Sympathy and Comfort

She'd seen something she'd never wanted to see. Never. It was something horrifying to her. Terrible. Horrid. And it made tears sting at her eyes. She took deep breaths and stumbled away from the still squirming creature, her hands shaking from the sight of it. A car, which had not slowed down, ran a poor raccoon over. She yelled out for her healer, the one who usually traveled with her. They came running, worried she was wounded, but stopped when they saw her practically collapsed on the ground, her hands clutching her messy hair. They stared and rose their eyebrow, waiting for her to say something.

"The..." she took in a deep breath and steadied herself. "The raccoon behind me got hurt." She looked up and clutched the healer's hand. "Please, can you heal it?" She asked, the healer cracking a smile, their shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "It has babies." she pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks. The healer stopped, silently sighed, and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

They made gestures with their hands, sign language, saying, "Sorina... I'm not even that decent of a healer. I can heal its cuts and maybe ease the pain, but that's all. Broken bones will stay broken." Those hands glowed a strong green and looked over her friend's shoulder to look at the raccoon. They silently sighed again and went over to it, crouching down and healing it as best as they could, as much as they could. Sorina sat there for a while before she turned around, seeing the mother raccoon calm down, still injured, but trying to get to her babies. As she was watching, her zanpakutou spoke up in her head, his voice condescending as usual, but had a hint of tenderness to it.

Why not just take it home with us? It'll die out here. He chuckled in her head, Sorina sitting up more and nodding, looking at the healer.

"Bring her back with us." She said, them turning slowly and giving her an incredulous look.

"Are you serious?" they questioned through sign language. Sorina nodded and stood, wiping her puffy eyes again. The healer healed the raccoon, this time making them drowsy so it wouldn't bite or scratch or give them rabies. They scooped them up, with a look of disgust, and opened a senkaimon. Sorina took the babies and went through the portal with the healer.

~

Once arrived at the Soul Society, the animals were taken to the Fourth Division, Sorina getting stern looks the whole way there. The healer reassured her that she'd stay there until it could be healed, or they found something to do with them. Sorina left, still upset over what she'd seen, and what might come of the small animal family. She didn't know where she was going until she was there. Her house was in front of her, dull lit as always and she wondered if she was actually home. So she knocked, afraid of her reaction once she opened the door. She stood the poking her hands together, even going through designs on her glove. It was only a few minutes but eventually the door opened and a tired looking Liz answered.

"Are you serious?" She asked, her voice tired and husky as she put her glasses on. "What're you doing here? It's late, Sori..." She said, pulling her glasses up and rubbing her eyes. But as Liz observed her more she saw the look on Sorina's face, stepping out of the way for her to come in. She did, and immediately went to the couch, knowing immediately where it was.

"I'm surprised you're home." She mumbled, her eyes getting full of tears again. "It's weird t--" Liz dropped down next to her and rose her eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" She asked, watching her closely. Sorina pressed her lips together and looked at the couch, feeling the sadness come to her again. "Sori..." She placed her hand on her leg and continued staring.

"I saw a raccoon in the human world--" she burst into tears and pressed her hands to her eyes. "It got hit by a car and hurt and I know it's so stupid to get upset about but it was so hurt and I had my healer heal it and now I don't know what to do. I'm sorry--." She was stopped by Liz who pulled her into a hug, one of her tight Liz hugs.

"Sorina... that happens all the time." She said as she pulled back with a compassionate look. "But it was nice of you to heal it."

"Y-yeah but it's still hurt and broken. It's broken beyond compare and I don't know what to do. It has babies. I just-I need to do something." Sorina mumbled and rubbed her eyes again, trying to get the image from her mind. Liz crossed her legs and grabbed Sorina's gloved hand, tapping it.

"You made this." Sorina tilted her head and listened to what she was saying. "Turn this mama raccoon into a bad ass. Half raccoon, half robot." Though she was joking, Sorina sat up and nodded, pulling Liz into a hug.

"You are a genius!" She patted her friend on the back and kissed her cheek. "Thank you." Sorina stood and made her way out of the house, going straight to her Division. She luckily got to her Captain's office just as they were leaving. "Captain, Captain, I'm starting a new project. I'll be doing it on my own, it shouldn't take too long. I'm helping a raccoon heal." She said in a huff, still panting from her run to them.

"Are you serious?" The Captain asking her with an incredulous look. Sorina nodded and placed her hands on her hips, her Captain sighing and nodding too. "Nothing longer than three days, Yazar."

~

Sorina had taken three days for the project and finished it in two, working with the raccoon the whole time. She given it a new leg and a mechanical brace that would help it do what it needed. She had made the blueprints for the animal in a few hours after she'd told her Captain about it and measured out where the raccoon needed it. But when it came time to leave her little project area, the raccoon and her babies wouldn't. So, Sorina made them a small area for them to sleep in, even designing a comfortable bed for them to sleep on. She'd gotten them food and made them a home where they'd now lived.

Others called it weird.

She called it saving lives and getting a new pet.