So for some of my free time, I began to reread the series written by the author that got me to decide to do a story without OC's (besides my KaguSess ode check it out Inuyasha lovers) They have a truly amazing set of 3 that is in no way boring. Maybe if they get a slew of new reviewers they'd finish the 3rd :) (cough do it I'm dying for the finish cough) Anyways, just a shout out to JasotheArtisan cause without them, I would not have this story for you :) Plus, without Jaso, I'd have never come up with SoiGrim.
Chapter 23... Fight
Renji finished the head count for the morning. He suppressed the cough threatening to out him. It was just a cold. He didn't want to die. Not after Rukia had agreed to discuss their relationship with him. And that was what was going to happen. Sure there was the quarantine. But he was a Lieutenant. He knew that every one of the infected died. And if he got quarantined with the infected, he'd get it for sure. Besides, he'd got Kato's blood on him forever ago. He should have flipped the switch. He was still fine. None of it mattered though. Not really.
The nurse took over and Renji stepped aside. The nurse went down the rows, examining everyone she passed. The only thing that didn't make this an enormous inconvenience was that they weren't even assigned cleaning duties anymore. No cleaning, definitely no training, and (to Renji's relief), no paperwork. Except for the tallies that the Captains did. They were keeping track of every loss, no matter to illness or to the ill's sword. Afterword, every body was burned. It was horrible. Every day, the acrid smell of burning flesh filled the air.
Everyone was dismissed. Sixth Division had been clear of infection since two days prior. It didn't matter. Even with the daily purging of the infected or the quarantine of the ill, somehow the illness was rampaging on. Fourth division was obviously hit the hardest so far, since most of the medical workers that had cared for the first two were already dead. Not to mention anyone they'd come into contact with. Unohana had been positive it was transferred by blood, but with the growing numbers, some other action had to be made. Problem was, no one was sure which action to take. A butterfly catches Renji's attention. He dashes after it. To the Captains office. It was an update. Renji stands impatiently, waiting for Byakuya to share with him.
The Captain wasn't his usual pristine self. Of course, being the head of the Kuchiki clan, his quarters had to be outside of the Seireitei. So he'd had to sleep on the uncomfortable couch in the office, use the training room showers, borrow some ill-fitting shihakusho, and eat the same military rations everyone else did. Renji felt a little sorry for the Kuchiki. Sudden change was hard to accept. It made him wonder how Rukia had been doing. Even with the changes, Byakuya's personality never changed. After a moment, he held his finger to the little plant on his desk. The butterfly moved to it, waiting for him to formulate a response. "Captain Unohana will be flying out on Minazuki. She's going to distribute a crate of medical masks. If within three days the number of infected doesn't slow, she's going to move on to another method." Byakuya says. Renji wondered what there had been to respond to, but he kept silent. Byakuya would get to it eventually. "What is your condition Lieutenant Abarai?" he asks after a moment. Renji flinches in surprise. "The nurse reported to me that she'd heard you coughing as she passed by your quarters to check the quarantined. Naturally, I reported the occurance to Captain Unohana. But you haven't shown any other symptoms, so you haven't been quarantined. Again Abarai, I'm asking for your condition." It was the most Captain Kuchiki had said at one time since the start of this. As if on que, Renji collapsed. The last thing he saw before his vision blacked, was Captain Kuchiki standing, taking a step towards him, and pausing.
Renji awoke in the quarantine rooms. Thankfully, he'd been placed alone. He wondered if it was his status as a Lieutenant that granted him this or if it was that they weren't sure if he was infected or not. It didn't matter. Nothing did anymore. He was going to die and be burned just like every one of the others. All of his hardwork and dedication just summed up to nothing in the end. Guess he really was just a stray dog.
An instant later, he bolted upright, remembering the strange whim he'd had that day, when he cut off communications with Rukia Kuchiki. Where he'd spread blood on the wing of the butterfly. He rushed to the door of the cell beating on it. Yelling for all he was worth to get someone's attention. Because he wondered if he'd accidentally infected the love of his life. He had to know. But no one came to his door.
