Tears welled up in the pinkette's emerald orbs as she stared in shock at the raven haired man before her. More than once- way more than once even? She felt as though a million fireworks were going off somewhere in celebration of the moment that she was now relishing in.

"You remember me..." She choked out through her tears, "You remember who I am?"

He raised an eyebrow to her but said nothing in response and she wondered idly if maybe he really didn't remember- until the line 'way more than once' flashed though her mind yet again. He knew who she was, and she wasn't about to try and convince herself otherwise- there was no way he didn't, or he wouldn't have answered her question. But, she thought, maybe it was just the drugs! Maybe he was really doped up on the pain meds and such and so he just answered her without really knowing that he was answering her- or-

"Sakura," He sighed, derailing the crazy train that had become of her thoughts and confirming that yes, he did remember who she was. He followed the confirmation with a demand to know why she was there and Sakura could only smile at the fact that it was so... Sasuke to skip all the pleasantries and get right to the answers.

His, 'What are you doing here', didn't strike her as rude in the least because she knew that he wasn't unhappy that she was there, though to many people it would have appeared as such. He just wanted to know why she was there. Sometimes- she mused- Sasuke was so simple, despite the fact that he really was a very confusing and complex individual.

"I'm an intern," She began only to be interrupted by Sasuke.

"I know. I meant what are you doing here in my room- how did you find out I was here?" He smirked lightly, "Did one of the nurses come out of here squealing- so you came in to see why?"

Sakura's heart did a little flip flop at the question, because it had proved that Sasuke Uchiha was as arrogant as ever; and anything about him that hadn't changed she knew she would cling to- because she needed to prove to herself that she still knew him- no matter how much time had passed.

"No." She smiled, "It's kind of a long story but I was out with Kiba-"

"Kiba? From high school...?" He inquired- covering up the jealous glint in his eyes at the mention of the two of them being 'out' together. He tried to ignore the fact that Sakura being out with someone made him want to tear that someone in two- it wasn't a fair reaction, and he knew that. It wasn't like he had any claim to her- and he knew that too.

"Yes." Sakura said completely oblivious to the fact that Sasuke cared she was out with a guy, "And I saw an ambulance headed for the hospital, which we had just barely left. So I ran back because..."

"You ran back?" The Uchiha inquired skeptically. "Like on foot?"

"Yes. So, anyway..." She began yet again, hoping this time that the interruption that was bound to happen wouldn't happen so quickly. "I saw the ambulance and I turned around and I bolted back toward the hospital because sometimes…"

"What kind of idiot doesn't have a car?" Sasuke said letting just a tinge of the venom he wanted to use color his tone.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked quizzically, no longer even slightly annoyed at the interruptions, just curious as to way Sasuke seemed to dislike Kiba so much all of a sudden. "We were just going for a quick walk-"

"That's a shitty date." He said plainly, not caring that he had interrupted her story several times just to throw in jabs at Kiba, and not expecting the pinkette to catch onto what he was doing.

Sakura's eyes widened in realization- he was jealous. The thought made her heart flutter and the butterflies in her stomach go crazy. If Sasuke was jealous- it meant he thought he had some sort of claim to her…which of course he did…but she didn't for a second think he'd known- she'd hoped but she hadn't actually thought for a minute that he actually realized just how big a part of her he was.

"It...wasn't a date." She said slowly, a smile gracing her beautiful features, she wanted to quell his 'fears' but she didn't to give herself over to him so easily after such a long time. "Not that it really concerns you- I mean, I'm sure you've been on plenty of dates."

Sasuke raised a brow, relieved that she hadn't been on a date and intrigued that she assumed he had. Because he actually hadn't been on a single one...well- not any that counted as actual dates anyway. He figured Sakura was smart enough to assume that 'dates' weren't really his thing, and with that in mind he answered her briskly.

"I haven't." He said simply, "Don't have time."

