"I'm telling you, Kenpachi, I didn't do anything wrong! In fact, I helped Ikkaku out. A lot!"

I struggled against the firm grip Kenpachi had on my upper arm as he dragged me towards the holding cells. Yachiru trailed behind us, defeated, with a black cloud over her head. I could tell she wasn't very happy with what I had gotten myself into and that led my thoughts to wander back to what happened the moment I had stepped through and landed myself back in the soul society.

Head Captain Yamamoto had glared at me, then pounded the ground with his staff, thundering in his voice how I was a disgraceful soul reaper, who not only disobeyed direct orders, but had put my friend's life at risk and those of the humans for my insolence.

I had tried explaining the situation, starting from the point where Ikkaku had created the whole plan, to ending with an explanation of how intelligent and powerful that 'medium- class' hollow had been. Only, the Head Captain stuck to the fact that Ikkaku had helped me all along.

Ikkaku denied the whole thing, saying I practically threatened him to take me along on the trip. Thanks for throwing me under the bus, Ikkaku.

Although, if I was in his position, with the Head Captain glaring at me with fire in his eyes and the air turning heavy, I would have pinned the blame on someone else as well.

So now, I was being carted away to the jail and Ikkaku was being reprimanded for not telling the soul society earlier that I had decided to go with him. He would have a small punishment, where I, on the other hand, had to spend two weeks in the cell, having no contact from any friends unless it was my captain or lieutenant.

"Hey Kenpachi, slow down!" I protested, just as my weary legs dropped out from underneath me.

The adrenaline from the fight and from being apprehended by the Head Captain had finished buzzing through my system. Now I just felt hollow, weak and extremely sore. I collapsed to the floor, my arm still held up by Kenpachi, who had also stopped but wouldn't turn to look down at me.

"Please be careful with her Kenpachi," Unohana stated, coming towards us. She had gone ahead to prepare some medical equipment in the jail cell for me. Her figure looked a bit blurry around the edges.

I placed a hand over my chest wound again and it came away just as bloody as it did the first time. Kenpachi merely grunted, bending down and carrying me bridal style. I didn't complain; I was actually grateful that I was being carried because my head was pounding and everything was moving in weird directions. It was miracle I had managed to walk as far as I did because I felt so close to fainting.

Entering the jail cell, which was quite wide and spacious, Kenpachi placed me on a single bed in the corner of the room before retreating into another corner. Yachiru climbed onto the bed next to me, snuggling up to my side, not at all her usual self. Lazily, I patted her head with my clean hand, the constant motion lulling me into sleep.

"Okay, Kera," Unohana's firm voice brought me back, "I'm going to need to cut open your soul reaper uniform a bit to get to the wound. We need to stitch it back up as soon as possible." My head flopped to the side so I could watch her wheel in a little table. On the top, jostling together, were needles, gauzes, thread, a pair of scissors, pieces of torn fabric and a large bottle of what looked like Ikkaku's sake.

This had me giggling slightly, before Unohana's words began to make sense. I had to strip. I threw an uneasy glance at Kenpachi; Unohana noticed this.

"Don't worry; I won't start until my lieutenant arrives with the screen I asked for."

Sure enough, her lieutenant, Isane written on a small name tag, walked in carrying a large folded screen. "Hello, Kera," she said to me, nodding briefly to her captain before setting the screen into position, blocking out Kenpachi from view.

"Hey, Yachiru," I began, my voice croaky and soft. Unohana started cutting my soul reaper uniform near my collarbones. "Would you mind staying on the other side with Kenpachi? I don't want to scare you with my big bad wound," I added in a teasing voice.

Nodding her head, she gazed up at me with tear filled eyes before sliding off the bed. Shocked, I tried to think what the tears were for; then I realised, she must have thought I was dead or that I was dying when I came in slumped on Ikkaku.

It was getting harder to breath, my vision sparking with black spots. I calmed myself, wrapping my sweating palms into the blankets. "Kera?"

"Huh?" I blinked rapidly, turning to Unohana. I heard the door close and my vision jumped to it quickly before I focused back on her. "What's wrong?"

"I've cut a square of fabric from your uniform," she said and I looked down. The rest of the uniform had been pushed away, including the remains of the crop top. All that remained was the square of fabric, blood drenching it. "This might hurt a bit." It was awkward and revealing; embarrassed, I couldn't meet Unohana's eyes, my cheeks red.

She pulled at the fabric, peeling it off slowly. It felt like a thousand ants were crawling over my skin, followed by sharp prin-pricks of pain. Air hissed out between my teeth until it was finally removed, revealing the ugly mess. The pain swept away all the awkwardness I had about being revealed and so did the sight of the wound.

