(Day 1)
Isane had never been a fan of bringing bad news. The whole reason she was a healer as opposed to a warrior, was to prevent the loss of life. However, she wasn't blind to reality. Isane was fully aware before she'd even enrolled into the Shin'o Academy, that not every Soul Reaper would return from their mission. Her life would be filled with death and she had accepted that. Not every person that would land in her care would leave the Fourth on their own feet. Some would suffer injuries or illnesses they couldn't treat, may it be from the severity or because they were too late to be diagnosed.
Today, Isane had been certain she would have to break the tragic news once more. Ichigo's condition when he was brought in did not give her much hope. She had seen many patients-who had arrived in much a more favourable state-succumbed to less serious ailments. He had declined so rapidly, and with it, so did her hope of his survival. Honestly, when that Inner Hollow took over and wasted so much of crucial spiritual energy, Isane was convinced Ichigo would soon breathe his last breath.
The universe must absolutely adore the young lieutenant; for somehow they managed to stabilise him. However, even the blessing of the universe couldn't save him from some unorthodox side-effects to compromise for his miraculous survival.
For the sake of her sanity, Isane clung to that thin silver lining. Her patient was alive and stable. Everything else, they could figure out while he recovered. And there were a lot of questions she still had to find an answer to. What had led to the lieutenant's energy levels to drop so low? Why hadn't he come in sooner, didn't he have any of the symptoms? Would he need regular treatment from now on?
Is his current state permanent?
The last question was the one Isane feared the answer of the most. She had never seen a soul regress before. She had never even heard of such a thing! Isane prayed it was only temporary.
Everything together made the situation a migraine to deal with. Isane had no idea how to even begin to describe it. How was she to inform Ichigo's family and emergency contacts properly? What should she include?
A knock on the door stilled the quill that bounced above a clear parchment. Isane angled her hand, raising the ink coated tip off the paper, as she answered.
'Come in'.
The door was opened and revealed the captain of the Second Division, Suì-Fēng. Her feet made no sound as she entered, leaving the task of closing the door to the Soul Reaper who had accompanied her.
'You wanted to speak with me?'
'Yes!' Isane gestured to the seat across from her, 'Please, sit down'.
'I'm fine standing, thank you', Suì-Fēng replied.
'Oh'. A bit thrown off, Isane pulled back her arm. As she did, a drop of ink dislodged from her quill and splattered on the paper. She stared at the stain in horror before allowing gravity to pull her arms to the table.
'Captain Kotetsu, I don't have all day. Please tell me why you wanted to speak with me', Suì-Fēng said.
'Ah, yes. Of course'. Isane quickly put the quill in its holder and shoved the parchment to the side, freeing the space before her. 'Today, someone was rushed in with severe spiritual-energy depletion. I have run every test I could think of but they all came back negative. There is nothing that can explain how it managed to get so low. Well, medically, anyway'.
'You suspect foul play', Suì-Fēng stated.
'I do'.
'Do you have any proof?'
'Proof?' Isane echoed.
Suì-Fēng narrowed her eyes, 'There needs to be sufficient evidence pointing to the possibility of foul play'.
'But it has to be foul play!' Isane said. 'If it isn't a medical issue, what else could have caused it?'
'There might have been tests you have forgotten to run. Maybe it's a new illness that the existing tests won't reveal. Or, it can only be diagnosed while it is active', Suì-Fēng replied. 'Whatever the case, it doesn't have to be foul play'.
'It is!' Isane stated. 'I know it is'.
'A gut feeling isn't viable evidence, Captain Kotetsu'. Suì-Fēng shook her head in disappointment. 'If that was all, I will take my leave'.
Isane saw her colleague turn her back and start to head for the door. She knew Suì-Fēng was right. She couldn't expect an investigation for only a gut feeling. However, Isane was convinced Ichigo's state hadn't been a result of a medical ailment. He had been starving without realising it, it didn't make sense.
Suì-Fēng reached for the door and Isane said the only thing she could think of that could sway her opinion. 'The patient is Lieutenant Shiba'.
Suì-Fēng stopped. 'How severe was the depletion?'
'Honestly, I don't know how he survived'.
'You should have led with that', Suì-Fēng turned back and took place across from her peer.
'Why does it matter who it is?'
'The same reason why you thought it would change my mind', Suì-Fēng said. 'Now, tell me everything you know'.
Isane sat back, allowing herself to relax a bit now she had Suì-Fēng's attention. 'According to Yuki Rikichi, they had been talking when Lieutenant Shiba suddenly collapsed. My lieutenant, Hanatarō Yamada, found them soon after. Together, they brought Lieutenant Shiba to the Fourth. By then, his spiritual energy had dropped to critical levels. We immediately took him to a room and I tried to stabilise him while Lieutenant Iemura went to retrieve some bag of liquid energy'. Isane paused.
'What happened?' Suì-Fēng pressed.
'His Inner Hollow took over', Isane revealed. 'He released a large amount of spiritual pressure, enough to burn my hands as I was trying to prevent his energy from leaving his body. When he did it again, Lieutenant Iemura collapsed to his knees from the pressure'.
'What about Lieutenant Hanatarō?' Suì-Fēng asked, knowing of the two, he was the weaker Soul Reaper.
'Hanatarō-san?' Isane thought back, 'He seemed unaffected. 'With is curious, as he stood much closer to the bed'.
'What happened next?'
'Lieutenant Hanatarō tried to convince the Hollow to cooperate. While it was distracted, I asked Lieutenant Iemura to take Lieutenant Shiba's zanpakutō and bring it to the holding cells. We have a device that forcibly materialises Zanpakutō', Isane explained. 'We have it specifically for Lieutenant Shiba's Inner Hollow'.
'I presumed it worked', Suì-Fēng said, having felt the Hollow pressure when she entered the barracks.
'It has. We were able to hook Lieutenant Shiba up but then…' Isane sighed. 'He must have lost too much spiritual energy and his body couldn't be supported. So it… regressed'.
'Regressed?'
Isane nodded, 'I would estimate around the physical age of two or three'.
If Suì-Fēng was surprised, she didn't show it. 'And mentally?'
'He has been unconscious since he was brought in. Time will tell'.
Suì-Fēng nodded. 'Anything else worth of note?'
'Well, this'. Isane took a bag from her desk and laid it in the centre. 'Hanatarō-san said it was the bracelet Shiba-san had gotten for his birthday. When the Hollow released his spiritual-energy, it snapped'.
Suì-Fēng inched closer and took the bag with her sole hand. At once, her senses picked up a multitude of signatures. 'I will have it examined'.
'You mean you will investigate?'
'Lieutenant Shiba is a valuable member of the Gotei Thirteen', Suì Fèng said. 'If someone has made an attempt on his life, we need to know who and eliminate them through the proper, legal, means'.
'Thank you, Captain Soifon'.
'Don't thank me, I am merely doing my job', Suì-Fēng said as she left the room.
#
TO BE CONTINUED
BLEACH – Tite Kubo