Byakuya couldn't believe the current mental debate he was having. Of course, none of it was apparent to the nurse that wore a quarantine suit and was meticulously scrubbing the floor where Renji had fallen. In a rare instance for the stoic captain, he was waffling. Trying to decide whether he should tell his adopted sister, or if he should keep it to himself til this was over. He wasn't a fool. He was completely aware of was or wasn't going on between his Lieutenant and his little sister. It had been plain as day, even to him, that Renji was in love with Rukia the day that he'd adopted the girl. And after a while, the girl developed feelings for the idiotic redhead. The only problem, and he knew it, was that Rukia knew her position very well. It wasn't like he condoned the relationship. She was a noble, he was just some fool. But at the same time, he'd sworn to Hisana that he would protect her. And he knew without her having said, that it wasn't just in day to day life he'd sworn to protect her. It was from his family in itself. He knew he had no choice but to back her in whatever choice she'd make. So really, he was only waiting for her to make the choice.
But now Renji was in quarantine. Their brief unrealized romance would come to an end. If he was more of a romantic, he'd curse the injustice of it. He knew people tended to forget he'd been in love once himself. Resigning himself. He called down a butterfly. He'd already sent a message to Unohana stating the condition of Renji, and now he had to send one to his sister. He dreaded the coming response.
He'd curled himself against the door, listening desperately for the footsteps he now heard. He beat his bloody fist against the door some more. A quarantine suited figure steps through after unlocking and opening the door. Renji was on his knees, looking pleadingly at the nurse. "Its Rukia. I remembered... If I'm infected, she may be too." he said. He hung his head in shame. The nurse made note, then ushered him to stand at the foot of his bed. She made some examinations. She turned her back.
Pop. She turned in horror. Renji's stance had slumped, and was straightening. The fierce protective look in his eyes had faded to a blank stare. She backed up quickly. She'd never escape a Lieutenant. He took a shaking step forward, reaching for her. She shrieked her terror and made her attempt to flee. She slams the door shut behind her, locking it frantically. It barely registered that there was no noise in the room. Had his brain melted already? Hesitantly, she unlocked the door and cracked it open. She found the Lieutenant on the floor like she'd expected. Her head dropped and she inched forward. She crouched down to take his vitals. Just as she felt a pulse, a tanned, tattooed arm shoots out and catches her arm. Another shriek escapes her. She heard footsteps in the hall, racing towards them.
The minute she'd turned her back, it was like Renji had been possessed. There was nothing but this burning agony, the voice of Zabimaru telling him to kill. Kill the girl, kill them all. Renji fought. He had to get past the agony, the fire. He couldn't hurt the girl, didn't want to, not really. Of its own accord, his body took a step forward, his arms raising. In his head he was roaring his anger, yelling for the girl to run, and fighting every inch of movement. He felt the first bit of hesitance, felt him gaining his resistance, and pushing every ounce of willpower he had into it. The girl had escaped from the room, and finally, he collapsed again. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, not at first. But when she returned to pronounce him dead, he regained the final bits of control. "Help me," his whispered. It was all he could say. He lost consciousness for the second time that day.
The shaking nurse was giving her report. Byakuya was stunned. Renji had managed to survive? This was the first case. He needed Unohana there at once. He sent a butterfly out. He didn't know if she would grant his summons, this was a quarantine, but Renji was now vital information. "Sir," the girl said, interrupting his thoughts. "There's something else. Before he... snapped, he tried to warn me. He told me there might be a chance that Rukia Kuchiki is also infected." she finished. The sixth division captain stood so quickly that the girl gave a terrified squeak and dashed from the room. She'd had enough for the day. Byakuya didn't know which he desired more. To rush to thirteenth and see to Rukia, or to go down to the quarantine and demand Renji to explain what he meant. Both he resisted. Instead, he resigned himself to waiting for a response from either Rukia to his earlier message, or from Ukitake. It would do no good for him to become infected himself. But with Renji's ability to resist, maybe there was finally hope afterall.
Woot! There it was darlings. No fluff here, but along moves the story. Let me know how I'm doing. And if you don't want to review, at least check out JasotheArtisan! The story I've been going on about is So. The sequel is Anonymous and the third in the trilogy is Hero(s).