Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D

Chapter 6: My Reason, part 2

…the Kurosaki Clinic…9:12 pm…

It's only been about half-an-hour, but it feels like…forever. I suppose I should be glad that we escaped the Hollow attack with our lives. I can't stop worrying about my mom though. It's my fault that she got involved in the first place…

Ichigo's dad is still hunched over my mom, his stethoscope out. She lies absolutely still in the Kurosaki's ward bed, unconscious and only half alive. She's lost a lot of blood and is a ghostly shade of white: my heart skips a beat at the thought. A rack of IV's hangs next to her bed, the tube that carries the clear liquid disappearing beneath the sheets. Then there are the bandages. It's like Ichigo's family had to put her back together using just tape and string or something.

Of course, I'm not in real great shape myself. The entire left side of my torso had to be bandaged, as well as my left arm and my left cheek. They also wrapped some ice up in a bandage and covered my head with it to help ease some of the swelling from several large bruises. All in all, I'd have to say my mom and I are in a pretty sorry state right now.

"Well, I have to say, you and your mom are lucky to be alive." Isshin sighs as he stands, placing his stethoscope around his neck. I turn my eyes down and stare at my hands, rather grieved at having my guilt reinforced. "We've done the best that we can here." He continues, looking back at my mom. "So, as a precaution, we've called an ambulance to take you and your mom to a larger hospital."

"Thank you Dr. Kurosaki…" I murmur without looking up. He pauses on his way out to rest a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. I still refuse to look at him. Seemingly unperturbed he exits, closing the door behind him.

I quickly scoot my chair closer to the bed. Reaching forward, I take my mother's hand, and then almost drop it in surprise. It is much cooler than I was expecting. "Oh, mom…" I murmur, fighting a losing battle against the guilt welling up in my chest and the tears pricking in the corners of my eyes. "I'm so sorry…"

Just before I completely breakdown the door creaks open and footsteps enter the room. I freeze and manage to choke my tears down before sneaking a peak at whoever has entered the room. A glimpse of bright, carrot-colored hair is all that is needed to confirm that the very last person I want to talk to right now has appeared. Ichigo. I obstinately turn away, determined to ignore him for as long as possible.

There is a soft click as he closes the door and then an awkward pause: apparently Ichigo needs time to gather his thoughts or something. Then he says quietly "Don't worry. Your mom's gonna be OK." I don't respond, staring fixedly at my mother's peaceful face. She looks like she could be sleeping, except that I know she isn't. This causes a fresh wave of sorrow to rise up in my throat, but I fight it back down. I will not let Ichigo see me cry!

Ichigo falls silent again and I wordlessly hope that he will get my obvious hint and leave. No such luck. After much uncomfortable foot shifting he speaks again, softer this time, but with more conviction. "Listen…I know how you must be feeling right now, but…"

I stiffen, shocked and affronted at his gall. "How could you possibly know how I must be feeling right now?!" I hiss, now too furious to look at him.

For a moment he doesn't reply. Then- "Because my mother was killed by a Hollow."

All I can hear for an instant is the soft rush of blood pounding in my ears. Ichigo's statement is so shocking that I just can't process it for a moment. I turn, as if in slow motion, to look at him. His face is expressionless and he meets my gaze steadily, but I can see shame, guilt, and a deep regret smoldering in the back of his eyes.

"I was 9 years old," he continues. "The Hollow tried to attack me, but it got my mother instead as she tried to protect me." Ichigo's face hasn't changed, but I can now see his clenched fists starting to tremble. "Recently I met that Hollow again in battle. I wasn't able to kill it, but…" Ichigo stops and he breaks eye contact. Ichigo obviously blames himself for his mother's death and he feels guilty and ashamed that he didn't avenge her death when he had the chance.

"Ichigo…" An infinite silence stretches between us. Before I am able to gain the courage to say anything more, the stillness is broken by the soft rustle of the curtains hanging from the open window and the muted thump of feet colliding with the wooden floor. Ichigo and I both turn to see Rukia standing in the middle of the room, as if she had just materialized on the spot.

…

Rukia looked around the room, absorbing the situation. Ichigo stood at the door, his face impassive. He refused to make eye contact with her. Taylor sat by the bed, her mother's hand in hers. Her expression was taken aback, but her eyes spoke volumes about her current circumstances. Rukia knew that this was not the best time, but her curiosity was overwhelming and she dreaded what could happen in she wasn't able to make sense of the enigma that Taylor was soon.

