It was hours later when Tsukiro came to in a room at the Squad Four barracks. He turned his head on his pillow to see Kairo asleep in a chair, dark circles underneath his eyes. And next to his bedside was Captain Unohana.
“You lost a lot of blood and were injured badly, but it was nothing we couldn’t fix. The wound was very precise. It seems as if they weren’t really trying to kill you. Only make it seem like you were dead. Who stabbed you?”
Tsukiro chose his words carefully. He couldn’t ignore the captain’s question, but he wasn’t going to rat out Hitsugaya either, no matter whether he meant it or not. “An Arrancar.”
“And did this… Arrancar say why they were trying to ‘kill’ you?”
“.... No… he just came in through my window, caught me off guard and stabbed me in the back.”
“Ashimitsu-san,” she gave him a smile that seemed to cut right through him. “You are not a very good liar.”
Tsukiro swallowed hard.
Tell the truth. You don’t want to get on her bad side. She can be rather… scary.
“H-he… He wasn’t in his right mind…”
“Captain Hitsugaya?”
Tsukiro’s eyes widened a fraction of a hair. “... Yes…”
“Ashimitsu-san, I have been around long enough to know what goes on behind closed doors. I have been in the Gotei Thirteen long before Shunsui and Juushiro even. I know that Hitsugaya-taicho is in Las Noches on a mission to capture the Seraph.” She blinked and tilted her head. “What I don’t understand is why you would willingly throw yourself into such a dangerous issue such as the Seraph and Aizen’s desire for her knowledge.”
Tsukiro turned his head to look out of the window. “Personal reasons…”
“I see.” She turned to look at the sleeping boy slumped in the chair. “He was very worried about you when he heard that I found you and brought you here. He waited through surgery to see you.”
“We’re childhood friends. I’d have done the same for him.”
Tsukiro was silent for a long while after that. Unohana, knowing he wanted to say something, simply waited for him to gather up the courage to say it.
“Can I… leave? I mean am I well enough to go? I need to… speak with Captain Ukitake.”
“I don’t suggest it… but you came through quite nicely, thanks to Captain Hitsugaya’s clean and precise cut. However, you will be weak, so I wouldn’t try anything over exerting.”
He turned to her. “I understand.”
She gave him that look again. “I mean it. Don’t push yourself.”
“Y-yes, Captain Unohana,” he stuttered as he slowly pushed himself up.
He looked over at Kairo.
Well, I guess I’d better wake him up and find out what’s happened since I was out.
Part 9: Did curiosity kill the cat... or make it stronger?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm done writing for now. my time is almost up and I'm not going to try and write on my phone. no way in hell.
