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Knock. Knock. Knock.
Sakura stirs in bed, opening her eyes to the dull green light of the alarm clock atop the bedside table. 04:32AM it says. She groans and resettles herself. The village sounded quiet; there couldn’t be reason for anyone to be knocking on the front door of her small apartment.
“Must have imagined it,” was the only possibility that crossed her drowsy mind. Ninja were notorious for being overly paranoid, herself included.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
“Sakura! Sakura I know you’re in there,” the voice, Moegi, cries, still pounding on the door, “There’s an emergency at the hospital. You’re needed now!”
It only took the time between the words between “emergency” and “now” for her to be out of bed, jōnin pants and shirt on, and answer the door with one hand as the other rapidly did up her sandals. With a single look, Moegi began to explain the situation; both women heading towards the hospital at full speed.
“Two ANBU patients. Males. Combative. Unstable conditions. Patient A, has an open would from his shoulder to hip over his torso. Deep from what we can tell. Heavy blood loss. Patient B, has many shallow cuts, several stab wounds, delirious. We believe it is an affect of poison. Neither has allowed anyone near them aside from minor external healing to prevent further blood loss but we may need to breach privacy in order to conduct full treatment. They say they won’t cooperate until you’re there.”
Sakura rolls her eyes. That’s so typical. It wasn’t too often that jōnin and ANBU came barreling into the clinic in critical condition and demanded that they see her and her alone, but it happened often enough. Top tier ninja knew she had special clearances, trusted her discretion and proximity to the Hokage, and was the best at what she did, which is what made her the best to go to; especially if said injuries happened on A- and S-ranked missions with classified information. Sometimes it was necessary to spill secretes about the activities of said missions in order for them to be treated properly.
Yes, people trusted Sakura. She knew it. They knew it. And this trust had been rightfully given.
Preparing for a mess, Sakura breezes into the clinic; throwing her hair up into a bun. She pulls the charts out of the hands of the nurse approaching her with a worried face. For Sakura, it takes less than half a minute to read and dissect both, memorizing the contents of both of her patients and making mental notes.
“Patients are quarantined to the same room in the ICU.
Neither has received fluids due to their mental state.
Patient A is addressed as Neko: the cat. A torso length cut that is thought to be up to three inches deep at the point of initial penetration. Approximated Class 3 hemorrhage, estimated 1.7 liters of blood loss. Transfusion needed. Blood type is AB positive.
Patient B is addressed as Inu: the dog. No bleeding or major injury. Squad member reports a poison user and that Inu has been delirious since their battle. No country origin of poison user as of yet.”
It is 4:40AM she notices, both men have been admitted since 4:20AM.
Sakura pivoted, “Moegi.”
“Ma’am,” Moegi replies, heals clicked and body poised. They were professionals now and Sakura, the most senior, commanded the branch of medic-nin in Konoha. Respect was an automatic. As only an interning student and though an experienced chūnin, her rank held no candle to Haruno, Sakura: jōnin, Hokage’s Assistant and Apprentice, world-class medic, and her own teacher.
“I need you to bring the blood collection vials and the swabs. I expect you in that room in five minutes.”
“Yes ma’am!” And she disappeared down the hall.
Sakura herself hurried to the room noted on the top of each ANBU’s chart: 305A. Outside of the quarantine stood a third ANBU, their squad third; tall, blond, built, and torn up. She knows not to address him in his ANBU gear. Sakura gave him a three second once over for any sign of significant damage and saw nothing. She knew he would be fine and continue to stand guard over her and his comrades, staring down the other medics on standby who were ready to assist as soon as they were called upon. Until then, they waited and watched.
The 305A was one of the larger surgical rooms, often used for ninja that were still on edge as using cramped spaces could do more harm than good for a warrior who still could be in the mind set of battle, and nothing could set a hardened fighter off than being seemingly trapped. A second bed had been wheeled in where Inu sat hunched over with his silver hair hanging wet in his face, watching his comrade Neko, who had been lain over the primary table. She had no doubt he had moved himself and ended up in the haphazard position he was in now, dark hair a disheveled mess and a slashed up seal mark exposed on his neck.
Stupid ANBU.
