[swimming AU, fluff, angst]

"Sasuke? Sasuke!"

I've... Heard that... So many times... Just... Not as scared...

Sasuke's eyelids slowly fluttered open as his blurred gaze slowly became clear. He coughed weakly and managed a smile, "I... love it when you yell my name..."

Sakura, leaning over his bedside, laughed between cries, completely ignoring the remark, "thank goodness, you're alright."

"Ahem." On the other side of his bed was Kakashi, Naruto, and Sai, "don't be making those awkward remarks while we're around, idiot."

"I could care less." Sasuke chuckled and coughed, his voice still slightly hoarse, "so... What happened?"

"It was at the world tournament qualifiers yesterday. You passed out in the pool." Sakura explained, "do you remember anything before that?"
"I just remember... Having a pretty hard time breathing." Sasuke spoke thoughtfully, "now that I think about it, my breathing now is still kind of shallow."

"Yeah, about that." Kakashi looked at him, "we talked to the doctor. He said he'll have to conduct a biopsy of your throat tissue and neck tissue. Something's been up with your neck and..."

Sasuke rose a brow, "and?"

"It..." Sakura took his hand, "it could be cancerous."

Sasuke's head fell back against his pillow as he let out a heavy sigh, letting the news sink in, "well, damn..."

"Listen." Naruto spoke seriously, "Sasuke, we'll support you, 'kay?"

Sasuke snickered, "how much did Kakashi pay you to say that?"

Naruto shut his eyes, "the point is that I wouldn't be too happy if my only way to qualify for the world tournament dies, so don't go dying on us, okay?"

Sasuke smirked, "like hell I'll lose to cancer."

"Even if it is cancer." Sakura tapped his hand, "the type of cancer you might have isn't fatal in its early stages. If they catch it before it spreads, it's next to harmless."

"That's a good sign." He looked at Kakashi, "how about my swimming career? What's it looking like?"

Kakashi shook his head, "that's for us to figure out after the results of your biopsy."

"Right." Sasuke chuckled weakly, "it's the same as it was with Itachi. The painful part is waiting for the test results that could change the whole path of your life forever. It's like waiting for the next chapter of a cliffhanger ending... Huh."

Sakura looked down at the ground before looking back up at him and gripping his hand, "even if it's cancer, I won't let it change your life. You'll continue swimming, cancer or not. Got it? You'll stay here with Naruto, Sai, Kakashi, you'll stay here with me and swim. Promise?"

Sasuke squeezed her hand with a smile, "I never break my promises."

Kakashi looked at her before clearing his throat and looking at each if his students, "Naruto, Sai, Sakura. We need to let Sasuke get his rest before the doctor comes in for the biopsy. For now, let's head out."

"Okay." Sakura gave the other boys a nod before turning back to Sasuke, leaning in, and giving him a kiss, "I'll be back in a little bit, okay?"

"Yeah." He smiled, "love you."

"I love you."

Once she shut the door behind her, she walked out into the hospital hallway to join Kakashi, Naruto, and Sai.

"You guys saw Sasuke's swimming yesterday, right?" Kakashi looked at each swimmer seriously, "Sasuke's breathing is getting frail."

"I also noticed." Sai rubbed his neck, "is that a tumor?"

Sakura pursed her lips, "I didn't notice it before, so I don't know how long it's been. I definitely noticed, though. His neck's gotten even a millimeter thicker..."

"I thought it was muscle." Naruto chuckled, "I guess I was wrong."

"That tumor could be benign, but." Kakashi looked at them, "we have to prepare for the worst."

Sakura swallowed hard, feeling her throat closing up, "the worst?"

"The worst could go either way. The tumor is cancerous but still in its early stages. They can remove the tumor and he'll be fine. The worst case scenario, the cancer spreads to the rest of his body and becomes even harder to treat."

Sakura's hands shook at the thought.

"If that happens," Kakashi set his hand on her shoulder, "I don't want you guys to let that get to you. The World Tournament is coming up, so I want you guys to keep at it. For today, though, take it easy. Especially you, Sakura. I'll see you guys back at the pool tomorrow."

"Thanks, Kakashi-Sensei."

Sakura said her goodbyes to Naruto and Sai from the front of the hospital as Kakashi slipped his hands into his pockets and looked at her before leaving.

"Will you be okay?"

Sakura smiled at her coach, "yeah. Thank you."

"If you need anything, just let me know."

"I will."

She watched him walk off before she turned to walk in the other direction towards the pool. The orange of the setting sun spilled through the glass of the building and reflected off the water in the pool. Sakura walked across the pool deck and stared at the ripples in the pool water.

"I never break my promises."

Sakura pursed her lips and shut her eyes as tears brimmed her eyelids.

Sasuke's going to be strong through this, so I have to be strong, too.

"Are you going to swim?"

