Renji and Byakuya beat Unohana and the Fourth. Gin was almost grateful for the way Renji shoved him out of the way. He'd managed to pull the blanket away, thinking someone needed to stop the bleeding, but the way she was still bound, naked and bleeding from countless wounds had been too much for him. He had kept seeing Rangiku there instead, Rangiku suffering beyond enduring because of him.
Both men called to the girl as they broke her bonds, but there was no sign of recognition in her empty eyes. She did not move or make a sound, not even showing any reaction when her obviously broken arms had to be moved so the cords that bound them could be broken. She could have been a corpse for all the life she showed.
By the time Unohana arrived Renji was frantic, and Byakuya looked closer to death than his little sister.
Unohana sent Renji away immediately to fetch the human girl, Orihime, the moment she saw the broken girl, and even her calm manner could not completely mask the horror she felt seeing the destruction Aizen had inflicted upon Rukia.
Gin did not even notice Lieutenant Kotetsu's hesitant words to her captain as Unohana bent to examine the girl. "Should we not have Orihime meet us at the Fourth?" she asked, glancing uneasily at Gin.
"I do not dare move her in this state," Unohana answered. "If General Yamamoto does not agree with my decision he may take it up with me later."
"But Captain Ichimaru--"
Unohana looked back over her shoulder, taking in the captain slumped on the floor beside Toshiro's desk. He did not notice her looking at him. His eyes were focused solely on the broken girl. "Captain Ichimaru looks like he may need medical attention as well."
Her words brought Byakuya's attention to Gin. The proud captain's eyes flashed with a new emotion, grief was replaced with hate. "This was a message to you," he said coldly.
Gin raised his head then. His eyes went to Byakuya's frozen face. The horrible despair Gin had so easily identified with was gone. Rage filled the proud captain's cold eyes; Gin couldn't even comprehend it. If that had been Ran--he had to get out of here before he was sick all over everyone.
He staggered awkwardly to his feet and only Senbonzakura suddenly cutting across his path stopped him from fleeing the room.
"You are the reason he did this to Rukia," Byakuya said.
"Your sister needs you now, Captain Kuchiki," Unohana said. "Your argument with Captain Ichimaru can wait."
Byakuya turned away from Gin in disgust.
But Gin could not even move until his lieutenant took hold of his arm and held him steady as he stumbled from the room.
"Rangiku-san," Kira called, and Rangiku appeared in the hallway.
"I think the captain must be sick," Kira tried to explain as Rangiku stepped forward.
"Gin?" Rangiku said softly. Her hand traveled across his forehead and down one cheek, checking for a fever and finding his skin strangely cold and clammy. "I think you may be right."
Gin stepped forward abruptly, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her hair. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. Ran, I'm sorry."
Rangiku's eyes went to Kira as she held onto her husband. Gin had never cried in his life, but she could feel moisture soaking into her collar. "Is Rukia--?" she asked helplessly.
Kira shook his head. "I'm sure Unohana can heal her, but--"
His eyes went to his captain, but Rangiku was relieved not to see any of the contempt that some men might feel, seeing their superior break down. Instead, he looked worried and even pitying, and that she had not expected. She had thought she was the only person in the entire Gotei who would see Gin as worthy of any pity at all.
"I'm not sure she's really there anymore," Kira said, softly.
Suddenly there was screaming. Rukia had found her voice and was screaming, horrible, terrified, agony-filled wailing. It was only a moment before Unohana was able to quiet her, but in that moment Gin's arms tightened painfully.
"Gin!" she gasped. "Too tight."
He released her instantly. "I'm sorry," he gasped. Then his trembling hands were on her face, tracing over her skin, studying every curve with a frightening intensity, like he was trying to lock every detail of her face into his memory. "Oh, Ran," he whispered, and his voice held a despair like she'd never imagined. "I've doomed you. My Rangiku, I can't save you. If we could run—but there's nowhere. There's nowhere he can't find you—there's nothing, no way to stop him, no way to save you, nothing, nothing, nothing—"
"No!" Rangiku interrupted him, throwing her arms around him and pulling him close. Her fingers wove through his hair as she held onto him. "I won't give up. I believe in you. I know you will protect me. You always have. You always will."
"I'm sorry," Gin moaned.
"We will help you, everyone here in Soul Society will help you. It will be alright. I promise. You will find a way. Me and the kids, we are all going to make it through this just fine because you are strong enough. You will save us."
The alarms were still blaring when Lieutenant Omaeda finally managed to catch up with his captain. Soifon was running the walls of the city, demanding reports from every guard, trying to determine how the Arrancar had gotten in and if it had yet left.
"Captain! Captain!" he called after her, but, as usual, she ignored him, to busy to deal with his ineptitude.
"We've found--" he gasped and coughed. "Yoruichi-sama!"
She stopped so fast he nearly ran into her. "What did you say?"
"The guards," he panted. "Were killed--the First Division--the Arrancar killed--"
"Stop!" she commanded, holding up a hand. "Breathe first, then speak."
Omaeda took a couple deep breaths, managing to slow his breathing with an effort. "The Arrancar stopped at the First Division and killed the prison guards. It took Captain Tosen. It made a garganta to escape."
"Then it's gone back to Hueco Mundo," Soifon said in disappointment. "But you said you found Yoruichi-sama?"
"Yes, Captain," Omaeda answered, cowering a little under her gaze. "We found her. Yoruichi-sama was in the First Division prison--"
"What?!?" It took all of Soifon's considerable strength to stop herself from screaming at Omaeda, but the head of the Punishment Squad did not scream at incompetent idiots for being incompetent idiots. "How could Yoruichi-sama be in the First Division prison?" she asked very calmly.
"Nobody knows. The guards were killed, and there's no record of an arrest order or anything. The general was very angry. He had his men take Yoruichi-sama straight to the Fourth Division."
"She was hurt?" It took Soifon a little more effort to keep her voice even as she asked that.
"I don't know, Captain. She was unconscious," Omaeda answered.
Soifon vanished and was already halfway to the Fourth before her lieutenant realized he should follow her.