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Disclaimer: I certainly DON'T own Bleach and it most certainly owns me.

Chapter 8 - Disastrous Hanami Celebration

The sun had not really gotten up yet and you could still see the stars, but only faintly. This special day they were all standing outside the clinic and they were all deeply in thoughts about the minor problem that was before them.
"Okay. This is how I think we do. Abarai-san will sit in the front and Ichigo and the girls back. It will be tight back there and Yuzu and Karin will have to share seatbelt. But I see no other solution to this."
Isshin's answered with some nods and then they began to take their place in the car. Ichigo did not only end up alone in the backseat. He ended up with his sisters on his right side and Rukia on his left side. This was going to be a long trip.
The whole trip there were talking and giggling and even more girlish talking in the backseat and Ichigo felt how he was almost going insane. When they finally arrived at their destination, Ichigo escaped the car as if it was on fire.
"What's the matter, Ichigo?"
Rukia looked puzzled. Ichigo gazed with burning hate at her. Then he snorted and turned away. This cause a wave of laughing among the girls and even a little smile on Renji's lips. Isshin picked out some picnic baskets out of the trunk and handed one to Ichigo and one to Renji.
"Alright then. It's just about one hour walk that way."
He pointed toward the woods. Ichigo sighed.
"Normal people celebrate Hanami in city parks. Not in the middle of the forest."
"Stop complaining Ichigo," Rukia said and fluttered with her eyelashes. "The parks will be packed with people. Here there will probably be just us."
"Yeah. And it is always a pleasure spending time with you," Ichigo whispered sarcastically under his breath.
"Did you say something?"
"No."
Renji smiled. The scene was laughable, but he didn't want to risk his life. They started their walk and after about an hour of walking they where there. The scene before them was quite beautiful. In the middle of the forest was a glade were a couple of cherry trees blossomed. And the air was filled with white and pink flower petals and a sweet scent.
"Whoaaaaa! This place is wonderful!"
Rukia stretched her arms out and ran away and danced among the falling flower petals. Yuzu followed her example. The scene made Isshin smile and then he went of to find a good place to sit, where they could eat their lunches without having to fence of to many falling flower petals.


After they had their lunches, Isshin and Ichigo's sisters went of to play some soccer. Ichigo, Renji and Rukia decided to go for a walk. Rukia ran ahead and picked flowers along the road.
"She's really a mystery that girl. It's like there's two people living inside of her."
"Only two?"
Ichigo laughed. That was true. She seemed to have several personalities, all depending on her mood.
"You got cherry-blossom in your hair."
Renji picked out a few petals from Ichigo's hair.
"And you think that you're free from them?"
Ichigo picked one from Renji's hair and smirked.
"They're everywhere."
"Yeah."
They looked up ahead and saw Rukia still fully involved in the flower picking.
"What is she going to do with all those flowers?"
Ichigo shrugged his shoulders.
"Who knows?"
He snuck his hand into Renji's slightly larger one and hand in hand they kept walking.


The day had passed quite quickly, but they had really had fun. And as they sat in the car on the way home, it was hard for them to keep their eyes open. Rukia was the first one to drift of to sleep. She had leaned her head against Ichigo's shoulder and was sleeping deeply. The next one had been Yuzu and shortly after that Karin. Once more Ichigo felt slightly uncomfortable, with Rukia's head on one shoulder and Yuzu's on the other. Though this was far better then the endless girl-talk. Renji turned to look at the scene.
"Do you have any idea on how jealous I am on Rukia right now?"
Ichigo smirked and kissed Rukia lightly on her forehead, looking at Renji in the corner of his eyes.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
Renji pouted and got a hurt look in his eyes. Ichigo laughed silently. Renji pouted even more and turned his face toward the front window.
"You two-faced brat!"
Ichigo laughed even more and felt how this day was just perfect. Everything was perfect. He wanted to stay in this moment forever.
Suddenly Isshin made a sharp turn. The wheels squealed sharply and woke up the sleeping girls. The last thing Ichigo saw, was the lights of the other car, which came racing at them and the last thing he heard was Yuzu's voice as she screamed in fear.


