sirenspull_logs | A lunch date

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A lunch date

Who: Kuchiki Byakuya and Unohana Retsu
When: Monday, May 28th - noon
Where: The hospital
Summary: He's returned from the dead and reporting for ~~duty~~mommy absolution.
Warnings: Byakuya? No. Seriously.

Byakuya had stopped by and picked up a few light things - seafood salad for the pair of them, and an actual iced tea blend that was both citrusy and refreshing. He'd also brought a single lily for her, just to cheer her up.

Byakuya would never admit it, but he did not believe she took proper care of herself when so many others needed her.

However, he didn't ask the nurse to announce him. Merely said that Unohana would be going to lunch shortly. She knew he was here, no reason to announce it to the hospital.

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She would have liked to have gone to see him the moment he'd returned, but she had duty here to attend. It had been enough in the meantime to know he was back, hear that he was well.

And while true that she neglected self-care a little when there were so many others to care for, she managed it better than most other doctors. Working herself into the ground would do disfavour to her patients.

She'd just finished a round of treatment on a patient that should stabilize him for at least another two or three days, so her spirits were up when she went to meet Kuchiki-taichou for lunch, even if her face might show hints of weariness.

A soft smile touched her lips when she saw him waiting for her. He looked a little different, indicitive of him having spent time at home after his passing, but still very much himself.

"Kuchiki-taichou. It is good to finally see you well."

He hadn't taken off the kenseikan, so it was still in the 'new style'. Well, as several people still called it. But he had changed into rather informal Mortal Clothing, because wearing the haori seemed a bit much.

"Unohana-taichou." He bowed out of respect. He wouldn't have thought of not coming to see her. He'd called first, wanting a time when she had a few spare moments to speak to him, and he wouldn't be interfering with her patients. He knew how seriously he took their care - having been under her care recently.

His hand flexed because he could still feel Senbonzakura's blades cutting into his flesh....

"I have brought lunch. Outside?" Fresh air would do her good. Not that he'd say such a thing.

"Outside would be lovely."

She'd been cooped up in the hospital since dawn, honestly. And perhaps the only reason she hadn't worked the whole night through was so that she could have some time at home with Hanamura-san; she had taken responsibility for him, and so she needed to be there.

The sun felt wonderful on her face as she stepped outside; artificial light would never compare. It was quieter out here as well. There was little of the frantic bustle that had taken over inside the hospital's walls, though there were still the now-familiar ambient sounds of the Living World. Soul Society was much quieter, but the energy of the Living World was not without its charm.

"How long has it been?"

Byakuya waited for her to settle at a table before he sat across from her. Then, he pulled out their lunch, and neatly folded the bag away.

"Almost two years." He glanced up at her then away. "Rukia was made fukutaichou." Despite his objections. He didn't want to talk about that conversation with Ukitake. "Ginjou finally made contact."

Things that had to be done were done. He still didn't like them. However, his respect for Kurosaki had grown. To understand... he hadn't given the boy enough credit.

She had to smile upon hearing of Rukia's promotion. As much for the promotion itself as the fact that Ukitake-taichou would have had to overrule Kuchiki-taichou's objections. The captain of the Thirteenth disliked having to take a hard line, but having him put his foot down against Soul Society's highest-ranking noble would have been an amusing sight on its own.

She slid her own portion toward herself. "Ah. It is well-deserved, for your sister."

She sipped thoughtfull on the iced tea as she processed the rest. Kurosaki Ichigo had mentioned Ginjou upon his own arrival. One of the many secrets they'd held. How much more, she wondered, would end up revealed in the future?

But those were concerns for home. While in Siren's Port, there was nothing any of them could do to change them.

"Two years. And yet little more than a week here."

He inclined his head. He was proud of his sister. He just... didn't like it. And he'd been overruled by Ukitake of all people. He always let it slip his mind that while he was the higher ranked noble, Ukitake was the stronger taichou. Something Ukitake had reminded him of.

Gleefully.

"So Hinamori-fukutaichou said." He didn't like the discrepancy. "Have any more died?"

"The city morgues have been struggling to find room. We've not released an official death count."

Kuchiki-taichou had only been one out of over a hundred that weekend alone, much less all the days since then. A disease that preyed upon internalized guilt was something that was sure to have a high mortality rate.

