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Chapter 18

Sasuke walked into Hinata's open apartment with her resting on his back. Her body felt hot against his, it wasn't just her head anymore and Sasuke's heart was filled with dread and worry for his love. The only thought that kept him calm was that she was suffering from the flu and nothing worse. Disease was a great threat to anybody and not even a shinobi could escape from it. Hinata moaned a bit on Sasuke's back "Sa-Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke pull her off his wet body slowly and placed her on the couch before turning the lights back on. She moaned some more before opening her eyes in search of Sasuke "S-Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke rushed back to her side "I'm here, Hinata" her voice was softer than usual and cracking a little, as though something was lodged in her throat. Sasuke didn't know severe her flu was and asked "Tell me what you're feeling" Hinata's eyes closed again and she frowned, concentrating on all the aches and pains her body was feeling "My body hurts" she lifted her arms "My arms" she arched and pulled her hand to her back "and my back are sore and I have had a headache all day." Sasuke placed forehead to hers "You have a fever too" he pulled back to look at his fragile love before him "anything else?" She cleared her throat before swallowing which looked like a bit of a difficult task "My-my throat is dry and sore." Sasuke's suspicions where right on the mark, his woman had the flu but he wasn't completely sure, he'd have to wait until morning to see if she improved or not. If not he'd have to solicit help for either Ino or Sakura, but right now he had to get her into bed. He reach to touch her jacket before pulling away "Hinata?" she parted her eyes for him "we need to get you out of these wet clothes. Can you take your clothes off and change into dry ones?" Hinata nodded slowly and began to rise from her slouched position on the couch. Sasuke helped her get to her room and then closed the door behind him to let her change.

Left alone in her room, Hinata set herself upon getting a t-shirt and shorts but the task wasn't so easy: first she did what best could in getting out of her clothes, which took a bit of time, considering the pain coming from her arms and back. Sasuke asked every now and then if she was doing okay and she'd reply with a weak "Mhnn, I-I'm okay, Sasuke-kun" She discarded her wet clothes onto the wooden floor before pulling the shirt over her, she bent down and pulled off her pants and pull up the shorts. She, however, came up far too quickly and the room started to tilt to the side, out of her control. By the time she realised that she was on the floor, Sasuke was already scooping her up and placing her inside her the warm covers of her bed "Rest now, Hinata. I'll get you some water to drink" she gripped his wet clothes "Pl-Please don't go" He smiled at her but a smile that only showed great concern and heavy worry, he held her small hand in his larger one "I'm not going to leave you, I'm just getting water for you. You need to drink" she said nothing and watched him leave the room. Sasuke returned to find his love asleep. The peacefulness found a sleeping face, wasn't on hers. Her body was fightning and Sasuke could only hope that she'd be better when the next morning came. Sasuke placed the water on the end table and pulled the chair next to the bed.

XXX

Next Morning

Sasuke woke up the next morning to the sounds of heavy sniffing and a dry cough. He immediately opened his eyes; his vision was blurred, eyes trying to adjust to the morning light and his surroundings. When his eyes made their way to the source of the sniffing and coughing that had woken him up, his heart dropped. Hinata looked anything from he'd hoped for; her face was flushed and red. He pulled his hand from beneath his chest and placed it on her forehead then to his 'she's running a fever.' He sat himself on the bed beside her "Hinata." Hinata didn't respond, so Sasuke tried again but just a little louder "Hinata," again Hinata made no movement. Sasuke shook her a bit the next time "Hinata" and again shook her "Hinata." She stirred a bit and Sasuke waited a little bit but she made no more movements again and Sasuke shook her "Hinata, please you must open your eyes for me." At his pleading request Hinata stirred once more before parting her eyelids, the effort to do that alone seemed so much. Her eyes fluttered a bit before they could finally focus one Sasuke, she gave him a little smile "Sa-" she cleared her throat "Sasuke-ku-" her voice was raspy even softer than normal. Sasuke frowned "How do you feel today? You're running a fever" Hinata just shook her head, her eyes closing again. "Would you like something to eat?" Sasuke asked and she shook her head "Some water? Tea?" she just shook her head, she was having a hard time and look as though rest would heal her. At Sasuke's sigh, Hinata pulled her hand from underneath the covers and placed it onto Sasuke's hand and gave him a small smile. Sasuke could return that smile, she was sick all because of him, and she could not see how terrible she looked on this morning.

