Chapter Four

It Hurts to be a Mother

In five weeks there were dramatically fewer employees in Techra Corporation. Orihime was spared from the witch hunt of betrayal that her boss initiated right after someone tried to destroy Project Hollow. Behind closed doors, Aizen and his soldiers broke fingers, took limbs, and lives. However, society did not bother to notice that scientists and engineers were six feet under. Techra Corporation covered up its dirty little tracks.

Orihime had a day off to scatter Miyako's ashes at Ruska Canyon. She could see the sickening Mastuticlan from a far distance. The metropolis was like a black crater on the red earth. The circular city had all sorts of barriers. Visitors from the outside could see how the barrier evolved through time from primitive to modern. The gates were platinum and tall as a skyscraper. The city was literally a hole through the earth and into hell. As you go further down the city it becomes an oily jungle of slums and waterfalls of waste cascading down into the cave villages of the poor. Only the rich could live at the surface and sometimes the educated if they're lucky like her.

The mourning friend was sitting on the edge of the canyon as she slowly tossed Miyako's ashes into the wind. Orihime let the strong winds carried her friend into the sight of the rising sun. It was a magnificent sight of seeing Miyako intertwining with nature; this was probably how she would want it.

-

It took two weeks to pick out a whole new group of scientists and engineers for Project Hollow. They recruit them from the academy, the best hospitals in the city, and within Techra Corporation. It was difficult to pick who they thought it was best for the job because Orihime and Mayuri were mostly disagreeing with each other. Mayuri was hard to work because of his character and how he works. The man was egotistical, perfectionist, slave driver, overly strict, and rude but the way he knew science left Orihime speechless.

Today was the day they get back to work on Project Hollow and Mayuri gave out a speech of orders and what is to be expected. Orihime and his other assistant Nemu were by his side as he talked to the scientists.

"As in today, I am the new director of Project Hollow. We halted our progression on Project Hollow because of massive betrayals in the company but we can't waste anymore time. The sole subject did not reach its maximum potential in his cell because of what happen."

"But sir, I'm going through the charts once more and I don't understand how are we going to reach our goal when it is impossible? He has the body of a nine year old child instead of a fully developed man. The explosion set us back in his mental capabilities and the military and combat programs were all wiped out of his memory. In other words we have an imbecile in our hands. How do you expect us scientist to turn an animal into a fighting weapon let's see" he looked back in his charts and look right up to his boss "in five years?"

"I understand your concerns. I know we could reestablish the subject back into another cell and speed up the process in a year but speed could kill him now since he is awake. His conscious mind wouldn't be able to undergo the old procedure. The safe choice now is to do it manually. Instead of pumping the specific chemicals and vitamins he needs, he gets daily shots. Our programming engineers will once again slave over to inputting the programs he needed in him by head set. His mentality rate will be boosted by brain surgery. I understand this is more work but if Project Hollow doesn't progress in a year Mr. Aizen will kill you all." The whole crew went dead silent.

"Now that I got you motivated, I want everybody to split into four teams. Team A will make a schedule of what and how much of chemicals and vitamins to the subject daily. Team B will be our engineering programmers. Team C will be our surgeons that will plan out what surgeries they should do and when. Team D will be my medical team for providing care to the boy by checking his physical and mental health every day."

"Miss Inoue San I want you to give me three daily updates on all four teams each day. I have a special assignment for you. I want you to do theoretical experiments on rats and what you're going to be doing is to alter the genes that make him age faster. Find a serum for it. By the end of this year I want it because we need him in a twenty two year old body. It is the age that a man peaks is his best. What are you doing standing in front of me. GO!" Orihime scrammed to her work station.

-

Orihime winced from watching Grimmjow screaming and thrashing as team A tied up his angles and wrists to the bed. They needed to issue out five different shots and two pills to Grimmjow. One of the team members places the gas mask onto Grimmjow even though he was constantly moving. However, soon his body relaxes as the team issue out his shots and pills to him.

This was the norm now for Grimmjow however, team A did overdose him once. Orihime was frantic and scared when that happened as she watched Grimmjow violently tremble. If it wasn't for Mayuri and team D saving Grimmjow, team A could of killed him.

She visited him after the overdose when it was night. Orihime brought him a few homemade chocolate chip cookies for Grimmjow. She felt sorry for him because of what he had to go through every day.

"Grimmjow, are you awake?" She opened the door and she saw Grimmjow eyeing her sadly. God, his blue eyes torment her. She just wanted to cry because his expression was so sad and in pain.

