This Isn't Lupus [Noharu/Retsu]

UNOHANA RETSU | BLOODLETTER

"A mistake brought about by hubris." A simple answer to a complicated question. There was nothing to explain other than that. She did not wish to explain the details. Those did not matter in this context. "And it is something of the same reason you just gave. That mistake is part of me and my past." Retsu's hand moved and the energy followed. She would not be able to heal these wounds fully, but they were far cleaner and less tender than they were going to be.

Retsu moved to the missing arm. She wouldn't be able to heal that either. But now she knew it still needed to be cleaned of Hollow Reiryoku. She began that process. "I mostly hid the scar out of consideration for others. It is not flattering and others might find it to be disturbing to look at. People whose opinions I respected stated that I was scaring new entrants to the Division. Covering it with a braid was the solution I chose. Now, the only people I have to consider are, frankly, spoiled brats. They need to be reminded that reality isn't always pretty—especially if I have to do something as drastic as amputate."

"Are you going to try to return to active service after this? I imagine they will be more lenient on medical conditions following such a drastic loss of personnel."

Hope is a Disease

UNOHANA RETSU | BLOODLETTER

Retsu couldn't help but smiling lightly for a moment. That kind of dedication... Perhaps some of Yamamoto's spirit lived on within the newer generation. Noharu and Mizu both had some of the traits that once made the Gotei strong. Noharu's unwillingness to give up and Mizu's willingness to sacrifice. Those were traits that the Soul Society would need in the future.

And from what Noharu said, it would seem that she had made an impression on someone. Hopefully that seated officer would take the trait Noharu had to heart. Unfortunately, there was a bubble that needed to be burst—a hope that needed to be snuffed out before it could cause future problems. "You will not be able to create a replacement lung with Kidō." Retsu was very matter-of-fact. It was the same tone she gave a terminal diagnosis with. There was no need for sadness or anger. It needed to be said without emotion, for it was a fact and not a feeling.

"There was a prior attempt at doing such an operation on someone who had lung damage. The result was unsuccessful, and I was lucky to get him back to how he was before. Perhaps the Shinigami Research and Development Institute could grow a replacement organ, but they are butchers and not trained surgeons." There was a light, chuckling exhale from her nose as an amusing thought crossed her mind. "If you go with that option, at least you would not have to risk being one of Mayuri Kurotsuchi's experiments."

"Your hip should be easier to mend with a combination of Kaidō and tissue growth from the Shinigami Research and Development Institute." Retsu finished cleaning the arm and moved to the woman's waist. It was bad—but not as bad as it could have been. In fact, further inspection revealed something that furrowed her brow. She lightened the amount of energy she surveyed the wound with, The healers seemed to have done just the bare minimum to close the wound. Amateurs. "I stand corrected. This wound is something I can heal on my own. It will hurt quite a bit, so you may wish to prepare yourself." Retsu glanced at the morphine drip. Once she was given the OK to start, the torturetreatment would start.

Hope is a Disease

UNOHANA RETSU | BLOODLETTER

It quickly became evident when the drugs began to affect Noharu even without the suggestive comment. Retsu closed her eyes to visualize the area. She visualized what it should be—what it once was. That was the start to the procedure. She had to know what she was aiming towards.

This was not a soothing pain like aloe. This was a sharp, tearing pain. Hastily-healed flesh was torn away. The wound was technically re-opened while she operated, but that was the best way to fix a botched job. She had to undo everything that was done wrong. She would not be angry at the doctors. She could not be angry. Noharu might have been one of the more critical patients, but she survived thanks to their work. Retsu would fix Noharu much like she had fixed her own arm after the battle with that Hollow. She has used Minazuki's handle and a rock to break those once-broken bones just to heal them properly this time. The only difference was that Retsu did not have morphine.

