Chapter 13:

"I can't believe this."

"Who could have done such a thing?"

Isane and several nurses were gathered in front of the blood closet, picking up the broken pieces of what used to be a heavy-duty metal lock.

"I don't understand," Isane mumbled as she studied the broken metal for clues. "Why blood packs? It doesn't make any sense."

"Whoever did this was desperate. Look what they did to the lock."

"They must have been really strong to do this."

"I don't think so. A pair of hedge clippers could chop through the lock, couldn't it?"

"You'd think we'd see someone carrying one of those into the sickbay?"

"Look at the lock," said Isane, holding out the broken pieces in her hand. "What's left of it, at least. Something like a sword or clippers couldn't do this. The lock was shattered, not cut."

"That just raises more questions," said a young nurse. "Who could do something like that?"

"They must have beaten the thing with a hammer or something until it broke."

"Did you hear anything? Doing something like that would make a lot of noise."

"Then… what? What could have done this?"

Isane was worried and frightened. Someone really wanted to get transfusion bags but they did not know for what purpose. If someone were injured, the sensible thing to do would be to bring them to the sickbay for treatment, not steal blood packs. An outsider might have thought bringing someone to the sickbay would be too risky which was why they had to sneak but an outsider getting in would be difficult. Someone would have seen them and the outsider having knowledge of where everything was seemed even less likely.

This left the possibility of someone taking blood packs to weaken the sickbay but she couldn't conceive of who would do such a thing. They weren't at war right now and things were peaceful.

"If this is someone's idea of a prank, they've taken things way too far. This could save people's lives, including the prankster's. Limiting our supply can only hurt. What warped mind would..?"

"I don't think this is someone's sick idea of a joke. Too much trouble, for one. Second of all, I don't know of anyone within these walls who would do something like that. If they got injured themselves, we would be unable to save them."

"I don't think they've considered that, if they've done something like this."

Isane knew something had to be done. The blood was far too valuable to lose, no matter the situation. She doubted this was a prank or an attack, which left only the possibility of someone needing the blood for themselves. She couldn't figure out why but protecting whatever blood was left was their top priority.

"Ok, here's what I think we should do," she began.

"Should we use Kido to protect the blood we have left? Barrier Kido and binding ones?"

"Should we place guards in the sickbay just in case?"

"Should we move the blood to a different location?"

"Uh… All of those," Isane declared. When no one responded, she recoiled, thinking she had made a mistake.

"Sounds good to me."

"Me, too."

"I'll get started. I'll ask Captain Unohana if she has any recommendations of where it should be placed and who should guard it."

Isane let out a sigh but still felt anxious.

Few were informed about what happened in the sickbay. Hitsugaya only knew of it because he was following Byakuya's movements. He did not witness what he had done but heard people talking about what they found when he visited after Byakuya had left.

It was unclear if Kido would have any effect on a vampire but Hitsugaya was more concerned about what Byakuya would do if he felt threatened.

He kept his distance so Byakuya wouldn't suspect, keeping his keen ears strained at all times just in case he heard something he didn't like.

No matter how much he focused his hearing, Hitsugaya could not detect any sign of his Lieutenant. Chances were, she was far away pampering herself while he worked.

Sure enough, Rangiku was roaming around the Seireitei at her own pace. She invited Kira out for drinks but he declined and was unable to find Hisagi anywhere. She didn't want to drink by herself and certainly didn't want to pay her own bill. Without a drinking buddy, she wasn't sure what to do with herself.

She went to see if Hisagi had returned to assist his Captain but Kensei made it very clear that he had not shown up.

"As soon as you see him, tell that moron I'm kicking his sorry ass."

"Will do, Kensei," she told him before the door was slammed in her face. "Strange. I got the impression Hisagi admired the guy. Wonder why he's not showing up for work. Oh, well."

Making her way to a different Division, she ran into Shinji who was carrying a small basket. He shoved it into her hand as he passed by.

"Found this on my desk and don't want it. It's stinking up my office," he complained. "All I can smell is garlic."

"What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked.

"I don't know and don't care. Just take it far away from my office, will you?"

Shinji seemed mildly annoyed but that's the impression she usually got from his expression, even if he was in good spirits. She could never tell with him if he was tired or annoyed.

Rangiku found Hisagi outside the building and went over to him with the basket. "Hisagi, where have you been? Your Captain's bugging me again about where you are and why you're not in the office."

"I was busy."

"Doing what?"

"Errands."

"Well, I'm tired of having other people's Captains yelling at me. I get that enough from my own. Just go to the office so Kensei will stop squawking about it."

"I will," Hisagi said noncommittally.

Rangiku then contradicted everything she said by inviting Hisagi out for drinks but he declined, saying he was busy. She pouted but he did not yield.

That was when she felt the weight of the small basket in her hand and held it out to him. "At least take this. Shinji gave it to me but I don't want it."

