This chapter gets the ball rolling in the right direction. I want to give people a fair warning this chapter has more angst and has characters acting uncharacteristic in some regards. Remember the summary for the story, bonds are going to be tested, friends will keep secrets in order to protect each other (or they think it will), and alliances the characters have will be questioned. Keep in mind I am trying to be true to the spirit of the LSS arc. One big thing in the arc was how the characters were divided and tried to distant themselves to protect the others. The Karakura team won't be the same well-oiled machine we are used to and the characters will make mistakes. If they were perfect there would not be a story. Please bear that in mind when you read this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in any way or form.
Where the hell was his father? It was getting late, really late. It was almost midnight! Was he going to be gone until midnight? Was he going to stay out past midnight? Was that bastard actually going to stay out past midnight without letting them know where he was!? For all they knew he could be lying in a ditch somewhere clinging to life! No, his father wasn't dying or even injured. That would require him to have been considerate. He wasn't caught unaware by something going bump in the night or even attacked by some unknown threat. The bastard knew exactly what he was doing and was staying out because he was doing god knows what. That was how his old man liked it. He had to keep them all in the dark because there was no way he could tell them the truth. He couldn't tell Ichigo the truth.
His father was working behind the scenes in secret again. He wouldn't be surprised if the old man went to the Soul Society to ask around about the scar man. He could have gone there for all he knew. Ichigo still had no clue why his father was living in the Human World. He might not have been exiled like Urahara and the vizards. Perhaps helping to fight Aizen and the Privaron Espada had earned him a pardon like it did for Urahara and the others. He didn't know a god damn thing about his father. Was Kurosaki even his real name? Rukia never responded in any way to his name. If his old man was a shinigami captain it would stand to reason that his name would be well known, just as Urahara and Yoruichi's names were. When he told Ikkaku that he trained under Urahara the man couldn't conceal his shock.
There was no way that his father was some grunt soldier. His reiatsu was too great for that. When Ichigo sensed it on the battlefield against Aizen it was almost suffocating. Ichigo doubted he obtained that type of power recently considering he hadn't sensed an ounce of reiatsu from his father back when he still had his reiatsu. Plus he did tell Ichigo that he only regained his power when they left for Soul Society to rescue Rukia. It was perhaps naïve or stupid of him to take his father's word, but he knew in his heart that if his father had retained his shinigami powers that he would have saved his mother from the Grand Fisher. Her death devastated all of them. The way he talked to those dumb posters of his mother or the way his face fell on the anniversary of her death when he thought no one was watching him was proof of how much he loved her. His father would have never forsaken his wife just to protect his secret.
How bad was it that he could only take comfort in the fact his father was being truthful to him because of the pain the death of his wife brought him? If his powers were gone for the majority of Ichigo's life that lent credit that his power really did return over a year ago. The white cloak he wore had to have been a captain's haori. Ichigo was confident that he was a captain. If he was a captain his original point was proven. Someone in the Soul Society should have reacted to the name Kurosaki when they learned of his identity. Kurosaki couldn't have been his father's true name. Did his mother even know of his identity? There were so many questions left unanswered. How many secrets was his old man keeping from him? Where was he right now? Who was the real Kurosaki Isshin and why was he trying so hard to keep them in the dark?
"Ichigo-kun." Her gentle touch rested on his shoulder. As always she sought to offer him comfort or reassurance, yet at the same time she was trying not to intrude. This was her way of asking him for permission to be there for him. He supposed their disagreement with Karin still made her uncertain if he wanted her presence. Why did she always have to be so damn considerate? Here she was sitting with him on the couch waiting up for his father. Never mind that it was almost midnight and she still needed to get home. He couldn't leave the girls here alone even if they were fast asleep. Even if he was positive that no one was watching the clinic when he came home he wasn't willing to gamble his sisters' lives on it.
Orihime understood that without him having to even say a word. She made no complaint or fuss on getting home. He expected her to offer to walk home on her own to ease his concerns, but she knew the idea of her walking home alone at this late hour would cause the target of his anxieties to switch on to her. That made him feel more like an ass than anything else. It seemed petty to still be upset over keeping Karin's secret from him. "Where the hell is he?" Ichigo asked aloud. She wouldn't have an answer, but that's not why he asked. He just needed to get it off his chest. He needed a confidant to listen to his concerns. Orihime had become a person he had grown accustomed to sharing his thoughts and concerns with. That was what they had become to each other when they helped each other to deal with the aftermath of the war. He never cherished it as much as he did at this moment.
"Shit! It is 11:45. What could he possibly be doing that would take him this long?" He could hear his voice rising. He had to be careful not to wake his sisters. That meant he needed to reign in his growing temper. "Errands my ass, the old man was lying." That was the right volume. Too bad he couldn't celebrate his success.
"I'm sure he had a good reason," Orihime suggested unconvincingly.
He had a reason all right. The sky would fall before he thought to share it with his son. Why would his old man tell him anything this time? He was going to keep everything close to home. This was the same man who asked his girlfriend to keep him in the dark about the Privaron Espada. It wasn't as if he trusted Ichigo with anything meaningful. "He won't tell me a god damn thing. He's been gone all day long and when he gets through this door and sees us he will just give some half-hearted lecture on how we should be in bed for school," he said bitterly.
