It was during the relaxation in the Sun Room and the prayer in the Chapel that the intercom's jingle sounded and the Head Doctor cleared his throat. It seemed he hadn't shown up to give a speech after all, and it was perhaps a joke on the patients that he had mentioned it in the first place.

"I hope everyone had some pleasant time in which to wake up! Sorry, paperwork precluded me from attending the chapel services, though I do hope I can make an appearance among the patient population sometime this coming week.

"In any case, I do believe it's time for some good eating, am I right? Ha ha ha... Today is, of course, brunch day, so we have set up in the cafeteria a delightful array of foods meant to satisfy even the most ravenous appetite. We have breakfast options such as waffles, silver dollar pancakes, french toast, sausage patties, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and toasted english muffins with which you can make a scrumptious morning sandwich. On the lunch side of things, we're offering hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, pizza, spaghetti, and fish sticks; french fries, onion rings, rice, and bread rolls are the choices for sides.

"As per usual, we're also offering an array of cereals to choose from as well as a salad bar with fresh fruits and vegetables. For drinks, we have water, milk, chocolate milk, apple juice, grape juice, and orange juice.

"And... is that it? ...Yes, I think that's it, though it is certainly a lot! I hope you enjoy the wide selection of food and don't hesitate to take seconds should you prefer.

"Remember, next shift brings to us a large number of friends and family, so report immediately to the nearest nurse if you hear your name called during the after-brunch announcement for the fullest time with your loved ones. That's all for now!"

The intercom clicked and then went silent.

Hitsugaya left the chapel no less frustrated than before. The head doctor once again had chosen not to hide his face, yet promised he would be making an appearance at some time in the near future. He didn't like being patient, but there wasn't much choice. Either the head doctor would show his face, or he wouldn't. Renji had already seen him, and knew how to find him. That was enough.

The thought of eating made him slightly nauseous as usual, but he knew he needed to get his strength up. He could either be weak and try to force his way through brunch without eating anything, or he could be smart and actually give himself something to eat. And there was rice. Rice and fruit. He took a heaping pile of rice, and grabbed as much watermelon as he could fit on his plate, then proceeded to an empty table. He scanned the room, watching for Momo. He wasn't exactly looking forward to their conversation, knowing how she'd acted yesterday; however, he knew he had to speak to her, and there was a good chance that she would show more restraint now that the drugs were out of her system.

Thoughtfully he consumed his rice and waited.

[free at the moment, pester if you wish]