Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII
A/N: I don't know what to say really... this was inspired by my grandfather's trip to the Hospital.
No flames please.
The wind was cool against her face, and she could feel the chill magnified from the wet streaks on her cheeks.
She was too tangled in her thoughts to feel the grind of dirt and pebbles pressed into her bare knees and to notice that her knuckles were turning white from being fisted so hard.
She looked up at the stairs. They weren't the stairs, but, it still pulled at her insides and scraped at her guilt.
She uncurled her fists, feeling the painful, tingly throb of circulation going back to work, and wondered fleetingly if she could maybe find a trace of imprint that her father could have left here, at this spot, where his last breath was taken.
Was she always to be faced with deaths of loved ones?
She choked on a sob as she remembered what had happened just 6 hours earlier.
"Papa! Papa!"
The echo of Marlene's broken voice sounded strange in the large white hospital hallways.
Tifa sat in the waiting room while the rest of AVALANCHE stood around an unresponsive Barret in an Emergency room. She couldn't bare the loss of another father. Not again.
Barret had apparently decided to step in a dangerous situation and be heroic, and it just ended up showing how he wasn't invincible.
Tifa bit back a cry as she heard the whispers of the Doctor and the sobs of Marlene increase. She couldn't handle it. She had to leave. Get away; away from death.... but it would follow her. Especially her, she thought to herself.
Turning over, she lay flat on her back at looked at the stars in the sky, but turned away when she heard the gravel next to her some ways away be walked upon.
She bit her lip when she felt the presence sit next to her.
Oh God, she thought, not prepared for the news that was about to be given to her. Tifa clenched her eyes shut and bit her lip to keep from wobbling.
"I thought I'd find you here..." Cloud said quietly, breaking the silence.
She didn't answer, but dug her nails into the soil below.
Cloud stared at her intently before speaking again. "...He's stable Tifa... he's fine. The doctor said the gun shot barely missed organs that could have been fatal..."
Tifa didn't move but felt her breath hitch in what she realized was pure relief and basic euphoria. Then, without warning, she collided her body into Cloud's, and fisted her hands into his hair while wracking in quiet sobs against him.
Cloud clung to her just as desperately.
One couldn't heal without the other.
Again, no flaming please.
