"...Trust in the abilities of your friends, acknowledge their strengths and believe that they will be able to pull through for you in times of struggle and conflict. Have faith in the thought that they will be safe, and will eventually return home to you. Rejoice with their return, share a smile, have laugh. You don't really have to dance or literally have a party, but you must remember to at least let the person know that you're glad that they're alright, or else they may begin to think otherwise. Savor the time you have with the people you care about, and live for tomorrow, not yesterday. It is important to believe in the light of good and prosperity, as well as the happiness that comes with the return of a lost friend...someone that means the world to you, and they're finally back within your grasp..."
July
SOUL SOCIETY
Toshiro's Perspective
Light begins to peak through the windows, signaling that the sun has finally broken through the clouds of what was night, meaning that it's now dawn. He blinks a few times as he feels the warmth on his head, looking up to see the room lighting up.
...It's morning...
He yawns, scratching his head as he begins to sit up.
...I must of fallen asleep...
He blinks, finally noticing the mass infront of him.
The reason he hadn't noticed was because now she wasn't breathing hard and rough, her breath barely audible now except for a small snore here and there. Now all cleaned up, she looks a lot better then she did when she had first fallen into his arms the night before. The blood has been washed out of her hair, and is brushed out, laying nicely around her body. They changed her uniform out for a white sleep kimono, and somehow cleaned up her choker, so that it looks as it did before. But, there's still a reminder of what had happened.
Her arms and head are all bandaged up, some small blotches of blood soaked into her gauze. Bandages are around her neck as well, a few smaller ones marking some cuts and scraps. His eyes narrow, thinking over the past few days, and what had happened the night before...
LAST NIGHT
"R-Rangiku!" Toshiro yells over his shoulder, reaching his arm under Yattamori's legs to cradle her.
To his surprise, he hears the door to his office open quickly, followed by the echoing steps of someone coming closer.
"C-Captain?! What is it?!-" Rangiku yells, standing on the edge of the walkway.
He turns with Yattamori limp in his arms, breathing hard as he steps into the light of the building. Rangiku gasps, her eyes widening as Toshiro flashsteps up to the walkway. Quickly he begins by her.
"We need to get her to Squad 4, now!" Toshiro instructs.
Still stunned, Rangiku blinks, but follows fast, flashstepping after him as he does as well.
.....
Once arrived at Squad 4, many of the members looked stunned probably by not only Yattamori's sudden return, but the extent of her injuries.
"Unohana!" Toshiro calls.
Turning a corner, he finds Unohana standing in reply to his call. Quickly her eyes find their way to Yattamori, widening more then he's ever seen them. She walks closer.
"Mariya...Yattamori..." she trails.
"Help her."
She blinks, looking up at Toshiro.
"She collapsed into my arms, I don't know the extent of her injuries." Toshiro continues.
Unohana stares for a moment, before nodding, gesturing over a few members of her Squad.
"She looks to be in pretty serious condition Captain Hitsugaya, but I'm sure she will be fine." Unohana reassures him, "Allow me to see her."
Out of instinct, he subconsciously pulls her closer, not really wanting to release her. Unohana notices, then sighs, gesturing towards the door.
"Follow me, I believe she'll probably have a greater chance of staying stable if you stay with her." she says, walking ahead.
Toshiro blinks, but nods, following after.
What happened next was kinda a blur, after they had gotten Yattamori into the ER section, and hooked her up to a few of the machines, Yattamori began screaming out of nowhere off and on for about 4 hours as they had gotten her all cleaned up and healed by some of Yattamori's own Squad Members, such as Aneko and Miyoko.
---
PRESENT
"I must of doused off around 3 in the morning." Toshiro says to himself, looking over her.
After a moment, he grins some.
...Unohana said that even though she's stable now, it may be some time before she wakes up...So for now, I must be patient...
He sighs, leaning back in his chair.
"You're in Squad 4 way too much Yattamori. It's beginning to get a bit annoying." he says with a chuckle, before his look becomes more serious, "But, I guess that is partly my fault. Head Captain Yamamoto gave me orders to keep you safe...but it seems I can't keep you from getting hurt..."
He falls silent, watching her breathe in the stillness now found in the room.
Thinking back on the past events since Yattamori has come back, he counts a total of 5 or 6 times, not including now, that Yattamori has been a patient in Squad 4. That is not a good sign.
"I wish at least once it would be me. Then it would make me feel a bit better about this stuff-" he starts.
