In Her Eyes
Chapter Ten: In the Rain
xxxxx
The rain came down in buckets, soaking Hisana from head to toe. She coughed bitterly and sneezed, and pushed away the doctors frantically trying to get her inside. An ambulance siren sounded and neared, her heart started to beat madly, afraid to see her daughter's frail, bloodied body.
The fifth ambulance soon came to view and Byakuya rushed out of the doors and held Hisana close.
"You waited." He whispered. Hisana began to shiver.
"Yes… I couldn't sit still." Hisana replied. She watched as Ichigo came out and a bed with Rukia's body rushed past them. Ichigo quickly followed, only to have a strong arm pull his body back.
"Let go! I need to see her!" Ichigo yelled.
"I don't think so, Kurosaki." Byakuya glared at Ichigo who pulled his arm away forcefully.
"I don't care what you say, I'm going to see her." He turned to run, only to be stopped by a quick jab in the ribs from Byakuya, sending him to the ground.
"Byakuya!" Hisana screamed.
"You have no right." Byakuya stared at the boy, his face as cold as ever.
Ichigo stood. "I will see her, and you can't stop me." The teen looked up at Rukia's father with a new ferocity and determination.
As Byakuya prepared for another swing, he saw Hisana fall to the ground, her face pale and tears flowing out of her eyes. Byakuya raced to her frail form. Her forehead was burning hot and she was as pale as a ghost. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her inside, sprinting towards her room.
Ichigo somehow found Rukia's room and then saw some unexpected faces. Tatsuki, Orihime, Uryuu, Kina, they were all there, their faces in a worried form. He looked away, the guilt eating him again.
"Kurosaki-kun… will she be alright?" Orihime asked softly.
"I…" Ichigo stuffed his hands in his pockets and found a piece of folded paper in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw the sketch of Rukia he had done earlier. He gritted his teeth and kicked a chair over.
"Ichigo, calm down." Kina said.
"How can I be calm?! It was all my fault…" He fell onto a chair and put his face in his hands. "I was the last one with her… and I couldn't stop Yume… and now, they're both hurt! And it was all because of me!"
"No it wasn't your fault Kurosaki-kun." Ichigo looked up, his mouth in a frown and his eyes wet, he looked up at Orihime with a mix of confusion in his sad features.
"Why don't you blame me? I was the last one with her…"
"We don't blame you because you didn't do anything bad, in fact, from what we heard, you did your best to save her! So pull yourself together!" Uryu said.
"I lost her… I could have saved her!"
"You tried! And now, all you can do is wait." Kina sat down and sighed. The rest of the group sat down as well, and kept an eye on Ichigo, whose weary gaze fixated on the ground.
Grimmjaw ran into the lobby, soaking wet, he asked for Yume Higurashi and the nurse said to go into the waiting room in the south side of the hospital. He nodded a thank you and sprinted down the halls.
What had he done? Why did he run? It was his fault anyway… letting Yume help in the kidnapping. But he also blamed Rukia, he didn't know what gripped him to chase after the girl over and over again. And then there was Ichigo, that punk that had that stupid smirk when he won his battles and then happily walked away with his arm around the prize. But Yume… he was going to miss that grinning face, if she didn't make it… he wouldn't forgive himself at all.
He turned the corner and saw a bunch of familiar faces, he walked in and Ichigo looked up. Grimmjaw scowled and Ichigo scowled back. The orange head stood up and grabbed Grimmjaw by the collar, pulling him down.
"You! What the hell are you doing here? Haven't you had enough? She's dying Grimmjaw! DYING! And you're still coming back for more! You sick bastard!" Ichigo swung his fist and punched Grimmjaw across the face; Grimmjaw teetered back, shifting his jaw from place to place.
Grimmjaw returned the punch into Ichigo's stomach. The impact made Ichigo dizzy, the pain intoxicating his guilt further.
"Stay away from her!" He screamed, and punched Grimmjaw in the stomach, hooking another across his face. Tatsuki took this chance to restrain Ichigo.
"I'm not here for her… I'm here for Yume!" Grimmjaw screamed, wiping blood away from his lip.
The groups' eyes widened, Grimmjaw actually cared about Yume? "We were like brother and sister. I can't bear losing her."
