Then his thoughts wondered back to Okita, the one he had gotten it from. He wasn't mad though... How could he be mad.
Surely it wasn't Okita's fault... thought Ukitake "the poor guy couldn't help but cough" the thought stirred a small tickle in his chest.
After coughing, he thought to himself... "hmm... if I'm sick & Okita's sick couldn't do any harm to visit him now!"
It was decided, he left the Squad 4 Hospital & set out to find Okita.
"Wait!!!" Called a Unohana. "You forgot your medicine!!!" She yelled, (holding up a bag) but it was too late...Ukitake was gone.
Ukitake entered the dojo he'd heard Okita was training at.
"Is Okita Souji here?" he asked
"No" said his sensei. "I'm afraid Okita is not feeling well today" he said grimly.
"oh..."said Ukitake, frowning alittle. "May I go see him anyway? ... I know he's contagious, but..." Ukitake coughed (making sure to cover his mouth as he did so) "I already caught it from him" he continued.
"Well I guess it wouldn't hurt, fallow me." he said.
Ukitake fallowed him to were Okita was staying.
Entering quietly, he looked around. He spotted futon on the floor covered in blankets, underneath the blankets he could see Okita's head poking out.
His eyes were closed, but he looked restless.
Stifling his erge to cough, Ukitake watched him sleep & listened as he breathed.
He could hear wheezes & rattles as Okita struggled to breathe. Then something gurgled & Okita woke up coughing.
Ukitake swallowed his own cough in shock.
Okita felt around reaching for something.
Ukitake spotted a bloody handkerchief near the bed & handed it to him.
Okita took it & coughed into it. "thanks.." he choked out shackily... "who... are... you?" he asked, coughing again.
"Jyuushiro Ukitake" he answered.
"you... your... that... guy..." he said weakly taking a shaky breath.
"yes, the one who fought you... don't talk... just rest" he said.
Okita gave into another coughing fit. "you...should...go..." he said, spitting up some blood. "you... might... catch..." he coughed some more.
Ukitake coughed alittle too. "it's okay" he said. "I already caught it from you... back when we fought..."
Okita looked apologetic.
"No, it's okay... you don't need to feel sorry." he said, smiling softly.
After staying with him a bit more Ukitake went home.
He thought about Okita, he was in pretty bad shape that day. "I wonder I'll be that bad" he thought to himself.
Ukitake layed down & tried not to think about it, but he didn't feel well.
However, it wasn't just his thoughts. He tossed & turned & coughed.
Then feeling chilled he pulled the covers tightly around himself...
only to throw them off later feeling soaked with sweat.
Feeling the cold air on his sweaty skin he shivered & pulled them back on.
He continued throwing the covers off & on, as he tossed & turned & coughed.
He finally settled to sleeping with half the covers & fell asleep exausted.
He woke up coughing & still feeling tired.
He wondered if he looked as bad as he felt.
When he looked in the mirror, he gasped & choked on some phlgem.
-His hair had turned white over night-
he spat out the phlegm & noticed a small splattering of blood.
Feeling worried he went to Squad 4
Unohana was shocked at the site of him (with his white hair), but kept her composure.
She checked Ukitake's temperature & listned to his lungs.
"how am I?" he asked.
"You've gotten worse" she said. "Your running a fever & your lungs have gotten more congested.
You might have done better if you had taken your medicine home with you" She said, holding up the bag it was in.
"Though I do wonder how you got worse so fast...
where did you run off to before you went home?"She questioned feeling concerned.
"to Okita's"said Ukitake, a little short of breath.
"hmm you went to see Okita..." she said. "it could be you picked up some more of his germs & made yourself worse... I recomend not spending to much time around him when he's symptomatic" she cautionted.
Ukitake frowned alittle "uhh... what about my white hair he asked?"
"I suppose it was brought on by the stress of your illness." She said.
"It's a rare reaction, but people's bodies react in different ways. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about"said Unohana sweetly.
"besides I think it looks good on you shirou-chan"she added with a smile, brushing back his short white hair.
"shirou-chan" I like that, thought Ukitake.
Unohana made Ukitake some tea with herbs like those in the bag she had given him. "drink this, it will lower your fever & cut your cough." She said, handing it to Ukitake.
Ukitake drank it slowly.
After resting a bit at squad 4 hospital he went home
