The Price We Pay

Sorry this chapter is so short.

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All doubts were washed away in a flood of elation and overwhelming relief. He wanted to run and tell the others, to tear through the halls of the hospital-ALL FLOORS-and cry out to everyone in pure joy that his love was awake and alive, but Naruto had a death grip on his hand.

The emptyness in his head was gone, throbbing with presence.

He was barely able to contain the turmoil of emotion churning inside him. One emotion churning into another, relief, joy, worry, anger, excitement were just a few but soon faded as he was stuck at the exact halfway point between anger and joy.

He found himself blurting "god, Naru, we were starting to think you were gone for good! I mean you've been in a coma for six months and wouldn't come out no matter what! You even missed our birthdays!"

After a deep breath he managed to ask calmer "How are you feeling?" His indecision tipped when he saw those eyes clench shut briefly in agony, a long gasp. Sasuke answered himself "don't answer that, really bad, I guess. It's more painful awake and aware then trapped in your own head, isn't it. Hold on, I'll go get someone to help..."

But when Sasuke attempted to leave the room the fierce grip on his hand and desperate shake of a head stopped him.

So instead he sank slowly back onto the chair beside the bed "well do you want or need anything? Something I can get you? Anything, just name it."

"water" came the painful and exhausted mental voice in his head.

"Oh! Of course! But you'll have to let me go so I can get it for you. Don't worry, I won't leave you alone or leave the room. I just have to go to that table there" Sasuke pointed to the small metal bench across the room.

Naruto's head rolled in the right direction, his eyes locked to the object for a few long seconds before it turned back, eyes closed and he nodded painfully.

His death-grip on Sasuke's hand loosened.

With a reassuring pat Sasuke moved to the plastic cup and jug, pouring enough to half-fill the receptical and moving the small bendy straw opposite him so Naruto could use it.

He turned back only to notice a problem and frowned.

"Sas?" Naruto's head rolled so he could look at him "Sas? Please, I'm sooo Thirsty."

Sasuke frowned. Naruto was still attached to hundreds of wires and machines. What if, by trying to help Naru sit up enough for the drink he pulled or jerked something important out? He didn't want to cause damage of put something essential out, even vital.

Then there was the wings.

When the doctor's had discovered both were broken their first instinct had been to put both in plaster, some small pillows piled carefuly around the bones in his back to cusion his back and shoulders to allow comfortable laying. However that angle had been ruined by the presence of the feathers and the fact those striped patches would be trying to grow back in THROUGH the plaster.

Which lead to the risk they would grow back distorted and even painful in some areas.

Unlike the children whose own wings over the last few months had started essentially degrading, distorting, DYING, Naruto's remained as stable and stubborn as the day they were grown.

Iruka said that while the children were kept in pitch black and hardly feed the virus in the drug that made them was able to stay in their bodies.

However exposure to light and the food, the general improvement in health had allowed their once weakened immune system to kick in and kill it.

However Naruto had been exposed to light previously, his immune system was weakened not just by malnutrition but the drugs and chemicals, they were unsure IF or WHEN he would ever loose his. He may stay 'a freak' for the rest of his life.

However long that was with all those drugs and chemicals inside him, doing who-knows what to him.

But even with the extremely weakened immune system and lack of food plus malnutrition he had survived, he had endured.

Sasuke frowned again. The doctor's had settled for using bandages and a specially designed set of splints to keep the badly damaged appendages still while they healed, but the thing was they were currently suspended by a specially designed metal and wire frame on either side of his body so both were stretched out fully, pointed towards the headboard and slightly elevated.

Until now Sasuke had been sitting in a chair wedged between the side of the bed and the inside of the right wing, now and then running fingers over the open uncovered areas gently and soothingly-both for his and Naruto's sake (it soothed Sasuke and made him feel his love was safe and alive during especially bad days and, he had hoped, soothed Naruto and made him feel safe and loved even in the coma).

