Chapter Seven

Ichigo watched J's chest expand and contract slowly as he slept in the infirmary's bed. Blood was still littering almost every white space, and it was completely obvious that something serious had went down in the small space. Ichigo's white coat had been discarded and was now a bloody heap in the corner of the room along with a few pairs of blood-stained gloves. The orange-headed male let out a long, tired sigh and stood up slowly so he wouldn't get dizzy.

Fortunately, Ichigo was an amazing doctor. J's injuries had been life threatening, but Ichigo had pulled the other man back from the dangerous line of death. If J hadn't come to Ichigo when he did...

Ichigo didn't dare think of what the consequences would have been.

Ishida peeked in the room and let his eyes fall on the tired form of a certain Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Mr. Kurosaki, I suggest you return to your room and sleep for a few hours at least. I can take over care of the patient from here."

Ichigo jumped at the unexpected voice in the room, and he turned to look at his underling with a grateful look etched on his face.

"Seriously? Are you up for it? There's a number of things that could go wrong from here, his heart could still stop beating any moment and-"

Ishida put his hand up and quieted the rambling doctor. "I understand. If anything serious happens I will not hesitate to retrieve your assistance."

Ichigo let out a long flow of breath. He unknowingly popped his aching fingers, and rubbed his trembling hands up and down his chilled arms.

Ichigo smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem, Doctor. Just please, take care of yourself, okay?" Ishida looked long at the smaller man, and mentally took note of his pale complexion and skinnier body. That man sure was letting himself go.

Ichigo nodded his thanks to Ishida and closed the door behind him as he exited. He couldn't have wished for a better man to be training under him, Ishida was a saint. With that said, Ichigo moved down the hallways at a pace so slow that a snail would laugh heartily and with a dead look that would attract zombies from all over America. And yes, that was an insult to America.

Ichigo's head met the softness of his pillow for thirty seconds before his door had been rammed down in the most violent matter. The suddenness of it all had surprised Ichigo quite a bit, and he was now looking at his door with big eyes from the comfort of his floor.

"Mother fucker!"

Ichigo blinked. And then blinked again. J's brother was standing in his doorway looking severely pissed off.

"Uh-" Ichigo couldn't come up with anything to say, so he sat and looked at the tall man in front of him like some sort of complete fool.

"Where tha fuck's my broth'r?" He demanded. Ichigo caught a glimpse of someone behind Nnoitra, and almost groaned when Shiro's confused look met his eyes.

Ichigo groaned loudly. "Shi-t." He growled angrily as he laid back down on the floor.

"Answer the question, ya lil' shit." The taller man strolled over to Ichigo with fire in his eyes, and with the swiftness of a hawk, he had bent down and picked Ichigo up by his hair.

"Woah!" Shiro chimed in as he watched his subordinate jerked up off the ground. "Calm down, will ya."

"Fuck this!" Ichigo cringed as he was dropped, and he curled into a tight ball when he noticed the foot coming towards his unprepared body.

"Nnoi! Let him talk, for fuck's sake!" Wow, Shiro was defending him.

Ichigo caught his breath and sat up. His body was not happy with this action. The lack of sleep and the large amounts of physical abuse were starting to catch up with his small body.

"He's in the infirmary."

"Take me to 'em! Fucking hell, now!"

Ichigo scurried up, but fell back in a wave a fatigue. Of coarse, with eyes like that looking down at him there was no way he was going to actually stay down there. Ichigo, one again, stood up and was successful this time. His body teetered on his unsteady feet, and his vision was blurry by now, but Ichigo still quickened his pace and led the two men to his domain.

He pushed the door open, and Ishida looked at him disapprovingly. "Now Mr. Kurosaki, I thought we agreed that you would at least sleep for a-" He stopped as he took in the menacing form of Nnoitra.

"Where is he?" Nnoitra boomed and his eyes glanced restlessly around the small space. Finally it landed on the barely moving form he was looking for.

"What-what the hell happened to him?" All of the men moved towards the sleeping body of J.

Shiro looked too shocked to say anything, the same could be said for Ishida who was now standing awkwardly as far away from Nnoitra as he could.

"He-he showed up on my doorstep hours ago-o, and-and-and-" Ichigo's vision went black. He felt his head connect roughly with the tile flooring, and the last thought that entered his mind was:

ow.