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sariasprincy · 7 years

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Where it Happened v - ItaSaku

Part i Part ii Part iii Part iv Part v (here) Part vi

Where it Happened part v

A frown pulled at the corners of Itachi's mouth. He sat back in the chair he had been preoccupying for near that of an hour as he stared unseeingly at the rows of scans lining the wall. They were the latest of many for his patient, but he needn't look at them any longer to know there was no positive change to their health. The tumor had continued to grow. It had been an outcome they had been anticipating for some time now, but it still didn't make the fact any easier.

Releasing a soft sigh, Itachi couldn't yet find it within himself to move. He knew he needed to update his patient but he was in no hurry to finish this case. He knew what came next, but after treating the young woman for so long, the concept of giving up and letting her go left an uncomfortable lump in the bottom of his stomach.

Silently he rested his chin on his fist as he mentally prepared himself for the rest of his day. There was still so much to be done, but it wasn't until the door opened again that he finally picked his head up. He swiveled his chair slightly to find Kakashi standing in the doorway with his mismatched eyes focused on a file. Given the slight purse of his lips, he was displeased with what the document held, and he raked a hand through his silver locks before he finally looked up.

"Oh sorry, Uchiha," Kakashi said, his expression displaying his surprise at his presence. "I was looking for Hyuuga. We were supposed to meet here ten minutes ago to discuss a patient."

"Hyuuga had a complication with his patient this morning," Itachi informed him. "He is likely still in surgery."

"Damn," he cursed softly as he closed his file again. "Alright. Guess I'll go see how much longer he'll be. Thanks."

Itachi made a noncommittal noise in his throat before he returned his gaze to the scans on the wall again. However, he glanced back at Kakashi before the older male could back out of the room. "Hatake, have you seen Haruno?"

He hadn't seen the young surgeon in his department all day and could only assume the older male knew where to find her. Itachi was quickly learning that the pair was surprisingly close – at least close enough to keep tabs on one another.

It seemed his observation held true as Kakashi frowned thoughtfully. "She helped cover the ER last night. My guess is she's asleep somewhere. Try the third floor on-call room. She usually gravitates towards that one."

"Thanks."

Kakashi merely nodded before he exited, leaving Itachi alone once more. He continued to eye the scans a moment longer, but he knew he could stay hidden away all day and with a deep sigh, Itachi eventually pushed himself to his feet and gathered his things before he headed down to the third floor.

He found the on-call room easily, having mastered the complicated layout of the hospital after several weeks of walking the halls. Without knocking, he soundlessly pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was dark and quiet, but he could just make out a silhouette in the bed against the far wall. "Haruno," he called softly.

Almost immediately, he heard her deep breath before the figure in the bed shifted and stretched. "Uchiha?" she murmured sleepily in the darkness. "What time is it?"

He held his watch up to the hallway light shining into the room. "Quarter past noon. I apologize for waking you but I need a second opinion."

"'course. Can you hit the light?" she said with a soft yawn.

Closing the door, Itachi flipped the switch before he faced her again. Unconsciously he stilled.

Her shoes were kicked carelessly to the floor at the foot of the bed while her scrub top lay bundled near her feet, leaving her in her scrub bottoms and a form-fitting tank top. Her shirt had ridden up slightly in her sleep and automatically his gaze drew down to the exposed smooth skin of her stomach. It was only a flash, barely a peek at what was hidden underneath, but he was a man and warmth stirred in his lower stomach.

Realizing his gaze had turned inappropriate, Itachi ignored the feeling as he forced his attention upward. Fortunately, Sakura seemed unaware of his wondering gaze as she sat up. She adjusted her clothing and pushed her wavy, pink hair over her shoulder before she swung a leg over the side of the bed. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she held her hand out. "What do you have?"

Itachi swallowed before answering. "Twenty-eight-year-old female with a cardiac tumor."

