A/N The previous chapters of Life After Detainment are in editing at the moment to match up with canon elements closer, while still being a semi canon story. With that in mind I hope you enjoy chapter 20 of Life After Detainment. :)

/

Before making a decision, one must ask themselves, 'Is it worth the sacrifice?'

The day Sakura walked away from Sasuke's bedroom, and his life, she asked herself that very question. Was she ready to give up on someone she'd waited for…for so long?

Could she sacrifice everything that she worked toward with the sharingan study?

Her answer was no.

Could she sacrifice the loving and being miserable regardless?

Yes, definitely.

Could she give up on Sasuke forever?

Sakura said yes that day, but did she truly mean it in her heart of hearts?

She didn't know…

/

The hospital is abuzz with the morning routine, moving fast paced as usual, and as efficient as a machine. She smiles and greets the medics she used to work with, and some who she knows from the war.

"Morning, Ino." She greets her friend when she reaches the recovery floor. Ino's rounds have brought her the desk, where she looks to be having a break.

"Morning, Sakura." Ino sighs, looking down at her clipboard. "We had a girl call in sick today." She explains. The worried look makes sense now.

A frown comes to her face and Sakura feels bad for her friend. They used to work together a lot, but Sakura is a researcher now.

"I'm sorry." She bites her lip in remorse…

Then a thought comes! Her skills are still very much intact…

"Are you very busy? I could help." She suggests.

"Oh so busy." Ino sighs heavily.

The blonde looks to Sakura and then down at her clipboard. Her expression says that she'd love Sakura's help. Ino bites her lip in thought.

"I really don't want to pull you off something else." She says.

Sakura shakes her head. "It's fine, it's not like I'm researching anything new. I've got some time."

"Kyaa!" Ino lets out a noise of happiness as she wraps Sakura in a tight hug. "How about until lunch?" She asks hopefully.

Sakura nods. "Ah, sure. That's perfect." She smiles.

The clock strikes 9 am and the familiar buzzers and reminders begin beeping loudly. Ino's eyes widen and she looks at the clock on the wall.

"Shit, it's that time." She frowns. "Okay! Let's get you a uniform for today. Follow me."

Ino leads Sakura to the small staff room where she pulls out her bag.

Her pink brows rise, "I'll be wearing yours?"

"I thought you might say that." She hands Sakura the white garment. "It's all there is right now, sorry."

Sakura holds the medic dress up in front of her, observing the size. It'll definitely fit her…but will it be too short?

"It's fine, go to your shift." Sakura shoos her away.

"You're amazing!" Ino gives her another hug and rushes out the door.

Without time for modesty, or care for it, Sakura plops her bag down on a chair and begins to undress. She's wearing boring cream underwear, which is lucky, the white dress would definitely show red or black without a slip.

The dress fits fine but is too short, like Sakura guessed. As she bundles her hair up in a ponytail her dress slides up the sides of her thighs, revealing more leg than Sakura is used to. She sighs. Ino certainly is a confident woman.

/

The floor is as busy as Ino made out, and Sakura isn't surprised. It's been awhile since she has seen any real patients or people for that matter. While she doesn't see Sasuke anymore, Sakura is definitely on the case of the bloodline limit. She wants what is best for Konoha and her curiosity, without breaking her heart again in the process.

She can't be around him without wanting to be with him, and Sasuke clearly doesn't want her. Sakura has lived a life of Sasuke not wanting her…the thought stings instead of stabs, like it once did.

One day it may not hurt at all…

Sakura stops at the man in the first bed on the left, picking up his chart. He hasn't had his meds today, meaning that the rest of this row need treating too. She glances to Ino who is taking the other side of the room.

"Good morning, sir. I can see you need your medication." Sakura gives her best smile, although it may be a little rusty.

"You're new...and pretty." He smiles unthreateningly and Sakura accepts the compliment with a smile.

"Thank you." She says. Then she is all business.

Sakura steps up to the man and asks him to go through his daily checks. He's had major surgery, although he is in the middle of his healing.

In a few moments, Sakura ensures he's good to rest and she hands him a small paper cup full of pills. In her other hand is a cup of water, which he takes.

"A morning snack will be along soon. Please buzz if you need anything." She says before moving onto the next bed.

For the next hour, the routine is the same, despite the different injuries. Recovery is a beast of rest and great care, which is perfect for a woman like Ino. Sakura is glad they gave her the promotion.

After the fifteenth bed, she stops for a breather, leaning against the pole at the end of the room. There's a window to her left and beds in front of her.

"You're quick," Ino says enviously as she approaches. "Will we go down now?" The blonde asks.

Sakura knows that she's referring to the floor below and the next group of patients.

"I'll be down soon. I've got fifteen more beds." She smirks, "You must be the fast one, Ino."

Ino blushes and looks to the side.

"I got a head start." She says humbly, which is pretty rare for Ino.

Sakura finds herself grinning for no reason.

Ino says, "I'll see you down there soon."

"Hn," Sakura replies, waving her friend away. She looks down at the clipboard and to the next patient on the list. She walks toward the corresponding bed, which is across from her.

"Good morning. My name is Sakura." She greets. "Are you ready for your medicine?"

/

There are no complications and Sakura finds herself following Ino soon after. She's glad that she chose flats this morning because heels would be too much to deal with. It's been too long since she's been on the floor.

Sakura walks through the swinging doors and into the care unit. These patients had accidents or emergency surgeries and haven't recovered enough to move to the next ward. Once, Naruto was admitted to the care unit for a total of 5 minutes. Sakura grins to herself just thinking about it. His healing capabilities were too quick for the aftercare unit though, and he was moved almost immediately.

