"That's... that's interesting," Rukia replies, eyes narrowed in confusion. Why would a shinigami decide to stick around a sick person? They had their hands full already with those who had already passed. Then again, she supposed that the man's brother probably exhibited some similar qualities as he did — namely, a soul that didn't seem quite human. A part of her wanted to ask outright exactly what he was, but if the man indeed had so little knowledge about reapers, it didn't seem too likely that he would know how to answer that question.

"Was he being haunted by a ghost or spirit? Or... is there something different about him?" she tried instead, the tone of her voice laced purely with intellectual curiosity.

Any clue that could help to get her out of the city was welcome.