50scenes, Prompt #044 -- Half
Gee, here I am posting one of these again at last, and it's a short one. Ah, well. They're only going to be as long as they need to be, after all. Keeping up with current events this time, instead of delving into the past. Retsu has got quite a bit of work to do.
Title: The Sharp Side of the Blade
Author: flowingmists
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Unohana
Prompt: #044 - Half
Wordcount: 689
Rating: PG-13
Summary: In the aftermath of the battle with Aizen, Retsu ponders the need for the skill she possesses outside of healing.
Warnings: Spoilers up to Chapter 406, some blood
Disclaimer: All characters and settings of Bleach are the property of Kubo Tite.
The Sharp Side of the Blade
Aizen was gone, and he'd left a disaster behind him. This seemed a penchant of his, anymore, though this one was far more critical than that he'd left to Soul Society when he'd departed. That one had been chaotic enough, but having so many captains and vice-captains so grievously injured and in need of attention was far worse.
Retsu stepped through the rubble on a grim search. So many needed her right now, but Sarugaki-san's condition was rather immediate, and Retsu could do little for her without finding the severed lower half of her body. Ushouda-san could stave off the girl's death while she looked, but not indefinitely.
Such an utter mess. Had she gotten here sooner, perhaps she could have prevented some of it. Retsu was not normally one to indulge in regret, but she could not help but feel a twinge of it here. She was always cleaning up after the fact. It was her primary duty, of course, but even so . . .
A piece of rubble shifted under her feet, but she managed to maintain her balance. There was still no sign of the remainder of Sarugaki-san's body. But she would find it.
So much damage to be repaired. At least most of it should be within her ability to heal, and whatever she could not handle on her own could be left to Minazuki. Not that there was a safe haven for him to bring the wounded to, with Aizen on his way back to Soul Society. But what he could facilitate in even a short amount of time would be of significant aid.
Retsu's hand strayed to the sword's hilt. Minazuki was a healing blade primarily, and the spirit was one that was not readily given to violence. Like any other sword, though, it could cut. It could injure. It could kill.
Much time had passed since she had last been forced to use her zanpakutou in such fashion. She trained constantly, but that was not the same.
She stopped when she spied a disembodied pair of legs in front of her. No disgust rippled through her at the sight; her expression remained neutral. Having spent so long in her line of work, few were the injuries that could shock her. Dismemberment was not particularly uncommon, and she had repaired these kinds of grievous wounds in the past. Even if getting cut completely in half was a bit more rare.
Gingerly, she scooped up the legs. Ichimaru's strike had been clean and precise, as she would expect from him; not even the edges of the clothing looked frayed. That kind of deft touch took a deceptive amount of skill.
She had that kind of skill, too.
Retsu turned and executed a shunpo back to Ushouda-san's barrier, Sarugaki-san's legs carefully cradled against her. She knelt beside the girl's body, and offered a calm smile to Ushouda-san.
"If you could please lower the barrier for a few moments; I will be unable to work while it remains." Her voice was soft and gentle, full of the sincere desire to help. Questions about those captains and vice-captains that had been lost a century ago could wait. Everyone here had suffered at Aizen's hand. "I promise I will do everything in my power to ensure that she lives."
Ushouda-san blinked at her and hesitated, but he ultimately complied, dropping his protective shield. Retsu wasted no time in setting to work; this was a delicate operation that necessitated speed and accuracy, else Sarugaki-san would die.
It was much like battle, truly. In fact, she often likened emergency treatments to combat; they were two things that she knew very well, and the stakes were the same.
Though were she to fight, it was entirely possible that she could prevent such injuries to begin with. Perhaps the time had come where she needed to enter the front lines as a warrior rather than a medic. Once her work here was finished, she would give the matter due consideration.
Retsu was both a healer and a fighter. Maybe it was about time to display the latter half of her ability.
Title: The Sharp Side of the Blade
Author: flowingmists
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Unohana
Prompt: #044 - Half
Wordcount: 689
Rating: PG-13
Summary: In the aftermath of the battle with Aizen, Retsu ponders the need for the skill she possesses outside of healing.
Warnings: Spoilers up to Chapter 406, some blood
Disclaimer: All characters and settings of Bleach are the property of Kubo Tite.
The Sharp Side of the Blade
Aizen was gone, and he'd left a disaster behind him. This seemed a penchant of his, anymore, though this one was far more critical than that he'd left to Soul Society when he'd departed. That one had been chaotic enough, but having so many captains and vice-captains so grievously injured and in need of attention was far worse.
Retsu stepped through the rubble on a grim search. So many needed her right now, but Sarugaki-san's condition was rather immediate, and Retsu could do little for her without finding the severed lower half of her body. Ushouda-san could stave off the girl's death while she looked, but not indefinitely.
Such an utter mess. Had she gotten here sooner, perhaps she could have prevented some of it. Retsu was not normally one to indulge in regret, but she could not help but feel a twinge of it here. She was always cleaning up after the fact. It was her primary duty, of course, but even so . . .
A piece of rubble shifted under her feet, but she managed to maintain her balance. There was still no sign of the remainder of Sarugaki-san's body. But she would find it.
So much damage to be repaired. At least most of it should be within her ability to heal, and whatever she could not handle on her own could be left to Minazuki. Not that there was a safe haven for him to bring the wounded to, with Aizen on his way back to Soul Society. But what he could facilitate in even a short amount of time would be of significant aid.
Retsu's hand strayed to the sword's hilt. Minazuki was a healing blade primarily, and the spirit was one that was not readily given to violence. Like any other sword, though, it could cut. It could injure. It could kill.
Much time had passed since she had last been forced to use her zanpakutou in such fashion. She trained constantly, but that was not the same.
She stopped when she spied a disembodied pair of legs in front of her. No disgust rippled through her at the sight; her expression remained neutral. Having spent so long in her line of work, few were the injuries that could shock her. Dismemberment was not particularly uncommon, and she had repaired these kinds of grievous wounds in the past. Even if getting cut completely in half was a bit more rare.
Gingerly, she scooped up the legs. Ichimaru's strike had been clean and precise, as she would expect from him; not even the edges of the clothing looked frayed. That kind of deft touch took a deceptive amount of skill.
She had that kind of skill, too.
Retsu turned and executed a shunpo back to Ushouda-san's barrier, Sarugaki-san's legs carefully cradled against her. She knelt beside the girl's body, and offered a calm smile to Ushouda-san.
"If you could please lower the barrier for a few moments; I will be unable to work while it remains." Her voice was soft and gentle, full of the sincere desire to help. Questions about those captains and vice-captains that had been lost a century ago could wait. Everyone here had suffered at Aizen's hand. "I promise I will do everything in my power to ensure that she lives."
Ushouda-san blinked at her and hesitated, but he ultimately complied, dropping his protective shield. Retsu wasted no time in setting to work; this was a delicate operation that necessitated speed and accuracy, else Sarugaki-san would die.
It was much like battle, truly. In fact, she often likened emergency treatments to combat; they were two things that she knew very well, and the stakes were the same.
Though were she to fight, it was entirely possible that she could prevent such injuries to begin with. Perhaps the time had come where she needed to enter the front lines as a warrior rather than a medic. Once her work here was finished, she would give the matter due consideration.
Retsu was both a healer and a fighter. Maybe it was about time to display the latter half of her ability.