"I don't believe you." She laughed, ignoring the slight pang in her chest at the thought of him with other girls- because surely it wasn't just one girl; that thought hurt even worse. "How many have there been Sasuke? I'm curious."

"Sakura..." He said cautiously, "Why are you asking me that?"

"I just want to know…I'm curious." She said shrugging her shoulders lightly "But I guess I won't try to force it out of you. Goodness knows that that won't work."

"I haven't gone on any dates." He said again plainly his eyes not betraying any sort of emotion that could hint at the possibility of a lie. "I don't 'date' Sakura, I never have. It's a waste of time."

It was then that Sakura realized he may not have gone on any 'dates' parse but that he'd had to of slept with girls- that's why he was emphasizing the word date is every single answer that he supplied her with. So she decided to rephrase her question.

"Okay. How many girls have you slept with?" She said bluntly, her eyes sparkling at the hint of mischief and rebellion as she gazed into the face of the man before her.

"Sakura…" He said slowly pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, "Why does that matter…?"

"It doesn't matter..." She said, "I just figured, you're inquiring about my personal life."

"I was not." He said simply, "I just assumed-"

"Then I'll assume as well." The pinkette said lightly, not willing to give in and not wanting him to know just how much she wished for an actual answer. "I'm going to go with... seven."

She crossed her arms and raised a brow at him, waiting for him to correct her or tell her that she had indeed guessed correctly. He stared at her unwavering for several moments before rolling his eyes and sighing heavily.

"Like…three." He said finally, unsure why he was giving her the number at all. "Three."

"Three?" She said skeptically, "I expected a higher number given your…past reputation for things like that." She examined her painted nails with a higher degree of interest than she usually would, pondering who the girls were and what they would be like…why there were only three…

"I haven't had a lot of time for things like that Sakura. I've been busy." He said in a rather bored tone.

"Were any of them... anything, you know, special?" She asked absentmindedly as she occupied herself by looking over his chart.

"No." He said simply.

"Were they pretty?" She mentally cursed herself for asking the question, knowing that it gave him a glimpse into her desperation.

"Is this your idea of catching up?" Sasuke asked her, agitation clear in his tone. He didn't want to talk about the girls he'd slept with since her- didn't want to think about them and certainly didn't want to describe their looks to her.

Sakura didn't answer, she just shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. She smiled at him briefly before rolling her eyes. "I'm just curious Sasuke- you know? I mean… I'm sure you've wondered what the guys I've slept with have looked like- right? Sometimes people just wonder about those things."

She smiled at his lack of response, and at the fact that she had saved some face. Sure- she hadn't slept with anyone aside from Sasuke, but he didn't need to know that and it gave her the perfect alibi for why she'd been so curious.

"No." He said simply, "I don't wonder because unlike you I don't give a fuck." But Sakura saw past him, as she always had- and his black eyes were blazing with a fury that she hadn't seen in years. His fists were clenched and his jaw was set- he could say he didn't care all he wanted but the truth was there.

"Okay." She said simply, "That's understandable considering I wasn't your first… or second or third…or fourth…or thirteenth….or twenty seventh…" She giggled in spite of herself, "It makes sense that you wouldn't wonder who had come after you I suppose, since you're use to things like that. I apologize for prying."

Sasuke, though undoubtedly irritated by the lack of importance she had put upon herself, remained quiet and impassive as usual. He simply grunted in response and ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't tell her that the simple thought of her with anyone else had driven him into the drivers seat of his car several times. That he'd sit there with the keys in the ignition deciding if he was going to say fuck it all and just come back to her. Sakura's voice brought him back from his thoughts.

"You can have visitors from now until nine tonight when visiting hours are over." Sakura said as she tucked his chart into the door and stuffed her hands into her pockets. "I'll let the doctors know you're up, and your nurse should be in shortly to run you through the different procedures."

Sakura stopped just inside the door and turned back to give him a little wave and a final smile before slipping into the hallway and letting her face crumple. He was back to playing cold and impassive the second after she'd started asking questions, he still didn't want her close and she could only guess that that meant he wasn't staying.

