Disclaimer: Not ours. Bummer.

Summary: Life in the ER is hectic. Lives hang in the balance, tempers rise and emotions abound. Dr. Uchiha and Dr. Uzumaki deal with the tensions at work every day. And then they go home and deal with their own relationship. SasuNaru

Author's Note: Okay, if you have read my profile you know that Roely, aka Phantomsnow, has been my personal guide into the land of writing fanfics. I beta her work and she convinces me not to delete everything I've written. I would go so far as to say she is my muse and very good friend. For awhile now we have discussed collaborating on a story together. We tossed around a few ideas, had several good laughs and then placed the concept on the back burner. (Personally, I had or still do have, raving mobs after me, I couldn't commit when I had cliffhangers… hanging.) But then yesterday I threw out a one-shot idea with Sasuke as an asshole paramedic and then Roely had a dream about House and 'presto' All the Small Things wrote itself. I cannot tell you how much fun we have had. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it.

All the Small Things

Chapter One

The dark haired man grimaced as he walked quickly down the sidewalk trying to avoid the many accumulating puddles. The rain always made things worse. He hated weather like this because it flushed all the crazies out of hiding. The hospital always ended up being flooded by accident victims, some needing a couple of stitches and a band aid, others, the unfortunate ones, needing a body bag.

He shook his head causing black spikes to plaster against his pale, wet cheeks. If asked, his lover might say that he hates the world and everyone in it, but what he really hated was rainy days.

He hunched his shoulders and shivered as the cold drops of water landed on him, running down the back of his coat. He glared up at the clouds as the voice of his annoying lover filled his ears, insisting that he take an umbrella and a thicker jacket. The idiot had pissed him off this morning with his rants on how the ER needed more money and how private hospitals were always getting the better deals and equipment and how Konoha County Hospital was suffering. It took every ounce of dignity he had not to cover his ears and start chanting 'lalalala' in the moron's face. 'Fuck, tell me something I don't know!' He wanted to scream.

When his pager had gone off it once again took all that 'dignity' to stop himself from screaming 'hallelujah!' The code informed him he was needed immediately at the hospital and normally that would have been upsetting, it was his day off, but today, this morning, it had been a relief to get away from 'him'. He had almost sprinted out of their shared apartment in his haste, ignoring his bothersome lover's recommendations. The sun was out and even though it was a little cold, there had been no clouds in the sky that spoke of the rain the moron seemed to insist would come.

And come it did, two bloody blocks from the apartment and six bloody blocks from the hospital.

He eyed the double doors of the ER gratefully, hurrying to beat the screaming ambulance coming down the street.

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He stared at the closed door for a good five minutes before he turned and shuffled into the kitchen. He knew the jerk was mad at him. He had known the asshole for ten years, had been sleeping with him for six and living with him for three. He knew when the jerk was mad at him.

He poured himself another cup of coffee and shuffled his orange slipper clad feet toward the desk, pushing the power button on the computer with a fluffy toe and sitting in the black leather chair. He needed to research options to help keep KCH a viable and competing hospital. He sighed. Why didn't the bastard understand that sometimes he just needed a sounding board? He was frustrated, worried, overworked and irritated by the 'system'. Why couldn't he just listen?

Just as the computer popped up showing the desktop picture of himself and the bastard during their last ski holiday, his pager went crazy on the side table, wiggling itself right onto the floor. He stared at it for a moment, drinking one more sip of coffee before sighing, "And so it begins." Thunder crashed as he walked quickly into the bathroom, coffee forgotten beside the computer screen, bright with their smiling faces.

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Sasuke had just managed to get through the double doors of the emergency room, shrugging off his soaking jacket when he saw Kakashi Hatake and Iruka Umino headed his way. They both looked grim and worried and Sasuke felt his blood pump with excitement.

