Hey, guys! This chapter will basically consist of different people from the Bleach universe coming to visit Toshiro while he is in coma and a bit of their thoughts around everything.

Hope you will enjoy it.

Chapter 10 – Come Back to Us

Matsumoto's POV

"Hey, taicho! It is my turn to talk to you now. Though I think you wish it was your little asekusai, nee?" Just as Matsumoto said this, she felt a little chill creep up her spine and she looked round the room, her eyes falling on the green-haired man sitting in the corner. "Please, do not upset my master. He is weak." Said the man simply before going silent.

"Geez, taicho, your zanpakuto is such a meanie. And so cold." She shivered a bit before continuing. "You need a more free-spirited one, taicho." At this, Matsumoto smirked a bit. "Then again, he fits you perfectly. Ah, wouldn't you agree?" She fell silent, as if she was waiting for her taicho to answer with his typical annoyed grunt, or irritated "Matsumoto!". She waited and waited, but no answer came, and that was when it hit her. There in the bed before Matsumoto lay her taicho and friend. He was unconscious, he was covered in bandages, he had bruises and small cuts all over. And his face that usually looked peaceful, dedicated and serious or annoyed, now looked pained.

"You're not in good shape, you know. The others say I should do all the paperwork and step in while you're here. And of course I will, but I just… I don't know, taicho. It's so strange that you're not there to yell at me, you know. Don't worry. I do the paperwork, and I'll stay away from your desk." Matsumoto stopped talking for a second and laughed a bit. "I wouldn't want to put you back in here just because your desk was messy when you got back." She gave her taicho a loving smile, patting his cheek slightly, as if she was afraid of disturbing him. "I have to go now. There are other people waiting to see you. Gee, taicho. Who would've thought that you were this popular? See you later, Hyourinmaru. Don't make him freeze now." The zanpakuto just looked at her as if she was crazy as she walked out of the room with a sad smile on her face.

Don't keep us waiting for too long, taicho.

Ichigo's POV

"Man, you don't look so good." Those were the first words to escape Ichigo's mouth as he entered Toshiro's room. "I mean, I don't see all that much, but what I see is rather beaten up, and I saw the injuries before Unohana started her work." The orange-haired boy moved closer to the bed, but he did not sit down on the chair where Matsumoto sat before. It was when he was well into the room that he first noticed the temperature. "Damn, Matsumoto wasn't joking. It is freezing in here. How the heck can you stand it? Brr." A shiver ripped through Ichigo's body. And it was then that he noticed someone sat in the corner, and he jumped back a little when they moved.

"Who's there?" The figure moved again and now Ichigo could see that it was the same guy that carried Toshiro earlier. "Eh, it's you. You're that guy that I fought with a while back when all the zanpakuto had escaped their swords. You're, you're…Eh…" The man in the corner lifted his gaze to look at the orange-haired boy.

"Yes, that is me. I am Hyourinmaru, the ice dragon and the strongest of the ice zanpakuto, and Toshiro is my master." As he finished speaking, the man seamed to grow a few inches 's eyes grew to the size of tin plates and he turned back to the battered body on the bed. "Danm, Toshiro. You don't do anything half way, do you?"

Ichigo stood and stared at all the bandages for a while, and suddenly he felt really out of place. He didn't know what to do or say. A strangled chuckle escaped his mouth. "You'd think that after all this time, I would be used to seeing people in hospital beds, but still.. Man, this is so awkward." He fell silent again and just looked over all the bandages he could see. After a little while, he decided it was time to go. "I have to go now. There are more people that would like to visit you." He touched Toshiro's shoulder very lightly before turning and walking out the door. However, before he totally disappeared, he turned once again and looked at his friend. "By the way, don't take too long to come back to us, man. I need a chance to prove that I can fight as well, you know." He smiled and closed the door behind him.

Come on, Toshiro. We both know that you'll beat this shit.

Ukitake's POV

Ukitake walked slowly into the room. It was dark, but not unpleasantly so. Also, it was cold, really cold. He soon understood why when he looked up to see Hyourinmaru sitting slightly to the side of Toshiro's bed. The zanpakuto was radiating cold.

