Chapter 10 – Taking Care of Business

I nodded at my two friends and we left to get to the soccer field. I trusted Shiro and Renji to take care of things while I was gone so I glared at them until the door was completely closed behind me.

By the time we made it to the field, a sharp pain shot from my abdomen area. I doubled over, gasping for breath and grabbing at my stomach. Jack and Sally looped their arms under my pits and quickly escorted me under the bleachers so that nobody would see too much of what was going on. I dry heaved a couple of times before I straightened up and waved my two friends away. I felt lightheaded from lack of decent food so I pulled out a granola bar from my bag. I munched on it until the light airy felling in my head went away. I looked at Jack first knowing that he would be the most worried and smiled at him.

"Thanks for all the understanding, guys," I said, pulling both into a tight hug. "I wish that I could have come back sooner but I had things to take care of. Besides, if not for my love of Redding and soccer and everything else, I would never have come back in the first place. When the game is over I want to ask both of you something that is very important to me. Now let's beat this team and get it done and over with before I fall over from jetlag."

They both nodded and helped me to get my stuff to the locker room.

By the time I was really ready for the game, it had already started and Coach was keeping me benched until the last two or three minutes of the game. I was getting fidgety and I was wringing the towel in my hands until I was sure that it wouldn't twist anymore. I grabbed a cup from one of the water people and gulped down the watery substance before wringing the cup into a twisted counterpart of its former glory.

After an hour of hard play, Coach put me in and benched Jack in my place. I scooted around a few of the opposing team's players and made my way to the goal. I shot a quick look at Sally and she nodded once to let me know that I could get it to her and that she could get it past their goalie. I dribbled the ball a little more before passing it to my friend. She dribbled it the rest of the way down the field before kicking it hard enough as to where it shot past the goalie before he even had a chance to react. We did our little victory dance in the middle of the field when the buzzer went off. I doubled over in pain as the sound echoed and reverberated through my skull.

"Alex, what's wrong? You look like you're in pain from something. First the pain in your stomach then this stuff with you grabbing your head."

"Leave me be for a minute and don't touch me! Please just leave me be!!"

I felt someone standing over me. Something told me that it was Coach. I felt strong arms lift me up off the ground and begin walking toward the school parking lot.

A few minutes later, bright white lights leaked past my eyelids. I tried desperately to cover my eyes but my hands were strapped to my sides on the rolling bed that I knew that I was on. I slowly opened my eyes to watch the lights overhead flash by. I turned my head to the left a little to see that Shiro was there, a worried look on his face. I tried to smile at him but my face wouldn't comply with the brainwaves that I was sending it. I would have asked him what happened but my voice wouldn't work either.

"Your ears are bleeding and you haven't rested properly for at least a week, Mouse. As soon as I heard what happened, your coach called to the apartment and told me what happened. Renji, Ichigo, Sally and Jack are here with me. Besides, Retsu-san wanted you to get checked into a clinic or hospital for your checkups. I guess that you might be here for a while. Rangiku and I can handle all of your duties as third seat as well as ours until you get back on your feet, Mouse."

I mentally thanked him for all that he did for me while I stayed with him in Seireitei. He smiled sweetly at me and nodded at my mental thanks. They wheeled me into a room and got me onto a bed before hooking me up to the usual clutter of machines that everyone in a hospital bed was usually hooked up to. Shiro closed his hand over mine and squeezed letting me know that he would be there until either I woke up or he himself fell asleep.

The next thing I remember is the sunlight streaming in through the open blinds, the glass acting as a natural warmth enhancer. I looked at the chair next to my bed to see that Shiro was sitting there, asleep with his mouth slightly open and soft snores reaching my ears. I leaned forward and tapped him on the knee. He jerked at the contact, looking around to see if anyone of any kind of threat was in the room. His eyes landed on me and he smiled genuinely.

"Morning, Mouse," he whispered hoarsely. "Guess this means that you're feeling better? Everyone has been worried about you the last three days or so. Of course, I have been here the entire time to make sure that you didn't go off sleep walking."

"Yeah, I do. How long was I out? Besides, the only time someone is out for three days is if they are under extremely heavy anesthesia. And trust me, I would know if I were sleep walking or not."

"You were out for a good four days, Mouse. I got your school work from Jack and Sally and your soccer coach says that you are to stay home until you are absolutely sure that you can handle being back in the game. I promised him that I would keep an eye on you."

I smiled again at my lover before I started laughing at the stern yet loving look that he had given me a week and a half before when Yoruichi-san took me out for Bankai training. I rolled my eyes as Shiro came in for a kiss. I allowed his lips to cover mine before shoving my tongue into his mouth, quickly conquering his in battle. Before pulling away, I felt something small, cylindrical and pointy enter the crook on my right arm at my elbow.

"Ow," I said, nearly biting Shiro's tongue off. "What are you doing, Snow White?"

"Retsu-san needs blood so that she can replicate it. She says that you might need it when the time comes. I promised her that I would get it only because she knows how close we are and how trusting you are of me and my word."

I made small O with my lips at this explanation and nodded in agreement. "So what did the doctors say while I was out cold? Has any harm come to the child that I am carrying? Please tell me, Snow White! I have to know!"

"You're fine and so are the kids, Mouse. As it turns out, you have quintuplets. Looks like we'll have to pick out five names rather that just the usual one or two. There. All finished with that little detail, so now all we have to do is wait for your strength to come back and then we can leave out of here. Does that sound like a good plan, Mouse?"

I nodded at him a second time, a painfully happy smile plastered on my lips.