To say the situation was awkward was an understatement.

Sasuke kept his eyes glued to the whirling landscape through his window, chin propped up on his hand. Naruto sat to his left, pressed up against the car door as if a cornered fox. The only noise was the muffled wind and shifting of leather as Itachi readjusted himself up front.

No words had been exchanged when Sasuke had led Naruto the purring black car still parked in front of the house, his hand firmly wrapped around the blonde's bony elbow. Why was he so skinny? Sasuke had wondered, but then remembered the trashed interior of Naruto's so-called home and shuddered. The blonde refused to let Sasuke open the door for him and slapped his hand away when he attempted to lower the blonde onto the ebony seat. He had caught Itachi's eye in the side mirror as he stood up, and then rounded around to his side.

Naruto hadn't asked where he was going, or who was all in the car. He just stared stubbornly out of the tinted window, arms wrapped around his middle. Sasuke had first tried to face forward, but with Itachi's constant and annoying glances in the rearview mirror, he took to mirroring Naruto.

When the pulled up to local hospital, Sasuke wasn't the least surprised by the blonde's sharp comment of, "What are we doing here?"

"I believe it's an appropriate action to take someone to the hospital after they attempted to kill themselves, don't you agree?" Itachi nonchalantly replied, holding his hand for the driver to stop at the front doors.

Naruto tensed, his collarbones sticking farther out as he rolled his shoulders in on himself. Sasuke also winced at the blunt comment. It appeared being a dick was in the Uchiha blood.

Sasuke opened his car door, faltering slightly when he saw Naruto slowly removing himself also, leaning heavily on the door for support. As Sasuke observed him, he realized just how horrible the blonde looked. His eyes were sunken and framed by black smudges and lined with redness. His gaunt cheeks casted an almost eerie shadow across his scarred face, only the more prominent with his sharply pale complexion. He looked like the spitting image of death.

Itachi strolled ahead as they entered the hospital, immediately seeking out a nurse. Sasuke walked slowly for Naruto, who seemed to be having trouble walking on his own. Sweat was curling fair hair against the nape of his neck. Sasuke held out his hand to hold onto Naruto's elbow like he once did, but was quickly rejected with a sharp slap and a livid glare. The raven stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

The nurse accompanied with Itachi hurried to Naruto's side, asking him standard questions about mediocre facts, such as his age, name, address. Sasuke caught on to the bitterness the blonde uttered as he reported the last one. And if coming from nowhere, a man with a wheelchair appeared by the nurse.

"If you'll please be seated, we'll take you up to your room."
The last thing Sasuke saw of the blonde that day was the back of his scruffy head and the tense curl of his shoulders.

Sasuke could only guess that at least two hours had passed by.

"How'd you know?"

"Know what?" Sasuke glanced over at his brother, fiddling with a loose string on the inside of his jacket pocket.

"Know the kid was going to down a dozen pills."

Again, Sasuke winced at Itachi's bluntness. Jesus, was that how he sounded himself?

"Dunno. Just did."

"Did you get a soft tingly feeling in your stomach? Did your heart tell you? Maybe you—"

"Itachi."

The older raven sat back, arms crossing his chest, raising a stark eyebrow. "I'm just curious. You sure are sassy when it comes to that blonde."

With an exasperated sigh, Sasuke rubbed his throbbing brow.

Itachi settled back into his seat with a satisfied grin.

Sasuke was about to snap at his brother to wipe that shit eating smirk off his face when the same nurse that had wheeled Naruto away appeared in the doorway of the waiting room.

"Excuse me, but you may see him now."

There was no more use in prodding Sasuke forward as he bolted from the uncomfortable plastic seat and kept stride with the nurse as she led him as well as his brother to the blonde's room. Once they reached the white door, however, the younger raven faltered, stopping before he opened the door.

Was it his right to visit the blonde? Sure, he had saved him but what exactly had he saved him from? Maybe Naruto hated him even more. He had wanted to be dead, and Sasuke had ruined that.

"You ruin everything! Everything"!

What did those words mean? He had ruined everything? He couldn't have – could he? He was just a stupid kid with a stupid social ego. How could he have done something so permanently damaging to the blonde that would make him want to kill himself? Sasuke flinched to himself when he had more than one answer to that question.

"We don't have to see him. We could just head home now and let the authorities take care of him." Itachi softly spoke behind him.

Yes, Sasuke could do that. He could pass the troublesome blonde onto someone else, let them deal with the drama that came with him. Let them deal with those dark half-moon bags that sat heavily under those stunning blue eyes. He was an Uchiha. He didn't have to deal with such lowly matters as the blonde. But, why, dammit, did he feel so guilty then? Why did he feel the guilt within him, a heavy ball teetering at the bottom of his stomach. Why did his heart jerk at the thought of walking away from the door labeled 203? Was it because he was the probable cause of this entire mess? But then again, he couldn't be sure. From what Sasuke had seen on the inside of Naruto's house, he had more problems than just school.

Damn this blonde.

Damn him and his pale skin and gaunt cheeks.

Damn him for his hunching shoulders and hollow collarbones.

Damn him for his heartbroken eyes and whiskered cheeks.

With a flash of courage, Sasuke yanked open the door, stepping inside of the brilliantly lit room.

Naruto was lying under several blankets, head lolled to the side and eyes closed tightly. Several machines beeped beside him as well as some wires disappeared underneath the covers. He looked slightly better. A pink dust covered his cheeks and his eyes didn't look so sunken anymore.

"We had to pump him to get the meds out," the nurse said quietly, pulling out another chair. "Would you like to sit and wait for him to wake up?"

Would he? Did he have a right to?

"Yes. Yes I would like to," Sasuke replied, taking a heavy seat beside the damned blonde, and leaning back.

He would wait.

I'm terribly sorry about my horrendous absence. I don't know if many of you have checked my profile but I have been battling cancer for the last couple (2?) years and I have been under intensive care, but as of late, I have been MUCH better and from current test results, I hopefully will continue to do so. Again, I'm so sorry. I don't think I can say that enough. Thank you all for waiting.