Orihime could hear the bitterness in his voice. It made her recoil. It was the same bitterness he had with her when she confessed she had kept the Privaron Espada a secret from him. The bitterness that was born from the sting of betrayal and searing rage had returned to him. She couldn't say she was happy to see it. Having been on the receiving end of that deadly combination she knew full well how hurtful it could be. Orihime wanted to spare Isshin of that. He was Ichigo's father. They should be getting along, not be at each other's throats, not when this was his last year in high school. She refused to let a rift come between them.
"Isshin-san is probably doing what he thinks is best," she tried again. When Ichigo didn't object the healer decided to brave on and hope for the best. "Last year he was working hard with Urahara-san and everyone else to stop the arrancars. He wanted to protect you." She rested her hands on his shoulders seeking to comfort him to the best of her abilities. The tension had made them so rigid. This was worse than she thought. "I am sure that is what he wants to do now. He wants to protect you." The healer knew those were the wrong words as soon as they left her lips. Ichigo spun around so fast that he almost took her hands with him. The chocolate eyes she had seen coated with so much love and passion were drowned in harshness that it caused her skin to jump off.
"I have had my fill of him trying to protect me by keeping me out of the loop." The bitterness that had been there before paled in comparison to hostility and resentment that spewed from him now. "I am not some child that needs to be kept in the dark for his own good!"
"I-I didn't mean it like that..."
"What did you mean then?" Ichigo snapped. Orihime withdrew from him. He could see her struggle to find and string together words. Seeing her nervously trying to appease him while looking like a puppy that had been chastised for loving her owner cooled his anger. Shame flourished in its place. He shouldn't take his anger out on Orihime. He never did that. She sure as hell didn't deserve that. He never wanted to be the one to make her cry or sad. Tears were absent, but seeing her look at him with trepidation flowing from her beautiful eyes made him disgusted with himself. "I am sorry."
She offered a weak smile. "That's ok."
"It is not ok!" He lashed out at her for no good reason. She should be upset with him, not brush it off like it was nothing. She had to know that. "I blew up at you for no reason. It is a very big deal. I never want to be the one who makes you sad."
"You could never make me sad," she objected. "You always make me smile. I know how much you cherish me."
Against his will a smile crept onto his face. She dusted off that old saying just to make him forget about his guilt. He remembered the time when they would tell each other how much they cherished their bond and each other long before they professed their love. Their hands were intertwined. The ex-substitute stared into the beautiful hazel orbs that presented him with everlasting adoration and abundant devotion. "I cherish you so much," she told him. A small smile formed on her lips. "There is no need to beat yourself up over something so minor. I know you are just frustrated at Isshin-san."
"You are too much," Ichigo admitted. "I yell at you and you forgive me like that." She never ceased to amaze him. In face of hostility she always managed to see through it and try to find some shred of goodness or empathize with a person. She was too good to believe sometimes. That ability was probably one of her best qualities. "Still I shouldn't have gotten upset with you. I am sorry for yelling at you, Orihime."
"I don't want you and Isshin-san to fight," she said honestly. "I understand why you are upset. It must be extremely frustrating to wait for Isshin-san to open up to you. It has been seventeen months. I think you have a right to be angry, but I also think you have to remember that he has his reasons for not telling you everything yet. Isn't that why you didn't tell Karin-chan about your life as a shinigami?"
The last thing he wanted was to be reminded of how he handled the situation with Karin the same way his father was handling him. He wasn't blind. He knew it was hypocritical. That was why he vowed he would tell Karin what was going on himself when this latest crisis was over. He would tell her everything and resolve to not be like his father. If he had told Karin the truth after the war ended then she would have told him about going to Urahara herself. She might have come to him for help instead of Orihime. As bad as he had been with Karin at least he realized the fault in his actions and promised to do something about it. His father wasn't about to tell him anything. At least his secrets weren't putting Karin and Yuzu in danger. If Orihime hadn't stayed them today they would have been left alone and exposed to the scar man or Ginjo, or whoever else was involved in this unfolding plot.
The old man wasn't inconveniencing him, but he put them in danger. That ignited his long dormant rage. This wasn't simply about his father keeping things from him. Now it was endangering all of their lives. The bastard had been oblivious to it all. He was too intent on treating his son as if he was still a helpless child. Orihime wanted him to respect his father's reasons. That was easier seventeen months ago in the heat of battle with Aizen. Now when he was sitting here with his unbelievably patient and ridiculously understanding girlfriend waiting up for his old man because they had to stay here to make sure his sisters were safe had robbed him of that patience. He was stepping into the role that by all rights should be his father's. He should be the bigger person and just accept his father's reasoning without complaint. He had to be the bigger person because he was the older brother. It was his duty to protect his younger sisters. He didn't begrudge that role. What he hated, what he was growing to despise from the bottom of his heart, was how he was expected to just accept everything his father did and when it endangered them he was just supposed to stay silent.
Orihime sat there with hope twinkling within her eyes and acceptance powering her smile. She always went out of her way to understand people. She gave them the benefit of the doubt. In truth, she always had the ability to look for the good in any situation. That was how she lived and survived. Her abusive parents that were so terrible that her brother had to run away with her to protect her, she didn't complain about it. When her brother, the only real family she had left, was killed when she was still a girl she cherished the time they had together and moved on for his sake. He envied her ability to do that, but he wasn't Orihime. He couldn't just ignore this. He couldn't find the good in his father's secrets when they were affecting all of them now.
