Well I got this idea from a dream I had the other night of Hime's life after Hueco Mundo. It's alittle OOC and kinda AU. Hope you like it!
Read and review please!
She always seemed so happy.
"Morning Ichigo, how are you today?"
Always smiling, laughing.
"Haha, Rukia that's not what we had to do for homework!"
And putting others before herself.
"It doesn't matter about the cut on my arm! Are Renji and Chad okay!?"
I thought I knew her so well. But if I claimed to know her so well, then how could I not notice.
How did I miss the pain in her eyes?
The tear streaks on her face most mornings?
The scars on her arms?
"How could I miss it! How I could I possibly not notice the pain she went through everyday!?"
"Ichigo, she hid it, really well. Tatsuki didn't even realize."
"But, Rukia, I.. I had a feeling. I had a feeling something wasn't right! And I just pushed it aside!"
Rukia walked over to his side and gripped his shoulder. "Look, Ichigo, you couldn't of done anything to stop this. No one could of." She sighed and continued, "Honestly, she's always been really good at hiding her emotions from people. Especially from you. But being in Hueco Mundo must of taught her to hide her emotions even better."
Ichigo just sighed and pulled away from Rukia. "Look, how about, rather than sulking and making yourself feel worse about nothing we go visit her tomorrow?"
When she didn't get a response, she turned to the door to leave. Just as she was about to close the door she heard Ichigo answer.
"I'll think about it." Rukia smiled and shut the door. "Night Ichigo."
/-/-/
There she stood, auburn hair whipping in the wind, arms stretched out, head tilted back towards the sky and soaked from the rain.
"Orihime! Is that you? What are you doing!?" Ichigo yelled over the wind. The girl turned her head back to look at Ichigo. Smiling she mouthed something to him.
"What!? Get down from there! I can't hear you! Orihime!" The girl closed her eyes and turned away from him. Still smiling, she gracefully stepped off of the bridge's ledge and fell.
Ichigo stood there, wide eye'd and terrified. "O-orihime!" He ran to the ledge and looked over hoping to see her.
All he saw was the river cashing against the bridge. And as he slid down to the ground, he heard it.
"Did you ever care?"
Ichigo shot up out of bed in a cold sweat. Panting he looked over to his alarm clock.
3:17 A.M.
"God, what was that...?" He pushed his hair back and took some deep breathes. Then lying back down, he looked out the window, "It's raining pretty hard...", and fell into a dreamless sleep.
/-/-/
"Now remember, she's very weak, physically and emotionally. Don't pester her with complicated questions and only speak with kind words. Also, not too loud, understand?" The nurse informed Rukia, Chad, Uryu and Renji and led them to her room. "Thank you." Rukia smiled at the nurse as she left.
"Wait," Renji spoke up before they opened the door, "where's Ichigo?" Rukia sighed and shook her head. "He refused to come. He has this crazy idea that this is all his fault."
Renji's teeth clenched as he held back from punching something. "That...that idiot! Doesn't he want to see her?" "Of course he does. But you know how he is. He probably thinks he couldn't protect her." Uryu chimed in.
"We better get going." Chad spoke up and reached passed Rukia to open the door.
The four walked in slowly. The room had a white and green color theme, with four or five wooden chairs placed randomly throughout the room. A large window sat directly across from the door with its curtains wide open, letting in as much sunlight as possible.
They all knew that they couldn't avoid seeing her forever, so they turned their attention to the pale girl on a bed that was placed up against the back wall.
Her auburn hair lost its luster, her beautiful ivory skin was now pale and her eyes looked sad. One arm was wrapped up in gauze while the other had the IV in it.
Once she realized she was in there, she looked towards them and spoke almost inaudibly, "Hey guys."
Rukia let out a breath she didn't realize she has been holding then smiled. "Hey, Orihime."
Orihime smiled back, "I've been better." She laughed a little before looking towards the window.
"Even though it's winter, the sun probably makes it feel like spring, huh?" Uryu looked over to Rukia with a puzzled face then looked back at Orihime. "Uh, yea, I guess it does. Anyway, uh, we stopped by your house and got you some things."
Uryu pulled a bag out from behind his back and placed it on the bed. Orihime smiled and opened the bag. Reaching in, she pulled out a picture of her brother, her favorite stuffed bear and her pillow from her room. Instantly her face lit up.
