Here's Roxi, back with a new story! Another TouRin, of course. This one is going to be angsty-romancey, which I love writing.

Of course, I'll not be giving up A Time of Firsts, it'll just have less frequent updates. But never fear!

Without further ado, please enjoy!

Awaken

XX

She wakes in white. The brightness of the florescent lighting startles her eyes; immediately her pupils shrink, revealing dark blue eyes nearly black that serve to make her already pale skin look nearly translucent. Her hair, jet black and just brushing the bottom of her shoulders, serves to heighten this image. Pale pink lips, chapped from the elements, separate and she clears her throat, glogged with exhaustion. As she takes in her surroundings (bland white-gray square room except for the large window to her left that looks out to a garden, think blanket and backless robe thing, hard pillow) from her lying down position in the cold bed, she becomes aware of two things: one, she is covered in bandages, and the spot that hurts the worst is in the left side of her abdomen, and two, there's a constant beeping sound, which, combined with the washout room, can only mean…

Oh no…she rolls her head to the right and comes face-to-face with a large needle sticking out of the inside of her elbow connected to a tube attached to a bag of clear liquid. She looks away, closes her eyes, bile rising in her throat. She hates needles, always has, even the ones Yuzu used for sewing, Yuzu always teased her about that…

Yuzu! Tired eyes fly open, mind suddenly racing with questions. Where is her sister? Why is she in this hospital room? She thinks back, tries to remember why she would need healing in the first place, and is abruptly alarmed to realize that she has no recollection of anything pas…she digs deeper, dark eyebrows furrowing in concentration. There! Her last memory is hugging her twin after a soccer game, brother and father cheering in the background, silent but obviously happy best friend at her side.

She frowns suddenly, jerking out of the blurry memory, as she feels her heart speed up, but she is soon distracted by the shifting of clothes announcing another's person in her little room. She blinks and focuses on the arrival: a beautiful woman who can't be more than thirty-five, with blue eyes too old for her youthful heart-shaped face and long black hair braided down her back. She wears a lab coat and carries a clipboard, and carries an air of confidence and ease and kindness. She says in a soft voice, "I am glad you are awake. Can you please tell me your name and birthday?"

"I am Kurosaki Karin," she answers in a steady voice, "I am fifteen, my birthday is May 6th, and I am a sophomore at Karakura High."

Unohana writes something down on her clipboard. "Very good. Can you move your left ring finger for me, please?"

After a series of small exercises that all involve moving one of her extremities, Karin is able to sit up gingerly after the doctor removes the IV. Eventually Karin has to ask.

"Why am I here?"

Unohana's face suddenly looks more lined than it should, age finally catching up with the apparent wisdom in her eyes. "You…and your family were in a severe car accident. Your elder brother, sister, and father are all dead," her voice is deep with loss, although she didn't even know the Kurosaki family. "I'm sorry to say, but you are the last member of your family."

Pity and sympathy meet numbness and shock. Karin can not want to comprehend, refuses to comprehend. The words hang in the air, like needles pushing into her ears, they must be heard. She tries to block them out, but still they persist, pushing and pushing until the pain is too great. Suddenly a huge weight presses down on her, and she can't breathe; she sees the doctor rush out of the room, but she can't hear anything, just before the world goes dark, she sees Yuzu smiling at her.

Then Karin goes under.

XX

Ooh...cliffie! This is just a sort of prologue that introduces Karin, but in the next chapter we'll find out the details of her accident and where she'll go from here. And of course, Hitsugaya comes in ^^ It's already written, but I shan't post until I know if this is good or not! So please do review!