"It is not easy to be forgiving of someone who leaves us in the dark and expects us to accept it. He put you out of your way today by making you watch the girls just to make sure they were safe. Now you can't even go home because we can't leave them alone."
"I am fine staying here for tonight though," she insisted. The displeasure moved onto her beloved's face. Her attempt to pacify him had fallen flat. "I had no problem watching Karin-chan and Yuzu-chan. We had a fun day. We had a great day!" she exclaimed happily. Her natural sunny and jolly disposition took hold of her. "I love spending time with them. We always have fun. I even got Karin-chan to wear makeup. Yuzu-chan told me about all the friends she was making at school. It makes me feel like I am part of the family. I adore them. I have always wondered what it was like to have a little sister and this way it feels like I have two."
He thought she was crazy. She could tell by the way he was looking at her. Why wouldn't he? Orihime sounded crazy to herself. She was rambling on and on again. Ichigo was doing his best to hold his tongue and politely listen while his gaze betrayed his true thoughts. She thought the days when she made a fool of herself in front of him were over. "What I mean is that I don't want you to think that I was burdened today. I will do anything to make sure that Karin-chan and Yuzu-chan are safe. I want to protect them if I can. If that means I have to miss some work or that I have to stay here for tonight I don't mind much at all." He was no longer staring at her as if she was a zany girl. She stopped sounding crazy, thankfully. "I don't want to be the reason you are angry at your father."
"None of this is your fault." Ichigo couldn't grasp why she would think she was at fault. She did everything right. Orihime told him everything she could and kept him in the loop. "I know you don't mind watching Karin or Yuzu. It still put you out of your way. You had to miss work today. I don't want you to have to go out of your way to make sure they are safe simply because dad went off on his own before we could tell him anything. You have to get up early tomorrow just to go back to your apartment to get ready for school," he growled the last part.
True to Orihime form she effortlessly swatted away the problem and let her positive nature radiate. "It is no trouble at all. I could use the exercise. I have been neglecting it and eating more pastries than I should. Tatsuki-chan is always teasing me about getting fat."
For Orihime to get fat would be like him growing a second head. The girl could put food away, but she never seemed to put on much weight at all. Part of him was still convinced that it all went to her breasts. It would explain some things. "Staying here isn't so bad. I haven't done that in a while," she said enthusiastically. "You could hold me like you did the first night I stayed here," she reminisced fondly. It was the first time they slept in the same bed together. Her nightmares ran rampant and she could only get a few hours of sleep. He had made her promise to tell him when she had a nightmare. He stayed with her until she fell back asleep. She took too long to fall asleep and by the time she did he fell with her. They slept in his bed soundly. She fell asleep in his strong arms. It was one of her most precious memories.
It was one of the moments that made her realize that Ichigo cared about her more than she realized he did. It was one of the moments that made her think that her outlandish dream of her Kurosaki-kun loving her was not so outlandish after all. He held her last night when he slept over at her place, but it wasn't the same as when they slept in his bed. A futon and a bed were very different things. She wasn't ready to rule out sentimentality coloring the experience. In fairness, she did drift off pretty fast after their enjoyable reunion.
"On the first night I didn't have any clothes here. I just ate breakfast here and left to get ready for school without any problems," she reminded her very forgetful boyfriend. "I can borrow some of your clothes and we can snuggle together." The prospect of melting in his embrace was enough of a silver lining for her. If only she could get him to see the same thing. His anger would not be sated to her dismay. The healer was unsure how to proceed. If he wanted to be angry at his father then there was nothing she could do about it. At the same time she hated the fact that she was powerless to relieve him of it. If he couldn't stand to see her sad, she could not stand to him plagued by his demons either.
"Look, it is not that I don't appreciate your efforts." He did appreciate her for trying to make him feel better. He wasn't ready to let his father off the hook yet. There was no excuse for ignoring their many phone calls. "It is not going to be as easy as looking on the brighter side of things." It just couldn't be this time. He wanted to give his father time and wait until he was ready to tell him about his history, but he needed something to go off of. He needed to know his father's past wasn't endangering them in the present, to not be shut out by him. "Does that make any sense to you?"
It made sense to her. Orihime was worried and perturbed by Isshin's absence as well. She had tried calling him several times throughout the day while she was hanging out with the girls. He hadn't returned a single call. She didn't understand why he hadn't returned a single call. They certainly needed to tell him about what they found out. Isshin was a good man. He loved his family dearly. She kept telling herself that whatever his reasons were they were rooted in protecting his family. With time he would eventually tell them, when he was ready. Ichigo was the same way. There were times when she was aggravated by how he kept things in, but in time he learned to share more with her. Perhaps it was just a Kurosaki trait? "Yes. It does make sense to me."
Oddly enough that turned his downcast expression around. He wasn't exactly an image of unbridled happiness, but the wrinkles cleared up. Words of encouragement or attempts to diffuse him weren't what he needed now. He just needed someone to listen to him. Orihime could be that for him tonight. He returned to the couch. Her hand rediscovered his. She knew it was enough. She had forgotten that her presence could just be enough sometimes. Her presence and ears could sometimes be enough to ease his troubles just a little.
