Remembering Winter
Chapter 21: Doctor's Orders
--A/N--
My story is officially of drinking age! Shunsui would be happy, not that he cares about age limitations, anyway.
Let's hope I can continue with this abnormally-speedy updating!
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. But it is a very good birthday gift idea...
–
Hitsugaya watched the gray smoke from his cigarette leak into the air before blotting into the surroundings as if it was spilled ink spreading through a sheet of paper. Ravenously, he took another deep drag and slowly let the silver vapor free, only to be swept away by the wind and dispersed into the air overhead. A cool breeze raked through the buildings and swept any remaining smoke upwards and away from the balcony Hitsugaya was poised on.
"I really wish you would quit that disgusting habit." A displeased Akito spoke from behind him.
Out of pure defiance, Hitsugaya took an immersing draw from his cigarette and harshly blew it out between his lips, making sure Akito saw.
"Yeah?" Hitsugaya asked dully as he watched the haze disperse overhead.
"Yes, I would." Akito said a bit sharply as he picked up an ashtray and set it on the balcony ledge, right next to Hitsugaya's elbow.
Glancing at the ashtray, then at Akito, Hitsugaya shook his head and gave out a breath of laughter. "Sure, I'll get right on that."
"I'm serious." Akito rebounded harshly.
Hitsugaya's icy eyes bore into Akito's silver ones. "I am, too."
Akito rolled his eyes. "What? About your precious cigarettes? I hate to tell you this, but your little friends are killing you."
"No." Hitsugaya's voice rose in volume, and he was happy they were on his balcony, and not in his office, "I'm not even talking about the cigarettes. But as long as we're on the topic of bad habits, maybe there are a few that you should work on before going after other people."
Akito looked taken aback. "Like what?"
"Like somehow managing to control my life that I thought was gone, but then shows up at my front door-"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Akito cut Hitsugaya off with a very confused expression.
Hitsugaya paused as he smashed his cigarette butt into the ashtray. I am being way to dramatic about this... If I keep this up Akito will think-
"This is about the girl, isn't it!?" He paused to take in a gasp, "You two had a past together! Why didn't you tell me? No wonder she fainted! It all makes sense now!" Akito shouted, astonished.
Inside, Hitsugaya's heart paused for a moment, but on the outside he put up a very concrete front, perfected after years of experience. Turning to Akito, he gave him a look of disbelief. "Seriously? Do you really think I am capable of feeling such emotions as love?"
Akito gave out a laugh, "Maybe you weren't always so cold, ne?"
Hitsugaya leaned against the banister once more and looked out over the city. "Maybe not. But I still don't want her here."
"How can you say that?" Akito whined, "She's so nice and pretty and smart and … and everything!"
I know.
"I don't care what you think. Go find someone else. Anyone else." Hitsugaya's resolve was firm, and Akito knew it.
Akito sighed. "I don't understand you, Toshiro." He paused a moment, "So... if you don't want her can I-"
"-No."
"...Please?"
"No."
With an angry sigh, Akito compromised. "Okay, fine. But before you completely cut her out of the picture, just think about it. I don't know what's going on with you, but maybe you just got off on the wrong foot or something."
Hitsugaya opened his mouth to somehow manage to agree with Akito before he spilled out everything to the poor soul, when his hollow radar phone went off. Grabbing it out of his pocket, Akito looked at it in disgust.
"You still have that other phone line? You have another cell phone, why have two?"
Hitsugaya flipped his phone open to find that there wasn't a hollow, but a message from Soul Society.
It's been awhile since I've heard from them... must be important.
Hitsugaya looked over to Akito. "Do you mind?" He asked, signaling to his phone.
Akito, who had apparently still been making fun of Hitsugaya's 'other phone', looked up with an "oh", before walking back into Hitsugaya's office.
Once he made sure that Akito was really gone, and not somehow listening in on his conversation, Hitsugaya answered.
"Hitsugaya Toshiro, Captain of Tenth Squad speaking." Hitsugaya said, his voice claiming authority.
"Hello, Hitsugaya-Taicho. Are you available for a message?" A woman's voice peeped from the communications center.