He stepped forward and handed her the patient information before he moved back once more to avoid hovering. Sakura accepted the file soundlessly, still attempting to wake herself up, before she pulled out the scan and held it up to the overhead light. The room was silent as she studied the picture. Itachi merely waited patiently, his gaze fixated solely upon her face.

It wasn't long before her eyes widened. "Not to sound crass, but this woman is still alive?"

Her gaze flickered to him and he nodded. "She is. For now."

Sakura shook her head as she returned her attention to the scan. "This tumor has entirely eroded through the ventricle wall. This thing is completely inoperable."

Even from across the room, he could see the astonishment etched into her expression. From the way she chewed her bottom lip, he knew her mind was still spinning through scenarios and possibilities, but the longer she examined the image, the graver her expression turned.

Eventually she lowered the scan. "I'm not sure what we could even do. In all honesty, it's amazing this woman has lasted this long at all." She glanced at him with a deep frown on her face, but it quickly faded to be replaced by a curious expression as if something had suddenly occurred to her. "But you already knew that, so why are you bringing it to me?"

It was a moment before Itachi answered. "My patient has requested Physician-Assisted Suicide."

Understanding dawned on her. Her emerald eyes widened as she processed what he said before she breathed out a heavy sigh. "Which requires two signatures. That's why you came to me."

He nodded. "She has already waited the required time period and passed her psych evaluations. All that is left is for you to sign off and to inform the Chief, and then I can…" He paused before continuing, "Then I can follow through with her request."

Sakura said nothing as she glanced down at the chart again. Itachi understood her hesitation. As doctors, they were trained to save lives. They spent countless hours gaining knowledge and honing their skills to help patients, and to fight even when it seemed there was nothing left to fight for. It was never an easy decision when it came to helping a patient end their care.

A heavy silence pressed down upon them as Sakura continued to look at the information before her. Itachi merely watched her quietly. There was a discontent pinch between her brows and an aura about her that he couldn't help but feel guilty about. He knew this was the worst way to be woken up, but in their line of work it couldn't always be helped. And so, he waited.

Eventually Sakura glanced up at him again. "Do you mind if I look this over a little longer?"

Immediately Itachi shook his head. "Page me when you have your answer."

"I'll find you before the end of the day."

Her attention returned to the charts, but he didn't immediately step out of the room. He observed her a moment longer as she set the scan down and flipped open the patient file. Her hair was still slightly disheveled and there was the slight smudge of mascara under her eyes but it was the intensity behind her emerald irises that gave him pause. Warmth curled within him again.

The moment broke as Sakura glanced up again. "Was there something else?"

"No," he murmured. "Excuse me."

Without pause, Itachi backed out of the room as silently as he had come. He closed the door behind him and took a moment to let out a deep breath. The heat in his lower stomach was fading, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of attraction that welled within him.

It was a strange, almost amusing emotion. He had been working with Sakura since the week he had arrived and though her bold, green eyes and pastel, pink hair turned most heads, it had been her sharp tongue and even sharper intellect that had captured his professional attention. Her confidence in her abilities was what strengthened his trust in her. It was the very reason he had sought her out for this case rather than an older, more experienced surgeon. She had quite the backbone to her – and short temper – which, in combination, was a great source of amusement whenever he chose to push her. It wasn't entirely shocking that he found his body reacting to her.

However, Itachi knew such impulses could never to be acted upon and he pushed his line of thinking from his mind before he stepped away from the door. He still had plenty of work to do while Sakura reached her decision.

Closing her eyes, Sakura leaned her head back against the bookshelf with a soft sigh. Her eyes ached from reading and researching for so long and though she had gained some new medical knowledge in her quest for information, it hadn't been what she was looking for. The lack of guidance left her feeling hollow and helpless.

"Rough day?"

Turning her head towards the voice, Sakura smiled softly as she watched Naruto approach from the far end of the bookshelf. Her blond friend was out of his scrubs and donning a pair of jeans and his favorite, obnoxiously orange hoodie. Normally she would tease him about how he should just trade in his stethoscope for a hardhat and power tools, but she left the joke unsaid as he lowered himself to the floor next to her.

