[It's rare that Ukitake is ever left completely on his own, and rarer still that he isn't surrounded by people who are well-aware of his mercurial health. He's familiar with the symptoms; he knows that he can't afford to turn away any offer of help, so he pushes himself to his feet with some effort and makes halting progress toward the door. A fresh series of coughs forces him to stop just shy of opening it. Eventually, he summons the energy to open the door. What anyone waiting outside will see is a tall, gaunt man clearly in distress, eyes darkly shadowed in a pale, drawn face.]