Withering 14

As soon as they were gone, he couldn't help but light a cigarette. It was only his 6th cigarette today and that was quite a milestone. He expected to be able to keep his smoking to less than 10 today.

But there was a very natural explanation; he couldn't smoke without coughing today. At all. He tried spiting his lungs into submission, but they seemed to just rebel against him harder.

This was how Mitsumi found him when she returned to the house to make dinner.

"Are you alright, Ishida-sama," she asked tentatively as she took her jacket off. Ryuuken just nodded and placed the cigarette on his lips again. Apparently she hadn't noticed that he was smoking at first because her facial expression changed dramatically when she realized it.

"I know it's not my place," Mitsumi began, but was cut short by Ryuuken's cough as he inhaled off the cigarette, "- but sometimes you don't seemed very interested in getting better," she continued when Ryuuken again was quiet.

That was the hardest thing he had ever heard her say. She was normally very shy of conflict so it surprised him.

"You think I like coughing like this?" he asked her, maybe a little sharper than he intended. He hadn't gotten used to this heavy smoker's voice he was currently sporting

"Off course not," she immediately retreated, "-it's just that you keep punishing your body like this. I don't understand."

He sighed and coughed a couple of times more, then abandoned the idea of finishing the cigarette and put it out.

"May I add, how much I have cut back on the smoking," Ryuuken added tiredly, feeling very much underappreciated, "-I used to smoke 40 a day and I'm down to 10 now."

"Really? You smoked that much?" Mitsumi looked like she couldn't comprehend it. Ryuuken just nodded. He hadn't thought it that much, until he got sick and everyone gave him the same reaction. It was just a habit that crept up on him slowly so that he didn't notice how all consuming it became.

"I know I need to quit," Ryuuken added in a softer voice, "-I'm working on it." Mitsumi smiled.

"Good, I would hate to see you even sicker," she chanted in a happy tone and practically skipped out to the kitchen, her jet black pony tail whipping after her. Had she been anyone else Ryuuken would have made some crude remark, but he let it slide. It was just that everyone was fussing over him and it was getting on his nerves. He forced himself to believe that she was just considerate by nature and she didn't say it to annoy him. With Isshin it would have been different.

As she began cooking, even though the whole house smelled lovely, he could hardly keep himself awake. The day's events were weighing heavily on him. He sat down by the dinner table and it wasn't long before he lay his head on the table and fell asleep.

He woke again with a start when Mitsumi placed the plate besides him. His glasses fell off in the process. Apparently his reaction startled Mitsumi as well whom quickly took a step back.

"Oh, Ishida-sama, I'm sorry," she immediately apologized, "-I didn't think you were actually sleeping."

Ryuuken was fumbling to reach his glasses, but he was quite blind without them, plus the added effect of the blood rushing away from his brain due to his rapid movement, didn't quite help.

"Is it getting dark in here, or is it just my eye sight that's getting worse," Ryuuken asked as he finally managed to get a hold of the glasses that were lying on the middle of the table.

"It's quite dark," Mitsumi reassured him, "-it looks as though a massive thunder storm is coming in."

"Really?" Ryuuken feigned interest and tried straightening the glasses that had bend during his little nap. As soon as he put them back on, he saw what she meant; big angry clouds, almost black, were just swarming over the horizon. The wind had picked up as well.

"That looks quite serious," he found himself suddenly standing up, "-have you heard anything?"

"No, but I haven't had much of a chance watching TV this week," Mitsumi answered, her voice sounding a bit insecure after sensing his seriousness.

Ryuuken resolutely found the remote control and turned on the TV, zapped a couple of times before finding a channel with the news on it.

"We'll have to wait until the weather comes on," he concluded, "-do you have any plans tonight?"

The young woman looked like a deer caught in the head light.

"Nothing besides studying," she answered a little apprehensively.

"Why don't you eat here, I'm sure that you've made enough for the both of us," Ryuuken suggested and looked out the window, "-then maybe, if you're lucky, this will have passed."

"Oh," she smiled, "-okay. That would be very nice. Thank you."

He put a dismissive hand between them and followed her out into the kitchen. As she plated for herself, he began the task of producing all the pills he was supposed to take with his evening meal. It took a while.

"What would you like to drink?" he asked politely.

"Water, thank you," she smiled and he studied her closely for a couple of seconds. He was wondering if she chose water because it was best for him. He found no sign of ulterior motives and gave a ghost of a smile back.

"I should probably drink water as well."

"If you are to swallow all of those," she gestured his handful of pills, "- then it's probably be a good idea."

Just then the weather forecast came on the news. They immediately warned about a seriously powerful thunder storm rolling over their part of the country with significant wind forces.

