They had finally managed to make it to the infirmary. Quistis burst through the door and a startled Dr. Kadowaki turned towards the entrance. She immediately recognised the intruder as her friend, Quistis Trepe. She smiled at her before asking

"Quistis, you're ok. I'd heard you were captured after the sorceress incident." Quistis nodded in reply but did return the smile, despite been pleased to see her friend also. This worried the doctor who was about to enquire why she seemed so downbeat, when Zell walked in with Squall, and answered any questions she may have been about to ask.

She was shocked to see the state Squall was in. She'd known Squall since he was a boy and first brought to Garden, and throughout that time she had always looked after him when he was injured, which was far more occasions than she would have cared for. Even so, his present condition was the worst of them all. Her doctorial instincts kicked in and took charge of the situation.

"Jess got the gurney in here now." She ordered to one of her assistants. Jess was a young cadet who wanted to specialise as a medic. She hurriedly vanished to the back of the infirmary, following her instructions with haste. She returned as fast as she could and Zell put Squall on the gurney. Dr Kadowaki turned to leave with Jess and Squall when Quistis words caught her off guard.

"Save him."

She was at a loss for words and merely looked back at Quistis; smiled sympathetically and exited the room.

Once they were in the privacy of the surgery they removed Squall's jacket and t-shirt so they could see the full extent of the injuries suffered. Even at first glance both she and Jess could see he was in need of surgery. She checked his right shoulder where the sorceress ice attack had pierced him. She could see there was an injury but it was currently bruised and the swelling and discolour of the bruises contrasted against his usual skin tone made it very difficult to see the wound. This meant she could not fully examine the extent of the damage and this fact frustrated the doctor greatly.

Dr Kadowaki checked his breathing and noticed it was erratic; something was hindering his natural ability to breathe. She felt his neck to check for any blockage but could feel no obtrusion, meaning that option could be ruled out. Undeterred she moved downwards towards his ribcage and was feeling for any obscurities. To her concern she noticed several of the ribs she felt appeared to be cracked or broken.

She was also concerned to see the burn marks that systematically ran down the right hand side of ribs. The pattern was too organised to be the result of an accident or a one off spell or attack. She had known Quistis and her party had been captured but with each injury she examined the more worried she was becoming. Every new observation signalling Squall wasn't just captured but tortured, and it appeared to be over an extended duration.

The signs were unmistakeable. There was a gash on his chest, on the lower part of his pectoral muscle. It mirrored the scar on his face except for this laceration appeared to be cauterized. Her concerns deepened with each passing minute.

His stomach had a viscous wound that ran from just above his navel down the left side and across onto his back and this was a deep wound. The edges of the wound where his skin had been torn was jagged and from the other injuries she was examining she could tell the injury was no accident, and it sure as hell hadn't been treated; she was just hoping it wasn't infected.

The final piece of evidence that turned her theory into reality was found around Squall's wrists. The skin was broken and chafed, smeared with blood, and the pattern completely encircled his wrists suggesting he'd been restrained for at least some part of his ordeal.

His arm hadn't escaped her notice either, that was a horrific injury, and one that would require a great deal of care to examine and to try repair. His arm was not her primary concern though. His breathing was erratic and his vital signs were weak. She had to try stabilising his condition and fix these issues first or the arm would ultimately become irrelevant.

Whilst the doctor had been checking Squall, Jess had been preparing the equipment ready for the inevitable surgery that lay ahead. Once she had finished this she watched Dr Kadowaki studying Squall. Jess wasn't squeamish, she was fine around blood and she had seen and helped treat injuries before but nothing like this. These injuries were not a result of an accident or a training session with the monsters in the training centre. As she watched Dr Kadowaki methodically exam his wounds and injuries she was drawing the same conclusions, torture. This did make her uncomfortable and made her feel unsettled. She was interrupted from her own thoughts and feelings by Dr Kadowaki's words.

"Quickly clean his face and then we will fit the endotracheal tube"

She paused for the slightest moment as the words registered and then she burst into life and set to work. She cleaned his face as best she could and made sure there was no blood showing on his face so they could easily tell if there were problems or complications during the surgery. She administered the anaesthetic. He may be unconscious and she doubted he would be regaining consciousness anytime soon, but he could still feel pain and they didn't want him struggling or moving around during the surgery and cause any unnecessary complications. The doctor then placed the tubes in through his nostrils and down into trachea. Jess taped it in place and made sure it was secure. Jess then hooked him up to the ECG so they could monitor his heart during surgery. His heartbeat was weak and faint; it was barely registering on the machine.

The doctor marked his chest where she was planning on cutting into it. She mentally prepared herself for the long procedure ahead and took a deep breath. She looked at Jess and gave a determined look and spoke

"Let's get to work."

Meanwhile…

Quistis and Zell had been searching for Xu for almost an hour now and were growing increasingly frustrated. They had searched everywhere on the first floor and had just finished looking in the classrooms on the second.

"Where is she?" Zell said, his tone conveying all his current frustration.

