In….
Out….
In….
Out….
Sasuke was trying to keep his breathing steady.
He fell on his knees, his vision was blurry, his breathing was fast….
He was trying to keep his breathing under control, but he lost his fight.
He could hear Naruto saying something but couldn't quite understand it.
He felt like he was underwater. He was trying to make it to the surface but the more he would swim, the further the surface would appear. His arm became tired, and his legs became heavy. He was sinking. Was he even swimming or perhaps floating?
The air felt heavy, and his lungs couldn't get enough. The more breaths he drew, the less air he felt ventilating his lungs.
"Hang in there Sasuke, I am getting Sakura" Naruto said which Sasuke barely heard.
Naruto ran to get Sakura who was reading Sasuke's file in the kitchen.
"Sasuke, I am here" Sakura said putting her hand on his shoulder.
Sasuke simply looked at her while desperately trying to breathe.
"Where does it hurt?" Sakura asked.
Sasuke kept just breathing rapidly and looking at her. He slowly moved his hand to his chest, then pulled hers to his chest.
"Hang in there" Sakura said lighting up her hands over his chest.
Sakura went at it several times and could not feel anything.
"Naruto, quick, bring a blanket" Sakura demanded.
Naruto ran to get a blanket.
"Sasuke, I know you may feel like you are going to die but it's okay, you are going to be okay" Sakura said in a soft voice "I need you to breathe with me" she finished.
"In, out, in…." Sakura started but Sasuke was just looking at her without slowing his breathing.
Sakura grabbed his hand and put it on her chest, and she put hers on his.
"Breathe" She said while still holding his hand over his chest and the other on his "Breathe".
Sasuke's breathing didn't slow down but he was trying to breathe with her.
"I won't let them take you" Sakura said while slowly touching his forehead with hers "I am not going to let anyone hurt you, I promise" she finished.
"I found a blanket!" Naruto said running into the room.
"Good, put it over Sasuke" Sakura said.
Sakura lied there with him until he was calmer.
The day passed and things were a bit better. Sasuke seemed out of himself while Sakura was reading files for hours trying to figure out what to do for the case. Naruto was trying to somehow entertain Sasuke but one could tell he was worried.
"I am sorry about earlier; I don't know what happen to me" Sasuke said to Sakura.
"Don't apologize, please" Sakura responded
"Sasuke I need to ask you something, I know this may be really hard for you but I need something for your defense" Sakura said "I need you to tell me what happened, anything that could help"
"I am sorry" Sasuke simply signed "I wish I could do more; I truly cannot remember a lot" he finished.
"It's okay, I get it" she answered.
"I remember some things, but everything is a blur" Sasuke said.
"I bet; you received a pretty bad injury to your head" Sakura answered with regret.
"I really wish I could do more" Sasuke said.
"I mean, I could try to heal you. Perhaps that could bring back some of your memories" Sakura said "but Sasuke, I don't want you to suffer anymore".
"I'll do it" he cut her off.
"Sasuke, I don't want you to do anything that you are not ready for" Sakura said.
"Sakura, I can't go back to that place, please" he begged.
Some hours passed and Sakura set up a room ready to heal Sasuke.
She had him lie down and put his head towards the bottom of the bed.
"Are you sure you want this? I don't want to pressure you into something that will hurt you more" Sakura said.
"Come on, I want to do this" Sasuke said "let's get it done with"
Sakura poured a substance over Sasuke forehead and hair. Sasuke closed his eyes and put his head back.
"This is going to help me see where the damage is" she said to which Sasuke simply nodded.
She closed her eyes and focused on healing Sasuke. Soon her hands lit green, and Sasuke took a deep breath.
Sasuke's furrowed brows began to relax as he felt Sakura's healing touch. Several minutes passed and Sakura was very focused on her task.
Sasuke grabbed Sakura's wrist very suddenly and started breathing fast.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Sakura asked concerned while Sasuke tighten the grip around her wrist.
"Do you want to stop?" Sakura asked to which Sasuke didn't respond, he was looking around while breathing fast.