"Taylor…" Rukia began quietly, "I think you should explain more about yourself." The girl's expression instantly became guarded, her blue eyes, almost clear in the moonlight, narrowing to mere slits. Fighting a heavy sigh, Rukia continued. "Everyone here is in danger if we can't quickly figure what is going on and how you are involved."

Taylor shot a look at Ichigo, but he was now focused on Rukia. "What connection do you have in all of this, Rukia?"

Ichigo was impressed by Taylor's shrewdness despite her fatigue and obvious anxiety for her mother. He doubted whether he would have her presence of mind under similar circumstances. Ichigo watched Taylor's reaction now, as Rukia replied. "I will explain everything to you later, but for now you will just have to trust that I'm going to try and help you."

Taylor was quiet for another moment as she considered. Then, after giving her mother another pained and guilty look she turned back to Ichigo and Rukia and began her story.

…

I'm not entirely sure where I was born, but it doesn't really matter. Shortly afterwards my mother moved back to Okinawa so her parents could take care of me. Her father was an US Army soldier who had been stationed in Okinawa during the Vietnam War. He married a local woman and decided to stay in Japan. That's why my name is so different.

When I was 4 my mother left Okinawa and took me with her. It was never fully explained to me, but I think that my grandparents must have kicked my mother out because of her alcoholism. Since then we've moved every few months as my mom gets fired. Most of the time I feel like I'm the one taking care of her, but my mother and I have somehow managed to make it work.

When I was 9, I started to…sense ghosts I guess. There was a car crash…we were moving again and we had just left a small town bar. My mom was completely wasted and she was driving way too fast on a mountain road…she lost control…there was this bright light and the next thing I knew my mom and I were both laying on the side of the road unharmed. We were lucky. We found out later that our car had wrapped itself around a tree. If we hadn't escaped there was no way that we would have survived.

Ever since the crash, I've been able to sense ghosts. It was never very strong and it took me along time to figure out exactly what I was feeling. After we moved here though my…abilities…intensified. Yesterday morning I guess I even started seeing ghosts. Then last night I saw that Hollow and…you guys know the rest.

…

As soon I finished my story I turned away from Rukia and Ichigo and focused all my attention on my mom. I had never revealed so much to anyone in my life and I didn't want them to see how vulnerable I was feeling. I felt my heart break a little bit as I looked at my mom's pale face. Despite all her flaws she was still my mother and the most important person in my life.

There was the sound of footsteps as Ichigo left the door and crossed the room, but before anything else could happen the sound of an ambulance siren spilt the silence. A second later Isshin's shout echoed up the staircase. "The ambulance is here!"

I whipped around, alarmed, and was surprised to see that Rukia had disappeared, the gently swaying curtains the only sign that she had been in the room at all. Ichigo was all business now and he lept into action disconnecting wires to prepare my mother for her transportation to the hospital. A moment later Isshin, Karin, and Yuzu were bursting through the door and I was swept up into the sudden whirlwind of activity.

…

Ichigo watched silently as the EMTs loaded Taylor's mother into the ambulance. Isshin stood with the ambulance driver talking quietly, while Yuzu and Karin had disappeared back inside the house to clean up. Ichigo returned his attention to the back of the ambulance. Taylor was climbing in now, helped by an EMT. She settled onto one of the benches attached to the inside of the vehicle and took her mother's hand. There was a sudden flourish of activity as the ambulance prepared to leave. Extra equipment was loaded into the back and the driver jumped up into the cab. Taylor looked up, meeting Ichigo's eyes as the doors closed. He could just make out the words 'Thank you' on her lips as the doors snapped shut, the sirens came on, and the ambulance pulled away.

Isshin jogged back to his son, clapped him on the shoulder, and said something before going back inside. Ichigo didn't hear him. His mind was working methodically, coming to a conclusion. He turned, entered the house, and climbed the stairs, ignoring the puzzled glance Karin shot him. He purposefully closed the door of his room before turning to face Rukia.

"Are you ready?" he asked Rukia, his voice carefully emotionless.

Rukia, who had been looking at Kon, seated in her lap, met his eyes and nodded. Ichigo stepped forward and took the living, stuffed doll from her grip. For once Kon didn't struggle. Even he wasn't stupid enough to mess with Ichigo when he had that fire in his eyes.