Ichigo pulled himself away from Tatsuki's brace, he stared at Grimmjaw in an angry glare. "Bullshit." He replied.
Grimmjaw looked down at the ground, his jaw flexed from gritting his teeth in frustration. "Yume loved you so much, that girl, and I never knew why… and neither will I accept it. But... I will apologize for not catching her... for being too angry to stop her."
Ichigo watched Grimmjaw defensively, preparing for a potential attack, only to receive silence from the usually aggressive teen.
"Don't forget." Grimmjaw added, staring into Ichigo's eyes. "It was your fault too."
Grimmjaw sat down and looked away. Ichigo's anger subsided, the guilt now washing over him like a tidal wave. He looked up and saw Byakuya walk in.
"Hisana wants to see you." Byakuya said. Ichigo followed the man, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his head bowed.
Byakuya came to a light green door and he pushed it open. Inside, Hisana lay in her bed, her eyes soft and a faint smile on her lips when she saw Ichigo. He clenched his hand; she looked so much like Rukia. He walked over slowly, and noticed an envelope in her hand. She smiled a bit brighter and handed it to Ichigo. Ichigo received it and Hisana coughed bitterly.
He suddenly noticed how much paler she had become and how dull her eyes looked, but despite all this, she carried a sweet smile.
"I want you to give this to Rukia after she wakes up. How are you doing, Ichigo?" She asked. How could she ask this when she was clearly worse?
"I'm fine… but… why did you wait out in the rain like that? Rukia needs a mother after she wakes up…"
"Yes I know but… I can't stand the fact that I should just sit in this bed when she's in pain… any mother would do that." She explained. There was a knock at the door and they looked up. A woman with sleek black hair that reached below her spine, walked in with a clipboard in her hand.
"Kuchiki?" She asked.
"Yes." Byakuya answered.
"I was about to tell the news to the group of teenagers in the waiting room, but they insisted that I tell you first. According to what we just found… Rukia is suffering mostly bad bruises. The doctors have just finished cleaning her scrapes, and luckily there were no major wounds, so she'll be okay." Ichigo let out a relieved breath that he had been holding in. "However…" However? Ichigo patiently looked at the doctor. "Even though her head had been somewhat protected, she still suffers from a small concussion. We are unsure when she'll wake." She finished.
"But she will wake, won't she?" Hisana asked.
"The trauma isn't fatal, but I'm still unsure myself. Head injuries can be tricky, we will do our best to care for her." The doctor replied curtly.
Hisana looked on at the open door, unsure how to take the news. Byakuya pulled up a seat and sat by her side. She grabbed his hand and gave him a reassuring smile. Ichigo let out a sigh.
"Do any of you know a Yume Higurashi? Or is that in the waiting room?"
"I'll come with you…" Ichigo said, putting the envelope in his pocket and nodding a goodbye to the Kuchikis.
They walked down the hall in silence and approached the group of waiting teens. They stood up and were told to sit down, the doctor retold Rukia's condition, and then went to Yume's. Ichigo felt his heart stop for a second and then start again.
"Yume Higurashi… she had a few broken bones, bruises and had her head smashed onto the ground with great force. From what I heard, the weight of miss Kuchiki added to the force as she was clinging onto that girl with a tight hold. Which explains why miss Kuchiki's injuries aren't fatal. But…" Orihime stifled a gasp. "She passed a few moments ago due to blood loss and fatal trauma to the head. I'm so sorry."
The group turned to Grimmjaw who sat alarmingly still. He stood and cursed, kicking objects in his path away from him. He gritted his teeth, and with a yell, dealt a heavy blow to Ichigo's face. Ichigo fell to the floor. The group tried to hold Grimmjaw back, but he was much faster than they were. Grimmjaw climbed on top of Ichigo and lifted him by the collar.
"This is all your fucking fault." He said almost inaudibly. Grimmjaw punched Ichigo across his jaw and the teen spat out blood. "She's dead because of you!" He screamed.
"You could have caught her." Ichigo said, his anger returning.
"Shut up!" He exclaimed, delivering blows onto Ichigo's stomach.
