Karma

Disclaimer: None of these beautiful characters belong to me, I'm just borrowing! Haha

I forgot to thank my reviewers last chapter. Sorry!

So anyways, thanks very much to dumdeedum, JamKa, MayMai, and aegisZero. I'm giving you all virtual apology cookies, lol.

Triste

Hinata found herself in the Konoha hospital for the second time, and just like the first impromptu visit, all eyes were on her.

She tried to act normal even though she was sweating profusely, and made her way over to the reception desk. The familiar nurse rose from her chair at the sight of the little, pale-eyed girl she recognized.

"I'm s-sorry, but I have things to... discuss," Hinata stuttered. She couldn't believe she was back here, but she had her reasons.

The other day she had slept until the evening because of her morning fiasco. Her father had questioned her unusual behavior, but she made an excuse about stomach aches and he let it go. She eyed Neji the whole day, but he was acting just the same as any other day. He didn't say much and didn't look at her at all, and he was mostly silent.

Hinata was puzzled. The reason why he didn't rat her out to her father yet was still a mystery.

Then Neji did yet another peculiar thing. He came up to her early the next morning and told her to consider who had seen her the other day and to "properly take care of them". Hinata nodded her head blankly, but as she got over the initial shock and actually thought about what he had said, she realized he was right.

The hospital was the only place that raised a red flag in Hinata's mind, and she made another special trip to sort things out. It took so much courage to do. Yesterday had been different, she was full of conflicting emotions and she was lost in the urgency of the moment. Today was like a whole different ball game.

White walls, white ceiling, she was back.

The nurse stared at her expectantly, waiting for Hinata to elaborate.

Hinata tucked her chin in shyly. "About yesterday..."

"How could I forget?" the nurse laughed. Hinata looked up at her and gulped.

"!" the little girl cried, rushing through her memorized speech. She looked anywhere but the eyes of the nurse. The nurse didn't say a word, and Hinata was quickly loosing her confidence.

The nurse smiled. "Of course, there are good samaritan laws after all, your identity is as important to us as anything else," she said reassuringly. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief to herself. Finally, a weight was lifted off her shoulders.

"W-well, thank you," Hinata said quickly, and turned to leave.

The nurse grabbed her hand and stopped her.

Hinata gasped and turned back around. Hinata looked at where the lady was holding on to her.

"Y-yes?" she brought her free hand to her chest defensively.

"Sorry!" the nurse cried. She let go right away, but walked around the counter so she was beside Hinata. "I just have one favor to ask, if I might be so bold."

Pale eyes widened, Hinata gulped. Money? How would she get around telling her Father she owed the hospital money when she was supposedly at home the entire week? "You can talk to my f-father about-"

"Just see him once," the nurse blurted. Hinata was taken aback. The nurse's eyes were wide, as if she couldn't believe she was saying it either. "I'm sorry, I know this isn't professional, and I'm actually not supposed to do this either, but as a person, not as a nurse, I'm asking you to see him," she pleaded. Her cool hands grasped Hinata's again. This time more begging rather than assertive.

"I-I," Hinata was dumbfounded. She had no idea what to say. "My identity, I can't-"

The nurse bit her lip and pulled the small girl along with her into the large white doors. Hinata squealed and tried to resist, but the nurse was a lot stronger than she appeared. They passed by other medics in colorful scrubs and busy, open doors.

They finally came across a door marked 693.

Hinata squeaked as she was thrown into the room. She immediately headed back for the door, but the nurse blocked the way.

"Please see him," she said seriously. Hinata looked up at the nurse, the lady's expression had changed. The nurse bit her lip worriedly. "He hasn't had a single visitor," she shook her head in pity. "He recovers fast, but he refuses psychological treatment. Our doctor diagnosed him with shock and some possible mental reactions to some experience he had prior to his hospitilization, but he refuses help from the psychologist and even our physical therapist,"

The innocent girl clenched her fists. Mental trauma, psychological damage. It was all too real and all too frightening.

"He's asleep right now," the nurse hurriedly said, trying to seal the deal. She grabbed Hinata's shoulders and turned her so she could see him clearly. He was laying quietly, fast asleep. "He's under deep sedatives, we put him under because every time he wakes up he tries to leave,"

Hesitantly, Hinata agreed, and the nurse looked like she was about to cry for joy.

"Thank you," she sighed in relief. She was about to close the door when she paused and said, "You're allowed to touch him too, he's knocked out pretty hard,"

Hinata blushed and watched a coy smile widen on the nurse's face. The door shut and Hinata stared at the door, rooted to the spot for a while before she turned around, completely embarrassed. She could make out his small body under the thin sheets.

He was still, except for his rising and falling chest. She gazed for what seemed like an eternity at this proof that he was alive. His face was serene, quiet, and Hinata almost thought he wasn't the same dirt-covered, traumatized boy she saw in the Uchiha manor.

Peace had settled so gratefully on his face that tears began to spring to her pale eyes. When she thought about all he had lost, all that had permanently changed for him, she wanted to be in his place to suffer it for him.

Hinata surprised herself. She had never felt so strongly about a boy before.

Suddenly, she remembered those red eyes and changed her mind.

She shivered at the thought of him. The evidence, all pointed at him. She was sure he was capable of it, but somehow she was ambiguous at the thought. Maybe she questioned his reasons. How much would somebody have to hate someone else to kill them? He wiped out his entire clan. That made her scared and awed at the same time. The amount of power and hatred one would need to do that was remarkable. And yet, he left the one weakest person in the clan survive. This idea completely escaped Hinata.

If he was so adept at killing that he could assassinate every skilled ninja in his clan, then the boy alive in the hospital right now should have been dead.

The boy breathed in deeply in his sleep as if trying to tell her something.

That man must have hated his brother more than anyone else in the clan. To leave someone alive after witnessing such atrocities must be an even worse punishment compared to dying. But why would he do it?

His dark hair contrasted sharply with his pale, tired face. He looked weary, from the pain, from the crying. Hinata felt her hand moving towards his face. Almost like an invisible rope was tugging her hand towards him, and she traced her thumb from his temple to his chin along his jawline.

He mumbled in his sleep. Hinata seized her hand back immediately. Her mother used to do that to her too. Especially when Hinata was sick, or crying, her mother would trace her slender fingers across Hinata's face and everything would feel better. Her mother never did that anymore, and Hinata was always resentful of that. The fact that she shared this part of her with this boy surprised her.

Something cold and wet fell onto Hinata's chest, and she was surprised again to find she was crying.

There was something about the sleeping boy, his innocence, and his life ahead that would strip him of it, and everything that had occurred up to that point. Hinata's head was spinning, and she slumped forward onto the bed.

From inside her pocket, she heard crackling sounds. Hinata reached in and found brittle, dead lavenders she had taken from the vase at the Hyuuga mansion. They looked pitiful and broken, and Hinata placed them inside the tiny glass flower vase beside his bed. A clipboard was beside the flower vase, and she read the name.

Uchiha Sasuke.

How... fitting. Younger, defiant.

Hinata sighed and tried to blink back her tears, she pushed past the curtains and walked out the door and commanded herself not to look back.

Because if she did, she was afraid she could never leave him.

A/N: Hey guys, I redid this chapter because I thought it was necessary. Lately my writing has been slacking, so I'm sorry, but school has been tough. (Btw reviews would make them come a lot quicker lol)

So, I know I cast a vote and everything, but I really need Sasuke in part of the triangle to make this work, so guys, just bare with it, according to the majority of the vote, everybody in fanfiction land hates SasuHina so LOL sorry but you will have to deal with it. Thanks for sticking with me guys, much love and kisses from yours truly, Sugar.