"Looks like we are about to rain away," Ryuuken commented dryly, "-You are on bike aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," she sighed heavily and sat down at the dinner table opposite of where Ryuuken's plate was placed.

"Have you brought your school work?"

"I have."

"Then please consider using one of the guest rooms," Ryuuken offered as he sat down in front of her. He tried not to look at her as he was quite unsure of how she would take it. He didn't want to come off as some kind of pervert, "-I won't bother you. I'm going to bed as soon as we've eaten."

When he met her eyes again she was smiling.

"Thank you, Ishida-sama," she beamed, "-that's so sweet of you. But let's see how bad it gets."

Ryuuken didn't quite know what to do with himself.

She had made a spicy fish soup with noodles and it smelled wonderful. He tried concentrating on eating and not looking at her. He had to pull himself together, he was a grown man and she was a grown woman, even though she was still quite young.

He buried his eyes in his palm. Why was he thinking like that? He had just offered her a place to stay. It was not like he was going to pose any threat to her anyway. Oh God, it was not even like he was going to make a move. He thanked the gods that Isshin couldn't hear his thoughts.

"Are you alright, Ishida-sama?" She asked carefully. He removed his palm and met her gaze.

"I'm fine… just tired," he answered mildly and returned his attention towards the soup, "-this tastes rather nice."

She immediately flashed one of her blinding smiles, one that seemed almost too big for her face.

"Thank you, it's my mother's recipe."

Ryuuken took a relatively deep breath.

"So I understand that you have taken this job to support yourself through college?" he asked, trying to sound a little detached.

"Yes, my family isn't too rich, so if I wanted to go to university, then I had to pay for myself.

"It must be hard. You spend a lot of time here so when do you find time to study?"

"In the evenings, but I'm a fast reader so I manage."

Ryuuken nodded approvingly.

"What is it that you are studying?"

"Anthropology."

"Oh?" Ryuuken was quite surprised. He had expected veterinarian nurse or something like that. She seemed like the type that would flail at the sight of a bunny. He supposed he had it wrong.

"Yes, I find it fascinating how societies work," she commented without looking up from her soup. Ryuuken's stomach still wasn't used a lot of food and he had to give up, but he had managed more than half the bowl.

Just then the room flashed bright white as a lightning lit the world outside. Almost simultaneously the rain intensified to the point where it was possible to drown if one went out. Ryuuken could tell that it was going to be a long night already.

"I should go out and check that everything is secured good enough," Ryuuken got up slowly, keeping his right arm bent and close to his torso in order to support it.

"Should you really be out in this weather?"

"No, I shouldn't," he blankly admitted, "-but it's no use if something flies through the window during the night."

"I could go out and check for you?" Mitsumi offered a little hesitantly. Ryuuken offered her a quick smile.

"I'm not sure that you know what to look for, but thank you." He was just about to pick up his bowl, when she stood up with a start.

"Let me take that," she said a little too eagerly as if she was embarrassed. He quickly disappeared into the kitchen. He wasn't even sure that she had finished eating. He decided not to care and just as he turned around to go out and find a rain cloak, he moved his upper body. He could almost hear the puss in his chest crackling and the cough overtook him with force. For a moment the puss completely blocked his wind pipe and his eyes widened in panic. The stumbled out to the nearest bathroom and continued coughing without really being able to breathe in again. He coughed until he had no more air in his lungs and then with small heaving extremely labored breaths he regained a little air to work with.

"Ishida-sama, should I call Kurasaki-sama?" Ryuuken hadn't even noticed she had come up beside him. He couldn't talk, he just shook his head.

Another coughing fit hit him, but at least it cleared his lungs a bit when it was over. He could breathe a little easier. However, his chest was still tight and aching and his breath wheezed loudly. His face was covered with a sheen of sweat and didn't quite want to admit it, but he was shaking with adrenaline that had been pumped through his system. He had felt the panic gripping him just for a second. It was a good thing that he was quitting the cigarettes – he did not want to get old and die feeling like that all of the time.

Mitsumi, he noted, was still standing in the door way to the bathroom. Ryuuken wanted to assure her, but he didn't quite trust his own strength enough to let go of the sink, he was leaning on.

"I'm sure it doesn't sound like it, but that was a good thing," Ryuuken began panting as he spoke, "- the puss needs to be cleared out before I can get better." He shot a sideways glance at her. She didn't look convinced.

"I'm going to prepare sleeping arrangement in the guest room next door for you," she announced in a serious voice.

"No, you won't be able to sleep with me coughing in the next room." Ryuuken tried following her. Even though his legs could support him, he knew that he couldn't keep up with her.