Byakuya happened upon the scene, and easily restrained Grimmjaw. Ichigo struggled to stand, his hands clutched his stomach.
"Let go of me!" Grimmjaw yelled. He pushed Byakuya away, the man only looked at him neutrally. "Where is she?" Grimmjaw walked up to the doctor.
"I'm sorry but the body-"
The enraged teen grabbed the doctor's shoulders. "I don't fucking care. I want to see her."
The doctor nodded, and led him to Yume's body. They arrived at a white room, where her body lay covered by a white sheet. The doctor glanced at the young man who seemed to have frozen in time, his eyes wet and his face pale. She left.
Grimmjaw hesitantly walked towards Yume's body. He gently pulled the blanket down, and pushed the strays of her hair from her face. She was so cold… oh so cold. His eyes clouded as he scanned her face, trying to imagine it smiling. Tears spilled out onto Yume's sleeping face, and he clutched her hand. Putting an ear to her chest, he heard nothing, not the faintest heartbeat. He wiped his eyes and then kissed her on the lips softly, hoping that it would wake her up like some fairytale, but no reaction.
Her voice rang in his head. About everything she ever said to make him feel better, when his dad had disowned him and they had taken him in to her family. And the last words ever spoken to him hurt him even more. I'm sorry, Grimmjaw. He climbed onto the metal table her body lay on, and pulled her form into his arms.
"I guess I only loved you Yume, I hope you forgive me." He gave her another kiss and held her tighter, traces of blood stained his clothes. He lay her down gently and gave her one last kiss on the cheek before pulling up her covers. He walked out of the room, his face in a frown, and his eyes red.
"Don't go in there." He said to Ichigo, who looked away in defeat. The orange haired boy stared as he passed, his eyes glued to the blood on Grimmjaw's shirt.
Grimmjaw continued down the hall and then sprinted out of the hospital doors. It was so painful, this feeling in his chest. A heavy tonic of guilt, sadness and an infinite loneliness awaited him as he pushed out of the hospital through the heavy doors. He looked up into the dark sky and hoped that Yume was up there somewhere, watching over him.
xxxx
Hisana coughed and felt her breath shorten. Byakuya sighed and felt her forehead, somehow she had gotten worse, her temperature was even higher and her skin paler than before. Byakuya hugged her and Hisana let out a small groan.
"What have you done?" Byakuya asked.
"I'll be okay, Byakuya. Don't worry." She smiled and placed a hand on his cheek.
"I can't… I'm afraid to lose you…" He kissed her on the lips and Hisana smiled as he pulled away.
"You won't lose me, honest." Byakuya started to tear up and soon tears were spilling from his eyes. Hisana frowned and wiped them away, his hard glare had so quickly turned soft accompanied by rarely seen tears. "Don't cry…. Please, if you cry… it'll only make me sadder, and I want to be happy before I go." Byakuya hugged her tight once more.
"Then what am I supposed to do? Smile at the fact that you're so sick?"
"I have never seen you smile Byakuya." She laughed softly.
"Yes you have."
"Name when." She said, crossing her arms and grinning.
"Whenever I see you." And with this remark, he smiled. Hisana began to cry.
"I love you." She said, and coughed. Byakuya wiped her tears and kissed her on the lips gently.
xxxx
Ichigo paced back and forth, they could at least let him see her.
"I'm sorry, but her parents did not allow it." The nurse said. Ichigo cursed and raced to Hisana's room.
He barged in and his jaw dropped at the sight of an intense make-out session. He quickly turned around.
"What do you want?" Byakuya asked, as he buttoned his shirt and helped Hisana tie up her gown.
"I need to see Rukia." Ichigo said firmly.
"Why should I let you do that?" Byakuya replied as he stood.
Ichigo turned and faced Byakuya. "I'm sorry." He replied. "It was my fault. She's like this because of me..."
Byakuya and Hisana looked at him in silence.
"Just... let me see her. When she wakes... I'll go. I don't want to harm her anymore." Ichigo said, swallowing the protest of his heart.
Byakuya pressed the call bell and a nurse appeared in the doorway. "Please take this boy to my daughter's room."
"Right away." She spun on her heel and Ichigo followed.
"Thanks." Ichigo said quietly. Byakuya just shut the door.