"It's Alright!" hollered boisterous voice.
Orihime's heart almost exploded out of her chest. Terror gripped her body and made it convulse as if ice water had been dumped all over her. If this wasn't bad enough, her traitorous body grabbed on to Ichigo without thought. He was unprepared for it, her arms wildly flung around, and she hit him square in the nose. She held on to him for dear life with no regard for her strength. For all he was concerned, she had him in a vice-grip.
"It's Alright!" the unknown voice hollered again. "It's Alright! It's Alright! It's Alright!"
"W-who is that?" Orihime cried.
"…..hone….."
"What?" Hone? What in the world was a hone? Why was he speaking gibberish?
"….ce…..hone…." he groaned again.
She was riddled with more confusion. This made less sense than before. "Ichi….go-kun." Once she picked her head up she could see plainly that Ichigo was suffocating against her generous bosom. The universe unleashed a fresh batch of humiliation on her. Orihime would have given almost anything at the moment to just bury her head under a rock somewhere. Slowly she released her struggling boyfriend and averted her sights to her lap until she stopped being mortified. "S-s-sorry," she stuttered.
"It's no problem," he said.
"It's Alright! It's Alright! It's Alright!" continued to fill the background.
Words couldn't describe just how eternally grateful Orihime was that there was something to distract from her latest blooper. "What is that?"
"That's your phone," replied the ex-substitute.
The little gratitude she felt sunk under a new ocean of embarrassment. Right now she wished she could dive in there to hide from him. The boisterous voice was familiar. It was unmistakably her ring tone. It was her ring tone and she had forgotten it. She let herself be scared silly by her own ring tone. He must have thought she was a silly school girl to have battered him in fear of her own cellphone!
"Aren't you going to answer it?" he said slowly.
He spoke each word slow as if to make sure she comprehended what was going on. She made a fool herself in front of him again. Why did this have to happen to her? "Orihime," she heard him say. "The phone," he reminded her.
The goddess hastily grabbed her phone, answered it, and put it to her ear without laying eyes on him. She was proud of herself actually. The problem was she hadn't looked to see who was calling. "Hello," she said timidly.
"Hello," a calming yet dispassionate voice replied. This voice Orihime recognized. She just couldn't picture the face. "May I ask if I am speaking with Inoue Orihime-chan?"
"Yes, this is her." This was going to drive her crazy. She knew this voice. She needed to jog her memory.
"Good it is you. I apologize for calling you at such a late hour. This number was probably one you did not recognize." It might have been a good thing she hadn't looked at the number. She might not have answered if she hadn't recognized the number, at least not this late. "I assure you that I would not be calling if it was not urgent," the voice continued.
Urgent, she did not like the sound of that. "What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, already picking up that something was wrong.
"I don't know," she whispered back. "Um, excuse me. May I ask who I am speaking to?"
"Certainly, this is Director Ishida Ryuken of Karakura General Hospital."
Ishida-kun's father! That was why she recognized the voice. Learning the identity of the caller gave her no satisfaction. Ishida-kun's father calling her could mean nothing good. He said it was urgent. Something must have been wrong with Ishida-kun!
"You have questions I am sure, but I must ask you to be silent. I will inform you of everything. If I have not answered any question you may have had you may ask," the man explained, muting her before she could speak. "At approximately 7: 37 pm Uryu was admitted into Karakura General. He received a severe wound to his right arm, extending from forearm all the way up to his shoulder that resulted in massive blood loss. We immediately performed emergency surgery on him and successfully stopped the bleeding and stabilized him. His blood was replenished and he is no longer in any danger. He has just regained consciousness. I thought it imperative to inform you of this and have you come down. It is unlikely Uryu will tell me anything. Your group of friends may have a better chance at getting something out of him."
Wait, this was all happening so fast. She was still trying to process it all. Ishida-kun had been injured, so seriously injured that he needed an operation to save his life. That all happened while they were having dinner? While she and Ichigo were having dinner with the girls Ishida-kun was fighting for his life! They had been none the wiser. Why hadn't she been called sooner? With her power she could have fixed him up right away. Ishida-kun's father wanted her to go down there to talk to him. He was just now calling her not to heal his son, but to get information out of him. Fathers had an unusual way of thinking when it came to their sons.
"If you do not have any questions I will hang up. I need to inform Sado-kun and Ichigo-kun of the situation."
"Wait! Ichigo-kun, I mean Kurosaki-kun is with me right now." Bewildered as Orihime was she considered it a small wonder she was able to get that out.
"I understand. I will entrust that you inform him of everything. I will call Sado-kun. I secured Uryu a private room and barred anyone who is not approved by me from entering except for his doctor of course. When you go to the directory tell the nurse stationed there your names and she will tell you the room Uryu is in and let you go without any problems. Do you understand?"
"Yes," she affirmed.
"Good. I shall see you and Ichigo-kun there. Goodbye."
"Uh, good bye," she managed to stammer out. He left her whirling around with her thoughts.