"You guys didn't have to." Orihime looked up from the bag to her friends, "Yea we did, I mean if your gonna be cooped up in this boring place for a few days, might as well have somethings that remind you of home, right?" Renji, who was casually resting up against the wall, said.
Orihime smiled even more and began to tear up. "What's wrong?" Chad asked from near the window. "Nothing, I'm just glad you guys came to visit. And that you brought me some things. Thanks." Rukia smiled and laughed, "Anytime Orihime. And we gotta go now, but we'll be back soon, okay?"
Orihime nodded her head still smiling. "Uh, Rukia, can you come here first." "Uh, Sure." Motioning the boys to leave, she walked over to the bed.
Rukia noticed that she tensed up before speaking. "Um... is, is Ichigo... okay?", she just smiled and grabbed Orihime's hand. "Yea, he's just a bit shaken up is all. He'll come visit. I know he will." Orihime smiled again and relaxed.
"Thank's Rukia. See you soon?" "Yea, by Orihime." Rukia then closed the door and smiled.
I'm just glad she's okay.
/-/-/
That same morning, across Karakura Town in the Kurosaki household, Ichigo was woken up by the sound of whispered yelling.
"Dad! Dad! He's gonna be real mad!" "Yea Dad, just let him be, don't be a jerk." "Dad!" "GOOOOOOOD MORRNINGGGGG IIIIICHIIIGOO!"
And it hit him, literally. "Ow! What the hell! was sleeping!" Ichigo, now slumped upside down against his closet doors, rubbed his head. "HAHA SO IT WORKED." Isshin yelled and laughed again. "What worked!" Ichigo yelled flipping himself rightside up.
"Well, your yelling at me again. You haven't yelled at me in two days. Welcome back!" Isshin patted his son on the back and walked out of his room, laughing.
Ichigo grunted and grumbled while standing up and stretching. "He's right you know..." He looked to his door to see Karin and Yuzu standing there, smiling. "I know what happened and how it affected you. I mean, I'd be the same way if one of my best friends tried to... ya know." Karin paused and scrunched her forehead trying to think of the right words to say.
"What I mean is, that you shouldn't be too down on yourself. Just, try and think positive, I guess. For her sake maybe." Karin scratched the back of her head and left. "You know just as well as I do how much she hates it when your upset. Especially when it's about her." And with that Yuzu ran off back to the kitchen.
Ichigo sat down on his bed and stared at his hands.
I guess I'll go visit her tonight.
/-/-/
"Um, excuse me, is it too late to visit someone?" The orange haired teen was dressed casually, but not too casually, with his right hand clutching a small bag. The nurse looked at him and smiled, "No, it's not. Have you signed in?" He nodded and she smiled. "And may I ask, what's the name of the person you're visiting?"
Ichigo was hesitant, his palms sweating and his knees a little weaker thank before.
Breathe... you have to see her.
"Ah, Orihime Inoue." He tried his best to smile like he wasn't nervous, but that failed. The nurse chuckled and wrote down something on a small slip of paper. "Yes, she's in room 216. Go down this hallway, take a right, through the doors and the room should be on your left." She smiled at him and gave him the small slip of paper with her room number on it.
"Just don't be too loud." Ichigo smiled at her and followed her directions. As he approached the doors she was talking about, he knew they were the entrance to a different part of the hospital.
As he got closer, he realized what it read.
Psychiatric Ward
Ichigo took another deep breath before entering. Following the room numbers on the left side, he found her room with the door opened slightly.
He walked in quietly and saw her, sitting on her bed, looking out at the stars. She looked so small and frail. Like her hand would break if he held it. He then noticed the gauze wrapped up her left arm.
He closed his eyes tightly, trying to get the image out of his head, but he knew he could never forget what he saw. How he found her. How cold she felt.
Breathing, he stepped in more, hoping to get her attention. When that didn't work, he knew he'd have to speak up.
If only he could find his voice.
Come on Ichigo.
"H-hey, Orihime." He spoke, loud enough for only her to hear.
He saw her body go rigid. He saw how her shoulders shook as she turned her head. And as she made eye contact with him, for the first time since Hueco Mundo, he saw her eyes light up.
"Ichigo." She smiled as tears ran down her cheeks, "I... I thought you wouldn't come." She sobbed into her hands, shoulders shaking violently, then looked back up at him.
"Thanks for coming Ichigo."
Hey guys! Hoped you liked it! Review maybe? For me!
I'll be updating soon! I promise lol.