Calmly, but with enough force to be commanding, she addressed the men as procedure, “My name is Haruno, Sakura and I will be the commanding medic. Please cooperate or I will need to sedate you completely for your own survival.” With a quick nod of the head, she snapped on her gloves and mask as Moegi came through the doors with a tray of needles and empty vials.
4:43AM and the clock continues to tick.
The younger woman set her supplies on the nearest table to Inu, too nervous to look him in the mask. “Orders,” she asked, following the lead of her senior and putting on her gloves and mask.
Without so much as a glance in her junior’s direction, Sakura removed the remainder of shirt from Neko and begins healing the internal injuries that medics hadn’t been able to get when the two had decided it was in their best interest to be uncooperative.
“Bring me a bag of fluids for dehydration, pain fluids, and a bag of AB positive for Neko. Prep their stand and needles. Take ten vials of blood from Inu and deliver them to the medics outside for a complete toxin run. I want to know everything that’s in his blood, and then start him on a general anti-toxin as well as hydration fluids and tranquilizer. We need him as calm as possible.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Sakura continued her work as Moegi skirted around her with the tools. She reopened the skin to more efficiently heal the tissue and blood vessels underneath, keeping a look out for foreign metals lodged in the wounds. She found four rocks, and he simply groaned in pain, body betraying the reactions his mask tried to hide. The empathy she feels is great, but her job is to work to be sure he lives. So she does.
The room is silent save for the ticking clock, an ever present reminder of how fast and accurately she needed to move, and Moegi’s scuffling; fluid bags bouncing off each other.
It is 4:46AM and Moegi speaks again, “Neko’s transfusions are ready and samples have been taken from Inu. He is ready to have an anti-toxin and tranquilizer administered. Will you need anything else?”
Sakura closes up the section she is working on, an eighth of the way done in only three minutes. At this rate it will take her another eighteen to have Neko’s internal structure put back the way it was.
“Tape,” she ordered, taking the first needle and, finding a vein in the crook of Neko’s elbow immediately in his pallor, inserting it steadily. Tape isn’t far behind and she adheres the administration tube in place, removing the insertion needle, and plugging his blood transfusion in. He needed it most. His tranquilizer and hydration fluids came next, one in the other elbow and the other on his hand.
“I want updates on his vitals every minute. Blood pressure. Temperature. Pulse every five minutes. Write it down. If anything drops, I want to know” Sakura commanded, leaving Neko’s side and crossing to Inu who lay quietly in his bed, breathing steadily.
She knew he knew what to do: slow the heartbeat. Be calm. Focus. Though a dose or two of a sedative would work further wonders and make it much easier to pull out a toxin if it was necessary.
Working quickly, she once again felt for the vein. “There will be a quick pinch,” she tells him, unsure of how aware he was. Better safe than sorry.
Pushing in the needle and the fluids’ tubing in a single try each, she took his pulse and felt it slow over the course of a minute.
“You’ll be fine,” she reassures him, “We’ll get your results back soon. Please try to relax.”
“Mah,” was his only response, his only acknowledgement, but an acknowledgement it was and that was all she needed of him. He was never happy to be there.
With one last look over, Sakura left him to return to her work. Its 4:49AM, and she’s aware that if she overexerts herself in a rush job, she won’t be able to be there for an emergency. The previous pace will have to do.
Moegi continues to take notes as Sakura returns to her steady work, and its fifteen minutes later, 5:04AM that she finally finishes Neko’s insides and l eaves an angry pink scar across his body as she prompted his outer most layer to heal itself.
He’s been calm, breathing, and with the new blood being delivered into him, his skin tone returns to something more or less healthy.
The immediate danger is over, and for the first time in a half hour Sakura breathes. She may have been the best but stress was still stress.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Moegi get’s the door. Sakura can see the broad shoulders of the third ANBU still standing tall. A medic rushes in. She can see Inu tense then relax again.
“The results ma’am,” he hands them over and she reads them as he summarizes aloud, “A standard hallucinogenic. We believe it’s made of mildly toxic mushroom and toad venom. Non-lethal but meant to make subduing simpler. It’s likely the person who poisoned him wanted the patient alive for questioning.” He’s brief, straightforward and good when it comes to analysis of the use of various toxins.
Sakura remembered why she liked him on her team.
“So it would seem. Then the proteins in the general anti-toxin and the hydration fluids will be enough for his system to metabolize and flush the body of anything.”
