Damaged - Chapter 13 - Blinded

After being evaluated by Captain Unohana, Katrina was sent to her Barracks to recover. 4th Company's Barracks were too brightly lit for Katrina to take while she recovered the use of her sight.

Her hair, however, had reverted back to its usual shoulder length moppiness, prompting everyone to surmise that the length was part of her Bankai, initiated by the skewed time in the Dangai.

"Why are you being my nursemaid?" Katrina asked, irritatedly. "Don't you have work that you're supposed to be doing, Assistant Captain Kira?"

"Well, you still can't see and you're already prone to falling," Kira replied nervously. "Ukitake has captainly things to do, Rukia left to patrol in the Human World and Kiyone and Sentaro are covering for Rukia."

Katrina lifted up part of her blindfold before wincing in pain, replacing the blindfold quickly. "Seriously, you should go back to your company before you get in trouble with your Captain."

"Captain Ohtoribashi is fine with me being over here," Kira replied. "He said it was more important that you know you're not alone. Otherwise you'd become more suited to being in 3rd Company."

"Huh? Why?"

"Our company's motto is Despair."

"Oh. Well then," she said, as she sat up in her bed, drawing her knees to her chest.

"How's our patient doing?" Ukitake cheerfully asked as he stuck his head into Katrina's room, breaking the awkward silence.

"I'm doing better, Captain," Katrina answered. "It's just that my sight is taking its time to recover."

"Being in pitch darkness for what is about ten years or so can do that," Ukitake replied. "Here, give this to her, Izuru." He handed him a bag of konpeito candy. "I'll stop by later to check in on you, Katrina. Rukia should be back from patrol too."

"Okay, Captain Ukitake," Kira said, watching as the 13th Company captain walk away. "Here Katrina," holding out the bag of candy.

"Here, what?" she hissed, flailing out an arm.  "I can't see, fool."

Kira nervously chuckled as he walked over to give her the candy bag. "It's konpeito candy. Ukitake's known to push candy and stuff on people.  Especially Captain Hitsugaya."

"Really?" she asked, fumbling with the bag's strings.

"Here, let me help you," Kira said, taking back the bag and opening it for her, before giving it back. "Just don't ever let him know your birthday."

"Not that I know what mine was," she sighed, popping a candy into her mouth. "I was orphaned when I was little.  Then being an Immortal made birthdays obsolete."

Kira frowned, saddened at how bleak her previous life was. It became deathly quiet as Kira didn't know what to say in response.

"Did you leave? Oh good," Katrina finally said, knowing full well that Kira was still standing there.  

Setting the konpeito candy bag to the side, she got up, determined to show him that she didn't need someone to watch over her, only to step on the hem of her kimono.

"See??" Kira exclaimed as he caught her. "You just proved me right!"

Katrina's face flushed with both embarrassment and irritation. "Just get out of my room."

"Who's going to catch you if you fall again?"

"Out! I won't be able to sleep with you in here!"

"It's midday," Kira argued. "And I refuse to leave. I outrank you, remember?"

"ggkk...gffff..aargh!...........let go of me..."

"Fine." Kira released his hold, letting her fall to the floor with a thud.

"Kira, I'm going to kill you!"

"And I'm going to report your insubordination to Captain Ukitake," he jokingly replied, before helping her stand back up.

Unbeknownst to both Katrina and Kira, Kuchiki had returned from the Human World early and stopped by the door to Katrina's barracks with Abarai in tow. They were about to check in on Katrina when they overheard the argument inside. They both tiptoed away, covering their mouths to keep from exploding into laughter, barely making it to Kuchiki's barracks where they nearly died laughing for the rest of the day.

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Ukitake came out for an evening stroll and stopped at the sight of Kira asleep against the door frame to Katrina's barracks.  'What the...?' He thought to himself. 'He really was serious about keeping an eye over her.'

He sighed, shook his head and smiled. Hope and Despair always made for an interesting combination.   

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Hope (13th Company) & Despair (3rd Company)
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Katrina Lau © Tygerlander
Bleach characters and references © Tite Kubo
Mortal Kombat and references © Midway, Warner Brothers
Connor Macleod, Highlander, Immortals and Quickening references © Dimension Films