"What's going on?" Ichigo barked out. Orihime flinched. Despite just mentioning that he was there she forgot about him. "Who was that? Was it my dad? Did he ask about me?" The questions flew at her. He was exasperated at being left in the dark.
Orihime held her hands up in surrender. "No, that wasn't Isshin-san. It was Ishida-san."
"Ishida-san, you mean Ishida's father?" He looked to her for clarification. She answered with a nod. "Why would he call you?" Her shoulders sank and her eyes dimmed. She refused to meet his gaze. She was withdrawing. Just how bad was this?
"Ishida-kun was injured badly. He had to go into surgery."
"What?" he uttered in disbelief. Ishida was injured so bad that he actually needed surgery. How on earth did that even happen? It was Ishida of all people.
"He wants us to come down to the hospital and talk to Ishida-kun and find out what happened. He was going to call you and Sado-kun as well. That is why I told him I was with you."
"He doesn't know what happened to Ishida?" How the hell did he not know what happened to his own kid?
"Ishida-kun just regained consciousness. He probably hasn't had any chance to talk to him about it. Ishida-san seems to think that Ishida-kun would be more willing to talk to us than him."
He had forgotten about the crazy feud between the two Ishida men. Ishida couldn't stand his father one bit. Every time the subject came around to it their most level headed friend always seemed to fall into a barely restrained fury. From what little Ichigo knew of the older Ishida he seemed almost indifferent to his son. Blood was bad between them, but he hadn't imagined that it would prevent Ishida from telling his father how he got injured so badly that he needed to get surgery. "Typical," he groaned. "Why does that four eyed bastard always have to make things more difficult than they need to be. We have to get over there fast. Is he at Karakura General? His father is director there."
"Uh-huh," the healer responded.
"Get your coat and we'll get going now. It's late. The faster we leave the faster we can get back. It is still a school night. We should be out no later than 1 o'clock at least." Damn it. He didn't have a coat down here. He would need to go to his room. Thinking about it, Orihime probably didn't have a coat on her either. It had been a hot day. She wouldn't have needed one. All his coats and jackets would be too big for her. A sweat coat might work better for her. "If you don't have a coat I can get you one of my sweat coats to wear."
"Wait, do you think both of us should go?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't we both go?" He asked that as if it was fact. Had he really forgotten why they were waiting up in the first place? He was moving toward the stairs.
"Wait! Ichigo-kun, please wait." She chased after him.
"We don't have a lot of time. We can't stay out all night if we still plan on going to school tomorrow."
"But, what about Karin-chan and Yuzu-chan?" she cried. Ichigo stopped right in his tracks. He really had forgotten in all the excitement.
Shit! He forgot about them. Leaving them here alone was out of the question. Could he take them to the hospital with them? No, what was he thinking. That would require him to wake them both up and explain the situation. They would want to know why he was bringing them with him. That didn't taken into account how he could possibly bring them with him and Orihime, while getting answers out of Uryu. Karin's knowledge of their adventures would tip her off right away that this had something to do with that. He was stuck.
"If you want I can stay here with them, while you go," Orihime suggested. "I know you wouldn't want me to go alone, plus my powers do make me more suited to watching the girls." She didn't like to remind him of his current powerless state, but in this situation they needed to be practical. He did once tell her that treating him with respect required her to be truthful with him and not tip toe around him.
Orihime's idea made sense. Her Shun Shun Rikka did offer more protection than anything he was capable of doing right now. As much as he hated to admit that if the threat was supernatural in nature he was useless. At the same time he didn't want to exclude Orihime. She spent so much time keeping him updated about everything that benching her to watch the clinic felt wrong. Wouldn't they need her powers to heal Ishida? If his injuries were severe enough that he needed surgery then it would be good to have Orihime around just in case they needed something more than conventional medicine.
'What should we do? Ishida might need Orihime to heal him. I can't just let her go there on her own. If Ishida could get injured this badly then it is possible for Orihime to get injured as well. Going in together would be smarter, but that leaves Karin and Yuzu unprotected. Fuck! No matter what we do we are leaving someone vulnerable. What is the right thing to do?'
The most wonderful sound in the world could be heard. The jingling of the door never sounded better. The door opening had become a beautiful sight he welcomed. Relief surged through him. His good for nothing father returned home. He wanted to be pissed at him and he was, but that could wait. The important thing was now that his old man was here his sisters were safe and sound, while he and Orihime could leave.
"You kids are still up?" Isshin expressed mild surprise.
"Isshin-san," an awestruck Orihime said.
"Shouldn't you be getting sleep? You have school tomorrow," the elder Kurosaki said.
Ichigo groaned inwardly. The bastard was lecturing them after he was out all day and screening their calls. "Old man, we don't have time for this. Ishida's father just called us. Ishida is in the hospital. He got messed up pretty bad. We've got to go there to make sure he is alright."
A far greater surprise masked Isshin's face. "Uryu was injured. What happened?"
Ichigo raced up stairs and left Orihime alone to answer his father. "We don't know a lot yet. That is also why we want to go down there. Ishida-san thinks that Ishida-kun will open up to us." Ichigo returned wearing a jet black jacket with a spare sweat coat in hand. He gave it to her. "Karin-chan and Yuzu-chan are asleep upstairs in their room." She hurried to put on the sweat coat.
