Here's one last chapter before this story goes back on hiatus.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.

"We're losing him! Start defibrillation! Nurse, I need more blood transfusion! He needs immediate surgery!"

How funny. The funny thing about life is, you never what'll happen. One day you could be happy and healthy, the next you could be six feet under.

To those of you wondering... my name is Uzumaki Naruto... and no, I'm not dead. At least, not yet.

Right now, I'm in the existential void of my mind as I lie comatose in a hospital.

I had been hit by a car while crossing the street.

I hope I wake up soon...

Four months later...

I stir somewhat, my eyes gently fluttering as they try to adjust to brightness from being kept in darkness for so long. I have tubes coming out of me every which way and I'm in a lot of pain. I move my arm but realized there's too much covering my entire body to really do anything.

I have an IV drip with water (and probably morphine) in one arm; I have a blood transfusion going on in the other arm. I'm intubated to keep saliva from choking me and I have a nasal cannula to help with respiration.

I hear the soft "beep, beep, beep" of my heart rate.

I'm alive.

How did I survive?

I hear the door open and a nurse walks in. She gasps and drops her clipboard. She then shakes the person sleeping in my guest bed awake. I expected to see Kurama wake up in that bed.

But that's not who I saw.

A tuft of black hair pokes up as a certain onyx-eyed male sits up and looks at the nurse. She tells him something that I'm too disoriented to hear and he immediately stands up and walks over to me.

My eyes widen when I finally see who it is.

"Naruto. You're actually awake!" He looks so close to tears. The nurse picks up her clipboard and takes my vitals.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" My voice is hoarse and dry from lack of use.

"What am I...? I was worried! I thought that at any moment they were gonna pronounce you brain dead... you got hurt pretty bad by that car. Kurama handled the legal issues since you were incapacitated. That person is serving life in prison and his insurance is gonna pay for the hospital bill," Sasuke rambles, obviously in a state of mental disarray.

"Sasuke... calm down. I'm obviously doing better. How long was I out?" I mumble, voice not at full strength yet.

He hesitates, and then answers, "Four months."

"Really? That long? There goes a year of college," I sigh as my eyes widen a bit.

"Yeah and this young man was in here every day and often slept on the guest bed when he could," the nurse smiles. "I'll go get the doctor." She heads out the door and I look at him.

"You really were by my side every day?" I ask, surprised.

"Yeah. I stayed every day from the moment I could to the moment I had to leave. I slept on the guest bed every weekend when guests were allowed to stay the night... I was so terrified. I watched you get hit and couldn't do anything about it... and I thought to myself, 'I wish it were me'. If I were to have lost you, I would rather it be of your dislike for me so that way at least you would be alive... and I-"

"Sasuke, you're rambling. It's so unlike you..."

He stops and looks down, visibly shaking. "I held you in my arms and tried to stop the bleeding until help arrived..." He seems to be holding back tears. "I couldn't do anything."

"Shut up. You did everything. I heard you before I passed out. You had people call 1-1-9 for me. And you even said you tried to stop the bleeding. You did enough."

He starts to sob.

"Let's not talk about this right now. What about Kiba and Kurama?" They have to know.

"Kurama stopped by when he could, but with his job it was hard to make time, but he did. Karen came with. Kiba was here about as often as I was, but I stayed the nights on the weekends," Sasuke nods.

"That's four months. What about your job or schooling?" I ask.

"I take online college courses. As you know, I'm not a people person... so I did most of my work here at the hospital and my I still live with my parents so I don't have a job currently," Sasuke explains and I nod.

"Why...? Why would you sacrifice so much for me?" I ask, looking at him.

"Because I love you, idiot! God... you're so dense sometimes. I... I wanna be with you. Forever. I'll be good to you, I promise... just don't die on me," Sasuke starts crying again and he's holding my hand gently as he kneels by my bedside on both knees. He's broken up about this.

"Then why'd it take you three, almost four, years to tell me that you cared?" I'm crying by this point as well.

Sasuke sniffs and looks up at me. "I had some emotional and mental growing up to do. What I put you through matured you years beyond me while I remained this immature brat. I needed to become better for you... so I thought it best that I didn't contact you until I could be a mature person for you. I grew up without any hardships. My life was perfect so I thought I could get what I wanted with force... you... you know hardship. Your parents died when you were young and you were raised by your brother who works too much to support you. You eventually had to help with that support by getting a job. You were openly gay and ridiculed for it, but you still stood your ground. You matured because of the crap life through at you. I stayed a child because everything was handed to me on a silver platter... I wanted to know hardship. So I left home for a few years. I lived in America; on my own... it was Hell on Earth over there. But... it made me a more mature person... and I realize... I can't toy with your emotions. And I'm not. I truly wanna be with you. Those three years in America... I longed to see you again, but everywhere I went, I encountered a new struggle. I've been mugged, stabbed, shot, beaten up, molested, and yes, even raped... I wasn't going for that. I was going to observe, but instead it happened to me... I never wanted any of that to happen, but it did... that's when I realized you went through Hell with me. And I can't take that back. I'm so sorry."

I listen and give a small smile. He's so sincere. I can feel it. He's not lying. "It's okay... Maybe... we can start over. Start new. Once I get out of here, maybe we can go see a movie or something..."

Sasuke gasps and looks at me with wide, pleading eyes. "You mean that?"

"Yeah..."

I know it's bold... but I don't think I'm going to regret it this time. I have this feeling... like he's actually going to take really good care of me.

I hope I'm right.

No, the story is not over.
There's still a chapter or two to be had.
However, I'm creating a spin-off series for this after it's over entitled "Sasuke's Adventures in America". So be on the lookout for that.
It'll recount all the tales of his time in America, including the rape, mugging, and beating up of his persons. It'll be a bit gruesome, but there will be points where it'll touch your heart.
Anyways, until I have more time, see ya!

Your author,
Nova