Healing Demons [Gaara x Reader/OC x Sasuke]

Chapter 20 | Absolve Me

"How is she? D-did it work?" Kakashi groaned out painfully as his body felt sore all over. He felt like he'd been through the ringer and he definitely had as the worst-case scenario had come to be. He felt himself coming utterly close to death again before the healers began to finally bring him back. While he was still not completely healed or back to his old self he definitely was stable and now hyperfocused on Miku's condition.

The silence in the room was deafening for him as they didn't respond. Instead he was met with the beeping of the machines and a lot of quick fussing and movement around Miku's bed.

"Is she alright? What's wrong? What's happening?" He asked more urgently as he tried to sit up. He winched in pain and slumped back down on the bed unable to sit up yet. "Please someone tell me!" He cried out in frustration.

He wasn't met with a response but instead the eerie sound of the flat line off the heart monitor across the room. His whole body seemed to depress more into the bed at the sound, thoughts racing through his head. "I can't lose her...." He whispered to himself as he clutched the blankets around him and stared at the side of the room where chaos surrounded Miku's small frame. "She can't be gone for good..."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kakashi wasn't sure when he had lost consciousness, but as the sunlight trickled in through the window and stirred him awake it was clear it was a new day. His eyes slowly fluttered open as he groggily sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. As he adjusted his vision he viewed the room and found that he was alone. "How long was I out for ...." He wondered aloud, his morning voice quite raspy.

A hearty chuckle surfaced from the doorway as his eyes snapped to look to see a very amused Tsunade. "Well, well, well... it appears sleeping beauty has woken herself up finally," She replied playfully as she walked toward him with a clipboard in hand. His eyes narrowed playfully at her before he shook his head. "How long?" He asked again. "About a week, surprisingly. I bet money you'd be up and running around in a day or two... but you and I both know my luck with bets," She said with a smirk as she began looking him over and assessing for any lasting effects or abnormal changes.

"You jinx," He joked back as she shined a light in both his eyes. "God you'll blind me... wait how's Miku-san?!" He asked suddenly remembering the whole reason he was in the hospital to begin with.

She rested a gentle hand on his shoulder and her stoic face worried him. "No... she can't be..." He muttered aloud as his hand moved unconsciously to clutch his chest.

"It's not great news, but she is alive. She just hasn't woken up. She's been on oxygen, fluids and tube feedings but her condition hasn't changed. At least her other vital signs have been stable. I'm just not sure if she will wake up... I'm not sure why she hasn't yet to be honest, her body appears fully recovered for the most part," She said biting her lip deep in thought.

Kakashi felt his heart quicken a bit, but this time at the sight of Tsunade. In all the chaos of everything, and finding out the relief that Miku was at least okay, he finally had a moment to take her all in without any other distraction. The sunlight shined off her long blonde locks delicately and while he knew it had to be some sort of jutsu, her lips were still plump and lush and her eyes bright. Had she always looked so radiant? He hadn't remembered her like that before.

"If you don't stop staring, I'll assume you're brain damaged," Tsunade said playfully as she wacked her clipboard off the top of Kakashi's head. He winced and rubbed the back of his head while he rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't staring, I was just thinking," He said coolly as he turned to swing his legs over the side of the bed. She appeared to study his face another moment before abruptly turning around and heading toward the door. She tossed her blonde locks aside as she turned her face back to him, "Are you coming to see Miku-san or not?"