Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Prize of Victory 2
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
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Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story
Chapter List
- 9
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Full Ward

�It always comes down in sheets when it rains,� Unohana sighed sadly as she picked up the latest chart to come to her attention even as two of her Division members wheeled the patient down the hall, the white sheets already stained red with the victim�s blood.

First, Gin�s pneumonia had flared up, thanks to having spent the day washing bed sheets outside in the cold weather. She�d been less than pleased to come home to find him shivering in his cubby with a high fever and coughs wracking his too-skinny frame.

Then, after she got him settled in comfortably at the 4th, Ggio had been dragged in by Ayasegawa Yumichika, both of them in rough shape, Ggio more so than Yumichika. The first seemed to have come down with a particularly nasty case of the flu on top of some injuries that hadn�t been given proper treatment. The second had taken a hard riding, since Ggio was unfit to share their master�s �attentions.� Yumichika�s injuries weren�t all that terrible, but Unohana made sure to give him a jar of the miracle cream Szayel had devised for dealing with such things.

After she got the antiviral IV drip going for Ggio, with Yumichika and Soi Fon standing silent vigil over the sick Arrancar, a panicked Tesra carried Tatsuki through the front doors, the front of his white uniform tainted red with blood. They�d been practicing swordsmanship when a loose pebble had slipped out from under Tatsuki�s foot, resulting in Tesra�s swing putting a deep gash across her shoulder blade, and a sprained ankle. The Arrancar was distraught about the fact he�d harmed his mate while Tatsuki, thankfully, seemed to be taking the whole thing in stride. Even though the young human woman wore a grimace of pain on her face as one of Unohana�s staff knitted the wound closed with Kido, she kept reassuring Tesra that accidents happened and it wasn�t the first time something like that had happened to her.

The afternoon had been abnormally busy and now� now this. Several servants from the Kuchiki Estate had been brought in, one woman having had a large chunk of flesh torn from the side of her face, ear and all. She�d been in shock and Unohana had her best healers working on the woman. The rest had reiatsu poisoning, a side effect of weaker souls forced to endure exposure to large amounts of reiatsu.

However, that hadn�t been the worst of it.

Not by a long shot.

The worst of it lay motionless on the gurney before her. Kuchiki Byakuya barely breathed under the blood-stained sheets and the extent of his injuries made her want to sit down in the middle of the hallway and simply cry.

She knew Yammy tormented him, but this was enough to make her sick. She hadn�t realized he�d suffered this badly and there seemed to be no end to his injuries. Deep lacerations covered his body. His anal passage was horribly mutilated and blood was still oozed out, accompanied by semen. His nipples were raw and red from the clamps, bleeding in a few places where the metal teeth of the clips penetrated his skin. The cock ring had bitten deeply into his flesh, leaving a red, bleeding ring around his now soft shaft. It would be some time before that particular wound healed and she did not envy him when he had to urinate. She�d hesitated to order a catheter for that very reason, as it might do more damage. His hip and shoulder joints showed severe strain and spoke of having been a hairsbreadth away from dislocation. There were finger-shaped bruises on his hips and large bruises covered his ribs. The rib bones were also bruised and a few were even cracked. His jaw showed signs of having been strained; the deep welts across his checks spoke of a gag that had been tied tightly to his face. His body was covered in several deep laceration from a whip or crop and he had a hole in his shoulder, going through the shoulder bone, that looked like a rod or sword had been jabbed through him. To top it all off, he was severely dehydrated and suffering from blood loss, a deadly combination.

It horrified her to see him like this, just as it had horrified her ever time Gin had come back so injured. The difference being, of course, that Aizen knew what he was doing whereas Yammy clearly did not. Untreated, she had no doubt that Byakuya would have bled out. In fact, fifteen more minutes and it would have been too late for anyone but Orihime to have saved him, and given the poisoning of Yammy�s reiatsu in the sheer number of wounds, even that was debateable.

By the time she finally got him stabilized it was almost morning. Once she was certain he was resting as easily as was possible, she checked on her other patients. Gin was awake, shivering with fever and coughing every minute or so. He offered her a weak smile when she walked in but didn�t attempt to speak. She stayed long enough to get some warm miso soup into him before sending him to sleep with a simple Kido spell.

