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The Banks Of The River Styx	By : AkashaEmily Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 915 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
Standard
disclaimer: They�re not mine, don�t sue me, I have no money.

Chapter
4: Transitions

Kyuubi
was not a happy camper and, as it felt another human hand begin playing around
amongst his host�s innards, the demon just knew things weren�t going to get any
better.
Things
had been going so well too; while commanding idiot Sasuke�s body, the fox had
had a nice time stretching its legs and eating a relatively decent
meal-courtesy of several lunches it had found in the hospital staff�s
refrigerator- before finding a great hiding place to bed down in as well as a
blanket to curl up in. As inconsequential as it may seem, a change of scenery
had always put the fox more at ease when anxious and, since it had worked the
same way with Kit, there was a strong possibility that the Uchiha would benefit
also. Sasuke needed rest, as galling as that was, true rest where he could
relax without fear of being molested in any manner since the hospital room
wasn�t going to cut it anymore, thanks to the pervert orderlies or nurses or
whatever they had been.
Damn
it, Kyuubi had gone above and beyond the call of duty for his reluctant host,
even managing to find Sasuke something worth looking at when he eventually woke
up, and the obstinate little bastard hadn�t appreciated any of it!
�� Sasuke was a superb ninja and his body ran like a
well-oiled machine. It was actually a pleasure feeling it work around the fox,
humming with strength and energy, nearly bursting with potential. But
something- Actually a whole lot of somethings, the fox mused wryly- had
been thrown out of alignment, making the metaphysical gears grind against each
other as the wiring short circuited.
Until
the Uchiha had woken up, Kyuubi had been willing to contribute the problem to
its own demonic chakra in combination with extreme emotional turmoil; some
humans didn�t tolerate demonic energy well even when in peek physical and
mental condition- some could even be driven mad by exposure to it, wasting away
until they died- and Sasuke was in anything but. The mental issues the fox couldn�t
do anything about- that was something Sasuke had to work through on his own-
but the physical was within the demon�s power to control. Without a seal, his
host�s body was susceptible to poisoning from the fox�s chakra, and, to avoid
this from happening, the demon doled out only enough of its chakra to heal
immediate life threatening injuries before locking it down again, saving the
more delicate problems for Sasuke�s natural healing abilities to handle.
A
third set of hands delved into Sasuke�s abdomen, the sensation making the fox
shudder as it felt the new set of fingers brush alarmingly through its
non-corporeal form.
You�re
not changing a light bulb, people!
It snapped angrily, knowing no one could hear it but feeling the need to
comment anyway. If it could have, the demon would have paced, it was so riled
up. It had nearly lost the Uchiha, had only just managed to keep the bastard�s
soul firmly out of the grave while the damn thing hovered on the brink, over
that delicate line separating life from death. The whole situation was just
another reminder that they were not at home and that Sasuke was more fragile
here. The demon would have to take extreme care when in command of his host�s
body as one errant slip could prove unexpectedly fatal to them both. Losing the
Uchiha was not acceptable and had to be avoided at all costs if the fox was
going to succeed.
Kyuubi
sighed, irritated and frustrated. It listened to the voices outside and around
its host, trying to make sense of the foreign tongue they spoke because,
undoubtedly, it would be helpful later if at least one of them knew these
people were saying. The fox grumbled and squeezed its tightly wrapped tails in
annoyance, ignoring the frantic struggling of the little bundle held firmly in
the center of the coil.
Stop
that. Kyuubi told it gruffly,
shifting its weight a bit as the fox propped its head on one arm. I�m
not letting you go that easy.
There
was a slight flutter from under the fox�s free hand, a weak twitch. The demon�s
hold remained gentle as it tightened its fingers firmly, pulling the hand and
its cargo over to its chest as if keeping the both warm.
You
either. It said quietly and
settled back to wait for the humans to finish fixing the Uchiha�s body.

�He
knew me.�
The
buxom blonde beside the speaker looked at him sharply, shapely eyebrows rising
into her hairline as her brown eyes widened. Her voice gave away none of the
concern she felt for her nephew, remaining firm as she watched him.
�You�re
imaging it, Andrew.� She said, frowning when he just shook his head, eyes never
moving from the glass viewing window of the operating theater.
