Chirping birds…
Subtle rain….
soft breeze….
Sasuke slowly opened his eyes. He felt the rain against his face as scanned around. He felt the movement of a vehicle against a bumpy road.
"I ruined everything" an agitated Sasuke said.
"No, no, shhh" Sakura answered "you were great".
"no, no" Sasuke said as he was beginning to hyperventilate.
"Shhh, you need to rest" Sakura said.
"Why couldn't I remember?" Sasuke said still very agitatedly.
"Don't worry" Sakura tried to calm him down.
"Why can't I remember?" Sasuke insisted as tears began rolling down his eyes.
"You hurt your head; you just need to rest to heal" she explained softly.
Sasuke just kept on struggling to breathe "Am I….am I going back?" he said as more tears escaped his eyes.
"No" Sakura offered a soft smile "the case has proceeded".
"I don't understand" Sasuke said.
"We were able to prove that the injuries you had sustained were enough to make a case" she said.
Sasuke just scanned around and realized they were in cart. Naruto was sitting in the back and just smiled at him softly, then continued to ride silently.
"Just rest" Sakura said slowly caressing his eyes trying to get him to close them.
Sasuke eventually fell asleep. Things were so out of order. Sakura had never seen Sasuke so helpless and Naruto so quiet. He was so pensive; one would even forget he was there.
The cart came to an abrupt stop. At this point the rain had become heavy. Sasuke was still in a deep sleep. Sakura slowly shook Sasuke's shoulder. Naruto grabbed him from under his armpits and helped him stand up. Then Sakura and Naruto helped him get down to the house.
They took Sasuke to his room. Sakura dried him up and Naruto helped him change into something dry. Sakura tucked him and left him to sleep. He had barely slept the night before and the seizure had made him very tired.
Sakura went to show Naruto around. They were walking but Naruto seemed very disassociated. He just nodded every time she would show him something. Eventually, they ended up just sitting on the couch.
There was dead silence in the room.
"Is he going to be okay?" Naruto broke the silence.
"Yeah" Sakura signed.
"You are not lying, are you? Naruto asked.
"No, he will be fine. He just needs time to recover" Sakura answered with a soft smile.
"This is my fault" Naruto said getting anxious.
"it's not" Sakura said.
"It is, I tried so hard to convince him to come back, and for what?" Naruto said "I set him up"
"Naruto, you tried your best to help Sasuke back to his senses. This isn't your fault" Sakura kept on saying.
"All I ever wanted was for things to be like they were before" Naruto said covering his face with his hands.
"And things will go back to what they were" Sakura said optimistically.
"I just…. I just….I don't understand. I thought this nightmare would be over by now" Naruto said on the brink of tears.
"Naruto, this is not your fault and I swear to you…."Sakura began saying when a loud noise interrupted.
They locked eyes with each other and ran to Sasuke's room.
Sasuke was on the floor. He had tried to drag himself out of bed and had fallen off the bed.
At this point, Sasuke was emptying the contents of his stomach on the floor.
"Sasuke" Naruto screamed running towards Sasuke.
Sakura approached Sasuke and put her hand on Sasuke's back. Sasuke's body jerked as he pushed her hand away.
Sakura simply stood by him waiting for him to be done.
"It's alright Sasuke, you are okay" she said gently trying to unwrap the covers off his body to help him stand up.
"Stay away" Sasuke yelled pushing Sakura away.
"Let me help you up" Naruto said approaching Sasuke.
"Stay away, I don't need help" Sasuke yelled agitatedly.
Sasuke tried to lift himself up but slipped on the vomit and fell on the floor with half of his face touching the vomit. At this kept on going, Naruto and Sakura kept on trying to help him up, but he kept on refusing.
Naruto managed to remove the covers from his legs. Sasuke became even more upset and dragged himself against the wall.
"Okay Sasuke, let us help you" Sakura said.
"No, no, stay away" Sasuke yelled.
At this point, both Naruto and Sakura noticed that Sasuke's pants were drenched in urine. Sasuke had probably awakened needing to use the bathroom and had fallen off the bed. Sakura assumed that the mix of his UTI and the forceful vomiting did not let him get to the bathroom.
"It's okay" Sakura said "how about Naruto helps you get yourself cleaned and take care of the bed"
"I said stay away" Sasuke said once more pushing Naruto away.
Suddenly, a strong cramp hit Sasuke who doubled down from the pain. He was clenching his jaw and pinching his abdomen with his nails.
"Sasuke, are you okay?" Sakura asked softly.
"Don't touch me" he said almost inaudibly "I can't live like this, I can't live like this, I can't live like this" Sasuke whispered as he put his head on his knees. Suddenly, he lurched back and banged his head against the wall twice.
