Chapter 7: Convalescence
"You are too kind, Mrs. Lang," Hisana said softly as the matronly woman helped her into a fresh, and more importantly, dry kimono.
"Mai, Child. Please, call me Mai," she responded, gently smoothing away any wrinkles from the robes. Once satisfied, she took Hisana by the shoulders and turned her to face the mirror.
Hisana managed a smile between coughs. The kimono was a faded shade of orange with a light pink blossom print. It was probably very attractive when it was new, she thought to herself as she looked it over. But, even despite its dull color and fraying edges, right then Hisana thought it the most splendid outfit imaginable.
Mai inspected Hisana's features in the mirror. The poor girl's color looked to have drained completely out of her cheeks – even her lips were pale. Her eyes no longer sparkled – they were now glassy and sunken with dark circles under them. "Come, Child, rest. You look faint," she said, taking Hisana by the hand and leading her into the corridor.
"You've done too much. I can no longer intrude upon your hospitality --"
"I will not have a word of it!" Mai interrupted in a stern voice. "The storm holds fast on the horizon, and in your condition traveling would be a foolish endeavor!"
Mai led Hisana into the small living quarters where she was reunited with Byakuya, who was standing in front of a window looking out onto the approaching storm. He immediately turned to greet them as they entered.
In order to counter the mischievous grin she felt lengthen her lips the moment she saw him donning "pedestrian" garb, Hisana gave a deep bow and went into a fit of hacking. "Mr. Byakuya," she said softly the moment the spell subsided.
"Why so formal, child?" Mai laughed at the girl's reaction. "He is only your husband, correct?"
Hisana straightened her posture at the question. "Ugh," she began, taken aback, "we aren't -"
"We aren't well acquainted," Byakuya said, cutting her off midsentence.
Hisana's eyes widened the moment she heard the words. At once, she directed her gaze toward her "husband". 'Why?' she pondered silently to herself as she searched his face for any indication as to why he answered with a falsehood? Surely, he couldn't be so worried about keeping up appearances? This was Rukongai – a man and a woman wandering about un-tethered was far from the most criminal or gauche act performed in these lands; yet, all Hisana could do in response was nod her head in agreement.
Mai glanced over at Hisana before turning her attention back to Byakuya. "Oh, so this is a marriage of convenience then?"
A small, nearly imperceptible half-grin thinned one side of his mouth at the irony. Of all the possible pairings which could have been conceived of as being "of convenience," this one did not readily jump to mind, he thought to himself, amused. However, for the moment, their "marriage" was a convenience in and of itself – if only to disguise their identities while they convalesced.
"Indeed," he finally answered; his stoic expression masking his bemusement.
Hisana quickly lowered her eyes and glanced down at her feet, now, beginning to feel a little queasy. She was unsure if her uneasiness was due to the current situation or if her illness had finally gotten the better of her – perhaps it was a combination of both. The moment she fixed her gaze to the floorboards, however, she felt herself begin to sway slightly from side-to-side. Byakuya was quick to read her body language and swiftly moved to stabilize her before she fell unconscious.
"Hisana?" Mai cried before placing a hand against the young woman's head. "So warm," she murmured to herself before yelling the name of her female employee, Zi.
"Yes, Madam?" the young girl called as she hurried into the room.
"Quickly go and prepare a cool bath for our guest -- she has fallen ill. Then, go and fetch my husband from the apothecary. Tell him to bring some medicine to treat a cough and fever. Go!" she ordered, sending the girl on her way with a wave of her hand.
As Byakuya held the unconscious Hisana steady, Mai quickly stripped the girl down to her pink under-kimono. She then pressed her lips softly against Hisana's forehead to check her temperature. "Hot," she hissed, pulling away. "Too hot," she muttered before turning to face the door the servant had scurried out of. "Zi, is the bath ready?"
"Yes, Madam!"
"Come," Mai said, gesturing for Byakuya to follow.
Instead of immediately trailing after her, he stood erect, eyes widened as he thought the situation over, not liking it one bit.
Realizing that he was not behind her, Mai glanced over her shoulder and shot him a pointed stare. "Are you coming?"
Byakuya reluctantly complied, and carried Hisana to a small bath where he gently lowered her into the water.
Zi handed her mistress a wet towel to be placed on Hisana's forehead. But, the moment Mai reached down to put the damp towel to Hisana's head, Hisana jerked away as a violent fit of shaking overtook her body. Within a few moments, Hisana was pulled back into a state of consciousness as her eyes opened wide.
"Zi, go now and fetch Mr. Lang."
"Yes, Madam," she said, taking to her feet and scurrying out of the household to brave the storm outside.
Coming to, Hisana instinctively reached for and seized Byakuya's hand.
His heart stopped.
Her action was normal, he was sure. She probably wasn't even fully aware of what she was doing. It was obvious that she was in distress and probably very scared, so clasping onto the only familiar thing in sight, whether she had any real inclination toward him or not, was only natural. But, at the same time, he couldn't help but find her action perverse – so exquisitely perverse…
Hisana quieted as she settled down into the bath. Her wide eyes stared out distantly in front of her, and her hand still firmly pressed against his…
"How are you feeling, Hisana?" Mai asked softly.
