Tite Kubo owns "Bleach", and all of that stuff. However, the plot is mine.
"Excuse me, sir, please open up!" A uniformed police officer hammered impatiently at the closed, white door of the Kurosaki Family Clinic. "Doctor Kurosaki, there has been a severe accident several kilometers north, and your facilities are the closest nearby. A number of people are seriously injured and need immediate care."
Isshin, rather tired after a complicated late night surgery, opened the door, and gravely took in the officer's words. "Of course, we will do everything we can to help. Though, I would recommend that once the patients are stabilized, that we move them to the Karakura Hospital near by. It's larger and better equipped for large numbers of people. Please notify them for me, and also ask for some more help."
The officer nodded in understanding and picked up his radio and immediately contacted the hospital to notify them of the impending urgency. At the same moment, the sirens of the approaching ambulances began to ring out stridently, as the first several paramedic teams dashed to the clinic. A paramedic in charge quickly, but calmly, began to detail the medical needs. "We have some thirty-seven people involved in the accident. The less injured ones are already on the way to the hospital, but quite a few people need immediate and serious medical attention."
"I understand. We're ready to start emergency treatment. What was the cause for the accident?" Isshin inquired even as he began to dispatch orders efficiently to ready the operating and emergency rooms as well as supplies and took out a pair of surgical gloves and prepared himself to operate on the more life-threatening cases.
Consulting his notes to be sure, the paramedic responded. "Apparently, a bus from Route 33 suddenly lost steering control and toppled over, crashing into other cars. The electrical supplies caused a fire, which ignited the fuel, causing a serious explosion."
And grimly, the doctors and paramedics and nurses arrived quickly and set themselves to the daunting task of saving the lives of the wounded victims of the accident. More and more ambulances sped in and out, as emergency workers and assistants carried in bloodied and unconscious people, who were then brought back from the brink of death.
Morning had passed away into noontime, and even now, began to fade into the afternoon. A steady stream of injured patients, bloodied and wearied, had safely passed through the clinic and now most were steadily recovering at the hospital. Only the last few patients and a few others, with the most serious wounds and bad fractures and lacerations and concussions remained in intensive treatment at the Clinic. At that moment, a paramedic gently carried in a little girl. "She was the last person out of the bus. We think she has serious fractures, and maybe some internal bleeding." The paramedic explained, as he carefully laid the girl down.
Isshin tiredly nodded, but turned to the pain-stricken girl with unwavering patience and concern. "Don't worry. You're safe now." He gently assured her as he began to quickly apply splints and compresses, to prevent too much movement. Deftly, he carefully probed and prodded to make sure there were no major issues, and that she was in stable condition. "Yup, it's all good. You just have a small fracture and a few cuts. The hospital will treat you well, and you'll recover in no time." He smiled warmly. It had turned out that she was in no danger and could be treated more thoroughly later at the hospital. "What's your name?" He asked as he finished bandaging her up and giving her a sling for the moment, and handed her a lollipop, which he pulled out of nowhere.
"I'm Riza." She said cutely and innocently, having had her tears dried off. But, her face turned serious and scared then. "Will the nice onii-san be okay? He saved me from the bus, and carried me to my mommy."
"Oh, he must be a wonderful hero. I'm sure he'll be fine." He reassured her as paramedics helped carry her back to the ambulance. Curiosity sparked , Isshin turned to police officer nearby who had stayed there in charge of any needed security or for calling in further emergency help. "A hero? Have I treated him yet?"
The officer turned towards him, somberly. "Unfortunately, we haven't found him yet. We've been digging for the past four hours, but there is a lot of rubble in the way. As soon as we find him, he'll be brought over immediately. By all accounts, he proved himself a real hero, in saving nearly everyone in the bus."
"Does anyone know who he is yet?" Isshin pondered aloud.
"No. The girl, Riza, was rescued by him and threw her to safety at the last moment, according to the eyewitnesses. When we asked her on the way over, she said that the nice carrot-strawberry onii-san had saved her. Excuse me for a moment." The officer turned and began talking into his radio as it crackled to life and began to buzz.
'A strawberry…' Isshin thought with some foreboding. 'Kon. Ichigo. Please be alright.' Wordlessly, he mouthed a silent prayer to the powers that be. 'Please…'
The police officer returned quickly. "How ironic." He stated dryly. "We've just found the hero, who also happens to be the last victim in the accident. The ambulance will be arriving with him within a few minutes. Unfortunately, he is in critical condition, and the paramedics are afraid that we might lose him at any moment." His lips had thinned and he had a grim face.
"What happened to him?" The officer did not notice Isshin's face tightening into a pinched and worried expression.
"The bus exploded as he was jumping out. Realizing that, he immediately threw the little girl to safety even as the bus twisted and buried him under all of the rubble. Truly a hero." The officer shook his head sadly and turned as the sirens rapidly approached. "They're already here!" He ran outside, as paramedics hurriedly carried in a battered, broken, and comatose figure on a reddening stretcher.
As he saw the familiar orange hair, the tall, lanky figure, and the quiet face in unconscious repose, Isshin's nerveless and chilled hands dropped the delicate tools and instruments in his mands. And he collapsed to his kness, blankly staring at the comatose figure. "Ichigo…" He whispered. "Ichigo! My son!" He cried out in pain, as his fists clenched tightly, and he began to sob into the crook of his arm, unmoving. Confused and worried, the paramedics carefully placed Ichigo on the operating table, and looked about for help. Isshin was the most experienced and senior doctor and surgeon on site. They would need him to perform any of the more serious operations. Without him, none of them had the needed skill to start the emergency treatment. And in this case, the wounded hero required the most capable care.
