"Calm down Inoue, he's just opened his eyes." Spoke Ichigo.
"I told you to call me Orihime."
"I can hear you."
Orihime jolted, and then smiled again. She held her hand out to me but I was too scared to take it. She insisted and grabbed it anyway, bracing it with so much care.
My chest didn't hurt anymore, nor did I need to clench the bedspread beneath.
"What's wrong?" I asked. Looking up at Unohana. "What happened to me?"
"We don't really know. For now it seems it's stopped, whatever it was. We gave you an injection to make you fall asleep so you wouldn't feel anything. You're not feeling any pain at the moment are you?"
"No, I'm fine."
"That's good. I put you under an x-ray, but nothing of the unusual came around; you seem to be perfectly fine according to my studies."
"I've never felt anything like that before, that wasn't something perfectly fine."
"Hmm you seem to be causing us some problems…Ulquiorra." The man spoke. His voice husky and calm.
Like I assumed, he knew me well.
Not that the story of an espada living amongst them was a secret; but I could tell there was more he knew than anybody else.
He didn't have shinigami clothes and he didn't carry a katana, however his spiritual aura felt at a captain level.
Despite my annoyance in the situation and my need for finding who this man was, my pride got in the way and I spoke harshly.
"I never asked for any of your help. The trouble is all your fault."
"Oh really? Because from what I hear it was Orihime who helped you. You took her help did you not? And if it wasn't for her- well you know the rest." He said, crossing his arms.
"I never asked for any of your help. Nor hers."
A silence broke in the room but Orihime could not find it in herself to stop smiling even after what I said.
"How ya feeling then?"
I ignored this question but then answered with a simple and private answer.
"I'm fine." The only thing I could come up with.
"Ulquiorra, you're not fine. You're hurt."
"Who are you to tell me I'm not fine?"
"Yo you should calm down there buddy." Spoke the unusual man.
"It would do you good to stop calling me buddy."
"Oh? And what are you going to do? Only just a minute ago you were in pain, I don't believe there is much you can do to me."
"I will strike you down where you stand."
"Well then, this one is fiery…for someone who is getting aid from a bunch of shinigami's you were just fighting against."
"Who are you?" I finally questioned, letting my anger of his threats get ahead of him. "Do you know who I am?"