So yeah, life's still keeping me busy. Packing stuff really is a pain. No other excuse really, other than not having much inspiration to go on. Here it is anyway though. It's longer than all the rest, so hopefully that makes up for it a little bit? Maybe? Sort of? How's my characterization? I'd really like to know. I was a bit challenged, so I kept it short XD.
Anyway, you know the drill. Good, not good? Let me know.
--KG--
Chapter Seven: Used To It
The Fourth Memorial was never really a happy place to be, unless of course, you were here witnessing a birth or some other special event. Named after some famous fourth descendent of some legendary doctor Toshiro really had no interest in, it was the place to go if something unfortunate should happen. Important or no, Toshiro really didn't like the place or hospitals in general, especially when those close to him were the occupants. It was true that there were more successes here than failures thanks to the wonderful medical staff, but he still had no clue what was going on.
Wonderful staff or not, if the accident was that bad, there might be little they could do.
He inwardly cursed himself for his haste to put distance between him and The Thirteenth Step. He probably should've stayed and listened to the rest of what Nemu had to say, but he let his emotions rule over his logic just once and did the first thing that came to mind. It seemed he was doing that more and more when it came to Rangiku these days. Perhaps it was a bad omen.
He shook his head forcefully as he quickly treaded down the silent corridor. He would not think negatively right now. He would deal whatever happened to Rangiku, and he would do it with a clear head on his shoulders.
The only sound in the building was the echoing of his footsteps against the white tiles. He could hear machinery and the like from a distance, but for the most part, this area was quiet. He usually didn't mind the silence, but right now it was unnerving. He usually basked in this time to think, but he was fining that thinking now was not in his best interests. That got him into worrying, and that was something that his cool demeanor did not allow.
Reaching the elevator at the end of the hall, he waited patiently for the doors to open for him. Pressing '3' for the Patient Recovery Ward, he sat motionless as the lift started to rise.
The young man at the front desk hadn't disclosed the nature of the injury, but he didn't seem to think it was too life-threatening. That calmed Toshiro down a little. The attendant supplied the room number and directed the snowy man on how to get there, but he wouldn't give up any extra information that Toshiro was fishing for. Something about 'patient confidentiality' or something. The only other way to get it was if he was a relative or a significant other.
The thought of saying he was crossed his mind for a few moments, but he didn't even want to think about what kinds of problems that would cause if word got out. It was obvious that he couldn't really pass for a relative, so there would be only one other option. As much as he wouldn't really mind the idea, he was sure that others would.
He was surprised that the timid man didn't cave to hustling, being as nervous looking as he was. He could tell that he genuinely cared about his line of work, but the guy needed to seriously calm down. His stuttering and flustering would probably only get in the way with an unruly visitor or patient.
Still, he was pretty nice, and his flustering had probably came with a good reason. It seemed that the hospital had him doing all sorts of things, and the desk was a temporary spot until he was whisked off somewhere else. Toshiro got a name for this trouble though, a Hanataro Yamada, and he couldn't place where he thought he heard it before. Oh well, maybe he would ask him later if he was up to it.
The small ding of the device yanked him back to reality. There he was thinking again. As interesting as his thoughts were, there were more important things at hand. Setting off at another brisk pace, he set a small frown on his face as he searched for the correct door.
About twenty doors down he ended his search, not bothering to knock as he hurried in. His eyes widened upon seeing all the people in the room. It was more than he was expecting anyway. He scanned them all, not finding the one he most wanted to see. Instead, he focused on a face he knew better, Momo's. It was better than some of the other choices. At least she wasn't grinning.
He was about to question her for Rangiku's whereabouts and what exactly had happened, but before he had a chance to, he found himself with an armful of babbling Momo, who looked like she had tears rolling down her porcelain face. He had no choice but to wrap his arms around her when she latched on to his waist, burying her face in his shirt.
Continuing her muffled speech in his shirt wasn't helping him find out information any faster. It unnerved him a little, knowing that she was this distraught over something. He really, really hoped it wasn't something bad. Feeling his inner dread start to rise, he lightly shook the bun-wearing girl.
"Momo, calm down." He tried to be soothing, but who knows how well it actually came out. He was a bit tensed as it was. "What happened?"
He pushed her away slightly, if only to get a look at her face a bit better. It took her a minute to compose herself, so he took that opportunity to glance at the other occupants in the room. He recognized them faintly, having met them only once or twice at tops.
