Chap 6: Down but not out
Renji's eyes opened, meeting the dim glow of light filtering in through a window. He closed his eyes again, furrowing his tattooed eyebrows. His head hurt like hell. Where was he?
"Hey, I think he's awake."
He opened his eyes again. Those voices sounded familiar. The redhead carefully rolled his head to the side, observing the people in standing beside his…bed? He was in a bed? In fact the whole room was dimly coloured or white. The hospital building. Of course.
He scanned the figures in front of him but didn't recognize them immediately. His head was in a haze. He saw…Bald. Ikkaku. Okay we're off to a good start. Luckily the fog in his head cleared a bit, and before he had to play any more mix-and-match games, he recognized, along with Ikkaku, Shuuhei and Yumichika.
"Hey, you alive in there buddy?" Ikkaku said obnoxiously. But Renji was way too flustered to think of a retort that made any sense, so he just stared blankly at him.
"You think he has brain damage?" Shuuhei remarked.
"Unohana said he would be fine. Give him a little while Ikkaku." Yumichika said.
"He hit his head pretty hard." Ikkaku said with an obvious unsure edge.
That was enough for Renji. He didn't like being talked about like he wasn't there and that didn't change now that his brain was half dead.
"What happened?" He said, making them all jump. A grin spread across Ikkaku's face.
"Hey! He is alive!"
"No duh. Answer the question." His haze was almost gone now and his trademark impatience was returning.
"We saw you walking. You seemed really deep in thought so we didn't want to bug you, but apparently you didn't notice the wall." Shuuhei said.
"Wall?" Renji was confused.
"You smashed your head into a wall. And then the pavement." Ikkaku smirked. "Idiot."
"Oh." Renji glanced down. He was tucked neatly into one of the cots, in a private room. The redhead raised a hand from beneath the covers and felt his forehead. It was wrapped in bandages, his red hair strewn about wildly across the pillow.
"How long was I out?" he asked.
"About 8 hours," Yumichika replied, "like I said, you hit your head pretty hard. Unohana-taicho said you should stay here for the night and you can leave in the morning."
But Renji's own health was the last thing on his mind. His head was buzzing. Mostly on his last thoughts.
"I love him? No! That's impossible! He ruined my life!"
"Alright Renji, I thought we were already past that. You definitely don't hate him." Argued the other side of his brain.
"But I can't love him! He's…he's…he's him!"
"But you haven't been able to stop thinking about him have you? And didn't you almost kiss him before? And how about all those strange thoughts you've been having about him? Plus, he's beautiful, and mysterious."
It had him there. Byakuya was beyond a doubt beautiful. Few women could compare to his fairness. And Renji knew it.
"Just think about his pale skin, those deep, blue eyes, his cold expression, the way you strive for his attention, the way you follow him like a lost puppy…" No matter how annoying his brain demon was, it was right.
"I'm head over heels for him, aren't I?" Renji sighed. He hated it when he lost an argument, but facts were facts. He couldn't deny it anymore. Then he noticed everyone staring at him.
"Is he out again?" Shuuhei quipped.
"Nah, he's just having a conversation with himself in his head again. He does that sometimes." Ikkaku replied knowingly. Shuuhei dropped to his knees dramatically and clutched Renji's hand.
"Come back to us Abarai-san! Don't go to the light!" he cried, half grinning. Yumichika rolled his eyes and Ikkaku laughed as Renji jerked his hand away and smacked Shuuhei over the head.
"Let go of me gaytard!" he laughed. Soon all of them were chuckling and Renji sat up carefully.
"How's Kuchiki-taicho?" he asked. The laugher died and every one looked at him again.
"He woke up while you were knocked out." Yumichika said.
Renji's eyes widened and before anybody could say anything more, he jumped out of his bed, and ran all the way to Byakuya's room, pausing only to slam open the sliding door and yell:
"Taicho!"
He saw black hair turn and blue eyes gaze at him before a wave of pain hit him and he went falling to the floor once more.
"Smooth."
A/N: Ha ha. Renji's an idiot. This chapter's longer! Yay! And the second one in one day! I'm on a roll! Please review!