She did not respond for the longest time; instead, her eyes stared blankly past – perhaps even through – her companions. Hisana's pale, dry lips parted as she took short shallow breaths.
"Child?" Mai's voice washed over her. And, while Hisana could hear the woman, she felt numb – unable to respond.
She tried to find her voice; she tried to speak the words. "I," she finally managed to say, "I'm cold."
Mai smiled at hearing the girl's voice before quickly placing a hand against Hisana's head. She felt cooler to the touch. "Anything else?" she asked, noticing a hint of color paint Hisana's once blanched complexion.
Hisana turned her head to view the woman more fully. "Thank you." She then turned her attention to Byakuya, or rather her hand he now possessed. It was not until he followed her gaze that he realized that she was had been trying to gently slide her hand away from his only to find his grip firm and unyielding. He was just about to release her hand when his gaze met hers – her eyes seemed to smile and her pasty cheeks turned a pale shade of pink.
Mai saw the brief exchange out of the corner of her eye, and could not repress the gentle smile that played across her lips. In another time or place she would have excused herself, but the sudden slam of the cabin door alerted her to her husband's presence.
With soft even steps, he entered the small bathroom. Mr. Lang was an older gentleman of short stature and wide girth. In his wrinkled hands he held an elixir. Wordlessly, he kneeled in front of Hisana and looked her over before pressing the rim of the bottle to her lips. "Drink," he whispered.
She complied, downing the potion in two gulps. Once he had pulled the bottle from her mouth, Hisana was sent into a coughing spell.
Mr. Lang pressed the back of his hand against her forehead and then cheeks. "Mai, take her out of the bath and dress her. She needs warmth," the old man's voice sounded clipped and short as if he was not relaying his feelings completely. He then turned his attention to Byakuya. "If the gentleman would not mind?" Mr. Lang gestured slightly to the door with his head.
Before moving to leave, Byakuya shot Hisana a passing glance – an unreadable gaze. In response, Hisana closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. When she reopened them, he was gone and Mai was helping her out of the bath. The older woman quickly wrapped a warm blanket around her.
- -
Mr. Lang led Byakuya into the cabin's cramped kitchen where the man wordlessly began preparing medicine.
"Chinese Bellflowers," Byakuya noted softly as he watched the man use the flowers for ingredients.
"They are natural cough suppressants," Mr. Lang replied quietly.
"They can also be poisonous."
A small smile lengthened the apothecary's lips. "Indeed. They can be as harmful as they are helpful -- as beautiful as they are dreadful."
"I don't think you brought me in here to monitor you while you mixed flora."
"No. And I suppose you're not that terribly interested in the medicinal purposes of the Chinese Bellflower."
"Speak your purpose, old man."
Mr. Lang gave an inward chuckle as he eyed the impertinent stranger in of his peripheral vision. "Your lady needs immediate medical attention. But, I'm sure you were already aware of such."
Byakuya kept his silence.
"It would be best if you left tomorrow – for her sake at least."
"Will your medicine last her that long?" Byakuya's question was surprisingly soft, almost hesitantly spoken. He, himself, was unsure of what had possessed him to stay with her in the cabin…
"They should work their effects well enough."
---
Tightly wrapped in layers of fabric, Hisana sat hugging her legs in front of the roaring fire. After Mai and Zi had helped her into her robes, Mai had led her into a spare room which had been prepared for the two.
Hisana suppressed the tickling sensation inching its way up her throat as she turned her head to glance back at the two futons stationed side-by-side a few meters away. 'He won't like that,' she thought to herself, somewhat amused, somewhat wearily. 'I'll move the futons when I find the energy,' she concluded, turning back to the warmth of the fire.
Lulled by the sounds of crackling and the graceful dance of the flames, Hisana lost all sense of time and place. The swirls of yellow, red, and orange flickering from inside the fireplace held her attention fast. So, imagine her surprise when she noticed a small alien movement in her periphery. Instinctively, she turned her attention to the disturbance when she saw Byakuya standing at her side. She let out a small cry, and clenched her chest, startled.
Hisana lowered her head. "I'm so sorry," she apologized. "How long have you been standing there, milord?"
"Long enough," he answered. His brows lowered at the word she had used to address him: "milord." He narrowed his eyes at this before offering her a warm cup of medicinal tea. "Here," he said coolly.
Hisana raised her gaze at the sound of his voice. With gentle fingers, she took the cup from him and glanced down into the dark liquid. The odor emanating from it was rank, she thought bitterly, and the color was far from appetizing.
Drawing herself from the cup, Hisana inclined her head so she could see Byakuya fully. "How are your wounds?" she asked, trying to distract herself from the task of drinking whatever was in the cup.
"Drink," he ordered perceptively.
She smiled – a small lugubrious smile.
"We leave tomorrow," he stated drily before turning his back towards her.
"Very good. I hate to think the trouble my absence has caused my benefactor."
Byakuya reluctantly turned his head enough to see her out of the corner of his eye. "Mr. Hideyoshi you mean?"
