Demonyokokuramafan: Okay so this is my first Bleach fanfic. Everyone, easy on reviews please.
Ukitake:*coughs* I'm sure everyone will like it.
Demonyokokuramafan: I hope your right Captain Ukitake. Now would you please do the disclaimer for me Captain?
Ukitake: Of course. *coughs* Demonyokokuramafan does not own Bleach or anyone in it. All she owns is her OC Ruka and her friend Ashley's OC Riva who let her use it. *coughs*
Demonyokokuramafan: Oh thank you so much Captain. Oh, you look sick. You should rest.
Captain Ukitake: No, no I'm fine. I have paperwork to do anyways. It needs to get done.
Demonyokokuramafan: Well alright then. *mumbles* Lieutenant Shiba or Captain Kyoraku will make you rest eventually anyways. Please read and review. No flames please, they'll hurt Captain Hitsugaya.
Hard Captain meets troubled lieutenant chapter 1
Chapter 1: Sick Captain
A ringing cough could be heard in the thirteenth squad barracks. An elder man with straight, long white hair was sitting at a desk full of papers. He looked at one of the papers, signing it and putting it on top of a stack of other papers. He paused briefly, coughing hoarsely again, and then continued signing his boat load of paperwork. Being a Captain sure was busy, but sometimes it was worth it. Especially to Captain of the thirteenth squad, Juushiro Ukitake. He looked up abruptly as a knock on his office door sounded someone wanting to get his attention.
"Captain Ukitake, may I come in sir?" a gentle, female voice sounded from the other side of the door. Captain Ukitake smiled, knowing who the visitor was.
"Come in Ruka dear. The door is open," he called out to the awaiting female, coughing once more when he stopped talking. The door creaked open slightly and the girl stepped in. At first glance she almost looked like a twin of Hinamori Momo, lieutenant of squad 5. It wasn't her though. This girl had jet black hair that was up in a bun without the cover Momo used. She wore the normal shinigami shirt and a lieutenant's badge on her right arm. She also wore a black skirt instead of pants. This was the new lieutenant of squad thirteen, Ruka Shiba. Ruka was the daughter of the late lieutenant of squad thirteen, Kaien Shiba and late third seat of squad thirteen, Miyako Shiba. Ruke gave her Captain a sweet smile that lifted up the dullness in the room.
"Captain, what have I told you? When you feel bad, leave the duties to me. Go and get some rest and I will finish the paper work," Ruka told him softly as she moved over and placed her fingers on her Captains shoulders. Captain Ukitake moved one of his hands and put it on top of hers.
"You are too kind to me Ruka. There is no need though to do the paperwork. I feel fine," he told her. A cough escaped his lips though once more, contradicting what he was saying. Ruka shook her head at her hard headed Captain, but she just moved to her desk next to his, taking some of the pile of papers.
"You know, you are about as stubborn as my dad was. Well, if I can't get you to take off for the day and have me do the paper work, than at least let me assist you in completing this!" she begged him. She always was concerned for her Captain, and this time was no different. Captain Ukitake just smiled weakly at Ruka, giving her a nod.
"If you insist Ruka. You are always so pushy just like Kaien used to be," he said with a chuckle. It was true that Ruka was like her father in many ways. She had his black hair, his same color eyes, and her humor, kindness, and beliefs that he had. Ruka looked to the ground, smiling sadly, her eyes slanting.
"Hm, yes I guess I am like my father," she whispered with a dull, low enthusiastic voice. Her Captain watched her as she moved to the papers she had put on her desk and started signing them. He had noticed the change in her attitude and tone. He felt really bad now. He shouldn't have mentioned Kaien. He knew how Ruka was whenever her father was mentioned. Of course she had mentioned him first, but Ukitake figured she hadn't even realized that. He decided to let her do the work though since she would continue to argue with him until he complied with her wishes. An hour flew by and the finally the torture of laborious work was over and done with. Ruka stretched her flexible arms behind her back, yawning as she did so. Finally, now she could spend the rest of the day hanging out with Izuru, Momo, her sister Riva, Renji, Shuhei, Rangiku, Ikkaku, Yumichika, or Rukia. That is, if her Captain didn't need taking care of. She turned her head to the side Ukitake was on and the sight of him made her heart sink into her chest. Captain Ukitake had his eyes with his head laying on his deask. His hair had fallen messily over his face and ragged coughs came consistently from his lips. Sweat dripped from his flushed face. His lieutenant moved to his side quickly, taking immediate medical action. Thank god Captain Uohana had taught Ruka how to treat different types of wounds, medical conditions, and poisons. She didn't have the ability to heal Ukitake, but she could help ease his pain and calm him down. Placing her hand on his fourhead, she could feel the heat radiating off of him onto her palm.
