I do not own Bleach.
Sakura didn't know how long they just sat together. She was quite content.
"INTRUDER!" Isshin walked into the room with his hands over his head. "Oh good. You both still have your clothes on." He ducked as the clipboard came at his head again. "You sure you don't want to poke him?"
Sakura paled a bit as she walked to the door. "I'm sure. I need to let my mother where I am anyway." She walked out of the room and towards the entrance. She wanted to be far away, but not too far.
Jushiro was surprised by how fast she left the room. Was she afraid of needles?
"It's blood." Isshin saw the confusion on his old friend's face. "She doesn't like the sight of blood. When she first showed up here, there was an accident. One patient was covered in blood. Sakura looked like she was going to either faint or throw up. If it's small, like a paper cut, she is just fine. But anything larger than that, she can't stand the sight."
"Most of us were surprised she stuck around. Hey goat chin, didn't I tell you I would help." Both men looked at the tall woman standing in the doorway. Her black hair was tied up in a ponytail that reached past her shoulders. Her grey eye where glaring at her father.
"But Karin just got back from a trip. I thought she would want some sleep." Isshin smiled at his daughter. He knew she wouldn't hit him till he was done with his patient.
"So you're Karin." Jushiro was glad to finally put a face to a name. "Toshiro-kun has spoken about you a lot. Now it makes sense why Ichigo-kun was glad I was sent here and not him."
"Toshiro...talks about me?" Karin sat down on the other side of the bed while her father continued to work. "What does he say about me?"
Jushiro chuckled at the girl's inquiry. "Mostly how great you are at soccer. He's been counting down days till you got back from your tournament tour. I think he was planning on visiting"
"I can see my third seat again!" The two other occupants of the room turned to look at the excited man. "Well, I guess he's a Taichou now. Pour guy. Never gets a break from paperwork." Isshin dropped the used needle into the hazardous waste bin. He taped a pad of gauze to the small wound an applied a bit of pressure. "That's it for the blood draw. Karin, stay here while I run these through the lab. I'm sure Sakura will be back soon. Then you can head back to bed."
"Just get going." Karin glared at her father. She still wanted to punch him.
Jushiro chuckled at the scowl the girl had on her face.
"What are you laughing at?" Karin had only recently heard about her father's past. It didn't explain much, but at least she knew more than before.
"It's easy to see how you are related to Ichigo-kun. That's all." Jushiro scratched the back of his neck as he stretched. It had been a long day.
"Here." Karin pushed a few buttons that were beside the bed. Soon part of the bed was mostly upright, but still leaned back a bit. "The results might take a while."
Jushiro sat back and relaxed in the bed. "Thank you-" Jushiro had his hand over his mouth as the fit began. He found towel in front of his face and used it instead.
Sakura took a step back as Jushiro continued to cough. She felt completely useless. She caught sight of him falling forwards and caught him. "Jushiro." She whispered as she laid him back gently.
Karin picked the bloody towel up from the man's lap. "I'll bring an IV in." Karin left to dispose of the towel and collect the equipment that was needed.
Sakura pushed Jushiro's bangs to the side of his face. He was burning up a bit. She found a clothe under the small sink in the room and wet it. She came back as Karin wheeled in an IV drip. "Thank you, Karin-chan."
"This is a clinic. I'm suppose to help." Karin prepped the drip as Sakura sat on the chair beside the white haired man. She got him started on the IV before looking back at Sakura. The girl was worried about him. "He's gonna be fine."
Sakura nodded to the woman as she comforted her. Sakura always stayed with patients at that were either dying or it didn't look like they would make it. She never wanted them to be alone. "I'm going to stay here till he wakes up."
"Okay. I'll let goat chin know." Karin left the room with a frown on her face.
Sakura sat in the room quietly. The only sound that was heard was the slightly laboured breathing coming from the man on the bed. She pushed his bangs out of his face. She jumped a bit as his hand snapped up and grabbed hers.
Jushiro peeked out of his eyes. 'Must have passed out. Where am I? This doesn't feel like 4th. And this is definitely not Shunsui's hand.' His eyes focused on a girl sitting beside him. Her eyes were a deep blue, almost indigo it looked like, and her curly brown hair fell onto her shoulders.
"Jushiro-kun? Are you okay?" Sakura saw a puzzled look in his eyes. Did he forget where he was?
Jushiro shook his head as he cleared the fog from it. "Yeah. Sorry, Sakura-chan." Jushiro rubbed his temple. He was starting to get a headache. "Could you get me something to drink?"
"Sure." Sakura noticed how old he suddenly looked. He must have gone through this same thing numerous times. She made her way down the hall to the break room.
"Why the long face, Sakura-chan?" Sakura looked up and found Isshin smiling at her. Isshin held up his clipboard as Sakura glared at him. "I'm not going to tease. I just got the lab results."
"That was fast." Sakura didn't think he was capable of working that fast. "What does it look like?"
"It looks like it's pneumonia. Worse case of it any doctor would ever see. Luckily they won't. It might lead them to wonder how he has lived for so long." Isshin gave the girl a wink. He guessed she knew what Jushiro was. But he doubted she knew that he knew as well. "It also appears to be in his bloodstream. So I'm going to give him what he would need if he was human. Then hope 12th squad or 4th squad can make it so it will work on a soul."
"That's good to hear. Wait...you know what he is?" Sakura would have missed it normally. Isshin was talking normally, but that tipped her off a bit. He usually talked like that when he tried to get something by her.
Isshin rubbed his neck, his plan had failed. "Yeah. It's a long story. I'm going to go tell him the news. Where are you heading?"
"Jushiro-kun asked for some water. I'll be back in a bit." Sakura waved as she continued towards the break room.
Sakura returned to Jushiro's room with a glass of water in hand. She smiled when she saw him resting peacefully.
"You can always give it to him with your mouth." Sakura turned and splashed the water in Isshin's face. Isshin gave the girl a pout. "Why would you do such a thing?"
"Sorry. I felt this annoying presence behind me and wanted it to go away." Sakura gave Isshin a glare as he retreated down the hall. She turned back and looked at Jushiro once more. His lips were parted as he breathed and his chest rose and fell at an even pace. It shuttered every is and then, but never stopped.
'He is one fine man.' Sakura nodded with the voice. 'You've been ignoring me you know? Don't I get some tender love an care?'
'Im not deliberately ignoring you. I just don't hear you that often. Plus the thought of having voice inside my head does not sit well with me.' Sakura sighed as she leaned on the door frame. 'It makes me think I am mentally insane.'
'You think your crazy because you talk to yourself. Please! I do that all the time.' Sakura smirked at the feminine voice in her head that was not her own. 'Mostly because someone doesn't talk back.'
'I'm sorry I don't talk to you that often. But I really don't hear you that often.' Sakura closed her eyes. But soon opened them as she felt hot air being blown onto her face.
"Can you hear me now?" Sakura stared into the horses pitch black eyes. She couldn't even see a reflection in them. It was like they absorbed all light.
"Who are you?" Sakura brought her hand up and laid it on the horses muzzle.
"I am..." Sakura frowned as she couldn't hear the horse. "So you still can not hear my name. No matter. Soon you will, little one." Sakura closed her eyes as the horse gently laid it muzzle against her head. "Time to wake up, Sakura."
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