"From who?"
"Unohana-Taicho of the Fourth Squad, Sir."
"Hai."
"Thank you, Sir. You will be connected momentarily."
Within seconds, Unohana's mother-like voice filled his ears.
"Hitsugaya-Taicho?" She asked.
"Hai, Unohana-Taicho. What can I do for you?" Hitsugaya asked, preferring to get to business quickly.
A small laugh was heard from the other side of the line. "Of course, Hitsugaya-Taicho. It's nothing too difficult, I assure you, as I would hate to burden you with more work than you already have in the living world. But I was just looking through some of my medical records and there are a few things that concern me."
Hitsugaya paused, in thought. Shinigamis did have regular check-ups, and Captains and Vice-Captains had them more often. Apparently having your riatsu limited could be detrimental to your health.
"There must be some error with your records, Unohana-Taicho, I had my riatsu levels checked when I returned for New Years, so there can't-"
"I'm afraid this does not concern your health, Hitsugaya-Taicho." Unohana gently interrupted.
Hitsugaya was confused. "Then... what does this involve?"
Hearing Unohana pause for a moment caused nerves to ramble through his body. "This involves ...Hinamori-Taicho."
What is with this? She's like some never-ending nightmare...
Hitsugaya's voice grew icy. "And this concerns me, how?"
"Well," Unohana started, "For a few reasons. By tracing your riatsu, I have been able to locate your positions and have discovered that you are near each other. Secondly, " Unohana paused, as if she was unsure of the correct way to continue, "This involves her memory."
"Okay... " She's calling me about her memory? It's as gone as ever, that's for sure.
"Yes, well, I'm sure you recall requesting me to erase her memories of you before you left for the living world...?"
"Hai..." Hitsugaya's voice was dull. Why is she bringing that up?
"Well, you see, that sort of manipulation is a two-step process. First the patient is given something very basic. It simply makes them fall asleep, and makes the unconscious mind susceptible for tapping into. I believe you saw me administer that to Hinamori-Taicho?"
"I... yes, I think so."
"Well, the second part is a kidou. Bakudou 67. It was used in the living world prior to modern medical technologies for erasing the memories of humans who got involved with a hollow, or were injured. The administrator is able to select the exact memories they wish to be erased, and for Hinamori it would have been all of the ones of you that she had made while recovering from her injury and... amnesia."
Hitsugaya swallowed, only to find his mouth dry, "What do you mean, 'would have been'?"
Unohana cleared her throat, "What I mean is that Hinamori-Taicho was never given the kidou part of the memory cleansing. Her memories were never erased."
"What?!"
"It was marked down in the records as complete and successful. No one is able to correctly and safely perform that kidou but myself in the medical division and I was going to do that part myself, but evidently while I was treating other patients Hinamori woke up. The squad member that dealt with her asked her routine questions about … about you, Hitsugaya-Taicho, to see if the memory deletion had worked... and Hinamori had no idea who you were. I never performed the kidou, I can say that for sure. What I don't know, is why those memories passed on their own. "
She paused, and waited briefly for Hitsugaya to say something before continuing.
"There are a few possible reasons, of course. It had to have been very traumatic on her when you left... there's still her original injury that causes her much pain... both of those could harbor amnesia, and there are many more, very logical reasons why this happened. But what I'm concerned about are the questions that go along with this coincidence. To be exact, Why is it always you, Hitsugaya-Taicho, that has been forgotten by her own will?"
"Well," Hitsugaya managed to find his voice, "She forgot Aizen, too... " He felt like some child trying to put the blame on someone else.
"Yes. Those memories are still absent as well." She paused momentarily before continuing, "Tell me, Hitsugaya-Taicho, have you come in direct contact with Hinamori-Taicho in the living world?"
"Once. Yesterday afternoon."
"And, could you sense her riatsu before you saw her?"
Realization smacked Hitsugaya in the face. He hadn't sensed her. In fact, he hadn't even known she was in the living world until she was sitting in front of him. Even at that very moment... her riatsu was simply a flicker and she could be standing right next to him.
