Forgive me for the long author note. It will be one of the very few that will proceed the story.
Hey guys just wanted to say a few things before you take a read: While having a fair knowledge of health procedures used in hospitals, I am not a medical expert in any means. Also, for the sake of fiction some medical information and practices will not be accurate.
I am not the owner of Bleach just an avid fan like many of you. Also forgive me for any inaccuracies occurring in characterization, while have made effort to study all characters used I have not followed the series since the Fake Karakura Arc. So, If characterization has changed since then for some characters forgive me.
This is AU.
Thank you for bearing with the long author note and I hope you guys enjoy!
To Which I wonder? To which I wander?:
Muddled her vision swam. Eyes swampy fallen with crust of exertion lifted slowly allocating the blue and white space she suddenly existed in. She couldn't feel the shivers consuming her body just a blood thirsty heat. Thrumming, thumping along her veins. Heat like fire blazed her skin trickling up her body pulling her into consciousness.
"Sweet heart! Ca.. hear me!" Muffles she couldn't interpret. "I need... respond." The burn coursed further up her little form as the voices became louder and closer to reach. She muffled an aching fear curling into the heat that surrounded her. "No..Kae...you...hand" The unbearable heat prodded and poked at her malleable skin, snaking around her throat and pinching at heart until all she could do was scream.
"uhghrhh...grhh"
Firmly a blanketing coldness wrapped around her, black pulled her fading conscious, a prickling took a hold of her skin. "Kaede If you can hear me squeeze my hand!"
Softly the body littered with heat swelled down. Her fingers burning, gripping, clenching into cold peach hands squeezed as light surfaced into her shadowy eyes. Turning hair sticky and hot against neck she ghasped, the nauseating movements swinging by her. The only constant, glacial fingers firmly locked within her own.
Fluttering coal lashes squeezed together, tears building, eyes coming into focus.
"Kaede!" The woman smiled. The gurney halted for a few moments. "I am relieved you are awake." Propping her head down golden locks falling over her shoulder the woman bowed to the flustering child. For a moment their was safety, a moment of reprieve for the pounding heart of the tiny little girl.
And then she was gone. The orange dewy figure lost. Fear blossoming in her soul the little girl shouted. Quickly she was swiveled into a frothy white walled room. Heart pounding against her ribcage searching vigilant for an unfamiliar yellow warmth.
Within moments the faceless staff had the shivering girl removed from her gurney and transplanted to a coarse, uncomfortable hospital bed. Grumbling she shifted the rumbling sound of tapering paper trapped under her sweating wreathing form.
Gasping the child flailed. Arms refusing to cooperate with the nurse who was holding her down. A long silver needle posed above the red heated skin.
Scowling the nurse pinched harder pushing the needle against sweaty skin. A prickle of pain, a moment of fear, thrashing as the instrument pressed messily into her flesh. Surging deep into the child's arm she sputtered shook and cried out, kicking with all her might to fight the shadowy strangers who tried to detain her.
Clitter clatter.
The needle wriggled agitating tensed skin pushing out and falling to the hospital floor.
"Oh my! Kaede." In flew the sunset woman from before. She approached languid but without cautiousness. Warm and radiant her fingers smoothly cooled against the girls flush skin. Bending down with only her head and arms in view of the tiny girl on the bed Orihime gave a vibrant smile. Lips pulling against her skin into a blossom ray of sunshine. One that reminded little Kaede of the smiles her friends often gave her when they wished to play.
"Kaede do you believe in magic." Orihime asked running her fingers across the shivering child's nose to rid her of the snot.
Seconds past, the little girls deep chocolate eyes venturing to everything around the room. Finally, she wavered to look up the stunning smile not even a millimeter smaller than it had been before.
Sniffling with her knees crossed before her the girl stared imploringly, trustingly into her recipient. "I do," She sniffled.
How it was even possible would be hard for a child so young to explain but the brightness that engulfed the woman around her grew even more as she approached Kaede. "That's very good to hear, because I have a secret." With over exuberant sincerity Orihime Leaned down pushing the sweaty black hair of Kaede's behind her head. Cupping cold fingers gently against the clasp of an ear she began to whisper, "I am a fairy godmother sent to help you. With just a little fairy magic I can make you all better." Clapping her hands she smiled tentatively at Kaede.
"Magic?" Large jet eyes implored.
"Yep Magic," She clapped again, "Let me just get my fairy dust." Turning to the child as the other nurses worked around her. "Doctor Ishida has special fairy medicine that is going to make you super strong!" She spoke while fiddling through the cabinets.