The moment she sat on his bed, Grimmjow cuddle into her lap. He always recognized her as his mother. Her presence made him happy. The little hybrid cub purred as he enjoys her aroma and something else…it was mystical and sweet….

Orihime could see Grimmjow sniffing the air which carried the smell of cookies. She dug into her pockets and grabbed the napkin that covered three cookies.

"Grimmjow, I got something for you."

"It's cookies. Can you say cookie?" Orihime gave him the cookies and waited for an answer. All she got was meows which she found adorable but soon disappointed. She didn't dare show it to Grimmjow even though unknowingly he could smell the lingering stench of disappointment on her suddenly. He slowly ate his cookies as he eyed his mother. She had a melancholy smile. Orihime worried that Grimmjow would be stuck with a mental capability of an animal.

"Oh my little boy…" Then he had to undergo the surgery.

After he finished his cookie, Orihime was singing him a melody as she pets his soft head. Grimmjow enjoyed his mother's singing because her voice soothes him. All his scary memories instantly vanish when she was singing to him.

It was getting late. Orihime slowly got out of his bed and position Grimmjow in a comfortable sleeping position so he wouldn't wake up sore. She hesitated to do it but when she looked at Grimmjow once more, Orihime swelled up with emotions. She bent down slightly as she gently placed a kiss on his forehead.

"I…" Orihime couldn't say 'I love you' just yet. But she continued" Grimmjow please survive for another day. What happened today scared me. Please…I..Dios" The memory of Grimmjow trembling from the overdose overwhelmed her. She was crying silently and so she left the room. Grimmjow awoke from her tears dripping on his face. Once again he saw his mother leaving him again.

He touched his cheek and his fingers were wet by the water that his mother produced. Grimmjow licked his wet fingers and the taste was terrible and yet familiar because it was salty and sad. It was the same taste of his water whenever his mother left him. He always made this water when his mother left him.

-

Today was the first day Team B initiated their programming on Grimmjow. The other teams including Mayuri and Nemu observed how Team B conducted their procedures. Orihime could barely watch but her boss barked at her to observe and take notes like Nemu. They strap Grimmjow on a platinum chair and gagged his mouth with a mouth piece. Then they placed a sleek set of red tinted goggles on Grimmjow. The ends of the goggle's wires were needle points that were one inch long. So the needles were inserted into his skull and the veins of his arms.

The captain of team B was Ikkaku Madrame who was a former marine for United States of America and worked in Techra's technological weaponry development department. "Director Mayuri, the first step for PHS004 is to program the foundations of fighting and a certain level of practical brutality for three hours. What we program into him can be seen on the hologram screen."

"Excellent."

"Not just that but also on the sideline is his health condition including his heart rate, brain activity, and blood pressure. The program today is set on the magnitude 10 out of a 100 point scale. Shall we begin, Sir?"

"Proceed."

Grimmjow saw a world of violence through the lens of the goggles. At first humans were striking the punching bags with technical punches and kicks but the footage evolve into humans fighting each other. The brutality of the men fighting each other was so gruesome that Grimmjow was flinching side to side. The men were bleeding from head to toe because of their inflicted injuries. Orihime was shock that this was the lowest level on the program. She wondered what will the magnitude 100 will be like? At the end of the session, Grimmjow was almost brain dead. When team B removed the gear and when they got to the mouth piece, he was drooling as they removed it. Orihime was appalled by Grimmjow's impassive appearance however she did her best not to show her reaction amongst the indifferent scientists.

That night she visit him, Grimmjow was trembling in his bed. Orihime tried her best to comfort him by hugging and singing him a melody to him but as she had him in her arms, Grimmjow kept trembling. He was simply mortified with the footages. This continued for a month until he had to undergo his first surgery.

Orihime and team C did a surgery based on her experience with the Bengal tigers in India. Team C read her journals on brain alteration and how it enhances the thinking capacity. They develop the serum before the surgery. Orihime prep Grimmjow for surgery. She could see he was scared but her presence comfort him. The surgery took three hours. Grimmjow's extraordinary healing abilities had him fully healed by night time.

"Grimmjow?" Orihime entered the room and saw the boy sitting at the corner of the room. It just disturbed her to see Grimmjow just sitting there and having his little finger doing circles on the wall.

