RECAP: mhm

Tsunade was coming in to get Sasuke for his brain exam. Sakura was still lying in his bed crying next to him. She didn't bother composing herself when Tsunade walked in.

"Sakura, I need to take him now."

"I know what that scan's gonna say. It's gonna say that the love of my life, the father of my child and my best friend, that scan is gonna say that they're all dead. The person that I was planning on spending the rest of my life with, the one I was going to marry, that person is dead. The minute you take him in to that room I can't pretend that this heartbeat means he'll be talking to me again soon, the minute you take him I can't pretend that he's still warm because he's in a coma, I can't pretend that soon enough he'll be singing to Naru while she sleeps, he used to sing to her every night. You are my sunshine, he sang you are my sunshine. I'm never going to hear him sing again."

"...Sakura the scan could show the opposite."

"No Tsunade! Don't give me false hope! You're a doctor, you know you're never supposed to do that...just take him."

"Sakura, I'm sorry. I'm doing all I can."

"...I know you are. I do. I'm just...to put it simply I'm sad...I'd like to die with him but I can't. I have Naru."

"Sakura...do you want to stay with him while I do the scan?"

"...OK..."

"Alright, I'll do it in here. I need to flip him over or sit him up some how."

"OK."

Sakura couldn't flip him with all of his IVs going so she sat him up and Tsunade climbed up behind him and started on the parts of his brain she hadn't gotten to yet. Sasuke wasn't real easy to hold up but she managed to keep him still while Tsunade examined him. She kept moving her hands around, desperately trying to find some proof of life.

"Is he alive?"

"Not exactly, but he's only, well I can't think of the medical term but he's like not quite all brain dead."

Tsunade climbed out of the bed and helped Sakura lay Sasuke back down.

"So do you think he'll come back?"

"Well...it's hard to say."

"...So what now?"

"Now we fix him up. He'll have a better chance if his body is mostly healed."

"Is it even possible at this point?"

"...Well...I won't lie it's very unlikely but he's an Uchiha."

"...Right."

"You should sleep Sakura."

"I can't leave."

"I'll get you a cot then. But you have have to promise you'll go home once a day."

"Fine."

Tsunade left and got a few nurses to set up a cot for Sakura.

MEANWHILE

Naruto was staring into space next to Gaara. Gaara was too. The nurses came and picked up the remnants of his food which snapped them both out of it. Naruto's eyes looked raw and he was tired.

"Gaara...what if he's dead?"

"Naruto. We'll see, we'll see what happens. He doesn't want you to be sad no matter what happens."

"He's my teammate...Gaara."

"Naruto distract yourself."

"What?"

"Do something completely unrelated. That means leave my sickly looking room and go do something fun."

"I'm not going to just leave you in here."

"Then don't. Send Temari and Matsuri in. They're probably worried."

"Oh, that's right. Sorry I completely forgot to remind them."

"No, I asked for them not to come in until I didn't look like a ghost."

"You never looked like a ghost to me."

"I was so pale."

"You always look gorgeous."

Naruto leaned over him and kissed him. Gaara ran his hands on Naruto's chest and Naruto's jaw clenched when he ran over his stitches.

"When did that get there?"

"It's fine. Sakura stitched it up. Did a good job huh?"

"Sure did. That is going to be a very sexy scar."

"So is yours."

"Mine?"

"Yeah the one in your chest?"

"What?"

Gaara looked at his chest and saw his stitches. He knew he must've seen that earlier. Had he forgotten about it? He started breathing heavy an Naruto stopped him.

"Gaara, calm down. So you forgot one thing. They have you on so much medication it's ridiculous. Plus you lost damn near half your blood."

"...Right."

Naruto kissed his forehead and smiled at him.

"I'll go get Temari and Matsuri."

"OK..."

"Don't start getting all paranoid, you're fine. I'll be right back."

Naruto went out into the waiting room and explained to the very on edge Matsuri and Temari why he hadn't told them about Gaara sooner. Relieved they walked back with Naruto to see Gaara. He looked weary and pale but much better than before they talked for a while until the nurses announced visiting was over. They said their goodbye and Matsuri and Temari left. The nurses brought a cot in for Naruto. Tsunade had admitted him as a patient so he could stay with Gaara. Tsunade walked around and check on everyone. Sakura was out cold next to Sasuke. Kankuro was doing his best to sleep with his leg out strait like that. Naruto was asleep on the cot and holding onto Gaara's hand. Relieved she went into the staff's on-call room and slept.

Half-way through the night Gaara jolted awake. He clenched his hands as he woke up which got Naruto up. Naruto didn't let go of his hand.

"What's wrong?"

"I just...bad dream..."

"You've never had a bad dream before. Something wrong?"

"No just bad dream."

"Well you know if you tell someone about a bad dream you never have it again."

"Really I'm fine let's go back to sleep."

"You sure? It'll really help."

"No I'm OK...but is it too much to ask for you to uh...climb in bed next to me?"

"Of course not."

Naruto sat up and kissed him. Gaara scooted over and Naruto laid down next to him and put his arm around him. Gaara nuzzled into the crook of Naruto's neck as Naruto got closer.

"Sure you don't wanna tell me about it?"

"It was stupid."

"You'll have a better dream if you tell me about this one."

"...Alright. Well I...I couldn't remember anything. Not like I couldn't remember where I put the house key I couldn't even remember how to talk. I knew what to say but I couldn't say it. And then I started forgetting things like this new scar and then I started forgetting people."

"Aw Gaara. You're not losing your memory. Trsut me I won't let you. If I have to I'll teach you to talk again. I'll remind you of your scars and I won't let you forget me."

"...What if I lose my memory what if I don't remember everything we've been through?"

"I guess we'll have to relive them as often as possible."

"What if I forget who you are?"

"I'll remind you everyday."

"What if I don't believe you?"

"Gaara, you're looking way too far into this."

"What if I have some sort of brain memory loss thing?"

"OK how about we get you to Granny Tsunade to prove to you that you're fine."

"...OK. Thanks Naruto."

"Anything for the one I love. Now goto sleep."

Naruto had both arms around Gaara as they fell asleep. Gaara had never felt luckier to have Naruto and he was glad that he was still able to sleep in the same bed, it made him feel so secure.