She knew she'd been silly to even let a glimmer of hope surface- but she couldn't exactly help it; seeing him after all this time was overwhelming. She figured she'd been just as silly to expect him to be nice to her as well… but they'd left off on such good terms; he'd been so kind to her the morning he'd left- perhaps because he was never planning on seeing her again.

She shook her head and buried the hurt she felt in favor of a more bearable emotion- anger. She turned around and stormed back into his room with no regard to the fact that he was a recovering patient; if anyone could handle not being treated delicately it was Sasuke. She threw the door open and stepped inside. Sasuke was looking at her expectantly.

"You know what Sasuke." She began calmly, "You may not have wanted me here- and that's fine. But you don't have to be such an ass about it." She ignored the sigh that escaped the raven haired mans lips and took another step toward his bed, "It doesn't matter if you don't like me Sasuke. It doesn't matter if you still think of me as a bother. None of that matters!"

She threw her arms in the air and let out an exasperated huff of air. When she brought her arms back down she threw off her lab coat and pointed one chipped nail right in the face of the raven haired man before her- her voice took on a very serious edge.

"I was there when Tsunadae cut you open, when she stitched you up. I was there when they removed bullets from your body… I myself drained the fluid from your lungs… Damnit Sasuke… I was there when they brought you into the emergency room all torn up and dying!" Her voice broke and she finished her rant in a whisper, "I saved you. Sakura- the fragile and delicate little thing you left behind."

Sasuke's eyes widened in realization at what the pinkette before him had been subjected to- yet again due to him. He wanted to apologize for being so harsh toward her before- but of course he couldn't quite form the words.

"Sakura…" he began, only to be cut off by the woman who stood before him- because indeed that's what she was now; Gone was the delicate little girl that he had first encountered so many years prior, gone was the beaten victim who he'd come to reluctantly look out for as the years had progressed. In her place stood a strong woman- someone more than deserving of respect and admiration from those around her- the woman he always hoped she'd grow to be.

"You saved me once, so naturally I had to do the same. Consider us even." She smiled at him despite the lack of warmth her words contained and Sasuke himself seemed at a loss for words in response to her sudden attitude adjustment.

"I'm sorry." He said finally, "I didn't mean…" He ran a hand through his hair and Sakura smiled in spite of herself at the familiarity of the action. Clips of that same action form years before flashing across the span of her vision momentarily.

"It's fine." She said, her words kinder than they had been before, "I'm not going to hold it against you."

"It's not fine Sakura." He said stoically, "I'm an asshole and you don't deserve that."

Sakura smiled and shook her head slightly a contented sigh leaving her lips.

"Yeah, I know."
.

.

.

Naruto and Ino were still anxiously pacing in the confines of the waiting room. Kiba had left to fetch them some coffee and had yet to return. Naruto was sure he had run into some nurse and lost track of time due to his incessant need to flirt.

Ino was walking in circles, staring at her nails intently with one hand unconsciously resting on her stomach. She wasn't paying attention to anything- all she wanted to know was that Sakura was okay... was that she hadn't had her heart shattered by what awaited her in the hospital bed that Sasuke must be currently lying on.

Naruto had told her brief snippets of his rare conversations with the Uchiha heir, and the stories weren't pretty- as a matter of fact it sounded as if leaving Konoha had done him a lot more harm than good. If Sasuke had been considered bad news before- he was devastating news now.

During the times that Sasuke and Naruto would talk, Ino would sneak about and try to find any sort of information out that she could- even though she wouldn't tell Sakura- because that's just what Ino does. She kept the information secret because she didn't want to bring up the past and she didn't want to cause her friend any unnecessary heartache.

In the midst of their conversations she would see Naruto shake his head and she definitely saw frustration etched on his features. After he'd hung up the phone and come back inside his whole mood would be different- he was irritated and morose even; and Ino knew that Sasuke was in over his head and there was nothing Naruto could do to help.

