Shunsui paced around the lobby of the 4th division, waiting.
It had been hours... hours since he got his injuries healed and since he got news he never expected.
Jūshirō was alive but his condition was critical due to using the Kamikake.
Kirinji himself had come down to the Seireitei to help out and was currently working on the 13th division captain.
Shunsui stopped walking as he heard footsteps and looked up to see Nanao.
"Kirinji wants you to come sir"
"Okay"
He followed her into the intensive care part of the barracks where Kirinji was talking to Isane.
"Kirinji. Lieutenant Kotetsu"
"Sup Head-captain"
"You wanted to see me"
"We did, said Isane"
"Is it Jūshirō?"
Kirinji nodded and removed the stick from his mouth as he looked into Shunsui's remaining eye.
"He's stable for now but his condition is still critical so we'll have to wait and see if he makes it through the night.
-If he does, I'll work more on him tomorrow and that will hopefully be enough to assure us that he will recover"
"I see"
While he was happy that Jūshirō was stable, the fact that he was still in critical condition and maybe wouldn't make it through the night worried Shunsui.
He had already lost his mentor and his senior during the war as well as his brother and sister-in-law when he was younger.
Jūshirō and Nanao were the only people left in his life and he didn't want to lose any of them.
"Head-captain"
He looked at Isane who had been the one to speak.
"If it makes you feel better, you may stay with Captain Ukitake during the night.
-I know how close you two are so I thought you might wanna be with him in case..."
She didn't finish the sentence but Shunsui knew what she was gonna say.
"Thank you lieutenant Kotetsu"
She smiled and Shunsui turned to Kirinji.
"I appreciate this Kirinji. That you came down from the Soul Palace just to help us with the injured"
"With Unohana gone, someone needs to help.
-Besides, Ichibe said that he and the others could take care of things up there without me for a couple of days"
He then began to walk away.
"If anything happens, come get me right away.
-If not I'll come early tomorrow to check on him"
"Understood"
The healer of the Royal Guard then walked away and Isane also excused herself, leaving Shunsui outside the room where his best friend was.
He took a deep breath before entering, walking over to the bed and sitting down on the chair.
Jūshirō had an oxygen mask over his face and was connected to a monitor that kept an eye on his heart and other things.
"Oh Juu-chan"
Seeing the always bright and cheerful Jūshirō laying unconscious on a hospital bed was something Shunsui never would get used to despite how many time he had seen it the past 2000 years.
He gently took Jūshirō's right hand in his own and let some of his spiritual pressure surround his friend.
"We did it Jūshirō...we won.
-It's over and all that needs to be done is to rebuild the destroyed buildings"
He let out a sigh.
"So many people were hurt during the battle but we're lucky that Kirinji came here to help us, especially with Retsu gone"
His eye focused on the monitor for a moment before looking down at his friend's face.
"Please make it through this. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too.
-Old-man Yama, Retsu, my brother, my sister-in-law... all people I care about keeps dying around me"
He grips Jūshirō's hand tighter as the thoughts of the people he had lost flowed through his mind.
"Use that strong will of yours to make it through the night and recover from this just like all those times you've been really sick"
Sometime later, Isane came to check on
When she walked in and saw the head-captain fast alseep with his arms and head on the bedside, she couldn't help but smile.
She quietly checked on the unconscious captain and before she walked out, she covered Shunsui with a blanket and noticed the grip his hand had on Jūshirō's.
She gently closed the door and found Kirinji in the hallway
"Everything okay Kotetsu?"
"Yes sir.
-I actually think Captain Ukitake's vital signs has grown stronger"
"You sure?"
"From what I could see, they are definitely better than earlier"
"That's good.
-Maybe he'll pull through this after all"
"You didn't think he would?"
Kirinji looked into the room and saw the sleeping head-captain next to the bed.
"They're quite close aren't they?"
"They've been friends for over 2000 years and care very much for each other.
-Both Captain Unohana and head-captain Yamamoto once described them as friends with a bond as deep as that of brothers"
"I see"
The two then went seperate ways to keep checking the patients.