"Yeah," she said eventually. She turned her gaze back to the patient chart in her lap with pursed lips. "Uchiha has a patient that requested Physician-Assisted Suicide. All day, I've been going through case studies and articles trying to see if there's anything we can do, but the only thing that can help her at this point is a transplant and because she's had tumors removed from her liver and kidneys, UNSO says she's an unsuitable candidate."

Naruto frowned. "So you're going to sign off?"

She frowned. "I hate to, but yes. There's nothing that can be done, and who am I to tell a patient they have to suffer the rest of their life?" she said helplessly. "It's a horrible decision, but it's either this or she dies in a very painful way in a week or two weeks or a month from now."

He said nothing but he leaned his shoulder against hers, offering his silent support. They sat quietly for some moments before Naruto glanced at her. "Wanna get a drink?"

The thought was tempting but Sakura shook her head. "No. I think I'm going to stay here tonight and help out."

"Alright. You'll call me if you need anything?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Naruto."

She was grateful he didn't mention anything about her staying the previous night, and she accepted his brief but warm hug before he pushed himself to his feet and disappeared back out of the library. Sakura watched him go before she returned her attention to the mess of paperwork spread around her. Quietly she collected the patient information before she replaced the books and files she had removed from the shelves and stood to leave.

With the evening rounds completed, the hallways were clear of residents as they ran labs or caught up on sleep. It left her journey to the Chief's office uninterrupted. She knocked on the door and waited for the call to enter before she pushed the door open.

Tsunade was sitting behind her computer, a frown on her face. However, the moment she spotted Sakura, she relaxed and reclined back in her chair. "Oh good, it's just you."

Her remark almost sounded insulting, but Sakura had known the woman long enough not to take her words to heart. She merely smiled to herself and closed the door before she crossed the room and dropped herself into one of the chairs in front of the Chief's desk. She studied the older woman, noting that she appeared tired but content. It didn't take long for her to connect the dots. "You had an interesting surgery today, didn't you?"

A sly smile crossed Tsunade's face. "A man came into the ER this afternoon impaled on rebar. In three different places."

"How did you get it out?"

"Carefully. We had to bring a saw into the OR."

Sakura blinked in astonishment. "There's no way that didn't cause sparks. Did you remove all the oxygen tanks from the room?"

"Of course," Tsunade smirked. "It's been a long time since I've had such a dangerous procedure."

"You've always enjoyed the risky ones," Sakura murmured, her voice full of amusement. "Who did you steal it from to get in there?"

"Mitarashi Anko. An added bonus of being Chief. Remind me to give her a good surgery this week to make up for it," she said as Sakura laughed. Tsunade's gaze then turned thoughtful. "Speaking of being Chief, the Annual Association of Surgeons party is in a few weeks. You wanna come? I would ask Shizune but she's still across the world doing her own work and I'm not sure if she will be back in time or even when she will be back, and-."

"Tsunade," she interrupted. Shizune was still a bit of a sore topic for the older woman and Sakura knew she could talk when riled. It was best just to interrupt her before she reached that point. "Yes, of course, I'll go. Just let me know when so I can trade on-call shifts if I need to."

Tsunade showed no outward sign of her appreciation, but Sakura knew she was glad to not go alone. These parties were usually long and contained far too many male surgeons trying to 'one-up' one another with stories of their successes from years long past. She had been to them in the past and though it was not her favorite way to spend her evening, at least they had good food and even better wine.

"I'll email you the invite," Tsunade merely said. Then she cocked her brow. "Now what is it that you want? You hardly ever come here unless you need something."

Normally her sharp, teasing words would force a smile from Sakura, but she found herself unable to now as she glanced down at the chart in her hands. "We have a terminally ill patient that has requested Death with Dignity."

Tsunade's interest immediately piqued. She held her hand out for the file and quickly flipped through it. "You and Dr. Uchiha agree this is the only option?"