Ichigo's heart began to quicken as he neared Rukia's door. The nurse pushed it open gently and a small squeak sounded. He walked in and she turned the lights on.
"Thank you."
"I hope she'll wake up." She smiled softly and left the two teens in the room alone.
"I do too…" Ichigo looked at Rukia, her head covered by bandages.
He pulled up a chair and sat near her. Oh how he wished to see the bright violet eyes and smiling lips once more. His finger went along her jaw line, and he sighed.
"Rukia…" He wasn't so familiar with talking to the people in comas thing, although he saw it a lot in movies, he really wondered if it worked. "Rukia… please wake up you midget. I'm begging here…" He whispered. "And you don't see me begging a lot, especially to you. Everyone's so worried about you… I'm sorry I didn't come in time and save you… I blame myself for that. So you can yell at me all you want when you wake up."
His amber eyes scanned her pale face, tears began to collect, and he quickly wiped them away. He took her hand and squeezed it. He suddenly noticed how small she seemed without her waking strength and grace.
"I've decided… that when you wake up, you'll be able to see. I promise you. You will see, with my eyes. Whether you like it or not, my eyes will be yours… you will see for me, and…"
"Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime said. Ichigo whipped around and nodded at Orihime. "Do you think she will wake up?"
"I know she will." He said.
xxxx
Hisana coughed again as Byakuya poured her a glass of tea.
"You should really get some rest."
"I want to spend time with you…" She said simply. Byakuya didn't know what to say. "Can we go see Rukia now?"
"I suppose…"
"Good." Hisana sipped her tea and slowly got out of bed, she shivered and Byakuya wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.
They neared her daughter's room and she smiled at the sight of Orihime and Ichigo, watching Rukia sleep. Orihime quickly left the room and Hisana walked over to Ichigo. She placed one hand on his shoulder and another on Rukia's hand.
"Do you think she will wake up?"
"I know it." Ichigo answered. Hisana smiled softly as she read Ichigo's features.
"You look tired, you should get some rest."
"I'm not leaving her alone." He said, his gaze still on her daughter's face. Hisana laughed quietly, and found his dedication admirable.
"I see." She pushed strands of Rukia's hair back and smiled. She sat beside Rukia and sang her favorite lullaby. Ichigo pictured Rukia singing it a few weeks ago at the festival. "I hope, she will sing once more…" Tears escaped Hisana's eyes and she kissed Rukia on the forehead.
Suddenly, Hisana went into a coughing fit and Ichigo sat up in shock. Byakuya ran over to his wife, who did her best to breathe in between coughs.
"Hisana!" Byakuya said. Ichigo called a nurse and saw blood come out of Hisana's mouth.
The petite woman began to feel hot, and dizzy, she fainted in Byakuya's arms just as a nurse rushed in. Ichigo stood frozen as he watched Byakuya carry Hisana out of the room. He held his head in his hands, feeling the exhaustion of the situation weigh on his shoulders. He looked at Rukia and held her hand, eventually falling asleep beside her.
xxxx
Byakuya carried Hisana and placed her onto her bed gently. He couldn't ignore it any longer, she was getting worse and at this rate she might soon… no, he must not think that. He pulled the blanket over Hisana's body and pushed strands of her hair back in place.
She shuffled in the bed and her eyes fluttered open. "Byakuya…?" He could barely keep his composure. His wife was clinging to dear life, and there was nothing he could do to help.
"Yes?" He asked, his chest caving in.
"Hold me…" She said quietly, her voice cracking.
Byakuya nodded, and sat beside her in the bed, pulling up the covers and held her near his chest. He hugged her tight and Hisana let out a pleased moan. She coughed and then snuggled up to Byakuya.
"I love you, Byakuya." She whispered.
"I love you too, Hisana." And with that, Hisana dozed off, tears ran down Byakuya's eyes and he held her closer.
xxxx
A/N: I'll leave it at this peoples. I would continue, but I still have to think. I love you all . : ) I promise that the next chapter will be the regular length. Review. Sorry if I upset anyone. : P All right all right, you don't have to review since this one was short. But I would appreciate it :) I might not update for a long while… but then again, you never know : P