Rukia held the papers in her hand reading them over carefully. Her mind kept flickering between the importance of the papers and the words the two men in the room had told her. Ichigo's two sisters sat on either side of her peeking over the at the papers curiously. Rukia flipped to the last page, the consent form and frowned reading that the surgery could cause him to die… "D-Doctor," Rukia asked staring down at the document before her with a concentrated stare as he voice captured his attention. He answered her with a light hum of acknowledgement, "Level with me… How risky is this surgery?" she continued her eyes meeting his.
The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck sporting a small frown. He wished he could tell her there was no risk to any of this but unfortunately life wasn't a fairy tale. He closed his eyes for a moment and took in a short breath of fresh air before speaking, "Rukia, all surgeries have their share of risks. Some of which are greater than others and this-this surgery is one of those with greater risk." He explained.
Rukia looked down at her lap, "I see…" she took on a long pause before continuing, "Ichigo's always been a fighter and against all odds, he always managed to come out victorious." she replied as she swiftly signed her name to the consent form. "If I know him as well as I think I do… that is one thing that will never change." She explained as she passed the form back to the Doctor with tears clinging to her eyes.
The Doctor gave her a small smile and nodded, "Indeed, but I think for this fight he'll have a different reason for fighting." He told her despite her not looking at him. "Which is why per order of Ichigo Kurosaki I was given this task." He said leaving the room leaving the room filled with silence and confusion. He returned sometime later with a shoebox that looked fairly warn and held it out to Rukia.
Rukia stared at it going wide-eyed as she noticed something familiar about it, "T-That box." She gasped.
"So, you recognize it." The Doctor said while waving down his two resident surgeons to introduce them and to have them wheel Ichigo in for surgery.
How could she not… She use to tease Ichigo about it all the time when they were younger. She'd often sneak up to his room to play and would find him writing letters to someone. She'd never found out who the letters were to though… They'd usually get into a wrestling match because she would try to snatch the letter from him to read it and now that she thought about it, he seemed to get extremely flustered at those times.
"Sir." She heard an unknown voice and ignored it.
"I'm ready sir." Another voice echoed into the room causing Rukia's eyes to dart up at the man. Fear took over her as he stepped into the room getting closer, he hadn't seen her yet thanks to Ichigo's father standing in front of her, "Nice to see you again Mr. Kurosaki." He spoke smoothly. The two spoke for a minute, none realizing the panic attack going on behind them, "I'll be one of Ichigo's surgeons today."
Rukia darted from her chair as he stepped closer to Ichigo's bed a glare set on her face, she was trembling in fear, "Hell no you won't! Get the fuck out!" Rukia's words surprised everyone in the room.
Ichigo's father looked from Rukia to Kaien who stood at the end of his son's bed in a long white coat holding a strange smile, "Ah Rukia, how long has it been now? You should have told me you came back I would have come to see you!" he replied.
Rukia's glare became fiercer despite the fear she felt, "I want him gone!" she shouted half of her body hovered over Ichigo's sleeping form.
"But Rukia he's…" The Doctor began but stopped noting the look in the young girls' eyes. And in looking at her his own words echoed within his head 'But someone has hurt you?' his eyes widened and slowly turned towards his resident. 'I-It can't be.' He thought seeing a strange look in his eyes just for a moment before it vanished and the professional Kaien became present.
Her words shook him to the core because many times in the past patients who'd been treated by Kaien had accused him of things. At first, he'd thought it was nothing more than the drugs playing mind games on his patients, but he could not deny the look in this girl's eyes. She had not physically said it but the look in her eyes spoke volumes. The Doctor walked between the two blocking Kaien's view, "You're off the case Kaien." He told him. The older man glared the younger man down, "Pack your stuff and go home as of this moment you'll be on suspension pending an investigation." He told his resident.
Kaien looked shocked, "What?! What for?" he questioned.
The older Doctor glared at him, "I didn't think you were capable… that's why I hushed all of those allegations my patients made against you. I told myself all that time that it was the meds causing them to hallucinate things that didn't actually happen." He continued. He unpocketed his phone as he noticed the building anger behind Kaien's eyes, "but this young lady-this young lady is different." He said.
Pressing and holding down a button he held the flip phone to his ear, "Yeah, get me security in Trauma. I would like Kaien Shiba to be escorted off the premises now!" He told them closing the phone with a loud clap. He looked at Kaien with a serious stare, "You can leave voluntarily, or you can be dragged out," The older man paused fixing a glare on Kaien, "it's your choice."
Kaien growled in frustration stomping out and down the hall. The Doctor frowned as he stared at the ground, "Rukia..." he started as he turned towards her and bowing his head to her, "I'm very sorry that you had to suffer through that." He told her feeling responsible for her having to go through that frightening moment.
The Kurosaki twins looked upon the situation in confusion and Isshin slipped out of the room without a word.
oooOOOooo
Sometime later Kaien stepped out of the hospital's doors with all his things in hand. He stopped a few feet from his car finding Ichigo's father leaned against it and an intense glare fixed on him. Kaien snorted at his tough guy act, walking past him to get to the trunk of his car, "Got something to say?" Kaien asked as he stuffed his things into the back of his car.
"I do." Isshin began as Kaien slammed the trunk of his car closed.
"Tsk, well too bad I don't care to hear it." Kaien replied as he rounded the car to the driver's side Isshin looked down on him and it was steadily pissing him off, "Move!" He huffed quickly losing what little patience he had left.