He acknowledged Halibel, Hueco Mundo's lead, with a nod of his head. She returned the gesture with one of her own from the corner of the room. He didn't exactly like where the idea in his head was going. One look at the other occupant in the room solidified his sinking feeling. It was him. What the hell was Gin doing here?
And why the hell was he smiling, of all possible things? Did that creepy looking grin never leave his face? Sometimes Toshiro really wondered. More importantly, he wondered why he was even here in the first place. He didn't bother greeting the man that had previously left a dent in the soul of one of his closest friends. He didn't really think him worthy of it. Instead, he just glared at the man leaning on the edge of the bed, hoping that his look got the point across. Much to his chagrin, it seemed that Gin's grin got even wider.
The warning bells seemed to go off in Toshiro's head as soon as he realized where all of these people were from. So it appeared that Rangiku was near Hueco Mundo at the time of her injury.
How ironic.
The frown on his face intensified after this, promising hurt if any one of them were the cause behind it. And what exactly happened in the first place? He was still in the process of getting this answer.
Another sniffle from Momo brought his attention back down from the endless labyrinth of his mind. She was furiously wiping away some stray tears from her face before she spoke. It was obvious that the girl was stressed. It showed just what good of a friend she was.
She backed away a step to look up, not breaking contact yet. Her shadowed eyes were glimmering with the remaining tears that she wouldn't let fall. Her next words were all jumbled and rushed, and he thought that she was going to start crying again.
"Toshiro, I'm so sorry! It was all my fault. I never should've asked her to come with me and-!" She closed her eyes tight and looked down, not wanting to believe that any of this was happening. If only she hadn't asked. Then things might be right in the world.
"Then she wouldn't be hurt, and she wouldn't have to-"
"Oh, what's all the fuss about? It's not like I died or anything."
Momo was abruptly cut off, and all four of them looked over towards the door at this new statement, seeing none other than Rangiku. They had to look down from their usual gaze though, because she was being occupied in a wheelchair, guided by a nurse.
Toshiro met her gaze, and for a moment it seemed that he could read every emotion that was passing though them. He saw the sadness in them. He wondered if she was able to do the same, looking so wounded and vulnerable as she did. He wondered if he appeared the same. Glancing down, he saw what was probably their worst fear.
Her ankle.
It was heavily bandaged in a cast, restricting her movement. It was the wrap around kind, easily removable, but still doing its required job. From the looks of her current situation, it looked like they didn't want her putting any pressure on it.
The nurse wheeled her closer to the bed and carefully moved her onto it. After adjusting the blankets and pillow so she was propped up and checking her foot, she gave a bright smile and addressed everyone in the room.
"Well, I think you can take it from here. Remember what the doctor said about walking on it. One of us will be checking on you later, and that button can call us if you need anything. Try to get some rest."
She then exited the room, leaving the five of them in a silence that nobody was really comfortable in. Toshiro still hadn't taken his gaze away from Rangiku, still loosely holding on to Momo.
The fox-face was the first one to break the silence, having moved since Rangiku had lain down. "Well, that's quite the predicament ya got yourself into, Rangiku dear."
Toshiro inwardly flinched at his tone. It was almost endearing, almost. He didn't like him taking that tone. It was borderline mocking, if you asked him. He didn't deserve to speak so freely to her. He should be groveling, begging her forgiveness for treating her so badly. He didn't even know why he was thinking this all of a sudden. It wasn't really any of his business concerning her former relationships. Still, there was a part of him wishing that it was, in fact, his business. It was almost like a roaring voice in the back of his head.
Maybe it was that natural animal protectiveness that caused all of this. The natural instinct to protect those close to you. Everyone had it, others just chose not to listen to it. Then why didn't he feel that way about everyone close to him? He mentally sighed. It gave him a headache just thinking about it.
He heard a dry laugh and confirmed that it came form Rangiku. "You could say that." She brought a weary hand up to the side of her face, dragging it down. "There's not much that can be done about it now."
The grinning man nodded, and stood up straighter, motioning towards the door. "I suppose I'll be goin' then. Can't keep Aizen waitin'. Take care." He offered a little wave with his departure, leaving silently through the door.
Halibel followed suit soon after, pausing at the foot of the bed while resting her hand on the rail. She shared a sympathetic look with the other lead dancer, knowing exactly how she would feel in the same situation. With a nod of understanding, she also exited, leaving the three of them in another looming silence.