Ggio was sleeping deeply, as was Soi Fon, when she stepped into their room. The former Taichou sat in one of the more comfortable chairs in the room, one hand resting on her belly and the other holding one of Ggio�s. Someone had thoughtfully thrown a blanket over her shoulders and wadded up another one to provide the smaller woman with a pillow. Unohana didn�t have to look far for that �someone�. Yumichika was the only one still awake and he offered her a ghost of his once-dazzling smiles as she walked in.

�How are they doing?� she asked, keeping her voice low.

�As good as can be expected,� he sighed. �Such an ugly thing they are being forced to endure.�

�Barragan still intends on killing the child then?�

Yumichika nodded his head, a look of abhorrence on his face. She shared his hatred for the Second�s plans. Perhaps she would speak to her husband about it. She knew that several of the others were not that pleased with Barragan�s callous attitude towards the child. Perhaps she could get one of the others to adopt it after it was born.

�Please, let me know if they wake up,� she instructed him.

�I will,� he assured her.

Tesra and Tatsuki were in the next room, the two of them sharing the small bed. Tatsuki slept, curled up against Tesra�s chest with her bandaged shoulder up off the bed and the arm with her IV line wrapped around his chest. For all of Tatsuki�s bravado about the inevitability of training injuries, she�d lost a great deal of blood from her shoulder wound. Thankfully, the young human woman looked better already and would probably go home in a day or two, once Unohana was certain no infection had settled in. Bacteria didn�t tend to live long on metal and Tesra took good care of his Zanpakuto, so the chances were slim. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry as Tatsuki had landed on her shoulder and who knew what she�d picked up from the dirt on the training field.

Tesra, on the other hand, was wide awake and had a rueful expression on his face.

�She is sleeping well?� Unohana asked.

�Yes. She woke up two hours ago complaining she was thirsty and her shoulder was sore so I helped her drink the tea you provided,� he answered softly.

�That is good. Tesra-san, do not blame yourself for such accidents. As unhappy as it is for me to say it, as I dislike anyone coming to the 4th in pain, Tatsuki�s injury is the one I�m the least worried about, and the only one I�ve seen today that does not fill me with deep sorrow,� she sighed.

�Thank you, I think.�

�I will leave you two. Try and get some rest yourself Tesra-san. You will do her no good if you are unable to care for her due to your own fatigue.�

�I will try,� he hastily replied.

�See that you do.�

Unohana left the young couple and turned back towards Byakuya�s room. The sun was coming up over the horizon at this point and thankfully, the noble still slept. The longer he did so, the more his body would have time to rest.

�WHERE IS HE?� A loud voice roared from the entranceway, followed by a rush of malicious reiatsu. �Get the fuck out of my way, trash!�

Unohana was generally a gentle person, but at present, she was furious, and not just because Yammy had nearly killed Byakuya, but because he was disrupting her Division and his oppressive reiatsu posed a threat to her patients.

�Yammy Llargo, you will cease your ranting at once,� she ordered firmly as she marched into the lobby.

He turned his sneer her way, before it faltered slightly as he realized he was speaking to Aizen�s wife and a woman whose power rivalled his own. Her staff retreated as she walked closer, heading towards the patient rooms to make sure the rush of malevolent reiatsu hadn�t harmed any of the occupants.

�Where is my pet? I did not authorize for him to be taken here!� he snarled.

�Byakuya-san is recovering, and will not likely wake for days,� she answered coldly. �I recall that my husband issued orders stating that you Espada were to take good care of those you have Claimed in this time of war. Yet Kuchiki Byakuya was brought to me nearly beaten to death. I am sure my husband will be pleased to know you disobeyed him.�

She did not condone torture for any reason, but she was close to making an exception for Yammy�s sorry carcass.

�Now, if you do not leave here at once, I will remove you myself,� she said, the threat falling from her lips with ease.

�I would like to see you try,� he growled, stalking up to her with clenched, raised fists.