�He
knew me, Auntie.� Andrew Pryderi insisted. �It was there in his eyes. He knew
who I was, Mary, and was relieved to see me.�
Mary
Pryderi frowned, unsure as to where this conversation was heading. �He was
probably just happy that someone found him before he was beaten to death.� Her
frown intensified and she cracked her knuckles, an unconscious sign that she
wanted to bash someone�s head in.
Andrew
spared her a glance as he heard the familiar popping of cartilage, having been
on the receiving end more than once. He briefly thought she was preparing to
hit him but her focus had resettled
again on the brunette undergoing surgery, nearly lost to sight amongst the sea
of plastic tubes and wires. Someone was going to pay for the abuse done to him
and it looked like Mary was going to make sure they coughed up every dime.
Dressed in her expensive well-tailored suit, cracking her knuckles, nails
sparkling from a fresh manicure, Mary reminded her nephew of a nicely packaged
mafia thug.
He
knew from personal experience that she fought like one.
Poor nurses.
At
the sound of footsteps, Andrew turned his head, watching with mild interest as
Franklyn Hunt, the chief of security for Andrew�s household, walked over to
them. Though he walked with a measured pace, there was an air of excitement
about him that made Andrew smile inwardly despite the situation. The man
stopped a foot before reaching them, nodding his head at both of them before
delivering his report.
�He�s
not on any of the cameras.� Frank said, and again there was that sense of
interest, as if he had found a particularly amusing puzzle.
�That�s
not possible.� Mary said flatly. �There are over two hundred cameras blanketing
the grounds and guards patrolling the hallways constantly. No one can be lost
for almost a day in here.�
�Be
that as it may,� Frank said lightly, as if he hadn�t just been indirectly
insulted. �We�ve gone over the tapes and he isn�t on any of them until he�s
being attacked.�
�The
boys always manage to stay out of sight.� Andrew commented, not exactly
defending his employee. The blonde put his hands inside his suit pockets,
tapping his fingers against his thighs as he thought, rolling his shoulders
absently to resettle his jacket.
�Those
two are something else entirely.� Mary frowned, eyebrows knitting together as
she thought of the twins. Their ability to hide was truly remarkable and made
poor Sam suffer for it horribly. Her great-nephews were damned entertaining
though, just like their father, and she found herself patting Andrew�s arm
affectionately.
�They�ve
been asking about him.� Her nephew said thoughtfully, shaking his blonde head. �It
seems that they both want to thank him for stopping Alex�s asthma attack.�
�Looks
like they�ll get the chance.� Mary said, jerking her chin at the glass the
little group stood in front of. .
Behind
the pane, surgeons began to finish up. Bloody gauze pads were removed from the
wound and the patient�s intestines were placed back where they belonged with
care, before the surgeon closed the flesh with surgical staples. Once the
action was complete, the doctor moved away from the table and ambled over to the
side of the room, hitting the intercom button with his elbow.
�Well
folks,� Dr. Johnson drawled, his Texas
twang making a distinct appearance despite being muffled by the surgical mask
he wore. �We found blood all right but no bleeder. Hunted for the dang thing
but there�s no sign of it.� His hands, gloved and covered in a disturbing
amount of crimson, moved upward in a gesture of confusion which was
understandable; though it was true that internal bleeding could be
spontaneously healed by the patient�s body, it was unlikely in this case given
how much internal damage this patient had suffered. No matter how small, something should have been found as the
cause for so much free fluid to be escaping into the abdominal cavity.
Andrew
knew better than to question the man; Johnson, despite his laid back attitude,
was always thorough in everything he did. If the man said he went hunting for
the missing culprit then he had, undoubtedly checking every organ and vessel in
the patient�s lower body that could have been responsible.
The
blonde male pushed the intercom button on his side of the glass. �Thank you,
Chuck. Recovery will keep an eye on him.�
The
surgeon nodded his head as if dipping an imaginary hat and went back to the
table, helping his residents finish up. A few minutes later, the doors to the
theater swung open, disgorging several nurses and their patient as they headed
down the hall to the Recovery unit.
Andrew
watched them go before turning away from the miniature parade, hands in his
pockets once more. Mary took one look at her nephew�s face and felt a flutter
of anxiety in her stomach. She knew that particular look and knew that whatever
he was thinking was going to give her heartburn.
