Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Chapter 3

(Ichigo's POV)

I had been sleeping for a long time.

I could feel it in my muscles when I woke up in the unfamiliar surroundings. The first thing that assaulted my senses were the bright lights that immediately made me flinch and close my eyes again in hopes of blocking the inevitable headache. The next thing that broke through my fog of sleep was the quietly talking voices outside of my room. Though, the more I looked at it the more I realized that it wasn't my room. The walls were too white, the floor was too clean, and my crazy father wasn't breaking through the window to attack me like he usually does when I wake up in the mornings. The light coming through the window over my bed was an odd color for morning though; it seemed as if it was directly over head not coming from the horizon.

What time is it? Where am I?

My brain was foggy and I couldn't help but feel as if I was missing something huge—like I slept through something important. Or maybe something happened before I went to sleep. The last thing I remember was walking home from school and feeling depressed—as was the usual as of late—and then a large wave of lethargy swept over me. I don't remember anything afterwards. I must have passed out on my way home and someone brought me to a nearby hospital.

The voices outside of my door get louder and then it opens revealing Unohana-taichou with a blushing Isane behind her.

I tried to smile to ease the worry that was swimming in their eyes but I found that I couldn't bring myself to pretend to be even a little happy and ended up with a grimace.

Unohana-taichou smiled kindly as she walked over to me and picked up my wrist to check my pulse. "Good afternoon, Ichigo-kun." She said, sparing me a glance before returning her concentration to checking my vital signs.

"Uh, good afternoon, Unohana-taichou." After a few moments I asked, "What am I doing here?"

"You're sick, Ichigo-kun, and you're here because no one in the living world can figure out what's wrong with you."

I nodded distractedly as I pondered over what she had said. Had I really gotten so bad that other people thought it necessary to bring me to Unohana? Suddenly a wave of tiredness crashed over me forcing me to blink heavily.

"I'm tired," I said, leaning back further into my pillow. "Do you mind if I go back to sleep?"

Unohana looked down at me with pity in her eyes, "Of course Ichigo-kun. Let someone know when you wake up though alright?"

I nodded absentmindedly, not hearing half of what she said as I drifted off into oblivion, unable to stay awake any longer.

When I woke again, the room was bathed in dim, red light from an early morning sun. I slowly sat up, being careful of my sore muscles, and took a better look at my surroundings. The room was unbelievably plain: white walls, white bedding, and no decorations that I could see. There was a quiet knock on my door that was immediately opened to reveal the gentle smile of Unohana-taichou.

"Glad to see you're finally awake, Ichigo," She said, walking over to my bed and laying a tender hand on my shoulder.

I nodded my head and cleared my throat, "Good morning, ma'am," I said, trying to keep up the light, airy tone she had in her voice.

Unohana gave me a sad smile and sat down in the chair next to my bed. "It's nice to see your eyes again, Ichigo-kun. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Her question was obviously meant to be rhetorical because she continued to speak, acting as if she hadn't asked anything at all. "What is the last thing you remember before waking up here?"

I bit my lip and thought back. I remember going to school, and I remember walking home, but I don't remember ever arriving there. Did something happen on my way home? I looked up at Unohana-taichou, "I remember walking home after school—I don't remember anything after that."

She nodded her head, "You don't remember the hollow attack at all?"

"There was a hollow attack?" I asked alarmed and immediately began to worry about my family and friends. What if, because I was out of it, they got hurt?

Unohana must've known what I was thinking because she added, "You were the only one who got hurt Ichigo."

I let out a relieved sigh and leaned back against the pillows. "That's good, at least."

"Ichigo-kun," Unohana-taichou said, placing a gentle hand atop my own. "I know you probably won't want to talk about this but at this point in time I can't give you a choice in the matter anymore… When you were injured by the hollow your human friends healed you. You were brought to me because you wouldn't wake up. Based on what your friends have told me, I have come to the conclusion that something is troubling you greatly." She gave me a pointed look when I opened my mouth to disagree and continued. "I am going to be your temporary psychologist and we are going to get through whatever is troubling you alright?"

I sighed and shook my head in defeat, "Do I even have a choice?"

She gave me one of her special smiles, "That's the spirit, Ichigo-kun."

"When did you start feeling depressed?"

"I'm not depressed."

Smile.

"When did you start feeling depressed, Ichigo-kun?"

"I-I don't know… a couple of months ago, maybe?"