"Grimmjow, Grimmjow- I, I have dinner. Come here. Come on, Grimmjow, come here." Orihime stuttered when she command her boy to come to her. He slowly responded to follow her command. It was a small break through that Grimmjow was following a command which meant his thinking capacity was improving since the surgery. Before the surgery he probably would have been unresponsive to her command.

Grimmjow approach her as she was loading a bamboo mat and then the lunch boxes on them. They both sat on the mat. Orihime opened her lunch box and showed Grimmjow what was in it. It was roasted trout with Mexican rice and crab creampuffs. Orihime was eating her meal with a fork and knife and Grimmjow saw this. Would Grimmjow learn how to use a fork to eat? Orihime observed how Grimmjow cautiously took up the fork and examined it.

"AAAARRRGGGHHHH!" Grimmjow yelled as he swung the fork at Orihime. Orihime screamed with pure fear as she scrambled rapidly away from her spot which Grimmjow strike down with his fork. Grimmjow clutched the fork as he trembled and breathe heavily for air. His crazed eyes kept on looking at the fork.

Orihime couldn't make the decision of getting out the room and be safe or find out what was wrong with Grimmjow and be in danger. The Miyako's words "protect and cherish my son Grimmjow" barely lingered in Orihime's mind since she was almost stab by him. However, she just couldn't avoid the fact that Grimmjow was unstable and mad.

"Grimmjow…" Orihime whispered his name and his feline ears picked up her voice. He instantly gave out a hissing warning at her so she won't come close to him.

"Grimmjow please let go the fork." Orihime slowly crawled towards him. He then growled furiously at her. Suddenly Grimmjow jerked the fork right out the floor and was about to strike again.

Orihime was once again frightened as she anticipated her doom from Miyako's son. She had her arms up protecting her face and she closed her eyes from seeing Grimmjow stabbing her. However, it didn't happen. What she heard was a strike at the wall.

Orihime put down her arms as she opened her eyes to see Grimmjow drawing on the wall furiously with the fork. He was scratching and tearing the surface of the wall with the fork to draw on it. He was drawing stick figures. She was confused until Grimmjow finish half the wall in a few minutes. All his stick figures were fighting to the point of death. Some had weapons. She saw a stick figure stabbed with a pitch fork. Fork!

All these drawings are based on the fighting programs that are logged in his mind. Grimmjow wanted an outlet but he didn't know how to get them out. Jesus, he is going through so much torments in his mind because of the programs are making him crazy.

Orihime let him vent out all those disturbing footages of fights from his mind into the art on the wall. Orihime realized Grimmjow needed some type of therapy if they both wanted to survive for another day. Tomorrow she needed to explain three things to Mayuri. First, even though she was tampering with the video camera in his room so she wouldn't be caught for her illegal visits, Orihime realize she must show what happened tonight and explained why she was there. Second, she must explain to Mayuri the importance of what happened tonight. And finally, she must explain how it is important to have art therapy for Grimmjow. She knew Mayuri would give her a hard time especially when she was not suppose to be visiting Grimmjow in the night.

-

"I specifically said that no one enters Project Hollow's room unless it is an emergency. You disobey me especially for something ridicules."

"Sir, I just wanted to see if the surgery was a success by observing and testing Project Hollow." Orihime was partially lying.

"Do not lie to me you senseless woman. You were planning to give him food."

"Sir, I wanted to see if his thinking capacity can even gasp on how to use a fork." That was true.

"Oh he can use a fork alright! Look at the way he is trying to stab you or draw on the wall." Mayuri rewind and fast forward parts in the video to see what Grimmjow was doing with the fork.

"Sir, the reason I am bringing this forward because the subject desperately needs therapy specifically art therapy. The subject demonstrates the fighting programs that are logged into him needs to be vented out physically or through art. If we give him physical activity he might hurt himself so it would be best to go with art therapy." Her boss paused as he decided of what was the best choice to make.

"Fine, we shall do art therapy for one hour right after his programming. It is your responsibility he gets it."

Team D helped her to set up a room where Grimmjow could have art therapy. One of the members of Team D was a color psychologist. She suggested painting the walls blue because it means serenity and to avoid white because it creates a sense of cold emptiness. Orihime did just that.

Orihime had a decent bamboo table where Grimmjow could do his art. She made sure he had crayons, watercolors, brushes, pencils, and pastels so he could have a variety of materials he can use. Orihime had posters of all sorts of animals in the room. She had owls, frogs, lions, peacocks, and black panthers. Oh she was so excited!