�You
checked all the cameras?� Andrew asked, glancing at Frank.
�Every
single one of them is working properly.�
Mary
unconsciously held her breath, waiting, worrying the roll of antacids in her
jacket pocket.
There
was a moment of thoughtful silence, then, just as Mary was beginning to think
she was safe�
�When
he�s stable I want him moved to the house.�
�What?!� Mary stared at him
incredulously. She grabbed him by his jacket�s lapels and gave him a shake so
hard it nearly pushed him up off his feet. �Andrew, have you lost your mind? He
attacked two nurses, knocked them unconscious
and tied up-�
�And
locked them in a closet.� Frank added, taking out his cell phone.
Mary
pointed at Frank. �AND locked them in
a closet! He�s violent!�
�He
also stole several lunches and slept in the lobby behind the Christmas tree-
which I still think is way too big-
but the point is that he didn�t fight back later.� Andrew pointed out, arching
an eyebrow and earning another shake. �If there was ever a time to be truly
violent, it was while he was getting the shit beaten out of him by disgruntled
hospital employees.��
�He
could be unstable!� She pointed out. �Consider the shape he was in when you
found him.�
�He�s
not unstable.� Andrew assured her, watching as her face twisted itself in an
amusing manner.
�Would
you like him housed in the East wing or West?� Frank interrupted, non-pulsed by
the possibility of having a crazy stranger around.
�He�ll
need constant monitoring.� Mary growled threateningly. �You don�t have the
staff for that.�
�East,
for now.� The blonde male said, untangling his aunt�s hands from his jacket.
�Violet,
did you get that? Excellent.� Frank said, nodding to himself and ending the
call. He pressed another button and spoke a few words to the person on the
other end before hanging up again. �Hinata will cover guard duty.�
Andrew
grinned innocently at his aunt, one open hand directed at his security leader
as if to illustrate his point that she had nothing to worry about.
Mary
felt like punching both their lights out but instead of acting on the impulse
she spoke slowly and calmly, because speaking in any other manner would cause
her to lose control and give in. �Andrew, you can not do this. Think of your
kids. Never mind that he could be psycho! Andrew��
Helplessly,
she gave up dancing around the major issue at hand and just said it. �Andrew,
doing something like this could mess those kids up. I know it�s hard, and I
know you are hurting, but this��
She
trailed off as she looked at her nephew, taking in his closed off expression.
It made him cold- unapproachable- and completely unreasonable. His face lost
expression, blanking out as she stared, but his eyes were like blue chips of
ice, full of anger and pain. Mary sighed in defeat, knowing better than to
continue her argument; he�d made up his mind and there was no way to talk him
out of it now.
Forced
to regroup, Mary rounded on Frank. �The second
he starts behaving oddly, I want him out of that house. I will not risk my
princes on a whim.�
Calming,
Andrew smiled as Frank nodded, giving her a small soldier�s salute.
Two days
later, the patient in question was relocated to the Pryderi mansion.

Someone�s
wailing and Kyuubi�s irate cursing woke Sasuke up, and the Uchiha mentally rose
to awareness gradually, immediately pushing himself up into a sitting position
to face whatever the problem was. Pain in his stomach from the action made him
want to lay right back down but the noise assaulting his ears triggered
instincts honed by years of training, ones that overrode pain and fatigue. He
sat amidst a nest of covers and tried to make sense of the blurry sights around
him.
I hate hospitals. The brunette thought, finally giving in and covering his ears in an
attempt to protect them from the ice-pick like vibrations driving into his
skull.
You�re
not in a hospital. Kyuubi told him
gruffly while Sasuke�s eyes adjusted and focused. He felt the fox rise and pace
a bit before settling again and elaborating. I think we�ve been taken in by
this family. They seem to be caring for you or at least they did.
Is that Sakura?
The girl in question was near the doorway of the room, sitting in a chair
holding her thigh. Dressed in a black dress with a white apron, the pink haired
kunoichi looked older than Sasuke remembered, more mature since she had
apparently hit a growth spurt. She was the one making all the noise as she
cried, tears glittering on her cheeks as she talked to a distinctly silver
haired man in a dark suit. Without the ever-present mask and distinctive scar
over his left eye it was hard to tell but� Is
that Kakashi?
