Kakashi's POV
I couldn't take this anymore! Pacing back and forth in the hospital waiting room was the worst torture I had ever endured. The smell of chemicals and death was stuck in my nose, even through the fabric of my mask. I couldn't stay still, all I could think about was how her limp body felt in my arms.
She'd lost so much blood, all I could think when I saw her was relief that she was home, when I had heard what Anko was saying, that Aiyu loved me! I could barely breathe! I had wasted so much time pining after the only woman for me, completely oblivious that she loved me back! And then she started to sway, she was pale, her arm, it didn't look right.
Before I could even think I was there right next to her, just as she fell unconscious. I had never wanted to go to the hospital before then. I had rushed as fast as I could, I didn't slow down for any reason. Nothing would get in my way!
And now here I was, pacing back and forth, watching, waiting for Lady Tsunade to walk through those doors and tell me that Aiyu was okay. She had to be okay! There were no other options, I only just found out that she returned my feelings; to lose her now would just be the cruellest twist of fate.
The door pushed its way open and a very tired, very worn out Hokage came stumbling through the door.
"well?!" I wasn't going to wait any longer, If I did id go insane! "how is she?!"
Her eyes filled, with age and wisdom beyond what her Henge allowed to show, looked up at me with indifference.
"Her arm was severely broken, it's been reset and partially heeled, she had a severe concussion and lost a lot of blood, it was touch and go there for a minute but the real concern was the internal bleeding. She was ambushed by Grass Village ninja and they managed to hit enough chakra points that I'm surprised she managed to make it back at all."
I couldn't breathe, someone had hurt my Aiyu. They had broken her body, torn her flesh and left her to drag herself home all hurt and aching.
"she needs a lot of rest and she's going to need some help once she's out of the hospital as well. I'll probably assign a couple of Chunin to ensure she has what she needs."
I was snapped out of my thoughts by the Hokage's statement. "That won't be necessary, she'll be staying with me."
The Hokage's raised eyebrow was ignored as I watched the rest of the medic nin stumble from her Aiyu's room.
"go see her Kakashi" nodding to the Hokage, I slowly approached the door taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open, letting my eyes adjust to the shadowed room behind it. Stepping in, my eyes immediately found the woman I loved; bandaged, bruised and broken in the hospital bed. For a moment I just couldn't move, if I moved from this moment, this point in time when she was stable and alive. Hurt, but alive. If I moved now, if time started to move again, then anything could happen she could get better. But nothing was more terrifying than her getting worse. Because when everything else started crashing around me and she was okay, then it didn't matter. But when she started to fall into my arms, bloodied and hurting, everything else came crashing around me. And I wasn't quite sure if I could cope with that again.
Another deep breath; and a mental reminder that I was an elite Jonin; I could sit beside her bed, hold her hand and watch over her until she woke, rested and alive, healing. That I could do, because I loved her and that was the least that she deserved.
So that's exactly what I did, I walked into the room that smelt of chemicals and anti-septic, I pulled out the plastic covered chair, ignoring the scraping sound it made against the linoleum and I sat down, taking her pale hand in my own. And for the first time since my Genin team had perished.
I prayed.