50scenes, Prompt #022 -- Unforgiven
And I'm back! With a bit of a shorter one, though. And rather a sadder one, with Retsu's abilities not being enough. An unfortunate time for this to be so, considering just who she has failed to save.
Title: Beyond Limitations
Author: flowingmists
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Unohana, Byakuya
Prompt: #022 - Unforgiven
Word Count: 731
Rating: PG
Summary: People often remember what you can't do more than what you can.
Warnings: None
Beyond Limitations
It was no longer her place behind the screen, and she knew that. And sadly, her presence there would do no good. Retsu had done all that she could for the woman, but in the end, it was not enough to save her life. Kuchiki Hisana would spend her final moments with her husband, not with someone whom she had scarcely met. Such was proper.
Retsu stood alone in a hallway of the Kuchiki manor, hands clasped lightly in front of her. Once Hisana passed, it would be her duty to answer any questions that the family may yet have. Not that they would be happy at what those answers were, but they deserved them all the same.
A long hour passed, and Retsu had sensed Hisana's death a bare twenty minutes through. But it was not until just now that the screen slid open, and she was met with the blank countenance of Kuchiki Byakuya. In spite of how hot-tempered he had been as a child, Byakuya had grown into the stoicism that was often present in his family. If he were suppressing emotion now, Retsu would have preferred him to stop. He would do no one any favours, least of all himself, if he buried his grief.
She inclined her head respectfully. "I am deeply sorry that I was unable to help your wife, Kuchiki-sama." Though he was her fellow captain in the Gotei, she would not refer to him as such at a time like this. For the moment, he was not a distinguished captain; he was a newly-widowed man. "If there is anything you wish to ask me in regard to this matter, I will do my best to provide you with answers."
There was suddenly emotion in his eyes, hard and flinty, but otherwise his expression remained the same. "Perhaps you could see fit to explain why someone of your reputed gifts could fail at this task."
"With respect, Kuchiki-sama," she began evenly. Anyone else might have balked at his harshness, or grown angry at his insinuation. But Retsu was patient. "I, as anyone else, have my limitations. A healer I may be, but not all things can be healed."
Byakuya's face did not change, and Retsu found herself wishing that it would. A depression, a glare, any sign that he was not trying to repress his feelings. But he had become too entrenched in his family's ways, perhaps. Or maybe this was the way in which he was trying to work out his grief, foolish as that was.
"That does not answer my question." There was an edge in his voice this time, sharp as a blade. "When I sought you out, it was with the understanding that you of all people would not find this beyond your ability. It would seem that I was mistaken." Stiffly, he made a move to walk past her, not even sparing her another glance.
"Kuchiki-sama." Retsu's voice was firmer, now. He could leave afterward, but first he would hear what she had to say. And indeed, he did stop at her words, though that was the only acknowledgement that she received. "You may choose not to believe this, but I truly am sorry that I was unable to help her. No one could have. I've accepted long ago that I cannot repair everything." She fixed him with a stern look, even though he could not see it. "If you feel that blaming me will help ease your pain, then I will endure it. But I have never known someone to recover from grief only by lamenting what could not be done."
This got a reaction; Byakuya looked over his shoulder at her, eyes cold with anger. "Prepare her body as is necessary. Once you are finished, leave the premises; I do not wish to see you here again."
With that, Byakuya swept down the hall, to outside appearances the perfectly emotionless noble. But Retsu could feel the pain in his reiatsu that he refused to give weight. Rage was so much easier to deal with, after all.
Retsu sighed as she returned to Hisana's room, and knelt beside the now lifeless body. She touched a gentle hand to the young woman's cheek.
"It is easy to see how much he loves you," Retsu whispered. "So much that he will harbour ill will about this for quite some time."
Title: Beyond Limitations
Author: flowingmists
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Unohana, Byakuya
Prompt: #022 - Unforgiven
Word Count: 731
Rating: PG
Summary: People often remember what you can't do more than what you can.
Warnings: None
Beyond Limitations
It was no longer her place behind the screen, and she knew that. And sadly, her presence there would do no good. Retsu had done all that she could for the woman, but in the end, it was not enough to save her life. Kuchiki Hisana would spend her final moments with her husband, not with someone whom she had scarcely met. Such was proper.
Retsu stood alone in a hallway of the Kuchiki manor, hands clasped lightly in front of her. Once Hisana passed, it would be her duty to answer any questions that the family may yet have. Not that they would be happy at what those answers were, but they deserved them all the same.
A long hour passed, and Retsu had sensed Hisana's death a bare twenty minutes through. But it was not until just now that the screen slid open, and she was met with the blank countenance of Kuchiki Byakuya. In spite of how hot-tempered he had been as a child, Byakuya had grown into the stoicism that was often present in his family. If he were suppressing emotion now, Retsu would have preferred him to stop. He would do no one any favours, least of all himself, if he buried his grief.
She inclined her head respectfully. "I am deeply sorry that I was unable to help your wife, Kuchiki-sama." Though he was her fellow captain in the Gotei, she would not refer to him as such at a time like this. For the moment, he was not a distinguished captain; he was a newly-widowed man. "If there is anything you wish to ask me in regard to this matter, I will do my best to provide you with answers."
There was suddenly emotion in his eyes, hard and flinty, but otherwise his expression remained the same. "Perhaps you could see fit to explain why someone of your reputed gifts could fail at this task."
"With respect, Kuchiki-sama," she began evenly. Anyone else might have balked at his harshness, or grown angry at his insinuation. But Retsu was patient. "I, as anyone else, have my limitations. A healer I may be, but not all things can be healed."
Byakuya's face did not change, and Retsu found herself wishing that it would. A depression, a glare, any sign that he was not trying to repress his feelings. But he had become too entrenched in his family's ways, perhaps. Or maybe this was the way in which he was trying to work out his grief, foolish as that was.
"That does not answer my question." There was an edge in his voice this time, sharp as a blade. "When I sought you out, it was with the understanding that you of all people would not find this beyond your ability. It would seem that I was mistaken." Stiffly, he made a move to walk past her, not even sparing her another glance.
"Kuchiki-sama." Retsu's voice was firmer, now. He could leave afterward, but first he would hear what she had to say. And indeed, he did stop at her words, though that was the only acknowledgement that she received. "You may choose not to believe this, but I truly am sorry that I was unable to help her. No one could have. I've accepted long ago that I cannot repair everything." She fixed him with a stern look, even though he could not see it. "If you feel that blaming me will help ease your pain, then I will endure it. But I have never known someone to recover from grief only by lamenting what could not be done."
This got a reaction; Byakuya looked over his shoulder at her, eyes cold with anger. "Prepare her body as is necessary. Once you are finished, leave the premises; I do not wish to see you here again."
With that, Byakuya swept down the hall, to outside appearances the perfectly emotionless noble. But Retsu could feel the pain in his reiatsu that he refused to give weight. Rage was so much easier to deal with, after all.
Retsu sighed as she returned to Hisana's room, and knelt beside the now lifeless body. She touched a gentle hand to the young woman's cheek.
"It is easy to see how much he loves you," Retsu whispered. "So much that he will harbour ill will about this for quite some time."