Something
like that. The fox said
carelessly, as if it were of no great consequence. Lay back down, go to sleep.
You�re still healing and the bitch brought it on herself anyway.
What?!
Sasuke�s head was reeling, his mind trying to work through what was happening
and make sense of it all. But it was hard, so hard, because he was missing
pieces, all the little pieces that glued everything together, and his head
ached trying to cram what information he did have together in a coherent
format. The headache seared through the pain already caused by the
Sakura-look-alike�s wailing, and Sasuke swore he could feel gears in his body grinding together
making it all worse.
Calm
down, Kyuubi soothed, the fox�s
agitation adding to his host�s, making Sasuke�s whole left side begin to twitch
painfully. No, calm down! Go back to sleep. Lay down, back to sleep. And
the demon kept repeating it, quietly, like a mantra as it fought to follow its
own advice.
A
hand on his shoulder made Sasuke jump, made him flinch away from the contact.
The Uchiha looked up at his potential attacker, surprised when he came face to
face with Hinata Hyuuga. Her hair was longer, her body more mature, but her
eyes held the same shy, gentle look from their genin days. Frazzled and
disoriented, he responded to it and relaxed enough to allow her light grip on
his right shoulder to guide him back down to the mattress. She moved slowly and
deliberately as she tucked him back in, stopping her motions if he tensed up,
resuming only when he relaxed.
�Sasuke.�
He said as he lay down on his left side, ignoring the discomfort this caused
and pointing at himself in an uncoordinated fashion as he tried to remind her
of his identity. His voice was so rough, thick from sleep and disuse, that he
barely recognized it as his own. The Uchiha attempted to clear it and wound up
coughing instead, his throat aching. �Sasuke.�
She
said something to him but he couldn�t seem to understand the words, the
syllabic rhythm confusing him, but her tone was reassuring and her voice was soft,
so he guessed that she was trying to sooth him as she smoothed the cover over
his shoulder.��
She�s
been here since you arrived.
Kyuubi murmured as Sasuke�s eyelids slid shut. I think she�s here to guard you
though I don�t know why. No, no. I�ll keep watch, you sleep. The fox ordered
when Sasuke began to flutter back open in an attempt to stay alert. His host
settled again, unconsciously sinking into the soft fabrics surrounding him, and
Kyuubi sighed in relief when Sasuke�s mind lapsed back into a rhythm indicative
of deep sleep.
Alright
Hyuuga, The fox thought, true to
its word and keeping track of its host�s caretaker. Don�t make a liar out of me.

�Everyone
out!� Hinata said, her eyes on the heart monitor, watching as her patient�s
heart rate and blood pressure began to drop back to normal levels. She released
a breath she hadn�t realized she was holding as Sasuke�s vitals held steady,
the new sedative injected into his IV taking affect with no adverse reactions.
She
shot a glare at Violet as the maid began to make noises about how injured her
leg was, obviously making a play to be carried and fawned over. Before any such
thing could happen, however, Hinata strode over, grabbed the other woman by the
arm and forcibly removed her from the room.
�What
happened?� Frank asked quietly, leaving the bedroom door open a fraction so
Hinata could watch their house guest.
�He
attacked me!� Violet said in distress, loud enough that it made Hinata tense
warningly. The maid ignored her though and continued at the same volume, clinging
to the door frame as she favored her leg. �I was just straightening the covers
and he lashed out!�
Frank
nodded and made a note on the notepad he held before beckoning someone down the
hallway to come over. �Neji, please take Violet downstairs and see to her
wound.�
Neji
Hyuuga nodded once to both, first to Frank then to his sister, before flicking
his eyes over the teary-eyed maid and taking in her hobbling form. One dark eye
brow rose but he merely scooped Violet into his arms without a word and left to
follow Frank�s orders.
�Now,�
Frank murmured as Hinata finished visually checking Sasuke through the half
closed door. �Tell me what our strawberry princess was really doing.�
Hinata
suppressed the urge to start yelling, instead working hard to keep her voice
quiet and even as she gave her report. �I left my post momentarily, Sir, and
when I came back she was inside molesting Sasuke.�
�Sasuke?�
Frank asked, eyes amused.
Hinata
frowned, realizing that the man thought she had given their guest a pet name.
