Sakura could hear his screams from down the hall, her emerald orbs fiery with determination and concern. His yells caused an unknown feeling to arise in her chest, one she hasn't felt in some time.

Helplessness.

Since she began this job, of caring for others and saving their lives, she had always felt a sense of worth. When she lost a patient, sometimes she would mourn for days, unable to stare at her pitiful face in the mirror. It was on the verge of childish and exaggerated, but that is how she feels. When her teammates left to gain power, she was left alone. Alone to make her own decisions and take her life into her own hands. She was no longer going to be someone's shadow, to be left behind. It was her one chance to shine so she took the opportunity.

Grunting, her fast walk turned into a sprint towards the end of the hall. Passing endless walls of white, she finally reached her destination. Ripping the door open, she gasped softly at the sight before her.

Four nurses were holding down the screaming Uchiha. Two held him by his arms while the others worked on strapping his legs to the bed. His eyes were clenched shut. Noticing a red liquid staining the snow white pillows, she became aware that these were the painful side effects of overusing the Sharingan.

Running to his bed, she informed one the nurses to move to side, allowing her access to his eyes. Pushing her palm to his eyes gently, her fingers were warm compared to his chilled lids. More blood spilled as they clung to his long thick lashes, smearing onto his high cheekbones. Some soaked the edges of her palms, though she hardly noticed. Sakura watched as his outstretched limbs that once clung to the sheets became more relaxed, his screams turning to small whimpers as a frown remained plastered to his face, his teeth no longer grinding together.

Her arms were brushed by his breath causing a small tickle that gave her goose bumps. His lips were close to her forearm as she let out a small, exasperated sigh. The tips of his hair were stained with blood. His cheeks and pillow were caked with the red liquid, causing the girl to cringe. She felt like it was her fault. He is her responsibility and she let him go through this sort of pain alone. She could almost hear the sound of her heartbeat as she thought of herself. He had left her alone for so long, why not do it to him? The thought sounded logical, but she knew it was wrong. She is his doctor. He is under her care.

Several minutes passed and Sasuke's steady breathing told her he was relaxed and no longer in pain. Stepping back, the girl turned to the other nurses in the room, signaling them to leave. Bowing, they obeyed, filing out of the room as such.

Walking to the sink, the girl bent down on her toes, bringing out a clean towel and small bowl. Standing, she filled the bowl with cool water and drenched the towel. Leaving it in the circular bowl, Sakura placed it on the small metal tray beside his bed. Sitting on the edge, she watched as he shifted away from her. Ignoring it, she wrung out the towel and opened it. Using her pointer finger, she placed the fabric over it and began to wipe the caked blood from his face. He flinched and moved away from her, slightly surprised by the sudden closeness.

"I'm wiping the blood from your face." She stated, her voice calm and collected unlike their last encounter. He didn't respond to her statement and Sakura sighed. Trying once more, she placed the towel on his face and he sat up quickly, grapping her wrist roughly. Caught off guard, Sakura gasped, her eyes wide as she eyed his hand and then his angered face. His eyes were still closed, but he was turned towards her, his mouth in a frown and his eyebrows scrunched in displeasure.

"I don't care. Don't touch me." his voice was harsh as it shook with an intense hate. Sakura winced as his grip tightened around her wrist.

"It's not like I haven't touched you already!" She yelled at him, yanking her arm back. Cradling it to her chest, she looked to him, angered that he would go as far as to tell her not to touch him, even though her acts were kind and gentle.

She had always been kind and gentle towards him, always receiving the same bitter reaction. He didn't care that she was trying to make him more comfortable. It was almost like he wanted to not be tended for in a place where it was a natural occurrence. He hated her touch just like he hated and despised everything else. He was rude and intolerant. Opinionated towards everyone but himself. He was Sasuke. A man she's beginning to realize wasn't worth her kindness and love from the start.

Sasuke grumbled as he rested his back against his pillow, his head facing away from her. He didn't dare acknowledge her. She wasn't doing her job and caring for him like she was supposed to. It was almost like she was avoiding him. From her smell he could tell she had just showered and applied some sort of perfume that sent him reeling. It was too familiar and yet it made his stomach sick. Sakura was the only girl he could remember that smelt like strawberries and vanilla. It was a smell he only associated with her and for this woman to smell the same made his anger flare.

The memories of his smiling teammate appeared in his mind, innocent and loving towards him. The nostalgia made his head hurt. He had hardly thought of her while he was away and yet when he sat in this bed alone and without interruption, his subconscious came alive. Fighting for your life everyday seized these unfortunate thoughts that sent him plummeting into a dark hole of regret. The regret of letting anyone but his family enter his heart and plaster themselves there. It was almost entirely impossible to rid the feelings and memories. He was content that he could at least put them away and forget about them. For the time being at least.

This woman intrigued him though, yet she was far from anything special. Yes, she had the ability to calm him with her voice, when she was cool and collected. Otherwise, she was just another pain in his side. He had always hated people touching him. His mother was the only one that could tend to him. Her touch was gentle and kind, something that was rare to him at the time. He hated physical contact unless it involved hurting someone else. It was disturbing to many but to him it was how he lived. He's lived killing and hurting others for so long, it was almost natural. Anything he could say or do to hurt someone else pleased him. It's the power he felt when they backed down or grew defensive. To him, it was about satisfaction.

But this woman. The kindness in her touches were like the light to his soul, the small flickering candle to the dark abyss in his chest. She reminded him of his mother, in some ways. She sounds strong and confident in her work but when it comes to everything else she's inexperienced and lost. She needs someone to guide her as she sits back and lets others take hold of situations. His mouth became sour as he thought of his diseased mother in that sense. She was the only one that truly seemed to give a damn.