She made herself ready to do so, to show him why even the former Sotaichou would meekly crawl back into bed when she so much as smiled at him, but she was spared from doing so by a new voice that joined the conversation. A pity really, because she really wanted to give Yammy a piece of her mind, and her fist, and he had given her the perfect excuse to exercise some skills she hadn�t used in a long time.

�Now this is not what I expected to walk in on this morning when I came to see how your night went, my dear.�

Both of them turned to face the newcomer. Unohana bowed lightly and greeted her husband softly, while Yammy went as white as a sheet and took several steps away from her.

�Yammy, is there a good reason for raising your voice to my wife?�

�She won�t let me see my pet,� he grumbled like a spoiled child being denied a toy.

�Why is Byakuya here?� Aizen asked, turning to Unohana with a frown on his face.

�He was severely beaten and will need several days, possibly a week or more, to recover before he can be discharged. Would you like a full report on his injuries?� she asked, holding out what looked like a thick stack of papers.

Aizen�s frown deepened, which was never a good sign. Fortunately, that frown seemed to be levelled Yammy�s way.

�Did I, or did I not, specifically order you to keep your pet in functioning condition, Yammy?� Aizen asked, eyes narrowing.

�He was disobeying,� Yammy defended himself, a hint of panic in his voice.

�Are you saying he is no longer Claimed? Shall I have him executed?�

�No!�

�Are you certain Yammy? Or are you just incompetent when it comes to using your Claim?�

�I know how to use it!�

�Clearly not, if you cannot get you pet to obey a single command.�

�What command couldn�t Byakuya obey?� Unohana interjected, curious despite herself.

She knew Byakuya, and if there had been a way to obey a command and spare his staff from the suffering they�d clearly endured, he would have done so.

�His stupid sword wouldn�t talk to me,� he grumbled.

Unohana just looked at Yammy in shock, and even Aizen seemed mildly surprised.

�You beat him and raped him over something he had no control over?� she asked sharply, her anger readily apparent.

�Unohana�� Aizen warned her.

She forced her swell of enraged reiatsu to subside. Unohana was hard pressed to think of another time she�d been so furious. Upset yes, especially over the things Aizen had done to Gin, but he had never punished Gin for not doing something that was literally impossible.

�Come, Yammy, you and I need to have a little talk,� Aizen ordered. �Wait for me outside,�

If it was at all possible, Yammy went even paler. �Y�yes, Kami-sama,� he stammered, before bowing and exiting the building.

Aizen turned his attention back to his wife, taking in the shadows under her eyes and the slump in her shoulders that she simply didn�t have enough energy to hide at present. Her brief burst of adrenaline over the challenge with Yammy was gone now, leaving exhaustion in it�s wake. It had been a very long 24 hours.

�You, my dear, will go into your office and rest,� he ordered. �Unless a battle occurs tonight or an emergency arises that only you can handle, I expect you in bed. You have already shirked your duties to me enough this week.�

�As you wish,� she offered him a bow.

�Excellent. See to it that Byakuya recovers. Senbonzakura is a strong asset to the war effort and I would hate to lose that particular weapon right now.�

�I will,� she said.

Aizen moved towards her and kissed her gently on the forehead. She quelled the sudden urge to reach up and wipe away any trace of his touch.

�I know you will, my darling wife,� he smiled, before turning about and leaving.

After a moment, she felt her heart rate return to normal and she heard her staff start to filter back to their posts. She felt exhausted as the long hours and emotional upheaval finally caught up to her.

�I will be in my private chamber, resting, should anyone need me,� she informed her staff, not looking at any of them lest her carefully constructed façade of calm crumble in front of them.

�Hai Taichou, I�ll send some tea in to you in a few minutes,� her current Fukutaichou responded.

�Thank you, I would like that.�

She left the lobby and headed towards the couch in her office to get some much needed rest, but not before poking her nose in all of the rooms on her way back by. Everyone but Byakuya was awake now, the disturbance caused by Yammy�s overbearing and ugly reiatsu having woken them all. She made a point to stop in Gin�s room, if only to assure him that Aizen�s displeasure had been for another, not them. The thin, silver-haired man fell back onto the pillows in a relieved heap and that one bit of body language almost undid her composure.