He loved being doctor. It was the most gratifying and exciting career that any human being could have. The adrenaline rushed through him as he neared the two men. Kakashi's face was grave, his lips in a straight line. That alone was enough to show the seriousness of the situation, the older man was normally grinning wickedly as he tortured everyone around him. To his right, the normally smiling Iruka looked bleak, his brown eyes anxious.

"What do we have?" He asked them, reaching their sides looking from one man to the other waiting for a response. Kakashi took Iruka's charts and his own and thrust them into the chest of a passing 'newbie' resident who looked horrified. Sasuke smirked.

"Multiple accident victims. The other hospitals are over loaded they're sending Konoha County the most critical victims. It's the damn weather. And I think it's a full moon too." Kakashi said as all three of them rushed towards the ER entrance.

This was it, Sasuke thought. This was why he had become a doctor, to beat the odds and snatch a soul from the brink of death. He enjoyed being a savior. It made him feel powerful to have lives depend on him. It was an accomplishment that ran through his family. And he was good at it. Damn good at it.

Two more ambulances had arrived since he had entered the ER. If possible the rain came down even harder as he rushed towards the right one leaving Kakashi, Iruka and the rest staff to take the other ambulances.

Both paramedics were in the process of taking down the victims. Sasuke glanced at the two small bundles on the stretcher. He reached out to take the charts from one of them, "Stats?" He asked quickly running his eyes over both charts, that of twins, a boy and a girl, age three, noticing right away that they were both having difficulty breathing. He listened with one ear as the two EMT's read off the toddlers' blood pressure and heart rate as they pushed the stretcher into the ER.

There was a gasping sound from one of the children and Sasuke rushed to the little girl's side, "She stop breathing!" He started CPR on her as they rushed through the doors.

"Page, Dr. Uzumaki!" He screamed at the receptionist as they passed by.

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Naruto ran down the sidewalk ignoring the water that splattered up his pants legs and soaked into his tennis shoes. The only consolation? His hair was dry. That's right. He had grabbed the umbrella. "Bastard." He grumbled as the hospital came in sight.

Weaving through the ambulances he finally entered the ER… to pandemonium. Of course, the ER was always pandemonium so the blonde didn't even blink an eye. He shook the umbrella and made his way through the mass of people in the waiting area before coming to the reception desk.

"Hey, slow day then?" He said and received an evil glare from the pink haired nurse behind the desk.

"Damn it, Naruto. Do we look slow to you! What the hell took you so long! He's been screaming for you for the last fifteen minutes."

Naruto smirked and thought about the last time Sasuke had 'screamed' for him, but decided he wouldn't mention it right now… he'd need to be alert to do his job and Sakura wouldn't leave him that way for long if he joked much more.

"Right. The bastard. Where's he at? I need to toss this in the locker room and I'll rush to his side."

"Naruto, its twins. Three years old. Respiratory problems, possible internal bleeding. Leave your shit here. Curtain eight."

Naruto nodded and tossed his coat and umbrella behind the desk. Grabbing a pair of gloves, he cringed at the squishing in his shoes and jogged toward his first adventure of the night.

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Pushing the curtain aside he took in the situation in one glance. Both beds were occupied. Gaara stood over a dark haired little boy who had an oxygen mask over his small mouth, his dark eyes flashing in fear as he took in the sights and sounds around him. Naruto sent him a reassuring smile. Sasuke was standing over the little girl attempting to intubate the small child.

"Alright," The black haired man muttered and Naruto couldn't stop the smug smile when he noticed that Sasuke looked like a drown rat. Bastard. "I'm a reasonable man. I think I pull my own weight around here. I don't ask for much," Sasuke grit his teeth and attempted one more time to insert the thin tubing, "So when I do ask for something… LIKE THE DAMN DOBE… you would think it would happen!"

"That's enough, Uchiha. Your savior has arrived." Naruto gently took the tool from Sasuke's pale hands and then not so gently hip checked the jerk out of his way. He tilted the small child's head back just a smidgen more and inserted the tube like a needle through butter.