The moment came when Team D brought Grimmjow entered the room. He was hesitant to come in but Orihime was gesturing for him to sit next to her. Grimmjow's eyes wondered as he walked to Orihime. When he sat close to Orihime, she started to demonstrate to Grimmjow how to use the artistic utensils.

"Come on Grimmjow give it a try."

Grimmjow's first drawing wouldn't represent a child at play more like in war. Orihime observed how her son was drawing frantically with bold lines and wild scribbles of red, yellows, and oranges. He was drawing a tank exploding while stick figures were on fire. Orihime was listening to Grimmjow making special effect sounds as he drew. It was the sound of blowing things up.

His second drawing wasn't dramatic and chaotic compare to the first one but it was sad. He used blue, black, purple, and brown crayons to make crumbling buildings and he then used the watercolor blue to make a dreary sky. In the middle of this drawing was a small boy with blue hair. He drew himself in a sad city that was destroyed with nobody else but him.

His last drawing was quite a shocker to Orihime. She didn't expect Grimmjow drawing her. What really intrigue her was that Grimmjow was drawing her in a white dress with a black panther to her side. Did he really know that a panther was his father? Was he drawing his parents? Nonsense…. Grimmjow doesn't even know the word "parent".

-

The whole crew and her boss left the lab but Orihime stayed at her desk. Orihime couldn't hold it in anymore. Orihime was starting to cry her frustration out as she opened her drawer to retrieve a hidden bottle of red wine. Whenever she gets extremely stress out from work she would drink half a bottle of wine to calm herself down. Aizen is going to have her head after all.

Halfway through the year, Orihime just couldn't make much progress in Mayuri's assignment. The rats did age but each batch of baby rats would age to an old age in three days and in the fourth day they all die. She did her calculations and she concluded that Grimmjow would for sure die if he gets this serum.

Orihime went through her reports and also the team reports only to find out they didn't have much progress either. The stressed out scientist grab the bottle's neck and began to drink her wine as she thought about what will happen by the end of this year.

"Wake up you drunk."

"Wha-what-what! I'm awake! Aaawww Mayuri!" Orihime shot right up from her desk. Apparently she slept at her desk last night.

"While you were in the silly land of dreams and wonder, I was examining your report on the assignment I gave you. I see the serum will be hopeless since it will kill off the subject in the end." Orihime saw her report in his hands.

"This isn't good news for Project Hollow. Aizen told me he is ready to pull the plug and start all over with a new subject."

"But sir, I thought you said we had about five years to prepare Project Hollow!"

"Aizen is getting impatient with Project Hollow. He wants excellent results not crap!"

Orihime restraint herself from screaming into Mayuri's face saying Grimmjow is not crap but then he would discover how emotionally attach she is to her adoptive son. What could she do now since Grimmjow's life is in stake?

-

Even though the head director of Project Hollow became stricter with recording Grimmjow's room all time and knowing who comes in and out, Orihime was still able to tamper with the camera in his room and visit her son. The following nights she would visit Grimmjow for a bedtime story. In her bag she would carry three different children books and he would choose the book he likes.

His favorite book is Tarzan. He would run his tiny little claws gentle down the pages seeing if the African rain forest was real or not. He was mesmerized by the animals that Tarzan encounters especially the jaguar. Actually Orihime had to pause for a few minutes so Grimmjow could examine the jaguar's characteristics such as its spots and bright eyes. What touches her every time was how Tarzan was adopted by a female gorilla. They are so different from each but this gorilla gave love to this human baby like it was its own mother. Could she fully love Grimmjow like Kala with Tarzan? Time will only tell.

Orihime kissed Grimmjow's head and tucked him into bed like any other night but it feels like it would be the last for them. She has to push him harder. Miyako didn't sacrifice her life for her son to be killed this early. No, no, she wouldn't let that happen to Grimmjow! She went to bed and woke up with determination to make Project Hollow successful.

-

" Ikkaku put it on 50."

The former marine soldier was shocked by Orihime's outrageous order. The specimen can hardly take in 30 but 50? PHS004 would be brain dead for sure after a routine run in magnitude 50. He wouldn't last a minute. Ikkaku didn't want to die because of this bitch's decision.

"I think that isn't the wise choice, babe." He grumbled while staring at her coldly.

"And I think you're not in the position to comment. Put it on magnitude 50 Mr. Madrame." Ikkaku stoop up from his chair and tried to intimidate Orihime with his tall height.

"Look here, I'm the programmer who knows best and I know this little shit isn't ready."