Sakura immediately grabbed Sasuke's head and blocked his head from getting hit. Sasuke kept on trying to bang his head while Sakura and Naruto tried to keep him from doing it.
Sasuke lurched forward and bit hard onto his arm. Sakura tried to push his head back while Naruto applied pressure on his jaw so he would let go. Sasuke bit harder into his arm to the point blood was dripping from his arm. Naruto became desperate and started punching Sasuke in the head.
"Stop" Sakura screamed "you have to stop".
Naruto punched him one more time and Sasuke finally let go.
Sakura ran to control the bleeding from his arm. Sasuke was shaking violently, hyperventilating, and not making eye contact.
"It's okay" Sakura as she was wiping away her tears "It's okay, this is nothing".
"Sasuke…." Naruto took a deep breath "please, stop" Naruto said grabbing his hand and putting it close to his head as tears filled his eyes.
Sasuke began to laugh softly and eventually started to laugh hysterically.
"You think you could trick me? It's all connected, it's all connected" Sasuke began rocking back and forth.
"What do you mean?" Naruto said putting his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.
"Stop trying to trick me. I know this is a part of it" Sasuke said while rocking "you think I would not know? You are enjoying this." Sasuke said.
"You are an amazing actress, you know?" he told Sakura.
"What are you talking about?" Sakura said as tears rolled down her eyes.
"Stop that, I know you are enjoying this. I almost believed you cared about me" Sasuke said while laughing as tears began to build in his eyes "I was so blind".
"Sasuke no…please don't" Sakura said as she was desperately trying to caress Sasuke's head with her hands.
Sasuke turned his head away as tears rolled from his eyes then rested his head on his knees.
Sasuke began breathing fast.
"Sasuke, are you okay?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke simply began spitting between his legs and just nodded his head.
Sasuke took a deep breath and gagged once.
Sakura wiped her tears and brought Sasuke the trashcan.
Sasuke just stood there in front of the trashcan for a bit. He started spitting in the bowl again and gagged one more time calmly. He eventually brought up some bile and water.
"Are you done?" Sakura whispered.
Sasuke wiped his face with his hand and simply nodded. He was much calmer all of a sudden.
"I'll take this" Sakura said quietly taking the trashcan.
"I got it" Naruto said taking it from her.
Sasuke signaled Naruto to give him the trashcan one more time.
Sasuke was just spitting at this point, but he was calm.
"Sakura!" Naruto yelled when looked in the trashcan.
Naruto began hyperventilating.
"It's okay" Sakura said "It's alright".
"Sasuke, would you mind lying down?" Sakura said calmly.
Sasuke looked down and noticed blood in the trashcan and running down his chin. Sasuke took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was beginning to lose color when Sakura gently pushed down and helped him lie down.
Sakura put both of her hands around his neck, and they lit up green. Sasuke was taking deep breaths like Sakura had told him in the past. Blood was still running down his face.
Naruto rested his head on Sakura's shoulder as she was healing Sasuke.
"What is wrong with him?" Naruto asked.
"His ulcers are bleeding from all the vomiting" Sakura said "Are you feeling better?" she asked gently.
Sasuke nodded "thank you" he muttered inaudibly.
"Hey Sasuke, Naruto is going to help you wash up while I clean the room, okay?" Sakura said.
Sasuke didn't answer and Naruto helped him up and walked him to the bathroom.
Sasuke went back to his lethargic state, almost catatonic. Naruto began to undress him and stopped once he saw the bruises that covered Sasuke's body.
Naruto knelt on the floor hugging Sasuke's knees.
"I am sorry, I am so sorry" Naruto kept on crying while burying his face in Sasuke's knees.
Sasuke was just looking into the distance and not reacting.
Naruto finished undressing Sasuke and turned on the shower.
He washed the vomit, urine, and blood off his body.
Sasuke suddenly doubled down and rested on his knees.
"Stomach?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke just nodded and took a deep breath.
Naruto brought a towel and wrapped it around him. He sat him down on the toilet and began to pat dry his hair. He helped him get dressed and walked him to bed.
Naruto lied down next to him.
"I am so sorry" Naruto cried "I am sorry".
Sasuke half opened his eyes and gave Naruto a warm smile. Naruto simply hugged him.
Sakura opened the door and brought some clean covers.
"These are still warm" Sakura said covering Naruto and Sakura with the clean bedding.
Sasuke suddenly grabbed Sakura's hand. They made eye contact, and he simply gave her a soft smile.
"Thank you" Sasuke silently murmured.
He fell asleep soon after still holding Sakura's hand.
She slowly got into bed next to them.
Sakura and Naruto rested their heads on each side of Sasuke's neck.
Team 7 was truly back.
For a moment, there was peace.