Cancer
Visiting Truth

Rangiku held the papers in her hand letting her know that permission to go to the world of the living. The fukutaicho of the tenth division grasped the papers to her chest as a smile spread across her face. She headed out of the office past a few of the lower division members. "I'm off to the world of the living."

The soldiers in question blinked a couple of times. "Wait? Whose going to be doing all of the paperwork while you're gone?"

The busty female stopped short, and turned to look at the two men. "What do you mean?"

"Nobodies seen Hitsugaya Taicho in a few days. We've even noticed that you've been doing all the paperwork despite the fact you hate doing so."

"Htsugaya Taicho didn't get in trouble with the higher ups for losing his Bankai, did he?"

"No. Let's just say he's taking a nice vacation for once." Rangiku continued to smile despite the sinking feeling she felt in her chest. She turned to leave having felt the earlier glee disappear. "I can't tell them Hitsugaya Taicho's ill. They would be devastated to find that out, particularly since he's quite grown on them during the last battle. Not that taicho actually noticed."

Rangiku pushed her mind to getting to the world of the living, and headed straight to the hospital to see the small taicho. A smile spread across her face when she arrived. "Hi. I'm here to see Hitsugaya Toshiro. Are the visiting hours still open?"

The nurse looked up at the woman. "You mean the young man who just had surgery for the brain tumor? He's on a strict visitation list."

The fukutaicho felt the corner of her mouth twitch. "Someone had better have remembered to place me on that list. I'll blame that former taicho of ours if I'm not." Rangiku pushed away the frustration. "I'm actually Matsumoto Rangiku."

The woman looked down at her list, and then a smile spread across her face. "Oh, you're the aunt who wasn't able to get here in time for the surgery. Go right on in. You're actually allowed to visit during non-visiting hours."

Rangiku breathed a sigh of relief. "Looks like I'll need to thank a certain someone instead."

The woman headed back to the room where her young taicho was staying, and heard her young taicho speaking to Ichigo and Rukia. Rangiku heard the voice of the of the other fukutaicho first. "You are reacting the way she feared you would. I get the fact you don't want to be a burden to Karin-chan, but you're also being a burden to her by not letting her in. Sometimes there are burdens which are meant to be shared between two people."

The strawberry blond felt the corners of her mouth twist up. "Is there something going on between Ichigo and Rukia that they're not talking about."

"I don't really get what you mean."

Rangiku let a sigh escape her lips at the usual response from her small taicho, and heard Ichigo speak up next. "Don't worry. You'll get it eventually."

"Are they talking about what I think they're talking about?" The female felt a smile spread across her face.

"Still... to have Karin visit..."

The fukutaicho of the tenth felt the time came to reveal herself, and she stepped around the corner.

"Is something you'll let happen." Rangiku watched as her small taicho looked up at her from his bed, and she felt her smile fall upon seeing the top of the young taicho's head. She quickly stepped over, and pulled the boy into her arms, and thankfully felt an instant struggle indicating he wasn't pleased with the reaction.

"Matsumoto!"

"I'm not going to let go." One of Rangiku's thin delicate hands went up to touch the top of the boy's head. "That beautiful hair of yours, it's gone."

"As I told Kurosaki, it's an awful hair color. I kind of wish..."

"Don't you dare say that." Rangiku 's hands drifted down to the boy's face so she could turn his face to look at her. She began to pull on his cheeks much in the same manner she did prior to Toshiro becoming a captain.

Two small, bone thin hands reached up to grab her wrists. "Stop it. This is not an appropriate action for a fukutaicho towards their taicho Matusomo."

The strawberry blond felt her cheeks puff up slightly in frustration, but Ichigo for some reason managed to say the right thing. "I don't know. I think that's an appropriate reaction for a fukutaicho to take if their taicho's doing something stupid. Didn't you tell me Rukia that Ise Nanao hits her taicho over the head whenever he does something stupid? You said she still does it despite the fact he's now the head taicho."

Rangiku bit back a laugh as the color drained from her small taicho's face. "Now isn't that something."

"Matsumoto..."

"Don't Matumoto me. You heard your fellow taicho. It's completely alright for me to do something like this when your well being is involved." Rangiku's hands drifted down to the small boy's boney shoulders. "Speaking of which..." Her tone of voice became more serious. "How are you feeling taicho?"

"Matsumoto..."

"Just answer her Toshiro."

"Right now I feel fine. It's as if nothing happened."

"So there are no side effects to the surgery?" Rangiku almost brightened up, but this time Ichigo said the thing she didn't want to hear.

"Sorry Rangiku-san, but it's honestly to soon to tell whether there is any side effects yet. It takes anywhere from a week to eight weeks to recover. Uncle..."