Unohana bowed and opened her office door. She waited until her second-in-command brought in a small pot of tea and a cup on one of standard hospital trays and left it on her desk. She kept her calm long enough to down a cup of the stuff, recognizing some of the herbs in it as ones that would help her relax enough to sleep. Considering her state of exhaustion, it might have been a bit of overkill on the part of her subordinate, but it was nice to know that someone who actually cared about her well-being had paid attention. Then she stretched out on the couch and slowly let her tranquil mask fall away, until all of the misery she�d witnessed overnight could be read on her face and in the tears that trickled down her cheeks to disappear into the upholstery as she cried herself to into a fitful sleep.

�Really, Tatsuki-chan, a rock?� Orihime exclaimed, shaking her head in exasperation.

�Yeah, don�t pretend it�s never happened to you. As I recall, you used to be quite the klutz!� Tatsuki huffed.

Orihime giggled as her golden shield surrounded her childhood friend. Within minutes, the gash was gone, leaving Tatsuki�s shoulder stiff, but fully-healed.

�There,� Orihime smiled happily. �Why didn�t you come see me when it happened?�

�It wasn�t a big deal, and judging by the reiatsu storm going on, you were otherwise engaged.� Tatsuki answered as she worked her upper arm to try to stretch the connecting muscle.

�Oh, right,� Orihime blushed a lovely shade of crimson and had the good grace to seem embarrassed.

Tatsuki ceased moving her arm for a moment while Tesra removed the tape and stitches that had been used to pull her slashed up shoulder back together again. Her flesh was once more whole, looking as if she had never been wounded.

�Excellent job as always, Orihime-chan!� Tatsuki said with a grin. �Now that that�s out of the way, who�s up for a sparring session?�

Tesra gave his mate an odd look before shaking his head and pulling her flush against him. Tatsuki didn�t resist and let him nestle against her, relaxing comfortably in his arms as he held her like a drowning man.

�I was so worried about you,� he murmured into her hair. �When I saw the fountain of blood�� he shivered and swallowed the rest, unable to continue.

�I am fine,� she assured him, sounding a little testy. �Now stop that or you�ll have me crying, and I don�t like crying,� she told him, although her voice did waver a bit. �Now, about that training��

�I would love to Tatsuki-chan, but I agreed to help heal as many as I could before the next battle,� Orihime sighed. �What about Rangiku? Now that the Defence Net is down is Nnoitra-san letting her train again?�

�Yes, but we have been training together for so long now that there really isn�t much more we can learn from each other. We have trained together so long now that our regimen is stagnant and we need fresh blood. I heard yours tastes good, if Ulquiorra�s moans are anything to go by,� Tatsuki sent her childhood friend a lecherous smirk.

Orihime�s blush deepened by a few shades of pink and she stuttered for a moment before regaining her composure.

�Well, what about Lilinette-chan?� she suggested. �She trained with us for a little while, remember? Oh, and Hana-chan too, but she might be too busy with work now that she�s a Shinigami.�

�Those are good possibilities,� Tatsuki agreed. �Anyhow, we should probably leave and give up the room and bed for someone who needs it more than I do.�

�And I should go help the next person.� Orihime sighed. �I�ll try and stop by if I finish here at a reasonable time.�

�Here�s hoping.�

Tatsuki jumped from the bed and stretched before heading for the door, Tesra by her side. The training conundrum was starting to get to her. As she had told Orihime, she and Rangiku had almost exhausted every avenue they had to work with and were really only keeping it up to stay in shape. Rangiku especially fussed over having been forced into a house-wife situation where the only exercise she truly got was doing the household chores. Lately she had been whining about weight gain. Tatsuki had taken one look at her figure and thought her friend was just being paranoid.

They passed by one of the other active Divisions on their way towards the main gate that would let them out into the 1st District where most of the Espada and a good number of Numeros had claimed land. She paused, listening to the sounds of a weapons drill coming from behind the wall.