�I believe that�s his name, Sir.�
�How
was she�molesting him?�
Again
the Hyuuga fought to keep her temper as she explained, half disgusted with her
boss for finding such humor in the situation. �He�s started sleeping on his
stomach, turning over in the night, sometimes curling up on his side.� Frank
gave her a look, obviously not interested in Sasuke�s sleeping habits. She
hurried on. �Violet was touching him, Sir.�
�That
doesn�t explain why he hurt her.� Frank said, pulling out is cell phone but not
dialing. �I�ve touched him. You�ve touched him. Neji�s touched him.�
�Neji carried him in initially. You touched his arm when we got him into
bed. I have touched him while
administering care and�and�� She felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment; she
didn�t want to admit that she had also been petting his head when he showed
signs of distress. �She,� Hinata
ground out, pointing down the hallway in the vague direction her brother had taken
Violet. �She was rubbing� was
rubbing��
Frank�s
eyebrows rose into his hairline as he watched the newest addition to the
Pryderi household staff blush beet red. �She was rubbing�?�
�She
r-rubbed his b-bottom, Sir.� Hinata stuttered out, face a brilliant shade of
pink. �Then she� s-smacked it, Sir.�
Frank
stared at her, caught between extreme amusement and extreme annoyance. �And
then he��
�He
was still asleep!� Hinata said, jumping to Sasuke�s defense. �And while he
slept, he kicked out at her.�
Frank
blinked, surprised. Considering the way Violet was carrying on, one would think
Sasuke had leapt off the bed after her with a knife. He played with the phone
for a minute before re-entering the bedroom, Hinata at his heels.
Aside
from the occupied bed, the room was immaculate, though this was mostly due to
disuse rather than a comment on Violet�s ability to keep things in order.
Besides the bed, the guest room was furnished with a handful of other pieces.
To the right of the entrance was a small table accompanied by a plush sitting
chair. Not far from the pair, halfway to the private bathroom door, sat a five
drawer bureau which was empty currently except for an extra set of clothing for
the bed�s occupant. Completing the set was a nightstand on which sat a table
lamp, both having been moved to the side to make room for the various monitors
tracking Sasuke�s health and the IV pole. Illuminating the area was a large bay
window that took up most of the left side of the room. The dark crimson drapes
had been tied on either side and framed the clear glass panes that allowed the weak
fall sunlight in. Outside, snow had fallen and the view onto the grounds would
been picturesque if had not been obscured by the ice adorned branches of a dead
tree that resided nearby.
Every
piece of furniture was made of dark brown wood, all glossy from recent dusting
and the color went well with the rest of the room�s color scheme, contrasting
pleasantly with the red and gold hues in the fabrics and paint. Guest room or
not, it was fit for visiting royalty.
�It�s
not like she cleans much.� Hinata grumbled under her breath as she followed her
boss back to the bed, obviously having an issue with Violet invading her
territory.
�Violet
is very good at polishing.� Frank remarked offhandedly, ignoring his
subordinate�s obvious puzzlement at his remark. He looked down at Sasuke,
eyebrows drawing� together as he leaned
forward, his hands folded securely behind his back with one hand holding his
cell phone, very carefully not touching the brunette as he examined the
unconscious male.
�I
thought his left side exhibited signs of nerve degeneration.� He remarked
softly, inches above the pale skin. �It must hurt to be laying like this.�
Hinata
thought it best not to remark on just how doped-up her patient was; with all
the medication in his system, Sasuke could be ripped apart by a rusty thresher
and wouldn�t feel any of it. �I think it�s a protective position; his left side
is his weakest and though it may hurt, he sleeps on it to protect it from
further injury.� Frank looked at her, silver eyebrows in his hair line. �At
least th-that�s w-what I think��
�An
interesting observation.� Frank said mildly, turning back to the bed,
straightening up not long after. He sighed and put his phone away. �For now,
lets keep this quiet. No need to worry Mary or Andrew��
�Hey,�
There was a sharp knock on the door followed by an unruly blond head sticking
itself through the doorway. Dressed in his pajamas, Andrew stepped into the
room fully, running his hand through his hair before sticking both hands into
the pockets of his bathrobe. �Vi said she got in a fight with a table or
something up here�?�
�And
you came to see if there were any other attacks?� Frank asked dryly, taking in
his boss�s state of dress as the other wandered over to the bed. Andrew
shrugged and settled on the opposite side of the bed, the mattress dipping from
his weight enough to make Sasuke slide an inch backward. The blonde kept his eyes
on his security lead; Sasuke may as well not have existed.