"Yes. He is originally from Seireitei, I believe. Did you know of him?"
Byakuya watched the tragic expression on her face melt as she spoke about her employer. She almost looked happy, he noted to himself, mindlessly. "Yes."
She glanced back down into the cup. "Um," she hummed.
Byakuya tore his gaze from her and took a step forward before curiosity took hold of him. "Why did you address me as 'milord'?"
"Huh?" Hisana quickly turned to him, dumbfounded. 'Had I?' she asked herself. 'Had I said too much?'
"A moment ago you addressed me as such."
"Oh, I guess I just wasn't sure of the proper way to refer to someone from Seireitei," she said, trying to laugh it off between coughs.
He shot her a disbelieving stare. "I see."
Hisana quickly occupied her mouth by gulping down half of the acrid-tasting medicine before the sound of the door creaking open caught her attention.
Zi was quickly met by two sets of eyes as she crossed the threshold and bowed dutifully. In front of her she held a tray of food. "Dinner."
Before either Byakuya or Hisana could launch a protest, Zi had gracefully placed the tray down on the floor and shuffled out of the room.
Hisana had swiftly taken to her feet and padded toward the serving dish. With a little uneasiness, Hisana kneeled to the floor and took the tray. Before either of them had realized it, they had fallen into the semi-familiar pattern of her silently serving him his meal. Perhaps it was instinctual on her part – to serve, to pacify, to calm. She laid the food out on a small table located in the corner of the room.
Once the pair was situated around the small table, the two began their mealtime routine in silence. Within a few minutes, Hisana found the heavy silence between them grow unbearable.
"How do you find Rukongai?" She nearly cringed as she asked the question.
Byakuya lifted his gaze. His eyes did not seem quite as harsh in the soft light of the flickering fire, Hisana thought to herself.
"Baleful," came his clipped reply as he turned his attention back down to his dish.
"Oh." She laughed.
Byakuya glanced back up at her. She laughed? Of all the possible reactions, she chose to laugh? His brows lowered.
"There must be some good in living a common life?" A small gleam lit her somber eyes as she spoke the words.
He seemed far from convinced. "No."
She smiled gently at his answer and averted her eyes back down to her bowl of rice. "Are things really that wonderful there?"
'No,' he wanted to say, but restrained himself. Instead, the question lingered in the air unanswered.
"That man – Loki --he knew you, did he not?" her question was soft and distant.
"He knew of me."
She fixed her gaze on him. "He was one of those Wolves wasn't he?"
Byakuya paused and met her stare. His expression became stern. "What do you know of the Band of Wolves?"
If Hisana had read his question correctly, she was certain that he was implying that she had something to do with the attack – that she had set him up… "You were sent here to capture those men were you not?"
Byakuya's eyes bore into her as he considered whether or not to answer. "Yes."
"You are shinigami?"
"Yes," the response escaped him before he had the chance to repress it.
She looked him over. Her gentle gaze clouded with immense sadness. "Why?"
"Why?" he asked as if it was the most absurd question ever posed in his presence.
"Yes. Why do you fight if, as you say, there is nothing redeemable about the common life? You, yourself, made it blatantly clear that there was nothing here of remarkable quality."
"Because of the turmoil being created by these heathens."
She smiled. "Was the turmoil created by the Band of Wolves, or did it already reside in the hearts of the citizens living in the lesser districts of Rukongai?"
Byakuya averted his gaze as she spoke the question.
"Nothing like poverty to break someone's spirit, and when a group urges people to put together that broken spirit, is it truly so bad?"
"Yes, when it causes the bloodshed of innocents," he responded firmly.
"You mean the bloodshed of other shinigami? You don't care about the troubles of the people living out here. We mean nothing to those in Seireitei. You only care about yourselves." Hisana balled her hands into fists, feeling her emotions flare, and moved to stand.
"And those in Rukongai are so different? Is it our job – our responsibility -- to run each of the districts here in Rukongai?"
Hisana turned her back to him and tightly pressed her eyes shut as she fought through her anger. "No," she answered despite herself. "I suppose not." The tension in her shoulders diminished as she took a step forward.
She paused. "I am not a spy," she responded perceptively, "if that's why you're still here."
Byakuya lowered his gaze and inhaled deeply. "I know."
Hisana instantly turned to look at him. Her wide eyes probing his as she tried to comprehend his meaning. "Then, why are you still here?"
His eyes trailed to the floor and his jaws locked. That was a good question, he thought to himself. The question had been plaguing him from the moment he had stepped foot into the cabin. His actions were so illogical… Why?
"Because you spoke my name," he answered upon remembering the solemn look on her face and his name on her lips the moment Mai forced her into the cabin that day.
Hisana smiled and her eyes softened as she looked upon him. "You prove my arguments invalid on all accounts. Please, forgive me," she said, bowing deeply. She would have remained thusly if she had not felt his presence near her. He loomed within an arm's length away.
"Perhaps I had been hasty when I said there was nothing of value here in Rukongai."
Hisana felt her cheeks heat at his words.
