AN: Edited this chapter, as I realized that some of the text disappeared when I uploaded it. Should be all good now. Please let me know if I missed anything that needs corrected!
They were finally releasing her from squad 4 today. He hadn't seen her in three weeks because she had been in quarantine, no one was allowed into her room but Captain Unohana and Lieutenant Kotetsu. Three weeks since he'd seen her smile,since he'd heard her soft laughter, or felt the way her body would relax into his. It felt more like three years though as it reminded him of another time, almost sixty years ago. When he thought about losing her to this virus she had contracted, all he could picture was Hisana in her final moments -so weak and fragile- and he just couldn't bring himself to think of Rangiku looking like that. She was so different from Hisana, not just in looks, but in personality as well. She was beautiful, courageous, strong willed, truly a warrior, a soul who never refused to give up or give in.
She had been in the jungles of the living world on a mission, and came into contact with a deadly virus on her journey. At least that's the most likely possibility, for when she returned she appeared to be absolutely fine. It wasn't until a few days later that the symptoms finally showed themselves, while the two were out for a walk. Walking along at a comfortable pace, hand in hand, they were enjoying each others company and discussing their work days when she had suddenly fallen to her knees, short of breath. He was at her side immediately, worry written all over his normally stoic features. She was shaking and when he turned her face to look at him, it was flushed, her eyes glazed over and her skin on fire. "Rangiku...love, are you alright?" She gave no answer, her breathing becoming more labored. Panic began to try and take over his mind, this was too familiar,it had happened once before. "No. Don't think about that right now, just get her to squad four." mentally scolding himself. In one quick blur he picked her up off the ground, using shunpo to his limits, and carried her to get help.
When they arrived, he demanded captain Unohana be the one to see her, no one else would be good enough. She was there in seconds nodding for him to follow her, leading him to one of the examination rooms and asking him to place Rangiku on the table. He wanted to stay with her, but after he told Unohana what had happened and where she had been recently, she had told him to wait outside, and no one could refuse her, she was too scary. Eventually, after what felt like several hours, someone came and advised that they needed to run some tests to make sure he had not contracted the virus himself, through contact with her. Of course he had complied willingly, and afterwards he noticed other officers being tested as well. Most of them had been on the mission with her, and he suddenly realized that whatever it was that she had, it was indeed very serious. Luckily, no one else had been infected, but they had quarantined her room off immediately and he was advised that he could see her under no circumstances until they could be sure she was not contagious, and find a way to cure her.
He had used all of the resources of the Kuchiki clan to research and assist Unohana in anything that she needed concerning Rangiku's recovery, money was not an issue. He refused to lose the woman he loved to an illness...again. He didn't care if he had to bankrupt the family and lose everything he had,as long as he didn't lose her. He couldn't, it would be the death of his heart, if no the death of him in his entirety. So when he'd received a message from the healer the night before, advising him that she would be releasing Rangiku into his care (as he had vehemently requested many times) and that he should make arrangements to pick her up, he felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. And now here he was, about to see her face for the first time since she had collapsed. Opening the door quietly, his eyes fell on her immediately and his breath caught in his throat as her gaze locked onto his, a smile reaching across her face. Lips curling upward he smiled in return, moving to her side and leaning down to place a light kiss on her forehead. Before he could pull away she looked up and gave a quick peck to his lips. "Hi." was all she said, and all he said back. She looked thin, there were terribly dark circles under her eyes, and her complexion was like that of a ghost. But she was alive, and she was going to make a full recovery and that was all that mattered to him in that moment.
The moment she saw him she could tell he hadn't been taking care of himself. The deep lines in his face, the dark circles under his eyes, the pure exhaustion that radiated from his posture, all signs that he had worried himself half to death over her this whole time. She knew exactly what he had been torturing himself with, knew that he had been comparing this to what happened to his late wife all those years ago. Vaguely, she could remember the look on his face that day that she had collapsed, and she never wanted to see fear like that in his eyes again... she had given him a genuine smile when their eyes met, in hopes of quelling some of the worry. He kissed her forehead, and she made the move to plant a quick gentle kiss on his lips, hoping to soothe him a bit. "Hi." was the only word to escape her lips, as she realized she didn't know what to say. He responded in kind and they just sat there for a few minutes in silence neither one really needing to speak to convey what they were feeling to the other. She was aware of how he would see her in this moment, weak and fragile, and she couldn't stand it. "Byakuya" reaching out and cupping his face in her palm. "I'm gonna be alright. I promise you, it's going to take more than some stupid virus to take me out." She said with determination. "We shall see, won't we?" he said standing and picking her up out of the bed. "For now, I just want to get you home, where I can be sure your safe and comfortable." Wrapping her arms around his neck, and leaning her head against his chest, she let him carry her out of the building and in the direction of the manor.
"I told the staff to have dinner ready when we return, you are too thin, you need to eat something, hungry or not." He stated. He was being cold and harsh, but she understood that he was doing his best to handle the situation and that in times like this he tried to distance himself from the emotions he felt. He would retreat into his shell when things became overwhelming, but she was always able to pull him back out. "I'm starving actually." Her quiet reply, even though she really wasn't feeling hungry at all. She would let Byakuya fuss over her, and do what he thought was best for her, letting him be in control would calm him and help him realize on his own that she was going to be alright. He had the bedroom completely arranged around her. He had placed her on his side of the bed because it was closer to the bathroom, her favorite most comfortable pajamas were laid out waiting. He'd filled the room with her favorite flowers and even the foods for dinner were all her favorites. She did her best to eat as much as she could without making herself sick, Byakuya watching her the whole time. "You need rest, you should get some sleep." He said when she finished. "Okay, but only if you'll sleep too. You could use some rest yourself." she bargained. "Now that you're home, I'm sure sleep will come much easier." nodding his head at her. He had the food cleared away and without another word, disrobed and crawled into the bed. Pulling her close, her back to his chest, he held her tight, practically wrapping himself around her. Her whole body relaxed against and into his as sleep claimed them both within moments.
Over the next few days he refused to leave her side, or let her do anything for herself. He would feed her, help her dress herself, help her bathe, he even went so far as to escort her to the restroom to make sure she would be okay. And while all of that could be annoying to some people, and even herself here and there, she was touched by it. To know that he cared enough to drop everything he had going on and focus on her, and only her, gave her a feeling she had never known...security. To know that when he said he wouldn't leave her,would never abandon her, he meant it. She'd never understand how she got so lucky, but now that she had him she was never ever going to let go.
It had taken a full week to convince him that she would be fine, and that he needed to return to work, and he did so reluctantly. It took another week for her to feel ready to go back to work herself, but honestly she was ready for it. After spending a little over a month in bed she was just desperate to get back out into the world. Desperate enough to to do paperwork even! And so things returned to normal, at least until six months later when she came down with the flu!