Momo finally broke away from her hold on him, and went to the side of the bed closest to the door. Toshiro took the liberty of sitting in a chair on the other side, pulling it closer. He watched the two look at each other, Momo with a frown on her face. Rangiku looked serious for once, not showing that spark of life that she usually did. It almost hurt to see her like that, he noticed.
"Rangiku, I really am sorry about all of this." Her eyes were downcast, finding the floor more interesting than either of them.
"Listen, Momo. I already told you, it's not your fault. It was just a freak accident. It could've happened at any time." She was comforting, like she always was.
"Still…" She trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"No. None of that." The taller woman grabbed onto the bun-wearing girl's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. For who, she didn't know. This caused the lamenting girl to look up. "Anyway, don't you have a show to get ready for tonight?"
She nodded, knowing that she couldn't stay in here forever. It was going to be hard performing tonight, knowing that Rangiku wasn't doing the same. She said her goodbyes and shuffled slowly out the door, promising to come back tomorrow.
The occupants in the room had diminished to two, leaving a thick tension in the air, like a crushing fog. Neither really knew what to say, knowing what would have to happen no matter what was said. Nothing could change the outcome now. Still, he wanted, no needed to know what happened. He didn't know how long it had been that they sat in the silence of one another. Twenty minutes? Forty minutes, perhaps?
One thing he did know though, was that he didn't want it eating away at him any longer.
"What happened?"
His voice was light, knowing full well what the extent of her injury meant. When he first saw it, he didn't want to believe it. It was hard to fathom that someone who seemed so unbreakable, someone who had been through so much, could be taken down so simply. It reminded him of just how human all of them were, no matter if sometimes they seemed like ethereal spirits. They still shattered just as easily.
It now felt like they were slowly drowning. It didn't matter how furiously they tried to break surface. Drowning was still drowning, and you still didn't make it out alive. He looked over to her when she heaved a heavy sigh, taking his gaze up from the sheet he held in his hand. He had clutched to it unconsciously, like trying to anchor himself to something real that was better than this.
"A freak accident. Just like I told Momo."
--KG--
Rangiku sat on the cold doctor's table silently. She had just gotten to the office a few minutes ago, arriving about twenty minutes prior to that. She was stepping into the hospital one minute, then whisked off the next. It was probably due to the front attendant noticing her mangled foot. She let out a sigh. The lady had visibly paled when she saw it.
So much for reassuring the patients.
She knew it was bad upon receiving it, could feel it even better than she saw it, but they didn't have to remind her of the damage so fluently.
The first thing they did was rush her to the x-ray room. They put her under something called a "stress" x-ray, trying to see if her ankle was stable or not. They were being developed as she sat here, and that was probably what was taking her doctor so long. She was a bit surprised that x-rays were the first thing on the to-do list. They didn't even bother cleaning up her foot until afterwards.
Rangiku wasn't the guru on anything medical, but she was smart enough to know that something like this couldn't be ignored. She couldn't really tell if it was broken or not, but she knew that it was something major because putting even the slightest pressure on it brought total agony. It felt like a plastic ruler with weights on the end of it, if any more weight was added, she was sure it was going to snap right off.
There was no way she was going to be able to walk very far on it.
Getting here had been a total pain, literally and figuratively. After getting up, she had found it unbearable to stand, let alone go anywhere. Momo had rushed over to her and asked if she was alright, but Rangiku had insisted on going in. Usually she liked to keep her distance from these sorts of places, but this time she didn't really have much of a choice.
Momo had struggled trying to support her. As it turns out, Gin was nearby and offered to help out himself. She was hesitant to accept his offer, but it would've taken Momo three times as long to move the same distance. They were joined by Halibel, and together all four of them made it here. They were probably waiting for her in a room somewhere, if she ever got out of here.
She sighed again. Why did this have to take so long? She already knew things were bad. She didn't want to drag it out any longer. She just wanted to go home so she could wash away her worries with sake and lament about how her life had just dropped off the edge of a steep cliff. It was August now. That meant that there was less than a month to prepare…It wasn't nearly enough time…
Her thoughts were cut off as she heard soft voices approaching her door. A presence stopped before it and hesitated a moment before turning the knob slightly. Did they like their dramatic entrances? Usually the news they brought wasn't good, by any means. She had never been admitted here before, so she wasn't sure of what to expect. Certainly not the woman that came through that door.