"Well, I'm assistant director which means I outrank you so put it on 50!"

Grimmjow landed on a hill of rotten bodies. He screamed but Orihime painfully ignore him. In his mind he ran down the hill barefooted. He feels the rotting flesh slipping off the bone and wormy maggots wiggling under his feet. Suddenly he heard intensive explosions off the distance. It was a war he never saw before. What he experienced before was never like this. Suddenly he heard soldiers speaking angrily in a different tongue. Unbeknownst to Grimmjow, he was in Germany during WWII.

"Jew! Jew!"

In seconds, Grimmjow was running like a frighten animal. Nazi soldiers were coming after him from all directions. He was cornered in a back alley. There are fifteen soldiers with their bayonets. The animal in him panic and it wanted a way out because his instincts knew he was doomed. They were going to kill him.

In level 30 when he died, it was instant, and painless. Level 50 wasn't about fighting tactics or learning the art of war. It was a lesson that teaches you how to survive in enemy territory and not die because when you meet death it would be long and painful so much it can drive anyone mad. Individuals who can survive this and not go mad are like the marines of the United States, more like Ikkaku Madrame. If PHS004 can overcome the challenges of level 50 then maybe Project Hollow could be successful.

However, Grimmjow could see the Nazi soldiers stabbing and ripping his guts out. It was so painful and vivid. He can watch himself being ripped apart by these monsters. He was screaming for some relief. Where was his mother? Where is she? He was screaming for her.

"Two more minutes."

"Are you insane?! The boy is losing his mind by watching his own murder!"

"He needs to learn how to tough it out. We can't settle for magnitude 30! He needs to get stronger and smarter by exposing him to this type of level. If he can't by now, then all is lost for Project Hollow!"

"Shit, he is going into shock! Look at what you done!"

Orihime watched Grimmjow as the medical team came to his aid and released him from the chair and onto a floating table. She just wanted him to succeed because if he can't everybody's lives are in stake. What can she do now? Wait for the inevitable doom from Aizen? Wait….. what did she….

The scientist just realized she jeopardized Grimmjow's mental mind by trying to secure the lives of Techra scientist. Shouldn't she put Miyako's promise ahead of everybody else? Isn't she supposed to protect and cherish Grimmjow? Orihime did not protect him but instead put him through so much harm. Is she really a mother to him?

-

Her brother would have been ashamed of her if he was still alive. Sora wouldn't believe that his little sister was capable of making a little boy's life a living hell today. Orihime realized she made the wrong choice of putting Grimmjow through level 50.

"Sora what would you have me do? I don't know what to do anymore…" she whispered.

Orihime was in Grimmjow's room. How many times has she come to comfort Grimmjow from the cruelty of scientists experimenting on him? Now today was different because she was one of them. She was eagerly pushing Grimmjow to the extreme, seeing if he could succeed or not.

She could see Grimmjow tossing and turning in his bed. The poor child was having nightmares over what happened today. She couldn't blame him after all Nazis were chasing after him. Orihime gently scooped Grimmjow in her arms.

"Grimmjow wake up please. Come on sweety." Orihime pat his cheeks so he could wake up from his nightmares.

"Come on, open those beautiful eyes. There you go…" Grimmjow was awake and when he noticed he was in his mother's lap, he immediately hugged her.

"I'm so sorry Grimmjow… It was my fault for what happened today." Orihime tighten her embrace on Grimmjow as she cried atop his head. After today she wouldn't know if she could apologize to Grimmjow if Aizen could end it all any day.

"…………mom what's wrong…."

"What?!" Orihime snap her head up and looked down at Grimmjow. Did he just spoke? His voice immediately brightens her spirit. Hearing him speak was phenomenon. She didn't care the reason why he can now because hearing his voice mattered the most to her now. For the very first time since she gotten her job in Techra Orihime was happy.

"Nothing, nothing sweetheart. I want you to know I love Grimmjow." She cupped his little face with her hands and brought him gentle kisses over his forehead and cheeks. "I love you and I promise you I will never put you in harm's way intentionally ever again."

This was a sign from Sora. She knows now what her brother wants her to do. If Orihime truly loves him like a mother then she must attempt to escape with Grimmjow from Techra Corporation and run away into the canyons. There wouldn't be a Project Hollow anymore and Grimmjow could live a normal life with her. This was the only way she can protect and cherish Grimmjow. Yes, she has to consider the possibility of Aizen sending an army to retrieve them but she has to try.