Disclaimer: I don't own bleach or any of it's character's.

Just a dream:

' "Oh, how nice of you to join me.." a voice cooed, causing the Captain to spin in order to find it's source. "I see that my poison is working...do you feel it?" it asked. Just as the last of the words left it's mouth a burning sensation started in his chest, causing Toushiro to gasp and clutch at his chest. The burning grew hotter, the molten feeling spreading through him.

Fire was bad, very, very bad.

Toushiro glared around, trying to put on a unhurt and expressionless face and actually doing a rather good job. Though it was clearly making the unseen figure mad because the pain intensified until he did more then gasp.

"What do you want?" he asked, forcing the words out. He had lost his breath for a moment so his question came out more strained then he had hoped but better then the worst it could have been. "The poison, this is what.." A chuckled interrupted him and he scowled despite his current pain, he didn't find this the least bit amusing. "What?" he growled, he took slight notice that the pain was fading but he really didn't pay much attention until it came back stronger. Toushiro cried out, falling to his knee's and doubling over, his hand knotting into the front of his cloak.

"Can you fight it, can you fight me?" the hollow questioned, still out of sight but close by "Can you?"

Toushiro glared around while reaching up to grab his sword, only to find out it wasn't there. He growled and pushed himself up raising his hands in a fighting stance but soon the stark blackness changed to white but he could still hear the taunting laughter'

OoOoOoO

Concern. That word didn't quite describe what he was feeling and even more so when the small teen screamed and arched off the bed. It was way past worry, he didn't think there was a word to describe what he was feeling.

It was clear Toushiro wasn't having a very pleasant dream, the small form twisted, arched and then curled up clutching his bare chest. The cool sheets were strewn about the bed and the pillow had fallen off a long time ago. He had laid Toushiro to bed about five hours ago, watching as the Captain faded beyond his reach for a while. Ichigo had left for about two hours trying to find him help but was told there was nothing for the poison and the Toushiro would have to fight it on his own.

He went to Hat and clogs, who gave him some pills but nothing else.

The pills were force feed and he had been bitten in the process. Ichigo sighed, leaning back in his chair and closing his eye's momentarily before reaching out and pressing a hand against Toushiro's face, checking to see if he still as warm as before and to his relief he was a lot cooler but still hot. While he was doing that, he didn't notice the teal eye's flutter open, scan the room and then land on him.

"Kurosaki?"

The voice startled him, his hand instantly dropping limply to side and staring at the teen with just a slightly surprised look, Ichigo's eyes even uncharacteristically widened some. "Uh, yeah?" he finally managed, before reaching out to push Toushiro back down when he tried to sit up.

"What am I doing here?" he asked, he meant the room but however Ichigo took the question wouldn't matter and he paused slightly before another question slipped out. "And…why am I nude?"

Toushiro thought that question was rather justified.

Ichigo chuckled and then sighed, he was pleased to hear a full and normal sentence come from the King of winter instead of ramble's and one-sided conversations.

"You were running a high fever, undressing you would help keep you cooler" he replied "We tried dipping you in an tub of ice…but it melted a few moments later.."

Toushiro seemed to consider this and nodded a moment later, pulling the covers further up his body in a vain attempt to cover himself a little. His thoughts going back to what he could only call a dream and then his gaze slid back to Ichigo who had occupied himself with a book, which was odd because Toushiro had never seen him read until now.

A faint smiled graced Toushiro's lips but was gone as soon as Ichigo looked over and the Teen arched a brow waiting for him to say something.

Toushiro didn't take long in voicing his thoughts "Have you contacted the soul society?" he questioned, wincing slightly. The movement was faint so Ichigo didn't notice the action. Toushiro fell back among the pillows and sheets, enjoying the coolness of them..

"Just a little while ago but only to ask for something." Ichigo replied, pushing himself up and stretching "I'll go right now…either that or forget.."

Toushiro heaved a sigh and turned onto his side, tucking his arm under his head "Go Kurosaki" he said, frowning "You need to fill out a report when you get there, don't forget to add any details, spare nothing no matter how trivial they may seem. Understand?"

"Yeah, I get it" Ichigo responded, with a slight eye roll and then left.

The room was very silent without Ichigo and Toushiro tried to close his eye's but soon opened them when a pain burst in chest, sitting upright he gasped. The pain was horribly close to that of the one he had felt in his dream and his vision suddenly began to swim. Toushiro bit back a cry of pain and lifted his head, scanning the room and then thought to call for anyone that was still in the house. Deciding against it, he bent forward and pulled his knee's up, resting his head one them and trying to steady his breathing. He had heard you could trick your body into thinking something didn't hurt and he was trying to do that at the moment, it wasn't going well.

Scritch

Toushiro lifted his head again and looked around, he had heard a new noise. Teal eye's quickly did another run through of the room. Wall, bookcase, desk, thing in the window…

His attention snapped back to the window. The creature was crouched down, it's pale white body was hunched down like a wounded dog but much smaller, possibly small enough for Toushiro to hold it in the palm of his hand. Neither Toushiro or the creature moved, both remained motionless until a slender claw slipped through the window's crack and started to push it open. It was at this time, Toushiro jumped up and rushed across the room. Though not feeling overly swift in movement and in health he refused to let the creature in the window inside the house, too many people were in the building.

Both hand's gripped the top of the window pane and started to pull down, slowly closing the gap so that it couldn't get through. Now that he was closer he knew exactly what it was.

The smaller form of the hollow he had killed and this only fueled his goal of getting that window shut. However, the hollow wouldn't have any of it and from the back of it a long a spine shot out and pierced through Toushiro's chest. The Captain didn't have anytime to react but instead gritted his teeth and continued to pull down on the window but again the spine shot out stabbing him until his grip loosened, then aimed another shot at his chest. Only, this time Toushiro caught the thin spine but couldn't do much about the one that went around him then went through his back. The struggle continued for a good ten minutes before one of them gave out.

Toushiro collapsed. Blood pooled from under him and the small Hollow leapt down, landing on the fallen soul reaper, another thin tube stuck it's self into the boy's shoulder and a deep red fluid was injected. It didn't take long to come in effect because the boy's breathing became shallow and a whole series of shudder's and chills took over. The hollow's momentary pride in it's self was stopped by footstep's and it disappeared when the door swung open.

The sound of various objects dropping soon followed.

(A/N): I'm not so sure of this chapter really but it turned out alright and I hope you liked it. Anyway I would like it if you reviewed, the only reason this update is here is because I have quite a few alerts on this story but only one review. Not exactly encouraging but here you go anyway. Review please.