The Doctor Will See You Now. [Shio/Midori]

The waiting room at the medical division barracks was by most standards a little lacking; Shio couldn't find any reading material, even subpar quality magazines that had been handled by hundreds or thousands of hands before him. He settled for closing his eyes and humming a tune softly to himself, counting his breaths, doing his best to let them in and out in six-second bursts. It took a small portion of his focus, barely enough to combat the anxiety, but it was enough to prevent him from getting up and pacing, or pulling at threads of clothing, or some other form of nervous habit.

It was his first 'mandatory therapy' session, and he already had a few very strong notions as to what was about to come. It wouldn't even surprise him to hear a member of the stealth division would be in attendance to ensure he couldn't lie or refuse to answer a question without suffering some manner of consequence. Midori had been understanding enough in their first visit, but that counted for little when she was in an organization like the Gotei; there were too many other fingers in the pie, too many other interests being sought here, and the time it would take to make a single nobody shinigami like him start being more open and honest? Shio couldn't imagine any captain seeing it as a meaningful investment of their energy, even one as pleasant as Midori.

You are far from any normal shinigami, Shio. Do you not recall, sweetling, how it felt once upon a time? To be the one everyone spoke of? To be the man everyone found interesting? So many nice words. Prodigy. Gifted. Brilliant. There doesn't exist in this world a nobody. Every person is as different as a candle made in part of the same batch. Though much of it may seem the same...you can always tell by looking deeply. This world is filled with fascinating people, and you are one of them.

Shio inhaled a little deeper than he should've this time, somehow struck deeply by the words of his zanpakuto spirit...perhaps because they were spoken by someone who knew him so well, who had stood by his side for such a long time. It was not at all like those who simply judged based on what they saw, and what they suspected. There was something...genuine, something intimate, about that familiarity. Something that soothed him, even now. It's entirely possible, had she not spoken out, Shio would've simply bit the bullet and left.

God, he hoped his name was called soon. He wasn't sure how long he could sit here, trying to breathe without losing his composure.