My Snippets: Part 2

Dementia

A modern SasuSaku angsty snippet with a happy ending.

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The man walked, confusion circling around his mind briefly while he continuously bumped into the rush hour traffic of patrons, who glared at him in their wake, until one thought began to calm him once more. The only thing he seemed to be able to remember these days.

With a destination now fully determined, his feeble steps hastened.

Sarada forges ahead, determination settling into her bones as she wrapped her red shawl around her shoulders more firmly; the autumn's chilly breeze picking up in intensity as it whipped her inky- black, shoulder-length hair around her head haphazardly. She looked up at the grey skies above, a small curse leaving her lips as her heels clacked noisily on the sidewalk. She was almost there, then she would be able to relax. Once she knew that he was safe.

'I should have been watching him more closely... he does this almost every single day now.'

When the hospital's imposing stature came into view and a lone figure could be spotted sitting on a wooden bench by its double-wide entrance, the raven-haired beauty let out a relieved sigh; her pace hastening. Sarada felt the hot tears forming in the corner of her obsidian eyes as she came to a stop before the old man, standing several feet above his now slumped height.

Her Father had changed over the years, and even through the wrinkles and grey locks, she could see the semblance of his former, more stern self. Sarada slowly bent down in front of him and crouched there in silence for a moment... observing with sadness in her eyes as he simply watched the double doors closely. Finally... she let out a deep sigh and reached over to grasp onto one of his hands, startling him. Her lips twisted up in a kind smile and she tried not to flinch when he looked at her with absolute zero recognition in his eyes.

"Can I help you," he asked, his voice slightly crackly due to age. She tilted her head slightly to the left as she watched him, before she spoke.

"I'm here to take you home."

Sasuke shook his head firmly at this. "I appreciate the offer but no thank you. I'm waiting here for my wife. She should be off work really soon. I promised Sakura I would take her to the new restaurant downtown. I promised her... I would take her dancing and... and..."

Sarada felt her throat tighten and her stomach twist at the thought of her Mama. It has been five years now since she departed this world and their only child still felt the sting of her absence every single day. She tried to hide the turmoil rolling around throughout her guts the best that she could and instead opened her mouth to recite the same speech she had been giving her Papa now for almost three years.

"I know Sakura. I work with her. She asked me to take you home now and told me to tell you that she would meet you there instead. Sakura wants to celebrate your anniversary at your house, so it can be just the two of you."

Her Father seemed to contemplate this (as he always did) before nodding his head. "I guess that will work... thanks, miss," he allowed her to help him to his feet before holding onto her arm for support as they made their way to her car that was parked just down the street. Normally at this point in their encounter, her Papa would remain silent, but today he seemed rather talkative, which surprised her. "How do you know my wife exactly, Miss?"

Sarada was startled, but quickly came up with an excuse. "We are both pediatricians." He accepted this lie (much to her relief) and continued.

"Did you know that I met my wife in college? It was our first year there, I came from Suna and she from Konoha. It was a scandalous affair at the beginning of our relationship, my family didn't approve of her, you see. But they finally came around to the idea in the end, after they had disowned me of course..."

Sasuke went on to tell her about their ups and downs, their highs and lows over the years... pretty much everything... even her birth, up until their fiftieth anniversary... which he thought was today, the last day that he could fully and truly recollect.

As he spoke to her, she helped him into her car and began to drive him home, listening with complete fascination as this was the first time he had ever gone into so much detail with her about his past. Normally... he was a pretty private person, so this side of him was truly rare to see.

When they returned home, Sarada helped him to his room and asked if he would like anything to eat, but he declined kindly and told her he needed to rest because he was tired so she let him be. A few hours passed before she came to check on him again, but he was gone... passing peacefully in his sleep to be with his beloved; to be with his Sakura.

"I'm back, Sakura."

"Welcome home, Sasuke."