Hisagi looked down at the basket finding a bundle of carrots, a potato and a couple cloves of garlic. His eyes widened slightly as he caught sight of them, knowing Byakuya did not like them.

"Blame Shinji. He's the one passing these out to people in the hall," she complained. "Just take this for me, would you? I bet you can use them to cook something really yummy."

Hisagi smiled at her politely. "Sure thing, Rangiku. No problem."

"Thanks," she said, giving him a big smile. "You're amazing. Let me know when you're free for drinks."

"Sure thing," he said again, taking the basket from her outstretched hand.

She gave him a flirty giggle and bounced off as if the small basket were weighing her down.

Hisagi watched her leave then turned and walked towards a different building, carrying the basket at his side. As he entered, he threw the basket and everything in it into the trash.

If Rangiku ever gave him anything, he kept it, considering it a gift. If it was food, he ate it or shared it with friends. All that changed now that he held Byakuya in such high regard. He didn't even look back at the trash as he stepped towards the nearest staircase and made his way to the second floor.

Byakuya did not need to feed after gorging himself on blood from the sickbay but he was concerned about where his next meal would come from. Things were going to be more difficult now on account of his actions. He doubted he would get his hands on another transfusion bag. Manipulating a nurse might not work either with security being increased. Not only that, but as he witnessed while scoping the sickbay, nurses and other members of Squad 4 rarely traveled alone. They were either in pairs or packs and they moved in and out of different rooms so quickly, visiting patients and getting whatever they needed for treatment and meeting with those more experienced.

Targeting the sickbay was a poor choice. The supplies and the people therein.

Hisagi entered the office to give his report to Byakuya.

"All papers have been delivered to their proper place as requested and I've taken the liberty of redirecting anyone attempting to visit your office under the pretense of you having a headache and not wanting to be disturbed."

"Good work."

"The offer still stands, sir. About you consuming our blood. I've made sure to cut all garlic out of my diet so as not to make the same mistake again."

"I'm not hungry at the moment, but rest assured I will feed again. However, I've recently discovered something interesting."

Hisagi and Renji listened intently.

"When I was feeling ill, my appetite increased, as did my consumption of blood. I wonder if there's a correlation or if that is the amount I'm supposed to be drinking if I do not limit myself."

"If that's the case, then we will not have enough blood to sate your hunger," said Renji. "You expressed a desire to take only enough for us to remain standing. Even feeding off of all three of us will weaken us in the process of filling your stomach. Which means we might have to find other donors or resource."

Byakuya nodded. "Feeding at night could work in my favor. I can do my own hunting and I'm more likely to catch someone walking alone and the darkness should cover me well. However, I grow hungry during the day before and after sleeping. It'll be difficult to find someone alone I can feed off of while remaining indoors."

"Whatever you need us to do, we'll do it, sir," said Hisagi.

A sinister smile played across Byakuya's face. "I have an idea."

Hitsugaya sighed, holding a flower crown in his hands and another on his head.

After completing his work, he went outside to take himself for a walk, running into Momo along the way. She insisted he stay and help her with something important. She wouldn't tell him what but he agreed anyway, regretting it when he found himself adorned in flowers.

"Do I really have to be involved with this?" he asked morosely.

"I thought it'd be fun." She got to work on another flower crown. "I get that it's not the same as becoming a Captain but making Lieutenant is also important. We have to show our support for Rukia."

"Wasn't the brunch you threw the other day good enough? Now we have to weave these childish flower crowns for her? If you have nothing to do, just tell me and I'll make a few suggestions."

Momo puffed out her cheeks and glared at him. "I'm not wasting my time. I got my work done early and thought making these crowns would be nice."

"It makes no sense to me."

Momo put another finished crown on his head and he slumped lower as if it weighed more than it did.

"They're cute. And look cute on you."

He huffed in response.

As annoying as this was, it wasn't too bad. It was relaxing and he needed to remain calm so his wolf half wouldn't show.

Honestly, the past couple of nights had been pleasant, aside from eating the rabbit. He spent his time observing nature; more intimately. Taking long walks through the woods, looking at the different plants, watching animals in the trees. He couldn't remember the last time he did that. Most of all, he enjoyed running for the fun of it. He never thought running on all fours could be so much fun. The world from that close to the ground, the speed and strength in his limbs. During that time, he felt like he was in a world all his own, like a child playing a game of pretend.

He also felt most relaxed during his adventures in the night. Everything he had to endure throughout the day seemed a million miles away. The wooded area became his refuge. During that time, he barely thought about Byakuya or the things going on in the Seireitei.

During the day, it was almost all he could think about. This calm moment with his childhood friend only made those concerns more conspicuous. The drive to protect the sweet, oblivious Momo grew stronger in these moments.

She became a wreck after the Aizen incident, causing him to presume that she would be unable to handle the gravity of the situation. For this and many reasons, he did not want to involve her.

