The Flower Shop [A Gaara Love Story]

44: You're Here, Too

The first thing she heard was rustling, as though someone was frantically moving about. Her hands twitched and she shifted, took in a shaky breath, and soon voices met her ears. She could just barely make them out.

"Go get Gaara, now!"

Slowly, carefully, her eyes opened. She shut them quickly when the harsh lights above her made them sting but after a moment she tried once more and was finally able to open them enough to see the world around her. It was all a blur for a while, nothing taking shape, but when something squeezed her hand and she turned to look at it, her vision came back enough to see the young woman who sat at her side.

"Sak..ura?"

"Momoko!" She sobbed, and the more the woman could see the clearer her friend's face became, "Thank god!"

The world came back to her, and Momoko was soon aware of the hospital room she lay in and the tears in Sakura's eyes. With the world came the pain, and as soon as she felt the first stings she took in a sharp breath.

"H-Hold on, I'll help," Sakura said as she stood, wiping the tears from her eyes as she went to the IV drip and adjusted it, "There, you should feel better in a minute,"

Momoko said nothing, simply stared at the woman as she came back to sit down, a relieved smile on Sakura's lips as she watched her with red eyes.

"I'm so glad you're awake," Sakura breathed, tears welling in her green eyes again, "Everyone will be so happy!"

"E-Every..one?" Momoko struggled to ask, her throat tight after not being used for a while.

"Naruto and I got here as soon as we could, and Shikamaru just went to get Gaara and his siblings," She explained, then reached out to take her hand gently.

The sound of his name made her heart throb, and the realization that he could very well be hurt too made Momoko begin to worry, ignoring how it stressed her wounds to do so.

"G-Gaa-ra," She gasped, "I-Is he okay? I-Is-"

"Hey, try to stay calm," Sakura soothed her, giving her hand a small squeeze, "Gaara's fine. He's got a broken nose and a couple bruises, but he's alright for the most part. It took him a long time to calm down, though, we had to knock him out a couple times just to get him to rest. He broke Shikamaru's jaw and everything,"

Maybe the words were meant to comfort her, maybe even amuse her in some way, but Momoko didn't feel much of either. Instead she stared at Sakura, her hand loose as her friend held it tightly, and after a moment of the silence the other woman began to shift a little uncomfortably.

"Are you-?"

She was cut off by the doors slamming open, and Momoko's whole body ached as she flinched from the sound. She turned her eyes from Sakura and to the small group in the doorway, the five looking rather frantic as they entered the room. The moment Momoko saw him, tears welled in her eyes and her heart felt like it could give out any second; she moved her hand out of Sakura's and shakily reached for him, and Gaara wasted no time in rushing to her side.

Sakura got up so that Gaara could sit, and he held her trembling hand tightly as she laid it across his cheek. The tears in her eyes had begun to fall at the sight of the yellow bruises that littered the sides of his face and the bandage fastened to the bridge of his nose. Despite the wounds that marred his skin, there was such a joy in his eyes that she wasn't sure if he could even feel them at all.

"Momoko," He breathed, the relief so clear in his voice that it nearly made her happy for him.

"Y-You're hurt," She struggled to say, and the words drew a weak smile from him.