It’s 5:10AM, she and Moegi have cleaned off both men, put gowns on them, and covered them in blankets for any shock or cold flashes.
The masks remain in place.
Lingering medics now filter into the room, helping to resettle Neko in a new bed, wheeling both him and Inu off to a recovery ward. She stays behind, pulling off bloodied gloves, scrubbing her own skin, and wiping the sweat from her brow.
Too tired to go home, too worried about her patients, she finds an unsullied set of clothing and changed, passing out in the staff break room finally at 5:30AM. The other medics know well enough to let her be and so, she sleeps.
By the time she wakes up, the clock says 10:23AM and Sakura’s clothing stick to her stiffly as she sits up. No longer exhausted, she stands and stretches, fixing her hair back into its tight bun in the window. The day is blue skies and busy people below. A good day to take in and just simply enjoy.
Wanting to wait no longer, she pushes out of the little room and up to the recovery ward on the second floor. The room she’s looking for doesn’t take much to find even if she hasn’t seen the updated chart. Naruto sits outside the room, dozing on the bench, but Sakura knows just how alert he can be even in the middle of a nap.
“Hey,” she croaks, throat dry.
His head snaps up and he looks her in the eye. “Hey yourself. Busy night?”
Sakura can only roll her eyes. They both know but can say nothing. She takes a seat next to him.
He’s gone home and changed. She notes his usual jōnin shirt and pants, much like the ones that had probably been washed for her while she slept, sans flake vest. It was all purely for the comfort.
“Just standard business,” she answers non-coherently, shrugging the drowsiness off, “A couple of ANBU needing to be patched up. You know how those go.”
Naruto only nods, chuckling.
“Have they-”
He cuts her off before she can ask, “No they aren’t awake yet. ANBU medics came; took their uniforms maybe two hours ago. People can visit now.”
Sakura can visit as Sakura now, rather than as their doctor is what she knows he means.
“With their physical exertion and the medication I put the both of them on; they should be asleep until at least three this afternoon, if not longer. They really should sleep for as long as possible.”
“I doubt either of them will be out that long. Neither of them likes hospitals, especially Kakashi, and if he’s awake then Sasuke will be awake.” He rolls his shoulders, trying to loosen himself up.
Without further prompting, Sakura places a chakra coated hand to the back of Naruto’s neck, easing the tightness brought on with prolonged hyper-vigilance. “Better?”
“Yeah.”
It isn’t until 11AM that another word is spoken, both having preferred the silent calm of another’s presence, the familiarity, than anything else.
“Sasuke,” Naruto whispered, breaking the silence of the empty hospital hall.
Sakura lifts her heavy head from Naruto’s shoulder, “Hm? What about Sasuke?” She yawned, the sunlight that filtered through the blinds and Naruto’s steady breathing had lulled her into such a relaxed state. She doubts she could ever sleep like this in public with someone that wasn’t her teammate, someone she trusted explicitly.
Weight off his shoulder, Naruto stands, “I think he’s awake.”
“It’s not even noon. He shouldn’t even be awake.” Naruto shrugs and Sakura follows, both quietly shuffling towards the door and sliding it open. Closest to them, Kakashi still seemed to be asleep, monitor beeping slowly, chest rising and falling in good time.
A peaceful moment.
He’d been right, damn sensory types. There Sasuke was, not awake entirely but rolling over and coming out of unconsciousness. He tries to sit up and flinches, groaning in pain and it’s Naruto at his bedside, easing him back down, before Sakura can even cross the room.
“Hey, hey. Take it easy. It was a bad cut into the muscle. Sakura fixed it. It’ll be alright,” Naruto coos in a more tender and gentler voice than she’s ever heard him speak before. “Do you need anything?”
Sakura rolls her eyes and lets the two be, preferring to check Sasuke’s vitals and his fluids. The heart monitor was calm, steady. Good. His blood pressure was rising back to what she knew would be normal for him after years of patching him back together. He’d need more hydration fluids soon, but until then he should be medically fine.
“You’ll be sore for a while,” she spoke, “like a big bruise on the inside. Everything will work like before, I made sure of it. Just take it easy for a few days. Do you think you need any pain medication? I can start you on a little anti-inflammatory to reduce the pressure.”
He shook his head, “Just want the swelling to stop,” he complained. He really didn’t enjoy waking up. Never had. He was the least morning person she knew.
