Anti-Clockwise

Chapter 3 - Lower

Sakura felt wrong.

Everything felt wrong.

White wooden walls that used to be creamed colour, the old bed she lied on that squeaked every once in a while, the rust on the door handle. It was weird.

She knew it wasn't right; she knew that this wasn't the hospital she remodelled with Shishou after Pein attacked. This room was smaller, more narrow, not right.

Her parents left a few hours ago in the morning since her episode. She tsked. How could I let myself go? I can't trust this. This is too wrong.

She lifts her hands towards her face, rubbing her fingers against her palm. They were soft, too smooth for her liking. She kept staring, feeling the scars crawl all through her body. Tempting her to just find them. Did every fight she conquered and failed not real? Was it all a dream?

I can still feel it...the tear of skin on my neck. I can still feel my scars, so why can't I see them?

She already had enough with having her long hair back and her skin paler than it was before. Her muscles weaker, smaller and undefined. Where was she? Why was she here? Who the hell in their fucking mind would do this --

"Knock, Knock?"

Sakura flinched, only a little but not close to the eye to notice. Shit, my senses are leaving me.

Sakura looked up from her palms again and saw the man from before. Ah. It's that Mai guy. She watched him walk up to her bed, reading the board and flipping the paper. She was analysing him, the room, the hospital. Urging her mind to thoroughly burn every detail. Her eyes stayed on him, unnerving, unbothered.

Mai was bothered.

His everything was bothered.

There wasn't a day where he got a little girl in his care who looked like shit. But with bubble gum hair? Wow, he thought he could write a whole poem about it. The girl looked like she couldn't hurt a fly, but with her eyes, it was abnormal. He felt uncomfortable having to stay in contact because he could feel her scream even if her mouth never opened. So he settled with her forehead. Ah, much better.

"Hello, Miss. Haruno, let's continue with our unfinished conversation from yes--"

"--what do you want?"

Mai closed his mouth.

He could see it, even though he was still looking at her forehead, the distrust. Which made him question even more. What the hell?

"Ha, well, I would like to ask you just simple stuff, easy stuff. It can be just between you and me if you like."

"...I'm not in the mood..." The little girl turned around and stuffed herself in her blankets.

His eyebrow twitched.

"Well, Miss. Haruno, you are perfectly healthy. Nothing concerning in your system. I will be able to discharge you, but since your, not in the mood, you must feel somewhat still sick, so I'll give you one --"

"-- I think I'm fine."

.

.

.

.

...Okay.

Mai started to flick his index finger with his thumb, a habit since he was a kid, whenever something ticked him off. It was like a mechanism that helped him calm him down. He sighed deeply and walked out of the room.

Only to bump into a scarecrow. Oh, Kakashi.

"Ah~ Hello there, Hatake-san. You here to check up on your student?"

"Good Afternoon. Yes, I am. Is it the right time or...?" Kakashi said while his eyes kept glancing back to his orange book. Mai noticed, of course.

"Yes, you can see her. But I don't think she will be in the mood. To talk at the moment."

Kakashi bowed his head slightly, with the same back from Mai and opened the door once again. He saw a body lumped on the hospital bed only with a fluff of pink hair seen at the top. He slowly and gently closed the door, walked towards the side of the bed, pushed in a chair and sat.

It was only two days ago where his team passed for the first time, only to get a call from one of his little genin parents that she had an accident. He knew that his little student was a bit frightened from experience, so to have this breakdown was a bit out of it.

He glanced up from his book and could see the angle of her back towards him, stiff like a rock, yet he could see the shallow breathing slightly. She was awake, well still.

All of a sudden, the pinkette turned around, throwing the blanket in the process and screamed,

"I told you, I am perfectly fin-- What.The.Fuck."

Wow, okay, that's new, Kakashi thought.

"Well, Sakura-chan, I never knew you used profanity like that? What would happen if Naruto or Sasuke were here?"

She stayed silent. She could feel her veins turn into temperatures she never knew could feel, but she did since her supposed dead sensei was right in front of her, breathing and reading the same stupid, stupid book.

She kept staring, really, imagine waking up from her horrible nightmare. She was really preferring the rubble dust coming up her nose than her eyes than seeing a ghost. She tightened her fists as she slowly moved her body in a better position. She then returned to her custom position from a few hours ago, staring at her hands like they were more interesting.

Kakashi noted that. Huh.

Both stayed silent for a while, both pouring in the awkward situation.