Immediately her stats started to regulate. "Tell me what I need to know." Naruto said watching the machines intently.

Sasuke snapped off his gloves and ran a hand through his hair. "Car accident. Both suffered chest trauma. Seatbelts." He said darkly. Every doctor in the room understood the love/hate relationship they had with seatbelts. "The boy was stabilized with oxygen. The girl entered the ER in respiratory arrest. CPR was administered and then I attempted intubation," Sasuke sent a dark glare at Naruto who turned to smirk at him, "while waiting for the Pediatric resident on staff to arrive at his own damn leisure."

Naruto choose to ignore the bastard. "Gaara, do we have a number for chest x-rays? Or a private room? Does anyone know where their parents are and what condition they are in?" When no one answered Naruto's face became blank and his voice came out cold, "No one thought to wonder where their parents are?" Naruto turned on Sasuke. "Find out! Now."

"Dobe."

"Bas…." Young, dark blue eyes from the bed over met Naruto's, "Poopy Head." He finished.

Sasuke yanked back the curtain and left as Naruto walked toward the little boy, gracing the small child with a smile that made Sasuke's chest hurt.

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Sasuke pushed his way through the rushing ER staff, snorting at the useless interns that followed behind several doctors like little lost puppies. He had already crossed out the scared looking girl with the black rimmed glasses and wide frightened eyes as potential doctor. In this business either you had the stuff it took to deal with the madness or you didn't. That girl didn't.

The sound of rain pounding against the roof suddenly became harder than before and the flash of lightning followed by the deep rumbling of thunder made him shiver. It was times like these that he both loved and hated. He sighed as he reached the reception desk and glared at the bubble headed blond behind it who was frantically answering phones and handing out charts.

He ignored her and instead made his way around to check on the list of patients that were brought in. His eyes scanned the board but jerked around when a sudden alarmed went off in a high pitch tone.

"CODE BLUE!" He heard one of the nurses scream. He took off towards the rushing nurses, pushing the young residents out of his way. One of the nurses calmly handed him a pair of gloves, which he immediately took and put on. He slid his hands smoothly into the latex gloves, long pale fingers stretching and adjusting the gloves with the ease of extensive experience.

"Get the defibrillator on. Move it. Move it!" He ordered taking a pair of surgical scissors and cutting the young woman's sweater open with a fast but steady hand. The heart monitor was ringing loudly as if telling them to hurry.

"She's flat line. Start CPR!" He ordered and watched as Ino inserted a mouth piece while another nurse placed her clasped hands just below the sternum.

"One, two, three, blow." The nurse counted as she helped Ino perform CPR.

"It's ready!" Someone else shouted and quickly handed the defibrillator to Sasuke.

Sasuke took the two flat, iron like devices as the nurse finished spreading the lubricant on them. Ino stopped breathing into the mouth piece and quickly spread jelly on the patient's chest and both nurses moved out of the way. Sasuke immediately placed them on her chest, "CLEAR!" He shouted and then the woman's body jerked violently upwards. They all watched as the line on the monitor jumped and then flat lined again.

"NOTHING!" Ino shouted. Sasuke desperately tried again, not wanting to give up. "What's her BP!" He asked when on the second try the flat line on the monitor had suddenly began to peak and the jerky rise and fall of her chest declared that, once again, he had brought someone back from the brink.

"Low, but steadily rising," Ino told him. Sasuke's lips curled into a satisfied smile as he gave the nurses instructions. He left the room but made sure that the woman was stable before she was to be transfer to another room. They needed the ER rooms for the incoming victims.

Ino waited until he was done, before hesitantly asking him if he knew anything about her children. Sasuke talked to her as he walked out of the room.

"Ino, go bother the receptionist for that information," he ordered, wiping the sweat of his brow and removing his gloves. Ino nodded and turned to leave the room but Sasuke stopped her, suddenly remembering his earlier "mission".

