Chapter Two
Solitary Flowers
Waking up after a nightmare is never something most people enjoy. Waking up after a living nightmare is even worse, especially when that nightmare has become the only reality left to a person. Ichigo's first thought upon waking was that it was far too warm. Owner never turned on the heat, that was bad. He couldn't be bad. Dogs and other pets didn't need to have it. Good boys didn't complain. He had to be a good boy, that was what he had to be for Owner. And to be a good boy, Owner said to stay in the bathtub until he came back. But he never came, it seemed. His stomach, which was so used to being empty, had begun to ache. He thought it had to do with the taste of blood in his mouth.
Ichigo didn't know why Owner had gotten angry. His voice hadn't made sense, but he had pushed him down, pressing fingers into his eyes. That had happened before, but this time, he didn't stop and as hard as he tried, Ichigo couldn't stop the screams that escaped. He had tried so hard not to scream. Screaming wasn't a good boy. Of course, screaming meant the wire. So when he was told to stay in the tub, he did it because he wanted to be a good boy. Good boys listened to their owners. He was a good boy, he was.
Then there was a stranger, but he wasn't a stranger, he knew him. But no, Owner said forget those things because they didn't matter. He was confused as he wasn't in the bathtub now. He was on something soft, but not his futon. Where was he?
He wished Owner hadn't taken away his eyes because then it wouldn't be so scary. He tried to move his arm but he couldn't. Had Owner moved him from the bathtub? Had he tied him down because he hadn't been a good boy again? Not being able to see was hard, he realized as he just wanted to know where he was. What should he do… He jerked as someone touched his arm.
"Oh!" he heard a new voice, high pitched and grating on his ears. "Kurosaki-kun, you're awake!" That voice. He knew that voice. Why was he hearing that voice? That was an Old Voice. One he wasn't allowed to hear. Owner would be angry; Owner would punish him, and he wanted to be a good boy.
"We were getting worried; you slept so long!"
His breath was quickening. He slept a long time? No, where was Owner?
"O-Owner?" he asked. His voice cracked and sounded breathy. He was hoping that Owner was nearby and would come to him. He needed him. Maybe Owner brought him here. But where was he?
"Kurosaki-kun, you're okay, you're in the hospital here in Karakura Town away from that awful person you were with. You're home now," her voice continued. She sounded happy. Why was she happy? He wasn't happy. His Owner wasn't here.
"Owner?" he asked again. He was starting to panic, and he could hear a loud beeping that was growing faster. "Owner!"
"Kurosaki-kun, please, you have to calm down," he heard her say and he felt her hands. Why were her hands on him? He jerked his arms when she touched him, but the bindings kept him from moving much.
"No, Owner…Owner…" he said as his head started to cloud over. He was getting sleeping again. "Owner…"
-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-
Uryū sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. Orihime was crying, of course. Ichigo had finally woke up after being in Karakura General for almost a month. In that time, they'd attempted to stabilize his legs, putting rods and pins into both femurs. It wasn't healing well, though. His bones were brittle, and even during the surgery, their best surgeon had a hard time even placing the screws to secure the rods. His bones just disintegrated. Every night, though, after the night shift started, Uryū and Orihime would come and Uryū would keep watch while Orihime used her Sun Sun Riki to heal his bones enough that he would be able to stand again. Every night, she exhausted herself before she was finished, not even getting to the point of trying to help his eyes or arms where the bones were ill healed.
"Owner was who he was looking for?" Uryū said, making notes on the file. "That must have been what that perverse bastard made him call him. I'm worried that he's not going to be able to deal with him being gone."
"What?" Orihime gasped. "Why would he need that horrible man?"
Uryū sometimes wondered how she got through nursing school. "Stockholm Syndrome, Inoue. You remember that? He was alone for six years. Over six years."
She seemed to wilt and nodded. "I do, but…if he has that, and he can't be united with the person he's attached to, he might end his life…"
"I know, Inoue, I know," he said and rubbed his hands over his head. "We need to get him out of here into Isshin's hands so he can go to Soul Society. His body isn't going to hold up at this rate. Even with what you're doing."
"Now that he's regained consciousness, how long do we have to keep him here?" she asked.
"I can make a case for the best healing with his father, but probably another two weeks at least," Uryū said with a sigh. "The only time I wish Ryūken was around is when he's not," he grumbled as he closed the files. "I'm still a new doctor and I don't have seniority. It was only Kurosaki-san's insistence that be his personal attending that allows me to stay on his case. I'm just glad that Kurosaki-san seems to be owed some sort of favor by the director."
