Hinata focused on her heels, clicking as they echoed through the empty hospital hallway. If she could just keep her mind on the repetitive sound and the pain she was dealing with in each step, maybe she could ignore what was happening enough to be patient with the doctors. Itachi called her after what was supposed to be a routine treatment for him, and she was waiting to hear back why he wasn't allowed to leave.

"Ms. Hyuga?" The doctor gave her a solemn looked. "He needs a transplant. We can't take him off the machines this time."

Hinata nodded, taking the paperwork she had to sign. "Is there any hope for a donor?"

"His condition has kept him off the transplant list. His best bet is a living donor." The doctor shrugged. "We will see if we can find someone."

Hinata pressed her lips together. She was sure he explained all this to Itachi already. "What will happen if he doesn't have the surgery?"

"He's going to slip into a coma in anywhere from a few days to a few hours. Once that happens, he has… not a lot of time. He should see his family."

Hinata already had an argument with him. She thanked the doctor and slipped back into Itachi's room. Itachi was looking worse by the minute. "I should just go home to die. My bed is more comfortable."

"Stop talking like that." Hinata gave him a look. "They are looking for a donor."

"The likelihood of finding a living match willing to give up a kidney is beyond low." Itachi reached his pale hand out. "Don't get your hopes up."

Hinata held on to it. It was cold. "At least see your family."

"I don't want their last memory to be me in this bed." Itachi's finger tightened around hers.

"But you want it to be mine?" Hinata didn't want to watch him die, either.

"You're angry." Itachi sighed. "I want you to stay angry with me. It feels better than watching you mourn me."

Hinata pierced her lips at him. He was right. She was beyond angry with him, but he wasn't going to like where that took her.


The doctor checked on him and sighed. "He's not going to wake back up."

Hinata's lip quivered as she tried to hold on to the anger to betray him. "I need to make some calls. And I need the donor paperwork."


Sasuke waved his hands to show his disagreement. "He would never let me."

"I am his power of attorney for health care. While he's out, I make the decisions." Hinata held up a legal envelope. "You don't have to, but I wanted you to have a choice for once."

Sasuke felt the stress ripple throughout his being. His brother was dying, and he could save him by going against his direct wishes. "He's going to hate both of us."

Hinata's lip curled. "He'll get over it." That sounded familiar. "You have to decide before your parents get here."

Sasuke rubbed his face. Were they doing this?


Fugaku held his ex-wife's hand. Mikoto lip quivered with her head resting on his shoulder as they waited for news. When was Sasuke going to get here? It had been hours. He checked his phone, but there was nothing from him. Hinata said she talked to him, but she was overwhelmed by Mikoto emotions before he could ask her much more.

"Here." Hinata held out coffees for the both of them and set down some food. "Itachi-san should be out of surgery soon."

"Surgery?" Mikoto gripped her cup to her chest.

"He's getting a kidney transplant," Hinata explained in a guarded tone.

Fugaku's eyebrows twitched together at her. Hinata met his eyes, and her hardened, telling him his suspicions were valid. "From who?"

Hinata's lips pressed into a line.

Fugaku sighed.

Mikoto made noise as she came to the realization as well. "He agreed?"

Hinata lowed her head. "He can't make decisions when he's in a coma." Hinata was wracked with guilt. She finally stooped to their level.

Fugaku slid himself out of Mikoto's grip and engulfed Hinata. Hinata stiffened as she fought the urge to take comfort before she crumbled. Her sobs muffled into his shoulder. Her hands turned into fists on the back of his suit jacket as she fell apart.


Sasuke thumbed over Hinata's hand as he woke up. Her hair was up, and her makeup was gone, but she hadn't changed. "Hey."

"How do you feel?" Hinata yawned.

"I think I will feel worse when they stop the painkillers," Sasuke hummed. "Have you seen him yet?"

Hinata shook her head. "I don't even know if he's awake. Your parents are with him."

"You going to hide from him?" Sasuke knew she hated herself right now.

Hinata tightened her hand over his. "He needs to recover. He can yell at me later."

"He should have known what you would do." Sasuke rested his head back.

Hinata lowered her head to the bed. "He expected me to respect his wishes."

