My Sunshine

A Mission Gone Horribly Wrong / Kakashi's Mystery Woman - Iruka

Iruka quietly sat by his friend's bedside. Kakashi looked half dead; his legs were fucked, he was missing his fingernails on his bloody, purple fingertips, and his entire body was bruised and broken. He watched as the pretty, dark-haired healer flitted in and out of the room, checking his IVs and vitals.  Several machines were at the head of the bed, spewing out various tubes and plastic, fluid filled lines that linked to his friend's damaged body.  An Anbu mission gone horribly wrong.  Even if he recovered physically, Iruka wasn't sure if Kakashi could survive this mentally.  Amari, as he found out was the pretty healer's name, had stopped and spoke to him briefly.  Knowing that she couldn't tell him very much, he was surprised by how much she did reveal.  There was a torture chamber, and his entire body had been mutilated.  She told him that Kakashi was the only survivor, and even that was a miracle.  He should've died.

 Iruka's heart hurt for his friend, both because he was clinging to life in the hospital bed and because, if he was about to die, what would happen to the woman he claimed to be his soulmate? What did he mean by she was gone? Like dead gone or gone away as in married to someone else?  Or maybe she had just moved far away and he had no idea?  The thought of Kakashi's mystery woman had invaded Iruka's thoughts for the past month, and he wasn't sure why.  Glancing over at the man next to Iruka, Might Guy looked stoic.

"My eternal rival... what will I do if you don't make it..."

Iruka didn't know what to say to him.  Kakashi and Guy had been best friends for years.  Of course the over-the-top taijutsu master would be here to support his friend.

He also thought that it was interesting that not one woman showed up to see him... well, besides Kurenai and Anko.  Anko mentioned that she stayed for a while, but Iruka didn't know the nature of their relationship, and it really didn't matter.  Kurenai and Kakashi had known each other since childhood as well, and she always appeared to be looking out for him.  

Kakashi had slept with most of the single women in the village and none of them had bothered to come and visit him while he lay close to death. It was heartbreaking, really.  There was no love lost between him and the women he had dated, apparently.  In the end, it was only a small group of friends that had shown up at his bedside.

***

Iruka came back every day, and was surprised to find his friend awake days later.

"Kakashi!"

He looked over slowly at his friend, a small smile spread across his lips.

"Iruka..."

Kakashi was awake.  He was talking, even though he probably shouldn't be.  As he spoke, his lips cracked a little, and one of the cracks began to seep a drop of blood.  Kakashi obviously spotted the concern on his face.

"I'm okay.  I even got up this morning... before I collapsed on the floor.  Amari was here, though.  She healed the new damage I did and got me back into bed.  And yelled at me."

Iruka rolled his eyes at his friend.

"I'm sure she did.  You're lucky you've had such a good healer."

"I know.  She's been great."

They chatted a little before Iruka finally asked the question he had to know the answer to.

"I heard you were in a torture chamber... and you were the only one to make it back alive.  How did you survive?"

Iruka was surprised when another small smile spread across his friend's lips.

"I kept my focus on her."

"Her?"

"Yeah, the woman on the other end of my red string that I told her about.  Thoughts of her kept me going.  Beautiful thoughts of her.  Thoughts of possibly getting to see her again.  Thoughts of possibly getting to apologize for how shitty I was to her the night she left."

Iruka grinned at his friend.

"You should try to find her."

"I might.  That would give me a reason to get better.  I'm sure she's married with a family now, but I have to see her one more time and make things right.  She deserves better than me, and I hope she's found it.  The least I can do is apologize and tell her how much she means to me.  And I want to wish her good luck in her life."

Iruka wanted to cry at his friend's words, but he didn't.  Kakashi was a good guy, and he deserved all the happiness in the world.  Maybe this injury could help him find some peace in his personal life.  He was sure that Kakashi would continue to sleep with lots of beautiful women, but maybe he could do so after this with some peace of mind.  Maybe Kakashi could finally move on with his life.  

Iruka had also had some time to think, over the past month, about his own situation.  School was going well.  He was enjoying teaching again and his kids had grown so much over the summer.  He hadn't been on any dates since the one with Koji, and he was okay with that.  He was too busy, anyway, with paperwork and lesson plans. 

Iruka sat with his friend for a few more hours, keeping him company as he laid helplessly in the bed, still attached to the various machines.  When he finally did leave and head home for the night, he felt a sense of peace.  For his friend.