Now as time stood still, I was helpless against whatever my body was doing to me.
I lie like a spoilt toddler, yelling in pain.
I didn't know what was happening to me, but all at once my chest felt like it was being pulled apart from the inside.
I had never felt like this before, even in all my fights.
"Ulquiorra! What's wrong?" yelled Orihime.
She was loud, but in all her efforts I could not reply.
"Don't yell, he's in pain, he might not be able to answer you." Said Matsumoto. "We need to reach the forth division and get something to calm him down and rid of some of the pain."
She spoke so calm and collected, like she thought I was going to be okay.
She sounded in that moment- like she cared.
"But we don't know what's wrong." Orihime cried.
"Just wait."
I wasn't feeling any better, In any case I was feeling worse.
Nor words or muffled noises could confirm this true terror.
I clenched my chest harder.
"Is it your chest? Ulquiorra…does your chest hurt?" Orihime asked.
I grabbed control of my head and nodded. She gave me a worried look and then she was interrupted.
Ichigo stood close to the door, where I couldn't see him clearly.
"He must be in a whole lot of pain." He stated.
"No kidding. It's obvious."
"That's not why I said it. What I meant was that when I was fighting with him back then, even in my complete hollow form, I almost killed him, I ripped him apart; and if it wasn't for Orihime he wouldn't be here. But that's not the point, throughout the whole fight he never showed any sign of pain. He kept the straightest face. You cannot tell me he wasn't in pain. The fact that right now he's screaming in agony, and clenching the hell out of his shirt, he's in pain. And for the first time you can see it."
I hated Ichigo's explanation, I didn't want him to say that.
It was true, it was all true.
'He's in pain. And for the first time you can see it.'
No! Stop! I don't want to be opened up, I don't want any of you to see me, don't look at me.
I'm so pathetic.
Soon after Ichigo's speech of my enduring, Hanataro, along with a few helpers from the fourth division came and surrounded me.
"Should I now?" Hanataro asked Matsumoto.
"Now, as soon as you can."
Should you what? What are you going to do with me?
Get away from me, I don't need you help!
In a bag he pulled out a syringe and he told me to stay still.
"Wha-what is that?" I stuttered under my breath.
"It's okay, we're just trying to calm down your system, but you have to sit still okay?"
"But i-" before I could protest, a needle punctured my arm. God knows what they put in me, but I swear it only took seconds for me to calm down. The pain had surprisingly mostly gone, all that was left was a small reminder when I moved my chest. And then that familiar feeling came around again, and then I fell into a deep sleep.
I don't know how long I slept for, or more so passed out for, but when I woke everyone had surrounded me and I was now in the fourth divisions nurse centre.
It was bright and blinding to my eyes as they opened.
"He's waking up." I heard someone say, however I wasn't fully awake and my mind wasn't registering who it was, even what gender they were.
I found it weird though because I could hear them loud and clear.
"Shut up you idiot, you're too loud."
This time I knew who it was. A voice so easy to understand. It was Ichigo.
Oh the irony of Ichigo telling someone else they were loud.
My eyes had now adjusted to the light and now I could see everyone. Orihime was beside me, she was smiling and she held such a heart to sit here and wish me well.
The rest were Unohana, Matsumoto, Hanataro and a strange occurrence of some man whom I had never met. He stood in the corner where Ichigo was earlier and looked at me, like he already knew who I was.
"Ulquiorra." Orihime whispered. "Can you hear me?"
Yes Orihime, I can hear you. So clearly.