"Ino, did she mention if the children were twins, a boy and a girl?" He asked. He had learned in his years as a doctor never to overlook the smallest things because it might just come back and bite him. Typically in the form of an irate blonde.

Ino looked surprised, her light blue eyes wide, "Why yes, Doctor, in fact she did?"

He nodded, "When she wakes, tell her that her children are in the best hands we have to offer." There was pride in the normally cold voice and brief flash of it was seen in his eyes before his usual mask came down.

He quickly changed the subject, "Was the father admitted also?" He asked knowing that dobe would not rest until the parents were informed and the children once again reunited with them.

Ino nodded her eyes saddened, "Yes, but he was dead on arrival."

Sasuke knew Naruto would take the news badly; the dobe had a soft spot for children. These were times that he hated, the constant battle with death and in the end no matter what they did it wasn't all up to them but he would be damned if he didn't give it a good fight.

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Naruto pushed the curtain aside and threw his gloves in the nearby trash. The ER was still buzzing and he needed to free up the room. If his time at County had taught him anything, it was that the squeaky wheel got the oil and by god if Naruto couldn't be squeaky when needed.

His blue eyes scanned the area and it wasn't long before his eyes landed on his first 'victim'. He dodged a stretcher and ducked around an old man carrying his urine sample before sliding up beside a dark haired woman, her hair in two identical buns on the back of her head.

"Tenten, my goddess."

"No." Came the clipped reply and Naruto smiled.

"Come on… I can see in your eyes that you don't really want to handle," Naruto snagged the chart from the technician's hands, "Ms. Tanza's case right now. She's," Naruto scanned the sheet, "Old! I just know you'd rather take two adorable three year olds into x-ray."

"Uzumaki, do you know what x-raying toddlers is like? I have to squeeze them into a plastic suit that keeps their arms above their head and then wait for them to stop screaming their lungs out before I can take the film. And you think I'm in a hurry to do two?! I'll take old Ms. Tanza any day, every day, for the rest of my life." Tenten ripped the chart from Naruto's fingers.

Naruto stopped walking and sighed. Shaking his head he smiled, she brought in on herself really, "Hey! Tenten… remember that time when…" He stopped when a hand slapped against his mouth.

"Give me the damn charts," Tenten hissed, "Uzumaki, you need to stop hanging around bastards. You used to be such a sweet boy."

"Such is life. They are in curtain eight. They should have a room upstairs before you're done. I'll let you know."

"But what you mean to say is that you will have blackmailed someone into getting a room for them with your bastard-y ways…"

As Tenten strolled off Naruto yelled, "Blackmail is such a harsh word, my goddess."

"Bite me."

Naruto chuckled and then stiffened when a voice behind him said, "Don't even think about it, dobe."

Turning with a million watt smile, Naruto chuckled, "Uchiha, so nice to see you. Did you find out about the twins parents?"

Sasuke looked over Naruto's head and then locked eyes with the man, "Yes. The mother is in line for room transfer and should be fine." Sasuke stopped and Naruto knew what was coming, "The father was DOA."

"Shit!" Naruto hissed. Sasuke reached a hand out of brush against Naruto's arm but the dobe yanked his arm away, stalking off in the opposite direction.

Sasuke watched him go before Kakashi yelled at him from behind curtain three and he pushed Naruto to the back of his mind where he would be safe until Sasuke could deal with him.

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Naruto leaned against the back of the elevator and let his head hit the wall repeatedly. Goddamit! It wasn't fair. Two innocent babies… they were just babies… had lost their father. He tried to remember that they still had their mother, but it didn't stop the pain. A pain he understood in the depth of his soul. The doors 'binged' and he immediately forced a smile at seeing 'victim' number two.

"Granny!" Naruto screamed as he stepped off the elevator. A busty blonde woman closed her eyes and clenched her teeth before turning around.

