The Toughest Lesson

Collision

Kakashi sat at his desk.  He looked at his phone.  

6:35 a.m.  No text messages.  Kakashi sat...waiting.

6:40 a.m.  No text messages.  An eyebrow twitched.   Picking up his pen, Kakashi started to grade papers.

6:43 a.m.  No text messages.  Kakashi sat down the pen.  He wasn't going to be able to concentrate to grade papers.  No use trying to convince an empty classroom he wasn't worried.  Picking up his cell phone, he called Naruto.  No answer; straight to voicemail.

About then, a head poked in.  It was Shizune, the school nurse.  With her short brown hair and large, dark eyes, her face had a kind look.  Right now, it looked frightened.  "Kakashi-sensei...have you heard?  A  student was in a traffic accident!"

Kakashi's heart fell to his stomach.  "No, I hadn't heard.  Who was in the accident?"

"One of our students.  That's all I know."

Kakashi leapt out of his seat, only one thought on his mind.  Naruto...

*****

The pain in his head was pounding...brilliant.  Wincing, he opened his eyes...and quickly closed them again.  What the hell happened?  He could hear the chatter of a lot of people.  And then, suddenly, he could feel it.  The sharp, blinding, wordless pain emanating from his head.  Rolling his head to the side, he dared to open his eyes again.  "K..Kakashi?" he whispered, seeing silver hair.  Suddenly, the world went dark again.

********

Kakashi ran, lungs burning.  He could hear the chatter, see the lights.  Coming up to the ambulance, he stopped.  Naruto was being loaded onto a gurney.  Naruto had rolled his head to the side, and Kakashi saw blue eyes.  Pushing past the crowd, he ran up to the ambulance.  Looking at the paramedic, he paled.  It was Asuma.  "Asuma, please..." was all Kakashi could get out.

Asuma looked up, then at Naruto, then back at Kakashi, recognition dawning in his eyes.  "Get in."  Kakashi nodded, crawling into the ambulance.  Holding Naruto's pale hand, Kakashi sat, trying to listen to what Asuma was saying to Kurenai.  Both were concentrating on the teen, working on him.  Kakashi did everything he could not to flip his shit and scream.  Finally, Asuma looked at Kakashi.

"Is he okay?"  Kakashi asked.

"Kakashi, I'm not a doc..." Asuma started.

"I fucking know that!"  Kakashi snapped.  "How.  Is.  He?"  Anger, worry, and fear rolled off Kakashi in waves.

Asuma flickered his eyes at Kurenai.  Sighing, he grabbed Kakashi's hand.  "It looks like he has a pretty bad concussion, he's scraped up, but he should be fine.  But I can't promise Kakashi."  Asuma warned as Kakashi's jaw set in a thin line.  Kurenai frowned.  "Kakashi, you need to let the school know where you are.  We can get this boy's family to the hospital.  You need to go back to work."  She said gently, sharing a worried glance with Asuma.  Kakashi said nothing; not even seeming like he heard Kurenai.

Asuma sighed, rubbing his neatly trimmed beard, studying his friend.  He didn't realize Kakashi had it this bad for the kid.  The look on the silverette's face wasn't one of a lover concerned with a fling.  It was pure, unadulterated fear at losing Naruto.  And it terrified Asuma.

**********

Kakashi paced in the waiting room, waiting.  He had texted the school to state that he was here, as Naruto's guardian was out of town.  Lady Tsunade pulled the file and gave Jiraiya's number to Kakashi, ordering him to call Jiraiya.  Kakashi promised he would do so as soon as he had something to tell the man.  The police came, explaining what happened and that a suspect was in custody.  Trapped in the waiting room, he paced...and paced...like a caged animal.  When the doctor came out, Kakashi about trampled him.