"Knock knock," came a voice from the doorway. Uryū looked up to see one of his fellows, Dr. Craviston. He, as usual, wore a wide, fake looking smile.
Craviston was in Japan with his wife who was teaching English at the university. He was an English man with a generally unpleasant disposition. He was somewhat less than sensitive with some of the patients though. Technically, he was one of Uryū's superiors, which annoyed him to no end.
"Dr. Craviston, how are you today?" Uryū said, putting Ichigo's files to the side.
"Good, I heard your patient woke up today! Congrats, we had a pool going on if he was gonna wake or die, you know," he said with a smirk.
And that was why Uryū thought he truly hated him. It wasn't the first time he'd had a pool going for whether a patient would live or die, and the fact that he was doing one on Ichigo was making him incredibly angry. "Well, I'm not surprised that he woke up. Ichigo Kurosaki is one of the strongest people I've ever known."
"I'm going down to take a look at him now," he said and Uryū very nearly snapped at him.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Uryū managed through grit teeth.
"Well, as one of your overlords, I should check in on your patients, or I'm remiss in my duties, eh?" he said and turned to leave. Uryū's hair on his neck bristled. Overlord. The "joking" reference wasn't so much a joke to this pompous ass. He really saw himself as better than the younger doctors and residents like Uryū. He wasn't even Uryū's direct superior.
Uryū was after him, though. No way he was letting Craviston be alone with Ichigo. Of course, like usual, the man threw open the door loudly.
"Ah, Kurosaki-san!" he announced as he came into the room. Uryū winced because he saw Ichigo flinch at the sound of his voice.
"Dr. Craviston, he has severe PTSD, you can't yell like that…" Uryū tried.
"Nonsense, a little bit of pep would do your patient good!" he said and Uryū closed his eyes. This was going to be a disaster, he thought as Craviston pulled the restraints off his wrists. "Come now, boy, you've been in bed a long time, time to get up and moving."
Ichigo was obviously starting to panic. Uryū could see his lip quivering and his body was starting to shake as Craviston forced him into a sitting position.
Finally, Icihgo whispered, "Owner?"
"Nonsense, is that old bastard you were with this owner? Well, he's dead as a doornail, so don't worry on him," Craviston had stepped back and was staring at him as he sat and swayed. His feet dangled and Ichigo's head tilted to the side. "Owner…gone?" he muttered. "No…no…"
"Shall we see if you can stand on your own two feet?" Craviston pulled then and Ichigo's feet touched the floor for a second before he collapsed to his knees. There was an audible crack as soon as he did.
"Dammit!" Uryū gasped as he moved to put his hands on Ichigo's shoulders. "You can't just do that! His bones are brittle!"
"Then he needs to move to strengthen them up, some old school healing!" Craviston said. Uryū glared at him for a second before he got up and pushed him back away from Ichigo.
"Look, you may be an older doctor than me, but you are in no way better. This is my patient, and you are not allowed to just break every restriction I put in place to make sure he stays safe! You need to get out of here and let me handle him. He's not only my patient, but my friend, and I'll be damned if I let you bully him like this," Uryū growled.
Neither doctor noticed that Ichigo had taken crawled away from the bed, managing to slip out into the hallway while they were arguing. Something had broken in his knee, but he didn't pay attention to it. Pain was something he was used to feeling, so it didn't bother him that much. He was alone, that man said Owner was dead. Why was Owner dead? He pulled himself to stand at the wall and used it to make his way away from the loud man. He didn't know where he would go, though. It wasn't like he could see anything, and he had no idea where he could hide. He needed Owner, but if Owner was gone… Maybe he was lying. What would he do without Owner? He would need a new Owner. He couldn't be alone. He had to find an Owner if he was dead. He had to have someone take care of him, he had to have someone that would tell him when he was a good boy, and he had to have someone that would punish him when he wasn't. He didn't know how to live without Owner anymore. In the back of his mind, he remembered that he used to live without Owner.
He found a door finally, and he followed it into a room, and then another room, but this one was small. He smiled, easing himself to sitting and wrapping his arms around his knees. He'd wait here for Owner. Owner wasn't dead. Owner couldn't be dead. He decided that he just couldn't be dead. Owner would be back. Owner would find him and take him home. He'd be a good boy no matter what from now on for Owner.
