choji breaked from his laughter.

"Whatever," Shikamaru commented.

Naruto backed up and geared himself for another go. He ran full speed at the wall and hit it with a deafening smack. Blood leaked from his head as he fell down again. He pulled himself up, groaning as he did so, and forced himself to back up and try again.

"Uzumaki!" Sasuke shouted as he ran to him.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the arms just as Naruto had prepared himself to run again. Naruto fought with Sasuke; his arms flailing and his body twisting until they wound up on the floor. Sasuke glared at Choji and Shikamaru.

"What is wrong with you two!" he yelled.

"What, you suddenly care about these freaks?" Shikamaru grumbled.

Sasuke's glare intensified.

"What do you know, he can show emotion!" Choji added.

"You're sick. The both of you."

Shikamaru shrugged and Choji popped another chip into his distgustingly big mouth. The two turned away and left Sasuke to their now stifled entertainment. Naruto continued to move his body about wildly in an attempt to escape, screaming at Sasuke all the while.

"Stop it!" Sasuke demanded.

"Why!" Naruto cried out, "Why didn't you just let it happen! Why!"

Sasuke could feel the sudden pain from the statement. The words raked at his ears, like nails to chalkboard.

"WHY!" Naruto screamed, "WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST LET ME DIE!"

Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. He released Naruto and stood up. He could feel his anger surround him. He could almost taste the salt of his bitter emotions. His calm deanmor was diminished. Naruto looked up at him, shocked by the sudden turn of events.

"Fine!" Sasuke shouted his voice then sinking into a venemous tone "If that's what you want then do it! Don't have any regard for your life. Maybe I shouldn't either. Why should I care about a stupid little kid like you? You're so inept you can't even kill yourself."

Naruto still stared at Sasuke, his eyes big and blue and filled to the brim with tears. A trickle of blood had found its way to Naruto's eye. It almost looked like he was crying blood but Sasuke would not waver.

"Well, go ahead," Sasuke urged angrily, "Bash your brains out. See if I care enough to stop you again."

Naruto dropped his eyes to the floor. Sasuke tried not to look at him but found himself doing so anyway. Naruto didn't move an inch and seemed to be contemplating something again.

Stupid kid...

Naruto began to slump over and then proceeded to fall on his face. Sasuke immeadiately went to his aid. He lifted Naruto slowly and looked at him. His eyes were closed but he was breathing. Sasuke sighed out of relief.

He's okay, thank God.

Sasuke picked up Naruto, carrying him in his arms like a babe. It was a bit of a journey to get to the closest medical room. A bit ironic considering they were in a hospital.

Sasuke, having no other option than the endless white, watched Naruto. Every once and a while, Naruto would move. His nose would twitch or he'd furrow his brow. Once he bit his lip. Sasuke wasn't sure if Naruto looked adorable or tortured.

"Oh!" Nurse Hinata cried at the sight of the two boys.

Hinata was a beautiful young woman. She was very well endowed and curvy. She had long, dark hair down to her waist. Sasuke recognized her as an attractive woman but was by no means attracted to her. She was shy and often nervous and Sasuke detested such mousy behavior.

It was strange, Hinata had gray eyes and, like Ino, no pupils.

Hinata scrambled to throw a clean paper sheet on top of the patient's table.

"W-what happened?" she stammered.

Hinata was plagued with a terrible stutter. It didn't really seem to have a trigger. It was as constant as any of her introverted habits.

"I caught him throwing himself into a wall," Sasuke answered.

Sasuke laid Naruto down on the table. Hinata clumsily knocked over a tray of doctoral equipment as she searched for something to clean up Naruto's blood. Sasuke, annoyed with her inefficiency, handed her a paper towel. Hinata, embarrassed, took it and dabbed at the red on the blonde's forehead.

"Why was he th-throwing himself into a- a wall?"

Sasuke sighed. He didn't have the patience or desire to tell the incompetent nurse the story. He barely understood or believed it himself.

"We might need to d-do a few x-rays," Hinata worried, "I-I'll get Nurse Tsunade."

Hinata shuffled off into the hallway, closing the door behind her. Sasuke looked down and noticed that she'd left Naruto's wounds undressed. He opened a cabinet, located some bandaging and began to wrap it around Naruto's head.

He was half way done when Naruto's eyes began to open.

"Uzumaki?" Sasuke asked, checking for conciousness.

Naruto blinked slowly trying to grasp the concept of his surroundings. A smile began to form as his eyes settled on Sasuke.

"Do you?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke was unsure as he stood there with a confused patient's cranium in one hand and a roll of bandaging in the other.

"Do I what?"

Naruto reached up and took hold of Sasuke's wrist. It was a light grip almost gentle. Sasuke knew that it wasn't for the sake of comfort. Naruto just lacked strength.

"Do you care?" Naruto asked, looking into Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke felt an odd mixture of embarrassment and pain. He wanted to ignore the question and finish bandaging Naruto up but found himself paralyzed.

"Lay down," Sasuke managed to command, "Naruto, just lay down."

Naruto burst into a goofy, half asleep grin. Sasuke felt the air hiss out of him at the sight. He knew it wasn't much too look at but he felt like it was. Naruto was somewhat handsome. Sasuke never denied that but wasn't the same recognition of physical beauty that he gave to Hinata or Ino or Karin or anyone of the others.

Naruto was blonde haired and blue eyed like a cherub. He was already a grown man but there was something boyish about him. Admist Naruto's smiling face, Sasuke noticed light scars over his cheeks. They almost looked like whiskers.

Sasuke knew Naruto was attractive but he felt to more so and he was beginning to think, although to his denial, that maybe he felt that way because he was attracted to Naruto.

Sasuke tried to shake off the notion and in his bewilderment finished dressing Naruto's wound. He looked at the half asleep boy for a minute, trying to piece it all together. Something wasn't normal. Something about Naruto, about this place, about Sasuke himself wasn't normal.

Naruto, in his half awake state, turned to look at Sasuke. His head tilted to the side as he outstretched his arm towards him.

"Stay with me," Naruto asked before slipping back into unconciousness.

Sasuke eyed the door but found that he lacked the nonchalance to use it. He looked back at Naruto. Sasuke took steps towards him. With every step he couldn't get rid of the feeling that he was approaching the imminent. It was almost like everything in his body was forcing him to sit down in the chair across from Naruto, everything but one shriveled shread of common sense.

It screamed to Sasuke telling him to turn around and leave. It shouted to him that he was a staff member and that this guy, no matter who he was or what effect he had on Sasuke, was a patient. It reprimanded Sasuke for the display of emotion.

Sasuke could barely hear it over the thud of his own heart.

Sasuke stared at Naruto in both bitter resingation and heartfelt concern though neither could be seen on his face. Sasuke's eyelids became heavy, blink by blink. He could hear a voice in his head, whispering something but he couldn't quite hear it. He didn't really care to hear it.

As his eyes finally blink to close, Sasuke caught what his mind was trying to tell him.

Don't get too close.

A/N: Leave me reviews? I love it when you do. ;)