Hinata
couldn�t help herself as she held in a breath, gaze flicking between the bed
and Sasuke�s heart monitor, the machine noting an increased heart rate.
�So
how�s the potato?� The blonde asked even as he picked up Sasuke�s medical chart
and began flipping through it. His eyes brows shot up periodically as he
scanned over the information, his lips turning down in a frown the further he
went. He held a hand out to Frank and made a beckoning motion.
�He
says his name is �Sasuke.�� Frank said, handing his employer a pen, watching
the blond as he began scribbling.
�Really?�
Andrew glanced up at him, the picture of interest. �He woke up?�
Frank
shrugged dismissively and suddenly Hinata found herself in the spot light as
intense sky blue eyes turned toward her. �W-well, he woke up for a moment but
then went back to sleep.�
Andrew
pursed his lips and frowned, his expression perilously close to being a pout. Ignoring
Sasuke, he leaned over the other male and hit a few buttons on the heart
monitor, ignoring his suddenly tense employees as he settled back with a print
out.
Hinata
bit her lip and held her breath as Sasuke�s body bobbed up and down with
Andrew�s movement. She feared what would happen to her patient if Andrew
tripped a defense response, wondering if Sasuke would be sent back to the
hospital only to be sent later to rot in prison on an assault charge. But
Sasuke remained unconscious, a veritable life-sized rag doll with a heart beat
that lolled bonelessly as Andrew shifted, and he would remain that way for
hours to come thanks to the sedative and pain medication cocktail circulating
through his blood stream.
�I�m
surprised he woke up at all.� The blonde muttered as he studied the print-out.
�Aunt Mary�s precautions have done their job well. Whoa!� Andrew�s eyebrows
shot into his hair in surprise as he came across a particular patch of sharply
defined peaks and valleys. �Any idea what woke him up? Had to be something
pretty major to rouse him.�
Frank
didn�t even blink. �Nightmare most likely.� He shrugged and clapped a hand on
Hinata�s shoulder. �His nursemaid gave him something to calm him down and put
him back to bed.�
Andrew
glanced at Hinata briefly before returning to the chart in his lap, once again
setting pen to paper. �I want you to follow this immediately. Mary may think
she�s pretty sly keeping him comatose but if he stays like this any longer, he
really will be a vegetable.�
�Frank,
if you�re through here I need your help with a project downstairs.� He handed
Hinata the chart, again making Sasuke bob gently as the blonde stretched his
upper body and shifted to stand up. Scrubbing a hand through his hair, Andrew
headed through the doorway, not waiting for the other man to follow. He took
three steps down the hallway before Alex and Brian came running up the stairs, barreling
toward him before skidding to a halt a few inches away, just barely in time to
avoid smacking into their father�s legs.
�Is
he awake?� Alexander asked quietly, looking peering around his father�s leg,
interest making his blue eyes shine.
�Can
we see him yet?� Brian asked, looking up at his father, openly excited as he
tried to catch a glimpse of the room beyond.
�Nope
to both questions, kiddos!� Andrew said, picking both six year olds up and
grinning at them. �He was hurt very badly so he needs to rest, you both know
that.� He bounced them reproachfully and both boys wrapped their arms around
his neck so tightly that they threatened to strangle him. �So, have you two
eaten yet?�
�Not
yet.� Brian replied, pale fingers tapping a rhythm against his brother�s tan
hand while he talked to their father. �What to come eat with us?�
�Yeah,
Daddy,� Alex added, and Andrew turned to look into eyes as blue as his own. �We
haven�t eaten with you in a while.�
The elder
blond winced and put both boys back down on the floor. He put a hand on each
head and ruffled their hair with a sigh. �I can�t. I have to finish a project
in the office.� He thought a moment as they made sounds of disappointment.
�What about I join you for dinner? I�ll work really hard and see you in the
evening.�
Both
nodded and stayed still as he messed up their hair again in what was supposed
to be an affectionate gesture; instead it only managed to emphasize how little
time parent and child were spending with one another.
