Renji was using shunpo to get to the 4th squad hospital quickly, but Miyako groaned at him.

"Stop," she whispered hoarsely.

"Eh?"

"Stop, Renji."

"No. You're going straight to 4th squad."

She moaned in pain, but sucked in another sharp breath. "Baka! I said stop!"

Renji skidded to a halt. "You're hardly in a fuckin' position to be giving me orders," he snapped.

"Don't put me back in that hospital," she moaned. "It's worse than being beat up."

Renji raised an eyebrow at her and sighed. He knew what she meant. He had to stay there numerous occasions, and he had always left there ahead of schedule just to go fight again. He hated lying there for days on end. It was maddening.

He put her down on the road for a second to look at her. He leaned her up against the wall and glanced at her shoulder. Claude repositioned himself on Renji's hip and looked at her as well.

"Oooh, Renji, it looks bad! This is terrible! We have to get her help!"

"Shut up," Renji and Miyako said in unison.

Renji reached for Miyako's shinigami robe and pulled the left side open. Some of the fabric stuck to the wound since she had cauterized it, but it was still raw and bleeding.

"Shit," he said with clenched teeth. Miyako looked at him. His eyes flared.

He gently placed his hands on her lower torso and squeezed. Miyako moaned in pain.

"Some of your ribs are broken," he said.

"No shit," she replied with a pained chuckle, followed by another moan. "I think everything's broken."

Renji examined her face. Blue and purple bruises had blossomed up around her cheeks and forehead, there was a scrape on one cheek from the pavement, and her bottom lip had been split. Her eyes hadn't changed. They still had that 11th squad sparkle.

A pulse of reiatsu came from the east, where they had just come from.

"Captain Hitsugaya…?" Miyako uttered.

"He'll finish what you started," Renji said. "But you've got to get to the hospital."

Miyako groaned and shook her head.

"You've got to heal, Miyako."

"I can't skip out on any more of this than I already have," Miyako replied. "We've got to find Kariya…ah!"

Renji had pulled her up again by her right arm and she had cried out. "Leave Kariya to the Captains! Enough residents have gotten their asses kicked!"

"That's my point," she tried to argue with shortened breath. "4th squad already has their hands full. I don't need to go back there."

"Look, arguing with me is pointless, so shut your mouth," Renji snapped. He was about to lean over and grab her legs so he could carry her again, but Miyako clenched her teeth and grabbed the shoulder of Renji's shinigami robe with her left hand. As she gripped his robe and tried to push him off her, the pain reverberated through her entire left arm and shoulder and it made her stumble forward into him instead. He caught her, placing both hands on her back. Looking up, she glared hard at him. Renji glared back.

"If it was you, you'd avoid the 4th squad," Miyako hissed. "You wouldn't go."

"Well, it ain't me," Renji growled back.

"Then what do you care if I go or don't go? I choose not to go."

"Shut up!" Renji snapped. "You're goin'."

"Renji…"

"Fuck, Miyako, you've been beaten to shreds but your mouth still runs pretty good," he growled.

She stared at him angrily.

"Maybe I don't like seeing you hurt," he curled his lip at her. He looked angry, even though his words didn't match his expression. Miyako was surprised at this statement, but she recovered quickly.

"Get used to it," she spat.

"No, I won't," he stared directly into her eyes.

Her stubbornness wavered.

"If you keep getting beaten to a pulp, it means you're not winning," Renji said. "You've got to grow stronger to beat your opponent."

"I know that," she replied softly. She tried to tear away from his gaze, but couldn't. Moving was too painful, and his eyes were too hypnotizing.

"But sometimes it's not always about winning, Renji."

"It's not always about dying, either, Miyako."

They glared at each other for another long pause until Miayko's body couldn't stand the numbing pain any longer. She lowered her head onto his chest and started to sink as her legs gave. Renji swept her feet up, carrying her again with her right arm over his neck. She groaned in pain.

"This is so embarrassing," Miyako complained. "Being carried by you. Twice in one fuckin' week, no less. I'm going to get kicked out of 11th squad for sure."

Renji glared at her, annoyed. "Shut up. You know I have no choice," he said gruffly. "If I don't drop you off at 4th squad, Captain Hitsugaya, as well as Captain Unohana, is going to wonder where the hell you went after your little scuffle back there, and then I'll get blamed for not taking care of you."

Miyako didn't reply.

"What about Orihime?" Claude spoke up.

"What about her?"

"Orihimie has very unique healing powers, Renji," Claude said cheerily. "Remember? Perhaps she can help?"

Renji didn't reply. There was a long pause.

"Who's Orihime?" Miyako asked in a groaning whisper.

"She's a very lovely girl with superb healing abilities," Claude gushed. "Oh, I do miss her! She's one of the nicest people I've ever met! Very pleasant! How I long to see her again!"

"You'd hate her guts," Renji grumbled to Miyako. "You're going to 4th squad."

"Hate Orihime??" Claude sounded astonished. "Never! Preposterous! That child is an angel! Sheer talent! Not an ounce of selfishness in her heart! Unlike some people, that is…"

"Shut up!" Renji yelled.

"Where is she?" Miyako asked groggily.

"Out of the question, discussion fuckin' closed," Renji barked. "I'm not dragging you all over Seireitei to find Inoue, we're headed to 4th squad."

Miyako didn't reply. She had passed out.

"Oh, Renji, Renji, Renji!" Claude started hopping around in a panic. "What do we do? What do we do?"

Renji was about to backhand the stuffed rabbit when another familiar voice made him swirl around.

"Renji!"

"Matsumoto?"

"What happened?" Lieutenant Matsumoto was helping an injured Death God resident walk when she had turned a corner and noticed him. She glanced at Miyako and looked concerned.

"Is that Miyako? Renji, what happened?"

A sudden burst of spirit force made both Renji and Matsumoto turn their heads towards the east.

"Captain?" Matsumoto murmured.

"He's found one of the Bount," Renji replied. "Matsumoto, we've got to get to 4th squad."

Matsumoto shook her head. "They're completely overrun. It's too crowded there, so I've begun to transport injured residents to the Captain's barracks."

Renji raised an eyebrow. "Is Captain Hitsugaya okay with that?"

Matsumoto shrugged. "I'm sure he won't mind."

Renji glanced down at Miyako. "All right. We're running out of time. Let's go."