Rin was in the hospital because she had cancer. She was seven years old, and her blood made her sick. She was getting better though. She was coming back from the play area when she saw that some of her clothes had fallen out of the closet. She frowned, padding over to it and saw there was a big boy sitting on the floor of her closet. He had long, really pretty orange colored hair, and bandages over his eyes. He was in a big person hospital gown, not one of the fun colored ones like she wore. His knees were pulled to his chest and he rocked a little.
"Why are you in my closet?" she asked as she knelt in front. The boy gasped and looked around even though he couldn't see through the bandages. Rin could tell he was scared because he was shaking. "It's okay if you like to be in my closet. There's room. You want me to sit in there with you so you aren't lonely?" she asked. He nodded. She slipped in beside him. She could see he was still scared. "Did ya get scared of something?" she asked.
He nodded and put his chin on his knees. "Scared," he whispered.
She put her arm around his back. She could feel his bones and that wasn't good, she knew. It meant he was very sick like she had been when her chemo started. "It's okay to be scared. Are you scared cuz you can't see no more?" He nodded a little again. "Yeah, that would be scary. Did your eyes get sick?" He shook his head. "Oh, my blood got sick, that's why I'm here. They're fixing it, so that's okay. They'll fix you too." She sat there for a minute. "Are your eyes all gone or just sick?"
"Gone," he said. "All gone. He pulled them out," he croaked.
Rin looked and saw that he was crying. "You can still cry so that's good. It isn't good to not cry, y'know. I don't have any Otouto, can I be your Oneechan?"
He turned his head toward her and tilted it to the side. "See, big brothers and big sisters, they help you not be scared, that's what they do, so you need one. So, I'll be your Oneechan, okay?"
He nodded slowly. "What's your name?" she asked.
"Ichi-Ichigo," he stammered.
"Don't talk too much, Ichi, you'll hurt your voice. It sounds like it is a little bit sick, so that's okay." She squeezed him and he leaned against her.
"Now, big sisters are supposed to help their Otouto feel better," she said and got up, leaving the closet to go get her hair stuff. "So I'm gonna fix your hair up nice for you, okay? Right now, all my hair is gone, so I can't use my hair bows and brushes, so I'll use them for you. I'm going to be a good Oneechan for my Otouto."
Ichigo nodded and sat there as she brushed his long hair, then started braiding pieces of it and decorating it with barrettes, bows, and clips. She hummed as she played with his hair. It was very long and thick, and fell almost to his waist. She was almost half done when a nurse came into the room.
"Rin, why is there an adult patient in here? He needs to go back to his room, now come here, you don't…" Nurse Chian said as she moved toward the close.
"No, don't you touch my Otouto! He's scared and he can't see nothing. So, I'm taking care of him, so you leave him alone, see, look, he's shaking," she said, seeing that he had tilted his head upward and his hands were trembling. "Now, you leave him alone. He's scared and he needs to be taken care of, so you leave us alone," she said.
The nurse hesitated but left, leaving Rin with her new little brother. "There, now, she was rude. I'm not done fixing up your hair. Otouto, don't worry. Oneechan will take care of you. No big meanie grown ups will upset you again while Oneechan is around."
She finished putting all his hair in braids and clips when she heard a chuckle behind her. She turned around to see a doctor with black hair watching. He had square silver framed glasses. "What do you want? Are you going to scare Otouto too?" she demanded.
"Otouto?" Uryū asked. "Oh, I'm not going to scare him. I guess you're his Oneesan, huh?"
"I'm his Oneechan. He was hiding and I fixed his hair up so he would feel better. When I usedta have hair, my Oneechan would fix it for me when I was scared or sad," Rin explained.
She looked at Ichigo and saw that this Doctor didn't scare him, so she guessed that this wasn't the bad person that had scared her new little brother.
Uryū came closer and knelt. "It looks very nice, Ichigo. I was worried when I couldn't find you. I'm sorry Dr. Craviston scared you like that. I talked to the director and he's being reprimanded. It's Uryū, do you remember me?" he asked hopefully.
Ichigo tilted his head up slightly and if he had eyes he would have been looking at him. He gave a slight nod. His lip quivered for a second. "Owner?" he finally whispered.
"I'm sorry, but he wasn't lying about that. The man you called Owner is gone, and I understand that you think you need him, but he was a bad person and he hurt you. But for now, I have a wheelchair to take you back to your room, okay? We can talk about what to do when we're there."
"Dr. Uryū, I wanna make sure Otouto is safe in his room, so I'm going too," Rin told him.
"As any good Oneechan would," Uryū said, waving Orihime in with the wheelchair. He moved forward and put his hands close to Ichigo. "Ichigo, I'm going to put my hands under your arms and stand you up a little so I can move you to the wheelchair, okay?"