"Brat! I have told you repeatedly not to call me that!!" She shrieked. Naruto winced and came to a stop in front of her.

"Yeah, but I thought you were joking." Naruto said with a straight face and wasn't surprised at all when she whacked him upside the head.

"Naruto, I was just in the ER and it's busting at its seams, what in god's name are you doing up here when you were called in to be down there."

"I need a room in Pediatrics. Two beds." Naruto said, smiling and rocking back on his heels.

"Oh, well if that's all, I'll just go kick someone else out to meet your needs." Tsunade rolled her eyes and turned around walking off, her high heels tapping against the tile floors. Naruto jogged to catch up.

"I know there's room, Granny. Come on. You're right, I am needed down stairs, but where would you like me to treat patients? In the urinals? There's no room! Two kids, one room… that's all I'm asking."

"That's all?" Tsunade said, whipping her head toward the irritating brat, "Well all I'm asking is for another doctor to be downstairs saving lives instead of given me a fucking migraine!"

Naruto's face dropped, "Of course, you're right. Sorry." He nodded toward her and turned around heading toward the elevator.

Tsunade watched the young man walk off with his shoulders slumped and sighed, "Fine. Bring them up. I'll call ahead. This is the last time, brat. Next time I don't care who it is… they wait their turn just like everyone else!"

Naruto turned to look at the blonde haired woman and offered a small smile, "Thank you, Tsunade."

Her eyes widened and she returned the smile before heading into her office. She might not have been so happy if she had watched the innocent smile on Naruto's face turn into a satisfied smirk before he turned, whistling as he waited for the next elevator.

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Time passes rather quickly when every minute of every hour is spent on trying to save someone's life. Sasuke was glad that the emergency room was back to its normal mildly chaotic self. The last three hours had felt like an eternity and maybe now he could relax. Of course, by relax he meant that instead of treating life and death patients, he was doing the ordinary, mundane things that come through an ER.

The rain had stopped and that was as much of a relief as anything else. He hoped that it wouldn't rain again, at least not before his walk home, because if it did, he would have to actually admit to his dobe that he, the great Dr. Uchiha, had been wrong. That was not going to happened… come heaven, hell or a day when Sasuke didn't yell at idiots.

"I need you to come closer, Kykio-san, otherwise you will never learn the proper way to stitch someone up," he lectured as he concentrated on a teenage girl who had come in with a deep and very long laceration on her forearm.

The idiot intern stared at him wide eyed before inching forward. He sighed, shaking his head, why couldn't the hospital acquire some competent interns? "Hold that right there," he told her, indicating the thread on the young girl's arm. Kykio reached out a trembling hand and he rolled his eyes. It was frustrating; he was not a patient man. The big eyed intern should thank her lucky stars that she hadn't known him before meeting Naruto. He has learned to be so much more patient, but he was no Job. Sasuke handed the needle to the intern, "I want you to try," he said.

Kykio took needle and in painfully slow motion, with a still trembling hand, tried to pierce the girl's skin.

"OUCH! That hurt!" The girl complained, glaring at Kykio. That's it! Sasuke was just about to jerk the needle away from Kykio when Ino came rushing in the exam room.

"Dr. Uchiha! It's the mother of the twins!" He looked up seeing several people rush by through the opening of the curtain.

"Ino, finish up here!" He ordered. He ran towards the woman's room. Sasuke had to save her, not for herself and not even because it was his job. No, it was because he had told Naruto she would be okay. He did not lie to his dobe. And he really didn't want to see the blonde's face when he found out she had di…

His thoughts halted at the sight of the woman twitching as one of the doctors tried to bring her back to life. There was pandemonium in the small room, nurses rapidly yelling the woman's vitals out and frantically trying to administer the drugs the doctor ordered. He saw pink hair and almost felt relief. Sakura was veteran nurse and she knew her stuff, easily compensating for whatever the idiot doctor had done.