"We've searched everywhere except Cid's office" answered Quistis.

They set off in a hurry and were relieved that when they eventually arrived at Cid's office they found Xu.

"Quistis, Zell you…" Quistis cut her off as she was in no mood for formalities.

"Where's Cid?"

"I don't know." Xu answered, surprised by the abruptness of Quistis.

"We have to speak to him."

"I'm sorry but he is in hiding, I don't know where he is"

"Cut the crap Xu. Missiles are heading this way and we have to warn everyone."

"Missiles?" Xu repeated with genuine confusion. Cid also had heard this and he came out of his hiding place and spoke

"Quistis, Zell. It's genuinely good to see you. I'd heard you were captured. What's this about missiles?"

"They are heading this way. The sorceress. She" Zell stuttered. He was unsettled, nervously bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Instructor. Can you give me a full report?" Cid asked. He sat in the chair at his desk and motioned for them to take a seat also.

"Where to start Sir?" She said.

"I find the beginning is always best." He said in his usual manner. She nodded and continued.

"We met with General Caraway in Deling City as per orders sir. We were given the mission of assassinating the sorceress. We split into two teams and at her precession we were going to execute the plan. Myself, Zell and Selphie were the gate team. It was our job to trap her float in the archway and Squall, Rinoa and Irvine were the firing squad. Everything was going to plan. We trapped her in the archway but the shot didn't come. When it did it was too late, she was expecting it."

"So then what happened?" He asked.

"Our orders were to confront her head on if the shot failed. Squall Rinoa and Irvine did just that sir. Seifer was there. He and Squall fought and Squall won but as soon as he did the sorceress…" She paused. Cid noticed this and looked at her. She looked upset. Zell gave her a nudge and she regained her composure and continued.

"She attacked him with an ice spell and knocked him off the float. That's when things went wrong and we were captured Sir."

Cid nodded and then asked

"Where did they take you?"

"The D-District prison. I regained consciousness and was in a cell with Zell, Selphie and Rinoa. Irvine and Squall were nowhere to be found." Cid listened and began to get a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Eventually some guards came and took Rinoa away. Zell came up with a great plan and we managed to escape. We met up with Irvine and Rinoa again and we found Squall." As she spoke his name she looked down at the desk and paused. Cid picked up on this and asked his question, his voice soft and sympathetic.

"Where was Squall when you found him?"

"He…" She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"He was being tortured sir." Answered Zell instead. Cid closed his eyes, inhaled deeply and then forced himself to ask

"So what happened next?"

"We regrouped, learnt of the missile attack and escaped the prison sir. Then Zell Squall and I came here whilst the others went to the missile base to try and stop them."

Cid had listened to their report and was worried, he'd heard them say Squall was with them but he wasn't here giving the report himself. He'd heard them say Squall was tortured and now he was worried. On top of this he was now been told missiles were imminent. The situation was dire.

"Where's Squall now? Why isn't he here giving the report?" Asked Cid.

"He's in the infirmary sir. He's in a bad way." Answered Zell, his voice trembling as he spoke the words.

"Xu call the infirmary. I want to know the second that he comes out of surgery." She nodded and made the call with haste.

"Now about these missiles. I heard that the garden was supposed to have a mechanism to allow it to move but we never figured it out or thought we'd ever have a need for it." Continued Cid.

"So where is this mechanism?" Asked Quistis.

"It's in the lower levels of garden. You'll need to take the lift to the basement and then you will have to go through the tunnels to find it. Now go. If these missiles are as close as you say then we haven't much time."

Zell and Quistis nodded and made for the lift as fast as they could. They worked their way through the mazing tunnels and eventually found the mechanism and once Zell finished his tampering, the machine whirred into life and a platform rose from the floor and elevated them up. It didn't stop, it just went higher.

"Look out" Yelled Zell as he and Quistis dived to the platform floor as it crashed through the ceiling, through Cid's office and higher still. As this was happening garden had uprooted and was now moving towards the coastline of Balamb. As it moved just seconds after it had left its old home the missiles descended and blew a crater in its place. The two of them were delighted that they had saved garden, and in the absolute nick of time. If they'd have been a few seconds slower it would have been disaster. The fates finally seemed to have thrown them a lifeline and they gratefully received it.

As Quistis Zell Xu and Cid admired the view from the bridge they should have been elated and celebrating saving Balamb but the best they could manage was a half-hearted smile. They were worried about their friend and fellow SeeD.

Cid thanked them for their exploits and promised them promotions in their SeeD ranks. He then ordered them to go try get some must needed rest. They reluctantly agreed to try as they were both tired and had been through a torrid ordeal, although they both doubted they'd get the rest they deserved.

Shortly after Quistis and Zell had left the office Cid was sat at his desk. His head was pounding; it had been a long day, and he could feel the onslaught of a migraine approaching. Opening the drawer in his desk he took out a pill from the silver packaging and swallowed it. He leant forward, rested his head in his hands and closed his eyes, hoping for the pill to take effect quickly. Suddenly the phone rang in the office; startling him. He was listening but did not move from his position.