Renji opened his eyes slowly. There was an endless ringing in his head and his whole body felt like it had been dropped form a five-storey building. When his eyes had gotten used to looking he noticed that he was still sitting in the car, but they had stopped. Then he noticed that the front window was cracked, but still in place. He turned and looked and found Isshin unconscious with his head on the steering wheel and blood running down his face.
"What the hell?"
He turned quickly to look at the backseat. He saw that the whole left side of the car was completely smashed. Rukia was pushed up against Ichigo in an unnatural position and there was blood everywhere. On her face, on her clothes, on Ichigo's clothes and on the window.
"Rukia..." Renji whispered.
Ichigo looked pretty much okay, except for a huge cut over his whole forehead, and he was also unconscious. His sisters seemed fine. He looked at Rukia again. "This isn't good."
He removed his seatbelt and was just about to open the door, when he realized that his right arm didn't move at all and the pain was excruciating. He opened the door with his left hand and then pushed it open. Once it was open he stepped outside and it took him quite the while to stand without having to hold on to something. He looked around and ten meters away was another car, which had its front all smashed up. "Shit! I've got to find a phone."
Then he smelled something. It took him a while to figure out that it was the smell of burning gasoline.
"Shit! This is not good!"
He ran to the other side and first he tried to open the left backdoor, but that was impossible. He moved on to the front door and with much force, he got it open. He shook Isshin gently and when there was no reply, he removed Isshin's seatbelt, put his left arm around Isshin's waist and dragged him out of the car. When he placed Isshin on a safe distance from the car, he ran to the other side and opened the right backdoor. If Karin hadn't been fastened by the seat belt, she would've fallen out once the door opened. Renji shook her a little, but go the same response as he had gotten with Isshin. Then he removed the seatbelt, which had been the lifeline for both the sisters. When he did that, Yuzu opened her eyes. At first she acted as though she was waking up from a long sleep. Then she looked around and her face twisted in fear.
"Oni-san? Karin?"
Her eyes widened in panic and she started shaking Ichigo quite roughly.
"Oni-san! Oni-san!"
Renji put a hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at him.
"We have to get everyone out. My arm is broken, so I could use some help."
Yuzu nodded, but the panic was still present in her eyes. Renji smiled weakly and hoped that it would calm her down a little.
"Thanks. I'm going to put my arm around your sister's waist, and if you could grab her feet..."
Yuzu nodded and together they lifted Karin out of the car and placed her next to Isshin. When Yuzu saw her father laying there unconscious, her whole body turned into ice.
"Dad? No..."
"Don't worry. He's still breathing. I don't think..."
Renji's voice faded out. The pain and panic in Yuzu's face was enough to silence anyone. He left her with her sister and father. There was still two more left in the car. He climbed into the backseat and loosened Ichigo from the seatbelt. He took a firm grip around Ichigo's waist and half-dragged, half-lifted him out of the car. Once outside he found that Yuzu had come to help him again. She lifted Ichigo's feet from the ground.
"Thanks."
They lifted Ichigo and put him down next to the others.
"Abarai-san! Look!"
Yuzu pointed at the front of the car. Smoke was coming from the front seat.
"Fuck! We'll have to get Rukia out, quick!"
They hurried back to the backseat. Renji put his hand on Rukia's neck and searched for her pulse. When he found it, he sighed in relief. Then he carefully removed her seatbelt and grabbed her by the waist. Once outside of the car, Yuzu was there to help him once again. When they'd put Rukia down next to the others, Renji went to check on the other car. The driver was unconscious with her head against the window. Just like Isshin she had blood running down her face. In the back seat there were two small boys, around five and seven of age.
"Crap!"
He opened the front door and shook the woman gently. Her eyes twitched and then they opened. She stared in front of her and then she tried to focus her eyes on Renji.
"Are you alright?"
"Wha...? Who are...?"
The woman put one hand to her forehead. Then she suddenly turned and looked at the two boys in the back.
"Kevin! Mark!"
She quickly removed her seatbelt and rushed to the backseat.
"Wake up! Please! Don't take them away from me!"
She shook them roughly and they opened their eyes.
"Mommy..."
The woman started crying and embraced the two boys.
"E-excuse me, but I really need to call after an ambulance. Do you have a cellphone?"
The woman looked at Renji.
"An ambulance? Did something happen?"
"You don't remember?"
The woman shook her head, but it seemed like she was about to remember.
"I remembered that the breaks stopped working. And then there was a light. An other car."
She shook her head once more as her memory slowly returned.
"Oh no. Oh my god. We... no please."
"I don't mean to be rude, but I really need to call for an ambulance. My friend is seriously wounded."
"Oh, yes. A cellphone... cellphone..."
The woman began searching in the front seat. She came back out and handed Renji the phone.
"Uhh... Where exactly are we?"
The woman went back inside and came back with a map. She pointed out on the map were she thought they were and Renji made the call.