She took pity and found the medication, handing them to him along with a little cup of water.
“That should help. Just give it a little bit to start acting.”
He takes them with a small, “Thanks,” and takes them without further direction.
11:32AM and it is quiet once again as Sakura looks over the room from her place on the high stool. Naruto and Sasuke whisper inaudibly back and forth. Kakashi snores on occasion, and Sakura is once again happy her team is home. Safe and sound.
But that doesn’t give her all the answers however.
“You’re back earlier than expected. I was told it should have taken 9 days. You came back in 7. Did you finish your mission?”
The boys just look at her, blank expressions except for the small crook of a knowing smile that would appear and disappear on Naruto’s face.
“How’d you know it was supposed to take so long?”
Sasuke smacks him, “How do you think idiot?”
“Well I mean-” Naruto trailed off.
“What he’s trying to say,” Sasuke cuts in, “is yes, we finished. No, it wasn’t a mission gone badly. We just ran into some…” he wanted the right word, “trouble, that we hadn’t thought about.”
“Trouble? It looked like you tried to kill yourself!”
“Well…”
“Sasuke?”
“Sakura?”
“Just… shut up.”
Guffawing, Naruto punched Sasuke in the shoulder, “She got you there man.”
The boys laughed. She didn’t.
“Seriously, can you please be more careful next time? I was worried. Sasuke, you actually had me worried. You lost 35% of your blood content. You’re lucky we had your type so on hand,” she lectured, scowling at the two for their lack of concern. “I’m here for you to rely on but a little more care should be put into staying alive.”
“Sorry,” Sasuke admitted, “I should have been more careful. I will be more careful for you. Thanks for being here.”
“Thank you,” she sighed.
11:38AM and Kakashi is still asleep from what she can see, silver mop having dried and sticking out all over the pillow. It was going to be terrible bed head.
“Hey Sakura,” Naruto pesters her, “Can Sasuke be discharged now? I can take him home.”
Raising an eyebrow, Sakura begins a subtle examination. “What makes you think he should be at home?” she asks. Finding nothing wrong, she began using chakra to feel his insides, and immediately determined he was fit enough to leave, provided that he rest and eat.
He shrugs, “Just a feeling.”
Sakura rolls her eyes. “Alright, fine, you can. But,” and she pushed Sasuke back down to his back with a single hand square on his chest, “you will eat and sleep only. Promise? I don’t want another late night call to save your ass again.”
“Yes ma’am,” he assured her, “Now, can you let me up? You’re crushing my ribs.”
Sakura nods and backs off, helping Naruto to lift Sasuke from the bed and dress him.
It takes until 12:00PM for Sasuke to finally hobble from the building and Sakura watches from the room’s little window as her old teammates make their way to their apartment.
She sits at the Kakashi’s bedside, resting her head once more.
She’d pulled full shift at the hospital, got home at 12:00AM and was awoken just under five hours later. All she needed was sleep.
“Sakura,” a distant voice whispers, “Sakura, you’ll get cold like that,” it continues as a warm weight drops around her and a firm hand cards through her hair, lulling her back to sleep.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Once again, Sakura stirs, catching the standard issue hospital blanket as it slides from her shoulders.
“Hm?” She’s barely audible but the door slides open anyway and Shizune enters her line of sight.
“Hello Sleepy Head,” she greets voice too bright for the post-sleep headache Sakura was sporting.
She just groans, throwing her arms over the bed to find is empty. This gets her attention and she looks to see that yes, it’s occupant: Hatake, Kakashi, is gone.
“Where-” she begins.
Shizune cuts her off, “Restroom down the hall, changing. I came and checked him over while you slept. He’s recovered fast. There’s no problem in sending him home now.”
“Oh.” She looks to the wall clock. 5:13PM it reads so she figures she ought to stretch and get ready to go home. The hospital wouldn’t bring her in for at least a day given the emergency she’d stepped in for that morning. Folding the blanket took only a second, and Kakashi shuffled in just behind Shizune, who leaves to handle a pediatric incident that Sakura hears being called over her radio.
Kakashi leans against the doorframe, “Sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up.”
“I’m just glad you’re alright, you know?” Sakura brushes off his apology. Things happen. A ninja is used to things like that. Missions come. Hospitals have emergencies. … Clothes needed changing. There wasn’t a point in being upset over what she can’t change or what life demands when there is a perfectly good present before her.
