Here's the next chapter. This will probably be as short as the chapters get. Anyways, enjoy.

Thanks to Witchgirl16, ImmortalPhantom22, smooshedpumpkins, khfan forlife, and anonymous reviewers Sin and KATy. Keep 'em coming!


Chapter 2: Innocence

Isshin stopped the ambulance right outside the doors to the clinic. By now, the girl had fallen asleep, just like Ichigo's father had said she would. She was still whimpering and sobbing, but she was asleep nonetheless. While Isshin brought his supplies into the clinic, Ichigo carried the girl again. He followed his dad into one of the many empty rooms.

"Set her on the bed and I'll be right back," Isshin told him.

Ichigo nodded and carefully laid her down on the crisp white sheets. He went ahead and hooked her up with an IV knowing his dad would've done it if he hadn't.

Isshin walked into the room minutes later now in his doctor's attire. He walked over next to Ichigo and placed one hand on his shoulder.

"You did well son," he told him. "Let me take care of the rest. I'm sure you have some homework to do and I want you to explain the situation to your sisters when they get home."

Ichigo glanced back at the unconscious girl on the bed before looking over his shoulder at his dad.

"Just take care of her dad," he said, his voice heavy with hidden emotions.

"No need to worry my boy," Isshin replied. "I'll let you know as soon as I'm done."

Ichigo nodded before swiftly leaving the room. He walked down the clinic hallways until he came to a door at the end of the hall that linked the clinic with their house. He went through and found himself in the living room. Ichigo walked over to the kitchen table where all his books sat and pulled out his latest assignment. He grabbed a pen and prepared to finish his already half way done calculus homework.

Although with his mind swimming with thoughts of the girl just down the hall, Ichigo knew he wouldn't be getting anything done.

---

A hour passed by and Ichigo was still on the same problem he had been on when he sat down. His mind was filled with thoughts of the mystery girl he had found by the river. Who was she? How did she come to be in the state she was in now? Who brought this Hell upon her?

Ichigo chewed on his lip–something he had taken up after his mother died. He looked towards the door that led to the clinic again, like he had been doing the past hour. Waiting for his dad to emerge from the other side with news of their mystery girl's condition. Good news, he found himself hoping.

As he was staring at the clinic door, another door opened. Ichigo forced himself to turn away from his point of focus and saw his two younger sisters walk in the house, backpacks in hand.

Yuzu ran over and gave him a hug like she did every other day while Karin simply threw him a simple 'hello' before walking into the kitchen to grab a snack.

"How was your day at school Ichigo?" Yuzu asked him.

"It was alright," Ichigo replied, his voice hollow.

"Doesn't seem like it," Karin stated as she walked over and sat down at the table, glass of juice and crackers in hand. "What happened that you aren't telling us about Ichigo?"

Ichigo huffed. Somehow, his sister's always saw through him. They knew he still hadn't recovered from their mother's death like they had and today, they knew there was something on Ichigo's mind; something pulling on his heartstrings.

"Fine, fine," he sighed. "On my way home today, I found an unconscious girl that had washed ashore by the river. She looked pretty beaten up. I finally got her to come to and she was in a very unstable state of mind. She never told me her name, she only kept telling me not to hurt her and that 'he's trying to kill me'. I called dad and we took her back here. She's back in the clinic. Dad said he'd let me know once he's finished dressing her wounds." When he finished, Karin was looking on with a shocked expression and Yuzu was tearing up being the sensitive little girl she had always been.

"How bad was she?" Karin asked.

"Her eyes were swollen, she had bruises and cuts all over her body and her wrists were slashed; a suicide attempt most likely," Ichigo explained and he heard Yuzu choke on a sob. "She was in a dirty, tattered dress and without shoes which leads me to believe that she's from the poor village a couple miles down the river."

"That would explain something, considering most of the adults there are drunken idiots," Karin said. "She could've very well been from an abusive family."

"I hate to admit it, but you're probably right Karin," Ichigo mumbled.

His body shook with anger at the thought of a parent hitting their child. It just wasn't right. Parents were meant to protect their children; love them and give them a place of belonging. Not hurt them and treat them like the dirt they stood upon.

Luckily for the pencil that was threatening to break in Ichigo's death grip, the door to the clinic opened and an exhausted looking Isshin came from it.

