Wind's Calling

Phantom

This wasn't one of her victories, her body barely dragging itself away from the giant hollow made of sand. She couldn't breath, couldn't fight against the grains that were swallowing her up. The animalistic screams that raked through her would have made her shutter had it not been her. It only made the burning worse and the injuries that bled were pricked and scraped. Then it was free floating, darkness in her vision with the occasional tendril of a tree.
This place was where she had fought the arrancar from before, where she had left it to watch his friends get eaten. How heartless had she have been as a hollow? Why did it have control of her for so long; was she just that weak? The impact with the ground left her speechless, her mind reeling from the pain that should have shattered her spine.

The hand over her eyes was shaking slightly, keeping her in the dark as an arm kept itself wrapped around her arms and stomach. (Y/n) couldn't hear anything but ringing in her ears and the hand felt familiar as she took a breath. The structure behind her was living, calm breathes making a chest rise and fall even with her pressed against it. "It's okay," the voice was low, groggy from what could have been sleep. "You're okay, little (Y/n)."
Shunsui; it was his hands and his voice that had somehow pulled her from the memory. What power did he have to do that? Why did he even bother? (Y/n) took a shaking breath before grabbing at the arm around her. This embrace felt okay, it felt nice and secure but she didn't really deserve it.
Shunsui moved his hand from over her eyes, letting her see where she was. The moon was out, the clouds blocking bits of it as she stared. Her eyes stung and her face felt damp as Shunsui wrapped his other arm around her.
"It hurts," she hiccuped finally.
"What one," he whispered. An arm moved and she closed her eyes again as his hand trailed down her back. He stopped when she flinched, a phantom pain making the spot he touched have an aching throb. "You didn't show me this one."
"The trees- it was just a fall," (Y/n) sniffled. This whole ordeal was pathetic. There wasn't always going to be someone there to stop her sleep waking or to calm her down when she woke up. His arms let go and she opened her eyes to turn and look at him only to be held still with his hands on her hips. Something soft touched her back, hesitating there before being replaced by something harder.
"Sleep here tonight," he instructed. "It's late and I don't know how I'll explain to the old man what his granddaughter was doing with me in the middle of the night." He shifted behind her, turning (Y/n) around to face him just to hold her to his chest. She didn't fight it, letting his hand settle on her lower back while he ran his fingers through her (h/c) hair.
"I'm sorry," she hiccuped. "I'll get better, I promise."
"You're good enough, little (Y/n)," Shunsui lifted her up easily, turning and waking into an open slider before laying her down on a futon. "I'll be right here, all right?"

(Y/n) awkwardly stood in front of Isane, Shunsui having left her there after asking her to get looked over. She saw her mask under the cheap hapi that dangled on his shoulders and she couldn't meet his gaze because of it. "I don't think I understand," Isane chuckled nervously. "Why does Captain Kyōraku want me to give you a physical?"
"Just do it," (Y/n) muttered. She pushed past the Lieutenant into the exams room, pulling her nightwear off as Isane closes the door.
"I need to know what's wrong," Isane's voice trailed off as (Y/n) stood still practically naked. The bra and underwear produced in the world of the living was different but it was better than being completely nude. "How did this happen?"
"It doesn't matter," (Y/n) muttered. "He's just worried."
"Yamamoto, some of these are-"
"Just do the physical," the words were more venomous than intended and (Y/n) winced. Her head hung itself as Isane gently prodded at different parts of her. The tests were easy enough, (Y/n) finding that her fighting style kept most of her body from hardening with scar tissue.
"You're not hindered by anything physically but there were some things about your reishi," Isane nodded. She had sat down after making (Y/n) sit, typing at a small screen (Y/n) couldn't read.
"My reishi should be normal for me," she stated. "It was just phantom pains, they're normal."
"Yamamoto, what happened," Isane asked.
"Hollows. Menos. You name it," (Y/n) sniffed.
"None of the reports have anything about so many injuries," Isane's voice trailed off once again, her eyes widening. "This is from when you were MIA, wasn't it?" (Y/n) stayed quiet, tired from the dreams that continued to come after her even while she was with Shunsui. Medics had to have some form of confidentiality shouldn't they? It wasn't like she'd go around and tell everyone what she was seeing. "Yamamoto-"
"(Y/n) is fine," (Y/n) interjected. She let out a sigh a moment later, getting up slowly and pulling her clothes back on. "I'm sorry for wasting your time. I'll tell Captain Kyōraku that everything is fine."
"Many of these scars are from injuries that could have killed you," Isane stood up quickly, towering over (Y/n) and putting her on edge as her heart beat faster. The woman stepped back shortly after, her hands raised to signify that she wasn't being aggressive in any way.
"I'm alive and I'm doing just fine," (Y/n) retorted. "They just mean I'm still alive."
"I still need to make a report, including how all of the scars got there," Isane shifted between (Y/n) and the door as (Y/n) tried to walk for them.
"You don't need anything," (Y/n) snapped. The door to the room opened, the women staring at Captain Unohana who had a smile on her face.
"I hope you're not causing any problems, (Y/n)," she hummed. (Y/n) clenched her jaw and rubbed her face as the Captain closed the door behind her. "Let me see."
"Captain, I respectfully refuse. Lieutenant Isane-"
"We aren't a danger to you or anyone who knows what happened. This is just something we need to know so future treatment is easier," Unohana gently placed her hand on (Y/n)'s shoulder, her smile growing a bit wider. "May I conduct my own physical while you tell us how whatever happened to you happened?"
(Y/n) felt like crying, her heart racing from the fear of what they would say to her. She didn't want to, not when suspicions were flirting about still. "I know you're scared but it was enough for Captain Shunsui to worry. Do it for him?" (Y/n) rubbed at her eyes before carefully undressing again, the words flowing like water on what she could remember. The horror was written in Isane's face the entire time she typed, Unohana feeling at the scars herself the entire time with the occasional question.
"And where did this all happen," Unohana stopped Isane from typing, her eyes open enough for (Y/n) to see the color of her irises as she shifted in her seat.
"I," she stopped at the sudden spiritual pressure in the room, fighting the urge to send hers back at Unohana. "Hueco Mundo."