Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
A/N: I decided to give Sasunaru month a try in English this year, so here you have it. This is a collection of individual and mostly unrelated drabbles. Both Sasunaru and Narusasu tropes will be included and each chapter will have its own warnings, as well as a tag to specify if it's SN or NS.
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Prompt #21: Healing together (-)
Warnings: Modern AU, established relationship, angst, car accidents, hospitals and description of injuries.
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Naruto looked at the ceiling, his eyes trying to get accustomed to the bright white light.
Where- Where was he?
He could barely remember what he'd been doing before suddenly waking up here, in such a plain room. The smell of disinfectant and something else itched his nose, and everything was too blurry to identify.
"Naruto!" oh, that voice was familiar. Focusing harder, Naruto managed to meet eyes with shiny emerald ones, and pink pretty hair.
"Sa-kura?" his throat hurt, his voice scratchy.
"Don't try to move too fast, you're hurt," she gently scolded him, helping Naruto sit up a bit by raising the back of the bed.
Naruto's confused eyes looked at her, her neat white medical gown, and that's when he realized he was actually in the hospital. And, by the looks of it, he was lucky to be in the one Sakura worked in.
"What… happened?" he inquired, a little bit more aware now.
Sakura sighed, a very deep long breath release that Naruto could notice her exhaustion just by hearing it.
"You were in a car accident. You've got no fractures, just some bruises and a concussion. But you've got some serious third degree burns in your right arm, so don't try to touch it, and try not to use it as much as you can for now," the medic informed him.
"Really? I don't really feel any pain…" Naruto's voice was barely a scratchy whisper, so unlike his normal boisterous one.
"We've got you on painkillers. Also, the burns damaged the nerves in your arm, so even if you don't feel any pain, please be aware that it's in pretty bad condition and you need to take care of it, alright?"
Naruto nodded, but noticed how his old childhood friend still looked uneasy. She was trying to put on a calm facade for him, but Naruto knew her all too well.
"Sakura?"
"Naruto, I…" she took a deep breath, like she was trying to compose herself. "I have something I need to tell you."
Naruto couldn't begin to comprehend when exactly had everything gone wrong.
Sasuke and he woke up that day like they did everyday. They had breakfast together, took turns to take a shower, got ready for work and then left together.
Naruto worked just a couple of blocks from Sasuke's company, so they always left home together. Depending on the day, either Naruto or Sasuke would finish work earlier or later than usual, and in those cases they went back home separately.
This time, though, Naruto had finished work just around 20 minutes earlier than Sasuke so he just decided to wait for him until he finished so he could pick him up instead of having to take the bus. Sasuke arrived when he'd said he would, and during their trip home Naruto listened to him complain about some of his coworkers. Sasuke had been very pent up, since the one doing most of the talking was usually Naruto and not the other way around.
They were supposed to have arrived home safe and sound, as usual. They were supposed to have made dinner together, and gone out the next day like they had agreed they would. It wasn't everyday they both got to enjoy their weekend doing simple couple stuff.
Yeah, that's what should have happened.
Instead, Naruto was laying on a hospital bed, not able to move one bit yet due to the meds, wondering if his husband would make it out of surgery.
When he'd woken up, he hadn't even remembered Sasuke and him were together when shit had hit the fan. But after Sakura told him Sasuke was currently in the operating room as they spoke, all the memories came crashing into his brain. He remembered the car out of control that was suddenly driving in their direction. He remembered Sasuke trying but failing to avoid it. It had all been too fast. Then everything went dark, and next thing he knew, he was awake, living a nightmare.
Sakura didn't have the heart to hide the current situation with him. Or maybe she was legally forced to tell him anyway? It's not like Naruto knew shit about hospitals or doctor's codes or anything, really.
She'd informed him the other car involved in the accident had hit Sasuke's side, the drivers side, causing a fire, and thus it had been practically a miracle for him to still have been alive when the paramedics arrived at the scene.
Sasuke had been in terrible shape when Sakura heard they were in the hospital. A broken leg, some cracked ribs, a skull fracture… and all that without counting the endless amount of bruises covering his body. And that wasn't all, no. Sasuke's left arm had been so severely damaged the probability of it having to be amputated were high, even when the doctors were doing their best to save it. And then there was the internal damage too…
Why was this happening to them? Why now?
From what he'd heard before, the other driver had nothing but a few broken bones and that was it, so why was Sasuke in such a critical state?
Sakura had said he'd already been two hours into surgery, but how much longer could it take?
At least he wasn't alone. He was grateful Sakura had left work aside to be with him right now. There was nothing she could do for Sasuke right now, anyway. The surgery was out of her expertise area, so the best she could do was stay by Naruto's side and keep him updated.
It wasn't until many hours later Naruto was informed Sasuke's surgery was over, and that he'd managed to survive. He was being kept in the ICU, though, so nobody could see him yet.
It wasn't until several days later the doctors determined Sasuke was stable enough to be moved to his own room, and it was until then Naruto was allowed to see him.
Watching his husband lay in a hospital bed, skin sickly pale, lips dry and cracked, all patched up and connected to many types of machines Naruto didn't even know what they were for was… a first. He stepped near the bed, his eyes never leaving Sasuke's face for a second. He could hear Sakura's voice telling him she'd be outside if he needed her.
This sight, the sight of his most precious person laying seemingly so lifeless on a bed, got to him. It made his heart clench and his eyes burn. Then his gaze dropped a little lower, to the empty space Sasuke's left arm used to be, and he choked down a sob.
How would he be able to tell Sasuke what happened when he woke up? How could he tell him he'd lost an arm? His life wouldn't be the same anymore, and Naruto feared the moment Sasuke had to realize that.
He sat down in the chair next to the bed, and gently grabbed Sasuke's right hand with his left, hot tears running down his cheeks.
He didn't know exactly why he was crying. Was it relief at Sasuke being alive? Or was it dread at the future he was now forced to face? Maybe both.
"Hey, bastard…" he talked to him, unsure if his husband was able to hear him. "It'll be alright. I'm here, and we'll learn to heal together."
Life wouldn't be easy from now on, no. But they still had each other, and that made it all worth it.
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A/N: This one got a little bit out of hand, so… sorry?