"Feels like a 102 degree fever," she said to herself. She took out a white wash cloth and dabbed it lightly around her Captain's face, wiping the sweat off.
"R…uk…a," a faint voice was heard. Said person smiled a caring smile, trying to ease her high up.
"Captain I told you! You should have let me do the paper work. Then it wouldn't have gotten this bad," she whispered. A tiny chuckle was heard after.
"I g…uess y…ou w…ere r…ight. M…y a…pologies f…or n…ot l…istening t…oo y…ou R…uka," Ukitake mumbled. His hand flew to his mouth than as a row of coughing erupted, making it hard for him to catch his breath to breathe. It was wracking his pale frame and Ruka knew she had to do something fast. Her hands touched his back and she started moving them up and down his back, messaging it.
"Shh Captain Ukitake, breathe. Easy breathe," she repeated the same sentence over and over again. Ruka was used to this. She had been helping Captain Ukitake even before she was in his squad, when she was just a first year and the Soul Reaper Academy. That was the time when her father had died. Also, she went through the same thing she did, she also had Tuberculosis. She understood physically and mentally how much pain her Captain was in and what he needed. The coughing finally wound down to just a rough panting.
"Come on Captain. Let's get you into your room and lying down," she whispered encourangingly. Ruka pulled Captain Ukitake's arm over her shoulder and raised him up cautiously from his chair.
"Sentaro! Kiyone!" she called out for her third seats. In a matter of seconds, two soul reapers were in front of the lieutenant. Both were panting heavily since they hadn't been too close to Ruka and ran at full speed to get there.
"Good job you two! You broke your record! Made it here in 50 seconds," Ruka commented with a pleased smirk. She always timed her third seats to see how long it took them to get to where they were needed.
"Oh lieutenant, we would have been here even sooner, 30 seconds flat, if SOMEONE hadn't been sleeping on the job," the male of the two, Sentaro, exclaimed as he looked to the female beside him. The female, Kiyone, pushed Sentaro aside with her fingertips and bowed in front of Ruka like Sentaro had been.
"Lieutenant, though if SOMEONE hadn't of stalled, wondering if that was your worried, urgent cry or your you have a job for us cry, I assure you we would have been here even sooner than that. 20 seconds flat!" she stated.
"Hey, her voice was far away so I couldn't tell which it was. Besides, YOU shouldn't have been sleeping on the job. Lieutenant had told us that before REMEMBER?" Sentaro mocked. Kiyone just smirked evily.
"Yes she did. For YOUR information though I was not asleep. I was just resting my eyes and was fully aware of anything that was happening. Also, lieutenant also told us to come immediately, WITHOUGHT QUESTION, if we were called on," she counter mocked.
"No you weren't resting your eyes you liar! I heard you snoring like a pig. Your just trying to make yourself look good in front of Captain Shiba!" Sentaro countered.
"I do not snore like that! I am a lady and therefore I do not snore. You must have been delirious. Oh and you're the one whose trying to make yourself look good in front of the Lieutenant!" Kiyone countered right back. Oh god, there they go again. Couldn't those two go one day without arguing? Nope doesn't look like it. They hadn't even noticed Captain Ukitake yet.
"THAT IS ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU! I CALLED YOU TWO HERE FOR AN EMERGENCY AND YOU START ARGUING! NOW LISTEN UP!" Ruka snapped at her underlings. Sentaro and Kiyone snapped to attention automatically, like puppets being controlled by a puppeteer, standing up straight and putting their hands on their chest.
"GOOD! Now you two didn't even realize that Captain Ukitake was standing here ill this whole time!" she continued harping on them.
"We are sincerely sorry Mamn! What do you need us to do to help?" they asked simultaneously. Good they were listening now.
"Sentaro help me get Captain to his room. Kiyone, go and get Captain Kyoraku for me, tell him what's going on," she ordered them urgently.
"Mamn, yes Mamn!" they saluted again as Kiyone burst off in a set of flash steps and Sentaro moved over to Captain Ukitake, putting his free arm over his shoulder.
"Come on Captain, let's go," Ruka said comfortingly as she and Sentaro walked carefully back to the living part of the 13th squad barracks.