Title: Appropriate Dosage
Characters: Unohana, Soi Fon
Prompt: #035 – Lithium
Word Count: 1,017
Rating: K+
Summary: Retsu attempts to convince Soi Fon that staying on her medication is a good idea.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: All characters and settings are the property of Kubo Tite.
Appropriate Dosage
"I fail to see why this appointment was necessary."
Soi Fon almost succeeded in making the words emotionless, but Retsu could easily detect the irritation within them. Still, she decided not to make an issue out of it, and continued her kidou probing on the bones of the Second Division captain's right arm. A few days ago, Soi Fon had returned from a mission with several fractures. Retsu had taken care of the worst of the problem then, but the injury still needed to be monitored.
She paused over one of the cracks, sensing that it was healing a bit awkwardly, and chanted a quick spell to correct the misalignment. "It is all in the name of efficiency. You of all people know not to tolerate sub par work."
Soi Fon's expression darkened. "What would be more efficient is to get the job done right the first time. This is a waste of resources. My arm was healing just fine on its own."
"Medicine is, at times, a less than exact science," Retsu said calmly. Though it tweaked her pride the slightest bit to have her abilities called into question, she would not sink so low as to insult a patient. "Sometimes things need to be done in stages." She muttered another healing kidou as her fingers trailed down to Soi Fon's wrist.
The only response from Soi Fon was an annoyed huff. In instances such as this, Retsu rather longed for the old Soi Fon, the quiet and shy girl who wasn't so quick to snap at others. She had certainly been much easier to deal with back then. Which raised another point.
"May I ask how you have been doing on your medication?" Retsu asked. "You've been taking it regularly? Has it had an effect on your mood?"
At this, Soi Fon jerked her arm away to join the other one in a defensive fold across her chest. Her eyes narrowed to near slits, almost as deadly as her released zanpakutou. "I have. And it has caused me nothing but grief. My division is in chaos, subordinates doing whatever they please." Her body was shaking with barely contained rage. Most would have backed away in fear at this display, but Retsu held her ground. And after a moment, Soi Fon regained a measure of composure. "The medication is having an adverse effect on my ability to command my division. I request that you give me permission to discontinue its use immediately."
Smiling at a time like this would have been entirely inappropriate. Retsu's research had shown that the mineral lithium was able to stabilize a person's mood, to bring it away from extremes. Knowing her fellow captain's tendency to fly into a rage well out of proportion to the situation, she had prescribed the substance in an effort to calm her. And evidently, it was working, much to Soi Fon's apparent annoyance.
Retsu clasped her hands in front of her, maintaining an unobtrusive pose, and nodded in understanding. "I think it may be premature to discontinue your medication when it is performing its work. Perhaps you could go into more detail on how difficult your command has gotten?" If things were truly spiraling out of control, then she would consider at least adjusting the dosage.
"Very well." Soi Fon glanced down at her arms. Evidently realizing how childish the gesture was making her look, she dropped them to her sides. "My men no longer go rigid in anxiety when I perform evaluations. I've for some reason cut training sessions shorter by five minutes. And I'm even letting Omaeda consume vast quantities of snack foods in the office. During work hours! I'm amazed the whole division hasn't collapsed upon itself."
As the tirade had progressed, Retsu had blinked in disbelief, then carefully bitten the inside of her lip to keep from laughing. This was all? Subordinates that didn't fear for their very lives when she was present. Slightly shorter training sessions – and she hadn't mentioned that they were any less grueling than they had been before – when hers were known to be longer and more taxing than those of any other division. And while eating in the office wasn't always appropriate, it was hardly a sign of impending doom.
"Soi Fon-taichou," she began once she had gotten control of her impulse to laugh. "I hear your concerns, but I am afraid I do not consider these circumstances dire enough to warrant taking you off your medication."
"But my division –"
"Will easily survive. Your experiencing a more even temperament will not cause your division to fall into incompetence. I want you to continue to take your medicine as I have prescribed."
Retsu narrowed her eyes slightly as Soi Fon attempted to stare her down. This challenge was somewhat of a surprise, since the Second Division captain was usually dead-set on following orders without question. Then again, Retsu technically wasn't her superior.
After several moments, Soi Fon growled. "Fine. I will continue with the regimen until you see fit to change it."
Before Retsu could give her acknowledgement, a man she recognized as the Second Division's fourth seat burst into the room. The man offered a hasty bow, seeing as he was in the presence of two captains, before delivering his report.
"Captain, you are urgently needed back at headquarters. My apologies for interrupting your treatment, but I thought it best that I – augh!"
This last was brought on by Soi Fon roughly shoving him to the floor and deliberately stomping on his chest on her way out. Retsu winced, then bent to help the man up. That was certainly an overreaction. "She really doesn't seem to be doing as well as it sounded. Perhaps I should have increased the dosage on her medication."
The man blinked at her. "Are you kidding? This is by far the calmest I've ever seen Captain. Usually when she shoves me down, she stomps on my crotch!"
And then he was off, seeming almost gleeful. Retsu could only shake her head in amazement at the insanity running rampant in other divisions.