"You are hurting me" Sakura said as Sasuke was pressing hard "We should stop" she said.
"No, keep going" Sasuke cut her off.
She began to heal him once again.
He kept on moving his head while she was trying hard to concentrate.
Sasuke began twisting his neck and body and soon pained screams filled the room. Naruto ran into the room to find Sakura healing Sasuke whose back was arched as he screamed in horror.
"Stop" Naruto said.
"No!" Sasuke yelled.
"Please keep his head steady" Sakura said.
Naruto grabbed Sasuke's head and kept it in place. Sasuke's body twitched and spasmed.
"Just kill me" Sasuke yelled as he continued to yell in pain.
Sakura finished and Naruto caught her as she plummeted out of exhaustion.
"It's over" she said moving her hand to Sasuke's shoulder.
Sasuke stopped her hand by the wrist. He didn't even look at her. His eyes had that same blank stare that they had the day they had rescued him. Sakura understood and removed her hand.
Sasuke suddenly covered his eyes with his hand and began breathing heavily.
He moved his hand to his mouth, trying to calm his sobs. No tears were coming out of his eyes, but he was sobbing uncontrollably. He started hyperventilating really fast to the point he was almost not breathing.
"Shhhh In, out, in" Sakura said but Sasuke kept on doing the same without even trying "In, out, in" she continued.
Sasuke drowned his screaming in some loud whimper as if he was trapped in his body. He made eye contact with Sakura; he was about to break into terror when Sakura injected something into his arm, and he immediately fell asleep.
"What just happened?" Naruto asked still trying to process what was happening.
"All of his memories are back" she said regretfully while caressing his face "it will be a long road to recovery" she finished.
Naruto simply signed and covered his face with his hands.
"He will be okay, he is strong" Sakura comforted Naruto with a smile.
They left Sasuke to rest and spend the afternoon reading and researching anything that they could use for the case. Sakura kept on looking at Sasuke's labs trying to find anything.
Their peaceful reading was interrupted by Sasuke's painful screams.
"Hey, I am here if you need anything" Sakura said quietly from the door.
"Turn the lights on" Sasuke screamed.
Sakura did as she was told and approached Sasuke.
"Sasuke, it's okay, maybe you'd…." she began saying when Sasuke suddenly interrupted her.
"Leave me alone" he yelled in a wailing voice.
She left without saying anything. Sasuke needed time with his thoughts, and she understood that.
Time passed and the same dynamic kept on going. Sasuke would break into a screaming outburst and one of them would check on him. They eventually stopped checking as they knew he wanted to be alone. Sakura always made sure the door was half opened so she could see Sasuke. After hours of screaming, Naruto could not take it any longer and had to take a walk. Sakura went in to check on him one more time.
"Hey" Sakura said.
"Please go away" he said. His voice was raw from the screaming. He was sweaty and looked exhausted.
"Sasuke, it is not going to get better until you talk about it" she said in a peaceful way.
"No" was all he managed to say before tears began to roll from his eyes. He kept on hysterically trying to keep them back which just caused him to cry harder. He put his head under his pillow as his body convulsed with every sob.
"I know it is hard, but if you don't get it off your chest you will never be able to let it go" Sakura continued.
"No, no" he kept on crying.
"Once you share it, it won't have power over you" she said.
"You already know what happened to me, you've read it" he said in rebuttal.
"Sasuke, it needs to come from you" she said calmly.
Sasuke simply shook his head as his cries became louder.
"You don't have to tell me, but at least you need to tell yourself" She simply added.
"I deserved it" he said.
"No, you did not. You made mistakes but it doesn't make it right" she said.
"I am not a victim" he cried louder.
"I know, you are not a victim, you are a survivor" she finished to which he just answered by crying more "that's why you need to tell your story, so it doesn't have power over you" she added.
Sobs escaped his mouth, and he soon covered his mouth trying to keep it under control.
"I'll leave you to rest but remember my words" she said giving Sasuke a mirror.
"Wait" he stopped her as she was leaving the room "please sit" he finished.
The road to peace was still long….