"Headmaster Cid's office." Answered Xu. She listened to the information she was given and nodded.

"Thank you." She put the phone down and immediately relayed the information to Cid.

"Sir. Squall's out of surgery." Cid took a moment to register her words and then quickly composed himself and sat back in his chair and then swiftly rose.

"Thank you Xu. Please inform doctor Kadowaki that I am on my way down now." He acknowledged in his usual polite manner.

Xu had worked with Cid long enough now to notice the subtle signs that he wasn't as composed as he appeared to be though. She could tell that he was genuinely worried about Squall. He was fidgeting with his hands and was taking slow unsteady steps, as if his mind was preoccupied.

When Cid finally arrived at the infirmary he went to open the door and reached for the door handle. When his hand was on it, he paused to compose himself, turned the handle and then entered. Dr Kadowaki was at her desk, waiting for him. When she saw him she looked at him and offered a smile, but didn't say anything. Cid in return offered the same smile and sat down. He lifted his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, it was a habit he seemed to do more and more these days, exhaled and enquired.

"How is he?"

"He's in a critical condition. His injuries were very severe and there were complications during the surgery." She spoke in a professional manner, her voice not betraying her own personal emotions on the situation.

"Will he live?" Cid asked solemnly. Doctor Kadowaki hesitated before answering.

"The next 24 hours are critical, he's lost a lot of blood and his vital signs are very weak." Her answer was not one that filled Cid with much hope. She continued.

"He had some broken ribs and one of them punctured his lung. We've managed to re-inflate the lung but I can't be certain it will stay inflated. I don't know how long he'd carried the injury."

Cid listened to her and a lump grew in his throat. He was hearing the words and they were assaulting his mind, waging a war on his emotions; a war they were winning. He stood, he felt a little unsteady on his feet as walked over towards the room. He paused before entering in an attempt to compose himself. Doctor Kadowaki didn't follow; she remained sat at her desk completing some paperwork, allowing Cid some time alone with the patient.

Once Cid felt he was ready he entered Squall's room. As soon as he did his mental preparations meant nothing; they failed to safeguard him from the battalions of fear, grief and guilt that swept over him. He knew Squall was in a bad way but when he actually laid eyes on him he broke.

Squall laid there motionless. His torso was heavily bandaged, hardly any skin was showing but what was on show was pale, very pale. There were numerous tubes going into him that were attached to one of the surrounding machines, all serving some different purpose. There was one in particular he that stood out. It was a large tube that went directly into his chest; he wasn't sure what this was for, he'd never seen anything like it before.

He watched Squall for a moment and took in all the different machines that were supporting him, keeping him alive. There were machines monitoring his heart, helping him breathe, feeding him. He was effectively completely dependent on these for survival at the moment. Cid hated that thought. In truth he hated all his thoughts at present. It was bad enough seeing him in this state, but to know that it wasn't an accident, to know that Squall was like this because he had been tortured, was something Cid was struggling to accept. It was him that gave the order to have the sorceress killed and that order fell to Squall to carry it out, albeit unintentionally. The guilt was burning him up inside.

"I'm sorry" He said, his voice trembling as he spoke the words.

He was struggling to contain his emotion whilst looking at Squall. He had raised him from a young orphan and had watched him mature into the young man he was today. Sure he had been distant and a bit of a loner, but that was just his nature. He was a fine warrior and the embodiment of SeeD. And there in laid the problem; he was lying here fighting for life because he was SeeD and because he'd carried out his orders, even though his orders were practically a suicide mission. Cid couldn't tolerate the torment and the guilt that was plaguing him and he left the room. He didn't want to but he knew he had to.

He stood outside of Squall's room. Tears were threatening to overwhelm him. A few small teardrops had already escaped and many more were trying to follow their example. Cid was defiant; he turned and took one last look through the door and then he walked away. He walked past doctor Kadowaki's desk and she tried to catch his attention. She spoke his name but he didn't acknowledge her and walked straight past and out of the infirmary.

Once he reached his office he dismissed Xu for the evening. He sat at his desk and closed his eyes. He tried desperately to block out the thoughts that continuously replayed in his mind. He sighed deeply and reopened his eyes. He stood up and walked over to the ornate wooden cabinet that occupied the western wall of the office. He opened the left door of the cabinet and assessed the contents of it; several bottles of alcohol and numerous fine glasses. He grabbed the nearest of both. He opened the bottle and poured some of the contents into the glass. He drank it in one swift motion. Then he poured another and drank this one just as quickly. He then contemplated pouring another but decide to just drink from the bottle instead and he walked over to the window in his office and stared out at the ocean below. He took a big gulp of his drink and continued to stare. The thoughts didn't subside so he unrelentingly drank and stared.

Eventually he stopped staring and he felt light headed, the alcohol truly taking effect in his system. He sat back at his desk and drank the final drops from the bottle. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the desk. He fell asleep quickly and the bottle fell from his hand and on to the floor below.