If he told her what was going on, she might take matters into her own hands and attempt to stop Byakuya herself and he didn't trust her to make the wisest decisions in such a case. If she became one of Byakuya's servants, Hitsugaya would have to fight Momo once more and she might be even more frantic and desperate than before.

Additionally, Hitsugaya doubted he could handle it himself. After injuring Momo during the battle with Aizen, he lost his sense of reason and went straight for Aizen, which resulted in a swift defeat. More than that, after the battle, he blamed himself. He was the one who attacked her because he was unable to see through Aizen's tricks. No one else noticed either and Aizen was the one who caused it to happen, but the sword was still in Hitsugaya's hands. He couldn't get over that fact. He almost killed his friend. There were times he woke up from a nightmare where he relived that very moment but he refused to talk about it.

To get through his own trauma, he told himself that Momo had it worse than he did. After a while, he realized he couldn't ignore the damage brought on by that battle but didn't know how to address his feelings.

Ironically, being in the woods as a wolf seemed to be the best thing for him. The feelings couldn't catch him while he was running about. However, now, as he sat next to Momo and all these resurfacing feelings, both past and present, he…

Hitsugaya felt his tail wiggle under his jacket and he quickly clamped down on it with his hand. The pain of grabbing his own tail made him yelp, drawing Momo's attention.

"You ok, Little Shiro?"

"Fine," he said through his teeth. "Just fine." He was still struggling to wrangle his wriggling tail.

Momo tried to look behind him but he kept moving his head in the way, leaning his body this way and that to keep her from spotting it. She stopped trying to peek behind him and instead asked, "You seem a little off lately. Are you sure you're ok?"

"What do you mean 'off,' hm?" he asked. He kept himself still but felt his tail moving around as if it had a will of its own. If only he could learn to control it when it did pop out instead of just how to make it go away.

"It's just… You seem distracted, and… How do I put it?" Momo's lower lip stuck out as she tried to select the right words. "Just off."

"Off?" he repeated with a raised brow.

"I don't know what it is but you seem different somehow."

"Is it good? Is it weird? What? What is it?"

"It's not bad or anything but… different."

"Details would be nice, Momo."

"Well, I guess… I guess it's that you seem like you're hiding something. Like how you run off at the drop of a hat or seem nervous when people talk to you."

"I'm not nervous. And you and I are talking just fine."

"Yeah, but…" Momo saw something move under the tail of Hitsugaya's jacket and jumped. "Little Shiro, I think there's a snake under your jacket!"

He knew the outline of his tail was easily mistaken for a snake but he couldn't let her believe either one was under his jacket. "No, there isn't."

"Yes, there is!"

"No, there isn't."

"Yes, there is! Look!" She jumped to her feet and grabbed her Zanpakuto. She didn't unsheathe it, using it like a bat instead.

Hitsugaya jumped up to dodge the blow as she aimed for the wriggling thing behind him. He ran behind her as she kept her eyes on the ground in search of the snake. When she found nothing, she assumed it was in his clothes and tried to beat him with her sheathed sword. He ran in a circle around her as she turned, readying her weapon.

"Momo, there is no snake! Will you stop?"

"I saw it! I think it's under your jacket! Hold still!"

"No!" He kept running, changing directions when he felt the wind from her swings on his flesh. He finally took off his jacket and threw it on the ground. "Look, Momo! See? There is no snake."

She looked him over then at the jacket on the ground, stepping on the folds to make sure there was nothing hiding inside. "But…" She lowered her sword in bewilderment. "I thought… I mean, I saw…"

Hitsugaya's tail had disappeared during the chase which he thought would only agitate him further. Now that everything was calm again, he was able to realize that the chase was more fun than it was frightening.

He started laughing. "You were gonna beat the stuffing out of me because you thought you saw a snake? Ha ha! Are you kidding me, Bed-Wetter Momo?"

She stomped her foot on the ground. "It's not funny! I was worried about you."

"So you attack me with a sword? How does that work?" Hitsugaya doubled over with laughter, finding the whole situation very amusing.

"Stop laughing!"

"I can't help it. It's too funny. You should have seen yourself."

"What?"

Hitsugaya took her sword from her and pretended to strike her with it while doing his impression of her. "Eek! Little Shiro, watch out! I'll bruise your body before that snake gets the chance to bite you! Hold still so I can knock your block off and save you!"

"I did not say that!" she complained as giggles started to escape her open mouth.

"That's what you were doing," he said, pointed the sword at her.

"Give me back my Zanpakuto."

"No."

"Give it."

"Come and get it." Hitsugaya started running with the sheathed sword held out to one side. Momo chased him in circles as they both laughed. Neither could remember the last time they had fun like this. Hitsugaya was always so serious and now he was playful and didn't seem to care if anyone thought he was being childish.

Even though she could describe it better than simply telling him he was 'off' she didn't tell him, wanting to see this side of him more often.

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