Ukitake had reached the bed, where his young friend was laying. "Shiro, why is it always the young ones? I had really hoped that this would be an easy job. I should have known better." The old Shinigami shook his head, a sad smile on his lips. "When I felt your reiatsu starting to disappear, I should have reacted faster. But what could I have done? You were so far away, and by the time it became obvious that something was really wrong, it was already too late." He sat down in the chair opposite to the zanpakuto, and looked at his battered body. "Just look at you. With these kinds of injuries it would take even the strongest Shinigami several weeks, if not months, to recover. The injuries that Unohana described... they are horrible. I can't imagine how it must have felt to experience that."

The taicho reached out a shaking hand towards the white haired man in the bed, but before he made contact he looked up at the ice dragon. "May I?" Ukitake asked indicating to his hand floating over his friend's shoulder. Hyourinmaru looked up from his master.

"Just be careful," he answered. "I do not wish more harm to come to my master. He is very weak." After the zanpakuto said this Ukitake, very lightly, placed his hand on Toshiro's shoulder. He let his thumb brush over the fabric, careful not to disturb the bandages. It was a strange feeling to see this strong, young man unconscious in front of him. He felt a strong compassion for this taicho and he did not know what to do with himself when he saw him lying there, in the bed, breathing shallowly, as if each breath caused Toshiro pain. He let his eyes wander over the part of the boy that could be seen. Apart from the stark-white garb, Toshiro was covered in bandages. The only part of the Shinigami where you could see his skin was his face, even though it was some bandages there as well.

"You know, Toshiro, your squad really needs you. I have a lot of respect for your fukutaicho, but she still needs your guidance. She'll get the job done, no doubt about that, but she won't be herself for a while now. We both know she is too carefree to really have all this responsibility on her. I think the fact that you are here makes it even worse. It's so horrible to have to cover for these kinds of situations." He smiled a little and felt his own strength starting to wane. "Look what you are doing to us. We are so worried for you. I'm even starting to get sick again." He felt the room grow a little colder and chuckled. "But I know we can't blame you for this. If anything, you saved us all from a devastating fate."

Ukitake sat there for a long time caressing the white-haired man's shoulder and sometimes his cheek. He started to feel drowsy and decided it was time to let Kyouraku in as well. He could feel his friend's reiatsu outside the door. "I have to go now, can't keep Shunsui waiting for too long." He got up, letting his hand brush over Toshiro's cheek one last time.

I hope to see you open your eyes soon. I can't handle seeing you like this. You are like a son to me, after all.

Kyouraku's POV

"Hello, Hyourinmaru-san. It's nice to know that you're here looking after him. And it's good to finally meet you. You're so strong." This was the first words that escaped Kyouraku's mouth as he stepped into the room. "Although, your presence isn't surprising. We can feel the cold all through the hall. Nice job." At this he raised his hat so Hyourinmaru could just barely see his eyes for a short second. After this, he sat down beside the bed.

"And then we have you, Hitsugaya-kun." He looked at the boy in the bed with sad eyes. "You continue to amaze me. This is something not many would be able to do, being two Shinigami, and there you go in by yourself, and kill that monster." Kyouraku shook his head in disbelief. "I wonder how much you remember from the fight. Or if you remember anything from afterwards." He looked at the boy, and Kyouraku suddenly realized something. "You're no boy anymore, are you Toshiro? You will always be a tensai, but you're no longer a kid." Kyouraku felt something, he could not put his finger on what, shift in the room and he looked up. He was a little shocked at what he saw. In front of him sat the ice dragon and he had a small smile at his lips. "I have a feeling you have been aware of this for a time. Or am I wrong, Hyourinmaru-san?"

The dragon kept his gaze on his master when he answered. "The strength of a Shinigami is not measured in size, but in power. My master may look like a mere child, but his reiryoku is very strong." Kyouraku could only nod. "Right you are, dragon-san."

"Well, Hitsugaya-kun, you sure managed to shake up this place a little. Just look at Jushiro, it seems like he could fall over at any second now. That would be pitiful. You in here without us knowing when you will wake up, and Jushiro in his little hut, unconscious and weak." The taicho shook his head slightly. "But you are strong, Hitsugaya-kun, and I have a feeling you will wake up sooner than any of us expect." He sat in his own thoughts for a while before asked the dragon, without looking up from the white haired taicho in front of him.

"Are you able to communicate with him in this state?" The dragon did not raise his head either. "Yes, he is not saying much, but I can hear him, and he can hear me." Now Kyouraku looked up. "And is he able to hear us, now, speaking?" The dragon did not look up. "Yes." Hyourinmaru answered simply, and after a little while he continued. "My Master might be weak at the moment, but his mind is determined and strong."

