Shit. His curiosity got the best of him, and now he could feel his father's eyes on him. He clearly wanted answers, and he could not fault his father, there was to be an investigation. Based on his father's surprise, it was not going to be a police investigation. Still Sasuke knew he should be more worried than he currently was, but the relief he felt when the nurse with the untrustworthy smile confirmed that the other patient with similar symptoms did in fact have pink hair he would not give up for the world. My wife.
"Why are you so happy?" Hadn't Kakashi once called him a fool in love? The smile that had unconsciously graced his face was evidence that Kakashi was unfortunately correct.
He quickly tried to think of something plausible, "I-I just remembered I should be able to see Itachi tomorrow."
To his surprise his father returned the smile, though little more awkwardly than had been his intention. "You will not be able to play with him though."
What was the proper response to this he wondered? He knew he was not going to be able to play with Itachi, he still felt exhausted. He had slept most of the day and already his body begging to sleep. However, would someone his current age be able to understand that? Naruto wouldn't, and he was twenty. He found his answer, he would act like Naruto did the last time he was at the hospital pout and everything, "but nothing hurts." Sasuke could feel his dignity dying a cruel death and could imagine Sakura laughing at him.
"It is not about being in pain, it is about all the tests you have scheduled tomorrow." This time Sasuke did not have to fake his disappointment. He made to express it but was interrupted when a yawn escaped him. "Go to sleep." The nurse seemed to be waiting for another slip up, Sasuke noted, but still there was no reason for her to overstay her welcome. She excused herself and left. Fugaku barely acknowledged her.
Sasuke wanted to argue to protest and ask questions now that the nurse was gone, but his father's hand on his head silenced all further inquiries. Soon he fell asleep, the weight of his father's hand a surprising comfort. The next time he awoke it was to a furious discussion. Well sort of furious, they were whispering likely to not wake him, however he could still clearly make out what his parents were discussing.
"There is nothing I can do Mikoto." His father sounded defeated, "there is no sound reason for me to refuse the investigation, without it seeming strange."
"Request to be part of it then." His mother sounded desperate.
"As I have explained, I am too close to the situation, it would be the equivalent of a doctor operating on their child. Which is what they would argue as well."
"We both know this is just an excuse to have access to a sharingan. I will not allow Sasuke to be a pawn for the village! Even without awakening his sharingan there is no telling what they could find out!"
"I agree," Sasuke could recognize his father's tone. It was a mix of agreement with please be quiet. Sasuke vaguely wondered if this tone was acceptable, Sakura would never allow him this tone. Then again he tended to be the quiet one in the relationship. "But we cannot be the ones against the investigation. Us being against the investigation will only be twisted against the clan somehow, and that is something we cannot afford."
They were quiet for some time, no doubt considering their options, he pitied his parents, every move could be scrutinized, no wonder his father preferred to be cold. It was his mother that broke the silence, "what if we convince the girl's parents to not go through investigation? Think about it, we cannot say no, but they can, and if they say no to the investigation we can too. We can say something like, "well the investigation is compromised." They cannot fault is in refusing if our decision is sound!"
The excitement in his mother's voice had also caused her to increase her voice in volume, this led to his father scolding her, "do you want to wake him up?" A meek apology was her response, "that could work, they shouldn't be hard to find either."
"The nurse said they had the same symptoms, correct?"
"Yes, which means that they should need identical care," his father sighed, "except she did mention a medically induced coma."
"I still think it is a safe bet to assume their rooms would be close, and we know she has pink hair, so one of her parents must have pink hair."
"Hopefully it's the mother." Sasuke smirked at his father's words trying to imagine what his father's reaction would be Kizashi's hair, not only of the color, but of the way he styled it.
"It would be easier for me to walk around the hospital, plus the added benefit of not being terrifying." His father agreed, and their conversation dulled, he considered waking up when his mother broke the silence, "I was so scared that he would never wake up." He heard the crack in her voice, he didn't have to look to know she was crying.
He heard some movement, and his father's words, "he is our son, of course he woke up." Sasuke wondered how often his father had to be the strong one, he had already seen the way worry had left a permanent mark on his father's face. Wrinkles his father had never gotten the chance to have in his old life, he decided it was time to wake up, he was scared of where their conversation was headed, and they deserved their privacy.
He pretended to wake up, stretched his legs and felt more than saw his mother's approach. "Good morning Sasuke-kun, did we wake you?" She sat next to him on the bed,
He nodded no, which was true enough, "where is Itachi?"
"He is at home, he tried to come by straight after the mission but we told him to go home and wash up. " Sasuke looked at his parents, before he could even complain however his mother continued, "stop pouting, I also asked him to bring your father and you some breakfast."
"I'm not pouting."
"Fine, stop frowning." His mother put her arm around him, he leaned into her hold. "Anyway the nurse will be here soon to take you to the first exam, your father will be with you."
Sasuke thought of how to react, should her protest her absence? He settled for silence. He knew what his mother intended, he decided to change his approach. However, they would also need an excuse to approach the Harunos, "the nurse said that my friend is sick too, could I go see her?" He looked up to his mother, trying to muster the most pathetic expression on his face, what was dignity to the protection his words gave his family?
He could see the wheels turning, his mother saw her chance and she grasped on tightly. Now she had an excuse to talk to the parents of the girl, "you still need to rest, and she is still sleeping, but I will look for her parents and see how she is doing. Is that alright with you?"
Did not matter if he was okay with it, he knew his mother found an excuse to openly approach the family. There was no way Mikoto would ever endanger her son by lying in her approach of the Harunos. What if there was an investigation of their contact with them? Would it not be better if a child's innocent concern led Mikoto to Kizashi or Mebuki? Mikoto would not have to lie, it was Sasuke who led her to them, his concern. Thus, he nodded, he wanted to pass a message along to her but decided against it, the only thing he could think of was thank you. That somehow did not feel like a normal message to pass a long.
A/N: so I have been going through some shit... and I am going to share just because I feel like it.
Late december we got a call that my grandpa in mexico was sick...basically that he was near the end and that it was a matter of time before his heart would just stop... Anyway, regardless of pandemic we went to see my grandpa in december... and I am so glad we went.. we did not last long there... anyway... came back we made it without getting sick... my grandpa passed away on the 16th of January. Debated for like an hour if I should go to his funeral, decided to stay back so that my nephew and niece wouldn't go. When those that went to his funeral came back home, they had covid. My sister gave it to my parents on the drive back, and she gave it to my niece... and my niece gave it to her brother and her cousin. So far it seems I may have had it too, but really mild symptoms, so it was up to me to be taking care of all the sick people.
I do not need words of sympathy this is a good as shouting into a crowd gets for me tbh... I am trying to cling to a sense of normalcy so I looked through my phone and found this. In the name of clinging to normalcy, or looking for it, I also plan to focus on Timely... I may want normalcy but for now I will settle for editing as opposed to working on something new.