The flesh and muscle seemed to grow back. It was not a complicated procedure in truth. Even though it was nothing more than a large cut, there were still connections that needed to be re-made. It wasn't regeneration, but rapid generation and overall repair. Kaidō was being mostly used to facilitate the connection of tissues, nerves, and blood vessels underneath the skin while it was held together. The bone was perhaps the worst aspect of the procedure. If Noharu hadn't taken the morphine, she would have felt cold energy moving along the bone like a scalpel. That was never a pleasant feeling.

As Retsu finished, she let out a breath. More time had passed than she realized as she glanced to the clock. "The treatment should be complete. How do you feel? It may be sensitive to touch because of the fresh flesh. And at the same time it may itch. Please do not scratch it."

Hope is a Disease

UNOHANA RETSU | BLOODLETTER

Retsu expected success. She was still proud of herself when it was such an outcome, but it was still what she expected. Excitement was usually the response. Tears were also likely. She was just glad Noharu didn't try to hug her. Those were the responses she didn't care for. Though, it would have beat the one time a patient proposed to her... That was a funny story even to her nowadays.

Retsu was, however, caught off guard and blinked. The term of excitement was added to her dictionary of ever-growing colorful slang to watch out for. Regaining her composure, she covered the area back up. "I am just glad that I was able to heal it before it became more cemented in your being, if that makes sense. Kaidō is not a be-all, end-all. And even with its limitations, there are few that come close to matching my own skill." And only one who surpasses it. Retsu didn't want to bring that pompadoured man into this. Though, it was likely they might meet again depending on how bad the situation with the Soul Cycle ended up being...

"I believe the last thing to examine would be your lung. I can not guarantee that I will be able to treat them right now, but I would still like to take a look. With your hip being in far better condition than reported, there is a chance that the condition of your lungs may differ as well."

Hope is a Disease

UNOHANA RETSU | BLOODLETTER

Perhaps there was a chance that Noharu was hitting on her. Too bad for Noharu, as Retsu was not interested in her in that manner. The only time she had ever seen people so enthusiastic about checking such areas were people that thought she was attractive. She was but one name on a surprisingly-long list. She firmly, yet gently, pushed Noharu back into the bed with one hand. It was to get her to straighten out rather than lie at an incline.

As the glow of Kaidō resumed, it was immediately apparent there was something worse here. She took but a few moments longer before hardening her expression. "...Remain still. I will need to operate immediately." Retsu popped the last of the spirit fortification pills she had brought with her. She would need that extra oomph.

In the past century, multiple advancements in Kaidō had been made. With the return (even if brief) of former Captains like Rose Otoribashi, there was also advancement in the understanding of Hollowfication. The biggest of these was identifying it. The second was stopping it. What lingered onto Noharu was the start of something worse. She could ignore the damage for now. The immediate threat was something that should have been picked up on far sooner. Whatever had infected her was nasty.

Retsu blasted the area with Kaidō—though it was more her own Reiryoku being used for healing and purification than specialized healing. She treated this like humans treated cancer in the World of the Living. The difference between the two was using a stronger Reiryoku source instead of radiation. The other difference was that this was a separate entity altogether. It fought against her. It fought against both of them.

While Retsu was blasting the Hollow's Reiryoku, her other hand went to where Noharu's Hakusui was. The first step to Kaidō was healing the person's Reiatsu. The most direct way was by flooding the Hakusui with Reiryoku. It would be painful in and of itself—like pushing too much water through a hose. It was not the most efficient nor the most painless method, but it worked faster than any other. The result of this would be Noharu's own body—her own Reiatsu and Reiryoku fighting against it too.

And by fighting it from two fronts, the Hollow's Reiryoku would shrivel and shrink into oblivion over the next few, agonizing minutes. It was overwhelmed by two sources of strong, purifying energy. Retsu removed her hands from Noharu's chest after determining the Hollow's Reiryoku was gone. She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and let out a long-held breath. "I believe I have saved you from becoming a Vizard, Noharu Asahina."

Hope is a Disease