"When has he respected anyone else's?" Sasuke countered. If Itachi wanted to act like this isn't exactly what he would do when presented with the same situation, Sasuke would call him a lair. Itachi just wasn't going to be happy that the same thing he had been doing to everyone for years was turned back on him.

Hinata's eyes looked like they had spent too many hours crying, and her fingers were raw from rubbing. She wasn't going to feel better any time soon.

"Do you think he can get over it by the wedding?" Sasuke earned himself a look of irritation that he was looking for, but her face fell just as quickly.

"... We haven't really talked about actually getting married." Hinata brought her free hand up to rub her face.

Sasuke rubbed his thumb over her ring. It was something they joked about, but the engagement was more formal than their relationship really was. "You want to talk about it?"

"I don't know." Hinata whimpered. "It feels silly because we are engaged, but it's not really the same."

"Do you want me to propose again?" Sasuke offered. "I can't get down on one knee for a while, but…"

Hinata waved her hand. "I think it's fine. I'm just tired."

Sasuke shook her hand to keep her on the topic and out of her head. "What kind of wedding do you want?"

Hinata sighed, seeing what he was doing. "Do I get much choice?"

"No, mom's probably going to take it over." Sasuke agreed. "But if you did have a choice."

Hinata closed her eyes for a moment to think. "I want a chocolate cake."

Sasuke chuckled and winced. "The first thing you thought of was the cake?"

"With fudge filling." Hinata nodded.

"I think we could get a fudge cake past mom." Sasuke agreed.


Hinata hugged Hanabi tightly. "I got you some clothes, and this is for their dad." Hanabi stepped back, holding up the two bags.

Hinata took the bag for Fugaku curiously and peeked inside. "Why do you have this?" Hinata pulled out the photo album that Itachi had them take pictures for.

"Sasuke didn't tell you?" Hanabi wondered. "We took pictures to match some of Mom and Itachi's dad from college."

Hinata opened the photo album. Some of the pictures of Itachi and Hinata were replaced with Sasuke and Hanabi. This was the gift Itachi wanted Sasuke to help with.

"He didn't want you to know yet, but I thought Sasuke would have told you by now," Hanabi explained.

"Itachi-san knew I would know that he was making a present for his parents after his death," Hinata mumbled grimly. "I would have killed him."

"He would have been dead either way then." Hanabi shrugged, receiving a look. "How is he?"

"He should wake up soon." Hinata sighed, closing the book. "Thank you."

"I just showed up and looked cute." Hanabi smiled.


Fugaku flipped through each of the pages, flicking his thumb on the edge of the pages. Itachi really knew how to put his heart at risk. He smiled at the pictures as he sifted through them, brat.

"Dad?" Itachi grumbled from his bed.

Fugaku closed the book and set it aside to get up and come to his side. "You've looked better."

Itachi blinked around the room. "Hinata called you."

"She did a bit more than that." Fugaku sighed. "I think I taught her too well."

Itachi took a moment more to take in his surroundings before realizing what happened. He wasn't on dialysis anymore. He could feel the stitching. He closed his eyes and knit his eyebrows together. "She let Sasuke give me a kidney."

"You shouldn't have made her your power of attorney. Did you think she was going to let you die?" Fugaku pat his shoulder.

"Is Sasuke okay?" Itachi grumbled.

"He's doing fine," Fugaku assured him. "Mikoto is bothering him now."

Itachi huffed. "Where's Hinata?"

"Avoiding you." Fugaku pulled a chair to sit by the bedside. "She knows you're not happy with her. She's not particularly happy with you right now." He waved the picture book before he sat down.

"Feeling is mutual." Itachi pulled a hand up to rub his face.

Fuagku sat back. "Give her a break. You brought her down to our level. She's struggling with it."

"I chose her because I expected her to respect my choices." Itachi huffed.

"You should have picked someone who didn't like you. Not that you have made that easier for her lately." Fugaku raised his eyebrows. "Or was that part of the plan, to make her hate you, so she would be willing to let you waste away?" Itachi sighed, avoiding his eyes. "Well, you're just going to have to 'live' with it." Fukagu chuckled at the look he got.