�Hey, Tesra?�

�Hmm?�

�What would you think if I started hanging around Karin and her Division, you know, for the sake of training? I am not thinking about becoming a Shinigami, but getting in on some weapons classes might help me get better. They�d also allow me to learn something more than what I can get from Rangiku right now� she explained. Tesra came to a standstill, as if giving her idea some thought, then nodded.

�If that is what you desire,� he agreed.

�Then I�ll look into it tomorrow,� she said before continuing onwards towards the main gate.

Ajuga was in a foul mood as she stormed through the 4th Division for the second time that day. She had arrived earlier in the afternoon to request some supplies. Szayel had run out of formaldehyde and needed a few things for the dissection as well. She had barely been through the doors when she had caught the scent of Byakuya�s blood, as well as Gin�s scent, which sent a warning jolt of adrenaline through her system. He had told her long ago that he wasn�t permitted to leave the Palace except on special occasions.

She didn�t like what �special occasion� might mean this time around for Gin.

She�d rushed to Byakuya�s room first, startling nurses as she went. He was in rough shape and she felt an overwhelming urge to kill Yammy, one she barely managed to keep in check. He was unconscious, his body hooked up to several machines. It reminded her far too much of the times �take-ji had been similarly tethered and she grabbed his chart at the end of the bed, understanding most of it because of the many times Jushiro had been taken here for a respite from his illness.

�Excuse me, but you shouldn�t be in here. Kuchiki-sama needs his rest and isn�t to be disturbed,� a soft voice spoke from the door.

Ajuga turned a nasty glare on the nurse, who squeaked and ran when she realized she�d pissed off an Arrancar, not just some concerned Shinigami from the 2nd Division. Ajuga ignored her and set the chart back down before taking one limp, pale hand in hers, shocked at how cold it felt.

�Oh Bya-san,� she whispered. �Would that I could do something, but even if I was strong enough to take him on, Aizen,� she spat the name, �would just step in anyway and Yammy might use the Claim to make you fight me too,� she sighed.

Aizen had forbidden them from fighting over Claiming rights, and any fight on Byakuya�s half would fall under such a category. Ajuga truly hated Aizen, a hate that she did her best to hide as best she could. She�d seen Aizen�s cruelty up close when she�d watched him strip the flesh from Gin�s back over something as stupid as wet tiles in a bathroom and a little bit of broken glass. She still had nightmares over it sometimes, although she told her mother when she asked that it was simply dreams of a hunt gone wrong.

�Ajuga-chan,� another soft voice from the door called, but this one was familiar and welcomed.

�Will Bya-san be okay?� she asked, not looking up.

�It will take some time, but he will recover,� Unohana assured her as the elderly woman joined her at the bedside.

�He�s so cold,� Ajuga whispered.

�He lost a great deal of blood. A chilled body is usually a side effect of exsanguination. He will recover, but it will take some time.�

�Orihime-neesan could fix him.�

�Probably, but doing so would just return him to Yammy sooner. It would be best to let him recover on his own.�

Ajuga nodded her head in agreement before forcing herself to stand up and leave the room, the only sound that of the machinery. Unohana had remained in the room, picking up the chart and recording the next set of vitals. Ajuga took that time to follow the other scent she had caught at the door: Gin�s.

She found him in a room in a secluded wing. He was sleeping as well, but unlike Byakuya he only smelled of sickness and the only thing he had attached to him was an IV line. She had ducked out, got the formaldehyde Szayel had asked for, ran it back to him and told him she had something she had to do and didn�t know when she would be back, before bolting. Now she was storming down the halls for the second time that day, heading for Gin�s room first. He was awake now, if �awake� meant �flat on one�s back with one�s eyes half-open.�

�Ajuga-chan?�

Gin�s voice sounded terribly weak

�I brought you something to eat. I know the food here ain�t bad, but it gets boring after a while,� she chuckled, covering her anger at his condition with as much cheer as she could muster. Ajuga set the paper bag down she carried on the table in front of him. �I still have no idea how you could like these things,� she commented as she made a disgusted face.