Sakura clenched her fists at his silence as she tried to keep her composure from shattering. Standing, she pushed the tray towards him, her eyes on him.

"Then here. The towel is in the bowl. Wipe your own face." She stated. Sitting in one of the two chairs in the room, she crossed her right leg over her left. Doing the same with her arms, she waited for him to react.

He hesitated, his frown growing deeper. He hated giving people the feeling of satisfaction. It made this anger dwell in his chest that could only be released through some sort of violent act.

Grabbing the piece of fabric roughly, Sasuke managed to spread water messily around the bowl. Not even bothering to wring it out, he wiped his face and hair with it roughly. He didn't spend much time before throwing the towel towards the bowl, missing by several inches.

Standing from her spot, Sakura walked towards him and grabbed the towel. Walking to his side of the bed, she bent over. She could tell he knew she was there and a bit on edge. Gently placing the cloth to his face, she wiped a small portion by his eye. He flinched, but she refused to stop her antics. She couldn't let him win with his mean and childish actions. And she wouldn't lower herself to his level. She had to show him she was mature enough to care for him and is his equal when it came to stubbornness. Otherwise, she was doomed. Standing upright, she folded the bloodied damp fabric and threw it into the sink. Sitting beside him, she carefully put her palms onto his cheeks. Ready to move from her, she spoke up quickly.

"I'm just going to inspect your eyes." Her thumbs moved slightly, feeling his skin as they brushed against each other. She acted as though it didn't bother her, but Sasuke seemed to notice as he bit the inside of his cheek, ready to punch her. "Now, can you open them?" She asked, clearing her throat afterwards.

She waited and watched as Sasuke did so with difficulty. Narrowing her eyes, the girl noticed the obvious damage to his eyes. The white in his eyes were bloodshot while his cornea was dilated. Moving to the drawer beside his bed, she quickly pulled out a small flashlight. Turning it on, she flashed it before his eyes, waving it quickly. Seeing no reaction, she sighed. Moving her hands from his face to his chest, she pushed him slightly with her finger.

"Lay down. I'm going to start the healing process. Just relax and try not to get worked up or to move much." Sasuke listened as he grunted as a reply to her order. She could tell he wasn't accustomed to such a thing. After he did so, Sakura pulled her chair beside him and sat.

Placing her hands onto his eyes like she had previously, a hum erupted from her hands as a green hue enveloped her hands and his eyes.

An awkward silence followed, the only sound coming from the generated chakra covering Sakura's hands. The air was thick, causing the female to shift uncomfortably. She had never found healing a patient to be so difficult.

"How did you get yourself beaten up like that?" She asked quietly, afraid that breaking the silence would make things worse. Eying the man, he didn't seem to like her question.

"I don't have to tell you anything." Sakura's breath caught in her throat. The words stung as she bit her lower lip. He had said that to her once before. The phrase was like taboo to her. She assembled her façade once more and let out a small chuckle.

"Oh come on. It's doctor to patient confidentiality. I can't tell anyone." She stated lightly, trying to ease the answer from his lips. He wouldn't have it. Avoiding her question, the female sighed.

"What caused you to use the Sharingan this much?" Sasuke parted his lips, letting out an aggravated noise.

"When you're missing, you can become paranoid. It was mostly for safety purposes." Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat. Of course he cared about his safety. Almost every village was looking for him, and all of them wanted him dead. Frowning, she kept her eyes on her hands, the chakra leaving her body at a steady pace as she slowly healed his eyes.

"I wish I could travel. I haven't been able to since I've been assigned to hospital duty." She said casually. She was attempting to start a conversation. If you could call it that, at least.

For a conversation to occur, there needed to be words exchanged. This was more like talking to a living and breathing brick wall with a bad temper. All it did was grunt and hardly acknowledge you. So, in a sense, it was worse than talking to a brick wall. Brick walls don't have opinions nor will they judge you and find you too incompetent to exchange words with. Seeing his silence in a positive way, she continued talking.

"I used to go out on missions. I'd be the medic on hand." Sakura continued. Her words were happy and reminiscent. It was a distant and bittersweet memory to her now. "I really loved going out on missions. I loved working with other clients that needed my medical expertise. I felt kind of…special." Sakura grinned as she remembered several occasions where she was praised for her knowledge and skill.

A grunt was heard from the man and she eyed him. Raising an eyebrow towards him, she gave him a questioning look. Sensing it, Sasuke scoffed.

"You're annoying."

Sakura felt her heart stop and drop into her stomach. He was putting her down again, using words that had hurt her so deeply long ago. Wincing at the distaste in his words, the girl had to stop herself from running away. She can't let him get to her. He didn't even know the girl he was talking to was his old teammate, the girl that was willing to give everything to be with him.

"I don't care what you think." Her words came out strong, despite her quickened heart beat and the spike in her blood pressure. She was breaking inside from words that should mean absolutely nothing to her. Looking towards the man, she saw no reaction to her words. Sighing, she eyed the clock on the wall. She had been healing him for over thirty minutes and her arms were going numb.

Stopping the chakra flow, the girl stood and stretched out her sore limbs. Brushing her hands together, she looked to Sasuke.

"How do your eyes feel?" Sakura asked, somewhat desperate for his answer. After a moment passed he nodded.

"Better." Breathing a sigh of relief, the girl smiled softly towards him, her eyes scanning his serene features. His eyes were closed and his breathing was becoming slower. Shaking her head, she grabbed his blanket and moved it upwards on his body, shielding him from the cold. He frowned at her actions, but the girl saw it as a thank you.

Turning on her heel, the girl quietly left the room, her heart beating hard against her chest.