"R-Really?..."
His eyes widen.
"I-I've only been...awake for two...minutes, and you're a-already...saying crap about...yourself."
He looks up, gaping as he sees Yattamori looking up at him, a small grin across her face.
"Yattamori?..." he trails.
"I believe...that's a n-new record on your part." she says lightly, he voice cracking.
He blinks, not able to find a response to her. She stares back, her eyes widening in confusion.
"What?" she asks.
"Yattamori, do you not realize how big your return is?" he asks.
She blinks.
"Return?" she repeats, not understanding.
It's now that he realizes something, standing. Yattamori becomes surprised by his sudden action, beginning to lift herself up with her forearms.
"T-Toshiro-" she starts.
"Don't try to sit up Yattamori, you're still very weak." he interrupts, laying her back down by taking her shoulders.
She stares at him for a moment, before sighing, resting her head back on the pillow.
"Fine..." she trails.
He grins.
"I'll be right back, alright?"
She nods in response.
He in turn nods, turning away to walk towards the door, opening it quietly so he doesn't disturb Yattamori as she rests. He steps out, shutting the door behind him, waiting til he hears the click to walk off at a fast pace down the hall. Turning through familiar halls that he's unfortunately learned by being in the vicinity so much more then he wishes, he soon finds Unohana sitting with a patient from her own Squad, who must've gotten involved in an accident during the last Bijuu invasion. So to not be so rude, he knocks on the door panel, letting Unohana know he's there. She looks up, once meeting his gaze giving a nod to him, before saying a departure to the Squad Member, soon standing to follow Toshiro out into the hall.
She sighs.
"What is it, Captain Hitsugaya?" Unohana asks.
"Yattamori is awake." Toshiro answers.
Unohana's eyes widen, not expecting him to say that.
"Wait, what?"
"She's awake, woke up about five minutes ago."
"But how? Considering the extent of her injuries, she should be unconscious for at least another eight days-" Unohana starts.
"That was something I was hoping you could explain to me." Toshiro interrupts.
Unohana sighs again, thinking.
"Well, Captain Yattamori has always had a way of healing faster then most, that may be a factor in this situation. But, even with that, this is still odd. Even if she was making faster progress as she normally does, she should still be asleep for another day or two." Unohana explains.
"That makes sense, but yet she's awake..." Toshiro trails, "I think she should be kept awake for a bit longer."
"Why is that?"
"I want to know how she escaped the Bijuu."
"What makes you think she escaped?"
"Well, it doesn't make sense that they would do all this and just allow her to go. They must of fumbled and then Yattamori took the opportunity to run."
Unohana thinks for a moment.
"That does sound legible." she agrees, "Alright, she may stay awake, but she must not leave her bed, she's probably too weak to even stand, maybe even sit up."
Toshiro nods in agreement.
"Alright then, let's go." Toshiro says, beginning to walk off.
Unohana follows, not replying as they start back down the same way that Toshiro had just followed through the barrack. As they turn again and again, Toshiro begins to get the feeling he forgot to mention something to Unohana. Something that may be important. Though, for some reason, he can't think of it. As if it's just out of reach, seen, but not able to be grasped. But, as they come to the hall where Yattamori's room is, it returns like a flash of lightning. He stops her, taking her by surprise.
"Captain Hitsugaya?" she says.
"There's something I forgot to mention."
She blinks.
"What?" she asks.
"Well, I brought up her return, and she gave me a really clueless look, as if she had no idea what I was talking about." Toshiro responds.
Unohana's look becomes more concerned.
"What are you trying to imply Captain Hitsugaya?" she questions.
He looks back at her.
"Is there any chance that she could of gone into shock and may not remember what happened?"
Unohana's eyes widen, taken back.
"You mean, like amnesia?" she asks.
He nods.
"She didn't look at me as if she hadn't seen me in weeks, she looked as if she just had fallen asleep the previous night and it just so happened I was around when she woke up." Toshiro explains.
Unohana thinks about it.
"I guess there would be a possibility that Captain Yattamori may of blocked it out so to protect herself, and maybe even her mental status. Though, wouldn't it be the first time she's done this?"
He blinks.
"What?"
"Captain Yattamori isn't one to really block out what has happened to her. It has never happened with Devena, or whenever her memories were stolen. She allowed herself to work through it, and persevere through the mental wounds. This will be the first time she's actually blocked out something if it really is the case that she did." Unohana explains.