Looking at the stiff doctor the child blinked disbelieving before turning back to Orihime. "He is a fairy too?" The little girl whispered loudly.
Kaede was dubious believe that the dour looking doctor smoothing out his non-existant wrinkles had even an inkling of magic in his bones.
Orihime attempted to smother her growing grin as the Doctor mumbled into his chest and wrapped his long finger around his blushing face.
The bed dipped. Leaning towards the child the red head sparkled. "Of course, but you must keep it secret or the magic won't work very well." Adamantly the little girl's head shook back and forward apologetic for her mistake.
"Now kaede." The voice sweet as milk called to her. "Hold my hand and I will say a magic spell and Doctor Ishida will give a magic fairy kiss."
Rubbing his face the doctor sputtered, "A kiss!" Orihime looked apologetically at her superior as she shrugged her shoulders. Quiet suddenly both professionals looked back to their tenant Orihime eyes alight in amusement.
On the hospital bed pillowed together like a salted pretzel a little girl flourished, her face maddening red as shook her head back and forward between her shoulders.
Eyes like stars the little girls head popped from between her uncurling arms. Voice quivering but precocious as she stared at Doctor Ishida unabashedly, "A kiss...kiss from a fairy prince!"
Shaken and flabbergasted the Doctor froze. "I-I'm not a fairy pr-"
"Yes, yes a fairy prince. So close your eyes. And on the count of three repeat after me." Eager it took Kaede a few moments to settle, and a few more moments for Doctor Ishida to prepare another intravenous drip for the young patient. "Alright, are you ready Kaede?"
The little girl hurumphed in response. Squeezing Orihme's hand in anticipation.
"One let me be brave, let my pains melt away..."
Kaede's fingers tickled nervously within Orihime's. Eyes clamping close in nervous anticipation, the cold kiss of the prince sat against shivering hands.
Two help me through, fairy dust will heal your booboos...
Quick with precision the needle struck. The girls fingers squeezing for only a moment before the lingering cold of the prince's fairy magic began to travel through her fingertips
Three there see!
Fluttering her eyes Kaede blushed as the coldness of the IV began to melt away into a warm lavish trill down her veins. The fluids quickly returning a calmer color to the girls skin. The tiny child smiled sweetly looking adoringly at her arm and back at her fairy godmother with praise and adoration.
Swiftly the girl reached toward the nurse sitting at her beside, squeezing below her large bosom recounting the pleasant thready sound of the nurses soft steady heartbeat.
With the warmness of a mother soothing peach fingers threaded through mink hair smoothing the sweaty tendrils of the small child curled around her.
The door closed quietly. Two pairs of eyes lingering just for a moment on the small child nursed within the blankets.
"Great Work Inoue-San." Uryuu Ishida, one of the physicians at Karakura hospital praised. Orihime smiled at the stiff doctor still adjusting to the stringent, prude, effective work ethic of her Superior and Senpai.
Repositioning herself from a clumsy bow Orihime reddened, fingers threading through her messy hair as she smiled. "Thank you for allowing me to accompany you today Doctor Ishida." With excitement her fingers threaded together wresting against her chest desperate to keep the loud bleating of her proud heart mumbled.
Uryuu laughed adjusting his lab coat. His hands cradled into his pocket coat in attempt to keep from reaching towards the ambient woman.
She walked ahead of him almost skipping in her happiness. Uryuu mused she probably would have if not for hospital protocol.
"Down the rabbit hole goes Alice! Down with her I go!"
Adjusting his tie Uryuu held back his laughter. A fondness radiating in his eye as the young nurse twirled down the children's ward humming her tune.
"...into a wonder I've never known..."
They had known each other for a few years now. Orihime a volunteer at Karakura hospital helping in the maternity ward when he was just a mere medical student. From the moment he saw her he was infatuated. Her alour, her sweet spirit and unadulterated love for everything enraptured him from the very first breath she spoke.
"...To which I wonder? To which I wander?"
Uryuu remembered the first time he spoke to her. The spur of her emotions had seized his heart.
How precarious for her to see new life and then watch it snatched away. On that day she cried more than the mother almost as if she were crying for the sorrow of the world. For hours she refused to move her head held in her hands, shuddering.
It was with that memory, that frame in time which caused Uryuu such trepidation.
She was spinning through the halls again her soft soprano voice filling the blue corridors like tinkling Christmas. "Inoue-San!"