He gave a slight nod and even though Uryū warned him, he flinched as Uryū's hands slid under his arms. He easily lifted him up and swung him around to sitting. Even knowing how little he weighed, feeling how light he was made Uryū's heart clench. Uryū knelt and moved the hem of the gown and saw that his knee was turning purple and swelling. It had probably broken. Rin gasped.
"What is that from?" she asked. "Why is he got big bruise there?"
Uryū pulled the hem down and got up to push he chair. "Well, Oneechan Rin, you see your Otouto has very fragile bones right now. They break easily. So earlier he fell on his knee and it probably cracked the bone a little bit. So we need to take him to lie down."
"Oh," Rin said. "Okay."
They got back to the room and Uryū got Ichigo back into the bed and covered up. He seemed to fall asleep almost as soon as his body was on the bed. Uryū looked up at Orihime. "Can you take her back, I don't want to leave him alone right now."
Orihime nodded and left with the little girl. She was chatting away about how happy she was to fix her "little brother's" hair for him. Uryū smiled sadly as he moved his head so he wasn't lying on any of the barrettes she'd put in his hair. There were probably sixteen barettes, about ten bows, and at least fifteen different colored hair ties in different chunks of his hair. There were some thin braids and some places just tied up to each other. There were probably fifteen or sixteen chunks of hair separated out. He was impressed by the health of it, despite how badly the rest of him had been treated. He had an idea that his "Owner" liked his hair and took care of it.
"Ichigo, I don't know what to do anymore…" he said and pulled the chair next to the bed. He put his head in his hands and sighed.
-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-
Shunsui found Jūshirō by the koi pond, as he expected. The last two weeks, Jūshirō had been out on one of his bouts of sickness. He was finally well enough to be outside again. As usual, the first place he went was the large Koi pond outside his estate. Jūshirō looked up as Shunsui flopped down beside him.
"Shunsui, don't scare the koi," he chided with a half smile.
"You look better than when you passed out during the meeting," he commented.
Jūshirō sighed, nodding. "Yes, that one was a surprise. Have you heard any more about the Ichigo situation since then?"
"He's woken, according to Renji, but he is struggling. He's going to be transferred to his father's care later today, and I wanted to see if you would come with me to retrieve him with Renji. I think that your calm nature might be good for him. Renji, as much as he cares for Ichigo, he might be too loud for him.
Jūshirō agreed with that. Renji might be too excitable if he was allowed to be unsupervised. He sighed. "The young know little control. I suppose it is best that we attend without Rukia-kun as well."
"Yah, it is true," Shunsui said with a smirk. "Her love of the young Kurosaki is something that would cause her to be too thoughtless in her approach. Keeping her in Soul Society once knowledge of Ichigo's discovery was difficult enough as it was."
Jūshirō and Shunsui to find Renji and Byakuya both waiting at the senkaimon. Renji was pacing but Byakuya of course was stoically standing still with a general look of annoyance at his vice captain.
"Abarai-kun, are you ready for this trip? I believe that Kurosaki-san is awaiting us. Unohana-taichou will have a room prepared no doubt at the fourth division," Jūshirō said with a slight smile.
"Yeah, wasn't Rukia coming with you, Ukitake-taichou?" Renji asked, stopping his pacing and looking at him.
Shunsui clapped Renji on his back. "Ah, I think Jūshirō wanted to limit those that come with us on this trip. Ichigo is going to struggle with things as it is."
Jūshirō nodded as they stepped through the senkaimon, exited near Urahara's shop. They were met by Urahara, Yoruichi, and Isshin. They approached and Urahara spoke up.
"How do you wish to handle this? He's…hesitant."
Jūshirō smiled. "Perhaps I should speak with him before we leave. I think that would help to hear what is going to happen from one of us, don't you?"
Isshin nodded. "Yeah, please."
Jūshirō went inside the shop, led by Yoruichi. Isshin watched him go and looked to Shunsui and Renji. Shunsui was surprised to see tears in his eyes.
"Shiba-san, has something happened?" Shunsui asked, stepping closer to him.
"Ah, it isn't so much anything new. It…the boy that came back isn't my son and it kills me inside to see him like this," Isshin said as he glanced toward Urahara and back to the other two Shinigami. "Orihime has been doing her best to heal his bones, but it is a daily thing. I know that Kurotsuchi-taichou had a theory he was working on with Unohana-taichou to help retrieve his Shinigami powers, to help separate his human body from his soul form again. That would at least help the physical problems. But the mental problems are another thing entirely."
