Well, It seems as though you all came through in the reviews! (Gives everyone who reviewed a cookie) Awright, now it's time to get down to business. Did I do the bad thing and kill poor lil' Ichigo off, or did I keep him in the game? If you're wondering which of the two I did, then read the next sentence.
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The 13th company's triage was extremely loud, Ichigo had noted. Even though he had been in one of the deepest naps of his life, he could hear the hustle and bustle, which had woken him. He yawned as the events from a few days ago came flooding back into his brain. The ambush in Hueco Mundo, the battle with Gin, being wounded, Renji trying to keep him awake.
Renji!
Ichigo looked around the room, looking for his wounded comrade. His eyes fell on the still figure laying on the cot next to his. Renji's neck had a thick bandage wrapped around it, and his side had been wrapped in a bandage that had coppery colored stains on it. His chest rose and fell in a steady breathing pattern.
"Renji! Wake up!" Ichigo's voice was barely above a whisper, but it was enough to wake his friend up.
Renji groaned and rubbed his eyes, obviously sleepy. "Jeez, can't a guy get some sleep 'round here?"
"How you fleeing?" Ichigo asked hopefully, remembering the wounds he had received during the ambush. He had had a deep gash in his side, as well as a deep cut that had stretched the length of his neck and shoulder.
"Like I've been stabbed. How 'bout you?" Even though he wasn't grinning, Ichigo knew that Renji had meant it as a soft-hearted joke. He was the only one who could make a joke about any kind of situation. "You blacked out after I found ya. Gave me a bit of a scare. They had ya in the ER for so long, I almost thought they had carted ya off to the morgue."
"What happened after I blacked out?"
"More fighting. The casualties weren't as bad as we would've thought. We managed to push that ambush back, and got a few prisoners that were left behind. But anyways, I've got some good news."
"Anything'll sound like good news at this point." Ichigo sighed.
"We're gettin' sent back to Soul Society today by way of medvac. You'll probably get to see Rukia today if you send for her."
"This early? Almost everybody here's only been here for a day."
"We've still got wounded that the patrols are finding, and they haven't been treated. So you'd better prepare yourself, 'cause I've been in medvacs before, and it's a very bumpy ride."
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As Renji had said, the ride in the medvac ambulance was rough. The order in which wounded were taken back to the 4th company's hospital was determined by the severity of their wounds. Ichigo and Renji were sent back on the fifth medvac with about ten other shinigami. The wounded were piled into the medvacs on stretchers, which were placed on top of one another in a bunk-bed style fashion.
Ichigo had tried to sleep, but the constant shaking and bumping of the medvac ambulance had prevented him from getting any. Instead, he had listened to the other wounded shinigami talk amongst themselves. He and Renji had talked briefly about the Soul Society's next course of action against Aizen and the arrancar. A counter attack would be suicide, so the most reasonable plan that they had come up with was to pull out and wait.
When the medvac arrived at the 4th company's hospital barracks, the wounded shinigami were taken to a dressing station where their wounds were washed and wrapped with fresh bandages. After that, they were shipped off to their individual rooms for rest.
Ichigo's reflection on the trip back to Soul Society was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. He wondered who would be knocking on his door at one in the morning. He slowly got out of the bed, grabbed his crutches, and limped to the door. When he opened it, Rukia threw herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and sobbing into his shoulder.
Ichigo pulled her into a protective embrace, trying to calm her. He could feel her tears on the skin of his shoulder, making his bandages damp. "Shhh. It's alright, I'm here now. Shhh. It's okay." He whispered while rubbing her back. It pained him to see her cry. Every time she cried, it seemed, it was over him.
After a few moments, the crying subsided and Ichigo led Rukia to the bed where they sat down. Rukia still had her arms around him, not wanting to leave the warmth and protection he provided. Ichigo used his index finger to tilt her head so that she was looking at him. "There's no need to cry, Rukia. I'm alright."
Rukia blinked back tears. "B-but you almost died."
Ichigo briefly shook his head. "I promised you that I wouldn't die. And I don't plan on breaking that promise. Okay?"
Rukia silently nodded and tucked her head back under Ichigo's chin. She listened to the sound of his heart, faintly beating through the thick bandages. That sound was truly the only one that made her feel safe, that reassured her that he was still alive. She then remembered the news that she was supposed to have told Ichigo the moment she walked through the door. "Ichigo. I went to the doctor's today for my ultrasound. He told me the gender of the baby."
Ichigo's brown eyes soon became anxious. "What is it?"
"The doctor said that it was going to be a boy." Rukia replied, smiling.
A grin quickly formed on Ichigo's face, his eyes becoming filled with happiness and emotion. He was utterly speechless. He laid down on his bed, the wide grin still plastered on his face. "Oh, my God."
"Yeah, I guess that's one way of putting it." Rukia laughed as she laid down next to Ichigo.
Ichigo turned on his side and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him, her back against his firm chest. He buried his face in her soft hair, breathing in her scent. Rukia turned around, so that she was facing him, and snuggled into his chest. Her body enjoyed the feel of the warmth that his body emitted. She slept that night, for the first time since Ichigo had left, feeling content and safe.