Isshin head tilted up a little his glare intensifying as his hand shot out catching Kaien by the neck and lifting him off the ground just enough o where his toes barely touched the ground, "I don't know what you did to cause Rukia to act in such a way," he started paying no mind to the crowd that was beginning to gather. He kept his temper barely under wraps and spoke clearly, "but if I ever find you within ten feet of my beloved third daughter." He continued a mad grin stretching over his face, "It won't be my son that you'll have to fear."
Isshin released him and he fell to the ground hard holding a hand to his throat as he choked on air, "I suggest you take my words to heart little man." He heard Isshin say as he walked away waving. Many people outside observing asked if he was alright while other's just went on minding their business. Kaien smacked an outstretched hand away from him as another man tried to help him up with a growl.
oooOOOooo
Rukia sat outside in the waiting room, anxiously running her hand through Yuzu's hair. The young girl had fallen asleep on her lap and Karin wasn't too far behind. Karin had herself leaned back into the chair trying to keep her eyes open. It'd been such a long and emotional day! Isshin wasn't sitting but was leaning against the wall closest to Rukia and Yuzu. His eyes were trained on his third daughter, he could see her eyes were clouded with worry despite how well she did at hiding it, 'You better make it through this my son.' Isshin thought.
He hated thinking about how Rukia would react if the surgery wasn't a success.
oooOOOooo
Loud beeps entered his ears, "Sir, we're losing him!" one of the aids spoke up as if he couldn't hear the warning bells ringing off the wall. Bleeding… He had to stop the bleeding!
"Sir, I think I've got it!" the resident surgeon chimed in as he began fixing the bleeding area.
"Mandy! We're gonna need another blood transfusion he's still losing too much!" The Doctor shouted the woman nodded and rushed to the other side of the hectic room to grab another per prepared bag of blood.
"Flow sir?" Mandy asked as she rushed to the machine. The Doctor informed her to set the same pace.
Finally getting the bleeding to stop the Doctor smiled as slightly, "His status should go back right about now." He said but to his confusion the warning bells remained. The Doctor looked confused and double checked his work. Maybe he missed something?
"Doctor, his O2 stat is dropping!" Another woman yelled rushing to put a mask on his face to help Ichigo breath.
The doctor's eyes widened as he leaped into action when all vital activity came to a crashing halt and the only sound that pierced their ears was a loud single unyielding beep. The bottom of the Doctor's palms were pressed against Ichigo's sternum delivering several chest compressions. After a round of thirty chest compressions, the aid in the room gave him two rescue breaths using a mask she held pasted to his face. This continued for a period of time over and over again until, "Sir, he's gone." The others in the room told him.
It took several minutes to sink in, but he finally pulled away ceasing chest compressions realizing they were right. The older man's eyes watered, "Time of death 3:26 PM… Close him up," he responded. He couldn't sit here anymore… He took off his scrubs entering into the next room to clean himself up scrubbing at his hands more than necessary.
oooOOOooo
The Doctor entered the waiting room with a bowed head and a frown as Rukia perked up at his arrival waking the twins, "I'm sorry," he stated sadly.
Those two simple words hit them hard. Crushing the family in so many ways. Rukia's eyes widened and tears began to whelm up into her eyes, "there were unforeseen complications." He explained with a tear-stained face.
Before he could continue Rukia stood up and rushed past him darting into the area of the hospital where Ichigo had been taken. 'It's a lie!' she told herself racing down the hall trying to find the room Ichigo was in. The idiot was just playing a bad joke on her like he always does. People in the hallway tried to stop her but with a swift elbow to the gut or kick to the shin they were off her trail at least for a time.
Rukia stopped in front of a room labeled OR 5 and the doors opened up for her. She found herself standing in a gray room with a bunch of sinks, cabinets, and other medical devices. She stopped moving unable to breathe as she looked through the window's that led into another much smaller room, there were people still inside suited up in scrubs. Ichigo was laying on the bed motionless and pale. She couldn't hear anything, but the machines behind him… she could see he was still hooked to them, but the monitors remained unmoving.
"It's alright." She heard the Doctor's voice came from behind her.
"B-But sir the hospital's policy…" The person speaking to the Doctor countered.
The Doctor turned on his heels walking towards Rukia, "I'll take full responsibility." He told the staff leading Rukia to Ichigo. He handed Rukia a mask, but she ignored it entering into the room without it.
When Rukia reached out to touch him, "Miss you shouldn't…" the woman began but was silenced as Rukia took hold of Ichigo's hand. Tears started falling as the realization hit her hard, he wasn't playing with her...
"Hey! That guys drowning!" someone yelled out, Rukia stood up from her post as the lifeguard for this section of the beach. Climbing down swiftly from her post she darted for the water and the person that was drowning.
Not this time...
Rukia gasped realizing the person that'd been drowning was her best friend, she dropped him onto the shoreline and quickly checked his vitals. Rukia's eyebrow twitched, "Ichigo... open your damn eyes and stop playing around!" she shouted blushing because not even a moment ago she was ready to give him mouth to mouth.
Ichigo groaned sitting upright, "Rukia, you ruined it!" he whined.
She couldn't stop the sobs that ripped out of her throat at the discovery.
And for a moment that was all anyone could hear were the heart-wrenching sobs that echoed within the room, "Rukia, words can't express how sorry I…" The Doctor said.
"Doctor! Look!" One of the aids shouted pointing as they stared at the monitor in disbelief.
A dull beep filled the room catching even Rukia's attention, "W-What on earth?!" The Doctor said staring at the heart monitors screen. It couldn't be happening! But somehow… it was! Quickly rushing to his patient's bedside double checking to make sure, "Oh my god, h-he's alive!" he shouted as they all just sat there staring in disbelief at the miracle they had all just witnessed.