Forgotten

Chapter 12: Asura's Past

            Once I was pulled out of the room I collapsed to the floor crying. I curled up into a ball until tears wouldn't come out and my eyes were red and puffy. I closed my eyes not realizing how tired I really was from crying so much. I don't remember when I fell asleep or how long that I slept but when I woke up I was lying on a hospital bed next to Sasuke. Our hands were intertwined within each other, but he was still sleeping the peaceful sound of his heart beat echoing in the empty room.

            "Good morning Hinata." I heard Kiba's familiar voice in the corner sitting on the chair with a magazine in his lap.

 I stared at him for a while and then practically tackled him from my bed. I hugged him tightly happy that he was at least healed. Kiba patted my back soothing me with his even voice. "How are Naruto and Shikamaru?" I asked leaning back from our embrace to look up into his canine eyes.

"They're fine now, just resting." He stated and at that moment Shino walked in the room with two cups of coffee.

"How are you Hinata?" Shino asked handing the other cup to Kiba and offering the second cup to me. I declined politely and said that I was fine. My eyes then wandered over to Sasuke's sleeping figure.

"How is Sasuke?" I asked in a shaky voice not sure if I wanted to learn how he was doing. For all I knew they could tell me that he wasn't going to make it to the end of the night.

"They finally got him stabilized after his heart stopped. He crashed again about an hour ago, but right now he's doing fine." Shino answered placing a reassuring arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry Hinata. Sasuke is a fighter. He won't die so easily."

I nodded and then got up to go sit in the chair next to Sasuke's bed. I swallowed back the lump forming in my throat as I stared down at the pale, unresponsive body. I grabbed his hand and fought back the tears when I felt how cold he felt. It's like he's dead. I thought.

I was thankful when Shino and Kiba left giving me time alone. The moment the door was closed behind them the tears spilled over and I started sobbing begging for Sasuke to wake up. When I stopped crying and had calmed down I started talking to Sasuke again hoping that if I talked to him he would respond one of these times. After a while of talking to nobody but myself Naruto and Shikamaru walked in with just their hospital gowns on.

"Hey Hinata!" Naruto said in his usual cheery voice. He was healed already because of his quick healing body thanks to the demon fox. Shikamaru didn't look as good with a still pale glow to his complexion and cold sweat rolling down his skin.

"Hey guys! How are you doing?" I asked as I gently hugged Naruto not sure to the extent he had already healed. When I went to hug Shikamaru he held up a hand to stop me and shook his head not wanting me to force myself to hug his sweaty form.

"I'm great!" Naruto said sticking out his thumb and giving his signature smile that used to take my breath away when I was in the academy with him.

"I'm better thanks to your antidote." Shikamaru answered after Naruto's enthusiastic reply. He smiled weakly, but I could see that it didn't reach his eyes. He was enraged that we couldn't trap Asura and get Temari back home safely. We were all worried. He seemed like such a powerful enemy that we didn't know how we would be able to stop such a formidable adversary.

The day went by quickly once Shino and Kiba came back and we all gathered around Sasuke's bed telling stories and laughing. We acted like nothing had happened and that Sasuke was awake just sitting and listening like he usually did, but something did happen. Sasuke was close to death, Shikamaru was still in a rough position, Naruto wasn't allowed to fight or train till we knew that he had completely healed, and the rest of us were left mentally scarred not sure what would happen once we all healed and went out once more.