Sorry about the cliffy, but I thought it was time for one. Please don't be turned off by this chapter, I think it really helps advance the story.

"Toushiro!" Karin called, cantering to catch up with him. He didn't slacken his pace and Karin pitied her horse.

"Toushiro!" she repeated when she finally reached him. "What happened? How can you tell…?"

"There're too many people here for this time of night," he replied, his eyes still focused intently on his rapidly approaching home. "There's light in almost every window. They shouldn't still be here, most of the servants are usually gone at this time."

"Toushiro, I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned about," Karin said reassuringly. "Maybe they decided to wait for you to come home. Maybe Matsumoto threw you a surprise party. Or maybe they just forgot to blow out the candles. There are a hundred explanations…"

"I'm telling you there's something wrong here!" Hitsugaya insisted. "What reason do they have to still be here? The last time everyone stayed late like this was the day my parents died." They had reached the door. Hitsugaya jumped from the saddle and without bothering to tether his horse, he raced into the house, Karin running at his heels. There were several servants in the entrance hall when they burst inside, and one woman actually shrieked at their sudden arrival.

"Hitsugaya-samas!" they exclaimed.

"What's going on?!" Hitsugaya demanded. "What happened?" The servants glanced at each other nervously, clearly unwilling to be the one to deliver the bad news.

"Well," one began bravely, but he was saved by the arrival of Matsumoto.

"Matsumoto," Hitsugaya said in relief. He knew she would tell him everything, without sugar coating it or leaving out details for his protection. She knew he wanted the truth, no matter how awful it was. "What in the world…?"

"It's Momo-san," she told him without waiting for him to finish his sentence. "She's…been attacked." Hitsugaya felt his blood run cold. Karin gasped and her hand went to her mouth. It had become incredibly obvious to her over the last few days how much Hitsugaya valued his cousin. Her heart broke for his pain.

"By whom?" Hitsugaya managed to ask. Matsumoto sighed.

"Aizen," she replied seriously and Hitsugaya checked. Her own husband?! What was going on?

"Apparently they had been having issues," she continued, her face lined with concern. "Aizen got angry about something and…decided to beat her. I still don't know exactly what the fight was about though. No one took the time to ask questions. Their butler Kira brought her over to get her out of the house. The servants are doing what they can upstairs, but you know how long it takes for a doctor to get here." Hitsugaya was at a loss. He was feeling such a tumult of emotions that they threatened to consume him. He felt utter and complete rage at Aizen, grief at Momo's injuries, and panic that a doctor might not arrive in time. He wanted to kill Aizen, comfort Momo, and jump on his horse to fetch the doctor himself all at the same time. But he knew which one of those was the most rational course of action at this point.

"I'll be right back," he announced. "I have the swiftest horse I own already saddled up outside. I'm going to get the doctor…"

"Don't bother," Karin said. The eyes of everyone in the room turned towards her. Hitsugaya felt ready to explode.

"What, so I should just abandon all hope!?" he screamed. "If you think I'm going to just sit here and hold her hand while she bleeds to death…"

"I'll take care of her," Karin said seriously. Hitsugaya scoffed.

"What can you do that the servants aren't already doing!?" he spat. "I'm going to get a doctor..."

"I am a doctor!" Karin stated soundly. "At least, I was trained as one. My father owns a clinic. I've been treating people since I was four years old!" Hitsugaya gaped at her. He seemed to be at a loss for words.

"I'll do what I can at least until a real doctor arrives, alright," Karin assured him. "There's no point in you running out into the night when chances are whoever already went to get the doctor will arrive back before you do." She turned to Matsumoto. "Where is she?"

"This way," Matsumoto said, gesturing to Karin to follow her. Hitsugaya was still digesting all this information, but concern for his cousin overwhelmed everything else and he joined the two women.

"She's in here," Matsumoto told them, indicating a door. "But she's not such a pleasant sight…"

"Out of the way," Karin said rudely, pushing the door open. Matsumoto was right. Momo was unconscious and covered in blood and bruises. The sheets on the bed she was lying on were soaked through with the crimson liquid as four servants attempted futilely to stem the flow. Hitsugaya felt faint, not so much at the blood, but at the pain she must be going through. Hatred for Aizen coursed through his body like hot lead, and he squeezed his fists together to keep from crying out.

Karin instantly took charge. She marched up to the bed and the servants scattered, allowing her free range. Karin examined Momo briefly. She was bleeding profusely from a large wound in her stomach. That was where the majority of the blood was coming from. The rest of her injuries were milder; she had bruises on her face and arms and a nasty gash across her forehead, but those could wait. Her stomach couldn't.

"Does anybody know if there is any ironweed in the garden? Or elder flowers?" Karin asked the room. Blank stares.

"I'll find Yumichka," one of the maids announced before scurrying out of the room.

"What're ironweed and elder flowers?" Matsumoto inquired.

"Ironweed's a short plant with thick red leaves," Karin explained. "It's rather rare, but I think if we can find it anywhere, it will be that garden. It forces blood to congeal if used properly. We've got to stop the bleeding from her stomach as quickly as we can, and nothing will work better than that. Elder flowers are small yellow buds that have soothing properties. They're not vital, but they should reduce the pain." While they waited for the plants, Karin applied pressure to the wound and sent orders for various other items she thought she might need.

