Chapter Text
The clinic phone rang twice.
“Hello, this is Dr. Kurosaki at Kurosaki Clinic. How can I help you?”
There was silence on the line.
“Hello?”
“Isshin,” the familiar perpetually stoned voice greeted him. But this time, Kisuke Urahara sounded serious. “Masaki’s spiritual pressure disappeared around the same location as a hollow attack alert we got a few seconds ago. Ichigo seems fine. I’m sending Yoruichi to watch the twins, so get your ass to these coordinates immediately.”
Isshin herded the four-year-old girls in their room as quickly as he could without scaring them. Precisely on time, a black cat scratched at the window. “Go now,” Yoruichi growled.
Isshin jumped out the window, swinging himself down to the bushes by the patio railing, and hit the ground at a sprint.
His phone rang again. “Isshin. It’s Katagiri. Something’s wrong.”
He hung up before he could respond.
Isshin was soaked by the time he made it to the river. In the distance, he saw a bright yellow spot in the middle of the grey blur. Ichigo’s cries rang in his ears. Relief and dread flooded his chest. Ichigo was okay.
His hope raised, seeing a man in a green striped bucket hat already there, but crumpled as he caught sight of the corner of Masaki’s skirt, covered in blood and mud. He pushed his gigai to his limits, running to scoop Ichigo up in his arms. He held tight to Ichigo’s raincoat, trying to compose himself. There isn’t much difference between being a dad and a captain. You have to hold it together for everyone.
He cradled Ichigo’s head into his shoulder, blocking his view of his mother.
Kisuke sighed, tipping his head up to Isshin’s gaze. He looked so old, face drawn into a frown, shaking his head. While Masaki laid there, looking so young.
He hadn’t even noticed Tessai standing beside him. He put a gentle but firm hand on Isshin’s shoulder, holding out his other arm. Isshin passed Ichigo to him, and he sank to his knees next to his wife.
He wiped the mud off her face as best he could, combing her tangled hair behind her ear.
And he cried.
The phone rang. Karakura General Hospital popped up on the caller ID.
Isshin put the phone to his ear.
“Isshin?”
“Ryuken.”
“She’s. . . here now. I promise I’ll take care of her. I’ll call you with the autopsy results as soon as I can. I will find out what happened.”
“You know I will.”