"Hey there girls," Isshin sighed, waving to his daughters who only looked back at him with a look of anxiety.

Isshin looked to Ichigo. "I take it you told them everything?"

Ichigo gave a silent nod. "She okay?" he asked.

Isshin smiled. "As far as her injuries go, she'll be fine. I can't say much for her mental state however. You saw how damaged it was when we brought her here," he said. "I cleaned all her cuts and made a few… gruesome discoveries while at it."

"Can I see her?" Ichigo pressed. "I also want to know about these 'gruesome discoveries'."

Isshin only gave his son a sympathetic nod. "You know where she is." Ichigo brushed past his father and stepped back into the clinic. Isshin looked to Yuzu and Karin. "You girls are welcome to come back as well."

Yuzu was about to speak when Karin cut her off.

"We'll come back later," she said. "This incident really seems to have emotionally affected Ichigo so we'll let him go with you alone."

Isshin nodded before closing the door and following his son.

Ichigo was staring down at the still slumbering girl when Isshin walked in. He walked over to Ichigo and cleared his throat. Ichigo looked up at him.

"So, what were these 'discoveries' you made?" he asked.

"Well, first off, several of her ribs are fractured which I'm assuming happened while she was being carried by the river and hit up against rocks. They should heal within a week or so. There was also a cut near her shoulder consistent with a knife wound. It's stitched up and bandaged and should finish healing by itself in a few days. And last, I found this," Isshin picked up the girl's right arm and turned it so they were looking at the inside of her elbow.

Ichigo bent down and studied the area his dad was pointing to. There was a tiny circular wound near a vein that was red from repeated use.

"A puncture wound?"

Isshin nodded. "I take it she was given drugs more then once."

Ichigo found himself quivering with anger for more than the second time that hour. What bastard could have done this? Who would have a reason for wreaking such havoc on this young girl's life? He wanted to find this person and make them wish they would never see the light of another day.

He sighed however once reality sunk in. Even if he did find out who did this to this girl, it wasn't plausible that Ichigo would actually be able to inflict such damage by himself.

He huffed and ran a hand to his hair before saying, "Let me know when she shows signs of waking?"

Isshin nodded and gave his son a half smile. "Sure thing, son."

Ichigo spared once last glance down at the frail body covered by crisp white sheets before vacating the room.

---

It was half past nine when he found himself back in the room that was already becoming all too familiar to him. His gaze was steadied on the girl again. It never wavered from her face; watching for any signs of life beyond sleep.

Ichigo had given up trying to draw conclusions to what or who made this girl venture through Hell and back and was now instead trying to decipher why he been so adamant to help this girl, why he now felt like her life was his responsibility, and why he felt so strongly for this girl who had only been in his life for a few hours—and most of those she had spent unconscious.

It must be because she reminded him so much of how he was after his mother died. Sure, he had never been beaten, given drugs, or traveled down a freezing river, but he could relate to how broken he was sure she felt on the inside.

He could relate to the… innocence she possessed; the lack of knowledge or understanding of how dangerous and saddening life really could be.

He could relate to the impact all of this had to have on her. Having your life be good and dandy one day and then spiraling down towards the flaming pits of Hell the next.

It was exactly how Ichigo remembered feeling after his mom passed.

Ichigo blinked and was surprised when he felt a lone tear trail down his cheek.

It wasn't right. Kids weren't supposed to live lives like his and this girl's. They shouldn't know about the horrors of the world until they were ready to live on their own and fend for themselves. They were supposed to be raised in a loving and sheltered environment by their parents. Not really cut off from the outside world completely, but a stretch in the truth would never hurt.

They weren't supposed to get the full effect of it by experiencing it themselves.

Ichigo knew it sounded stupid and childish, but he wished there was an actual class to take in preparation of being an adult that prepared you for the dangers of the world outside your parents' door; a class that taught you the harsh truths of reality.

There would never be such a thing however, and Ichigo knew it. He was a fool for even wishing it could be taken into consideration.

The crinkle of the sheet was what brought Ichigo back from his somewhat depressing thoughts. He averted his attention away from the wall which had become so fascinating, and down yet again to the girl in the bed.

She stirred once more, let out a quiet cry followed by a barely audible whimper, and squeezed her eyes shut. Ichigo let a small smile grace his features.

She was finally coming to.


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