"I'll take that as a no." Unohana spoke softly.
"But... why?" Hitsugaya was rarely confused, and he didn't like the feeling.
"I'm not sure. All that I can tell you is that it seems as though her riatsu is intertwined with something. What, I don't know. It could be accidental... or not."
Hitsugaya tried to fathom what Unohana was saying. "So... Hinamori's memory loss and riatsu... problems are somehow related?"
"I'm not sure at this point. It seems highly unlikely, but stranger things have happened. I only realized Hinamori-Taicho's riatsu was different when we tried to locate her in the living world. She apparently was assigned to Karakura Town, however her report said for her to be stationed in Tokyo. She has the same assignment as you, Hitsugaya-Taicho."
"Yeah?" Hitsugaya fumbled in his pocket for another cigarette.
"Yes. When we needed to locate her position... we couldn't find her anywhere. We searched everywhere and there was no trace of her at all. Only yesterday afternoon... her riatsu flared for a brief moment and we were able to locate her. Did anything happen when you came in contact yesterday?"
Hitsugaya blew the smoke sharply out of his mouth, "Well, she fainted."
"She fainted?"
"Yes."
"Well that couldn't have been it- but it was something. We haven't been able to sense her since she left for the living world. In that moment, something must have happened in order for her riatsu to take control over whatever is masking it."
"So you think something is trying to cover it up?"
"It seems like the most possible explanation. We've had Hollows in the past that have been able to manipulate Shinigami riatsu."
Hitsugaya leaned on the ledge of his balcony and stared down at the city. Hinamori could be anywhere down there and I wouldn't even know. What kind of sick bastard-
"Do you think Aizen-?" Hitsugaya suddenly had an epiphany.
"I... I don't think so. Aizen Sosuke has already used her for a part in his plan and... and I think he proved that he is done with her now..."
Pain caught in Hitsugaya's throat at the memory of finding Hinamori on the ground, soaked by her blood. Aizen stood nearby, his sword stained with crimson, and a grin upon his face that resembled Ichimaru's.
Okay, okay... don't think about that. Don't even go there... Desperately, the cigarette met his mouth in an attempt to fade the piercing anguish away.
On the other end of the line, he heard Unohana sigh, "I'm sorry I brought that up, Hitsugaya-Taicho, I'm sure it wasn't the most comfortable thing to hear."
"It's fine." His voice was as hard as stone.
"If... I might ask, are you able to be around Hinamori-Taicho now?" She asked tenderly.
"I... " Hitsugaya's voice faded. He had never really thought about the idea of keeping Hinamori in sight, only wanting her as far away as possible up to this point.
"I know it may be difficult for you, due to the past that you have had with her, but I really need help on something, and I'm afraid that you are the only one who can be of assistance."
"What do you need from me?" Hitsugaya asked, staying true to his job, but wanting to run as far away as possible.
"I need you to keep an eye on Hinamori-Taicho."
Hitsugaya practically choked on his cigarette, if that was possible.
"Excuse me?" He felt himself asking before he even realized it.
"Yes... I know it will be difficult for you to accept, especially under the circumstances... but I need your help. As does... Hinamori."
"Why? What does she need?"
"She needs to be watched, surveyed -if you will. The fact that her riatsu is being masked is a very concerning issue and she needs to be monitored carefully. Not only to make sure that she is not being controlled by anything, but to also assess what is happening and why. And, if anything can help her, it would be good to know."
Unohana finished with her speech, and awaited a reply from Hitsugaya, who had set his cigarette in the ashtray and was staring out over the city.
"Why me? Why am I the one who has to do this?" He asked with a hint of pain in his voice that went undetected by Unohana.
"Because... Well, to effectively be monitored, someone who Hinamori-Taicho doesn't know has to be the one watching her. But at the same time, the person examining her has to know her very well."
Hitsugaya let out a breath of sarcastic laughter. "I suppose that does narrow the options down to... me."