Shunsui nodded. "What would you advise us?"
Shaking his head sadly, Isshin sighed. "I don't know how to advise you. He spent six weeks in the hospital. Another two with me. And nothing has changed. He would sit where he was placed, and if he was told to stay there, he would stay there, even if…if…" He stopped. "Don't tell him stay somewhere. Because he will. He'll sit in the spot you put him in, not moving, even if he wets himself or falls asleep. He won't move. No matter how hard I tried, he would just follow whatever instruction he was given. Never complaining, never speaking up, never asking for anything. Kyōraku, he won't ask for food or drink, he won't tell you when he's in pain."
Isshin's face turned to an even more pained expression. "I broke his arm, accidentally, I didn't even realize it. His bones are so brittle, and I had helped him move, gripped him too tight and twisted the wrong way. He didn't say anything and I realized he was bruising. Orihime healed it right away after that, but to endure it quietly…" Isshin breathed in deeply. "I don't know what to think or do. What that man did to him, I don't know that it can be undone."
Inside the shop, Yoruichi led Jūshirō into one of the rooms where they'd put Ichigo to sit and wait. Jūshirō saw a fragile creature seated on a low futon and his heart ached for him. Ichigo looked better than when he'd seen him in the room he'd been held captive in. His face had filled out some, and his collarbones weren't protruding painfully. He was wearing a plain dark blue yukata and sitting on his knees, hands dangling between his thighs. He wore a fabric band over his eyes, and Jūshirō figured that a sister had put it on him because it was patterned with strawberries. The holes in his lips were still somewhat visible, but they had closed enough that they weren't as stark. They hadn't cut his hair, but someone had pulled it back and into a low ponytail that cascaded down his back.
"Ichigo," Yoruichi said with a sigh as she walked in ahead of Jūshirō. "Please, you need to stop sitting like that," she said and he turned toward her voice. She placed her hands under his arms and lifted him up until he pulled his legs out from under him. "Your legs can't handle that kind of stress."
He nodded, but as he sat again with his feet touching the floor, Jūshirō could tell he was uncomfortable with it. Yoruichi patted his head and to Jūshirō's interest, he leaned up a little, as though seeking the attention. The praise, he thought to himself. He was seeking praise. The report had said that the man who held him dehumanized him and treated him like an animal, a dog to specific.
"Ukitake-taichou came to take you to Soul Society, Ichigo. They're going to try and help fix your body so you don't have to be in pain all the time, and maybe figure out how to give you your sight back. I'll let him talk to you about the trip," Yoruichi said and nodded to Jūshirō.
Ichigo didn't respond, just waited. Jūshirō sat down beside him, flopping down onto the futon. He let out a little gasp at Jūshirō's close position.
"Hi Ichigo-kun," Jūshirō said softly and reached over to take his hand. Ichigo let him easily. "Kyōraku-taichou and I came with Abarai-kun to come and get you. Unohana-taichou is going to see about getting your soul form apart from your human body. We think maybe we can help you feel better."
"I'm fine," Ichigo said and Jūshirō heard his voice as much hoarser than he expect.
"I don't think you are fine, Ichigo. I know the you that was before, and I am guessing everyone wants you to be that Ichigo again."
Ichigo turned toward him, head tilting slightly. Jūshirō sighed. "I understand you can't be that person anymore, Ichigo. Not after what you've been through. I know that most people aren't going to understand that, but I want you to know that I do understand it. The Ichigo I met before was a different person because he had not been abducted and tortured for six long years. That person no longer exists, and I will do what I can to make sure that others start to realize that." Jūshirō heard Ichigo swallow and he knew that this was indeed one problem. "You as you are now, you are between the worlds, as though stranded in the Dangai, running from the restrictive current for everything you are. All you were was broken down by a man, a normal human. After saving Soul Society, after standing up to the power of Sōsuke Aizen, a human and his perverse desires broke you down. And that is scary, I know it must be."
"Can't go back," Ichigo said and turned his head away.
"I know you can't," Jūshirō said and smiled sadly at him. "I know. So we don't go back, we go forward. But to that, you need to help us understand what it is that you need to get better."
"Tell me?" Ichigo asked, turning toward him again.
"I can't tell you, I know that it would be easier if I could. If I could tell you what you need. If I could say, here, do this and you will move on. But I can't. Do you know anything that might make this easier for you?" Jūshirō wanted at least some idea. Something that he could do for him.
"Owner."