…Karakura General Hospital…12:04 am…

Beep…beep…beep…

I glance again at my mom's EKG. It's steady, which is a small comfort. The doctors have come and gone, certain that her condition is stable and that she's on her way to recovery. Another relief. The emergency surgery for internal bleeding had gotten hairy at the end. Again the guilt rips through me. I still don't understand the whole Soul Reaper business, but never before have I wished so violently that something in my life hadn't happened. If only my mother hadn't gotten involved… I bow my head over the edge of my mother's bed and finally allow myself to cry.

…1:04 am…

A soft knock at the door rouses me.

"Excuse me Ms. Smithson. Now that you're mother is stable and on the mend will you please let us look at your injuries?"

I regard the nurse quietly. I can't help but feel uneasy about leaving my mom alone, but I won't be much help to her if I'm not healthy. I rise to join the nurse, but stop in the doorway and look back at my mother. I feel the uneasiness again…

"Ms. Smithson?" the nurse asks expectantly.

"Alright," I sigh and follow her out of the room. We're not even halfway down the hallway before the alarms go off. "What's going on?!" I shout as several nurses and a doctor run past us, the nurse I was following joining them. I get that sinking feeling in my stomach as they all pile into my mother's room. Time, or perhaps just my breath jolts to a sudden halt, as one nurse comes pelting out of the room yelling for security.

All my weariness is gone as I sprint down the hall and shoulder my way into the room. The now empty room. My mother is gone. The doctor and nurses are in a panic, all of them shouting at each other, trying to figure where she could have gone. I'm the only one who notices the open window. The open window that wasn't open before.

My death sense twinges as I lunge for the window and I'm horrified, knowing what I'll see. Outside, five stories below in the parking lot, the pig-faced Hollow stands, my mother thrown across one shoulder. It looks back at me, its yellow-lantern eyes glinting with amusement and malice, and laughs. It is a horrible high-pitched squeal that makes my skin crawl. And then it is gone, though I can feel it traveling away towards the river.

For a moment everything freezes. My mind, my breath, even my heart. It feels like my fingers will break the windowsill, they're clenched so hard. Something in my brain is wriggling, trying to free itself. That damn Hollow. That damn Ichigo. And me. Damn me! When will I learn to listen to my instincts?!

I'm gripped by rage. Not the kind where you throw a violent fit and loose all control. Oh no. This is an icy, hateful rage, pure and unadulterated. My mind has never been so clear. I reach into my pocket and pull out a small, blue pill. It looks like a miniature jawbreaker. I received it this morning when I went to the Urhara shop to thank Urhara for helping me last night.

"What's this for?" I ask, confused, as he drops the tiny sphere into my open palm.

"It's something that will free your soul from your physical body. Hold on to it. You never know when you might need a Soul Reaper's powers" he replied, his tone joking. I scowl, but he meets my gaze steadily and seriously, despite his jovial manner.

I look at the little pill for a moment longer, vaguely aware that I'm making a choice that I can't go back on. Then I realize that there really isn't a choice. That I never really had a choice once I drew the sword from its scabbard. I pop the pill in my mouth and leap for the window as my soul tears itself from my body. There's instant of fear as I realize that I've just jumped from a 5th story window but I land safely and begin my chase. The last thing I hear besides the rush of wind in my ears is the alarmed shouts of the doctor and nurses as my unconscious body collapses to the hospital floor.

Author's Note:

So…this is my first chapter in a really long time. Sorry about that. Life (and college) kind of got in the way. However, I would like to continue this story though I can't promise any kind of regularity in posts.

Anyways, I would like to thank all the people who reviewed, etc. during my long absence. It's nice to know that people are still finding my story and appreciating it :) And her name is Taylor because originally she was supposed to be American. Or something like that. I don't remember exactly. And no, her father wasn't a Soul Reaper. :)

In this chapter is the background that I promised. Its maybe not as beefy as originally planned but I think it gets the point across. Also the end might seem a but different than the beginning but that's because it was written long after the first half and I haven't quite gotten back into the writing style of this story. The random italicized section is supposed to be a memory. I'm not sure if I've done it that way before, but you'll probably see it again.

Thanks for reading! :)

imagination junkie