"Yes, it does. It is also convenient that you are in the living world, in the same city that she is in. Soul Society doesn't know that Hinamori-Taicho is in Tokyo instead of Karakura Town yet except for me, Kyouraku-Taicho, and Kurotsuchi-Taicho, as they helped me with putting the facts together. We hope to keep that between us for as long as possible so Soul Society will not relocate her to Karakura Town where she is supposedly placed."
"You aren't going to tell Soul Society that she isn't where she is supposed to be?"
"No."
"What if someone goes looking for her? You can't find her riatsu, so it's natural that someone would come to the living world searching for her."
"It's awfully hard to find someone without a trace of riatsu, wouldn't you say, Hitsugaya-Taicho?"
"Yes, but-"
"Don't worry." Unohana cut in, "It is all taken care of. All that you need to to is keep Hinamori-Taicho in sight. You can sense her when she is close, correct?"
"Slightly."
"Good. Then you need to keep her that close."
"Unohana-Taicho..." His voice pleaded, "I don't think I can do this... I have my other mission to do, and I really just can't do this. I'm sorry, but you'll need to find someone else to help you because I can't..." He trailed off, instantly feeling stupid for obviously showing his weakness.
"Hitsugaya-Taicho," Unohana's calming voice came through, "I understand the difficulty this would be putting you through, and I'm terribly sorry for even mentioning it."
Hitsugaya let out a breath of relief. I'm off the hook. She finally realized how hard it would be for me to do this...
"But-" Unohana's voice turned so soft it was deadly, "Just think how much harder it is for Hinamori-Taicho..."
–
Hitsugaya walked back into his office with a cloud hanging heavily above his head. No emotion ran through his body or his mind, leaving him feeling numb. There was no pain, and no anger. At the same time, there was no guilt that he had hardly noticed he had been harboring until it was let go.
It wasn't my fault a part of her life was deleted... it wasn't by my hand that her memories were erased.
A weight had been lifted from his shoulders, but another weight brought his soul below sea level and under water.
"You sure talked for awhile."
Hitsugaya was suddenly aware that he was not alone in his office as Akito's playful voice ran out. Perched in a white chair across from his desk, Akito's gray eyes slightly shimmered teasingly.
"Yeah?" Hitsugaya nonchalantly asked, running a hand through his snowy hair.
"Yeah. Who was it? Some dinosaur fossil calling you up on your prehistoric phone?"
If Unohana could be considered a dinosaur fossil, she would be a very pretty one.
"You know it." Hitsugaya played along.
Akito stood up from the chair and brushed imaginary lint off his gray slacks. "That's just a phone line for your mommy, isn't it?"
Hitsugaya looked at him with a very straight face. "I don't have a mother."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. I was raised by my grandmother."
"That must be why you are such an insensitive brute of a man!" Akito dramatically cried.
Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. "Yup. That's the reason. And why am I an insensitive brute now? I believe that is a new insult." He sat down in his office chair and kicked his legs up on his desk in his usual manner.
"Because," Akito started, sitting back down in his chair, "You do not care about the misfortune of others."
"Are we talking about Hinamori again?" Hitsugaya asked, cutting to the chase.
"Yes. We are talking about Hinamori-San."
"Sorry. Why are talking about Hinamori-San?" Hitsugaya forgot about formalities. Hinamori had many nicknames, and none of them involved 'San'.
"Well," Akito straightened his posture, "I personally feel that you disregarded her much too quickly. And the least that you could do is help her find another job elsewhere. But I understand that it's difficult for you to lift a finger for someone else's sake other than your own, but I feel that this could be a good growing experience for you."
"Hey!" Hitsugaya cut in jokingly, "I donate plenty of money a year to various charities. What more can you ask for? Cleaning the sides of highways? I think not."
Akito sighed angrily as he stood up from his chair and leaned over on Hitsugaya's desk. "I don't think you are understanding what I'm trying to tell you...! Just try to find Hinamori-San a job somewhere else!"
"I understand you perfectly, Akito-San," Hitsugaya replied in his calming voice of authority, "And I need you to understand me when I tell you that it will not be necessary." He didn't even bother looking at Akito's expression as he took out his scheduler and transferred dates on it from his Blackberry.