It almost seemed morbid that she was able to eat while discussing the mortality rate of an epidemic, but she needed sustenance to keep going.

"Kurosaki Ichigo was admitted three days ago. He lives, but he remains in critical care."

She certainly knew how to get his attention. "Kurosaki Ichigo?" He was going to have to stop in and see the boy, because... it's Kurosaki.

To him, he'd just seen him. To know that he was sick bothered him.

"Have they found a cause?" Because when he'd... left? died? Whatever, he hadn't heard anything yet.

There were other things she knew about Kurosaki-san's condition. Like how the boy called for his mother in his fevered dreams. But it was not her place to divulge such things. He was allowed the privacy of his thoughts, if that was what he desired.

"There has been no official announcement of a cause. But internalized guilt has been said to trigger the symptoms in those that have contracted the virus. I am inclined to believe it."

She was one of the few in the medical community willing to give the idea credence. So preoccupied with the sickness of the body, many doctors refused to believe there could be a sickness of the soul. Shinigami, angels, and all manner of other creatures were falling ill and even dying; that there was a spiritual component to the disease would explain all of that.

He stopped eating for a moment. Internalized guilt? Well, he certainly had enough of that. But... enough to... yes. Hisana alone was enough. With Rukia, Kurosaki to an extent, and several other things... internalized guilt he had in spades.

"It would certainly cross the boundaries between mortal and others." He just hoped he didn't get sick again. Dying once was enough.

"Indeed. It explains much."

She didn't even question why Kuchiki-taichou's case had been strong enough to kill him, now. Of course he had internalized guilt. He internalized everything. She herself had remained largely untouched by symptoms, as she prefers to come to terms with the things that happen in her life.

Some exhaustion and a few aches here and there, but she'd been able to pass that off as overwork. And the reason she'd even felt them at all was sitting right in front of her, eating his lunch. There hadn't been much time to work through the guilt of being unable to save him.

"Hitsugaya-taichou has been suffering a rather serious case himself, though from what I've learned from the nurses, he has shown a steady improvement in the past twenty-four hours."

Already in this hospital, she had ears. She knew quite a few things that were outside her area, thanks to that.

Byakuya could probably pinpoint one big thing Hitsugaya felt guilty about and he'd made her go home and rest, instead of hovering over him. "Hinamori-fukutaichou will be glad to hear that."

He was too. Because, honestly, he didn't know if he'd be able to deal with Hinamori losing Hitsugaya. He wasn't good with grief. Not his own, not that belonging to others.

"Will he be able to return home soon?"

"A few more days, perhaps. He still needs to be under observation in the event of a relapse."

She hid a smile behind another sip of the iced tea -- it was truly quite tasty. And drinking kept her from laughing. Hitsugaya-taichou would not appreciate anyone laughing at his predicament. She'd honestly tried to get him transferred out of the pediatrics ward, but there had been no available beds.

"I can assure you that the staff in pediatrics is doing everything they can to speed his recovery."

He'd been quite the terror to the nurses, evidently. It had taken telling them to drop her name when he was particularly belligerent to get him to stop.

It wasn't nice when she did things like that. He hesitated just for a few moments before setting his tea down. Because if he took a sip now, he'd choke on it.

His eyebrow ticked up just slightly. "Pediatrics?"

Oh, that was just... He wasn't laughing. Honestly. He wasn't.

As if it weren't obvious anyhow how amused he was. But at the very least, both of them were making some effort to be respectful.

"Yes. I was unable to get him transferred to a more appropriate ward, unfortunately. They will be glad when he is stable enough to be released; word among the nurses is that he's been a trial when energetic enough."

Honestly, sometimes the words had been worse than that. And she'd stepped in when such a thing happened. Letting off steam was one thing, but she would not allow anyone to speak so ill of a patient, particularly one that was a captain of the Gotei Thirteen.

"I have no doubt." Especially since Byakuya knew how much Hitsugaya hated being called a child. To Byakuya's mind, it was one of the most immature things about him, but he never said so.

"Hinamori is ill, as well." But her, he'd ordered to stay home and rest. She didn't need to hover over Hitsugaya.

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A lunch date

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