"Ano...!" Crying out she tried to stop mid-spin. Catching her footing after a few stumbles she turned to the uniformed doctor. "Sorry!" Holding her warm hands over her wispy breathe she apologized. He only smiled in return before his eyes turn complacent and elderly as it often did when they communicated together.
Walking with a flustered step Inoue traveled to Uryuu's side. Doe eyes fluttered not knowing if reprimand would follow his recent appraisal.
"Are you really trying to Transfer to Weco Mundo Terminal Ward?" With the coldness of a pillar of snow his glacial blues grappled to sway her shaky resolution. "Inoue-san...in your best interest-"
"Ishida-san," Her clasped fingers falling onto her legs, "We've talked about this before."
For a moment nothing was said. Weary, a man stole of youth Uryuu leaned back against the wall. The fatigue of two twenty hour work shifts settling into his bones. His head didn't turn but his profile remained as resolute and cold as a Roman sculpture, "I'm very aware of that Inoue-san but your place is here."
He could see the wrinkling of her nose, but he couldn't tell it was out of ire or out of sorrow. For a moment the weight of his heart outweighed the weariness of his bones. His fingers caressed her chin, "Your the best aide I have and the children love you."
Sliding out his touch she bowed low. Her lashes brushing back the sting of her flighty emotions. "Thank you Ishida-san...but, I can't remain complacent here." Pulling tightly on her abdomen she righted herself. Standing tall and unmindful or her trembling she spoke, "There are so many things I need to learn and discover, but I just can't do it here. Please understand..."
He moved to touch her, with the passion of fire he couldn't help but be drawn in.
"Ahh...Inoue-San just the beautiful lady I was looking for!"
His fingers stopped short.
Turning Orihime gulped, going from the wolf into the lion's den. An expectant grin melded against the unusual mans face. Quickly the clog wearing man approached her. He preened her lilac Karakura nurse uniform before readjusting her lopsided metallic name tag.
Flustering she bowed repeatedly, "Director Uruhara!"
"No need to be so formal Inoue. I just wished to remind you that we need to speak before your shifts end."
"A'ah Of course Director."
He petted her head, his fingers lukewarm against her skull, "Don't worry the conversation is of little consequence." Cheshire in every way, juxtaposed a deadly grin on his lips, mirth within his eyes but a hardness upon his face. He swayed away back to the shadows of the corridors humming a melodious, lonely tune.
Crossing her feet, squeezing her palms Orihime stared down at the white flannel floors hoping something would slither from the tile and give her a sense of belonging. Her voice was low and soft, curtly against the buzzing of swinging doors and loud footsteps. "Excuse me Doctor Ishida I should probably head back to the staff room and make my report."
Not once as she dipped through the long blistering walls did her hanging head raise.
Feet scuffling she stepped through the threshold of the break room holding tight to her composure. Fingers posed against a lonely chair she fumbled into the seat. Cold seeped through her scrubs, heat watery seeped down her eyes. Shaking and alone she sat in the chair, ostracized by her own morale. A child in a dunce chair she pitifully tried to strengthen her resolve and stand by her decision. Empty as the small break room her heart trembled, confused.
It's the smell of death that creeps into your skin. Prickling, puckering, languid, its encroach is a slow poison.
"Orihime!" The girl swallowed, focusing on reeling in her emotions. She approached the desk guided by chocolate hands. Fingers pushed her into the seat. A dangling black tail slipped below her chin.
They say everyone who has ever ventured into the terminal ward is cursed for death. Not a breathe has escaped the place unscathed.
Empty luminous yellow eyes stirred into her soul. The creature almost self righteous as it flopped before elongating itself against the table. On the other side with just as much languish sat his assistant Yuruichi.
She didn't focus on the woman too long. the radiating stinging of her soul reminding her that he was still speaking." ...Your intentions are strong but your resolve is weak. You are too soft Inoue. I denied your transfer previously, I am not in the position to do it again. On your own violation you may take Aizen Sosuke's proposal. But my own personal opinion is set. I disapprove of it."
Only a creature soulless could repeal the stench, fight the vultures, retreat from that place.
She stared much longer than she spoke. Scrapping up every bit of fragile resolve she had. Shutting out the tinkering of the assistant next to him, the wishful purring of the large black cat fanning itself on his desk, and the thump, thump, thumping of heart. She finally spoke.
It's a prison, a poisonous pit, a convenient crypt for the damned.
For just a moment his impenetrable smile lessened, his fingers loosened and shoulders slumped. A shudder fumbled up her shoulders. "I want to transfer."
Surly, and cruel its only a place for wild creatures to frequent.
"Very well then."