Sasuke closed his eyes in thought; he needed to get her well again. He rose from the bed, assuring Hinata that he'd be right back and disappeared into her bathroom. He went straight for the white cupboard in the wall and opened it to find nothing more than the essentials but nothing he needed at the time, nothing Hinata could have to make her better. He quickly proceeded to check the one in the guest bathroom and then the kitchen, he shut the last cupboard in complete frustration and slumped over with a sigh. What was he going to do to help Hinata? Taking her to the hospital would be the logical thing to do but then the whole village would think that he was back to his old self, that Hinata was his first victim before he decided spare her life. Then there was the matter with the Hyuuga/ Hyuga, if they found out they certainly would not spare a moment in taking his life, not that he didn't deserve it. Before anymore thought could attack him again he heard a body crashing to the ground somewhere in the apartment. Without a moment to spare he ran out of the kitchen to find Hinata's ill body on the floor, with her attempting to get up, the effort proved difficult. Her arm was thrown over Sasuke's shoulder followed by an arm around her back and the other tucked behind her knees. Sasuke lifted her off the floor and returned her to her bed "I-I thought you had left me Sasuke-kun" Sasuke dropped his head, his charcoal hair curtaining his eyes. "I will get you better Hinata, I swear it!" He rose up, determination alive on his face as he made the signs for the shadow copy techinique. A clone of Sasuke appeared in a puff of smoke, the real Sasuke looked at the clone before bending down to Hinata "I'm going to get you some medicine, I'll be leaving a clone here to watch over you. I'll be back as fast as I can, rest your body now." Hinata tried to protest Sasuke's decision but he left, leaving her with a clone who would run out of chakra soon. She felt so sick.

Not long after leaving Hinata with his clone, Sasuke turned a corner only to speed himself into Ino. They both hit the ground hard, surrounded by a mess of flowers that Ino had been carrying. Sasuke glared at her then stood straight up and continued his run. "You're not going to help me clean up this mess you made?" she shouted after his speedy form "You'd better hope you haven't upset Hinata running like that!" At that last sentence Ino had just shouted, Sasuke felt a twinge of guilt tug at his heart, he wished that he had upset Hinata not made her sick cause then he could repair it with words but he couldn't, what he needed was a healer. A healer! A medical ninja to be precise. 'Ino!' Sasuke stopped running when he realised that in is worry for Hinata and irritation over bumping into Ino, that he'd forgotten to ask for her help. He turned back hoping to find her but she had already left. Damn. Sasuke and Ino had bumped into each at the corner of a local grocery store, someone there might have seen which way she went. He took a breath and walked in, asking the clerk right who stood by the exit "Have you seen where the woman I just bumped into went?" The clerk only responded by glaring at Sasuke."Did you not hear me? I asked you where the woman-" Sasuke was quickly cut off "First you come in here, then you don't even have the common courteousy to greet me, you bumped into her clearly by mistake but didn't even bother to help her and lastly, you are that Uchiha traitor who killed so many people. I will tell you nothing" Sasuke dropped his head, of course no one would tell him anything. They all hated him after all but that didn't matter to him anymore, what people thougtht of him wasn't a problem. The problem was that Hinata was sick and no-one would help him to help her. He took a breath; he wasn't going to find Ino now, his only other person was Sakura and she spent most of her time at the Konoha hospital so that was now his next destination. He would run and he would hurry, for Hinata was alone and the shadow copy could disappear at any moment.

It was a lot easier to run the streets of Konoha at night, people were in their homes and it was much easier to navigate. Sasuke looked at the rooftops above him, his trip would be a lot quicker if he just jumped from roof to roof but he'd run out of chakra by the time he got to the hospital and he was running of chakra just running on his feet alone. Sasuke suddenly came to a dust filled stop breathing heavily when he realised exactly how far the hospital was from Hinata's apartment 'the hospital is miles away from where I am now. It's too far for me to go and return; my shadow copy will have long disappeared by then.' Before Sasuke could search his mind for another plan; a chill ran down his spine. The shadow he had left with Hinata had disappeared but that wasn't the problem. In that second, Sasuke witnessed the intruder that again returned to Hinata's apartment and the squabble his copy had had with him. Sasuke launched himself onto a nearby roof, screw getting to the hospital, screw using up too much chakra. That Hyuga bastard was back again and he'd be damned if he was going to hurt Hinata with his words again, not this time!