The skin around it was swollen and raised around the edges, inflamed and probably infected now. The jagged nature of the scar, where it had once been straight, came from the stitches being ripped about by me fighting. Tattered skin on the edges were stuck to the wound or the skin around it by blood. With each heartbeat, more blood pulsed out and I swore I could see bone beneath all the red. I felt queasy, the feeling building in my stomach until I had to look away.

"This might sting, but I have to clean the wound," Unohana explained, just as she poured the liquid from the sake bottle onto the wound.

"Argh!" I screamed, my back arching off the bed, my hands squeezed tightly into the bed sheets. It was burning my skin; my whole chest felt like someone had lit it on fire. I must have blacked out from it all because I blinked awake to Unohana tapping my cheek.

"Are you alright, Kera?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," I croaked, trying not to move. I felt feverish, my skin clammy and hot, and it hurt to breath so I was panting in short, shallow gasps.

When I glanced at the wound, I noticed it stitched up and cleaned, the angry red sides of skin pulled by stitches to cover the gaping hole. "I took the courtesy of stitching you up while you were out."

"T-thanks," I stuttered, my hands quivering as unwound them from the bed sheets.

"Cover yourself with the blanket for now; putting bandage on might inflame it more. In about an hour, put this cream on and the bandage. Tomorrow morning, I'll be back to check on you; try to get some sleep."

Gathering her stuff up, she left and I was alone. Pulling the blanket to my chin, I felt uneasy to be uncovered like this but thankfully Unohana had left the screen in a position that blocked the view of anyone staring at the bed through the bars.

It was about early morning, according to the orange light filling the room, but my eyelids were so heavy. My body ached and I wished I could just disconnect all my limbs to make the throbbing go away.

I had to stay awake, just for another hour, so I could put the bandage on, but I was too tired. Drifting on the edge of unconsciousness, I let my dreams swallow me whole.

~

It was about the middle of the night, I guessed, when I woke. Lying still, I tried to remember why I woke up when I felt it again. My chest tickled, the feeling like ant's crawling over it and I lifted the blanket, staring down at the wound with tired eyes.

Even though the only light was the pale moonlight, I could clearly see the 'thing' on my chest. It practically glowed, considering how white it was. With my left hand, I tapped it with a quivering finger, dread filling me.

Pure, white Hollow bone was oozing from the edges of the wound, filling it up like cement being poured into a mould. It wasn't long before it had completely covered the stitches, transforming the centre of my chest back into the perfect form it was before.

What's going on? Why has Hollow bone filled my wound up?

Having a random Hollow mask appear when I went over a certain spiritual pressure threshold was bad enough. Now I had a wound that had transformed into Hollow bone.

Which lead me to my next terrifying thought: how was I supposed to hide this?

Tomorrow, Unohana was coming to check up on me and she would see it. Then she would report it; who wouldn't report something as creepy as this to the research division? If she reported it, then I would have to spill my secrets and that was something I didn't want to do.

I grabbed the bandage from the side table and wrapped it around me with shaking hands, barely able to hold onto the roll. Once it was taped securely, I stood up and began to pace, trying to come up with a plan.

"Ikari," I spoke out loud, looking for my zanpakuto.

It was standing in the corner, silent and still.

"Ikari?" No answer.

"Ikari, I need your help," I whined, kneeling down before him.

But when I went to place my hand on the hilt, a bolt of electricity hit my hand.

"Ouch!" I screeched, holding my wounded hand in disbelief.

Is Ikari rejecting me? But why? Is it because of what has happened?

Tears welled in my eyes and I crawled back to my bed, noticing that I didn't ache as much as I did before. I crawled back under the covers, holding my knees to my chest, depressed and alone.

Fear clutched my heart and I couldn't get back to sleep, sweat breaking out on my skin and my breathing became laboured, panic forming.

I didn't come out from under the blankets until oxygen became a problem. I came out gasping, relishing the slight cool air on my heated skin. A glance at the window told me it was close to morning and that Unohana would be here soon.

No! Try not to think of that; try to get some sleep and maybe you can trick her somehow.

However, the thought didn't help me at all and I was still awake by the time the door creaked open and someone came in with my breakfast.

"Kera?" Yachiru asked and I heard the metal tray scrape along the floor. "Are you awake?"

I held my breath, hoping that she wouldn't come investigate, because if she saw me awake, then she might tell Unohana.

"Kera?" I could hear the sadness in her voice, but I steeled my heart from rising and going to her.

Shortly after, I heard the door close behind her and I felt like a horrible person. But I had to put my feelings aside for I had more important things to consider.

Like how I was supposed to trick Unohana, a Squad Captain and probably someone who could see through a patient lying well before they even began.