Akito quirked a brow questioningly. "And why is that?"
Pausing his work, Hitsugaya looked up at Akito, "Because she will be working here, for me, obviously."
Hitsugaya instantly went back to work with a satisfied look on his face. It was the first time Akito had ever been at a loss for words. Fumbling and making brief noises of surprise were the only sounds that escaped Akito for a few moments before he finally collected himself and only one question escaped him:
"Why?!"
Hitsugaya didn't even bother to glance up at him. "Well, obviously she deserves the job if you insist upon it so."
"Obviously." Akito murmured sarcastically and Hitsugaya couldn't help but break out a smile.
"Akito, don't you have better things to do rather than lounge in my office all day?" Hitsugaya asked, his voice laced with steel.
"Like what? I only ever come here to bother you."
"Yes, I understand that, but I don't really have the time for that today. Perhaps you should contact Hinamori-San to arrange for her training."
"Oh!" Akito instantly perked up, "I can do that!"
"I'm sure you can." Hitsugaya had to hold back laughter at Akito's five-year-old perkiness.
Within seconds, Akito's Blackberry was out and apparently Hinamori's phone number was on speed dial, since it was called so fast.
Hitsugaya shook his head. If he was going to be watching over Hinamori, he definitely needed to protect her from Akito.
–
Hinamori sat on the floor in her small apartment slouched slightly and glancing around the small room. Littered over her furniture and floor were boxes and tissue paper, a graveyard of spent money. A few Jimmy Choo shoe boxes on her bed, a bag from Prada containing a new skirt and a scarf in a corner, and boxes from Fendi with a new belt, blouse, sunglasses, and handbag sat in front of her.
"I have got to find something better to do when I'm upset rather than spending a couple thousand dollars." Hinamori murmured, picking up the Fendi handbag sadly before setting it back down into it's tissue paper. "I don't think I even have enough money for food."
She felt so depressed that she had completely messed up her interview at Hitsugaya and Masahori Law, that she had to go blow money on designer labels to cheer herself up. The salespeople at Jimmy Choo knew her personally now.
"I think I just need to take a relaxing bath." She murmured as she stood and walked to her bathtub in the corner of her large room, turning on her radio as she did so. Clair de Lune softly ebbed out from the speakers as the warm water poured from the faucet and formed bubbles on the surface of the rippling water. She slid out of her dress, and slipped beneath the surface of the water, shutting the faucet off with her toes.
This was what she needed. A relaxing soak with her favorite peach-scented bubble bath that was much less expensive than those fire-red Jimmy Choo stilettos.
Leaning back, she shut her eyes and let her mind dance with the soft piano music.
She was dancing to the gentle music, being swept across the floor in a beautiful gown. She was in the arms of a handsome man, a prince perhaps. No, he was a prince. She knew it. Everything about his actions told her so. His strong but gentle arms wrapped around her waist held her tightly close, but not painfully so as he commanded the dance. He could only be her Adachi, her darling prince. She looked up into his turquoise eyes and-
Turquoise?
Hinamori's eyes shot open. Now where did that come from? Adachi's eyes were silver. Silver, silver, silver. And she knew that.
She let her eyes closed, ready to go back to her prince with the silver eyes and her phone rang.
"Seriously?" Hinamori questioned to her cell phone lying on her bed, a mere seven feet away, but out of her reach nonetheless. "Ugh. I'll call them back later." She decided as she heard. the final ring and leaned back in the tub once again.
Until it rang again, that is.
"Oh fine!" Hinamori sighed angrily as she jumped out of the tub and threw her robe on as she lunged for her phone.
"Yes?!" Hinamori sternly called into the receiver.
"Good afternoon, Hinamori-San." A cool voice calmly spoke, contrasting her angry tone.
"Oh! H-Hello Adachi-Sama!" Hinamori's tone changed dramatically as a soft blush crept into her cheeks.
"Yes, Hello. I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"
"Uh... no. Not really. I was just in the bath, so I missed your first call."