"What's going on?" He asked her as he quickly put on a pair of latex gloves. He frowned watching the numbers of both the respiratory machine and the heart monitor.

"I came in and found Kimmaro-san awake," A doctor, whose name he didn't know, said while trying to intubate the woman.

"She was fine, so what caused this relapse?" Sasuke asked pushing the inadequate doctor out of the way and inserting the tube with ease. 'Take that, dobe!' It seemed work; her vitals seemed to be stabilizing. Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived.

"Doctor!" Sakura yelled out. Sasuke could feel the sweat gathering on his forehead, "I know, get that out of her!" He told the other doctor. "What the hell happened here?" He asked again as he ready the defibrillator once more. Sakura was holding down the convulsing woman, trying to keep her from causing herself more damage.

"I came in to check on her and he was…" she pointed to the doctor "Saying that he was sorry for her loss!"

"Wait! I didn't do anything… I didn't even get to tell her who she had lost!" The doctor defended.

Sasuke took the time to send one of his famous death glares at the doctor before shouting to clear the area.

The moment had come when his skills as a doctor came to play, to decide who would win… himself or death.

Everything seemed to slow down around him. He heard all the voices around him clearly and yet separate from him as he tried and tried again to revive her. He threw down the defibrillator and started manual CPR.

"Come on, come on! Breathe!" He screamed. He pounded on her chest one last time, bringing his clasp fist down hard.

There was silence now. The nurses and the doctor had stopped trying but Sasuke continued to administer CPR. The sound of the machine's alarm echoed in the silence. Sakura reached to place a hand on Sasuke's back, "She's gone, Sasuke! She's gone! Let her go!" Sasuke shrugged her off and bent low to breathe air into the woman's mouth.

They were startled when a deep, baritone voice asked from the entrance, "How long since she crashed?"

Sakura was the one who looked over at Kakashi, "15 minutes, 20 seconds," she answered him.

Kakashi nodded and walked over to Sasuke, who was raising his hands over his head. "Let it go, Sasuke. You lost her."

Sasuke turned fierce eyes to Kakashi, nodding as he took off his gloves and flung then in the direction of the doctor who might as well had caused death as far he was concerned.

He pushed Kakashi and Sakura aside as he made his way out of the room. The human soul, he had learned in his fight against death, had a great capacity to decide whether to live or die. There was no doubt in his mind that Kimmaro-san, having heard about what she thought to be the death of her entire family, decided it wasn't worth living.

He slammed the door to the locker rooms, banging his fist on several lockers. "I'm sorry, dobe, I failed… again." He sat down on the bench and placed his head between his knees in despair.

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Kakashi pushed the button on the elevator that would take him to Pediatrics. It wasn't often that Uchiha lost a patient. He was a damn good doctor. They were lucky to have him on staff. But, he wasn't a god, he was human and sometimes there was nothing that could be done.

The doors slid open and Kakashi blinked just as he always did when visited this floor. Pooh Bear rolled through daisies on the walls before him as Tigger bounced his way down the hallway after a giggling Piglet. He shook his head. He should talk to Tsunade about getting a theme in the ER. Perhaps Marvel Superhero's and they could replace his handsome mug onto Mr. Fantastic.

"And if you give a pig some syrup, chances are…" A familiar voice said to Kakashi's left.

"He'll want a pancake!" Childish voices screamed. Kakashi leaned against the door frame and watched two three year olds clap and laugh along with their visitor.

"Yes, that's exactly right. You are both so smart!"

"Dr. Uzumaki." Kakashi said.

"Ah! Kakashi… what brings you to the land of the little ones?" Naruto said sending his boss a brilliant smile. The little boy and girl sat down calmly against Naruto pushing themselves under his arms until he was rubbing their backs. Dark lashes blinked slower and slower until the twins were out like little lights.

"Tuck them in, Naruto. We need to talk."

