9. Cat and Mouse I
When Kotetsu Isane woke up the next, she felt comparatively good. She got a lot more sleep than she did over the past months, her temperature seemed to have gone down and also the pain in her head and throat had subsided. Overall, she was ready to work again!
Judging by the light in her bed room, Isane assumed that it had to be some time around noon. Looking cautiously around and to her delight, she also found herself alone. Very slowly and quietly, not to arouse a certain taicho's attention, she crept out of her bed, found her robes in a drawer and changed into them. It felt just great being able to get to work! She only had to get out of this room and then she would be on her way. Yeah!
The fuku-taicho was just about to open the bed room door, when it was opened for her from the other side. Isane immediately stopped in her tracks. This was not good. Right in front of her stood Unohana-taicho, smiling serenely at her.
"Isane, may I ask, what are you doing out of bed?"
"Ahh..., Well, I am feeling much better. And I thought, I could just return to work, Unohana-taicho."
"And when did I change the rules, that my patients can release themselves without my consent and even without my knowledge, fuku-taicho?"
That of course, was a rhetorical question. Unohana would never come up with such a rule. For that she cared way too much for her patients, even when it wasn't always appreciated.
"You did not. However, I am your fuku-taicho for a reason. I can very well judge my own condition and am able to take care of myself. And I am feeling much better than yesterday", Isane tried to explain sheepishly.
"That is very good to hear, Isane. However, the rules say, that either I or you have to approve for a patient to be released. As you are the patient right now, only I get to decide, whether or not you may return to work. Now please take a seat on your bed, so that I can take a look at you and see, how much your condition has improved, please."
Lowering her head in frustration, Isane had no choice but to obey. She slouched very slowly over to the bed, hopped on it and waited for whatever had to come. Unohana followed her movements with some amusement in her eyes. Usually, they both agreed, that the best patients are the ones, who cooperate and leave the evaluation of their health up to them. How many times had they sat together, drinking tea and talked about those "difficult, stubborn and partly foolish" patients? And now, Isane was behaving in the exactly same way.
After her fuku-taicho had settled down on the bed, Unohana walked over to her and started the examination. As always, she was very thorough. In the end, she was very satisfied with the results. Isane's conditions was indeed a lot better than the day before. Her temperature was down to a 38.3 Celcius (100.94 F), the inflammation in her throat was less pronounced and the infection still did not spread into the lungs. So far, so good.
"How is the headache?"
"It is much better. In fact, it is gone, taicho. Really, I am fine. Can I go back to work now?"
Unohana couldn't help but slightly shake her head at her fuku-taicho's stubbornness. She appreciated this quality of hers, when they both had to work on difficult cases for hours, or sometimes even for days. But right now this special trait was not helpful.
"No Isane, you may not. Though I am very satisfied with your results, you are still ill. I want you to stay in bed for at least another two days."
"Why taicho-sama? That is not necessary. I feel fine. Please, let me return to work", Isane pleaded and begged her taicho.
"This matter is not up for discussion Isane. Now, take this medicine and then please lay down again", Unahana responded now suddenly very sternly.
Very annoyed and irritated, the fuku-taicho did as she was told. Oh boy, these were going to be two very long days. What was she supposed to do in all this time? If possible, she was sure, she would die of boredom. In addition, during that time she was forced to be completely useless to her taicho - a fact, which disturbed her interminably. Unless...
"Taicho-sama, if I promise to stay quietly in bed, can I at least do some of the paperwork? Surely, this wouldn't be too exhausting in my current condition?", the fuku-taicho asked hopefully.
At these words, the taicho's eyebrows moved up about an inch. What was it with Isane, to always think of work and nothing else? Unohana started to wonder, if she somehow was putting her stuff under too much pressure. After all, every single member in her squad seemed to be eager to put in some extra effort at all times. However, none was going to such extremes as the fuku-taicho. And none was getting sick because of it like her. Again, Unohana felt like she had to stop her Isane now, preventing her from inflicting more harm to herself. Thus, she pulled up a chair and sat down, determined to get to the bottom of this irrational behavior.
"Isane, why is it, that you always think of work when you actually have some time to relax?"
"Well, that is easy", Isane said in a surprised and slightly offended tone.
"There is always more work to do."
"Yes, that is true. Though everybody else still manages to take some time to relax."
"No, that is not true. Not everybody is relaxing when the workload gets slightly less", Isane answered sullenly.
"You don't take some time off to calm down either, taicho-sama."
Hearing this, Unahana was astonished, clearly taken by surprise. What in Seireitai gave her fuku-taicho the impression, that she herself did not take any breaks at all and was instead working constantly?
"Isane, what are you talking about? Of course, I take my time to relax too. For example, when the two of us are having tea together or when I meditate talking with Minazuki. Doing so, always helps me to unwind and relax my body and mind", Unohana explained.
"How can those activities help you to loosen up, taicho? When having tea with me together, you are either calming me down after I had one of my nightmares or we are talking about medical cases. And clearly talking with Minuzuki can be considered training and not resting!"
"That may be true, still those activities help me. I find nothing exhausting in talking to you, no matter what the topic. Usually, I find our conversations quite entertaining and having you around always gives me a good feeling. Now, I admit when meditating, my mind still has to work for quite a bit, but it eases the physical strain I usually feel after a long day. And in addition to that - I never neglect sleeping, unless it cannot be helped due to medical emergencies."
Unohana said the last sentence in a slightly scolding tone to her fuku-taicho. Isane certainly did not pay enough attention to her own body's needs. The fuku-taicho though a minute about the just received information. Even though everything made perfectly sense, there had to be a loophole, something missing. Surely, it couldn't be so simple. Or, which was also very likely, Unohana-taicho was simply so brilliant, that no matter what she did, a part of her would always be in a state of relaxing.
If the later was the case, Isane had no chance of adopting that special trait from her taicho. In Isane's world taking some time off always meant, leaving her taicho with more work. And this was something certainly not happening - not if the fuku-taicho could help it. However, Unohana's words also gave Isane a brilliant idea, what she could do next.
"I guess your long talk means, I am not allowed to do any paperwork while being in your care, right? Can I then follow your example and meditate a little with my zanpakuto? It would certainly help me, to get time pass more quickly while being stuck here."
Seeing nothing harmful in her fuku-taicho's request, Unohana nodded in agreement and called Hanataro Yamada, to fetch Itegumo out of Isane's office.
"Thank you, taicho-sama."
Isane was positively grinning at Unohana. For some reason, the four's taicho didn't like it at all. She was sure, her assistant had something planned out. Something, that would only aggravate her condition. At moments like these she silently cursed her inability to read minds. Thus, when Hanataro returned, she felt the need to give a stern warning to her fuku-taicho.
"Isane, mind me now. I want you to rest and sleep for the better part of the coming two days. You may meditate for a little while, but if I find out that you have exhausted yourself again, physically or mentally, I will put a stop to it. Is that clear?"
"Hai, Unohana-taicho. Perfectly clear. I will make certain, not to worsen my condition", Isane quickly replied.
Giving her fuku-taicho a last piercing look, Unohana finally left the room. Exhaling one long breath, Isane was finally ready to put her plan into action. If Unohana would find out, what she was up to, she probably would find herself confined to a bare cell for a month at least. However, she did not know.