First things first: A big thank you to Kat7Ioco who did an amazing job with the translations!
Since I am not SquareEnix, FFVII is not mine. Too bad...
The raspberry jelly with vanilla sauce really did look edible, although Cloud's worst fears about the hospital food had been confirmed so far, unfortunately. So, after just three bites of noodle-cheese-whatever, he had decided to move directly to dessert. What could a cook do wrong when it comes to jelly?
The rest of Shin-Ra's Hospital in Sector 5 was, fortunately, much better than the food they served. The bed was way more comfortable than his own in the dorm, there even was more privacy, because all the beds were separated from each other by curtains (they were a light blue floral - horrible!), and the doctors gave him pain killers with interesting side effects (yeah!). So after all, you could stand it here. If he had a private television, he would be really happy.
While Cloud was still wondering whether he should give the pink jelly a chance, a big, Zack-shaped shadow fell on his bed. The visiting hours were obviously not obligatory for First Classes.
Well, I`m going to let him wait.
"Ahem!" Zack cleared his throat.
Cloud didn`t do him the favor to look up. He wanted to taste at least the vanilla sauce.
"Uh... are you really that angry?" Zack didn`t give up.
Cloud sighed and looked up at him. "Do I have any reason to be angry?"
The First grinned and scratched his head. "It was an accident."
"Of course it was – what would I report to them otherwise? It was clearly an accident. Unfortunate, clumsy Cloud. Tss..."
Now Zack became surprisingly pale. Cloud would never have thought he would ever see that particular color in that particular face. Jelly or no jelly?
As he choose not to say anything more but rather meditate about his dessert, his best friend became visibly nervous. Standing at the end of the bed, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other and a hand went constantly through his spiky hair. "What did you report? Who has been here?"
What would Cloud do for a PHS with camera function right now!
"The evil men with the clipboards and overly-expensive pens who are always looking so serious and ask curious questions", he replied.
Zack actually winced. "When were they here?"
"About half an hour ago. They wrote everything down and left again."
"Oookay, and what exactly did they write down?"
"What do you think?"
"You actually told them?-! Everything?-!" Zack was practically jumping up and down.
Cloud could not resist a smile because of the sight that he would live off of the rest of his life.
Now finish him!
"I said that it was all your idea and that you forced me, because you are my superior. That..."
He got no further - beyond the left curtain someone laughed.
Zack looked in said direction, shrugged his shoulders, and took three big steps to stand next to Cloud's bed.
"Perhaps we should be a little more discreet. These curtains are not very thick." He spoke in a whisper that was even louder than his chatter before.
After all, the laughter stopped, so the SOLDIER felt safe again and sat on the bed. Or rather dropped and reminded Cloud painfully of his broken right foot.
"Ow - watch it!" he hissed between clenched teeth. "That really hurts!"
Oh great, now the desire had passed to eat the dubious dessert.
"Are you going to eat that?" The First wasn't ashamed at all.
Cloud pushed the small bowl towards him. Zack immediately attacked it with the spoon and began to eat the jelly. It seemed to taste good. Crap!
"What did you tell them?" Zack asked with his mouth full.
Cloud sighed again. "I had just finished my shift and was on my way to my unit´s living room when I met a First Class named Zack Fair. He told me to follow him immediately – that it was a situation of life and death. Due to the many terrorist attacks in recent times I expected the worst, so I followed him without hesitation. He took me to the quarters of the SOLDIER-members and finally to the floor where the Firsts live. Of course, by then I doubted his intentions, but who would ever question a First?"
Zack punched his leg.
"It still hurts, you idiot!"
"Are you questioning me right now?"
"Just shut up!"
The mysterious person behind the curtain began to laugh again.
Zack rolled his eyes and turned back the empty bowl on the dessert tray. Then he reached for the plate with the pasta of horror. "Are you going to eat that either?"
"No way! That's definitely not ham. And I don't even want to think about this cheese-imitation."
Zack obviously didn't think about it either but just shoveled the stuff into his mouth. "What did you say next? "
"In the entrance hall there is a small photo gallery. Top left, in the far right and in the middle is a picture of Sephiroth."
More laughter from behind the curtain.
"It really hangs over there. So, Zack Fair ordered me to step on his shoulders. I was afraid to contradict him, so I did. Then he had me stick a poster on Sephiroth's portrait. When I was finished, he began to laugh so hard that I lost my balance and fell." Cloud finished his story and reached for his apple juice. Unfortunately, it was not Banora White, but he hadn't gotten any for months.
Zack stared at him. The plate in his lap was empty. "And?"
"And that was all."
The First could not believe it. "That can't be all. What did they say? There have to be consequences!"
Cloud cocked his head, thinking. "Not for me, at any rate. It is quite obvious that you have intimidated me."
For the first time in ten months, Zack was speechless.
That I ever see this! Cloud mentally grinned.
The picture of misery that had been his best friend just opened and closed his mouth several times without making a sound. At last he succeeded in a whisper. "And what about me?"
"Oh, they said that SOLDIER members should actually deal with their problems themselves. They will provide the report to Sephiroth, so he can take care of it."
"You're not serious!" Zack yelled in denial as he jumped up and ran into the middle of the room. He looked frantically in every direction, Cloud figured that he would even look under the beds.
Only after the First had convinced himself that Sephiroth was not in the room, he turned back to Cloud.
"When exactly were they here?"
"About 45 minutes ago. If you leave the city immediately, you may have a slight chance of survival." Cloud made a gesture with thumb and index finger. "So slight, though!"
Zack pointed to his friend while he was walking backwards away from him. "I`ll get you back."
Then he turned around and almost ran over a nurse who called some evil curses after him.
Behind the left curtain, Cloud's neighbor fought against suffocation. Cloud hoped that he didn't have any broken ribs or something similar. That would really hurt.
"All clear over there?"
It took a moment, but there finally came an answer. "Everything's fine. This is the funniest hospitalization of my life by far."
"That`s great."
"What was the poster?"
"Oh, just a poster with Sephiroth holding the Masamune. It says: It's not the size that matters, but the technique."
Renewed laughter behind the curtain.
Cloud leaned back in his pillow and stretched as good as he could without moving his right leg. Now he just needed a pizza or some fast food.
Maybe he could convince one of the nurses that starvation was extremely counterproductive during a recovery?
"How far are you going to let him run until you tell him the truth?" asked his mysterious neighbour.
The truth was that he had completed only a simple accident report. He stated that after work he fell down the stairs in front of Building 4, which was standing far away from the SOLDIERs´ home. Fortunately, Zack Fair was on hand to help and to call an ambulance. Zack also had had the courtesy to carry him for a short distance so that the ambulance did not have to maneuver through the narrow streets. Perfect alibi! No one would ever find out the truth.
"How far?" Cloud could not resist a mischievous grin. "Maybe up to Gongaga?"
"Up left on the right bottom in the middle" is the most interesting place description one has ever given me. Even more fun - I've found the place...
Well, what can I say - Zack has sworn revenge, so there will be a sequel!