The older black-haired man sat and looked at the master and zanpakuto in front of him and a smile crept on his face. He then rose and nodded at the dragon. "Well, I better be going. It is late and you still have many people that wish to visit you, Hitsugaya-kun. Some of them might surprise you." With this, Kyouraku left the room and closed the door behind him.

Rest well, Hitsugaya-kun. You'll need all your strength when you wake up again.

Byakuya's POV

Byakuya stepped warily into the room, as if moving through a field of booby traps. "Ohayo gozaimasu." He greeted the dragon formally. He moved slowly up to the bed and looked down at the fellow taicho.

"Do you know anything about his situation, zanpakuto-san? I was not able to speak with Unohana-taicho before I came into Hitsugaya-taicho's room." He was a little surprised that the dragon did not lift his gaze from his master's face as he answered.

"As you can see, my Master is still unconscious. His wounds are not healed, but he has gotten rid of most of the poison that was left in his blood. I do not know when he will be able to wake up though."

Byakuya stood awkwardly by the bed and started at his college, and not daring to admit it to himself, his friend. When he no longer was able to take the silence he looked away from the other taicho and said, almost mumbling: "I respect you, you have great honor."

When this was said he turned to Hyourinmaru and bowed his head slightly. "My thoughts are with you. Goodbye" Then he left the room as abruptly as he came.

I expect you to attend meetings soon, Hitsugaya-taicho.

Third Person POV

For a few days the same people came and went. Some of them would rest by his bed side longer than others, and some would just pop in and ask the zanpakuto a few questions. It was still forbidden for more than one person to visit Hitsugaya Toshiro, and sadly it did not seem like he was getting any better. He would still just lie in the bed sleeping without moving a muscle or give any sign that he in fact was able to hear what people around him said. It had been four days since the groups returned before Toshiro got his second surprise visitor.

Isshin's POV

Isshin walked into the room, not totally sure what he would see, although he had spoken to Unohana before entering his successor's room. He could feel the cold washing over him. "If I had known it would be this could, I would have brought a scarf." He sat down in the chair opposite to the zanpakuto. "Well, Shiro-chan, back in here, already? Wouldn't have thought that, now would you?" While Isshin spoke, he could feel the room growl colder.

"Please, Isshin-san, do not disturb my Master. He needs to regain his strength and your childlike comments seem to upset him."

Isshin just stared at the dragon for a little bit before he answered. "Hyourinmaru, I don't know how to tell you this, but your Master isn't conscious. He can't hear me."

The dragon spoke again, but he did not look away from Toshiro. "My master might not be awake at the moment, but his mind is still operable. He can hear what you are saying. And he does not appreciate you calling him Shiro-chan."

The grown man laughed softly and looked at his successor. "You'll never cease to amaze me, Toshiro. And since you're hurt, need rest and can hear what I am saying, I won't bug you. But…" The former juuban-tai taicho snickered as he looked up at the hyoryo, "your zanpakuto here is not as lucky." Hyourinmaru kept looking at his Master, but Isshin noticed a slight hint of discomfort in his features. This made the Shinigami chuckle even more.

Isshin could see the dragon's expression become more and more frustrated the longer he let his jokes go on. The former taicho knew he was tempting fate if he irritated the dragon for too long, and that on another day, he might not have been so lucky. But he also knew that the dragon would not leave his master, not yet, and that jokes and "stupid" people as himself were needed in these kinds of situations.

"I won't bother you any longer, Hyourinmaru. I have to say that I am a little disappointed at your lack of reaction to my jokes." Isshin got up from his seat and made his way to the door. "It'll be much funnier when I get to joke with someone that has a more… appropriate response." Then he was gone.

Oh, Shiro-chan. I can't wait for you to wake up, so I can bug you again.

Hinamori's POV

"You should not worry so much, Hinamori-san." Hinamori had barely stepped into the room before the dragon spoke. She walked slowly over to the bed and sat down on the chair there. Upon doing so she reached for her friend's hand, and clenched it as hard as she dared. "My Master is strong. He has survived this long, and I promise you, Hinamori-san, in a short time he will be awake again." Hinamori herself was not so sure and she felt the tears start to gather in her eyes again. Therefore she did not dare to look up.