"We are going to go to Karakura General," Ichigo told his father. "Once we find out what happened and see what his condition is we'll head straight back here." He watched as Orihime finished putting on the sweat coat. "Are you ready to go?" When she answered yes the orange couple rushed past Isshin and went to the door.
"Keep me posted," Isshin called uselessly. The kids hurried off. He hadn't expected Uryu to end up in the hospital. Was he attacked by an enemy? That was the only explanation for why Uryu would have been injured enough to end up in Ryuken's care. Things were already going to hell. If Uryu was attacked and they hadn't sensed it then things were worse than he thought they were. This new enemy was more trouble than they expected. "We're getting into some deep shit."
The journey happened so fast. It felt unreal almost as if they were in a dream. She could tell that their surroundings were real, her mind told her that this was real. As they ran as fast as their legs could carry them Orihime just didn't feel like she was the one doing the running. Instead she had an out of body experience where she was watching her body run with all its might. None of her usual cheer was present on her face. A quiet intensity rested there in its place. She wouldn't call her expression one of fear or even sadness, rather the expression walked a fine line between both emotions yet stood out on its own.
Ichigo ran ahead of her. His speed never decreased. He was giving more effort than she was, which was no small statement. Orihime was forcing her body to move as fast as humanly possible. The only way she could go faster is if she had used her spiritual energy to enhance her speed. If she was honest, she was deviating a small amount of her spiritual energy to speed herself up. Ichigo ran faster than that despite possessing no spiritual power of his own. He hadn't looked back at her once during their journey. Orihime wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. They hadn't spoken a single word after they left his house. They hadn't stopped running until they made they made it to the hospital.
Fatigue never claimed them. Considering how stubborn both of them were it was more accurate to say that they denied fatigue from claiming them at all. Their legs carried them to the front desk. Orihime couldn't even recall who gave the nurse their names her or Ichigo. She couldn't even recall the elevator ride. They were both too engrossed with their own thoughts and fears to be fully aware of what was going on, or at least she was. Awareness returned to her when she heard a chime. It took her more than a few seconds to realize the chime was the elevator alerting them that they had reached the fourth floor.
Reaching their destination didn't lessen Ichigo's urgency. He rushed out as soon as the doors opened. Not wanting to be left behind she raced after him. His apprehension was stronger than she thought. It had to have been building up all the way there. Knowing Ichigo as well as she did, she knew he let his thoughts dwell on the things that could have gone wrong. With only second hand information to work with he didn't even have the benefit of being told Ishida-kun was well from Ishida-san. It was predictable that he ran through the hall until he reached the room. It was predictable that he pulled the door open with lightning reflexes. Good news or bad news Ichigo would take if full on because he needed to see with his own eyes his friend's condition. Orihime admired that about him. He was strong enough to handle it, no matter how bad it was.
"Ishida!" he shouted. He didn't go into the room. Orihime almost ran into him because of that. Despite her clumsiness she stopped herself before she came in contact with his back.
"What's wrong, Ichigo-kun?" The question was made pointless the instant the words left her mouth. The reason behind Ichigo's sudden halt was Ishida-kun's very own father standing on the other side of the door. He was exactly as she remembered him, poised, impeccably dressed, composed to the point where he was detached, and yet he was a fountain of wisdom and knowledge.
Behind the spectacles the ice blue spheres locked on to Ichigo first then to her. They were devoid of any emotion. What they lacked in emotion they made up for by being every bit as calculating. Being under his watchful eye was akin as being under a microscope. Orihime wondered if the elder Ishida could see through all the layers of her skin and could see her insides.
"You are in a hospital," Ryuken said. The volume he spoke at was moderate yet the tone authoritative and uncompromising. "Please refrain from shouting in the hallway."
"Sorry," the healer responded automatically. If she thought about it, there was no reason for her to apologize. She hadn't shouted and she really couldn't speak for Ichigo. Their love didn't entitle her to speak on his behalf.
Ichigo disregarded Ryuken's warning. "Where is Ishida?" He hadn't meant any disrespect, but his first priority was to their friend. Until that mission ended there would be nothing to deter or derail him from it. Surprisingly, Ryuken acknowledged this. He stepped aside as if to usher them in. Neither of them needed prompting to go in. A curtain separated Uryu from the rest of the world. The material was thin enough that his still form could be made out. His unmoving form painted a grim picture. The quincy was either unable to move because his wounds were so severe they wouldn't allow him to move or he refused to move on his own because his condition had much greater impact on his psyche. Neither option was favorable.
Upon seeing her friend in such a grim state Orihime realized she had no idea what she should do. When Isshin returned home she knew she had to get to the hospital. It was a simple objective, but having that sense of purpose allowed her to overpower fatigue, dread, and even the uncertainty she presently felt. The objective had been met and Orihime couldn't help but feel foolish for not thinking beyond that. She looked to Ichigo for direction. Perhaps it was unfair to depend on him to know what they should do, but he had been a source of her strength and acted as her savior so that it felt natural to defer to him. Ichigo had no clearer vision than she did. Confidence was not brimming from him as it usually did. Doubt wore his face. The fire that had spurred him on had been extinguished. Her boyfriend was just as lost as she was. If they were both lost, how could they help each other do what needed to be done?
