Winter's Fate

Chapter 10

"Good 'ole Friday!" Kiba shouted in his usual, over-enthusiastically loud voice. More than two weeks had passed since the hectic circumstances that the storm had brought on, leaving the ICU once again calm and with only a handful of patients, one of which was Shisui. Itachi, on the other hand, had recently been moved to another section of the hospital for further recovery. Naruto, despite being an ICU nurse, was assigned to the Uchiha's unit as an extension of his duties as the mans' primary nurse. While he had no qualms with this, he did feel slightly guilty for having to leave his other patients so he could focus solely on the one. Thankfully, Neji seamlessly took over the few extra patients Naruto had to abandon.

Now, Kiba was beyond excited about the prospect of a four-day weekend, the long overdue time off most welcome to the socialite. He was heading off on a small excursion with his girlfriend, Mara, and a few friends, completely ecstatic to take advantage of the short vacation time.

"You sure ya don't wanna tag along? It's going to be a blast! The slopes are pristine, perfect for snowboarding." He was grinning ear-to-ear, his excitement almost palpable. They had rented a cabin at a ski resort in the mountains. Naruto loved snowboarding, beyond video gaming, snowboarding was another pastime he and Kiba had in common.

"I know it'll be awesome, but no, I'm kinda stuck here for a while. Neji's off for the weekend, so I'm on call. But you know me, I always find a way to have some kind of fun despite working." Naruto grinned.

"Despite having to work? Man, don't kid yourself, you're the only guy I know that actually likes going to work..." He sighed as though the blonde were a disappointment to bachelors everywhere. "Well, after the past two weeks, I am SO ready for a break! My brain never hurt so much. Now I know how House felt whenever he was working those difficult cases."

"Wow, I didn't know something you don't have could actually hurt, and comparing yourself to a TV doctor, seriously?" Kiba shoved the nurse playfully, but beyond that ignored the sarcasm. Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed loudly, deciding not to shove back. Anyway, he couldn't help but agree that the past two weeks were hectic, with enough adrenaline-pumping situations to make it really seem like some horrible plot line in a TV show. He doubted they'd had so much insane action at one time in all their years of medicine combined. They had worked nonstop without any let-up, so much so that the hospital almost felt like a permanent home at this point.

"Yeah, it was exhilarating yet exhausting." Naruto sighed again.

"As much as I love medicine, I'm in no hurry for a repeat of that shit-storm. Anyway, I'll see you when I get back next week. Don't work too hard!" Kiba gave Naruto's shoulder a squeeze and winked as he walked away, an almost-skip in his step.

"Yeah, have a great time! Say hi to Mara for me!" Naruto called back, a nonchalant wave over Kiba's shoulder his way of reply as the brunette stepped into the elevator.

The ICU had calmed down remarkably and Itachi's parents had left for America earlier that morning. He was surprised they'd stayed so long, but Fugaku had business to attend to which included asking Kakashi to temporarily resume his position as CEO. It also gave Mikoto time to be with her son, which they both relished. Naruto could tell just by observing the two that she was a doting mother, tending to her sons' needs with much more love and care than Itachi's father seemed capable of.  She was willing to help wherever she could be most useful, even taking time to visit Shisui every day.

Naruto noticed how Itachi's spirits lifted whenever his mother was around. During that time, he didn't seem tense or stressed outside of the expected physical pain his injuries caused. He even mustered up the energy to play a few hands of cards with her the last couple of days. On the other hand, whenever his father came to visit briefly in the evenings, the shift in Itachi's demeanor was immediate and heartbreaking. He became reserved and quiet, the light inside him dimming at even the notion of the man's presence. It tugged sadly on Naruto's heart, seeing such a drastic contrast between his reaction to his mother and father. The Uchiha tried to hide his feelings towards his father, but in doing so they became as plain as day. He didn't want to cause any friction or drama, so he remained solemn while in the man's presence, but to anyone who really knew him, it was painful to watch.