Naruto sighed… the only other place in the world where those words held as much dread as in a hospital, was in high school. He transferred one of the siblings to the far bed and followed Kakashi out of the room.

"The mother coded fifteen minutes ago." Kakashi said. He never had been one to beat around the bush. Most of the time there just wasn't time for that.

"No, Uchiha said she was fine. I just talked to him a couple of hours ago." Naruto shook his head smiling, but in his eyes Kakashi could already see the news had hit home. Kakashi also knew why Sasuke didn't want to call it… damn.

"A lot of sh…" He looked around the floor, Kanga smiled sweetly at him from the wall over the nurses' station, "Stuff can happen in a couple of hours, sparky. You know that."

"Does Sasuke know?" Naruto said pushing off of the wall and heading toward the elevator.

"He was there. He did his best… just like he always does. It wasn't enough."

The doors opened and Naruto stepped in followed by the silver haired man. As soon as the doors slid shut Naruto slammed his fist against the wall.

"Fuck!"

"It happens."

"Fuck that. Jesus… 'it happens'. What kind of statement is that? Acne happens. Flat tires happen. Fucking teen pregnancy happens. Can we please try not to trivialize death?!"

Kakashi smirked and rubbed a hand through Naruto's blonde spikes only to have Naruto slap his hand away, "Your one of the only doctors I know that doesn't 'want' to trivialize death." Naruto glared, "Most of us need to in order to sleep at night, sparky."

Naruto closed his eyes and nodded. "I know. I just…"

Kakashi pushed passed Naruto when the doors opened, "He's in the locker room."

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Naruto worked his way through the swarms of people milling around the ER and pushed open the doors to the locker room. He didn't hear a sound and let out a quiet sigh.

"Teme." Naruto called and received silence as an answer. "Uchiha, I know what happened. Get your ass out here so that we can talk about it. Or don't and then I'll hunt your pale ass down and kick it." Naruto ran a hand down chipped blue lockers. "Actually, now that I think about it, I'd rather you didn't come out. Stay hidden, whiner baby. It's been a while since I jumped you with the intent to hurt you. I've had a long day. My ass of a boyfriend was once again an insensitive asshole. Then he didn't listen when I TOLD him… I fucking told him to take the umbrella and now he's probably going to get sick and I'm going to have to listen to his fucking whining… I can already hear it. Like nails on a chalk board." Naruto allowed his nails to scratch against the locker. "Then I get to work and all hell breaks loose… and then…"

"And then I let their mother die." Sasuke appeared before him. Naruto looked into emotionless, black eyes and sighed.

"Kakashi said you did your best." Naruto shrugged, "I'm inclined to believe him over you at this point."

Strong, pale hands shoved Naruto against the lockers causing them to rattle, drowning out Naruto's yelp of pain. "I let her die." The dark haired man hissed.

"No. I don't believe you." Naruto said, blinking bright blue eyes at the hurting man.

"Naruto, stop being so naive. I should have stayed with her or left a nurse there or…"

"Or what, bastard?"

"She didn't have to die. I told you she would be fine. I told YOU. I lied to you." Sasuke released his hold on Naruto's white coat and bent to rest his head against Naruto's shoulders.

"Sasuke… hey, look at me." The dark head lifted until midnight eyes were inches from Naruto's own. "Thank you. Thank you for trying. I might be naïve but I'm a doctor… just like you, just like Kakashi… I know the facts. Thank you for trying… for me."

Naruto closed the distance between pale lips and his own, pressing chastely against the softness, waiting for Sasuke to take control. Normally he would give the taller man a run for his money, but in times like this, Sasuke needed that control. It didn't take long before Sasuke's hands found their way into blonde spikes and gripped harshly before tilting Naruto's head up and attacking the tan column of Naruto's neck.