�Can
we say hello to Hinata?� Alex asked plaintively as Frank joined them.
�Five
minutes.� Andrew said sternly. �Five minutes only and then you two leave.
Hinata�s in charge so do as she says!� He called after then as they bounded
through the door way. With a sigh, Andrew shook his head and headed down the
hallway, Frank at his heels.

�Is
he getting better?� Brian asked immediately after heedlessly jumping on the
bed, the action sending Sasuke bobbing once again while at the same time coming
perilously close to giving Hinata a heart attack. Behind him, Alex clambered up
onto the bed, blonde hair matching the gold tones in the d�cor but looking out
of place beside the two brunettes.
Hinata
smiled at the boys and nodded as she implemented the changes in Sasuke�s care,
paying careful attention to the monitors. Her eyes skimmed over the scribbled
notes in the chart�s margins, frowning as she turned the page this way and that
in an effort to decipher Andrew�s scrawled hand writing.
�Lemme
see.� Alex held out his hand for the chart, peering at the word in question
when he got it. Brian leaned over his shoulder and the blonde positioned the
chart so they could both look over it.
��Reduce
to half.�� They said simultaneously, and Alex handed the clipboard back to
Hinata so she could make the appropriate adjustments.
�So,
he�s getting better but he hasn�t woken up?� Alex asked, frowning as he looked
down at the sleeper.
After
moving down to the end of the bed, very carefully Hinata sat down on the
corner, giving her patient a wide berth and motioning the children to do the
same. �Your dad�s changed his medication so there�s a good chance he�ll be
awake by tomorrow. I don�t think he�ll be up to visitors, though.�
�We
just wanted to thank him.� Alex said plaintively as Brian nodded.
�That�s
right, I heard you met him when he gave you medication for an attack.� Hinata
said, looking over the blond. �How�s your asthma?�
�No
attacks since.� Alex informed her, frowning even as he took an exaggerated
breathe. �But he didn�t give me any thing to stop it.�
�He
didn�t?� Hinata asked, eyebrows knitting together as the little blonde shook
his head. �Then how did he stop it?�
�The twins looked at each other before speaking
and, just as Alex was about to answer her, Sasuke made a small noise and rolled
over. The movement was so sudden and unexpected it startled Hinata, sending her
to the floor as she slipped off the mattress. Sasuke caught both boys with his
legs, sending them backwards into the bunched material of the comforter and
hiding the two from view.
Heart
in her throat, the Hyuuga struggled back up seconds later, visions of the twins
black and blue plaguing her mind. Please,
please Sasuke, don�t have hurt them! �Is everyone okay?� She asked
breathlessly.
�Yeah,
we�re okay.� Brian said, blinking at her in surprise. He propped himself up on
his elbows, none the worse for wear from the abrupt shift in position. His
brother lay beside him in a similar position and was just as equally unharmed.
�Why wouldn�t we be?�
Hinata
tried to be discrete as she sighed in relief. �No reason, really, just wanted
to make sure you hadn�t hit the headboard.�
Brian
frowned at her, expression saying that he clearly knew she was hiding
something. He sat up fully and watched her intently as she stood up, her eyes
glancing at her patient�s heart monitor.
�I
think he can breathe better now.� Alex said, blond head directed to the figure
under the covers. �His chest was getting squished.�
�Squished?�
Hinata parroted, walking around the bed so she stood beside Sasuke. Her patient
had rolled over onto his back, right arm thrown carelessly out, his chest expanding
rhythmically as he breathed. He had turned his head away from her so that his
face now lay toward Brian. There was nothing to support the blonde�s idea that
anything had been wrong to begin with, but she frowned anyway at the little feeling
of guilt in her chest. The Hyuuga�s hand hovered over Sasuke�s chest, afraid to
close the distance and risk provoking any further movement.
Brian
watched her, dark eyes flicking between patient and caretaker, taking mental
notes on her behavior as he absorbed the scene, planning to examine it all later
when the adults weren�t around.
Alex,
however, picked up on Hinata�s tension but, instead of becoming cautious,
decided to respond in another way. He flopped down onto her patient, provoking
a grunt but nothing more as the blonde laid his ear against Sasuke�s chest,
listening to the calming thud of the brunette�s heart as he watched Hinata�s
face contort into all sorts of amusing expressions.