Rangiku was staring in that general direction, so the first thing that happen was a meeting of gazes. Deep violet met clear azure. Rangiku thought them similar to Nanao's, if she had to label anything to it. That in itself sent another wave of emotion through her. Although happy for her long-time friend, she did miss her. It had been a while since they talked to one another.
The entering woman gave a soft smile, moving Rangiku's attention away from her eyes. Her hair was braided in an intricate design down her front. Odd, Rangiku didn't think she saw one of those before. She seemed to give off a calming air too. Almost like a motherly feeling. It had definitely been a while since she had felt anything similar to that.
The regal woman stepped in and turned to close the door quietly behind her. As she did so, Rangiku caught the Fourth's emblem on the back of her white overcoat. She had seen a few others like that one, but none with the logo on the back. Perhaps she got one of the higher ups.
The lady took a seat at the desk next to the table and started going through the manila file she brought. Rangiku assumed it to be hers, although how they got the information, she didn't know. It was silent for another moment as the doctor scratched away on some other documents, leaving Rangiku alone with her thoughts once again. She had to bite back heaving a really big sigh in agitation. She knew it wasn't their fault, but she really, really wanted to get out of here.
It didn't last much longer after that though, as the noise abruptly stopped and the file was closed. Rangiku looked up as the lady started to speak.
"Hello, miss Rangiku. I am Retsu Unohana, the head doctor here. I've taken a look at your x-rays regarding your left ankle."
She spoke calmly and with purpose. Rangiku found that she liked her, even if the situation wasn't at all pleasant. The head doctor rose to her feet and pulled the x-rays out of another packet, turning on the lighted screen to see them better.
Rangiku curiously gazed at the image before her. It was strange seeing a different side of her. She could tell at once that is wasn't good. The dark line of breakage was very visible, even from her seat.
"As you can see here," She pointed to the indicated crack. "You have fractured your fibula, on the underside of your ankle." She gently ran her hand down Rangiku's injured limb to show the parallel.
"The stress x-ray didn't indicate any wavering stability, but that could easily change if the wrong pressure is applied to it. At this stage, we will not have to do surgery unless you break it further."
She paused again, and Rangiku breathed relief. At least she wouldn't have to go through that. It was one step closer to recovery.
Rangiku had a very important question. Maybe if she was just lucky enough… "Doctor Unohana,-"
"Retsu, please." She was interrupted, but graced with a smile. Rangiku returned it.
"Retsu," The addressed nodded. "How long am I going to be out for?"
She had the hopeful glint in her voice, and Retsu didn't miss it. This kind of news was always so hard to give, watching their hopes crash back down into the ground. She shook her head sadly.
"The minimum requirement of rest will be six weeks. However, due to the location of the injury and how fragile it is, I'm going to say that you need to stay off of it for at least two months."
And there it was, crash and burn. It really couldn't be helped though. If she didn't want to agitate it further, it was going to have to receive the proper treatment.
"I understand that you are a performer, but too much pressure on your ankle will result in further damage. I don't know how far back this will set you, but you must try to stay off of it as much as possible. Travel will be aided to reduce pressure."
Well that was easy. No Pentastep.
But she already knew that. That was the first thought that went through her mind. It meant that she was no longer going to dance with Toshiro. There would be no more complete feeling, her heart wouldn't race as she spun around on the floor, and he wouldn't have just that look while doing it, at least not for her. What was going to happen now? It saddened her, if she had to place an emotion on it. Life just wasn't that fair, but she should know that.
She was inured to disappointment and let-downs by now.
She inwardly sighed in despair. Things were going so well too. Her resolve had been set into stone. Now what was she supposed to do? Could she still pursue him? There was no denying what she wanted now, and she wanted him. She couldn't ignore something that felt so right to her. She had to take a shot. What now? Would she still have a shot now that she couldn't compete?
"I'm sorry." Her words were comforting, like they were supposed to be. It didn't really clench that aching feeling in her gut though. She offered up a sad smile.
"It's not your fault. Thank you for everything."
The braided woman nodded. "Someone will be in to bandage your foot and get you a brace shortly. I have some things I must attend to or I would do it myself. I hope you rest well this evening."
The woman swept out of the room moments later, obviously being a very busy person. Rangiku let out the sigh she'd been saving. Well, there wasn't anything she could do about it now.
She watched a nurse enter, wheelchair in tow to take her to her room. She had a feeling that tonight was going to be very long.