Toshiro's eyes quickly widened as his small hands came up to push Rangiku's hands away from his shoulder. "What? Do you mean to say I'm going to b stuck in bed for an entire week? That I can't just go and get back to work?"

"Don't worry taicho. All of the paperwork is done." Rangiku watched two bright teal eyes narrow into a glare. "What?"

"Matsumoto, when do you ever do paperwork?"

The strawberry blond had a quick response to Toshiro's question. "When do you ever get sick like this? As far as the division is concerned you're on vacation."

"Isn't..." Rukia cleared her throat. "Isn't a couple of months a rather long time to be on some vacation."

"Yes Matsumoto, a couple of months is a very long time to be on vacation."

Rangiku watched as the small taicho looked away. "Hey, what's going on."

"Nothing. Don't worry about it Matsumoto." Toshiro looked away.

"Why don't I leave you two alone so you guys can talk?"

Rangiku glanced up at Ichigo, and watched as Rukia grabbed a certain stuffed animal. "I'd like that."

"I wouldn't."

The woman turned to look at her small taicho. "Why ever not?"

"Because... this means there's something we need to talk about, but I don't want to."

Rangiku took a deep breath. "Well, what is bothering you taicho." She watched the young taicho look away. "Say, what would you like to do when you get out of here?" This comment made the young taicho turn his head to look at her, and something told her she'd for some reason said the wrong thing. "What?"

"I want to get back to my duties."

The strawberry blond felt her frustration suddenly boil over, and her hand rose up to slap the boy across the face. Her hand stopped a few inches away from Toshiro's face, and Rangiku felt her lip quiver at the sight of the missing hair, and bandage on top of his head.

Two bright teal eyes looked her right in the eye. "Look, I honestly don't understand why people are trying to spoil me. I really messed up this time, and wouldn't even be in this mess had I done what I should have done. Actually, a lot of people wouldn't be where they are if it weren't for me. So honestly, you shouldn't have held back on hitting me."

Rangiku let out a shudder, and instead her hand reached out to caress the child's soft cheek. "Taicho, you really don't understand, do you? You don't understand how important, and precious you are to everyone?

"Why? I always mess up." Toshiro's eyes darted down, but he didn't try to push Rangiku's hand away. One small hand reached up to touch hers, and she could feel how tired he still was.

"You're all I've got left." Rangiku watched as Toshiro's eyes darted up to look at her, and the young taicho's jaw began to stammer, but no words came out. "You know full well I lost Gin a couple of years ago, so..." She heard the boy's breath draw in tight. "What? What is it taicho?"

Toshiro visibly swallowed, and then looked away. "I saw him. I saw Gin."

"Taicho, Gin is dead. He's not coming back. We've discussed this before, and I don't wish to have this conversation with you again."

The boy's voice strained. "I know he's gone. I know he's gone like Kaien-dono is to, but that doesn't change the fact I saw both of them. I mean, Kaien-dono turned out to be Kurosaki and all, but I still saw him."

Rangiku felt a cold shudder ran down her spine. "Taicho, did seeing Gin and Kaien bother you?"

"Not Kaien. I mean, that was so long ago." The young taicho flopped onto his bed. "I guess this wasn't so long ago."

"You were closer to Kaien though. You hate Gin, don't you."

"I don't know. I honestly don't."

Rangiku stared at the young taicho, before moving to sit down next to the child. A hand reached out to touch his shoulder making Toshiro look up at her with his bright teal eyes. "You don't want to talk about him, do you?"

"Please?"

"Promise me you'll see Karin-chan at least once?" Rangiku watched the lips of the young taicho move indicating he didn't like what she asked.

He also out right addressed the fact he didn't like what she said. "Why?"

"Why?" Rangiku took a deep breath, and an idea came to her mind. "How would you like it if Karin was sick like you were instead, and she didn't let you see her?" The woman watched as Toshiro's eyes drifted over to the wall, and the woman knew she hit the right cord. "Well, I certainly didn't like it when Gin pushed me away." A chill seeped into the room, and the woman spoke some more. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring him up again taicho."

"Don't be."

"But..."

"I know you only brought him up to bring up a point." Toshiro's head rested on the pillow as if he couldn't quite lift himself up, which in turn meant he wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon. "I'll see Karin." The boy's mouth twisted up slightly. "I actually want to see her, but I don't want to hurt her either." His bright teal eyes turned as his head remained resting on the pillow. "Not letting her come will hurt her more then letting her?"

Rangiku breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, yes it will."

The woman smiled despite the fact the lovely missing white locks of hair remained a pang in her heart.