"You shouldn't be alone when you're coughing like that. You could choke for real," she sounded downright angry. Ryuuken didn't understand and stopped dead in his tracks.

"What…?" he tried, but couldn't finish as she turned around and he saw tears in her eyes.

it's just… painful to watch," she seemingly tried to explain, but Ryuuken didn't find her too coherent.

"I'm sorry." He wasn't sure why he said that, but he didn't like to see the girl cry.

"No, I'm sorry," she sniffed, "- it's just that my grandfather died of lung cancer. I won't have anyone else going like that."

"It's not lung cancer," Ryuuken was getting annoyed by this assumption, "-it's just pneumonia."

"I know. It just reminds me of that time," she sank down in a chair, "- but it doesn't change the fact that you shouldn't be alone. You could choke even if it's only pneumonia."

"And would you be able to do if I did?" Ryuuken countered, "-CPR wouldn't help in that situation."

"I could call for help," she offered. Ryuuken was on the verge of saying that so could he, but he supposed she was right; if he really was choking, then he wouldn't be able to speak, let alone call for help.

"I'll make a bed for you," she took his silence as him accepting the situation. Ryuuken sighed and went out and found his long rain cloak.

Once outside the humidity hit him like a sledge hammer.

The cough set in instantaneously after that. He simply didn't have the strength to keep coughing like this, it had to end.

Coughing and choking he checked the doors and hinges of the garage and the other buildings connected to the estate. Some of them were getting quite old and rusty. He wouldn't be surprised if the thing gave out during the night. The rain poured down and was sent almost vertically by the strong wind gusts. The lighting was getting more frequent and the thunder was coming closer. He surely couldn't have postponed this anymore than he already had. He secured the thing as well as he could and stumbled towards the house again, when the electricity suddenly disappeared simultaneously with lightning struck not too far away. The roar of the thunder was ear deafening and now he found himself in the garden in complete darkness. His eye sight was complete thrown off by the lightning so he couldn't see a thing. His glasses were of little use when covered in rain drops.

He had an idea of the general direction, but it was getting difficult to orientate himself as the rain began falling even harder.

He found the wall of the main building and followed it around until he found the back door.

Closing the door behind made him realize how noisy it had been outside. However, it was just as dark inside now.

"Mitsumi!" he called out and regretted it a second later when the cough attacked him again. A metallic taste hit the back of his throat, but he couldn't will the cough down.

"Yes," he heard her say. She must've been at the end of the hall by the sound of it. He kept coughing until he practically stopped breathing. Not being able to navigate and not having a handkerchief on his body, left him no other choice but to cough into his sleeve.

Slowly, painfully so, the cough abated and allowed Ryuuken to get some much needed oxygen in his system again.

"Do you think you can find some candles?" he asked the room in an abused voice.

"I have already found some. I just can't find a lighter," Ryuuken smirked.

"I have a lighter here." He adeptly produced it from his pocket.

"I thought you might." He could tell by her voice that she was smiling. Following the wall they found each other.

"Show me where, I can't see a bloody thing," Ryuuken whispered and reached out his hand, which she gently took and ushered up to where she was holding the candle holder. Feeling his way, he found the top and lit it. At first it blinded them both. He continued lighting the two others.

"Your hands are shaking," she noticed. Ryuuken smirked.

"Yes, my body is craving a smoke," he explained and packed the lighter away again. With a bit of light in the room it was now evident that his glasses were steamed up from being out in the rain. He tried cleaning by wiping them with his shirt, but they quickly steamed up again due to his hair being so wet.

"Did you manage to prepare the rooms before the electricity was cut off?" He asked and just gave up with the glasses.

"Not quite.. I still need a couple of pillows," she started and looked up at him again, "- and if I could borrow a t-shirt to sleep in, that would be very nice."

"Sure, take whatever you can find. Do we have any more candles?"

"Yes, I put them on the coffee table. I'll go up stairs and see if I can find what we need."

"Okay, be careful."

Ryuuken waited until she had gone up the stairs before igniting the lighter and slowly making his way into the living room. He didn't want anyone to know how blind he really was in the dark, but truth be told, he had to feel his way to the coffee table. There he found about 10 thick candle stick that could stand on their own. For a second he wondered how these had gotten into the house, but he gathered it was Mitsumi that had bought them when she went shopping for him.

Lighting all them brought enough light into the room for him to see relatively normal again.

Again the blinding light ripped through the room 3 times in a row, followed by another ear deafening roar that seemed to last forever. Ryuuken sighed, it was definitely going to be a long night. Coughing again, he let himself sink into the couch. He was getting too tired and the cough wasn't as productive as it had been earlier, it were reduced to half hearted spasms that haunted his diaphragm.