Would he fit there now and how would he sit him up to drink with wires, leads, splints and frames all over the place?

"Please Sasuke. I don't care if you have to unplug me, please."

By sudden inspiration Sasuke moved the little wheely table with the water closer and put the cup down for a minute.

He then reached for the bed controls, slowly raising the upper half up, paying close attention to the wires and frame as he did so, careful not to move or jerk anything.

Once done he dropped the controls on the bed beside his love and turned for the cup again, guiding it up so the straw was touching his lips.

Once the cool liquid filled his mouth Naruto was swallowing greedily, taking bare mouthfuls before he would try and take another.

Sasuke had barely enough time to refill the cup before he was practically inhaling that too.

As he was filling it for the third time Sasuke decided to say something about it "hey, slow down or you'll hurt yourself! It's not going anywhere, you know!"

Naruto's left hand came up to lock around the cup and he looked at him as if making sure he wouldn't move it away, but he did as he asked, slowing his drinking down.

At the forth cup Sasuke said "one more cup and then I want you to sleep for a while, okay?"

Naruto nodded behind the plastic.

Once finished Sasuke eased the bed back into position and replaced the cup back onto the table's tray, leaving it nearby in case Naruto wanted more when he next awoke.

Then he moved to sit back into his previous spot, taking up his loves hand again before his overwhelming relief made him lean up slightly to lock lips with his chosen who returned the pressure willingly.

After a few seconds of shock at the returned kiss Sasuke's heart and body sang and he reluctantly pulled away, but not before swiping his tongue across the lips in a slow sweeping glide, taking as much of the surface as he could, sitting back with the taste of the one he loved in his mouth and own lips as long as possible.

His body throbbed when he saw his love lick his own lips before settling down, nuzzling the pillow before closing his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Once he was sure he was deep enough and wouldn't awake for a while Sasuke released his hand and nearly tore from the room.

He found Itachi, Madara and Iruka just down the hall, standing together in a tight group, having a low serious discussion.

And somehow Sasuke knew it was about Naruto.

Following instincts Sasuke threw himself into his brothers arms, murmuring his name as he pushed his face into his chest, his brothers warm arms around him bringing him to a state of complete satisfaction.

His 'brother' and love was alive and healing, that....'snake' was in jail and Sakura and the children were safe-all seemed right with the world at last.

He felt Itachi stiffen at his attention and senced the others also, Madara saying his name softly, questionately but it was Itachi's gentle quiry of "are you all right?" that got an reaction from him.

"I'm perfect now, 'tachi, absolutely perfect."
"You sure?"
"Perfect."

Itachi sounded amused when he next spoke "why are you perfect, little brother?"

Sasuke found himself nuzzling his brother's chest and shirt for the first time since he was a child, content.

"'Cause Naruto woke up" Sasuke found himself feeling oddly childish, or was it just playful now that Naruto was out of danger of the coma and aware?

The chorus of gasps made him raise his head to look straight at Iruka's shocked face, eyes wide and yearning.

"Seriously Sasuke?! Tell me this isn't some sort of joke you're playing!"

"Seriously Iruka. He woke up, we talked for a while and then he had something to drink and went back to sleep. I would have called you guys but he didn't want me to leave to get you all at the time and he was frightened of others around him. He's also VERY thirsty, he had at least six glasses of water." He frowned suddenly, "he's in a lot of pain though. Maybe you could give him something before he wakes next?"

''Nothing we give him will help because of the other chemicals inside him but there are other things that I can try."

Iruka looked determined as he moved off from the group and towards the room.

Instead of following like he wanted, Sasuke understood to feel a use to his son that Iruka needed to do this for himself. So instead he just continued to cuddle into his brother's shirt and chest happily.

It surprised him when he started to nod off.

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To reviewer- the reason the 'snake' waited so long to grab Naruto again I already explained. Go back to the flashback where Naruto told Sasuke about the first attack when he was a child-he tells you there.Clue-it had to do with Kyuubi.