"How can you be so sure?" It was barely above a whisper, but the dragon heard it. She continued to speak, a little louder now. "Just look at him. He is pale; he's covered in bandages all over, and the wounds underneath them... I cannot describe those." Small tears found their way down her cheeks.

For the first time in many days, Hyourinmaru lifted his gaze from Toshiro's face. "I know for several reasons. One is that I can hear his mind, and he is determined to wake up again. He has not gotten worse, and you saw him the first day, Hinamori-san, he has regained some of his color. And it is cold in here. You are my Master's dearest friend. I am sure you know how he is with frost."

The raven haired girl nodded and she let a little hopeful smile creep up her face. "You are right, Hyourinmaru. I am just so worried. It has been five days."

Hinamori looked up as well now, but she let her other hand slip into Toshiro's, making sure he would still be there. "Do not worry, I can promise you that his strength indeed is returning." She took a shaky breath and nodded and the dragon gave her a reassuring smile.

"Thank you, Hyourinmaru." She smiled. "But I am at fault" She continued. "If I just had listened to him. He told me not to go, but I just rushed ahead. If I had done as he told me he would have been awake and well know." She started to sob for real, letting her head fall again, and some of her tears landed on her friend's cheek. "I am sorry, I am so, so sorry."

Hinamori put her head down on the mattress next to her friend's shoulder and cried yet again. After a little while she could feel something stir in the room, and took it as the dragon trying to show comfort to her in his own manner.

"I am so sorry, Toshiro. I am so sorry." She kept on whispering. Her hand tightened their grip on the said boy's hand. She kept on crying until the felt the stirring again. Only this time, it felt closer, so much closer. She lifted her head slightly, about to ask the dragon whatever could be the matter when she noticed his face. The dragon had previously looked at his master with a sad, but love-filled stare, but now it was something different in his eyes. She did not understand it, and soon Hinamori felt her sorrow overwhelm her curiosity again. The tears started to run down her face, and she was about to lay here head back in its previous spot when she heard something.

"Hnn…" It was faint, barely auditable. Shortly after the little noise, Hinamori felt something move yet again. "D-don't… don't be…" Even though it was barely over a whisper she soon understood where it was coming from and looked down.

Toshiro's eyes were still closed, but his breathing had gotten another pace and he had started to move a bit. Hinamori also noticed the furrowed brow that had been relaxed just a few moments ago. Another thing she noticed was that the dragon seemed to be more peaceful now. She could feel Hyourinmaru's relief over his master's sign of life.

After a few short breaths, Hinamori noticed that Toshiro tried to speak again. She leaned closer to catch what he was trying to say. "Don't be…stupid. I-it is… not yo-your fault..." He had to stop often to catch his breath. Then, as soon as he had come to, he faded back into sleep again. The raven haired girl could feel the slight grip he had had on her hand loosening again.

She sat frozen in her seat, holding her friend's hand slightly above the mattress. How was she supposed to react? The tears kept sliding down her cheek, but whether it was from sorrow or happiness she did not know. "Do you now believe that he will return to us, Hinamori-san?" The dragon spoke with a soft and caring voice. Hinamori could only nod, and then a little smile broke from her lips.

"You are going to be okay, Toshiro," she whispered before all went silent again.

Hinamori did not know how long they had been sitting in silence, before Hyourinmaru spoke. "I will return to my master now," he said, short and clear. "The danger is gone now, and he needs me there with him, more than he needs me out here."

Hinamori looked up at Hyourinmaru and nodded. "You know what he needs the best." She smiled at the dragon as he started to fade and the room grew colder for a short while. Then he was gone.

"I'll go now as well, Toshiro, but I'll return tomorrow." She stood up and leaned go of his hand. Then Hinamori leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to his forehead. "See you soon." She straightened up and left the room, looking behind her one last time before the door closed.

Please, Toshiro. Open your eyes soon. Those beautiful eyes shouldn't be closed for too long. I'll wait, for as long as you need me to.

A/N:

Asekusai = Sweetheart

Well guys, there you have it. The 10th chapter is up. A bit faster than the last one.

Hope you enjoyed it, and that you will review it. I hope to get to write more through Easter, but when the next chapter will be up… is not determined yet.

I would also like to say thanks to all my Beta readers: PHENOMENIAN-SHIRO, Artemis The Goddess and The Awesome God Apollo.