--KG--
Toshiro knew that there was more to her sliver of explanation, he just had to wait until she was ready to tell him so. She always did, so he really wasn't worried about it…that much. Dancing was what tied them together before, like the threads in a structured blanket. Now that that familiarity had practically disappeared from their reach, would she still act the same towards him?
He wasn't really sure what scared him more, the fact that she might act different, or the fact that he didn't want her to.
He had gotten used to their interactions, welcomed them even. To change that now would have many negative side effects. He had just recently lost Momo's support in his field, he didn't know if he could handle one more. Would she leave the club entirely? He reasoned that it was a very likely possibility. He didn't know the exact extent of the damage, but he was smart enough to know that she would be out of commission for quite a while.
"Can…" He was hesitant for a moment, and she looked up at his turquoise gaze. "Can I see it?"
He wasn't sure why he wanted to, he just did. Maybe he needed solid proof to put his mind at ease, although he was going to be far from unstressed even after seeing it.
"Are you sure? It's not very pretty." She had a frown on her face, and it caused her forehead to wrinkle. It must look similar to his, he thought, as the woman sitting before him always reminded him. He nodded silently, and she reached down to unhook the brace.
She unwrapped the bandages carefully, making sure she would be able to put them back on. They told her that someone would be back later to change them, but she didn't want to leave it open until then. It wove around her ankle numerous times, exposing little bits of skin as she went.
Toshiro just stared at the skin being shown to him. When the bandage was all the way off, he caught sight of the reason she needed bandages in the first place. It was obvious from the dark stain on the inside of the white cloth that it had bled profusely. All around her ankle and on the top of her foot were lacerations. They say that humans are the only animals that don't judge depth well with their eyes, but Toshiro was sure that they looked pretty deep…and painful.
"We went to Hueco Mundo for a minute because Momo had to get something." She wasn't looking at him, he noticed, but kept her gaze on her own appendage. She was solemn, like how one would expect someone to recall a bad experience.
"It was busy. I think someone was having an afternoon party. Everything was packed."
She ran her hand over the top of her foot gently, being careful not to touch the burning skin. She wrapped her hand around and brought it up the underside of her leg, effectively wincing when she brushed over the damaged bone. Toshiro's eyes never strayed from her hand.
Past the marks and wounds, he saw how strong and lithe she really was. It was just a glimpse, but he imagined that she was like that everywhere too. It was part of a dancer's physique, he supposed.
She didn't know why she was showing him this distasteful part of herself. It was yet another flaw to add to her long list. Still, maybe she just wanted to capture his attention for as long as she could. Who knew when that would all end, after all.
"We were walking by the stage, and by the curtain holder at the bottom of the stairs. You know the one, near the wall on the edge." He nodded, although she still wasn't looking at him. Glancing over, he saw that she had her eyes clenched shut.
Whether she was trying to block it out or remember more vividly, he wasn't sure.
"Neither of us saw whoever it was. It was just an accident. The floor was packed. I didn't realize I was falling until I felt burning in my foot. I barely got my hands out to stop me, but as far as my ankle went…" She trailed off, not really needing to go on anymore. He could clearly see what the result was.
"It got caught in the curtain holder. That's why there's so many cuts and bruises. I suppose it could've been worse." She looked up at him then, and he nodded back at her. True, it could've been worse. This was bad enough as it was though.
Now all the missing pieces had been put back in place. She went with Momo, someone knocked her over, and now she was injured. Now they had to decide what happened next. She obviously couldn't compete.
"Retsu said two months."
Ah, there it was. The unanswered question. There would be no Pentastep for Rangiku now. It was strange, but he felt like a heavy weight was on him now, like he shared her downcast woes. He really wanted her to do well. Out of all of them, she probably had the best chance. That was the problem. Had.
He sighed softly, trying not to alert her of his inner turmoil. If they still wanted to compete, they would have to find a replacement dancer. They were now back to square one. There was even less time to train anyone new now. It would be almost impossible.
He felt a flare of anxiety go through him at this thought. It felt like still competing would be betraying her in some way. He didn't want that. They were supposed to all go. Life was like that though. It loved to lead you in one direction and then rip the road out from under you. Even he knew that. Disappointment was not an uncommon thing.
Anger welled up next, although it was controlled anger. Whether it was accident or not, whoever was responsible for this had better keep themselves anonymous for their own good. He nodded to himself, determined.
Nobody hurt Rangiku. Not anymore.
-End of Part Seven