�You
can touch him.� Alex said, grabbing her hand and pressing it flush against the
chest underneath him. �He doesn�t mind.�
A
thought, a memory, tried to rise to the surface of Brian�s mind as he took in
the scene of his brother half-lounging happily on the chest of the slumbering
male and he suppressed it with a vengeance. While his brother and Hinata talked,
his gaze wandered to the sleeper�s face and he swore that, for a second, he saw
slitted red eyes looking back at him before the lids snapped shut to hide the
orbs from view again.
�It�s
been longer than five minutes!� Hinata suddenly barked, her face hardening as
she snatched her hand back. She glared at them all, eyes darting from the blond
to the two brunettes, part of her noting the eerie similarity between all three
faces, especially with Brian�s face so close to the elder male�s. The boy
seemed to be studying the other intently as he leaned close, almost nose to
nose with the sleeper. Asleep, Sasuke looked younger, not as young as the twins
but definitely years younger than the story his body told, and it just helped
to reinforce the idea that all three males on the bed were related in some
fashion.
Maybe Sasuke is their cousin? She wondered, making shooing motions at the boys
until they complied and slid onto the floor. �Don�t you have breakfast to eat?
I thought Sam would have had you fed by now��
�We
ate already.� Brian said grumpily, wandering over to the window and looking out
at the grounds until Hinata rounded them up and herded the two through the door
way. Alex nodded dejectedly.
Frowning,
she thought back to how the twins had tried to coax their father into eating
with them. If they had already eaten, why
ask�? Oh. OH! �I�m sure your father is looking forward to having dinner
with you.� She offered lamely.
Throwing
over the shoulders glances at the bed, the boys made non-committal grunts as
they waved good bye and headed downstairs.

More�s Moment:
Terribly
sorry about the delay, folks, but thank you for waiting. Hope you liked the
chapter even though there wasn�t too much of Sasuke in it this time around. I�m
still working on chapter 5 and, sadly, school is just around the corner so,
though I�ll update when I can, I don�t know if it will be as often.
I
promise that, if you bear with me, everything will be explained. Little hints
and clues will be revealed each chapter that will keep everything cohesive
later on though they may not seem like it now. As such, I have to be careful
not to undermine myself or get confused- because let�s face it, if I�m confused
on how this all fits together, then this story will just suck in the end.
I
really, really hate it when that happens to a good (am I bragging?) story.
Makes me so angry, like I wasted my time reading it, and I truly don�t want
anyone to feel that way when reading my story.
Some
of you may also be wondering about the title of this little story, and though
it may not make sense right now, I�ll explain- at least about the river.
According to Greek Mythology, the river Styx
is the river that the souls of the dead are carried across before they can make
it into Tartarus, the land of the dead. There is also a myth about this nymph
named Styx, but for at least the time being we
will be ignoring her. I�ll try and relate certain keep points back to the myths
surrounding the river, since some of you voiced comments of it, and to also
give explanations at the end of each chapter if it�s not in the story proper.
If you�re still confused after that, let me know in a review and I will try to
address it as long as it doesn�t damage my story plot.
Lastly,
if any of you think I am a bit rude for not responding to individual reviews, I
ask that you please not take this habit as a slight to you. After all, you did
take the time to review and all. I try not to do this simply because I try to
address concerns and comments within the story and concentrate my time and
energy with the actual plot and making things work. I don�t do it to be mean so
please don�t take it personally.
To
be honest, when I find that a story I read and like a lot has added a new
chapter, I get all excited and then really annoyed when most of the chapter is
taken up by the author responding to reviews. Sometimes these reviews are neat
and I do learn little tidbits of information but most of the time I feel
cheated, especially when the responses are longer than the entire chapter! I�m
a fairly placid person-no, really- and, if something gets under my skin, I know
I can�t be the only one with the issue. Strange, but true.
�I appreciate any and all reviews- just please
don�t expect me to answer them all individually. If, however, a lot of people
have expressed similar questions regarding a particular issue, and providing I
can tell you about it, I will address it at the beginning of the new chapter.
Thank
you everyone, and until next chapter, happy tales! ��
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The Banks Of The River Styx