Later at the hospital, when Renji had gotten his arm patched up, he sat in the waiting room with Yuzu. She had no bandages or anything, but her eyes where red from crying. Renji wished that he knew what to say to calm her down. But he didn't know such thing, so he kept his mouth shut.
After about an hour of waiting Ichigo came walking down the hall. He had a few stitches in his forehead, but other then that there was nothing. Yuzu quickly got to her feet and ran to embrace her brother.
"Oni-san!"
Ichigo hugged her back, but fixed his eyes on Renji.
"Are you alright? You got quite the injury there."
"Yeah. I'm fine. Nice stitches."
Ichigo smirked, but only shortly.
"What about the others?"
Renji shrugged his shoulders.
"Haven't heard anything yet. But your other sister seemed alright, except for the fact that she was unconscious. You father had some bruises and maybe a broken arm or so. But Rukia..."
Renji turned his face to the ground.
"What about Rukia?"
"She got some serious injuries. I mean... I've seen blood and dead people and all that, but this was different... She's my best friend!"
"Dead people? Renji you're making no sense. What are you trying...? No..."
Ichigo shook his head.
"No! Tell me it isn't true!"
Renji started shaking. Ichigo let go of his sister and embraced Renji instead.
"I... I don't know anything. She was alive at the scene of the accident, but... All that blood... and she was barely breathing... Ichigo, I'm scared..."
"Renji..."
Renji buried his head into Ichigo's shoulder. He didn't want to cry. Didn't want to seem weak. But he couldn't fight the tears, which had been building up ever since he had seen Rukia covered in blood in the backseat. Ichigo held him closer.
"It will be alright. Everything will be alright."
Ichigo didn't know whether he said it to calm down Renji or himself.


Soon Karin joined them. She had been quite lucky, with just a sprained shoulder and a few bruises. Just minutes after came Isshin with his head and left arm packed in. the only one missing now was Rukia. And as time went by, they got more and more worried. Renji never let go of Ichigo's hand. Just the thought of it scared Renji. Right now Ichigo was his rock. He knew that he wouldn't be able to sit here alone and wait like this.
Several hours after they'd arrived to the hospital a doctor finally came up to talk to them.
"You're the ones from the car crash, right?"
"Yes," Renji, Ichigo and Isshin answered simultaneously.
"Okay..."
"How is she?"
"She's stable. Her left arm is broken and so are two of her left ribs. The blow to the head caused a mild concussion. But as long as she wakes up in a day or two, she should be fine."
"What do you mean?"
"We're not really sure about the concussion. It could be larger then we think and there is a chance that she won't wake up. But she should wake up. I've seen this hundreds of times. They usually wake up. There's really no need to worry."
Renji felt somewhat relived, but he still worried. "What if she won't wake up?"
"She will wake up, Renji," Ichigo said when he saw Renji's worried face.
Renji nodded, but he still couldn't stop worrying. Ichigo looked at the doctor again.
"Can we see her?"
"Sure. But not everyone at once."
"It's okay," Isshin said. "I think it's just these two that really need to check that she really is okay. Go on guys. Me and the girls will wait here."
"Thank you, dad," Ichigo whispered.
"I see. Then come with me then."


