Doctor 101 (A SasuSaku AU Fanfic)

8. The Breaking Point

SEEING Sakura safe and sound relieved him, though her puffy eyes made him feel uneasy. Before he could step forward to embrace her, Ino stepped in his way. Karin zoomed by them and headed straight for Sakura.

Sasuke stood patiently waiting till Karin explained to Sakura tonight's events. He didn't get why Karin was tearing up so much but he needed to know if Sakura understood.

And she did. He knew that when she immediately flung her arms around him and apologized for not letting him explain.

The couple thanked Naruto and Ino and retreated to their bedroom later.

"Sasuke, have you eaten?"
"No"

She turned around. "Why not?"
He shrugged. Sakura felt some guilt churning in her stomach. "Sasuke?"
"Yes?"
"Have you been worried?"
"A little"

She smiled and kissed him. "I am so sorry."
"Don't. It was just a misunderstanding. Forget it."

He scooped her in his arms and kissed her.

**********

Karin sat at the edge of the bridge, wondering why she even came to Sasuke. Painful memories began surfacing, threatening her sanity. Taking another big gulp of the strong beer, she tried to push them down again.

This was going to be a long night.

**********

They stopped before a hospital building all the way across town.
Sasuke guided her to room 301. It was time she was introduced to this part of his life.
He opened the door and gestured for her to enter.

There, before them lay a frail woman, who Sakura guessed must have been very beautiful when in good health. Monitors and machines were connected to her arm, along with IVs.

"Is she?", Sakura asked.
"In a coma", Sasuke replied.
He walked over and sat on a chair next to her bed. He extended his hand and gently placed it over hers. His heart clenched each time he did that.
Feeling her soft, loving hands reduce to skin and bones, green and blue of veins standing out over her fair skin, her bright and cheerful face, now pale and lifeless.

It reminded him of how life could turn around within a moment, no notice, no warning. One minute you are livening up your family with your laughs and caring for them and the next minute everything is over. You are a lifeless body in some white, sanitized hospital room, surviving on life support machines. Your husband is dead. Your kids are seperated so far away from each other that they are now in different worlds. The son you protected from every harm is sitting beside you, melancholy and helpless, tears dried from the long long years of wait, that one day, you will open your eyes and look at him. And touch his face with the same loving hand which delivered him the strength to reach this far.

"Sakura, meet my mother", he said, pain evident in his voice.

Sakura immediately stopped checking the monitors and the IVs as if studying a new patient. She stiffened and stood straight up. Turning around, she saw Sasuke's hand placed on the woman's, his head hung low.

She walked softly back to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Sasuke"
He tilted his head to let it rest against her forearm and felt her fingers moving through his hair comfortingly.

She eventually let go and walked to the other side of the bed, placing a hand on her hers, studying the comatose mother's feautures. She did resemble Sasuke. Rather, Sasuke resembled her.
Sasuke only watched Sakura's movements.

"She must have been beautiful"
"She was"
He saw her smile kindly, but then it faded and he knew the question that followed. So he simply answered her.
"Accident. They had an accident nine years ago. I lost my father and my mother ended up here. So, guess I lost her too."

**********

Sakura felt her eyes filling up on hearing Sasuke's story, though she held her tears back. He'd been through quite a lot. More than herself. She still had her parents, at least.

The car ride home was silent. Their breathing was heavy from the weight on their hearts. They got down from the car and entered the house, locking it behind them.
Sakura exhaled a long held breath and immediately held Sasuke in her arms. "Oh Sasuke!", she whispered.

Sasuke felt warm wetness on his shirt. It took him only a second to realize she was crying. He wrapped her in his arms as she did him. He could feel his own buried tears come alive as they fell from his cheek unstoppably till their knees hit the floor.

Sakura grabbed his face and allowed her lips to embrace his through their flowing tears. She felt him respond as their tears intermingled. They could taste its sourness when the liquid reached their entwined mouths.

Sasuke felt warmth rising in his heart, albeit it still hurt. He released his pain upon her. He gave away to her, all his years of loneliness and struggle. He touched her with his every need. He kissed her with all his want and desire. He took her with all his rage and frustration.
That night, the courtship Sakura experienced was not of the gentle kind. No, it was him she experienced, in all his weakness, in all his strength.
And she fell in love with the same man all over again, but this time, with all of him.

*************

Considering the night few weeks ago, Sasuke felt much lighter now. Opening up to Sakura had been something of a boon to him. But now, he couldn't imagine for a second, sharing this emotion, this vulnerability, with anyone else. He wanted to propose to her. To marry her and have her become his official family. So here he is. Standing in front of a precious jewellery store, sorting his thoughts.

"Second thoughts aren't for this place, mate.", a stranger said to him.
Sasuke took only a short glance at the man.
"So, what's your story? Knocked your girl up?", the stranger continued when Sasuke didn't reply.
"No", Sasuke snorted in annoyance. Yep, back to being the block of ice.
"Not enough love?"
Sasuke twitched a brow.
"Arranged marriage?"
"No."
"She forcin' ya?"
"No"
"You love someone else?"
"No"
"Sex troubles?"
Death glare.
"Whoa whoa! Chill buddy! I am only tryin'a help a lost cause here". The man raised his hands in defence, then chuckled.
"Why are you here?", Sasuke asked, irritated.
"Blunt much?"
Glare.
"I dunno. Seem to end up here many times but something is just missing"
"What?"
"My girl. Name's Suigetsu, by the way. In case you were wondering."
"I wasn't"
He only laughed it off. "Soooo.. whaddya say your name was?"
"I didn't"
"Wanna tell?"
"No"
"Huh. Don't talk much, do ya?"
Eye roll.
"Alrighty, my man, Suigestsu to the rescue!"
"Fuck no"
"Why noooot??", he whined as if he was Sasuke's best buddy or something.

Sasuke stood wondering what to do. He wasn't a big sharer but, oh well. Couldn't hurt, right? Only a stranger.
A weird whacko stranger.

"What's your story?", he asked.
"Oh, we do talk, do we now?", Sui-whatever teased.
Sasuke immediately knew this was a bad idea and made a move to walk away from the crackbrained character.
"Hey hey wait! I was just kiddin'! My man, you see there is only ever one reason for a man to be indecisive about emptying his wallet at this place. He is indecisive."

Wow. Totally helpful.

Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes for the tenth time. He is SO stuck.

**********

Sakura rushed to the emergency room. Ino was already in there stabilizing the patient.

Wait. Ino?

"Wasn't Dr. Uzumaki supposed to be in the OR with me this week?"

Ino continued to try and stop the bleeding.
"He can't", she replied through the mask. "I need more gauze", Ino commanded the nurse.

"We need to intubate. Scalpel! .. Why can't he?", she asked, grabbing the sleek, sharp knife and making a clean incision in the patient's throat.

"Because of the patient's identity", Ino replied once the tube was in.

Sakura paused for a millisecond in which her and Ino's eyes met. "Who's the patient?"

"Karin Uzumaki"