"Has anyone close to you died recently?"

"No."

"Have you had any problems in your studies?"

"No."

"Are you having any relationship troubles?"

"… No."

"Do you want to be in a relationship?"

I huffed and crossed my arms, "What teenage boy in their right mind doesn't want to be in a relationship?"

She smiled kindly and reached over to grab my hand. "Is there a girl you like?"

I pulled my hand away and looked down at my blanket, suddenly finding it's fraying edges much more interesting than the captain in front of me. "It's not a girl."

I looked up briefly to gage her reaction as her eyes widened fractionally before returning back to their regular size. "So it's a boy," She gave me a gentle smile and leaned back in her chair. "Who is it? You are such a nice boy, I'm sure whoever you like will gladly return your feelings if you were to express them."

I gave a cold, empty laugh, "I really doubt that. He has no interest in me whatsoever."

"Oh? Who?"

I crossed my arms, "Not happening. I'm sorry Unohana-taichou, but there is no way I'm telling you."

"And why not?"

"Because it's personal and I don't think it's your business."

"Kurosaki Ichigo, it became my business the moment you were carried into my office like a rag doll. It's my duty to bring you back to 100% and I can't do that unless you talk to me." Her voice had turned cold, any playfulness that had previously warmed her tone was gone leaving behind an empty, hollow sound that chilled me to the bone.

I nodded my head and took a deep breath, "Byakuya." There was a moment of silence in which neither of us spoke. "But it doesn't matter anyway because he will never feel the same. He hates me and I want to hate him. I have every right to hate him! But I can't. I can't bring myself to despise him because… because I-I think I lo-…"

Unohana gently pats my hand and pulls me into a hug. "I understand. You don't have to say anything more, Ichigo-kun."

It had been two weeks since I had woken up in Unohana's care and, according to her, I had slowly been making improvements. Though, she says I still have a long way to go before she feels comfortable releasing me. I find that most of my time as of late has been spent under the watchful eyes of Renji and Rukia in squad four's garden. A couple of days ago Renji and I were sitting next to a small koi pond when he brought up an unusual topic.

It was late in the day when Renji stopped by to talk to me. He had just gotten off work and was rubbing the sore muscles from his shoulders.

"You know," He said, sitting down on the soft grass next to me. "We all want you to get better. Everyone's really worried about you—even taichou. He's been acting really strange lately, always asks about you too. I think you've rubbed off on him more than you think. So you better recover soon, okay? " He gave me a friendly pat on the back before standing up. "I'd stay longer but I have a mission early tomorrow morning so I need to get some extra sleep."

I nodded my head and he left with a parting wave over his shoulder.

I haven't seen Byakuya since I arrived and, to be honest, it made me a little angry. I knew he was asking about me therefore he had to care about my well being to some extent and if that were the case wouldn't he have just come by? But then again, if he did come by what would he say? 'I hope you get over my not loving you'? Thinking rationally, he would never take time out of his busy day to come visit someone he didn't like. I really did want him to come though, even if it was just to tell me I was a waste of space. God, I thought, I'm acting like a love sick teenager.

"That's because you are one."

I growled and pushed my hollow down thinking, Just because I'm a teenager doesn't mean I have to act like one. I've defeated some of the greatest villains in Soul Society history, I can hardly start to act like a teenager now.

I stood up and brushed the loose dirt off of my clothes and began to make my way back inside. I had been trying my hardest to act like I was getting better but unfortunately Unohana-taichou wasn't buying it, so I was stuck in the fourth longer than I ever had been before.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," A voice called out, freezing me in my tracks.

I knew this voice. This frosty, vacant voice that could send shivers down a grown man's spine. This voice could only belong to one person, "Byakuya."

AN: I AM SOOOOO SORRY! I feel terrible for making you guys wait this long! I just had so much to last week that I never had time to sit down and write. I swear, all of my teachers coordinated together and planned all of their tests on the same two days. So I was studying my butt off all week. :( But I'm back now, though I have to warn you all—I don't know when my next update will be. My AP Psych test is in two weeks! Gah! I'm so nervous! But after that things should settle down. So afterwards I will have more time to update. :)

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed—you guys are amazing! I really like reading what you have to say about my story and I hope that you continue by reviewing again for this chapter. I know it's shorter than the other two but I promise the next one will rock your socks off. ;)

Once again, thank you to everyone who took the time to read (and review) and I hope you continue to read. :)