Sakura nodded. "It is."

"And all the legal steps have been taken?"

"They have."

The room fell quiet as the Chief read through the rest of the chart. There was a contemplative frown on her mouth, but Sakura waited patiently as she looked through all the information. It was some minutes before she closed the file again. "Alright. I will inform Legal. Go ahead and prescribe the meds."

Sakura accepted the chart before she stood. "I will let Uchiha know."

Tsunade nodded before she glanced back at her computer. She heaved an audible sigh before she returned her attention to the screen and resumed her work.

Sakura let herself out silently and closed the door in her wake before she headed towards the in-patient ward. She found Itachi at the nurses' station reading a lab report, but he glanced at her as she set the chart on the counter next to him.

"I signed the form," she said quietly. "And I let the Chief know. She is informing Legal but said to go ahead and prescribe the medication."

"You informed the Chief?" Itachi asked in surprise.

She hesitated as it suddenly occurred to her that she may have overstepped. "I hope that's alright. I still had the chart and I needed to speak to her anyway," she lied.

Her uncertainty vanished as he shook his head. "No. Thank you for doing that."

Sakura smiled tightly in response before he reached for the file and quickly flipped through it. She observed him as he read, noting that he had his white doctors' coat on over his scrubs. Its presence didn't surprise her; they usually wore them when they spoke to patients. However, it was the small frown tugging the corners of his mouth down that drew her attention. It quickly dawned on her that he wasn't so much as reading the chart but instead mentally preparing himself for the conversation he was about to have with his patient. A sudden sense of empathy filled her.

It was in a doctor's nature to keep fighting for their patient even when they had no fight left, but to have a patient ask for them to end their care was not something she had ever experienced before. She could only imagine the helplessness Itachi felt, even if he hid it well. The urge to comfort him pressed on her, but she knew there was nothing she could say or do to ease his burden. It was a case he would have to finish and come to terms with on his own.

Sakura bit back her frown as Itachi finally closed the file. He pulled out a prescription pad from the inside of his doctor's coat and filled out an order for Secobarbial, a drug commonly used in cases like these, before he tore off the top sheet and pocketed the pad once more. However, he didn't immediately move as his gaze turned towards one of the in-patient rooms. She didn't need to ask to know it belonged to his patient. It was a long moment passed before Itachi finally pushed off the nurses' station and stepped away.

"Hey," Sakura called for him before he could get too far. He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. She simply held out her hand. "Give me your pager." She had anticipated his look of confusion and she merely smiled comfortingly as she explained, "I'll handle your cases until you're done."

Itachi blinked in surprise but then a grateful expression briefly crossed his face and he pulled the device from the pocket of his coat before he handed it to her. His obsidian eyes met hers evenly. "Thank you."

Sakura smiled at him again but said nothing before he turned and continued towards the patient's room. Itachi closed the door behind him, but she didn't immediately return to her cases as she watched their interaction through the window next to the door. She couldn't hear their conversation, but she didn't need to to understand what was being said.

As Itachi spoke, the young patient and her boyfriend listened with rapt attention. She knew he was explaining the results of her latest scans and that despite their best efforts, there was nothing left they could do. It wasn't until he handed the patient's boyfriend the prescription he had just written that a relieved expression crossed the young woman's face. However, the grief from her lover was obvious even from across the floor, and she watched Itachi placed a comforting hand to his arm.

Sakura could almost feel his comforting words sweep through her as he spoke to the pair. It was apparent by his soft expression and comforting gestures that he cared a great deal about his patient. It made her briefly wonder how she had ever considered him an emotionless ass, and she smiled faintly at the memory of their Pro Bono surgery those few weeks ago. She hadn't been entirely convinced back then that he wasn't still at least somewhat of an arrogant jerk, but she could feel her opinion of him actively shifting the longer they worked together. She could admit he was a good doctor – a really good doctor.