And while pacing the hospital room she silently pleaded that Sakura wouldn't be too heartbroken to find that she couldn't help either. It was then that she crashed into someone and came back into the moment-

She looked up and saw that she had collided with another female who was a little taller than herself. She wore a very worried expression on her face as she locked eyes with Ino.

"Is this the waiting room?" She asked in a rush, "Is there where I'm supposed to wait for someone?"

"Yes..." Ino said slowly, "This is the waiting area... but it's just for people who are in intensive care... if you want-"

"This is where I'm supposed to be then." The girl interrupted. She took a seat and Ino awkwardly sat down next to her, noticing that Kiba had returned and was now talking to Naruto across the room.

"Who are you waiting for?" Ino asked politely.

The girl turned toward Ino, her eyes still frantic and all of her movements fidgety and proving just how on edge she felt. She brushed her hair behind her shoulder and adjusted her glasses on her nose before finally speaking.

"I just have to make sure he's okay. See, it wasn't... I didn't know... I just thought it would be... like a warning you know?" She paused and looked away from Ino's questioning gaze and when she resumed speaking it was more to herself than anyone else. "Like a warning right? Not an actual fuckin' thing... not something dangerous or some shit like that..."

Ino cast a worried look toward Naruto who happened to catch her gaze and gestured for Kiba to follow him back toward the blonde girl who apparently needed their assistance with something.

"Hey." Naruto said carefully as he eyed the girl sitting next to his girlfriend.

Ino widened her eyes at him and tried to explain with facial expressions that she suspected said girl was possibly a lunatic. But Naruto didn't understand and just made the same mistake Ino had made before him in asking the girl why she was there.

"I'm just checking." She said again, "You know, to make sure." And with that she resumed looking up into space and mumbling to herself about accidents and warnings.

Naruto shook his head and directed his attention back toward the baby blue eyed girl which he adored. He smiled at her and took a seat.

"Kiba says he ran into Tsunadae while he was fetching our coffee." With that said he aimed an elbow at the brunette beside him which was deftly dodged.

"What did she say?" Ino asked anxiously.

"She said that last time she went in there he was awake."

"And where is Sakura?" Ino demanded- "Did she speak to him? Does she know he's up?"

"She's..." Kiba began hesitantly, "Apparently, Sakura is in there with him. I, uh, asked the doctor if they seemed okay and she said we should leave them alone..."

"What do you mean leave them alone?!" Ino yelled as she stood from her seat, "Naruto hasn't even seen him in two years! And who knows how stable Sakura is being in there with him alone! Are you Kidding me?! He almost died!"

"Ino," Naruto said gently, "I know you're concerned for everyone- but maybe..."

"No!" She said, "I'm going in there!" She paused and grabbed both guys by the elbows, "We are all going in there."

"Ino! Wait!" Kiba deadpanned, "I don't think Sasuke's gonna be very happy if we just barge in there..."

"When is Sasuke ever very happy?" Ino said and then added, "Or happy at all really."

As the three friends began to walk toward the doors that lead into the critical care rooms the girl that had been sitting next to Ino hurried after them.

"Excuse me?" She called to them, but they didn't turn around. She caught up to them and tapped Ino on her shoulder. The girl turned to look at her with a questioning gaze-

"Yes?" She asked.

"Um, I couldn't help but overhear you three talking..." she began.

"Yeah." Naruto said sheepishly, "We were kinda loud huh? I apologize miss, but we just really need to get to our friends now so-"

"No, no." The girl said seemingly frustrated at Naruto's interruption. "I was just going to ask you, when you were talking did I hear you say you needed to visit someone named Sasuke...?"

Naruto's face went pale and Ino was crushing his hand in a death grip as she looked the girl square in the face and raised her eye brows.

"Why do you want to know?" Ino asked, not bothering to hide her displeasure at all. Irritation radiating from her very soul.

"I'm his girlfriend."