Toshiro doesn't respond for a moment.
"Well, then I guess it means one thing..." he trails.
"And what would that be?" she asks.
He takes a moment.
"...What she experienced...was far worse then anything they've put her through up til now." he replies.
Unohana seems to become speechless, taking in his words, thinking about what Yattamori may of experienced while a technical "Prisoner of War".
He sighs.
"I hate this." he admits, "Why is it that out all of us, she always has to be the one put through shit?"
"Because she has a connection, remember?" Unohana replies.
He looks back at her.
"Yep....Mahinahime." he answers.
"Mahinahime may be the key to this entire mystery. If this time we keep Captain Yattamori safe and out of harms way long enough, we may be able to learn of what the Bijuu don't want us to know."
"If only it was that easy, but it seems that nothing is." Toshiro comments.
Unohana notices the change in his tone, and sighs.
"Captain Hitsugaya, all of us in our lives will go through a good amount of pain. Captain Yattamori has had to meet much more then the average person, but still, somehow, she always finds a way to smile." Unohana says, "Once, I asked her why she is able to smile when times are bad. Do you know what she told me?"
Toshiro shakes his head.
"She just looked at me, and gave an innocent smile, then replied "Because if I can give a smile through the bad, I will be able to truly smile through the good."..." Unohana continues.
Toshiro blinks.
"If you look upon the bad with a smile, you may truly smile through the good...That saying is probably one of the best I've ever heard. Captain Yattamori is happy because she knows that no matter how much pain she's in, there will always be a good thing to look forward to."
He doesn't respond for a moment, thinking. Then, he gives a chuckle.
"That does sound like something Mariya would say..." he trails.
"Captain Hitsugaya."
He looks up at her.
"Captain Yattamori is looking forward to seeing you."
He stares for a moment, then turns, opening the door to Mariya's room, which is now lit warmly with the light of the rising sun.
"Yattamori?" he says.
His reply is between a snore and a groan, Yattamori turning her head to look at him.
"T-Toshir..o?" Yattamori whispers.
"I'm back, I'm guessing you fell back asleep." he replies.
Yattamori nods.
"I suppose...you were right about the weak...thing." she answers.
"Mariya Yattamori?"
Yattamori looks beside him to see Unohana, grinning.
"Unohana..." she trails, a little more light in her eyes then before as her grin becomes brighter.
Toshiro blinks.
...if I can give a smile through the bad, I will be able to truly smile through the good....
Her words to Unohana replay in his head, seeming to show themselves through Yattamori's current grin. In response, he grins back, allowing Yattamori to catch it. At the sight, a bit more light shines in her eye, a good sign.
"Yattamori, you do know where you are, I'm guessing?" Unohana asks.
Yattamori nods.
"I'm at...Squad 4 again." Yattamori answers.
"That's right dear. And do you remember why?" Unohana asks.
Yattamori blinks, appearing to have a bit more difficulty with the answer to the question.
"Uh...I guess it's still...fuzzy..." Yattamori says, trailing a bit more.
Toshiro looks over at Unohana.
"I guess we shouldn't be asking you that just yet, you probably don't remember much right now." he comments.
Unohana nods.
"Alright, well, Yattamori, how do you feel?" Unohana asks.
"I'm fine..." Yattamori replies.
Unohana grins.
"No new pain at all?" she asks.
Yattamori shakes her head in reply.
"Ok then," Unohana says, turning away, "I'm going to take my leave for now and go record this. Captain Hitsugaya, you may stay as long as you like."
Toshiro nods.
"Thank you." he replies.
Unohana gives a simple nod, and with that, she opens the door, silently slipping out, leaving Toshiro alone again with Yattamori.
"Toshiro?..."
He turns back, taking a seat back in his chair.
"Yes Yattamori?" he answers.
She doesn't answer for a moment, putting him a bit on edge.
"Toshiro...something bad...happened..." she trails.
He blinks.
"What?" he asks.
"There was...so much blood..."
He shushes her.
"Don't think about right now, just rest, you need to get stronger." he answers.
Yattamori watches him for a moment, before she turns her head to look back up towards the ceiling, giving a sigh.
"This world...it's making it harder....to smile..."
His eyes widen.
"Yattamori..." he trails.
Her eyes are focused on the ceiling, narrowed contently.
"....It's full of darkness...Toshiro."
He blinks, not ready to hear her say that. Yattamori is usually positive, but it seems that this...has changed her some...
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