Continued from: Winter’s Touch: Hyourinmaru’s Wrath
As soon as the frostbite in his hands had been dealt with, Juushiro reached up with his good arm and carefully pulled the water-logged cloak from his back, hissing as the fabric pulled at the ice crusted on his wounds and reopened a few of the deeper gashes along his arm. Pulling off his haori came next, draping it over some rocks away from the cloak. The warmth of Phoenix's spot began to seep into his two remaining layers.
Tsukiro curled into a tight ball on the cave floor, not caring that the ground was made of rock, very hard, and very uncomfortable. Shivering violently, he almost appeared to be having a seizure. Wet clothes didn’t help his condition, but Tsukiro didn’t care…
Just as his eyes drifted shut, Kotaishi leaped from his sword in leopard form and jolted him awake. "No, Master! Do not fall asleep!" Kotaishi curled up against Tsukiro, warming him with his fur. "You have to stay awake until you warm up."
Tsukiro sighed as Kotaishi's warmth seeped through his wet clothes, the storm’s physical toll on him weighing him down further mentally.
"Hyorinmaru wouldn't just lash out like this,” he murmured, half conscious. “Something must have happened to Hitsugaya-taicho and Hyourinmaru is protecting him. It is the only reason… "
Starting to pull at the tie of his kimono, Captain Juushiro halted, seeing Tsukiro's shivers worsen further. He sighed. Setting his bad arm in the sleeve of his kimono for later care, Juushiro pushed back his own exhaustion and strode over to the boy and Kotaishi.
"Thank you, Kotaishi," Juushiro murmured before kneeling down beside them. "You did well." He petted the leopard with his good hand for a moment before turning to his master.
"Get up, Tsukiro Ashimitsu," Captain Ukitake ordered, tone firm, setting a hand on his shoulder. When Tsukiro started from his daze at his voice, he continued in a softer one. "You need to take some of your layers off to let the warmth get to your body."
Pain radiated from his arm and blood dripped from his sleeve; however, Juushiro continued to coax the boy.
"Lean on me if you need it, but resting without tending to your lack of warmth will only harm your captain and yourself." He removed his hand and offered it to him. "It will be painful, but it will help." The captain’s eyes narrowed. "Now, move," he ordered in the same voice once more.
Kisuke was doing the same as Juushiro had been, removing the wet clothing that he wore and laying them flat over a large rock to dry. He was down to one layer when he heard Juushiro dealing with Tsukiro. He walked over to give him a hand.
"You go tend to that arm,” he instructed quietly. “I have Tsukiro." Juushiro nodded and left. Kisuke then turned his attention to Tsukiro, helping him remove his cloak and anything else that was soaked with water.
Once the wet clothing had been removed, Tsukiro settled back into the warmth of Kotaishi's fur. He wrapped the haori he brought with him--which had somehow managed to remain mostly dry--around him, trying to stay awake.