�Ya should�na be here,� he commented, but he did pick up the bag with a hand that showed just how tired and worn down he was and his blue eyes lit up when he saw what it contained. �Ya remembered!� he weakly exclaimed, surprised.

�How could I forget? I swear I can still taste the damn thing� she shivered and stuck her tongue out. �You should be eating miso soup, but Mama always said one has to heal the soul and the body.�

Gin probably would have said something, but his mouth was full as he took a large bite out of the dried persimmon he cradled. It was as if the persimmons were very fruit of life and he hadn�t eaten in a year. Ajuga took the opportunity to bow to him.

�I am sorry I haven�t been by to visit as much lately,� she apologized. �You must get lonely being stuck in that room all day by yourself.�

�S� not so bad. Unohana is there ev�ry evening an� she�s a�ways nice ta me.�

�You�re a terrible liar,� she declared, her voice flat. �Not about Unohana-san being nice, but the other part.�

�Really? I use �ta be really good at it,� he offered her a bittersweet smile, his eyes closed.

�Well, you suck at it now,� she snorted.

They sat in companionable silence for a bit while Gin finished the treat he was working on plus one more. She�d managed to continue her odd visits to the Palace, despite her promise to Hana-chan. Ajuga just couldn�t leave him to suffer alone, plus she got a thrill out of the danger that sneaking in and out of Aizen�s Palace brought her. She knew her mother would have a meltdown if Karin ever found out. Somehow, she also knew her father would appreciate and approve of the invasion into Kami�s sanctuary, although he would probably chew her out anyway for appearances sake. Her father loved her mother too much to risk having sex withheld.

�So, how long are you going to be here?� Ajuga asked after he finished his third one.

�I dun know. A day or two, at minimum�� he answered brokenly.

�I guess it�s a good thing Orihime-neesan can�t cure sickness, hmm?� Ajuga commented. �Although, if she could, than �take-ji would be in full health.�

�How is Ukitake-san?� Gin asked.

�He�s doing much better. The drugs Mama got him started on are keeping the TuberLocust under control. It still flares up if he�s too stressed out, but otherwise he�s the picture of health� she answered. He seemed relieved about that.

�Have you seen Rangiku?�

This time the man�s voice was very quiet and tinged with worry.

�Not lately, I should probably visit her and �tsuki-neechan,� Ajuga mused thoughtfully. �It�s been busy with the battles, although Mama gets upset that I keep participating,� she sighed in annoyance. �Anyhow, they were both fine last time I saw them, maybe a bit stir crazy because Nnoitra still keeps her locked up in the house all day. �tsuki-neechan tries to spend as much time there as she can with Tesra-niisan.�

�It�s good she has a friend,� he smiled weakly.

�Yeah,� Ajuga agreed. �But you should probably get some more sleep,� Ajuga commented. �If Unohana-Taichou finds out I�ve been keeping you up she might not let me see Bya-san.�

�Hmm,� he agreed, eyes already drifting shut again before he bolted awake. �Byakuya�s here?�

The look on his face made Ajuga want to kick herself for opening her mouth. What was done was done, however. She sighed and tried to keep her explanation brief.

�Yammy hurt him really bad. Unohana-Taichou seemed really upset over it too. He�s hooked up to a lot of machines right now but he�s stable� she answered with a growl.

Ajuga forced her temper to cool before she did something rash. Instead, she persuaded Gin to lie back down and tucked the covers around his shoulders. She had learned her lesson about keeping her temper under control over issues like this when she had shredded her mother�s arms the night Aizen had nearly blinded Jushiro. She never wanted to hurt a friend or family member like that again. As Starrk had coldly pointed out to her afterwards, she was lucky her claws hadn�t hit a major artery or her mother might not have survived.

At the time she�d been upset, but now she recalled the little talk Starrk had had with her, once she calmed down a bit, about restraining oneself least she hurt others around her. He was their little pack�s Alpha, albeit a lazy one that let her Papa run the joint. She knew better than to disobey or truly challenge him. Therefore, as hard and as difficult as it was, she curbed her instincts, all of which screamed out to her to maim and destroy Yammy Llargo in a way worse than what she had once wanted to do to Aizen for hurting �take-ji.