"I thought that was your voice, Kurosaki," Uryu said. "I should have known it was you from the start. Only you would be as uncouth as to shout in a hospital." The speech was typical of Uryu, but it was forced. It was tainted by defeat. It barely sounded like Uryu at all. It bothered Orihime immensely.
"Ishida-kun, how are you feeling?" Ineffective as it was Orihime had to ask. Her friend was hurting and she could not help unless she knew how he was. It was better than standing there saying nothing as she was doing before.
The room was so quiet that a weak laugh bounced off the walls and filled their ears. "So Inoue-san is here as well." The words might as well have been acid. They burned like it. Did he resent that she was there.
Ichigo sensed it. The doubt that had been etched on his face faded. The protective boyfriend reared its head if the anger that flashed was any indication. "Of course she is here. She was worried about you."
"Hmph, the two of you coming here, you really do nothing but needless things. You know that right," Uryu vented.
Enraged by Uryu's obvious disdain Ichigo seethed. He was about to erupt and tell his rival off, until a voice cut in. "Needless?" Ryuken remained. Ichigo realized that Uryu's poisonous attitude was being channeled at his father and not at him or Orihime. "As always you excel at nothing but talk." Ichigo and Orihime watched father and son engage in verbal combat. Orihime couldn't believe how ugly Uryu became when talking to his father. The few times she saw them together she saw no evidence of love. How could a father and son not love each other though?
"I'm not even allowed to have visitors am I?" Uryu continued. "What are you going to do if letting all these people in has a bad effect on my wounds?" Ichigo knew very little about Ryuken, but he was a doctor's kid. He learned quickly that one of the things that got under his father's skin was insulting his skills as a doctor. Whatever else his father was, he took his medical profession extremely serious. It was the one aspect he never joked around with. Ichigo knew that Ishida's jab carried more weight than it would have appeared to have. Judging by how Ryuken tore into him for shouting in his hospital, Ichigo would wager that he prided himself as a doctor every bit that his old man did.
On the surface Ryuken appeared unaffected by his son's insult, but the way his eyebrows twitched so slightly spoke volumes on just much a punch it carried over. Did Orihime see it?
"Idiot," Ryuken stated. "Who do you think performed the surgery on you?" Both orange haired teens were surprised to learn that Ryuken had performed the surgery himself. While Ichigo and Orihime knew that despite his apparent apathy that Ryuken cared for his son's life, they hadn't expected his paternal instinct to manifest in him into performing the surgery himself. "You think your wounds will worsen from such a trivial matter?" The doctor was speaking now. He did not take kindly to having his skills insulted, just as Ichigo had predicted.
"A greenhorn in critical condition from letting an enemy cut him down should not be giving arbitrary orders to his doctor."
The information was hardly surprising. He had speculated that Ishida's injuries were the result of battle. The difference between thinking it and hearing it was so monumental that they were worlds apart. The revolting taste of terror polluted his mind and commanded his body. "Cut him down?" the former vizard uttered. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Orihime battling with an unpleasant bout of panic. Of all the revelations that had hit the couple over this week the news that Ishida had been cut down by some enemy was the most surprising and had the potential to be the worst. Ishida was the strongest of them with Ichigo's power loss. He had defeated the mightiest of hollows, high ranking shinigami, and even some of the most powerful arrancars Aizen could produce. In addition to his power, he was the most accomplished strategist they had. He should have been able to defeat any enemy that appeared, unless the enemy was as powerful as a captain or an Espada. No enemy that powerful could appear. No enemy that powerful should appear. Had one appeared though? "What happened, Ishida?"
There was a long pause. Was he arranging his thoughts to tell them what happened or was he merely sulking? Ichigo couldn't tell without seeing his rival's expression. 'Damn curtains,' he thought. As seconds turned into minutes it was evident Uryu was sulking.
"Ishida-kun," Orihime said. Her voice vibrated with encouraging warmth. "Please answer Kurosaki-kun. If we know what happened then maybe we could he…"
"This has nothing to do with you," interrupted Uryu.
Ishida-kun really said that. He of all people should know how valuable information was. He usually championed the idea when they faced any threats. How could he dismiss this as being his problem? "But, we can help you. If we all work together then we can definitely do something. I'm sure…."
"I already told you this isn't your concern," Uryu said harsher.
Orihime was taken aback by it. Ishida-kun had never spoken harshly with her. He prided himself as a gentleman who treated women with respect. He had always had a soft spot for her. "I can heal you."
"Are you deaf?" The words were consumed by nothing else but venom. "I already told you that this has nothing to do with you. Open your ears and listen. I don't need your help. I can handle this on my own. Do you understand that or are your thoughts so consumed by a misguided sense of purpose you can't even comprehend that simple fact?" That was a hard slap in the face. Orihime was visibly pained by her friend's uncharacteristic cruelty. "Did you even stop to think that if you heal me how suspicious that will look to the doctors here? They all saw my condition and will notice if I leave tonight with all my wounds healed. Try to think before you let your bleeding heart speak."
This wasn't him. Ishida-kun didn't say such cruel things. He wasn't ugly or cruel. Why was he saying these horrible things? Why was he trying to be as mean as he could be? It didn't make any sense.
"Apologize."