Sakura turned towards the voice and saw the familiar figure of a boy walking up to her, "Kawakami..."

"Just Katsuki." Katsuki, wearing only his swimming jammers and a towel over his shoulders, casually took a sip from his water bottle as he stopped about seven feet away from her, keeping his distance, "are you here to swim?"

Sakura crossed her arms uncomfortably and shook her head, "I don't have my stuff, I wasn't really planning on it. I'm guessing you are?"

"I've already started. A few hours ago. I'm taking a break."

Of course. Why would I even ask... Sakura gritted her teeth.

"You're a pretty strong swimmer, aren't you?" Katsuki walked up closer to her, "I was impressed."

"H-hey..."

Every step towards her he took, she took one step backwards until her back hit the wall and he was standing closer to her.

"So..." He looked at her, "I heard about your teammate. Is he a friend?"

Sakura rose a brow, "he's my boyfriend."

"I suspected that." Katsuki shrugged, "have you learned about anything else regarding his condition?"

"They don't know yet until after the biopsy. I plan to go in again tomorrow to check up on him." Why the hell am I telling him this stuff?!

"I see." Katsuki looked at her, "well, I'm heading out."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. What else were you expecting?"

Sakura pursed her lips, "my boyfriend, the one I love with my whole heart, could be dying."

Katsuki turned to look at her, "I'm sorry for your loss. Happy?"

"I need an explanation." Sakura walked up to him, "yesterday, when Sasuke was unconscious, I saw you. Before you left. What was that all about?"

"That?" Katsuki smirked, "well, I didn't think you actually saw me."

"I have a boyfriend, may I remind you."

"I'm painfully aware, thank you very much." Katsuki brought his hand up to his chest and touched the two metal dots on either side above his collar bone, "you noticed these, right?"

That's right... Sakura nodded, "where did they come from?"

"Next time you visit your boyfriend, you'll probably see him with these in a couple of weeks."

Sakura rose a brow and watched as he started walking off towards the locker rooms, "h-hey, wait a second! Come back here--"

Her heel slipped carelessly on the pool water on the deck and she flew forward, falling against Katsuki, who caught her and was now staring annoyedly at her.

"What?"

She looked up at him, almost pleadingly, "please. Tell me. What condition is this? What does Sasuke have? I know you know, I saw you back there. You know."

He looked at her and sighed, "go talk to Kakashi-Sensei. He knows too, you know."

"But you can tell me right here, right now." Sakura gritted her teeth and grabbed his shoulders, "please, I need to know if Sasuke's going to be okay."

Katsuki stared at her before letting out a heavy sigh, "it's Thyroid Cancer. A cancer that develops at the base of the throat. Initially, it's nothing to be worried about... Until it goes metastatic." Katsuki took her wrists and pulled them from his shoulders, "Sasuke's cancer was caught a little later than normal. I guess the signs and symptoms weren't all there."

I thought Sasuke's breathing setbacks were allergies. At least that's what he said. Did he know this whole time?! Sakura bit at her thumb nail before looking back up at him, "wait, so does that mean... You had--"

Just before she could finish her sentence, Sakura's phone started to buzz, "it's Kakashi-Sensei. Sorry, Kawa.. Ah, Katsuki."

"Just go." Katsuki rubbed his wet hair with his towel as he turned and left.

Sakura pursed her lips before answering the call, "yes, Kakashi-Sensei?"

"Listen, Sakura. The biopsy was done."

"Already?!" Sakura glanced down at her watch, "are you sure? It normally takes a couple of days, doesn't it?"

"Well, they took the sample, it's not processed yet." Kakashi's voice shook slightly, "the thing is, they did some other tests, and they might've caught something else. They're not sure yet, but something's off with his lungs that could be contributing to his breathing."

"His lungs?" Sakura covered her mouth. His condition is just getting worse and worse. At this rate...

"Now, Sakura, I want you to listen to me."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to talk to Obito and see if he can get one of his students to swim with you, Sai, and Naruto at the World qualifiers."

Sakura froze, "are you saying....?"

"I'm just preparing for the worst. If his diagnosis comes back in a few days as positive, then his swimming career is doomed."

Sakura couldn't move. He was her reason for swimming. If they were to give all that up just like that... "please, Kakashi-Sensei, there has to be another way..."

"I'm sorry, Sakura. If it's cancer, there's no other way."

Sakura's hand dropped to her side as she watched the calm, rippling water.

"I never break my promises."

"This just..." Sakura swallowed hard and shut her eyes, "this just might be your first."

Sakura wiped her eyes after a few minutes and left the pool.

Meanwhile, Katsuki stood against the wall by the boy's locker room door, having listened to the whole conversation unfold. He rubbed his finger-tips over the two metal beads in his neck, "my own personal reminder of what I've been through to get here. He has a chance, Sakura. He just might."

~~~

Written by xX_Fang_Xx