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Kakashi slowly begins to stir, traces of an antiseptic odor assaulting his senses, the lingering taste of smoke and ash thick in his throat. He pieces the sounds together. A faint, yet steady beep, beep, beep emitting from a heart monitor nearby. Muffled conversations behind a closed door.
His eyelids finally slide open. He’s surrounded by sterile white walls adorned with posters depicting various diagrams of human anatomy. There’s an IV hooked to his arm, the cool sensation rushing throughout his body. A reminder of red-gold flames, blazing in all its splendor, soaring higher and higher into the colorless sky until there is nothing left but tattered ruins.
He’s back at his least favorite place in the world. His second home, almost. At this rate, they really should consider reserving a bed just for him.
“Oh, you’re awake, Hatake-san.” A nurse greets him by his bedside. “I’ll go get the doctor.”
Kakashi lets out a weary sigh as the nurse leaves the room.
He lies there on the bed, half-expecting Tsunade to burst in at any moment, ready to tear him a new one once again. He can almost hear her voice echoing in his mind, predicting what she’ll say: ‘What the hell were you thinking, Kakashi?!’
It’s a familiar routine — she’ll yell, he’ll placate her, and then he’ll walk out of this place in no time, same as always.
Even if it’s not Tsunade, it’ll be another medical professional walking in with the same white lab coat, and he’ll still walk out of here a free man.
Naturally, given his line of duty, it’s expected of him to work side by side with those in the medical field, bringing in a new patient to the emergency room — but he hates being on the receiving end.
A knock at the door breaks his thoughts.
“May I come in?” asks an unfamiliar female voice.
Kakashi grunts.
The door swings open and in steps a doctor he’s never seen before, a young woman with pink hair pulled back into a bun and bright green eyes, her lips curving in a warm smile.
He arches a brow.
He’d never met her before: a pretty, pink-haired doctor studying him just as much as he’s studying her.
“Hi. My name is Haruno Sakura. You must be Hatake Kakashi, Konoha’s fire chief,” she says cheerfully, approaching him with a clipboard in her arms. A light floral scent wafts over him. “Tsunade-sama has told me a lot about you.”
“Did she now? I was half-expecting her.”
“Yes, well, she has her hands full at the moment, so it’s just me. How do you feel?”
“I feel fine.”
For the most part, but he doesn’t tell her that.
Sakura doesn’t seem convinced, sensing his half-truth. “I’m glad to hear. Hmm… your vitals look fine too. That was quite the fire.”
“You know,” Kakashi begins, “I’ve met every single doctor in this hospital and I’ve never seen you here before.”
Because he’d definitely remember a doctor with pink hair.
He’d remember her.
Sakura laughs. “Today’s my first day. I just finished med school.”
“Ah. And you decided on the ER as your specialty.”
“Yeah. I think it suits me, being in the thick of the action, saving lives.”
“I can relate. That’s why I decided to pick up this profession. Being a firefighter… The desire to help others during an emergency…”
“Hmm…” A tilt of her head. “That’s very admirable of you. Anyway, let me begin regarding your condition. You were initialized here due to injuries sustained while responding to the fire, Hatake-san. The duration and the severity caused you to lose consciousness. I took some x-rays for evaluation and everything appears to be in order. There’s no damage to your airways or lungs, thankfully.”
She shows him his black and white x-rays on the screen with a red manicured nail, tracing along the leftover curves of his ribcage.
“I would like to keep you here for a few days to monitor your respiratory systems and perhaps provide oxygen therapy to improve your oxygen levels as part of your treatment, but I’ve been told you have a habit of leaving as soon as possible. Usually the same day.”
“I… don’t like hospitals,” he admits. “Administering a patient from the scene is different from being a patient, even when it’s medically necessary.”
The tips of her fingers caress the back of his soot-stained knuckle. His skin tingles, a spark of electricity surging through his veins.
“I understand,” she whispers, leaning closer now, close enough for him to see the striations in her brilliant green irises. Strands of pink hair escape and fall in front of her face; Kakashi is almost tempted to reach up and brush it away. “Trust me, I do.”
Instead, he nods, letting his hands remain strictly by his side.
She pulls away, and a part of him protests, mourns the absence.
“So, I talked to Tsunade-sama and she agreed to arrange a series of home care follow-up visits as a suitable option for you once you’re safe to be discharged. I can monitor you in the comforts of your home and you wouldn’t be confined in the hospital.” Sakura holds his gaze and smiles. “How does that sound?”
Kakashi’s gaze flicks to the side, tearing away from the sheer intensity of her eyes, his face catching the morning light. “That sounds… great, actually. I’m surprised Tsunade approved it.”
“Shishou said she’s tired of you neglecting your health and that someone has to keep an eye on you.”
Kakashi’s mouth twitches in amusement. “Is that so?”
“Mhm. I don’t think it would be very long if that’s any consolation,” she continues, still smiling.
Kakashi simply nods.
“So, I guess you’ll see me around a lot, Hatake-san.”
“Kakashi.”
Sakura blinks.
“Just call me Kakashi.”
“Okay… Kakashi.”
Kakashi’s heart thuds inside his chest.
“But,” she adds, “only if you call me Sakura, then. That’s fair, right?”
“Right.” Kakashi smiles. “Sakura.”
“From now on, I’ll be your personal doctor.”
Suddenly, the heart monitor begins to spike, beeping wildly.