Karin and Yuzu, who had been helping out by pointing out supplies and giving directions, ran over, completely distraught. "Ichi-nii!" Yuzu began crying, and almost fell to the ground before Karin caught her. Isshin turned around, reached out to them, and hugged both of them tightly to him, and simply held them there in shared solace and in common sorrow and pain.
The paramedics were quickly becoming flustered. "What should we do? The doctor is in no condition to operate. But, the patient needs help immediately!" Some of the paramedics hurried to call for help, while the rest administered what emergency aid they knew to keep Kon, and Ichigo's body, breathing.
"Prepare the patient for surgery, immediately." A clear, calm, and precise voice cut through the rising din and panic, as a black haired, stern man stepped into the clinic. As one of the paramedics began to protest, the man quelled him with one firm glance. "I am Ishida Ryuken, director and chief surgeon of the Karakura Hospital."
Whatever else he was going to say or whatever objections were about to be raised were brushed away, when Isshin suddenly got up, pulling Yuzu and Karin up with him, and stumbled towards the Quincy. "Ryuken, help me! Ichigo is… Ichigo is dead, dying…" Ryuken caught the distraught ex-shinigami and clasped his arms firmly with an elegant hand, even as he soothed the two daughters.
"Don't worry, old friend, I will try my best. Now, rest and wait." And with a decisive and authoritative gesture, he beckoned a paramedic over to help ease the grieving family onto a bench, to await the outcome of the desperate surgery.
But, after three and a half grueling hours of waiting, Ryuken wearily stepped out, with a somber expression on his face, his suit splattered with bits of flesh and thick bodily fluids. Isshin gazed at him with a resigned face. His grief had burned him out after an hour or so. Karin and Yuzu had fallen asleep beside him, and he had reassured them gently as they had sat there and waited. And while they slept, he had already prepared himself for the worst. "So, how is he? He won't recover, will he?"
Bracing himself and letting out a deep sigh, Ryuken held his gaze steadily and answered clearly. "I'm sorry. Yes, you're right; he may not live for much longer. At most, he will only live for four more days, though on the other hand he might not even make it through the night. Somehow, he's lucid enough. So if you like, you can talk to him for a while. In fact, he requested to speak to you at least."
"Thank you, Ryuken. I know you tried your best. Karin, Yuzu, let's go see your brother." Ryuken merely bowed his bowed his head in apology nonetheless and quietly left. He gently shook his daughters awake, and they went into the Ichigo's room, where he was currently resting. "Oh, Ichigo, you awake?" He rapped softly on the door."
"Yeah, come on in, please." A voice slurred out slowly. The family rushed in, as Kon propped himself up, gasping painfully. He turned to face everyone.
"Ichi-nii, don't move!" "You'll hurt yourself more!" Yuzu and Karin protested. But, Isshin merely stepped over and helped prop Kon up. "What did you want to say to us?" He asked softly, knowing how inevitably life and death came.
Kon smiled and laughed softly, before coughing a bit. Flecks of blood spotted the white sheets. "Thanks Isshin. Here's the protective amulet back; I know Yuzu and Karin will have good use for it just in case. It was good living with both of you, Yuzu, Karin, I felt that I had found a place where I really belonged." He smiled wanly at both of them.
Yuzu began crying as Karin balled up her fists. "Don't be stupid, Ichi-nii, you'll be fine soon! Before you know it, you'll be all better..." Her voice trailed off and she too began to cry.
Tiredly, Kon reached out and brushed away Yuzu and Karin's tears. "Sorry… Tell your brother that I'm sorry, for messing up his body… I hope… I know… he'll understand…" And, his hand fell down limply, dangling over the side of the bed. Kon faded away as his spirit left Ichigo's body for the last time and his spirit began to shimmer and change, until it fluttered away as a tiny black butterfly. Dancing before the tear-streaked faces of Karin and Yuzu, the butterfly dipped in final goodbye, before making its ascent to the heavens.
And, still unable to leave Soul Society, Ichigo and Ruka stood at the Senkai Gate of Sereitei. "What do you mean?" Ichigo shouted at Ukitake and Byakuya. "I have to get back to the living world now! Something, something big is happening. Oi, are you two even listening?"
Byakuya responded coldly. "We have our duty. We cannot break the law and open the Senkai Gate to send you to the living world, simply because you say so."
Throwing Byakuya an irritated glance, Ukitake tried to reason with irate Ichigo. "Sorry, but it is somewhat true. Don't worry, though. I have already sent word to the Twelfth Division's Tech team and they're checking for any anomalies. And, I've asked for permission to prepare the Gate so that you can be sent through at a moment's notice. Just wait a bit longer, please." He asked in a reassuring manner.
Worriedly, Rukia glanced at a frustrated Ichigo and lightly placed her hand on his arm. "Ichigo… What's happening?" She suddenly shouted out in alarm, as both of the captains also jumped back, whipping out their swords in reflex, and starting back in shock. Ichigo wordlessly tried to shout at them, but to no avail. Before the three's eyes, Ichigo began to waver, and then disappeared without a trace.
And, throughout both Sereitei and Karakura Town, those who knew Ichigo and had appreciable amounts of reiatsu, suddenly felt a twinge of alarm. Renji, Inoue, Tatsuki, Kiego, Chad, and Ishida, all suddenly stiffened in alarm. "Ichigo." "Kurosaki-kun." "His reiatsu has just disappeared." And many of the captains and vice-captains and shinigami and ex-shinigami who had ever fought or trained with him, likewise felt a tingle of wrongness as Ichigo's powerful and wild reiatsu dimmed and vanished.