�You need to rest,� she chided Gin, pulling the coverlet up.

�Hai, hai�� he agreed, but she could tell he was worried.

�I�ll let you know how he�s doing when I see you again, okay?� she offered.

�I would like that, thank you, Ajuga-chan.�

�No problem,� she smiled.

With Gin seen too, she returned to Byakuya�s room. She was happy to see some of the machines had been removed and he was looking a little healthier. She could feel trace levels of Orihime�s reiatsu near the bed, indicating that Unohana had probably asked Ulquiorra�s mate to tend to the worse of the injuries, which meant that even though the healer wanted Byakuya to take as much time here to heal, the extent of the damage to her calligraphy teacher had been graver than initially thought. It was one thing to delay Byakuya�s full recovery to keep him out of Yammy�s hands as long as possible; it was another to leave him in critical condition.

Ajuga sat down in the spare chair and took one pale hand into her own. It was still cold but at least it sounded like he was breathing easier and it was a lot quieter in the room without all the equipment running. She held his hand for some time before her back started to cramp from leaning forward.

She gently replaced his hand under the blankets before standing up. At the nearest Nurses� Station, she asked for some blank paper and a calligraphy set. Since all of the Divisions still used the old ink, brush and ink wells for their reports, it was easy to procure one. She returned to Byakuya�s room, laid out the paper on the small desk by his bed, got the ink well going, and stared at the blank sheet of paper for some time before finally dipping the brush into the ink and setting to work.

She paused when Unohana came in to check on Byakuya. Ajuga could smell the salt water on her indicating she�d been crying at some point today. Ajuga didn�t blame her. What Yammy had done to Byakuya almost had her in tears and the only thing holding her back was the disgustingly, uncomfortable knowledge that Yammy was stronger than her and still had a free Claim slot. She did not want to entertain the thought of picking a fight she wasn�t sure she could win outright and quickly brushed it aside.

�Ajuga, I didn�t realize you were still here,� Unohana commented.

�Sorry. I assure you I have just been sitting here keeping him company. Unfortunately, I know the drill.�

�It�s quite alright. I think Byakuya-san would appreciate the company, even though he would never say so� Unohana assured her. �I do have to ask you to leave for now though while I check him over and run a few tests. I have not been authorized by his family to share his condition with outsiders.�

Unohana sounded apologetic about this.

�That�s okay. I wanted to check up on another friend anyway� Ajuga assured her. �Will it be okay if I return once you�re done� for a little while?�

�Of course,� Unohana offered her a small smile.

�I�ll be back in an hour or so then.�

Ajuga left her things on the table and walked back down the corridors to Gin�s room. He was sleeping and she left him to it. She did leave him a note though, letting him know she had checked in on him and that Byakuya was all right. She added that she would check on Rangiku-neechan for him as well. With an hour to kill, she left for Tatsuki and Tesra�s house. If she was lucky, they would be there and she could ask Tatsuki how Rangiku was doing. It wasn�t that Ajuga necessarily feared Nnoitra but she wasn�t exactly on friendly terms with him either and it was best to avoid situations that could lead to trouble.

Hi all. I have gone back to work and have been very sick on top of it, so this is a quick update. Still only halfway through the next Real King chapter, no ETA on that one I am afraid. One of the girls at work is beyond very sick and I had to pick up all of her shifts since only a few of us are trained and certified to do what needs to be done. So add being bone tired on top of it.

Thank you everyone who reviewed, I appreciate it. The darker chapters always receive the least amount of feed back I find.

Next Chapter: Yammy gets a bit of punishment, Karin is giving a mission, and Renji begins to lose some of his detest towards Szayel.

This weeks questions: if you could have anyone�s Resurreccion, whose would it be? There are some good ones, and it�s honestly a hard choice, but maybe I would go with Starrk�s. A large pack of wolves and duel pistols that shoot Cero�s! Epic.
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Prize of Victory 2	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > General Views: 56251 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story

Prize of Victory 2