Renji sat by Rukia's side and watched her breathe. Ichigo had gone to get them something to eat, but Renji wasn't sure if he'd be able to get anything down. He didn't feel even the slightest bit hungry. He looked at Rukia's closed eyes. "Come on. Wake up."
It had now been over a week and she still hadn't woken up. For every day Renji got more worried. He and Ichigo had been visiting everyday after school and they had almost lived there during the weekend. Their classmates had also stopped by for a visit. But there had been no change in Rukia's condition.
The door opened and Ichigo came in to the room, holding some sandwiches and some juice in his hands.
"How is she?"
Renji didn't even turn to look at Ichigo when he answered.
"The same."
Ichigo put down the sandwiches and juice on the table next to the bed. Then he put his arms around Renji and kissed him gently.
"I've been thinking. How comes this is happening? I mean, shouldn't she just be able to 'walk' out of her gigai and get a new one?"
"I think she hasn't been outside her gigai in a long time, and that caused her soul to get too attached to her gigai. Or at least I think that was Urahara was talking about. He said it was the same when I got sick in pneumonia."
"Okay..."
Renji sighed and took Rukia's hand in his own.
"Rukia, please. Please wake up."
Ichigo put his hand over Renji's.
"She will wake up."
"How can you be so sure? How can you be so calm? What if she doesn't wake up?"
"Renji... she will..."
"Don't say that again! I've heard it a dozen times and she hasn't woken up!"
Renji pushed of Ichigo and got up to walk around in the room.
"Renji, calm down."
"I can't! They said that she would wake up in a day or two. It's been over a week and she still hasn't woken up! All I can think of is that what if she doesn't wake up. What if she..."
"Renji..."
"How can you be so fuckin' calm? Aren't you worried?"
"Of course I am! What makes you think I'm not worried?"
"You act so calm, like everything was just like it always was."
"I'm worried, but going into panic won't help her."
"But, but..."
Ichigo got up and embraced Renji.
"She will wake up."
Renji pushed Ichigo of roughly.
"I said that I didn't want to hear those words again! What if she...?"
"Renji! Get a grip of yourself!"
"No! You don't care if she ever wakes up, do you? For all you care, she could stay in that bed forever and ever!"
"Renji, where would you get a crazy idea like that?"
"But it doesn't seem like you even care about her! Not even once have I seen you panic or even shown the slightest that you are worried. You don't care about her!"
"Renji..."
"What are the two of you fighting about now?"
Renji and Ichigo turned toward the bed. Rukia was sitting up and smiled weakly.
"Rukia!"
Renji ran to the bed and embraced her. He forgot everything about her injuries, until she groaned in pain.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I forgot."
He let her go.
"Finally you woke up," Ichigo said and squeezed her hand a little.
"Well, the two of you are so loud, I'd be amazed if someone would be able to sleep in your presence."
"You've been sleeping in our presence for more than a week now."
"A week? I've been out for more then a week? Impossible!"
"I'd say it's quite possible."
"But how can that be? What happened?"
Renji stared at her.
"You mean you don't remember the crash?"
Rukia looked puzzled.
"What crash?"
Renji's yaw dropped. Ichigo laughed and then he cleared his throat.
"On our way home from the woods, we got into a little accident."
"A little accident! You don't brake bones in a 'little' accident, Ichigo."
Renji glared at Ichigo.
"We were in an accident?"
Ichigo smiled at her.
"Yeah. I think the reason you don't remember is because you were still half asleep when it happened. You didn't have to time to figure out what was happening, before you got injured and went unconscious. Hell, I didn't even have time to think about it."
"Is everyone else okay?"
She looked at them and saw Renji's bandaged arm and the stitches in Ichigo's forehead.
"More or less. I got some glass in my face and it required some stitches. Renji broke his arm and so did my father. Karin sprained her shoulder. Yuzu was the luckiest. She only had some bruises. You took the worst damage, since you were closest to the place where the other car hit us."
"And the passengers of the other car...?"
"All fine," Renji answered.
"Okay..."
She yawned.
"I'm dead tired."
"You just woke up from sleeping for over a week! How can you be tired?"
"Dunno. I'm just tired."
She put her head on the pillow.
"I think I'll get some more of that sleep. Maybe the two of you should try that to. You look like you haven't slept for a week. Especially you Renji. You look horrible."
"Brat!"
Rukia smiled and closed her eyes. When Renji and Ichigo were sure that she was asleep again, they went to tell the doctor about her changed condition. Then they went home, and for the first time in days Renji didn't feel guilty for leaving Rukia alone in the hospital.


End of chapter 8