Jūshirō frowned. "He's gone, Ichigo. He was a horrible man to do what he did. But his soul…it didn't even pass to Soul Society."
"No," Ichigo said with frustration as he shook his head. "Need Owner."
"I don't understand, Ichigo. You need someone to be like that? An Owner?" Jūshirō didn't think as he spoked, just trying to come up with some way to find out how to help him, but Ichigo nodded. "I don't know if that can happen." Ichigo sighed and turned away.
"Go?" he asked. "No one here."
The statement seemed ambiguous until Jūshirō realized that Ichigo was feeling abandoned by his family, sent away. "They aren't giving you away, Ichigo. Your father, your friends, you sisters, they want you to get better, but human medicine isn't helping you. Ichigo, please, understand, this isn't them giving you up, or leaving you alone. They want to see you helped."
Ichigo slowly pushed himself to stand, wobbling as he did it. Jūshirō stood beside him, putting an arm around his shoulders as he did. "Alright, let's get you to Unohana-taichou."
Jūshirō slowly led him out and saw the look that Shunsui was wearing. That didn't bode well, he thought as he smiled at them. Renji, rather than being excitable about seeing Ichigo, looked almost ghostly. He was sure he'd hear about their discussion once they returned to the fourth division.
"We're ready, shall we get to the fourth division?"
-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-
Once they arrived in Soul Society, there was interest in them as they walked from the Senkaimon to the fourth. Several times, Shinigami stopped to stare as they passed. Jūshirō kept an arm around Ichigo's shoulders to keep him steady as they walked. He seemed to be able to move fine as long as he was led. Once inside the fourth, he took him to a room that was separate from the others and helped him sit on the bed. Renji quickly excused himself and Shunsui watched him leave before turning to Jūshirō again.
"If you wish to go, I'll stay with him until he's settled," Jūshirō commented with a smile. He reached up and ran a hand over Ichigo's head, and he noted the fact he turned his head and pushed against his hand.
"It may be best, my Nanao will be on me about paperwork for the trip to the World of the Living. I leave him with you, sweet Jūshirō," Shunsui said and nodded. He left and Jūshirō waited a few more minutes until Unohana came to the door.
"Ichigo?" Unohana asked. Ichigo tilted his head and turned toward her voice. "Do you remember me, Unohana-taichou." Ichigo nodded his head. "Good," she said. "Let's look you over," she said as she helped him lie on his back. Jūshirō was about to leave when Ichigo's hand patted near him until he grasped Jūshirō's haori. He clutched it in his fingers. Jūshirō understood, so he took his hand and held it.
Unohana did her diagnostics, both by machine and kido. She then looked him over. "His wounds have been severe. I'm afraid we are going to have to meet him on middle ground, else he'll never truly recover."
Jūshirō looked at her. "Middle ground?"
"Somewhere between who he is and who he was," she explained as she pulled the band off his eyes. "The expectation of him to return to 'normal' seems to have been great. I don't think he can do that, but then, you already realize this, don't you, Jūshirō?"
Jūshirō nodded. "That is what I was thinking. Shiba-san, the others, they wish to see the Ichigo they once knew again. That is impossible, though."
"Ichigo," she said and placed a hand against his cheek. He turned his empty eyes toward her. "I'm going to find some ways to help you heal. But for now, I need to see to a few things. Ukitake-taichou will have to return to his duties, but I'll be nearby…"
"Not alone," Ichigo whined in a tearful sounding voice. "Please, not alone."
Unohana nodded. "Alright. Ichigo, that was brave, to tell us you don't want to be alone. That was good. I know it was hard since you don't want to say anything about what you want. Did he hurt you when you asked for things?"
Ichigo nodded. "Good boys don't ask for things," he whispered. "Good boys don't talk. Good boys don't move when they're told stay. Good boys listen to Owner. Good boys sit."
"Ichigo, you are a good boy," she said. As soon as she said it, Jūshirō saw the reaction. It was like he'd been awarded the best thing in the world. He smiled, his chest rising and falling a bit faster. Unohana looked toward Jūshirō and nodded.
"Ichigo, I'll tell you what you have to do for me. You have to tell me what you need when you need it. You have to tell me when things hurt. That will be being a good boy for me," she said and regretted using the programming that human had put in his head, but she needed to do something.
"You're Owner now?" he asked.
"No, no, Ichigo I'm not going to be Owner. I'm trying to heal you, not hurt you," Unohana told him.
"That doesn't hurt," Ichigo said with a sigh "Being alone hurts."