Naruto moaned into the sensation and lifted his hands to push Sasuke's white coat aside, pulling Sasuke's shirt up and out of his pants before running his fingers along Sasuke's toned abs and up the strong chest. When his thumb rubbed gently against a covered nipple, Sasuke growled and moved from Naruto's neck to ravage the blonde's willing mouth. His tongue pushed in running along Naruto's teeth and gums, teasing Naruto's tongue…

"Bastard…" Naruto whined and thrust his pelvis upward.

Sasuke hissed and yanked a little harder on blonde spikes drawing Naruto's attention back to midnight eyes, "I tried."

Naruto gently pushed limp, black locks out of Sasuke's face and leaned up to place one last gentle kiss against the teme's lips. "I told you it was going to rain, bastard."

Sasuke pulled back and straightened his shirt, tucking it back in. "I know, dobe."

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Naruto smiled as he watched Sasuke composed himself and with one last desperate kiss walk out of the room.

As soon as he was sure Sasuke was gone, he leaned against the lockers and slid down to the floor. He needed to see if they had a family history on the twins. Did they have family? He was going to have to contact social services. It wasn't fair. Children needed their parents. He hit his head against the metal and bit his lip harshly but not before a single sob echoed through the room.

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Sasuke leaned against the locker room door and cursed when he heard the nearly inaudible cry.

'Why won't you ever let me help you, dobe?!'

He pushed himself off the door and went to find a newbie to torture.

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The nurses were all gathered outside exam curtain three listening to Dr. Uchiha tell the new intern off. They heard the pretty young girl with those horrible black rimmed glasses stammer out an answer to the doctor in question.

The doctor yelled at her when she answered wrong, "You need to spend more time studying than standing in a corner looking like a scared rabbit with glasses!"

Ino, Sakura and Chouji winced, feeling very bad for the girl but they weren't going to risk their lives to rescue her. Nope, no way, no how! They were not that brave!

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Naruto rounded the corner taking in the scene. He had composed himself enough, although the telltale signs of his break down could be seen in his red-rimmed eyes and through the fake cheerful mask he wore. He smirked and stepped up to the three nurses.

"What's going on?" He asked coming from behind them. All three of the ease droppers jumped a mile high and turned to stare at him guiltily. Without another word they scrambled away muttering something about having patients to check on. Naruto stared after them in confusion, rubbing his tired eyes and was about to turn away to look for his bastard when he heard the devil shout.

"You're useless! Not even worth the space you take up!" Naruto rolled his eyes, sighing. Obviously, Sasuke was still upset. It was a good thing that as of fifteen minutes past four in the morning their shift had ended. He yanked the curtain open, glared at a startled Sasuke and gave the sobbing little "newbie" an apologetic smile.

"So sorry, he hasn't taken his nap today!" Naruto tsk'ed at Sasuke, like he was a child, as he grabbed his upper arm tightly and pulled him out of the exam room. "Come on, bastard, time to go home. I promise you can come back tomorrow and maim and torture more poor souls to your wicked heart's content."

Sasuke growled at him. "Let go, dobe!"

The staff was busy pretending that they weren't watching or listening to the two doctors, but their gleeful, sly glances said otherwise. Sasuke gave them his best 'I-will-kill you-and-there's-nothing-the-blonde-idiot-can-do-to-stop-me' glower, baring his teeth. Naruto finally let him go and continued walking as though he just knew Sasuke would follow him. Sasuke frowned at his retreating back and did just that.

Naruto walked briskly towards the receptionist area, smiling at the girl behind the counter. She handed them their coats and the infamous umbrella. Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Dobe, it stopped raining an hour ago," he told him as he shrugged into his light jacket, frowning because the thing was still wet.

Naruto didn't answer as he zipped up his rain jacket. Finally, he looked up and smirked at the bastard, twirling the umbrella ala Fred Astaire in 'Singing in the Rain'.

"But it will."

Thunder shook the sliding glass doors as they walked through. "Damn."

Naruto's laugh was heard as the doors closed behind them.

TBC

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