Her attention was suddenly pulled away as Itachi's pager went off in her hand. A patient was coding in the ICU. Turning her back on the room, Sakura sprinted towards the elevators as she returned to work.

It was dark. The on-call room was cast into shadows with the lateness of the hour, but Itachi found himself unable to sleep no matter how much exhaustion weighed behind his eyes. He was unaware how much time passed as he continued to lie back against the hospital mattress with one hand tucked under his head and the other across his stomach. Alone in the quiet room, he stared unseeingly at the ceiling as his mind ran in circles around the events that had taken place that day.

Itachi knew there was nothing that could have been done and he knew that he had followed the law and the wishes of his patient, but it didn't alleviate the burden that he had helped end the life of a woman today – a young woman, at that. The same, unpleasant knot of emotion that had formed under his breastbone twinged again. He was aware that sleep was a ways off for him, but he found himself unwilling to move and be productive as he took himself through the alternatives for the umpteenth time.

It wasn't clear how much time passed as his mind kept him company. It wasn't until the door to the on-call room opened quietly that he realized he had finally begun to nod off. He blinked his eyes open and turned his head towards the doorway just as a familiar figure slipped inside the room.

"You asleep?" Sakura whispered.

He exhaled softly before he pushed himself up. "No."

Upon his answer, she closed the door behind her before she quietly approached him, not bothering to flip on the overhead light. In the darkness, he saw her shadow stop before him and hold something small out to him. "Here's your pager back."

"Did anything happen?" Itachi asked as he accepted it from her. He set it on the bed next to his phone before he returned his attention to her.

"Your patient in the ICU coded but we were able to revive him. I'm having Hyuuga Hanabi run labs now to hopefully determine what happened but for now, he's stable."

He processed the information quickly and nodded more to himself than her. "Okay. Thank you again."

"Of course," she murmured. He could feel her gaze in the dim and a brief moment passed before she spoke once more, "How's your patient?"

The hard ball in his chest tightened again and he cleared his throat lightly before answering, "She passed some time ago."

"I'm sorry." He could hear the sincerity in her voice. "How are you doing?"

"I am fine," he lied.

It had been his patient's wish to die, but he could not shake the feeling that he had failed the young woman. It settled on him heavily, but he was not comfortable betraying just how deeply this case had affected him, even here in the darkness. He appreciated her concern, but she was not Shisui.

"All right, move over," Sakura said suddenly. To his surprise, she nudged his leg out of the way before she slipped onto the bed next to him.

He watched her with wide eyes as she settled herself until her back was pressed against the wall and her legs were stretched out in front of her and partially dangling over the bed. "What are you doing?" he asked incredulously.

Once she was comfortable, she held something out towards him. "If you're not going to talk about it, then we're going to eat about it."

Bewildered, Itachi could only stare until she waved the object again, silently pressing upon him to take it. Hesitantly, he grasped it only to grow more confused as he recognized it was a spoon. It was then that he realized Sakura had something else in her hand as she pulled the lid off a container and placed it upside down on the sheets next to her.

"I brought ice cream," she explained simply.

At a loss of what to say, Itachi stared at her, completely flummoxed with the situation. Sakura just smiled as she held the container out expectantly. A pregnant pause followed, but eventually his shoulders relaxed and he found himself smiling, if only a little. The simple action lifted the heavy weight from his shoulders.

"What kind?" he asked after a moment.

In the lowlighting, he saw her smile widen. "Chocolate, of course."

She said it like it was obvious, causing a soft snort to escape him before he dipped his spoon in the small tub and dished out a generous helping of ice cream. Sakura did the same, and in the darkness of the room, they sat side-by-side as they ate the entire container.

to be continued…

#itasaku #itachi #sakura #where it happened #part v #greys anatomy au #my writing #i mean it was kinda cute right??#they're sharing ice cream #and it's fluffy #??#I think #it's been a long time since i wrote anything non-angst #this is hard #next chapter should be pretty interesting too #someone gets hurt #:S #all im sayin'

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