Silver Falls Asylum

Chapter Nine

Gaara sat in his cell and stared at the ceiling. It had been a week since he had seen Sakura, she'd been insanely busy with the other patients. Some of them were actually sick. Every time he thought of her-which was more than he liked to admit- his mind raced back to her smile as she offered her name to him. She was much different than when she first arrived. She might actually get the hang of this asylum business. But why on earth would she even want to stay here??

"Gaara, You ready?"

"Sure."

The guards escorted him upstairs to the cafeteria just so he could wait in the lunch line. His eyes scanned the room as he weeded his way through the line expertly. It was obvious he didn't really mind pissing anyone off when hungry, or any other time of the day for that matter.

Sea foam eyes met emerald at the far end of the room. She offered him another smile and even waved gently. However, unfortunately she didn't get to come over and say hi or even just engage in more than a look or glance. The last she saw of him that day was the guards leading him down the stairs with his lunch. Ever since the violent incident- that he felt she caused- he had to eat his lunch in his cell.

Weeks went by that she hadn't even had the chance to step into her own office- much less the basement- and she found herself reliving past situation, in which he used his sarcasm to annoy her, in her head. She kind of missed hearing his voice every now and again. It wasn't until lunch time the next day that she had a chance to meet with him down in his cell. Her arrival had surprised him to say the least. Despite the fact that it was his lunch he didn't seem to be eating at all. That worried her a little. 

"Gaara.."

"You don't have to say it.." He didn't even look at her, he just stared at the wall. "I'm just not hungry.."

"Well can I take a look at you?"

"Sure. Look all you want. That's what I'm here for." He seemed to be in an unusually foul mood that day. "I'll just come by tomorrow maybe, I don't wan to upset you." She turned and headed for the door. Gaara felt his chest tighten uncomfortably and he cringed. What the hell was this about? He felt the need to grab her hand and ask her to stay. Why?? Just let her leave, she has a job to do. It's not like she could just stay here and sit with him all day. He paused for a moment. Why in the hell would he even want that??

"Sakura..!"

"Hm?" She looked over her shoulder, "If you're not too busy.. could you stop by here tonight.. maybe." She smiled and nodded, "Sure."

A few hours later, but not quite nightfall, Gaara laid in his small bed and dangerously closed his eyes. He didn't want to sleep, he just wanted to unwind and stop tormenting himself with thoughts of his new nurse. It was almost like he liked her, he actually liked her. That was weird in it's own right. Gaara normally tolerated people and he only liked a few. 

Maybe he didn't like her, maybe it was something else. He wasn't really sure because he wasn't really familiar with the feeling so he couldn't associate it with anything in his life. He fell asleep while pondering over the strange feeling. His dreams knew no bounds.

Sakura was curling her hair while sitting on the stool of a white 1950's vanity. In the mirror, her lips were painted red and drawn on the corner of her upper lip. Her pale skin accentuated the pastel cream colored lace gown that draped over her her shoulders conservatively. A string of white pearls strung around her slim neck beautifully. She was a sight to behold. 

Her soothing voice hummed as she fluffed her freshly dyed hair. "Well, what do you think?" Her green eyes looked at the man in her mirror, seated just a few feet behind her. "Should I curl it this way or no?" The man only stared at her through half lidded eyes. He admired every inch of her porcelain skin and paid extra attention to the exposed flesh of her neck. "Gaara?? Are you listening to me??" His eyes shot up from her neck, "Hn."

"You're not much help." Both is irises were red and the what would be white parts of his eyes were yellow. "No, I'm listening." His skin was powdered over white and his vein-the ones visible- were black and sewed throughout his skin like bruises. "Well what do you think?" 

"I think I could just devour you where you sit." He leaned forward suggestively and smiled. His pearly white teeth slowly turned black as he salivated. All of his teeth were plenty sharp enough to pierce her taunt skin. "Gaara??" She turned around on her stool and scream, "G-gaara?! What are you?!" She jumped up as he lunged for her, "Get away for me, you're a monster!!" He grabbed at her wrists and she fell over many different things throughout the room just trying to get away from him, "No! Gaara please! I trusted you! Don't do this to me! Gaara, stop!" He was on top of her now, baring his teeth like a wild animal-ready to take out her throat. "Gaara, stop!!"

"Gaara! Gaara! Wake up! Stop it!" His eyes shot open and he had Sakura pinned to the floor of his cell. The cell door was wide open and guards were rushing in. He shook his head and released her arms form his bruising grip, "I.. I didn't.." 

"Get off her, scum!" A kick to the rips sent him rolling off of her. "No! Stop it!" Another kick from a different guard, "Stop! He was just dreaming! Leave him alone!" Yet another kick to the face this time as they ignored her pleas. "You can't do this to him! Stop it!" Sakura pulled herself from the floor and moved between him and the guards, "I SAID STOP!"

"Move out of the way ma'am, he's dangerous!"

"He's not dangerous! It was only a nightmare! Keep away from him! What is the matter with you people?! Is this an asylum or a prison?!"

"Ms. Haruno-"

"Get out! All of you! Get out of my face!! Get out of this basement! I won't have any of you back down here! None! OUT!" In a mess of confusion the guards were driven out. Gaara pulled himself up on his bed as he tried to catch his breath. "What just happened?"

Sakura looked at him and shook her head. "I'll get something cold for you head and some packs for your bruises. I'm sorry about all of this, I just meant to wake you up.."

"Don't. Don't ever wake me up again." It wasn't that he was mad at her, he just knew what to expect when you tried to wake an insomniac. It was as dangerous as waking a sleepwalker. Didn't she know that? "You shouldn't have yelled at them, they were right for doing what they did. I could have killed you."

"No they were not right, if they wanted to help they could have restrained you. They cannot and will not do harm to you. You are not dangerous, I refuse to believe that."

"Believe what you want, but you're lucky I woke up that time."

"That was my fault, I take full responsibility for it." He shook his head. The answer didn't satisfy him. He would never willingly lay his hands on a woman. He may have been a lot of things but he wasn't a woman beater by any means, so yeah he was bothered to say the very least. Not only that, but what was up with that dream? He didn't even recognize himself..