THE HITS KEEP COMING

A Ticking Time Bomb

There's sounds all around Ichigo. He can't tell if they're good or bad sounds, but they hurt nonetheless. His head is swimming with nauseating pain. It's like someone stuffed him full of cotton. His movements feel sluggish as he situates himself in a slightly more comfortable position. It feels like he's laying in a bed of rocks.

His eyes open, and he finds that he can see fully. His half blindness is gone. So he wasn't mistaken when he felt his eye being pieced back together before he was pulled into his Inner World.

Everything from the last few hours of consciousness comes flying back. Ichigo bolts upright, his eyes frantically searching for any sign of life. He was ready to die in the cracked pavement where Yhwach once occupied. What happened after he passed out?

He finds himself laying on an impromptu futon of pillows stuffed inside a sheet. Either it's night out or he's tucked away in the remains of a building because it's pitch black. The warm glow of a lantern sways into his alcove. They must've heard him move.

Omor's face appears in the doorway, lantern in hand. At the sight of each other, they both sigh in great relief. Omor glances over his shoulder to call for medical assistance. Soon, the room fills with clansmen, Shinigami healers, and his sisters. The lack of wife brings a small amount of anxiety in Ichigo's chest.

"Where is she?" Ichigo asks Omor, his voice strained.

His right hand man nods like he was expecting the question. "She is in the next room."

"Is she okay?"

Omor spares a glance to the twins, who return the look with an equal amount of worry. Anxiety crawls up Ichigo's throat, and it brings a harsh cough out of him. His throat is raw and aching from his earlier asphyxiation. It brings the room to a temporary halt until a healer goes to check his neck.

"She's out of danger," Omor promises.

There's more than he's letting on. "But?" Ichigo asks.

Omor runs his tongue over his teeth as an unpleasant fact rolls around his head. "She has yet to wake up."

Ichigo grows light headed, the emotions and physical weakness being too much for him to bear. He goes limp as his mind stills in terror. What if she never wakes up?

"Your Highness!" A clansman exclaims, rushing forward to help steady Ichigo before he completely collapses. He manages to catch the sight of the Savage Clan crest on the clansman's armor as he turns back to meet Omor's eyes.

"Ichigo, you need to tell us what happened to you out there," Omor starts softly, his hands itching to help ground Ichigo.

Well, he'd need to do a lot to help because Ichigo isn't sure if he's actually awake or if he's in a fevered dream. His head is getting heavier by the second, and his throat doesn't want to cooperate anymore. He licks his lips as he takes a sickly breath.

"Hogyoku's seal broke. I lost consciousness soon after," he states.

"That's all that happened?" Omor presses.

Ichigo huffs at the irritated feeling of being interrogated. "Well, I thought I was going to choke to death on my tongue first, but that's about it."

The healers back away, and most of them wait by the door while their leader stays by Ichigo's side. He drops a couple of pills into Hell's Prince's hand. They're about the size of a fingernail and a pale green color. The healer pulls a small skin of water from his waist, and hands it over.

"Take these. They'll help the soreness in your throat go away," the healer states.

Ichigo does as told, taking a couple greedy gulps of water in the process. He gives the water skin back, and sits patiently until the healers have left his space. He needs a moment or two to collect himself and what he should do next.