Besides, she’d done it to him plenty enough.
“Mah, still, bad timing on my part. Home?” He suggests, changing the subject, “You look like you could use a shower.”
If Sakura was honest, she needed a shower, a toothbrush, and food. She felt her greasy hair and can’t believe he’d run his fingers through it. She felt her oily face, and she could smell just how much work she’d put in.
“I’d like that.”
They make it to Sakura’s little apartment by 5:42PM and in less than five minutes, she’s able to enjoy her shower as Kakashi makes himself at home in her little kitchen. She can’t even see him but she knows. He’s there often enough.
5:55PM and she’s finished, half dressed, teeth brushed. Exhausted, she throws herself onto her couch, pulling her shirt on, and shifts to get comfortable.
“Feeling better?” Kakashi asks from the stove, pouring tea and fixing it the way he know both of them like it.
“Yeah, I needed that.”
“I’m glad. You work so hard. Thank you for saving Sasuke.” Two sugars, a dash of milk, honey.
“Well…” she teases, “I mean, what will our other teammate do without him? Besides, It’s my job to be here for you guys.”
Kakashi snorts, “You’re right. I don’t think I could keep Naruto in check.” Honey, milk.
“Me too,” and she shudders at the thought. “Oh! So why are you back so early? I was under the impression it would be at least two more days.”
Kakashi shrugged, “The boys’ idea.”
“Meaning?” she pressed further, knowing the two of them could be rather devious when they decided to put their heads together for once.
“They seemed to think I’d forgotten your birthday when we took the mission and pushed to finish early, to bring you a gift.” Kakashi, stated simply, setting her cup on the coffee table before her.
Sakura sits up and takes a sip. It’s calming, sweet, and just thick enough. “It’s delicious,” she compliments, warming herself all over again.
Kakashi takes the cushion just next to her, making the loveseat much smaller than it really should have been. “I’ve been practicing.”
“So you have. I don’t blame you though. When the Hokage needs something done, it gets done. Though about this present. They really can’t have thought that showing up at 4:30AM on the brink of death was a gift. Right?”
“No, no of course not,” Kakashi shook his head, “That happened because we rushed the job. Got into a fight. Won. But you saw the result.” She knew that was all she was going to know about the mission unless details were released. The reports had yet to be made. Naruto had probably checked in with Tsunade and she’s probably given them an extension on the due date. So it wasn’t going to be something she’d press.
“Alright, alright. But what could have been so impossibly important to give me on my birthday that you nearly got the last Uchiha killed?”
Setting his tea down, Kakashi pulled Sakura’s weight onto him. “Apparently me.” He kisses her cheek through his mask. It’s rough, hardly warm enough.
“Is that so?” She asks, giggling and pulling down the infamous mask, “We really aren’t that subtle are we?”
“Not at all.”
“Good. Because you’re moving in soon and I think it’s going to get harder and harder to keep Ino thinking this is super casual.” She presses a soft kiss to his lips.
“My lease is up in two weeks. I’m sure we can move in tomorrow if you’d like.” Another kiss.
“I would like that.” A tighter hug.
“And I could take you out for dinner? Birthday treat?” Warm hands rub their way over Sakura’s back, relaxing tense muscles.
“Only if it’s Ichiraku.”
“Done.”
Silence, comfortable and warm. Safe. Secure. What more could a ninja ask for?
6:15PM and both of the loveseat’s occupants yawn, tired from a day of nearly dying and saving the nearly dead.
“I love you, you know that, right?” Sakura mumbles into Kakashi’s chest. They been at this for three years now and every time this just feels more and more right.
“Of course,” Kakashi replies softly, running his fingers through drying hair, gently combing out tangles.
“Not the best birthday ever though,” Sakura admits, words jumbled, “but I’m glad you’re back. I miss you when you leave.”
“I miss you too. Happy twenty-fifth.”
6:23PM and Sakura sleeps heavily, drinking in rest that she deserves. Time will pass. Things don’t always turn out as you hope. She knows this. Ninja know this. But what matters is the present. And this present was her resting well, held safely by a loved one, and dreaming about the future.
Future happiness, drowsy chats, I love you’s, and birthdays.
She wanted lots and lots of birthdays.