"Splendid." Akito said, obviously not minding that he forced her out of her bath for his call. "I have a question for you Hinamori-San."
"Sure." Hinamori said as she rested her phone between her shoulder and cheek as she tightened her robe.
"When is the soonest day you have off? Assuming that you have a job...?"
"Uhm.." Hinamori paused, "Tomorrow. I don't have a job. I'm unemployed." She lied, preferring to not mention the strip club that she worked at. She planned to quit as soon as she had another job, anyway.
"Excellent. Your training needs to start right away."
"Training?" Hinamori questioned. Training for what? They had made it very clear that they did not want her mailroom technician services. Maybe they changed their mind? A strand of hope tied itself around her heart.
"Well for being Hitsugaya Toshiro's personal secretary, of course!"
The hope inside of her swelled before freezing. "Wait, what?"
"For being Hitsugaya Toshiro's personal-"
"Yes" Hinamori cut him off, "I heard you fine. But what's with this secretary business? I was only recommended to be a mailroom technician."
It was Akito's turn to be confused. "What are you talking about? You auditioned to be his secretary."
"No... I didn't. I was there because my friend recommended me for a position."
"As his secretary."
"No. As a mailroom technician."
"Well think of it as a promotion before you even start, then."
"But-"
"Look." Akito cut her off, "I don't know what you are talking about, but there is no one in our company who recommended you. That would have been on record. And there is no "mailroom technician" opening of which you speak, as the only position we are concentrating on at the moment is for Hitsugaya Toshiro's secretary which you auditioned for, so stop playing hard to get, Hinamori-San."
Playing hard to get? What the hell was this man talking about? Fire blazed in her violet eyes. "Masahori-Sama," She started, her words traced with flame, "I would appreciate you not treating me like an imbecile. I know what I came there to do and-"
"Hinamori-San." Akito's strong voice sliced through her impetuous arguing like a knife. Once he was sure he had her silent attention, he continued. "I have a few things that will hopefully end this childish debate and convince you to work for me in the position designated for you. First, due to your unemployed status, shouldn't you be grateful that a job is coming your way, even if it is not what you had in mind? Many people would be happy to have a job selling hot dogs on the street corner, never mind a well-paying job at a successful law firm. Secondly, whether you realize it or not, you arrived for your... "mailroom technician" position the very same day we were holding interviews for Hitsugaya Toshiro's secretary position. A job which thousands of applicants were attempting to get and you were lucky enough to even get an interview, as they were over by the time you got there. And you did, and you were instantly above the other applicants in many aspects. I apologize for assuming that you were present for that position, and not some other job, but it seemed only logical. And finally, do you have any idea how much you will be paid for this position? Due to your costly choice of footwear, I would suggest you swallow your pride and make a sacrifice that will inevitably be to your benefit."
Hinamori was silent. What could she say? When she first met the man, she wondered how the hell he could be as good of a lawyer as he was claimed to be.
Now she understood.
"I will expect you tomorrow morning at nine, Hinamori-San." Akito finished, sealing the deal.
"Hai, Masahori-Sama. Where will you be expecting me?"
"The suites on the top floor."
"I'll be there."
Hinamori hung up the phone with disgust. Since when was she put in her place? She was the captain of the fifth squad! She demanded respect! And just who did he think he was?
She hesitated as she let her phone drop onto her violet silk blanket on her bed. Nothing from Soul Society mattered here in the living wold. There, she was a high-ranking captain; powerful and just. She was seeing a prince, whom was undoubtedly going to propose to her. She was practically already considered royalty! But here... she was nobody. There was no past for her here, as well as no future.
It's sad... she thought as she started walking to her closet and tripped over a box. Glancing down at the open Jimmy Choo shoe box, she smiled.
Maybe life here wasn't too sad.
--A/N--
I hit nine pages on this one, guys. I knew it was going to be out a bit later than anticipated so I made it extra long for you! (I was up at my cabin on the border of Minnesota, US and Manitoba, Canada. There isn't much up there, including Internet access.)
I hope you enjoyed it, even with all of my little twists!
Thank you for reading! (And reviewing, for those that do!)