Her eyes widened in both surprise and fear. Ichigo wasn't scowling and yelling. His expression was blank and his voice was low, but she could see the fuse had been lit. The explosion was coming. She could see it in his eyes. They simmered while his lips trembled with a rage. "Apologize," he spoke lowly, but danger radiated. The younger quincy said nothing. He exploded. "ARE YOU THE ONE WHO IS DEAF!? APOLOGIZE TO ORIHIME OR ELSE!"
The healer shuttered. He didn't say Inoue as he normally did when they were around their friends. He used her given name showing how great his rage was. "Or else what?" taunted Uryu.
"I'll drag you out of that bed and make you apologize to her!" threatened Ichigo. He made a step forward and Orihime feared he would actually carry out his threat.
"Hmm, attacking someone who is injured, Kurosaki? That is not your style, or maybe it is. You were going to hack Ulquiorra up when he was half dead."
No! How could he use that moment against him? He knew how that moment had eaten at Ichigo's soul. He saw the hollow's actions had broken Ichigo's spirit. Ishida-kun used it against him all the same. She would not stand for it. He could insult her all he wanted, but she would not let him hurt her Kurosaki-kun because he was hurting. "That is enough, Ishida-kun!" Her words irradiated strength. Her glare was unusually hard. The mood had changed. Ichigo had forgotten his rage and stared at her as if he had never seen her before.
"If you do not like what I am saying then leave," Uryu said.
"What the hell is your problem!?" Ichigo exclaimed. "She was just worried about you and you start spewing all this crap! You got your ass kicked! I get you are pissed off and feel the need to avenge your defeat, but we're a team! If you were powerless to do anything on your own then if we all work together we can defeat whoever did this to you!"
"Work together," Uryu repeated. "Don't be ridiculous. What do you think you can do?" Ichigo's seemingly unstoppable rage weakened. "You are completely powerless. You talk about working together as if you still matter. The truth is that you are completely useless in these matters now. It is time we stopped indulging you and for you to realize your powerlessness." Rage simmered, but a new emotion emerged, fear. This fear was different. It was fear that Uryu was right and that he was useless.
"You are not really in a position to call anyone useless." Ryuken commanded attention to him and reminded all of them of his presence. "In the end you were the one who was defeated. Taking it out on your friends is pathetically childish."
"I didn't ask for your opinion," Uryu growled.
Ryuken smirked and shot his son a condescending look. "A no talent quincy really has no right to make demands of others. After all, if you had mastered the technique I showed you then you would not be in this position."
"YOU SHUT UP!" shouted Uryu.
"Careful," Ryuken taunted. "If you continue to shout like that you will undo the stiches." Uryu didn't object. The wounds were just as serious as his father had warned.
"Leave," Uryu said.
Orihime wanted to say no. She wanted to stay there and convince Ishida-kun to listen to reason. Regardless of what he said or maybe even what he thought, they needed to work as a team. Ichigo had been right. If there was something one of them could not do on their own then they would all have to work together to do it.
"Fine with me," Ichigo said. He unintentionally shattered her plans. "I'm not going to kiss your ass just to get you to tell us anything." Ichigo walked out the door to Orihime's surprise.
"Kurosaki-kun," she cried after him, but he left all the same. "Ishida-kun." The quincy didn't respond to her either. The healer was powerless to stop her friends falling apart. This couldn't be happening. They couldn't just leave things like this. Ishida-kun wasn't saying anything. She hated to admit this, but if he didn't want to say anything there wasn't a whole lot she could do. She let out a frustrated sigh. It was late. Everyone was tired. They weren't going to get anywhere exhausted and irritated. Leaving might be for the better. A good night's sleep might make Ishida-kun come to his senses. Reluctantly Orihime followed Ichigo out the door. Ryuken and Uryu were left alone.
The doctor walked up to his son's bed. "That performance was a bit over the top." Uryu said nothing. "Trying to distance yourself from your friends by hurling insults won't work. Even if they are upset with you now, they will eventually figure it out. They will start pressing for answers." His son stayed silent. "For you to go to this extent must mean you are truly afraid for their lives. You think the enemy will focus on you once he realizes you are alive? How brave of you to distance yourself to keep them safe. However, if you are wrong you just needlessly divided your group and put them in further danger, especially Ichigo-kun." Again his son was silent. "You are an idiot."
He left his son to stew in his own mess. Alone Uryu could not help but ponder if Ryuken was right or not.
No need to try to pretend Uryu meant anything he said. Yes, he was trying to push Orihime and Ichigo away because he thinks he might still be target for their new unknown enemy. He is not sure if Chad is in the new enemy's hands or not. He is freaked out that not only he was almost killed, but that the same enemy may have captured Chad without anyone noticing. He doesn't want Ichigo and Orihime to get caught in the crossfire by if he is still the target. Yes, it is dumb to leave them out of the loop, but I think it is in character with Uryu who had the same reasoning as he did in the manga. Actually all them did the same thing in this arc.
I added more cruelty to it by having Uryu tear into Ichigo about being powerless. Uryu's words will leave a mark on him. Ichigo will try to be more useful by going about things more on his own. Next chapter we should see that in action. Ichigo is going to start being more proactive, yay. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please leave reviews.