The metallic taste hit him his tongue again and he felt his heart drop. Apprehensively he dapped his lips again his sleeve and watched as they left a dark smear.

He groaned in annoyance as he realized that he was bleeding again. He produced his cell phone from his pocket and was just about to speed dial Isshin, when he abandoned the idea again.

Isshin could do nothing. It wasn't a dangerous bleed and it wasn't all that uncommon during a bad bout of pneumonia. Breathing slowly and trying not to agitate his lungs further, he deeply regretted leaving Isshin's place that evening. Manipulating spirit particles in this condition had not been one of his brighter ideas and it was clear that it had set his recovery back by at least a couple of weeks.

And he didn't want to worry Isshin more than he had to. He had been rather surprised with Isshin behavior towards him today. He was treating him like a china doll, which was very atypical for Isshin and he was spending so was time away from his clinic that Ryuuken was feeling guilty.

He would have to make it up to him when he was feeling better.

He looked around the room bathed in candle light and he found himself feeling satisfied that he had made the decision to move away. There were nothing but bitter sweet memories left in this house.

The distinctive aura of a hollow suddenly appeared on the edge of Ryuuken's awareness. It had appeared in the old part of town. Ryuuken sighed loudly, it was such a noisy being – everything about it roared. It was followed by spirit particles being manipulated in a sloppy Quincy style. Uryuu was really badly trained, but Ryuuken supposed he was getting too old to really learn much new. In spite of the sloppy manipulation the aura of the hollow died down again, leaving his world quiet again.

The energy he had regained after the meal seemed to vanish again as quickly as it had bestowed.

In what seemed like the next second, Mitsumi was shaking his shoulder and his mind was clouded, sluggish. It was her continued urgency that finally pulled him to the surface.

"Ishida-sama, wake up. The bed is ready, come on," she continued chanting as she carefully shook his left shoulder. She had praised them both lucky that she had remembered that he had injured his right.

When he opened his eyes, but still wasn't reacting, she took his hand and stood up and pulled, urging him to stand up.

She had never imagined that he would be able to fall so deeply asleep so quickly, but somehow he had managed it.

He followed her about as animate as a zombie.

"I took the night clothes that was lying on your bed. I hope they're alright," she explained as lead the way in the gleam of the candle light. He grunted something in return, which she took as him accepting it.

She had made sure to make the bed with a ton of pillows in order to elevate his chest so that he might get some undisturbed sleep. She doubted she had ever seen a grown man so tired as Ryuuken was.

She left the guest room after having repeatedly told him to change his clothes. When he began unbuttoning his shirt, she took it as her cue to leave. She would check on him again in about 15 minutes, the man was after all practically sleep walking.

A quarter to seven she found the book she had brought with her. Making herself comfortable in the couch, she smiled as she realized that she had about 2 more hours for studying than she had anticipated. Even though the thundering made her start every time, she couldn't help but feeling like it was quite cozy with the candle lights and pillows and somehow felt safe with the knowledge that Ryuuken was in the next room.

Ryuuken had slept significantly better than he had done in a long time. It wasn't that he was completely rested, but it surely was an improvement and after a long hot shower he felt almost like human being again. That was until he had the first severe coughing fit of the day that still revealed blood in the sputum.

He sighed deeply and dutifully went down and swallowed his antibiotics and tried eating breakfast, but he had to admit that the pills were beginning to affect his stomach. He felt nauseas.

Mitsumi noticed that he was picking at his food.

"You know, Uryuu will be here in a moment," she began slowly and gestured his plate, "-you should finish that."

"I know," he answered flatly and gathered courage. He then dispassionately emptied the plate in large gulps and tried willing his stomach to settle down.

"Didn't you like it?" Mitsumi sounded a little hurt. Ryuuken sighed as he got up, still trying to stabilize his right arm against his body.

"It was fine. I'm just not that hungry." He placed this left hand on the sore shoulder and tried moving it around, but it seemed just as angry and sore as it had been yesterday. He knew it needed rest. Just then he realized that he had to have an old sling lying about from the last time he dislocated it.

With a determined look on his face he left a little disheartened Mitsumi in the kitchen and began rummaging through his bedroom closets.

The sling was in perfect condition, black and made in a heavy nylon fabric. He placed the strap on his left shoulder and cradled his right arm in the sling. It fit perfectly. Just relieving the injury of the weight of the arm brought immediate relief.

He sat down on the bed and enjoyed a moment for himself. He looked at the sling again, furrowing his brow. The only problem was that it made him look sick.

- I hope that you like :)