Her smile falls as she thinks about another ninja. Sasuke has been here a fair few times because he doesn't heal like Naruto, which upsets him, Sakura knows. For awhile she healed him outside the hospital…

He was so annoyed the day she stabbed him with that kunai; it was by accident of course. He needed to go to the hospital and would have likely been in this unit for days if he went. Sakura took care of him in his house. It took hours to heal, and she minded her strength and temper after that. Now he has no choice but to come to the hospital.

'Or die,' her brain murmurs.

Sakura shakes her head. Sasuke is stubborn but not stupid.

A sigh falls from her lips and she flips to the next page of patients. There are so many, which Sakura knows is due to transfers from other cities. Konoha has the best facilities and many beds even when there is no worldly crisis; it ensured ally-ship from many leaders across the Nation. In addition, Konoha hospital receives funding from the people that support Konoha, meaning they have the best research and care facilities because of this peacetime. It's one of the few benefits of war.

"Good morning. Just let me look at your chart." Sakura says to the man who is first on her list. He is unable to speak because of his injuries and she notes that he is on a strict regime. "Your wounds have been dressed already, I see." She reads the chart at the end of his bed. "Unfortunately there's nothing else I can do for you right now unless you're in pain." She pauses, looking over the man covered in bandages. "If you are unable to speak, please blink twice if you're in pain and blink once if you're not in pain."

The man blinks once and Sakura sighs in relief.

"Okay." She leans in closer, handing him his pager lead. "Please buzz if that changes."

He makes an affirmative noise in his throat and she nods happily.

The next patient is resting from surgery and is relatively simple to deal with. There are a lot of check overs in this ward and a lot of sudden emergencies that sometimes ended in death.

Today looks to be a lucky one…

She quietly knocks on the back of her wooden clipboard, hoping that their luck doesn't change. She moves onto the next and final row of patients, then she'll consolidate with Ino.

"Sakura." The patient greets with that deep toneless voice. She flinches even as she reads the chart. She sees his name clear as the day and Sakura lets out a sigh.

It looks like her luck has run out.

"Sasuke." She greets less enthusiastically than the others. Sakura looks him over for signs of distress of hurt though. Finding no signs of injury, she feels better and it's easier to keep her distance.

"What are you doing in critical care?" She asks him. Their eyes meet briefly and Sakura is taken by his deep colored irises. Her breath catches in her throat and she forces herself to look at the clipboard. Right now, that clipboard feels like a life raft or perhaps a very sturdy rock.

"I had an accident in the garden." He exhales deeply, looking down at the white limb. "This new arm is still hard to handle." He says. Sakura reads his chart over, confirming his statement. She finds it strange though.

Sakura never noticed that he had motion issues, not once, and she frowns.

"So you basically chopped it off." She sounds derisive. "Has Shizune looked at this?"

She steps forward and reaches for him. She can see where they have healed him back together. "But your finger work seemed fine before…" She ponders aloud.

He interjects, causing her to look at him.

"I compensate in other ways. I don't need to use my fingers for jutsu when I have my eyes and another hand."

Sakura can't help the curiosity that she instantly feels, and suddenly she is annoyed. If he mentioned this sooner perhaps it could have been included in the study.

Yes, Sasuke using his eyes to compensate for his new arm is definitely notable.

And why is he almost severing his limbs now? Why hasn't this happened before?

Sakura can physically feel the questions brimming, buzzing in her head louder and faster than they had in months. When she looks him over, from his pale skin to the white hospital robe and his mismatched arms, she feels irritated…and something else she isn't willing to acknowledge presently.

"Why didn't you mention this before?" She asks him as she extends the healed arm slowly again, holding it gently all the same. "Please lift the affected arm above your head."

He does so and it seems fine.

"Hold out your hand." She orders and he does so. "Spread your fingers."

Sakura frowns. "Wiggle them."

Sasuke raises a brow but does it anyway.

A curious noise comes from her, "Hm." Then she reaches out, touching the white fingers. When she pulls away Sakura writes notes furiously on his chart and then corresponding notes on her clipboard.

She says, "I'm going to refer you to a specialist for your hands and fingers."

Sasuke nods silently, taking his arm back.

There's a pause where she isn't looking at any paperwork. Her eyes stay fixed on his mismatched hands, which are linked together in his lap.

"Are you in pain?" She asks him.

She regrets meeting his dark eyes as he replies, "Not physically."

He holds her gaze a moment longer before she blinks, confused about his statement.

…Did Sasuke mean something by that?

It's unlikely.

Sakura's heart clenches and she begins to feel sick. It hasn't even been 10 minutes and she's already pining for him. Although this encounter wasn't planned, she needs to get away from it.

"Someone will check on you later," Sakura says crisply, stepping back. She can feel her walls coming up and she wonders if Sasuke can feel it too.

"Will it be you?" He asks, and Sakura tries to ignore the hopeful quality in his voice.

She turns before she says, "It's not likely. This isn't my usual department."

Then she walks to find Ino. Sakura needs her friend to tap in or swap posts.

She can't be near Sasuke Uchiha, not even for a short period of time.

He's too magnetic.

/

A/N This will be the only chapter until I reach my next goal on pat-reon (no hyphen ) I update exclusive fics regularly and complete regular goal challenges. The version of Life After Detainment I post on pat-reon will include extended nsfw/mature rated content that cannot be viewed on ffnet because of restrictions. The ffnet version will have nsfw and sex scenes as always, but no extra sex scenes or extrended content. The scenes will be appropriate to the fic though and a great read for those who don't want to invest in my subscribe page, which has sasusaku fics updated weekly.

My current goal fic on is 'Jump' a sasusaku romance. Again, the other version has in depth nsfw.

Check out my goal for Life After Detainment on: pat-reon dot com forward slash merinxd (no hyphen in pat-reon and regular url formatting pls)

Hope you enjoyed the update! See you soon :)