Hitsugaya approached the bed and gazed at his cousin.

"How could this have happened to her?" he asked painfully. "She always told me how good Aizen was to her and how much she loved him. I…I always thought she was happy." He seemed on the verge of tears.

"Don't worry," Karin reassured him. "She's going to be ok." She smiled at him hopefully, but the smile wasn't returned. All she got from him were deadpan eyes as he reached out to clasp Momo's hand.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," Karin said encouragingly. "You can't blame yourself." Hitsugaya looked like he was about to say something, but was cut off as Yumichka finally burst into the room, waving a red plant and some yellow flowers in the air.

"Here you go Karin!" he declared proudly, handing her the fresh ironweed and a fistful of elder flowers. "The elder flowers just bloomed yesterday! And this is the highest quality ironweed in the kingdom, only treated with the best…"

"Thanks Yumichka," Karin cut him off, snatching the plants out of his grasp. She broke off several broad ironweed leaves and folded them repeatedly. With every fold, drops of dark red juice flowed out of the newly formed crease, and Karin allowed it to drip directly into the wound.

"You can't use too much," she explained to Hitsugaya, who looked anxious. "Or all her blood will harden. You have to apply it in very small amounts. That's why the process takes so long." Hitsugaya nodded.

"I trust you," he said, not taking his eyes off of Momo's face. Karin smiled at him.

The blood from Momo's wound slowed from a steady stream to a mere trickle, and eventually stopped all together.

"She's going to be alright!" Karin declared to the antsy room. An enormous sigh of relief spread through those present. Hitsugaya looked up at Karin gratefully.

"I don't know how to thank you…"

"You don't have to," Karin replied with a smile. "What did you think I was going to do, let her die?" Hitsugaya looked down at his hand, which was still tightly entwined with Momo's. Karin could tell that he was suppressing his emotions. He probably wanted to scream and cry at the same time, but he was too proud and too strong and there were too many people in the room. She felt tremendous pity for him and decided that she would convince him to spill his thoughts to her later. It wasn't healthy for him to keep everything to himself. Hopefully, he would open up to her at least.

Returning to her work, Karin mashed the elder flowers into a pulp and mixed them with water and talc until she had created a nice paste, which she proceeded to rub over Momo's cuts and bruises. She washed the blood off as best she could and wrapped her stomach and forehead with clean bandages.

The door opened and Nemu walked in.

"The doctor has arrived," she announced blandly, completely unperturbed by the sight of so much blood. Spilling blood during army training was too common an occurrence for it to faze her too much. She stepped to the side and a woman with extremely long hair and a kind face walked in.

"I am Unohana Retsu," she introduced herself sweetly. "I've come to see the patient." Karin stepped back and allowed Unohana to examine Momo.

"I did what I could," Karin explained, "but I'm not really a doctor. I just know a little…"

"Where did you learn to use ironweed?" Unohana asked in amazement.

"From my father," Karin replied. "He taught me about all kinds of herbs and stuff. But again I don't know much…"

"This is fabulous work," Unohana admired. "I'm surprised that you would know of the properties of such a rare plant. Most doctors don't bother with it anymore, although it is highly effective. It's just too difficult to procure. I'm very impressed with you young lady." She smiled warmly at her. "This girl will be just fine. You have given her expert care. There is nothing left for me to do." Karin felt herself relax for the first time since entering the room. Even though she had told everyone that Momo's life wasn't in danger, hearing an actual doctor say it made her feel much more confident.

"Hear that Toushiro!" she chimed. "There's nothing to worry about!" She looked over to where Hitsugaya had been standing and realized for the first time that he wasn't there.

"Where'd Toushiro go?" she asked Matsumoto, who also looked confused.

"I have no idea," she said genuinely. "When did he slip out?" Karin racked her brain. Hitsugaya had thanked her after she stopped the blood flow and said that Momo would be alright, but then she had focused on the elder flowers and hadn't paid much attention to him. Did he leave then?

"I'm going to find him!" Karin announced.

"Wait Karin-sama," Matsumoto stopped her. "Don't you think he may want to be alone right now?" Karin scoffed.

"Yeah right! The last thing someone needs after seeing a relative lying on a near-death bed is to be alone! I don't care how introverted he is. It's always better to talk to someone about your frustrations than keep them all bottled up inside. I want to be with him!" And with that she marched out of the room in search of her husband.

"They really have developed a liking for each other haven't they?" Matsumoto thought happily. "Maybe this marriage was good for Hitsugaya-sama after all."

Yeah, I know this was kind of a dark chapter in this fic that's been pretty light so far, but I really wanted Karin to help Hitsugaya through some intense emotional trauma, and I thought this worked. Plus, it lets her show off some skills, since so far it's been Hitsugaya who's been doing that. Besides, it ties in well enough with Bleach reality, and I usually like it when AUs do that. And come on, you know you all saw this coming when I married Hinamori off to Aizen in the first place :P But things will get better for her eventually, I promise.